I think Carcass' return is great. They progressed (a little) while honoring their past (a specific part of their past). However, I would love it of they would now honor their grind past. They can do this while keeping their current fanbase. I suggest they record an EP's worth of pure grind. The songs have got to be short, fast, and razor sharp. The cover should be gory and gross. They can name it Returning to Vomit. It'll be a slight return, nothing more.
C'mon Carcass. Make it happen!
God of Motherfukkin' Thunder is so great! It's made a good death metal song at least twice:
Entombed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdBj56WPvVg
Death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVkCYpVX7oQ
Chills and tears are what I just experienced. Somewhere between Necro... and Heartwork is exactly where that track falls. Honestly, I'm shocked this was that good. I mean, holy fucking shit, that was good! To be honest, if I really got what I wanted, it would have been a return to grind. I'd love to see them realize their potential in the genre they helped create. My second choice would be between Symphonies and Necro... But my third is what they chose. What I expected was the album after Swan Song (Black Star Rising II. NOOOOOOOOO!) Thank god it's not that. Praise fucking JESUS!!!
Anyway. Who gives a fuck about Michael Fucking Amott? Bill Steer is the real catch here. I cannot believe I just heard his awesome backup vocals in a new song. Weird solo. I liked it more for it's weirdness than its heaviness, though. That's cool that Ken is participating as much as he can. Jeff sounds exactly like he did 20 years ago.
Great list, but, let's be honest, you could probably chose ten other PF songs and make another list just as compelling.
One of These Days should have been on this list, though. In fact, it's sole lyric (One of These Days I'm Going to Cut You Into Little Pieces...) is on my short list of greatest lyrics ever (right below JC's "I Shot a Man in Reno, Just to Watch Him Die.")
Also, I would put Astronomy Domine at the top rather than at the bottom.
Flaming Lips are an old band with a very strong fan base as well as critical acclaim. They've done plenty of weird stuff in the past but have always been able to temper the weird with the valid. Now they are doing whatever they want. They've earned it. They're old enough to do whatever they want. So, let them.
I don't think an artist has any right to disown a work they produce. Even if they regard it as a mistake. If you make something commercially available, it will represent you for the rest of your life. I think it's great that they re-tooled their aesthetic and put a lot of work into re-imagining their image. Considering how they started out it's nothing short of a miracle what they were able to accomplish. Still, they recorded Soulside, and it happened to be a very good example of that style of music (of course it doesn't approach Entombed...), a far better example of Scandinavian death metal than most of the middle period albums were exemplary of Norwegian black metal. It's actually very higly regarded in the death metal community. Just last year, Decible Magazine put it on their top 100 greatest death metal albums list: http://rateyourmusic.com/lists/list_view?list_id=363433&show=25&start=25 I think it deserves to be in the middle somewhere. It really is a good album.
What I really fear is that the reason it got stuck at the bottom was because black metal tends to be accepted by the mainstream music press and Pitchfork hipsters to a much greater degree than does death metal. What do you say about that?
You point out that Darkthrone changed their names after Soulside, but the problem is that they didn't change the name of the band. If they had, we wouldn't be having this discussion. Really, don't you think it's odd they didn't just start a new band? Since they didn't, that suggests to me that they wanted to continue the artistic vison they started with their earlier incarnation. Strangely, that didn't really come through in any way. I just don't get it. It's the second most bewildering example of metal band retaining the name, but nothing else from an earlier incarnation (Napalm Death being the number one example).
Look, I'm sorry I called that decision lazy because it came off as way too negative about what you've accomplished here. I really enjoyed reading what you've written.
Putting Soulside Journey last was just lazy. It's hard to believe that you did something so lazy when comparing that to the rest of this list. You pulled together some great references and quotes. You even put Goatlord higher than anyone could have expected and that will be a difficult position to defend. I hate to nitpick because you've done such a good job with everything else. I just want to see that album recognized for what it was. It could've easily sat comfortably amongst the middle albums.
It's also possible that the lyrics to Die! Die! My Darling are based upon the film of the same name. Those exact words were uttered in Tallulah Bankhead's inimitable voice.
This REALLY pisses me off. I love my iPod Classic becasue of it's storage capacity, but I'm getting dangerously close to filling it up. I've been keeping my ear to the Apple rail for years expecting a larger capacity iPod to come on the market just in time to save my music file grubbing ass. I don't give two shits about those other features.
Since I can't find the lyrics online and since the lyrics weren't printed in the liner notes, I'm pretty sure you haven't read them. But if you would like to tell me what the misogynistic message is, I'm all ears.
A fair point. The album was obviously too reactionary to the events. Wrest was clearly very angry at this woman and attacked her in the wrong way. However, it's important to remember that he uses a specific vagina as his focus of ire rather than vaginas in general.
If he's guilty of sexually abusing the plaintiff, then the title "True Traitor, True Whore" qualifies Wrest as a misogynistic prick (among other things). If he's innocent, then the title comes off as a defense and an accusation of a liar. If a woman wrongfully accused me of sexual assault, calling her a traitor and a whore would be the least of the pejoratives I'd be sending her way.
Why you gotta stand there with your pitchfork and your torch? You clearly have no insight into this case.
When I was in Jr High in the late 80s, my school actually hired a third tier butt rock band to play an assembly for us. They were called "The Edge". I remember distinctly that they had some guy who was dressed like the rest of the band (but he also was sporting a pretty mean skullette), sanding on one of the stacks, shaking his hips, grinning, and playing air guitar. He did that through the whole show. AIR GUITAR! I wonder why I never heard from them again.
Boris have already released TWO albums this year (on the same day, in fact). Further, I believe this album is made up of different versions of tracks already released on the first two records. Also, I think this was released in Japan BEFORE the other two releases.
The whole thing is very confusing.
Well. Now that Autopsy has delivered, Yob is my #1 most anticipated album right now. Good to hear it's getting some positive attention.
Some of the best vocals in the biz but “Wino-on-Deathspell Omega”??? I don't get it.
If you like The Jesus Lizard run, don't walk to the nearest Melvins record. Houdini is their masterpiece, but I think you'd be just as happy with Bullhead or Gluey Porch Treatments. Also, try out Boris. Start with Pink or Heavy Rocks or Amplifier Worship. You might also dig Harvey Milk. Start with Courtesy and Good Will Toward Men.
Well, I'm crazy about both slow and fast. So, I think I'll just go in order of release. Ashes has been hyped for so long I don't think I can wait any longer. Thanks for the input.
Great list! Triptykon and Immolation should have been higher. Darkthrone was too uneven to be as high as it was. Haven't heard Drudkh cause I was never able to really absorb their previous record. I can't imagine this was any better. After being introduced to them through Blood in our Wells I was super excited about more Drudkh. I should have delved into pre-Blood rather than post. I'm glad you put Burzum in your top ten. The backlash was completely unfounded. Great album! Kylesa... yawn. Haven't heard the new Harvey Milk because I'm still too obsessed with their previous record. Maybe this year. I can't imagine Agalloch being better than DsO, but then again, I haven't heard any Agalloch other than Pale Folklore. Should I go for Ashes or Marrow first? Thou, Ludicra, Inquisition, Locrian, Salome and Dawnbringer are all high on my list to check out next. Stickin' with Nachtmystium?
If the Tomb Within had three more songs, it could've been #1. Next year.
Since there's little chance that a Haitian ever traveled to Norway and got on Varg's lawn, well, he has no reason to hate them.
Belief that a race is inferior does not mean he wishes for them to suffer... necessarily.
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