Year in Metal: 1987

Let's keep this going, shall we?

ANTHRAX: AMONG THE LIVING
I have never been a big Anthrax fan. In fact, of the Big 4 of American thrash, Anthrax is my least favorite. However, this is undeniably a great album from the band. Anthrax has always been lighter-hearted than their more serious brethren and this album definitely demonstrates this. This is a fun, catchy album that is essential for any thrash metal fans. That's not to say that it is not a heavy album, Anthrax shows off some great riffs and has always had a gift for speed. If you only get one Anthrax album, this is the one I would recommend.

BATHORY: UNDER THE SIGN OF THE BLACK MARK
Here we have what is quite possibly the first fully-formed black metal album. Bathory had been pushing the boundaries for a little while, but this is one album that can be heard today and easily identified as black metal. Bathory took thrash metal riffs and made something unholy out of them. Many black metal bands that emerged from Norway in the late 1980's/early 1990's modeled their sound after this album. Kind of odd, considering Bathory was Swedish and there was such a backlash among Norwegian artists against Swedish artists.

DEATH: SCREAM BLOODY GORE
From the first black metal album to one of the first death metal albums. This is the debut album from Death. Even at this early stage in the band's career, it was clear that Chuck Schuldiner was calling all the shots as he played guitar, bass, and provided the vocals. This album took thrash and played it with more distortion and it clearly defined what death metal was to sound like. Bands in previous years had come close, but this album was the breakthrough. This is the band that truly kickstarted the genre.

HOLY MOSES: FINISHED WITH THE DOGS
Holy Moses is a massively underrated thrash metal band. Coming from Germany around the same time as Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction, somehow Holy Moses got lost in the shuffle. It is possible that they were not taken seriously due to their vocalist, Sabina Classen. It's not a gimmick, Classen is a terrific frontwoman and one of the very first women in extreme metal. Her snarling vocals really matched with the razor-sharp riffs and blazing solos. Holy Moses is one of the best bands from the German thrash scene but have unfairly not been given the attention they deserve.

KING DIAMOND: ABIGAIL
Wow, I keep managing to get King Diamond/Mercyful Fate in here. That's how massively important that the man, King Diamond, was to the metal scene in the 1980's. This is the solo band's second album and the measuring stick against which all other albums from the band would be compared. This is King's greatest horror story, a story about the evil spirit of a child planning to be reborn again. The music is terrific once again, marked by more melody than Mercyful Fate previously had. King's vocals are once again the focus and they remain incredible.

Honorable Mentions: Death Angel: The Ultra Violence, Dio: Dream Evil, Exodus: Pleasures of the Flesh, Helloween: Keeper of the Seven Keys Pt. 1, Kreator: Terrible Certainty, Savatage: Hall of the Mountain King, Suicidal Tendencies: Join the Army, Testament: The Legacy, Voivod: Killing Technology.

Bands that formed in 1987: Alice in Chains, Asphyx, Autopsy, Burzum, Cynic, Danzig. Darkthrone, Deicide, Entombed, Meshuggah, Nitro, Primordial, Therion.

Women Fronting Metal Bands

I'm fascinated by bands that feature a strong female as their singer. I have no idea why. And I'm not talking about groups like Nightwish, Leaves' Eyes, Lacuna Coil, or others. No, I am talking about real metal: traditional metal, thrash metal, death metal, black metal, and more. None of this gothic metal stuff, not that I mind it, it just does not have the same effect as listening to an aggressive, powerful metal band and finding out that their singer is a woman.

We have long since passed the point where these bands were novelties, yet many of them still are not held up on the same pedestal as their peers. Many of these bands should be regarded as highly as other bands in their individual scene, but are not. They are still viewed as sex objects or in some innate way inferior to other bands. I would like to see this end.

With that being said, here are some of my favorite metal bands with female lead singers. Check them out, you will not be sorry. I am also always looking for more recommendations. I am aware of some other bands that I just have not been able to check out in depth yet, such as Znowhite, Ignitor, Darkestrah, Crystal Viper, Nuclear Death, Voetsek, Madder Mortem, Astarte, Pyrrah, and Ludicra.

HOLY MOSESHoly Moses was around during the 1980's German thrash metal scene. They were a bit more melodic than groups like Kreator, Destruction, and Sodom, but no less punishing. The band has put out several great releases and Sabina Classen's rabid, snarling vocals lead the charge. A great, underrated thrash metal band that is still going strong.
RECOMMENDATION: FINISHED WITH THE DOGS

ARCH ENEMYMost metalheads have heard of Arch Enemy by now. The melodeath band was started by the Amott brothers and originally featured a man by the name of Johan Axelsson on vocals. It was after Angela Gossow, with her psychotic shrieking death growls, took over that the band's mainstream popularity skyrocketed. Yes, that is pretty much entirely due to the female singer doing death growls.
RECOMMENDATION: WAGES OF SIN

CRISISCrisis played an unholy mix of death metal and thrash metal on their early recordings Karyn Crisis's vocals sound seriously disturbed and maniacally sinister. Able to fluctuate between a soft whisper and a primal roar and everything in between in the span of the same lyrical sentence, she truly unnerves the listener.
RECOMMENDATION: DEATHSHED EXTERMINATION

BENEDICTUMBenedictum is a relatively recent band that plays traditional-sounding metal, capitalizing on the recent retro craze. The band is similar musically to Grave Digger and other longtime true metal bands. Veronica Freeman possesses soaring vocals that she puts to great use on their music.
RECOMMENDATION: SEASONS OF TRAGEDY

TEMTRISThe Australian traditional metal band is not real well-known at this point. That may soon change as the band is every bit as competent musically as Benedictum. Genevieve Rodda does not have the same range as Veronica Freeman, but may have a more emotional-sounding voice.
RECOMMENDATION: MASQUERADE

ESTUARYWhy the hell isn't this band better known? And when will they have a new album out? Zdenka Prado's inhuman death growls are easily the equal of any man's and the band's style of death/thrash is infectiously brutal.
RECOMMENDATION: THE CRAFT OF CONTRADICTION

GALLHAMMERJapan's Gallhammer is the result of three girls with a taste for Hellhammer, Celtic Frost, and crust punk. They are at their best when they just let the grooving style of Hellhammer/Frost dictate the direction they go. Lead vocalist Vivian Slaughter has a corroded, decayed vocal style that matches the bleakness of the band's music quite well.
RECOMMENDATION: III INNOCENCE

LANDMINE MARATHONI don't know how this band has gotten the tag of hipster metal. Revolver also loves them, which isn't doing them any favors in the metal underground either. But the band plays a mean brand of death/grind most similar to groups like Napalm Death, Carcass, and Bolt Thrower. Vocalist Grace Perry sounds possessed.
RECOMMENDATION: RUSTED EYES AWAKE

DREAMING DEADThis is a very new band, combining elements of black metal, death metal, and thrash metal all together. They play very fast and very brutal and are amazingly talented. This band could be very big someday soon. Vocalist Elizabeth Schall is also one hell of a guitar player, prompting comparisons to Death's Chuck Schuldiner in musical and vocal style.
RECOMMENDATION: WITHIN ONE

Do not sleep on these bands.

Big Three of German Thrash

Lost in the big retro-thrash trend of the day is the fact that the only bands being revisited are from the U.S., in particular the Bay Area. Several bands have popped up in the last few years. Merciless Death sounds like Dark Angel, Trivium sounds like Metallica (at least on The Crusade), Evile sounds like Slayer, Warbringer sounds like Exodus, and I could go on and on. Unfortunately, there are not very many new retro bands trying to sound like the German Big Three of thrash: Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction. Bands influenced by these three are typically still a bit more underground such as Nocturnal Fear and Devastator. Fortunately, unlike most of the American bands, Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction are still around and still putting out killer albums.

KREATOR

It's very difficult for me to choose my favorite German thrash band, although if nailed down, I would probably go with Kreator. On their earliest albums, the band employed two singers. It was not until Mille Petrozza officially took over the helm that they truly became a great band. Their early material was great, but Mille's songs were always the highlights because of his shrieking vocals. Pleasure to Kill is one of the greatest metal albums of all time, much less thrash albums. Unfortunately Kreator went through a little dry spell in the mid to late 1990's. However, they came roaring back in the 2000's. "Enemy of God" is a great newer thrash metal song. Recently they have been incorporating some melodeath influences, but recent album Hordes of Chaos is still a great release.

SODOM

Sodom is the most consistent of the German thrash bands. Unlike Kreator or Destruction, there really was no period of time when they were not putting out consistently good music. Early Sodom is often considered one of the forebears of death and black metal. When they became a straight thrash metal band, they put out amazing album after amazing album, such as Agent Orange, Persecution Mania, and Tapping the Vein. Even now, they still put out consistently good and memorable albums, even though re-recording their first EP may not have been the most popular move.

DESTRUCTION

Honestly, my least favorite of the three German bands, but certainly a great band nonetheless. Destruction's vocalist Schmier is similar to Mille Petrozza of Kreator in delivery, but not as effective. The ultimate thing that sets Destruction apart from the other two bands is the guitar riffs. Destruction has been blessed with some amazingly creative guitarists. Much like the other two bands, Destruction is still going strong. D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N., released in 2008, was a very strong album.

Another German thrash metal band that has captured my interest and which will probably be discussed at length in the future is Holy Moses.

At the end of the day, Kreator has the best singer, Sodom the best songs, and Destruction the best riffs.

2008 in Review-Metal

2008 Metal Year in Review
Albums:
1. Grand Magus: Iron Will: This is it. The best metal album of 2008, and since I hate all other types of music, it's my personal pick for best album overall in 2008. This is a great, melodic, old school sounding metal album. Grand Magus sounds like a cross between Cirith Ungol and Judas Priest, doom meets traditional heavy metal. Easy to listen to, fun, and catchy as hell. The mark of a great album is memorability and this album definitely has that.

2. Eluveitie: Slania: It was actually a fairly close decision to pick Grand Magus over Eluveitie. I had Slania much earlier than Iron Will so for much of the year, Eluveitie was going to be my pick of the year. There's nothing wrong with finishing second though and this album is great in its own right. Melding melodic death metal to Celtic folk music and having it come out sounding good is no easy task but Eluveitie pulled it off. They often even use traditional Celtic folk instruments such as the hurdy-gurdy. The slow songs are beautiful, while the fast ones are sure to get your head banging.

3. Mictlantecuhtli: Warriors of the Black Sun: If you threw Storm of the Light's Bane-ear Dissection and Reign in Blood-era Slayer into a blender, this is what would result. An amazing album from an American black metal band, no less. This one came late in the year but made a major impression.

4. Toxic Holocaust: An Overdose of Death: Toxic Holocaust is a one-man band who is clearly influenced by the likes of early Sodom, Venom, Bathory, and Celtic Frost. These influences shine through and make this probably one of the most memorable, fun albums this year.

5. Lair of the Minotaur: War Metal Battle Master: I would have thought it would be difficult to combine thrash metal, a genre noted for its speed, and doom metal, pretty much known for being the exact opposite of fast. However, Lair of the Minotaur pulls it off in this campy, metal cliche-ridden album that is a blast to listen to.

6. Hail of Bullets: ...Of Frost and War: When I heard that members of Dutch death/thrash titans Thanatos were joining forces with Martin Van Drunen of Asphyx and Pestilence fame, I knew I had to check it out. My faith was rewarded by this gem of an album that pays tribute to Autopsy, Bolt Thrower, and the early 1990's Swedish death metal scene.

7. The Gates of Slumber: Conqueror: A great traditional doom metal album in the vein of Candlemass, Trouble, and Cirith Ungol. Every once in awhile, the band wakes up to put a faster song together, but otherwise remains lethargic and punishing.

8. Septicflesh: Communion: Greek Hellenic black/death metal with some surprising orchestral sections added for good measure. One of the more unusual albums I have heard this year. Septicflesh don't hold a candle to countrymen like Rotting Christ or Varathron yet, but a few more albums like this will certainly help.

9. Holy Moses: Agony of Death: One of the major differences between the Bay Area thrash bands and the German thrash bands of the 1980's is that many of the German bands are still actually playing thrash. Holy Moses is one such example of the German groups. Backed by Sabine Classen's inhuman shrieks and some of the best thrash metal in years, this album is nonstop punishment from start to finish.

10. Nocturnal Fear: Code of Violence: American black/thrash metal band in the vein of the 1980's German thrash metal bands. A true throwback album to a great scene.

Concerts:
Because I live in rural Nebraska, concerts are few and far between. The only two concerts I went to were out of state, although there were a couple of concerts I tried to get to in Omaha.

1. Metallica/Down/The Sword in Des Moines, IA: Forgive me, but I remain a Metallica fan. Their latest album was actually worthwhile and they still kill live. Surprisingly they still manage to play their old stuff quite well and they seem to have denied the Load/Reload/St. Anger past. Down is fantastic and I have been a fan since NOLA first came out. A great southern/stoner doom metal band, the only real problem was when Phil Anselmo's mic went out. I haven't paid much attention to The Sword but they put on a reasonably decent show despite seeming a little intimidated by the larger than life bands they were supporting.

2. Trans-Siberian Orchestra in Kansas City, MO: I love to point out to people who express shock that I would attend a TSO concert that the band started off as a project for a bunch of guys in the 1980's metal band Savatage and that they frequently have guest appearances from other luminaries of the metal scene. The Christmas program part was very good, if a little long, but where the band really shines is the neo-classical/shred/power metal part of the performance. I would be more inclined to purchase an album if they stuck to their instrumental stuff, but it was a hell of a good show and the lighting was amazing. I'm slowly turning Lindsay over to the dark side.

Shows I missed: Nile was in Omaha, although most of the bands they were there with were complete crap. I would have liked to see the brutal death metal band with a fixation on Egyptian topics. Also, the Summer Slaughter tour had a stop in Omaha as well. It featured some terrible bands like Born of Osiris, Whitechapel, and The Faceless, as well as the terrible new version of Cryptopsy. However, Psycroptic, Aborted, Kataklysm, The Black Dahlia Murder, and most importantly Vader were also there. It would have been worth it just to see Vader.

Surprises:

1. Metallica: Death Magnetic: There was a lot of discussion over just what would happen with this album. Some people, including the band, believed it to be a return to form and billed it as the missing link between ...And Justice for All and the Black Album. Others said it would be further circling the drain. The truth is that both camps were wrong. This is not a return to form and it is not further evidence of the band's decline. It is the best album they have released since the Black Album easily though and it is a good album. For that, I am happy.

2. Sothis: De Oppresso Liber: I didn't know what to expect from this group. They were billed as the next big thing in American black metal, a tag that, let's face it, is not terribly exciting. They were also hugely hyped and carried by Hot Topic (yuck). When I heard the album though, I was impressed. They sound like an earlier version of Dimmu Borgir, symphonic black metal, so opinions will depend on how one feels about that band. Since I like early Dimmu, I liked Sothis.

3. Testament: The Formation of Damnation: Not surprising because the album is good, no, it's surprising because after nine years of promises and letdowns, we finally have a new album from this great band. Testament was one of my early favorites. This isn't a great album, and it didn't come close to my Top 10, but it is a good album.

4. Cavalera Conspiracy: Inflikted: Early Sepultura is one of my favorite bands. It's been no secret that they have been going downhill since Chaos A.D. was released and have been even worse since Max Cavalera left the band. Max created a band called Soulfly who are also terrible for the most part. So when Max (vocals, guitar) and Iggor Cavalera (who continued playing drums in Sepultura until just recently) joined up and put together this neo-thrash/groove metal album, it proved that the two still had something left.

5. Nachtmystium: Assassins: Black Meddle Pt. 1: Nachtmystium is one of the most famous American black metal bands, although they have been stretching beyond the genre for some time now. Assassins is a psychedelic black metal masterpiece.

Disappointments:

1. In Flames: A Sense of Purpose: Holy shit. I am not one of those people bashing In Flames later-era material, in fact I really liked Reroute to Remain, Soundtrack to Your Escape, and Come Clarity. Not as much as their early stuff, but it was catchy and interesting. What the hell happened? They seemed like on Come Clarity that they were trying to get back to their early sound, then crashed into a wall and never got back on track.

2. Cryptopsy: The Unspoken King: One of the greatest brutal death metal bands loses its iconic singer Lord Worm, then hires some metalcore singer. No thanks.

3. Judas Priest: Nostradamus: It is so hard to complain about these guys since they were the second big metal band, behind only Black Sabbath. However this year, they decided to try something different, they wanted to add an orchestra and put out a double album rock opera, and then they fell flat on their face. Judas Priest was great because they were straightforward and simple. Why after nearly 40 years would they mess with that formula?

4. Destroyer 666: They failed to put out a release again this year after tons of hype saying that they would. Their last release was in 2003 and it was a five song EP.

5. Bolt Thrower: Apparently Bolt Thrower broke up. One of the most amazingly consistent death metal bands ever is no more. I am very sad. But at least they went out on a high note as Those Once Loyal, which came out in 2006, was one of their best albums, which is really saying something for this band.

Best Reissue of the Year: Hellhammer: Demon Entrails: And it's not even close. The Hellhammer demos are some of the most desired, yet difficult to find recordings in extreme metal. Hellhammer was the precursor to Celtic Frost and recorded a series of demos in the early 1980's which were traded heavily early on. Now anyone can get them.

Looking Forward in 2009:

1. Suffocation: Blood Oath: The brutal death metal pioneers are back.

2. Kreator: Hordes of Chaos: German thrash metal band with their first album in three years.

3. Wintersun: Time: The much delayed, much anticipated second album from the former
guitarist/songwriter of Ensiferum.

4. Dawn of Azazel: Hopefully they will release a new album soon, no other details available except that they are recording.

5. Destroyer 666: Please?