the best underground/extreme Metal albums you know of
December 3, 2009 5:48 PM Subscribe
looking for recommendations on thrash/death metal albums.
(I did search previous threads, & it looks like a refresher is timely)
I'll try like hell not to get too wordy in providing some background for your approach answering.
so you know my tastes a little,
my favorite 10 thrash/death metal albums are:
Slayer-Reign In Blood (1986);
Megadeth-So Far So Good... So What? (1988);
Metallica-...And Justice For All (1988);
Suffocation-Pierced From Within (1996);
Seventh Angel-Lament For The Weary (1992);
Sepultura-Arise (1992);
Living Sacrifice-Nonexistent (1992);
Malevolant Creation-Retribution (1993).
The Black Dahlia Murder-Miasma (2005);
Between The Buried And Me-Alaska (2005).
more input to help honing:
I DO like Bathory, Sodom, Kreator, Death, & Morbid Angel
I DON'T like: Venom, Celtic Frost, Anthrax
please specify albums when possible, & I'm looking for two things:
1. lesser-known bands from the original classic thrash era (1986-1993). [the reason I specify "underground"
for this category is that pandora/wikipedia/etc make it pretty easy to research anything that got decent exposure]
2. more recent stuff overall-- progressive, dynamic, emphatic, original material;
I mention Between The Buried And Me & The Black Dahlia Murder so you know where I'm coming from in terms of
dynamics & lyrical approach.
smart lyrics, preferably not idiotic-gorey, preachy, political, or church-burning crap, and I thrive most on the poise that you find in truly decent thrash, where you find death, destruction, damnation, war, and insanity are treated aesthetically and objectively.
..and local bands from where you live are welcome, big time
(in fact that might be what I'm most interested in overall).
thank you
p.s. not looking for different opinions on definitions/semantics with "classic", "progressive" names of sub-genres, or timelines that
I've discussed-- here I'm just putting my energy into best describing what kind of new brutality I'm looking for.... thanks >:) *devil-horns
(I did search previous threads, & it looks like a refresher is timely)
I'll try like hell not to get too wordy in providing some background for your approach answering.
so you know my tastes a little,
my favorite 10 thrash/death metal albums are:
Slayer-Reign In Blood (1986);
Megadeth-So Far So Good... So What? (1988);
Metallica-...And Justice For All (1988);
Suffocation-Pierced From Within (1996);
Seventh Angel-Lament For The Weary (1992);
Sepultura-Arise (1992);
Living Sacrifice-Nonexistent (1992);
Malevolant Creation-Retribution (1993).
The Black Dahlia Murder-Miasma (2005);
Between The Buried And Me-Alaska (2005).
more input to help honing:
I DO like Bathory, Sodom, Kreator, Death, & Morbid Angel
I DON'T like: Venom, Celtic Frost, Anthrax
please specify albums when possible, & I'm looking for two things:
1. lesser-known bands from the original classic thrash era (1986-1993). [the reason I specify "underground"
for this category is that pandora/wikipedia/etc make it pretty easy to research anything that got decent exposure]
2. more recent stuff overall-- progressive, dynamic, emphatic, original material;
I mention Between The Buried And Me & The Black Dahlia Murder so you know where I'm coming from in terms of
dynamics & lyrical approach.
smart lyrics, preferably not idiotic-gorey, preachy, political, or church-burning crap, and I thrive most on the poise that you find in truly decent thrash, where you find death, destruction, damnation, war, and insanity are treated aesthetically and objectively.
..and local bands from where you live are welcome, big time
(in fact that might be what I'm most interested in overall).
thank you
p.s. not looking for different opinions on definitions/semantics with "classic", "progressive" names of sub-genres, or timelines that
I've discussed-- here I'm just putting my energy into best describing what kind of new brutality I'm looking for.... thanks >:) *devil-horns
Progressive, dynamic, emphatic, original? I could stay here all night. But if I could just pick one from my list, I'd go for Burst (last three albums).
posted by effbot at 6:07 PM on December 3, 2009
posted by effbot at 6:07 PM on December 3, 2009
Best answer: Melechesh and Absu. They share(d) arguably the fastest (and one of the most innovative) drummers in metal and both feature esoteric lyrics and interesting, varied guitar work and tempos in addition to the usual blast/double bass/etc. approach. Newer works by both are my favorites: Absu's "Tara" and Melechesh's "Sphinx" are particularly good.
Gorguts and Pavor are my favorites on the tech death side; if I recall, Cephalic Carnage is pretty good too. Obscura gets panned but they're good (if generic) for 6-string bass work.
Nile is tech/brutal death metal and has had a lot of exposure lately (yeah, yeah) but Karl Sanders remains IMO the best songwriter in the genre and all the bands' members at various points have been instrumental virtuosos (George Kollias repeatedly hits 280bpm). Check out their older lesser known stuff; it's raw and satisfying in the way Cliff Burton's Anesthesia solo was for another period.
Misery Index is everything a fast as hell grind/death band with good production values should be. Overthrow is older and half of it is WMFU studio recordings but the drummer and bassist are on from the get-go.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 6:11 PM on December 3, 2009
Gorguts and Pavor are my favorites on the tech death side; if I recall, Cephalic Carnage is pretty good too. Obscura gets panned but they're good (if generic) for 6-string bass work.
Nile is tech/brutal death metal and has had a lot of exposure lately (yeah, yeah) but Karl Sanders remains IMO the best songwriter in the genre and all the bands' members at various points have been instrumental virtuosos (George Kollias repeatedly hits 280bpm). Check out their older lesser known stuff; it's raw and satisfying in the way Cliff Burton's Anesthesia solo was for another period.
Misery Index is everything a fast as hell grind/death band with good production values should be. Overthrow is older and half of it is WMFU studio recordings but the drummer and bassist are on from the get-go.
posted by Inspector.Gadget at 6:11 PM on December 3, 2009
You might enjoy Annexed Asylum, from Birmingham, AL.
Disclaimer: the lead guitar player is a friend of mine. He's also a really, really talented guy who's been a staple of the local music scene for twenty years, playing everything from punk to pop to blues to jazz. And he fuckin' shreds.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:20 PM on December 3, 2009
Disclaimer: the lead guitar player is a friend of mine. He's also a really, really talented guy who's been a staple of the local music scene for twenty years, playing everything from punk to pop to blues to jazz. And he fuckin' shreds.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 6:20 PM on December 3, 2009
Lair of the Minotaur is pretty damn brutal.
Also, check out Zozobra, the side project of Caleb Scofield, bassist of Cave-In, whom Saladin (hey buddy!) mentioned above. Cave-In changed quite a bit after Until Your Heart..., but Zozobra is carrying that particular torch.
posted by The Michael The at 6:26 PM on December 3, 2009
Also, check out Zozobra, the side project of Caleb Scofield, bassist of Cave-In, whom Saladin (hey buddy!) mentioned above. Cave-In changed quite a bit after Until Your Heart..., but Zozobra is carrying that particular torch.
posted by The Michael The at 6:26 PM on December 3, 2009
Death Sound of Perseverance
Arch Enemy Wages of Sin
Arch Enemy Anthems of Rebellion
In Flames Clayman
posted by murtagh at 6:35 PM on December 3, 2009
Arch Enemy Wages of Sin
Arch Enemy Anthems of Rebellion
In Flames Clayman
posted by murtagh at 6:35 PM on December 3, 2009
A lot of these bands being mentioned are spacey post-metal type bands and based on what you like you will not like stuff like Cave In.
Lesser known classic thrash (assuming you know about Death Angel, Dark Angel, Possessed, etc.):
Deathrow - Raging Steel and Deception Ignored
Coroner - Everything up to Mental Vortex
Sabbat - Everything before Mourning Has Broken (This is lyrically the most intelligent classic metal band, period. Super clever word play, lyricist Martin Walkyier went on to form Skyclad which is more folk influenced but also very clever lyrically)
Heathen - Breaking the Silence
Rigor Mortis - S/T
Sacred Reich - Ignorance
Sadus - Swallowed in Black
Whiplash - Power and Pain
Nuclear Assault - Game Over and the Plague
Believer (note: Christian, but essential): Extraction From Mortality
Ugh, I could go on and on but this is good.
Neothrash is huge right now, some of the decent ones are:
Skeletonwitch
Arsis
Municipal Waste
Death Breath
posted by The Straightener at 6:45 PM on December 3, 2009
Lesser known classic thrash (assuming you know about Death Angel, Dark Angel, Possessed, etc.):
Deathrow - Raging Steel and Deception Ignored
Coroner - Everything up to Mental Vortex
Sabbat - Everything before Mourning Has Broken (This is lyrically the most intelligent classic metal band, period. Super clever word play, lyricist Martin Walkyier went on to form Skyclad which is more folk influenced but also very clever lyrically)
Heathen - Breaking the Silence
Rigor Mortis - S/T
Sacred Reich - Ignorance
Sadus - Swallowed in Black
Whiplash - Power and Pain
Nuclear Assault - Game Over and the Plague
Believer (note: Christian, but essential): Extraction From Mortality
Ugh, I could go on and on but this is good.
Neothrash is huge right now, some of the decent ones are:
Skeletonwitch
Arsis
Municipal Waste
Death Breath
posted by The Straightener at 6:45 PM on December 3, 2009
Candiria
They're a little blend of hardcore and metal, not strictly thrash. They're a slightly different flavor than your top 10, but I think you'll like them. Stick with the first three albums.
And, of course, my answer for everything:
Meshuggah
They're the sound of every heavy metal band on earth being devoured by a machine.
posted by Jon-o at 7:12 PM on December 3, 2009 [2 favorites]
They're a little blend of hardcore and metal, not strictly thrash. They're a slightly different flavor than your top 10, but I think you'll like them. Stick with the first three albums.
And, of course, my answer for everything:
Meshuggah
They're the sound of every heavy metal band on earth being devoured by a machine.
posted by Jon-o at 7:12 PM on December 3, 2009 [2 favorites]
Is this ("Silence Is Deafening" by Napalm Death) the sort of thing you're after?
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:22 PM on December 3, 2009
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:22 PM on December 3, 2009
Bolt Thrower - The IVth Crusade
maybe Tombs - Winter Hours
posted by rhizome at 7:24 PM on December 3, 2009
maybe Tombs - Winter Hours
posted by rhizome at 7:24 PM on December 3, 2009
Best answer: I've hit a weirdly nostalgic-for-mid-90s-thrashy-metal-phase. It makes me very happy/angry/rawr on the subway in the morning. :)
The styles of my faves are kind of across the board, but have at them:
Reversal of Man
Catharsis
Assuck
Deicide (Friends routinely got suspended for having this CD on their person in high school.)
Angel Corpse
Converge
Dimmu Borgir (possibly too church burning, but their name means "Dark Town" in Icelandic.)
Scrotum Grinder (Not a huge fave, but I include for fear of the girl singer beating me up.)
Combat Wounded Veteran
Orchid
And actually, I just went and saw some friends' band play, (evidently metal nostalgia is growing) and they were kind of awesome. Everything an ex-metalhead could want: breakdowns, double bass, growly death metal vocals. I can't find a "listenable" site, but keep an eye out for them.
Also, I give you this gift.
posted by functionequalsform at 7:27 PM on December 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
The styles of my faves are kind of across the board, but have at them:
Reversal of Man
Catharsis
Assuck
Deicide (Friends routinely got suspended for having this CD on their person in high school.)
Angel Corpse
Converge
Dimmu Borgir (possibly too church burning, but their name means "Dark Town" in Icelandic.)
Scrotum Grinder (Not a huge fave, but I include for fear of the girl singer beating me up.)
Combat Wounded Veteran
Orchid
And actually, I just went and saw some friends' band play, (evidently metal nostalgia is growing) and they were kind of awesome. Everything an ex-metalhead could want: breakdowns, double bass, growly death metal vocals. I can't find a "listenable" site, but keep an eye out for them.
Also, I give you this gift.
posted by functionequalsform at 7:27 PM on December 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
Canadian maestros ('Piggy' RIP) Voivod are often forgotten about and absolutely rule - seek out Dimension Hatross, Killing Technology, Nothingface, Angel Rat and War and Pain (aw crap - any Voivod really)...
posted by mctsonic at 7:28 PM on December 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by mctsonic at 7:28 PM on December 3, 2009 [1 favorite]
The new Converge record is really good. BTBAM also just put out a new album.
posted by richrad at 7:35 PM on December 3, 2009
posted by richrad at 7:35 PM on December 3, 2009
Also if you like Between the Buried and Me you'll probably like that new Revocation album. And church burning or no, if you like Bathory you'll like a lot of black metal, try Emperor's Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk to see it done intelligently. Also, Dawn's Slaughtersun, Naglfar's Vittra and Diabolical, all good black metal that goes easy on the goofiness.
posted by The Straightener at 7:36 PM on December 3, 2009
posted by The Straightener at 7:36 PM on December 3, 2009
Carcass might be worth checking out. Heartwork has so many killer riffs it's not funny.
posted by the duck by the oboe at 8:19 PM on December 3, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by the duck by the oboe at 8:19 PM on December 3, 2009 [2 favorites]
Oops, I meant this by Watain. It's also the name of the album.
posted by alteredcarbon at 8:40 PM on December 3, 2009
posted by alteredcarbon at 8:40 PM on December 3, 2009
Does mastodon count?
posted by tylerfulltilt at 9:23 PM on December 3, 2009
posted by tylerfulltilt at 9:23 PM on December 3, 2009
Don't write Cannibal Corpse off. The lyrics are %100 gore-centric, yes---but the music is extremely intricate and always scrotum-witheringly heavy. Try 'Bloodthirst' or their newest, 'Evisceration Plague.' The dudes know how to write a song and play a fucking rhythm guitar like few do. Guitar tones like buzzsaws, and the best death metal scream in the business: George 'Corpsegrinder' Fisher.
Also look into Goatwhore. Blackened death metal leaning subtly more toward thrash with each album. The last two, 'A Haunting Curse' and 'Carving Out the Eyes of God' (horns up for the title) are fucking excellent.
Ben Falgoust, Goatwhore's vocalist, is in another kickass band called Soilent Green. Lyrically, they are at the top of the metal heap. Musically, they are grindcore with stoner metal breaks. Epic songwriting, brilliant drumming, super-heavy fuzzed out aggressive guitars. Check out 'Sewn Mouth Secrets' and 'Deleted Symphony For the Beaten Down.'
And, the only post classic-era pure thrash metal album I've ever loved as much as the old gods (Slayer aside--they are still pumping out serious metal) is 'The Haunted Made Me Do It' by The Haunted. So fast, such great riffs---an album that really gels together as an album like most don't these days. Give it a few listens, you'll thank yourself. And me.
Also, you are the first person I've ever known who, when name-dropping a token Megadeth album, chooses 'So Far, So Good...So What?' Not saying it's a bad or good thing---just unusual. 502 kudos to you.
posted by Darth Fedor at 10:56 PM on December 3, 2009
Also look into Goatwhore. Blackened death metal leaning subtly more toward thrash with each album. The last two, 'A Haunting Curse' and 'Carving Out the Eyes of God' (horns up for the title) are fucking excellent.
Ben Falgoust, Goatwhore's vocalist, is in another kickass band called Soilent Green. Lyrically, they are at the top of the metal heap. Musically, they are grindcore with stoner metal breaks. Epic songwriting, brilliant drumming, super-heavy fuzzed out aggressive guitars. Check out 'Sewn Mouth Secrets' and 'Deleted Symphony For the Beaten Down.'
And, the only post classic-era pure thrash metal album I've ever loved as much as the old gods (Slayer aside--they are still pumping out serious metal) is 'The Haunted Made Me Do It' by The Haunted. So fast, such great riffs---an album that really gels together as an album like most don't these days. Give it a few listens, you'll thank yourself. And me.
Also, you are the first person I've ever known who, when name-dropping a token Megadeth album, chooses 'So Far, So Good...So What?' Not saying it's a bad or good thing---just unusual. 502 kudos to you.
posted by Darth Fedor at 10:56 PM on December 3, 2009
A lot of these bands being mentioned are spacey post-metal type bands and based on what you like you will not like stuff like Cave In.
Wrong! The Cave In album cited - Until Your Heart Stops - is super-heavy technical hardcore metal, replete with shredding riffs and stop-on-a-dime time changes. It's one of the best extreme metal albums of the last two decades - and they were still in their teens when they made it!
Cave In didn't change their style to proggy space rock until the subsequent album, Jupiter (which is also very good, but not what the poster is looking for).
posted by macdara at 4:35 AM on December 4, 2009
Wrong! The Cave In album cited - Until Your Heart Stops - is super-heavy technical hardcore metal, replete with shredding riffs and stop-on-a-dime time changes. It's one of the best extreme metal albums of the last two decades - and they were still in their teens when they made it!
Cave In didn't change their style to proggy space rock until the subsequent album, Jupiter (which is also very good, but not what the poster is looking for).
posted by macdara at 4:35 AM on December 4, 2009
Yeah, I saw Cave In playing that album at the Relapse Records showcase at Coney Island High in NYC with Dillinger Escape Plan, Nile, Unsane, Today is the Day, etc. back in 1999, I didn't characterize the album well but still think it's a weird suggestion considering the criteria the poster listed.
posted by The Straightener at 6:52 AM on December 4, 2009
posted by The Straightener at 6:52 AM on December 4, 2009
I friggin' love Lair of the Minotaur, but based on the other stuff you like, definitely check out the Death Angel albums. Same early thrash era... also Overkill and Kreator.
There's a really great documentary about early thrash called "Get Thrashed." You should watch it.
posted by ph00dz at 8:02 AM on December 4, 2009
There's a really great documentary about early thrash called "Get Thrashed." You should watch it.
posted by ph00dz at 8:02 AM on December 4, 2009
Get yourself a copy of Ripping Corpse - Dreaming with the Dead. New Jersey thrash, think this album came out in '90.
I have been re-listening to Atheist's 'Piece of Time' a lot lately. Fantastic thrash/ technical death from Florida
Autopsy- 'Severed Survival' or 'Mental Funeral' are GODLY.
Destruction - good German thrash. I dig 'Eternal Devastation'
Dismember - Swedish thrash/death metal band, 'Indecent and Obscene' is a good one.
Pungent Stench - getting more into the death territory and way less thrash. Try 'For God your soul, for me your Flesh'
posted by medeine at 10:24 AM on December 4, 2009
I have been re-listening to Atheist's 'Piece of Time' a lot lately. Fantastic thrash/ technical death from Florida
Autopsy- 'Severed Survival' or 'Mental Funeral' are GODLY.
Destruction - good German thrash. I dig 'Eternal Devastation'
Dismember - Swedish thrash/death metal band, 'Indecent and Obscene' is a good one.
Pungent Stench - getting more into the death territory and way less thrash. Try 'For God your soul, for me your Flesh'
posted by medeine at 10:24 AM on December 4, 2009
Response by poster: thanks everyone. that's a honking addition to the list to look into.
I have seen the "Get Thrashed" doc, & I loved it.
raise hell
posted by herbplarfegan at 1:40 PM on December 4, 2009
I have seen the "Get Thrashed" doc, & I loved it.
raise hell
posted by herbplarfegan at 1:40 PM on December 4, 2009
« Older All of my music makes me sad, and not in a good... | Which US government programs are managed well and... Newer »
This thread is closed to new comments.
So rad.
posted by saladin at 5:51 PM on December 3, 2009 [1 favorite]