Themed Mixtape Game

[Phylactery]

You all need to go an rate the extreme version of this game for this round if you haven't. It's actually really good this time.

 

[Vegard Pompey]

I looked at it, solid playlist but two mixtape games is enough for me.

 

[Funerary_Doom]

Going out for drinks but I'll probably rate this on the train on my way back home. I've listened to most of it already and actually keep the playlist up on YouTube to relisten to songs. One of the best playlist so far

 

[Omni]

I rated the extreme mixtape first because I feel like I'm more likely to procrastinate on that one. I will probably get this one done tomorrow.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

Dark Age.

This too. Their eponymous has a bit of that proto-Viking metal gait to it as well, while on that subject.

 

[Phylactery]

Vegard: I was actually going to submit "Tales of Medusa" for your theme before I settled on "Powerslave".

 

[HamburgerBoy]

First of all, I'm not trying to attack you or anything, I'm genuinely interested in your reasoning behind some of your opinions.

While I think all the early Norwegian bands had their own somewhat unique sound to some extent, I don't think that DMDS is significantly different enough from a lot of black metal to think it's great and the others are shitty. A song like "Pagan Fears" builds atmosphere through subtle manipulations of its main riff and repetition, a hallmark of lots of black metal.

Most of the black metal I've heard doesn't put in nearly the same effort to build a song, and even when more repetitious I can appreciate it in small doses. Pagan Fears also has a pretty busy, almost technical intro, and is just barely over six minutes long total.

"The riffs are completely different"
Some of them perhaps, but it's full of those tremolo melodies featured in a huge amount of black metal, many of which are directly influenced by this record (or more likely, earlier versions of songs that ended up on here). I find these riffs to mainly be vehicles for creating the dark and creepy atmosphere, again like a lot of what the genre aims for.

Mayhem definitely invented the fundamental second-wave riffing style, but I'd still say there's a lot more diversity here, and I give the more repetitive songs a pass partially just on the basis of how ground-breaking this stuff was in ~1990. Even so, the riffs seem more nuanced than most of what came after in the style. They almost never repeat a riff more than four times before changing at least something in the song. Compared to something like Gorgoth's Katharinas Bortgang where I'm listening to nearly the same thing the entire song aside from the chorus, it's night and day. Mayhem actually created textured and subtle music. Later second-wave black metal subverted that by creating boring verse/chorus music with very repetitive riffs, and calling it "minimalist" for suckers. Bands like Hate Forest would bring the style to a point of no return.

"it doesn't force-feed the listener "atmosphere" through 10+ minute songs"

Ok, so what? Plenty of black metal doesn't do this. You didn't initially mention Emperor, the songs on the Emperor EP, and ItNE have similar lengths to DMDS tracks. The first 3 Gorgoroth records are full of short, to the point tracks, but you think they're terrible.

I actually enjoy some of the Gorgoroth I've heard, mostly just the first album I think. Half of that is probably Hat's vocals but whatevs. The really short songs are often pretty bad; to the point, but their sense of melody development isn't remotely on par. The most repetitive song on DMDS blows away something like Drømmer Om Død with that garbage hoedown 8th note main riff, and then when they try a bit more melody in the inter-verse parts it just treads the same In the Nightside Eclipse ideas that were basically already established on Funeral Fog. Gorgoroth is kind of the quintessential second-tier band of the Norwegian scene to me, much like Heathen to Bay Area thrash or Massacre to Floridian death or something.

"the drumming is more dynamic"

Compared to what? Transilvanian Hunger? I don't think this is valid, DMDS is still extremely heavy on the blasting. Hell, my 2 favourite tracks (the last 2) are pretty much just straight up blasting for the duration.

What do you think of the early Greek bands like Rotting Christ, Necromantia and Varathron. I'd consider them to be quite riffy black metal.

Give me some examples similar drumming in black metal. I don't know any others where the double-bass plays as big of a role, for example; sure there's a lot of blasting, but any time it slows down a bit it's surprisingly involved. Even when it is blasting, Buried by Time and Dust is so damn intense in a way that most others can't match.

I consider Varathron to be pretty good, but I think of them more or less as a trad metal band with a black metal aesthetic. I haven't heard a Rotting Christ song I thought was even ok, but they're kind of a similar case from what I have heard, really bad trad/power melodies with amateur performance.

 

[Funerary_Doom]

Pagan Altar - 10/10
This is one of my favorite songs by them and pretty much ever. So dark. The beginning is just amazingness. World's silliest voice ever (he sounds like a creepy old witch lady) but I've always loved it.

Carnivore 6/10
Lol at the lyrics. This is pretty average to me though.

Sortiledge 10/10
I loved the vocals. This was a really fun song. Thanks for the introduction to them!

Gorgoroth 9/10
The beginning is a little long but when it goes into that riff it's amazing after that. Classic Gorgoroth.


Saint Vitus 9/10
The main riff is groovy but it's simple. It made me realize how many bands were influenced by Vitus because I hear that riff often now. This is classic Vitus though and though the main riff is simple it's brilliant.

White Wizzard 4/10
I didn't think this was that good. Pretty boring. Nothing that really sold/ or pushed it.

Aspid 10/10
This rules. I need to check this band out more as I've heard songs here and there and always really liked them a lot.

Iron Maiden 9.5/10
I like this song a lot. It goes all the way back to the beginning but I liked the beginning a lot anyways, so I didn't mind it.

Skyclad 6/10
This got really repetitive. Like it was good until they decided to play that entire first part all over again in the second half and not really change.

Pentagram 8/10
I love this song. It's not their best song for me, but I still like it.

Fog of War 8/10
What brings them down are the vocals (a little too hardcore-y or punky for me) and I don't feel like the song is structured in a good cohesive way at all. However, they could play the shit out of their instruments. Those riffs and solos are amazing.

Manowar 8/10
This reminds me of an intro song to a family-style sitcom. I really need more Manowar, I've liked a lot of what I've heard.

Nyktalgia 6/10
I thought this would be a lot worse based on the reviews. I did like the part that went up to about 3 minutes and I thought it would be finished and then checked and realize I wasn't even anywhere near halfway through. It is a little long and it's not the best thing here but it's OK.

Angel Witch 8/10
This song is a bit overrated for Angel Witch. This always sounded like a metal version of Saved by the Bell to me. I like this and it gets stuck into your head really quickly. Also, Angel Witch is one of my favorite bands ever. I love his vocals, but this song never been its best for me. I think its the part before the solo like that clapping part then that awesome solo.


Dream Death 10/10
"Somebody get me out of this nightmare!" These lyrics always get stuck in my head.

Dark Quarterer 10/10
I like the vocals a lot. The mixing is a little weird, the vocals are much higher than everything else. However, this song rules.

I sorta listened to this out of order but I'm sure I got all of them written here.

 

[Omni]

Pagan Altar 10/10

I love this song. It sounds like it was recorded in a chamber used for secret occult rituals. The brief intro is fitting. Love live Terry Jones and Pagan Altar!

Carnivore 5/10

I haven't been too impressed with this band and I'm not sure why they keep getting submitted. They've been in more rounds than almost every other band despite being pretty average.

Sortilege 9/10

I love these guys. I almost submitted them in an earlier round. Excellent musicianship and vocals. I always feel like they aren't talked about as much as they should be.

Gorgoroth 8/10

It's a shame that Gorgoroth is often looked down upon. Their early music is absolutely classic black metal. I love the guitar work from Infernus on this one and the production rules.

Saint Vitus 10/10

If you're guilty of helping Wino Vitus get free wins early on, you'd better not be downrating the clearly superior Reagers Vitus! Anyway, this is one of Saint Vitus' best songs.

White Wizzard 4/10

I didn't really like this.

Aspid 6/10

I guess that I'm not really into this sort of thing, but it wasn't terrible.

Iron Maiden 8/10

A classic! Di'Anno Maiden rules although this is one of the weaker songs on the debut album in my opinion. The early EP version of it has more attitude.

Skyclad 7/10

I've honestly never really explores Skyclad. This was a pretty cool song with good melodies. I should listen to more of their music.

Pentagram 8/10

Bobby Liebling is my hero. I was hoping that this song would get in. I love this song and it gets stuck in my head forever every single time that I hear it!

Fog of War 6/10

I don't think that this was for me but I didn't hate it.

Manowar 8/10

Fuck posers who hate early Manowar. That's all.

Nyktalgia 7/10

I prefer the debut album, although the melodies on this album can be quite beautiful. This song is a bit overly long out of context.

Angel Witch 7.5/10

I've always felt that this one was a bit overrated, even though Angel Witch is amazing. This is still a great song.

Dream Death 9/10

I was hoping that this song would make it in. Dream Death is awesome and I think that this song is a perfect example of why. I love these guys!

Dark Quarterer 9.5/10

I love this track. My only gripe is that the vocals are mixed higher than they should be and they sometimes obscure the amazing music. It's a minor issue.

 

[no country for old wainds]

Angel Witch 8/10
This always sounded like a metal version of Saved by the Bell to me.

i lold.

i think 'angel of death' is the overrated song on that album. i used to like it a lot but it hasn't held up the way the first three and 'sorceress' have. i actually much prefer the outro which follows it.

 

[no country for old wainds]

i'd like a few more sets of ratings before i close this, only got 11 so far.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

I really don't get how people think Reagers Vitus is "clearly superior" to Wino Vitus...

 

[Krow]

its really like comparing getting your dick sucked to having sex... cant really go wrong, but yeah I've always preferred Reagers.

 

[no country for old wainds]

first album is on another level from the rest for me. the vitus song is my favourite on this playlist and it isn't even necessarily my favourite on that album.

 

[CiG]

I really don't get how people think Reagers Vitus is "clearly superior" to Wino Vitus...

I really don't get how you don't listen to Count Raven.

 

[Omni]

I really don't get how people think Reagers Vitus is "clearly superior" to Wino Vitus...

Reagers is not only a clearly better singer and a much more unique vocalist than Wino, but the songwriting on the first two albums stands out a lot more than their later music. It isn't like they made the exact same music but just changed the singer.

EDIT: I should also address Die Healing as I feel that it's a very strong album. Once again, it isn't the exact same music as Wino Vitus. I don't know if I feel that it's better than all Wino era albums though.

 

[CiG]

Die Healing is better than Hallow's Victim in my opinion, so it's not even so much about how they performed musically in their earliest days.

Wino rules forever but I think Reagers just carried the Saint Vitus flag better, Wino was born for The Obsessed.

Anyway, Mournful Cries is one of their best albums. My two cents.

 

[Omni]

I haven't heard the reunion album, but Mournful Cries is probably their second weakest album after C.O.D. in my opinion. I still like both albums.

 

[CiG]

I rank them like this (not including EPs or live):

Self Titled
V
Die Healing
Mournful Cries
Born Too Late
Hallow's Victim
C.O.D.
Lillie: F-65

They're all amazing to me though, obviously.

 

[Krow]

S/T
Die Healing
Mournful Cries
Born Too Late
Hallow' Victim
The Walking Dead
Lillie: F-65
V/C.O.D

V and COD are fine but I feel like the vocalist ain't a great fit. He's much better in Count Raven.