markgugs's mini-review thread...

MadeInNewJersey

MadeInNewJersey

nursing my wounds
Apr 15, 2002
17,334
3
38
The Ridge
www.discogs.com
I decided I'm going to cut & paste my mini-reviews from the "metal playlist" thread...either so they're easier for people to find, read & comment on, or just to satisfy my own desire to read my own writing. :D :lol: x 1.8

Without going into too much detail...
Celtic Frost - Morbid Tales - 9/10 (this is their best IMO)
Exodus - Bonded By Blood - 9/10 (absolutely furious thrashing at its best)
Possessed - Seven Churches - 9.5/10 (my fave of the bunch, this album fucking PWNS)
Bathory - Under the Sign of the Black Mark - 8/10 (not at all what I was expecting! I hated their s/t debut, but this was really good, pre-viking metal)
Dark Angel - Darkness Descends - 8/10 (thrash monster, 'nuff said)
Flotsam & Jetsam - Doomsday For the Deceiver - 8.5/10 (such an underrated album, several wicked necksnappers here)
 
Nuclear Assault - Game Over / The Plague: 8/10 - they'll never be my favorite, but I really dig the early thrash/moshfests that were early NA
Death Angel - The Ultra-Violence: 9.5/10 - I've already been raving about this album this week; instantly made my top 10 thrash records.
Overkill - Taking Over: 9.5/10 - another absolute classic, probably my favorite Overkill album, so fucking shredding
Voivod - Killing Technology: 8.5/10 - shocked to death by this; pretty much my first listen ever to early Voivod, I had no idea they could be so thrashtastic
Entombed - Left Hand Path: 9.5/10 - woah, I'm rendered dopey by all the skullcrushing death metal on this album. Why did I wait so long to hear this again? :dopey:
 
Megadeth - Rust In Peace - 10/10 buy or die, 'nuff said
Asphyx - The Rack - 9/10 after just 2 listens, what a great death metal album this was!
Grave - Into the Grave / Tremendous Pain - 9/10, every bit as good as the first Entombed album, Erik, you really should listen to this. The riffing is impeccable. \m/
 
Asphyx - Crush the Cenotaph - pretty good, nowhere near as great as "The Rack", but a coupla' bonus points for the cool live tracks 7.5/10
Marduk - Dark Endless - what can I say? I love almost everything I've heard from Marduk, and hearing their beginnings is no different...don't know what the tr00 army thinks of this, but it fucking SMOKED. Several absolute gems 8/10
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter - I've changed my mind again. This album isn't very good, it's fucking great! My new favorite Immortal album. 10/10
Rage - Trapped! - Jason, was it you who told me to check this out because I'd like it? If so, you were right! All anthems, all the time. Add wicked guitar and downright catchiness. Loved it! 9/10
 
Eucharist - A Velvet Creation - fucking A if this isn't a top 3 all-time melodeath album. I can see myself coming back to this over & over again. It's just fucking awesome - 10/10

Malevolent Creation - Stillborn - why do so many people slag this one? It's chock full of killer riffs and is a perfect blend of melody & brutality IMO, great album minus shoddy production - 8/10

Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas - wow, for a first time through, I was blown away. I see why it's so important, musically, it's an 11/10, too bad Attila's vocals absolutely SUCK. "Funeral Fog" might be my new favorite black metal song ever. Overall, 9/10

Sacred Reich - Independent - just bad, the less said, the better. People like this? - 4/10

The Tea Party - Splendor Solis - not for me. They're clearly talented, but if I want to hear a Cult/Led Zeppelin (off of III)/Doors hybrid, I'd listen to those bands and skip the trouble. 6/10

Edge of Sanity - Purgatory Afterglow - woah, another gem I wasn't prepared for. Sick, sick, SICK riffing and classic Swedish death metal melodicism. The clean vocals rule, the death growls rule, Swano's a genius, 'nuff said - 9.5/10

Gehenna - First Spell - I LOVED THIS! Is all Gehenna like this? This was like Depeche Mode black metal, almost happy? It's instantly stuck in your head, yet eerie enough to still worship Satan too. I must get more of this band! - 9.5/10

Storm - Nordavind - meh, this was novel I suppose, but just way too folk-gone-metal for me. The buzzsaw-like guitars got on my nerves after a bit, and the Otyg-like singing is just too much for a whole album - 6.5/10
 
Virgin Steele - The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, Part One - You should basically know what you're getting with Virgin Steele; more intelligent ManOwaR, basically! DeFeis's vocals are typically excellent, and there are enough well-written majestic anthems to make this worthwhile to fans of the style - 7.5/10

Allegiance - Hymn Till Hangagud - don't know how many people know these guys, but Swano thought highly enough of them to produce them. Very "blackened" viking metal, perhaps closest to early Enslaved. Pretty brutal yet still melodic stuff - 9/10

Graveland - Thousand Swords - This is the earliest Graveland I've heard, and the production is as-to-be-expected poopy. The music is very Bathory-influenced epic though, and Darken does a good job of setting the right tone for the record. I definitely have to give it more spins, but real good off the bat. - 8.5/10

In The Woods - Heart of the Ages - Wow, something bigger than me is going on during this record. VERY involved, and very complex stuff, yet still grounded with blistering guitar riffs and evil, black metal vocals often. Very cool "avantgarde" stuff, considering I typically don't get into this kind of music often - 7.5/10

Nevermore - s/t - Nevermore's debut, and it's easy to see the path this band would head down. As heavy as Sanctuary at times, and Warrell never sounded better. Some excellent tracks, but some boring moments too. Probably only necessary for completists - 7/10

November's Doom - Amid It's Hallowed Mirth - I sometimes like a few songs, and I respect that these guys do the death/doom thing well, yet they just don't seem to connect with me. I can't see myself going back to this often. 6.5/10
 
On Thorns I Lay - Sounds of Beautiful Experience - I was pretty excited to hear this, when I read who the band's influences were (The Cure, Depeche Mode, etc.), but really, it was just poorly produced fairly bland gothic doom death w/ some black vocals. Did nothing for me - 5/10

Psyco Drama - The Illusion - honestly, I have no idea who these guys are, how I got this album, or if they've ever recorded anything else, but hot damn, the CD rocked! Reminded me at times of Queensryche (early), Virgin Steele, and good ol' mid-80s heavy metal. I really enjoyed quite a bit of this. 7.5/10

Satanic Slaughter - s/t - Woah, fuck me! According to the liner notes, this was their debut album, a full 10 years after they formed. I guess they're often considered a thrash band, but really, it's a lot closer to black metal in sound. Some mid-tempo stuff, some blasting, but fucking riffs galore & lots of headbanging! Loved it! - 8.5/10

Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter - without question the best CD of this recent bunch. My goodness this CD fucking OWNS. Just get it. It's along the same vein as Dissection and other melody-infused black/death metal, but these guys incorporate some folkish/viking themes throughout. There isn't a bad track among the 9, this is a brilliant record, too bad it's their only one. - 10/10 BUY OR DIE :cool:

White Skull - I Won't Burn Alone - the less said about this the better. Why do I bother with these bands? This is like bad Heart outtakes. A couple of decent AOR-style tracks, but this isn't even good Italian power metal - 5.5/10

Falkenbach - En Their Medh Riki Fara - at long last, I get to sink my fangs into Falkenbach's recorded debut...ahhh...well worth the wait! Much more raw and "black" than their future releases, and nowhere near as "happy." You can hear the direction they'd head and polish as they matured, but this is far more guitar-driven. Very anthem-oriented, with very harsh black metal vocals. Loved it, of course. - 9/10
 
Behemoth - And the Forests Dream Eternally - Hearing this makes me sad Nergal pushed them the brutal death metal route; they were a MUCH better black metal band! This EP/demo is everything good pagan mid-paced black metal should be: tons of meaty riffs to sink your teeth into, loads of great headbanging moments, the perfect blend of extremely screamed vocals and blasting drumming, all wrapped up in a clean yet raw-sounding production. Standout tracks: 'Transylvanian Forest,' 'Moonspell Rites,' 'Sventevith Storming Near the Baltic (both versions),' 'Hidden in the Fog' - 9.5/10

 Behemoth - SVENTEVITH (Storming Near the Baltic) - Continuing in the same vein as their debut, this is more superb Eastern European black metal with melody (see? I didn't say melodic black metal). Nergal's gang used to just fucken rule! It's not quite as good as the better-focused 1st record, and it's slightly less valuable IMO b/c it shares/borrows a couple of the strongest tracks from it: 'Hidden in the Fog,' 'Transylvanian Forest'; also: 'Wolves Guard My Coffin' - 9/10

 Kvist - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike - Erik, you were dead on: I fucken loved this. :lol: Good, lengthy, well-developed black metal tracks, with ample use of keyboards, but done tastefully and IMO, perfectly. Awesome melodies throughout the record, mostly thanks to the aforementioned keys + some seriously sick guitarwork. I don't know if the tr00-pers like this stuff, but it fucking ruled. Standout tracks: um, all of them? 'Ars Manifestia,' 'Forbannet Vaere Jorden Jeg Gar Pi,' 'Svartedal,' 'Min Lekam er Meg Blott en Byrde,' 'Vettenetter' - 9.5/10

 Marduk - Heaven Shall Burn...When We Are Gathered - I fucking love Marduk, let me just get that out of the way. If there's a better Marduk album than this, point me in that direction (have to hear more Opus Nocturne still). Pretty much what Marduk is known for: furious blasting, layer upon layer of rapidfire guitar riffs and a shitload of aggression. Even some kick-ass mid-paced doomy stuff, as I guess they began to explore different ways of unleashing their Satanic message. :headbang: Standout tracks: 'Beyond the Grace of God,' Infernal Eternal,' Glorification of the Black God,' 'Darkness It Shall Be,' 'Dracul Va Domna Din Nou In Transylvania,' 'Legion' - 9.25/10

 Morningrise - Heretic Metal - Nice homage to the black thrash metal masters (Venom, early Bathory, Celtic Frost), this album is all about riffs. And then some more riffs. Too short (only 34 minutes for 11 songs), but it's pretty headbangalicious. Standout tracks: 'War & Victory,' 'A Great Revolt,' 'During A Fullmoon' - 8/10

 Nevermore - The Politics of Ecstasy - My god, without a doubt Nevermore's finest moment (haven't fully digested the new one). It's American power thrash the way it's meant to be played: aggressively and without any harness whatsoever. All at once Queensryche meeting Black Sabbath with a good hint of that Sanctuary-styled thrash. Brilliant record, and meaty too, clocking in at over 1 hour. Standout tracks: 'Seven Tongues of God,' 'This Sacrament,' 'Politics of Ecstasy,' 'Lost,' 'Tiananmen Man,' '42147,' but really, all of them - 9.5/10
 
The newest 5:

Nokturnal Mortum - Lunar Poetry - I was not prepared for the sheer wickedness of this album, that's for sure. Yes, they're heavy on the keys. Yes, they're strictly NSBM. Yes, the production is hissy-thin (at least for the re-recorded stuff from the demo). But fucking A, the guitars, riffing, and just flat-out aggression on this record all eat your face. A brief hiccup on the 2nd half of the album drags the overall score down, but the 1st half & last (bonus) track are as perfect as this style of music can be. Standout tracks: "Lunar Poetry," "Ancient Nation," "Return of the Vampire Lord" - 8.75/10

Pazazu - Awaken the Dragon - Sorry, I just fail to see the allure of this. I suppose if I had a LOTR-type movie on in the background with this music timed perfectly to key scenes, it might make sense. Hell, I'd even accept this as a soundtrack to a Final Fantasy-style RPG video game! But as music? To actually listen to, and uh, enjoy? Uh, no. I know this guy is related to Summoning somehow (same guy?), so this album gets its dick sucked undeservingly, but come on, this is crud. Standout tracks: none - 5.5/10

Rotting Christ - Triarchy of the Lost Lovers - Not really sure what I was expecting here, but it wasn't this. I think I had it in my mind that this was going to be raw black metal, but really, it's just a more raw form of their gothic-tinged thrashy death metal that would take form on later releases like 'Genesis.' Don't get me wrong though, it's pretty damned good. Lots of excellent mid-tempo riffing, wretched vocals and a complete absence of anything resembling a keyboard make this a solid METAL release. Standout tracks: "King of a Stellar Way," "A Dynasty From the Ice," "Shadows Follows," "The First Field of Battle" - 8/10

Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun - Now I understand the appeal of this album, and moreover, this band. Add 1 part excruciatingly haunting guitar melody, 1 part morbid keyboards, 1 part furious blasting, a 2nd part of layered riffery, and wrap it all together with the sense to drop into mid-tempo headbanging nastiness, and you'll have an idea of how fucking great this is. If you love your black metal with layer upon layer of fucking riffs and more importantly, melody, just buy this now. Standout tracks: "Fog's Kiss," "Far Away From the Sun," "Blood Shall Be Spilled," "When Night Surrounds Me," "The Vision and the Voice," but really, there aren't any weak tracks. - 9.75/10

Sathanas - Black Earth - I guess I'd file this under the heading of blackened thrash, a la Usurper, but really, that'd be doing a disservice to Usurper. There is clearly some early Venom/Celtic Frost/Hellhammer worship going on, which is fine, but damn if all 13 songs don't sound the same. Boring, to be kind. And the production is so bottom-heavy, I ask, where are the fucking guitars mates? A good example of don't judge a book by its cover (because the artwork is kewl as shit). Standout tracks: none - 6.25/10
 
holy fuck ... did you listen to all these in the last few days?

you defientelly have tastes closest to mine
 
Overkill - Taking Over: 9.5/10 - a classic... agreed.
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter: 10/10 - I actually spun this up at 2AM last night. Think I'm gonna buy it.
Eucharist - A Velvet Creation: 10/10 - intruiging. (cough, cough) I wouldn't mind hearing this
Entombed - Left Hand Path: 9.5/10 - not sure if Dark One told me to start here or not to start here, with Entombed.
Rage - Trapped!: 9/10 - another CD I wouldn't mind hearing.
The Tea Party - Splendor Solis: 6/10 - I have "Intrerzone Mantras". Like it. It's a good Rock disc.
Falkenbach - En Their Medh Riki Fara: 9/10 - I just don't get these guys. It's not that they're too heavy or that their production is shit, their songs just bore me to tears.
Behemoth - And the Forests Dream Eternally 9.5/10 - I just realized I have this on my PC. Gonna give it a spin.
Kvist - For Kunsten Maa Vi Evig Vike 9.5/10 - Hey Erik, would I hate this?
Nevermore - The Politics of Ecstasy: 9/10 - their best? I actually like each of their last 4 CDs better.

Zod
 
lurch70 said:
holy fuck ... did you listen to all these in the last few days?

you defientelly have tastes closest to mine
Click to expand...

Nah, this is about the past 4 weeks' worth of stuff I've been going through. With the exception of the last 5 I just wrote, everything else was just cut & paste from the "metal playlist" thread.

I wasn't sure if anyone actually cared about the mini-reviews I was writing, but since I WAS taking the time to actually put my thoughts down, I wanted to create a thread just for those. And because I'm a total narcissist. :lol:

If you have good taste, then yeah, it's similar to mine. :headbang:
 
markgugs said:
Immortal - At the Heart of Winter - I've changed my mind again. This album isn't very good, it's fucking great! My new favorite Immortal album. 10/10
Click to expand...

This will always receive one of my highest recommendations. Great choice.

markgugs said:
Rage - Trapped! - Jason, was it you who told me to check this out because I'd like it? If so, you were right! All anthems, all the time. Add wicked guitar and downright catchiness. Loved it! 9/10
Click to expand...

Yep, that indeed was me. Definitely one of my favorite Ragers. They have very distinct sounds through about 5 different eras, if you're ever interested I could also recommend "Perfect Man", "Black In Mind" and "XIII" as great samples of some of their other eras. :)
 
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