Was listening to Autopsy's "Macabre Eternal" and Gorguts' "Coloured Sands" this morning, and thinking they are absolute stormers in their own right, with a dash of extra special due to the considerable gap between the bands' previous full lengths (Autopsy's "The Tomb Within" EP is a banger too).
Anything else? I'd put the new Coroner up there for sure.
Monotheist
I'd take Cynic's Traced in Air over Focus
Atheist's Jupiter is every bit as good as their early run. Crazy to think it's nearly been as long between that release and now, as there was between Elements and it coming out
Forbidden's Omega Wave and Exodus' Tempo of the Damned are my favourites from them too
We've Come For You All
Black Gives Way To Blue
Anthrax hadn't split before WCFYA though, had they? I was fairly out of the loop when that came out TBH.
I'd ageee on Autopsy (can't stabd the pre-split stuff but the reformation-era material is mighty) and Monotheist, I'd also mention Carcass and Surgical Steel, not to everyone's taste maybe but I rate it higher and higher with every listen.
Satan - Life Sentence definitely. Fits perfectly into their back catalogue but a great album in its own right.
Definitely agree with Surgical Steel. Great album. The true successor to Heartwork.
I'd put Belus by Burzum up there. Really enjoyed it
Gorguts was a good call too
Hopefully we can add Gates of Ishtar to this list, entered the studio this week after 28 years outta da game.
That new Neurosis is a mighty comeback. Godflesh's "A World Lit Only By Fire" too.
Quote from: Slaughterday on May 12, 2026, 07:51:32 PMSatan - Life Sentence definitely. Fits perfectly into their back catalogue but a great album in its own right.
Absolute contender. Hell's comeback was fun, and I still listen from time to time, but Life Sentence is a stone-cold (or fiery hot?) classic.
I didn't realise they'd had a comeback album before Atom By Atom, I thought was their return. I must give it a listen.
Kreator-Violent Revolution. Terrorizer said it all when they described it as an album with artwork eerily reminiscent of Coma of Souls and a title which could easily be Terrible Aggression or Extreme Certainty. The fact that the first song is called "Reconquering the Throne" tells us all we need to know.
Engram.
The new Neurosis in monstrous. I can't wait for the CD to arrive.
The new Warning is shaping up nicely too. I just listened to the second single which is really good.
Life Sentence was the first thing that came to mind for me. What a great album. The Autopsy shouts are valid but with the volume of them that have come since, I feel the gloss has kind of come off Macabre Eternal, which wasn't as good as the EP that came after it, can't remember the name.
Engram was the first one that came to mind for me, I still rate it.
Brace New World was a incredible return to form after a run of shocking run of duds, does that count as a comeback??
I've stupidly never listened to Engram, and had forgotten it existed until this thread.
Engram is cool. It's probably safe to say that Beherit will never again be able to capture the strangeness and magical incompetence of DDTM, and Engram doesn't really come close. But that said, it is a really good album in its own right. There are elements that call back to DDTM here and there, more so in the experimental noise details, but it's quite a full bodied album with loud, dominating guitars. Having gone back to it recently for the first time in years I realise that the second half is where the more oddball and intriguing songs are, the first half being more like the 'hits'. Well worth a listen says me.
Brave New World? Heaven and Hell? I'd be tempted to say Formation of Damnation as well, I loved it when it came out.
RATT - Infestation
Accept - Blood Of The Nations
Quote from: The Great Cull on May 12, 2026, 07:43:47 PMBlack Gives Way To Blue
This.
Also Painkiller and the 2000s Maiden albums qualify. Probably Dehumanizer as well. The early 2010s Accept albums are another one. Also Sleep - The Sciences, and Saint Vitus - Lillie: F-65.
Surely you have to go away in order to come back?
Making a good album after putting out shit ones isn't a comeback, it's the lazy journalist's favourite, the return to form!
Bruce Dickinson - Accident Of Birth
Also Rhapsody Of Fire - The Frozen Tears Of Angels. This album really surprised me. Some amazing guitar playing on this.
Suffocation- Souls to Deny
Gorefest- La Muerte
Obituary-Frozen in Time
Coroner-DT
A lot of acting the prick here. Accident of Birth is Categorically not a comeback album
Tattooed Millionaire (1990)
Balls to Picasso (1994)
Skunkworks (1996)
Accident of Birth (1997)
Quote from: Pagan Saviour on May 13, 2026, 02:14:35 PMA lot of acting the prick here. Accident of Birth is Categorically not a comeback album
Tattooed Millionaire (1990)
Balls to Picasso (1994)
Skunkworks (1996)
Accident of Birth (1997)
It is. He went away up his own hole for a few years then came back lol
A comeback to me is a reformation after a band has split for a while - a few years at least - and not merely a good album after a bad run, or 'return to form'.
Quote from: blessed1 on May 13, 2026, 02:24:05 PMQuote from: Pagan Saviour on May 13, 2026, 02:14:35 PMA lot of acting the prick here. Accident of Birth is Categorically not a comeback album
Tattooed Millionaire (1990)
Balls to Picasso (1994)
Skunkworks (1996)
Accident of Birth (1997)
It is. He went away up his own hole for a few years then came back lol
:laugh:
Dead Congregation, when they finally release a new album, what do we file it under?
The Neurosis one, as mentioned, is a stormer. As is Carcass' "Surgical Steel".
Sleep - "The Sciences"
Dinosaur Jr. - "Beyond"
St. Vitus - "Lillie F65"
Alice In Chains - "Black Gives Way To Blue"
Non-Metal;
Suede - "Bloodsports"
Pulp - "More"
Wire - "Send"
Death Angel - The Art of Dying
Great comeback and everything since has been consistently as good
Fear Factory - Mechanize
I think from the non-Dino albums, Archetype is criminally underrated, and Transgression has a good album buried in there if they weren't rushed to release it, but Mechanize is definitely a throwback to earlier stuff. Shame it all imploded again soon after
Quote from: StoutAndAle on May 13, 2026, 05:18:06 PMWire - "Send"
Amazing album. "You Can't Leave Now" is the song Faith No More spent all of "Album of the Year" trying to write. Menacing.
The Naked Whipper album last year not bad for someone who was gone and probably had no access to musical equipment for nearly 3 decades.
Archgoat - The Light-Devouring Darkness
Warloghe - Three Angled Void
Soundgarden - King Animal
Akhlys - The Dreaming I
Angelcorpse - Of Lucifer and Lightning (one of the must underrated DM albums of all time)
Immortal - Northern Chaos Gods (Best thing they released since At the heart of winter)
Dissection - Reinkaos
Quote from: Trev on May 13, 2026, 07:29:09 PMDeath Angel - The Art of Dying
Great comeback and everything since has been consistently as good
Yep.
Sanctuary - The Year the Sun Died
Toxik - Dis Morta
Heathen - The Evolution of Chaos
Quote from: Trev on May 13, 2026, 07:29:09 PMDeath Angel - The Art of Dying
Great comeback and everything since has been consistently as good
Fear Factory - Mechanize
I think from the non-Dino albums, Archetype is criminally underrated, and Transgression has a good album buried in there if they weren't rushed to release it, but Mechanize is definitely a throwback to earlier stuff. Shame it all imploded again soon after
Was going to post about Mechanize as I picked up a CD of it last weekend and was thinking the same when I had it on yesterday. It's very scaldy how the went after that one
Quote from: mickO))) on May 13, 2026, 08:19:28 PMThe Naked Whipper album last year not bad for someone who was gone and probably had no access to musical equipment for nearly 3 decades.
Archgoat - The Light-Devouring Darkness
Warloghe - Three Angled Void
Soundgarden - King Animal
Akhlys - The Dreaming I
Angelcorpse - Of Lucifer and Lightning (one of the must underrated DM albums of all time)
Immortal - Northern Chaos Gods (Best thing they released since At the heart of winter)
Dissection - Reinkaos
some good shouts in there!, im a massive Angelcorpse fan and that didnt grab me at all!.I'll have to go back and revisit it!
Quote from: astfgyl on May 14, 2026, 06:52:41 AMQuote from: Trev on May 13, 2026, 07:29:09 PMDeath Angel - The Art of Dying
Great comeback and everything since has been consistently as good
Fear Factory - Mechanize
I think from the non-Dino albums, Archetype is criminally underrated, and Transgression has a good album buried in there if they weren't rushed to release it, but Mechanize is definitely a throwback to earlier stuff. Shame it all imploded again soon after
Was going to post about Mechanize as I picked up a CD of it last weekend and was thinking the same when I had it on yesterday. It's very scaldy how the went after that one
Only listened to it this week. After Demanufacture it's my next most listened.
Jaysus, King Animal definitely doesn't deserve a mention, remarkably dull album given what they were capable of. "Bones of Birds" is the only thing on there that's really up to standard.
Quote from: Pentagrimes on May 14, 2026, 04:52:30 PMJaysus, King Animal definitely doesn't deserve a mention, remarkably dull album given what they were capable of. "Bones of Birds" is the only thing on there that's really up to standard.
Agree with this word for word (and even at that Bones of Birds feels like a weaker Down On the Upside track).
Their worst album by a mile, to the point where it felt like all it really did was tanrnish their discography.
Quote from: Trev on May 13, 2026, 07:29:09 PMDeath Angel - The Art of Dying
Great comeback and everything since has been consistently as good
Fear Factory - Mechanize
I think from the non-Dino albums, Archetype is criminally underrated, and Transgression has a good album buried in there if they weren't rushed to release it, but Mechanize is definitely a throwback to earlier stuff. Shame it all imploded again soon after
A lot of filler on the COW albums I would argue, but I dare say Mechanize and the three albums that followed are all great. I think if any of them had been released right after Obsolete, Fear Factory would be a much bigger band now.
Archetype is their best post-Demanufacture for me, I love the (relative) rawness and more organic edge to it in comparison with their usual ultra-processed sound.
King Animal was a non-event, an utter snoozefest. I don't think I even finished it, nothing to hold the attention there at all.
King Animal is a good album for band that hadn't released anything in 16 years and had been broken up for a lot of that time.
As for it being the worst album I think some people are getting it mixed up with Ultramega OK.
Quote from: Paul keohane on May 14, 2026, 10:32:46 AMsome good shouts in there!, im a massive Angelcorpse fan and that didnt grab me at all!.I'll have to go back and revisit it!
The main complaint people seem to have with it is the production which sounds a lot like Heretic.
Ultramega OK is grand, I picked up the reissue a couple of years ago.
King Animal is beyond bland. I can't listen to oh at all, it's just drags on.
It's one of those albums you find yourself checking what song it is hoping it's nearly over.
Transgression is shite, not as bad as Digimortal though.
Neither are comeback albums I know.
Ultramega OK is class. The remix from a few years ago gave it a nice bit of weight, too.
A major quality comeback release arrived in the post today. Funeral - Opus Satani Excelsi
Ultramega OK is, well, OK. I'd forgotten King Animal even existed, completely underwhelming. Hopefully if they ever sort out the final album they were working on it'll be a more fitting one to go out on
Back on topic, Cirith Ungol - Forever Black. 30 years between releases and probably their second best album
Quote from: Carnage on May 14, 2026, 07:18:45 PMUltramega OK is grand, I picked up the reissue a couple of years ago.
Ultramega to Superunknown is all great, anything either side of that not so much, but King Animal is drivel.
Ya the remix of Ultramega Ok did wonders for it, Down on the Upside is good too but perhaps needed a bit of editing.
Cornell's first solo album is underrated too, sort of a Jeff Buckley vibe, but I reckon everything after that was an identity crisis, jumped on the supergroup train with Audioslave, made a few shite pop albums, and then back to Soundgarden when he ran out of options.
Quote from: Trev on May 14, 2026, 09:24:14 PMBack on topic, Cirith Ungol - Forever Black. 30 years between releases and probably their second best album
Great shout ( unless you're Carnage)
They're fucking atrocious, hilariously bad! :laugh:
Forever Black is class alright.
Quote from: Carnage on May 15, 2026, 02:19:00 AMThey're fucking atrocious, hilariously bad! :laugh:
If you ever want to piss off a Cirith Ungol fan, just tell them that Tim Baker (or "your man on vocals" because who's got time to learning the names of obscure fellas) is trying to sound like Axl Rose.
He does. But then, so does Eric Wagner in the early days.
Quote from: Ducky on May 15, 2026, 10:25:36 AMQuote from: Carnage on May 15, 2026, 02:19:00 AMThey're fucking atrocious, hilariously bad! :laugh:
If you ever want to piss off a Cirith Ungol fan, just tell them that Tim Baker (or "your man on vocals" because who's got time to learning the names of obscure fellas) is trying to sound like Axl Rose.
Why would a Cirith Ungol fan get pissed off by an admission of deafness? :P
Black Gives Way to Blue is certainly right up there, as is the Coroner and Monotheist. 3 absolute bangers.
Amorphis - Eclipse (a comeback of sorts after a few dull albums with a new singer)
Deicide - Stench of Redemption... not a comeback but you know what i mean
FNM - Sol Invictus
Both of the Hell albums (are they comebacks?!)
Brave new World - does that count?
Unanimated - Victory in Blood
Desultory - Counting our Scars
Sol Invictus is a bag of shite.
If anyone else put it out it would have been ignored.
I don't quite agree it's a bag of shite but yeah, it probably got a bit more kudos than it rightly deserved.
King Animal was an absolute non-event, but I'd have the same feelings towards Down on the Upside as well. Just such an incredibly dull album, and a massive downer after Superunknown.
Think I'll just listen to Limo Wreck on repeat and pretend that Audioslave never happened.
I quite like the first Audioslave album, though the others were poor alright.
Great call on Amorphis-Eclipse!
Coroner - Dissonance Theory.
A masterpiece that far exceeded expectations.
Quote from: John Kimble on May 15, 2026, 08:02:18 PMI don't quite agree it's a bag of shite but yeah, it probably got a bit more kudos than it rightly deserved.
King Animal was an absolute non-event, but I'd have the same feelings towards Down on the Upside as well. Just such an incredibly dull album, and a massive downer after Superunknown.
Think I'll just listen to Limo Wreck on repeat and pretend that Audioslave never happened.
When Down On the Upside was released I remember listening to it and thinking when is this going to pick up a bit.
It didn't really. Having said that I now think it's brilliant. Especially the really sedate songs.
King Animal was such a last down. I've never gone back to it and I don't see it ever happening.
Something's Gotta Give by Agnostic Front is a brilliant album, great comeback after their hiatus.
Tighter & Tighter and Overfloater are two of my favourite Soundgarden songs. Whenever I put Down on the Upside on, I usually skip to those two. I remember thinking how much of a letdown it was when it was released.
Traced in Air is definitely one of the greatest comeback albums, ever bit as good as Focus.
Yeah I go bac to Down on the Upside about once a year but it never really works for me. I love Pretty Noose and Applebite but that's about it.
I loved Down on the Upside when it came out - but it was always going to be a let down after Superunknown which was one of the finest collection of songs, start to finish, that any band ever put out. Amazing that they topped Badmotorfinger in such style. DOTU took a while took a while to get into... but i never listen to Soundgarden these days - after he died I just couldn't listen, and maybe i still cant. King Animal was unnecessary - it just wasn't up to par and I haven't heard it since they played in Dublin.
I guess there's a difference between a "comeback album" and a "return to form" album. Return to forms would be stuff like Violent Revolution, Brave new World, System has Failed.... As comebacks go though i think Alice in Chains did it better than anyone, that album is just perfect. I haven't listened to it in years, have a long flight today so i must put it on. Rainer For was also brilliant but the red one wasn't great, I hope they put out another one... that gig in the Olympia a few years ago was incredible - I'd waited a lifetime to see them.
Bruce Dickinson's Mandrake was also a great comeback (after 20yrs i think it qualifies as a comeback).
The Carcass comeback was great too, but the most recent one didn't stick with me.
At War With Reality was pretty decent too as comebacks go, but near impossible to follow up what came before it.
Reinkaos was an interesting comeback - it sounded like The Jester Race in a lot of ways. No blast beats etc... it was so different from the previous releases that it was hard to take - I think a lot of people were initially disappointed by it and didnt get it, myself included, but it grew on me over time, though I rarely listen to it now - but it's definitely a great comebackm if very different to the early pair of albums stylistically
Will we get a comeback Dismember album?
Will we get a comeback Emperor album? Nah.
Bolt Thrower is the comeback I want - but it'll never happen
Will we get a return to form Morbid Angel album? Not bloody likely looking at the basket case Trey sadly is these days
Will we get a proper Immortal comeback album?
I hear that Swedish band Sacrilege will have a comeback at some stage too.
I've never thought about Reinkaos being like The Jesters Race. I love both of those albums. Even the Maith An Cailin bit.
I heard somewhere that the new Ihsahn solo album came about after birth he and Samoth realised they weren't going to be able to capture the magic of yesteryear and decided to leave it rather than out an album for the sake of it.
As Ihsahn was doing all the heavy lifting he used the music for his solo stuff.
I'd mush rather no comeback album over a half baked one from them.
I find with some bands like In Flames that I have to accept that they won't write an album like The Jesters Race, Whoracle or Colony again. It feels like they have decided to leave that style behind and morph into something different.
Having said that they style they morphed into is shit and they seem happy to repeat that formula album after album.
The progression is gone it's just rinse, repeat and tour the festival circuit.
That's another thread altogether, bands that keep releasing the same album and bands that leave the style that put them on the map only to become stuck on their new sound.
Vast Reaches Unclaimed by Majesties out does In Flames at being In Flames nowadays.
Apologies,I went way off topic.
Slayer's World Painted Blood was hailed as a return to form or a comeback of sorts.
No.
I thought Surgical Steel was a snooze fest instantly forgettable and the most recent album was even worse. The only good thing about Carcass reforming was finally being able see them live.
One mentioned earlier in the thread Monotheist. I would even go as far as saying it's the best Frost album. I have been waiting years for a reissue.
Agreed on Carcass. The initial reaction to both was good, esp since they went out on such a low with Swansong but in truth there's very little on either that brings me back.
Monotheist is a great album. I wouldn't say it's their greatest but its not far off either and is much better than any comeback album has a right to be.
Some of the Amorphis albums before Eclipse were far from dull. I also agree about Carcass. However their comeback gig in Camden was brilliant.
Ah lads, Surgical Steel is a perfect slab of melo-death; melodic, catchy, but still muscular and aggressive.
It's chock full of memorable riffs too.
Quote from: Cailleach on May 17, 2026, 08:14:34 PMSome of the Amphoris albums before Eclipse were far from dull. I also agree about Carcass. However their comeback gig in Camden was brilliant.
the run of albums between Elegy and Eclipse were all dull as shite!.Absolutely nothing memorable!
Quote from: Paul keohane on May 17, 2026, 10:50:40 PMQuote from: Cailleach on May 17, 2026, 08:14:34 PMSome of the Amphoris albums before Eclipse were far from dull. I also agree about Carcass. However their comeback gig in Camden was brilliant.
the run of albums between Elegy and Eclipse were all dull as shite!.Absolutely nothing memorable!
What is wrong with you ;D
Elegy and Tuonela are great albums.
Yeah, Surgical Steel didn't do much for me. Younger bands they'd helped inspire were releasing better stuff around the same time.
Quote from: Cailleach on May 17, 2026, 11:21:51 PMQuote from: Paul keohane on May 17, 2026, 10:50:40 PMQuote from: Cailleach on May 17, 2026, 08:14:34 PMSome of the Amphoris albums before Eclipse were far from dull. I also agree about Carcass. However their comeback gig in Camden was brilliant.
the run of albums between Elegy and Eclipse were all dull as shite!.Absolutely nothing memorable!
What is wrong with you ;D
Elegy and Tuonela are great albums.
Elegy is class,sorry I ment everything after that up to Eclipse!.Ive given Tuonela so many goes; cant get into it at all!
Never really got the buzz with Monotheist. Great production on it but I find the album long and tedious.
I accept that I have a huge amount of nostalgia for Scars of the Crucifix relative to the norm, but I think it is a far superior album to Stench. I think Stench sounded fresh and like a band reinvigorated on release, but it isn't what I want from Deicide (tbh, we're 30 years past what that really is now), but it has no staying power. Scars biggest failing is the thin production, but I think you can see what they were trying to do with it and it doesn't always get the credit it deserves.
Quote from: Squigs on May 18, 2026, 12:02:49 PMI accept that I have a huge amount of nostalgia for Scars of the Crucifix relative to the norm, but I think it is a far superior album to Stench. I think Stench sounded fresh and like a band reinvigorated on release, but it isn't what I want from Deicide (tbh, we're 30 years past what that really is now), but it has no staying power. Scars biggest failing is the thin production, but I think you can see what they were trying to do with it and it doesn't always get the credit it deserves.
scars is a class album, but they went up another level again on Stench!.
I find it very difficult to spin any Deicide albums post once upon the cross, they just dont stick for me, couple of catchy tracks here and there but that's it.
Scars, Stench and the last 2 are all great.
Quote from: mickO))) on May 18, 2026, 02:22:00 PMScars, Stench and the last 2 are all great.
i listened to the last one and didn't think much. Doesn't seem to have the staying power of thee earlier stuff. Scars and stench are great to be fair
They are never going to be able to record anything even close to the first four but the last two was a great return to form after a run of albums that ranged from mediocre to shite. I think the last album got overshadowed by the AI art controversy.
Still hoping someone gets them over here given it's been almost 20 years since they played in Ireland. Steve isn't going to be able to keep the drumming up for much longer he's 56. I can't see Glen continuing the band without him.
I really enjoyed Overtures of Blasphemy!, i was definitely in the minority on here at the time!
Quote from: mickO))) on May 19, 2026, 02:17:27 PMThey are never going to be able to record anything even close to the first four but the last two was a great return to form after a run of albums that ranged from mediocre to shite. I think the last album got overshadowed by the AI art controversy.
Still hoping someone gets them over here given it's been almost 20 years since they played in Ireland. Steve isn't going to be able to keep the drumming up for much longer he's 56. I can't see Glen continuing the band without him.
they are a band on my bucket list. I was obsessed with them when I was younger and to be fair they have more good material than bad. Certainly are due a return here
Quote from: Paul keohane on May 19, 2026, 03:33:24 PMI really enjoyed Overtures of Blasphemy!, i was definitely in the minority on here at the time!
Overtures is deadly, couldn't understand the negativity around it.
Quote from: Paul keohane on May 19, 2026, 03:33:24 PMI really enjoyed Overtures of Blasphemy!, i was definitely in the minority on here at the time!
Me too - the first 5 or 6 songs on that are really strong actually
Burzum - Belus. Still underrated but the logo change was needless and is utterly retarded currently.