Octopus Overlords

I ran across this guy at random on the YouTubes but I am digging his style (NSFW lyrics)

After missing their concert last year, I had no expectation of coming back to this band, but they're all I've been listening to on my exhausted, paranoid transit trips to work this past week. (Symphonic/atmospheric black metal.)

Abigail Williams - Smoke And Mirrors (begins to get truly amazing about 1:45 in)




Ever so Bold from their latest release that I was having trouble cracking at first... it has a more atmospheric, post-rock sound. Gorgeous guitars!

pr0ner wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 2:18 pm This is my favorite song of Heavenly's. The title is apt given today's events.

Heavenly is a guilty pleasure. All of the joy and excess of over the top happy power metal with a singer who I can't figure out in my mind if I think he is great or awful. Love 'em!

Sudy wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 9:57 pm Ever so Bold from their latest release that I was having trouble cracking at first... it has a more atmospheric, post-rock sound. Gorgeous guitars!

Interesting how similar that artwork is to the last Bell Witch album. Which, incidentally, might be my favorite cover artwork of all time.

It makes for a good, depressing spin today as well.

On today's run/walk I listened to Unleash the Archers - Apex.

Came across a FB post that Assemblage 23 was working on a new album. I have mostly written off Tom after a series of spectacularly bad albums, but it did make me go back to a time when A23 was creating some fantastic music.

I could listen to this song a thousand times and never get tired of it.

On today's run/walk I listened to more Unleash the Archers. Today Time Stands Still.

Say what you want about Trent and NIN...dude put on a killer live show.

On today's walk I listened to Genesis. (Spotify tracks by popularity - with a few skips.)

The new Alestorm track gave me a chuckle.

Funker Vogt (electro-Industrial, futurepop) has a new EP, Conspiracy. Holy crap, this is great at first listen. I haven't listened to their recent stuff in detail, but I thought they'd gone down a more futurepoppy path (e.g. City of Darkness... an amazing song, but not the Killing Fields-esque aggrotech I remember).

The track We Believe however opens like a Front 242 track from the early 90s and finishes like one of the more melodic Front Line Assembly songs from the same era:



But all four of the new tracks on the release are fantastic.

Skinypupy wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2020 11:27 am The new Alestorm track gave me a chuckle.

Lol... I think they may have finally crossed over into abject self-parody. Still catchy as heck though.

Oh, I'm pretty sure that happened a looooong time ago.

On today's walk/run I listened to Halford - Crucible.

I told the Echo to play a Fountains of Wayne station today, and it was about 75% rap - and mostly of the explicit variety (super fun with 3 kids under 10 years old in the house). I'm not sure what algorithm came up with that one, but it didn't last very long until I switched it to something else.

Fountains of Lil' Wayne

ImLawBoy wrote: Thu Apr 02, 2020 9:37 pm I told the Echo to play a Fountains of Wayne station today, and it was about 75% rap - and mostly of the explicit variety (super fun with 3 kids under 10 years old in the house). I'm not sure what algorithm came up with that one, but it didn't last very long until I switched it to something else.

Every time I hear a rap song come on "the device" (as it's known in our house), I mentally prepare myself to shout a quick SKIP when the f-bombs start flying. It makes me cringe every time. Say what you want about the merits of death metal, but at least my kids can't understand what they're saying.

Speaking of, I hopped in the extreme metal wayback machine this morning.

On today's walk I listened to Running Wild - Black Hand Inn.

JCC wrote: Fri Apr 03, 2020 5:48 pm On today's walk I listened to Running Wild - Black Hand Inn.

That's awesome! Have come across them before but never had a listen. Still confused by this talk of "walks" though.


Monster Magnet - Watch Me Fade

Sudy wrote: Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:39 pm That's awesome! Have come across them before but never had a listen. Still confused by this talk of "walks" though.

Haha! That album is by far and away my favorite by them. More than 25 years old. Can't believe it's been that long!

On this morning's walk/run, I listened to an old favorite: Judas Priest - Painkiller.

all seven discs of it

It's pretty well established that the "big 4" of thrash are Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer. It's less clear who the "big 4" of death metal would be, and there was a rather...robust discussion on that topic on FB today. My vote went to:

- Death (the only near-unanimous choice)
- Obituary
- Entombed
- Morbid Angel

Got me listening to a bunch of old-school stuff today.

Skinypupy wrote: Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:39 pm It's pretty well established that the "big 4" of thrash are Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer.

would Testament and Exodus be included in the 'next lower tier'

hitbyambulance wrote: Tue Apr 07, 2020 6:25 pm

Skinypupy wrote: Tue Apr 07, 2020 4:39 pm It's pretty well established that the "big 4" of thrash are Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer.

would Testament and Exodus be included in the 'next lower tier'

For sure. They’re the “first two out”, in March Madness terms. As I go back and listen to “Bonded By Blood”, it always amazes me that Metallica blew up and Exodus didn’t. It’s arguably a far better album than either “Kill Em All” or “Ride the Lightning”.

Suffocation, Deicide, Carcass, and Possessed are first out on the death metal side of the bracket.

Straight death is a genre I've never much cracked. There are exceptions, but in general I find it really needs to be doing something different to hook me. To enjoy very harsh elements I usually need them to be contrasted with mellow ones.


Unrelated: Johnny Nocash and The Celtic Outlaws - Southbound




This is one of the rare times Youtube has guessed right with a music video ad. These guys call themselves Celtic Death Country. Seems a little light on the "death", but I'm enjoying checking out their stuff.

The Deep-Rest

On this morning's walk I listened to Therion - Gothic Kabbalah.