Themed Mixtape Game

I'm ridiculously busy with work, so I'll just rate. Nobody wants to hear what I have to say anyway.
Also yes I'm taking the effectiveness of the collaboration into account when I rate.

Griftegård - The Four Horsemen (featuring guest vocals by Farida Lemouchi) 9/10

Obsidian Tongues - A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time (featuring guest vocals by John Haughm) 5/10

Behemoth - Inner Sanctum (featuring guest vocals by Warrel Dane) kryptonite combination for me. 4/10

Aura Noir - Mirage (featuring guest vocals by Fenriz) 7/10

Queensrÿche - Suite Sister Mary (featuring guest vocals by Pamela Moore) 6/10

Marduk - Accuser/Opposer (featuring guest vocals by A.A. Nemtheanga) 7/10

Ayreon - Comatose (featuring guest vocals by Anneke van Giersbergen and Jørn Lande) 7/10

Agatus - Conqueror of Fear (featuring guest vocals by Jimmy Petkoff) love when he comes in. 7/10

Probot - My Tortured Soul *live (featuring guest vocals by Eric Wagner and guest guitar by Wino) wino's power-stance! 8/10

Paul Chain - Voyage to Hell (featuring guest vocals by Lee Dorrian) sexy. 7/10

White Skull - Tales from the North (featuring guest vocals by Chris Boltendahl) 8/10

Blind Guardian - Valhalla (featuring guest vocals by Kai Hansen) definition of a glorious collaboration. 10/10

Gorguts - Inoculated Life (featuring guest guitar solo by James Murphy) squealing solo amidst really heavy riffs, stands out! 8/10

Scorn - Hit (featuring guest guitar by Justin Broadrick) checked out a different song so I could hear how they sound without Broadrick, couldn't hear a huge difference to be honest, sounds good though. 6/10

Ария - Штиль (featuring guest vocals by Udo Dirkschneider) I love Udo but this is all so unfamiliar that I don't really know how to react, has a cool vibe though. 6/10
 
Griftegard - The Four Horsemen
9/10


Hot. Diggity. Damn. Appropriate and highly effective guest. Epic doom, with dueling high pitched vocals, and I was actually surprised a few times expecting it to take one turn only to take another. As far as its intended theme, I prefer a more masculine and violent interpretation, but this sorrowful tale hit me right. It's a narrative of someone watching the apocalypse approach with hopeless detachment, occasional awe, but ultimately detachment.

Obsidian Tongue - A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time
2/10


Pretty boring, honestly. Believe me when I say that I am one of the last people on this forum who complains about droning music and a slow beginning, but 5 minutes of repetitive fucking ambient I've heard a thousand times is where I cross the line. It then just picks up into repetitive Agalloch I've heard a thousand times. No siree.

Behemoth - Inner Sanctum
7/10


Guest Warrel is GREAT SUCCESS! Evil without being constantly demonic, you actually get the idea of various cultists in some old arcanium, putting on a talent show for eachother. They all had a laugh, drank some baby's blood, and most certainly bumped fucking fists before getting back to floor scrubbing or whatever they do when they're not summoning demons and debating lexicon.

Aura Noir - Mirage
5/10


Never heard the original but this was pretty cool, definitely better than Darkthrone. I have to confess it's nothing special as far as the instrumentation but his vocals had a very notable role that drove this forward more than the other tools anyways.

Queensrÿche - Suite Sister Marry
7.5/10


Cool fucking track! They almost sound the exact same, which at first made me doubt her heavy presence on this, but a live vid confirmed her participation. Eerie and dramatic with a lot of subdued energy. Fuck that virgin cunt.

Marduk - Accuser / Opposer
8/10


I was multitasking when this track came on and started a slow easy headbang without even realizing. Hand to my fuckin heart, this song raped my subconscious rhythm and bent it to its will... and it took me 30 seconds to realize it. Fucking POWER! Soon as I caught on I started following along the lyrics and a fiery portal opened up in my carpet. I fell in, and I faced Himself, and he said unto me, "Rate this no lower nor higher than 8, for it is good and the guest was powerful, but they called upon monks, and those guys made fun of me."

Ayreon - Comatose
6.5/10


I dig this song. You know the bitch was like 14 or something when they recorded it? Straight from an Ayreon fanboy, trust me on this, this entire album is kinda 'the album' of my main friend group. So anyways there's so many far superior Ayreon songs with guesting that you could have gone with and I'm tempted to dock points for your massive oversight, especially considering Ayreon is almost purely guesting. BUT... it's a pleasant little song, very soft and pretty.

Agatus - Conqueror of Fear
3/10


Not familiar with the musician or who's doing what but I really didn't enjoyed this song. FUCK YEAHHHH FALSETTOS! Intertwined with what I imagine this band usually sounds like. Overall a nice song. It was... nice. My fear feels pretty conquered I guess. I mean falsettos, amirite?

Probot - My Tortured Soul
8.5/10


Jesus, overkill much? Wagner, Wino, and some dude from Goatsnake and Sunn O))) ? Out of all the star studding this song definitely catered to Wagner the most, and fuck fucking yeah for that. His highs usually blow live IMO but they really fit the song here and I was taken to lonely streets of contemplation. "And I.... wish it would rain." It's really fucking deep, even if it isn't mindblowingly interesting. That line alone just epitomizes those days for me when I'm walking alone outside and WANT the torture. I WANT the majesty of keen, acute angst. Great track.

Paul Chain - Voyage to Hell
4.5/10


It's so weird hearing a Paul Chain song that isn't in Simlish. There's actual lyrics involved at some point? Fucking weird, dude. I didn't even know he could write in English, I've just always literally thought he was a fantastic little EA character come to life in some cute little Sim fan's secret lab. He should really stick to his usual fucking nonsense because the more I think about it, I didn't like this at all. It was a Voyage to Hell, and not the fun one.

White Skull - Tales from the North
6/10


So I started watching Vikings last night finally and I'm all hopped up on battle music as it is, so maybe I have a bias today, but this was fucking sexy. The lyrics were total bullshit and I hated them, it was basically a display of wikipedia norse mythology, the short version, but this was definitely fun and sexy. If this song was a person, it'd be a hot 16 year old. From the North.

Blind Guardian - Valhalla
7/10


Alright man, fuck that other song, the great blonde hope is blowing that shit out of the fucking water. I'm a total sucker for Blind Guardian and it's ilk, it comes from years and years of too many dragon posters and too many d20's. Guesting on this was superb. Another song that clearly doesn't speak English often and as it moved on I got bored of the guitars but again I'm a sucker for this shit and the lyrics were actually pretty great in their simplicity.

Gorguts - Inoculated Life
4/10


The guest solo was a really nice swap from the chugging, it transformed this track from something I wasn't really caring for to something with aspects I could look forward to. And thus, improved the song as a whole, and I will thus not talk mad shit about it. Also I'm in a rush. Gay, gay, okay, gay.

Scorn - Hit
8/10


This track totally reminded me of the Spyro games. Idk why. I'm a nutjob, kay? Anyways this song was strongly distorting, augmenting of reality and coasting along. Definitely on the more experimental side of things. The vocals were straight of The Exorcist. It's an odd feeling, caught between Spyro and Pazuzu, not sure if you're perturbed or having an innocent time in childhood. I found it immensely intriguing and a little hypnotic.

Ария - Штиль
7.5/10


Oh damn this is beautiful. Completely unfamiliar with the vocals, the musicians, or the country, but this was beautiful sounding. The video made me fear I'm being trolled and it's actually about fucking a snowmobile or something but I don't care. I've attributed my own meaning, and that meaning is two brothers enjoying the last bit of their time together before one of them dies of cancer. NOT ASS CANCER. GOOD CANCER. He smoked too many cigarettes and had too much fun, and now his little brother is seeing him out into the wilderness of impending death.
 
Last edited:
Also, how could you not know who the guest musician in the Scorn song is and what his contributions are when I included it in my post? Just wondering.
 
Griftegard - 7/10
Obsidian Tongue - 4/10
Behemoth - 6/10
Aura Noir - 7/10
Queensryche - 6/10
Marduk - 5/10
Ayreon - 8/10
Agatus - 7.5/10
Probot - 8/10
Paul Chain - 6/10
White Skull - 7/10
Blind Guardian - 6/10
Gorguts - 8/10
Scorn - 3/10
Ария - 3/10
 
Griftegard - The Four Horsemen
Having not heard Griftegard before l had no idea about their din but l like it. Strong vocals do the cover justice 7/10

Obsidian Tongue - A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of TIme
3 minutes in and this is really boring. l hate crappy clean guitars that pluck a few monotonous notes with synth pans etc in the background.
Metal bits are equally as dull. 3/10

Behemoth - Inner Sanctum
l liked Behemoth for a while a decade or so ago as their brand of DM and black/DM was kinda cool, then came triggers on the kit which killed it a bit for me. Not to worry. 6/10

Aura Noir - Mirage
Garage black/thrash? This is pretty cool. Decent couple of riffs and vocals that do not suck. 7/10

Queensrÿche - Suite Sister Mary
l was never totally taken by Queensryche back in 87-88 as that was the age of Metallica, Death and Shrapnel (the Label) but over the years l realised my mistake and worship at this album as others have before me. Brilliantly crafted suspense metal, although l always wanted more shred. 9/10 (just for you @Baroque)

Marduk - Accuser/Opposer
The music doesn't do much for me being a bit dull and repetitive but the vokills are cool. Don't know who's doing what mind. 5/10

Ayreon - Comatose
Own a few Ayreon discs and they(he) are good for a spin once or twice a year. Particularly like The Human Equation. Haven't heard this before and l probably should have. Trademark synth melody l see (1:01) Strong vocals as you'd expect but overall the tune is probably a small part of a larger section in the album and without hearing it all its basically a sweet little bite of the pie. 7/10

Agatus - Conqueror of Fear
The thing is, simple straight forward metal riffs can be either killer, ok or kinda dire (like Anvil) this is ok. Nothing to hate here apart from those fucking toms/pots. l quite like the vocals in that primitive couldn't sing to save my life way. Decent. 6/10

Probot - My Tortured Soul
Always meant to hear this album but never got it...or could be bothered. This is cool...love the tones... that fuzz is beautiful..nice throwback riffs, Grohl is solid as expected. Wagner does the job. Thumbs up 7/10

Paul Chain - Voyage to Hell
No don't ruin those riffs with that shite solo. ah that's better, no it's not, yes it's ok again ahh i'm drowning in the too loud/shitty(and l love shitty guitar solo's look at my avatar ffs)(but this one's not adding to the song) guitar solo over the top. Loved it until then. 7/10 pre lead 4/10 after so - 5.5/10

White Skull - Tales from the North
Not especially digging this but i'm a bastard because l quite like Mattsson and Ring of Fire and Condition Red etc so l should enjoy this but it just doesn't gel with my more melodic leanings. It's OK. Half the thing with a lot of these tunes is l wouldn't know the original vocalist in the first place so its difficult to rate with that in mind. 6/10

Blind Guardian - Valhalla
No. Wrong drums guys. Was this their 2nd album? 3rd? l remember hating this way back then - we had Halloween people! 5/10

Gorguts - Inoculated Life
Yes there's better tunes on the album and yes Gorguts went on to greater things but they never had James fucking Murphy play a killer lead on another tune again did they? Besides they were Canadian which made them a bit different, and the singer had a funny frenchified name etc Murphy was DM no 1 guitar god back then (no Trey you were no 2) Besides, after this playlist don't you just want to hear some honest death metal folks? 8/10

Scorn - Hit
Much prefer Harris with John Zorn in Painkiller but this has its merits as dropping acid and turning it up can induce visions from the darkside.
Rather hear tunes like Lick Forever Dog tho. 6/10

Ария - Штиль
This, l hate to say to the poor poor poor poor poor fucker that suggested it - really sucks 2/10
 
Queensrÿche - Suite Sister Mary
l was never totally taken by Queensryche back in 87-88 as that was the age of Metallica, Death and Shrapnel (the Label) but over the years l realised my mistake and worship at this album as others have before me. Brilliantly crafted suspense metal, although l always wanted more shred. 9/10 (just for you @Baroque)

Did you really rate a song higher because you like the person that you think submitted it? That's ridiculous. :tickled:
 
No.Crawl back in your hole please
Baroque criticised me for being far too brutal in my last ratings, and l love this Queensryche song - would have given it 9 anyway -
but the point of @ing his name...oh well...you get my drift now?
 
I'm the host of this round since I won the last round, so I can comment in this topic if I want to.

I wouldn't really care even if that is what you were doing, because it would be quite the gamble. If I had a problem with you, I would have specifically told you. That's what I do.
 
Griftegard - The Four Horsemen
an incredible, unbelievably passionate cover of a great original. so much gravity here, it's sort of harsh on the playlist putting it first. i'm not particularly familiar with the devil's blood, but i really enjoy her vocals on this, so i guess the guest performance is a winner. 10/10

Obsidian Tongue - A Nest of Ravens in the Throat of Time
this'll get shat on because it's shoegazey atmo-BM, but it's better than most agalloch i've heard. the first half is lovely, cocoon-like. it's warm and spacious up in here, and the timbre of the vocals helps with that too. once it gets heavier and moves away from its best melodic hook it starts to feel like it's reaching for a catharsis it's incapable of achieving, and becomes kinda over-familiar and overly pretty in general, but i'm still pleasantly surprised overall. 6/10

Behemoth - Inner Sanctum
when you stumble across a trainwreck you're supposed to call emergency services, not belt out twenty seconds of histrionics before vanishing into the ether for(n)evermore. an irresponsible guest appearance to say the least. 3/10

Aura Noir - Mirage
faster than the EP version, not quite as good. the mix isn't as enveloping or raw, the drums are too dominant, and fenriz is a little suppressed unfortunately. none of this is fenriz's fault, and he doesn't give a fuck, he knows he's no apollyon but he just does his own thing and owns a song that ain't his to own. you can count on a committed, crazy performance when that man's handed the mic. cool choice. 7/10

Queensryche - Suite Sister Marry
i need to revisit this album. the meat of this song is powerful enough that the overwrought arrangement feels justified. feels designed to be a great vocal showcase and boy oh boy do they deliver. moore sounds like she deserves to share the stage with geoff tate, nothing more needs to be said regarding her guest performance. 8/10

Marduk - Accuser/Opposer
props to these guys for doing a song that complements both of these vocal styles; i really didn't think the blend would work but if anything it elevates both bands. the melody at 2.15/4:00/5:30 is the obvious highlight, with that siren note held over the swaying riff, but i like how it builds in general and maintains its momentum. 7/10

Ayreon - Comatose
trite, sappy nonsense with terrible lyrics and an annoyingly produced beat, plus i hate jorn lande. anneke's aight i suppose. 2/10

Agatus - Conqueror of Fear
a classic kiwi david pick. guest appearance is the best thing about it. ugh sorry not feeling very wordy atm. 7/10

Probot - My Tortured Soul
really cool to see this combination of guys on one stage, and the song seems specifically designed for them to strut their stuff. i don't tend to like songs with this amount of groove 'n swing but this one works for me, and its appeal is defined largely by the guests so that gets it an extra point or half point or w/e. 7/10

Paul Chain - Voyage to Hell
i appreciate that they're an acquired taste but i adore lee dorrian's vox on virtually everything, he's basically just tom g. warrioring it up here and that's never not a good thing. he fucking owns this song. add deliberate doom riffs with bite, weird 'n woozy leads and a legendarily great production job, and you got yourself a good rating. 8/10

White Skull - Tales from the North
what hbb said except without the dad part, my dad would be like umm wtf put some blut aus nord on you gay. this is probably in the top 10% of euro power i've heard, but it's one of the least effective guest performances on the list. 6/10

Blind Guardian - Valhalla
hansen delivers probably the better performance of the pair in probably the best part of the song (aside from maybe the 'magic is in me' part). much better than the last blind guardian pick we had. 7/10

Gorguts - Inoculated Life
proof that these playlists need more goddamn death metal. the solo ain't bad, but the riff that introduces it may be my favourite on the list. 8/10

Scorn - Hit
i can't really rate the guest performance either but i get nothing out of this. i'm not even that big on godflesh though, i might get into it at some point but that genre's never exactly been my scene. 4/10

Ария - Штиль
i love this video so much; it's so shit, so monumentally russian. udo looks like he may need some help getting out of that snowmobile. his chorus is fabulous. 8/10

not my most eloquent reviews but i slept like shit last night fu