Rolling Metal 2016

i thought the vektor was just ok, nothing special at all

some nice bits

bye

FYI: on the back of the (excellent) new Asphyx album featuring no original members, there's now a new Soulburn record, with the two main founding Asphyx members.

Nice. You think they could tour together as the Asphyx-Soulburn Brothers Big Band?

30 minute jam on Abomination Echoes, that's all I want.

Well Soulburn is thrashy midtempo blackmetal so it does makes some sense. I like how these original guys have so much confidence that the new guys will stick exactly to the Asphyx sound and quality control that they can just fuck off for a while to do other stuff.

And Asphyx at this point is more or less a running experiment between Dan Swanö and a rotating cast of Dutch dudes where they reassemble the two-dozen-or-so Asphyx riffs with the heaviest possible sound ever. I'm not kidding, that record is stupendously heavy. It almost feels redundant to talk about any other aspects.

Just wanted to thank the metal thread for hipping me to High Spirits. I got into music at a p young age and stuff like Pyromania and 1984 and then Dokken and Ratt and shit were really formative to me as a little kid and this stuff really hits all those notes in a real way, and doesn't ring false to me the way some of the "power metal" stuff (which I should like in theory cuz I love Maiden and Priest and Armored Saint etc) but I dunno...hard rock like this is deceptively hard to really do right and they can do it.

I got to hear some High Spirits tunes via Professor Black at Alehorn recently. I used to prefer Dawnbringer, but the first time I saw them at the Alehorn of Power 2013, the band wore all white and played a glorious set. Also saw them opening for Christian Mistress last year.

Saturday I drove to Indianapolis for the second day of the Doomed & Stoned fest. It was well worth the trip! I saw Pale Divine, Clouds Taste Satanic, Beelzefuzz, Horseburner, Demon Eye, Brimstone Coven and Bell Witch.

Eggs Of Gomorrh is a silly band name. As album titles go, Rot Prophet isn't much better. But if you're in the mood for demon-dog vocals, jet-engine guitars, and drums like a clothes dryer full of golf balls, you might like this album as much as I do. It's on Vault of Dried Bones, a label I was previously unfamiliar with.

Yeah I know Eggs of Gomorrh, they're a local band and pleasantly unrefined/chaotic.

I'm going to pronounce it Eggs of Gamera, hope that's ok

You guys heard Marsh Dweller (speaking of not-the-best names)? I don't usually go for melodic, triumphant BM but I've been in the mood lately and these dudes keep it dirty enough for me.

http://eihwazrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/marsh-dweller-the-weight-of-sunlight

I interviewed Chris Bay of Freedom Call for Noisey.

"Metal Is For Everyone" is so good. I have it on repeat.

I love the claim that Americans don't get power metal because they're not analytical enough.

the new Furia finally appeared and made my album of the year decision a lot easier

It really is something. Definitely will place high on my list.

I love the claim that Americans don't get power metal because they're not analytical enough.

Asking German bands to psychoanalyze Americans = never not hilarious. I do it whenever possible.

Napalm Death slayed last weekend in Atlanta (one of the last Masquerade shows at its original location). Barney had lots to say about the election, some idiot in the crowd kept shouting "Trump" and the crowd turned on him very fast.

Flotsam and Jetsam is playing here Saturday. stoked.

I really want a new Immolation - is there one in the works?

Moribund Cult are having a four-day 25% off sale so I went and had a look around and learned that Lucifugum, a weird, very uneven, sometimes nearly unlistenable band who I really like precisely for those qualities, had a new one come out in September (ltd. to 999 copies, natch). They're a husband-wife duo from the Ukraine and make some of the oddest records I've ever listened to multiple times just to try to get my head around -- essentially bedroom-BM in the "we self-produce and aren't quite sure how to do this" style, but reliably interesting and sometimes great to me so I thought I'd mention it.

Also grabbing this, which is another Shatraug side project, that dude loves to work

https://soundcloud.com/moribundrecords/sets/mortualia-wild-wild-misery

Oh yeah Flotsam & Jetsam had an album out this year. We should really do a poll of 2016 albums of 80s bands, there's about twenty of em.

Also, I don't pay attention for a little bit, and Tengger Cavalry's discography has suddenly exploded: in 2015-2016 they've released three live albums, six studio albums, two compilation albums, nine singles, two EP's and a 4-way split CD. Where the hell do I begin?

Where the hell do I begin?

Don't. They suck.

then it's not just a clever name.

Well I can kind of see why one'd think that, but I feel Tengger Cavalry do have a winning formula, they need to write the songs to live up to that potential. In principle a compilation would be great, but if they release three of them within one year, that totally defeats the purpose.

The songs I've heard (I was sent promos of 3 of the albums, I think) didn't impress me - they weren't doing the metal, or the Central Asian folk, very well.

I liked what Tengger Cavalry I heard but... still haven't bought an album.

Got the new Setentia (a name I almost always spell wrong) and it's pretty good. Another post-Gorguts discordant thing but they've got a lot of variety going on and some good melodies in spots. It's not relentless and that's not a bad thing.

Listened to the new Attacker, Sins of the World, last night. It's old-school power metal - I mean, they might as well change their name to Iron Priest or Judas Maiden. But it's really good; the singer does those Halfordian screams better than anybody I've heard try them, and the riffs are solos have that 80s fist-pumping energy without being retro-kitsch about it. There are three songs streaming on Bandcamp.

General "hi" & hello to metal peoples. I haven't been around so have little idea what's most bad and hated. Mostly I have been listening to relatively nice-sounding doom & trad metal, and completely horrid-sounding death metal. My cats seem to prefer the former. These are good: Howls of Ebb, Hammers of Misfortune, Gygax, Blood Incantation, Ulcerate, Messa, Vektor, Chthe'ilist, Sumerland, Oranssi Pazuzu, Khthoniik Cerviiks, Khemmis, Blood Ceremony, Sumac, Inter Arma, Spellcaster, High Spirits, Inverloch, some other stuff.

Recommendations?

adam!!

I just wrote a longish review of the Attacker album; it'll be up on Burning Ambulance in the morning.

hey contenderizer have you heard Swallowed?

http://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/lunarterial

And you've heard Demilich, right? Stargazer?

This new Witchery album guys... riffy as fuck.

http://fastnbulbous.com/heavy-metal-rundown-2016/

Contenderizer, from what you listed, I think there's a couple on there you might like that you hadn't heard. Doing stretches to warm up for the rest of my year-end stuff.

This new Witchery album guys... riffy as fuck.

Listening to this now, and yeah, it's exactly what I was hoping it would be.

We agree on something! Yay!

On the other end of the spectrum, this Void Meditation Cult album is RIYL Beherit, Demoncy, early Incantation, Profanatica, huffing glue out of a dog skull...

yes thank you

Never heard of these guys, but can definitely already hear the early Incantation -- like that crossed with Archgoat, which is pretty perfect death metal to me

And you've heard Demilich, right? Stargazer?

― rudy githyanki (GOTT PUNCH II HAWKWINDZ), Sunday, November 27, 2016 9:23 PM (yesterday)

Oh yeah, that's some of my favorite shit right there. Cthulhu mythos, basically (bonus haws for "rudy githyanki", btw). Listening to Swallowed LOUDLY, fucking awesome so far, like a rusty bucket of horripilating dreadworms discovered behind a loved one's face. Great cover art too.

And thanks for the link, Fastenblub. Lots to catch up on...

You might want to check this Absconditus out if you haven't heard it, along the lines of Stargazer with a bit more black metal influence, plus lyrics in their native French (one of the best languages for death/black metal IMO)

http://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/k

Glad you dig Swallowed, btw, that record's outstanding and I hope they release something else soon.

When do you guys want the EOY poll? Before xmas or after new year ?

Or does anyone else want a shot at running it? Im easy whatever you guys choose

I think last year we did it before Xmas but I'm cool with after New Year, more likely I'll have free time to actually nominate and vote and stuff.

had to do it early the past few years to suit seandalai, which may well be the case again anyway.

One of the reasons it first switched was because phil and a few others said they had list burnout by the time we ran it as they had already voted for publications they worked for months before.

Well while we wait for more opinions... I got the Schizo "Before the Collapse" demo collection on F.O.A.D. and it's the craziest, frantic thrash-verging-on-core shit I've heard in a while. It actually reminds me a little bit of Morsure from France (same era, mid-late 80s), a comparison that will probably help no one.

seandalai said he prefers/has to be before christmas so there we go.

Will start a nominations thread today and hopefully everyone will join in, even people ive pissed off previously.

NOMINATIONS AND DISCUSSION THREAD FOR 2016 METAL/HEAVY ROCK POLL (Nominations end December 7)

Anaal Nathrakh - The Whole Of The Law
Ancestors Blood - Hyperborea
Asphyx - Incoming Death
Autumn, Leaves, Scars/Dreams Of Nature/Lumnos - A Desolate Landscape (split)
Basarabian Hills - Attraction
Brutus - Murwgebeukt
Countess - Fires Of Destiny
Death Angel - The Evil Divide
Departe - Failure, Subside
Desaster - The Oath Of An Iron Ritual
Destroyer 666 - Wildfire
Draugnim - Vulturine
Entropia - Ufonaut
Eternal Champion - The Armor Of Ire
Forteresse - Thèmes Pour La Rébellion
Gehennah - Too Loud To Live Too Drunk To Die
Graveyard - ...For Thine Is The Darkness
Heimleiden - Mysterium Melancholie
Is - Glimpses Of Sorrow
Krater - Urere
Lethargic Euphoria - Standstill
Mare Cognitum - Luminiferous Aether
Megadeth - Dystopia
Melankoli - Fallen
Metallica - Hardwired...To Self Destruct
Nokturnal Mortum/Graveland - The Spirit Never Dies (split)
Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika
Mortualia - Wild, Wild Misery
Mourning Sun - Último Exhalario
Nonsun - Black Snow Desert
Nordjevel - Nordjevel
Old Forest - Dagian
Pensées Nocturnes - À Boire Et À Manger
Recitations - The First Of The Listeners
Ripper - Experiment Of Existence
Saor - Guardians
Skyforest - Unity
Soulburn - Earthless Pagan Spirit
Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
Trna - Lose Yourself To Find Peace
Urfaust - Empty Space Meditation
Waldgefluster/Panopticon - Split
Wildernessking - Mystical Future
Winterhorde - Maestro
Witte Wieven - Silhouettes Of An Imprisoned Mind
Wode - Wode
Zhrine - Unortheta

V/A - Ancient Meat Revived (A Tribute To Cold Meat Industry)

(wrong thread)

it came out in March but I really like the Artillery album from earlier this year. love their riff stylings

If you're in a mood for thrashy power metal (kinda Testament-y, but with lyrics about Dune and Game of Thrones and whatnot), the Russian band Distant Sun have a new album out, Into the Nebula, which is doing the job for me this morning. They're a power trio but sound much bigger, and their album cover is awesome.

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a0396981889_10.jpg

https://metalism.bandcamp.com/album/into-the-nebula

That sounds really cool, Phil. I need to check that out ASAP! ^

Meanwhile my top 20 metal picks of 2016 were published today. It took a friend to point out that this is probably the one metal list I've done in the last 15 years that most reflects me, rather than the critical hive mind. I stopped listening to stuff I felt obligated to listening to (formulaic black metal, metalcore, grindcore, most death metal that isn't Cannibal Corpse, Gorguts, and Nile) and doing so I enjoyed the metal music I did listen to a whole lot more. Besides, I don't mind leaving the hipster picks to the Consequence of Sounds out there, and touting some GREAT melodic, traditional, and progressive-minded heavy metal instead.

http://www.popmatters.com/feature/the-best-metal-of-2016/

Cool, it's refreshing to see at least one metal critic like the Metallica album. Glad to see Grand Magus in there too. What constitutes hipster picks these days?