Albums currently kicking your ass

[Mort Divine]

It still surprises me how well this album holds up for me.

 

[I-TEND-TO-DIE]

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

Gothic Americana goodness.

 

[CiG]

Forgot to mention this as a AOTY contender. Whipstriker slightly changed things up this time, slightly more melodic and thrashy rather than the Venom/Motörhead/punk formula. Whipstriker (the man) relinquished the guitar duties to Hugo from Diabolic Force and a good deal of classic speed metal and thrash metal seeped in, with some really great solos!

This is Whipstriker's finest work to date if you ask me. The album sounds less like one angry dude in a studio laying down tunes and more like a proper full band.

 

[Talos of Atmora]

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Forgot to mention this as a AOTY contender. Whipstriker slightly changed things up this time, slightly more melodic and thrashy rather than the Venom/Motörhead/punk formula. Whipstriker (the man) relinquished the guitar duties to Hugo from Diabolic Force and a good deal of classic speed metal and thrash metal seeped in, with some really great solos!

This is Whipstriker's finest work to date if you ask me. The album sounds less like one angry dude in a studio laying down tunes and more like a proper full band.

Might check this out. The skulls remind me of Condor's last album.

 

[CiG]

Nowhere near as aggressive as Condor, it rocks hard like a Venom record instead.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Never got around to listening to this, the discography ranking thread was a good reminder.

 

[Burkhard]

I'm very picky and won't listen to just anything. I've heard everything done out there and enough to know what my preferred taste in metal is. So the album that has kicked my ass in the recent year is Vuur - In this moment we are free -- Cities.
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This album is not going to disappoint anyone who loves heavy, original progressive metal, with outstanding vocals. This album kicks some serious ass! Best I've heard in quite some time.

While I like this definitely better than Anneke's solo stuff, I didn't like it as much as I had hoped I would. There are some songs I really do enjoy, but on some other songs I've got the feeling that the vocal lines simply don't seem to fit with the music very well.

Fear of God Within the Veil
Very Courtney Love indeed!

I'm pleased to see you seem to like this album. I think a certain similarity of the vocals is only to be heard when you compare this album to Hole's "Pretty on the Inside".

I wish I could have experienced this (quality could be better, but this was 27 years ago and you can still feel the intensity):



Or one of the shows with Détente a few years ealier:

 

[Phylactery]

Hecavitz - Metztli Obscura

 

[CiG]

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

Impetigo. Dirty osdm.

 

[dwellerINTHEdark]

Desire. If you like the idea of romantic death doom without being pussy-whipped, this is a great choice.

Elend. Unique af, couldn't give an example of an obviously similar band. Orchestral hurricane with angst ridden shouting.

 

[CiG]

Impetigo. Dirty osdm.

Deathgrind masterpiece!

 

[CiG]

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

 

[FEZZILLA]

While I like this definitely better than Anneke's solo stuff, I didn't like it as much as I had hoped I would. There are some songs I really do enjoy, but on some other songs I've got the feeling that the vocal lines simply don't seem to fit with the music very well.

I think her vocals fit perfectly. Its just not common in America to hear such excellence as nothing in our country sounds that good. So Americans are stuck thinking that only harsh vocals go with heavy music and yet Anneke's entire career have been softly sung to heavy music. Now she's in a heavier band and her vocals are still fitting it well. You just got to listen to is more and let it marinate a little. I'm at the point where all I want to listen to is that high quality of singing to heavy music, whether male or female vox. I don't even like harsh vocals anymore. Well, there are some exceptions for older metal but not for new music.

 

[Burkhard]

I think her vocals fit perfectly. Its just not common in America to hear such excellence as nothing in our country sounds that good. So Americans are stuck thinking that only harsh vocals go with heavy music and yet Anneke's entire career have been softly sung to heavy music. Now she's in a heavier band and her vocals are still fitting it well. You just got to listen to is more and let it marinate a little.

I think that after 56 spins (which this album has got from me until now), I should have a solid basis to say what I like about the album and what not. To clear up a possible misunderstanding, it's not that I don't like the fact she's using clean vocals. It's just that I don't like some of the vocal lines. On a side note: Does the beginning of "Valley of Diamonds" also remind you of Metallica's "The Call of Ktulu"?

I'm at the point where all I want to listen to is that high quality of singing to heavy music, whether male or female vox. I don't even like harsh vocals anymore. Well, there are some exceptions for older metal but not for new music.

Are you familiar with Atrox (Monika Edvardsen-era), Madder Mortem and/or Midnattsol? What do you think of them?

On topic:

 

[CiG]

 

[Oblivious Maximus]

Can't see why this is so divisive.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

It's still probably my least favorite Vitus record, but it's still great.