If You Only Buy One New Metal Album This Year...

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Listen to Agalloch on myspace: falling snow
http://www.myspace.com/agalloch

Right now, though, if I were to pick only one metal album from 2006 so far, it'd still be the awe-inspiring doom of Celtic Frost's Monotheist. Quite simply one of the heaviest albums I have ever heard, and I've heard plenty.

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But I really, really, dig the new Akimbo, "Forging Steel and Laying Stone". Dubiously "true", in that it owes a lot to hardcore and hard rock, but what thee fuck, y'know? More metal than most of what gets slapped with that tag.

And the 2nd Baroness EP ("Second", natch) totally fuggin' rules. Only three songs, but HOLY SHIT, y'gnaw?

The new Unearthly Trance ain't blowing heads away like "In the Red" did. But I like it just fine.

*shrug*

It's amazing and it has lived up to all the press hype.

sw

yeah, celtic frost is still my metal rekkerd of the year. i was trying to be populist on this thread. when i was listening to that agalloch today, i thought a LOT of people would really dig this. if they knew about it. not just metal peeps. i think. i could be wrong, of course.

oystein is exempt from buying the new agalloch album. he LIVES the new agalloch album! did you know he types all his posts in full corpsepaint? and he should buy the last Immolation album, because it was a lovely album. Yonkers metal never dies! It just goes to the track!

C'mon, now. "Thin Lizzy" opening for the Scorpions in a soCal arena this summer. That's populist.

It's amazing [Celtic Frost] has lived up to all the press hype.

Wishful thinking. It's a decent doom record but it bores fast.

Anyway, too much booger collection. I've a few metal albums published this year that I listen to repeatedly, but -- Christ -- why
annoy with them? Scott's evangelism for Agalloch has made me more than curious, though. Just can't find it any store. Gotta look harder I guess.

As for OM, you can't find the CD in any even slightly daring shop.

big fan of pale folklore and the mantle

You mean there's actually a Mickey Mantle-devoted metal band? All right!!!

Has anybody heard the new Drudkh?

Have you heard the new Joe Bltfskp?

I hate to give money to blood-n-soil types

Yep, shun them. Start a boycott. Speak an infinite deal of nothing.

-- pdf (newyorkisno...), June 30th, 2006.

what does it sound like?

The drums aren't as boomy as they were on, say, "War Ensemble," but they're still crushing. There are some occasional new guitar sounds (weird almost electronic-noise-sounding Jeff Hanneman intro to the song "Jihad"), and it's very fast, particularly the opening cut "Flesh Storm" and the aforementioned "Jihad." Araya's in good voice (for him). It's a very strong album, not in any way a departure from their best work (everything except Haunting The Chapel and Undisputed Attitude) but definitely a way more convincing and accurate we-haven't-lost-it statement than, oh, I don't know, St. Anger. And King has really stepped up his game as a lyricist. It's a powerful disc.

I would say that, if one were to buy only one metal-that-people-will-all-agree-is-metal album this year, they should get the Fentanyl album on cdbaby (just do a search), twisty speedmtal sounding to me like early Voivod when they hadn't really learned their instruments yet except with shorter, catchier songs (almost all about nuclear, chemical, and biological warfare, or something in the vicinity) than Voivod tended to do back then. And I LOVED Voivod back then, so that's saying a lot. Fentanyl come from Holland, and all look like old salts of the ocean variety -- not so much sailors, as, well, aging FISHERMEN, I guess. Anyway, this week, that is my favorite metal album of the year (though I've only owned it for a few days, and might very well be overrating it, as George already established over on Rolling Metal), followed by Korpiklaani (which used to be my favorite metal album of the year and might be again soon) and the new Voivod album. (If we we're talking metal-by-the-Stairway-to-Hell definition, though, I'd recommend the Leanne Kingwell album instead. She is from Australia, and her album can also be found on cdbaby. Huck Johns would be up there too, and Damone, and Crash Kelly, etc.)

(I SORT OF just picked one, right Scott?)

The Celtic Frost album is their worst in decades, but it's still okay. (As I've said on other threads, saying it's their best since whenever remiwds me of when people say the same things about a new Bowie or McCartney album. Their fans want to give them the respect they think they deserve. But Celtic Frost's '90s albums were better.)

Om's album is loud elevator droning, like their first one. One song reminds me of Underworld except not as good, the other song reminds me of Hawkwind except not nearly as good. Pleasant. Far from great.

Most disappointing metal album so far this week: Dragonforce, who I really want to like. British guys and one Asian guy, and they LOOK like their having fun with their proggy power-metal. Sadly, I'll be damned if I can find a single memorable tune. But I'm still looking.

I had a longer version of that but figured I'd just cut to the chase

I'm now playing the new Metal Church album, which so far I like more than both the Dragonforce album and the old (and supposedly classic) Metal Church album I bought for $4 last month (though not nearly as much as the great Vanderhoof solo-or-whatever album I own from 1997.)

I've been thinking about James Taylor all day so I'm going to imagine him singing it

"Onségen Ensemble is searching for new members. Keyboard players, brass and woodwind players and singers are welcome to make an audition. Moderate skill is needed and a good humor is a must. That is, polyrythmics and other measures than 4/4 is not an obstacle for you, but you are not pretending to know everything about everything. Onségen Ensemble wants no professionals but no beginners either. So if you are bored playing plain rock but too much of an amateur to play jazz, please contact."

I've got Agalloch's The Mantle and I thought the same thing. The music is really interesting, but the guys voice sounds like the Cryptkeeper, which I suppose is pretty metal. It is just too annoying for me.

McCartney has been creating almost exponentially better albums each time of late, so whether or not it's a boring point to make ("His best in seventeen years and four months!") it's not really to do with merely wanting to give him the respect someone thinks he deserves.

this is an oddly timely thread

Found humor.

Like, what's the Enslaved Below the Lights of 2010?

probably the new Enslaved album

looool

Really, is it good? I tried listening to some of their other albums but none of them measured up for me like below the lights.

I'd say Cathedral, The Body, Harvey Milk or High On Fire depending what mood I was in. (Wearing a crushed velvet smoking jacket peering through dirty window of my cottage at the strange lady stood under the tree/Packing trailer and telling The Boy to get ready for long dangerous walk invlolving cannibals after wife has committed suicide using flake of flint after non-specified apocalyptic event/poppers/leaning as far backward as possible while doing vertical air guitar.)

Or Shining. (Preparing to drill head like amazing maths guy from Pi.)

Or Cephallic Carnage. (Watching nature documentary on insect sex and feeding with really terrible hangover.)

I'll second the Harvey Milk and High on Fire rec's, and throw in:

Boris - Variations
Boris & Ian Astbury - BXI
Nachtmystium - Addicts

This may read as shameless stanning for "my friends who happen to play in a metal band, who wear triumphant beards or scowls", but Flaming Tusk's Old, Blackened Century still possesses its initial austere frame, the intense blight of its architecture, even in constant revisit. Nothing is dulled; it is renewable bonesaw. It is forever telling me new things about the furnace.

adam never came back but hopefully he's listening to the last Ludicra album or something.

Sorry, I'm here. I don't know anything about metal! What kinds do I have to choose from? Here are some things to help you:

1) Ashes Against The Grain was pretty cool but kinda samey at times.
2) I don't love the growly black metal vocal style (sorry if this like heresy, I have no idea) and have various problems with vocal metal in general
3) I like long, intense jams
4) I like records that are kind of all over the place and succeed as much as they fail
5) I have no problem with "difficult" music but at the same time I'm also a sucker for tradition

Basically I think I want artsy prog-metal without bad vocals and possibly with the occasional out-of-nowhere satanic folk ballad.

admrl, you should get Ufomammut's Eve.

Sleep?

OK read about UFOmammut. Sounds dope.

admrl - do you like stoner-style jamming or more doom/drone?

Ufomammut kind of straddle those two styles with their barbiturate Hawkwind style (I love 'em to pieces), but I haven't found tons of stuff in that vein. Might try last years Zu album, Carboniferous (heavy grooves, interesting tempo shifts and blasts of heavy saxophone) and maybe the first two Noxagt records when they were a viola/bass/drum trio. Neither Zu or Noxagt are coming from a pure metal background and draw on experimental jazz and noise to complement the heaviness.

I really like that UFOmammut record too.

do you like stoner-style jamming or more doom/drone?

A little of both. Probably some kind of metal-not-metal hybrid would be right up my strasse

I dunno if Black Breath count as metal but that record is great.

the body might be it, but i like new kylesa and christian mistress, too.

ludicra's definitely in the running, too. and i like darkthrone's "circle the wagons" a lot.

Hey metal thread dudes,

I'm just writing to let u know that UFOmammut and Black Breath records are both dope. 2 Touchdowns 2 u!

All the best,
adamrl

I will look into Noxagt (who I've heard of but never checked out) and Zu (who are new to me).

It's nice because the Black Breath is good for like rush hour and UFOmammut more for cruising home through the mountains as the sun sets.

Yes, I live in Los Angeles.

What are these bands like live? Serious?

Black Breath look more like a metal band than they sound.

Another question - do you guys listen to this at home? Do your neighbors hate you?

Also, why is this music so Eurocentric? Even the US bands seem to be playing more festivals/shows across the pond.

Sorry of these are like basic questions, I just really wanna know

Noxagt were like one of the best bands ever when they had a viola player. They sounded like instrumental Big Black with a cello. The album 'Iron Point' is my favourite from that period but I've lost track of them since. If anyone likes the idea of Norwegian BM influenced Touch and Go/Amphetamine Reptile sleaze rock, then they should check out Arabrot, especially their new album Revenge or their last EP I Rove, both of which are amazing. They sound kind of like Zed from Police Academy fronting a jam session between Rapeman and Darkthrone.

As for Eurocentric Zu are Italian, UFOmamut are Spanish (I think), Noxagt are Norwegian.

And while I'm on, the new Humanfly post hardcore/doom revival/drone metal from Leeds called Better Later, is a belter.

My top 5 of 2010 so far: Ludicra, Cathedral, Enslaved, Wolvserpent, Agalloch.

Any of you who haven't listened to the new Wolvserpent yet should check it out streaming on 20 Buck Spin's website. I LOVE THIS RECORD.

http://www.20buckspin.com/site/wolvserpent-blood-seed-lp-full-album-stream/

Christian Mistress on the other hand--you should not only buy their record, you should go see them on tour with Thrones. Kicks off in Portland 9/27, and hits LA at Spaceland on 10/26.

Full dates at www.nanotear.com

^ has a reuben storey, like from funerot. ace

I'm pretty sure UFOmammut are Italian. As are Lento (or Lent0 - I've seen it both ways), whom are more on the post-rock side of the space spectrum, but the two bands collaborated a few years ago on the epic Supernaturals: Record One, which is right up there with the rest of UFOmammut's work.

Nate - can't wait to see Christian Mistress when they come through town.

I mean Black Breath sound a lot like US hardcore to me, but then their image and their tour schedule seem very Euro

US hardcore...with decent guitar solos

as a metal dilettante, i will second/third/whatever ludicra and the body. (ludicra remains the hardest-rocking show i've seen this year, god they were good.) also what i have heard from the new torche album is good, in that it sounds like a torche album.

oh, and that shining album is a mindfuck, for sure.

arrrggghhh i just checked the christian mistress thrones tour dates and im at a fucking wedding the night they play here

you would rather go to a metal gig than get married?

some people have already said this and I haven't read the thread but...

2) I don't love the growly black metal vocal style (sorry if this like heresy, I have no idea) and have various problems with vocal metal in general
3) I like long, intense jams
4) I like records that are kind of all over the place and succeed as much as they fail
5) I have no problem with "difficult" music but at the same time I'm also a sucker for tradition

you really need to hear cathedral, the guessing game

arrrggghhh i just checked the christian mistress thrones tour dates and im at a fucking wedding the night they play here

man, I feel you. can I just say that I'm missing SWANS because of a wedding I don't especially care about! have had the tickets for months too.

>:-(

OK so last year you guys gave me Black Breath and UFOmammut, both of which were great for entirely different reasons. So what can I get this year for my one or two metal albums? Guess I'm prone to the jammy stoner stuff I guess, but the Black Breath was pretty cool too, almost more of a hardcore thing than metal? Sorry I don't know your metal subgenres, I'm just visiting

Oh and if it's available on vinyl, even better! Though I know some of these cost $$$$

Obviously this is a poor year for metal

Year's far from over. If you like Ufomammut, you would probably enjoy Elder - Dead Roots Stirring.

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h279/juicyfrt/cover.jpg

It's getting better as it goes along, I'll rep for WITTR, Yob and Mastodon as being premiere league releases and there are a handful of others like Altar of Plagues, Liturgy, Amebix, Boris and White Hills which are worth checking out.

the altar of plagues and liturgy are premier league releases to my ears

Arabrot as well for me. Right up there.

The Austrasian Goat album that came out in like the last week of december 2010 is top of the premier league.

Other great albums this year are
Asva - Presences of Absences
Corrupted - Garten Der Unbewusstheit
40 Watt Sun - The Inside Room
SUBROSA - No Help For The Mighty Ones
Caina - Hands That Pluck
The Wounded Kings - In The Chapel Of The Black hand
Morne - Asylum
Murkrat - Drudging The Mire
Loss - Despond
Grayceon - All We Destroy
Krallice - Diotima
Wreck Of The Hesperus - Light Rotting Out
Hey Colossus - RRR
Dark Castle-Surrender To All Life Beyond Form
Crumbling Ghost - Crumbling Ghost
ARGUS - Boldly Stride the Doomed
Cathis Ord - The Far Shore
Condenados - A Painful Journey Into Nihil
Fen - Epoch
In Solitude - The World. The Flesh. The Devil
Indian - Guiltless
Orchid - Capricorn
Pharaoh Overlord - Out Of Darkness
Void - Void

oh and Virus - The Agent That Shapes The Desert

I've not played the new Rwake or Falloch yet but im expecting big things from them. Another bands I remember enjoying this year was Wooden Stake Think i posted about them (and others i mentioned) on the rolling doom/sludge thread.