Controversial Metal Opinions

[Carnage]

The title track aside, Hell Awaits is shite. Poor songs, murky production and sloppily played.

Their top 5 is:

1. South Of Heaven (they never topped this. Brutal and melodic in one go, much better than its predecessor - the last few seconds of Spill The Blood are their heaviest ever moment. Even the Priest cover is top notch - and better than the original).

=2. Show No Mercy (all piss and vinegar, pure NWOBHM worship, particularly Venom and early Maiden. Naive but full of intent, and they already had the songwriting chops, well ahead of their contemporaries).

=2. Seasons In The Abyss (their absolute peak as songwriters, the flow on this album is unrivalled. Its only flaw is that its production is slightly compressed. That and the annoying and anachronistic 'child's' voice in Dead Skin Mask).

4. Reign In Blood (its ferocity cannot be denied, but it's simply one dimensional - all attack and no respite, a poor dynamic).

5. Divine Intervention (absolutely nothing new or essential here but it's the best of the rest. A few serious tracks but it's their last decent album. It'll do).

[astfgyl]

Been in here with this before but Diabolous is up there with my favourite of the Slayer stuff if I leave it at maybe the first 8 tracks.

[Pentagrimes]

Hell Awaits isn't even the best song on Hell Awaits.


That'll be Necrophiliac.


Sure while I'm trashing debuts.. "War and Pain" by Voivod is a terrible album, always shocks me when people rave about it. Mind you they did go on to make the greates music ever made after it, so I'll allow it.

I thought I'd said this earlier when i was moaning about Entombed, but "Dark Recollections" by Carnage > "Left Hand Path"

[jobrok1]

Carnage's top 5 is about right, IMO. But the top 3 are interchangable depending with way the wind is blowing.


As for Anthrax!
I love 'Persistance...'. Definitely a right place, right time album for me. Same for the Killer B's album.
And the early stuff 'Fistful..' and 'Armed & Dangerous' are class.
The Joey reunion albums are solid efforts, especially FAK and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Their classic 'Spreading... Among.. and State' albums have not aged well at all and I find very hard to listen to any more.

The Bush albums I really like too, but the weakest two are definitely bookended by the better two.
The comp album of re-recorded Joey era tracks they did with Bush is excellent too. They really breathed new life into them. But it was all for naught as soon after the reunion tour happened and Bush fecked off rather than share the stage.

[Pentagrimes]

I think "Among The Living" holds up great. Love that album. I quite like "State" as well. Might be more childhood nostalgia in that case though, the same way I can justify liking a surprisingly large amount of late 80s funk metal. Lost interest around "Persistence" but there's a few tunes on there.

[leatherface]

'State..' is unfairly maligned, some good 'deep cuts' on there, 'Make me Laugh ', 'Misery Loves Company '. Like the production too.

[Paul keohane]

Im a huge fan of State of Euphoria,that and Persistence my go to Albums.

[Paul keohane]

I remember getting a loan of Sound of a white noise back in the day,I just couldn't get into it.I largely ignored the Bush 90s stuff.The only thing by Anthrax I bought back then was the live album The Island years.WCFYA came out and that definitely sparked my interest in the band again.

[KingHostile]

Lads "Hell Awaits" .... "At dawn they sleep" what a song..... "Hardening of the Arteries" is class as well the way it flips back into the "Hell Awaits" intro drums! Great Album and I still love "Hell Awaits" itself.

"Show no mercy" I love that album on a tape playing walkman, the left / right leads really come out. "Black Magic", "Fight Till Death", "Tormentor"...."Crionics" .....The version on the "Slaughtered By Slayer" tribute recorded by "Merciless"...must revisit the two of those CDs.... some epic recording on them! "Hypocrisy" playing "Black Magic"...."At the Gates" playing "Captor of sin" ......epic!

Reign In Blood cannot be denied.... its is brilliant.

I'd say "Diabolus in Musica" is their weakest album. There is some filler on "Divine.....", "Like "Mind Control". "Ditto Head" is great, "213" has its moments then slows down?

[astfgyl]

Speaking of Entombed, Wolverine Blues is the best of it for me but I dunno how controversial that is.

As for Slayer and Diabolous being the worst, I think God Hates Us All its far worse than it.

And yeah that first Voivod album is very bad

[Carnage]

Voivod before Nothingface for me, awful shite.

Wolverine Blues is great, but I never took to Clandestine.

[ldj]

I can understand not liking the first two but Killing Technology and Dimension Hatross 

[Pentagrimes]

There's controversial, and then there's just plain incorrect.

[Paul keohane]

I love Wolverine Blues ,but i nearly always reach for To Ride... first for my DeathNRoll Entombed buzz.

[CorkonianHunger]

Probably not controversial, let alone on this forum, but after listening to DMDS just there, I think Atillas vocals are miles cooler than what Dead might have done. They are demented and ahead of their time.