Rolling Metal 2016

so that First Fragment album is something, huh

FUCK YES. thought i was the only one.

metal is where we say fuck yes

I wish more tech-death (hell, metal in general) was that straight-up fun

i know! makes great driving music.

provided you like crashing into everything while air conducting tech-death symphonies

^ not symphonic metal

I always wanted to like Anata, I mean I get that they were *slightly* more ear-catching than usual tech-death but were still pretty one-dimensional. Warms my heart that they're finally managing to get something else out though.

More on xpost Dio reissues:

Decade Of Dio: 1983-1993 Boxed Set Available for Pre-Orders Now

Featuring Remastered Versions of Dio's First Six Studio Albums

Available via Rhino:
CD Version - July 22
Vinyl Version - October 4

Ronnie James Dio's sinister howl and wicked songcraft bewitched hard rock fans in the Seventies and Eighties during his memorable stints with Elf, Rainbow and Black Sabbath. In 1983, the singer formed his own band, launching a successful solo career that led to 10 studio albums and sales of more than 10 million records around the world.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Rhino would release a new boxed set, A Decade Of Dio: 1983-1993, that brings together Dio's first six studio albums - each one featuring newly remastered sound. It includes: Holy Diver (1983), The Last In Line (1984), Sacred Heart (1985), Dream Evil (1987), Lock Up The Wolves (1990) and Strange Highways (1993).

Both versions (CD and vinyl) come housed in boxes featuring new artwork by Marc Sasso, who was responsible for many of the band's iconic covers. The CD set will hit stores on July 22, 2016 for a list price of $34.98.

The vinyl incarnation of the set will be available on October 4, 2016 for $99.98, and comes with a bonus 7" single. On the first side is the 1983 version of "Evil Eyes," which was originally released as the b-side on the "Holy Diver" single. In addition, this version is different from the one featured on the 1984 album The Last In Line. The flip side features "Time To Burn," which was the only studio track featured on the otherwise live release, Intermission (1986).

After two albums with Black Sabbath, Ronnie James Dio left in 1982 and formed Dio with fellow Sabbath band mate Vinny Appice on drums. The group's platinum-selling debut Holy Diver arrived in 1983 and is now revered as a heavy metal masterpiece, including two songs that would become rock signatures: the title track and the epic "Rainbow In The Dark."

The band returned the following year with The Last In Line (1984), which became the band's second platinum seller and included the single "Mystery," as well as "We Rock," a song the band often used to close its shows. Sacred Heart (1985) achieved gold certification and introduced fans to the concert staple "Rock 'n' Roll Children." Dio's fourth studio album, Dream Evil (1987) included the singles "All The Fools Sailed Away" and "I Could Have Been A Dreamer."

In the Nineties, the group released two more stellar studio albums. Lock Up The Wolves arrived in 1990 and featured the single "Hey Angel" and rocking title track. Following a brief reunion with Black Sabbath in 1992, Dio returned with Strange Highways in 1993. The album featured future fan favorites like "Jesus, Mary and The Holy Ghost," "Evilution," and the title track.

Although Ronnie James Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer in 2010, his towering voice and legacy live on. The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, co-founded by Wendy Dio, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable fund dedicated to supporting cancer-prevention research, raising awareness and educating the public about the vital importance of early detection and prevention when dealing with this deadly disease.

A Decade Of Dio: 1983-1993 Album Listing:
Holy Diver (1983)
The Last In Line (1984)
Sacred Heart (1985)
Dream Evil (1987)
Lock Up The Wolves (1990)
Strange Highways (1993)

the vocals are in this gargly just-beginning-to-vomit part of the spectrum that wears on me pretty quickly,

oh i was actually relieved that they're at least felt a little lighter/higher than the traditional beginning-to-vomit garglecore

Already pre-ordered that Dio set (on CD, of course).

Vividly aware that arguing over the precise part of the throat the singer sounds like their vomit has reached is a textbook example of the narcissism of small differences.

My new-songs list for the week ends with the roaring extended coda of Sinsaenum (4:44), Korgonthurus (14:19) and Gevurah (19:48).

great list, and I really really like the rant that runs down the right hand column.... so many nails hit on heads, and well worded too.... is it also somewhere else on the site, all in a block?

No, that's its odd home.

cool

vocalist for Denner/Shermann still not a great fit style-wise, but lord is it nice to hear the duo's inspired riffing again (better than last year's EP I think).

if anyone is interested in a pass or two to Migration Fest, let me know ... i have 2 but can't go anymore :(

Aug. 12-14 in beautiful Olympia, Washington ... killer lineup: http://www.migrationfest.us/2016-festival-lineup/

sorry for the self-serving interruption, carry on ...

holy fuck, I checked out Deviant Process half-wondering if I was gonna reply "you damn motherfuckers" since so much lauded tech-death just doesn't do it for me these days but THIS is fucking great!

it's not afraid to be catchy while sprawling at the same time! the production doesn't sound like the guitars are made out of paper!

it's also about time one of these albums didn't waste some truly incredible bass playing too.

New Monolord single out. It's pretty cool, but doesn't quite have the intensity of much of Vænir. I still love how thick the sounds get.

alpine static i sent you a message (only posting this in case you don't check the email you use for ilx)

I like the Occult Burial, but wish it was available for purchase in some form other than LP.

^ is good times yeah, cd supposedly forthcoming?

Cadaveric Fumes - Dimensions Obscure EP
https://cadavericfumes.bandcamp.com/album/dimensions-obscure

French death metal. Cavernous, but very unpredictable song structures. Sound is like strange alchemy of Incantation, Autopsy, even a few Entombed/Dismember style death'n roll beats -- but also a weird Gorguts or Portal sci-fi sickliness to it. Cool stuff!

and call me crazy, but every now and then, I hear Cardiacs chord progressions

the siren song

They're pretty good! I've been digging Ghoulgotha lately, too, weird and discordant death metal with some odd time signatures, but their sound is resolutely OSDM (in terms of texture and production), no cavernousness.

For the ambient metal fan, the new https://basarabianhills.bandcamp.com is his best yet, featuring an extremely great centrepiece in 'Blacklight' and a somewhat hilarious (yet lovely) title-track

...ghoulgotha?

guys- and it is all guys here, right?- i try to be open minded. i mean, i will listen to a band called bloodgasm. but i have to draw the line at "ghoulgotha".

It is a super unfortunate name. I mean, not Pissgrave or Shitfucker level stupid. But they're a much smarter band than the name implies. Even lyrically.

I kinda love the name Shitfucker cos it's like it forces you to really realize how ridiculous you are when you put it on

going to see "Venom, Inc" tonight, which I'm just now realizing = basically original Venom with "Demolition Man" on vocals and bass.

I guess between seeing them and the Cronos version I've seen 1 actual Venom this year?

...and, I guess, an endorsed cover band composed of the other guys as well?

I'm always wanting to call them Venom, Inc IRON AND STEEL because that's their legal name btw.

Necrophagia are a fucking blast live

guys- and it is all guys here, right?
No

yeah why would you ask that out loud

Ghoulgotha feels like it's on the right side of silly as band names go, to me

guys- and it is all guys here, right?

Also no.

The Cadaveric Fumes EP mentioned upthread is possibly my favourite death metal of the year so far - ty for that. And I can sort of hear those Cardiacs chord progressions in the third track, though maybe also crazy.

xp i guess it's good to remember that one of the more cutting edge bands in the genre is still called Gorguts...

Ghoulgotha feels like it's on the right side of silly as band names go, to me

me too, though it seems at odds w/ their lyrics

aight so about Venom, Inc. it's unfortunate that they have to use such a lame name, as it comes with all of the (hilarious) baggage that unofficial alternate versions of bands always has. But they were pretty much equally as good as the official Venom right now, and actually have more original members. It's basically Mantas, Abaddon, and that Demolition Man guy they used in the 90s, who curiously looks like one of the creatures from The Descent.

Both Mantas and Abaddon weirdly wore John Lennon sunglasses the whole show. Demolition Man was a great frontman. The setlist isn't even that different from what "Venom" plays other than they purely stick to the early material. sonically speaking they sound almost the same other than Demolition Man doesn't sound like Cronos (but who does). got to hear "Angel Dust" this time (which Venom didn't play in MDF).

I think though there is one inarguable fact - it is never not fun to scream "Lay down your soul to the Gods of rock 'n roll" with other people.

very jealous you got to see Necrophagia, they are one of my very favorites

yeah they were dope. new album works well live, as well as the old stuff. live they are the aural equivalent of an off-brand 80s slasher VHS tape that's been watched too many times, very murky and evil sounding.

what of theirs is worth checking out besides HOlocausto De La Morte and the new one? that's all I have thus far

OMG NEW GRAVE DESECRATOR ALBUM CAME OUT

Is metal-archives correct in saying Anselmo wrote all of Holocausto de la Morte? I knew he had some kind of working relationship with Killjoy but somehow I never knew he was that involved in Necrophagia. Weird.

On the sort-of Necrophagia tip, I always liked those two Wurdulak albums that Killjoy, Frediablo, Iscariah, Maniac, and a couple other dudes did in the early 00s (though I think I may be the only one who did like them). It was like Deathcrush meets mid-90s Norsecore, and definitely sounded like everyone involved was close to blackout drunk, if in that functional Norwegian way.

And Gorelord, Frediablo's one man thing, wasn't too bad either. Very much in the aforementioned category of VHS horror. Reminds me of the pre-Blockbuster 80s, renting movies like CHUD or It's Alive from the freaking gas station.

I didn't know he wrote that much, but I remember lots of people talking about the various metal projects he was working on, namely Necrophagia, as lots of extreme-o heads were critical of him trying too hard to prove his cred (i read it more like "metal vocalist with questionable beliefs and shitty behavior yet also with known good taste in music just did a lot of projects he was passionate about cos he could afford it now")

aw man the new Grave Desecrator is fun. i know they don't exactly bring anything new to the table but i love Brazilian death/thrash.

weirdly they tracked the guitars left right rather than putting both rhythm and lead in both channels, but I actually kinda like that. gives it more of a live feel, makes the leads penetrate a lot in my left ear.

Beyond Creation just put on a nice set. Psycroptic next

Psycroptic were fun as hell. Passive aggressive about our quiet behavior so I tried to agitate the pit.

I think I'm at the cusp of moshtirement.

Yes, that Cadaveric Fumes Ep is great. I can see where you're both coming from w/the Cardiacs comparison but don't really agree. It's one of those ones that mixes osdm with prog and that's something I'm a sucker for.

Just interviewed former Dio guitarist Craig Goldy for Burning Ambulance. It'll be up later this month.

Heavy Metal and Natural Language Processing

dude analyzes lyrics of 222,623 metal songs and among other findings identifies the most and least metal words in English

top five: burn, cries, veins, eternity, breathe

bottom five: particularly, indicated, secretary, committee, university

Now I kinda want to make a project with a Botanist-like lyric focus on, like, a bitter rivalry between two career academic administrators. I bet I could cram most of the 20 least metally words into a single tune.