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[Album] The Metal Thread! (The Zombie Edition)
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Old Mar 3, 2006, 12:00 AM #1 of 1376
Currently i'm into these metal bands:

Khanate
Sun O)))
High on Fire
Boris
Arsis ( fav band metal band for the past 6 months )
Behemoth ( mainly Satanica )
Darkthrone
Death
Deathspell Omega
Gorguts
Electric Wizard
Sleep
St.Vitus
Demilich

Jam it back in, in the dark.
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Old Mar 6, 2006, 04:37 PM #2 of 1376
Has anyone listened to Arsis? I've seen Opeth live as well as Arsis, Opeth are good, but Arsis if they played together would blow them the fuck out of the water. But then again, i tend to dislike anything acoustic in metal, it is just ruins the metal in metal. If anyone is interested in checking them out, i can upload their album and their new EP! I uploaded them before the board crash, but no-one checked them out, but it seems this time around far more people are interested in music then before.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Last edited by Iwata; Mar 6, 2006 at 04:40 PM.
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Old Mar 6, 2006, 05:05 PM #3 of 1376
Kickass. Im the process of uploading the arsis stuff, the rest of the coup and some TG stuff.

Im going to see Arsis live on the 16th of may, they are playing with With Necrophagist, Cattle Decapitation, Neuraxis, and Alarum in San Francisco. Sadly, they are getting stuck with playing with alot of shitty bands.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.
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Old Mar 7, 2006, 12:18 AM #4 of 1376
Not many people have ever heard of Arsis and it is a shame as they are probably one of the most talented and fresh metal bands around these days. So here is their entire first album for download.

Arsis - Celebration of Guilt ( 2004, Willowtip, Death metal )



Track Listing:

Note: KT denotes Key Track

1. The Face of my Innocence 5:33
2. Maddening Disdain 3:30 [KT]
3. Seven Whispers Fell Silent 3:46
4. Return 4:42
5. Worship Depraved 3:02 [KT]
6. Carnal Ways to Recreate the Heart 4:52 [KT]
7. Dust and Guilt 4:25
8. Elegant and perverse 2:23
9. The Sadistic motives behind Bereavement Letters 4:25 [KT]
10. Looking to Nothing 3:22
11. Wholly Night 4:20 [KT]

"Musical genres are constantly going through phases, regardless of their popularity or mainstream acceptance. Even in the darkest depths of the underground metal scene, there are clearly recognizable models that are devoutly adhered to. That is, until someone comes along and changes the way we perceive what is possible within the confines of a certain musical form. The history of metal is littered with examples of these types of paradigm shifts. In the early 1990s, two albums came along that would forever change the world of rock's perception of death metal. Carcass' "Heartwork" and At The Gates' "Slaughter of The Soul" took the basic death metal formula and infused it with a tangible amount of melody. For the first time, the worlds of Iron Maiden and Morbid Angel came together. Melodic death metal was born. Hordes of great bands from across the world jumped into the fray, releasing soon-to-be classic albums that would in many ways define the sound of underground metal for the next 10 years. Bands like In Flames and Soilwork were even able to cash in on some mainstream success with their expert manipulation of the please-all formula. However, just like all other musical trends that have come and gone, the scene that was created by a few innovators has sadly become watered down by imitators and those who wanted nothing more than to cash in on proven formula. The time is certainly ripe for another paradigm shift. Enter Jim Malone and Mike Van Dyne and their brainchild Arsis. Their latest album, "A Celebration of Guilt," is a clear testament to what happens when musicians aware of their influences attempt to go beyond the well-trodden ground of their forefathers. Comparisons to the progenitors of melodic death metal can be made; however, it is when Arsis drift from the formula that makes this an incredible piece of work. The melody remains, yes, but at no cost to the downright sinister tone this album is able to set. Track five "Worship Depraved" is remarkable in this regard. The song is instantly catchy, but never gets in the way of the dark atmosphere the band creates. The backbone of this album is the chemistry between Malone and Van Dyne. Both are Berklee-trained musicians whose virtuosic playing ability allows them to take their music places others could only dream of. More importantly, they understand how to play together. Not one element of this album overshadows another; each instrument is given plenty of room to breathe to give the album a hefty, layered sound. "A Celebration of Guilt" is undoubtedly a remarkable album that will breathe life into a genre that has been in a creative slump."


DOWNLOAD LINK:
One of the greatest metal albums of the past 10 years

How ya doing, buddy?
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Old Mar 13, 2006, 12:12 AM #5 of 1376
Acoustic guitars is what turned most of metal bands into shit.

I was speaking idiomatically.
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Old Mar 13, 2006, 12:32 AM #6 of 1376
metal got it's genre name for being heavy and not some pussy ass gay acoustic crap. I like acoustic work as much as anyone else, but i don't like it when acoustic guitars venture into metal songs, the two things contradict each other.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?
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Old Mar 13, 2006, 02:37 AM #7 of 1376
Originally Posted by guyinrubbersuit
I seriously disagree with the 'pussy ass gay acoustic crap' comment there. If anything, having acoustic guitars, when done right really bring out the extremness and heaviness of the song. Such as The Nephilim Rising by Behemoth with a brutal ass riff and some really brutal vocals, only towards the end it has a beautiful acoustic passage that really fits.

Another great example is Entwined by Vengeance by Vital Remains. The chorus riff features some great Spanish style guitar that fits with the distorted guitars.

Besides, having contradictions makes things interesting.
The acoustic parts on Behemoth's "demigod " ruined the entire album for me.

I've always found that acoustic work in metal is like Waylon Jennings doing a black flag cover album.

FELIPE NO

Last edited by Iwata; Mar 13, 2006 at 02:39 AM.
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Old Mar 13, 2006, 07:32 PM #8 of 1376
Originally Posted by Morrigan
Bollocks. Dark Tranquillity's "Mine is the Grandeur..." intro to "...Of Melancholy Burning" is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.
Like everything else, it's not the actual instrument, but the use of it. Same with keyboards in metal, violins in metal, symphony in metal, orchestras in metal, female vocals in metal, etc. You can have gay-ass shit like Sonata Arctica (crap keyboards) or Opeth (crap acoustic parts) or Nightwish's Once (crap symphony, crap female vocals), but you can also have Summoning (awesome keyboards), Dark Tranquillity's first two albums (awesome acoustic parts), Therion (awesome symphony, female vocals), and so on.

Double Post:
Though, I must thank you for stirring the conversation in another direction than something like System of a Down. Let's keep it this way.
That is mainly why i did it, i was getting sick of hearing system of a down being talked about in a metal thread, when they aren't really all that metal and the acoustic rant was mostly a jab at the fans of system of a down. I'm also a hypocrite, as i delved back into my metal collection and their is some stuff like ulver's " bergatt" album that i do like that does incorporate acoustic work. I shall dig out my Dark Tranquility stuff and check out that song.

Double Post:
Originally Posted by S?ecter
Well sorry...

Anyways, question for the Winnipeg folks here, know of any good metal shows coming up soon? I (regretfully) missed the Opeth show, so I'm in need of a good metal show to go to soon.
The Arsis North american tour is coming up and i know they are playing some dates in canada, if you get a chance, check them out, as they put on an amazing live show. Just be warned though, they don't play any acoustic stuff like opeth or System of a down.

Cryptopsy is also playing in TO in april, they are always awesome life as i saw them last year with Suffocation and Aborted and that was a fucking brutal show.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Last edited by Iwata; Mar 13, 2006 at 07:37 PM. Reason: Automerged double post.
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Old Mar 14, 2006, 03:01 AM #9 of 1376
Here is the latest Arsis release if anyone's interested.

Arsis - A Diamond for Disease ( 2005, Willowtip, Metal )



Track Listing:

1. A Diamond for Disease 12:52
2. Roses on White Lace 4:17
3. The Promise of Never 2:51

Overview:

"The nice part about a full length is that a band has a lot of room to breathe and explore, expand their sound, build a connection to the listener and in some instances, when they hit a rough patch there is the possibility to smooth things over by the next song. An EP on the other hand, there is no time to waste and fans tend to be unforgiving when they shell out cash for usually not a whole lot of new material, since EP's (with a few expceptions) are notorious for throwaways and filler until the next album. Most labels tack on multimedia portions, live cuts, never before seen photos/artwork, everything but the kitchen sink to boost sales. It's nice though when an EP pulls through without all of the glitter and is gold by quality of its content alone, even when running time is not exactly plentiful. Arsis is the band, and "A Diamond For Disease" is such a release. Opening with the unwavering, absolutely stunning title track, Arsis sculpts a sonic masterpiece over 12 plus minutes, weaving through various genres against a strong backdrop of melodic, progressive death/thrash metal. This tune was originally composed for the Ballet Deviare in NYC and if you can get away from the traditional interpretations of the art (as is obvious that particular company does), it's not too difficult to envision this powerful epic syncing up with the delicate but timeless nature of ballet. This one offering justifies the price of the EP, but Arsis doesn't stop there. They rip their way through a cover of "Roses on White Lace" by Alice Cooper and truly make it their own. In recent years, there have been a few metal bands covering Mr. Shock Rocker turned Mr. Pro Golfer (most notably Children Of Bodom) but Arsis blow all contenders away. The final bit of brutal beauty on this gem is "The Promise Of Never" which is under three minutes but packs a lot of punch, and is kind of a nice yin to the raging yang of the the title track. Lyrically, both originals have words of weight and grace, and fit perfectly with the music, as does the artwork. Production is perfect. I don't know what else to say but to use that age old cliche of "this record is amazing" but damnit, it's so true with "A Diamond For Disease." What are you still reading this review for? Go out and buy this bands entire catalog. You won't regret it."



Another masterful peice of work from the dudes called Arsis

Jam it back in, in the dark.
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Old Apr 2, 2006, 06:09 PM #10 of 1376
Here is an album i've been enjoying lately for you all to enjoy.

Gorguts - Considered Dead ( 1991, Roadrunner, metal )



Track Listing:

1. ...And Then Comes Lividity :43
2. Stiff and Cold 4:25
3. Disincarnated 4:28
4. Considered Dead 3:33
5. Rottenatomy 4:45
6. Bodily Corrupted 3:41
7. Waste of Mortality 4:37
8. Drifting Remains 3:43
9. Hematological Allergy 4:10
10. Inoculated Life 3:55


Overview:

One has to wonder if French Canadians Gorguts didn't actually intend to name their debut album, 1991's Considered Dead, "Considered Death" (no, not "Deaf"!), as its contents surely embody the purest form of old-school death metal. Or at least old-school death metal as defined by pioneering efforts like Beneath the Remains : hyperfast, very technical, ultrabrutal, but also characterized by healthy injections of melodic guitar harmonies and slower doom sections. More importantly, Gorguts were talented enough to pull this complex death gumbo off convincingly, using the potent double whammy of "Stiff and Cold" and "Disincarnate" to kick start both their album and career in great style. Ensuing eardrum grinders like the title track and "Bodily Corrupted" aren't as immediately successful, but hardly disappoint in the long run, either; and with frequent bright spots continuing to surface throughout the disc (check out the particularly melodic instrumental "Waste of Mortality," the word-inventing "Rottenatomy," and monstrous closer "Inoculated Life," featuring a guest guitar solo from Death legend James Murphy), it's easy to see why Gorguts were considered sure-fire candidates to lead death metal into a bright future. Sadly, the band's record company, Roadrunner, felt otherwise, inexplicably dropping Gorguts after just one more album, and consigning them to a long ramble through the underground metal wilderness before eventually resurfacing, almost unrecognizable, as a death-jazz outfit five years later. Regardless of that, Considered Dead remains a notable, if not exactly groundbreaking example of death metal's glory days. [Note: Considered Dead was later remastered, reissued, and paired with its successor The Erosion of Sanity as part of Roadrunner's Two From the Vault series, in 2004.]

Those Metal-Jazz heads before they met Zombie Mingus

There's nowhere I can't reach.

[ "Talisman" ]
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Old May 10, 2006, 05:16 PM #11 of 1376
I have to say i agree with Morrigan when it comes to Slayer and their fans. Their fans are the most annoying bastards known to man, only second to metallica fans and the fact that they have only made one worthwhile album which was " Reign of Blood " which was like 20 years ago, yet they still act like they are the hottest thing around. Pfft.

Anyways, since the summer tour season is starting, anyone going to any kickass shows?

Im seeing the Arsis/Necro/Neuraxix tour on the 11th and also 12th of this month and on the 18th im seeing Cryptopsy and i get to see fucking

DRAGONFORCE TONIGHT!!!!!! Im psyched like no other.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

[ "Talisman" ]

Last edited by Iwata; May 10, 2006 at 05:21 PM.
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Old May 10, 2006, 05:35 PM #12 of 1376
Originally Posted by DarkLink2135
I've seen some of their music videos and compared to how their albums sound, live they really suck. I mean they are still GOOD, but comparitively... Did I just see crappy music videos or what? I mean its a totally different sound.
I've seen them live before, and i think they are great.

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Old Jun 23, 2006, 06:23 PM #13 of 1376
I love Love Love Dragonforce and have seen them live numerous times. They aren't meant to be taken seriously and are just about having a good time and imo that is far better then all that cliche fantasy "epic" power metal crap, but then again alot of you take metal too seriously in the first place.

I was speaking idiomatically.
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Old Jul 24, 2006, 11:30 AM #14 of 1376
Lately, i've been listening to alot of Venom. What does everyone think of their albums " Welcome to Hell " and " Black Metal"? Personally, i find them to be brilliant and fun albums, that unfortunately is taken far to seriously by judeo-christian groups.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?
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Old Sep 29, 2006, 11:59 PM #15 of 1376
It's because black/euro metal shits all over progressive metal. I despise every progressive band you listed, but coincedentally i LOVE LOVE Dragonforce.

Drone Doom is a stupid name for a genre, sure, but alot of the bands that fit into that genre like Sun O))) and Khanate are amazing and i love them.


Punk doesn't have many legitmate sub genres as Metal does, it just has far more many people mis-construing what Punk music is and applying it to whatever shitty music they play and saying it is a form of punk when it isn't technically by any standards.


Also what does everyone think of these bands?

Anata
35007 ( Dutch Stoner Metal ala St.Vitus )
Asmegin
Sabbat ( japanese Thrash and on occasions Black)
Agalloch
Sigh
EYEHATEGOD

FELIPE NO

Last edited by Iwata; Sep 30, 2006 at 12:01 AM.
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Old Sep 30, 2006, 12:54 AM #16 of 1376
Opeth is cool at times, I love Orchid, Morningrise, and My Arms, your hearse and can mildly tolerate Still Life.

But i despise all their recent efforts from Blackwater park and on.

basically, i love all opeth that was released on Candlelight and the rest of it i couldn't give a fuck about.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?
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Old Oct 1, 2006, 02:30 PM #17 of 1376
Originally Posted by Morrigan
I've never heard much folkiness in Agalloch myself.

it seems these days, If any form of metal contains at least one acoustic verse/riff, then it is instantly of folkish nature; which is stupid.

Anyways, im trying to delve into a bunch of Viking/Folk metal via slsk as it is one genre i never really delved into until now; but it is kinda like stabbing at the dark and hoping i get something good.

Last night, i got a bunch of stuff including

Falkenbach ( heralding the fireblade, Magni Blandinn ok megintiri )
Bergthron ( Faust fur faust )
Helheim ( Yersinina pestis )
Manegarm ( Nordstjarnans tidsalder )
Mithotyn ( King of the distant forest )
MoonSorrow ( Suden uni )
Morrigan ( Celts, Plague Waste Death )
Otyg ( I troldskogens drommande Morker )
Ragnarok ( Domgerorn )
Thyrfing ( Hednaland )
Vintersong ( Cosmic Genesis, Visions from the spiral generator )
Empyrium ( Weiland )

I haven't listened to much of these yet as i just got them last night, but hopefully at least a few of those bands are decent enough. Also does your Screen name happen to originate from the band " morrigan "?

Jam it back in, in the dark.
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Old Oct 1, 2006, 06:59 PM #18 of 1376
Originally Posted by niki
I'd recommend DC++ over soulseek, but heh.

As for Viking metal, you seem to be on the right track. Early Thyrfing (first 2 albums are my fav), all Moonsorrow, Falkenbach, Manegarm ...

Otyg is more Folk metal but I guess it could be argued. Still great. Get Storm's Nordavind if you like them (actually get it anyway it's that awesome). Vintersorg I never liked much eventhough everyone say they're awesome. Same goes for Einherjer ... =/

The Russian equivalent of those would be bands like Arkona, Pagan Reign, Temnozor, Nomans Land ... I'm just saying you'll like them if you like the above.
The Arkona upload link you posted here was amazing and is what stirred me to delve into the folkish/viking metal genres.

There's nowhere I can't reach.
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Old Oct 3, 2006, 07:57 PM #19 of 1376
Here is some uploads of metal albums i did earlier, i'm sure most people here, probably already have this albums though.

Anata - The Conductor's Departure ( 2006, Earache )



Track Listing:

1. Downward Spiral into Madness
2. Complete Demise
3. Better Grieved Than Fooled
4. The Great Juggler
5. Cold heart Forged IN Hell
6. I Would Dream Of Blood
7. Disobedience Pays
8. Children's Laughter
9. Reunication
10. The Conductor's Departure

Overview:

When a friend introduced me to ANATA's 2003 full length, "Under A Stone With No Inscription", I was utterly floored. Just as I thought Death Metal was going completely stagnant and that everything had already been done before, or "to death" so to speak (nyuk nyuk), along come these Swedes that left me speechless with their ingenious and fresh style of riffing, spectacular drumming courtesy of the great Conny Pettersson (formerly of ETERNAL LIES and ROTINJECTED) and all done very tastefully while avoiding the bloat of an overly busy record that seems to plague many technical Death Metal bands. Needless to say, I was nearly wet with anticipation of their new record. Such anticipation was well-deserved...



What first greeted me was a very pleasing production, the guitars sounding a little less raunchy than on UASWNI (how's that for an acronym?) but definitely more "organic" and coherent. You can still hear every bit of the fabulous bass playing and Conny's drums sound as great as ever. Instantly after the building up intro you are pummeled by the familiar dual guitar riff attack, weaving in and out of each other, playing off of every sick drum fill. Speaking of which, there is not one solitary SECOND of filler on this entire album. Every note has a purpose and this becomes very apparent about halfway through the first track ("Downward Spiral Into Madness") where ANATA illustrates that their true strength isn't merely in their melodic sense... but in their HARMONIC sense. This record has some of the best harmonies I've ever heard in heavy music, breaking away from the traditional major 3rd symmetric lines of bands like ARSIS and performing full-on counterpoint, doing completely different things that make perfect sense and weaving a vibrant tapestry of music. When the third track began, "Better Grieved Than Fooled", my breath was completely stolen from me as one of the most powerful beginnings I've ever heard in a song annihilated my senses. Rarely do you hear passages as majestic and awe-inspiring as this... and later in the song, the song breaks into a clean section that's like waking up from a dream. Brilliant legato lines swirl fluidly through your speakers, approaching a climactic build-up to a reprise of the astounding beginning, which continues to floor me every time.

Another track that deserves its own paragraph of unadorned adulation is the instrumental of "Children's Laughter", which is almost entirely clean guitars... and containing one most incredible and memorable drum performance I've witnessed since Sean Reinert recorded "Focus" for CYNIC (a band that ANATA continues to remind me of in many ways and there's no greater compliment than that). The song serves as the intro to "Renunciation", which is yet another masterpiece - one thing this album certainly isn't short on. "Children's Play" alone elevated this record, for me, elevated this record from being merely the best Metal record I've heard in 2006 to one of my all-time favorites.

Easily an early contender for album of the year and deserving a place in my top 10 Death Metal records of all time! Buy this album the very MOMENT it is available to you and witness the rebirth of heavy music!

Anata's new album is the best since Arsis's last and will be till Arsis's next

Åsmegin - Hin Vordende Sod & Sø ( 2003, Napalm Rec )



Track listing:

1. Af Helvegum
2. Bruderov Paa Hægstadtun
3. Huldradans - Hin Grønnkledde
4. Til Rondefolkets Herskab
5. Over Ægirs Vidstragte Sletter
6. Slit Livets Baand
7. Blodhevn
8. Op Af Bisterlitiernet
9. Varg I Veum
10. Efferbyrden
11. Valgalder

Overview:

Now this is an intriguing thing. Imagine a hybrid of Iron Maiden, and Skyclad musically, with a sometimes bewildering yet intoxicating mixture of clean male and female choir vocals, deep death grunting, and black metal shrieks, and you will get an idea of where this Norwegian band is coming from. “Nordic Folk Metal” is what this band is billed as, and it’s not far off the mark.

They do incorporate traditional instruments (fiddle, piano, and Norwegian zither), hence the Skyclad comparison, and to their credit, it doesn’t come off as simply for novelty value—each of these instruments plays an important role in the songs they appear in. Even though they often hug the guitar riffs a little too closely for their own good much of the time, the fiddles do add an interesting element of rustic joy to the songs, all of which are strangely catchy and enjoyable. The vocals, as mentioned, span a wide variety of styles and all the singers are most convincing in their various parts. Especially the clean vocals—these folks can really sing, and do so with passion and feeling, sweeping the listener away into the world these songs inhabit. The death growls are aggressive and angry, but the shrieking, when it comes in, really gets your attention.

The world these songs inhabit is one of folklore and magic, of ancient belief, and according to the band’s site, the songs on this CD represent three different eras of the band musically and lyrically. There are two trilogy suites; one based on Norwegian composer Edvard Greig’s “Peer Gynt”, and the usual Viking mythology suite. And that’s about all I can tell you, seeing as how all the songs are in Norwegian and I don’t speak a word of it. But the vocals are so alternately beautiful and startling, that is enough to pull you in anyway. Musically, these guys are top notch, with tight riffing and perfect drumming, and they flow from more folky moments to trad-metal, to more deathly and blackened moments effortlessly, though the blast beats do seem rather out of place when they do rear their heads (like right before the solo section of track #5, “Over Aegirs Vidstragte Sletter”, but the solo section that immediately follows that is such a sweet, Brian May-influenced moment that I easily forgive them this mistake). This is about the only complaint I have regarding this perfectly-produced and played CD. Otherwise, this is going to definitely make the top ten CDs list for me this year!

I have a hard time recommending individual songs on this CD, as really, I think the whole thing ought to be taken as a whole. Just letting the waves of alternately soothing folk music, smooth trad-metal riffing, and more chaotic black/death mania wash over you and letting the varied vocals sweep you off of your feet and into another realm where the real world as we know it is far, far away, and magic exists, allowing us for a few minutes to forget all our troubles, is a price well worth paying for the beauty this CD evokes.

A kickass album

Moonsorrow Suden Uni ( 2001, Spinefarm Records )



Track Listing:

1. Ukkosenjumalan Poika
2. Köyliönjärven Jäällä (Pakanavedet II)
3. Kuin Ikuinen
4. Tuulen Koti, Aaltojen Koti
5. Pakanajuhla
6. 1065: Aika
7. Suden Uni

Overview:

As most of you most probably already know, the Sorvali brothers Henri and Ville are the driving force behind MOONSORROW, forming the band in 1995 and after two demos (or rather three as the first one never got released as after the mastering half of the recorded material had disappeared) released "Suden Uni" ("Dream Of A Wolf") in 2000. Even back then it had been the goal of the band to make Folk influenced Pagan Metal and even though you can or rather have to draw a fine line between these two styles, the debut of these folks to me is Viking Metal - and if I may add truly excellent.

From the introducing wolf's howl of "Ukkosenjumalan Poika" on MOONSORROW pull you in deeper and deeper with their highly melodic Viking Metal and its great and grand melodies, driving, variable drums, rough vocals, very well implemented keyboards and the use of authentic instruments and also a melodic Black Metal eruption. All of this is almost perfected with "Köyliönjärven Jäällä (Pakanavedet II)", complete with accordion, mouth harp, acoustic guitars and changing vocals, that the keyboards are used a bit more extensively here is not negative at all, the accordion alone is worth this song!

Also to be emphasised shall be the strong, mostly slow paced, but still very varied instrumental "Tuulen Koti, Alltoien Koti", again with accordion and brilliant melodies, the more than 11 minute epic epos "1065: Aika", which both show greatly that MOONSORROW do not only have the will to differ from the majority of other bands, but also are able to unite these many different elements and influences into a whole so masterfully that they create a truly original and cohesive sound that is just plainly great!

The closing "Tulkaapa Ii T!" is titled as "Drinking Music" and I have to say that this fits perfectly, for this song is almost predestined for the later hours of a party, if you have a bit in you already, I guess that the Finnish lyrics will go fluently, too, super catchy, with accordion, flute and mouth harp, mostly stomping, accelerating in the chorus, perfect to sing/shout along and towards the end getting wilder by the second. Strong closer, even sober a great song!

Even though "Suden Uni" has a few years already, it has not lost anything of its class and fascination and together with "Voimasta Sa Kunniasta" and "Kivenkantaja" stands high up on the Viking scale, trust me!

Suden Uni

SIGH - Gallows Gallery ( 2006, Baphomet Records )



Track Listing:

1. Pale Monument
2. In A Drowse
3. The enlightenment Day
4. Confession to Be Buried
5. The Tranquilizer Song
6. Midnight Sun
7. Silver Universe
8. Gavotte Grim
9. Messiahplan
10. Untitled
11. The Tranquilizer song ( David Harrow Mix )

Overview:

“Gallows Gallery” sounds like a crazed circus, full of crazy little folk running around with knives. There are thrashing riffs and lots of double bass, but there is also a huge amount of organ, psychedelia and atmospherics. Some songs have saxophone, some have bells. Some have spoken-word and some have sitar or glockenspiel or techno beats. There are guests from DARK TRANQUILITY, THE RED CHORD, NECROPHAGIA and MEADS OF ASPHODEL. In short, there is a lot of stuff in here and it sounds good.


Gallows Gallery

Otyg - I Trollskogens Drömmande Mörker ( 1996, Self-Financed )

No Cover I know of

Track Listing:

1. Vitterstigen
2. Vinterväsen
3. Fjälldrottningens Slott
4. Norrut
5.Driven Ur Fjället
6. Genom Obanat Rike
7. Frostmarkstoner
8. I Trollberg och Skog
9. Skymningsdans
10. Sorgbundna Sekel

Overview:

The second demo of Otyg and a kickass demo at that, which everyone who likes folk and metal should check it out.

Otyg Demo #2

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.
Iwata
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Old Oct 4, 2006, 06:48 PM #20 of 1376
Some more recs

Månegarm - Nordstjärnans Tidsålder ( 1998, Displeased Records )



Track listing:

1. I Nordstjarnans sken
2. Fadernas Kall (Under Hödja Norbanér)
3. Drakeld
4. Den Dodes Drommar
5. Nordanblod
6. En Fallen Härskare
7. ymer
8. Vindir från glömda tider
9. Blod, Jord Och Stjärneglans
10. Det Sargade landet
11. Tiden Som Komma Skall

Overview:

A fantastic piano/acoustic guitar intro called "I Nordstjärnans Sken" starts off an album that for the rest is mostly fast Black Metal with a lot of folk elements. These not only come from the use of frequent acoustic passages and keyboards, but also the specific Folk rhythms and use of folk instruments. Never before have I heard such perfect integration of extreme music and folk as on "Nordstjärnans Tidsålder". Take for instance "Fädernas Kall (Under Hödja Norbanér)", which not only has Folk rhythms, but also slower, more melodic passages with flutes, atmospheric acoustic passages and also some samples of wind in the sails of a Viking ship.

"Ymer" is a track that also features these female vocals, as well as acoustic guitars and violins, and is actually just Folk (which gives a nice break on the album). On "Den Tödes Drömmer" and a few more tracks there are also violins and female vocals, and there are some clean male vocals on "Nordanblod" as well. The main vocals are high-pitched shrieks, and all lyrics are sung in the Swedish language, and they complete the music in the best way imaginable. Of course the main slice of the music is Black Metal, which is pretty melodic in nature, but over all is high-paced and very diverse. The production is not maybe the strongest point, but I've heard much worse. And who really cares about production when the musical content is this good? The production even gives the music an additional dark vibe, and sometimes the band even reminds of BATHORY (again "Nordanblood", also because of the clean vocals). The variety in musical arrangements, additional instruments and folk elements makes this album incredibly versatile, and a very pleasant listen from the first second till the last. Therefore my check-out tips are: all!

MÅNEGARM is the most underrated of the Swedish Metal bands that I ever heard, and by far the best Folk Black Metal band around. If you talk about massive debuts, then "Nordstjärnans Tidsålder" is a fantastic example! Folk lovers, run to your stores to get this!

Nordstjärnans Tidsålder

Mithotyn - King of the distant forest ( 1997, Invasion )




Track Listing:

1. King of the Distant Forst
2. Hail Me
3. From the Frozen Plains
4. On Misty Pathways
5.The Legacy
6. Trollusia
7. Under the Banner
8. We March
9. The Vengeance
10. Master of wilderness
11. In a Time of Tales

Overview:

Many young metal fans of today know the names Stefan Weinerhall and Karsten Larsson mainly from their current band Falconer but before this they spent time together in Mithotyn. With this band they released three albums through the now defunct label Invasion Records of which this is the second one. "King Of The Distant Forest" starts off with the wonderful title track, a song that displays all that Mithotyn was about - beautiful folk music influenced melodies, raspy black metal vocals, heavy distorted guitars and a mighty chorus. Mithotyn were one of the bands who founded the viking metal sound and they were quite unique and original at this time. As they are from my area their music is also very close to my heart. Mithotyn is the result of very hard work from dedicated individuals since it took them five years of rehearsing and demo recordings until they were able to release their debut album in 1997. Therefore this second album of their's shows a mature and tight band that has grown up together. If you are into melodic black metal with catchy vocals then Mithotyn is a band you should know of. Together with bands like Einherjer, Thyrfing and Falkenbach (RIP), Mithotyn were one of the leading bands of the genre in the late 90's and they do deserve to be remembered as such. Stand-out tracks: "King Of The Distant Forest", "Hail Me", "The Legacy" and the instrumental bonus track "Time Of Tales" (this was only included on the Hammerheart re-release of the album).

Mithotyn Rocks

Ragnarok - Domgeorn ( 1999, Neat Records )



Track Listing:

1. þe Him & Hrefnagod Gaelð
2. Wodnesuno
3. þonne Waeron We Haeleð
4. Sigorleoð
5. Ni Fuil An Sabras Aðragad Deað
6. To Wælhealle
7. I Hear The Mountain
8. Legion Of Death
9. Hliðescleof
10. Samhain
11. John Barleycorn
12. Aesctreow
13. Beloved Of The Raven God
14. Heart Of Steel

Overview:

A folk Metal record, basically.

Ragnarok

SIGH - Imaginary Sonicscapes ( 2001, Century Media )



Track Listing:

1. Corpsecry - Angelfall
2. Scarlet Dream
3. Nietzschean Conspiracy
4. a Sunset Song
5. Impromptu ( Allegro Maestoso )
6. Dreamsphere ( Return to the Chaos )
7. Ecstatic Transformation
8. Slaughtergarden Suite I. At Dawn, II. The Dead Are Born, III. Destiny
9. Bring Back the Dead
10. Requiem - nostalgia

Overview:

Ok. If you’re not familiar with SIGH’s work, try and think big keyboard tomfoolery improvisation, perhaps in the style DREAM THEATER, IRON MAIDEN style and traditional guitar work, Black Metal vocals, unpredictable songs structures, weird female choir orchestration and other random effects or sounds and that’s about as close as you’d ever get to describing the band. Of course this explanation does them no justice, as all truly progressive bands can only be heard, not expressed in words. I had not, upon listening to “Imaginary Sonicscape”, previously heard any of the occult Japanese threepiece’s work, but I’m really wondering why it took me so long to grab hold such a phenomenal band.



The mood and style of the music really does change dramatically from song to song. There are excellent melodies in each, especially in the tuneful choruses and it’s interesting to try and count just how many different synth sounds can be heard in each track – I can really see the band appealing to Progheads, for certain. From the “old-skool” riffing in “Scarlet Dream”, through the pure minimalist electro genius of “Nietzschean Conspiracy”, to the haunting magnificence of “Slaughtergarden Suite”, this album certainly experiments. In terms of musicianship, it’s quite amazing how versatile the three members are. One would think that there would have to be at least four band members to handle all the instruments. Mirai Kawashima deals with most of the vocals, bass guitar and keys, so there’s obviously some overdubbing in the studio and it would be interesting to see their live show, as SIGH have built up a reputation really rock on stage.



The production is fairly good, considering that good studio engineers are hard to come by in Japan, especially for a Metal band and the dated feel of the album is probably deliberate, as the band are huge fans of old Prog and black and white horror films – apparent from the extensive use of synth and dark, eerie piano playing.



To speak about the album song by song would probably be much easier than trying to sum it up in one paragraph, but seeing as that would take far too long to read, I’ll try the shorter version. “Imaginary Sonicscape” goes through a fair few styles and at first they really seem out-of-place and just delved into for the sake of it, but it has to be understood that Mirai and co know few boundaries and once you get familiar with a few songs, the whole album becomes much easy to digest and it slowly dawns that this is music that won’t be restrained. Classy, haunting, melancholy, jazzy, funky and just downright great songwriting, this is music for the open mind, but good music regardless

Let out another Sigh

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?
Iwata
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Old Oct 16, 2006, 01:55 PM #21 of 1376
Originally Posted by Will
You're pretentious and boring. Ha!

I mean, it's cool if you don't like a particular band, but you're just so damn turgid about it. Incidentally, when did this become your personal metal op-ed column?



The new Angra album, "Aurora Consurgens", is a huge step backward. There's no...soul. The songwriting has evaporated. Even Rebirth and Fireworks had a few good tracks. There's just nothing new here.

When people like you stated coming into Metal threads and talking about Opeth like they are the freshest thing to hit the metal scene. remember, you're the same guy that tried to pull the whole " the mars volta " are metal act.


From my experiences in the Metal scene, the only people who generally like Opeth are the ones who aren't into metal music in the first place, Opeth is like the Blink 182 of Metal Music.

Hated by everyone in the genre they are accidently lumped into and loved by everyone who doesn't have a fucking clue to what good taste is in the said genre.

I Recommend all of you put down your Opeth records and check out Amorphis who shits all over what Opeth trys to do without having to resort to making 10 minute long tunes consisting soley of wankery borefests.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Last edited by Iwata; Oct 16, 2006 at 02:02 PM.
Iwata
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Old Oct 16, 2006, 02:05 PM #22 of 1376
Originally Posted by RAZGRIZ-3
Amorphis is AWESOME. Tales and Elegy are two of the best albums I've ever bought in my whole life.

That said, I did like Opeth, too, until their last couple of albums. I do agree with Iwata though. For whatever reason if I'm trying to get someone to give metal a chance, they always seem to take a liking to Opeth first. I have no idea why. It seems like it would be less accessible, but people just dig it.

I liked Opeth's first three albums and do still enjoy them, but they are seriously more over-hyped then Slayer, when in the scheme of things. they are nothing more then an average metal band who adds some prog-wankery elements to their music.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?
Iwata
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Old Oct 16, 2006, 03:53 PM #23 of 1376
I love Maiden to death these days, but it took me forever to get into them. I gave em like 5 trys until there music clicked with me.

FELIPE NO
Iwata
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Old Oct 20, 2006, 07:53 PM #24 of 1376
I just got through a stoner metal kick and was listening to a bunch of
St vitus, Neurosis, Trouble, Bongzilla, Sleep, ufomammut, Acid King, High on Fire, and Boris.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?
Iwata
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Old Oct 26, 2006, 05:00 PM #25 of 1376
Originally Posted by Brent
Anyone had a chance to check out the new Arsis (United in Regret) yet?
Nope, was it leaked? I'm currently in Japan so i don't have the best access to downloadin so i'm generally in the dark about stuff like this. Although, i have this album pre-ordered and ready to ship when it's released on the 7th.

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