Usurper - Necronemesis album

At times sounding like Vader, then there's King Diamond style vocals and what not, in their black/thrash/death metal base. Never listened to this band a lot, but I need to inspect it way more. Because this is fun!

Type O Negative - Can't Lose You

Love this band...!
Doomy, great atmosphere.

Get Diabolosis and Twilight Dominion, instant classics.

Solstice - New Dark Age

These kinds of massive, weighty riffs just do something to me.

Slough Feg - Traveller

I think this and DATD really instilled in me a sense for what good metal riffs were.

Melechesh - Sphynx

The previous record seemed to have two clear vital points, extreme guitar playing very heavy metal infused with epic leads and very prominent folk elements all over the compositions. This one seems to focus mainly on the first point, it's way more about pure unleashed guitar playing all over the place, I think I prefer Djinn over this one but that doesn't make me dislike this one, it's enjoyable in its own way.

Skeletal Remains - Unmerciful

Probably my favorite track on the latest Skeletal Remains album. "Fragments of the Ageless" might contain their best material overall, really.

Trytan - Sylentiger

If Rush made a metal album in the 80's this is what it would sound like.

At The Gates - Slaughter of a Soul

Still monumental after all those years...

Acid Bath - Paegan Terrorism Tactics

Back to this after some time. Just fucking great from every aspect, can't say more. "Graveflower", what a song.

Virgin Steele - "Virgin Steele"
While a bit uneven, this is a solid debut. Jack Starr's soloing is top-notch.
Definitely more enjoyable than most of what they (he) have released the past 15+ years, IMO.

It is a good album. It is from 1982 and things are still developing. I could see how if people bought the Marriage of Heaven and Hell albums and Invictus and then came to this they would be disappointed though.

Sacrum - Set Tibi Terra Levis

Pink Floydian-inspired doom/death metal that reminds me of The Gathering's debut or Tiamat's Wildhoney (this sounds far better though).

Melechesh - Epigenesis

Really strong, confident work... heavy, groovy riffs, and they really just let these songs play until it makes sense. Everything about it is completely idiosyncratic, not really bowing to any kind of genre norms.

Lacuna Coil - To Live is to Hide

I really like this ethereal and atmospheric gothic metal sound they had on their first few albums.

Dio - Strange Highways

Man this is a pretty fun album. Dark and mean for him. It's been a long time since I played anything but his first two albums.

That's such a burner...really ballsy.

np:
Jack Starr's Burning Star - "Under A Savage Sky"
2003 release...no frills USPM that pulls no punches. Some killer guitar solos here...solid stuff.

Iron Maiden - Brave New World

As far as reunion albums go, this one has to be seen as a massive success. They got Bruce back and went about crafting a new age Maiden album that still hits all the right notes from their classic era. Maturity and confidence shine through. They clearly weren't looking to rest on their laurels, they went in trying to make something new. It's a more deliberate, more relaxed and more humble take on the Maiden sound.

It ends up sounding like somewhat of a natural successor to Seventh Son. They expanded on those dreamy themes and it works. Is it a classic album? Not really. Pacing is a problem for me, the momentum starts to slow with the (fantastic) title track and then drops out completely with Blood Brothers, and that's only the fourth song. The second half drags as well, and it's not as strong as the first. Speaking of the songs, we do have some classics in play here; The Wicker Man and especially Ghost of the Navigator are sure to please even the saltiest of old-school fans. But along with those we get some duds like The Fallen Angel. My apologies if anyone is a huge fan of that one but... come on, man.

It's a very solid album and I think it was important for them to make it when they did. It kicked off their renaissance, after all.

It's not a huge change, but the angrier, more aggressive bent to the riffs and writing does tend to make it feel different enough. It's nice and visceral. Might actually buy it sometime.

Demolition Hammer - Tortured Existence

Needed a break from the more classic rock and mellow stuff today. Mean, nasty as fuck fun. Pulverizing.

Ghost of a pale girl is solemnly following me...

I bleed that record my friend.
....like an ocean.

Cheers

Dio - Dream Evil

Solid.

Hughes/Thrall

Pat Thrall from The Pat Travers Band and Glenn Hughes. Very 80's rock sound here.

Memoriam - Requiem for Mankind

Been meaning to try them, but I'd always keep getting stuck on Bolt Thrower's old stuff instead. This sounds good. It's a pummeling good time. Metal can sometimes just be about pounding out some furious walls of sound, some amazing riffs. It works. Andy Whale's drums are wild too - this guy really astonishes me. Whole sound just keeps the intensity at 11. It's killer.

This is exactly where I am at right now with these guys.

Dio - Lock Up the Wolves

I suppose this is his best album after the first two.

It's poetry. Lyrically and musically.

Feeding the Machine and especially Devil Seed where amazing albums.

NP: Savage Grace - We Came, We Saw, We Conquered

Symphony X - The Edge of Forever

Revisiting these older albums of theirs, because Past Me kept absolutely nothing from them. Present Me likes these tracks more than Past Me did, I guess.

Melechesh - Emissaries

Feeling like their catchiest at songwriting level, it feels more accessible as the influences of the middle easter music come through the band's own instrumentation and not so much through interludes or intrusions. It doesn't have Sphynx's sonic deployment but rather feels more commanded. I'm liking how they are able to offer something different on each album while having an amazingly solid core.

Edit: Oh well they have folk interludes, my point still remains tho.

I've seen similar comments a few times here. But I've always considered it to be his career nadir.
Just nothing really catchy or interesting...it just floats by with grabbing me.

Gates of Ishtar - At Dusk and Forever

Usually not a fan of melodic death, but this has that je ne sais quoi jag vet inte vad.

Lock up the Wolves is great. In fact, along with Strange Highways, it's the only Dio stuff that I bother with.

NP: Phantom - Queen of the Damned

A highlight of American speed/power metal. So much fun; so many hooks and so many tasteful riffs.

Witch Vomit - Endless Fall

I still get some Incantation vibes from them, but the added sprinklings of meloblack on the newest album do help it stand out on its own. Very nice.

Blind Guardian - Valhalla

I will be seeing them play here in a couple hours or so and am very excited.

Summon - Baptized by Fire

This is an incredibly violent, wild assault of black metal; really good.

Usurper - Diabolosis

Some of the meanest riffs. Some of the best riffs, too.

Usurper - Lords Of The Permafrost

I've been sitting on this album since I got it a while back, almost afraid to listen to it and be disappointed, largely due to being underwhelmed by Cryptobeast upon it's release way back in '05, tho that was largely due to General Diabolical Slaughter no longer being the vokillist.
Well I shouldn't have been worried coz Lords Of The Permafrost is pretty fuckin baddass. Beefy riffs and strong vocals courtesy of the new boy Tyrantor, these songs bloody rip and it's sub 40 minutes which is always appreciated, so all in all it makes for an extremely headbangable experience and one that I'm keen to repeat.

I'm gonna have to revisit and reassess Cryptobeast now.

Vincent Crowley - Beyond Acheron

Love this album, strikes the perfect balance between a number of styles epic doom death whatever in a way that really appeals to me. Just ordered the new album, can't wait.

Tribunal - The Weight Of Remembrance

One the great finds of last year, thanks to the pre end of year poll thread. Took a long time to get a copy. This is without doubt a truely magnificent gothic doom album. Sweeping, majestic and fuckin heavy.

Seasons of the Wolf - Lost In Hell

These guy's are just on another level. Totally unique. Lost In Hell is one classic song after another, there's never a dull moment.

Bruce Dickinson - Afterglow of Ragnarök

This album has had more staying power than I expected on a the first few listens. Bruce just has charisma and works well with Roy Z. Kind of what I was expecting but not as "stock" as most releases by classic acts.

Riot - Brethren of the Longhouse

This is excellent but it is more headphone music than something I would put on while driving or doing other things. Mike DiMeo sounds good. I admit I reach for DiMeo era the least but it has its place. Great songs and music here and this was the first Riot cd I ever owned.

Riot - Nightbreaker

This is DiMeo's best vocal performance. A little more expressive and higher while in later albums it seems he went lower and deeper. I think this would have been a better statement without the cover songs Burn and A Whiter Shade of Pale and the rerecording of Outlaw. With that out of the way lots of killer Riot to be had here.

Immortal - Unearthly Kingdom

Epic, heavy, mighty. All Shall Fall is not ATHOW level over all, but has some great moments.

The DiMeo era has long been overlooked, but it's solid stuff which I've always felt to be comparable to the Martina-era of Sabbath.
"Army Of One" is awesome.

Amon Amarth - Legend of a Banished Man

Cool track. One of those bands who had a really great run for awhile and then fell away into self-parody.

Agreed...love that album!