Immortal - Sons of Northern Darkness

Title: Sons of Northern Darkness
Artist: Immortal
Released: 2002                                               RATING:4/5

The Good: A true combination of old-school and new-school sensibilities, Sons of Northern Darkness is an overwhelmingly strong offering of uncompromising Black Metal. Each of the band members plays their instrument at an incredibly high level, and Abbath's vocals are menacing and distinctly black metal-esque. His guitar parts are technical and shred quite hard in spots, but also keep tight to the black metal tradition of keeping the emphasis on the atmosphere of each song as a whole. The reduction of white noise in the background and good production (such ommisions being atypical for black metal in general) also helps emphasize these traits, and the band's sense of melody is staggering considering the genre's reputation as simply "noisy". I've read a few articles commenting on how Vektor's playing style betrays a black metal-influenced approach to melody, which I totally didn't hear at all...until I listened to this album. There are great high-speed tracks, as well as slower tracks that will just steamroll the listener with their heaviness. The whole album is full of great moments, and is highly recommended for fans of extreme metal, but, of course, particularly black metal.

The Bad: Sometimes, the songs can really drag on without a lot of variety, but these instances are few and far between.

Obscura - Omnivium

Title: Omnivium
Artist: Obscura
Released: 2011                                      RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: I thought about this one carefully. Listening to a lot of metal in my life, I tried to put this album in context compared to what I had already heard. I confess, I am a HUGE fan of Death, which is one of the most obvious influences Obscura draws from, what with the myriad of heavy and driving yet progressive, melodic riffs and the harsh vocal delivery of deep subject matter. And I will admit, I am usually pretty quick to call out imitators, especially of Death, whose music I borderline revere. But I don't feel that way AT ALL with Omnivium. In fact, it feels like a breath of fresh air to me; one of the few albums, like The Sound of Perseverance, that makes me think "And I lived without this for how long???" Granted, I have heard better albums; Omnivium is certainly not on TSoP's level, and does offer some standard Obscura tricks, which keep it from being revolutionary in any way. What this album is is a masterful work of Progressive metal. The band has always been a clinic on instrumental virtuosity, but compared to Cosmogenesis, their previous album, this album impresses for one reason: The songs are better. Yes, Cosmogenesis was a very good album, but it was firmly rooted in the standard tech-death formula that it merely was above average, if that. Obscura manages to add in elements, such as use of vocal effects (mainly the ethereal chanting) and melody, along with even more complex instrumental parts (if that were even possible), to make the songs as memorable as progressive metal could possibly be. The best part is, this is evidenced in minor parts as well as major parts of the songs. Take, for example, the bass interlude at the back-end of "Prismal Dawn", or the highly emotive and melodic solo on "Celestial Spheres"; just two great moments that comprise an album comprised entirely of such great parts. That is to say, every song in their entirety is very good. The chanting was interesting to me; it reminded me a bit of the Halo games, and just all the sort of epic associations that go with them, which the band achieved here with said element. Without gushing too much, I would like to say that Omnivium has truly helped restore my faith in the contemporary metal scene, helping to erase the sense of staleness that many of the "-core" bands and other assorted mindless death bands had given me. Please get this album, if you can.

The Bad: The songs do run kind of long, which is inconvenient at times. But, honestly? That;s not even a big deal. This album, while extremely good, is not as groundbreaking as releases by such bands as Death, Cynic, Athiest, or Morbid Angel (who clearly have left their mark on the band), so don't get your hopes up in that case. Think of Omnivium as on the tier directly beneath them, but just barely so.

Violator - Chemical Assault

Title: Chemical Assault
Artist: Violator
Released: 2006                                          RATING: 3.8/5

The Good: The reason that most people got tired of the whole "Thrash Revival" thing really fast was because a lot of the bands were really bad at it. I mean, they could play, but it was really noticeably not-fresh stuff, even as far as neo-thrash goes, which is saying something. Violator was a notable exception, however, and 2006's Chemical Assault fits well alongside second-tier thrash classics such as Forbidden Evil, Eternal Nightmare, and Epidemic of Violence, to name a few. The material is hardly groundbreaking, as mentioned, but it works; even the songs about such common thrash topics as nuclear war ("Atomic Nightmare", "After Nuclear Devastation", etc.) don't sound worn out. The material is well above-average, and the band's playing throughout is air-tight. The first half of the album is the most memorable, but the whole thing is worth the acquisition for sure.

The Bad: There's nothing new about this album at all; it's textbook 80's-style thrash, for the most part. That can be a good or bad thing, of course, depending on what you are looking for. No major concerns, however. A very solid album.

Anacrusis - Manic Impressions

Title: Manic Impressions
Artist: Anacrusis
Released: 1991                                            RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: The third and best Anacrusis album, Manic Impressions, is a benchmark in progressive, melodic thrash, and a worthy successor to the Reason album that it surpasses in just about every way (though not necessarily dramatically so.). Opening track "Paint a Picture" does just that, setting the tone for what's ahead with strong riffing, dark overtones, lots of melody, and excellent drumming from then-new addition Chad Smith (not the Red Hot Chili Peppers guy). Anacrusis' cover of New Model Army's "I Love the World" is splendidly done; it is the perfect choice for a cover that they could have done as it totally fits their sound. This album is such essential Thrash/Progressive music that the fact that Manic Impressions was, and has been, ignored by all but die-hards is nothing short of a travesty. I mean, hell, they give the album away free on the band's website. Give it a listen, and be amazed.

The Bad: Poor production plagues most Anacrusis albums, but the remastered version available now rounds out the sound very well. Just get it.

Into Eternity - The Scattering of Ashes

Title: The Scattering of Ashes
Artist: Into Eternity
Released: 2007                                         RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: Canada's Into Eternity play a variety of extreme Metal that is hard to pin down; sure, it's pretty progressive and thrashy, but I would not label them as just Progressive or Thrash, or Progressive Thrash. On '07's The Scattering of Ashes, the band deliver a potent mix of thrash, death, and power metal with plenty of technical skill throughout from each of the band members, particularly lead guitarist/band leader Tim Roth, whose shredding sounds otherworldly on this album. The rhythm and leads are equally complex, and the drums are expertly played, but one of the most instantly recognizeable elements is singer Stu Block's uber-dynamic vocal performance, which is simply incredible; he could literally sing any kind of music with his voice, and lends his talents giving each song a unique feel. The band manages to be highly technical, fast, and extreme while still penning memorable-as-hell songs. There's no filler whatsoever. A truly superb album.

The Bad: Nothing. The album is excellent in that it has appeal for fans of all kinds of metal subgenres, though it is definitely more geared towards extreme metal fans, because the music is very intense. But even then, it is still worth picking up. These guys get how to make quality music.

Warbringer - Waking Into Nightmares

Title: Waking into Nightmares
Artist: Warbringer
Released: 2009                                            RATING: 4/5

The Good: Warbringer's second album is vicious, aggressive, and completely awesome. The difference between Nightmares and the albums bookending it (The debut War Without End and third album Worlds Torn Asunder) is that the overall quality of each and every song individually is better, and the combined result is a real kick in the ass. The intense thrashing and plain-ol', brutal goodness of  "Jackal", "Living in a Whirlwind", "Severed Reality", "Shadow from the Tomb" and "Senseless Life" establish Warbringer as go-to guys for fans of seriously heavy, but still seriously good, metal. As mentioned before, Warbringer at times sound similar to Demolition Hammer with their Thrash/Death combo (with singer John Kevill even offering a startlingly Chuck Schuldiner-esque growl at one point), but their sound is their own. Nic Ritter's drum work is spectacular; his super-technical style makes for many high points throughout the album. The Guitars are great, the bass is HUGE. This is the best place to start for anyone interested in the band.

The Bad: There is an instrumental track that sounds somewhat like Metallica's "The Call of Ktulu", just without the Metal fireworks. That's all.

Nile - Annihilation of the Wicked

Title: Annihilation of the Wicked
Artist: Nile
Released: 2005                                             RATING - 4/5

The Good: Nile is well known for their combination of brutal, uber-technical death metal and Middle Eastern/Egyptian elements. While some of the band's fans regard Black Seeds of Vengeance or In Their Darkened Shrines as superior albums, Annihilation boasts a tremendous set of songs, as well as super-clear production, which allows the band's extraordinary musicianship to be fully appreciated. "Cast Down the Heretic" is an awesome first song, especially because of its contrasting brutality to the relaxed, instrumental track that officially kicks off the album. There are some very long songs, but they are not without variety, thus preventing any boring, adreniline filled riff-fests that plague lesser works (think Pleasures of the Flesh, for example). The album as a whole is fantastic, and should be at the top of anyone's list when checking out Death Metal for the first time.

The Bad: The vocals are an acquired taste, even by Death Metal standards, as they are sung at such a deep pitch. Some of the songs can be a bit obnoxious, with three lasting over eight minutes long.

Deicide - Deicide

Title: Deicide
Artist: Deicide
Released: 1990                                           RATING: 4/5

The Good: Deicide's self-titled debut album is fast, heavy, and super evil; it is not unlike Morbid Angel's Altars of Madness in this regard, but Morbid Angel's eerieness and epicness is replaced here by sheer malice. "Lunatic of God's Creation" is a seriously good song, and even a catchy one by Death Metal standards. The album as a whole is strong, combining strong, furious playing with over the top lyrical themes to create a soound that can be very intimidating to the unfamiliar ear, indeed. A highly reccommended listen for Death Metal fans.

The Bad: Sometimes the songs tend to blend together, what with the repetitive themes and deliveries. The solos, which are highly energetic and dexterous, is completely indebted to the classic Slayer atonal squeeling style; that's not really a negative, but it's still there, especially since they aren't quite as, well, good as the source. Some of the solos can sound like super-fast flurries of random notes, at times.

Ripping Corpse - Dreaming With The Dead

Title: Dreaming With The Dead
Artist: Ripping Corpse
Released: 1991                                            RATING: 4/5

The Good: Standing at the very crossroads of Death Metal and Thrash Metal is Ripping Corpse's sole LP Dreaming With The Dead. The album is a bit of an enigma; while not necesarily ground-breaking, Dreaming's overall sound and approach are not very common. Full-blown guitar solos are, for the most part, replaced by solo fills throughout the songs, carefully woven in-between and alongside the lyrics. The musicianship is top-notch, and the songs just sound brutal. With songs of varying lengths from about two-to-four minutes each, the album is best experienced when listened to as a whole. A lost gem from the golden era of extreme music.

The Bad: The production helps add to the album's doomy, erie feel, but one gets the feeling that the music itself would be more enjoyable if it could be heard properly. The album's murky tone does little to help identify the complicated guitar and bass playing throughout.

Demolition Hammer - Epidemic of Violence

Title: Epidemic Of ViolenceArtist: Demolition Hammer
Released: 1992                                             RATING: 3.8/5

The Good: Demolition Hammer's second full-length album, Epidemic Of Violence, showcases the band's masterful, brutal Death/Thrash combination (an approach later refined by Warbringer) at it's best. The classic "Skull Fracturing Nightmare" stands tall here, with it's high-speed attack that gives way to a crushing breakdown; a true Metal anthem. The title track, "Aborticide", and "Human Dissection" are also memorable. As a whole, Epidemic of Violence is a strong release that is absolutely worth tracking down. (Released as part of Century Media's Necrology, which is a collection of D.H.'s three albums in full)

The Bad: To people not familiar with the band, some of the songs may seem to blend together and not stand out well. The material is strong, but it's hardly groundbreaking, either.

Beyond Unknown - Reflections in Time (EP)

Title: Reflections in Time (EP)
Artist: Beyond Unknown
Released: 2011                                              RATING: 3.5/5

The Good: This band has nothing other than this EP in their catalogue, as far as I know. Beyond Unknown, led by former Death/Control Denied guitarist Shannon Hamm, plays a brand of heavy metal not unlike that of Control Denied. The band has their own style, though, and the music, progressive, melodic, and still heavy, is quite good. "Jungle" and "Time" stand out most among the EP's five songs, two of which are instrumentals. This EP is worth a listen because it is far from being "cookie cutter", and sounds great. The band plays well throughout.

The Bad: A "3.5" is about as high as I can go for a partial release. Reflections in Time is good, but it would be great to hear more from the band, who have seemed to be lying low since the EP was released. The singer's voice can be somewhat inconsistent; it fits in well with the music, but some of the vocal lines are a bit, well, all over the place.

Vektor - Black Future

Title: Black Future
Artist: Vektor
Released: 2009                                            RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: While I continue to find more good stuff to recommend, I figured I would go with a work I previously mentioned, Vektor's debut album Black Future. While Outer Isolation, their second album, was a tremendous release, Black Future just stands out better in my opinion. Vektor play a perfect mix of technical, melodic, progressive, heavy, fast music throughout the record. "Forests of Legend", other than having a cool name, is a multi-faceted song of epic proportions, clocking in at over ten-minutes long. Every band member exhibits master musicianship, but it never really feels "showy"; blastbeats are used to great effect, and the shredding solos fit perfectly in with the songs. Black Future is really the sound of the future, an incredible blend of old-school and new-school metal traditions and sensibilities. Absolutely essential to any fan of extreme metal.

The Bad: The record runs a bit over one hour long, which can wear on the nerves a bit if one is not familiar with Vektor's music. This issue is magnified if one also dislikes David DiSanto's shrieking vocal style. But these are minor concerns; the music is awesome. Black Future is as close to an instant classic as you can get these days.

Update: continuing education...

As said before, I am continuing to search for more Metal to write about, and span more subgenres than just the Thrash, Traditional, Death, and Crossover I am most comfortable with. Newer posts may feature some Nile (which takes more than a listen through or three to digest properly), Emperor (if I can just hear everything properly; there is good stuff in there, somewhere!!!....), Ripping Corpse, Terrorizer, and maybe even Rage Against the Machine. We'll see. Again, if anyone has some experience in the Black, Doom, Groove, Death, Power, or some other metal areas, and wants to share their own review/reccommend an album (proper credit will be given, of course), it would be a great help. It's all about spreading the Metal.

Death Angel - The Ultra-Violence

Title: The Ultra-Violence
Artist: Death Angel
Released: 1987                                           RATING: 4/5

The Good: Another classic Thrash album, The Ultra-Violence stands as one of the strongest albums from the original Thrash Scene. It is also something of an anomaly in the band's career; subsequent Death Angel albums would feature more diverse songs, both in terms of style and tempo. Their debut is straightforward thrash, chock-full of complex instrumental play and crushing velocity. "Kill as One" is one of a few songs that showcase singer Mark Osgueda's gnarly high-pitched screams, which are as metal as it gets. The song also happens to be really good, too, as do "Mistress of Pain", "Evil Priest", "Voracious Souls", and the super-long, riff-laden title track. Drummer Andy Galleon plays well beyond his young age here (aged 14!!!), and guitarist Rob Cavestany establishes himself among the Metal guitar elite with his skillful, yet tasteful, axe work, and is definately one reason why Death Angel stood out from their peers. As a matter of fact, the whole band is incredibly proficient. The Ultra-Violence also happens to be one of those albums that just has that unquantifiable element known to us mortals as feel; Death Angel's albums after this one were certainly more mature, well-thought-out, diverse, and produced more cleanly, but in my humble opinion, none of the other albums would sum up Death Angel quite like The Ultra-Violence. So endeared to it are Death Angel's fans that, in commemeration of The Ultra-Violence's 25th anniversary, the band re-mastered and re-released this long out-of-print masterpiece and took to the road, playing the album in its entirety on tour. It's a pretty special album.

The Bad: The production isn't that good. "Final Death" is ok, but "I.P.F.S" is kind of out of place on this eight-song album. The title track can be excellent to one if they enjoy the amazing riffs and instrumental performances on it; however, its sheer length may be hard for someone to keep interested in it, especially with the lack of vocals. But these are small details that should not keep you from getting/listening to this album.

Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath

Title: Don't Break the Oath
Artist: Mercyful Fate
Released: 1984                                             RATING: 4/5

The Good:  Mercyful Fate's second opus isn't exactly an obscure record by Metal standards, but it would be remiss to exclude it from this blog for the sake of not being too obvious; supremely influential to bands throughout the Metal spectrum, Don't Break the Oath is as essential as it gets, well regarded by many a Metalhead. King Diamond's multi-range, acrobatic vocals are buoyed by Michael Denner and Hank Sherman's expert, classically influenced playing. The songs have tons of melody, and utilize synths and other atmospheric effects, with great results. Tracks like "The Oath", "Come to the Sabbath", "A Dangerous Meeting", and "Desecration of Souls" are full of energy and magic (so to speak), and are perfect representations of what the band is all about. And all of the Satanic nonsense is quite funny if you realize that they were really just singing songs to freak people out and have a laugh (not unlike bands like Venom and Slayer in their earlier years) more than advocating devil worship.

The Bad: If you are afraid of the Devil, well, you probably wouldn't listen to Metal at all, anyway. As mentioned, the lyrics aren't nearly as serious as those of the legions of Black Metal bands Mercyful Fate inspired worldwide. There is really nothing wrong with this album, and I strongly suggest that you make a point of listening to it if you love metal, or even heavy rock.

Evile - Five Serpents' Teeth

Title: Five Serpents Teeth
Artist: Evile
Released: 2011                                      RATING: 3/5

The Good: Evile's 2011 offering Five Serpents Teeth shows why they are different from other bands; they have a strong sense of melody, and still retain their brutality and speed. They are not afraid to slow it down slightly, as seen on tracks such as "Cult"; likewise, they also know when to crank up the speed of their songs, though they don't play fast just for speed's sake. The title track and "In Dreams of Terror" are definitive Evile songs. Fans of guitar solos and expert drumming will also like this record for the sheer skill and dexterity of Ol Drake (guitar) and Ben Carter (Drums). The whole band is extremely tight throughout.

The Bad: As one of the more talented younger bands, Evile was expected, paraphrasing from Terrorizer magazine, to set the record straight as far as British thrash goes. While their chops are undeniable, this record dissapoints when considering their popularity. By this, their third record, the band just sounds boring. The songs here just do not quite grip the listener much and get repetitive. By the fourth or fifth listen, I started to just skip around tracks, and eventually disregarded most of the album save for the title track and "In Dreams of Terror". And even then, I got bored of those. While Matt Drake's awareness of the necessity of melody is admirable, though I don't like to criticize them for sounding too Metallica-like as many others do, I can't help but think of James Hetfield when I hear Drake sing. "Cult" is super boring, and the rest of the songwriting is average. Evile is a talented band, and they have some good songs, but they are far from front-runners as far as today's yonger metal scene goes, with bands such as Warbringer, Vektor, and Havok, among others, releasing stronger and more unique (or at least slightly more endearing, in Havok's case) albums than Five Serpents Teeth. It's worth a listen, but one could do better than this, even with Evile's prior records, Enter the Grave and Infected Nations.

Iced Earth - Days Of Purgatory (aka, let me explain)

Title: Days of Purgatory
Artist: Iced Earth
Released: 1997                                           RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: I need to explain something briefly. Iced Earth is amazing, and the albums that came before and including 2000's Horror Show are particularly super. This review is less to say that a compilation album beats any of their actual LPs, but I feel that this release is very important. The main reason for this is the re-recorded versions of classic Iced Earth songs, such as "Desert Rain", "Travel in Stygian", and "When the Night Falls" with Matt Barlow (One of Metal's finest) on vocals, a big improvement over the promising, but vocally marred first few albums before Barlow joined. Plus, this compilation includes such masterpieces as "Dante's Inferno" and "Burnt Offerings" from the album that shares its name with the latter song. In my opinion, this album is the best place to start discovering Iced Earth's superior brand of thrashy Power Metal.

The Bad: It's a compilation album (from the middle of the band's career, in fact), so of course there isn't room for everything they did. As mentioned, feel free to fully explore every album up to and including Horror Show after listining to this compilation, especially the tracks with Barlow, as Iced Earth are at their best with him manning the mike.

Armored Saint - Symbol of Salvation

Title: Symbol of Salvation
Artist: Armored Saint
Released: 1991                                           RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: Armored Saint is extremely underrated, partly due to the fact that they don't play extreme metal in any sense of the word, but aren't glam either; think of a heavy metal Thin Lizzy with slightly less guitar pyrotechnics (Honestly, classic Thin Lizzy shreds harder than some metal bands.) Their anthemic, hard hitting songs are memorable, and yet still pack plenty of crunch. Symbol of Salvation is Armored Saint's strongest album, top to bottom, and contains a slew of should-have-been Metal classics like "Reign of Fire", "Dropping Like Flies", "Last Train Home", "Tribal Dance", and really almost every song here. It really is the perfect storm of a filler-less album that sounds totally inspired and free, with energy and emotion to spare. Ace guitarist David Prichard's final contributions to the band (he passed away shortly before the album was completed) are evident everywhere; he played on and wrote the songs in the album's demo tapes. His playing ability was just world-class, and  incredibly emotional songs like "Another Day" and "Tainted Past" have his mark all over them. Well worth the time to listen to.

The Bad: It isn't quite extreme metal (a la Black/Thrash/Death, etc), but is definately heavier than albums by their peers, including Guns and Roses(...), Warrant, and others. So sometimes I feel like, after I've been listening to really fast  music (particularly thrash), if I listen to this album, it sounds too slow. But then again, maybe that works for you; either way, if you can get your hands on this album, don't hesitate. It is worth every penny and more.

Dismember - Like an Everflowing Stream

Title: Like an Everflowing Stream
Artist: Dismember
Released: 1991                                            RATING: 4/5

The Good: It's amazing how many debut albums end up being such awesome and definitive works, like The Legacy, Altars of Madness, In the Nightside Eclipse, Black Future, and this, the first album by Dismember. Like an Everflowing Stream sounds stripped down and basic compared to more complex works by bands such as Morbid Angel, Death, and Atheist, among others. This, however, does not take away from the quality of the album, which is strong. Unlike their American counterparts, these Swedes wrote more digestible, yet still brutal and technical, songs. The overall result is something like Obituary, harsh vocals and all. Memorable songs include "Dismembered", "Overide of the Overture", and "Skin Her Alive", but the whole album is a treat for the heavy music lover.

The Bad: The vocals sometimes sound like they are not mixed completely above the instruments, so they aren't always intelligible in the normal sense. Listen to the album, and you'll see what I mean. And on that topic, if you have the bonus track version, the vocals on a few of the songs are, well, not quite what they are on the original eight tracks, which in this case is not good. Still, this album is a winner, and deserves a listen for sure.

More metal comming...

I have noticed the lack of diversity in Metal styles here, and am working on diversifying the content of the page as soon as possible. My strong areas are Punk, Traditional, Thrash, Power, and Death Metal (Though not as much as the other fields). So, I will work on improving this. If anyone has any reccommendations about particular albums that they would like to share, I would be more than happy to hear them. Keep on Keepin' on, fellow metalheads   \M/

Vio-Lence - Eternal Nightmare

Title: Eternal Nightmare
Artist: Vio-Lence
Released: 1988                                              RATING: 4/5

The Good: Vio-Lence's debut record was as strong as anything released at the time, partly due to the superior (for the day) production made available along with their major-label distribution. Eternal Nightmare is a high-octane riff-fest, with superfast tempos and tons of aggression and attitude. The musicianship is very good throughout. The title track, "Kill on Command", and "Serial Killer" are classic tunes and major pit-starters in their own right. A strong effort that was vital to the Metal scene of the 80's.

The Bad: Although Eternal Nightmare is a competent album, it's hardly original; the band is often criticised for their derivitive, Exodus-inspired approach. And, endearing as they may be to some, Sean Killian's vocals are hard to listen to at times, even to the dedicated metalhead.

Suicidal Tendencies - Lights, Camera, Revolution

Title: Lights, Camera, Revolution
Artist: Suicidal Tendencies
Released: 1990                                              RATING: 4/5

The Good: The follow up to 1988's impressive crossover effort How Will I Laugh Tomorrow..., Lights improves on the key attributes that made the latter album a success. The album benefits from even stronger lyrics, more consistent songs overall, and several key, important tracks that make the album stand out in a big way. "You Can't Bring Me Down", the opening track, is enough to floor the listener from the onset; it's hugely powerful, and is never boring despite its lengthy duration (5:50). The remaining tracks are similarly stellar, and make this album a true classic. Rocky George's guitar work is incredible, as usual. The songs are not really melodic, per se, but there is a lot of attitude, combined with some grooves (in the form of lyrics) that keep the group from sounding like a straight-thrash or straight-punk band. Recommended for fans of Thrash and Punk alike; it covers both grounds excellently.

The Bad: One of the things that has kept me from listening to this album repeatedly (though it did take a while) has been Mike Muir's voice; he can sound really angry and emotional sometimes, but other times his voice can have this sort of plodding-along tone, where his voice sounds the same whether the topic is happy, angry, or anything else. It gets too repetitive sometimes, and can bore you to death after listening to several songs (or albums) straight. Otherwise, a very strong album

Carcass - Heartwork

Title: Heartwork
Artist: Carcass
Released: 1994                                          RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: Before Heartwork, Carcass's calling-card was intense grindcore music with lyrics concerning all matters bodily and hospital-related. The result was something rather revolutionary at the time, but starting with their third album, Necroticism– Descanting the Insalubrious, the band moved towards a more melodic sound. Carcass would perfect this "Melodic Death Metal" sound with Heartwork, which would set the standard for the style for years to come. The band still could (and did) play blisteringly fast instrumental parts, and the vocals were still deeper and scarier than most, but the playing of Bill Steer and Michael Amott was, here, more focused on diverse song structures, and the result is an album that has to be heard to be believed. The leads are tremendus, and some of the songs might even be considered catchy if not for their harsh delivery. The band overall is extremely tight. All in all, Heartwork is one of those rare albums that has no weak tracks and incredible replay value, and is well worth listening to.

The Bad: Only if you don't like the vocals. A superb album.

S.O.D - SEoD

               DISCLAIMER: IN NO WAY DO I CONDONE/SUPPORT THE LYRICAL THEMES PRESENTED ON THIS RECORD.

Title: Speak English or Die
Artist: Stormtroopers of Death
Released: 1986                                        RATING:4/5

The Good: The above disclaimer is necessary; some of these songs are a bit offensive. The band, though, wrote the record in about a week or so, and purposely wrote SEoD  with the intention of having silly songs that would ruffle some peoples' feathers; so, the insults within the record should not be taken to heart. That aside, Speak is a defining moment in metal history, one of the first (and best) Crossover albums. Its punk attitude, reflected in the lyrics screamed by Billy Milano, is meshed perfectly with the tight backing instruments by Scott Ian and Charlie Benante of Anthrax. The result : pure mosh. If you want a laugh, want to satisfy your speed fix, and listen to a great album all at once, Speak English Or Die is the album for you.

The Bad: The Lyrics are fantastic, but they are also pretty offensive at times, so if you don't think you can handle it, look away...

Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss

Title: Seasons in the Abyss
Artist: Slayer
Released:1990                                           RATING: 4/5


The Good: I try not to write about many of the obvious ones; Slayer is easily one of the most popular Metal bands on the planet. I feel, however, that some people don't give Seasons as much props as should; most people talk about Hell Awaits and Reign in Blood as the important albums. Seasons in the Abyss, however, may be the most diverse of Slayer's first five albums, and it does not suffer for it in the way that South of Heaven does. Seasons is chock-full of the blisteringly intense songs Slayer is known and loved for, but the band's forays into slower territory are just as successful as their full-speed onslaughts. "War Ensemble" is, for example, a perfect embodiment of what Slayer is. On the flip-side, the title track further refines the slower aproach explored on South, and the result is something that is both super heavy and uncompromising, despite the slower overall speed. If you really are new to the whole Metal thing, and particularly Thrash, you need to listen to Slayer. Any/all of the first five albums should do, but I would strongly recommend checking this one out sooner than later. It is definately a rewarding listen.

The Bad: A few of the songs, like "Expendable Youth", can be somewhat boring. Also, though it may be nitpicking, the production is slightly lacking compared to Reign; but then, that album is nearly perfect anyway, so it is no big deal.

Testament - The Legacy

Title: The Legacy
Artist: Testament
Released: 1987                                              RATING: 5/5

The Good: Testament's debut album embodies just about everything that was great about the 80's Bay Area Thrash scene. It's fast, heavy, melodic, catchy, and just all around awesome. The supreme guitar skills of Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick here give the listener a real treat; the impeccable leads and rhythms throughout the album inspire instantaneous headbanging (for example, do not tell me that the solo section from "The Haunting" is not super awesome. Because that'd be a lie.). Combine this with the potent rhythm section and Chuck Billy's epically aggressive voice, and the result is a fantastically memorable album; no throwaway tracks at all. In some ways, The Legacy is arguably one of the few perfect Thrash Metal albums, and one of the best Metal albums ever.

The Bad: "Curse of the Legions of Death" is somewhat, well, mortal compared to the superhuman excellence of just about every other track, and it's a bit shorter than the average Legacy song, to boot.

Dark Angel - Darkness Descends

Title: Darkness Descends
Artist: Dark Angel
Released: 1987                                     RATING: 3.5/5

The Good: The album that some Dark Angel fans view as the real debut, which included the arrival of drummer extraordinaire Gene Hoglan as a/the major creative force in the band. Dark Angel powers through seven warp-speed thrashers, with Hoglan's drumming being of considerable note. The title track and "Merciless Death" would go on to be thrash classics, and for good reason, too. Darkness Descends stands as one of the most potent displays of pure thrash from the eighties, and one of the better thrash records released during that time.

The Bad: I like Darkness Descends, but if my beef with it is this: It's not really that groundbreaking. Take, for example, albums like The Legacy, The Ultra-Violence, and Doomsday for the Deceiver, released at about the same time. The aforementioned three albums were also seriously heavy thrashers, but the biggest difference was that they were more unique, memorable, etc. Outside of (maybe) the title track and "Merciless Death", the remaining songs are just slightly-above-average songs played as fast as possible; as entertaining as the approach is, it does not work for every song, and the use of this technique does not make up for the fact that Darkness Descends is not as catchy, melodic, technical, or just plain good as albums similar to the ones mentioned above. Oh, and I think that Time Does Not Heal is a superior album. Just sayin'.

Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

Title: Unquestionable Presence
Artist: Atheist
Released: 1991                                           RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: Atheist's 1990 debut Piece of Time was certainly great, but 1991's Unquestionable Presence was better. Here, Atheist build on their debut's technically challenging and elaborate formula, adding touches of melody here and there, and writing really memorable songs. Sure, the music can be a trip sometimes, with its varying time signatures and jazz-influenced rhythem parts, but the repeated listens required to really digest this album because of this make it even better. Listen to it a few times, and it will all click eventually. What makes it great is that the song lengths are never excessive, and so it never really gets too boring (or overwhelming) Atheist was a truly unique group, and Unquestionable Presence was their masterpiece, a progressive, creative juggernaut of an album that deserves much respect.

The Bad: In all honesty, Atheist's music can be rough on the ears due to the complexity of the music; upon the first listen, "What the hell did I just listen to?" is one of the more common thoughts to immediately cross one's mind. Still, it is an album like no other, for better or worse, and has stood the test of time as a landmark Death Metal work.

Cro-Mags - Age of Quarrel

Title: Age of Quarrel
Artist: Cro-Mags
Released: 1986                                               RATING: 4/5

The Good: This album is borderline for the blog, but it fits right in very well with the whole Crossover movement, so it's all good.Cro-Mags were important in the mid/late eighties Punk/Metal scene, combining punk's aggression with metal riffs and a whole lot of awesome. Age of Quarrel is chock-full of great songs; the energy is immense, it has a ton of attitude, and the songs are about as catchy as any hardcore punk songs could ever hope to be. Only one of the songs excedes four minutes (by two seconds...), and they hold up very well over multiple listens. Age of Quarrel, along with other works by Suicidal Tendencies, D.R.I., and a few others, is a Crossover benchmark, for sure, and a great Punk/Metal album overall.

The Bad: The singer's voice is, well, not so good, and the production is not that strong. Also, though there are several terrific songs, I never really found a "knockout" track, you know, the song you listen to the album for.

King Diamond - Abigail

Title: Abigail
Artist: King Diamond
Released: 1987                                     RATING: 4.5/5


The Good: "Artist" is a fitting word to describe The King. Abigail is a great combination of Black, Thrash, and Neo-Classical metal elements, and with the supernatural vocals provided by King Diamond himself, this album truly stands out as a landmark work in the metal world. Andy Larocque's leads are awe-inspiring, and make each song that much better just because of their (The leads) presence. Each song is tight and expertly performed. You will be doing yourself a favor by trying this album out.

The Bad: Abigail is a concept album, an an excellent one at that; however, there are a few awkward-sounding parts that are used to bridge the storyline together. Eveything else is as good as one could ever hope.

Sepultura - Beneath the Remains

Title: Beneath the Remains
Artist: Sepultura
Released: 1989                                         RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: Sepultura's third album rivals any Thrash metal record released in the 80's, despite it's '89 release date. Beneath the Remains is a masterclass in in brutal metal that mainsains tight musicianship and melody at the same time. The first six tracks carry the album, for sure, but is still strong overall. If you are dying to satisfy your Thrash fix, Beneath the Remains will serve that purpose and then some.

The Bad: The bass guitar is relatively non-existant. Also, the final three songs, while still good, are somewhat lacking compared to the otherworldly first six songs.

Death - The Sound of Perseverance

Title: The Sound of Perseverance
Artist: Death
Released: 1998                                             RATING: 5/5

The Good: Death's final album, The Sound of Perseverance, builds on everything Death had done up to this point, from Scream Bloody Gore to Symbolic. There are definately Progressive/ classic metal traits throughout the album, but they are merely pieces of the puzzle rather than dominant elements. Every song on the album is memorable in some way or another, the musicianship is breathtaking, and the album never really gets repetitive. There's not much more that I can say that hasn't been already about this masterpiece; just give it a listen through. It is beyond worth it.
The Bad: It ends. All jokes aside, there are really no negatives unless you have a problem with Chuck Schuldiner's voice here; but then, the guitar makes up for it ten times over.

Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

Title: To Mega Therion

Artist: Celtic Frost

Released: 1985                               RATING: 4/5

The Good - To Mega Therion is Celtic Frost's most successful album, and there's a good reason for it. Its doomy riffs, harsh production, atmospheric effects, and musical diversity combine to make a truly unique sounding record. Songs like "Dawn of Meggido" are both dramatic and heavy, and the record, overall, is a memorable one.

The Bad: It depends on what you're into; Celtic Frost are not nearly as technically proficient as former tourmates Kreator or former Celtic Frost roadies Coroner. The instruments are not very clear due to the murkier production. And if you're into guitar solos, while the ones here are not bad, they certainly do not carry the album.

Morbid Angel - Covenant

Title: Covenant
Artist: Morbid Angel
Released: 1993                                             RATING: 9.5/10

The Good: Morbid Angel faced some tough competition within the Death Metal genre at the time of Covenant; albums by Death, Carcass, and Atheist (though slightly before this album) were expanding Death metal away from it's primative, brutal origins, while a horde of other bands rose up to clutter the scene with their own gore-filled lyrics and wanna-be Slayer soloing styles, among other things. What seperated Morbid Angel from the pack, and, indeed, made them a driving Death metal force, were a.) their muscianship (top-notch), b.) their songs (memorable, brutal, and amazing), and their consistancy. Simple, yes, but not many could come close to what MA was doing at the time, and many still cannot. After two classic albums in Altars of Madness and Blessed are the Sick, Morbid Angel dropped Covenant on the world, and it is safe to say that it was, and is, an embodiment of everything good about Death Metal and Morbid Angel themselves. David Vincent, Trey Azagthoth, and Pete Sandoval all prove themselves not only as all-time-greats of the genre as far as muscianship is concerned, but they also mannaged to pen a great album with high replay value. "Rapture", "Pain Divine", and "World of S*** (The Promised Land)" are brutal tracks that give the full Morbid Angel experience over the course of the songs' lengths. "God of Emptiness" is a sprawling behemoth of crushing heaviness, and a serious achievement, for sure. Covenant is an excellent album.

The Bad: Vincent's vocals are lower; I liked them a bit better on Altars. I also don't really see a need for the instrumental track "Nar Mattaru"; it's fairly boring and really only acts as a tease for those waiting to hear "God of Emptiness". Otherwise, the album is spectacular.

Anacrusis - Reason

Title: Reason
Artist: Anacrusis
Released: 1990                                  RATING: 4/5

The Good: Anacrusis was an incredibly talented band who just had the misfortune of being mostly isolated from the main metal scenes both geographically (They're from St. Louis, MO) and time-wise (their debut surfaced in 1988, right at the tail-end of the Thrash movement). They combined melody, great playing skills, and superior songwriting skills to create a sound that is truly their own. Reason is their second album, following the promising but rough debut Suffering Hour. It is jam-packed with awesomeness: tight riffs, great melodies, and the sudden vocal shifts of Kenn Nardi, all of which are displayed excellently on tracks such as "Stop Me", "Not Forgotten", and "Misshapen Intent". Definately worth listening to.

The Bad: The production is not very good, but then metal isn't supposed to sound squeaky-clean anyway. Those not ready for Nardi's vocals may have trouble adjusting. Also, it might not be "thrashy" enough for some; indeed, some have complained of it being more Progressive than Thrash. While Reason is a personal favorite of mine, it's not as good overall (though only slightly) as Anacrusis's next album, Manic Impressions, which is awesome (again, a review for another day).

Vektor - Outer Isolation

Title: Outer Isolation
Artist: Vektor
Released: 2011                                RATING: 4.5/5

The Good: I thought I'd start with something fairly recent. Vektor is a younger band originally from Arizona, who's debut album Black Future (Which I will write about later...) was released in 2008. At the risk of sounding overly "hype", I would like to say that I've never heard something quite like this. Building spectacularly off of their hard-to-follow-up debut, Vektor delivers another out-of-this-world record. The production is great; it's very modern, all the instruments are very clear, the guitars have crunch to them, and it doesn't sound overly heavy like such albums as Exodus's The Atrocity Exhibition - Exhibit A and B, or Testament's The Formation of Damnation. While I am not devaluing such production (all of those records sound great), my point is that it would not work with Vektor's style, as I see it. Anyway, the record is a tour-de-force in technical proficiency, and yet it never really sacrifices melody to achieve this. Even with David DiSanto's harsh vocals, the songs can be borderline catchy in some places. I've heard a lot about how "Evile is going to the top of the thrash scene!" and "Municiple Waste is amazing, and so is Toxic Holocaust!" That's all fine and good. But to be honest, if more people knew about Vektor, they'd probably feel pretty silly about those comments. Because they're that good.

The Bad: It's not as good as Black Future. And it makes me really excited for the next album. Those aren't really knocks on the album though, cause there aren't really any unless you don't like the vocals. And if that's all that's keeping you away from Vektor, then you are really missing out.

Intro

Welcome to my blog, The Good, the Bad, and The Metal. I don't know about many of you readers, but I had to do some real searching to find good metal, especially older/obscure stuff from, like, the 80's and 90's. It's all accessible, for the most part, but I rarely meet anyone who knows anything about it to inform me, and it took a long time to learn about what (little) I know. Most people either subscribe to todays pop-junk crappy music, rap, everything else, and/or not-very-heavy rock; i.e. no metal. So my goal with this blog is this: I will write fairly often about the good and bad of albums and bands from the metal scene that I find particularly enjoyable. I know everyone needs to start somewhere, and I hope I can get people in on great stuff they didn't know about yet. Plus, it's just fun to write about great metal and why it is so great. Anyone with anything constructive (Not Negative, that is) to comment may feel free. I would like for this blog to be a forum for people who love metal and want more, or those just testing the waters. Whatever you get out of it, I hope it helps. Rock on \m/