Rolling Metal Thread 2009

Listening to the 4-disc Metallica bootleg Live in the '80s, which pretty thoroughly debunks any argument that James Hetfield's vocals were better in the old days.

I didn't know anyone disagreed with that. Is the bootleg for sale or just for download?

Wait, did I read that wrong?

Left the Metallica show early last night; they were playing almost the same set I saw in February, and I got bored. Lamb of God were good, though; at one point Randy Blythe said, "This song is dedicated to my mom, who's making her first ever trip to New York tonight. I love you, Mom. It's called 'Redneck.'"

do lamb of god still sound like pantera clones? I had high hopes for them til they did that.

With Lamb of God, it's not so much the Pantera-copping of "Redneck" than just complacently doing the same thing that they've done on the previous three albums. Which is okay, they still put out some solid tunes and it pleases their fanbase (not to mention the sycophants at Sirius Liquid Metal), but they can certainly do better than Wrath. They've started to plagiarize themselves.

"Left the Metallica show early last night; they were playing almost the same set I saw in February...."

I was at the Saturday show at Madison Square Garden. I'm lucky I hadnt seen them in Feb, because I enjoyed it. Even the new stuff sounded pretty good.

I was at the Saturday show at Madison Square Garden.

Same one as me. They were really good, and yeah, the new songs blend well with the old ones, but too much of the set list overlapped. I do wish I'd caught them doing "Helpless" as one of the encores, though.

The Helpless was good, I would have preferred Breadfan

Curently enjoying a couple of EPs from one-man Quebec BM outfit Neige et Noirceur, who will definitely appeal to fans of Darkspace and Paysage D'Hiver. For me, "Crepuscule Hivernal" wins out with a relentless 26 minute guitar workout, mostly on one riff seasoned with insane keyboards and ambient noise. But "Philosphie des Arts Occultes" is no less insane, and features cameo guest vocals from (former) Greatest Living Englishman Oliver Reed, sampled from Ken Russell's 'The Devils'. If any of that sounds good, you need 'em both!

posted this on the shrinebuilder thread:

rwake: was not familiar with this band but they killed. stole the show, imo. nasty, sludgy, chaotic. awesome stuff.

so yeah, loved them live. now I'm listening to voices of omens. not bad, but I dunno, this just doesn't as dirty as I was hoping it would. the scuzzy, chaotic element that was such an appealing part of their live set just isn't on this record. maybe it's a grower.

how's the older material?

^^^came real close to buying this off Amazon MP3 last night bcuz of Sunday's show. Still might but yr testimony gives me pause.

well, still listening and my comments stand... but bear in mind, I am listening to this on headphones in an office.

I'm gonna have to give this a real listen at home.

Rwake is absolutely killer live and perfectly acceptable on record. But perfectly acceptable really doesn't make it worth listening to especially since you know what they really sound like.

They played in Maine a few years ago; I got to talk with them a bit and they were incredibly nice and appreciative of the small but vocal crowd. I'd totally see them again but I can't be bothered to listen to the reocrds.

I'm really looking forward to the new Rwake album...we've been waiting a long time!

loved one that they said was new at the ny show. had this fist-pumping priest riff. I just turned to my friend and nodded my head like, "yes."

Listened to the new Dark Funeral album today. If a Hollywood screenwriter just wrote the phrase "A BLACK METAL BAND is playing in the CLUB," that band would be Dark Funeral. So fucking boring. After that I listened to the debut CD by American Sixgun, a new signing to Eulogy Records whose greatest ambition in life, it seems, is to be Junkyard. That sucked, too, so now I'm listening to the s/t debut from 1976 by Point Blank, a Texas blues-rock band who sort of cross pre-MTV ZZ Top with Molly Hatchet. Music to punch people in the face by, and the best thing I've heard since this morning, when I was listening to George Strait's 50 Number Ones.

xpost hahaha I saw like 50 ppl turn to each other and nod at that exact moment when the song changed to NWOBHM crunch, that was awesome

News about the new burzum album

anyone post the onion "best of metal" decade-ending list?

http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-decades-best-metal,35509/

Interesting. Ugh, Catch Thirty-three over Nothing?

Oh, and Decibel's 2009 list has been blurted on the forum:
http://decibelmagazine.com/forum/Thread.aspx?id=343095

Really solid in my opinion.

good issue too. the decibel top 40 issue, that is.

too much nigel metal on that onion list.

okay that's the last time i say nigel metal today. but for real half of that list is stuff i don't even think of as metal.

i mean i obviously read about them in metal magazines, including decibel of course, but, yeah, you know...

and the 90's was just as strong a metal decade as any other decade. speaking of the onion thing. there is no weak metal decade.

Decibel's special decade issue is going to be a really fun read. Don't think I'll bother doing one for PopMatters, it's already total overkill with the decade stuff.

yeah, that will be cool. i contributed, like, nothing too it. so, you are all lucky.

That Onion list, hmmm. Not horrible, but really a Mars Volta album? I mean, hell, don't get me wrong I think I'm (along with maybe Phil) one of the few people in this thread that can stomach that band and I wouldn't put 'em anywhere near a best of the decade metal list. Especially not that album. And I think the new Skeletonwitch may be jumping the gun a bit. Desperate for another 2009 album to match Baroness? Good album, but again, not best of decade worthy. Always forget that Dopethrone came out this decade.

I'm avoiding that Decibel discussion until I can read the issue in full.

Leonard (the guy who compiled the Onion list) is another Metal Edge veterano and a friend, but even setting that aside, I don't have that many quibbles with his list. My complaints are:

1) Pelican doesn't belong on any list of good anything;
2) The Mars Volta is, indeed, a good band, and that's their best album, but they're not metal;
3) Axe To Fall is a better album than Jane Doe;
4) I don't like Queens of the Stone Age

Axe To Fall is a better album than Jane Doe

Absolutely.

On the other hand, I have massive problems with the Decibel list. Most of that shit I wouldn't listen to on a dare.

Yes, agree with the Axe To Fall adoration. I still don't think Mars Volta have topped the debut as a whole, although they certainly hit higher highs on the two albums to follow.

"1) Pelican doesn't belong on any list of good anything"

every once in a while you say something really true.

^ Haha, couldn't agree more.

Yeah, Jon, if you're going to have the gall to put the Mars Volta on a metal list, make it De-loused.

I like that Pelican album. Pretty much the only Pelican I like, but still. Not that I'd put it on this sort of list either.

Pelican can be nice in tiny doses, but it always feels as bland as those paintings of sunbeams poking through clouds (I forget the name of the guy who's famous for making those). And yikes, could the drumming get any clunkier?

You never know, maybe one of us in this very room wrote about Pelican for the decibel decade list...

Thomas Kinkade? Hahaha. Thats an oddly fitting comparison, but now it makes me feel dirty for liking them at all!

slough feg isnt going to make any of these lists, are they. booooo.

As it happens, the Thomas Kincade thread was revived on ILE today and someone cthulhu-ized one of his paintings...

xpost I goddamn love Slough Feg, fuck a list.

I wish I had room to include Ape Uprising on my list. What an awesome CD.

Thomas Kinkade? Hahaha.

Thank you! It's been bugging me for weeks, because a guy at PopMatters actually compared the Pelican album to Guernica.

Slough Feg should make these lists.

I hope it makes the ILX Metal Poll of 2009 top 10.
Will you guys vote this year if we run one?

I would, but I'm a total fucking dilettante so you might not want that.

that is no problem, vote is open to all who can be bothered. I appreciate those who take the time to do it.

according to scott im not a real metal guy either

i won't vote in it, but i'll complain about the thread. how's that?

its usually those who dont vote that complain about the results