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[Maggot Colony]

Emperor - Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk
Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon

I decided to revisit Anthems this morning, as I hated it years ago when I first heard it. Turns out I was right, it's a fucking mess of an album. Hard to believe the same band released In The Nightside Eclipse. I turned it off after Engorged by Khaos and threw on Darkthrone's best album instead.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Turned it off just before many folks' favourite track off it so! Different strokes and all that re not liking the album, but "a mess" seems a strange descriptor for Anthems. If you're arsed elaborating on something specific you mean..?

[mickO)))]

SOl - Domni Satnasi
SOL - TYONS
SOL - NOM
Impetigo - Ultimo mondo cannibale
Invunche - Atavismo

[Maggot Colony]

Turned it off just before many folks' favourite track off it so! Different strokes and all that re not liking the album, but "a mess" seems a strange descriptor for Anthems. If you're arsed elaborating on something specific you mean..?

I'm comparing it to Nightside which is one of my favourite albums so I'm definitely biased. 

Anthems sounds like it has too many layers, it's a stew of badly produced black metal with some odd-sounding keyboards which destroy any attempt at atmosphere - parts of Ye Entrancemperium sounds like circus music.

The best black metal albums are easy to immerse yourself in, but every time I've listened to Anthems I've struggled to get into it. The individual songs just aren't cohesive enough, and this affects the overall flow of the album, making it sound like a bit of a mess to my ears.

Then again I like Archgoat so what do I know!

[Ducky]

Adorior - "Bleed on My Teeth".

Fucking loving this thing. There's something particularly confrontational about it too. Maybe it's the fact that the vocals are delivered in such a way that the lyrics are easy to hear (but still done so with piss and vinegar).

I've always felt like with vocals. Like the first line of say Angel of Death is far more in your face than say anything from None So Vile

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Don't be using Archgoat as an excuse: I like them too! 

I get what you mean a little better now anyway, though disagree that the black metal "layer" is badly produced. My only personal gripe with the entire album remains the synth trumpets at the end of Al Svartr.

[open face surgery]

Nightside is leagues ahead of Anthems in my book too.

[Ducky]

Definitely. I'd put Anthems at the bottom of their discography (though it's still a very good album).

NP - Schizophrenia - "Recollections of the Insane". A fine slab of death-thrash. I've often wondered is it harder to do a killer album in a style that's already been done-to-death than something that's your own take? See also - Evile's "Five Serpents' Teeth"

[open face surgery]

The Emperor albums can be rated chronologically for me.

[Eoin McLove]

I only need anything up to Nightside. Two or three cool songs on IX, but the rest I have no interest in.

[Anvil]

Demon Bitch - Master of the Games
Portrait - The Host
Def Leppard - On Through The Night (so many killer tracks on this!)
Overkill - Scorched (shamefully this is my first listen to this album despite buying it on release in 2023.   It has sat on a pile of CDs and I just found it today looking for something else). 
Lake of Tears - A Crimson Cosmos
Riot - Thundersteel

[Eoin McLove]

I'm going to listen to On Through the Night later. I've seen a lot of people rate it and my Angel Witch debut mentions Def Leppard on the sticker. I think DL are catchy and annoying in equal measure, but I've only heard Hysteria. Let's see if their debut has a bit more knob.

[Anvil]

Both On Through the Night and High N Dry are really good to my ears and worth a listen at least.  Anything after that I could leave.   

[Maggot Colony]

Darkthrone - Total Death
Darkthrone - Ravishing Grimness
Darkthrone - Plaguewielder

I never really bothered with Darkthrone after Panzerfaust, I maybe listened once and dismissed them because they weren't as good as the seminal early stuff, but there's some great stuff on these albums. Total Death in particular has some rippers on it.

[Carnage]

I'm going to listen to On Through the Night later. I've seen a lot of people rate it and my Angel Witch debut mentions Def Leppard on the sticker. I think DL are catchy and annoying in equal measure, but I've only heard Hysteria. Let's see if their debut has a bit more knob.

It's great, very poppy but some quality NWOBHM on show too. Their only listenable album for me.