6385 replies to this topic

[velocity]

So, prog nerds out there, here's a good, Cynic style band you'll dig:

http://www.myspace.com/scalethesummit

The new album's out in February, I think, and it's quite nice. Disciplined, too, complex but restrained enough to sound catchy, and doesn't drag on forever. Gorgeous artwork, too, the booklet unfolds to a gigantic photo of a weirdly eroded canyon dealy.

If there's a music player on that page, it didn't show up for me. Really great-looking artwork, though.

[Backslash M Forwardslash]

TERRORIZER best of 08:
01. ENSLAVED - Vertebrae (Indie Recordings)
02. CYNIC - Traced In Air (Season Of Mist)
03. NACHTMYSTIUM - Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1 (Candlelight)
04. GOJIRA - The Way Of All Flesh (Listenable)
05. TORCHE - Meanderthal (Hydra Head)
06. MESHUGGAH - ObZen (Nuclear Blast)
07. OPETH - Watershed (Roadrunner)
08. METALLICA - Death Magnetic (Warner)
09. BLOODBATH - The Fathomless Mastery (Peaceville)
10. ESOTERIC - The Maniacal Vale (Season Of Mist)
11. EARTH - The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull (Southern Lord)
12. AC/DC - Black Ice (Sony)
13. ASVA - What You Don't Know Is Frontier (Southern Lord)
14. HAIL OF BULLETS - ...Of Frost And War (Metal Blade)
15. SEPTICFLESH - Communion (Season Of Mist)
16. DARKTHRONE - Dark Thrones And Black Flags (Peaceville)
17. LEVIATHAN - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life (Moribund)
18. GRAND MAGUS - Iron Will (Rise Above)
19. HARVEY MILK - Life... The Best Game In Town (Hydra Head)
20. SATYRICON - The Age Of Nero (Roadrunner)

never heard ESOTERIC..will have to check em out

Has anyone heard ASVA? They're playing with Black Elk next weekend. I was planning to skip this show and catch Black Elk and Red fang in few weeks, but if ASVA is good, I might go out......

[throughsilver]

Asva will be worth seeing, definitely.

[swede]

so after all the year end lists are in, looks like the year in heavy music could be summed up in one medieval statement:

The KRALLICE and CYNICal HARVEY MILK TORCHEd the ENSLAVED BLACK ELK in NACHTMYSTIUM...

yes..i need to go back to work, soon...

[Soundscape]

2 items:

1..one of my favorite extreme metal groups, Norway's In Vain announced on their myspace blog yesterday they are 98% finished with their new record that is to be called "Mantra"..for those unfamiliar, http://myspace.com/invainno ..2007's "The Latter Rain" is a tremendous record, which makes me all the more jazzed about this follow-up. more info http://blogs.myspace.com/invainno

Anyone know a band kind of in a similar melodic/blackened proggy death vein in California's Aurora Black http://www.myspace.com/aurorablack

"And the Skies Dream of Infinte Sorrow" is the name of their record from 2008. It's a long 75mins or so, but I am quite intrigue it regardless of the length. Just listening to a couple of songs there.. the melodic sense here is very strong..and the vocals are pretty versatile.

edit: Aurora Black's album from last year is good..but may take some time to fully digest. Like 3 or 4 pieces had some great melodies especially. Very much an epic record in more than one sense.

[taste the waste]

Yeah, Michael posted about that album a while back. Very very long album.

Yes. I very much enjoyed it but found it so long that relistening was a daunting task. Made it through, head to foot, once. Listened about half way in another 4 times or so. Still think it's great, but I lost interest.

[James Iha]

sick find at the broadway reckless yesterday:


12.99, near mint... pardon the glare from my desk lamp.

been spinning this one pretty hard. total balls out classic.

[Saskadelphia]

"Gloves of Metal"!!! Truth be told, that's quite a vicious album. When they were focused, Manowar could be awesome.

[Soundscape]

new Ossein album leaked. I guess they are somewhat in the vein of Ulver.

[Backslash M Forwardslash]

Asva will be worth seeing, definitely.

Nice! Thanks!

[Backslash M Forwardslash]

Sask, did you get the new Giant Squid album? If so, is it as much of a snooze-fest as their last album, or did they pull it off? I really liked the song they did on their split with Grayceon, so I'm holding out hope that the new one won't be awful.....

[Backslash M Forwardslash]

FIIIIINALLY found this.

KEN Mode - Mennonite
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=49IPDZZG

Not my link, so I can't vouch for it. Their last album made it to several EOY lists for '07, but for some reason, this one got almost no distribution. It's almost impossible to find in the states......

I haven't listened to it yet, but the one review I could actually track down said it's their best to date.

[throughsilver]

Asva will be worth seeing, definitely.

Nice! Thanks!

To elaborate (which I should have done at the time), I wasn't that enamoured with their new album, but I reckon it might be the kind of thing that takes a while to grow on you. Conversely, their ambience and sunn(o)))-ish tendencies would probably go over really well live. And Trevor Dunn is in the band. He's awesome.

[Burz]

Trevor Dunn is not in Asva, I assume you were thinking of Trey Spruance? Although he's not in the band anymore either as Stuart just recently replaced the entire lineup.

[throughsilver]

Trevor Dunn is not in Asva, I assume you were thinking of Trey Spruance? Although he's not in the band anymore either as Stuart just recently replaced the entire lineup.

Spruance! Thanks. Bungloids all look the same to me.

Bootsy Kronos is a megalomaniac.

[Saskadelphia]

How's that Ken Mode sound? The last album was pretty decent, though it seemed a touch overrated here in Canada.

Sask, did you get the new Giant Squid album?

I was supposed to get it, but since Adrian Bromley's passing all that's been messed up. He'd been raving constantly about GS's new album back in November.

[Backslash M Forwardslash]

Asva will be worth seeing, definitely.

Nice! Thanks!

To elaborate (which I should have done at the time), I wasn't that enamoured with their new album, but I reckon it might be the kind of thing that takes a while to grow on you. Conversely, their ambience and sunn(o)))-ish tendencies would probably go over really well live. And Trevor Dunn is in the band. He's awesome.

Yeah, I gave it a spin today. I still haven't figured out the whole ambient doom thing. Sadly, I don't think this was the "gateway" album for me to decide I love the genre.

On the other side, I popped Middian in right afterward and realized that doom is growing on me in general. Speaking of which, YOB is doing a reunion show here in Portland at the end of February. I think I'll have to make that one!

[Backslash M Forwardslash]

How's that Ken Mode sound? The last album was pretty decent, though it seemed a touch overrated here in Canada.

Sask, did you get the new Giant Squid album?

I was supposed to get it, but since Adrian Bromley's passing all that's been messed up. He'd been raving constantly about GS's new album back in November.

The KEN Mode isn't bad. I was a little disappointed, but will give it another try tomorrow. It's been a little while since I heard their last album, but I remember it sounding bigger, more angular, and more "noise metal" overall. Not sure why, but the vocals on this album struck me as a tad bit annoying......

I actually went out and ordered the Giant Squid album, as they're only releasing 1000 copies and I didn't want to get a crappy 128kb mp3.....
If the album sounds anything like Sutter's Fort, it should be awesome.

[throughsilver]

Asva will be worth seeing, definitely.

Nice! Thanks!

To elaborate (which I should have done at the time), I wasn't that enamoured with their new album, but I reckon it might be the kind of thing that takes a while to grow on you. Conversely, their ambience and sunn(o)))-ish tendencies would probably go over really well live. And Trevor Dunn is in the band. He's awesome.

Yeah, I gave it a spin today. I still haven't figured out the whole ambient doom thing. Sadly, I don't think this was the "gateway" album for me to decide I love the genre.

Have you listened to Altar and Black 1 a few times? If you don't like those, I can't think of much to convince you otherwise.

[Saskadelphia]

Idolator has an outstanding conversation about the current state of metal...well worth reading:

http://idolator.com/...etallic-sonatas

TheThingThatShouldNotBe: i mean, pitchfork reviewed a fistful of metal releases throughout the year, some quite favorably, but when it came time to make up their top 50 list, not one metal title was on there
TheThingThatShouldNotBe: same with the onion av club list - not one metal title
StumpyPete1975: I think it's the problem with consensus
StumpyPete1975: there is that one metal guy on staff
TheThingThatShouldNotBe: it bugs me because they're not claiming to be parochial indie-only sites, they're claiming to be covering the best of current music
StumpyPete1975: yep
TheThingThatShouldNotBe: and yet, when the year ends, their true colors are revealed
TheThingThatShouldNotBe: i mean, i don't have to pretend to like bon iver or whoeverthefuck, you know?
TheThingThatShouldNotBe: when i make a list of the best albums of the year, it's gonna be the best METAL albums of the year, and everyone reading it knows that going in
TheThingThatShouldNotBe: but pitchfork wants to expand their stylistic purview - until they don't
TheThingThatShouldNotBe: and it winds up being disrespectful
TheThingThatShouldNotBe: and an inaccurate portrayal of culture as it exists on the ground
StumpyPete1975: it ends up being tokenism, really
StumpyPete1975: like, phew, we covered a few metal records this year
StumpyPete1975: good job guys!