Not a big melodeath dude so when the mood strikes me, I'll listen to Slaughter of the Soul and then I'm satisfied for another six months.
Anyone listening to the new Inter Arma? I think it's solid, over an hour long but never really feels like it. I don't think the clean singing does much to improve the album though. Not that I'm against them using it, I just think it could have been done better. Gets a 3/5 for me. Definitely worth repeated listens, won't be on my AOTY shortlist though.
Any Gilead Media fans? If not, vinyl nerds should certainly check them out, every LP release has a dedicated vinyl master. They actually responded to my inquire very fast:
[size=12.8px]Krallice's Ygg huur sounds excellent and I just pre-ordered the summer release collection featuring LPs from Anicon and Mizmor, a 12" EP from Krallice and Thou's Peasant re-mastered on CD. [/size]https://erodingwinds.com/products/gilead-media-summer-collection-anicon-krallice-mizmor-thou
ALSO: Revisited the latest Jute Gyte, I'm digging it so hard now. Now definitely on my year-end list, he's truly an innovative artist.
I picked up the new Jutte Gyte with the pervious one, Ship of Theseus. I remember we posted earlier. My first JG albums...not sure if I can say I like it, but I appreciate his work as dark, abstract, challenging art. I need to listen again. But, I'm fully immersed in my OSDM albums....thanks again for everyone's input. With a special thanks to Zyklonius for Wolverine Blues....great album! I really like their death metal/rock/hardcore fusion of influences. I can't help think of all the so called "Entombed-core" bands I've enjoyed from the likes of Trapt Them, Nails, Black Breath, etc. most of which seemed to be produced kurt Ballou-love that guitar sound. So, it's good to go back and hear some of their inspiration.
This week I've been fully immersed in Entombed's Clandestine and Wolverine Blues, Bolt Thrower's War Master, Carcass' Necroticism and doing some critical listening to death's Human and Individual Thought Patterns-those albums take some time to absorbs.The playing and creativity are boundless, taking my time with these.
After much hand wringing about gear, I bought my first pricy cable for my Dharma HP and love the sound I'm getting out of these exceptional albums.
Anyone listening to the new Inter Arma? I think it's solid, over an hour long but never really feels like it. I don't think the clean singing does much to improve the album though. Not that I'm against them using it, I just think it could have been done better. Gets a 3/5 for me. Definitely worth repeated listens, won't be on my AOTY shortlist though.
Paradise Gallows is quickly becoming one of my favorite records of the year (which reminds me that I still need to finalize my top list for the first half of the year). Months ago I sought recommendations here for psychedelic metal akin to Oranssi Pazuzu. Although I already had Sky Burial in my collection and enjoyed it, it was mere preface to the glory of Paradise Gallows. My judgment is probably affected, albeit positively, due to seeing them live some weeks ago. They were absolutely incredible. I'd describe it as a metal equivalent of a peyote trip at Burning Man: everything pulsates, shines, growls, vibrates and hypnotizes. Extremely immersive and cathartic.
This week I've been fully immersed in Entombed's Clandestine and Wolverine Blues, Bolt Thrower's War Master, Carcass' Necroticism and doing some critical listening to death's Human and Individual Thought Patterns-those albums take some time to absorbs.The playing and creativity are boundless, taking my time with these.
Could you remind us all how your history with metal transpired: did you missed (either completely or partially) those classics back in the day and are now listening to those for the very first time? If that is the case, I am a bit envious. In any event, that is quite a playlist.
Back in my high school days, the band I was in played used to play Death covers from Human and Symbolic (the latter is mandatory, should sound amazing with your gear). Death's evolution is really fascinating. That it was cut short so abruptly and prematurely saddens me to no end.
Well, I surprised myself. I was just about to pull the trigger for the Forza cables, when I went to Capital Audio Fest a few weeks ago and hear the Dana Lazuli cables. They had a direct A-B comparison with stock and the Danas. Just so happened they had a Hifiman 1000 and Dharma set up. Go figure-out of all the HP possibilities, they had mine. Heard them using my Dharmas which I fortunately brought with me and I really liked them! I could hear a definite improvement. An overall fuller, more transparent sound. The details were improved, larger soundstage and increased bass. Hard to explain, and subtle in some ways, but just an overall improvement in the sound...not unlike when I upgraded by speaker cables...not night and day...but an extra value improvement...an investment into the many hours of listening we all spend.
The pricing is steep, but I was able to get a 20% show discount. Looking at 3 M length they weren't far off from the Forza and Norne. Probably an extra $100. They had one in stock and it was easy to order so I went for it. For some reason the Drama version was cheaper than for other HPs. Still, a good chunk of change.
I'm still interested in something from the Audeze line, but I decided to upgrade the sound of the D first. I'm very happy with what I'm hearing. would it be any different at half the cost? Can't say. This was a splurge and I had the cash. Probably my biggest luxury expenditure.
Could you remind us all how your history with metal transpired: did you missed (either completely or partially) those classics back in the day and are now listening to those for the very first time? If that is the case, I am a bit envious. In any event, that is quite a playlist.
Back in my high school days, the band I was in played used to play Death covers from Human and Symbolic (the latter is mandatory, should sound amazing with your gear). Death's evolution is really fascinating. That it was cut short so abruptly and prematurely saddens me to no end.
Oh yeah, sure. So, I'm an older metalhead. In my formative years, I was exposed to a lot of classic 60's rock and folk and still appreciate early rock. I'm a big Dylan, Stones The Doors, Floyd, The Who and Beatles fan to this day. And of course Sabbath and Zeppelin. Not to mention, Deep Purple, The Scorpions...all that.
Grew up on a lot of late 70's classics-you know...AC/DC, Van Halen, Priest......etc. Back in the day, I was a suburban kid and didn't have a metal clique I ran with. I was a theater kid in high school and always listened to metal, but my friends were into New Wave, Talking Heads, REM, U2, Bowie, Costello...stuff like that. In college it was all Motor Head, NWOBHM and the Big Four, and grunge....loved me some Soundgarden.
Mid 20's, moved to LA to pursue an acting career and music went on the backburner. I got bored with thrash and grunge. Other priorities....starving artist kind of thing.
It was years later in my late 30's I had a metal renaissance. Settled back east, teaching in public school, raising a kid and I needed some metal. I also like rock and indie, but I needed an outlet. I remember hearing Creed and Linkin Park on rock radio and thinking, there's got to be something better than this crap.
Plugged in on-line and started listening to a bunch of doom and stoner metal...slowly making my way into post metal and finally around 2004 I began convinced that many of the better more creative musicians in metal were in extreme metal bands. At first I was listening to stuff like Electric wizard, Kyuss, Sleep, Monster Magnet. Then, eventually the music got heavier, at first with more or less hardcore vocals. I was listening to a lot of Neurosis, Isis' Oceanic and Panopticon, Mastodon's Leviathans, HOF's Surrounded by Thieves and SunO))) Black One and Boris' entire discography were transitional albums.
finally decided to try DM. Dipped my toes...the usual...Opeth, Dark Tranquilty, , some classic BM. Once I moved from Dimmu Borgir to Gorgoroth, Immortal and Darkthrone, I figured I had not excuse to not try DM. The stuff at the time was like Behemoth, Nile, Kataclysm , Krisiun, Cyrptopsy's Once Was Not, Jungle Rot. And, I liked later day albums by older bands like Asphyx (and Hail of Bullets), Grave's Procession of Souls. But, with the exception of Slaughter of the Soul it was all of their material in the 2000s.
So, I totally missed the early 90's. I was in my mid to late 20's, getting married and eventually having a kid.
Over the past ten plus years, I've followed the trends in metal finding, gravitating towards certain sounds. At first BM was more to my liking and I went back and picked up the mandatory second wave classics. I like atmospheric BM, sludge....I'm actually very open minded. Good is good.
I bought A handful DM albums each year and developed a taste for weird drone and doom, some avant garde and prog, a lot of shape shifting metal that defies category and some DM. But, I've been a fickly DM fan.
It's the one part of extreme metal I feel I understand the least. I often tend to like stuff that gets tagged as either OSDM, metallic hardocore, and less so tech death. I like punk. I like a lot of differnt kinds of heavy music. A number of the bands I like are older and have roots to earlier DM (Asphyx, Grave, Entombed). I just figured it was high time to put together a little classic DM library and seriously invstigate this enduring metal genre that I seem to have a love/hate relationship with. So far, I'm really enjoying the investigation.
I've bought a bunch of stuff I haven't even heard yet. Just taking my time to absorb the early greats: Entombed, Bolt Thrower, Carcass, Morbid Angel and Death. So that's it. Now time to move into some other bands I've picked up....early Grave, Asphyx, Obituary, Dismember, Suffocation, Immolation, Incantation.....the Miseduction of Markm
Well, I surprised myself. I was just about to pull the trigger for the Forza cables, when I went to Capital Audio Fest a few weeks ago and hear the Dana Lazuli cables. They had a direct A-B comparison with stock and the Danas. Just so happened they had a Hifiman 1000 and Dharma set up. Go figure-out of all the HP possibilities, they had mine. Heard them using my Dharmas which I fortunately brought with me and I really liked them! I could hear a definite improvement. An overall fuller, more transparent sound. The details were improved, larger soundstage and increased bass. Hard to explain, and subtle in some ways, but just an overall improvement in the sound...not unlike when I upgraded by speaker cables...not night and day...but an extra value improvement...an investment into the many hours of listening we all spend.
The pricing is steep, but I was able to get a 20% show discount. Looking at 3 M length they weren't far off from the Forza and Norne. Probably an extra $100. They had one in stock and it was easy to order so I went for it. For some reason the Drama version was cheaper than for other HPs. Still, a good chunk of change.
I'm still interested in something from the Audeze line, but I decided to upgrade the sound of the D first. I'm very happy with what I'm hearing. would it be any different at half the cost? Can't say. This was a splurge and I had the cash. Probably my biggest luxury expenditure.
I picked up the new Jutte Gyte with the pervious one, Ship of Theseus. I remember we posted earlier. My first JG albums...not sure if I can say I like it, but I appreciate his work as dark, abstract, challenging art. I need to listen again. But, I'm fully immersed in my OSDM albums....thanks again for everyone's input. With a special thanks to Zyklonius for Wolverine Blues....great album! I really like their death metal/rock/hardcore fusion of influences. I can't help think of all the so called "Entombed-core" bands I've enjoyed from the likes of Trapt Them, Nails, Black Breath, etc. most of which seemed to be produced kurt Ballou-love that guitar sound. So, it's good to go back and hear some of their inspiration.
This week I've been fully immersed in Entombed's Clandestine and Wolverine Blues, Bolt Thrower's War Master, Carcass' Necroticism and doing some critical listening to death's Human and Individual Thought Patterns-those albums take some time to absorbs.The playing and creativity are boundless, taking my time with these.
After much hand wringing about gear, I bought my first pricy cable for my Dharma HP and love the sound I'm getting out of these exceptional albums.
1986
Fatal Portrait
"Only 50% a concept album, King lays the ground work style both musically and lyrically for Abigail, to follow."
1987
Abigail
"This album still gives me chills." Basically an essential album for anyone into heavy metal.
1988
"Them"
In some ways this became Abigail number two, as they kept the same sound and lyrical themes. A 10/10 where Abigail is off the charts.
1989
Conspiracy
Really a strong album which continues with the style of 1987s Abigail and adds a more complex and detailed recording process. It may not have all the character or "air" of Abigail but is a musical masterpiece none the less.
1990
The Eye
" In my main set-up, this albums gold remaster CD ends up being my best recorded heavy metal album ever. This is my sonic reference for all other albums to be evaluated by. This album is made of layers and layers of tracks which only can be heard on the best headphone equipment."
Andy LaRocque
Guitar ...Individual Thought Patterns 1993
I've always been a big fan of Andy LaRocque and his style. I saw King Diamond live in the 1990s and he was even better live I thought. So after "The Eye" it was an interesting change to have him go into the super group Death had become. Basicly King Diamond is kind of referred to as the greatest heavy metal band to ever exist. At least that is what the fans think of them. And to have Andy LaRocque come and a part of Individual Thought Patterns, was a worrisom mixture to some. I personally think that "The Eye"', even though recorded really really well is not as good as 1989s Conspiracy. It was maybe a time for Andy to try Death Metal. Maybe the younger metal heads don't remember but in the mid 1980s King Diamond was really one of the if not the biggest heavy metal band around. And in many ways the introduction of Death was like a doorway which was to show the future of extreme metal. IMO
ITP is maybe not everyone's favorite Death album and it is complicated. I'm not a drummer and don't fully understand time signature changes but I think ITP is one of the more complicated Death albums. And even if this one album mixture of talents didn't last ITP still remains as one of Andy LaRocque's better later works.
My favorite King Diamond albums are posted above and every one showcases Andy LaRocque's innovative classical adaptation of style into cutting edge heavy metal lead guitar. In many ways he is like no other. And even now very few guitar players emulate his sound, simply because they don't have the skill or talent to. His approach was very close to Randy Rhodes though he actually took it one step farther to my ears.
I've always been a big fan of Andy LaRocque and his style. I saw King Diamond live in the 1990s and he was even better live I thought. So after "The Eye" it was an interesting change to have him go into the super group Death had become. Basicly King Diamond is kind of referred to as the greatest heavy metal band to ever exist. At least that is what the fans think of them. And to have Andy LaRocque come and a part of Individual Thought Patterns, was a worrisom mixture to some. I personally think that "The Eye"', even though recorded really really well is not as good as 1989s Conspiracy. It was maybe a time for Andy to try Death Metal. Maybe the younger metal heads don't remember but in the mid 1980s King Diamond was really one of the if not the biggest heavy metal band around. And in many ways the introduction of Death was like a doorway which was to show the future of extreme metal. IMO
ITP is maybe not everyone's favorite Death album and it is complicated. I'm not a drummer and don't fully understand time signature changes but I think ITP is one of the more complicated Death albums. And even if this one album mixture of talents didn't last ITP still remains as one of Andy LaRocque's better later works.
My favorite King Diamond albums are posted above and every one showcases Andy LaRocque's innovative classical adaptation of style into cutting edge heavy metal lead guitar. In many ways he is like no other. And even now very few guitar players emulate his sound, simply because they don't have the skill or talent to. His approach was very close to Randy Rhodes though he actually took it one step farther to my ears.
Thanks Redcar,
I've just got Melissa, Don't Break the Oath from the MF days which seemed like their most essential, and "Them" is the only album from King Diamond as a solo artist. Should probably investigate a bit more.
So, just listening to Death for the first time (embarrassed to say), I've just got Scream Bloody Gore, Human and ITP. I really like Human in terms of mixing some progressive qualities but still being very much a DM album. ITP is growing on me. When I really take the time to listen with my better gear, the jazz like elements in the rhythm section are seriously off the charts. I mean where do you hear bass lines like that in metal? Maybe it gets a little too abstract for me, but it's still a relatively heavy album and I dig it. How is The Sound of Perseverance? Is it even more experimental that ITP?
I'm also having fun with Carcass. I printed the lyrics from Dark Lyrics. The medical terms and so on....trying to comprehend the meaning is pretty wacky....but clearly the sense of humor is part of the fun. I've got Necroticism and Heart Work. Is Symphonies of Sickness worth picking up? There's a full dynamic range version on Band Camp.
Thanks Redcar,
I've just got Melissa, Don't Break the Oath from the MF days which seemed like their most essential, and "Them" is the only album from King Diamond as a solo artist. Should probably investigate a bit more.
So, just listening to Death for the first time (embarrassed to say), I've just got Scream Bloody Gore, Human and ITP. I really like Human in terms of mixing some progressive qualities but still being very much a DM album. ITP is growing on me. When I really take the time to listen with my better gear, the jazz like elements in the rhythm section are seriously off the charts. I mean where do you hear bass lines like that in metal? Maybe it gets a little too abstract for me, but it's still a relatively heavy album and I dig it. How is The Sound of Perseverance? Is it even more experimental that ITP?
I'm also having fun with Carcass. I printed the lyrics from Dark Lyrics. The medical terms and so on....trying to comprehend the meaning is pretty wacky....but clearly the sense of humor is part of the fun. I've got Necroticism and Heart Work. Is Symphonies of Sickness worth picking up? There's a full dynamic range version on Band Camp.
Don't really know what Kind Diamond's other albums would sound like new in 2016. At the time they came out, they were my favorite metal albums. The Eye, though not all that great song-wise is an amazing recording and remains one of my top audiophile metal albums. But of course it could just be one record which sounds good in my best system?
Death was a band I was never into. I purchased a live DVD and had their songs on some compilations, but the vocals bugged me. Then about six years ago I started to get into the band.
TSOP is great, a great record and one of my favorites though, I think of it as insanely technical, maybe less experimental. They had a new drummer for TSOP which may have changed the sound? I'm no expert about Death but have listened to everything while walking my Dogs. SBG is my least favorite. Leprosy does nothing for me either. But in addition to TSOP............................ SH, H, ITP and Symbolic end up being amazing fresh considering their age. They hold their own along any modern releases in entertainment and pure musical ability. I guess that is what classic is?
I guess it is impossible to really understand what this stuff sounded like when it came out. It is so very powerful now, you can only imagine what a surprise it was in it's day!
Spiritual Healing ends up being my all-time favorite just due to the guitar sound they got. Though if you check around, most love Human or Symbolic as the best. Later you can also check the band Mantas, which was the prior name for Death. Due to their popularity there ends of being mountains of stuff to listen to. Every special edition now seems like it has three disks of extras. I just listen to the standard studio stuff and maybe watch my live DVD at times.
http://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mantas/35328
Some Thoughts about Mercyful Fate and King Diamond
It's been a long long time from when the NSFW cover of the Mercyful Fate EP came out in 1982. When Melissa and Don't Break The Oath came out the extreme metal world was turned upside down. What many don't know is the two bands have released a ton of quality stuff. Listed below is just about 95% of what they have done, with some simple notes, as over the years I have worshiped these two bands and called them my own. There is very few posts about these guys posted here, as expected, as the King has been in some changes. But I have a feeling new stuff will be out soon.
The Mercyful Fate Albums and Partial List of EPs
Mercyful Fate EP 1982
Maybe the single coolest EP in extreme metal history. Now a nun tied to a cross would not raise a fuss, even if it was a cartoon.
Melissa Full-length 1983
Borrowing from the Maiden sound in ways, this was a different animal all together. In 1983 I held this in my hands, listened to it with friends and felt the cosmic change that would make the future a different place. One of the greatest first wave of Black Metal releases. It was only known as heavy metal as we had no clue as to what it was at the time.
Don't Break the Oath Full-length 1984 This ends up being the essential album and song posted below became the ultimate song that was used near the end of MF and KD shows.
In the Shadows Full-length 1993
This ends up a slightly more complicated and progressive affair as the band matures. A complete favorite. Recorded nine years after the last album we now hear the band start to provide concept stories for their lyrics and have a progressive edge, though still sounding exactly like MF. IMO
Time Full-length 1994
This ends up as the only MF release I don't own on CD, so I have heard it, but not listened to it too much.
Into the Unknown Full-length 1996
Again this is another total masterpiece. Many of these MF albums also reflect some of the style of the King Diamond solo band. They are recorded by different musicians mostly, but are headed by King Diamond. Even with this new found "Kind Diamond solo" style they had post 1984, I can't help but still hear this is still a band holding the trademark sound of the early popular years.
Dead Again Full-length 1998 9 Full-length 1999
I purchased this the day it came out, but found it very different than the music that came before. This album is super hard and fast becoming full of new musical ideas, that frankly I feel don't work well. It ended being their last record.
Already talked about these five records above.
In many ways the above records are classic and should be purchased with no fear of failure as these five releases are examples of some of the best Heavy Metal ever made. IMO
In Concert 1987: Abigail Live album 1990
We are so very lucky to have a complete and professionally recorded document of the late 1980s sound of King Diamond. I actually don't know which live album I like better, the 2004 Deadly Lullabyes Live release, or this one, as they are both recorded really really well, have the perfect choice of songs and show the band in top form. Normally I don't like live recordings that much but here, I'm the complete fan!
The Spider's Lullabye Full-length 1995
This is not a bad record really, though if I was trying to get a grip on this phuc-load of music, leaving both The Spider's Lullabye, The Graveyard as well as Voodoo out of my research would maybe be a good idea. There are fans of this 1995-1998 era, but I consider it a low point. Just the keyboards on Voodoo alone and synth drums show a band completely lost and out of character. IMO
The Graveyard Full-length 1996
Voodoo Full-length 1998
House of God Full-length 2000
In so many ways this is the ultimate comeback for the band. You could only imagine a listener finding this in 2000 as a total return to form, thus getting back on track. This is a fantastic release and shows a true understanding of how to make a comeback, withing being the best of the old style while bringing in new ideas.
Abigail II: The Revenge Full-length 2002
Again another release being all the band has ever been about. New ideas and songs but still holding the mood that once made the band great.
The Puppet Master Full-length 2003
Another great release and the perfect starting point for someone wanting a new sound, but older and classic musical ideas. This new sound was recorded in their own studio too. Go figure. Maybe the drums were recorded in the studio?
Deadly Lullabyes Live Live album 2004
You wonder why MF was never given a live release, but after hearing the two Kind Diamond live records, you almost don't care anymore. Just perfect in every way.
Give Me Your Soul... Please Full-length 2007
Many don't hold this as high up as the early material, though I really like it just the same and find it special that the band has been able to keep the sound going on.
Dreams of Horror Compilation 2014
This is the only comp I'm listing here as I have other comps, but not to confuse matters, this is really good sounding. People are upset at times with the song choices, though I get where the choices are coming from. Not complete in any way, but a good sounding LP to hear what the band is about.
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