Natrlhi's 2011 End of Year List Orgy

[kalfitegrdan]

Originally Posted by Natrlhi

I feel like I'm in the Special Olympics and people are parked at the finish line cheering way louder than is necessary just because it looks like I might finish the race.

I just really enjoy reading your reviews. You articulate very well and it makes me want to check out things that I normally probably wouldn't at first glance.

[Natrlhi]

Originally Posted by kalfitegrdan

I just really enjoy reading your reviews. You articulate very well and it makes me want to check out things that I normally probably wouldn't at first glance.

Thanks, man. It's good to know that the effort pays dividends in the way of folks checking out new stuff that they might have otherwise missed.

Just for that, I'm gonna make another post here in a short while.

EDIT: Here's a hint at the next one...I have been listening to it this morning - and no, it's not Collective Soul.

[Natrlhi]

44. Demonical - Death Infernal

This album is my first experience with this Swedish death metal outfit, and I can tell you for sure it won't be my last. This may be only their third full-length album, but don't be fooled. Most of these cats are death metal veterans. Two of the founding members were also long-time members of Centinex, and they've been in the death metal game for decades. The first thing that caught my ear was that beautiful sick-ass buzzsaw guitar tone. People who know me, know I'm a sucker for that shit. Then, as I listened intently, I noticed not one or two but at least three or four different styles of death metal on this album, and they are all done well. There are moments of pure old-school death metal, to be sure, but there are also moments where bands such as Unleashed & Amon Amarth are being channeled, and others where the influence of At the Gates and Arch Enemy can be heard in spades. I mean, what more could a general death metal fan want than a band who can not only play several different styles of death metal, but who can do it well, while also making it all sound cohesive? Sounds like a win-win-win to me, folks.

...and did I mention that sweet-ass guitar tone?

[Natrlhi]

43. Fleshgod Apocalypse - Agony

OK, so here's the deal. I've been back and forth on this band for some time now. At first, I checked them out because of the insane amount of love they get on this forum. I liked what I heard, but it didn't take long for me to start dismissing it all as a whole lot of technical wankery. However, being the eternal optimist that I am ( ), I decided to keep my mind open, and when these guys put out something that was not only technically amazing but also compelling to listen to for more than fifteen minutes, I would give them another shot. This album basically did it for me. Not only is the musicianship outstanding, but the atmosphere, production, songwriting and the whole rest of it is all there as well. Plus, I like it. It keeps my attention, and I have a desire to hear it again after it's done. The symphonic bits can be a bit off-putting if you're not in the mood for that sort of thing on that particular day, but luckily the band collectively has a proverbial lead foot on the accelerator often enough that pure power typically wins the day over beauty...and by the way, isn't that the way things generally should be in metal?

[Natrlhi]

42. Omega Massif - Karpatia

I first discovered this band a few years ago when I was searching for more post-metal and / or heavy instrumental music to sink my hungry teeth into. Now mind you, this German quartet is labeled as sludge and not exactly post-metal, but in their case I think the line between the two distinctions is rather blurry. To wit, there are moments of fierce up-tempo pounding on this album that definitely fit more in the sludge genre than in post-metal, but there are also three of the six songs on this album which are at least ten minutes long, and the pacing on some of those is much more like something Isis or Mouth of the Architect would do rather than Eyehategod or Acid Bath. At any rate, regardless of what genre they best fit into, this band definitely knows how to keep it heavy. Their first full-length left me a little underwhelmed, but this one grabbed me more strongly. I can hear bits and pieces of some of my favorite bands such as Cult of Luna in this material, and at the same time, these guys seem to have a style which is also almost completely their own, which is to say that I don't think I've heard anything else that's exactly like it. Anyhow, if you're looking for something heavy as fuck, with absolutely no vocals, and don't mind the speed of the ride changing from a nice gallop to an almost maddeningly slow crawl (and back again) from time to time, then go ahead and check this out. A word of caution, though - you have to strap in for this one. Ten or fifteen minutes isn't going to cut it - you have to be down for the full ride, or this isn't going to make much sense. If you are properly prepared, however, this album is a pretty powerful trip.

[mastodon421]

Fleshgod

[smearCampaign]

I really enjoyed that Demonical album... Fleshgod not nearly as much....

Omega Massif sounds like something I need to check out. Thanks for the recommendation, good sir.

[GarageMetal468]

Originally Posted by Natrlhi

44. Demonical - Death Infernal

This album is my first experience with this Swedish death metal outfit, and I can tell you for sure it won't be my last. This may be only their third full-length album, but don't be fooled. Most of these cats are death metal veterans. Two of the founding members were also long-time members of Centinex, and they've been in the death metal game for decades. The first thing that caught my ear was that beautiful sick-ass buzzsaw guitar tone. People who know me, know I'm a sucker for that shit. Then, as I listened intently, I noticed not one or two but at least three or four different styles of death metal on this album, and they are all done well. There are moments of pure old-school death metal, to be sure, but there are also moments where bands such as Unleashed & Amon Amarth are being channeled, and others where the influence of At the Gates and Arch Enemy can be heard in spades. I mean, what more could a general death metal fan want than a band who can not only play several different styles of death metal, but who can do it well, while also making it all sound cohesive? Sounds like a win-win-win to me, folks.

...and did I mention that sweet-ass guitar tone?

Damn dude. You need to listen to Entombed and Dismember immediately.

[w00tasaurus]

Originally Posted by Natrlhi

demonical

wtf, how come I'm just hearing about this band now? I don't recall any discussion about them on this site or elsewhere. It's excellent

[Natrlhi]

Originally Posted by GarageMetal468

Damn dude. You need to listen to Entombed and Dismember immediately.

You're preaching to the choir, bud. I'm a big fan of theirs already.

Originally Posted by w00tasaurus

wtf, how come I'm just hearing about this band now? I don't recall any discussion about them on this site or elsewhere. It's excellent

I know, right? I felt the same way. Hopefully they'll start getting the exposure they deserve. I had a chance to review this album for an external web site last year, and sadly I dropped the ball on it. Wish I would have gotten to it, though. These guys are great.