Rolling Metal Thread 2012

I appreciate their commitment to hauling that shit around, it's too bad they don't have any songs

OK, the metal thing on this is going to be a little iffy, but I feel like a certain kind of out-of-fashion hard rock has kind of been inherited by "metal" by association. Plus this is my favorite living singing voice since Ronnie James Dio passed away. So: there's a new Fiona album. Officially it came out last year, but there can't be very many bigger Fiona fans than me, and I didn't know about it, so as far as I'm concerned it's still new. Produced by James Christian from the similarly minded band House of Lords. It's fantastic. It's called Unbroken. It isn't on iTunes or Spotify, but I was able to locate it elsewhere on the internet without much trouble.

And if you like that, I also recommend Norwegian hard-rock singer Issa (not to be confused with the rapper, nor the artist formerly known as Jane Siberry).

Picked up that Coffins Ancient Torture comp today, really excited to dig in.

How does the new Aluk Todolo record compare to the Utech one (which I love btw)?

Somebody else will have to chime in, I'm brand new to these dudes and kicking myself for missing out earlier. Going to start crawling back through their records when I get a chance.

How does the new Aluk Todolo record compare to the Utech one (which I love btw)?

Louder, heavier. A lot of it sounds (to me) like live recordings of early '70s Can crossed with Fushitsusha.

the other side of blasphemy rules (x-post)

heard some aluk todolo before and it didn't do much for me but "70s Can crossed with Fushitsusha" has me pretty excited I must say

Top 20 of 2012 call just went out, anything you guys think I should listen to for consideration for inclusion in my list?

Here's what I have right now on my long list:

Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol
Dawnbringer - Into the Lair of the Sun God
Meshuggah - Koloss
Grand Magus - The Hunt
Gojira - L'enfant sauvage
Christian Mistress - Possession
Ihsahn - Eremita
Barren Earth - The Devil's Resolve
Witch Mountain - Cauldron of the Wild
Pallbearer - Sorrow and Extinction
Royal Thunder - CVI
Liberteer - Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees
Worm Ouroboros - Come The Thaw
Alcest - Les Voyages De L'Âme
Les Discrets - Ariettes oubliées...
Asphyx - Deathhammer
Cannibal Corpse - Torture
Jeff Loomis - Plains of Oblivion
Horisont - Second Assault
Occultation - Three and Seven
Nachtmystium - Silencing Machine
Testament - Dark Roots of Earth
The Devils Blood - the Thousandfold Epicenter
Baroness - Yellow and Green
Torche - Harmonicraft
Killing Joke - MMXII
Devin Townsend Project - Epicloud
Pig Destroyer - Book Burner
Enslaved - Riitiir
Menace Ruine - Alight in Ashes
The Gathering - Disclosure
Hooded Menace - Effigies of Evil
Jess and the Ancient Ones - Jess and the Ancient Ones
Arkhamin Kirjasto - Torches Ablaze
Evoken - Atra Mors

I can't help but feel like I'm missing some obvious stuff…

You forgot RAM.

And both Ufomammut records. Also Wizard Rifle, Tweak Bird, Oak Pantheon, and Pinkish Black. And the Agalloch EP.

My list, straight from my iPod:

Afgrund, The Age of Dumb
Baroness, Yellow & Green
Cannibal Corpse, Torture
Dawnbringer, Into the Lair of the Sun God
Down, Down IV Part I: The Purple EP
Emmure, Slave to the Game
Grand Magus, The Hunt
Grave, Endless Procession of Souls
Job for a Cowboy, Demonocracy
Kreator, Phantom Antichrist
Malignancy, Eugenics
Manowar, The Lord of Steel
Napalm Death, Utilitarian
Prong, Carved Into Stone
Psycroptic, The Inherited Repression
Saint Vitus, Lillie: F-65
Terrorizer, Hordes of Zombies
Whitechapel, Whitechapel

Obviously, I'd vote for Gojira and Rush if I could, too.

Are those the entire contents of your iPod?

GOAT.

Accept, as well.

Which goat? They are not an easy band to Google.

Goat's 'World Music'.

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/headbang-blogpost.aspx?post=23c13964-a164-4396-a7cc-ca0c2761b653

I don't get how Goat are metal. And my definition is really, really loose.

Yeah dude, Albert would laugh at me.

Hard rock, stoner/psych, whatever you want to call it. Might not be "extreme" enough for some metal places, but it's going on my list at MSN.

To my ears it's kraut rock and afrobeat and psych. Doesn't really have any stoner grooves or even retro hard rock. It's a solid album, I just find it odd to place it under an even large metal umbrella.

"Goathead" is an example of it being plenty heavy and groovy to make it qualify in my opinion.

I can't help but feel like I'm missing some obvious stuff…

black breath, bosse-de-nage

i don't remember what you think of the newest high on fire. don't remember what i think about it either.

High on Fire was good, and I liked it, but it didn't really jump out at me as end of year material. Same with Black Breath.

i wasn't sure black breath was so special, but then i ended up playing it 40 times.

Too early for end 2012 lists.. the new Converge nor Neurosis have yet to drop... lol!
I know a lot of you fuckers get to hear this shit early, but us mortals have to wait!

Given that I didnt particularly like any Enslaved record from the past ten years, is it worth spending time with the new one? The reviews seem to be v positive...

if Goat weren't called Goat and their sleeves didn't look like some 30-year-old NWOBHM band they would never have been mentioned in this thread

When are Enslaved reviews ever negative? They're like Neurosis in that regard - universally beloved of all metal writers (except me).

Discounting albums that are only marginally metal (45 Grave, Bushman's Revenge, El Doom & the Born Electric, Goat, Timmy's Organism, King Mob, Metz, Anders Nilsson, Elephant9 With Reine Fiske, ZZ Top, Blackberry Smoke, 333 -- anybody want to argue that any of those are definitely metal?), my metal top 25 so far would look something like this:

Angel Witch – As Above, So Below (Rise Above)
Thunderkraft – Totentanz (Svarga)
3 Inches Of Blood – Long Live Heavy Metal (Century Media)
Bible Of The Devil – For The Love Of Thugs & Fools (Cruz Del Sur)
Christian Mistress – Possession (Relapse)
Pharaoh – Bury The Light (Cruz Del Sur)
The Shrine - Primitive Blast (Tee Pee)
Bullet – Full Pull (Nuclear Blast)
Larman Clamor – Frogs (Small Stone)
Saint Vitus – Lillie: F-65 (Season Of Mist)
Grand Magus – The Hunt (Nuclear Blast)
Royal Thunder – CVI (Relapse)
Abrahma – Through The Dusty Paths Of Our Lives (Small Stone)
The Sword – Apocryphon (Razor & Tie)
Altar Of Oblivion – Grand Gesture Of Defiance (Shadow Kingdom)
Hellwell – Beyond The Boundardies Of Sin (Shadow Kingdom)
Lord Fowl – Moon Queen (Small Stone)
Skånska Mord – Paths To Charon (Small Stone)
Witchcraft – Legend (Nuclear Blast)
Tygers Of Pan Tang – Ambush (Rocksector)
Kadavar - Kadavar (Tee Pee)
Witch Mountain – Cauldron Of The Wild (Profound Lore)
Accept – Stalingrad (Nuclear Blast)
The Devil’s Blood – The Thousandfold Epicentre (Metal Blade)
Ulver – Childhood’s End (Kscope)

Uh, maybe some of those (Devil's Blood, or some of the more "hard rock" ones?) are only marginally metal too, to some people. I've obviously never been great about knowing where to draw the line.

The Devil's Blood was out in the rest of the world last year too. They appeared in most EOY lists. It's a terrific album.

Yeah, it's pretty good for such a boring record. But I didn't hear it until 2012 (which is when it came out in the U.S.)

Also, what do people think about these 3 records qualifying for year-end lists? (All old music, but very sparsely available until now apparently -- especially the top one.)

Coven – Worship New Gods (Shadow Kingdom)
Pagan Altar – The Time Lord (Shadow Kingdom)
Manilla Road – Invasion (Shadow Kingdom)

Yeah, I might have to move Goat to my ever-growing list of "marginal"metal honourable mentions. There are a lot of those this year.

I feel like both the Bullet and Witchcraft albums (both of which I was really looking forward to) are greatly inferior to each band's previous record.

Absolutely. Plenty to like on both, but the Bullet album sounds tired, while Witchraft is SORELY missing the psychedelic influence that made The Alchemist so great.

Don't disagree on Witchcraft (whose lineup has been 3/5 overhauled since their last album), and I've actually never heard a Bullet album before. Do think the new Bullet one has a few rote tracks, too. But there's was plenty I liked on both new albums anyway -- especially the Bullet.

You definitely need to check out more of Bullet, xhuxk, especially the last one, Highway Pirates. At their best, they're a perfect cross between Accept and AC/DC circa '85.

'85 is where any self respecting AC/DC fan draws the line on their output.. Thats the Fly on the Wall record, and a lot of AC/DC fans don't like it.. i think there are some gems on there, but after that, its pretty bad.. Plus Phil Rudd is out by then, and you don't have a proper AC/Dc without Phil Rudd.. EVERYONE knows that!

Also, what do people think about these 3 records qualifying for year-end lists? (All old music, but very sparsely available until now apparently -- especially the top one.)

I think yes. If i were making one these would definitely appear. Although the Coven is the only one that wasn't previously reissued, if that counts for anything. Such a great album.

Voivod were great in Dublin last night. I think maybe the best thing about it was that they looked so happy.

The new songs are good stuff too, looking forward to the album in January.

Cool, I'm seeing Voivod tonight. Wasn't really sure what to expect - we're mostly going to see Doom support them, Voivod is a bonus.

Top ten (twelve?) so far roughly in order:
Asphyx - Deathhammer
Mgla - With Hearts Toward None
Nachtvorst - Silence
Les Discrets - Ariettes Oubliees
Burzum - Umskiptar
Al Namrood - Kitab Al Awthan
Furia - Marzannie, Krolowej Polski
Lunar Aurora - Hoagascht
Nachtmystium - Silencing Machine
Wodensthrone - Curse
A Forest of Stars - A Shadowplay for Yesterdays
Heidevolk - Batavi

Oh and:
Deiphago - Satan Alpha Omega

There are no bad AC/DC albums. Some are (much) better than others, but there are no bad AC/DC albums. They've never made a Turbo.