adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 14, 2018 7:51:36 GMT -5
At the Gates - To Drink From the Nights Itself (2018)For whatever reason I really didn't like At the Gates' first reunion album a few years ago. It just bored me. And for whatever reason I decided to get this one, fully expecting to hate it. And I was surprised that (for whatever reason) this time around it clicked for me. Something about this album was just way more interesting to me. I think it was the because outro lead to Palace of Lepers just confused me so much with it's odd time signature that the album ended up with my full attention. I also loved the title and artwork styles from the moment it was announced. I will admit though that on subsequent listens the album bored me more. And I really have f***ing had it with orchestral intros and outros to albums. That's just played out for me. But I didn't hate this album and that made me glad. 7.5/10
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 16, 2018 2:14:04 GMT -5
Diocletian/Weregoat - Disciples of War (2012)This is a split album between one of my current favourite bands Weregoat and another band called Diocletian from New Zealand. Each band gets fifteen minutes and three songs to show their stuff. The Weregoat half is my personal favourite. Despite being early in their time as a band it's the best sounding the band has ever been. I'm not sure if the label put more money up or if that's just what they wanted to go for six years ago. The only problem is the songs aren't quite as catchy as some of their later stuff. But it's still f***ing awesome. That said Diocletian aren't that bad at all. They're vocals are a little more raspy and the music a little less sloppy compared to Weregoat but they're a perfect match for a split album with them. I liked their half enough to want to go check out some of their albums. They broke up in 2014 and got back together in 2016, but they haven't released any new music since. To be honest, to any person other than a person like me who listens to this style of metal a lot these two bands are going to sound exactly the same. But they're both really f***ing good. Weregoat is just better. 9/10
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 16, 2018 2:28:40 GMT -5
Weregoat - Unholy Exaltation of Fullmoon Perversity (2011)And my journey into the depths of hell that is Weregoat ends with their first EP. The production is a lot rawer but it sounds perfect for Weregoat. I'd go as far to say that it may even be their best release. The dirty production fits them perfectly and at a short twenty-four minutes long it's almost the perfect length for this style of death metal. A lot of the songs sound similar to songs that appeared on their later releases and for all I know they are the same songs just with different titles. But it doesn't matter. If you like one Weregoat song you're going to like them all. 9.5/10
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Gus Richlen Was Wrong
Patti Mayonnaise
Metal Maestro: Co-winner of the FAN Idol Throwdown!
Fun while it lasted
Posts: 38,519
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Post by Gus Richlen Was Wrong on Jun 19, 2018 11:05:22 GMT -5
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 19, 2018 14:41:51 GMT -5
I decided to do something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now: I’m going to Maryland Deathfest next May.
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Gus Richlen Was Wrong
Patti Mayonnaise
Metal Maestro: Co-winner of the FAN Idol Throwdown!
Fun while it lasted
Posts: 38,519
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Post by Gus Richlen Was Wrong on Jun 19, 2018 17:27:54 GMT -5
I decided to do something I’ve wanted to do for a few years now: I’m going to Maryland Deathfest next May. I wanted to this year but we're not allowed to use vacation days in May where I work.
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Derk!
Hank Scorpio
Yeah, "looks like."
Posts: 5,072
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Post by Derk! on Jun 20, 2018 21:27:05 GMT -5
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 21, 2018 7:23:49 GMT -5
The Body - I Have Fought Against It, But I Can't Any Longer. (2018)A lot of people have been hating on the new Body album because of the direction their music has taken the last couple of years. They've dropped almost all organic instruments (guitar, bass and drums) in favour of electronic sounds. It's still extremely harsh but totally different. Me personally I find it refreshing. Their songs were all starting to sound the same and the change in direction has opened up a whole new world of sounds for them and a lot of new emotions. Sadness, sorrow, longing and depression are much better expressed now. There are a few songs with organic instruments but it may be literally less than half the songs. However one change in their sound that I did not like on this album were the over-use of female vocals. There were a few songs ( Can Carry No Weight especially) that were incredible but the female vocals over-powered everything. And for some reason I think I heard the one lady doing them is a permanent member of the band now. Hopefully in the future they step back a little with them. I was really sold on the album by the closing monologue during Ten Times A Day, Every Day A Stranger. Even though whoever's delivering the monologue sounds a bit too much like a person reading a script it hit me really hard because I've been battling depression the last few years and it pretty much describes exactly how I felt at my lowest points. "I have reached the peak of emptiness"8.5/10
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 21, 2018 7:33:44 GMT -5
Ascended Dead - Abhorrent Manifestation (2017)I bought this album because I thought the cover artwork was cool. I've done that a few times lately and it hasn't always worked out for me. But this time around I ended up really enjoying what I got. It's just some chaotic, older school death metal. It's a little thrashier than I usually like but for whatever reason it clicked with me this time around. The only let-down is the acoustic interlude midway through the album, which I pretty much skip every time I listen to the album. I guess some people appreciate a breather but I really have no problem being punished for a half an hour straight. 8/10
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 22, 2018 7:04:50 GMT -5
Nuclearhammer/Begrime Exemious - Heretical Serpent Cult (2011)This was a huge disappointment for me. I've been listening to and loving Nuclearhammer quite a bit lately so I figured a split album from the middle of their time as a band would be great to hear something else from them, and also maybe introduce me to another cool new band. The Nuclearhammer songs are not good at all. It sounds like they were going in a punkier direction at this point and it does nothing for me. Halfway through their half the recording quality dramatically changes and it's not much better. Even worse maybe. And the sample of crying children at the end of A Hell on Earth/Cries for Help really made me feel uneasy and sad. It's okay but it's just not what I expected considering how their first album (Obliteration Ritual, which I'll be reviewing soon) wasn't a bad start and their last album was incredible. I'd be okay with that if the other bands Begrime Exemious weren't completely horrible. I'll give them a bit of slack because their half was their demo that they recorded in 2007 but demo or not the vocals are f***ing horrid. It's hard to decide if Horns of Baphomet or the Horny Lord have worse vocals. It's all terrible but those songs have some background vocals that are beyond terrible. Musically they're a thrashy, death metal band. Nothing offensive. The quality of the recording is much better than Nuclearhammers half but they're just terrible songs. Maybe they're a joke band and I'm missing something. Heed my warning and avoid this. I listened to it once and filed it away. 2/10
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 22, 2018 7:18:04 GMT -5
Of Feather and Bone - Bestial Hymns of Perversion (2018)This album sounds like the textbook Profound Lore album. That's not a bad thing but it's just not a new thing, to me anyway. I've heard it before and I'm going to hear it again. I enjoyed it but in a month I'll probably have forgotten about it. I would like to see Of Feather and Bone live though. I bet they're awesome. If you've never heard the music that Profound Lore releases this is as good as any a place to start. Murky death metal with an overabundant use of the HM-2 distortion pedal (aka "the Entombed pedal"). There's nothing wrong with that. Other than the fact that one label has fifteen bands doing the same thing. 7/10
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Post by Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!! on Jun 22, 2018 17:02:09 GMT -5
I'm just going to say this Now, Adam, I really appreciate the album reviews, especially since a lot of it is kinda obscure stuff I may or may not have heard of.
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 22, 2018 17:28:49 GMT -5
I'm just going to say this Now, Adam, I really appreciate the album reviews, especially since a lot of it is kinda obscure stuff I may or may not have heard of. At the risk of sounding cheesy; knowing that one person enjoys them makes it worthwhile:
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 23, 2018 1:56:20 GMT -5
Grave Upheaval - -- (2018)Grave Upheaval can be quite the punishing listen, even for me. It's slow, murky death metal so muddy that it's almost impossible to make out guitar riffs. The drums are pretty clear, as are the vocals...which are just moans, growls and screams. There's no song titles, no lyrics, no band members listed. The cover is a lot easier to make out this time around though. And they added some other elements to their music this time around: some choir vocals and a few effects, which make the songs stand out against one another more than their debut album. Everything is a little cleaner than their debut and things are easier to make out. But ultimately this is basically the same super-slow death metal (almost doom metal speed) that they did on their debut album, which is just meant to torture people. I for one find great enjoyment in it but this definitely isn't going to be for everyone. 8.5/10
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Derk!
Hank Scorpio
Yeah, "looks like."
Posts: 5,072
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Post by Derk! on Jun 27, 2018 19:46:39 GMT -5
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Derk!
Hank Scorpio
Yeah, "looks like."
Posts: 5,072
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Post by Derk! on Jun 29, 2018 16:16:49 GMT -5
Going to see The Black Dahlia Murder tonight. Looking forward to seeing Fleshgod Apocalypse as well..
Too bad about Whitechapel being a co-headliner, though.
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adamclark52
El Dandy
I'm one with the Force; the Force is with me
Posts: 8,139
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Post by adamclark52 on Jun 30, 2018 15:48:55 GMT -5
Going to see The Black Dahlia Murder tonight. Looking forward to seeing Fleshgod Apocalypse as well.. Too bad about Whitechapel being a co-headliner, though. Sounds like a good bill. The Black Dahlia Murder were really good live when I saw them live last year and Fleshgod Apocalypse were as well. I’m with you on Whitechapel. No one is playing Toronto this weekend. At best was some grunge cover bands but I decided not to bother.
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Post by Natural Born Farmer on Jun 30, 2018 17:04:52 GMT -5
Going to see The Black Dahlia Murder tonight. Looking forward to seeing Fleshgod Apocalypse as well.. Too bad about Whitechapel being a co-headliner, though. Seeing that show tonight. Hoping Whitechapel goes on last.
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Derk!
Hank Scorpio
Yeah, "looks like."
Posts: 5,072
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Post by Derk! on Jun 30, 2018 18:11:02 GMT -5
Going to see The Black Dahlia Murder tonight. Looking forward to seeing Fleshgod Apocalypse as well.. Too bad about Whitechapel being a co-headliner, though. Seeing that show tonight. Hoping Whitechapel goes on last. Sadly, whitechapel is 2nd to last. Fleshgod Apocalypse was amazing as were Black Dahlia Murder. Didn't get there in time to see the first 2 bands, though.
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Gus Richlen Was Wrong
Patti Mayonnaise
Metal Maestro: Co-winner of the FAN Idol Throwdown!
Fun while it lasted
Posts: 38,519
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Post by Gus Richlen Was Wrong on Jun 30, 2018 23:08:46 GMT -5
NE Wisconsin might be Whitechapel territory, oddly enough. They were part of Rock USA last year and I've spotted at least two Whitechapel shirts in public the past few days.
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