Tag: metal

392. Tang Dynasty

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(March 2022) Episode 392 is TANG DYNASTY, considered China’s first heavy metal band. While it’s generally not my kind of metal, it is better than I expected, especially the guitarists’ shredding and grooving. I also like how they incorporate Chinese ideas and myths, akin to the traditions of Nordic metal. Each album has its own distinct sound.

Favorite album: Epic

Favorite song: Zebra Crossing

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: try it, because you’ve probably never heard Chinese metal before

389. Grave

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(March 2022) Episode 389 is GRAVE, another of the ‘big four’ Swedish death metal bands. All the speed, thrash, growl, scream, doom and death goodness.

Favorite album: Dominion VIII

Favorite song: A World in Darkness

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: yes for both the death metal curious and committed

379. Slayer

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(January 2022) Episode 379 is SLAYER. 1980s music generally sucked, but it did bless us with thrash metal, in which Slayer reigned (in blood). I like my metal at the extremes and Slayer goes there with speed, speed, speed, with a full package of death and devil themes. And they seamlessly transitioned through groove metal too.  So good.

Favorite album: Reign in Blood

Favorite song: Angel of Death

Compared to expectations: ↑

Recommendation: essential in the metal genre

369. Unleashed

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(December 2021) Episode 369 is UNLEASHED, another of the ‘big four’ Swedish death metal bands. Consistently loud and fast, with plenty of Viking themes.

Favorite album: Shadows in the Deep

Favorite song: The One Insane

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: essential for any Swedish death metal listeners

362. Entombed

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(October 2021) Episode 362 is ENTOMBED, along with progenitor NIHILIST. Considered one of the ‘big four’ Swedish death metal bands, pioneering the buzzsaw guitar sound along with speed and growl.  By the mid-90s they turned down the tempo, yelled rather than growled the lyrics, becoming more regular heavy or thrash metal, which worked on some albums but not on others.

Favorite album: Wolverine Blues

Favorite song: Chief Rebel Angel

Compared to expectations: same

Recommendation: essential for any Swedish death metal listeners

343. Pantera

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(July 2021) Episode 343 is PANTERA. Heavy metal as it is meant to be: propulsive, aggressive and ear-bleeding. Funny thing is they started out in the 80s as a run-of-the-mill hair metal band, but flipped the switch in the 90s to metal goodness with machine-gun riffs, double pedal speed and throat scream vocals, owning the decade. Quality stuff.

Favorite album: Vulgar Display of Power

Favorite song: Slaughtered

Compared to expectations: ↑

334. Eyehategod

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(June 2021) Episode 334 of the “opus project” is EYEHATEGOD.  Sludge metal band from New Orleans.  It’s raw and misanthropic early on, evolving to a somewhat slicker but no less misanthropic tone more recently.

Favorite album: Dopesick

Favorite song:  Dixie Whiskey

Compared to expectations: ↓

332. Corrosion of Conformity

~ ernopepper ~ 1 Comment

(May 2021) Episode 332 is CORROSION OF CONFORMITY. They started in the 1980s as a kickin’ hardcore puck band with awesome album covers that crossed over into a kickin’ heavy metal band in the 1990s with forgettable album covers, continuing in the 00s and 10s amidst lineup changes with mixed results. 

Favorite album: Eye for An Eye

Favorite song: Positive Outlook

Favorite metal period album: Wiseblood

Favorite metal period song: Bottom Feeder (El Que Come Abajo)

Compared to expectations: same

330. Sunn O)))

~ ernopepper ~ Leave a comment

(April 2021) Episode 330 is SUNN O))). If you prefer melody and beat in your music, avoid this band.  But if you like beautiful noise like I do, I strongly recommend Sunn O))).  It’s drone metal: slow, loud, deep, distorted guitars repeatedly being slow, loud, deep and distorted.  They sometimes add experimental elements, like monk-like chants, percussion, electronics, and are big on collaborations.

Favorite album: Flight of the Behemoth

Favorite song: Black Wedding

Compared to expectations: ↑