the IHM metal thread

[William Hutson]

disma: towards the megalith. really enjoying this one.

[cleanzero]

Listening to this. A very weird and complex post black metal album

Not feeling this one at all.

I can understand that...I haven't decided yet if I like it or not. It feels a bit too heterogenous, but some songs are exceptionally good imho.

[Gaendaal]

Not sure I understand the "boring" comment regarding the new Negative Plane

I guess - "fails to create the atmosphere it attempts" is more apt on that one, plus I find the rockabilly, reverbed out guitar parts totally unnecessary...... I dunno, I really wanted to like the album but I've only spun it a few times and only once the entire way through. A grower on me it's not at this point.......

I saw Negative Plane last night and couldn't get into it at all. It wasn't bad as much as seemed to try and cram too much into too small a place. As soon as they built a vibe I started to like, it changed.

Ghast, on the other hand, fucking ruled.

[Tanner]

disma: towards the megalith. really enjoying this one.

Yeah, really some of the best death metal lately, and it is probably gonna be in the top ten for this year.

I saw Negative Plane last night and couldn't get into it at all. It wasn't bad as much as seemed to try and cram too much into too small a place. As soon as they built a vibe I started to like, it changed.

Ghast, on the other hand, fucking ruled.

Yeah, I can see it not working so well live. I still think the album is great.

I just picked up a vinyl copy of the Glorior Belli album, "Manifesting the Raging Beast," on Southern Lord. I slept on this one, but have enjoyed pretty much everything I've heard (including the much maligned Meet Us at the Southern Sign), orthodox black metal done pretty damn well. Recommended.

But other than that I've been concentrating on this massive tome and going back through old Darkthrone, Bathory, Entombed, Dismember, etc:



Slayer compiles the hugely influential and mandatory Slayer 'zines from the last 20 or so years. It's equally massive, raw, inept and heartbreaking -- and can be looked at as a document one alienated dude's journey through the tape trading metal underground pre-internet, as well as a fly on the wall account of the the Norwegian black metal salad days (the 'ol murderin' and killin' and murderin' again doo-wop). The zines themselves are rough and silly and kind of wonderful... There is a tremendous amount of information on all the greatest and most unjustly forgotten death/thrash/black metal bands -- including interviews with almost any band worth following from the last 25 years, especially from the late 80s early 90s, great photos (Bathory! Death! Autopsy! Mayhem!) and old metal ads. It includes stuff from the more recent Slayer which covers the more polished interviews with Watain, Sunn, Funeral Mist, etc., as well. What really makes the book for me is Jon Kristiansen's own take on this whole area after the fact. Kristiansen is a good story teller and augments the book with personal narratives before each issue, explaining what was going on while making the issue, where he was in his often secluded and dreary life being a metalhead in Sarpsborg, and his attempts at trying to find himself in some pretty dire circumstances. There is some especially poignant remebrances about Mayhem's original singer Dead before he killed himself, and how he and his friends all eventually reacted to his death like the bewildered teenagers they were. In some ways, it's a much needed demystification of the Norwegian black metal scene, and just goes to further show that most of the bullshit that went down was probably more to do with just a bunch of bored, alienated kids with little outlet making some stupid mistakes than some attack of on contemporary Norwegian society. It's a much needed antidote to the Until The Light Takes Us doc, and does a much better job humanizing these guys, while actually being informative. Not only that, its something people actually into metal can geek out over, pouring over pages of cut and paste vintage Carcass interviews. It's a lovingly produced book from Bazillion points, and it bursts with all of Slayer Mag's awesome silliness, energy and atavism. So yeah, it gets my long-winded recommendation as well.

[johnson]

I've been listening to a ton of metal lately, as someone just sold two big boxes of CDs to the records store I work at.

Bloody Panda is brilliant. I've also been enjoying: Kayo Dot, Nachtmystium, Yob, Wolves in the Throne Room, Striborg, Faxed Head, Dark Castle, Mastodon, Sepultura, Morbid Angel, Kylesa, Slayer, Converge, The Red Chord, Botch, Pelican, Jesu, Kalibas, Rune, Behold... the Arctopus, Celtic Frost, Earth, Baroness -

- went to a local Metal show and saw Hot Graves and Shroud Eater - both very good - and picked up some fun Nunslaughter and Dishammer discs.

[Gaendaal]

But other than that I've been concentrating on this massive tome and going back through old Darkthrone, Bathory, Entombed, Dismember, etc:

YES!

My copy arrived yesterday and, Jesus, the thing is HUGE. Just flicking through it is unbelievable. Going to take a while to work through it properly. I second your thoughts entirely, though.

[Antoine]

Maybe not recent, but I just discovered that 20 Buck Spin had put 20 releases available in streams: http://listen.20buckspin.com/
I'd recommend Coffins ("Buried Death"), Stormcrow, Sanctum... though my favorite release (the Whitehorse live) isn't here.

[cleanzero]

I think I haven't listened to any classic metal in the last 20 years, but today noticed this record among my old vinyls. God, I didn't remember how amazing this was. I'm shocked. Now I must rediscover 'Them' too.

[Tanner]

Umm good news, new CORRUPTED! news here: http://nostalgiablackrain.seesaa.net/

[jon abbey]

heh, check the 'forthcoming releases' thread, we're already talking about that.

[Tanner]

heh, check the 'forthcoming releases' thread, we're already talking about that.

Oops. Always a day late...

Playing lately: Avichi "The Devil's Fractal," for fans of Deathspell Omega, Aosoth, and the whole orthodox black metal shuffle. Solid. And it proves again that Profound lore is one of the most consistent metal labels around right now. Although I still think the Agalloch lp was dismal.

[Tanner]

Listening to this. A very weird and complex post black metal album

Not feeling this one at all.

I can understand that...I haven't decided yet if I like it or not. It feels a bit too heterogenous, but some songs are exceptionally good imho.

Speaking of Profound Lore, I'll probably pick this up, but I can't say I'm a big fan of the post rock infused black metal thing. We'll see.

[cleanzero]

Speaking of Profound Lore, I'll probably pick this up, but I can't say I'm a big fan of the post rock infused black metal thing. We'll see.

I can't help myself but can't have enough of this so called post black metal. Bands like Alcest, Altar of Plagues, Woe, Woods of Desolation, Agalloch..., I really love them. It's becoming a scary trend and I guess it will finish like all that post rock stuff from bands like Tortoise, June of 44, Herman Dune, Rachel's, GYBE...but I'm enjoying it will it still sounds fresh.

[cleanzero]

Just unburied from my vinyl stuff these two great italian death/thrash classics from the late 80's.

[Gaendaal]

BLACK FUCKING METAL

[Tanner]

Speaking of Profound Lore, I'll probably pick this up, but I can't say I'm a big fan of the post rock infused black metal thing. We'll see.

I can't help myself but can't have enough of this so called post black metal. Bands like Alcest, Altar of Plagues, Woe, Woods of Desolation, Agalloch..., I really love them. It's becoming a scary trend and I guess it will finish like all that post rock stuff from bands like Tortoise, June of 44, Herman Dune, Rachel's, GYBE...but I'm enjoying it will it still sounds fresh.

Sure, I can see the appeal to an extent, but I think it's really easy to just shoehorn some some subpar post-rock GSYBE! type drifty stuff into some burzum riffs. Not good for either genre IMO, but I haven't really listened to any of the bands you mention except for Agalloch and Altar of Plagues, and I do like AOP. I'm interested about Caina though.

Vastum on 20buckspin rules too, on the death metal tip.

[William Hutson]

Vastum on 20buckspin rules too, on the death metal tip.

agreed. only heard it once so far but i like the new brainoil on 20buckspin, too.

[cleanzero]

Rediscovering this classic. Also awaiting for the new Leviathan album, I just heard one track on Pitchfork and it looks promising.

[e-Miel]

BLACK FUCKING METAL

I want to commit murder is kind of derp derp derp but the rest of the music is great.

[Gaendaal]

BLACK FUCKING METAL

I want to commit murder is kind of derp derp derp but the rest of the music is great.

Hah hah, yeah. It does stand out as a bit of a teenage track but there's some great stuff there. Void itself, partcularly.