Average Rating: 3.79 Rating Variance: 0.51 Objectivity Score: 65% (Fairly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicAt the Gates Slaughter of the SoulFirst and foremost, this album has some of the best production I've ever heard. It has such a rich guitar tone: vibrant bass frequencies, just a tad bit of crunch, and immaculate note clarity. Through this tone, many perfect riffs flow. They are technical enough to be memorable but simple enough to be catchy. Tomas Lindberg's vocals took time to grow on me, but now I very much appreciate his voice. As many others will tell you, this is a melodeath essential. Death SymbolicOne of my all time favorites. Some of the greatest riffs of all time played with one of the most uniquely haunting guitar tones ever dialed in. Thought provoking lyrics delivered by one of the most iconic voices in the entire metal scene. This album transcends its scene as it is one of the finest pieces of music ever. Metallica Master of PuppetsSome classics are overrated. This is not one of them despite what many will tell you. Master of Puppets is evidence that you don't need to down tune the guitars and growl to make a heavy record though there's nothing wrong with doing those things. James Hetfield once decribed himself and his band mates as some "angry young men." When some angry young men are also talented songwriters, you get Master of Puppets. Every song on the album stands on its own, bringing something new and interesting to the table. The record as a whole is emotional, captivating, and even thought provoking at times. Sometimes things are popular by luck. Other times, such as this, it's because they truly deserve to be. Metallica Ride the LightningWhat can I say that hasn't been said about this before? This album showcases Metallica's masterful ability to write songs which are technical enough to be unique but simple enough to be easily memorable. On top of this, the guitars have a rich, one of a kind tone that will always be a personal favorite of mine. During the 80s and through the 90s, James Hetfield had one of the greatest voices in metal. He could sing well while adding the perfect amount of grit to make his singing heavy. He really came into his own on Ride The Lighting as his vocal performance is a huge step up from 1983's Kill 'Em All. We all know Lars Ulrich was not the most showy drummer in the world, but his playing has always fit Metallica, same as Kirk Hammett's leads. Metallica ...And Justice for All4.5 superbControl Denied The Fragile Art of ExistenceI view this record as a sequel to The Sound of Perseverance by Death, or even a version of it from an alternate dimension. The instrumentation, the guitar tone, and the lyrical content are all strongly reminiscent of it. The quality of the writing is right on par with the predecessor. What really makes this album different from Death's are Tim Aymar's vocals which could be compared to those of Ronnie James Dio. A voice that is gritty, yet elegantly carries the melodies. The guitars complement the vocals perfectly as Chuck Schuldiner and Shannon Hamm make them sing fast yet expressive riffs that lie somewhere between progressive and death metal. I recommend this album not only to Death fans, but to all fans of heavy music as there is something here for everyone. Death HumanSuch an excellent record. It still has the more traditional death metal sound Death had earlier in their career, but it's much more progressive here and so much better for it. Unexpected tempo changes help keep things interesting as Chuck Schuldiner and Paul Masvidal shred though finger bleeding riffs and solos. It does have some dull moments occasionally or else it would be as good as Symbolic in my eyes. Death The Sound of PerseveranceThe Sound of Perseverance is the peak of progressiveness for Death. This is in part because much of the content on this album was originally going to be on the first album of Chuck Schuldiner's progressive metal band: Control Denied. Much like Symbolic, this album features very philosophical lyrical content meant to explore the darker realities of what it means to be human. The instrumentation beneath these vocals is delivered with what I would say is the perfected iteration of the production Death fans are used to; that iconic, soaring guitar tone paired with very distinct bass, both supported by the crisp taps of the drums. The guitar work is very technical when it needs to be, but retains a necessary level of catchiness. Intestine Baalism Banquet in the DarknessOne of the most underrated death metal albums in existence. It features a chunky guitar tone (reminiscent of Slaughter of the Soul) which retains immaculate note clarity. The deep gutturals act almost as a second percussion instrument pushing its way through the booming mix. The guitars beneath the voice will violently chug and then shift to deliver a delicate yet fitting melody creating a sonic juxtaposition. My only real complaint is that a couple of the less memorable songs toward the end could have been dropped off to improve the quality of the album as a whole. 4.0 excellentHellripper Warlocks Grim and Withered HagsI expect to see this as many people's album of the year. Astonishing guitar work and songwriting. The melodies are beautiful yet haunting. The vocals are abrasive yet soothing. Metallica Kill 'Em AllMorbid Angel CovenantSuffocation Pierced from WithinThis is a generous 4.0 for me as I nearly gave 3.5. Suffocation's strongest element on this album is their creative rhythms that are complex yet groovy. The frequent use of rests simultaneously between all instruments makes the chugging hit so much harder. All of this is made possible by the insane talent of drummer Doug Bohn who in my opinion carries this whole experience. The riffs on this thing are hit or miss. I suspect this is partially due to the production hindering the note clarity which is a frequent issue I find in brutal death metal. This is also a result of the strictly chromatic melodies they use which I don't find to be terribly memorable most of the time. Some riffs even sound as if they are just patterns of random notes. Despite this, the guitars are still more than serviceable, especially when talking about the leads. Frank Mullens vocals show a variety of guttural techniques which I found to be very pleasing alongside the instrumentation. 3.5 greatAtheist Piece of TimeI really respect the stylistic choices on this record. This is far from standard death metal. The vocals are high and the riffs are somewhat jazzy. Don't go into this looking for chugging. It's melodic but not to the point of being melodeath. I really wish the guitar had more bass. The production is the biggest flaw in my opinion. It sounds paper thin. Bathory Blood Fire DeathIt's hard for me to place Blood Fire Death. I know it's great, but it's one that has never really done a whole lot for me personally. Granted, I love "A Fine Day to Die" which I consider to be one of the best black metal songs of all time. A lot of the songs devolve into a bad kind of chaos where the riffs become lost in white noise and the overpowering drums. Despite this, there are tons of strong moments full of groove and the record deserves no less than a 3.5. Bolt Thrower Realm of ChaosBolt Thrower MercenaryBolt Thrower The IVth CrusadeBurzum FilosofemOf course Filosofem is a classic. Dunkelheit, Jesus' Tod, and Erblicket Die Tochter Des Firmaments are all timeless songs but the second half of this thing is a bit bogged down with the long, more ambient tracks. Having said this, the record does create a delightfully bleak atmosphere that countless records since have tried and failed to replicate.Cannibal Corpse Evisceration PlagueEvisceration Plague is one of those albums that is really just the meat and potatoes of its genre. It has all of the elements you expect in a death metal album and executes them really well, but nothing to set it apart from the other hundreds of death metal records that could be described this way. The guitar tone is crushing and many of the riffs are as catchy as they are brutal. Corpsegrinder really has the gold-standard for gutturals and he puts them to good use here. The title track creates one of the most authentically ominous atmospheres out of their whole discography with riffs and lyrics that fit so well together. Carcass Surgical SteelThere are definitely some very memorable riffs but also some filler. The production is stellar and the vocal performance is evil as ever. Entombed Left Hand PathI love the variety of rhythms and tempos on this album. Some other OSDM records will focus on being fast without ever taking time to create those intense slow moments. That isn?t a problem here. With it, you get a classic chainsaw tone that, at times, hinders the note clarity just a bit. The gutturals sound more natural than those of some other vocalists. Some songs do feel very much like filler. In Pain The Thing From The GraveNothing revolutionary, but it's a solid OSDM release. Expect a chainsaw tone from the legendary Boss HM-2 guitar pedal which empowers some groovy death metal chugging. It's not all chugging though. Many sections are surprisingly melodic and the vocalist sounds a bit like Amon Amarth's. Lunar Chamber Shambhallic VibrationsIt's impressive how much of a cohesive unit this thing is considering just how progressive it is. The soft parts tie into the harsh parts like white water rushing over stone. Suffocation Effigy of the ForgottenIn regards to composition, I find this to be pretty equal to Pierced From Within. It's technical, but in a way that you don't realize just how mind boggling the guitar work is without looking at the tabs. This is not tech-death after all. It is brutal death metal, and brutal it is. The riffs are full of the typical chromatic death metal melodies which admittedly do become mundane as the album goes on. Fortunately, the rhythms of the riffs remain fresh and creative for the full runtime and this is further enhanced by the expert drumming which beats the listener into submission. The production is not quite as refined as Pierced From Within with the guitar being muddy and lacking note clarity. Tomb Mold The Enduring SpiritThis hits the Goldilocks zone for me in terms of melody versus abrasiveness. Moving away from OSDM, Tomb Mold explores some very progressive ideas in this release featuring some jazzy riffs and moments with a clean guitar tone. Don't get too comfortable though, because this is very much still a death metal record and those soft moments are always ambushed by crushing riffs and stampeding drums. These are accompanied by very deep and deathly gutturals which I do not find to be particularly clear. They serve their purpose though. 3.0 goodCannibal Corpse Chaos HorrificChaos Horrific is what you'd expect. It's full of fast songs with that same demonic guitar tone. I do find the rhythm guitar to be a bit muddier on this than some of the previous albums. This album would've benefited from a slow, crushing song similar to The Scourge of Iron or Evisceration Plague to break up the monotony. George Fisher is as consistent as ever, continuing to be one of the best vocalists in modern death metal. His ability to growl while enunciating words is unmatched. Carcass SwansongVery much an experimental album for Carcass. Imagine Metallica's self titled album but it's made by a death metal group. It's got a slower, groovier sound than their earlier work but still with the same growls and lyrical themes similar to those of Heartwork. Overall, I think it's worth a listen but certainly won't please everyone. Iron Maiden The Number of the BeastAs years pass since I initially got into metal, I find that this one has stuck with me less than many other classics. Of course it's a good album. I just think the timing of its release is the biggest reason for the reverence the metal community views it with. 1982 is very early and this was very innovative for the time. However, I don't think it aged as well as people think. I mean, it's an eight song record but only three or four of the songs are worth talking about. Songs like "Run to the Hills" seem like they were written with the intention of being carried by the catchy chorus. The song most worth talking about, "Hallowed Be Thy Name," is one of the best songs to ever come out of the metal genre as a whole. It's full of memorable riffs and has engaging story driven lyrics that are not reliant on being an ear-worm. Legendarium Death's Hand In YoursReally solid all around. Nice guitar leads, much improved vocal performance, very nice production, and memorable riffs. 2.5 averageChaos Descent The Blurry End Of An EraVery standard death metal for the most part. The production is exactly what you'd expect from a modern death metal band. However, two of the eleven tracks feature clean vocals from Flora Farzaneh which are mesmerizing when paired with the intense instrumentation. The highlight of the album for me was the final minute or so of the last track where choir like vocalization chimes over the deep chugging guitars. I wish they would have explored more of this idea throughout the rest of the runtime. Hangar Inside Your SoulI've revisited this one a few times. The title track is really good. The rest of the runtime isn't all that memorable but has its moments.
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