[Heccubus]

The 2007 topic saw quite a bit of traffic, for this forum, so I've decided to get a new one going for 2008. So far this year, there's been some pretty good stuff. And it's only February! In two months I've picked up a few stellar albums, some pretty okay ones, and some pretty awful ones. Looky:

Stellar
A Silver Mt. Zion - 13 Blues for Thirteen Moons
Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
Black Mountain - In the Future
John Zorn - Filmworks XIX: The Rain Horse
The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
Times New Viking - Rip It Off

Pretty Okay
Blood On The Wall - Liferz
Boris - Smile
Cadence Weapon - Afterparty Babies
The Teenagers - Reality Check
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (I got the self-released version in 2007 as well.)

Pretty Awful
Autechre - Quarstice
Steve Aoki - Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles

Plus I have a mess of stuff I've yet to even listen to:
Alina Orlova - Laukinis Šuo Dingo
Averse Sefira - Advent Parallax
Bauhaus - Go Away White
Dead Meadow - Old Growth
Destroyer - Trouble In Dreams
Disfear - Live The Storm
DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist - The Hard Sell
Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull
The Harpeth Trace - On Disappearing
Hayden - In Field & Town
Hot Chip - Made In The Dark
Human Bell - Human Bell
Jon Mueller - Metals
Justus Köhncke - Safe and Sound
The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Neon Neon - Stainless Style
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Protest The Hero - Fortress
Re-Up Gang - We Got It 4 Cheap, Volume 3: The Spirit of Competition
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
The Sword - Gods Of The Earth
This Will Destroy You - This Will Destroy You

So on that note, as I sit here writing an essay on Linux file systems, I believe I also have a date with some music.

[Dan_N_GameZ]

What about Nine Inch Nails' Ghosts album?

Naturally, I immediately downloaded volume I and listened to it. I didn't know what I was expecting, but I had hoped it would be better than With Teeth and Year Zero, and I was glad that it was.

It was repetitive, and had an overall random feel, but it wasn't as ellectronically-dissonant as Year Zero, neither as Alternative Rock-orientated as With Teeth. It rather reminded me of The Fragile, which I rather liked.

Overall, I kinda like Ghosts, I think, at first listen. Well, at least volume I. It's not a shining example of NIN material, (check Pretty Hate Machine, Broken, The Downward Spiral, and even some parts of The Fragile for that) especially since Trent was not working solo on it, but it was ok.

This post has been edited by Dan_N_GameZ: 05 March 2008 - 01:45 AM

[Heccubus]

I have all four volumes. I'm not expecting much. Reznor is one of the most consistently disappointing musicians I've ever heard. The entire body of his work that I would actually call "good" could easily be fit on a single disc compilation.

[wallabyeyes]

New Fuck Buttons is weak. Powerful weak. yawn.

Fleet Foxes have an EP out that is merely okay. best case scenario they make a decent full-length.

umm... Crystal Castles is okay too. A bit too in-my-face for regular listening but i'm a sucker for the Atari sounds. Not by any means great.

Super Roots 9 gets it's official stateside release this year, i think. It is magnificent. I'm running full boar into Boredom Fandom.

Warbringer are vintage thrash metal all over. That's a good thing. Taut and to the point. Solid though not revelatory.

[Heccubus]

Yeah Crystal Castles is vastly underwhelming. Their live set is apparently phenomenal, though.

[ShiverMeSideways]

Well, I've listened to NIN's The Slip, naturally, and... Well, I still don't know. Nine Inch Nails' current status is a mystery to me, I just don't know what to say. Except maybe too much electronic stuff going on and not enough real instruments being played. The album also felt like a rushed thing, and it probably was, since the space between Ghosts and The Slip is just a few months, and it was released over the Internet. I'll just stick to Trent's 90s stuff and Pretty Hate Machine.

Meanwhile, I've also picked up Alice Cooper's new album, Along Came a Spider. Great garage rock album, but not what I was expecting. When Alice said this was going to a dark album I was expecting down-tuned guitars, heavy riffs and whatnot. Still, it's a good album, as are most of Alice Cooper's records. A bit typical, but the lyrics are ok.

Children of Bodom released Blooddrunk this year. I've not listened to it, and I'm not planning, 'cos frankly, for me Bodom are basically the first two albums, and a few tracks off Are You Dead Yet?

What else... Disturbed released Undestructible finally and I've also got mixed feelings about that. I'm glad it's in the direction of Ten Thousand Fists, and it is a little better, but I just don't like it that much. Fun to listen to sometimes, however. Also, why do I get the feeling that the band picked up a dictionary before they wrote lyrics?

Ohhh, Judas Priest released Nostradamus. Great sound, iffy lyrics and I hate Nostradamus the fortuneteller and his story. I just don't like the chap, and he turn in his grave all he likes, 'cos I'm not taking it back. Also, all this mysticism (or bullshit as I like to call it) regarding his works is annoying. Also, what is up with half the tracks being intros? Some are good, mind you, but most are... well, meh. It's an ok album and I'm not going to drive nails through Judas for releasing it like most people have.

I've recently listened to Motorhead's Motorizer. Nothing new, but a lot more old. They've gone really fast and loose on this album, and it feels like I'm 30 years in the past. Very good album.

And finally, an album I like very much, and have also bought the deluxe version of, Testament's The Formation of Damnation. This is what modern thrash should sound like. Speedy, heavy, and with lyrics you understand. Many bands have gone into death/thrash, mixing guttural vocals with the fast instrumentation, but I'm not really fond of that, except in Exodus. Although Chuck Billy's vocals are guttural, you can make out the lyrics, and he has great melody, so it works. Also, hearing Eric Peterson's awesome riffs coupled with Alex Skolnick's awesome solos is just, well... awesome.

I'm hyped up about Metallica's Death Magnetic, and before you cast me into the millions upon trillions and gazillions of people who are the same, I'll tell you this: so fucking what, I love Metallica, they are one of my favourite bands, and I visit missionmetallica.com every goddamn day. So there... Also, I like a song on St. Anger! HA!

I also can't wait for Axl's Chinese Democracy uber-album in the world ev4r! After all this waiting, every riff on the album should be orgasmic... And no, I haven't listened to any leaks or whatnot since I don't want to spoil it.

[Heccubus]

Metal albums of the year, right here:
Averse Sefira - "Advent Parallax"
Deadbird - "Twilight Ritual"
Disfear - "Live The Storm"
Earth - "The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull"
Genghis Tron - "Board Up the House"
Harvey Milk - "Life... The Best Game in Town"
Krallice - "Krallice"
Leviathan - "Massive Conspiracy Against All Life"
Meshuggah - "obZen"
Nortt - "Galgenfrist"
Torche - "Meanderthal"

This post has been edited by Heccubus: 12 August 2008 - 06:15 AM

[Spann]

Albums of the year so far for me: Kid Carpet's Casio Royale and Fandangle's Fly Away.

I haven't heard much modern metal recently, although I did enjoy Evile's album, and any thrash fan who hasn't checked out SSS is missing out big time.

Unfortunately though, (apart from the bands mentioned above) the thrash scene, despite having somewhat of a revival at the moment, just cannot seem to get a decent vocalist. It's either death metal grunts or NWOBHM squealing, and there seems to be very little middle ground. If anyone knows of any bands that do fit into the middle ground however, I will be willing to take that statement back and probably love both the band and the person who introduced me to them.

[ShiverMeSideways]

although I did enjoy Evile's album,

Yeah, their Enter the Grave album was really good, it felt like they were playing Metallica mashed with Slayer, stylistically speaking.

Unfortunately though, (apart from the bands mentioned above) the thrash scene, despite having somewhat of a revival at the moment, just cannot seem to get a decent vocalist. It's either death metal grunts or NWOBHM squealing, and there seems to be very little middle ground. If anyone knows of any bands that do fit into the middle ground however, I will be willing to take that statement back and probably love both the band and the person who introduced me to them.

I agree with you, although I prefer squealing than death vocals, although I do like Exodus a lot these days. I would suggest Overkill, although I don't know if they constitute middle ground. I also like Testament, and as I said earlier, although their vocalist uses death-style vocals, he really can sing and has a great sense of melody.

[Heccubus]

Thrash is one of those genres where I think you just have to stick with the classics if you want any satisfaction. I haven't heard any thrash from the past...oh I don't know, decade or so that was anything I'd seriously consider getting into. I mean there are bands with thrash elements that I like, like Shadows Fall or Lamb of God, but....

[Spann]

There's a few thrash bands that still tear most of modern metal a new arsehole, but I don't think there'll ever be another Puppets or Peace Sells...

On a different note, Slipknot's new album should be Groovy Pants, as well as the new King Blues wax.

DJ Scotch Egg's new album was slightly dissapointing: It's good, but nowhere near the quality of his first two full lengths.

[Chyld]

On a different note, Slipknot's new album should be Groovy Pants...

Holy shit, how did I miss that?
*goes torrent hunting*

[Gobbler]

I just accquired the new Andy Hunter album, Colour. His Exodus album has a special place in my heart, but the new one isn't quite as consistent in style, a bit slower and less energetic, but with more good vocalists and some interesting tunes as well. I expected more of the old flowing style, but I can wholly appreciate this turn as well. Not the best album ever, surely, but still a good one to play in the background.

[Spann]

The Slipknot Album: Not as groovy as I hoped.

The new King Blues record doesn't dissapoint, however.

[Heccubus]

The Slipknot Album: Not as groovy as I hoped.

Anyone could've told you that.