Happy Bicycle Day- The Top 10 Metal Songs to Trip To.

These days, I no longer take LSD, but I used to do it all the time and unlike kids these day never listened to electronic music or hippy shit, when I did, as light and love is not really my thing. Here are the songs that were my soundtrack for those days. If you are celebrating Albert Hoffman's bicycle ride today, then here are some songs that set the mood for my many meetings with demons, Aliens, and keepers of cosmic planes. Give these tunes a shot to tape into a heftier vibrational frequency that is more aggressive than passive. Perhaps a little darker, but you gotta get in touch with your shadow side somehow, so here are the top 10 metal songs to trip to.  

10- Marilyn Manson- "Cake and Sodomy"

There was an entire summer where I listened to this song at the onset of every trip, and dropped acid on an almost daily basis that summer.

 

9- Metallica- "Orion" 

This was always a good one to transition from a lucid state into the onset of altered consciousness.

   

8-Sugartooth- "Black Queen" 

Despite the double bass sections, this was a staple of my tripping sessions. 

7- Morbid Angel- "Where the Slive Live" 

One of the few death metal songs that sounds great tripping. If you want to scare hippies, crank this one while you are peaking.

 

6-Tiamat- "Whatever That Hurts"  

An underrated band, I tripped to the "Wildhoney" album many a night. Almost like a metal version of Psychic TV.

 

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5-Voivod- "Astronomy Domine" 

You can't have a list about tripping without one Pink Floyd cover on it, and it might as well be the best. 

4-Type O Negative- "Green Man" 

Pink Floyd covers aside, this song comes the closest to the kind of hippy vibes I am not normally about, but the dusky shadows underlying this forest stroll are what work.

3-Neurosis - "Souls at Zero" 

I had some major altered experiences that the song "Locust Star' played heavily into; this song set an overall better mood.

   

2-Monster Magnet -"Ego the Living Planet" 

Most of my friends know the story about my most intense trip that involved this song and my Ouija Board. I talk to planets, baby

1-Black Sabbath- "Megalomania" 

Ozzy has stated that Black Sabbath were not a rock band that dabbled in drugs, but a drug band that dabbled in rock, and none of the other bands on this list would exist without them, so they take the top song.

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Live Review : Voivod & Imperial Triumphant @ the Floridian Social Club

 Still getting out to explore venues new to me , it took one of my favorite bands to inspire me to not settle down for the evening on the couch. Having seen Voivod multiple times going all the way back to the 80s , they have a knack for picking hungry young bands on the rise whose performance forces the Canadian thrash veterans to bring their A game. I have seen Soundgarden open for them, Amenra open for them and now Imperial Triumphant. Funny enough it was when Voivod opened for Napalm Death that they offered up their best show This tour finds them celebrating 40 years as a band. The newer members more fused with Snake and Away by now. 

A decent crowd for a Wednesday night, the venue holds 800, so maybe 400 people showed. Local bands death metallers Vacuous Depths opened the show, they play a dense slightly blackened style of death metal with their drummer being the star of the show. He played every accent with intensity but was very relaxed in doing so. Then Heaven's Gate  a band with Tony from Iron Regan and Municipal Waste, with the drummer from Cannibal Corpse, they played the kind of cross over thrash you would expect from that kind of pairing and were popular with the crowd. 

The venue seemed to have been designed for the aesthetics of  Imperial Triumphant in a Lynchian art deco. It was like you were stepping into one of their music videos.  I have reviewed a couple of their albums  "Vile Luxury" and "Alphaville" , the latter and improvement over the former, but it scored an 8, well done not blowing my socks off and being listened to in heavy rotation. They are much more impressive live. It is oddly more their element despite having the benefit of being able to add more layers of sound in the studio. On stage the side of the band you see grooves and uses their energy to maximum effect. Obviously with the masks there is a theatrical element, but this is taking further in their interactions with the crowd. I am going to go back and give their 2022 album a listen after being so impressed by their performance. They are not a black metal band and perhaps that was the turn off given the spin my peers in music press tried to angle them as black metal band that was creating music that was safe for everyone to listen to  and trying to cancel their Northern European  counterparts for being hateful. Black metal is supposed to be hateful, these guys are progressive metal, perhaps death metal at times. What they do works for them but is not a replacement for death metal, nor is that the intent of their performance.  

Voivod's surviving members are 58 year old singer Snake and 59 year old drummer Away.  Away's drumming  shows that the years have been kinder to him, as he plays a wide range of demanding dynamics ranging from the faster thrashing punk of their earlier "War & Pain" songs to the more recent prog outings. They even played one of the heavier 90's songs that served as the forerunner to what Meshuggah does today. While Away's playing was flawless, Snake's voice held up pretty well, he even  pulled off the bulk of the thrash era screams on the song "Killing Technology"  which they opened with. Their 13 song set could be said to lean heavily on their newest album "Synchro Anarchy" , but they only played three songs from it and then a song from almost every other album. Yes, even "Angel Rat" and "Phobos" which acknowledged the period without Snake. 

 When you have been around for 40 years it is ambitious to encompass the entirety of your career in one show, especially when you are a band like Voivod who sets out to write often conceptual albums rather than singles. They are not a greatest hits band, many songs were screamed out for by the fans, "Tribal Convictions" perhaps the most, but this was not an evening for taking requests, due to the winding nature of their arrangements, this tour was obviously very rehearsed with little room for improvisation. The set list has not varied much from show to show, sure Jason Newstead joined them for a song at one gig, but aside from that it's business as usual without feeling like they were punching a clock, as the enjoyment of their songs is retained after four decades. 

Looking Back in Anger at Voivod's "War and Pain"

 This album is almost 40 years old. How has it stood the test of time? Lets dig into it and find out. Funny enough the eponymous opening track, is the song the band always seems to close out it's sets with these days. The anthemic gang vocal feel of the chorus sets a more memorable tone than some of the chaotic thrashing that follows. "Warriors of Ice' can not deny the band's leaning into a crustier punk sound at the time. The dissonance does not ring out the same way as the albums that followed, but you can hear the staples of their sound begin to refine here. While the overall sound is very cross over punk, you can hear how Rob Halford influenced Snake in terms of phrasing. I always forget how rough around the edges this album was. A stark contrast from the prog rock they would merge into. 

"Iron Gang" finds the band continuing to bang things out in a similar direction. They are running of thrash tinged momentum. As a teenager I was able to hear how punk this album was , as the lines were already blurred with bands like DRI , Cro-mags, and Suicidal Tendencies when it came to what was punk and what was metal, the title track merely hints at the atmosphere the band would later bring. I guess listening back to this album I heard the diamond in the rough being harvested from this otherwise raw explosion of sound. "Blower" perhaps holding more common ground with bands at the time like Slayer, with Snake lending yelping screams to the occasion. I can hear why punks tend to flock to thrash as the two have more in common than not. 

I prefer the darker mood to "Live For Violence" the rumble of the bass here is more apocalyptic than not. There is something grim to Snakes delivery on this song as well. Given the recklessness of their youth here, you can still hear a desire to write songs. Away's drumming had already begun to move him to the head of the pack right from the start of his career. This can be heard on "Black City" .  You can also detect how this album might influence black metal bands of the future. Snake's voice almost has a croak to it. "Nuclear War' is a powerful closer. Darker than most punk at the time. The sonic range of the guitars gave a glimpse into how they would continue to set themselves apart. I will give this album a 9. Not their best, but a rough look at what was to come. 

the Top 10 Progressive Albums of 2022

If you are a regular reader here, you know when it comes to prog, I am not looking for a bunch of wanky shredding and math for the sake of math. I want bands that are progressing and that is what is happening with these bands who made the cut this year. Much like in years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list.  The fact these artists made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10 Progressive albums of 2022

10- Elder- "Innate Passage" 

Six albums in and this German band shed the doom label even more, filling the corners of their songs with synths, harmony vocals and guitar solos. They loosen their harder edged tendencies, and the guitars take on more of a jangle allowing the vocals to relax into brighter melodies. The vocals glide around the complex guitar runs, this feels more like Porcupine Tree or Opeth than, any of the classic prog bands with 70s Yes perhaps the closet to what is going down here. 

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Elder: "Innate Passage"

9-Ufomamut -" Fenice"

The Italian band's 9th album finds them continuing further down a darker, heavier and more experimental path. Even better is the fact they are not taking the most obvious routes to get to these places, which is more progressive than bands who throw a bunch of notes and solos in to be labelled as such. it carries a more sludge like weight to its crunch. They wander into shoe gazing places at times and always progress their sound forward.

Abysmal Hymns: UFOMAMMUT : "Fenice"

 

8-Hammers of Misfortune- "Overtaker" 

 This is a different sound from band that became a collaborating collective since the leader and guitarist moved out of the Bay.  Former Vektor members contribute to this endeavor. While the band cites King Crimson as an inspiration it sounds more like King Diamond due to the thrashing yet progressive manner the songs are woven together, along with the female vocals that hover over the chaos. Not as dark or operatic as King Diamond, there is a darker feel than I remember this band digging into previously which works for me. 

Abysmal Hymns: Hammers of Misfortune : "Overtaker"

7-Vitskar Sudan-the Faceless King" 

Since weed is legal in California things have changed in the LA music scene, this band is not at all what you would expect, they blend a few different styles, very surreal and dense almost like shoe gaze or post rock, but multi layered. There is a dark and somber under current to what they do. What they do does involve a great deal of weed smoked at the very least. At times s congealing into a heavier storm of sound that is anchored down by more driven rock sounds and bombast drums like Pink Floyd covering King Crimson.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom -Vitskar Suden :' the Faceless King"

6-Porcupine Tree - "Closure Continuation" 

When I think back, I remember when "the Incident" came out. It was quality as everything Wilson does, but "Fear of a Blank Planet" was the last album I listened to on a regular basis, things have not changed except for the depth of production. It brings out the stellar drumming, which sometimes propels things into a Primus like bounce. It is groove that are at the heart of this album even when things get more introspective. Steve Wilson continues to impress with strong vocals that are the icing on the cake.    

 Abysmal Hymns: Porcupine Tree : " Closure/Continuation"

5-King Buffalo- "Regenerator" 

There are many sub-genres of rock and metal that intersect at a crossroads. This album finds itself straddling the fence at such a place. The junction where stoner rock meets prog. Less metal and more jammy, they do not bring the thunder of crunch until midway into the second song. That is not ineffective in fact they glide along on Pink Floyd like groove up until that place. The album sounds amazing in terms of tones they have perfected here. Much like Pink Floyd is great music to get stoned to, and yet are not full of the fuzzed-out swagger than makes something stoner rock, the same can be said of this album as their jams gain bong traction.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- King Buffalo : " Regenerator"

 

4-Voivod - "Synchro Anarchy"

Their 15th album finds the Canadian prog metal god fathers continuing on the path they began with "Target Earth" back in 2013. The riffs winding around varied forms of palm muted tension on a dynamic journey to the center of a cyborg mind. They are true to the sound they began crafting in 1984, though it has shed all the early punk grit. There is more groove than thrashing. That is fine too. The bass sound continues to blend and owes more perhaps to "Nothingface". The angular attack and all the binary you are counting to keep up with it is in play. 

Abysmal Hymns: Voivod : " Synchro Anarchy"

 

3-Mamaleek- "Diner Coffee"

This first might seem like a weird metal band that decided to write an album about diner coffee, while that is true there is a lot going on. At times it feels like Tom Waits jamming with Tomahawk, there is tons of great guitar work, and these guys can play legit jazz when they are not fucking around to freak you out.  

Abysmal Hymns: Mamaleek : "Diner Coffee"

2-Black Space Riders- "We have been here before" 

They continue to take you on sonic journeys that are as expansive as they are quirky from new dances in dark alleys to wild wandering prog excursions colored by metal guitar slithering around it If you think Dream Theater is prog then you do not know anything about music and might not be as into this album as there are not songs to shred over but music that goes somewhere, it is a wonderful album

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom- Black Space Riders :" We have been here before"

1- Mars Volta -S/T

 47 its impressive that Cedric's pipes are as pristine as they are. Let's face it this album would be a much different story if that was not the case. Some of this might be attributed to scientology, which he credits for getting him off drugs. Perhaps from the trippy haze around the album he just means hard drugs. Wink Wink. They have scaled back the sprawling progginess of what they do and reined things in to write songs not just jams. Impressively so even with the rock edge dulled down the scop of their grooves is hard to compete with. 

Abysmal Hymns: the Mars Volta : " s/t"

Voivod : " Synchro Anarchy"

 

Their 15th album finds the Canadian prog metal god fathers continuing on the path they began with "Target Earth" back in 2013. The riffs winding around varied forms of palm muted tension on a dynamic journey to the center of a cyborg mind. They are true to the sound they began crafting in 1984, though it has shed all the early punk grit. There is more groove than thrashing. That is fine too. The bass sound continues to blend and owes more perhaps to "Nothingface". The angular attack and all the binary you are counting to keep up with it is in play. The chorus tp the title track is brighter and more melodic than expected.  Two songs in and I would say it is not as dark as their other albums and everything has a very clean and refined sound. Though for when it came out the same thing could be said of "Nothingface".

"Planet Eaters" is amazing as it could be the original line up. Snake and Away are the only original members piloting this ship, so it is uncanny how the new guys have become a part of their sound. It must be an honor to be a part of this legacy, but they get props in their own right for being able to fill the shoes left behind for them. Piggy has such a distinct sound and was way ahead of his time, so it is much more impressive in that regard. They pick up the pace as "Planet Eaters" and Away does so effortlessly. "Mind Clock" has a dreamy moodiness interjected into the dynamics. They tend not to play these more melodic songs live, but they have surprised me with interesting song choices before. It does dip more into speed metal of sorts midway into the song. 

"Sleeves Off" is the first song that conforms to something that sounds like it is form the same planet as the other music on rock radio to some extent. There is still way more weirdness, but it is about as close as they get to what other bands on this planet do. I know some people who are not fans of Snakes voice so it might be an acquired taste I have been listening to this band for 34 years so this is all I know from them. His voice sounds great for what he does. Just when I think "Holographic Thinking" is going to be color by numbers Voivod they rip out a cool riff. I also like the lower notes Snake hits very casually. There is a weird almost jazz like shimmy to "the World Today".  Lyrically I have not been paying as much attention to what he is saying as we are living the dystopian dream, they sang about 3 years ago. 

They guitar which is not as metallic as some points of their career does have more attack on "Quest For Nothing"   the vocals even take on more of a growl in places. Midway into "Memory Failure" it sounds like it will fall along the lines of more stock and trade Voidvod songs, but the melody fits well against the guitar even if they do not introduce any new tricks or sonics it flows well. This is not an album out to win over new fans. It is very Voivod and this is a UFO you are either onboard or not. I will give this one a 10 , the bar has been raised for this year's progressive metal with this one.Being released on Century Media.  

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 Thrash Albums of All Time 30 -21

Digging deeper into the countdown of what is the most influential sub-genre of  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

30- Vio-Lence -"Eternal Nightmare"

1988 Two of this band's members went on to form Machine Head. The punkvocal approach set these guys apart along with the very sharp hooky riffing.


 


29- Coroner- " Punishment for Decadence" 1988

 1988 was a good year for thrash the genre had it's legs under it enough to begin experiementing. This Swiss band was highly technical but still cared about writing songs.



28- Nuclear Assault - "Survive" 1988


Three in a row from 1988. Dan and John were both former members of Anthrax. Lilker's bass playing propels this album along with the commanding howl of Connelly.


   



27-Voivod -"Killing Technology" 1987 


 Still rooted in thei more punk sound, they just began to cross over into a more spacey prog form of thrash. Way ahead of their time.



 



26- Fear of God - "Within the Veil" 1991


 In 1991 women in metal were rare. Women fronting band's this heavy unheard of. The late Dawn Crosby was capable of harsh snarls and clean vocals , this album is wonderfully dark.


 


25- Metal Church - "Blessing In Disguise"- 1989



1989 Their previous efforts with David Wayne are great ,but lean more toward power metal. Here the attack is more fine tune and Howe's voice is less flashy, and he focused his grit to serve the songs.


 



24- Sanctuary- "Refuge Denied" 1987

 Produced by Dave Mustaine the guitar has that Megadeth bite but with soaring vocals that still carry menace ratherthan just being operatic for the sake of being operatic.



 



23- Overkill- "Under the Influence"



1988 I am sure many of you want to see "Taking Over" here instead , but guess what this is my list, go make your own, the songs here are better.



 



22- Power Mad- "Absolute Power" 1989 



 One of the best metal bands you have not heard. They did make it into Lynch's " Wild at Heart" movie which is their claum to fame, but they were froward thinking when it came to song writing.



 


21-Sacred Reich - "the American Way"


 These guys were ahead of the curve when it came to how metal was about to change. There is enough groove here to transcend thrash .



 

The Weekly Playlist : Apocalypse Edition

What is even more discouraging than a wimpy apocalypse play list is a metal musician saying they can not take any more gloom and doom. Yes, this came up on my Facebook feed. No, they were not joking.Well not only will an apocalypse thin the herd, but the very threat of one will show us who the fucking poseurs are. Death should be celebrated. Why listen to death metal and not celebrate death? It is the only thing that is certain. Why be afraid of it ? Oh, people are afraid. Hoping their city gets shut down, so they get permission to give up and not face the world out side. Here I am hoping for some Mad Max level shit so I have an excuse to try out cannibalism and ride the wasteland as Lord Humongous. This could literally come down to survival of the fittest. Could is the operative word. Every apocalypse I have looked forward to has let me down. In a few weeks things will return to the boring status quo and I will still remember all of you who were hiding  under your beds wanting something happy. Here is a fitting playlist for the rest of you who celebrate chaos like I do. Next week I will make you guys the dystopian future industrial play list , until here is your metal.



Obituary- 'Infected"





Sepultura - "Dead Embryonic Cells" 






Voivod - "Bacteria"






 Morbid Angel - "Angel of Disease" 





Anaal Nathrakh- "the Apocalypse is About You"


 


Slayer - " Epidemic"


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Cattle Decapitation- "Bring Back the Plague "


 


Asphyx - "Last One On Earth"


 

Integrity - "Dawn of a New Apocalypse" 






Behemoth- "Christgrinding Ave" 

the Top 10 Progressive Metal Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. Progressive does not mean this is going to be a wank fest. While I do like a good guitar solo, if you are just here for pretentious shredding, you have come to the wrong place.  For stuff more along those lines I have separated out a seperate power metal list,. This might not be the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most .&Any ways here are the Top 10 Progressive metal l albums of the decade.







10- Bask- "III"



 






9-Liturgy -- "the Ark Work" 2015





 





8-Baroness- "Gold & Grey" 2019





 





7-Cynic- "Kindly Bent to Free Us " 2014





 






6-Voices- " Frightened" 2018




 





5-Mastodon- "Emperor of Sand "




 






4- Igorrr - 'Savage Sinusoid - 2017












-
  3- Sigh- "Scenes From Hell" 2010




 






2- Voivod- " Target Earth" 2013







 







 1- Pain of Salvation- "Road Salt One" 2010

Live Review Amenra, Voivod, YOB @ Masquerade

I rarely get out for shows these days. Back when I started this blog I went to one a month Since then my depression has gotten worse and I would rather stay at home than be around people. This could also be called getting older, but it feels like more of my mental illness, as when I hear about the show I think "Oh, I would like to see that" But the closer it gets the more I talk myself out of it. The last show I went to was Rob Zombie in August. I had the intentions of going to a couple more with my girlfriend , but life happened and those shows did not. So it was a big deal for me to get out of the house to see Voivod, who is one of my favorite bands. I have  seen them twice before, so that could have been more fuel for me not to go , but I made it out even it it was a last minute thing on my part.

Amenra  started off their set with atmosphere, but when they kicked in they hit so hard you felt it with your body as much as your ears. Ok maybe they were not as loud as Swans , but it was powerful and they really poured themselves into the performance, you could feel the energy on many levels . As much as I love Voivod if I am being honest with you and myself they were the best band, in terms of having a striking visual performance and being sonically over powering. Granted what Voivod does is very different and they were the odd band out on the bill. The boys from Belgium had a screen behind them and projected black and white nature scenes that really added to the atmosphere.

The first time I saw Voivod in the late 80s they had more of a visual spectacle as well. With a smoky stage and eerie lighting and Snake in a gas mask. This time around the main weapon in their arsenal was a wealth of songs. 36 years worth. I also saw them touring for "Target Earth" so was aware how the new stuff blended with their more classic songs, but this time around it was more seamless. The two things they really had going for them aside from 36 years of experience under the two founding members belts, was the set list and the drumming. Away is one of the most under rated metal drummers. His double bass is on point and he does everything so effortlessly.  As far as the set list goes it was like they  were taking requests for me as they played every song I would have yelled out... "Into My Hyper Cube" , "Ravenous Medicine", "Psychic Vacuum" and the biggest surprise was "the Prow" from the "Angel Rat" album.

Yob was headlining. I am sure this is due to being the band with currently the most records sales, as Voivod, was the most established. If Voivod was going to headline then Yob could be wedged between the two, but Amenra is a hard band to follow. Granted the have more in common with Yob stylistically as both bands have the huge monolithic riffs to trample your ears with. A friend of mine said that he feels Yob is like Cathedral on a fraction of the drugs and with a siren singing. I can hear that, but after Voivod they seem more simplistic. The work at more of a pulsing throb than a proggy space journey. Overall it was an interesting look at metal past and present.

the Top 10 Prog Albums of 2018

It is that time again. If you showed up for wanking and frilly pirate shirts then look elsewhere, so no Dream Theater clones or really anything close.It has to go somewhere not the same noodling album after album. The score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ?

This year it leans more heavily on the side of between new blood being spilled and  more well established acts .  Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 Prog albums of 2018.

10- Arabrot- "Who Do You Love"

 This album finds the project taking on more more conventional rock slant, even their tendency to drone and the odd touch of quirk to the vocals on the first song, you can also hear traces of Led Zeppelin. The sonic oddities and genre jerking that have been reigned in for the sake of songwriting and are not missed as long as they are keeping this heading in a darker direction. I think this album is such it's own thing that it becomes most endearing over time.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/arabrot-who-do-you-love.html

9-Megaton Leviathan - "Mage"

 Another band that has changed this year. When I heard the first track off this album, I thought "Oh My God , they have turned into Jesu" . I am fine with this as I miss Jesu . In other words there is more of a dreamy  shoe gaze haze over this album and it barely touches upon metal, yet it does have rock in it's veins to the point that I am not putting this on an indie rock or post-punk list. It gets a lot of props for the surreal adventure it takes you on.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/11/megaton-leviathan-mage.html

8- Crippled Black Phoenix - "Great Escape"

 This project of Justin Greaves the drummer for Iron Monkey and Electric Wizard, typically embarks on a more psychedelic rock vein. This is still the case with ample doses of progressive rock which is still in the 70s rock zip code. Melodic vocals and a bong laden mood, allow the opening song to coast with the relaxed Pink Floyd like vibe. When it comes to prog rock these guys do it smoother than most.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/crippled-black-phoenix-great-escape.html






7-Ihsahn -"Amr"

 The ex Emperor master mind's last few album's drifted further into progressive rock. There are plenty of moments that are not only metal but closer to even black metal,with his choked croak almost picking up where his first solo album left off. Synths are more to the forefront. Not just any synths , but very retro synths that sound like they are from an 80s horror movie. Its a shade better than what most other artists in progressive metal are doing, though the progressive side is what breaks up the dark aggression that we came to know and love him by. The bar is set pretty high and my threshold for darkness is at the level of soul sucking so if you like darker progressive metal it might be your album so far year. I am a step away from being vampiric in my lust for darkness never be quenched by the metal of mere mortals, so take that into consideration

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/ihsahn-amr.html


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6-Sigh- "Heir to Despair"

    This band really defines progressive rock. There shit is not a bunch of notes it goes somewhere and actually makes progress. While I was surprised that it sounded like a space age take on Jethro Tull as a metal band, it makes perfect sense. Yes , I know they used to be a black metal band. They are still heavy,

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/11/sigh-heir-to-despair.html

5- Lychgate" The Contagion in Nine Steps" 

 Fans of the band who showed up for black metal might have found this to be jarring. It's also really dark and interesting so if you don't recognize that and want just blast beats so eat more glue and chase it with a bullet. This is not to say I approve of every movement in this shifting landscape of angular chaos. I do approve of the sense of adventure and rebellion against the black metal status quo even at risk of not being black metal anymore.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/05/lychgate-contagion-in-nine-steps.html

4-Vanishing Kids " Heavy Dreamer" 


This band features former members of Jex Thoth and draws influences from a wider web. The over driven guitar waking sluggishly from the hazy murk of occult rock while bathing with lusher atmosphere. Despite the occasional rock god guitar solo that puts it's foot upon on the monitor to remind you where they came from, both the title track and "Without a Sun" both sound like they could have come from 4AD's catalog in the late 80s.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/vanishing-kids-heavy-dreamer.html

3- Manes - "Slow Motion Death Sequence" 


 This album finds the band going further in a direction that is more electronic than metal. I like the vocals right from the jump. They are moody and the female vocals remind me of Bjork. While this might not be metal, there are rock elements t with distorted power chords creating a driving pulse. The male vocals continue to get weirder reminding me of Peter Gabriel.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/06/manes-slow-motion-death-sequence.html

2-Voivod- "the Wake" 

 The 14th album from these legends finds them embracing all of their sides. The album takes you through a wide array of dark and melodic places, with more of a proggy "Nothing Face" like drive rather than the thrash aggression of their earlier work.In terms of heavy it's more like "Dimension Hatross" than "War& Pain". Snake's voice sounds great on this album, where many of his peers feel the effects of time. I think while it only comes close to the very peak of the Piggy years , you are talking about the best albums by one of the very best metal bands, so that is a high fucking bat. It does however holds ground against their body of work as a whole and is clear they are not content to fall back into rehashing the past , but continuing to progress.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/08/voivod-wake.html

1-Voices- "Frightened" 


 Former members of Akercocke formed this progressive metal band. The dark sense of melody further into this album with each listen . It has a wide array of vocal colors. The metal core of what these musicians creates from doesn't hamper it from bringing other elements ranging from post-punk to post- hardcore, though I guess these post-men aren't just ringing twice as any other post-sub genre can also be found. This album is very impressive, when I got it back in April it was what I thought to be one of the first contenders for album of the year as I could not imagine someone bringing it in the dark and aggressive fashion these guys do.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/voices-frightened.html

Voivod : "the Wake"

Ever since 1988 I have been a fan of this band.  I have followed their journey from thrash to prog to weird Pink Floydian places. The 14th album from these legends finds them embracing all of their sides. The opener takes you through a wide array of dark and melodic places, with Nothing Face" like drive rather than thrash aggression. Snake's voice sounds great. Their is a more angular stomp to "the End of Dormancy". Weird effect on his voice create an interesting narrative. I love when it gets darker with the more subdued vocal. Snake is really stealing the show here. Older and wiser I can hear more Killing Joke in their approach. "Dimension Hatross" is dark in a very dystopian manner, where this album is darker in a more introspective manner. There are still many injection of progressive rock woven in. It's not as heavy as "Killing Technology" but why would it be?


There is a more upbeat mood to " Orb Confusion". It still sounds very Voivod. Away's drumming is also very consistent with what has made these guys who they are. The new kids Chewy and Rocky, get what Voivod does and conform to that vision. The riffs are still angular and dissonant. There is maybe a little more shred in the guitar solos. "Iconspiracy" finds a weird even for these guys symphonic element creeping in. Fans of progressive metal will really appreciate this one. "Spherical Perspective" is more melodic and mid-tempo. It finds Snake going into his more gritty vocal roar. They continue down more of this middle road for the marginally more frantic math of "Event Horizon". "Always Moving" starts off with more of punk beat, but falls into something very surreal, which is the kind of unexpected dynamics I love to get from these guys. In converges into a rather tension and ominous chug.

The album closes with the 12 minute "Sonic Mycelium". It starts off with a languid psychedelic tone. Five minutes in things get weird when it takes on a more circus tone, before flexing into a burly bark. The acid continues to find them peaking as they come out of this part and into a more angular that Rocky really does well at . If you are going to do a 12 minute song then you have to make it as interesting with as many twists and turns as these guys do. It ends with strings which are the one thing on this album that is going to take some getting used to. I'll round this album up to a 9.5 and see how it sits with me. I think while it's not the very peak of the Piggy years , still holds ground against their body of work as a whole.

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
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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.


 

Tau Cross : " Pillar of Fire"

If it wasn't for the fact that Away plays drums on this, I would not cover this album. This hesitation is based off the fact certain parties of the band acted like big babies after I reviewed the album for this blog and Cvlt Nation. I think the fact I am very blunt particularly in regards to a band wearing their influences on their sleeves irked the parties and the fact I continued to point this out in both review rather than kiss their ass. So here is the fucking news...this is my blog so I write whatever the fuck I want in it. If you are in a band and are ungrateful for me investing the time in your music, then fuck you.It's not my fault that I have been listening to music for over thirty five years so am well steeped in it's history. This history once again haunts the band as the ghosts of Killing Joke haunt the opening track. While this song doesn't really blow me away the fact I can draw comparisons to Killing Joke is a positive thing. If I felt these guys were being a Killing Joke tribute act then I would call them out on it, but I think there is enough of them invested in it and I like the fact some of the riffs remind me more of Voivod, than what was on the first album. If you read this blog on a regular basis then you know Voivod is one of favorite bands. Thus why I am reviewing this, along with the fact Away has always been cool with me and gracious with his time .

This album begins to show the improvements made in their sound since the first album. "Bread and Circuses" is heavier than we we heard previous from this band. There is also a more goth tinged take on post-punk with "On the Water". Away's drumming is more restrained than what he does with Voivod and allows him to indulge his punk rock leanings. "Deep State" finds the band milking the verse riff for all it's worth, and while you can hear the Motorhead influence I would say this sort of thing almost owes more to Hawkwind. They return to a darker sound on the title track. The vocals are more of a baritone croon here, shedding the rasp that typically dominates them. The vocals have an odd tone on the verses of "Killing the King". They sound better when they go down into the more familiar husky lower register. They amp things up into a more metallic direction with the pounding chug of " A White House".

They continue to use a wide range of dynamics on "the Big House". So far on this album they have their influences much more blended with their own collective identities on this album. The melody on this song has a solid hook that sticks with you. They use "RFID"  to vent some of their thrashy punk tendencies. The sung vocals come in with their dramatic baritone as the last thing you might expect over this tempo. The post-Apocalyptic throb of "Seven Wheels" has more in common with Amebix. The album closes with a song that ranges from the more folk side of neo-crust to what sounds like one of Motorhead's more power ballad moments. These guys took what they did on their first album and moved it in a heavier and darker direction with a very dynamic and varied blend of the styles that make them who they are. I'll round this up to a 9.5 as it is a huge success in terms of the album they set out to make.

10.4

the Top 10 Progressive Metal Albums of 2016

progressive means to progress, if you are putting out the same album of indulgent noodling I don't care if it is under the guys of a rock opera or not your sound is not evolving you are not progressive. So these are not albums serving as bookends to keyboard solos and are all more focused on the songs than trying to just make musicale bukkake. Many genres are touched on with in this some are more black metal than others some are death metal, some are hard rock, but they all break the mold and embody progressive metal even with out operatic vocals and frilly shirts. Here are the top 10 progressive metal albums of 2016. If you want to hear any of these bands just follow the review links.

10-Fallujah- "Dreamless" 

Here is the follow up to 2014's "The Flesh Prevails". While these guys are technical death metal, they pull it off in such a way that doesn't just come across as dazzling you with chops but create an atmosphere. The first song seems like a movement more than a song on it's own even though I like the fact the carries more ambiance than anything I remember from the first album. "Adrenaline" ebbs down into an almost jazzy landscape, but caters more to fans of death metal as it is about the propulsion. The vocals are forceful growls on the lower side of mid range. A more progressive color is added that creates a more Dream Theater like feel before they blast off into the more rapid fire attack. The drummer is really killing it coming off of fills into punching grooves. The bass player is not too far behind him in terms of prowess. The shredding solos of course reach out and grab, but it's the other textures like the female vocals of Tori Letzer, tossed into this one that make a difference

.http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/fallujah-dreamless.html

 9- Hawkwind- "The Machine Stops"


 Here's a rule... if you are going to throw around a band's name when it comes to influencing other artists you like , then you must review their albums when they are released or you are very simply a poseur. You don't have to like it. As not all band's can keep up the kind of streak that the likes of Bowie and Zappa had. Things have changed since their days Lemmy was in the band. The sci-fi element was not toned down, instead it was allowed to run wild. If you do drugs and are not doing them when you listen to this album, that needs to change. This concept album is based on the Em Forster book of the same name. So here is a case of where this album did not get as much air time from me since I no longer drop acid ...or do any drugs, but if I am going to relapse on the more mind expansive drugs then this would be on tap. I really like how they maintained their sense of identity while dabbling in newer sounds.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/hawkwind-machine-stops.html



8- Thy Catafalque- "Meta"

Katai is back handling things on this own once again. There is more of a conventional metal groove to the opener and less black metal, though the end result is a good song so what genre he is delving into here doesn't really matter much to me.  Katai does get some help by the second song "Siraly" as female vocals coast over the slightly slower than mid-tempo waltz of distorted guitar. Things get a more experimental with bells ringing out before a thrashing attack. This album does take more chances than most metal releases and is not tied hard and fast into a genre it feels the need to play it safe and conform to.


 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/09/thy-catafalque-meta.html

7- Hail Spirit Noir- "Mayhem in Blue"


 I loved this band's last album, so I won't lie it's a surprise to hear them go from progressive black metal into groovy 60's tinged black n roll.Some blast beats do crop up, I am not sure I would say they give the end a more black metal feel, I do not that this is going to be a weird ride. The title track finds them bringing back more of the prog feel, and going all out into the wake of Poseidon with Opeth like melodic section before bring some smack down.The sung vocals are well executed and these guys are incredible musicians so it's hard to argue against any of their creative choices so far.


http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/10/hail-spirit-noir-mayhem-in-blue.html

 6- Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas-"Mariner"

 On the 8th release by this band I think it was high time they did something to switch it up a bit so the same old sludge didn't get stale. The first song stays fairly close to home. Though they have opened up a more expansive sound with a greater range of melody.While some of the songs might go to excess in terms of length, they keep my attention . There is not a fast forward classic on this one, some points are just more powerful than others, but it all balances out.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/cult-of-luna-julie-christmas-mariner.html

5- the Von Deer Skulls"- The Rest is Silence"


 They cover a lot of ground in the eight minutes of the first song.If I am really going to nit pick the genre lines, I would say this falls closer to sludge than doom. The slow heaviness places more emphasis on oppression on than mourning. The spoken section going into "the fall of the Raven" makes it clear these guys are from France. The more oppressive mood is the driving force of this song as it lumbers a more droning course.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-von-deer-skulls-rest-is-silence.html

4-Pensees Nocturnes- A Boire et A Manger"

 How experimental do you like your metal is the first question you have to ask when going into this one. French metal bands have never played it safe. This takes that to a new extreme with something you might hear in the Big Easy they pulls from a style of jazz that later influenced the creole jazz of New Orleans influenced Jazz it flips into metal that is noisy and dissonant. This is dark enough to make me happy, but after hearing it called depressive black metal my expectations were something more like Lifelover or Totalselfhatred . Instead of anguish and emoting we get something more like death metal even though there are croon clean vocals that come like something from a Mike Patton project.This is totally original despite the comparisons to John Zorn that could be drawn. The guitar playing might sound disjointed at times, but I think this is all done very purposefully. The blast beats come in spasm like burst lingering when the New Orleans street jazz returns


. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/02/black-metal-history-month-pensees.html


 3- Ihsahn- 'Arktis"


 Ihsahn has brought back the metal is back in a big way on his 6th solo album.  You won't forget Ihsahn was in Emperor. I suppose he felt he took the experimentation as far as he could without losing sight of where he came from. This makes for an album that is in line with his earlier solo work. Captures more of an Opeth like feel...that is when Opeth actually played metal.The electronic elements are still there just set back behind the guitars. The guys from Leprous are still around with  Einar Solberg, helping out with vocals . Overall he is back here in fine form and proving himself to be one of the best creative minds in metal or any genre.



 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/03/ihsahn-artktis.html




2- Voivod - "Post Society"

 Voivod has always been light years ahead of their time. Since "Target Earth" the band has locked into a sound that takes the classic tones from "Dimension Hatross " and pushes it forward in a modern production. This ep is the quality of both songwriting and production as "Target Earth" in fact the arrangements might be even more progressive,  like the surreal breakdown on the title track that kicks the ep off. They have always been able to shift in a very organic manner from one movement to the next . What amazes me more upon hearing this is how true they are to their legacy even though half of the original members are not on this recording. Chewy and Rocky did comprise the live band on their last pass through the states with Napalm Death and both really do justice to the Voivod legacy. This is only an ep, but it is Voivod and even there passing fancies are better than what your favorite band can muster


. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/01/voivod-post-society.html

1- Purson- 'Desire's Magic Theater"


 While summoning a retro vibe is part of their sound there was more of a hard rock under current to their sound which this new full length turns away from in favor of something that is supposed to be a rock opera aiming for Sgt. Pepper and Ziggy Stardust. Right from the get go it feels like it has more in common with T-Rex before colliding into more of a folkish hippy haze of second hand smoke. They throw a ton of colors at you so it can be overwhelming at first but at the end of the day I found this album stuck and stayed more than the others on this list. So that is why it earned the top spot.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2016/04/purson-desires-magic-theater.html