Octopus Overlords

This song is hitting the right spots during Friday happy hour. NOTE: Happy hour started at 1pm.

a lot of covers in addition to the usual Wobble solo stuff, Invaders of the Heart and PiL material. this version of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" is pretty bangin

Wobble, you say?

Harold Reid passed away at 80. Bass singer for The Statler Brothers. So heres to him and them.

Within an hour yesterday afternoon, 2 of the 3 members of Nervosa (a fantastic Brazilian thrash metal band) announced on FB that they would be leaving the band to “pursue other music opportunities”. They both made a big deal about it having nothing to do with the other members and that it was entirely their own choice to walk away. It was very strange, and I can’t help but feel bad for the one remaining member.

Anyways, they were a pretty awesome band, and I’m bummed they are no more.

Two new'ish things this morning. First, after reading several glowing reviews, I picked up the new album from Black Curse (members of Blood Incantation, Spectral Voice, Primitive Man, and Khemmis) titled "Endless Wound". It is a nasty, foul, gnarly piece of work that is going to end up being one of the most essential death metal albums of the year. (EDIT: I got the band name and album name backwards. Whoops.)



Second, Bell Witch and Aerial Ruin have apparently merged to form a trio called Stygian Bough. It's still massively oppressive funeral doom, but now adds a guitar into the mix. It will probably bore most people to death, but I happen to love the depressing sound.

On this morning's walk I listened to just a Spotify made playlist. It was mostly power metal stuff. However, I particularly enjoyed this cover of Amon Amarth.

I went down a Jethro Tull YouTube rabbit hole last night, being completely mesmerized (not for the first or last time, I expect) by early to mid-70's Ian Anderson. Not sure we'll ever see his equal.

Live version of my absolute favorite Tull tune.

I've tried getting into Amon Amarth a few times, but only a couple songs have clicked. This one I used to find grating and repetitive (the opening rift). But now I can't get it out of my head. I love the guitars around 01:40, which remind me of Slechtvalk.

Amon Amarth - The Pursuit of Vikings

Thanks to Jethro Tull Ive banned the RnR Hall of Fame from my life forever.

On yesterday's long/slow run I listened to Arena - Immortal....



...and (most of) Unleash the Archers - Awakening.

I’ve been trying to decide if I love or hate the new Aether Realm album. On the one hand, there’s isn’t a single song on here that even comes close to the worst track on “Tarot” (which was a legit metal masterpiece, IMO). And far too many of the lyrics are just cringeworthy cheese.

Still, there’s a ton of great, catchy riffs and the album is just plain fun, something often lost in metal these days. They absolutely play up their North Carolina roots, especially on the album’s title track, which is a fantastic “Devil Went Doen to Georgia” send-up

If they hadn’t released “Tarot” previously, I probably would look on this album more favorably. As it is though, it’s a bit of a disappointment. A fun disappointment that will likely grow on me, mind you, but a disappointment nonetheless.



An amusing crowd-sourced-during-quarantine video with quite a few cameos. Wilderun, Alestorm, Gloryhammer, and a few others.

TMHC is Tiny Metal Hand Club, btw. Instead of throwing up the horns during their shows, everyone throws up this tiny version instead. It’s actually very funny to watch.

On this morning's run I listened to Annihilator - Never Nerverland.

I love falling in love with a song the first time I hear it, as if I've been listening to it my whole life.

Cirith Ungol - Before Tomorrow

On this morning's run/walk I listened to Megadeth - The System has Failed.

I never noticed the dragonflies on his shirt until just now. Great album.

ImLawBoy wrote: Tue May 05, 2020 4:43 pm I never noticed the dragonflies on his shirt until just now. Great album.

Absolutely!

Now listening to:

One reviewer described this as the perfect marriage between epic power metal and symphonic black metal. The raspy vocals are fantastic, and the narration integrates beautifully with the music. I love the part beginning around 3:10.

Bal-Sagoth - Draconis Albionensis

The coninuation of Bal-Sagoth. This song builds to about 03:50 and then just explodes with a killer riff. I love the operatic background vocals. The howls are also amazing.

Kull - Hordes Ride

I typically lean more towards death metal than black metal, but will always make an exception for Winterfylleth. Picked up their new album on Friday and listened to it a dozen'ish times over the weekend. Fantastic stuff, blending the best parts of blackened heaviness with beautiful acoustic passages and eerie chants. A huge improvement over their last disappointing album.

I need to put all the metal recommendations from this thread into a playlist so I can actually get around to listening to them all.

Shadows of Paragon (unblack metal) - Fall Leaves

Ooooh, that one was good. Hadn't heard them before, thanks for the heads-up.

I went with some Mexican death metal this morning. The Chasm is fun.

Sudy wrote: Tue May 12, 2020 10:40 am (unblack metal)

'unblack', lol.

gonna go listen to some 'ungospel choir'

hitbyambulance wrote: Tue May 12, 2020 7:27 pm

Sudy wrote: Tue May 12, 2020 10:40 am (unblack metal)

'unblack', lol.

gonna go listen to some 'ungospel choir'

Lol... I agree it's a silly term. But it makes sense that the Christian/Christian-adjacent black metal scene would want to distinguish themselves from the parent genre's philosophies/origin. I leave it for less secure individuals to argue whether Christians are "allowed" to play black metal. (I'm in the "music is music" crowd.) And you jest, but it's not as if there aren't secular gospel choirs, or even satanic ones (ironic or otherwise). I am, however, disappointed to learn "black gospel choir" doesn't mean what it seems....

Regardless, some of these bands slay:

Skinypupy wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 2:27 pm I typically lean more towards death metal than black metal, but will always make an exception for Winterfylleth. Picked up their new album on Friday and listened to it a dozen'ish times over the weekend. Fantastic stuff, blending the best parts of blackened heaviness with beautiful acoustic passages and eerie chants. A huge improvement over their last disappointing album.

That track led me to Wodensthrone, and this song has such an epic sound. I can hear so much post-rock in some atmospheric black.

Sudy wrote: Tue May 12, 2020 10:36 pm Lol... I agree it's a silly term. But it makes sense that the Christian/Christian-adjacent black metal scene would want to distinguish themselves from the parent genre's philosophies/origin. I leave it for less secure individuals to argue whether Christians are "allowed" to play black metal. (I'm in the "music is music" crowd.) And you jest, but it's not as if there aren't secular gospel choirs, or even satanic ones (ironic or otherwise). I am, however, disappointed to learn "black gospel choir" doesn't mean what it seems....

Huh. I knew Christan black metal existed, but I never knew it had an actual name. I learned something today.

Sudy wrote: Tue May 12, 2020 11:50 pm That track led me to Wodensthrone, and this song has such an epic sound. I can hear so much post-rock in some atmospheric black.

A couple other atmo-black recommendations that might be a bit off the beaten path (in case the entire genre isn't obscure enough):

Falls of Rauros


Panopticon. Atmo-black with bluegrass influences


Nechochwen. A strong blend of black metal and Native American tribal music


Obsequiae. Perfecting the Summoner template of howling, ethereal black metal


Aquilus - The "Griseus" album might be the most incredible example of blending atmo/black/folk/death/symphonic metal that I've ever heard. It's definitely a "sit down and listen to the whole thing" type of album, taking you on an incredible musical journey through the four seasons. I cannot recommend this one enough.


Goatpsalm. One of my all-time "sit with good headphones in a dark room" albums. Simultaneously eerie, creepy, unsettling, and beautiful.