Catching Up: 2020 Part 1

My last Top Albums of the Year post was in 2019.  I thought I would try to come back and do a post for each year I have missed out on, but I would have to go back and listen to everything again.  This is going to take some time.  I have a LOT to go through to get my thoughts out on some recent releases.  I thought the easiest way of doing this was to highlight five random albums and eventually be able to formulate some type of list as I get to the end of the additions to my collection.  These are physical copies only, so if I am missing something when all is said and done, it's because I was not able to procure a physical copy for whatever reason.

AKHLYS: MELINOE

Melinoe is the Greek goddess of nightmares and madness, and that is an appropriate jumping-off point for this album.  This is what nightmares sound like.  The sound is dense and chaotic with pounding drums and murky riffs, combined with sepulchral vocals.  It does an astounding job of building a tense and uncomfortable atmosphere and refusing to relent.  There is very little here I would classify as melodic, even the lighter tones come across as more dissonant, adding to the oppressive nature of the rest of the music.  This is not an album to listen to alone with the lights off.

MONGREL'S CROSS: ARCANA, SCRYING AND REVELATION

I checked out an album by Aussie blackened thrashers Mongrel's Cross several years back but kind of lost track of them afterwards.  This is their third full-length and the band has matured their sound somewhat.  This time around Absu mastermind Proscriptor has joined the fray as the primary vocalist.  One thing Mongrel's Cross does quite well is weave intricate guitar leads into their particular brand of savagery.  The reference point is latter-day Destroyer 666, which is definitely an admirable goal, but the execution is just not quite there.

PERDITION TEMPLE: SACRAMENTS OF DESCENSION

Tampa, FL has long been a hotbed for evil-sounding death metal and Perdition Temple are a more recent entry into that history.  Something of a supergroup, the band features members of other stalwart bands such as Ares Kingdom, Angelcorpse, Malevolent Creation and Impiety.  With that kind of pedigree, it is easy to imagine what the band would sound like: raw and primal death metal with a focus on intensity and dark atmosphere.  This is an absolutely filthy, bludgeoning assault on the listener. 

TESTAMENT: TITANS OF CREATION

Testament has been my favorite band, or damn near the top of the list, since I bought Low back when I was in middle school.  That album made an immediate impact on me and every album (with the possible exception of Demonic) have similarly made an impact.  We are now four albums into the second stage of Testament's career after Chuck Billy's cancer scare forced the band into hiatus for a few years, and each album has surpassed the one before it.  This is the best Testament album since The Gathering with one of the best Testament songs of all time ("Dream Deceiver").  It is an instant classic in the band's already impressive discography.

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER: VERMINOUS 

As it turned out, this was the last album we would get from The Black Dahlia Murder with iconic frontman Trevor Strnad who died suddenly in 2022.  That is absolutely a shame because TBDM had really become an incredible band over the years.  Wearing their influences on their sleeves, you knew what to expect from each release: frenetic melodeath that would simply steamroll the listener.  This was probably my favorite album from the band since Nocturnal.  It will be interesting to see how the band moves on.  Strnad's death was an absolute tragedy.

Initial Impressions: Testament: Titans of Creation (2020)

I am interrupting my current and ongoing pile of albums to review to jump this one way ahead.  Why?  Well, because it's fucking Testament.  That's why.  As longtime readers know, Testament is my favorite band.  I came to this realization a few years back, though they have always been high on the list.  I just love everything from the band.  And they are one of the few bands whose every new release I grab right away.  This was no exception.

So how is it?  Fucking.  Awesome.  I love this album.  This is quite possibly Testament's best album since The Gathering, which was an absolute monster itself.  To begin with, the current iteration of Testament is one of the greatest collections of talent in metal right now.  The rhythm section itself is peerless, consisting of human metronome Gene Hoglan and fretless bass master Steve DiGiorgio.  And then there is the guitar duo of Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson who play off of each other better than anyone since Iron Maiden's heyday.  Skolnick deserves special mention as a one-of-a-kind talent.  Finally Chuck Billy has one of the most distinctive voices in thrash metal and sounds better than he has in years.  Probably again since The Gathering.

A band can have all of the talent in the world, but if the songs are not great, the album will be a failure.  Luckily here we have some amazing songs.  Each one of them dynamic and intriguing in their own ways.  The standouts are "Night of the Witch", which is reminiscent of the aforementioned The Gathering.  That is to say an exceptionally dark song.  "Catacombs", the album closer, is a short instrumental built around the opening riff to "Low", which is a nice callback.  And finally, and most importantly, "Dream Deceiver" is quite possibly Testament's best song in years.  With a Priest-esque chorus and an exceptional Skolnick solo, it makes an immediate and lasting impact.

I have loved every release by Testament, but it is clear that the band has been on an upswing over the last few years.  Each release since their reunion album The Formation of Damnation has been better than the one before.  The biggest improvement on this one is Skolnick's playing.  He seems rejuvenated somehow.  And what results is an absolutely terrific album from the thrash titans.  This album will be tough to beat at the end of the year.  An early contender for Album of the Year.

On a personal note, Steve DiGiorgio, Chuck Billy and his wife have apparently recently tested positive for COVID-19.  I wish them all the best of luck getting through this.

Nuclear Blast Reissues Testament

Despite the fact that I have long considered Testament one of my favorite bands (and, in fact, if pressed I would probably name them my favorite band of all time), I never picked up every single one of their releases.  It has only been over the last couple of years that I picked up The Legacy and The New Order, even though those are arguably their most popular albums.  I blame part of that on the fact that I grew up with their mid-paced stuff like Low and The Gathering and part of it on the fact that I had numerous compilations and live albums that covered most of that era.

Even after picking up those two early albums, I was still missing a few things.  Not any more.  Nuclear Blast reissued a bunch of Testament's stuff on cassette and vinyl and I was able to fill the holes in my collection.  There were three major releases that I had to grab, each with new artwork.

DEMONIC (1997)
I am honestly not sure how I never picked up Demonic.  It was the band's next album after Low, an album I absolutely adore and still consider my favorite by the band.  Demonic is probably the band's weakest release, and maybe that was part of it.  I enjoyed the title track when I heard it (it was on one of the aforementioned compilations), though not to the same level as any of their other stuff.  So I really do not know why I never picked it up.  After hearing it, I can see why it is not well-received, though I do enjoy it.  Testament was definitely trying to alter their sound to keep up with the groove metal style popularized by Pantera, yet also trying to get heavier to keep up with the rise of death metal.  What results is kind of a confused album with some decent tracks that call to mind thrash-era Testament ("Hatreds Rise") and other tracks trying to be more modern (the explosive title track).  Like I said, I do enjoy this album, but I would definitely pick up any of their other releases before it.

FIRST STRIKE STILL DEADLY (2001)
I stayed away from this one for awhile, mostly because it seemed so unnecessary.  This came out at a time when a bunch of bands were re-recording a lot of their early work.  It led to mistakes like Exodus's Let There be Blood, a re-recording of their landmark debut Bonded By Blood.  Testament re-recorded a number of songs from their first two albums with more modern recording equipment and techniques.  It is actually not all that bad.  A couple of the songs are not nearly as good, in particular "The Preacher" which has some questionable decisions.  The most unusual and interesting aspect of this release though is the last two songs "Alone in the Dark" and "Reign of Terror" which feature Steve "Zetro" Souza on lead vocals instead of Chuck Billy.  Souza of course made his name with Exodus but was actually Testament's first singer.  These songs are an interesting look at what might have been had Souza stayed with the band and are the major reason to check out this album.

LIVE AT EINDHOVEN '87 (2009)
Yes, this is a reissue of a reissue of the band's first live album released shortly after their debut album.  I think the reason I missed out on this way is a combination of my general disdain for live albums and the fact that I just did not know about it.  But, I do love Live at the Fillmore, and I have been enjoying going to concerts a lot more lately, so I took a chance on it.  This is early Testament and it is clear that the band is very raw, but the performance is nonetheless quite impressive.  Testament has always been a very good live act and it appears as if that was something they became very early on in their careers.  This is by no means an essential pick-up for anyone other than a huge fan of the band, but Testament is my favorite band, so I had to pick it up.

I would be hard-pressed to recommend any of these albums to casual fans, but for huge fans of the band like myself, they are definitely worthwhile.

Testament and Sepultura in Sioux Falls: May 4

In the last month now, I have seen four legendary thrash metal bands.  Testament and Sepultura were just the latest after seeing Anthrax and Kreator in April.  This was a different venue for us though.  The show was at The District in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, about a two-and-a-half hour drive for us.  So it definitely made for a late night, but it was worth it.  There were actually four bands there that night, which I will get to.

Both Testament and Sepultura have been longtime favorite bands for me.  I have been a huge fan of both since I was in high school.  Sepultura was the first band of whom I bought a t-shirt, though I lost it at some point.  It just sort of disappeared at some point.  As for Testament, well, my favorite song of all time is "Return to Serenity" and I went to a signing before they played a show in Lincoln when I was 18.  Unfortunately I did not get to see them that night since it was a 19 and over show.  Chuck Billy had his cancer scare shortly after that and it would be years before the band got back together.

The first band was a relatively young band from Germany called Dying Gorgeous Lies.  I was a little skeptical about what the band would sound like based on that name.  The name suggests they would be more at home opening for The Devil Wears Prada.  But no, they are definitely a thrash metal band.  The singer is a woman whose voice reminds me very much of Holy Moses singer Sabine Classen, so I definitely am on board.  We missed the band's first couple of songs as we had a long drive and decided to try out a Cambodian restaurant before the show.  But what I heard of the band was impressive.  They are definitely a German thrash metal throwback and given my love for that style, I will have to check them out.

Prong was next to the stage, and this is another band that I have enjoyed since I was in high school.  I used to catch them on Headbanger's Ball quite a bit when "Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck" was out.  I have not been keeping up with them for a very long time so I was surprised that I recognized most of the songs they played.  They stuck pretty well to their first four albums for most of their set.  That is generally their best material anyway.  They definitely sounded good.  It has been over 20 years since I have heard any new material by the band, but their old stuff still sounds great.  They closed out their show with "Snap..." which was appropriate.

I have not been the biggest fan of Sepultura since Max Cavalera left the band, but their albums with him are some of my absolute favorites.  They did play a lot of material from their early years, which was appreciated.  Derrick Green's voice has grown on me a little over the years and after some uneven releases, they are starting to put out some better stuff again now.  Most of the stuff from their Max albums sounded incredible, and I did like the songs they played off their latest album enough that I may have to check it out.  Their last three songs ("Refuse/Resist", "Ratamahatta", and "Roots Bloody Roots") were really amazing and were the highlight of their set.  They were definitely hitting their stride by that point and their energy was infectious.

Finally, Testament took the stage and I finally got to see them after being disappointed back when I was in high school.  The wait was worth it as Testament was incredible.  They played a mix of songs going way back to their first album and generally covering most of their early releases and also featuring a generous sampling of stuff from the new album.  Everyone was in top form and each of the musicians was given the spotlight at one point to show off their abilities.  My wife was quite impressed with Alex Skolnick.  I was more interested in Steve DiGiorgio's bass work myself.  The only disappointment with their show was that they did not play "Return to Serenity", though since that is a slower song, I should not have been that surprised.

This was an early birthday present from my wife and it was a terrific show.  Sepultura and Testament are still two of my all-time favorite bands, Testament possibly being number one.  Definitely a good birthday present.

Testament: The Legacy

Even though Testament is one of my favorite bands, for some reason I never really got around to picking up their first two albums.  I really have no idea what the hell that is all about.  So, recently I decided to rectify that and get their debut album.  And what a debut it is.

Their later albums sound a little bit more refined.  The band had found its sound and ironed out any flaws.  That was not quite the case on this release.  This one is rawer and more energetic.  That is oftentimes preferred with thrash metal.  This album definitely grabs attention early on and refuses to let go.  It is incredibly fast with riffs blazing by.

This album has a number of classic tracks from the band.  "Over the Wall", "Alone in the Dark", and several others are Testament classics.

This is an older album that many people have probably already formed an opinion on, so there is really not much else to say.  I am late to this one, but I would have to say it is likely one of Testament's best albums.

Cataloguing My Metal Collection Pt. 117

ARTIST:  Testament
ORIGIN:  Oakland, CA (United States)
TITLE:  Souls of Black
LABEL:  Atlantic Records
YEAR:  1990
GENRE:  Thrash Metal
FAVORITE SONG:  "Face in the Sky"
NOTES:  It was time to start looking back into Testament's earlier albums.  I had really enjoyed everything I had heard from the band to this point.  Most of their material before Low is fairly interchangeable, not to say that there is not some great stuff there, but it all kind of runs together.

Cataloguing My Metal Collection Pt. 113

ARTIST:  Testament
ORIGIN:  Oakland, CA (United States)
TITLE:  The Gathering
LABEL:  Spitfire Records
YEAR:  1999
GENRE:  Thrash/Death Metal
FAVORITE SONG:  "True Believer"
NOTES:  I picked this CD up at the local music store.  Testament was in town for a concert and did a signing at the store.  I got the CD and an autographed poster (which I have since lost unfortunately).   The band was very nice and asked if my friend and I would be going to the concert.  Unfortunately since it was a 19 and over show and we were both 18, we could not go.  The band thought that was ridiculous.

Cataloguing My Metal Collection Pt. 109

ARTIST:  Testament
ORIGIN:  Oakland, CA (United States)
TITLE:  Live at the Fillmore
LABEL:  Burnt Offerings
YEAR:  1995
GENRE:  Thrash Metal
FAVORITE SONG:  "Return to Serenity"
NOTES:  Despite the fact that this album was released in 1995, I did not see it for a couple of years.  As I have said before, I am not the biggest fan of live albums, but this one is one of my favorites.  Testament sounds amazing throughout the live portion of the album.  It is mostly a package of songs covering the band's debut through Low.  So it is definitely covering the band's most productive period.  Then the final three songs are acoustic versions of the band's ballads.  This version of "Return to Serenity" is perhaps my favorite.

Cataloguing My Metal Collection Pt. 103

ARTIST:  Testament
ORIGIN:  Oakland, CA (United States)
TITLE:  The Ritual
LABEL:  Atlantic Records
YEAR:  1992
GENRE:  Thrash/Heavy Metal
FAVORITE SONG:  "Return to Serenity"
NOTES:  I remember picking this one up the night before I took the ACT.  I had been studying a lot for it and I was ready for a break.  I went over to the music store and bought this as well as another album.  Testament has always been a favorite band and "Return to Serenity" was already my favorite song.  This was Testament's answer to Metallica's Black Album and the increased use of melodies was obvious.

Cataloguing My Metal Collection Pt. 92

ARTIST:  Testament
ORIGIN:  Oakland, CA (United States)
TITLE:  Signs of Chaos: The Best of Testament
LABEL:  Burnt Offerings
YEAR:  1997
GENRE:  Thrash Metal
FAVORITE SONG:  "Return to Serenity"
NOTES:  Another rare Greatest Hits albums in my collection.  I got it because I loved "Return to Serenity" and at the time this was the only album by the band with that song on it that I could find.  This also has a couple of unreleased covers which are basically worthless.  It does provide a nice mix of the band's albums released to that point, including the decidedly more death metal Demonic album.  It was a nice look into the band's larger history that I was previously unaware of, but that is pretty much it.

Best Metal Songs of 2012

TESTAMENT: "NATIVE BLOOD"


ARKHAM WITCH: "ON A HORSE CALLED VENGEANCE"
I could not find a video for this one, so here is another song from Arkham Witch.


MORTALICUM: "THE ENDTIME PROPHECY"


GOJIRA: "EXPLOSIA"


WITCHCRAFT: "IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF YOU"

Top 40 Metal Albums of 2012: 20-11

20.  KREATOR: PHANTOM ANTICHRIST
There were a number of venerable thrash metal giants that released new albums this year.  A surprising number of them were very impressive.  Kreator is one of my favorite German thrash metal bands with a remarkably consistent output.  This release is not quite as powerful as their last couple of albums but still possesses that anger and razor-sharp riffing style that the band has perfected over the course of their long career.

19.  3 INCHES OF BLOOD: LONG LIVE HEAVY METAL
I have enjoyed a couple of 3 Inches of Blood's albums in the past, but after their second vocalist left the band, they seemed less exciting.  They kind of phoned in their previous album.  But on this one, the band sounds rejuvenated and possibly better than they ever have.  That is saying something in my eyes.  This album is a hell of a lot of fun, exactly what 3 Inches of Blood set out to do.

18.  OVERKILL: THE ELECTRIC AGE
Like Kreator, Overkill is another long-running thrash metal titan that released an incredible new album in 2012.  Overkill is quite possibly the most consistent thrash metal band going which is saying quite a bit.  Their recent albums have actually proven to be better than the Big 4 of thrash metal, not bad for a band that existed in their shadow for years.  Overkill never disappoints me.

17.  WEAPON: EMBERS AND REVELATIONS
Weapon is a band that I have heard great things about for years but never really checked out until this year.  Now I am kicking myself because I really enjoyed this one.  Weapon has a surprisingly original take on blackened death metal and can not easily be compared to other bands in their genre.  The music is ominous and powerful.  It is an album I come back to time and time again.

16.  ASPHYX: DEATHHAMMER
Martin Van Drunen has long been one of my favorite death metal vocalists.  I try to pick up every project that he is attached to.  Asphyx is one of the bands that is most associated with Van Drunen and their sound matches his psychotic roaring better than most.  This album is yet another reason why Van Drunen is one of the most influential death metal vocalists of all time.

15.  TESTAMENT: DARK ROOTS OF EARTH
The third longtime thrash metal band to release a strong album in 2012, Testament's newest is the best of the three and is also one of the best albums the band has released since Low.  It is one of the best thrash metal albums of the year and featured the terrific "Native Blood", a tribute to singer Chuck Billy's Native American ancestry.

14.  HIGH ON FIRE: DE VERMIS MYSTERIIS
High on Fire is one of the leaders of the stoner doom metal genre and they have once again shown why on this album.  Their last album had somewhat weak production but was otherwise a very strong release.  This album fixes the mistakes of the last album's production with a much meatier and heavier sound.  The strong production lead to an even stronger overall feel with this release.

13.  PARADISE LOST: TRAGIC IDOL
I have been a big fan of Paradise Lost for years, ever since I got Draconian Times for Christmas back in around 1996.  Unfortunately the band has not put out an album quite as impressive since that one including a long foray into gothic rock.  But unlike some bands that went that direction (ahem Tiamat), Paradise Lost has found their way back out of it.  This is easily Paradise Lost's best album since that one.

12.  WITCHCRAFT: LEGEND
Like Weapon, I have heard a lot of great things about Witchcraft over the years but simply never got around to checking them out.  I read great things about this release before deciding to pick it up as well, but I am definitely glad that I did.  This is another very strong album influenced mainly by the old school heavy metal masters.  It rocks, quite simply.

11.  CATTLE DECAPITATION: MONOLITH OF INHUMANITY
Wow.  I was not expecting to be blown away by a Cattle Decapitation album.  There were a ton of great death metal albums in 2012 and Cattle Decapitation was one of the strongest.  This was the first Cattle Decapitation album I ever checked out due to their politics and being a run-of-the-mill deathgrind band, but this album elevated Cattle Decapitation to the top of the pack.

My Top 5 Favorite Bands Right Now...

I have said it before and I will say it again, my tastes change all the time.  I have long been hesitant to tell people my favorite band, because in a couple of weeks it could be someone completely different.  There are certain albums I always come back to, but bands may change over time, and quite drastically.  I will always love the early Metallica and Black Sabbath albums, but neither of those two bands are considered favorites of mine right now.  So without further ado, my top five favorite bands at this moment.

Cataloguing My Metal Collection Pt. 23

ARTIST:  Testament
ORIGIN:  Oakland, CA (United States)
TITLE:  Low
LABEL:  Atlantic Records
YEAR:  1994
GENRE:  Thrash Metal/Groove Metal
FAVORITE SONG:  "Legions (In Hiding)"
NOTES:  This was a very extreme album for me at the time.  Testament used a much more gruff vocal style than anything I was used to.  Nevertheless, this album really clicked for me.  I loved it from the first time I heard it.  "Low" had been played on the radio quite a bit which lead me to check out the album.  Testament was a favorite band of mine throughout high school and I even got to meet the band.  Unfortunately I was too young to see them in concert at the time.  Some day I will.

Initial Impressions: Testament: Dark Roots of Earth

Testament finally returned in 2008 after a long hiatus in which singer Chuck Billy was fighting cancer.  This is the band's second release since coming back and it is easily one of their best albums in years, yes even better than The Formation of Damnation.  The band still sounds amazing.  I am a huge Testament fan so any time this band releases something, you can bet that I will be there to pick it up.

Testament has always been a little bit more politically and socially minded than a lot of other bands.  That is not to say that none of their music has dealt with death and destruction or other stereotypical metal topics, but a large amount has been devoted to various current issues.  The band has even touched on Chuck Billy's heritage in past songs, in particular "Trail of Tears" on their Low album.  On this album, Billy's Native American heritage is a common theme, complete with a rather powerful video for first single "Native Blood".

Musically, this is bottom-end heavy, grooving thrash metal, the kind that Testament has perfected over the years.  Once the band stopped trying to be a clone of other thrash metal bands and found their own sound, they have never really looked back, other than a couple of albums where they experimented with death metal.  This is the sound present here and, if anything, Testament has further tightened their sound.  The last album had a few missteps on it, but those have been mostly eliminated on this one.

The band does a decent job of keeping things interesting, as they always have.  Ballads have been a strong point for Testament over the years with "The Ballad" and of course my favorite song of all time "Return to Serenity".  Another ballad appears here with "Cold Embrace".  It is another triumphant, powerful track.

The limited edition, which is the one that I have also features covers of songs from Queen, Scorpions, and Iron Maiden.  Kind of an eclectic mix, but very interesting.  The Maiden track in particular is done quite well despite the fact that Billy does not have anywhere close to the same type of voice as Bruce Dickinson.

This is yet another very strong album from Testament.  As I mentioned before, I am a huge fan of the band.  I think this is one of their best efforts in a very long time.

My 100 Favorite Metal Bands Pt. 94: Testament

People who have known me for awhile probably could have predicted that I would get Testament on this list. Hey, the band recorded my all-time favorite song, "Return to Serenity". I met the band once when they did a signing session prior to a concert, unfortunately I was too young to go to the concert at that time. Testament is often considered a second-tier thrash metal band in the 1980's, and that is potentially accurate. It was not until they released the monster album Low that the band really took off creatively and musically. Testament went on a bit of a hiatus at the beginning of the last decade due to frontman Chuck Billy's cancer struggle, but they made one hell of a comeback in 2008.

FAVORITE ALBUM: LOW

Year in Metal: 1999

CHILDREN OF BODOM: HATEBREEDER
On Children of Bodom's second album, the band found their own sound, a sound they would develop over the next few albums. A combination of traditional heavy metal, power metal, and black metal, the album was something that was a lot different than anything else at the time. COB utilized a lot of ultra fast riffs and some keyboard flourishes in order to fill out their sound. Lots of other bands came up afterwards that took the COB formula and ran with it, such as Norther and Kalmah.

IN FLAMES: COLONY
The fourth album from In Flames was their last great one. Far more geared towards typical Gothenburg melodeath than anything the band had done previously, the album featured some great, catchy songs and terrific riffwork. The album is faster-paced and more intense than their previous albums. Unfortunately it was all basically down hill from here.

MOONSPELL: THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT
Moonspell's fourth album was influenced by chaos theory, as can be guessed by the album's name. The album is more experimental than the band's prior albums that were more straightforward gothic/black metal. The first couple of songs on this album are insanely creepy. "Soulsick" features some terrifying vocals and the title track's last section is extremely unnerving. The rest of the album is not quite as good, but this is a strong release by the Portuguese band.

OPETH: STILL LIFE
Opeth also released their fourth album in 1999. This is the first album I had heard from Opeth and it impressed me immediately. Featuring some of the band's best combinations of melodic death metal and progressive elements, this is one of the most beautiful and brilliant albums the band has released. From the crunchy riffs beginning in "The Moor" to the elegantly melodic "Face of Melinda" to strong album closer "White Cluster", this is an amazing album.

TESTAMENT: THE GATHERING
After the band's experimentation with a more death metal-influenced sound on their prior album, Demonic, Testament returned to a heavy thrash sound on their eighth album. Some of the death metal elements were still present, as death metal veterans James Murphy, Steve DiGiorgio, and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo all appeared on the album as members of the band. Chuck Billy's voice was still closer to death metal than his prior thrash metal vocals, but the music was faster paced and heavier. The lyrical themes were a hell of a lot more evil too. This is still one of my favorite Testament albums.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Control Denied: The Fragile Art of Existence; Immortal: At the Heart of Winter; Lacuna Coil: In a Reverie; Metallica: S&M.

BANDS THAT FORMED IN 1999: Battlelore, Bloodbath, Bleeding Through, Dragonforce, Dream Evil, Kalmah, Killswitch Engage, Lamb of God, Mastodon, Mors Principium Est, Trivium.

Year in Metal: 1994

1994 was an important year for me in metal. Not because of the albums that were released, but rather that this was the year I started listening to metal.

ACID BATH: WHEN THE KITE STRING POPS
Acid Bath was an early pioneer in the sludge metal sound. Featuring members who would later comprise groups like Crowbar and Goatwhore, Acid Bath was ahead of its time. The band blended sounds from doom metal, hardcore, blues rock, black metal, death metal, and virtually anything else. This is a fantastic album with extremely strong dynamics and range. The band only released two full length albums, of which this is the debut.

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY: DELIVERANCE
Corrosion of Conformity (C.O.C. from now on) has had many different sounds over the years. Beginning as a hardcore band and slowly incorporating more and more thrash and metal influences, the band changed a lot. This was a complete change however, with the band adding classic rock and southern influences into their more traditional metal sound. The band was one of the leaders in the New Orleans sound along with Crowbar and Eyehategod, and of course, the above Acid Bath.

IN FLAMES: LUNAR STRAIN
Here we go, the first sign of the Swedish melodeath scene in this series. This was In Flames's first album and at this time, they had a very different sound than what they have now. This was pure melodic death metal with occasional folksy interludes, such as a soft string section. The band was also different in that Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity fame was the band's lead vocalist instead of Anders Frieden, who was fronting Dark Tranquillity at this time. Weird.

MAYHEM: DE MYSTERIIS DOM SATHANAS
Mayhem's masterpiece is a dark and brooding album, perfect for this season. This album features Attila Csihar on vocals and his performance can best be described as manic and frightening. The album was the last to have guitarist Euronymous and bassist Varg Vikernes prior to Varg murdering Euronymous. For that reason alone, this album is far more infamous than it is famous. The music though is one of the best examples of the Norwegian black metal scene.

TESTAMENT: LOW
I kept wanting to get Testament on one of these things. Well the time has finally come. Testament was never really an elite thrash metal band, until this album, when they combined elements of groove and death metal with their thrash metal and Chuck Billy started growling far more often. This is when the band truly came into their own. This is a heavy and brutal album, far moreso than anything the band put out before it. This is the band's best album to this point, and it's not even really close.

Honorable Mentions: Black Sabbath: Cross Purposes, Cannibal Corpse: The Bleeding, Cryptopsy: Blasphemy Made Flesh, Dream Theater: Awake, Emperor: In the Nightside Eclipse, King's X: Dogman, Machine Head: Burn My Eyes, Megadeth: Youthanasia, Pantera: Far Beyond Driven, Queensryche: Promised Land.

Bands that formed in 1994: Abscess, Destroyer 666, Lacuna Coil, Six Feet Under, Strapping Young Lad, Symphony X.

Top 5 Thrash Metal Ballads

Well I was going to link to an article on the Deciblog but I can't find it anymore and I get a 404 error all the time.

Anyway, as I recall, there was an article on the Deciblog naming the writer's top 5 thrash metal ballads. I only remember three of them off the top of my head: Anthrax: "Black Lodge", Metallica: "Fade to Black", and Testament: "The Ballad". I agree with one of them. Anthrax's song is okay but I would not go so far as to call it one of my top 5 thrash metal ballads. Testament has produced better ballads than "The Ballad" in my opinion.

Here's my list:

5. Suicidal Tendencies: "Nobody Hears". Highly underrated song from a band that has not achieved the fame and recognition they deserve. It's a bit more experimental than their usual fare, but still sounds great.

4. Megadeth: "A Tout Le Monde". Soul-crushing. Plain and simple.

3. Pantera: "Cemetary Gates". Excellent song with an amazing riff and incredibly sad. Pantera was basically a thrash metal band at this point, but slowed down into groove metal on the next album.

2. Metallica: "Fade to Black". I do love this song and Ride the Lightning was the first metal album I ever bought. This song was a big reason why I practically wore it out.

1. Testament: "Return to Serenity". As I stated before, Testament has done better ballads. This is my favorite song of all time.

EDIT: Death Angel: "A Room with a View" and possibly Pantera: "Cemetary Gates" were the other two on the list.

Dusting Off a Cassette Pt. 50: Testament: Low

What a great album this was, despite the massive change in sound. Testament started off as a run-of-the-mill thrash metal band from the Bay Area, sounding a lot like other bands from the same scene: Metallica, Exodus, Heathen, and Dark Angel. In the late 1980's they started experimenting with some more melodic, progressive music. Most of the thrash metal elements were gone. Testament was never really much more than a second (or third) tier thrash metal band. Despite all of that though, they were one of my favorite bands.

Then this album came out and it blew everyone away. This is quite possibly Testament's best album. It features a return to thrash metal, with elements of Pantera-style groove metal and even some death metal elements. The music is incredible and the musicianship is top-notch. Alex Skolnick was no longer with the band at this time, replaced by extreme metal mercenary James Murphy, who also did time in Death. The drums were capably handled by John Tempesta who would also handle those duties with White Zombie a short time later. Despite this, the music is incredibly tight.

The songs are great, featuring barn-burners like "Low" and "Hail Mary". It also includes the death metal-tinged "Dog Faced Gods" and bass solo "Urotsukidoji". This was an early favorite album when I was still buying cassettes because of its extreme sound and heavy riffs. It is still probably my favorite Testament album. It also remains proof that the mid 1990's featured some great metal albums despite popular conception.