Scour : "Gold"

 

People talk all kinds of shit about Phil and fuck'em. His reunion with Pantera, being such a huge success is really the only middle finger he needed to give his detractors, yet he continues to make new music with this band because he loves making music which at the end of the day is the only thing that matters. The previous output from this project was more in-your-face with a hardcore feel and a grindcore edge. This sounds more like Goatwhore. In both the aggression of his vocal delivery and the gritty blackened thrash approach applied to the song. Goatwhore is a more finely tuned machine when it comes to this.  

Three songs into this album and the formula is still pretty effective, but hopefully, there will be a greater range of dynamics as the album progresses. They do with the 2-minute creepy interlude ornaments. But will this carry over into actual songs? Well "Coin" does have a more throbbing groove. But could this still sound like something Goatwhore would do? I guess this is a sticking point for me since Phil is from New Orleans and he knows the dudes in Goatwhore for sure. Maybe it is a subconscious influence on him, but the vocal approach is a lot like Ben's. Perhaps this is how people who were Exhorder fans before Pantera came along felt. "Evil" feels like an extension of the previous song as the album goes in a more black metal direction. 

There is more gallop to 'Hell" which is what they need to help set it apart. "Invoke" is another blackened thrasher. The riff gives a razor-sharp, buzz and the band is good at making this sort of thing but both 1349 and Goatwhore already have this covered. Though with all the Acid Bath reunion shows going on I doubt Goatwhore is going to make a new album any time soon. I do like the lyrics to "Invoke" which sells me on it. The title track is effective but does not break any new ground and this is starting to feel like a secret Goatwhore tribute album to me. The song ends on a cool riff, but cool riffs do not make or break a song on their own. The last song is more black metal, some more memorable riffs or guitar melodies would have been nice if we were talking about expectations when it comes to black metal. I'll give this album an 8.5, as it's hard for me to get Goatwhore out of my head when I hear it and Sammy is nowhere to be found. They are good at what they are doing here, and if you are just getting into black metal it's fair enough entry point, they made the album they set out to make.

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The Top 10 Metal Albums of 1994

Forty years later,  it's time to take a look and honestly assess what were the ten greatest metal albums from 1984. This is not being weighed on album sales, as some of these did not fare that well upon their release but gained ground over time. All of these have stood the test of time, but some are better than others, which is why the number one album is where it sits, and number ten is where it is. The ranking is based on two main factors I was listening to them back when they were released, the impact they had when I heard them, and how well they have stood the test of time for the past forty years. Unlike lists I make today where it;s based more on how much I listened to them over the year, the results here are more cumulative, though the album I listened to the most in 1984 is on here. 

10-The  Melvins - "Stoner Witch" 

Notorious for being a band that does not like being defined. If there was an album that was going to define them it would be their 1994 classic.  It is drenched and experimental in its weighty lumber, but, still has almost Kiss-like grooves giving the song ample swagger.

   

9-Machine Head- "Burn My Eyes"

They took thrash and gave it the 90s grooves it needed to survive the grunge era. Pummelling and catchy, in how they make freedom ring with a shotgun blast. The drumming is off the charts. Some songs are more bangers than others but this album held up over the years. 

   

8-Emperor- "In the Nightside Eclipse" 

This album introduced me to the second wave of black metal from the 90s. There was more orchestrated melody, than the more punk-sounding lo-fi blast fest that Darkthrone was dishing out at the time, and even in Europe bands like this were relegated to the backs of metal magazines. Not the band's best album but it sets the stage for what is to come while doing something more convincingly Satanic than what death metal bands were doing.

   

7-Tiamat- "Wildhoney

No longer just a death metal band this album is influenced by both Pink Floyd and Feilds of the Nephilim. It was ahead of its time. Listening back to it, you can hear where some of the production holds it back though this has aged well and gives the album charm.

   

6-Testament -"Low"

An underrated album by an underrated band. James Murphy had big shoes to fill when he stepped in and he brought a heavier sensibility to things, as well as Tempesta's playing dialing it in. Chuck Billy's voice sounds great and they managed to stay relevant past the 90s which is better than most of their peers were doing at this time. 

5-Pantera - "Far Beyond Driven" 

When this album came out I did not like it as much as "Cowboys" or "Vulgar", it's not as melodic and Phil's vocal delivery is more one-dimensional in comparison. It's heavy as all hell sure. The guitar playing is what grew on me over the years to hear how well-written this album is. This album is all Vinne and Dimebag.With Phil only shining on songs like "Becoming'. It holds up over time.

   

4- Korn -"s/t"

This album changed the game. It's taking the number 4 spot as it did not age as well as the top three albums. They brought groove up from the underground scene, when this album came out they were touching with Sick of It All in small punk clubs. They were onto something different. However this album just sounds like 1994 where the top 3 are more timeless, but this is still a great album, regardless of what this band turned into.

 

3-Kyuss-  Welcome to Sky Valley

The top 3 albums are all great in their own right. This is almost just grooving fuzzed-out rock,  it does not feel like metal until it's turned up loud enough. But by 1994's standards and underlying tension of the bass lines it qualifies and went on to influence the entire stoner metal genre.

   

2-Cannibal Corpse- "The Bleeding"

The best death metal album from one of the genre's best bands, perhaps the most defining of the current sound of death metal. The only reason it is not number one, is because the album in the number one spot might not be as heavy, but they are more dynamic, and melodic, and wrote two of the best metal albums of all time, so it's a close call be here we are, that does not take away from how great this album. The number one death metal album of 1994 for sure.

   

1-Acid Bath - "When the Kite String Pops" 

Swampy sludge metal would be an oversimplification as so many other elements are in play. dark and ominous, songs like "Dope Feind" have real menace as they are coming from a genuine place. The interplay of harsh to-sung vocals is great and there is not a band that ever did that sort of thing better. The songs have stood the test of time better than any other album on this list. Sure they can get some semblance of the band back together thirty years later ,, but it will never be what happened here in 1994.

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Looking Back in Anger at the Crow Soundtrack

 

It's time to look back at a soundtrack from the 90s and see how it has held up over the years.  For an album largely of covers and b-sides, it has stood the test of time better than most albums from 1994, and in truth aged better than the movie. It opens with "Burn" by the Cure which Smith wrote for the film. Not only is it the album's best song, it is one of the Cure's best songs. It has the drive of "Fascination Street' but the drums bring a tribal tension to it. The slinky bass line finds Machines of Loving Grace abandoning some of the industrial stomps for a more groove-minded song that plays to their strengths as a band, making it one of their best songs as well. Thus two songs in a they have established the theme of sexy darkness, which was the mood this movie was aspiring to. 

Stone Temple Pilots were heading toward peak popularity with the album "Purple" which this song would later appear on. They debuted it on this soundtrack first,  I think this song is lyrically clever, and I like the more subtle blues elements they ebb back down into. Nine Inch Nails cover of  "Dead Souls" works really well. Reznor does his thing rather than going for an Ian Curtis impersonation and it works. The more subtle jazzy passages of "Darkness" bring out Rage Against the Machine's more melodic side, making them seem like less of a one-trick pony. The Violent Femme's "Hallowed Ground" album is an example of their darker side which they tapped back into for "Color Me Once", an overlooked gem on this album.

Despite Henry's vocal limitations, the Rollins Band does a pretty good job of covering Suicide's 'Ghost Rider". There is more swagger than expected here. Butch Vig remixed Helmet's "Milk Toast' for the soundtrack, it's one of the band's calling cards. Pantera covers Poison Idea's "The Badge". and makes it sound like they wrote it. For Love Not Lisa proves they were better than most bands who merged as bigger one-hit wonders from the 90s like saqy Candle Box and this song is a testament to that fact.   My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult is one of the most reliable bands on this soundtrack so you can count on them to deliver, their whole persona is why they were actually playing at a club in the movie. Musically Jesus and Mary Chain is just as consistent, "Snakedriver" being a clear example of this. 

Medicine brought Elizabeth Fraser in for their remake of "Time Baby". Speaking of the Cocteau Twins , they should been the artist to perform the last song "It Can't Rain All the Time". as the Jill Siberry track is the album's only weak moment. It drifts without focus and the Cocteau Twins could have done much better doing similar. So far this reason this album is getting a 9.5, putting it still in the upper tier of movie soundtracks along side the "Lost Boys" soundtrack, 

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The Top 10 Metal Albums of 1992

I recently looked back albums turning 30 this year to see how they held up over time. These came out while I was in high school so most hold sentimental weight that I shed the best I could to give an another more objective as possible. These are ranked in terms of the impact they had, how well they held up over time and how good they are in terms of songwriting. This reality checked some albums because, they might have captured a sound that was groundbreaking but song wise there were better written albums. So here are the best metal albums that came out in 92, yeah if there are albums that seemed to be missing that is because this is not the top 10 industrial albums or grunge albums., but the top 10 metal albums. Not a lot to talk about otherwise so here we go.... 

10-Gwar- "America Must Be Destroyed " 

Following up "Scumdogs" is tough, rather than get heavier or more aggressive the lyrics are more over the top, breaking the bounds of what metal bands dared snarl about. Oderus continues to prove he can sing and pushed himself more to make almost hair metal like power ballads at times. 

Abysmal Hymns: The Class of 92 Gwar : "America Must Be Destroyed"

9-Incantation- "Onward to Golgotha" 

They are full blast ahead with the unearthly low growls soaked in reverb to further their sub demonic nature.  They stay pretty dense throughout this album. There are moments of breathing in the stench of the grave they are digging. Ahead of its time, they band might have gone on to make even better at at this juncture in time, they were ahead of the game. 

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June - Looking Back in Anger at Incantation : " Onward to Galgotha"

        

8-White Zombie-" La Sexorcisto-Devil Music vol 1" 

 I was already into the first two albums from these guys as it has a dirty sludgy Stooges feel but was dark like Alice Cooper. My first thought when this came out was "they sound like Metallica now" this change took a couple listens to grow on me. The grooving grind of their chugs has a more drugged out feel that thrash bands. Of you think this should place higher, all the songs sound the same so no. But the groove is good enough to earn its place here.

Abysmal Hymns: The Class of 92 - White Zombie : "La Sexorcisto (Devil Music vol1) "

 

7-Psychotic Waltz - "Into the Everflow" 

Not far removed from say Fates Warning, they were darker and dropping more acid when you take in the atmosphere layered in their vision of progressive metal. The vocals which are at a higher croon have more soul and substance than many of the operatic yodelers that populate progressive metal at this time. Another album that was ahead of its time, 

Abysmal Hymns: the Class of 1992 - Psychotic Waltz:" Into the Everflow"

6-Obituary " the End Complete"  

This Tampa death metal band stood out with ugly Celtic frost inspired grooves. They continued to perfect what they did and proved death metal bands can be just as capable songwriters as any genre of music. 

Abysmal Hymns: Death is June - "the End Complete" vs "World Demise"

 

5 -Deicide-"Legion"  

This album has aged well because now I can listen to it without having to compare to the first album. The fact the vocals are not as demonic sounding as the first album nagged at me back when this came over it, but in the past 30 years I have let that go and can listen to it for what it si which is one of the most ripping death metal albums of all time.  

Abysmal Hymns: the Class of 92 - Deicide: "Legion"

4-Megadeth - "Countdown to Extinction" 

Megadeth had outgrown thrash, they turned to a slight rock n roll swagger to their sound, shedding the technical fireworks of the previous album. Streamlined production to compete with the more radio friendly production of the "Black Album " as Mustaine released a masterpiece in "Rust in Peace" but he would not be content considering his former band mates just released the biggest selling album of their careers. This album might not be a sellout, but the heaviness was compromised to make it. At the end of the day the growth here made for better songs.  

Abysmal Hymns: the Class of 92 - Megadeth :" Countdown to Extinction"

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3- Danzig - "Danzig III -How the Gods Kill" 

When this album came out, I appreciated it was darker and more metal than "Lucifuge", Glenn's vocal continued to improve, from his croons to when he belts it out. Musically a pervading doomy feeling is haunting things, this sometimes simmers into a full-on metal chug. This is what I want him to sound like. .

Abysmal Hymns: The Class of 92- Danzig: " Danzig III -How the Gods Kill"

 

2- Neurosis - "Souls at Zero" 

This album was more groundbreaking and ahead of its time than the previous eight album on this list. I wrestled in my head over could this equate to earning it the number one spot. This is the conclusion I came to, pretty neck and neck as to how much I have listened to this one over the years verse the band that took number one. 

Abysmal Hymns: The Class of 92 -- Neurosis: "Souls at Zero"

 

1-Pantera - "Vulgar Display of Power" 

This band might have fallen out of fashion with some, but of the metal albums from 1992 this is the only album able to edge out Neurosis in terms of heaviness and how groundbreaking it was. Where "Souls at Zero" is full of cool trippiness, these are full on anthems that stood the test of time. "Cowboys From Hell" hinted that these guys were onto something but was still rooted in a more Judas Priest like traditional metal. Here they blend hard core with that and stripped away the old school metal moments. This album is in your ace with a sharp guitar sound that grabs you by the throat. 

Abysmal Hymns: Class of 1992 : Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power "

Class of 1992 : Pantera's "Vulgar Display of Power "

 

This band might have fallen out of fashion with some, but of the metal albums from 1992 whose 30th we are celebrating this one is the heaviest and most groundbreaking so far. "Cowboys From Hell" hinted that these guys were onto something but was still rooted in a more Judas Priest like traditional metal. Here they blend hard core with that and stripped away the old school metal moments. This album is in your ace with a sharp guitar sound that grabs you by the throat. The first three songs are all high energy aggression with "Walk" being the most noteworthy. It not only groove but it swings in a way metal had not until this point. It was the metal anthem of the 90s that still holds weight. 

They pick up a frantic punk pace for "Fucking Hostile". The hook on the chorus being the key selling point. "This Love" might not be this album's answer to "Cemetery Gates" which would fall more on "Hollow" but it does flirt with a mild power ballad soft to loud dynamic.  "Rise" works off a staccato syncopation for its groove before speeding off into hyper thrash. "No Good" breaks down into Phil almost rapping in a lower voice. This album also finds him using screams that are just him letting his voice break into a scream rather than a falsetto high note. He does still sing a great deal, but this performance is more aggressive and will set the standard for metal singers for the rest for the decade in terms of dynamics. The album continues to be possessed by a good sense of groove that works, and varied tempos proven on both "Live in a Hole" that is more rock n roll in the vibes and " Regular People" works of a subtle funk in the drums. Vinnie Paul is the all-star more than Dime Bag at this stage in the album. 

"Demons By Driven" has strains of blues and country music in the DNA of the guitar which we would later here the band dive into with their off-shoot projects. You can hear the Sabbath influence more prominent here, "Hollow" as mentioned before is more like a conventional metal power ballad, with great vocals and guitar work. Less Rob Halford worship from Phil. Midway into the song things takes heavier shift than where "Cemetery Gates' went as it carries more of a stomp. This album is clearly a 10, and perhaps the best of the bunch when it comes to 90s metal. I guess we shall see next week when I release our Top 10 Metal Albums of 92 list. 

   

The Top 50 Thrash Albums of All Time 10 - 1

These are the top ten albums of what is the most influential sub-genre of&nbsp; metal . It opened the door for bands to play louder, harder and faster thus spawning Death metal, black metal, grind core etc.. yeah doom stayed on it's own path. The bands that came out of it are now considered the biggest bands in metal...I mean Metallica and Slayer, come one end of debate. Normally I try to limit it to one album per artist. There are some artists that had much more of an impact so they might get another entry or two. There is thrash ranging from proto-death metal to hard core to power metal bands that evolved with the times. I grew up during the rise of thrash and listened to it through out highschool so some of this is determined by which albums did I listen to the most as they came out and which have endured the test of time. Lets face it none of your Toxic Holocausts or Revocations can touch these bands. They are pretty much tribute bands in comparison<

10- Death Angel -"Frolic Through the Park " 1988

I am sure there are people screaming for the Ultraviolence. Truth is the songs on this album are better. Yes it is impressive they were kids when they made, hell they were still kids when they made this album and broke down more barriers musically.







9- Testament - "Practice What You Preach"

This album edges out their others. The band obviously hit their peak here as evident from what happened aftter "Souls of Black"





8- Slayer -" South of Heaven" - 1988

Another tough call between this and their other album that beat this one out. They slowed down and got melodic here and it was perfectly where they needed to go sonically at the time.






7- Metallica -"Ride the lightning"-1984"

Punk rock kids are who is going to tell you "Kill'em All" is a better album. They just like that one because it sounds more like Motorhead. This is the album where they came into their own musically.






6-Pantera -"Cowboys From Hell -1990


This album is the reason grunge did not kill metal.


 


5-Megadeth - "So Far So Good So What" 1988 

 Yeah I am sure you wan "Peace Sells" or " Rust In Peace" here, this is the best balance of what those two albums had. The in your face attitude of "Peace Sells" but with more polished songs and better production, though less wanking than "Rust In Peace" and the production was not so slick that it lost it's edge.





4-Anthrax - 'Among the Living"1987 


Here is where it becomes a tough call as any of the top 4 albums could arguably be number one. The most under rated band of the big four.


3-Voivod- "Dimenson Hatross"1988 


 The dark horse in the top 4, this album was mind blowing when it came out I had heard nothing like it. It went on to influence Tool , Meshuggah, Fear Factory and any metal band into sci fi. A concept album where the concept was not so dense it felt like a musical.


 

2-Metallica- Master of Puppets- 1986 


 What a year 1986 was ! I bough this tape when it came out and This album still sounds great all these years later. It needs little defense as to why it belongs here.







1- Slayer- Reign in Blood- 1986 


 Why did this beat "Master of Puppets", well I got both albums when they came out. I listen to this one more. Some of the songs on "Puppets" can be long winded . I love "Disposable Heroes" but it is not written as in your face and compactly with not a minute waster as any song on this album. It is also darker and has a more sinister feel to it.


 

the Top 50 Heaviest Albums of All Time - 40- 31

Ok, we are continuing the countdown of the top 50 heaviest albums of all time. The next ten albums represent most sub genres of metal, black metal, sludge, death metal, thrash and grind core. Yes there will be more doom just in future installments.


40- Pantera - "the Great Southern Trendkill"


Yes "Far Beyond Driven" is a more in your face aggressive album, but aggression alone does not make heavy. This album is heavier due to the emotional darkness poured into it as the band hit bottom with their addictions. 




39-Mutilation Rites - "Harbinger"

In the previous installment of this list I touched on the elements that sometimes cause black metal to not be as heavy as it could, when it works solely off speed, drone and atmosphere. This album brings density and grime to show how heavy it can be when it's done right. 


 




38-Amenra- "Mass VI"

This Belgian sludge ban's mastery of loud to soft dynamics makes them more sonically powerful than their peers. This album really captures that. 




37-Otargos - "No God No Satan"

French black metal that is equal parts dark and abrasive. I do not believe in evil, but it if were to have a sound this album would capture it . 





36-Deathspell Omega- "Paracletus"


This is not just another French Black metal band , this is THE French black metal band. These guys are like a heavier version of Emperor. By heavier in this instance I mean invoking chaos with angular dissonance






35-S.O.D- "Speak English or Die"



This 1985 classic would never fly if it had been released to the tender souls of 2020. They came out during the cross over thrash movement, but along with Napalm Death are the fore fathers of modern grindcore


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34 Bolt Thrower - "Realm of Chaos"



This 1989 album storms into battle like a more violent version of Morbid Angel. Density and intensity are the weapons they are bringing into to battle here with more of a stomp than a gallop.



 


33- Cobalt -"Eater of Birds"

This blackened sludge project brought a great deal of thrash influence to the table with their 2007 album that recalls the wailing and gnashing of teeth associated with a descent into hell. 






32-Graves at Sea -' the Curse That Is "

The volume and power of these riffs swallows you into their murky depths and pulverizes you with their nastiness not unlike being sucked into a black hole, it's just done with more bong smoke here. 






31- Full of Hell- " Rudiments of Mutilation"


This 2013 album is an example that in todays world grindcore is created when a hard core band goes over to the dark side.

Looking Back in Anger : Pantera's "Great Southern Trendkill"

 Now seems like a fitting time to go back and re-visit, what I always felt was the bands most under rated album. Their 8th album the band was fighting drugs just like I was in 96 which gave it a darker and more aggressive turn. The groove they are known for is still there, but the album opens with them blasting out from a much angrier place. "Drag the Waters" shows them doing this with a touch of blues that had always been there to some extent , but the swampier tones are really brought out here. "10s" is my favorite song as the lyrics resonated with me at the time, listening back well...I guess they still speak to my inner teenager, but there is a great depth in the layered guitars here and Phil really sings his guts out on this one.

On "13 Steps to Nowhere" Seth Putnam from Anal Cunt lends his screams. Vocally there are more layers, and effects added which is not surprising as he recorded the vocals at Trent Reznor's studio. The first part of the two 'Suicide Note" songs is almost more like an interlude, the two work together as a whole piece. The guitar has an almost country feel. The backwards guitar parts sounded really good when you were high. Until they lock into the "do it do it " part it kinda blasts by you, but they lock into some shit that is heavy as fuck for sure. "Living Through Me" is the first song that really revisits who the band was on "Vulgar Display" .  'Floods" is probably my second favorite song on the album. I love how the effects sit on Phils voice and the guitar is great, one of Dime's best solos.

"the Underground America" is big loud and angry, with some of  Vinnie's best drumming on here.Though it's not my favorite song on the album. "Sandblasted Skin" has some really mean riffs, but the last two songs feel like they are just throwing heavy at you for the sake of throwing heavy, almost like it was, "Well, we were really high most of the time we were in the studio so we gotta throw some more heavy shit in". But there dialing it in is better than the best most bands can do. This album gets a 10.

The Top 50 Metal Guitarists - 10 to 1

Here we are at the end of our Top 50 Metal Guitarists list, The death of a guitarist I played with turned my thoughts to what makes a good guitarist great. Metal finds the stakes for guitarists high. Shredding can come before playing a fucking song. While all of these guitarists can play a solo, I was also looking for tone, impact on the genre as a whole and how their personalities came through in their playing. So this list of the top 50 Metal Guitarists. If you don't find your favorite guitar player here then know they were just wankers.

 10-Adrian Smith

His Band is primarily propelled by the galloping bass, but they are also known for their twin guitar harmonies. His partner in crime Dave Murray could be on this list too, but Adrian Smith's playing always struck me as being a little more nuanced.


 9-Dimebag Darrell 

His vulgar display of riffing hits you like a cowboy from hell. His solos embrace chaos and melody. He has influenced modern metal tremendously,  his original styling and chops that managed to place him above his hero Ace, when it comes to metal Dimebag is just more fucking hostile.


8-Jerry Cantrell

Some of the more melodic and mournful grunge thanks to the drugged trappings of his band that killed their lead singer. Equally blues base as he is a technical shredder his metal chops can slip out of any run
.


7-KK Downing

Until their peers Iron Maiden, Downing's band was not driven by the bass. They were less technical and sometimes more aggressive. It was their album "PainKiller" that really put un-believers to rest.




6-Piggy/ Denis D’Amour

 His sound evolved from dissonant thrash into a space age prog metal sound that defined his band's weird and wonderful brand of metal. While they took influence from bands like Killing Joke and Discharge, Piggy blended that with a angular metallic aggression to create one of the most unique sounds ever.


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5- Alex Lifeson

Lifeson beat out Piggy, due to the fact if his band did not exist then metal and progressive rock might not find themselves so often hand in hand. You might question how metal is Rush, so I suggest getting back to me after hearing "2112" and "Caress of Steel" this is not to say they were metal for the duration of their career as they became radio rock , but those two albums alone solidify his place here.

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 4-Selim Lemouchi 

 He died on my birthday four years ago. Seeing this guy live made me a believer as he was one of the best guitarists I have ever seen live. His band the Devil's Blood, played a jammy style of retro doom boogie. He has two other guitarists in his band that he had to play around and still found the space to do some amazing things.


 

 3-Randy Rhodes

 Some times his tone is too bright for me and I'll blame that on his days with Quiet Riot. He inspired a decade of shred, more tasteful than all the Yngwies , he blended the neo-classical touches in a hard rock context.



2-Andy Larocque

Andy beat out Randy because Rhodes' weakness is his strength, he plays darker. Andy also has a more aggressive playing style making him a much more metal player than Rhodes. Andy's style of playing fit perfectly with the horror motif of King Diamond's writing making them the perfect match.

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 1-Toni Iommi 

There was a second I had him at number two, but them I thought about the "Mob Rules" and "Heaven and Hell" albums where he plays with the same firey precision that Andy does and summons a similar darkness years before , not to mention his use of the devil's note created heavy metal so there is that.


 

Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals : "Choosing Mental Illness as Virtue"

Phil Anselmo has almost as many side projects as Mike Patton. Like Mike Patton they all fall under the shadow of the band that put them on the map, in case it's Pantera. While the first song is as aggressive as what I have heard from this project in the past , but the guitars are adding some sonic layers of melody and the chords are allowed to ring out more. You can hear touches of Down mixed with death metal on "Utopian" which is not as engaging as the first song. The title track rages with more of a death metal attack. They are sticking pretty close to a more grind core take on what Cannibal Corpse used to do. It can be argued just how legit of a grind core band this is. I can say the more under ground legit bands could stand to learn from how to throw in a hook. Skills that translated over from the Pantera days. This is also why a song like " the Ignorant Point" works better than the speed fest that is "Individual". The latter's best moments comes from the Slayer like thrash riffs toward the end , not from the nasty blasting.

The guitars on this album are pretty mean. The drums could stand to come up in the mix a little. Phil sounds fine , He never actually sings, most vocals are spoken in gruff shouts or growls. He almost sounds like Rollins on "Delinquent". There are some almost blackened spasms that this song devolves into. "Photographic Taunts" is a heavier version of the previous song that is more jarring in the battle of blasts versus chugs. Phil growls more in a lower death metal fashion here. "Finger Me" also stays within the same parameters as the two songs before it. So at this point in the album it's all beginning to sound the same. There is a break down that is cool on "Finger Me" , but the rule here is cool riffs alone don't make a good song. So being heavy for the sake of being heavy doesn't really fly with me in and of itself.

They continue to offer a variation on a theme on "Invalid Colubrine Frauds" which benefits from the lyrics which take on mass shootings. Phil's theory is they are caused by people who are not left along. The last song is like the others there is a partially melodic outro to it but it blasts by without really gaining my attention. I'll give this a 7.5, making it far from Phil's best work and perhaps the least adventurous of his side projects.

Superjoint : "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application"

They have dropped the Ritual for this era of the band. I just figured out that Hank the III is not in the band any more. Instead Wovenhand bassist Stephen Taylor is onboard along with the drummer from Warbeast, so this is more of a House Core Records all-star band. It's very dense and heavy. The opening song is more oppressive than where they wind up by the time they get to the more punk "Ruin You". The title track is pretty feral as well. They do lock into more of a groove that hooks me in by the end. Phil keeps things at a gruff grumble. In many ways this more closely resembles Eyehategod. The songs are all very compactly written.

The brisk "Sociopathic Herd Delusion" feels more like filler than what I know these guys are capable of doing. "Circling the Drain" still sticks to the roughened version of what they are doing here, but strikes me as being more interesting. If you are familiar with my for with Cvlt Nation then you might have a better understanding as to why the lyrics to this song strike me as being more compelling. "Asshole" which bears the chant "shit comes out of it" is more run of the mill hard core though like most of this album it is slathered in a coat of New Orleans sludge. "Click Baiter" allows Phil to voice is anger towards the Internet. It has a more melodic riff that cuts in, but is not really covering much new ground.

"Mutts Bite Too" comes closer to the swampy waters the corpse of Acid Bath floats in, though without the more melodic vocals. The drumming might be the best on this song. This might be the album's heaviest song. "Rigging the Fight" may or may not be about the election, but Phil is a hug fan of boxing so he might be mad at Don King. "Receiving No Answer to the Knock" finds the guitar opening up more room for grooves and melody while Phil grunts and barks like he has for the bulk of the album. I'll give this album a 7.5, it's a little one dimensional for my tastes, but if you are looking for rough and rumbling tough guy shit from New Orleans then this is for you.


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Scour : "s/t"

With grind core on the rise as I have been predicting, Phil Anselmo's new super group teams pig destroyers with cattle decapitators for a decrepit birth on heaviness with a blackened streak to it. Phil goes with more of a grind core meets death metal approach to his grunts and growls , they blast ahead on the second song, and weave back and forth for varied levels of blackness. The songs are longer than what say Nails does, but there is a similar density. Nails is more grind core and truth be told has catchier riffs that what is going on here. I do like the chant that Phil converges into as " Clot" reaches it's end. Phil still retains an impressive growl and is no doubt steeped in varied genres of extreme music. This is even heavier than his Illegals album. Perhaps not as grind core as the album he did with Anal Cunt, but these are actual songs and not outbursts.

"Crooked" is under the two minute mark, so I had to listen to it a second time to really form an opinion on what is going on here. They are obviously trying to blacken things up, by the time they get to "Codes" and Phil is screaming about vampires. The wheel is not being reinvented, nor is the steel when it comes to what this album is adding to heavy music. "Tactics" is just an atmospheric interlude, so there are really five songs not six on this EP. The final song "Tear Gas" is an unrestrained blast fest. Pantera fans will be surprised by how heavy this is, but for metal heads who have adapted to the times this is just business as usual. The first solo is ripped on the last song. If those kinda things impress you then you will join the masturbatory fury, but I think the closing riff is more impressive.

I was little torn when it comes to scoring this album I could round it up to an 8, due to sheer heaviness or round it down to a 7.5, because that is all there is and these guys are pros who could have brought more to the table when it comes to the originality of the song writing. If you are a regular reader here then you would not be surprised by the direction I would go in, since at the end of the day it's all about the song. July 15th is the date Housecore Records is releasing this sonic kick in the nuts.

The Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums: 20 to 11

We now enter into the sacred circle of the top twenty albums in our Top 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time list. We haven't been looking for the most albums sold but quality over quantity.





20- Watain-Lawless Darkness

This Swedish band picking up the torch Dissection had carried. While their earlier work might have been rawer and more cvlt , this album found a thrash influence seeping into to polish the songs.



19-Celtic Frost-To Mega Therion

This album is the perfect middle ground for these guys, it retains the rawness of Morbid Tales , but gave them room to grow beyond the simplistic song structures of that album and add other elements.



18-Morbid Angel - Blessed Are the Sick

The best death metal album ever. The kids crying for Altars of Madness which might be an angrier album weren't even born when this one came out. It takes evil and makes it a seductive sonic animal.



17-Pantera -Vulgar Display of Power

It's a tough call between this one and Cowboys, the songs on this on might have slightly more staying power. The riffs are bigger and better here, though this album brought many half ass imitators.



16-Emperor-In the Nightside Eclipse

From the first wave of Norwegian black metal, these guys didn't compromise sound quality in order to adhere to an aesthetic.





15-Type O Negative - Bloody Kisses

This album took the best elements of goth and married them to Black Sabbath style doom.

 14- Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell

We have limited it to one entry per band, though the exception to this rule should be Sabbath, lets face it Dio Sabbath is like an entirely different band anyways.



13- Queensryche- Operation Mindcrime

One of the greatest progressive power metal albums not made by Priest or Maiden. Sure they have their cheese elements, but one of the few bands of this ilk who is worthy of having their name mentioned next to Priest or Maiden.



12- Anthrax- Among the Living

When crafting one of the best metal albums ever this band didn't give up powerful melodies for the sake of thrash.



11 - Metallica - Master of Puppets

Between this and Ride the Lighting it was a tough call for me but songs like " The Thing That Should Not Be" are darker than anything of Ride the Lighting so this won out.

Philip H Anselmo & the Illegals : Walk Through Exits Only

Pantera is more like a guilty pleasure for me they are one of those bands I like a lot as a teenager, at the time when Far Beyond Driven came out my tastes were going in another direction, then I got back on board for the first Down album and Great Southern Trendkill, but fell off for other Down albums and the whole thing he did with Hank the 3rd, so I'm not going to co-sign every thing he does.

The opener sounds like cruder version of some of the more hardcore influenced moments on Far Beyond Driven, though with much less dynamic guitar playing. I know he has good taste in music but this sounds more like he is reaching into the Pantera years than his other solo works. Perhaps because this is more of a solo effort than his other side projects. The second song "Battalion of Zero" has a little more to it in terms of song writing though in it's attempt at density it loses all dynamic sense. But is is heavy and if that is all you need to make yourself happy you might be in luck.

The gritty conspiracy theory rant of " Betrayed" comes in and kicks the door open to show bands like Nails, how it's done. The syncopation is pretty sick and while it's one dimensional, it excels at  what it does. "Usurper  Bastard's Rant"  goes into some very Pantera like chugging, fans of meat and potatoes metal bands like Lamb of God will be pleased. I would say overall this is more sludge influence hardcore than any thing like thrash, the tempos when they build are denser than thrash. The vocals are the most produced thing on this album and the guitars are left dirtier than would you would have found coming from Dimebag.

The title track blasts ahead in a more furious manner than the album has seen so far, not black metal but heavier than  the songs that came before it , its about how people have ruined music , not just him, he admittedly yells. Most of the vocals on this album are so if you are a fan of Phil's actual singing voice, then there is not much of that though if you are a fan of his in any way then you can appreciate what he does here. There is a Black Flag/ Rollins element in some of the vocal phrasing on the chorus. The power of the chug can not be underestimated on this album as it flexes it muscle full force here.

" Bedroom Destroyer" is pretty musch what I anticipated the entire album to be , but so far beyond driven I'm surprised that has not been the case and it's a more modern harcore take on Pantera, rather than Eyehategod worship. There is a good dose of punk rock in this one but it makes it rather stupid, like punk for suburban redneks. " Bedridden" must be the part two to the last song with a few syncopated chugs to differentiate it from the last song , though it does end up plowing into a more rapid pace, the lyrics could be a bout rape or sloth  or a combination of the two.

"Irrelevant Walls and Computer Screens" seems like a lash out at the hipster blogverse metal has become, I guess I am a part of this, it seems like there is a great divide in the metal scene to which most of the metal heads this album will appeal to could fall into the white trash borderline Juggaloos who like Lamb Of God and most other mainstream metal, that have yet to venture into the internet to search out new music beyond what they find on Juggaloo dating sites and the often closed minded metal purists that this song seems to target. When it comes down to the music, this had a thick wet cement groove to it. Overall this album is not as bad as I thought it might be and if you like Pantera or any of Phil's other work you are going to like this unless you never evolved past Cowboys From Hell and then go back to listening to Painkiller.   So I will round this one up to a 7 for surprising me, I doubt it will get much mileage on my iPod but for what it is he succeed at doing what he set out to make, so I will give him props , Pantera fans round this up to an 8.          

5.3