Rolling Metal Thread 2010

I forgot to mention just how much I like the new Raven album. I wasn't expecting that at all, I've been a fan of their early stuff for so long, but haven't liked an album of theirs since 1987.

they don't make them like they used to...

http://www.danteross.com/blogs/dante/files/2009/05/raven-the-pack-is-back-460-100-460-70.jpg

That album still boggles my mind. One of the most incredible major label failures in metal history.

i like that album. i gave my copy to chuck though.

I liked Stay Hard, but The Pack is Back went way too far into party metal territory. The cover of "Gimme Some Lovin'" is head-slappingly awful.

It's amazing how obsessed so many bands were with those Roland guitar synths in 1986.

Listening to Fates Warning's reissued Parallels today. Haven't played this in a really long time. Hadn't exactly forgotten that it was great, but had kind of lost track of what it feels like to listen to it. For me this and Perfect Symmetry and Queensryche's Rage for Order pre-atone for everything Dream Theater later inflicted on us...

I heard Five Finger Death Punch's cover of "Bad Company" on the radio yesterday and it made me want to drive off a bridge. In what universe would someone want to hear that guy sing?

I just gave that a listen...wow, they totally Nickelbackified it. Just when that band couldn't get any more obnoxious.

To see official release this May via Neurot Recordings, the Hawkwind Triad album is a fitting tribute to the British band that somehow seems to simultaneously remain unknown to the majority of the world’s rock listeners, while also standing as one of the most influential psychedelic bands of all time.

The Triad is unique, as it is an album of covers by three separate artists that essentially flows like an album. Each band -- HARVESTMAN (Steve Von Till of NEUROSIS’ psych guitar based project), MINSK, and U.S. CHRISTMAS -- have approached these 11 iconic songs with respect, but each have also recognized the need for the songs to be reinterpreted in a new space and time. The result is a full-length psychedelic feast that not only captures the feel of Hawkwind’s individual songs, but also has the feel of their classic albums. Even the artwork by Boston artist Thomas Saraceno appropriately provides trippy surrealist scenes fitting to many albums from the 70s. Most of all, the Triad was done out of pure veneration for a band than laid a solid foundation for every heavy, trippy, weirdo band that exists now – as well as for those who will freak out in the future.

Hawkwind Triad Tracklist:
U.S. Christmas - "Master of the Universe"
HARVESTMAN - "D Rider"
MINSK - "7x7"
HARVESTMAN - "Down Through The Night"
MINSK - "Assault and Battery/The Golden Void"
U.S. Christmas - "Psychedelic Warlords"
MINSK - "Children of the Sun"
U.S. Christmas - "Orgone Accumulator"
HARVESTMAN - "The Watcher"
U.S. Christmas - "You Shouldn't Do That"
HARVESTMAN - "Magnu"

kinda cool. except i have no idea who u.s. christmas are.

U.S. Christmas opened at the Baroness/Earthless show I saw in November. The Hawkwind thing is v v obvious. They marshalled a ton of people on stage and make a lotta sound but unfortunately it didn't add up to anything. Boring. Seemed like real cool people though.

i was just noticing the other day that I have 3 Minsk albums and, like, i bet if i heard any song off of any of them at a bar, i would have no idea what band it was.

be kind of a cool bar to hang out at though. if they were playing minsk during happy hour.

Slough Feg should be on Hawkwind cover album, that's my pearl of wisdom. Dude's voice would sound perfect for those songs.

Got a glorious package from Profound Lore today...Hooded Menace, Coffinworm, the Howling Wind. Where to begin??? I've been looknig forward to all three. I went with Hooded Menace, and oh man, is it good.

I ordered 3 cd's at the weekend from them. I guess you got promos of not released stuff? Hows the howling wind?

I loved the last Howling Wind CD...I'll definitely get to the new one tonight.

be kind of a cool bar to hang out at though. if they were playing minsk during happy hour.

^totally agree with this

Meanwhile, the new Nevermore album is really damn good, pretty much exactly what you'd expect. Though it does get a little ballady here and there.

they have a new one out? what's it like in comparison to the last one?

I liked This Godless Endeavor, but it was only "like" as opposed to the love I had for the s/t, Politics, and Dreaming Neon Black.

Despite the love for Dead Heart in a Dead World, I didn't like the detuned and simplified guitar riffage, or the songwriting, and thought it was half good half meh. Hated Enemies of Reality.

(really liked Sanctuary's Into the Mirror Black too)...

I prefer Dead Heart, but they're such a good, consistent band that there's not much I dislike at all. The new one has a good mix of Loomis riffery and more restrained stuff that reminds me of Empire era Queensryche, sans the suckage.

My Moog track for the new Agalloch record was just accepted by the band with glowing reviews :)

Congrats! :-D

Thanks. I'm not trying to too my own synth here. It's just that even after 20 years of this stuff, I still get excited like a little kid when things go well. Being jaded is over-rated ;)

Working my way, happily, through the Cathedral catalog. Supernatural Birth Machine currently receiving the head-bob of approval from both me and 2yo daughter. A record for all ages.

(Nate: five more to go before you've reached Six Organs of Acceptance.)

holy fuck man, congrats!

yeah, that's awesome! any idea when it's coming out??

saw immortal live last night btw. it was a blast! (of course.)

Agalloch still in pre-production. With luck it could be out by year's end.

***

I'm hoping that my love for this new Cathedral will unlock some of the secrets of their catalog. I've only liked their purist doom albums until this latest...

Saw Immortal in '02; didn't feel the need to see them again in '07 or last night (especially since last night's gig was in Brooklyn). Next shows I'm going to are High On Fire/Priestess/Bison B.C. next Friday, and then Amon Amarth toward the end of April.

That Amon Amarth is in nyc? Date?

Irving Plaza, April 25.

saw immortal live last night btw. it was a blast! (of course.)

― ¬_¬ (Alan N), Wednesday, March 31, 2010 10:06 AM

http://content.ytmnd.com/content/3/6/1/3610646983ebca1f9db64dccc249e6a3.gif

Did they play this?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehnRt3LaLUc

yeah, when the lights went on. kinda like maiden and "always look on the bright side of life".

Immortal would be great fun to see. Too bad they're not into more extensive touring.

And congrats, Nate! The wait for that Agalloch album has been far too long.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLkOYHYQ2tc

really like the new Fear Factory. it's amazing how simple a formula they've stuck to for all these years, and while they aren't exactly genre defining artists, they know how to craft a solid tune.

saw em tonight tho and boy was Burton hoarse. and I don't mean by the end of the show, I mean by the third song.

ok so was at the high on fire etc. show this evening and i dont want to ruin anyones hopes but U_U

not good? :-(

bison b.c. - super awesome
black cobra - also super awesome
priestess - had me for the first 3 songs and then got BORING. also let the not lead singer dude sing more because he was 1000% better than the regular dude
high on fire - ok seriously how stupid are you dudes. PLAY SOME SHIT OFF THE NEW ALBUM. and lets be clear i dig the blessed black wings stuff (none of which seemed to be happening) but yer new shit is the reason i got dudes that hated yer stuff to come out to the show. waited patiently for snakes for the divine and bastard samurai, but you had to spend an hour fucking noodling and boring the fuck out of me. fuck your back catalog, and fuck you for making me get bored enough not to care if you were going to bother to encore with shit i cared about.

fucking terrible

haha uh xpost yeah NO

on the positive side, i have locked my AWESOME GIRLY METAL vote for the year, and it is the devin townsend project - addicted. amazing.

I love that Devin Townsend record! Made my P&J poll last year.

Also, I would definitely say that Fear Factory are genre defining artists -- they pretty much defined their hybrid of industrial and death metal.

also (and i know this is old news by now) but holy shit the ex deo romulus is the album i should have voted up in last years metal poll (or uh would have if i had heard it). so so good.

xpost yah srsly, track 7 (ih-ah?) is the prettiest poppy thing i have heard in years. i would listen to the radio if it sounded like that!

oh boo i just checked the release date and my 2010 girly metal vote is DENIED

high on fire -

fucking terrible

haha uh xpost yeah NO

― HOT DISH THYME MACHINE (jjjusten), donderdag 1 april 2010 8:22 (1 hour ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

with love to jjjusten, I have never been disappointed (like, in the slightest) by a high on fire show, and the # of people at a show - by any band, usually - whose complaint is "not enough new stuff!" is generally pretty dang low

I can't wait to hear the new High on Fire stuff live. Hopefully they'll be trekking across Western Canada soon (they always do). And yeah, I can see Priestess being absolutely dwarfed by the other three bands on that crushing bill. I don't really understand the love for that band at all.

Oh, and the new Cathedral is pretty darn great. Especially the first half.

Priestess 'meh' co-signed, but their drummer is quite something tho, one of the hardest hitters I've ever seen. He broke *three* snare drums in the first three song when they opened for Bigelf last month in Amsterdam.

^ Jealous you got to see Bigelf! I passed on seeing the Closer To Doom tour and have regretted it ever since.