HMaM Global Mod
Post by GL on Jan 1, 2013 12:26:21 GMT -5
There's not a lot to say here, this was a weak offering and I really fudged with the top spots on the list in order to get it to 10. Sure, there's some good stuff within it and it does have a couple decent releases, but overall there just wasn't a whole lot to offer here and it really shows here. Not going to say much more, on with the list.
10. Legacy of Disorder-Last Man Standing
A punishing groove-oriented effort, this group here decides to take the well-worn path of latter-day Pantera and add a dose of true-Thrash to the mix to produce a solid if overall underwhelming effort. While the grooves created here aren’t in the slightest terrible and actually approach decent levels numerous times with the thick guitar tones, throbbing bass lines and pounding drum-work, the whole thing just feels like reheated Pantera leftovers with a slightly-more-expressive singer isn’t really doing anything new or impressive to really stand-out from the pack. It’s alpha-male posturing doesn’t help much, and this is certainly problematic for that reason as well, but the fact that there’s some talent in the band members through the more-technical riffs than Pantera played and the skillful drumming, both obvious bits from their Thrash influences, as well as the aforementioned lack of quality albums in the genre make this one included in the list.
9. Dirge Within-There Will Be Blood
Another band trying to go after Pantera’s style and making a better go of it than the previous group, though there’s still some big flaws in their sound. While the biggest one is their insistence on utilizing the same growling bark to their vocals that makes the music risible quite easily, the fact that they decide to employ simple beats on its’ breakdown sections is rather tiring for its continued usage in the more modern metal scene. There’s some good stuff here, though, namely in the bands’ decision to incorporate more traditional Heavy Metal themes, such as the sweeping solo and more freer riffing in their sections than most similar groups focus on, which gives them a pretty decent sound at times when they’re not trying to focus on the rather plain beatdown sections. There’s some good stuff here, and more so than the previous band hence them being higher.
8. God Forbid-Equilibrium
So, after some controversy with their member change-over finally past them and his inclusion in this album from the starting point, one of New Jersey’s finer Thrash/Metalcore groups gets a chance to showcase this infusion of talent with this fine opus, which is certainly standard-issue for the group and really continues the lack of quality in the genre as a whole since this is probably their lesser work as a whole. Gone are the days of their full-throttle material that made for some halfway decent moments on their past stuff and have injected more melodies into the sound that remains curiously in mid-tempo for the majority of the time and only in brief spurts does it seem to want to let loose and go faster. This low-key material makes the cleanly-sung verses really interesting and allows for the placement here, but it just sounds off when they infuse the growling vocals into the mix at the same tempo which just doesn’t sound right at all. Overall, this might be a transition album as the more melody-heavy stuff could be pushed to the forefront in the future which would be fine but if it comes at the expense of the speed that’s where this group could falter in the coming years.
7. Caliban-I Am Nemesis
Long-running German Metalcore masters here pretty much signal the start of the really good albums worthy of being on the list, as there’s really only one issue to be had with the group which is the same as it’s always been with them, their screaming/shouting vocals that just get irritating and unnerving after a while. It’s not so bad here as there’s a bit more emphasis on the cleans more so than the raspy shouting, but it’s just hard to get into the band when the vocals tend to take you right out of their sound, which beyond the vocals are quite impressive. Utilizing a bit more industrial shadings into their sound, they off-kilter rhythms and pounding bass-lines are quite infectious and memorable to their sound as it’s quite easy to identify the group almost immediately due to their irregular riffs and pounding framework, which when mixed with their technically-precise, precision drumming makes for a outstandingly brutal listen at times, with the industrial shadings tending to make the clean-sections far more atmospheric than possible. All of this is great, if only they’d drop the screams and utilize the cleans more often.
6. All That Remains-A War You Can Not Win
While much has been made about the group becoming ever more mainstream and tending to sound more like a Hard Rock act rather than a Metalcore band they started as, it’s nice to see that with this album they decided to keep their more metal roots intact for the majority of the offering. Rather than trying to replicate what had happened in the past where they tend to alternate in songs between the cleans and shouting vocals so as to denigrate what was supposed to be the singles and what was supposed to be for the older fans, here they go back-and-forth in the style in the same song so it’s a little more difficult in trying to determine that factor by the vocals as now it’s about the melody-driven guitars that signal their intent since this one tends to drop all their aggressive Thrash-style riffing in favor of more melodically-accessible tunes. It’s quite a departure but noticeable and rather hard to equate what happened, as they had a period where it was really going great for them then they started getting softer instead, so while that may cloud your judgment of the band, it’s still a good enough band to get on the list.
5. Lamb of God-Resolution
Well, this has certainly been an interesting year for the group, one which doesn’t need to be examined further due to the inherent stupidity of it all, but thankfully this was recorded before all the drama happened so this is some solid work here from the band. Still combining the vicious Thrash rhythms with the screaming Metalcore style of vocals together into a bit of groove and a dose of melody from time-to-time, they’re certainly among the better bands at this style of music and here’s simply another way to tell that. Adding more influence from the drumming to create off-kilter rhythms and beats, this is a rather nice evolution of their sound since they always had a pretty good drum attack previously so the addition here is a nice part and adds to the extremity of their sound, with the guitars buzzing along nicely and Randy again shouting over the top of it all while the band goes crazy around him. Since the newfound importance on the drum-patterns is pretty much all that’s changed here from their previous works, it’s not enough to really move this up much in the list but it’s good enough to be placed this high.
4. Ministry-Relapse
I’m having a bit of trouble really believing this is Ministry’s swansong, as this has happened twice before, but if it really is this is one great way to go out with. This here is prime-era Ministry played with devastating effect, as though this isn’t their best material it’s certainly some of their livelier stuff as their already-simplistic take on Industrialized-Thrash Metal is stripped down even more here which is certainly quite fun to see them finish the legacy like this. There’s still certainly moments here of Ministry’s great and glorious past, as this one contains patented hyper-speed blasts of Industrialized Thrash with absolutely frenetic verve, absolutely pounding drums that are just unrelenting in their charge through the music, chaotic guitars just absolutely racing along at near-blistering speeds and a warm bass-tone to wrap the whole package in that familiar Ministry vibe. While it gets too cheesy with political views and unneeded doses of humor from the sampled speeches, those have become part of the process here, and if this is indeed the final goodbye, it’s a worthwhile end to their legacy.
And as such, RIP Mike Scaccia.
3. As I Lay Dying-Awakened
I’ve long been a fan of this band’s special mix of Thrash-infused Metalcore, and this effort carries on that tradition quite nicely. Nothing new is really added to the mix, as this is still their patented mix of Swedish-styled Melodic Death Metal played at Thrash-like speeds mixed with the intensity and delivery of Hardcore, though this is one of the better bands attempting to play that style as there’s infectious, melody-driven guitar riffs, pounding Thrash-like drumming and a great mixture of brutality and melody as the band switches forth between pit-ready breakdowns and more spacious-styled riffs that are quite hummable and memorable. The fact that they manage to include gang-backing shouts on the clean vocals during the chorus’ is a notable part of their sound and remains one of the more appealing parts of the group, beyond their obviously skilled playing and devastating production that keeps the entire affair as heavy as possible without sacrificing their more melodic moments, and in the end this is another noteworthy addition to the bands catalog.
2. Fear Factory-The Industrialist
Another in a long line of strong releases from this bunch, this one isn’t as monumental or impactful as what their early releases were but this is just as devastating and pounding. Those industrialized shadings that color the album, from the absolutely relentless drumming that just absolutely shreds regardless of its tempo or speed and just keeps it up the entire time here as the band whips into a chaotic frenzy with its use of militaristic guitar riffing and a truly killer bass tone create a truly impacting album that offers up a real return to their glory days only, again, it’s not as impactful as those records which is a real shame since this is quality material. The reformation with Bell also allows his sweeping, grandiose vocals to soar over these bleak, futuristic blasts like the good old days, and it makes the whole experience complete in a rather comforting manner. Given a spectacular sheen and a glossy production job that only highlights the material the right way, this was a very hard choice not to give the number one spot to and created a stunning close race that it only just barely lost out to.
1. Soulfly-Enslaved
So, in a year for the genre that was difficult in terms of finding enough quality albums to feature for the list, the top album was also quite difficult to settle on but ultimately this one comes out on top. It seems the Cavalera Conspiracy project has made Max aware of his roots, as almost every Soulfly effort since the project’s existence has been a near-return to glory of Sepultura’s prime, though there’s still enough different thrown in that this isn’t really a true Thrash effort, despite the album’s constant pace and thundering drums which scream Thrash in its hey-day. Those elements are still to be found in abundance here, with rampaging riffs and impressive tempo change-ups to be found in spades, all driven home by the merciless pounding of the drumming to create a wholly devastating release along with Max’s trademark growls and injections of Portuguese into the lyrics that are becoming part of the Soulfly sound nowadays. The reason for the placement here is the simple inclusion of the innovative and catchy Spanish flamenco-esque guitars to be found in various parts of the album, which adds a dose of spice and international zest to an already heavy-leaning international act, but which is done in conjunction with the current song and not thrown in wherever, it’s appearance enhancing the songs to the point of being welcome additions rather than distractions, giving this another solid entry in Max’s impressive catalog and the band a rather solid album overall.
10. Legacy of Disorder-Last Man Standing
A punishing groove-oriented effort, this group here decides to take the well-worn path of latter-day Pantera and add a dose of true-Thrash to the mix to produce a solid if overall underwhelming effort. While the grooves created here aren’t in the slightest terrible and actually approach decent levels numerous times with the thick guitar tones, throbbing bass lines and pounding drum-work, the whole thing just feels like reheated Pantera leftovers with a slightly-more-expressive singer isn’t really doing anything new or impressive to really stand-out from the pack. It’s alpha-male posturing doesn’t help much, and this is certainly problematic for that reason as well, but the fact that there’s some talent in the band members through the more-technical riffs than Pantera played and the skillful drumming, both obvious bits from their Thrash influences, as well as the aforementioned lack of quality albums in the genre make this one included in the list.
9. Dirge Within-There Will Be Blood
Another band trying to go after Pantera’s style and making a better go of it than the previous group, though there’s still some big flaws in their sound. While the biggest one is their insistence on utilizing the same growling bark to their vocals that makes the music risible quite easily, the fact that they decide to employ simple beats on its’ breakdown sections is rather tiring for its continued usage in the more modern metal scene. There’s some good stuff here, though, namely in the bands’ decision to incorporate more traditional Heavy Metal themes, such as the sweeping solo and more freer riffing in their sections than most similar groups focus on, which gives them a pretty decent sound at times when they’re not trying to focus on the rather plain beatdown sections. There’s some good stuff here, and more so than the previous band hence them being higher.
8. God Forbid-Equilibrium
So, after some controversy with their member change-over finally past them and his inclusion in this album from the starting point, one of New Jersey’s finer Thrash/Metalcore groups gets a chance to showcase this infusion of talent with this fine opus, which is certainly standard-issue for the group and really continues the lack of quality in the genre as a whole since this is probably their lesser work as a whole. Gone are the days of their full-throttle material that made for some halfway decent moments on their past stuff and have injected more melodies into the sound that remains curiously in mid-tempo for the majority of the time and only in brief spurts does it seem to want to let loose and go faster. This low-key material makes the cleanly-sung verses really interesting and allows for the placement here, but it just sounds off when they infuse the growling vocals into the mix at the same tempo which just doesn’t sound right at all. Overall, this might be a transition album as the more melody-heavy stuff could be pushed to the forefront in the future which would be fine but if it comes at the expense of the speed that’s where this group could falter in the coming years.
7. Caliban-I Am Nemesis
Long-running German Metalcore masters here pretty much signal the start of the really good albums worthy of being on the list, as there’s really only one issue to be had with the group which is the same as it’s always been with them, their screaming/shouting vocals that just get irritating and unnerving after a while. It’s not so bad here as there’s a bit more emphasis on the cleans more so than the raspy shouting, but it’s just hard to get into the band when the vocals tend to take you right out of their sound, which beyond the vocals are quite impressive. Utilizing a bit more industrial shadings into their sound, they off-kilter rhythms and pounding bass-lines are quite infectious and memorable to their sound as it’s quite easy to identify the group almost immediately due to their irregular riffs and pounding framework, which when mixed with their technically-precise, precision drumming makes for a outstandingly brutal listen at times, with the industrial shadings tending to make the clean-sections far more atmospheric than possible. All of this is great, if only they’d drop the screams and utilize the cleans more often.
6. All That Remains-A War You Can Not Win
While much has been made about the group becoming ever more mainstream and tending to sound more like a Hard Rock act rather than a Metalcore band they started as, it’s nice to see that with this album they decided to keep their more metal roots intact for the majority of the offering. Rather than trying to replicate what had happened in the past where they tend to alternate in songs between the cleans and shouting vocals so as to denigrate what was supposed to be the singles and what was supposed to be for the older fans, here they go back-and-forth in the style in the same song so it’s a little more difficult in trying to determine that factor by the vocals as now it’s about the melody-driven guitars that signal their intent since this one tends to drop all their aggressive Thrash-style riffing in favor of more melodically-accessible tunes. It’s quite a departure but noticeable and rather hard to equate what happened, as they had a period where it was really going great for them then they started getting softer instead, so while that may cloud your judgment of the band, it’s still a good enough band to get on the list.
5. Lamb of God-Resolution
Well, this has certainly been an interesting year for the group, one which doesn’t need to be examined further due to the inherent stupidity of it all, but thankfully this was recorded before all the drama happened so this is some solid work here from the band. Still combining the vicious Thrash rhythms with the screaming Metalcore style of vocals together into a bit of groove and a dose of melody from time-to-time, they’re certainly among the better bands at this style of music and here’s simply another way to tell that. Adding more influence from the drumming to create off-kilter rhythms and beats, this is a rather nice evolution of their sound since they always had a pretty good drum attack previously so the addition here is a nice part and adds to the extremity of their sound, with the guitars buzzing along nicely and Randy again shouting over the top of it all while the band goes crazy around him. Since the newfound importance on the drum-patterns is pretty much all that’s changed here from their previous works, it’s not enough to really move this up much in the list but it’s good enough to be placed this high.
4. Ministry-Relapse
I’m having a bit of trouble really believing this is Ministry’s swansong, as this has happened twice before, but if it really is this is one great way to go out with. This here is prime-era Ministry played with devastating effect, as though this isn’t their best material it’s certainly some of their livelier stuff as their already-simplistic take on Industrialized-Thrash Metal is stripped down even more here which is certainly quite fun to see them finish the legacy like this. There’s still certainly moments here of Ministry’s great and glorious past, as this one contains patented hyper-speed blasts of Industrialized Thrash with absolutely frenetic verve, absolutely pounding drums that are just unrelenting in their charge through the music, chaotic guitars just absolutely racing along at near-blistering speeds and a warm bass-tone to wrap the whole package in that familiar Ministry vibe. While it gets too cheesy with political views and unneeded doses of humor from the sampled speeches, those have become part of the process here, and if this is indeed the final goodbye, it’s a worthwhile end to their legacy.
And as such, RIP Mike Scaccia.
3. As I Lay Dying-Awakened
I’ve long been a fan of this band’s special mix of Thrash-infused Metalcore, and this effort carries on that tradition quite nicely. Nothing new is really added to the mix, as this is still their patented mix of Swedish-styled Melodic Death Metal played at Thrash-like speeds mixed with the intensity and delivery of Hardcore, though this is one of the better bands attempting to play that style as there’s infectious, melody-driven guitar riffs, pounding Thrash-like drumming and a great mixture of brutality and melody as the band switches forth between pit-ready breakdowns and more spacious-styled riffs that are quite hummable and memorable. The fact that they manage to include gang-backing shouts on the clean vocals during the chorus’ is a notable part of their sound and remains one of the more appealing parts of the group, beyond their obviously skilled playing and devastating production that keeps the entire affair as heavy as possible without sacrificing their more melodic moments, and in the end this is another noteworthy addition to the bands catalog.
2. Fear Factory-The Industrialist
Another in a long line of strong releases from this bunch, this one isn’t as monumental or impactful as what their early releases were but this is just as devastating and pounding. Those industrialized shadings that color the album, from the absolutely relentless drumming that just absolutely shreds regardless of its tempo or speed and just keeps it up the entire time here as the band whips into a chaotic frenzy with its use of militaristic guitar riffing and a truly killer bass tone create a truly impacting album that offers up a real return to their glory days only, again, it’s not as impactful as those records which is a real shame since this is quality material. The reformation with Bell also allows his sweeping, grandiose vocals to soar over these bleak, futuristic blasts like the good old days, and it makes the whole experience complete in a rather comforting manner. Given a spectacular sheen and a glossy production job that only highlights the material the right way, this was a very hard choice not to give the number one spot to and created a stunning close race that it only just barely lost out to.
1. Soulfly-Enslaved
So, in a year for the genre that was difficult in terms of finding enough quality albums to feature for the list, the top album was also quite difficult to settle on but ultimately this one comes out on top. It seems the Cavalera Conspiracy project has made Max aware of his roots, as almost every Soulfly effort since the project’s existence has been a near-return to glory of Sepultura’s prime, though there’s still enough different thrown in that this isn’t really a true Thrash effort, despite the album’s constant pace and thundering drums which scream Thrash in its hey-day. Those elements are still to be found in abundance here, with rampaging riffs and impressive tempo change-ups to be found in spades, all driven home by the merciless pounding of the drumming to create a wholly devastating release along with Max’s trademark growls and injections of Portuguese into the lyrics that are becoming part of the Soulfly sound nowadays. The reason for the placement here is the simple inclusion of the innovative and catchy Spanish flamenco-esque guitars to be found in various parts of the album, which adds a dose of spice and international zest to an already heavy-leaning international act, but which is done in conjunction with the current song and not thrown in wherever, it’s appearance enhancing the songs to the point of being welcome additions rather than distractions, giving this another solid entry in Max’s impressive catalog and the band a rather solid album overall.
Grizzled HMaM Vet
