Jump to content

What Are You Listening To?


khaos

Recommended Posts

On 2/6/2023 at 7:42 AM, Dead1 said:

I am all for this reunion! Just eish it comes to Australia.

I love Pantera so much I have the CFH logo tattoed on my right leg!

Glad to hear it, my friend!  It'll be killer hearing those songs again live!  That's an awesome tattoo.  Same one Phil has on the side of his head!  Long live PanterA!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Blind Guardian - The God Machine

I love early Blind Guardian though lost interest from A Night At The Opera when they got too polished, too wanky and not riffy enough.

They seem to have gone back to a more riff orientated style.  Sound is still overpolished.  But unlike last several Blind Guardian albums I can actually listen to this without wanting to turn it off instantly.  Song writing is still stagnant though.

 

 

Halo Effect - Days of the Lost

Members of In Flames with Michael Stanne from Dark Tranquility on vox.   Generic as fuck but more tolerable than either modern In Flames or Dark Tranquility.  Closer to classic In Flames than anything In Flames have released in 23 years.  There's also some occasional classic Dark Tranquility-esque moments too (eg Feel What I Believe)

Overall not a bad spin for some nostalgia.

https://youtu.be/VwlN1F9TVcQ?list=PLMzepslwWUzoqV5kfpIGDyCNUX8_tsnTM

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Dead1 said:

Blind Guardian - The God Machine

I love early Blind Guardian though lost interest from A Night At The Opera when they got too polished, too wanky and not riffy enough.

They seem to have gone back to a more riff orientated style.  Sound is still overpolished.  But unlike last several Blind Guardian albums I can actually listen to this without wanting to turn it off instantly.  Song writing is still stagnant though.

 

 

Halo Effect - Days of the Lost

Members of In Flames with Michael Stanne from Dark Tranquility on vox.   Generic as fuck but more tolerable than either modern In Flames or Dark Tranquility.  Closer to classic In Flames than anything In Flames have released in 23 years.  There's also some occasional classic Dark Tranquility-esque moments too (eg Feel What I Believe)

Overall not a bad spin for some nostalgia.

https://youtu.be/VwlN1F9TVcQ?list=PLMzepslwWUzoqV5kfpIGDyCNUX8_tsnTM

Yeah The Halo Effect didn’t live up to it’s promise imo.
 

If it’s an early In Flames fix you want, the upcoming Majesties album has it in spades. They even mention Subterranean (and Alf Svensson) as their target sound. Mind you the new IF album is actually pretty decent.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, True Belief said:

Yeah The Halo Effect didn’t live up to it’s promise imo.
 

If it’s an early In Flames fix you want, the upcoming Majesties album has it in spades. They even mention Subterranean (and Alf Svensson) as their target sound. Mind you the new IF album is actually pretty decent.

One major problem with any In Flames post 1999 is I hate Anders' vocal style post Colony.  Literally the band kept the least talented twit in the band.

 

I will check out Majesties.  Thanks for the recommendation.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Dead1 said:

One major problem with any In Flames post 1999 is I hate Anders' vocal style post Colony.  Literally the band kept the least talented twit in the band.

I will check out Majesties.  Thanks for the recommendation.

I recall at the time liking Clayman. It was hella catchy. But by the time Reroute to Remain came out they just sounded really boring and the vocals were awful. Lo and behold, all the In Flames albums are on bandcamp. Everything after Clayman might suck, but at least it's available! Think I'll go back and discover the early albums.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, JonoBlade said:

I recall at the time liking Clayman. It was hella catchy. But by the time Reroute to Remain came out they just sounded really boring and the vocals were awful. Lo and behold, all the In Flames albums are on bandcamp. Everything after Clayman might suck, but at least it's available! Think I'll go back and discover the early albums.

I liked everything up through Reroute at the time it came out (even saw them on that tour), but I'd say it hasn't aged well. When I feel the mood for In Flames, it's Colony or earlier. The stuff that came after just hasn't aged as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


  • Join Metal Forum

    joinus-home.jpg

  • Our picks

    • Whichever tier of thrash metal you consigned Sacred Reich back in the 80's/90's they still had their moments.  "Ignorance" & "Surf Nicaragura" did a great job of establishing the band, whereas "The American Way" just got a little to comfortable and accessible (the title track grates nowadays) for my ears.  A couple more records better left forgotten about and then nothing for twenty three years.  2019 alone has now seen three releases from Phil Rind and co.  A live EP, a split EP with Iron Reagan and now a full length.

      Notable addition to the ranks for the current throng of releases is former Machine Head sticksman, Dave McClean.  Love or hate Machine Head, McClean is a more than capable drummer and his presence here is felt from the off with the opening and title track kicking things off with some real gusto.  'Divide & Conquer' and 'Salvation' muddle along nicely, never quite reaching any quality that would make my balls tingle but comfortable enough.  The looming build to 'Manifest Reality' delivers a real punch when the song starts proper.  Frenzied riffs and drums with shots of lead work to hold the interest.


      There's a problem already though (I know, I am such a fucking mood hoover).  I don't like Phil's vocals.  I never had if I am being honest.  The aggression to them seems a little forced even when they are at their best on tracks like 'Manifest Reality'.  When he tries to sing it just feels weak though ('Salvation') and tracks lose real punch.  Give him a riffy number such as 'Killing Machine' and he is fine with the Reich engine (probably a poor choice of phrase) up in sixth gear.  For every thrashy riff there's a fair share of rock edged, local bar act rhythm aplenty too.

      Let's not poo-poo proceedings though, because overall I actually enjoy "Awakening".  It is stacked full of catchy riffs that are sticky on the old ears.  Whilst not as raw as perhaps the - brilliant - artwork suggests with its black and white, tattoo flash sheet style design it is enjoyable enough.  Yes, 'Death Valley' & 'Something to Believe' have no place here, saved only by Arnett and Radziwill's lead work but 'Revolution' is a fucking 80's thrash heyday throwback to the extent that if you turn the TV on during it you might catch a new episode of Cheers!

      3/5
      • Reputation Points

      • 10 replies
    • I
      • Reputation Points

      • 2 replies
    • https://www.metalforum.com/blogs/entry/52-vltimas-something-wicked-marches-in/
      • Reputation Points

      • 3 replies

    • https://www.metalforum.com/blogs/entry/48-candlemass-the-door-to-doom/
      • Reputation Points

      • 2 replies
    • Full length number 19 from overkill certainly makes a splash in the energy stakes, I mean there's some modern thrash bands that are a good two decades younger than Overkill who can only hope to achieve the levels of spunk that New Jersey's finest produce here.  That in itself is an achievement, for a band of Overkill's stature and reputation to be able to still sound relevant four decades into their career is no mean feat.  Even in the albums weaker moments it never gets redundant and the energy levels remain high.  There's a real sense of a band in a state of some renewed vigour, helped in no small part by the addition of Jason Bittner on drums.  The former Flotsam & Jetsam skinsman is nothing short of superb throughout "The Wings of War" and seems to have squeezed a little extra out of the rest of his peers.

      The album kicks of with a great build to opening track "Last Man Standing" and for the first 4 tracks of the album the Overkill crew stomp, bash and groove their way to a solid level of consistency.  The lead work is of particular note and Blitz sounds as sneery and scathing as ever.  The album is well produced and mixed too with all parts of the thrash machine audible as the five piece hammer away at your skull with the usual blend of chugging riffs and infectious anthems.  


      There are weak moments as mentioned but they are more a victim of how good the strong tracks are.  In it's own right "Distortion" is a solid enough - if not slightly varied a journey from the last offering - but it just doesn't stand up well against a "Bat Shit Crazy" or a "Head of a Pin".  As the album draws to a close you get the increasing impression that the last few tracks are rescued really by some great solos and stomping skin work which is a shame because trimming of a couple of tracks may have made this less obvious. 

      4/5
      • Reputation Points

      • 4 replies
×
×
  • Create New...