So...now that it feels like the final word(s) have been spewed about Youthanasia, I'm thinking of simply writing up Countdown To Extinction, which I admittedly prefer a bit more...(Just wanted to make sure I got the green light!). I'm feeling a bit rough today still, but tomorrow is looking good in this regards. Oh, regarding blues metal, I've fond memories of Goatsnake's Dog Days EP from 2000, and have added it to never ending drafts tower.

Good review of "Servants of Sorcery", that record hits hard.

If I had one 'criticism' of it, it would be this sentence: "It may seem ironic that this is a positive review when most of my commentary has been negative on the surface, but".
This sentence weakens the argument a little because it doesn't fit the overall narrative of the review. By this point we already 'get' the perspective the reviewer (FU) is coming from by that point. Better to just get straight to the concluding comments.

Thanks Robotniq, it means a lot coming from you.

Thanks also for criticism. You were right about my introductory sentence in the last paragraph, but as I also liked the idea of emphasising the album's greatest virtue I decided to rewrite it so that it didn't feel so out of place.

Go ahead chair, hope you're feeling better today! That Goat snake EP is on spotify and I'm listening rn, super fat riffs. Blues metal is great, proto such as Pentagram, Captain Beyond etc and stoner revivalists like Grave Bathers and Heavy Temple are what come to mind for me when I hear that term, not Megadeth lol

Ooh, Heavy Temple! Gonna listen to that later today while cooking supper - love the cover, anyhow. Will check out Grave Bathers too.

So, I might've caught what Mom had, and feel like I'm not quite ready for a deep dive yet but rest assured it'll be my next review, without exception. (Sundays are my best writing days.)

Vid game wise, the super fun and colourful (as well as coop-dable) tower defence game Orcs Must Die 3 is a lot of fun, and on sale still I believe for a song (10$ or so). Check it out!

OSB2018 \,,/

I want to love... no, first to LIKE Maiden's 'The Final Frontier'. It is the "new" 'X-Factor' to me... Except I got to that first Blaze album after I got 'Virtual XI' on the day it came out (weird, I know). I'm still waiting my brain to get into 'The Final Frontier'! I saw them live in MY HOMETOWN (I always joked that no bands like Iron Maiden, Testament or Metallica and many more, would come to Pori [the town of Jazz], but they fucking did Unbelievable!!!), and still, the album is my least loved Maiden platter (the start [after THAT intro] and the ending are excellent).

I've been saying that people would come around to TFF... a really beautiful, interesting piece of work for them, and it saw them really trying a lot of cool stuff with atmospheres and textures in those songs. I liked it from the first time I heard it the day it came out. Lots of sweeping, epic stuff on there.

Yeah, I think it's rather weird, as I have mostly enjoyed Maiden albums after that one. And I certainly love or pretty much like everything they did before. Cannot explain it, really.

Traumawillalwayslinger wrote an excellent review of SFU's new album. I was never gonna buy it, but it's kinda sad to hear it's as disappointing as I feared it'd be. But hey, the album cover is pretty awesome.

Very much enjoyed the new The_Nose_of_Coney_Island review of the 2019 St Vitus s/t. Very literary, storylike prose.

The Castle Rat review caught my eye with that unusual style, a bit gimmicky for sure but fitting for that band. I'll be interested to see how the writing develops from here or if it will get too samey after a few more reviews.

Thanks, much appreciated.



Thanks. I see it as a developing storyline, but will do my best to avoid getting hammy or same-y.

You've got to hand it to the Nose - he definitely brings a new wacky style to the table, kind of like a (t)rad metal Inspector Gadget, eh?

Also, shout out to kluseba for the Tyran piece - I've a feeling their next album's going to be a doozy...

Yet, I've great news and sad news: I finally acquired a 12 W Orange Amp (used but killer) from Long And McQuade (don't bother with the Fender Micro Amp, as it's cheaply made, as the on/off button doesn't work anymore), one I've been wanting for years now but could never find because they're so in demand.

Sadly, my beloved hammie passed away in my hands yesterday evening, I think of a heart attack but am not sure - she might have been older than I thought. It was so abrupt and tragic I just went to say, life is short, life is precious, play and listen to as much metal as you can! (Just glad I got to spend one last week with her, had I fully stayed in grimy Montreal last week, might not have had the chance.)

I'll come back around to reviewing eventually, but I got the worst cold imaginable last week and unable to concentrate much. (Glad to see Owlbear gets a bit more love too!)

CHAIRTHROWER, excuse me if I'm mistaken, but what happened? Did your pet hamster pass away? (hammie = hamster??).

Yes, it was awful, the worst part being me thinking I might've had something to do with it, smothering her with affection as I often did - which she normally was cool with, simply giving me a little nibble as a sign it was time to place her back in her cozy home. (She'd also developed this endearing motor like purr, often bruxing i.e. chattering with contentment. Ah, she was such an amazing hamm!) I'm just realizing it now, but there were signs in last few days something wasn't right, I just didn't clue in until it was too late. She had gotten sluggish and cool to the touch, not eating or drinking much. I'm worried it was diabetes, symptom of too many treats but then again, she might have been over 2 years old. I performed a little ceremony this morning, placing her in a fresh litter with her favourite grub before gently deposing it the bin downstairs...

Thanks for asking and I apologize for hogging the thread with my grief.

(\m/ always! Rest peacefully J-Bear. You'll always be a legend.) They're such nice, lovable and loving (as well as manageable) pets and I'm definitely going to adopt another (or two...or four!).

My condelensces man. Losing your pet is as you say heartbreaking and tough to handle. I lost my West Highland Terrier dog that I had for 15 years last December and I had to euthanize it on my vet due to a very dibilitating decease. I cried when he put her down. So many beautiful memories.... Still playing and listening to metal is what keeps me alive from all the hardships of life.

I'm Alive and I just found the meaning of Life.

- Heavy Load 1985

I'm sorry to hear that. I felt the same way when good ole Teddy, our chill Springer Spaniel while growing up, passed away at an all-too-young twelve years. I cried too last night and desperately wished I had a spell to bring her back to life. It also reminded me of mortality in general, which is simply terrifying.

On a bright note, it's true that metal is life-saving; my love of music, rocking out to modern nwothm, doom metal, NWOBHM and classic old school metal saved me from my myself many times.

I'm also inspired by your kick-ass Hercules shows!

Love spooky's Kerry King review, especially the way it opens:

"The expectations are high and From Hell I Rise is probably the most expected album in the metal-scene in 2024 (together with Mercyful Fate maybe but I guess they will release their new one in 22024)."

Time to fire up the ole time machine...

Oh, and Ultimate Guitar is the biggest rip off scam in the World, I feel like such a fool right now. That's what you get for wanting to learn Night Demon's awesome Stranger In The Room the easy way (as, with illusory tablature and not by true grit ear reception like our talented pal Iron Demon). Whatever, I'll just keep working on it and finish what I started...(In a moment of foresight, I printed it out - thankfully it's 100% accurate - and have been making slow but steady progress. If anything, I'm more motivated than ever, just to prove to these assholes I'm not some hopeless amateur.)

I'll stop talking about myself, but it's important people know to avoid that diabolic site which shamefully abuses both trust and love of guitar. Definitely not having a good month here.

Consider this an archival cautionary tale...Fucking Ultimate Guitar. This is unbelievable. They stole 250$ from me and won't even let me access the song. (Dinged the account twice after the free trial period before I got the bank to block them.)

Fuck...Yeah Fuck UG and Songsterr. They keep telling you to buy their shit, just to change the tempo of the song and other stuff that should have been free from the getgo. You should have gotten yourself Guitar Pro 8. It costs 60 dollars and it has so much capibilities than those shitty websites. If you don't have an account and haven't payed UG, can you still download the text tab or midi file?

I feel like an idiot; as in, instinctively, I knew not to mess around with it, but the whole Night Demon thing (plus having a really bad cold affecting my judgment) threw me off. What's done is done but man, my fixation with Night Demon is getting expensive here. Like I said, I'm fully learning Stranger In The Room so I can one day dedicate it with a big fuck you to UG - a name never to be espoused aloud ever again!

For the record though, Songsterr is OK, it's just 10 $ a month and they've lots of classic rock tracks - including a bucket load of Cirith Ungol and Judas Priest...What we need now is an official Night Demon tab book.

My introduction to Night Demon was seeing them open for Blind Guardian last month and they definitely did a great job, the Grim Reaper guy they brought in one song was a nice touch. I probably should look into their studio albums, I haven't gotten into as many modern trad metal bands as I'd like with how many have popped up in the last decade or so. Their connection to Cirith Ungol definitely gives them a leg up. Honestly didn't realize they'd been around since 2011 until looking at their page just now. One of those groups that slipped through the cracks for me, I guess!

I'm happy you got to see them!

Regarding Scanner, I've always loved those two albums, Hypertrace and Terminal Earth. The former, which I'm digging now, reminds me a lot of Steelwing's Lord Of The Wasteland.

https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/Nocturnus_AD/Unicursal/1224147/thrashmaniac99/474050


That's not even stealth advertising

The new To Mega Therion review from a new reviewer called Acrezul seems to have been written for all the wrong reasons.
"an album widely regarded as one of the cornerstones of first wave black metal"
"however calling it “black metal” feels disingenuous"
'For those looking for the signature experience of a black metal album, you will be left disappointed"
Then proceeds to title the review "I DON'T SEE IT".
Well duh. Seems like with all these preconceptions you've set yourself up for a fail with this album.
It's not a modern black metal album. It's a metal album from 1985. And just to clarify they're not Bathory, they're their own unique band.
Get some context and think for yourself.