Bands that you want to see reviewed by DLA

[August]

Wasn't there a review for Nocturnus' album The Key here some years ago, or am I wrong?

[ozz]

Seconding the first two Mercyful Fate albums here.  It seems to fit in perfectly with a lot of the Speed Metal/Proto-Black Metal already reviewed.  It influenced a lot of Scandinavian Metal after it came onto the scene, both musically, lyrically, and stylistically. In addition, songs like "The Oath" have a neoclassical phrasing that is often praised in the reviews of Morbid Angel and alike.

Fucking seconded.  Their influence to metal is unmistakable, as neither Slayer nor Morbid Angel would have come out the same way without them.  The sense of phrasing and melody this band possessed in its prime was elegant but powerful, twisted yet forceful, much in the manner of a giant of the genre such as Morbid Angel.

Agreed.

Coroner - "R.I.P." is amazing and should be examined further IMO.

[JewishPhysics]

Wasn't there a review for Nocturnus' album The Key here some years ago, or am I wrong?

This actually rings a bell.  You might want to check out older versions of the site for it at the internet archive.

[-H418ov21.C]

Perhaps Worship - "Last Tape/Vinyl/CD Before Doomsday".

I know there's a review of "Dooom" in the DLA blog, but "Last... Before Doomsday" being somewhat different and better in my opinion, could be featured.

[Conservationist]

I advocate a different track: look for the exceptional.

There are eleventy billion 1980s style speed metal bands, and each review is going to be like this: "They sound a lot like Exodus, Nuclear Assault and Artillery in a blender. Really fast riffs use chromatic fills around a pentatonic rock riff. Verses meet choruses, and those are sandwiched between other riffs to make the song seem really far out. The solos are technical and erudite but use two modes and two scales total. The drummer is really good technically but doesn't have much mood. They may or may not use death metal vocals. What really stands out is the (ecclectic vocalist/riffcraft/ass-pounding bass/jazz drums, pick any two). If you really like this kind of 1980s music, or just want to live in a simpler time, check out < band name >."

There are also eleventy billion "undiscovered" death metal bands, and each review is pretty much the same: "Taking back the style of (phrasal death metal/percussive death metal/Swedish death metal/gore death/sleaze metal), < bandname > injects their own outlook into this music, using (exotic scales/true crime lyrics/a flute/bomb blast samples) to give this genre new wings. While you can't tell the difference between the songs, and only notice about twenty minutes later when the MP3s have stopped playing, this band could really scratch your < death metal genre name > itch. Check it out, it'll fuck your skull!"

There's lots of people who do anything well, once it has been done. It's a trial and error and rote memorization process. I think it's great these bands exist, but they only appeal to your metal collectors and completists. The DLA has always been written for people who like good music, and want to check out where metal and good music intersect. Write for people who have lives, and who don't have infinite time to dick around with obscure recordings. Find the best, publicize it, and get it to their sweaty little hands in an easy form.

that's writing for the ages. The endless stream of metal bands will be forgotten by history because most of them don't do anything other than add flutes or Arab scales to cookie-cutter vision of someone else's vision. The DLA doesn't need to chase those down. There's a million basement losers with marijuana habits and shitty day jobs who will do that. The DLA should pursue the exceptional.

[loam]

Wow. Well said.

Personally, I'd like to see more reviews of the albums of bands that are already in the archives (Angelcorpse, Death, Demoncy, Inquisition), as well as one for 'March to the Black Holocaust.'

[Forbinator]

^^^Seconded

[roshan]

Well, speaking of promoting the best, any bands on the DLA that really shouldn't be there??

[Conservationist]

Personally, I'd like to see more reviews of the albums of bands that are already in the archives (Angelcorpse, Death, Demoncy, Inquisition), as well as one for 'March to the Black Holocaust.'

Me too, although I think many will be disappointed by those. Angelcorpse wrote one album over and over again. Death should probably have been killed by cancer (oops) for making death metal into a simplistic, hard rock form of itself. Seriously, half of fucking Leprosy sounds like lost riffs from a detuned Motley Crue album. Inquisition is candypop just as much as Watain. Demoncy's new one is gonna smoke, their 2CD has good material but is an unsorted mess, and their album after JID while not their best is one of the better things from that time period. The French bands are great but they all do the same mood over and over again, so who really cares which album/band you review. Unpopular visions but I bet this site would support them.

In the other thread, I talked about historically important bands... these need to be here, I guess, in short reviews because otherwise the history is lost. Even if I could give fuck-all about DImmu Borgir, except the first Stormblast, which was kind of good but still rather candypop if you think about it.

ANUS needs to stop giving a shit about what other people think, and just write the plain truth. ANUS, you will never have friends in the music industry, no matter what you do. That is your role: to tell the truth because it should be told,, even if it means that you are unpopular, and shithea hipsters like the invisible oranges/metalsucks/metal-archives douches get to steal center stage. You aren't these people and you'd hate being them, and that applies not only to the writers here but the audience. You go a different path. Just like the kid who beat you up in grade school does NOT go to graduate school for neuroscience but you might. Elitism is awesome because it's honest. ANUS needs to bring bacck honest elitism.

Starting with being more critical about bands like Averse Sefira and Demoncy, that while great in spirit, have some seriously loose ends in their composition. Even the Krieg worship needs a refocus. Not that these bands are bad, they're B+ in an age of C-, but they're ont 1993 Immortal either.

[Umbrage]

Me too, although I think many will be disappointed by those. Angelcorpse wrote one album over and over again. Death should probably have been killed by cancer (oops) for making death metal into a simplistic, hard rock form of itself. Seriously, half of fucking Leprosy sounds like lost riffs from a detuned Motley Crue album. Inquisition is candypop just as much as Watain. Demoncy's new one is gonna smoke, their 2CD has good material but is an unsorted mess, and their album after JID while not their best is one of the better things from that time period. The French bands are great but they all do the same mood over and over again, so who really cares which album/band you review. Unpopular visions but I bet this site would support them.

In the other thread, I talked about historically important bands... these need to be here, I guess, in short reviews because otherwise the history is lost. Even if I could give fuck-all about DImmu Borgir, except the first Stormblast, which was kind of good but still rather candypop if you think about it.

ANUS needs to stop giving a shit about what other people think, and just write the plain truth. ANUS, you will never have friends in the music industry, no matter what you do. That is your role: to tell the truth because it should be told,, even if it means that you are unpopular, and shithea hipsters like the invisible oranges/metalsucks/metal-archives douches get to steal center stage. You aren't these people and you'd hate being them, and that applies not only to the writers here but the audience. You go a different path. Just like the kid who beat you up in grade school does NOT go to graduate school for neuroscience but you might. Elitism is awesome because it's honest. ANUS needs to bring bacck honest elitism.

Starting with being more critical about bands like Averse Sefira and Demoncy, that while great in spirit, have some seriously loose ends in their composition. Even the Krieg worship needs a refocus. Not that these bands are bad, they're B+ in an age of C-, but they're ont 1993 Immortal either.

So we'll hate him, because he can take it. Because he's not our hero. He's a silent guardian, a watchful protector. A dark knight.

[Umbrage]

On a more serious note I agree about cutting the chaff from the B+ album reviews. Also imo more reviews from (semi)relevant eighties albums such as Sacred Reich's Ignorance would be better then exploring the loose ends of black and death metal. I wouldn't even care if the reviews are positive or negative, it just seems more rewarding to me to read about eighties bands because they are in the middle of the chain and not at the end.

[-H418ov21.C]

What about Solitude Aeturnus ?

[fallot]

Well, speaking of promoting the best, any bands on the DLA that really shouldn't be there??

Certainly can't think of any at several glances. Even the less than stellar stuff has some historical value. Nevertheless I feel that Ancient doesn't belong in the Best-Of while Supuration almost certainly does.

[lord.aspie]

What about Solitude Aeturnus ?

Slowed down hard rock meets a second rate Candlemas. No character, and hardly any spirit that might make it halfway enjoyable. Seems to be common trait to a good deal of doom metal!

[loam]

Personally, I'd like to see more reviews of the albums of bands that are already in the archives (Angelcorpse, Death, Demoncy, Inquisition), as well as one for 'March to the Black Holocaust.'

Me too, although I think many will be disappointed by those. Angelcorpse wrote one album over and over again. Death should probably have been killed by cancer (oops) for making death metal into a simplistic, hard rock form of itself. Seriously, half of fucking Leprosy sounds like lost riffs from a detuned Motley Crue album. Inquisition is candypop just as much as Watain. Demoncy's new one is gonna smoke, their 2CD has good material but is an unsorted mess, and their album after JID while not their best is one of the better things from that time period. The French bands are great but they all do the same mood over and over again, so who really cares which album/band you review. Unpopular visions but I bet this site would support them.

In the other thread, I talked about historically important bands... these need to be here, I guess, in short reviews because otherwise the history is lost. Even if I could give fuck-all about DImmu Borgir, except the first Stormblast, which was kind of good but still rather candypop if you think about it.

Death is more historically important than Dimmu Borgir. They also made better metal at one point. I mean if you're going to review 5 wheels of fine brie you should also review "Scream Bloody Gore" and take a steaming, yellowish, corn-studded (verbal) dump all over "The Sound of Perseverance." I agree with your other assessments, for the most part, especially that if more reviews are added they will be disappointing to fans.