Entry 546 - Pa Vesh En - Martyrs

 

Style: Raw black metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: Murder, suffering, inhuman torture, depths of despair, true horror, false hope

Thoughts: Many musicians claim to have mastered the art dark atmospheres, inhuman soundscapes, and feelings of dread. Very few to make that claim come even close to the darkness that they ascribe to make with their music. When an artist does manage to move me with the darkness in their music, it's truly rare.

Pa Vesh En is an artist I know little to nothing about. The music has been allowed to speak for itself. I sincerely hope that the minds behind the project never made any statement regarding the atmosphere of their music; or about the sense of terror and dread that emanate through singular moment of Martyrs.  The album is a masterwork of atmosphere and degeneracy. 

The moment the record starts I am immediately scared for my life. The music has a murderous atmosphere.  It sounds like someone is going to die. Someone. Will. Lose. Their. Life. 

The music wraps around me like a deep veil of smog would in a dark alley at night. I I have no sense of direction or know what is up or down anymore. All I know is that I have to get out... I HAVE TO GET OUT. This is a dangerous atmosphere, it's terrorizing on a primal level. This is beyond dread, this is beyond being frightened... this is terror. Pure. Unadulterated. Terror.

I don't know of any other artist that does raw black metal with this atmosphere nearly as well. The obscurity of the music is assisted so much by the lack of clarity in the instrumentation and the vocals. It all blends together and creates more confusion... more terror. It's magnificent. 

There are a couple of moments towards the end of the album where things take unexpected turns. Like an orchestral section, or the even stranger shift to a major key for a few bars. These moments only add to the chaos that is going on. Why in the midst of all this darkness and chaos would you make moments of such beauty? Hope? False hope? I don't think I'll ever know. 

Pa Vesh En is an artist I found last year. I didn't know it at the time but this project has quickly become one of my favorite black metal acts. The atmosphere, the true darkness, and the ability to tap into the primal emotions of trepidation, panic, and extreme fear is second to none.

Written August 27th 2023

Entry 545 - Sequestered Keep - Wandering Far

 

Style: Classic dungeon synth

Primary Emotions/Themes: Wandering through ancient ruins, exploring epic landscapes

Thoughts: Classic dungeon synth takes me to a better place. It recalls events from my youth that I remember fondly and takes me on adventures like no other genre can. Running through the foothills of the local mountains. Creating forts in places that no one else knew about. Getting lost and magically finding trails to lead me back home. It was a magical time.

One of my good friends recently said that Sequestered Keep is the perfect music to play Dungeons and Dragons to. I agree with them fully. The music is simple, yet captivating. It conjures images of vast landscapes, rich mountainsides, and grand adventure.

Like any good dungeon synth project Sequestered Keep uses keyboards that provide what I can only call a "Casio keyboard" feel. It feels like a synthesizer through and through, yet somehow in those cheesy tones and composition the beauty of the Casio sound comes through. 

The lack of refinement in the keyboards is what takes me back. Dungeon synth knows exactly what it is, and it doesn't try to hid behind huge synthesized orchestras, or samples that try to make the music more grand than it is. It fully embraces the terrible sounding attempts to sound like strings, horns, and choirs and works them into the music like no other genre can. 

Sequestered keep is one of the better classic dungeon synth outfits active these days. Each of the albums released has been to my liking, with Wandering Far being towards the top of that list. I know whenever I drop the needle I'm going to be in for a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Written August 27th 2023

Entry 544 - Adaestuo - Krew Za Krew

 

Style: Black metal, dark ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: Darkness, insanity, repetitive meditation

Thoughts: Every so often you come across a band by pure chance. A cover looks interesting at a record shop. An album title seems intriguing. Or you simply stumble upon it from some unknown source. Adaestuo is one such band for me - they entered my collection on pure chance.

Krew Za Krew is essentially a dark ambient album with several lengthy black metal segments. The metal segments are repetitive and seek to put the listener into a state of hypnotic meditation. The riffs cycle over each other creating a mysterious atmosphere conducive to getting lost in the whirlwind.

In-between these lengthy riffs are passages where middle eastern instruments are played alongside dark atmospheres and excellent haunting vocals provided by Hekte Zaren. Her vocal range is impressive. She can wail and howl like the fiercest of daemons. She can sing and croon haunting tones that fit perfectly in the darker moments of the album. Her addition to the music is not only a boon, it is the essential pillar to the sound achieved on this album.

While the basic description of Adaestuo's music is rather simple, the effect it has on me is quite complex. I found myself listening to the music contained on this record multiple times and getting lost in its hypnotic sway. Sometimes those meditations led me to a wonderful place of revelation. Other times places of deep terror and dread. 

Krew Za Krew is an album that ends up being more of an experience than a collection of songs. The individual tracks are decent on their own, but when put together the album takes on a different character. One where we are not only challenged to listen to the music, but also reflect on the world around us as well as that which lies within.

Written August 26th 2023

Entry 543 - Nurse With Wound - Live at Bar Maldoror

 

Style: Noise, ambient, field recordings, avant-garde

Primary Emotions/Themes: Confusion, randomness, questioning what is music and what is not, unease, deeply disturbed

Thoughts: This album is one of the strangest recordings I have ever heard. It's a collection of noises, tones, random assortments of drones, howling vocals, wind chimes, animals, and probably anything and everything else that could possibly be scrounged together to create this monstrosity. 

Seriously what. the. fuck. is going on in this album? Nurse With Wound has always been one of the stranger acts on the planet, but even their typical tomfoolery is outdone on this live album.

Do you like random farm animal noises played over steel on steel banging with overwhelming feedback in the background? Got you covered. Do you like silence that is pierced by howling female vocals that sound like they are getting impaled by count Vlad (I seriously wonder if Diamanda Galas did vocals on this part)? The second LP here is right up your alley. What about a tool box filled with thousands of tools being spilled out over a garage floor the size of an aircraft hanger and echoes so much that the feedback loops in on itself? You guessed it, this is the album for you!

I have no idea what to think of this album. There is experimental music that goes off the deep end. There is avant-garde music that pushes the boundaries of what can be called music and structure. There are artists that will play whatever comes to mind and manipulate the sound until it is completely unrecognizable. All of those things are conventional compared to Nurse With Wound.

If there is one thing that is consistent in NWW's output, its that it sounds like nothing else on the planet, and it is creepy as all get out. The atmosphere on Bar Maldoror is always unsettling, always unnerving, and always designed to keep the listener on edge. If that is your thing, then this is absolutely the album you have been searching for. Just watch out for the bagpipes on your way out.

Written August 24th 2023

Entry 542 - Marshstepper - Live at Berline Atonal

 

Style: Noise, ambient, field recordings, harsh noise, industrial

Primary Emotions/Themes: Confusion, a feeling of being lost in an unknown place, crippling fear, peace and calm in a turbulent maelstrom

Thoughts: Where am I? What are all these noises? What is happening? Who is screaming? Why I am in so much pain? Why does everything hurt? Please make it stop. 

What is this? Why is it so peaceful? Why do I feel so content? Who created this wonderful place? What happened to all the pain? 

All of these thoughts went through my head as I put myself in the shoes of someone who would be experiencing the horrors and the beauty of the sonic creations of Marshstepper as reality. This live set has some of both the harshest and most beautiful moments I've heard in music in the past few months. All within a few minutes of each other.

Utter violence on the ears followed by soothing sounds so deeply calming that they encourage sleep.  There is nothing in-between, there is only pain or peace. 

As for if this is music or not, I don't really know. What this live set is though is far more memorable on a primal level than any catchy song or any musical hook. This works it's way into your base emotions and meets you on a visceral level. That on its own makes it far more interesting to listen to than most music I own.

Written August 26th 2023

Entry 541 - Lycus - Chasms

 

Style: Doom metal, funeral doom, death metal, dissonant death metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: The caverns in the center of the earth, deep dark spaces, brooding, short violent outbursts

Thoughts: Lycus specialize in highly atmospheric cavernous death metal played at a funeral doom pace with short bursts of blinding speed. That is a highly specific description of their sound and I'm not sure I can think of another band that plays exactly in this style. 

Chasms is an aptly titled album. It sounds like it was recorded in a cave... scratch that, it sounds like it was recorded in a chasm. It echoes and contorts the sound until it reverberates into nothingness. This can be a monstrous death metal riff with barbarous vocals, or it can be a peaceful violin interlude played in the midst of these lengthy songs. Both approaches, while different, sound like they are intimately linked due to the bands production and approach.

The album has four songs, each roughly around 10 minutes in length. While each song have their own highlights, the album could essentially be one long song. There is a lot of variation in the individual tracks, but the overall feel and atmosphere is incredibly consistent. This is a bit of a double edged sword. 

While the quality of the album is consistently high, there are very few moments that truly stand out for each individual song. The aforementioned violin interludes are always welcome, as are the blasting moments in two of the songs. Other than that though the album feels like a collection of slow, monolithic riffs. This is not inherently a bad thing, but for the life of me it's hard to remember much of the album outside of the quieter or louder parts. It's consistent for better and worse.

Lycus have a cool and unique thing going on with this album. I'm going to come back to it after some time to see if any of the funeral doom parts stand out any more to me. As it stands though the classical instrumentation, blasting sections and wonderful interludes make this album worth keeping.

Written on August 24, 2023

Entry 540 - Dishonored

 

Style: Video game music, minimalist ambient, modern classical

Primary Emotions/Themes: Isolation, betrayal, revenge, calculated rage, creepy

Thoughts: Dishonored is a game that has a special place for me. I really enjoy games that give me freedom on how to achieve an objective. Ever since System Shock, there has been a combination of first person shooters and RPG's that I absolutely adore. This genre would move to the next level with Deus Ex. After the pinnacle though there was little to be said for the genre... until Dishonored.

I was introduced to the game by a close friend who is no longer with us. It's a hugely important game for me for several reasons. It marked the return of the style of game I enjoyed so much. With that came huge waves of nostalgia. Not only because of the wonderful game itself, but also the memories that come with long lost friendships. It's bitter sweet. 

The music in Dishonored is something special. It's so simple, yet so incredibly immersive, it balances the line between demanding attention and blending in perfectly with the games actions. The game does this in many ways, but primarily through the clever use of ambient composition techniques in classical instrumentation.

The music itself is incredibly eerie and borders on diving into a deep darkness. There are sparse melodies played on piano, strings and sometimes through electronic instrumentation. Most of the melodies never draw much attention to themselves, merely existing to deepen a specific mood or emotion. This combined with a healthy amount of reverb on the instruments, gives the music a bit of an otherworldly feel.

While the music has more going on than a typical ambient record, the overall effect is very similar. The music is designed to amplify its surroundings without drawing the listeners attention away from the primary task at hand - that is playing the game. In their own context though, the music is quite excellent and does not require the accompaniment of the game to be enjoyed.

These more reflective tracks are not the only type of music found within the 40 minutes of the soundtrack however. There are combat tracks that rely heavily on percussion to drive a sense of urgency. There are several vocal tracks ranging from the excellent closing piece to an utterly creepy song sung by children playing. There is just enough variety in the soundtrack to keep the listener engaged throughout.

I'm not sure I've adequately described the music on Dishonored and just how good it is. This soundtrack stands on its own musically to the point where I bought a five LP boxed set specifically for this one record. The game is quite a few years old at this point and the genre RPG/Shooter genre (also known as immersive sim) has had quite a few games since Dishonored. None of them though quite captured the feeling of nostalgia that this game did for me though, and the music is a huge part of that.

Written August 26th 2023

Entry 539 - Demilich - Nespithe

Style: Death Metal

Primary Emotions/Themes: Death, cosmos, beings greater than oneself, cosmic chaos

Thoughts: Something magical was happening in the early 90's. Death metal and black metal were newly formed genres and both had an anything goes mentality. There were no rules, no traditions that mandated they be followed (though you could argue that black metal already had several traditions forming). 

Death metal in particular was in a remarkable place. So many albums came out with incredibly unique ideas. Some of those ideas would never be able to be replicated.  Nespithe has been hugely influential in death metal's sound and no other album has quite matched the uniqueness that it brings. Demilich struck gold, caught lightning in a bottle... they created a near perfect death metal album.

The music is utterly and completely insane. The riffs do whatever the hell they want and never let up. One riff will sound like a collection of notes seemingly having to do with each other. The very next riff will pummel the listener into the ground with it's heaviness only to change at the turn of a hat to a blast beat driven onslaught. That's all within 30 seconds.  

The drums are similarly crazy. They accent the music perfectly and change as quickly as the riffs do. Nespithe needs a drum performance that can change at a moments notice, be completely unhinged, yet completely in control at all points. Anything less would ruin it.

And then there are the vocals... Antti's vocals are not of this earth. I've heard low vocals before, but not like this. This is something akin to a tectonic plate moving against another and the low rumble it makes as they clash together. It's just as insane as the rest of the album, as if it could be anything else.

Nespithe is a unique gem in the world of death metal. Often imitated, never duplicated. The pinnacle of Finnish death metal, and one of the finest representations of the genre.

Written August 22nd 2023

Entry 538 - Alex - X

 

Style: Synthwave, EDM, touches of ambient

Primary Emotions/Themes: Brooding, mystery, urban

Thoughts: Synthwave is a tough genre for me. When it's good it is truly excellent. The problem is that it is rarely excellent. So much of the genre repeats the same themes over and over. It's hard to find something that stands out. That's where X comes in.

Instead of blasting beats, saxophones and retrorave aesthetics dripping form every note, Alex takes quite a different approach on X. The music has a pulse to it, it fades in and out of existence much the same way a heart beat drives the human body through life.

While the music is predominantly beat driven like almost all synthwave is, where X distinguishes itself is how it executes that beat. The music phases in and out in both volume and intensity. Each note fades in and then decays out within a few seconds. Repeat this over the course of several instruments in unison and a beat that matches the throbbing intimatly and you have what gives X life, and it's unique identity. 

The result of this is more than just the sense of life it gives to the music. It also gives X a more subtle and subdued feel than most other entries into the genre. With the music pulsing as it does, many of the details that would normally be thrust right into your face are pushed into the background. This grabs my attention more as I'm curious about what the music is doing as it fades in and out of existence. 

Not every song has this "pulsing" sense to it, but enough of the album does for me to call it the defining characteristic of X. There are your standard straight forward bangers that you would expect on a synthwave album, including an excellent vocal driven one at the end of side A. The thing is, it's not every song, it's not the only thing the album has to offer. By creating diversity, Alex has moved the album from generic to extra-ordinary.

Written August 22nd 2023

Entry 537 - Foglord - Celestial

 

Style: Dungeon synth, ambient, astral synth

Primary Emotions/Themes: the glory of the night sky, reflection, immersion amongst the stars, reflecting on how small one truly is

Thoughts: Few albums capture the entirety of the music within one word. Fewer still have that word as the title of the album. Foglord has achieved both of these with Celestial.

Dungeon synth meets ambient meets the night sky. This is the essence of everything Celestial has to offer. Is it samey? Yes to some degree, but there also is not much music like this that I'm aware of. The two counteract each other well. If I want to listen to some starry ambience delivered in the medium of dungeon synth, I know exactly where to go.

This is best listened to at night, preferably outdoors while in nature and looking at the night sky. The music contained in these two records embodies what it means to be floating in a sea of stars. Swept away by the bright and gentle tones produced by the Foglord.

No matter the song - be it the short two minute interludes, or the epic 10 minute main course - each song works together towards a singular goal. It serves to bring the listener into a meditative state, to reflect on oneself and one's place within this vast universe. A step back if you will. For just a few moments... a few moments to help put all life's trivial matters into perspective.

The album utilizes variations on a theme to generate its Celestial tone. Some tracks have airy and bright synth pads that gently guide the listener through waves of bliss. Others utilize more traditional melodies. Be it played by harpsichord or piano, they all drive the sense of peace and meditation similarly. At no point is the focus lost on Celestial, the album's theme is kept consistent throughout its hour long runtime.

This is my first experience with Foglord, and it's been a pleasant one. This is not a masterwork in dungeon synth, but it doesn't need to be. It's a wonderful reflective album that begs the listener to slow down and take in the night in all it's glory. 

Written August 22nd 2023

Entry 536 - The Microgram - Give it Some Time

 

Style: Ambient, dreampunk, beats

Primary Emotions/Themes: Mystery, urban ambience, solitude, introspection, peace

Thoughts: Looking forward, the only thing visible is an abandoned walkway drenched in the cities shroud of night. A gentle rain has given everything a small sheen, a tender glimmer. Small reflections of the surrounding areas begin to appear as the rain's effect deepens.

Traversing the walkway, the sounds of the city begin to work their way into my subconscious mind. The distant sounds of cars driving on the water filled streets fill the silence. Rain continues to pour down and beings to partially obscure my vision.  As time passes it becomes harder to truly tell what lies in the distance. Only upon closer inspection are the details revealed... the exact same feelings amass within me as I listen to the excellent Give it Some Time.

Dreampunk is a sub-genre of either ambient or vaporwave, depending on who you ask. It is generally considered to be an urban genre that focuses strongly on dreamlike soundscapes. The Microgram's take on the genre takes the soundscapes and adds a few beats, and sparse melodies. This is all wrapped up in the impenetrable fog that results in a wall of sound. The music is so incredibly thick that it is difficult to focus on any one aspect without the others quickly overwhelming the senses again.

Give it Some Time is more than just droning dreamscapes however. There is life interwoven into these songs. There is a spark found within the melodies and the ambience that gives the music that "it" factor that is lacking in so many recordings. The music shines as it progresses, it draws me in and begs me to stay.

The one sticking point I have with the album is the artwork. It looks like it is from the disco era, and does nothing to promote the music within. It's hardly representative of the excellent ambience that is in the grooves. For a genre where the visual aspect is often thought of as important as the audio components, this is a strong disconnect.

Cover aside Give it Some Time is one of the better entries into the dreampunk microgenre. It's concise, but packs every minute with as much impact as possible. I can't just spin this record one time when it hits the turntable. It's always 2-3 times before it goes back into the stacks. Every visit is a pleasant one, and every stay leaves fond memories.

Written August 21st 2023

Entry 535 - Stilz - Judicator

 

Style: Synthwave

Primary Emotions/Themes: Urban life, lawlessness, science fiction, retrofuturism

Thoughts: Very few albums sound exactly like their cover. Fewer yet channel the same energy as the cover as well as Judicator does. 

Judicator is synthwave. It's not just that it's part of the genre of synthwave, it is the absolute essence of synthwave. It embodies everything that I love about the genre, meets every single expectation I have when I listen to it. 

Take science fiction, mix it with a healthy dose of 80's anime, and add in a touch of retrofuturism and you get Judicator. It feels like the soundtrack to just about any 80's futuristic anime that deal with mecha or cyborgs. It's straight forward, well executed synthetic music who's primary purpose is to drive everything forward. It eliminates anything in it's path when challenged. Exactly like the cover would predict.

The music has two sides: a lighter, more airy/ambient side with smooth beats and pleasant melodies. The other side can get downright filthy, and these are my favorite parts. The melodies are still catchy but when the bass comes in it tears right through the air and straight into your gut. This effect hits primal emotions in me and brings out about every base emotion I'm capable of. 

Judicator was one of my first synthwave albums, and I hit the jackpot with it. I didn't know it at the time but this would eventually become one of my favorite synthwave albums. I still hold it up as a prime example of what the genre is years later, and will continue to do so for years to come.

Entry 534 - Alcest - Spiritual Instinct

 

Style: Black metal, blackgaze, post-black metal, atmospheric black metal

Primary Emotions: Spirituality, ethereal, feelings of things greater than oneself, the harshness of nature

Thoughts: Alcest has a spotty history with me. They are at their best when they are closer to black metal than not. I find the pure shoegaze albums like Shelter are not to my liking. Something about the overly happy tones without any sort of harshness to balance it out doesn't do much for me.

Spiritual Instinct though is atmospheric black metal at it's best. Light airy vocals that soar above the major key chords and blast beats. There aren't many bands out there that play in this style, and Alcest are my favorite in this field. Where the band really shines though is when the harsh vocals enter the music.

Neige's harsh vocals are some of my favorite in all of black metal... actually in all of metal. They have such a cruel and biting tone to them. It is in stark contrast to the beautiful melodies and atmospheres put out by the instruments. The contrast and balance between those two is incredible on this album.

This is the real draw of Alcest. The beauty of the music mixed with the merciless tone of the vocals is uniquely Alcest. No other band matches this intensity and contrast. The music washes over me like a warm blanket and the vocals crash against me like a cold wind. They work against each other yet are still in perfect equilibrium. This paradox is the wonder that is Alcest.

Entry 533 - Bethlehem - Lebe dich leer

 

Style: Black metal, dark metal, DSBM, twisted

Primary Emotions/Themes: Suffering, suicide, self loathing, death

Thoughts: Bethlehem have primarily been known as having unique and tortured vocals. Since their return to black/dark metal they have gone through several vocalists. Their current vocalist, Onielar, is among the best the band has had. Her vocals resemble the tortured screams of someone who has been involuntarily committed to a mental asylum.

Lebe dich leer also shows a large step up in musical quality from the more experimental period the band had in the mid 2000-20010's. The riffs echo the same disjointed stylings of Dark Metal. With that comes a  chaos that matches the energy of the vocals perfectly. 

At points the music scales itself back. Removes all distortion, pulls back the volume and lets Onielar's deranged vocals take full hold of the listener. During these points the atmosphere is genuinely frightening. Yet other times, black metal takes full hold. During these intense moments the full fury of the insanity that is Bethlehem is released. 

This only scratches the surface of the full gamete of Lebe dich leer. It is a complex album, both musically and emotionally, and one that is not easily digested in a single listen. What may at first sound sloppy and disjointed, later becomes a reflection of the pain that the band is trying to convey through this record. Things that sound out of place, later make perfect sense as the band delves deeper into their own personal hell.

While not quite as crazy as any of the first three albums, Lebe dich leer's quality is undeniable. I've been frequenting this album quite a bit as of late. While the mid period rock/experimental albums have their place, I am thrilled that the band is revisiting their own take on the black metal genre. The last two albums have been fantastic.

Entry 532 - Sol An Varma - Sol An Varma

 

Style: Black metal, dissonant black metal, melodic black metal, dark ambient

Primary Emotions: Rage, confusion, anger, searching

Thoughts: This album is a combination of the best that Iceland has to offer. Their robust black metal scene is one of the most unique on the planet and has produced several albums in the last ten years I would consider as staples of the genre.  Sol An Varma is a collection of those artists that came together to release a massive album. A celebration of their island nation and the distinctive black metal tradition that has been founded there.

The album is everything that I could have wanted from a project like this. It's dissonant when it needs to be, brutal when needed, epic, and even melodic. No matter what the band decides to do they never lower the intensity, this is an engaging album for it's entire 70 minute length.

Throughout the different movements the band weaves in an impressive variety of sounds. The first side of the record showcases two dissonant tracks that are very much in line with bands like Null or early Mistyrming. On the second side the band delves into dark ambience only to be broken up by epic and sweeping melodies akin to the more grandiose moments of Arstidir Lifsins. 

The band continues to weave in different aspects over the different songs, always knowing when to switch things up - no one thing ever overstays its welcome. Masterful songcraft.

Sol An Varma is a contender for album of the year. The combination of the Icelandic riffing with dissonance, melody, ambience and intensity that exclusive that tiny island is difficult to ignore. While its too early to declare that title yet, this is a highly impressive album.

Entry 531 - Darkness - 差​し​迫​っ​た​自​殺 (Imminent Suicide)

 

Style: Vaporwave, beats, lounge, sampled, plunderphonics

Primary Emotions: Chill, sexy, repetitive

Thoughts: Pretty standard barber beats stuff. Chilled out vaporwave that has a huge influence from Haircuts for Men and Macroblank. 

The music is essentially a bunch of lounge pieces chopped up and put back together with a beat put underneath them. It does not have the typical vaporwave feel to it where the music is slowed down to a crawl and the vocals sound like they are falling asleep. This is livelier and has a bit more of a spark of life. 

The album is bass heavy and the pressing reflects that nicely. It's critical for music such as this to have a strong thump to the bass kick. It demands attention and if done incorrectly the music sounds anemic. That is not the case here. 

Darkness is another entry into the ever growing field of lounge inspired vaporwave known as barber beats. The music is good in small doses but as the list of artists grows the sound tends to blend together. It's "nice" but little more than that. I don't have too much of this stuff in my collection so I'll be hanging onto it. This is probably one of the last records I'll get from this genre though. 

Entry 530 - Megadeth - Rust in Peace

 

Style: Thrash, technical thrash, shred fest

Primary Emotions/Themes: War, loss, betrayal, politics

Thoughts: How good is Rust in Peace? Best thrash album of all time? It's certainly in the conversation. Best metal album of all time? It's certainly in that conversation as well. 

This album is easily the best album that MegaDave ever released. The songs are iconic, the riffs never stop, and the solos are out of this world. There is not a single weak point on the album, except the questionable Dawn Patrol.

While all of the songs are good, some enter into the conversation of "best metal songs of all time" territory. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due, Tornado of Souls, and the title track are all on my short list of best songs in the genre. Those songs have riffs for days and never fail me when I need something that reminds me why I got into metal in the first place.

The rest of the album is very good to excellent. Hanger 18 has some of the most intense soloing I've ever heard. Take No Prisoners was a favorite of my youth with how brutal the lyrics are. These two songs fall just a hair short of the aforementioned trilogy. 

Rust in Peace stands on the shoulders of other thrash albums on the virtue of its riffs. They vary in speed and intensity in such a consistent way that nothing stagnates. The solos are elite- Dave and Marty are unparalleled here. Nick's (RIP) tasteful and creative drumming accents the music while still defining itself as an individual instrument - not just a backbone. Just listen to the symbol work on the title track, its incredible. 

Rust in Peace is not my favorite thrash album of all time, that falls to Slayer's Reign in Blood... but this one sure is a damn close second. Fucking incredible album.

Entry 529 - Thyrfing - Vanagandr

 

Style: Viking metal, black metal, epic metal, melodic black metal

Primary Emotions: Pride, violence, power, majesty

Thoughts: I never liked this band. I always thought they were Enslaved's little brother who never could never put everything together to make a good album. The music never gripped me, and I always struggled to find an album that spoke to me. 

That all changed with a new vocalist. Hels vite released with Jens Ryden taking over vox, and what a difference that made. The music went from boring to v i o l e n t. That album has a rage that very few bands have matched. Jens' vocals in particular are venomous and add dynamics to the music that weren't there before. It's easily their best album.

A few years later Vanagandr releases, and I wasn't nearly as excited about. De odeslosa was a bit of a disappointment coming from Hels vite. I didn't even listen to Vanagandr when it first dropped. I would get around to it eventually. Well, that moment was a year ago and it blew me away.

Jens' vocals have changed greatly. They are gravely and sound aged. They still have that visceral tone to them, but it’s more like a grizzled old veteran recounting his tales of battle rather than a warrior on the front lines.

The music itself is more restrained and relies more on choirs and keyboards than the past couple of albums.  Vanagandr is more epic in execution compared to than the overbearing violence from Hels vite. It’s a lot to get used to, but after some time I found myself being swept away by the incredible power that this album has.

For most of the album, the blistering blast beats of the earlier works have been dropped in favor of a middling pace. With how overwhelming the music can get, this pace fits well. When the band does blast though, look out. These moments are few and far between, but when they are there, they slay.

Vanagandr is a different Thyrfing album. It's a mature take on their blackened Viking metal. It relies more on atmosphere and grandeur rather than performing a blood eagle on the listener. Even though I still prefer the violence of the earlier albums Vanagandr shows that the band can evolve in effective ways.

Entry 528 - Amorphis - Under the Red Cloud

 

Style: Progressive Metal, Progressive Death Metal, Melodic Metal

Primary emotions: melancholy, empowerment, balance

Thoughts: There are few progressive bands that I like more than Amorphis. Under the Red Cloud ranks among one of the best albums they have ever released.

Amorphis' 13th album is far more brutal than most of their discography. There is a heavy focus on death metal vocals and riffs. Granted, this is not going to be Morbid Angel or Suffocation levels of brutality, but the band brings the heaviness with this release. This is especially potent since just a few albums before this the band were essentially a progressive rock outfit.

As heavy as Under a Red Cloud is, this is still very much an Amorphis record. The incredibly catchy melodies and Tomi's clean vocals are still used liberally, just not as much as in earlier albums. The band continues to flirt with a middle eastern sound as well as folk elements throughout the album. Death of a King even has the band going back to using a sitar, a very welcome surprise.

I've maintained for a long time that Amorphis could easily be played on the radio. They are accessible enough to be accepted by a mainstream audience, yet they are also heavy enough to appeal to metalheads. It’s one of the few bands that I’m aware of that these two paths intersect perfectly.

Under the Red Cloud is the album I’ve wanted Amorphis to make for a long time. One of my favorite songs from the band is Greed off of Tuonela. Under the Red Cloud takes that sound and expands it into an entire album. Not their best album, but damn close.

Entry 527 - Ghost Song

 

Style: Video game music, clean electric guitar, ambient, haze

Primary emotions: Calm, reflection, sorrow, isolation

Thoughts: I did not like Ghost Song as a game. I could not get into it despite my pre-disposition for liking metroidvanias. The music on the other hand was quite to my liking.

This record is a selection from the two-hour soundtrack with the tracks selected by the artist. Quite frankly the condensed version of the music is a huge boon. The full soundtrack tended to get samey outside of the game and I would often turn off the digital version when listening.

The music within Ghost Song has a feeling of longing in it. Longing for something, anything to fill an unknown void. This isolation is portrayed primarily through a clean electric guitar with a gigantic amount of reverb on it. It gives the music a surreal feel. It's real, but at the same time almost as if in a dream state – and we as listeners are lost somewhere between the two worlds.

In addition to the reverb there is this waviness to the music and effects. It's similar to an old cassette or VHS tape that isn't quite playing right. The speed sounds all off and it fades in and out at random intervals. The music takes on a hugely nostalgic feel from this. This is one of the main draws of the album for me.

Ghost Song may not be a game for me, but the record certainly is. Everything is distilled down to the best of the best here, and this just goes to show that more is not always better.

Entry 526 - Mercyful Fate - Melissa

 

Style: Heavy metal, 1st wave black metal

Primary emotions: Kick ass heavy metal, uncontrollable urges to headbang

Thoughts: All hail satan! Yes hail satan!

This was one of the first records I ever bought. The cover is beat to shit but the record itself still plays pristine. 

I only found out a few months ago that the mix is on this version of Melissa is different than any other mix. This is the Megaforce records publication of Melissa. It has less multi-tracking of  King's vocals and adds some additional reverb in places to make up the difference. In the past I always thought the album sounded just a bit off from the digital, but I passed that off as the pressing being old or something was off about my sound system. It was something fundamentally different.

Melissa is a legendary album. It has some of the best riffs to come out metal on it; the opening riff of Evil being slightly syncopated making it sound intentionally awkward. Satan's Fall's first riff, when it comes in  I can't keep myself from headbanging. The title track and it's longing tone. There is not a single bad riff on here, every. single. riff. is good. How many bands can say they have an album like that? Not many.

The lyrical themes at the time were among the most extreme at that time. The band is essentially playing praise and worship music to satan. King Diamond repeatedly swears his allegiance to the depths below with his trademark falsetto.

His voice did take me a bit to get used to without knowing what was coming. I remember laughing out loud the first time the falsetto hit. I thought it was a joke. It's not, this is his chosen style. Despite how absurd it sounds at first, the style wore me down. Maybe burning the vocals into my brain scarred me. That said, this album would not sound nearly as good if anyone else was on vocals.

I've been on a journey lately of revisiting my musical roots. Mercyful Fate is a huge part of that and is one of the bands that cemented my love for metal in my youth. Easily one of my favorite albums of the 80's.

Entry 525 - Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

 

Style: Early extreme metal, proto-death metal, 1st wave black metal

Primary emotions: anger, aggression, introspection, grunts

Thoughts: In terms of early 80's extreme metal there is nothing better than Celtic Frost. Between this album and Morbid Tales, the band put out some of the most vicious and aggressive music the metal world had ever seen. They were years ahead of the pack this is about as extreme as you can get at the time within the genre (I would argue hardcore punk and noise were more extreme than metal at this point).

This is all about the riffs, and Celtic Frost never disappoint on that front. They absolutely demolish anything that stands in their way. Throughout To Mega Therion there is a theme of the riffs will have a "galloping" sound exclusively on the low end of the fret board. There is no melody, just a rhythmic bulldozer. Sometimes it comes at you as slow as a glacier, other times it speeds at you with the force of an avalanche.

The guitars and drums are in perfect sync. The two instruments are in rhythmic equilibrium, and it's glorious. The bass drum will follow the down stroke of the rhythm guitars while accenting with the snare and symbols - almost every note is matched perfectly between the two. This symbiosis is what makes the album for me.

On top of all this you got Tom's gruff vocals and grunts. Before I even got into the band I had heard the legends of the Celtic Frost grunt.  The first song I ever heard from the band was Circle of Tyrants and after my exposure to "Circle of the tyrants ugh!" I knew what everyone was talking about. It's synonymous with this album and To Mega Therion would not be the same without it.

I love early Celtic Frost. I love the experimentation they do with the orchestral arrangements to start and finish the album. I love the ambient noise track towards the end, and of course I love the metal. This is one of the most important albums for extreme metal's evolution and one of the finest albums created in the 80's.