The general Metal discussion thread

[Bear 1817]

Vampire - Rex

 

After a brilliant demo, but pretty damn weak debut album, Vampire has slowly gotten better again with a good EP and a really good album in the form of With Primeval Force which sounds like a mix of old Possessed, Celtic Frost, Kreator, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Mercyful Fate and Castlevania soundtracks. And with an album like that I just can't help but have massive expectations to this.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

What a magnificent cover! I should start actually listening to these guys, as I've been promising myself since seeing them live, like 4 years ago, lol.

[Bear 1817]

5 minutes ago, Jigsaw9 said:

What a magnificent cover! I should start actually listening to these guys, as I've been promising myself since seeing them live, like 4 years ago, lol.

 

The cover art for With Primeval Force is also damn fucking awesome! This band is a must if you're into old school death/thrash.The Vampire demo is one of my all-time favourite death metal releases, and the debut album kinda follows that pattern of death thrash. Not nearly as good sounding as the demo, but it is what it is. With Cimmerian Shade they started to "experiment" a bit with more progressive and epic elements, compared to the straight-forward death-thrash of their earlier outputs. With With Primeval Force they included even more of these epic elements, but without adding tons of synth to the mix. It's just a weird, darkly epic feeling over it. Castlevanian death/thrash.

 

I still think the demo is their best work, and while I did dislike the album when it was released (mainly because it sounds a bit tame and doesn't sound nearly as raw and aggressive as the demo), it has grown on me a bit since then. Not a bad album at all.

[Bear 1817]

 

 

 

The black psychedelic rocket in Black Magick SS is back, cleaner, more polished and softer than ever before, but still with incredibly catchy and awesome. This time around they sound a bit more early 80's than 60's, but that makes it fresh. This is still 100% Black Magick SS, and it's totally awesome. Top 10 contender for 2020 for sure.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Oh HELL YEAH, I'm always down for some Black Magick SS.

[Bear 1817]

And if you're like me and don't mind clones I highly recommend these two bands as well:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neither as good as Black Magick SS, but both surely does a good job channeling the same atmosphere and feeling. Highly recommend both bands.

 

 

 

[Bear 1817]

 

 

 

 

First impression is that a some of the metal parts are much "weirder" and complex than previous records, but their signature mix of psychedelic rock and black metal is still very much present and it doesn't sound like anyone other than HSN. The synth sounds amazing, and that middle part with the synth intro and then lead guitar is outstanding. Great track!

[Bear 1817]

 

Hellripper - The Affair of the Poisons

 

 

This black speed metal bands just keeps getting better with each release, so this new album can't come fast enough. Should be awesome!

[Bear 1817]

 

 

 

That sounds pretty good. Very, very Watain-esque tbh.

 

 

Edit: On a second listen I feel like it's almost a bit too Watain-esque. Hmm. Still looking forward to the album tho.

Edited May 1, 2020 by Bear

[mononeko 0]

I used to listen metal when I was in high school but not much these days actually. 

 

 

 

[Bear 1817]

A new metal label that focuses specifically on fantasy themed bands just posted this on their Facebook page today:

 

Quote

Gollum's Treasures is proud to announce great collaboration with mighty Nazgûl! The band inspired by Tolkien from Sicily and part of the Mediterranean scene between 90's and early 2000's soon will return with many good news! Stay tuned!

 

 

 

 

It's been close to 20 years since we last heard anything from Nazgûl, which is 2002's full length De Expugnatione Elfmuth. Super epic black metal which takes the epic and bombastic elements of Summoning and blend them with more traditional black metal. Where Summoning for the most part captures the more epic and grand aspects of Tolkien, Nazgûl captures the more grimmer and darker  elements of violent and destruction on Tolkien. The band is often criticized for its vocals, but I've come to love them. Super over the top, but absolutely fitting IMO.

 

 

Can't wait for any new material here. Exciting stuff.

[Bear 1817]

 

 

 

 

 

What the actual fuck!? It's been no less than 16(!!!) years since Armagedda released their last album and proper, legendary masterpiece "Ond Spiritism", and 16 years since the band split. Since then Graav has kept himself busy with Lik, Ehlder, Lönndom and Graavehlder, and A. Petterson has kept himself with De Arma, Stilla, Whirling, Saiva and Lönndom. They've kept themself busy creating other quality music, but they have never reached the legendary quality that is "Ond Spiritism", which is a unique, different and fucking fantastic album. This kinda continues the sound of "Ond Spiritism", but with a lot of elements from their other projects like Ehlder and Lönndom. After one listen it doesn't sound quite as good, but that's something we could not wish for as "Ond Spiritism" is one of the best black metal albums post 2000's. But the songwriting is simlar, as is the feeling and atmosphere. The last track, Evigheten i en obrytbar cirkel, is IMMENSE by the way.

[Bear 1817]

 

https://assassinationnow.bandcamp.com/album/seeds-of-the-master

 

 

 

Man, this new Assassination album is so good. Black metal/psychedelic rock in the vein of Black Magick SS, just a tad blacker. This entire album rules supreme!

[Jigsaw9 6783]

12 hours ago, Bear said:

Black metal/psychedelic rock in the vein of Black Magick SS, just a tad blacker.

You had me at "Black Magick SS". I sampled their stuff, seems good so far! (also wow they released quite a bit already)

 

btw I checked the new BMSS album not long ago too, it was okay but I preferred the previous one.

[Bear 1817]

17 hours ago, Jigsaw9 said:

You had me at "Black Magick SS". I sampled their stuff, seems good so far! (also wow they released quite a bit already)

 

btw I checked the new BMSS album not long ago too, it was okay but I preferred the previous one.

 

I actually recommended both Assassionation and Edelweiss earlier on this side. Both well worth digging into.

 

I'd also recommend playing the new BMSS a lot. It's a grower for sure. Earlier releases might have bigger hits and better single songs, but as an album from A to Z I'd probably say this is their best and most consistent album. But all their releases are obviously close to perfect. Phenomenal band!

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Gotcha!  I seem to vaguely recall Edelweiss but something about them didn't click for me. I might re-visit.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

Okay, I take back what I said, this new BMSS album fucks hard. I'm vibing with the synthy goodness so much on track 2 & 3 and the vocoder in that one later epic song.

 

edit: Just listening to the "Circles within Circles" album by Assassination, great stuff! Really catchy too.  I tried again with Edelweiss but something about the sound feels kinda weak/meh to me... even tho I kinda wanna like them cuz they sampled some old Hungarian cartoon at the beginning of one of their songs, lol.

 

edit2: These Assassination guys are absolute mad lads, already released a new song a couple days ago from an upcoming new release.

 

 

Edited June 8, 2020 by Jigsaw9

[Bear 1817]

Happy to hear you finally saw the light surrounding BMSS's new album, mate. Superb stuff!

 

 

 

Yes, Assassination is tearing the world of metal apart at the moment. And they seem to get better and better, which is kinda awesome even though they're already bloody amazing. Can't wait to see what the future holds for them.

[Keiyuh 53]

Do you like huey Lewis and the news? 

[Bear 1817]

Finntroll - Vredesvävd

 

New Finntroll album, and their first in seven years. I still prefer their two first albums, but I go back to the rest of their discography every now and then, so this should be fun.

[Jigsaw9 6783]

6 minutes ago, Bear said:

New Finntroll album, and their first in seven years.

Wow, this was the last thing I expected. I guess I'm cautiously optimistically looking forward to it? We'll see.

 

First three albums do it for me, then I kinda lost interest gradually (but the later stuff's not bad either).

Edited June 17, 2020 by Jigsaw9

[Bear 1817]

You should be. Personally I don't think they have ever released anything bad, and as long as Trollhorn is their (main) composer I get a feeling they'll never release anything bad. He's just too good a composer.

[Bear 1817]

I might have posted this before, but whatever:

 

Battle Dagorath - Abyss Horizons

 

Really looking forward to this. Paysage d'Hiver meets Darkspace meets Vinterriket. Vinterriket from Vinterriket is also a part of Battle Dagorath, and they got a black/thrash metal band together as well. Anyway, great band. This should be amazing.

 

Katavasia - Magnus Venator

 

Not sure if anyone's familiar with these guys, but this is pretty much a greek all-star band with Necroabyssious (Varathron, ex-Kawir) on vocals, Achilleas C. (Varathron, Aenaon) on guitars and bass, Astrous (Aenaon) on guitars, Foivos (Hair Spirit Noir) on drums and some other guys. Sounds very greek, but with a lot more emphasis on regular melodic black metal riffing. You'll find clear traits of Rotting Christ, Varathron, Kawir, Zemial, Agatus and so on in their music. Looking forward to this as well. Previous material is awesome!

[Bear 1817]

 

 

 

Hellripper FINALLY dropped a track off his highly awaited upcoming album The Affair of the Poisons, and the track RIPS. He still doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, which is totally fine because James McBain really nails this type of black speed metal. Bathory meets Exciter meets Motorhead's speeder tracks. Sounds fire!

[Bear 1817]

https://paysagedhiver.bandcamp.com/album/im-wald

 

 

New Paysage d'Hiver is up for streaming. Sounds excellent, although I feel like this should or could have been released as two albums instead. But the music is top notch throughout. The album very much continues the cleaner sound of Das Tor, which is far from a bad thing. Still sounds like a blizzard in the form of music. Stunning stuff.

 

https://paysagedhiver.bandcamp.com/album/das-gletschertor

https://paysagedhiver.bandcamp.com/album/das-schwarze-metall-eisen

 

The two tracks from the new "Das Gletschertor / Das schwarze Metall-Eisen" compilation is also out, both recorded during the Schattengang back in 1998. Excellent stuff, and way grimmer than his recent material. Superb!