So I was going through my music and glanced upon my nowadays dusting CD collection, when I noticed a few old thrash metal revival bands. Do you remember the thrash revival that was happening ten years ago? It was a brief wave of underground thrash bands that rose up to bring down the ever-prevailing kings of the 2000's, namely the metalcore bands.
I remember those times very well. It was in some ways my prime. I turned 15 in 2005 and thus was I part of that entire decade's ups and downs. Most "true" metalheads like myself did not really appreciate the metalcore scene all that much. In retrospect I've grown to love some bands that were lumped in with that scene (Chimaira, DevilDriver, etc.), but the bulk of it was really bad.
Idols at 16: Megadeth (1986) - Chris Poland, Gar Samuelson, Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson
In 2006 I was a full-blown thrasher. I had grown very fond of 80's thrash in 2005 and by the next year I was listening to it 24/7 (I literally used to sleep with headphones back then). I was fanboying early Megadeth (Peace Sells era) above all else and I particularly took a liking to "rawer" thrash bands. I liked thrash bands with heavy influences from Motörhead, rather than the polished and more technical stuff like Megadeth did with Rust in Peace. I did not, however, follow any modern metal scenes and was totally unaware of what was cooking beneath the surface.
By 2008 something just exploded. From seemingly out of nowhere came hundreds of young new bands that played classic thrash metal. It was like a sonic revolution. For years everybody had been talking about how bad metalcore was and how they hated it, including my own band, but it took several years for anyone to properly react. By the time it came, however, it came down hard and without showing any mercy.
Who doesn't remember that album cover by Fueled By Fire? A thrasher beating up two emo kids. It was badass! Or why not the revival of Ed Repka artworks? You know, the guy who did artwork for some of the genre's best regarded masterpieces. Hell, his artwork was often just as synonymous with a record as the actual band, musicians and music. Sometimes even more so. Thrash metal was truly reborn and kicking ass by 2008. The downfall of classic metalcore had begun.
Warbringer, Evile, Lich King, Bonded By Blood, Hexen, Gama Bomb, Municipal Waste, Suicidal Angels... The list goes on. So many bands, no air time, no major labels, low budgets - but a massive fanbase and a huge thurst for the return of a rebellious saviour. It was like an old scene had returned with new blood overnight. But looking at it in retrospect, it was probably the scene's big mistake.
With so many bands coming from out of nowhere that fast, you suddenly had a bunch of new killer records and live tours to catch. At the same time, however, it became like a ridiculous case of bands adapting to a bunch of copy-and-paste formulas. There simply was next to no originality within the revival scene. Bands sounded closer to being tribute acts of their number one favorite band rather than doing their own thing. Now that is not essentially a bad thing, but when everybody does it that way it gets tiresome quickly.
Before you knew it, the thrash metal revival had gone back to the deepest underground whence it came. It lasted for what, two solid years? Even that long? Talk about 15 minutes of fame. What made the original wave of thrash metal so great was how it was something new, something innovative. It was fresh and dangerous. The problem with the revival was how all those bands and musicians had gained great amounts of skill, only to use it for reproducing a certain sound rather than develop and explore their own creativity. Nobody wants to hear twenty Kreator wankers.
So after coming up real hard and heavy the entire movement basically plummeted right back down the abyss. It went from being one of the coolest things to happen in metal history to being one of the most ridiculous ones. But even though its initial impact didn't have more than a minor lasting relevance, it did ultimately leave another, much greater, impact.
In the wake of the thrash revival's demise there were basically two things that happened. The first one was a door left open, a door for classic heavy metal to make its impending return. Just look at that - it's still there after almost ten years, still going strong and seemingly even stronger in recent years. I'm sure that without the thrash revival happening cirka 2008, we wouldn't have gotten a classic heavy metal revival as early as cirka 2010. I'm certain it would have happened sooner or later, just not as soon as it did. The other thing was that it did indeed bring down the metalcore movement. After all, what relevance has the majority of them had in the 2010's? Next to none!
So what can we possibly learn from this musical history? The way I've put it we should basically just avoid playing music altogether. If you're a skilled musician copying your idols down to the notes and styles, you'll never last. If you're part of a more original subgenre (metalcore) then you simply suck and should call it quits already. But hey, surprise surprise, that's not really what I'm suggesting.
While I wasn't a fan of metalcore back then I can look back at it in retrospect and appreciate those musicians doing their own thing (until they started copying-and-pasting each other that is). The thrash revival seems to be mostly suppressed these days with nobody associating with it. There are a few bands I still listen to from time to time. They still sound as unoriginal as they did back then, but at least they did some great thrash music nonetheless. I love the classic heavy metal revial that rose up from it. There are also a lot more originality within that scene, I believe.
The only thing I'm scared of right now is to see what happens next. We're closing in on the end of this decade, which often means new trends and whatnot lies ahead in the wake of the next one. This decade has been plagued with deathcore and dare I say that it generally sucks way harder than metalcore ever did? And similarily to the thrash revival towards the end of the last decade, we've now got something of an "old school death metal revival" instead. I love death metal. Way more than I love thrash. I don't want to see it end up like the thrash revival did, although I'm pretty sure the death revival has already outlasted it (and has more originality). Time will tell!
Lately I've been on a nostalgia binge, listening to some specific bands from my late teens back in the years 2007-2009. The thing with my music listening is that I'm a "genre dweller" - I get in mood for a specific genre which I will listen to for a few months straight. I don't know why that is, but it's how my musical mind and cravings work since forever.
So why the late 2000's? It was a very special time with many unique experiences, dark as colorful ones. Without diving too deep into details, let's just say I was in my best teen years (17-19), playing in a band, havings fun with friends, seeing girls, playing video games and, of course, listening to a lot of metal. Naturally some bands just left a deeper mark than others, seeing as my music often works as a soundtrack for life.
This time period was also where I had finally left my comfort zone. Back in 2006 I was what I call an "ass-tight conservative metalhead", meaning I only listened to specific metal and/or bands. My thing was strictly sticking to 80's metal only. Mostly because it was, and still is, the number one metal sound I love and consume.
Another thing, however, was my distaste for modern metal during the 2000's. I just thought there were too many whiny emo bands and inseparable metalcore bands at that time. I ended up judging the entire metal scene for being that way. Around 2007 things started to change for me as some modern bands started to go more "old school" or "real metal". It opened my mind up to new bands and music that I had previously ditched.
With that said, here are 10 bands that defined the late 2000's for me, specifically the years 2007-2009, and what albums that I first discovered and/or loved the most by these bands respectively. Let's go!
Machine Head
Album: The Blackening
As far as I can recall, Machine Head was probably the first modern metal band to help me break out of my conservative view on metal music. The funny thing about it, however, was that it wasn't their then-new album The Blackening that did it - it was their debut album Burn My Eyes. My love for Pantera at the time made me dig into the early Machine Head stuff, which later led me to their newer material.
My buddy Big D played The Blackening back at his place when I visited at some point and I noticed the thrashy riffing and great soloing. After that, I was hooked. The band as a whole has been kind of hit-or-miss for me, as I really can't stand their nu metal phase, but their early as well as latter day stuff is definitely something I'm a fan of.
Cavalera Conspiracy
Album: Inflikted
I have fond memories of this project and release getting unleashed upon all of us. The much anticipated reunion between the Cavalera brothers was probably one of the biggest hypes of 2008. My buddy Big D and I, who were huge Cavalera-era Sepultura fans, were ecstatic about it. When the album's debut single "Sanctuary" dropped, I remember hitting play for the first time and we just lost our shit.
These days I can feel like this particular album, or even the project as a whole, maybe wasn't as good as I initially thought it was. The years haven't been as kind to it as it's been to lots of other releases from that era. Inflikted and Soulfly's Conquer were the last "Max Cavalera albums" I truly enjoyed. Ironically, however, the modern Sepultura has surpassed Max's projects during this decade, which is something I never thought would happen back in 2008.
DragonForce
Album: Ultra Beatdown
I was probably one of very few people who never got into the whole Guitar Hero craze that strongly defined the mid-to-late 2000's. Nonetheless did I know DragonForce from that particular franchise. I don't recall much regarding of what I initially thought about them, but when I discovered the Ultra Beatdown in early 2009 I really fell for the video game-esque album art. I was hooked!
Sure, there were some cheese, wankery and other weird stuff going on in DragonForce's music at the time, but I kind of took a liking to their crazy-sounding Nintendo metal. I'm normally not a fan of power metal (except for Helloween), but something just works very well with DF for me. It's like a beam of pure energy that hits you up and gives you a kick. These days I am a pretty big fan of DF and I even like their current singer even more. The Ultra Beatdown, however, kind of remains a favorite album for me. Whether it's nostalgia speaking or not, I'm not quite sure of.
Chimaira
Album: The Infection
I remember hearing Chimaira a few times throughout the mid-2000's as they were somewhat "more metal" than other bands in their genre. I agreed. It wasn't before 2009, however, when the band released their somewhat conflicting album The Infection that I truly took a liking to them. I remember playing the zombie game Left 4 Dead a lot at the time and I thought the album cover reminded me of the game (the music fitted well with the game as well).
I know some fans don't like this album all that much while others love it. It was too slow, too doomy and whatever for some people, but that's what I personally love about it. For me it's just the ultimate Chimaira album, even though I love most of their stuff except for the debut and, to some extent, also the last album Mark Hunter did with all-new members. A very heavy but also sadly overlooked/underrated band within the genre and scene at the time.
Strapping Young Lad
Album: Alien
I loved few, if any, modern bands of the mid-2000's as much as I loved SYL. The extreme metal machine by mastermind Devin Townsend had it all - a mix of brutality, melody, atmosphere and humour. I sadly can't recall how I got into the band, but I suppose it was either through my buddy Big D or through Sweden Rock Magazine. When I first listened to Alien, which I'm fairly certain was the first album I heard, I just loved how crushing it sounded.
Throughout the years since I have continued to listen to this band a lot, as well as Devin Townsend's other endeavours. These days I tend to fancy their 1997 album City above all others, but SYL's 2000's material is still some of my favorite brutal metal of all time. It's just a shame that Devin's got bad feelings and memories about that time period in his life, as I think none of his other projects have been quite as kick-ass.
Trivium
Album: Shogun
When Trivium burst out on the scene with their 2005 album Ascendancy, I was naturally one of those people who hated it (because I heard "Dying In Your Arms" and thought they were emo af). When I went to see Iron Maiden live in 2006 they had Trivium as their support act. Needless to say I wasn't exactly thrilled about it. Unbeknownst to me, however, they had grown their hair out and just released The Crusade, from which album they mostly picked the songs off.
My concert experience with Trivium changed my mind and I found The Crusade to be quite a decent album, even though the Metallica plagiarism was painfully obvious. But when Shogun later dropped in 2008, things really hit the fan. The album was Trivum going for their equivalent to Machine Head's The Blackening, except with a possibly even better end result. I still love that album to this day and I just find it sad that none of their subsequent albums haven't been nearly as good in my opinion.
Megadeth
Album: United Abominations
I was a huge Megadeth since my earliest days of becoming a metalhead but I always tended to stick to their earliest albums (Peace Sells ... But Who's Buying? always being the great favorite). Some of Megadeth's albums, however, always sounded rather mediocre to me, with their late 90's and early 2000's albums coming to mind in particular. The System Has Failed showed great promise but I always felt that Dave wasn't quite "there" yet. Something was still missing.
When United Abominations was coming out I remember being extremely hyped because the cover art looked kick-ass. I also remember hearing "Sleepwalker" some time before the album dropped, solidifying my hype as the much needed return-to-form for the band. The album was everything I wished for. The only downside was the unnecessary re-recording of "A Tout Le Monde". When the band followed up with Endgame in 2009 it was even cooler, but after that they would descend into mediocrity once more.
Lamb of God
Album: Wrath
My buddy Alex got me into LoG back in 2008 because he was a big fan of Chris Adler's drumming style (which kind of makes the band in some ways). Since I was listening to a lot of Pantera at the time, the style of LoG's music was a natural fit for me. I remember being kind of lukewarm towards the 2006 effort Sacrament, which I still am to this day, but I really liked 2004's Ashes Of The Wake. Shortly after I started listening to the band, however, they announced Wrath which got me hyped.
I remember the album being marketed as being more "raw" and very aggressive (duh), which I didn't object against. I had a rough time the last few weeks before it dropped, being so hyped it drove me nuts. When the album finally landed on the shelf I went and bought it, played it and got my ass kicked. It became my favorite LoG album and it's managed to uphold that title ever since (VII: Sturm Und Drang came close, though).
Devin Townsend Project
Album: Addicted
After listening to SYL for a few years I naturally followed Devin Townsend into his next project, which happened to be his as-of-now defunct Devin Townsend Project. I remember the project initially being intended for four different releases, with Ki being the first and later followed by Addicted, both in 2009. The former never did much for me. I know a lot of people love it, including by buddy Big D, but it's always been too mellow and too instrumental for my taste.
Addicted was a whole nother story. I remember my first few times listening to it, thinking about how it sounded as if SYL had become a pop band. I love 80's pop music and to my ears, Devin's music has always had some strange 80's "undertones" to it. I fell in love with the album except for one or two songs, but the good ones were really great. It remained my favorite DTP release until 2016's Transcendence, which is one of Devin's top-3 most fantastic outputs in my opinion.
Dethklok
Album: Dethalbum II
It took me a long time before checking out Metalocalypse. By the time Dethalbum II arrived, I had only watched whatever scenes my buddy Big D had showed me. For two years, however, he had tried to get me into 2007's The Dethalbum but to little avail. I just didn't get the fuzz or like its production style/sound. The successor sounded a whole lot better production-wise and the songs appealed to me a whole lot more.
In a way I find my relationship to Dethklok's music a bit ironic. I didn't like the first album which so many people hyped and praised. The second album seemed to be not as well-embraced, but it was the one I got completely hooked to. Then a few years later the third album arrived, by which time I had watched the show dedicatedly, and I didn't really like that one either (the drums and guitars sounded thin and farty af). The third album also seemed to be more loved than the second one to me. For me, however, nothing comes close to Dethalbum II and it was a damn fine album in my opinion.
Today's the day! I'm doing my personal top-10 list of the ten very best metal records of 2016, plus a bonus mention section of those contestants who didn't make the list. Before we start I would like to briefly summarize the year as a whole down below.
2016 has been a very action packed year to say the least. Lots and more lots of metal records coming out this year. In fact, I've had a strong feeling this year's been more productive than the past few years. Something that's been particularly present for metal records this year, I think, is hype. It just seems like 2016 has been a very dedicated metal year.
Lots of people have also been saying it's been a great 30th anniversary year for thrash in particular, whereas 1986 was argubly the best year in thrash history. Many of the bands that released great albums in 1986 have also released great efforts this year, according to many thrashers and metalheads out there.
Personally, however, I've been standing at the crossroads all year. There's been so much coming out this year, including some personally anticipated releases, but I just kind of feel like most of the stuff left more to be desired. That's left me very confused to say the least. On one hand I've got this really rich metal treasure, but on the other hand there aren't really any real treasures in the chest. Do you catch my drift?
Some of the records that came out this year, some of which have even been majorly anticipated by the common metal scene, have simply left me so unimpressed I kind of thought they sucked. Another truth I feel should be told is the year's rather slow start. Yes, a lot of records this year were planned for release later during the year, making the first bunch of months this year particularly uninteresting to me. That, in turn, also left me somewhat uninterested in checking out more new music altogether as the year progressed.
With all that said, maybe the first few months disappointed me so much that my own hype/interest just got "drained". I dunno. What I do know, however, is that I didn't discover nearly as many new records as I should've done because of that. So to all record labels: please plan your releases somewhat more strategically month by month, rather than "nah, we'll drop 'em all this summer."
2016 to me personally has unfortunately been a rather "boring" year for metal, despite a lot of releases including some major names. But here's ten metal albums which left the most marks with me personally:
10. Exumer - The Raging Tides
One of the best thrash albums of the year, if you ask me. I just love their debut, "Possessed By Fire", which was originally released in 1986! They've now done four albums in total (two in their original run, two since reforming). This is the best one since the debut.
9. Khonsu - The Xun Protectorate
Never heard of these guys before. I happened to stumble upon them as the cover art drew the attention of my eyes, as I'm a solid sci-fi fan. Turned out it was one of those great stumbles. While I'm not entirely sure as to what label these guys as (fuck strict labeling anyway, really), they're along the lines of ... progressive black metal? Whatever, their shit kicks dicks. They actually remind me a lot of a Czechian group called Gorgonea Prima which I really like. A lot of stuff going on here.
8. Amon Amarth - Jomsviking
At first I was rather unimpressed with this one, just like with their previous album "Deciever Of The Gods" (2013), just like so many other fans. As the year has gone by, however, this one actually grew on me a lot. It's definitely the biggest grower of the year for me. I think it's still got a few flawed tracks (including a collaboration with Doro) but also a few epic gems, and those are exactly what I love about Amon Amarth.
7. Fallujah - Dreamless
One word: atmospheric! You know, I was skeptical about this one seeing as I was not really a fan of their sound prior to this one, but lo and behold: this one has some truly amazing soundscapes going on. At times it's progressive metal with jazzy-like guitars and at other times they just rock a U2 kinda vibe (yes, I'm a U2 fan. I love U2). Perhaps the biggest surprise record of the year? Very possibly so.
6. Lucifer's Hammer (Chile) - Beyond The Omens
Okey,
so the name is a blatant rip-off from an old legendary band, but if you
(can) look past that you'll have yourself a mighty fine heavy metal
album right here. This one's one of the absolutely best NWoTHM releases
this year, much in the vein of old Maiden, Satan, Angel Witch and other
lovely bands from back in the day.
5. Eternal Champion - The Armor Of Ire
This one appeared to me through Blake Ibanez whose work I'm very familiar with (and a fan of) from the Texas hardcore-thrashers Power Trip. This band plays old school (epic) heavy metal. I'd say their spirit/feeling is reminiscent of Manowar while the music is perhaps more towards early Savatage, Manilla Road and Omen. A mighty fine and refreshing old school-influenced release in this day and age of metal, and also a proof that some Americans can still crank out some good ol' heavy metal. The only downside is the album's somewhat short duration - six songs and two instrumental pieces. The biggest upside - I want more!
4. Cauldron - In Ruin
I've always been a somewhat casual fan of Cauldron. They're good but not awesome was what I used to think about 'em. Their previous album "Tomorrow's Lost" (2012) was a real solid album, though. Somehow I never thought they'd do another one like it, why that was I dunno, but four years later they actually returned - and topped it! I was very impressed with this one. The songs are stronger, more energetic, there's more melody and the vibe brings out just about everything I love about 80's heavy metal.
3. Sumerlands - S/T
And the biggest heavy metal bomb of the year is none other than the mighty Sumerlands. A relatively new band, also featuring Arthur Rizk who also plays on the Eternal Champion record. I guess the guy knows his shit like a real pro, making two of the top-5 best records of the year. Without a doubt the guy is the future of metal. This album sounds like a great mix of 80's solo-era Ozzy Osbourne with a touch of Dio (band) as well as Dio-era Sabbath. Further add some Queensrÿche, Savatage and Van Halen into the mix and you've got Sumerlands. The production is also really nice, warm and old school sounding without sounding too clean or too cheap. The best heavy metal album in a long time.
2. Death Angel - The Evil Divide
These dudes together are one of my favorite bands these days. Their last three albums including this one are all killer! While I think I do prefer their previous album slightly more, the ultra-thrasy "The Dream Calls For Blood" (2013), this album's definitely as good as a great follow-up gets. The music is a lot more varied on this album, which I also believe is one of its strongest features, but it also takes the cake for being the best thrash I've heard all this year. I don't think there's any other record from this year which has spun more times than this one. Gongrats guys, you officially won the "thrash of the year"-award from me.
1. Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence
And winner of the year is...*double bass-blast and tom-tom roll attack*... DTP! I'm a long-time fan (for my age) of Devin's and I love a lot of the man's musical work. His last few releases, however, have been somewhat ... less interesting, I think. Particularly "Epicloud" (2012) is an effort I found quite uninteresting and it made his music sound somewhat stuck in a rut, maybe? I wasn't really expecting too much from this album to be honest, but when I finally heard the thing I was blown away! This is truly one of Devin's finest hours (and he's got quite a few) and I absolutely love the "celestial sounds" which dominate this album. The songs are huge, epic, beautiful and together they just make one hell of a musical journey. Congrats Devin and DTP - you are the album of the year!
Bonus: Noteworthy mentions and opinions of albums that did not make the list...
DevilDriver - Trust No One
I really liked "Winter Kills" (2013) unlike most fans who seemed not to. This album, however, left a few things to be desired. A bit too safely played and also a bit too repetitive, perhaps? But for being the first album by a whole new line-up, it's pretty solid. The previous album brought more variety to the table. A few great tracks are to be found (particularly "For What It's Worth"), as well.
Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake
Back in like 2010 or so, I kind of worshipped (old) Testament. They're one of the greatest and most important thrash outfits of all time, but their past three albums have all been kind of "meh" in my opinion. This one didn't really disappoint as my expectations were relatively low, but on the other hand did it not do well in surprising me either. What it did do, however, was making me appreciate "Dark Roots Of Earth" (2012) a lot more (in comparison). It's something, I guess.
Tygers Of Pan Tang - S/T
I still haven't heard this in its entirely yet (I think), but what I did hear so far sounded solid. I'm happy they're still around and rocking.
Hatebreed - The Concrete Confessional
I liked this one a lot but I just don't think it's a top-10 contestor. Best album they've done in a while, though.
VOLA - Inmazes
Don't think I've managed to go through this whole thing yet. It's a bit too djent-y for my taste so I take it in bits and pieces, but it's got some great soundscapes going on which makes it worthy of listening to.
Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep Of Reason
What can I say? Just another Meshuggah album. Nothing more, nothing less.
Vektor - Terminal Redux
People have gone apeshit over this one but I personally just don't hear what's so great about it. "It sounds like Coroner". Hey, I love Coroner. This does not sound like Coroner!Maybe someday, though.
Destruction - Under Attack
I do like some of Destruction's works, both old and more recent, but this one was rather bland.
The Browning - Isolation
Like the case with Meshuggah - just another Browning album. Also somewhat arguable if it's really metal or not. I enjoyed it nonetheless. Just nothing extra ordinary about it.
Vicious Rumors - Concussion Protocol
The same case again - just another Vicious Rumors album (but it's good).
Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct
I've seen this on several lists already (no wonder). Some first spots as
expected as well, 'cause it's Metallica after all, you know? But in all
honesty though, when they announced this I didn't know what to expect. I
liked "Death Magnetic" (2008) but it wasn't awesome. However, I
do think they did a solid one with this album. A few tracks are kind of
"meh", but some others are really nice with a good variety, and
Thrash(y)tallica is always nostalgic and welcome to me, so...yeah.
Megadeth - Dystopia
I liked "United Abominations" (2007) a lot, and you know what? It was the last Megadeth album I liked a lot. This one is better than the previous two crappy outputs by MegaDave, but way overhyped and not nearly as good as all the fanboys make it out to be. The title-track was the best Megadeth song in years, though. Love that one!
Anthrax - For All Kings
Most disappointing album of the year for me. It just sounds boring to my ears. And for fuck's sake, can the new lead guitarist try to at least look happy on stage once in a while. The guy always looks like he despises being in the band. Joey sounds great, though.
Revocation - Great Is Our Sin
A solid release but they've done better ones. This one simply didn't make the list.
Denner / Shermann - Masters Of Evil
The first full-lenght release from these Danish guitar masters in quite a while. A satisfying album no doubt, but it does fall somewhat short in comparison the duo's previous works (I guess mostly because the vocals - we all want KD, obviously).
Oceans Of Slumber - Winter
This one's the coolest modern female-fronted metal I've heard in quite a while. Why didn't it make top-10? I guess I just enjoyed the actual top-10 a bit more.
Khemmis - Hunted
It's been many years since I last had a something of an interest in doom metal. Don't ask me why 'cause the riffs and sound are usually crushing, but I guess the slow tempo just bores me too much in the long run. You know, I'm a huge Black Sabbath fan so that's pretty much all the "doom" I need. I used to be a big Candlemass fan back in the day as well, but I haven't listened to them for ten years now. These guys, however, actually made doom metal kind of interesting to my ears again.
There are tons and tons more of metal records released this year. I haven't gone through an ounce of them all yet. If a record wasn't mentioned it's because;
It simply blew.
I forgot about it.
I haven't heard it at all.
It wasn't anything particular or noteworthy in my opinion.
Today I'm gonna be tackling ten of the most epic metal songs I know. By epic I don't necessarily mean in its literal sense, e.g. songs with lots of orchestral strings and huge soundscapes and whatnot. In my view, an "epic song" can mean it's just a huge, bombastic, great composition. Like the song is a journey, or has a great build-up which makes it moody and powerful.
Bear in mind, though... This is not a list of chronological order, nor a list of the "10 best". It's simply just a collection of ten favorite epic songs of mine. But why keep on draggin' this out, let's get started!
10. Power Trip - The Hammer Of Doubt
Probably the best riff-mad thrash/hardcore act out there today. This is the closer on the band's debut. Eerie intro with an old movie sample put in, riff fest, hardcore-thrashy breakdowns, and then a fading intro of just bliss. "Manifest Decimation", in-fucking-deed.
9. Bathory - Blood On Ice
Bathory, or Quorthon, didn't exactly fall short on epic numbers. Very much the opposite in fact. However, this one always was close to me. You can really the spirit of this song come to life.
8. Faith No More - The Real Thing
Although this excellent band is argubly most known for their song called "Epic", I as a fan always found many of their album tracks to be of better value. This is without a doubt my favorite FNM song. Pretty long, quite repetitive, but very powerful.
7. Jane's Addiction - Three Days
Probably not a song non-fans would recognize or associate this band with, but for fans this is not rarely their most ultimate track. "Three Days" has been said to be made of three songs put together, each of all describing one of three days which the band's lead singer experienced (I believe the album art also depicts this, but don't take my word for it).
6. Iron Maiden - Hallowed By Thy Name
Maiden certainly is another of those bands which doesn't fall short on epic songs. This is undeniably the most known classic epic piece from them, and for good reason.
5. Type O Negative - Love You To Death
A case of a song perhaps not being epic in its literal sense, but there's no other love song which is more powerful than this, in my opinion. This is truly one of my favorite songs of all time. Just listen, feel the build, and all the fucking whiney emos from ten years ago could only wish to make something as powerful, real and genuine as this. This, this is love and heartbreak truly put into music.
4. Devin Townsend - The Death Of Music
Closing Devin Townsend's first solo album, Ocean Machine, it's just a clear proof of what amazing talent this man would come to provide for the twenty years ahead (so far). It's a long and repetitive piece, but very powerful and emotional. The end game of it is just the epitome of epicness. This live clip only further proves it, as the man himself has goosebumps singing his own words. That's how epic this is.
3. Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath, one of the truly best bands of all time, if not the very best. The first album, the first song, the title track. No other band in history launched their musical career in a better way than Sabbath. This song is the birth of metal.
2. Amon Amarth - Embrace Of The Endless Ocean
I know a lot of people has got shit to say about this band, and quite frankly I don't care. I fucking love Amon Amarth! People do, however, seem to miss out on the greater tracks of theirs, only focusing on tracks which were made singles/into music videos. It makes me a bit angry with them, as this song is better than anything they ever put on video. My family descends from ancient swedes so maybe I am just biased, but I really feel the sorrowful yet courageous last journey of vikings in this.
1. Watain - Waters Of Ain
Without a doubt the most epic song of all time. No more words are needed.
Welcome to the first installment in my new series "In retrospect:". I will make a short career-spanning discography review of bands where I comment on every album they've done, or at least those albums which I know and listen to. So today I thought I was gonna start with a band that I am actually listening to a lot at the moment, and one of those bands are the old Bay Area thrash metallers Death Angel. I'm not gonna drag on any further, let's dig in!
1987 - "The Ultra-Violence"
The band's debut album is undeniably what most thrash metal listeners associate Death Angel with, and for good reason. This album is nothing but killer - it's legendary! The whole album is a non-stop thrash metal assault with simplistic but very effective riffing, and the production is just one of those perfect examples of where the production actually suits the music like a battle jacket on a headbanger. It's simply just one of the very best thrash metal albums ever made, and should be at least top-100 best metal albums of all time for any metalhead.
Favorite tracks: Thrasher, Mistress Of Pain, Final Death
1988 - "Frolic Through The Park"
A rather unintentionally controversial second album. This album has met a lot of criticism from fans, and critics as well (but who gives a fuck about what them tools think anyway), and perhaps a bit unfairly so. I mean, I personally don't like this album very much, never did, but that's also after hearing their debut album first. I mean, they really peaked with the debut and I imagine it was hard writing, recording and releasing an album (just as good) in just one year after the debut. It's not really a bad album, but it's rather too tame and not nearly as memorable as the debut.
Favorite tracks: Bored, 3rd Floor, Guilty Of Innocence
1990 - "Act III"
The bands third and last album for a long while before their reunion. Now this album partially picks up where the last left off, but it's also a natural progression for the band. Here we get to hear that Death Angel obviously is a constantly evolving band and that is something I can totally respect. However, just like the previous album, this one tends to fall a bit short in quality and interest compared to the debut.
Now, to be fair, this album is a lot more diverse and experimental than the debut, fusing together funk riffing with the thrash, and even having an acoustic ballad. It's a complete different album, but still I always felt this album left much to be desired. Some songs are just too boring, but I am a big fan of Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Mordred, so the funk elements are a welcome refreshment to my ears.
Favorite tracks: Seemingly Endless Time, Stagnant, Discontinued
1994 - "The Organization" (BONUS)
After Death Angel split up around 1991 or so, all the guys except for lead vocalist Mark Osegueda went on to form The Organization, an alternative/funky metal band named after a song on DA's last album. Since it still basically is Death Angel without Mark's voice (the other guys sang regularly as well), it's kind of what I imagine the band would do after Act III. It feels like a natural progression and I actually like this one more than Death Angel's last two albums (up till that point). They did a second album before splitting this project up as well, but I've never managed to track down and/or hear that one.
Favorite tracks: Free Burning, Policy, Bringer, The Past
2004 - "The Art Of Dying"
The band's comeback album. This is the album I know the least so I can't perhaps give a completely justifying opinion on it, but from what I can say this is basically a thrashier continuation of where the last album left off. The reason why I don't know this album that well is simply because it doesn't appeal that much to me, to be honest. The few times I listened to it it felt a bit run-of-the-mill.
Favorite tracks: The Devil Incarnate, Spirit
2008 - "Killing Season"
This album and the previous one kind of remind of that Frolic to Act III scenario all over again, where non of the two are really anything that special, but at least the latter is an improvement from the former one. This album did raise my hopes for the future a bit, and I think this is an overall better album and where the band is starting to find itself again.
Before this album, some members left the "family business" that used to be Death Angel (everybody was cousins), and in came some fresh and unrelated blood. I don't know what went down in the band or why some of the guys left, but musically I find it to be a good thing. With this album I think that Death Angel really returned, and this is finally the closest album quality-wise to The Ultra-Violence. With that said, this is by no means TUV pt. II, it has a different and more modern thrash sound going on, but it's fucking kick ass!
Favorite tracks: Claws In So Deep, Truce, This Hate, Opponents At Side
2013 - "The Dream Calls For Blood"
The band's follow-up to Relentless Retribution had left me torn between high hopes and fear that the band would once again come to a "Frolic scenario", but no, the band did not let me down. For the first time in the band's career, I think they actually managed to follow up a great album with an even slightly better one. This album is kind of similar to the previous one, but a bit heavier and better I believe. I don't know if this tops TUV, but if I would ever play it to death, then I'll always have this one to call my favorite instead. They also did a kick-ass cover of Black Sab's "Heaven And Hell" where Mark really gets to shine with his great stronger-than-ever vocals.
Favorite tracks: Left For Dead, The Dream Calls For Blood, Execution / Don't Save Me, Succubus
2016 - "The Evil Divide"
The band's new album released merely two weeks ago (of this date today, obviously) and the third album with the "new" line-up. While probably being sliiightly less to my taste than the previous album, this one is still really good and a solidification that Death Angel is in grate shape and one of the best old school thrash acts still left in the game. This album also once again slightly differs from the previous efforts, embracing a bit more of the modern metal sounds. Actually, this in a bit of hardcore influences here and there and is at times reminiscent of (the awesome) Chimaira's Resurrection album, which was also produced by Death Angel's now long-time producer Jason Suecof, so perhaps that is not too far fetched. I have very high hopes for Death Angel's future!
Favorite tracks: The Moth, Father Of Lies, It Can't Be This, Wasteland (The Mission cover)
Yo everybody! I've been listening to a lot of stuff lately, particularly thrash metal, and I've been thinking a lot of how some bands are really overrated. Particularly in thrash there are many bands to be found that meet that criteria. I'm sure you're already on to a few of those which I'm about to talk about. But instead of dragging my shit any further, let's start looking the actual overrated metal bands (of all styles).
***Just note***This list doesn't necessarily intend to make these bands appear as bad ones. Just overrated in some kind of sense, which I will also describe in their descriptions respectively.
***Extra note***If you xpected to see some shitty band that is missing, then maybe it's just so shitty that I simply don't listen to it altogether. Examples: Limb Bizkit, FFDP, Slipknot, etc.
10. Iron Maiden
To start off this list I'll go with my very first favorite band in metal. Now, Iron Maiden is awesome, most of us agree on that, but many of us also cannot deny the fact that they're very, very repetitive. I mean, how many galloping bass lines can you make songs out of? Many, apparently. Also, let me just point out that my favorite songwriter in Maiden is Adrian Smith.
9. Sepultura
Another great band ... until "Roots" came along. I absolutely love Sepultura pre-"Chaos A.D." and post-"Kairos", but most of those records in between there were not at all my kind of metal, and my opinion says that I don't understand how "Roots" (in particular) could become so popular.
8. Van Halen
An absolutely amazing quartet of musicians, both the Van Roth and Van Hagar eras, although I never ever liked the Van Hagar era. I listened a lot to these guys during my first few years as a headbanger, and while they're perhaps not that "metal", they still apply to us metalheads, I believe. But what happened is that they did an awesome debut record, and went straight downhill after that. The other David Lee Roth-fronted albums all had a few songs each of interest, but not really that much worthy of noting (although the musicianship was always great).
7. Kreator
Three words plus one equals? "Pleasure To Kill" = awesome. I love that record. The one before it, the debut, was pretty okey as well. However, after PTK I just don't know what the fuck happened. I just find the rest of their stuff to be very boring thrash. Also, "Extreme Aggression" is one of those classic examples of what kind of sound/production a metal record should not have. It just strips away all the weight from the music. It's supposed to sound heavy, right? Well, it fucking doesn't.
6. Morbid Angel
Much like the Kreator of death metal to me. "Altars Of Madness", of course, is an awesome classic. After that I just thought they lost it. I know many people like a few more records they did, but I just don't think they could ever match the success of their debut ever again.
5. Metallica
"Oh, what an obvious choice!", I can hear you thinking. Well, people are right about Metallica being overrated. Partially. Their first four are fucking awesome, I will always love them. However, post-"...And Justice For All" they've been most mediocre or outright bad. I mean, I understand why people love the first four albums, but that's not enough to make them as big as they indeed are. So yes, they are one of the most overrated metal bands. Plain and simple.
4. Sodom
Oooo, now I'm starting to invade on dangerous territory. I am very well aware of how much appreciated Sodom are with metal fans, but I simply could never really understand the fuzz about them. I found it even harder after hearing "Agent Orange", their perhaps most loved and well-known record, because to me it just sounds like a manifest of stolen riffs. I can hear Megadeth, Sacred Reich and other stuff in that. They just never came along as very original to me. With that said there still are some stuff I appreciate, like "Tapping The Vein" for instance. That one is pretty cool.
3. Exodus
Now I'm slowly conquering just about every thrasher's closed-minded ego here. If any band on this list were plain out bad, then that one band certainly is Exodus. I can honestly say that I've never ever understood what so many people see in their music. To me, they just sound so goddamn fucking boring. Unimaginative riffs, uninspired songs, and worst of all are the extremely cartoonish B-rate vocals a'la Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth (Overkill) style.All I can say whenever I hear Steve "Zetro" Souza, at least in Exodus (he was pretty good in Tenet), is "thank Satan that Testament got Chuck Billy instead". I honestly did not even think that the widely acclaimed "Bonded By Blood" album was anything special. Thanks but no thanks, Exodus.
2. Slayer
And now I've officially pissed off every metal around the world. Well, honestly, I know I don't have. I actually think it's relatively common to see metalheads express their distaste for Slayer these days. Not that I don't like 'em, fuck no, I love Slayer! Don't get me wrong, they're fucking awesome! I especially love the "Hell Awaits" album, but everything up till "Divine Intervention" is very good, really. It's just that they lost their steam after that, and there are so many other bands that do or did a similar thing to what Slayer did, but even better. I mean, "Reign In Blood" is by far the most overrated thing about Slayer. Ever heard Dark Angel's "Darkness Descends" album, or Kreator's "Pleasure To Kill"? Pretty much the same thing, only way better, and both of those were (also) released in 1986. Catch my drift? Very good band, just not that good.
1. Nirvana
And the crowned king of this list is none other than the grunge kings Nirvana. I'll admit that I at one point in time did listen to them, a bit (like five songs), when I was like 12 (I am almost 26 now). As I grew up, however, they sound like nothing but children's or angsty teens' "punk" rock to my ears. I'm not overly too fond of grunge otherwise either, but I do love Alice in Chains in particular, and I enjoy listening to some earlier Soundgarden and Mother Love Bone as well. But Nirvana? No. Once again, they're not really a metal band, but since grunge is generally affiliated with metal and its fans, I chose to include (and crown) them for this list.
...
I hope you enjoyed this list. Remember, this is just my opinion. It doesn't mean shit to you, just like yours means shit to me. But it can be fun to share and discuss. Well, this is my invitation to discussion, agreement or disagreement.
Hello, it's been a while! I've been a little busy for the last few months. It was my birthday back in October, and pretty much everyone else I know has got their birthdays during fall as well. My music has changed yet again, too. Right now it's some thrash nostalgia roaring out of my speakers on a daily basis. Back in 2006 I used to be a hardcore 80's thrash fan - not just the big 4, but everybody else too. I used to listen so much to all those old classics, known as obscure, and I thought it would be fun to actually list like my ten favorite thrash records of all time, so I'm gonna give it a try even though it'll be fucking hard... I will also only choose one album per band that will represent them the best from my personal taste.
Oh well, here goes:
#10: Mordred - In This Life (1991)
I was unsure about including this one. It's one of my all-time favorite records, but as much as it's thrash, it's equally as much funk and rap metal. This album is kind of a Faith No More and (the) Red Hot Chili Peppers meet Bay Area-thrash sounding product, which alienated many closed-minded thrash fans back in the day. I love it though, but I leave it here at the last spot to focus on the more "pure" thrash masterpieces further down.
#9: Metallica - Ride The Lightning (1984)
Yeah, I tried avoiding Metallica to not appear as "too obvious", but let's be real here: I can't deny the fact that they actually were fucking awesome back in the day. They, along with Megadeth and Slayer, were basically the soundtrack of my life during 2004-2006. This was always my favorite album of theirs, even though I later fell in total love with "...And Justice For All". This was the perfect middle-step between to other awesome albums, bringing the best of what was on "Kill 'em All", and the best of what was yet to come on "Master Of Puppets". I always thought James sounded best vocally on this one as well.
This is like my old girlfriend of 2006. I listened to this non-stop after discovering it and the band as a whole. Back then I'd most likely place this as my number one record of all time, and I think I even did that everywhere back then. However, as the years went one I broke-up with it to try on other metal genres and bands, but I still listen to it now and then. Even though it's not really what it used to be for me, it's undeniably an immortal classic that I will have in my thrash heart forever, and if nothing else, it will also be the ultimate album associated with the memories of the 15-16-year-old me.
#7: Overkill - Horrorscope (1991)
With many awesome classics before this one, and many great fucking albums after this one, it's hard to choose one, but this is the one. This was my first Overkill record and I bought it spontaneously. That turned out to be a great call for me! This album is as perfect as it gets with Overkill, I suppose. The tunes are all great with intense energy and thrashiness. It always gets me going. I also totally dig what they did with many tunes here, some examples being "Bare Bones" with it's haunting piano intro building into an epic kick-ass opening to the song itself, the slow and heavy title-track with some neat fucking bass guitar, and the ballad-esque "Soulitude" which is just amazing. An album perfect for moshing!
#6: Sepultura - Beneath The Remains (1989)
Back in late 2006 and early 2007, Sepultura was one of my absolute favorite bands (they still are). I bought their albums in the same order as they came out, starting with "Morbid Visions" and the "Bestail Devastation" EP. It was good and all, but when I heard "Schizophrenia" I was sold! I did not think it could get any better after that, and then I bought this one. Damn. This album is a pure Brazilian thrash assault that I used as a major influence in my drum practicing. Igor Cavalera just got better and better with each album, and this album was to much help for me back then. Now after all these years, with some of them favoring "Arise", I have gone back to this one which is my favorite Sep-album. I love everything about it - the riffs, drums, vocals, energy, sound/production, album cover - everything!
#5: Cro-Mags - Best Wishes (1989)
Originally a NYC hardcore band, Cro-Mags evolved into a thrashy band on their second album. Think a little like an east-coast version of Suicidal Tendencies - darker, dirtier, angrier, more hardcore. This album in particular of theirs is a very cool mix of that New York City hardcore punk mixed with traditional NWoBHM, essentially resulting in a thrash metal album. This album is very much "alive" in its sound, with that raw hardcore-punk energy certainly being present at all times, which gives this album a real good punch-y thrash sound. I also love the guitar and drum sound on this one. It's fat and heavy. Very good album that every thrash fan should have.
#4: Coroner - No More Color (1989)
One of the few well-noticed European thrash bands back in the day, Coroner from Switzerland was what most thrashers called "technical thrash metal", or "tech thrash". I love what they did with their sound, which certainly is unique compared to most other thrash acts. All of their five albums are masterpieces in their own right to my ears, but this one is my most favorite one. The songs here are just perfect in both sound and style, with great riffing, shredding and composing. This album always works perfectly for me when the Bay Area-sound comes in too much at once.
#3: Dark Angel - Darkness Descends (1986)
I don't think that there is a thrash album out there that I've given more rightful credit than this one. Released in the golden thrash year of 1986, this is the real "Reign In Blood", or rather what that album has been wrongfully acclaimed for. In my opinion, this album takes the same concept (extremely fast thrash songs) but just does it so many times better. This album is very fast, at times even faster than RIB, but with full-length tunes, and actually more than two good ones. This one even has got an eight-minute epic called "Black Prophecies" with some great drum fills by my favorite drummer Gene "The Atomic Clock" Hoglan. This album is pure speed-thrash, if I may call it that, in true perfection!
#2: Testament - The New Order (1988)
Testament, my overall favorite thrash band, has made a lot of great records during their career, so it's hard choosing an album of theirs as the definite favorite. This has to be it, though. The first song I ever heard with Testament was "Trial By Fire", my favorite Testament tune since then, and the whole album is heavy, thrashing and hauntingly dark in its atmosphere. I just find it an extremely solid metal masterpiece. I was totally sold on their stuff after hearing this album in its full, and still I find it the most relevant record song-wise when I listen to several of my favorite Testa-tunes in one run.
#1: Anthrax - Persistence Of Time (1990)
I had a hard time actually choosing between this one and "Spreading The Disease", which pretty much is equal in quality to me. I ultimately chose this one because it's more technical and musically interesting, and I'm more influenced by this as a musician than I am by STD. This one also shows that Anthrax was very capable of making long and (more) complex tunes, without losing any energy and quality. Songs like "In My World", "Time", "Belly Of The Beast", and "Discharge" have been played a lot of times throughout the years at my place. I just never get tired of this masterpiece album! Oh, and they also recorded their cover of "Bring The Noize" during this album's recording sessions, which shows even more that they had evolved so much through the 80's.
Overkill have always been one of those thrash bands that to me, never released any bad albums. Sure there were a few that obviously wasn't as good as the others, but never an album I felt "what the fuck is this shit?" about. Though it seems like the band had their peek during the eighties and early nineties, like most thrash bands, Overkill seem to have gotten a new peek in recent years. Ironbound was a bomb that got dropped in 2010, a thrash album every true fan of the genre had wanted for a long time. The Electric Age is no exception two years later as the band is in the middle of a nuclear war, it seems!
Since its release I've had the time to go through it a bunch of times and it sure is one solid piece of metal music! While unfortunately most other big thrash bands today put out mediocre albums, Overkill really do the opposite. I think it shows in albums sales / popularity as well. When the album kicks in with "Come And Get It" my first thought was "is this Megadeth?". It sounds like something Megadeth should've done, but did not. It's a very great opening track that shows what this album is like. After the Megadeth-like opening the song kicks into traditional Overkill style, but the song has one more big surprise ahead! The middle section turns into a sort of marching thing reminiscent of many great eighties heavy metal bands. Throughout the whole album there actually is an Iron Maiden-feel in particular songs, so think classic Overkill meets Megadeth cirka 2007-2009 meets Iron Maiden. Next song to go is the lead single "Electric Rattlesnake" - a catchy, fun, and to-be live staple kind of tune. As the album continues we hear "Black Daze", a mid-paced song that also is very catchy and reminds me a little of Megadeth's "In My Darkest Hour". "Drop The Hammer Down" is a given to-be fan favorite and the ending track "Good Night" stands for this album's most "ballad" like tune, which is a very common and great thing Overkill have on most of their albums. It's very catchy and I sure only hope the song doesn't point at that this could be the last Overkill album. In between all these stick-outs there are some very solid and good Overkill album, though maybe not of lead single-caliber?
The album sound continues in a similar vein to Ironbound but the songs are overall shorter and not as progressive. Think that this is a stripped-down, more straight to the point Ironbound version and I think you've got the idea. I think this was a great move by the band as another "that" progressive album maybe wouldn't have matched its predecessor. Instead Overkill take the energy and quality of Ironbound and put it into a more "classic Overkill album" style.
In conclusion this album was both very surprising and not. It was surprising that the band managed to do an equally good album after the awesome Ironbound, but at the same time it's not surprising as I imagine that the band got really fired up by the great response Ironbound got. In the end this album shows that Overkill are in a new peek in their career and I feel a need to mosh and drink beer while listening to it. I raise my fist in honor of Overkill for succeeding once again, with hope that there will be more albums of this caliber in the near future!
I feel pretty secure when I say that Overkill will most likely be the winners in 2012!
Final rating: 9.5/10
Listen to album for free with Spotify! Listening with Spotify gives the band money while it's free for you!
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-706938-1467824377-1932.jpeg.jpg)
:format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-996318-1312155565.jpeg.jpg)
