Albums currently kicking your ass

[Phylactery]

Gets better every time I hear it. Probably the best discovery I've made through the yearly top 10 polls. I can't believe people are so ambivalent toward it. Basically the quintessential melodeath album to me.

The low growls are really off putting and at odds with the atmosphere. That’s my main problem with it. It’d definitely suit a more mid-ranged growl imo.

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

The low growls are really off putting and at odds with the atmosphere. That’s my main problem with it. It’d definitely suit a more mid-ranged growl imo.

Please embrace the spectrum of growls. It's a vocally limited genre.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

The low growls are really off putting and at odds with the atmosphere. That’s my main problem with it. It’d definitely suit a more mid-ranged growl imo.

I guess I agree. I kinda dislike guttural growls in all contexts so I try not to think of them so much. Still doesn't prevent me from getting chills at the end of "Desert Shadows" or anything.

 

[Phylactery]

Haha, I appreciate all kinds of growls. I just don’t think low ones fit with “melodeath” like that record at all. Do you think guttural low growls would fit an album like Transilvanian Hunger as an extreme example? Because I don’t. That’s what I meant. I don’t dislike the vocals in a vacuum.

 

[Phylactery]

I guess I agree. I kinda dislike guttural growls in all contexts so I try not to think of them so much. Still doesn't prevent me from getting chills at the end of "Desert Shadows" or anything.

Yeah that part is pretty fantastic, but you know I'm a sucker for emotionally impacting shit like that.

But if you like that then you'd probably like a lot of other "melodeath".

Are you familiar with:

Dark Tranquillity - Skydancer/Of Chaos and Eternal Night
Decameron - My Shadow...
Eucharist - A Velvet Creation and Mirrorworlds
Cardinal Sin - Spiteful Intents
A Canorous Quintet - Silence of the World Beyond
Sacrilege - Lost in the Beauty You Slay
Mi'gauss - Open Season
A Mind Confused - Anarchos
Ablaze My Sorrow - If Emotions Still Burn

 

[Vegard Pompey]

I'm unfamiliar with most of those! I'll check them out, thanks!

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

Haha, I appreciate all kinds of growls. I just don’t think low ones fit with “melodeath” like that record at all. Do you think guttural low growls would fit an album like Transilvanian Hunger as an extreme example? Because I don’t. That’s what I meant. I don’t dislike the vocals in a vacuum.

I get what you're saying but I'm all for mixing it up. I wouldn't expect guttural vocals on Uaral albums, but they work pretty good you know?

 

[Vegard Pompey]

"Winding" is one of my favorite qualities in music.

 

[no country for old wainds]

that album has an affinity with very early chasm stuff i think.

but yeah i like literally everything phylactery mentioned to varying degrees (i like garden of shadows also though, i should spend more time with it). one of my many unfinished RYM lists is devoted to early melodeath stuff, maybe i'll finish it one of these days. i need to go through this one too, it's pretty comprehensive albeit i wouldn't agree with the order obviously

 

[Phylactery]

Are you talking about Skydancer or the Garden of Shadows album with the The Chasm comment?

That list has too much crap on it (Anata, In Flames, Ceremonial Oath, Soilwork, Darkane, Heartwork etc) to make me want to check out the stuff I haven't heard, and as you alluded to, the order is terrible.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

I listened to that Gates of Ishtar today, it's pretty great.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Are you talking about Skydancer or the Garden of Shadows album with the The Chasm comment?

That list has too much crap on it (Anata, In Flames, Ceremonial Oath, Soilwork, Darkane, Heartwork etc) to make me want to check out the stuff I haven't heard, and as you alluded to, the order is terrible.

skydancer. and yeah, it's not a typical melodeath list at all though tbf, there's a lot of good obscure stuff placed above mediocre popular stuff. i imagine there's some gems i haven't heard in there.

 

[Phylactery]

But Skydancer was released in 1993, before anything by The Chasm, except perhaps the demo which I can't find the month of release for but was also released in 1993. I love Skydancer though. It's a bit disjointed and some of the songs are definitely weaker, but it has a really unique sound and atmosphere. Friden's vocals are pretty shitty unfortunately, but I like everything else about it.

Speaking of The Chasm, I still haven't heard their newest release! I'm actually afraid of being disappointed. It hasn't been nearly as well received as their other stuff from the few reviews I've read.

 

[no country for old wainds]

yeah i just mean stylistically, that amateurish winding wandering mid-paced mysterious/melancholic thing they have going on. the chasm's vibe is more arcane and weird but still, there are similarities

i haven't really got into the new chasm, but then i don't like FARSEEING as much as you do and it feels like a sequel to that.

 

[I-TEND-TO-DIE]

don't wanna know how often i blasted this already haha. But this album rips immense!

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

Phlebotomized Immense Intense Suspense

 

[EspaDa]

Are you talking about Skydancer or the Garden of Shadows album with the The Chasm comment?

That list has too much crap on it (Anata, In Flames, Ceremonial Oath, Soilwork, Darkane, Heartwork etc) to make me want to check out the stuff I haven't heard, and as you alluded to, the order is terrible.

You don't like early In Flames?

 

[Phylactery]

I mean crap is probably too harsh, but yeah. Their earliest stuff is okay but not something I ever find myself listening to. Never understood their popularity - they were always worse than At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity and then they became a joke. Everything from Whoracle and onwards that I've heard is horrible.

 

[zerostatic]

 

[EspaDa]

I mean crap is probably too harsh, but yeah. Their earliest stuff is okay but not something I ever find myself listening to. Never understood their popularity - they were always worse than At the Gates and Dark Tranquillity and then they became a joke. Everything from Whoracle and onwards that I've heard is horrible.

I like Clayman more than Whoracle, but I get your point. What about Soilwork? I've never listened to their early stuff, but The Living Infinite (2013) is pretty awesome.