Griftegård - The Four Horsemen (featuring guest vocals by Farida Lemouchi) – 7/10
Unfamiliar with them, but I liked this. Kind of felt like a song I’d need more context for to appreciate, but as it went on I could get into it. Both vocalists sound strong.
Obsidian Tongues - A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time (featuring guest vocals by John Haughm) – 5/10
Decent, I preferred the first half. No comment on the guest appearance here, I don’t listen to enough Agalloch to know or care.
Behemoth - Inner Sanctum (featuring guest vocals by Warrel Dane) – 4/10
I haven’t listened to much/any? Behemoth, but if they don’t already sound like Nevermore with harsh vocals then Warrel Dane did a great job transforming them. This hit on many of the things I dislike about post-Dead Heart Nevermore, although it wasn’t really a bad song, just managed to sound generic.
Aura Noir - Mirage (featuring guest vocals by Fenriz) – 5/10
Solid little speed metal thing. Is he doing all the vocals here? Sounds ok.
Queensrÿche - Suite Sister Mary (featuring guest vocals by Pamela Moore) – 10/10
This is Queensryche at the peak of their over-the-top theatricality and drama. Unlike the average conceptual prog metal album of the 90s and beyond, this is still full of quality Priest-y riffs and harmonies, it’s about as rock opera as things can get while still getting everything right. I don’t think I’ve even heard anything else from Pamela Moore so that she’s guesting vs anyone else isn’t really a selling point, although two very upper-register singers trying to out-drama each other is certainly a plus as well.
Marduk - Accuser/Opposer (featuring guest vocals by A.A. Nemtheanga) – 6/10
Lol, I’ve listened to a little bit of earlier Marduk but don’t remember the main guy being such a babbling cartoon character. Next to him, the Primordial guy sounds like Robert Lowe or something. Still found the whole thing entertaining.
Ayreon - Comatose (featuring guest vocals by Anneke van Giersbergen and Jørn Lande) – 5/10
Was over before I even realized it. Hard to comment, sounds kind of like an interlude or something, but both voices were ok.
Agatus - Conqueror of Fear (featuring guest vocals by Jimmy Petkoff) – 3/10
I’m guessing the Petkoff guy is the (kind of wimpy) clean vocalist? Oh wait, got to the bridge with the stronger singing, must be that guy. He serves to demonstrate how black metal is not a real genre if this is black metal, so thanks for another great example to use in future autistic internet arguments. Generic trad/power, feels incredibly overlong after just two minutes.
Probot - My Tortured Soul Live (featuring guest vocals by Eric Wagner and guest guitar by Wino) – 6/10
Forgot all about Probot. A little hard to judge this as a guest appearance when Grohl wrote these songs basically intended for the guests, it of course comes off just as a tribute to Wagner and Wino or maybe even a leftover circa 92-95 era Trouble. It’s a solid song.
Paul Chain - Voyage to Hell (featuring guest vocals by Lee Dorrian) – 2/10
Lee Dorrian sounds like a retard attempting a Speedy Gonzales accent on this album. HEEEY-EYYYYL HOMBRE!!! I always thought his voice ruined his half of Alkahest, although on recent listens I’ve realized that the songs Paul Chain sings on are much worse musically. Even still, this particular song is probably the worst of the Dorrian side. Those riffs are beyond shitty.
White Skull - Tales from the North (featuring guest vocals by Chris Boltendahl) – 5/10
I feel like I’ve probably heard of this band before but always confused them for some other band with ‘Skull’ somewhere in their name, because if I had heard this I definitely would have sent this to my dad as it would be right up his alley, especially now since he loves Boltendahl as well. I don’t, and he especially doesn’t work as a guest here. The rest of the song still sounds pretty decent to me, nothing amazing but it’s better than most Europower I run into.
Blind Guardian - Valhalla (featuring guest vocals by Kai Hansen) – 8/10
Kai unquestionably delivers the best verses here, that scream leading into the pre-chorus melody is one of the few moments on the entire album that actually carries some tension rather just being a lot of generic speed/thrash chugging.
Gorguts - Inoculated Life (featuring guest guitar solo by James Murphy) – 4/10
Some of Murphy’s leads are great, but some of them sound very same-y and try-hard emotive. This one is in the latter category, and especially doesn’t fit since the rest of the song is kinda standard death/thrash riffing (and not one of the better songs on the album anyways).
Scorn - Hit (featuring guest guitar by Justin Broadrick) – 4/10
I don’t listen to enough Godflesh to know what guitar parts were contributed by Broadrick. When the song started I was like “Ooh some groove, nice change” but I started to lose interest after a while and the feedback-y stuff in the last couple minutes was pretty boring. I’m assuming that’s what Broadrick added? 4/10 if so, if not then maybe a 5 or 6.
Ария - Штиль (featuring guest vocals by Udo Dirkschneider) – 7/10
I have a bias against Aria because their earlier stuff is so plagiaristic of Iron Maiden, but this was a damn solid song and the two singers made a great duo here.