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Now, here is the Podcast Metalheads Podcast.

Welcome to the Metalheads Podcast.

My name is George.

Here is part two of our mid-year episode,

which was split into two parts

as we weren't allowed to post the whole long-ass episode.

If you haven't heard the first part,

check out our previous episode,

where we introduce James Lewis from Decibel Magazine, our top five album covers, and our top five EPs and shorter releases. Without further ado, here's our top 25 albums at mid-year. All right, well, we can start our top 25 list now, just after the two-hour mark, from our perspective anyway. And you know who we're starting with. James, what is your number 25?

So you guys usually do honorable mentions. Last. If we're still awake enough. Yeah. So I'm going to throw a wrench in this to start things because it makes sense in a second. I like it. The entry here is Cosmic Putrefaction, which I know that a bunch of people have talked about before, so I don't think I need to do an intro on that one. So I'll save that for the honorable mentions that go with this because my two honorable mentions are a band that reminds me of Incantation and a

that reminds me of Immolation. Because any year that you don't have Immolation or Incantation, you need something that sounds like Immolation or Incantation. Fair enough. I know there's an Incantation record coming later this year. And you've heard it, haven't you? I think Promos just came out for that a couple days ago. Yeah, not to us. We are on the last tier list. We get it two days before it comes out list. Oh, you can make fun of Will for this later then because he's missing his story on this. But yeah, it sounds great. I would say it's better than

the last two as well. And I thought the last two were both really good. But I think this one's hands down, like right away, like first listen better. So we know Will's number one at the year end. But the two bands that I had that. Wait, wait, wait, I missed it. What's my number one? Incantation. Did you get the demo? Promo. James? Yeah, I was just saying that that one's supposed to be out later this year. And I thought, in my opinion, that it sounded better than the last two, just like right away.

I think Profane Nexus was phenomenal. I really liked both of the previous records and I thought this one was just right away. I was like, whoa, they like really brought their A game. And I'm a huge fan of the band. It comes out August 21st, just so you know. Slip that in there. Slide it in straight to the top. Those two honorable mentions that were similar were there's one called Cornigio. Forlorn and Forsaken is the name of the record. It's on Memento Mori. And that I thought sounded like Incantation. The other one is Coffee.

and cursed cease to be also on memento mori and i thought that sounded like

immolation so wait what was your 25 the 25 was sorry it was the cosmic future oh right right right

and those two were the honorable mentions but i wanted to throw them in because it's shun shun shun

gotcha right right that makes sense it does wait did you just do your 20 number 25 you did yeah

cosmic future faction oh it's a good record i like that yeah all right mark us on 25 number

for me is in the company of serpents lux. It's a sludgy doom metal. I completely forgot about that album. Sludgy doom metal meets a spaghetti western score. So this album has ginormous riffs and dripping ambient atmospheres fit for a post-apocalyptic frontier. You know what's upsetting to me is I like that album a lot and I think the way you described it is great because there are some times in that album where you're just like, God, this is crushingly heavy.

and awesome. And there's other times you're like, what is going on here? But this sounds kind of fun. And I'll tell you why, because I don't know for whatever reason, if I never looked up, but we got the promo and I looked, I listened to it on iTunes, but when I'm doing my list, I mostly look at my band camp stuff. Yeah. So you got to keep an ongoing list, man. That's the, I usually do. And for some reason that one just never wrote down. And even though I'd listened to it a million times, Hey, well, uh, did you purchase?

No, that's the thing. I think I didn't purchase it because we had the demo and I listened to it. Promo. Sorry, the promo. I was going to say, well, if you had the promo, then I could still say this to you. Two words. Music B. Wait a minute. My Music B is what I look through. And I just, for whatever reason, I just never bought it on Bandcamp. And that's why it's. Yeah. I'm sure there's stuff that slips through everyone's list because of that reason.

There's so many avenues to get MusicB. Will, you better still be on the MusicB. I got MusicB because on an episode like, I don't know, a couple years ago, you were ranting about how awesome it was. And I was like, well, I learned it from watching John. Yeah. I learned it from watching you. I like that commercial. Yeah. James, do you like MusicB? Oh, love it. Open source, man. I love it. Never going to go back to any of these terrible music software options that I use before. I only use MusicB for my FLAC files.

But at some point, I'm just going to put everything on there. Everything in MusicB. Because iTunes is such a flaming piece of crap now. I hate it. For years. But because that's my MP3. I can take an old school, non-Wi-Fi, non-Bluetooth iPod to work. One of my work things. So I have to keep iTunes for that. No, no, no. MusicB works with it.

I can plug in my iPod

and have MusicB download onto my iPod?

Yeah, I use MusicB with my iPod Classic.

Who the fuck has these things?

Jesus Christ, teach me Sense.

I mean, maybe, you know what, hold on,

maybe it's an older version because I have like the later one

that you can upgrade the hard drive on

because I upgraded to like a terabyte solid state on it.

Yeah.

Hey, Will, what we get,

When we can like touch each other again, I'll help you out with it. What I do for Bandcamp is I would just put it on the wish list, you know, if you didn't buy it, you know, or you got the promo. Sometimes I get the promo if I like it, I just put it on my wish list. Then when I go on Bandcamp, there's the records I bought and then there's the wish list. And a lot of times I'll find albums that I remember. Yeah, and I haven't. In fact, just tonight, while you guys were doing this, I put the lore on my wish list and something else. Like I'm putting stuff on my wish list.

all the time. Just for whatever reason, Company of Serpents didn't. Well, I'd also say there's still time to change your list. Yeah, that is true. You've got till about six o'clock in the morning. So for those that aren't slaves to a PC, instead of MusicB, you could also use Swinian on a Mac, which is what I use. Thanks for the heads up, George, because I do. Swinian? S-W-I-N-S-I-A-N.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Let's go to Matt.

Yeah, that was, by the way, we just did one number 25.

Let's do it on every one.

Eight hour episode.

And I just got yelled at by my wife, like, wait, you haven't even started the actual episode yet?

And she's like, you know, you have to drive five hours tomorrow morning.

I'm like, yeah, sorry.

Yeah, don't worry about it.

I'll get there.

Yeah.

I mean, how often do you have to apologize for being a Gabby bitch?

Well, every day.

Every time.

I feel like your marriage is much different than mine. I relate, dude. I relate. The reality is I've always wanted us to all watch the sun come up together. And I think it's going to happen this time. We'll do it at this one. Yeah. My number 25, probably the first album I took to this year, out of the Netherlands. This is the second album from the Death Doom band. I would call them more of like an old school death metal band that is Graceless,

where vultures know your name. Oh, yeah. It's a good school's record. I like that album. Just really good riff. Super catchy. It's been stuck in my head for six months, and I like it. Excellent. Excellent choice. John. All right, my number 25. I think Marcasson said he listened to this. This came out early in the year. I mean, this is a January release, so there was like, what, four albums that came out in January this year that we all struggled to find something with.

25 is Grace Guys Fallen, Cold Dead Lands. It's their fifth release. They're Doom Metal slash Death Doom Band. I didn't know anything about them. I'd heard of them before. We'd never listened to them. And I took to the new one. Yeah, I like that one, John. Yeah, it's not about Grace Guys. Grace Guys Fallen. It's a solid release. I mean, I always think, oh, I'm not big on it. Then I listen to it. Like, actually, I like this album a lot. It happens every time. So that's, I don't think of them, but when I listen to them, I like it. So I think that's good enough.

I mean, it's crazy how many albums you really like that aren't going to make the list, but it doesn't mean that they're not good albums. It's a solid. It just means they don't make the list. Well, you might like it. It's solid. I just put it in my wish list. Come on. My number 25. This was an album that I was really looking forward to, and I kind of had higher hopes for it. It's still really good, but not where I thought it was going to fall. It's Funeral Leech, Death

Meditation. Good album. Yeah. Death Doom band from New York City on Carbonized Records. It's a little more rhythmic than riffage, I guess, is the way to describe it. But I mean, it's still good Death Doom. I mean, I'm a sucker for Death Doom. So if you put out a half decent Death Doom album, it's probably going to make my list. Unless I don't even know about like Grey Skies Falling. Apparently, I just put on my wish list. But anyway,

Funeral Leech. Nice. In New York City. Jason. Well, you know, I don't want to be the king of coincidence here, and I don't think this is going to happen that much. But nevertheless, mine is the Cosmic Petrefaction one. Nice. Yeah, I liked it too. I listened to it. It was one of those ones where every once in a while I was like bored and I didn't have something else to listen to. And it was one that I found my finger going towards on my iPod, which I still use, James. Shuffle. Yeah. I don't need to describe it. Underwater audio.

Yeah, I was going to say, do you want to get the underwater audio in there? Oh, no. Yeah, that's, yeah, hey man, ever since the lockdown, no pool for Jay. I know. Barbara and I were just talking about that the other day. She was like, do you think Jay's been able to swim lately? And I was like, I don't think so. I don't think swimming is the issue for Jay. It's the revenue stream from pumping it every time. Yeah. That's why he hasn't been on band camp. That's right. I had to switch to the rowing machine, so. But that is my

It doesn't need a lot of description. I'm pretty sure everybody here at least heard it. And I think a few of you might list it. Yeah, we got the promo for that. And I was pretty blown away by it. It was good. It's good. My number 25, I can assure you, is not on anybody else's list. Yay. Using John's wonderful spreadsheet, I can tell you this band is from England. They are on I Void Hanger Records. Oh. And the band is called Feed Them Death.

is Panopticism belong slash be lost. Is it me or is I Void Hanger going to have a lot of selections this year? It seems like they're just putting out a ton of stuff. This is my only one from them on the list. Really? Yeah. I had a lot last year. Last year. I know you did. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm a big fan of that record label. Has anyone even listened to this? I have, George. Yes. I just looked at my list. I have one. I Void Hanger. One. All right. I don't know.

I got one. The guy who runs that record label is really nice too. Awesome. All right. So we'll back to you, James, for number 24. We did one. Really done one. Awesome. Good job, everybody. The sun shall come up before we end. It is prophecy. I'll try and make it real quick. Aranzi Pazuzu. I imagine. 24? 24? 24?

Does that mean I did I J that one did I just you did

I would say J it but it's on your list that's good enough

yeah because I don't think it it's not going to be on many of these lists

I imagine somebody also have something to say about it it's probably better than I'm ranking it I just didn't spend a lot of time with it

um I other I don't have really a good reason I thought the last record was just amazing

so I'll say that it's probably my fault that should be better that's all shame on you

I dubbed the unforgiven.

It's sad, but true.

It is.

Thank you.

How many song titles are you up to, Matt?

With George's help, I think we're at four.

Oh, is this the thing we were doing?

Shit, I'm all over this.

It's the thing Matt's doing.

Matt's my friend of misery, but you know.

Feel free to help out.

Oh, he's trying to.

Now we're at five.

Oh, it's on to me.

Number 24. I know this is going to be high on other people's lists, but it falls to 24 for me, and that is Black Curse, Endless Wound from Sepulchral Voice Records. Diabolical, Black and Death Evil from members of Chemist, Blood Incantation, Spectral Voice, and Primitive Man. Listening to this is like being trapped inside a lightless chasm fighting for your life against a buzzsaw of blackened fangs. It's dense, bleak, and unforgiving, but it's

Also a really good album. Wow. So it's a lot like going to the DMV is what you're saying. Yes, exactly. It would be perfect for the DMV. Noted. And by that, do you mean a DC, Maryland, Virginia? Is it worse there? No, that's what we call it. This whole area is called the DMV. Oh, okay. Which you could extrapolate. Columbia, Maryland, Virginia. You could probably extrapolate to the traffic and rush hour trying to get through the Bellway or something.

Yes. Would that be the crosstown traffic? Crosstown traffic. So hard to get through to you. Crosstown traffic. Jimi Hendrix. Yeah. I'm going to run over you. I think that waterfall song always pops in my head, especially when I'm in the shower. Oh, yeah. Waterfall. Chasing waterfall. Yep. Talking about the TLC? Sorry. No. You are. Chasing waterfall.

Just stick to the rivers and lakes that you're used to. Yeah, Matt. Landed 10,000 lakes, Minnesota. My number 24. I'm not, I used to be a lot bigger into technical death metal and I haven't been in recent years, but I stumbled onto this and I'm in love with it. It is some brutal tech death out of San Francisco. It's the third album from a band called Odious Mortem. It is called Synethesia, Be Able to Tip. Nice. That's a great record.

Yeah, I forgot about that. I take it. Yeah, my first two came out fairly early on, which I feel like this year has been one in such like January, February feels like it's about three years ago versus like when the pandemic started. That feels more like three years ago. Yeah. Yeah, it's crazy, dude. Yeah. I was thinking about this earlier. It's like, holy shit, it's almost July. And just it just feels like what happened to this year? It's like gone. Anyway, yeah. Weird. And yet it was the longest six fucking months.

So, Will, now that you mentioned it's almost July, I'm going to need those June Album of the Months from you guys. Thank you. You asshole. When you get a chance, send them my way. Mine's on my list, so I will let you know. All right. My number 24 is Godthrum Reflections. Or no. Yeah, I think it's Reflections. Maybe. Might be. I don't know.

Doom Metal from England, Profound Lore Records. It's their debut release. A couple of members, former members of My Dying Bride. And I stand corrected. They are, like George said, they're from middle period, which is strange because it's still, they were there at the end of the 90s, but it does have a feel of 90s My Dying Bride. It's a solid album. I think I said that, but I like that album a lot. Can I shout about only this number?

Is there a drop for that? How does that work? Speak. It should be way higher. It should be way higher. Number 24. Right, right. Is it just a shout for that or is there a drop for this? You can say whatever you want. Number blah, blah, blah. You say fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck you. You say fuck you, John. When it comes up, you can bring it up on your list. And then you can tell me to fuck off.

It's a solid album. I like it. I agree. I just haven't listened to it enough to probably put it higher is what it is. Will. My number 24. Probably an album that could have been higher had I spent more time with it, but Like Rats, Death Monolith, Death Metal from Chicago, Hibernation Release Records, I guess. Hibernation Release. It's good to know. Yeah.

It's just straight up riff-tastic death metal. Check it out. All right, my number 24 is Witch Skull, a Driftwood Cross on Rise Above Records. This is a traditional doom to properly well-written with a voice, a unique singer, but a good singer that, you know, just like there's a little Aussie worship there like there always is with traditional doom, but it's harder. That's the single genre.

that's been around the longest. And to somehow distinguish yourself is difficult. So I don't find a lot of traditional doom bands I like anymore. Especially with people who do it so well, like Witchcraft. But Witchskull, this is a good record and I highly recommend it. I know it kind of resonated with Matt, at least. He wrestled with putting on his list. We'll see if he did. You mentioned it, Jay. I really liked that album quite a bit. I didn't know anything about Witchskull. And I read some reviews of it and they said that the singer was just kind of out in left field and kind of restrained himself for the new album.

I really like the singing on this album. I haven't listened to the previous ones.

I didn't like this one as much.

I don't know the previous ones either.

I like previous albums by them, but I didn't like this one as much.

Yeah, I listened to it after you mentioned it, Jay.

And I guess I had to find it on Spotify. It's the only place I could find it.

Yeah, it wasn't real findable.

Yeah, it's difficult.

No, but I liked the music. It was the singer.

Obviously, I'm the vocal snob.

So the vocals were, I mean, they were good. It just didn't resonate quite with me, but the music was awesome. I loved it. It was very good traditional doom. You're right. But I can see that being true about this guy's voice. It's a love it or hate it type thing, I think, and I love it, but I totally understand it, but he was on the other side of the fence. And I go back to, I think it was King Goat, where Trim, the lead singer, where I wasn't the biggest fan, and I don't know if it was George or John, or somebody said,

Just think of a pissed off messiah. It was Jewish. And there again too, I think he is one of the best singers in metal today. So it's just that you and I are in slightly different. We have different tones that we like. Yeah, but when I realized that and I think of it that way, it did change my perspective. So I go back to that. I go back like, okay, if you don't like it, think of something else. Think of it in a different way. Close your eyes and think of England. Yeah.

Anyway, the way you describe it, it sounds like Geddy Lee was singing for that band. Which it is most definitely not that. You know, what's funny is I did start watching that Rush documentary on, I think it's on Amazon. Which one? There's like three of them. Sam Dunn? I don't know which one. Is it the Sam Dunn one? I don't know. Women on the Lightest Stage. Yeah, they did that one and then they did the last tour. Is it the last tour?

They're definitely older and they go back

to their high school.

They went back to their high school.

I mean, they're both good. They're awesome.

I'm not the biggest Rush fan. I know John's a big Rush fan.

I'm not the biggest Rush fan, but I definitely appreciate

their musical talents.

But for me,

even if you're not, that's an engaging

documentary.

I started watching it because I'm like,

this is going to be interesting.

Sounds nothing like Rush.

I know the description of the singer is like yeah you know some people like him other

people it's like right sounds like getting in that documentary documentary I know no it was because of the

vocals because I'm yeah it's hard for me to get behind Gailie's vocals because it's so high pitch and in that documentary um they interview several musicians around contemporary musicians and they were saying like man that guy's voice is really high whoa

Anyway, sorry, tangent. All right, my number 24. From Denmark on Napalm Records, Convent with a K, Puritan masochism. It's a sort of a death do me album, I guess. Y'all know it. I know you know it. Yeah, no, it's a good album. No, I'm sorry. I've got distracted because I swear to God, Markeson literally just cracked a beer like three.

I just saw him tipping it. I was like, fuck, that was fast. Yeah, man. I'm on the next one. Here we go. I like that comment a lot. That seems like that came out like ages ago. Yeah. It probably does. If I was like February or March, it was a lot ago. It's a solid album. Yeah. It is. That's that comment stuff. It's right in my wheelhouse lately. I find myself gravitating more toward death and doom.

I was worried this was going to drop off. I've been making sure to keep this on my list because I really like it. And it kept trying to get pushed off, but it stayed on. Had albums like that last year. Same thing. Yeah. All right, James, number 23. Traveler. Wow. Oh, I like that. This is not normally my wheelhouse. I don't do a lot of the more trad speed stuff a lot.

This record is just insanely catchy. I'm guessing that I don't need to explain it to most anyone here. So I'll just leave it at that in light of that we're at a couple hours in. So it's a great record. If you have been hearing about it and you haven't checked it out, you should do that immediately. Even if you're not a fan of this style, usually it's phenomenal. Yeah, it's good. Yeah, I like it quite a bit. And the last record as well. All right, Markson, you're up next.

Number 23 for me is John McEntee of Incantation has been praising this album a lot and has Facebook video streams. So it could be his number one, but for me, it's number 23 on my list. And that is Perdition Temple Sacraments of Dissension. This is a ferocious and fast death metal album with insane drumming and organ destroying riffs. Just an unstoppable death cyclone

of venomous talons from start to finish. It's really great. Yeah, cool. And the cover was on my top five. Yeah. I'm adding it to my wish list right now. Right me, 23, another early release. I know it was my album of the month, I think. I don't know what month that is. But it's the sixth album from a Danish,

Black Death Band and His Horned Almighty to Fathom the Masters Grand of Mine. Nice. Another early album. Yes. Is that January, February? That was my album of the month for February. Yeah. Or maybe January. I feel like I'm following Matt with everything that I'm deciding because mine's also an early album, earlier release, and it was my January album of the month. My 23 is Obsidian Tongue.

Volume 3. I didn't think this was going to make my list. I went back and listened to it. I was like, fuck, I actually like this album a lot. Brandon from Thrasenblatt. Yeah. Third release on Bind Rune recordings. Yeah. It's a good album. It is. All right, Will. Sorry, I was just literally buying Perdition Temple based on the first time. That I heard. No.

Based on the first 10 seconds of that record, I may have to make some changes. I don't know. It's going to be crazy. You waste no time. I need this now. Between that and the company of serpents, maybe you need to talk to me. I know, Mark, but you're all the way in Hawaii, and I don't know. Do cell phones go out that far? Hold off on the buying. Don't buy too much. We got another band camp day on the next Friday. Really? Another one? I think so, yeah. Wow.

All right. What are we on? 23? Yeah. This actually was going to be on my album covers, Graceless, Where Vultures Know Your Name, Death Doom from the Netherlands, Red Skull Records. This is really good. I think I'm going to give George credit. I think George is the one, or maybe it was a promo. I'm not sure what we got, but I distinctly remember it was either a promo or George mentioned it. Possibly both. Yeah.

I know I put it on metal Fridays, but I have no idea where first you might have telepathically sent it to will too. So yeah, but no, that was a great death. Death doom is like it's it's my wheelhouse soft spot right now. And if you put out something that's half listenable, it may make my list. It's your nipple tickle. I like to hit your soft spot. Will doesn't have broad nipples. He's got death doom nipples. He's got death doom death doom anus. There you go.

Here's with a sickle. Or a scythe. Not a sith. Sith or bad. It can only be two. I did watch episode one with my kids the other night. William does not. He's seen it but doesn't really remember. He's six. It's like oh god. Why is the acting so bad daddy? It's pretty bad. And then you realize this could be frozen.

Frozen has better acting. Frozen's good. I haven't seen the second Frozen. Yeah, but you've seen Frozen like 75 times. You'll watch episode one one more time. The second Frozen is not any big shakes. Dude, you don't have kids. Why did you watch this? Yeah, why did you watch Frozen 2? I have a wife. I do too, but I haven't seen it. Well, okay, let me explain. My wife's 12 years old. All right, Jerry.

Wow, really? You guys all went. Oh, yeah. I said the most. Okay. Who's number 22? Anything ever needed editing, George? It's funny because James and I were talking earlier and he's like, yeah, sometimes you say I'm going to edit that out and then you don't. This is one of those moments. Yeah. I can't believe I actually achieved an edit. Yeah. And he's not even drinking. Morris. Well.

Where I am right now, if I get to number one, it'll be amazing. You're going to make it. I'm fucking hammered. Let's go. You think it breaks like another beer. James is like, holy shit, what have I gotten myself into? Yeah, you're in trouble. So let's do my number 23 so people can get their beer. No, no, I want to do it at like 20, but I just got to get a beer at some point. Where the hell are we? Jay. Me. Salon 23.

23andMe, George. Okay, so... I'm the only one who's going to have this, and that's fine with me. I understand the charm of this band. They pulled off a vocalist, which successfully this year. Honestly, it's not as good as probably the last record, and the visuals of the previous singer is maybe the more important aspect of what he brought to it, even though this guy sounds just like him. Caveller Talk managed to put out another good record. Split. I should look up what that means. I have no idea.

I like these guys are talented kind of party punk metal band but it works for me and the new vocalist is fine he sounds just like the old guy and the best song on there is actually has Troy Sanders singing on it from Mastodon all right that was a good record check damn was there any twerking I haven't seen the videos yet well but I assume there'll be some twerking yes

All right, 23. We'll be twerking later here. See his pants. So I mentioned earlier that there was a band that was being added to my list today, and this is the one. Because this just came out, and it may list higher later. If this was pronounced by our illustrious leader, it would be Angry Cockroach.

But it's actually pronounced Karak Angeren. And it's Frankensteina Stratomantanus. This is... Wait, can we just... Like, what the fuck just happened to George? I have no idea what's happening. Possessed? Yeah. So they're from the Netherlands. They're on Season of Mist. What's the name of the band? Karak Angeren. Or Karak Angeren, you might know what it is. You've seen them. I looked it up. That's how the...

That's how the banana pronounced it. Yeah, yeah. I don't question your pronunciation. But it reads C-A-R-E-C-H. We should ask Matt. Anyway, this is sort of like, to me, it's sort of a mix between Flesh God Apocalypse King, like Symphonic Death, and the campiest of Cradle of Filth Black Metal. I was definitely going to say Cradle of Filth, too. And I kind of like them, too. You know that, actually.

I like their last record. I did know this one was out. They've been around for a while. And they're cool. I know Trevor likes them. I just haven't listened to this yet, George. I listened to the samples and I will get it. So it's on the box. I didn't mention it, but it is up on the box. It just came up. We just got the promo like yesterday. Cause you know, we're not decibel, but I'm also intrigued by the story. I like that. They're doing a Frankenstein thing. That's kind of cool. So yeah, we're not done yet. So yeah, it's pretty cool.

All right, thank you, Matt.

And back to James for number 22.

22, Funeral Leach.

I thought that was a great record.

I think it deserves a little more credit than it gets.

I agree.

The first time I heard that, I thought it was just crushing it.

But yeah, you put it at 22.

I know, I know.

Number 22?

I was like, I'm dropping the ball here.

Yeah, I know. But I have to mention, no crickets yet for you, James. You were worried about this. We know you're out. Oh, wait till we get to the top 10, top 5. There's going to be some crickets. I can't wait for seven hours from now. Hey, Marcus, we've done two and a half picks faster than we did the whole other part of the show so far. It's going to be the first parter episode where we're going to get halfway through and be like, all right, let's call it a night. We'll do it with the rest tomorrow.

George is going to pass out. He's done it before. I'm the cast. He's going to pass out for sure. I have literally fallen asleep. I drank a lot of coffee today in prep. So that's good. You drink water. That's what you really, I have been drinking a shit ton of water today. That's why everyone's peeing so much. Cause I really want to be able to function tomorrow. And Oh yeah. Usually I can't. So I got to drive to New Jersey.

I would not have scheduled that after this. Usually he's arriving after vacation for an episode. I'm sure Will had a lot of choice in that matter. The reason we rented it today but the reason why we're going tomorrow is because of this. You're going to hear about that shit all weekend. I wasted my Saturday for this.

Whenever we do these at the cast. We gotta get a little fucking hammered tonight. No, dude. I am. That'll be awesome with two kids in the car. I know. For five hours. I'm so glad I don't have kids. I just want to mention I'm drinking. The rest of us thank God too. I'm drinking a Sweetwater Sinner's Son Barrel Aged Flavored Imperial Stout. Stout with Jovino coffee and coconut.

In comparison to your classy beer, I have Old Leg Humper. Yes, Old Leg Humper with an image of a dog preparing to, you know. That's my nickname. I'm really sad about that. I'm really sad about that, James, because had we done this in person, you'd have a physical leg humper around pick 13. Who are you kidding? He would have been humped by now, totally. Oh, my gosh. All right.

All right, number 22 for me is Alchemist Sanctuary from Indisciplinarian Records. Number 22? Seriously? Oh, yeah. Yes. I told you I'm going to be in the running for some J Awards. There's a lot of albums that you guys are going to have on your list that I don't have on my list, and this is lower, I'm sure, than yours. And Will's. Progressive Doom, Sinister Riffs, Fat Bottom, Bass Grooves on this thing.

This could very well be the devil's shake your milkshake metal. It's really good. It is good. Just saying. Matt. Yo. Number 22. My only grindcore album on my list. I really don't need to introduce it. It is Chopping Mold. Mold by a magical bear with scalding hot liquid cheese spraying from its eye sockets. Keith D is a musical genius. This is a beautiful album. That song on the album is Shut Your Kid Up.

No, no, no, no. The barbecue. Barbecue. Or what is the other one? Rotten beef? They're all, they all make you want to eat. I'll tell you this. Of all the stuff Keith D has put out between, I always feel like I can't name them because they're all half secret, but this is actually my favorite one. Arctic Sleep, Unearthed Elf, Fight School. I mean, Merino, whatever his name is.

He's got a new album coming out that's going to be all based on the movie Krull. Yeah. Dragons of Krull or something. And he's doing the entire Top Gun soundtrack. Yes. That's going to be awesome. But he's actually right now he's working on songs for my comic book. And there I've heard the two of these doing two songs for the comic. And they're awesome. So this is the new one with the. Yes. By the Horns. And right. Right.

I was going to do a split, but no, I just had Keith D. I just really want to work with him because I just like him a lot. That's awesome. Yeah. So he's doing two songs and I'm going to, I'm going to press it. I'm doing my own record. They were skull fracture records. Nice. We're going to press it. It's going to come out with a comic. It's going to be fucking bad-ass skull fracture. Zero zero one. Yeah, that's right. John, you've got to have, you've got to have a number. Yeah, no, I'm going to put it on there. Cause I've always wanted to do it. Obviously I love metal and write comics and,

I just love Keith Dean. He really was into Voracious, my other comics, so we've just been talking so much. He is so cool. I was going to split, but I just felt like he, I just, you know, I'm just, if you just want to do two songs, we'll do that. I'll press it. I'll pay for that. We'll put it out. So he's got the music mostly done for the, for, for the two songs. So that's awesome. I have to say, Margot San, that you're reading Voracious kind of got me more into comic books. Oh yeah. So, yeah. I mean, I was,

Growing up and stuff I was never in a comic book I have a bunch of the Star Wars ones was never into it but yeah after reading Voracious I'm like well this is fun like I can't wait for the next episode like the next issue to come out yeah thanks I was a comic book junkie back in the 90s and I kind of gave it up at some point because I couldn't afford it because you know I don't do shit halfway and but yes I too

was big on Voracious. Love Voracious. It's incredible. Thanks, man. One of the greatest things I've ever read. And something I'm reading right now is also because of you. Have you never read Penthouse Forum when you were a kid? Yeah. But no, based on a previous episode, I learned about this comic from you. And I am reading it now. And it is fucking awesome. And that is Rachel Rising. That is so good. That's right. I think that was the very first episode I was on with you guys. No, that was.

That was like the, we did the comic episode. Oh, we did the horror. We did the horror thing. It was the temple of void thing. Yeah, that's right. And I mentioned Rachel. I'm like halfway through the series now and holy shit, that is good. I told you. Yeah, man. I'm glad you're enjoying it. It's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. No. So I got, I got a lot of cool stuff in the works. So I'm definitely going to be doing more metal with all my projects now. Really? It's thanks to you guys for being on this podcast. Cause I don't know if I were to

Keith D, you know, and really been able to talk with him. And, you know, he's purchased all the voracious and really likes it. But, you know, there's a lot of other people that have been on the cast that I've been in touch with just because of being on the metalheads, you know. I mean, if you want Chemist to do a song, I'm sure Jay knows him well enough. The song's called Fuck You, Jay. If not, he probably can get Paul Bearer.

So I think

I have no idea where we are

It's me

My 22

My 22 is

Ex Genesis

Slovet Coagula

Death Doom from Sweden and Colombia

Natural Mocked

Is that how you say it? Natural Mocked Productions

It's their debut release

When I first got a taste of the podcast

We were talking about their EP

Back in 2015

I know Jay was big on it back then. I know George, you liked it. Will liked it. Yeah. And it took that long to get a full release for them. It's a solid death doom release. It is good. Is it everybody but Will Collins from Genesis? Yeah, Peter Gabriel is not there. And the guy from Sweden is also in the band in Shine. Oh. Wait, the alternative rock band?

Oh, that's Shiner I'm thinking of. Okay. Enshine. E-N-S-H-I-N-E. Okay. Kind of a melodic death, kind of death doom band. Cool. I like that ex-Genesis album a lot. Considered it for the list. It's got a little bit of a Catatonia feel to it. Oh, it's a different album. Never mind. Never mind. That'll come up a couple picks later. Ooh, John's had a few too many beers. I've only had two. I've just been up since 530. Shit, John. Oh, my God.

I am not. I got a cat, man. She wants to eat. She's going to eat. You know what I'm talking about. I know exactly. You need to feed the pussy. We know. I stay up really late. That's the pussy cat. I'm usually up to 4 a.m. and so I'll feed the cat a snack. You come back around on the cycle. You feed the cat. Jay knows what I'm talking about. Yeah, sugar's got a schedule. You're on it.

Yeah, yeah.

You're on their system.

Because the cat runs the house.

Yeah, no, I don't get a vote on that.

I know every night when it's 9 o'clock, because that's when she gets a snack, and she lets me know it's 9 o'clock.

Think about it.

This is the same living creature that doesn't do shit all day, sleeps, looks out the window, takes a dump, sleeps some more, and you're on this schedule.

But has an internal clock like a fucking computer.

Yeah.

And god damn it

You close that window

At 8 o'clock and not 9

You pissed them off

Motherfucker

I feel bad because we

Almost

Consistently take care of the neighbor's cat

And you know

Sometimes we feed it at 7 o'clock in the morning

Sometimes it's 10 o'clock in the morning

Sometimes we let it back in

And feed it at 8 o'clock at night

Sometimes it's 7 o'clock at night

Sometimes it's like

You know

It's like this cat is all fucked up

You get a pass Will

Because you're not the actual owner

So they're loving anything you give them

Yeah

Speaking of which

Yes

and anything I'm going to give you guys is my number 22. Yep. I may get some shit for this. I don't know if I'm this is one of those picks like I don't know if you're gonna be like glad it's on my list or give me shit. Oh God. It's my number 22. Yeah. So it's a no Black Curse, Endless Wound and Spectral Voice Records from Denver. And I think as though that I mean I can I listen to this and I know this is

I do really like it. It's just that I think when I know that it's guys from Spectral Voice, Blood Incantation, Chemist, and Primitive Man, that I like all those individual bands better than I like this. But I can listen to this and like, this is good. It's not bad. Yeah, no, that's legit. It's really good. I mean, it's number 24 on my list, so you're coming up a little higher. And I actually, I would say I probably like it more than you do. That's wild.

Maybe they'll solidify as they move forward and produce something that you can get. It's dense. I mean, you got to listen to it on headphones. There's a lot going on in that fucking habit. Yeah, there is. It's just dense. Not scatterbrained, but it is. Dude, don't call me dude. Yeah. What number was it again? 22. 22.

I can't believe there's going to be many coincidences here, but mine is X Genesis Solvay at Coagula. So I was kind of, because John and I both thought that was the 22nd best record of the year. We sat there and talked about it. And yeah, that's right. I was like, John, what's your 22? 22. But I agree with John, the EP, this was a little different than the EP though. They've changed a little bit over the course of time. They sound a little different to me, or maybe it's just, it's got a little sharper production on it or something. These guys are somebody to watch out for. It's a good record. Yeah.

My number 22 is Because of UJ. And this is Odraza. That's a good one. And I want to pronounce this rectum. I don't know. It's R-Z-E-C-Z-O-M. But I call it rectum. You just want it to be rectum. Rectum. I already know him. Yeah.

You sent this the other day and I was like, holy shit. Pretty good, right? Yeah, that's pretty good. Interesting fact. I couldn't help but notice that Eson had done the artwork for that record. Really? Yeah. That's just a photograph. Well, maybe he must have taken a photo. In any case, well, that one, obviously, is going to be on this a little bit later, so we can talk about it more then. Obviously. Thank you, Seth. Super fucking solid. Cool.

James number 21.

I had Angerot, the divine apostate.

Oh, yes.

Not crickets, though.

Oh, no, I know it.

I know it.

Okay, good.

It was on Redefining Darkness.

It's got kind of a modern death metal thing going on, which I'm not generally a huge fan of,

but I feel like they take some of the better parts of later years, Morbid Angel,

and put in some kind of symphonic things that are used sparingly enough that it never gets cheesy. You said better parts of later years, Morbid Angel, which is not a thing. I'm sorry. Morbid Angel's last album was good. No, I know. I know. For mid-year and several years. No, I liked the last one. I'm just teasing. I guess with later year, when I say that, I'm trying to veer away from early years.

So you can lump in some of the middle year stuff. Yeah, that's right. Some better parts, Morbid Angel with some of the modern shoe. I thought it was good. Yeah, I remember checking on Anger Rot because I think it was Decibel put out a little, one of the little online articles about Anger Rot and I checked it out and I liked it and then I just kind of forgot about it. I have to just quickly correct it, make a correction from my previous article in this newspaper. Isan did Odraza's logo. Oh, okay. Sorry.

I just didn't let that wrong fact be out there

fake news Jay

I know I know I'm part of the problem

you're not part of the solution

that's for sure

I get that a lot

all right number 21 for me

is Witnesses

Doom 2

nice

self-released

this is a nautical doom album

is an emotional

tour de force propelled by heavy

blood oozing riffs and passionate sung vocals the singer sounds more like an alternative rock front man than a metal guy to me but somehow his style works really well with his music and it was definitely an unexpected lister for me and i i feel like it could move up yeah by the end of the year because i really enjoy spinning in this one you know fiend uh goddess posted that and i was like okay i'll go and he was and he was like i can't stop listening to this so i went and bought it and i like it too

I probably need to hear it a little bit more before I make my final decision on it. But I like the juxtaposition of his voice. I'm not sure I particularly like his voice. I like his voice. It's just it's different from metal. It does not. Well, he's a hired rock. You know, it's like it's a one man band and the singer is like hired or whatever. Oh, I didn't know that. Yeah, no, it's like there's one guy that does everything. But then there's somebody else that came in that did the vocals. And yeah, I mean, it's there needs to be more stuff like that.

I feel the singer elevates it. The emotional quality of his voice really, the music's really good, but I think the emotional quality of the voice. It's got kind of an Ahab kind of thing going on. Minus the voice, but yeah. I picked this up. I thought about putting it on my list. I picked this up because of Fiend 2. And yeah, this may move up for, or even show up for your end, but.

But no, I liked it enough on first listen to pick it up. So yeah, it's definitely cool. Speaking of that, did you get the Ahab live one, which I also didn't know about until you told me about it? No, I don't do live. I ordered that Jan Vinyl because I love Ahab. Because their last album was my number one album. I saw them live here, Valk, in 2017. Got your nipples? Yeah. We saw them live, right, Matt?

It was not exciting, but it was good. All right. Matt, Matty. My number 21 was my album of the month for a particular month. I don't remember which one. And honestly, going into that, I thought I was going to say that or I was going to text it to the group and everybody's like, who is that? And then Markisan texted Vengeful Spectra. This is a self-titled album on Pest Productions.

They are a Chinese folk black metal. It's insane. It's intense. It's awesome. I almost chose that cover as one of my covers too, by the way. Same. It's a really cool cover. That was February. That sounds right. Was it low those many months ago? It was. And Matt and I. It was like three years ago. That was our album of the month. Yeah. And I'm actually a little surprised it's lower for you, Matt, but it will show up again.

John. All right. My 21. I literally just listened to this album last week for the first time. And I've tried to get in this band in the past and I just haven't. For whatever reasons, this album stuck with me. And that is Winterfelleth, The Reckoning Dawn. Atmospheric Black album from England. There's their seventh studio album. Is it metal this time? I have. I'm not even joking there because. Yeah, because the last one wasn't. Yeah, it wasn't.

I haven't heard the new one so I've heard a lot of people say it's their best one they've done in years I've I've I've I've always liked them I'm not in any way mocking them no you I think you would like this because it is back to there and it's it's the only drawback for me on this is that it's constant black metal fast paced drumming yeah and I have to kind of get past that a little bit I have to tell you John though I have never really tried to like this band and this is the first one I like by them

Yeah, it's the same for me. I've listened to stuff like that. It's cool, but I've never gone back. And this one was like, whoa, this is pretty fucking cool. I like this. I almost made my list. I'll check it out. Yeah, full disclosure, it's not on my list, but I think it's one of the best Winterfellith albums I've heard. Yeah, a lot of people that are big fans say it's one of the better ones. Yeah. Will? My number 21, The Astral Void, Earth and Tomb. It's a trad doom metal from Richmond,

They're unsigned. I didn't really, these guys were not on my radar until they played Atlas of, I can't say a few months ago because it wasn't a few months ago, but it was probably, well, it was definitely before the pandemic, but it was one of the last shows at Atlas and they really blew me away, like live. And this is before the album came out, obviously. So it was probably 2019 or maybe early this year they played there. I have to go back and look.

But really, really, really great, well-orchestrated doom metal. Female-fronted, can we say that? No, you cannot say that. It's a band with a female singer. Yeah. Say that. But she's really good. And if you're a fan of Wynhand, which is also from Richmond, you will like this and possibly even more. Because I was slightly disappointed with the last Wynhand album. I thought the edge was kind of taken.

off. But I think Astral Void, the Astral Void picked up there. So check it out. Cool. All right. Mine is one that I sort of publicly wondered if I was going to make this list because I didn't have a lot of time since I'm not smart enough to check the box on a regular basis. Must be Bellwitch. Bellwitch. Yes, Bellwitch and Aerial Ruins, Stygian, Biovolume 1. Profound Lore Records. As we all know,

which went completely experimental last year by slowing down to almost sun o places or sun o speeds and you know repetitive and i can't say this is anything any less repetitive than the um it's very experimental repetitive it is experimental it's not very heavy it's a little heavy it's a little heavy it's sort of like it's a bell wish song then it's an arrow ruin song so they're

We're on stuff. It's not very heavy. But he's the guy who sings all of my favorite stuff. He's on every one of their records. So this is their first official collaboration with them. And I'll just say, A, I like it. And B, it has the weirdest concept that I've ever seen or conceptual choice in that if I am not mistaken, and I don't believe I am, the production gets better and better as the record goes on. It's really strange. It starts out kind of muddy with the voice in the back. And by the time it gets to the end, it sounds something more like Four Phantoms or something like that.

I'm not joking I think they did it on purpose

I'd like to know why because I bet there's a reason

yeah

I felt like it didn't merge the two

no they seem to be

well it almost separated them in the album

and I wish it was merged more

I just got my decimal magazine they give an eight

and that's wrong

fix that James fix it

I want to like it

I want to like it but I just

I saw Bell Witch live

a couple times and the last time I almost fell asleep watching them play and I think this is better because it's got guitar has a little bit more but it's just so slow with not enough emotional content to like bring me in so you know you know if it got an eight that means the writer said this is a 10 hours well if you go by Albert's rule it was an 11 just so you know I mean but I will say this you're not wrong

A very good point you made was it is almost as if it is a Bellwet's track than an aerial ruin track. Yeah, they don't really help, but he sings on everything and I like the guy's voice quite a bit. I do too. Yeah, I agree with that. Yeah, I wish this would be more cohesive and they would make music together almost wait, but is it a split or no, it's a collab. Yeah, okay. It was so how many songs is it? It's like eight songs or something like that maybe less, but I will say this it started its life.

conceptually as a split. And then they were just like, oh, let's just do a collaboration. So I think they were some, some period into the writing of the record. And they were like, oh, let's just, in any case, it made my list. We'll see if it survives. I like the collaboration. I feel like they should keep going with it. And maybe they'll, they'll hit their stride together eventually. Well, and he, again, that guy's been on every Bell Witch record already, but now they're bringing, he was just singing what they told him to sing. Now he's, we'll see.

Yeah, maybe they'll mix it up. But I just, I also, part of this is a nod for their continual need to experiment. I support them in that notion. All right. 21. I can barely read the list that is on my screen at this point. I have to squint. And that is cryptic shift, visitations from Enceladus.

Blood Harvest Records from England. Is it just me, John? Or every time you read Enceladus, don't you think of, what's the Southern California town? I think it's pronounced Enceladus. I say Enceladus, so I was being polite. Isn't there an Enceladus in California? And every time I see it, it's just like... I think it's Enceladus. Enceladus. Okay. Change the emphasis, I guess. Enfasis on the wrong syllable.

Exactly. Back to James for number 20. We are one-fifth of the way done. I think people may have heard of this record. This is why I've been called Temple of Void. Number 20. Wait. Say that again? What number are we on? Can I just go ahead and tell you? Yeah, me too. It's not even on my list. Happy to throw that out there. Let's just say it right now.

I don't know that it's I suspect it might not be on everybody's list. Yeah, those guys are great, you know, and I like their albums, but it's not high on my list. I think it's a great record. There's a lot of great moments. I just gravitated towards some other things. Maybe it'll end up higher later, but I think it's a great record. How is it going to end up higher later if you already put it at number 20? End of the year, Will. He's going to have to come back.

Hey, but hey, but I was speaking of simple avoid. Thank you, daddy. You're welcome. Simple avoid. I mean, they're no chemists, right? Am I right, guys? Jay, do you have any friends? Other than us? Just us. That's debatable. No, you got me. It's like work. I feel like we grow apart every episode, Jay.

What are we on? 20? Yeah. Me. Oh, yeah? Yeah, no. Oh, wow. James just went. So my number 20 is Like Rats, Death Monolith. Nice. I think Will had this on his list already. This is from Hibernation Records, Death Metal. They clearly spent a lot of time in the gym for this record. Picture He-Man muscles in musical form. That's how fucking muscular this album is.

is a steel bundle of power of grayskull guitar riffs and i love it

awesome

man i have the power

charge left us he's probably laying face down there by his chair you're up matt or vomit

my number 20 is the first band name that i've made up i decided to call the band

Svartkunst. And I thought I would go with the album title of Black Waves. And the album title... Wait, what'd you call me? Black Waves. Svartkunst. You know? It's like if you Svart and you're constipated, Svartkunst. Yeah, no, of course. Hey, hello. Oh, yeah. Oh, Svartkunst. Yes. So when I made up the album name... Kunst means artist in German. This might be Swedish, because I put them in Sweden. Oh, in Sweden just means cunt. Okay. Fair enough.

I was watching a lot of X-Files, so I called the label Trust No One Records. They're a blackened death band. It's a one-man project from Sweden. Sounds a lot like Behemoth, minus the children's scene. Check them out. Minus the children's scene. It's funny. I was reading a review on Angry Metal Guy, and I can't remember what

I was reading about, but they were saying that it's like, this album's like Behemoth without the Children's Choir. Really? Yeah. I have to go back and look it up. It's something on my list because I actually went back and just, I think it was early this morning, I was going back and having a beer at nine o'clock in the morning and going through Anger Metal Guy. I'm like, I'm just wondering where my albums fall on Anger Metal Guy.

And one of them was talking about

It's like Behemoth, but better

And there's no children's choir

That's right up your fucking

You don't remember what your album was?

You haven't said it yet?

No, I haven't said it yet

I also remember reading that

Was it Andoceans?

No, it's not Andoceans

There's one other one that really sounds like Behemoth to me this year

Who was it?

Will loves his kids, but he hates kids singing on metal albums

Fair. Fair. I mean, in my world, nothing else matters. Yes. Good job, Matt. Children singing. I know I sound holier than that when I say it. It's like a wolf and man, dude. Exactly. Are we really just dropping titles from one album? Is that what we're doing? Yeah. The Black Album, yeah. I saw there was a remaster came out of that one. I was kind of curious to see what it sounds like.

Maybe George has heard it. I don't know. This is really weird. I don't know any of these song titles. Right now, I feel like the gods have failed. I don't know. I don't know what you guys are talking about. We are the pod that failed. I don't know the names of these songs either or the songs or the albums of these bands, but all I know is I'm having flashbacks of some bad experience in my life where I may have thrown a cassette tape out the window.

Somewhere between South and North Carolina. I thought you were going to say Baghdad. Yeah, I was thinking that too. Don't talk that way about meeting James for the first time. Well, that's ridiculous. Harsh. Hey, where are we? Me, my number 20. Rocket. So this is the band that reminds me a little bit of Catatonia that I said two picks earlier. And that is the new one from Soliloquium.

I'm sorry. He's a good dude. He's a good dude. He is. Should you have opened that beer, George? Dude. No. Dude. Since you brought it up, I just opened up a hoof-hearted American Solera double-mashed Imperial Stout with vanilla. All right. I just want to say, John, that I am so glad that you mentioned that band. It is not on my list.

I will not put that on my list is because I remember I had it on my list at some year end or mid-year and even if I'm sober I can't pronounce the name of the band. I remember completely not being able to pronounce that name of the band several times. No he's a cool dude. He is. The main guy from that. I wasn't on my list and that's this is one of my I wouldn't call it a list buster but it snuck in at the end. I listened to the whole

I was like wow I actually kind of dig this I'm a fan of a certain period of Catatonias

not their new stuff it reminded me a little bit of that and so made my list I like that he he isn't just a

musician but he digs metal too and he'd like write stuff about like other bands yeah and so yeah he's very he's a fan as well as a musician exactly he's a very cool dude yeah

Will.

Sorry, I was just looking up the

the Angry Metal Guy review where he

says it's better than children singing.

And I found it.

And it just happens to be my number

20 pick, Blaze of Perdition,

the Howering of Hearts from Poland.

Nice.

And now, so this is where Angry Metal Guy says,

Yeah, it's kind of like Behemoth without children singing way better. Yeah, this is some amazing Polish progressive blackened death metal. I'm not sure how to explain it, but this was not on my list just a few days ago. And I remember there's a couple bands like this that were not, they were like, oh, my honorable mentions are like, I like it. And then I started listening to it when I was cutting my grass and it's like, wow,

Wow, this is phenomenal. So yeah, Blazer Perdition, The Hiring of Hearts, check it out. It's really, really good. And I hope it makes someone else's list at some point, because I think it's worth it. And if it's not on your list, check it out for your end. In your end. Yes. All right, that brings it to me. Steven Marcus is not here, because I know he liked this record as well this year, but I bet you he's going to say it at some point.

This is really just old school straight in your face death metal. Nothing fancy about it but it's got cool riffs and it's a very good listen. It's a nuclear winter and redefining records. Redefining darkness rather. Anyway, Plague, Portraits of Mind was an early contender for one of the better death metal records of the year. Some other good stuff has come out since then but it's definitely

on my list quite handily. What number are we on? 20. Number 20. Okay. I'd like to think that that's going to be higher for you. I know Marcus will probably say it later. That was Plague if you weren't here for that. Oh, that's funny. It's probably the second best death metal record out this year. Did you say Plague? Yeah. Okay. But you know what? Everybody likes something different. I'm glad it's still on Jay's list. Yeah, for sure. There's some death stuff I like that definitely was higher rated than that for me this year, but it's great.

I dig it and by the way another one of the very cool cover and I'm trying to remember what that cover reminds me of there's another record requiem I hardly know you I had to work pretty hard for that one but you get it yeah Georgie number 20 indeed uh ex genesis solve a et coagula comes up again it's interesting I thought John and I were the only ones are going to have

I think Marcus already did have it too right? No I haven't had it. Okay. Nice. Haven't had it. We hardly knew it. Is it is it's death doom right? Yeah. Yeah. I mean but it's smooth. It may come again.

I can hit the ball. James, take us into the next section. Number 19. Those pictures are still faster than the first part of the podcast. Surprisingly. We're only over three hours at this point. Yeah, just three hours. That's it. You did tell James this is going to be a long one, right? He knows. I was like, dude, I'm going to give you something that's going to be really long. I mean, if he listens to the podcast, he knows it's at least going to be long.

I sent him Will's email. Wait a minute. So this show isn't like 30 minutes long? I had no idea. What he doesn't know is that like we edit like 12 hours out of it. In every episode, there's probably at least an hour or two hour, hour and a half that is edited out. Yep. I have noticed that because I've noticed times where you said like, oh, we're this many hours in and I've looked at the, you know, the kind of. It's like half an hour. Yeah.

Right now, right now we are at three hours and 11 minutes, but it's probably like two hours and 45. I'll keep things moving then. Next pick is Vader, Solitude and Madness, Nuclear Blast. I think in the last episode or the one before, some people said some middling things about Vader. I think they're phenomenal. I think every record's great and totally worth your time. Vader's awesome. Yeah. It's like your father. Their EP last year. Your dark father.

than the new album.

The EP last year was amazing to me.

Yeah, that was good.

I remember thinking it was snappy.

The last album, the full album, I really liked.

Empire, was it Empire?

I really liked that one.

And this one's pretty good.

Let's see.

I'm at 19.

My number 19 is Fuck Matt, Tombs, Monarchy of Shadows.

This is an album.

I'd fuck Matt.

Don't tread on me.

Matt, you're getting laid. Don't try to me. That was supposed to be my fucking movie with the guy with the I'd Fuck Me. You know. Sure. Thank you. Yeah, I think Tombs really excelled. I'd Fuck Matt. They excel at mixing black metal in a cauldron with a sludge post-metal and death, stirring it up and pouring it out as high octane fuel. It's a short record.

But it's badass all the way through. And it's really good. Cool. Matty. 19 for me is a band called Caustic Wound. The album is called Death Posture, coming out via Profound Lore. It's the first album from a U.S. death grind band featuring members of, excuse me, Cerebral Rot, Motor Ferrum, Magrudergrind.

Magruder grind? Yep. It's been out for a while. No, I know the album. Oh, sure. I just didn't know Magruder grind. Yeah, I don't know if it was X or X. Yeah, it's been out since 2019. It's been out for a while. It's been out for a while. No, I mean, just straight up death grind. Really good stuff. Cool. Hey, John. My 19. I'm a little surprised

I'm surprised this is so low but I actually don't think this album is as great as their previous albums and TR I'll mention him for the first time tonight the metal butler he would be disappointed in me because I got him into this band and now he's like a huge fan and that's Sorcerer lamenting of the innocent I like this album but it's I don't think it's anywhere near as good as the crowning of the fire king

I had that as number two when that came out in 2017. It's a solid album. It gets a little long. They ventured a little more into just regular metal as opposed to traditional doom. He's an amazing singer. He sounds great. It's a good album. It's just hoping for a little more. Yeah, I remember surprisingly liking this because I'm just not into the more, to me,

The Sorcerer kind of borderlines onto that power metal, like borderline from Doom. And usually I'm just not into that. You liked their last album a lot more, I think, Will, if you listened to it. Yeah, I might. But I did like this one. It's solid. Spoiler, it's not going to make my list. But I did enjoy listening to it. It's a good album. I totally agree with John. You know, the last album was just phenomenally good. And they made a conscious decision to make this one different than the other ones.

the one before. It's a little more streamlined, don't you think? It's very much more streamlined. I wish they would have built off the last album a little bit more. Not that it's a bad release at all. No, it's good. It's just not as good. Now we're closest. I agree. I think they reached a great height in the last album, and I wish they would have kept elevating. So we'll see what they do on the next album, but it's a solid release. Funny to say, because this band's been around since the 80s, but their first album didn't come out,

2015.

Right.

That's crazy.

There's a lot of bands like that, John.

Yeah.

They do like, they do like singles and demos singles or something.

And then wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

You mean like the best releases of the year?

Oh, okay.

Yeah.

They end up being the best releases.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Cool.

All right.

My number 19.

I don't know how to pronounce this correctly, but I know how to pronounce the name of the

album, which is realm of ash and blood from Finland, 20 bucks spin.

The name of the album is either Solothus or Solothus. I call it Solothus. I have no idea. I call it not on my list. Somebody's drinking. Are you playing the part of Will tonight? I am an asshole. Thank you. He's an asshole.

A-S-S-H-O-L-E. Sorry, Dennis Lee. Oh, boy. That sounds like a hot dog down a hallway. Anyway, go ahead, Will. Somebody put a dick in that guy's mouth. Jesus. No, no, just a dick. Now I almost do the homoerotic stuff just to make Markisan uncomfortable. Yeah, that's probably true. Hey, Will. Solifus is a really good album. I'm actually surprised.

It's that low on your list. You know, my issue for me, I was gonna ask you guys, I love the music. The vocals are just so buried in kind of, it's not even guttural. It's just, I, the vocals kind of killed this album for me. And I love the music. I think the music's awesome. I just feel like if the vocals are a little more, I can hear them a little better, a little clearer, it would, it would rise a lot higher for me. Yeah. I don't have that issue, John, but now I'm gonna have to listen to it again and see if it's a little bit buried.

That was my issue with it, that's all. But I love the music. I think it's great. Hey, Matt, what's with the... That's me and Mike from Tombs. I thought it was you and Jay. I've got that same picture of me and Mike in it. We'll see. I'll put mine up. Oh, fuck you guys. We're posting pictures with people. Fuck you. Oh, yeah. I mean, I'm going to win this battle right now. Fuck you guys.

I'm winning this battle. Is it me? Is it me or did James and Matt, they kind of look like it could almost be brothers. They have similar features. Maybe. Matt has more hair. Matt has more of a flare on his nose. But they have similar features and similar bone structure. I mean, you guys should totally hook up and have sex for sure. I'm trying to talk about family and of course Will goes to that. Yeah, that went south.

Did you not see the pictures John and I we had a baby that's that's our John look at your hair

Really that's the thing that's about this picture William is so teeny all I see is John and then I see you like broken up

Yeah, exactly. I don't know what's going on with my when I do virtual backgrounds. It does not turn out. Well, it's good

No, I see Will and John's. That's my and John's little baby. That's your baby. I love my two dads. He is a handsome little. He's a handsome little. I'm going to have some problems with him in high school. I'll tell you that. George is choking the chicken. And Matt painting Bob Ross. Happy trees. It's going off the rails.

You guys hold on you've met you got Bob. She's just like, how are we? We're only at like 18. Oh my God. Wait a minute. I haven't even hit 19 yet. You put, you put up, you put up. I'm texting you like, I have you sold this. Have you sold this? Yeah. Where are you on this? I'm like, Oh my God. Where's the back cover? Oh, wait, I gotta, I gotta do this. You put up Bob Ross. I got to quote Bob Ross. I got this actually on my laptop. Yeah. This is your world right here. And there's no right or wrong.

As long as it makes you happy and doesn't hurt anybody else, then it's fantastic. Right on. My top 25 right there. That's our list right there. There's Bob Ross. Mic drop. Where the hell are we on the list? 19, Jay. 19. Jay, 19. 23 and me. Here we go. Alchemist. There it is. Inter-Arma-esque after a fashion. What? It's got a little Inter-Arma to it.

You can hear the vocals, George. I'll give you that much. 19. Wait, what was the album? Alchemist, Sanctuary. Sanctuary. Sanctuary from the law. And I'll be all right. I don't have to describe that much. It'll hit a few lists. It was on my list.

I have a second, but I know it'll be on Will's list. Yeah. Well, it's going to happen. Maybe John, maybe John. You might have alchemist. Nobody can say you're the only one who would know. Well, there you go. Nice. Nice, dude. I'm, I'm going to Trump you, but it's going to be a photo of you. Oh, that's good. But I just want to tell you my mic from tomb says hi to your mic from tomb.

He doesn't quite have the nose.

So for the audience who's listening, everyone is changing their zoom backgrounds to bragging about how much they look like or want to have.

Mike from Timbs basically. Yeah, Mike.

I said that just to make you uncomfortable.

And we're just playing with this chicken.

But I also want to point out that Willis said the audience is listening twice.

And it's my favorite Steve Vai song.

I think you're at number 19, George.

I think we are.

And that would be Shards of Humanity, Cold Logic.

Nice.

United States, Unspeakable Acts Records.

I like that.

Yes.

That's a great one.

I really like that one.

That's all I've got to say about that.

James, number 18.

18.

18, Haunt. Haunt, wow. Yeah, and not normally my wheelhouse. I just find the Haunt excels from a lot of the things that are similar and real catchy. I want to like them. They haven't done the right thing for me yet. I would try because that should be in my wheelhouse. There's a couple bands that I know Decibel loves and Haunt is one of them. They're probably Spirit Adrift is the other, but there's just something about

those two bands, I just, I know, and I, I worship decibel, but I just, there's something about them. I just cannot get into. I don't know what it is. I see it. I see it. I just don't, it just doesn't, it's not right for me. You know, I, I, and I know you represent decibel James. So opinion of every single writer that we work with of all of these myriad people. Yes. I represent all of them. At least here.

The Art Director, everybody told me all of them. But no, this was one that, the first EP I thought was really cool, and it's not, again, my normal cut, but I love it. I think it's great, and I think that it's worth spending 30 minutes to check out, even if you're not a fan of that style. 30 minutes? Made it just in Under the Wire, then, for the Reign of Blood rule, if it's truly a 30 minute. Oh, no, it's longer than that, but I mean, like... But you're like, if you can't take it in 30 minutes, then get the fuck out.

I mean, sit down and check it out on Bandcamp. If you're not into it, you're not into it, whatever. But I think it's a great record. I think it's really fun. I think it's really catchy and it's totally worth revisiting. A lot of people are really into it to haunt. I've given it a shot a few times and it's just not my cup of tea. And all their records basically sound the same too, which I wish they would do a little bit more. I would disagree with that. I think that there are major stylistic changes between album to album. But in the interest of keeping things moving, I will not. Who are you with that?

Yeah, I don't want to be bored by that. Also, it's wrong. That was like, that was a fuck you, but no. All right. Who's next? Hey, that's me. No, that's me. You're last. What are you doing? That's me and John BT right there. Yeah, Markson's definitely different. My number 18, a much better record.

Helfro. Self-titled Season of Mist Records from Iceland. Did you say Helfro? Helfro-ed? Helfro. I don't know that one. No, you wouldn't. Cricket it. Cricket it, George. Do it. Do it. Yes. At least people know who Haunt are. Well, of course. Those people drink Rolling Rock. You're never going to win in a battle.

Hellfro plays very creative Icelandic black metal that will make you feel like you're lost on an ice planet and your face might freeze off if you don't make a meat tent out of a tauntaun. But you've got a Hellfro, so you'll stay warm. Yes. I recommended this one to Matt because I know he likes black metal a lot. I think it's one of the better black metal releases of the year. So it probably won't get as much play as some of the other ones because

You know, Decimal doesn't go as deep as I do. It's a great album. Gauntlet thrown, bitch. Matt. I want to change the mood of this right now. Just look at that photo. That's beautiful. Could Jay and I look any more badass? And also like members of the water. I'm trying to figure out what is going on there.

I see the handsome guy on the left.

You wanna.

Who is in the.

You wanna what?

And why is Mike.

Mike.

Hill.

Right.

I'm more accurate.

Put down to be white.

Who,

who is the guy in the middle?

Since I can't see him past that guy's nose.

Mine.

He's being eclipsed from both directions.

Yeah.

Me and Matt got to go nose to nose. That is one of the greatest pictures of you guys of all time. That's probably the most I've looked in my life. Absolutely. Actually, it is weirdly a good picture. I mean, is that actually you, Jay, on the right? It's weirdly a good picture. You guys normally look like shit. Yeah, you guys normally look like a bunch of no-talent ass clowns, but man, you guys look good there. People wonder why we go five, six hours. Here's an example of it right here. Us dissecting a picture.

You know what's funny? This is exactly what happens. So my son, when he was doing homeschooling for the last three months, they would have two Zooms a week. And the kids, their six-year-olds, would spend most of their time just talking about people's Zoom backgrounds. And that's exactly what we're doing. We're like a bunch of fucking six-year-olds. It's hard to listen to six-year-olds. Well, we didn't need a pandemic to be six-year-olds. We've been six-year-olds the whole time.

Yeah, you're totally, totally playing us up there. I think my sense of humor has changed in 26 years. I mean, I've had those Zoom calls in my house too, and I just remember thinking, like, listening, like, we are way better than you guys are at this. That's the point, we're not! Can I just say that, you know, I have a hard time discerning between podcasts and work meetings.

meetings because I will be on a work call going, well, on the script it says, I mean, the agenda. I mean, wait. Oh, you should be an expert. You should be like, oh, I can get through this. Well, I do both. You know, I make agendas for work meetings and scripts for podcasts and I fuck it up between the two. So. I've never got a script for this one. No, not this one. There's scripts? You guys have scripts? Yeah. It's just bulleted.

lists of items that we're going to talk about.

George was right.

There's actually more of an agenda.

It is.

Yeah.

We call it a script.

Yeah.

But we have bands on.

Never call it at once.

But I have been on work calls and almost said podcast stuff.

It's almost the exact same thing.

So you're not only podcasting a bunch of turds, you work with a bunch of turds too.

Except that I don't drink on my work calls.

Why not?

I do. I should. Why would you not? I'm married. And? And? That's enough. You clearly are not sneaky enough. Yeah. And yet I am, but not that. Short Leash for George. Yeah. All right. Who's next? No idea. Number 18. My 18. The band is called Short Leash. I'm kidding. The band has already been named. I listened to it once.

So I was like, yeah, this is fine. And then when I was kind of doing the scan, it definitely struck me a little bit more. The band is Obsidian Tongue, Volume 3. Nice. Cool. Wait, did someone mention that already? Yeah, I did. John did, yeah. Oh. I'm actually surprised Matt had it higher than John, because John talked a lot about how much he loved that. Likewise. Marcus, the funny thing is, if I went back now, they would not be my January album of the month. You know when that happens, right? It happens.

like everything on this mid-year is everything out the window probably yeah yeah these lists are going to get obliterated this year if we get albums in the second half okay okay fair enough though we do know a few that are coming i know of 10 so i you know james knows all james already has everything with the last year yeah yeah no that's not true at all yes it is well i'm actually really jealous because you guys i just got the new decibel the day george got it i think because he posted it on

And Necrot was reviewed. And I'm really looking forward to that. So you guys have had that. They've been pipping that album for ages, it seems like. Yeah, I love Necrot. Yeah. Necrot. The band's great. Hey, Jay, did you and I interview them? Yeah, yeah. He called me a poser because I missed their set the night before. I think you and I were the ones that interviewed them. Will was there for a minute, too, because we'll give him shit about having a kid.

a baby on their cover.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, that's right.

They cut our interview short.

That's a crazy cover, yeah.

Do you remember why they cut our interview short?

Why they were like, we're out of here?

No.

Because Incantation just went on, and they wanted to see Incantation.

Yeah.

I think we would have cut a short, too.

Yeah, we would.

Yeah, we would.

That's a legitimate reason.

Yeah.

All right.

No, I do remember those guys getting annoyed with me when I said that.

I'm like, I got kids.

No, but they, rightfully so.

I thought it was a bold question. I was like, all right. When you have, yeah. It's a good question. Someday when you have children. Can I add that I know about? That's a joke from the 70s, right? Drop the mic. Meanwhile, back at Jay's harem. It's the angel over my shoulder. All right.

Yeah. All right. Nobody's going to care. That's cool. Because I think I'm the only one who has this on their list. Green Carnation, Leaves of Yesteryear, Progressive Metal Rock, their first album in 14 years. Wait, did you say rock or metal? Progressive Metal and Rock. It is. There are other metal lists. Yeah. They still have metal, but they've kind of... I just heard the word rock, and I was just going to throw out a Clutch reference. Well, we've had Clutch mentioned like 19 times already.

So I mean, it's not like it's gonna be a big deal. James is clutch. They're definitely heavier than clutch. Put it that way. Oh, no, they're not. That is not true. No, they are not. Really? All those acoustic parts? Oh, no, you didn't. No, no, I like reincarnation. Okay, okay. Absolutely not. You're talking about the Black Sabbath cover on the album, which by the way, is actually, Jay, I don't know how you feel about that. They cover Solitude from Black Sabbath.

I haven't heard that's on there yes yes it is I fucking talking about that that is like one of my favorite Sabbath song yeah they actually do an interesting version of it I need to listen to that is a really good album it was very close to making my list it's not on my list oh really you like yeah cool I really liked it it's a great comeback album for them you know the funny thing is is they actually knew it would be on yours they redid a song from the first album which I was a little surprised but it's it's a cool new rendition of it

No, I mean, I remember you talking about them too, when we were talking about the most anticipated albums and you put reincarnation because they hadn't put out an album in a long time. I'm like, man, I got to go back and listen this out to this band because I've never really heard anything from. So I think it's a really good progress. They were the pre in the woods. Then they were the post in the woods. And George and I saw them at power power and they were fucking awesome. Yeah. Yeah. So light of darkness, light of.

It's amazing. 60 minutes, one song. So they played a single. Yeah. Yes. Yes. That's 60 minutes single. It's a single. Yeah. Yeah. Great. Yeah. All right. Speaking of singles, it's like eight different grindcore albums in one. So yeah. And like a thousand times better than haunt.

You gotta give him a little shit. When we see James, it's like gonna be like a hug fest because he's having so much of what he's heard for so long. Now he's getting it. There's also gonna be the list of people that get a media pass and the people that actually... Hey James, I'm down with you not liking that 60 minute song. I'm cool. I'm cool, man. Clutch! Where are we here? I have no idea. My number 18. God, I had something I

I really wanted to say based on the last

conversation.

Blah, blah, blah.

Let's see to a beer.

He's not having a beer.

Jay doesn't drink beer in this podcast.

When are you guys going to figure that out?

Jay is sober.

I am drunk.

A good way.

We're going to get there.

Jay's going to be playing Xbox during the podcast.

Yeah.

My number 18 has been mentioned before.

Cosmic putrefaction.

Horizons Toward Witch Splendor Withers. Yes. Love it. And the iVoidhanger records, when I mentioned earlier that I have one on my list, and that was it. This is absolutely spectacular, splendid death metal. Have you guys, I have to ask you this, have you guys listened to it on headphones yet? That's the only way I've listened to it. Because there's a lot going on that you don't hear just on speakers. You've got to bring it in a little closer. Yeah. I mean, I listen,

All the albums that are on my list and albums that are not on my list listen to headphones. You listen to all the albums on your list. That is a good thing. Oh boy. George. Boy George. You said it right. Boy George. Who's running this cast again? Better to listen to them than not listen to them and be on your list. No, I mean, yeah, I always listen to headphones because you definitely pick up something that you might not have heard of before.

I like to listen on the stereo and headphones. Me too. And I mentioned that since I've done so much exercising stuff in the lockdown and all that, I'm listening to headphones between three and five hours a day right now. It happened for months, you know, and I'm listening to old music. I'm hearing new shit in, which I'm a headphone guy anyway. So I totally agree. Totally agree. These all deserve some headphone lessons. I find myself that I wake up almost every morning around five o'clock in the morning.

And it's hard for me to fall back asleep. And I, and so I just put my flack files on my phone and I just, um, I just, um, here's a question for James. So James, obviously you work at decibel, you guys get a ton of promos. How many do you listen to? Do you listen to everything that you get in or? Uh, well, to, um,

kind of shaped that question. I don't decide any content for anything. So I can go through and check out some stuff that I think is interesting and send word over and say like, hey, I think this is cool. In terms of the amount of stuff that Albert gets through, I think there's, it would be impossible for anyone to listen to all of that stuff. To listen to the full record of all of the promos he gets. I think it would be absolutely impossible. Even what we get as the one that gets the stuff, I don't listen to it.

a tenth of what we get.

Yeah.

You don't even share a tenth of what we get.

No, I do not because it's impossible.

George, you don't want to listen to that other stuff.

I mean, I get like 20 albums a day.

But for James, is it all available to you?

How do you decide what you're going to listen to or not?

For me, is it a question for me personally?

For you, yeah.

For the magazine as a whole.

For you personally, yeah.

I try and get a balance of that.

I'll check in for the promos on the different labels or things that catch my attention, things that I think are interesting. Say, for example, Green Carnation. That's an interesting name that I knew in yesteryear, so I would check that out. And then versus if there's a new record from, say, Tank Crimes, I really like that label, so then I'll check in for that. And then also try and balance it from the different things that some of the different writers are excited about, and particularly the ones that I know my tastes line up with.

So it's like you're on a podcast. Yeah, sure. Except he's got access to much more. It's like eight months before us. I only say that because I find myself gravitating toward certain people in the podcast for certain genres. If Jay, for example, says, hey, this is a really good album and it's in this genre.

I'm like I'm probably gonna like this or or

Marker San or or when Matt makes one up I'm like I'll try and look for it

yeah I think also when we when we get something that's a big

a priority title that's you know a cover consideration thing like say

enslaved of course and I'm really excited for that kind of thing and even if

it's something that I'm not you have heard all of and we have not

Again, I never received this record. Albert had the record, of course, before he assigned a writer to do the cover story, which was months ago. Yeah. Cool. There's going to be a cover story on them. Can you give us an opinion? A brief opinion? Yeah. What do you think of it, James? Oh, it's phenomenal. I thought it was almost similar to the incantation where I was saying that I liked the last couple of records, but I thought this one was better. I thought it was really interesting. There's one song in particular that's tremendously out of the North.

for them that I thought was really cool. Okay, cool. That's something I look forward to. Several of us had E as our record of the year. Well, me and George for sure. Maybe Matt. I had it in my top ten. Yeah, so I mean, well, we're all the same fence anyway. I wasn't on the podcast at that time. But you maybe would have. But I love, I mean, obviously you guys know I love Enslaved. Enslaved. That's cool, man. We're looking forward to that. By the way, that was one of the best features you guys have done in a long time, I thought, was the Enslaved one.

That cover story? Yeah. It was interesting, too, looking at it because Albert was, you know, he got the record early and we were talking about it and then he went back and he was like, wow, every record that they've put out since this magazine has been in print was in our top albums of the year list. Sure. And then, you know, just looking and saying like, oh, this is a long time coming. We probably should have done this before. And, you know, you look at it and say, okay, yeah. And they've changed a lot since the early days. Yeah.

You know when we did our top 50 from the last 50 years and they were a band in particular I know with me where we were all like Sabbath came up a bunch of stuff and I looked at it and I say this a lot but I was like you know what Enslaved is like my favorite fucking band because I chose them so many times. Or they were second yeah. I didn't realize it as much. I knew I was a big fan when I was younger I chased down all the records and then when this record was coming up looking back and realizing like on every single record I can say like oh that song is amazing that song is amazing.

It's still a good record, but this particular song, every record, I can say, oh, there's this amazing song that I listen to very regularly. I think when we did the top 50 albums for the last 50 years, it really crystallized how much we love certain bands. And Slave is definitely one of them. Highly represented on that list. Slave on that list is pretty crazy. Like maybe Second to Black Sabbath or something like that. I mean, it was that frequent, or maybe After Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Yeah. So I'm looking forward to that.

feature yeah yeah oh incidentally uh james i ed loose who does the the negative images at the end i went to high school with that guy no way really yeah yeah i love that guy and he did a cover for voracious like a variant cover too so no he's really amazing yeah yeah yeah my so my six-year-old son and you know you see when when you see those negative images with ed loose there's some pretty gory crazy stuff in there that is my as soon as i get a decibel my son is like did

you get a decibel and that's the first thing he looks at he loves him he doesn't he gives no fucks about how gory weird whatever he loves it yeah absolutely loves it and we could get him on the podcast anytime ed loose is uh he's great you know i i liked him in high school i didn't have a lot of friends in high school but i knew of him i knew he drew and we'd become friends wait you didn't have a lot of friends in high school i find that shocking no you know i i basically stayed at home i played a lot of sports i was a big sports hero there but i didn't hang out

with any of the sports guys, because I was a metal guy, and I was into comics and stuff like that. So I was pretty much a loner, even though I played a lot of sports. I don't mean to alarm anybody, but George has actually officially gone to bed at this point. I know, and I was just talking about Ed Luce, because Ed Luce would be a good guy to have on the podcast, too, because he's done a lot of cool comics, and obviously he does the decibel negative image, and so there he is. All right, and I'm next. I'm moving us on.

First, I want to just do this to be my last fun background, but it's a shout out to Matt for the Iwata picture, which was just how much I loved that set at Decibel. And I actually stood next to Matt, I believe, when that set happened. I remember I was pouring beer and I was watching it all the way from the back, but that was an amazing set. And they were like one of the first bands to play one evening. It was not late in the night. It was early. It was early. And I walked out of there a fan of those guys.

I went and bought everything after that and I listened to him still. I just remember looking at UJ and both our jaws were like. Oh, I was I think I had tears in my eyes. That was that good. You know, for some dudes in hoods, they have a tremendously interesting performance. Yeah. And I think they're working on something new right now. I follow on Facebook. They had a new single. Yep. Or there was a single even. Okay, great. I thought they announced the album, didn't they? Yeah, they just announced the album. Yeah. I remember seeing them from the upper level. I think I was waiting.

to get enslaved to sign shit?

When they were playing?

No, it wasn't then because Matt and I stood in that line too.

But it might have been.

Well, no, it could have been.

You might have been in the line behind us.

In any case, my number 18.

Let's get us through this.

Oh, let's do it.

Yeah.

What, do you have lists?

Yes.

Yeah.

I think I'm the first one to say this one outside of cover art.

I don't think I'll be the last one.

This is on the same label.

This is a good label now out of, I believe it's out of Germany, Van Records or Vaughn Records?

Yeah, Vaughn.

They've got Sulfur Eon is on this label. So there's Slate, who I like very much. The band Will and I like Mysterious Ways of Repetitive Art. What's that band? Chapel of Disease. Phenomenal. Yeah, Chapel of Disease. Anyway, Necrovault, Totenzug, Totenzug, Festering, Peregrination. I have two on my list that kind of scratch the tomb.

The Necro Vault is one of those. So Necro Vault. I'm going to really enjoy this record. Tube Vault. Say Scratch is the Tube Vault itch. Tube Vault. Because you do get a itch for the Tube Vault. What number are we on? George, can you do your 18? I think I can. Does someone else have to do it for you? You never know. Seriously, I am like squinting to try and read this shit on my screen. You can make it bigger. You're right, I could. Number 18.

From Greece.

On Transcending Obscurity Records.

Via Spain.

Death Courier Necrotic Versus.

I listened to that a bunch of times.

Because it's good.

Didn't make it less well.

No.

All right.

Zoom.

17.

Let's make this bigger.

James.

Do it, James.

17.

I was writing down that death courier. I missed that. I hadn't heard that. So good. So good. I think I heard that from decibel, by the way. Oh, I'm going to check that one out then. Dark Fortress, Spectres from the Old World. I'm a fan. I had missed this band previously. I'd seen the name around. I knew that a lot of people liked them. I didn't own any of the records in the past. Trypticon Jr. No. No.

Yeah, it's more on the melodic black metal side. I thought it was on Century. Same dude, though. Wait a minute. My notes, they've been around since 94. Oh, wait, wait, wait. They have V-Center from Trypticon. That might be the connection. Anyway, I thought this record was really cool. I wasn't a fan previously. I think it's a little worth checking out. James for the win.

What's the name of the album? Spectres of the Old World. I remember this now. I tried looking this up and it is not on Bandcamp. No, because it's Century Media. That's why. Sony will not put shit anywhere unless it's on a Sony platform. You need to look it up though, Will. I think you're going to like this record. I think I remember trying to find this because somebody put this out there, whether it's one of us or whatever I follow,

I tried looking for it.

Yeah.

It's hard to find.

Yeah.

It's not on Spotify.

Well,

okay.

Very cool.

Yep.

I almost guarantee it'll be on your,

your end.

Well,

if you,

if you get your hands on it in one way,

shape or form,

that's a good release.

It wouldn't be the first time somebody call my rear end,

the dark fortress.

I see.

Like,

I literally say this stuff.

I just want to see Markisan space. Like the face he just made was the greatest. Do you even know you're saying it? Markisan is my center square. If you've ever done like a gif on like Facebook Messenger of Ryan Reynolds doing the like, that's what Markisan just did.

Yeah, it makes perfect sense to me. Yeah, I'm all in. I think Jay just said he's all in. He's looking for reactions. I am. Mark aside, you are my center square. I'm a very animated person. You're Will's Paul Lynn right now. He's Paul Lynn. That's what he's doing. He's just trying to get a reaction out of me. It was perfect. That's why I love it. You know, and I appreciate it. Holy shit, there's a rainbow.

What? There's a lot of rainbows in Hawaii. I saw a double rainbow the other day. Actually, well, in Honolulu, it actually does not rain very much, Sean, at all. There's certain parts of this island that it does rain a lot, but in Honolulu, I hardly get any rain here. Have you enjoyed your out? It rains for like five minutes. Like, wow, it's back to no rain. It's awesome, isn't it? I wouldn't even say it's five minutes. It's like 30 seconds of rain. Yeah, I know. And then you're like, I feel good.

I'm good let's go yeah I love it yeah

um all right uh well I just want to say uh Jay mentioned van records and Atlantean codex is on that and that was my favorite yeah uh album from last year they have a lot of stuff nobody likes them but it's also I don't understand I know I know I'm teasing all their stuff is vaguely experimental stuff too like they get bands that I'm not all of it so like yeah I don't like self-review

- Decimal hasn't even reviewed Atlantic Codex. It's just like - That's not true. - I'm normally dumb to me. - That is absolutely not true. - They didn't do the last album. - I cannot say about the last one in particular, but the one - I can't. - All right, what's your pick? - I love this. I love Decimal so much. - Yeah, you're not making a good impression, Markisan.

I don't care. I still love it. I've got a subscription that goes for like, I don't know, two, three more years. I keep adding to it. It tells you on the thing where the last issue is. It's like, oh yeah, upgrade for like two more years. They're really good at that. Is that you, James? Is that you marketing that shit? Yes. No, I'm just kidding. That's an industry thing now though. I get that from the New Yorker. Increase your shit by like two years.

and you get this discount. For like nothing. For like four bucks. I'm looking at them like, oh my god, I've got like 50 more issues before I have to redo. They get me on the, hey, you better get these issues before they go out of print and I buy like 10 more. I'm like, fuck, I've got like 200 issues in my house and they only have 190. Thank you. No, no, we just went over 200 recently, including the special issues. Total, all the special issues. That was exciting. One of us needs to be in, to do the interview, you know, when they review fans of the thing. None of us have been in there yet.

Oh, readers of the month. We should all be in there together. Readers of the month. That'd be really cool. Podcast of the month. When Adam had his Brutal Truth, I was in that. You were? Yeah, yeah. But we should be in readers of the month. I mean, I've been reading this for a long time. I haven't always had a subscription to it, but I've had it for a while. I think you just have to send something in. Number 17. Go. Who's next? Hold on. I fucking have to take a picture of this rainbow.

I need to go take a picture of this rainbow. That metal has podcast. Yeah. This reminds me of double rainbow guy too. Oh, he just died. He did die. What was that all about? Uh, now I guess he knows what it meant. James is awesome though. I, I, I really appreciate, I just want to say this because I'm fucking drunk. I mean, it's awesome to have you on. So thank you for having me on.

Does anybody have any concept where we are? No, no idea. 17. We're on 17. Right? Did you do yours, Marcus? I'm not. I'm doing it right now. Right on. Number 17, Stygian Crown, self-titled from Cruz del Sur Music. This one came out pretty recently. This is a Tyrannosaurus bomb of doom powered by big bolt thrower riffs and deep, powerful vocals from a classically trained singer,

It's a really great debut and the more I listen to it, the more I like it. So number 17, Stygian Crown. Awesome. Right on. Matt? My 17. I did not love this band's last album, but I love the album prior to that. That was kind of my introduction to them from down under. My 17 is Ulcerate. Stare into Death and Be Still.

Am I lost or drunk? Are we on number 17? Yes. Did you say ulcerate at number 17? I just want to make sure that I didn't like fall asleep again. You're in real time here. It'll probably be higher on another list. I know it's just because of that comment because I happen to the Willows. We'll be hearing that one some more. I feel sure.

I feel very sure. Love it. Uh, 17. Uh, this actually was the last show I saw back in end of February in Will's favorite city in America, Baltimore. Intranaut fluid, existential inversions. I've been a fan of these guys for years. I liked the new one a lot. And yes, they were, they toured with Colta Luna and they were the last show I saw.

And I felt a little nostalgic putting them on my list because that show seemed like nine years ago. So it's their sixth release, our Metal Blades. They're kind of a more progressive metal now, but they've got Sludge and Post-Metal. And they have a little bit of some fusion jazz overtones in their music, a little bit here and there. Is there any alto sax? No. Not. No. But I've been a fan going back, God, second or third album.

I don't even know if I've listed the new introdot.

I need to listen to that.

And it kind of sucked because when I saw them, the bass player couldn't make the tour.

So it was two guitarists and a drummer.

It's kind of weird.

So, but a solid show.

Cool, John.

Yeah.

Go.

My number 17, Necrovault.

Yay.

Nice.

Festering Peregrination.

Death metal from Germany.

Van Records.

We already mentioned it.

I'm not going to talk too much about it.

But the person who via Twitter, Dan Clagenjar, which is his record. Clanchar. Clanchar. He tweeted me about this. He's like, hey, check this out. And it is phenomenal death metal. Done right. And if I had more time, this may be higher on my list at your end. Jay recommended that. I had not heard it. It's very good. It's awesome. Good stuff. Good stuff.

Oh, me. Yeah. I was like, yeah, Jay is great. Um, Jay is awesome. Um, John, I think pushed this one in my direction. I believe it was John Malice, the mantle of the rising sun. Was that you, John? No, I think it was me. Okay. I recommend it when you ask for three albums. I put it. I knew it came with that.

I would call this sort of classic black catchy. It's got some catchy stuff. There's a lot of good little hooks in it. Very entertaining. Listen, not just kind of black metal by the numbers. It's a little bit more than that, but good stuff. I'm glad he likes it. Yeah. Yeah. It was one of those ones that made me put it on again and then you're in trouble. You know what I mean? Then you're like, okay, this is a real deal. So yeah, it's just, it's really varied, you know, for black metal. I think it's probably the most

It's a varied black metal album this year. It's really great. That's a good one. And yet, by all visual accounts, you're just walking into the next black metal thing, and then you get something a little better than that. Yeah. And every song is a little different. Georgie. Number 17. Not going to be on anybody else's list, but whatever. It was on my album covers list, so, you know.

From Finland, they're on Matt's fake label, according to John's spreadsheet. That's a Greece label out of Spain. Is that right, TJ? Yeah. Yes. Greece label out of Spain. Exactly. Excuse me, Greek by way of Spain. Yeah, that's interesting. Yes, but a very good album. Is it a grind thing, George? No, no, it's not even. Anti-Pope? Anti-Pope, yeah.

It's like

I don't even fucking know

Just listen to it

I'm too drunk to explain

George didn't explain anything

I am gonna take

No time to explain

Let me sum up

Two minutes to

Piss

I'm gonna try to go to number 16

He calls

Okay I don't know about going number 1 and number 2

But what's going number 16

I've never heard this before

I don't have kids

I think he said before getting to number 16. I figured. He'll be back and take another piss before we get to him. So it was Will's next. Everybody's number 16. I just sent everybody a picture of the rainbow. It's beautiful. It's amazing. That's happening right now. And it's still going. Usually the rainbows don't last a long time.

Are we stopping for a second? What are we doing? Should we keep going? Where are we? We are at James number 16. James 16. Yeah, do it James. Yeah, go. Cultifier. If you're looking at this as a physical, it's two albums together, Nirvana and Moksha. Is this Crickets? Does anyone know this band? Yes, very much. Yes. But I didn't know about this, so good to know. Oh yeah, it's great.

The two halves are noticeably different in my opinion, but make this phenomenal piece together. Awesome. It's described as epic black metal, but I don't feel like that really describes what they do. It's great. Totally worth your time. Cool. My number 16, Jay just mentioned it, which is cool because he got it from me. And that's Malice to Mantle, The Rising Sun.

Like I said, when he talked about it, it's a beautifully varied, dark juggernaut of a black metal record. I love the musical depth and movement on this record. It rockets through acoustic passages, barn-burning riffs, a bit of melodic doom to it, a bit of gothic melancholy, but it all has a cohesive energy to it. It's just a really great black metal record.

So it's cool that Jay put it as number 17 and I have it right after that. So really like it. Matt. My number 16 has already been mentioned. I'm guessing we'll hear more of it. That is Plague, Portraits of Mind, Redefining Darkness. They are Greek. It is death metal. I love it. Yes, it's great. It is Greek.

It is Greek. Greek to me. John. This is funny because Jay took off and I wanted to mention him during this album. So let's see if he goes back and actually listens to the podcast and says something to me later on. So let's do a test. My number 16 goes back to James. Dark Fortress, Spectrums or Spectres of the Old World. I love this album. I had not listened to them much before in the past.

But I should have because their singer is Morian from Alkaloid.

Oh, yeah, you love Alkaloid.

I love Alkaloid.

So I went back and listened to this album.

I was like, wow, this is really cool.

They have a song on this album called, where is it here, The Spider in the Web.

And it reminds me of a song, and this is the whole part for Jay, reminds me of a song Celestial Dagger off of the Woad album, Service of the Counter Cosmos.

It's got this really cool riff. It's very melodic. It's early in the album. And I just got so hooked on that song. Then the rest of the album just kind of took off from there. So I think it's a very good melodic black metal album. If you like that stuff, you would enjoy it. James getting back up. Yeah. Well, I want to get that damn pass for the next fest. I'm talking around at this point, man. Quick changes in there.

I'm assuming there is a next fest.

There'll be a next fest.

We have dates already.

Yeah, you had dates before.

Get out of here.

You had dates, and they were in April, and then you had dates, they were in September,

and now you have dates that are next April.

Now Jay comes back.

Oh, shoot.

What was it?

I can't wait to do Decibel Fest when James is there after we've done this cast, because it's taking on a whole new level.

Definitely going to hang out.

Have some beers.

So, yes, I agree.

So Jay, I mentioned you because my pick for 16 was Dark Fortress, Spectres from the Old World. They have a song on the album that reminds me of Woad. Do you remember you and I were talking about the song Celestial Dagger off of Woad? Oh, that one song in particular. Yes. Go ahead. There's a song off the new Dark Fortress album that reminds me of that. It's called The Spider in the Web. It has that same kind of opening riff that just hooks you in really quick and you just want to just play the whole album because of that one song. I'm trying not to answer too much, but only.

only because, spoiler alert, that record's coming up on my list. But I gotta say, I went a little higher than you guys, I gotta tell you. Yeah. I wouldn't have mentioned too, Jay, you picked Malice at number 17 and I just did Malice at number 16. Oh, right on, sorry. Yeah, you dug that album for my recommendation and we're right around the same area. It's pretty cool. Look at us go, man. We're fucking separate. We're on fire.

Number 16. A band that just came across my radar probably a couple weeks ago. Maybe the album was just released a couple weeks ago, but Dearth. To crown all befoulment. Filthy ass chaotic death metal from Oakland, California from Sentient Run Laboratories. And it's spelled D-E-A-R-T-H. Like death, but there's like an extra R in there. Dearth.

Man, it's good. If you like Black Curse, you may like this even more. I do like that Black Curse. It didn't make my list, but I like it. I think this is kind of in that vein, but more in the death metal realm, but just, yeah. It's kind of all over the place. But more filthy ass. Yeah, filthy ass. It's a dark fortress. Yeah. It's like about five times more filthy ass.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's the darkest fortress. You know, it's funny about that dark fortress. One thing about that is that when I made, when I kind of answered your guys, I asked all the guys to send me three suggestions. Cause I wanted to know like, you know, you'd hate to miss stuff. And I almost put dark fortress and the ones I sent back to you, but I thought there's no way everybody doesn't know about this. Like I say, I saw, I was expecting to see that a lot of lists, but moving on to Jay or no, is it me? Yeah. Okay.

And I'm starting to talk about myself in the third person.

No, that was great.

Is it Jay or Will?

Moving on to Jay.

Wait, am I doing the next?

No, Will just did the dirty, dark-ass thing.

Yeah.

Which is everything.

Will's dark fortress.

Which is his entire being in life.

Yes.

Good.

This has been said a couple of times.

Probably no surprise that other people like it.

This is a cryptic shift, visitations from Enceladus.

Yeah.

And, you know, I have only one comment to add to this.

and I gotta believe you hear it too, John, which is there are a couple just little sections of this. It's a very metal record that gets super rushy all of a sudden, like old school rush with, and it sounds like literally like where the bass lines and the guitar line or the, and the drum lines are concerned just a little bit. It's still totally what it is. It's not, but it could almost come off of something like back around, um, um, you know, like by tour in the snow dog days and stuff like that. I, am I making that up? Technical for a band. Yeah. Yeah.

You know, and they can go places because of that technicality. But once in a while, they even do this, almost go to this weird, and it's not classic rock. I just mean they go to this weird progressive rock place, even though it's totally metal. Yeah. Anyway, I like this record. Somebody told me that. I mean, me and John are really big fans of this record. So actually, it's very heartening to me to hear that, you know, it's come up a couple of times because I know it's going to be higher. Well, I know it's higher on my list, but I know it's going to be higher on John's list too. Awesome. You guys really like that.

Was this last month that this came out? When did this come out? Yeah. It was last month because it was John's record of the month and my record of the month. Yeah. Okay. That's right. Yeah. Anyway, totally deserving album. Yeah. Very cool. And I agreed with the Solitude of Fortress or Fortress of Solitude comment as well. Right. Right. Yeah. No, it totally reminds me every time I look at that cover. Yeah, man. It's every time. Arms straight up in the air. Yeah. Loading the shit up. George A. George A. Boy. Number 16.

United States of America.

Sounded like Finland for a second.

That was the last one.

George is doing countries.

I can't read.

I'm sorry.

No, from the United States of America.

Manowar.

No.

From the United States on Matt's fake label.

Because they were not listed.

This is Like Rats.

Death Monolith.

Yes.

Such a good record.

It is. It really is. It's three times we've heard that. Three times. Three times. Wow. This is where the scientific process comes in. I mean, it's in the lower half. We call it anecdotal statistics. Yeah, that's the third album that's got three picks already. Yep. I'm keeping track. I'm not that drunk. I'm keeping track. Good job, Jack. You are the stab guy. It's going to get all fucked up by pick 10. Don't worry.

I feel like rats could be higher on my list. They had a different name because the name is just not the grace. Like if it was like like like bats, I'm like, that's a cool name. Also, I think you're supposed to say it like this. Well, like rats. I know you like an album by a band called Barishi. That's not a good name for a band. No, it's a terrible name. So, I mean, it doesn't matter about the name so much. Yeah. The album cover makes everything though. Let's go back around.

- James! - Make this shit get serious now. - We're getting into some round numbers here, I like this. - We're on 15. - 15 is a round number, that's right. - Yeah, it's a crooked number. - Vaughn, Band Records, right? - Band Records. - What could it be? - An atypical sons of weird music. This is Swevin, is anyone? - Yes! - Yes! - John loves that. - Bring that shit. - Wasn't sure if this was gonna be a crickets or people were gonna go nuts.

I thought it was phenomenal. The first time I heard it, I wasn't expecting it to go the direction it went, and then I thought it was great. I'm all in on this. It's a great record. To answer your crickets comment, when I asked the guys, and what I said was, tell me three records you think I should know about, and this was one that John sent me. Really? Oh, it's just, it's so far out there. It's rooted in death metal, but then they're just not afraid to go, like, totally different directions. It's great. I don't think James understands how many records we listen to.

So far, no crickets. There's some coming up, I think. Anyone who isn't familiar with this band with Swevin, it's two-thirds of Morbis Kron, or ex-Morbis Kron. Two ex-Morbis Kron members are in the band. Wasn't Swevin the last song from the Morbis Kron album? Yes, yes, it was. Hey, James, your crickets are making it easier for a few of us.

You're validating our crickets. Thank you. All right. I expect Swevan to come up on John's list. Oh, for sure. It will. Yeah, I wasn't sure if people would be into that or there'd be a weird pick. We like all kinds of music. It's always weird. I think I know what people like on this cast. And then when we do these lists, they always surprise me. Yeah, you're like, oh, I didn't even.

I didn't even know you could have possibly have heard that you know what I mean like yeah

something like that for sure and it was in the box you know I haven't noticed that um John may be rubbing off on me a little bit more but there's a Markisan that was not even a sexual joke and you're looking at me like I'm gonna go that way you said rubbing off I said rubbing off me he's not rubbing me off he's rubbing off on me I'm rubbing off on Will yeah I rub off on you all the time yeah it's even one way there's

There's a lot more progressive stuff, I think, on my list at this midterm. It's like a fucking normal. You know, I think, I don't know if this is true, but I've always liked progressive metal, but I feel like because we listen to so much metal, you're kind of on the outlook for something that's a little bit different. Sometimes that means that you're going to embrace more progressive metal because you've heard so many things on this podcast. We just get so many albums.

We're constantly on the lookout for the next big thing. And I feel like that's influenced what I pick. Yeah, for sure. I'll buy that. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, it's me, right? So number 15 for me, it has been mentioned before, and it is Solithus, Realm of Ash and Blood from 20 bucks in records. I don't even need to describe this one because the record label,

up perfectly. If you go to band camp, they write a dripping broadsword of Sumerian carnage. This already sounds like you. Sounds like he wrote it, Marcus. I know. A dripping broadsword of Sumerian carnage and staggering death-soaked doom delirium on a scorched landscape from which only mounds of skull dust and obsidian shards shall remain.

And that's perfectly accurate. Now I'm kind of embarrassed it was my number 19. Like it should have been higher. I mean, it's kind of like caveman death metal, but it's fucking really great. I love caveman death metal. It's a whole two mold thing. I feel like it's coming around. Yeah. I mean, two balls got more going on, I think, than salt. I think this one, but yeah, I would say salt. This is way more death. Doom.

get into it you want to fucking smash things it's just it's so good but they speed it up a little bit here and there yeah they do they have variety on the album which is i like you know i always look for that and death metal albums because um you know there's so many death oh so many old school kind of death metal albums that are coming out these days there has to be something a little a little extra in there that that makes me put it on the list you know and i think solifus uh grabs that with this album so really great

Matt!

For my 15, I'm going with another made-up band.

I chose to call this band Caligram.

I use them as one of my albums of the month because I just couldn't find anything I liked.

The album is titled The Eye is the First Circle.

It's on prosthetic.

This is the first album from a UK band.

Their sound is kind of a blend of black metal and hardcore.

And that's all I can say right now.

because I can't write or speak well. Me speak pretty one day. Thank you. I thought that album would end up on your list, but I like it quite a bit. It's not on my list, but I do like that album. I got to rely on Matt. Whenever black metal comes up, Matt's really into the black metal. So whenever he suggests something on like metal fraud is when we do it on Facebook, I have to take a listen to it.

If I haven't heard it, because he always comes up. Chances are you haven't heard it because he made it shit up. Yeah. It's all fake. Yeah. I'm just like, God, I hope nobody tries to go find shit to listen to. Matt is responsible for three of my top five records. Trilogy. Jay's being lazy. No, it's two of my top five. Matt, you just picked.

I don't care. Oh my gosh. Nice. Maybe it's two of the top five. But in any case, Matt looks for the X factor. And that's what I look for. And Matt finds the X factor. He's like, this is music, but there's something special here. Unless X means exists and it doesn't exist. It's called band name generator site.

He just goes in and puts an ant. Hey, Jim, check this out. This is fucking awesome. So what you do is you take the name of your high school, your first pet, your middle name, and your favorite car type, and throw them together, and that's the name of your band. Oh, well, so basically what you're saying is that's the same post my aunt has posted 90 times on Facebook. Blessing, on Facebook? Yeah. Excuse me. Yeah, the only thing I like less than that on Facebook is when it does. You can't say bless me and excuse me at the same time.

I was being rude by sneezing sorry did you say bless me that was good yeah who's next me so uh my number 15 is from the hotbed of Memphis Tennessee which is apparently a huge thrash and death metal scene no it's actually really not uh but my number 15 somebody mentioned this I'm sorry I can't remember shards of humanity cold logic on unspeakable acts I had that it's a solid I I enjoyed this one

I think Marcus and I were talking about this on New Music Friday. We were going back and forth a little bit about this. That we thought it was a fun kind of. And I hate to use that expression fun, but it's a. I get into the record before I know it. It's over because it's only like 36 or 37 minutes. It's short. So. You said it's thrash death. Yeah. Yeah. It's a thrashy death album. It kind of harkens back to that early 90s, late 80s sound a little bit without being retro. Meaning it kind of that early thrash death combination.

a little bit more back then. We don't see too much anymore. I love this record. It's not on my list, actually. But I struggle with it because I wanted to put it on it. I mean, it would be in my top 40. Yeah. But it's really punchy, fun death metal. It breezes by. It's just like really heavy tracks. You're like, fuck, I'm on song eight already. Fuck. I know. It's death metal, but it's garnished with thrash. There's a little bit of progressive exploration on it. It's really fun. That last record was,

that they did was phenomenal too. I was thinking that that sounds really familiar and that last record was from 2014. It was awesome. Yeah, it's been a while since they put out an album. But like I said, you know, Memphis is a hotbed for thrash and death. So I actually feel bad because it's been mentioned twice and I really like that album and I really want to get it on, but it's hard to get it on 25. Yeah, I mean, we got we have 9000 albums we have to go through. We can only come up with 25. So I just I just listen to a brief what I do love about this whole.

process that we have is I found out that I can actually go listen to music while we're recording and you guys can't hear what I'm listening to. And so I just listened to that and I heard like the first like 30 seconds of the first song. I'm like, this is pretty good. Wishlist. Yeah, I do that all the time. Well, well, you might you might like it. Well, no, I think it's a great, great album. You know, I if it's on somebody's top 25 top 40, it definitely deserves to be in the conversation. I always feel like we need to cheat and just give each other

like send out our list to each other. Because like right now, I already found like four albums. Like the Temple of Perdition one, I'm like, that would be on my list if I actually listened to it. That should be on your list. I hope it won't insult anybody, but here's my take on Shards of Humanity. It's a more accessible Vector. And Vector used to get up my fucking nose, dude. Everybody liked that band in a way I couldn't take. I never liked Vector. I liked one album and that's it.

Vector's really tactical. I don't know. It's almost too much. Yeah. The songs are too long. Yeah. And that's why I call this more accessible. Shards of Muni is death metal. It's fun. It's like rolling death metal, but then it has a little bit of that progressiveness in it, which I like. With the thrash riffs and everything. The thrash, yeah. Hence my comment, really, because Vector was just too much for me. I just couldn't go there. I can't listen to 56 minutes. Yeah, for sure. Because it's 35.

35, 36 minutes. It's all you need. You move on. Yeah. Yeah. Vector was 65 minutes of bullshit. That was the first four songs. It's good. It's, I mean, technically it's amazing, but yeah, man, I gotta fucking go. I gotta go home. I can't do this anymore. I really, I also really love the cover to Shards. Yeah, it's cool. It's amazing. I looking down,

It's on my honorable mentions. And then Speakable Acts is a sub-label of Dark Descent. Oh, it is? I didn't know that. Yeah, they focus more on the underground. There was an employee of Dark Descent who branched off into his own label. So Dark Descent distributes some of that as well. So they're allied with them, but it is a different label. But it kind of focuses on a little bit different things than that in Dark Descent.

Yeah, number 15. Wayward Dawn, Haven of Lies. Death metal from Denmark, from Target Group. Yeah. This is pure, blissful death metal. And the only thing I can say is just check it out. Wayward Dawn, Haven of Lies. Yeah. So good. I think it's like their second album, but man, I definitely expect big things from

them. The riffs on that album are mammoth.

It's just, the riffs are great on it.

I hope that they...

So it's on your list higher?

It's not on my list.

What?

Wait, what?

I may have told this, I may have given this one to Will, actually.

I think I did it when I mentioned it, and then he bought it.

But I really like it.

The riffs are great.

I feel like it's one of those bands who are really young in death metal, and then they're

They're gonna grow as they go. So a lot of the death metal bands that are on my list, I think, have perfected the formula a little bit more. This album is really good. I think the next album is where they're really gonna be like a force. That's how I feel. By the way, James, are you wearing pink shorts, by the way? They're red. I'm not that cool. No, they're just red athletic shorts.

Oh, that's cool. All right. Well, I'm going to move on to my 15 here. And this is an example of Markisan rubbing off on me. And this was one of the suggestions he made to me. It's a very fine record. Probably a little more black metal on my list here than I've had a while. This is blackie deathy sons of a wanted man. Canoma is a great fucking record, dude. And how can you not like a record whose first lyric is you squandered everything? And then it just takes off from there. I would call it accessible.

ish-ish metal that doesn't wear its welcome.

Yeah, I mean, this one, yeah, there was one, Jay asked for the three albums, I gave him three, and this was one of them, it's black and progressive post-metal, but he has a lot of surprises on it, you know, they throw everything into this album, but it still feels like one dynamic package, which is unusual, I think, for like a first album.

And can I just point out to you and possibly to Matt, if Matt knows this record, that it also had, it calls to mind Uwata on the cover because it's got the Uwata symbol on the cover. Did you see it, Matt? Really? Yeah. Catches my attention. It's not, I mean, it's probably not on purpose and that might be a more universal cult symbol than I realize it is, but it's that sort of facing up half moon type thing. Definitely. Also, that's a really cool drawing, by the way. Check it out, James, because I think this one's going to fly under the radar.

It is not a label, but it's like a really obscure label. And it's got a kind of enslaved vocal style. I think it's the best thing that Markisan sent me. The three that he sent me was my favorite of the ones he sent me. And it resonated with me. I found myself taking long walks listening to it and not turning it off. Yeah, I just pulled it up on Bandcamp and you're right. The first thing is it's a very high-pitched black metal vocal. It's like, you squat

everything. Oh, really? Is that what it literally said? It literally says you squandered everything it says right away there? Yeah. Or you're listening to it. No, I'm listening to it. Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Georgie Borgie. Number 15. Yeah. Tis. Yes, 15. Yep, that's right, George. Sorcerer lamenting of the innocent. Okay, okay. You went there. I like it. I did. Nice.

I just saw John's O-Face.

Oh!

I'm feeling a little validated right now.

Well, I was on George's bone coaster.

There's room for everybody on my bone coaster.

You don't know what the bone coaster is?

Come on, Office Space.

I'm the great bone coaster.

Get on board.

My O-Face.

I'm the O-Face.

It's from Office Space.

Yeah, the bone coaster's also from Office Space.

Oh, I didn't.

Come on. That's because I've been living that life for 25 years. Let's go all the way back. James! Meanwhile, back at James. Author Providence on 20 bucks, Ben. Is that the first person to mention him? Yeah. But that only means it's going to get a shit ton of points. Maybe. Maybe. Okay, fair enough. Maybe. Oh. I hope it shows up later. I thought this record was phenomenal. Just like ultra gross.

and exactly what you want from that sweet spot between death metal and black metal. Does it scratch the tube, Belladich, a little bit? No. No. I just feel like it takes a different direction. Tumult to me is in a more spatial, galactic kind of thing. Intergalactic, planetary. Yes. And then Ulther is more like gross cave sludge slime.

Yeah. There's less noticeable riffs on it. I'm sure you had this one, Will. Yeah, I would think that it's been one of your Will House. It's Will's Will House. It's ultra gross whenever you want something that sounds really nasty and really heavy, but it isn't just like a jumble of nonsense. Like, you'll listen to it and remember it. It'll tick that box. It's great. Mark us on. My number 14 is

"Astral Born: Eternity's End" from Prosthetic Records. This might be a Crickets actually because I've never really heard of this band before but this album is a blazing meteor of melodic death that sounds like old school in flames making out with a Monomarth under the stars. I haven't been interested in either of the two bands that I just mentioned in a long time but this album really reminds me of their Better

while still giving me something new and exciting. I really enjoy this album from start to finish. Astroborn, Eternity's End. Good album. Are you listening? I have. I have. I'm a fan as well. Great stuff. Awesome. Matt. Me, 14, another made up band actually sounds very similar to the previous. This band is called Bait. The album is called Revelation of the Pure.

I cannot pronounce the record label as I believe it is French. This is the third album from a German band. I would describe their sound again like a blackened hardcore, but this one's gonna be a little bit more post-metal. And again, I, in terms of making it up, that's all I made up. So. Hey. So my number 14 is definitely Crickets album. I know I sent it to Jay when he asked for three albums.

But I don't know if anyone else would like this style of music. To be honest, I didn't think I would. I'm not a stoner metal fan at all anymore. But this one kind of stuck with me. The album is Hex AD, Astro Tongue, and The Electric Garden. But it does so much more than just be stoner. You know, I mean, it has that aspect to it. Yeah, that's the baseline. But it's got a little traditional doom. It's got some prog going on. It reminds me of some spiritual beggars back in the late 90s.

I know you're the one who introduced me to spiritual

bagelers and I do like them you might like this will but it's they used to have a cathedral

sound to them on their first two albums this one I remember spiritual beggars did sound a little bit like

cathedral yeah it's a lot better the second time the first time you said spiral bagels just so you know

You know, hey, I'm hungry. Do not want a spiral bagel right now. I don't know. Who doesn't want a spiral bagel? Spiral bagels for everybody. I would just say that the last thing I ate was right around seven o'clock and it was a very small grilled cheese sandwich. You gotta get a hot plate down there with you right now. I know, I do. I need something. Anyway, if you're into kind of a

Traditional Doom, Stoner, Heavy Psych, Prog Metal kind of thing. They might be your wheelhouse. I like it. The cover art is the same guy who did the early Cathedral albums. And it shows, doesn't it? Oh, God. It could easily be a Cathedral album. No doubt. Yeah. I just, what it's worth, I did like this. It didn't make my list, John, but I was like super impressed that this was something you even thought about sending me. Actually, you probably thought it was something Jay would like for sure. I dig it.

It's just, it's got, there's something about it that's kind of cool. So. Yeah. I highly recommend you guys Google Hex AD and look at that cover if you want to see what the next Cathedral album is going to look like. Yeah, exactly. Without Cathedral playing on it. Yeah, indeed. That next Cathedral album, that would be awesome. When you said that, I was like, what? Oh, no. I'm a huge Cathedral fan, so I would love to have a new album. Sorry, that was a bad move on my part there, James. Yeah, you, you, I, double take. James is like, wait a minute, I,

I work at Decimal. How come I haven't heard about a new Cathedral album? That's my bad. Will, though, what are you doing at 14? One wonders. My number 14, Rotting Kingdom, A Deeper Shade of Sorrow. I've been waiting for that one. Yeah. I don't know if any of you guys actually even know of this band. I listen to it. Yeah, they're from Lexington, Kentucky. Death Doom from Boris Records. They were supposed to be one of the next bands to play at Atlas. I think it was supposed to be in April. April 1st,

because I remember Hassan booked them and it was April 1st. I'm like, this better not be a fucking April Fool's joke because I love Rotting Kingdom. And their EP that they came out with a couple years ago, I distinctly remember giving my... I always remember when I do stuff with my children and I have this most ridiculous music playing and they don't blink an eye. I remember giving my son or a daughter a bath blasting Rotting Kingdom's EP and they didn't even blink an eye because my kids don't.

They're like, yeah, this is just music. But this new one, it's a little different than the EP. It's a little more accessible, maybe. But it's still really good. Death Doom from Lexington, Kentucky. I thought it was cool. Yeah, I like it. All right. I like it enough to be number 14. There you go. Yeah, it was better than 13 other records this year. Or no, it was worse. No, it's worse.

This sucked. There's 13 other records. Way more than other records. Sorry, my mouth is bad on that one. All right, well, the rest of my list is starting to get, basically, it's either Doom, Black, or Death, with the exception of this one. This is the last real stop I have on a different road. But it was a record I did actually mention to the group a while back. This is a band that I've kind of looked at on and off over the last few years, and they've made some good records, but they just never quite,

connected with me, but I like this one a lot. It's Lord Vigo, La Dance Noir, and it's a record that's based on the Blade Runner, and it's kind of a traditional Doom album. It's a unique singer. Also, I should have put this on one of my best covers, because the cover of this record is fucking killer. So I don't expect that to chart with anybody else, but it's good stuff. Yeah, I mean, I think Blade Runner is, well, I know it's my favorite movie.

Yeah, I think it's John's favorite movie as well. Winner, Markasson. Yeah. I mean, this album doesn't sound like Blade Runner to me. It's fun. It's fun. But when I picture Blade Runner, it's like a completely different kind of a song. No, and that's probably not even a good sales point because you're right. It doesn't sound like Blade Runner in any way, shape, or form. Minus the in-between cuts where they're doing the, you know, whatever testing and all that stuff. But short of that, yeah. But it's still a solid traditional Doom album, you know. And it's cool.

that's inspired by Blade Runner, which is a phenomenal film. So if you guys are Blade Runner fans, what do you guys think about Blade Runner? Was it 2049? I love that movie too. I did too. It's not the original, but I was fine with it. I enjoyed it. I'm a Blade Runner guy too, and I thought the new one was fun. I loved it. I thought it was great. Visually, it's just as good as the first one. It has Han Solo in it, so I'm going to like it. But also, dude, more and more, I like that.

Brian Gosling, he's a good actor, dude. He's kind of a heartthrob. He's not even my favorite actor to film. The dude from, what is it? Guardians of the Galaxy. I just wanted him to start laughing. The big, huge guy. Oh, right. The wrestler guy. Dave Bautista. I just wanted him to start laughing uncontrollably. What is he in Blade Runner? I don't remember him in that. The very beginning he goes and he meets

that guy who is he's on the farm he's on the farm oh yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah he kills him at the very

beginning of the movie and then he finds something buried and that's how it helped but i remember now yeah but

all i wanted to see was him just without his shirt on just laughing say do me do me yeah he's so funny in that when those movies do i think um the director who did that james did the arrival which is an amazing movie oh also love it it's so good and he's

directing Dune. And it's finished filming actually. And he's the perfect director for Dune. Arrival to me is one of the best science fiction films in probably two decades. So they're remaking Dune or a sequel to Dune? Well, I mean, there's been many in there's a Dune movie that came out. Are you saying D-U-N-E or D-O-O-M? Dune. Based on the book. D-U-N-E. So there was a movie in like, what, the 80s?

I think. David Lynch did it. And I like that movie. And there was a sci-fi miniseries. Yeah, Stings in the movie in the 80s. Yeah, Stings in it. They're redoing that. It's going to be a whole different thing. I remember at the time that came out, that was like the biggest budget movie ever. It was criticized heavily when it came out originally. And it did squat at the box office. It did terrible. I still like it because it came out at a time when I was a kid.

You know, you know, I'm sure everything. And then if you, they've done different versions of it. So if you get like the ultimate version, you get a lot more in it. But it deserves a proper. Yes. Well done. Yeah. And this director, I mean, he just understands, I think the ambiance of the original material. Cause he did that with Blade Runner. And when you watch Arrival, that film's chasing in that. The science fiction.

that was just phenomenal so I'm really excited what he and they never leave earth that's the beauty of that science fiction film yeah you know arrival with that too I um and I love it I've seen it probably three times now at least three times and each time I fully understand the time travel kind of concept of the writing fully when I'm watching the movie and the next day I can't remember it again I'm like yeah how did it work but in the moment I'm like oh yeah I totally get this yeah but I you know Blade Runner is my favorite

movie of all time and then blade runner 2049 came out i've always been a big fan of ryan gosling

because he's done so many great indie films you know um but and that lived up to the original i was

shocked by how good it was so i'm really uh into whatever this director is going to do i can't remember

the director's name but he's fucking good yeah we do we do got to move on and i only say that because

i'm going to say one more thing and that's that if you haven't seen first man with ryan gosling i highly

I'd really recommend it. He plays Neil Armstrong in it. So yeah, that was really good. I've never seen a better what a depiction of what it must have been like to be on those rickety old machines and the on the silent fucking death scape that is the moon. It was so fucking real. Yeah, you know, we we have the the air and space museums here and you you can go in and see some of these early machines that these people took into space and you're like, I would never get

that fucking piece of shit.

Hey, George, have you been out to the one at Dulles yet?

Oh, yeah.

Do they have stuff out there for the space program?

Yeah.

I haven't been out to the one at Dulles.

I've been at the one at the mall.

Yeah, no, the Dulles one is fucking cool.

Yeah, because it's not as visited as the mall, obviously.

So that's why it's better, I think.

The Dulles one's pretty cool as someone who isn't really a big history buff or some really good stuff about that.

I went out there.

It was really cool.

I've been there.

It's amazing.

Everyone who's been there just loves the one in Dulles. You look at these capsules and you're like, somebody spent days in this thing, like not moving, pissing into a fucking bag. I mean, oh my God. It's just unbelievable. I also have to recommend if you haven't seen it, and I've watched this about five times, which is the Apollo 11, 70, 170 millimeter of whatever it is footage that they filmed. It's so fucking good. They finally put it out as a documentary, what, last year or something?

And I've watched it like five times soon. It's just no narration, no nothing. It's put together in a proper order. So good. I just watched recently the sci-fi movie Ad Astra with Brad Pitt. I loved that movie. It's good. I would highly recommend that one. I just watched it again. I've seen it twice now. It's on HBO right now if you have that. But yeah, it's definitely worth your time. Look, if you want to watch sci-fi, Buckaroo Banzai. Yeah!

Oh, that's good. Deep into the well, John. Yeah. I'm old enough to remember. No, that's awesome. Coherently remember. Even though it's not sci-fi, let's get off this before somebody says big trouble. We are at nearly four hours and 45 minutes and still only at number 14. We can do the next 15 pitches in one minute. Yeah, I believe it's true. And you know what? I know exactly where we are. It's you, George, with, I believe it's number 14. Number 14. The, uh, from the

United States of America.

Think of which,

which United States.

Yeah.

I appreciate the clarification.

United States of Ghana.

From the United States of America,

an independent self-released album.

According to John's list,

the Estados Unidos de Mexico,

the self-titled Firelink album.

That's two now.

Indeed.

Wait,

Firelink has come up.

Yeah.

I thought it was just how we did the cover art. Oh, okay. Yes, I did the album art as well. Maybe I'm anticipating it's going to come up twice. It's an amazing album. It is good. It is good. Yeah. All right. Let's do this. 13. James. Halfway there. ACDC. Back in black. Antiproids Demon Core. I was just like, what? Yes, that ACDC. No, ACXDC.

is king. Yes, he is. This was introduced before. It's ultra heavy. I think they're one of the heaviest bands out there now. It's just crushing from start to finish. Great stuff. I like it. I like this brevity thing. Let's keep going, boys. Let's crank a couple of these. 15 minutes to do 13 picks. That's right. Number 13 for me is a sojourner.

Wow, really? Yes, I love this record. I think it's an exceptional synthesis of the atmospheric black metal and charming folk music. This record just soars. And I really love the ethereal vocals of Chloe Bray on this one. I got it on vinyl, and it's even better on vinyl. I just enjoy every minute of it. I've seen some reviews

that say it's a little bit like too much or something but i think it's perfect i can't get enough of this one

uh me 13 uh it's been mentioned a couple times so i'm not going to waste any time black curse endless wound

that world is endless that one will be coming up again

okay i'm gonna butcher this name horribly but uh i love this band

And this is where my shit starts getting serious. I don't know about your shit, but my shit's starting to get serious. My shit's kind of not serious. George is on water now, so you know things that change. All right, so my number 13 is a black metal atmosphere, black metal bath for the Netherlands. This is my interpretation of the name. Flusteris, I think, and the album's called Blome.

They are on Eisenwald. I'd never heard of these guys until I saw the album cover, which was Flowers. I was like, what is this? Which is funny to say, because Opin's first album is an orchid on the cover. But I love this. It's this great. I think Bloom must be Bloom. I'm guessing, John. I didn't know if it's Bloom or Bloom. I don't know. No, no, no. I think that's what it translates to. I don't know how it's pronounced. Yeah, because I'm looking at Poem and Bloom. Bloom, whatever. Yeah, it's a Blumpkin. Blumpkin.

I like this too and I don't think spoilers are a problem at this point you're going to hear that one again

definitely and if you wanted to tell me about this one but he had saw that I bought it on band camp

the one time I went on band camp so and Jay I'll say if you venture to their other releases there's some cool stuff that they have from the previous releases I picked them all up I bought everything yeah the first album is yeah off the charts awesome yeah but everything they had up there yeah awesome they're very cool

Fuck, that's good. Sorry. My number 13 has been mentioned before, I think. Alchemist Sanctuary. Progressive from Denmark, from Interdisciplinarium. At least a third time. I expected that to be higher for you. Wait, who, I mentioned it. Who else mentioned that one? I mentioned it. Yeah, Jamin, yeah. Oh, okay. I don't remember.

I think we were pretty close on that one. We were, yeah. I thought Will would be higher on Will's list. Me too, yeah. Well, you should see the rest of my list. Whoa. I'm scared. All right, let's, my number 13, I was lying. Matt put two in my top five and he gave me this one too. God, I took all of Matt's albums. No, no, no, there's one I did not take. And you can help me out if you can, Matt. God damn it. S-O-Trill-L-U-M. S-O-Trill-L-U-M.

of Shaug. Really cool black metal record that sneaks in very interesting things like violins here and there. This is, by the way, my second I Void Hanger album, I believe, from my list. And this was also one of the covers that I chose for my covers. Super interesting, super fun album. Maybe fun's not the word for it. But they work on even some almost folky elements like with the violins and stuff like that. A lot of kind of cool repetitive tones, things they do with it, which makes it sound less exciting. Highly recommended, though. And I would say pretty much, other

that pretty much pure black metal. Really. There's not really any death on this. I mean, maybe there's a little deathy stuff, but it's mostly black. We might hear that one again, and I'll leave it off there. Nice. Right. Number 13. Swevin. The Eternal Resonance. Wow. I didn't expect that one. Woo. Yeah. Indeed.

Yes, I wasn't sure how much we would hear of that, but there you go. Cool, George. Sick. All right, well, back to James. Did you say sick? Sick. I want to, like, say, like, Swiffer. How drunk are you, George? I am pretty fucking drunk. Five, three sheets to the wind. Yeah, it's five, six, seven.

Can I just say I really wish we could do this in person. Yeah. Some one of these days. We will. We were going to try this year, you know, but then the world came to an end. What are you going to do? Yeah. You can't help it if the world ends. I'm going to hang with you guys. Even though I've only hang out with you one time. It'll be one of the first things we do when this shit clears up, dude. Trust me. I'm jonesing for it too. James, what's going on down there? You're into the world. Let's call it number.

12. There it is. Number 12 here. White Stones. Yes. Get the fuck out of here. Really? Oh, do you want to intro that one? No, I'm just surprised that anyone has because it's Martin Mendes from Opeth. You know, I meant to listen to that more because I was like, oh, this totally should be on my list. And I forgot. And it's different though. But it's good. It is. Which are the album title. It's

Kwarahi? Pretty close, actually. Do you know how to say it correctly? Yeah, give me a second here. I have it written down. Kwarahi. Okay, there you go. Yeah, that one. It's really cool. It sounds like the best years of Opath plus some Morbid Angels stuck in there. It's great. Oh, cool. I love it. The only issue is that he, I think, uses a Strat on the album. Mendes plays guitar on the album, and it doesn't have some of the punch, but the bass picks up.

Everything.

I mean,

he's a bass and guitar.

Yeah.

He sounds,

he's,

he's always been a great bass player,

but he sounds even better on this.

I assume this is just a side project.

And he's still with Opeth.

Oh yeah.

He just wanted to do his own thing for one album.

Yeah.

But,

but James is right.

It does have some classic Opeth moments.

It's a great record.

And even if you're not a huge fan of Opeth,

I think that it's worth checking out.

Yeah,

I will.

I didn't even listen.

I probably heard about it once,

but if I did,

I forgot all about it.

I'll check it out.

Now I feel like I should put it back in my top 25. Scramble. Fuck. It's called white stones. Ma, the meatloaf. Fuck. I never know what she's doing back there. What's she doing? I was fucking nunchucked your ass. James fits right in here. I can't wait. I mean, his top 10 is I'm waiting for those crickets. James, James, James. No, he was supposed to chime in there. Waiting for those crickets.

I swear there's going to be a couple of crickets in there. I can't wait. Just who's next? You think. Who's next? I'm next. And number 12 for me has been mentioned before and it is Plague Portraits of Mind from Redefining Darkness Records. This is my favorite old school death metal album of 2020 so far. It's got that 90s sinister

sound with Herculean riffs and solos. But there's a technicality to this record. And an emphasis, I think, on making each song sound a little bit different than the one before it. And that gives it something extra that I look for whenever I'm listening to death metal albums. But it's also really straightforward. Like, there's no gimmick here. You know what I mean? Like, it's just, it is what it is.

But I mean, every song is a little different. You know, there's a lot of death metal bands that just do the kind of, it just sounds the same every time. This one just not. It's brutal. There's skilled performances, but I think that this one is just very memorable in comparison to other death metal albums. Plague, Portraits of Mine, really great. I think I'm going to J that album, just FYI. That's the spirit. J.

I mean, if you think you're going to J it, that means you did, I assume. I don't know how you J that one, but if you're not about, if you're not about to say it, you're already J it. Yeah. How about how many times has it been said? Did we'll say it? It's going to mention it. I have not. Oh, so if we'll, hasn't said it, it's gotta be higher on his list. Okay. Well, me and Matt said it then.

I think I mentioned it's the second best death metal album this year.

Yeah, it should be.

My number 12 is a band called Uprising.

The album is called Two.

It is the singer from Wald Flooster.

It's the second album, kind of a one man project.

Another kind of black and death metal band that I would also compare to Behemoth.

Sands the Children's Orchestra.

They're never going to let that down with you guys.

Also, that was one that you sent me, Matt. It's not on my list, no offense, but I will say this.

It's called Two with the Roman New Ritual.

And I thought this could be nautical metal, and that's pronounced I-I, but I don't know.

Yeah, sorry.

But no, Two. Let's go with Two.

Jesus Christ.

I-I.

It is cool. It was a good record. Where are we at? My number 12 is also a death metal album. They originated in Greece, went to Spain, went back to Greece. Sweet. Plague, Portraits of the Mind. To me, this is the best sounding death metal album in terms of production, I think. I don't want to say it's slick. It just doesn't sound dirty and hard to

The Grasp. It's got, and I don't want to say crisp either, it's a clean sound, and I can hear everything that's going on in the album. I like the vocals on it. It's a solid album. I really like it a lot. I think when it came out, I haven't stopped playing it since it came out. You really are Jay in this one, George. I am. I really am. This is so not on my radar. I was like, wow, this is such an average album.

No, James, James, did you, was it on your list, James, already? I missed this. Thank you. I'm not saying it isn't good or anything, I just totally missed it. I love that John and I have it both. But yeah, I don't understand, George loves death metal. I do, and this is such an average death metal album. You're so wrong. I'm not disagreeing with you. So tell us the death metal albums that you've listed so far. Me?

George is going to be so mad about my number one

no you are dude I'm waiting for it

I know you're going to be like are you fucking serious

yeah

this brings us to

number 12

sign of Aether

from Niederland Colorado

on Eisenwald

Ice World Records

weirdly enough

when I look this band up like I've been to

Niederland Colorado it's like

It's like a intimate mountain town. And they used to be from Chicago and they moved there apparently. But this is one of the late comers to my list. I listened to this album several times, but I really feel like I have a connection. This is going to sound completely fucking bizarre, but I feel like I get this connection with albums because inevitably somewhere between three and five o'clock in the morning, I wake up because I'm old. I have to go to the bathroom.

And it's hard for me to fall back asleep. And then I just, I always have my headphones next to the couch or because I sleep on the couch because I snore. I haven't slept in a real bed. Yeah. I haven't slept in a real bed in I don't know how long, but anyway, um, I put my headphones on and this is one of those albums that is like pure, absolute ethereal death metal.

to me.

Ooh,

a good description.

Nice.

Only number 12.

What album was this?

Velmius.

Velmius.

Gotcha.

Uh,

I highly recommend check it out.

It's,

it's very atmospheric death metal sort of,

it is,

it is absolutely not.

And this is not taken away from now,

but this is an album that you can put the headphones on trying to fall asleep.

and it will engage you but soothe you, I guess. I'm surprised you're not asleep already, well, to be honest. He's doing great. Look at him. He's bright brown. Love you. All right. My next one is my next two choices. It's funny, Mike. If I look at my list from a distance, my next two choices are John and the next two choices after that are George. They're both going to be very pleased with me. So John and I have talked about this band to each other before. We both enjoy this band. He pimps them more a little bit on this podcast than I do.

but I think they're one of the most inventive experimental black metal bands out there right now John you gotta know what I'm about to say starts with a no ends with a Zuzu Mr. and Kinsey which means the master's fingernail I looked up and if and yet in Danish it means masters of sex so go figure yeah but in Finnish it's the master's fingernail or master's finger or some bullshit like that I I they don't do anything that I don't find creative and engaging and

They can go way out there. There's no question about it. And they're super fucking talented. And they seem to like the same twists and turns that I hear in my head. But they get there before me because they're smarter than me. So good stuff, dude. And just as I don't know if I like as much as the last one necessarily, but that doesn't mean it's not really fucking good. It's a good album. Might show up again. Might show up again. Number 12.

Yeah. True. I am awake and I am devouring ruin. Ice. What's your next album, Church? Wake. Devouring ruin. He just said it. I thought the water was awaking him. Yes. Nice. Is that the first wake we've heard so far? Yes, I think so. Wow. Surprised.

You guys were all about them this year. Well, it's probably later. Maybe. It's going to come up again. Yeah. Yeah, there you go. That's all the more reason. We're closing in on the top ten here. I'm not super enthused about the production on this album, but the songs are good. I know. Poor Marc Gasol. Marc Gasol's head just blew up like scanners. What are you talking about? Oh my God. It's very muddy. That's all I'm saying. But, but, but.

But I will say, there is something later that's even more muddy. So just hang on. Oh, but also, George, you put it as your number 12. You like that, obviously. Yes, it is a good album. You don't have to defend yourself. You dig it. Let's see what James thinks of Eleven. Macurion, Come Forth to Me. I know that name. That might be Crickets. Yes, that might be. No, that's not Crickets. I love that album. All right. It's on read

Finding Darkness, the vocalist is Mike DeSalvo, formerly of Cryptopsy. It's very much on the weird discordant side, but not enough that it's jarring and difficult to listen to. It's a little angular, but not way out there. It's really great. Your descriptions are only getting better as we go, sir. I can hear some of what you're saying. I'm like, okay, I think I understand what that's about. I'll have to listen to it. A-K-U-R-I-O-N?

The record is called Come Forth to Me. I mean, again, this was Mike DeSalvo, formerly of Cryptopsy, from some of those weird middle years, not weird, the middle years where it was really technical and really atypical in the song structure. It's great. And he's done a lot of stuff that's out there, and this is out there, but very listenable at the same time. Definitely worth your time. Cool. Yeah, it's a really good album.

It didn't make my list, but definitely highly considered on my list. He's really interesting, too. If you've ever heard him do any interviews, he's just phenomenal. He's so interesting to listen to. Number 11 for me? Number 11 for me is the Black Royal Firebride. There are very few albums that can

Instantly energize me like Firebride. Every song comes at me like a Mad Max steamroller set to overdrive. A very bombastic rampage of a record with a riffs spare on this thing. It's great. It's my number one car album. Whenever I go out to run errands, I throw this thing on. What style, roughly, would you call this? I have never heard of that.

You've never heard of Blackra at all? Nothing. What style would I call it? I mean, they kind of move between different styles, but if you like really riff heavy, I wouldn't call it death metal. It's hard to categorize this album, actually, to be honest with you. I'll check it out. It seems like that's a major point of contemplation.

There's a lot of these bands, they just straddle the line. You know, you just can't really say, hey, oh, it's death metal. It's doom metal. It's black metal. I can't really say that with a Firebride, but if you'd like really heavy riffs, you know, riff driven albums, Firebride is fucking amazing. Like they just every single album, every single song on the album is a killer riff. That's very memorable.

So even though it's I don't know it but I just want a couple samples well I'll say what I think because and this is first first impression is it's a it's a deafier vocal but it kind of has at least a vaguely all-fathery kind of high on fire feel to it meaning it's that kind of pounding it's not stoner metal no it's not that I wouldn't say that no you're right it does have all-father type riffs what's really like the riff is like number

for them. The vocals are very growled, like a death metal, but I wouldn't classify it as death metal. It's more like mid-tempo. The word mid-tempo, I think, is pretty important here. But in a good way, meaning it's not like speed metal or anything like that. There's a lot of mid-tempo, but then it elevates in certain songs. It really just gets you pumped up. I've got a badass cover, too. I'll say that.

is on my short list. The cover is really good. So yeah, I don't know what I would classify to the center. I haven't really thought about it too much, to be honest with you. Well, let's see what they call themselves. Based on like what you guys are saying, I'm feeling like adult contemporary. This is the Kenny G of metal. I don't know if you know that. Adult contemporary core. Markisan, I just checked out about three seconds of this on Bandcamp and I'm digging it. So thank you for the recommendation. Yeah, no. And this one helped, but here are their tags that they chose themselves.

Black Metal, Death Metal, Punk, Sludge, Doom, Hardcore, Sludge, Stoner, and... Right, it's all those things. That's why I can't... I'm really having a hard time. Normally, I can classify a band under a particular genre, and then it branches off. This one, it doesn't quite sound like anything that I can just... Let's just say it's... In a one category. Can we just say it's metal? It's metal. Yeah, I mean, I think if you like really high-octane metal, that's going to get you pumped up.

when I'm driving.

Cause it's really vibrant.

Just fucking the riffs,

every single song on this thing,

the riffs are just amazing.

So,

um,

they've been around for a little bit.

I have never really paid as much attention to black Royal,

um,

as this album,

but,

uh,

James,

just based on your picks,

I think you will kind of dig this one.

So,

so give it a shot.

Yeah,

let's check it out for sure.

Yeah.

Maddie.

Me.

Number 11, it's already been mentioned, some dirty-ish German death metal, Necrovault, Totensug, Festering, Peregrination, or whatever that word is. I think you got it. I think so. I gotta say, I'm surprised how much that is coming up. I know I have this album. I know I've heard it. It's probably under your plague record, George.

So you know if you can find it.

Yes, exactly.

Exactly.

When we talk about like

metal we've been listening to,

it's probably under one of those categories

that George has listened to.

But you know,

every time he does that,

it's like 40 albums.

Well, I probably heard it before all of you guys did.

Just saying.

You dismissed it.

And then you dismissed it before.

And I dismissed it.

I was like, whatever.

George.

Kidding.

I'm kidding, kidding, kidding. All right. So the next like four of my five albums, I'm pretty sure nobody has on their list. And that's cool. You know, I actually, I'm pretty sure, but whatever. So my number 11 is first album from this band in 24 years. It's a Prague metal album. They're from San Diego, which is obviously a hotbed of music. Prague. Oh, for sure. Oh, yeah. Everybody knows that.

But they actually

Is it just me or do all those beach bum towns

aren't they just lousy with prog bands

Yeah

They just happen to wear shorts and tank tops

And have surfboards

No

Actually they are one of the

Early prog metal bands

That kind of helped start the

Subgenre

And it's Psychotic Waltz

The God-Shaped Boy

Oh yes John

It's a solid album

And considering it's been so long

Since they put out an album

I thought it was

It's pretty good

For what I wasn't expecting much. It's a very good album, John. It's a very good, I expect that to be on your list. It's amazing how many different prog metal bands have come back with new albums this year, you know, and really good actually too. Yeah, and the only reason they haven't been around is because they broke up I think in like 96 or 7, maybe 8. So long ago. Buddy Lackey who changed his name to Devin Graves then started Dead Soul Tribe for like 10 years. So that's the only reason they haven't been around.

I know people keep saying, oh, but Tool's album came out faster than theirs. Yeah, that's because they actually broke up. Tool is actually still active the whole time. Yeah, well, but they're also millionaires, and so they don't have to get the fucker. Yeah, they can take their time. And that's not a dig at Tool. I've heard people complaining that it took them so long. I was like, well, they broke up. Yeah, so that'll add to the time it takes to make a record. And I just saw them at Prog Power, first time ever, and they were awesome.

People always get antsy when the albums don't come out within at least like two or three years, you know, or 13 14 15. Yeah, Jay, you'll appreciate this. They are the prog metal Jethro Tull. I do appreciate that. They'll be just jamming a session a riff out and all of a sudden the flute comes out for a little bit, you know, nice. Yeah, and it's cool to see him play it on stage. So. Well, my number 11. 11. Oh, a beer.

This will definitely be my last one. I'm on water by now and we're not even in the top 10. We're close. We have to take a break before top 10. This is Atlas Dance of Days. It's only 5.7% alcohol. That's water. That's a wonderful beer though. Yeah. I did have a hand in crafting this beer. Good job. It's been mentioned before. Exgenesis Solve Coagula. Atmospheric Black and Death Doom from Finland on

Nature-made productions, or Natrumacht. Natrumacht. We mentioned before. In the sake of brevity and moving forward, I'll just say it's fucking awesome. Yeah, it's cool. Can I say I also love your hand? I love your hand, too. All right. Jay, your number... It has been said once. I bet it's not going to be said again.

After this, I'm going to give you my version of a pronunciation. Fluisterars. Fluisterars. How did you say it, John? Lay back up. I'm saying it so bad, you might be like, I don't even know what you're talking about, dude. Is that on my list? That's a Dutch blackmail band. I think that's on Pornhub, like next to fisting videos. Let's go back to Flosterers. I think it's pronounced Flog Your Ass.

Well, that's on spankbank.com. Wait, is spankbank a real thing? Sure. You think I'm just throwing that out there? I don't know. Will, I thought you were the president of that. Wait, I want to hear what Jay says about this album. Jay. I was going to defer to you. Blome is the name of the album. I don't think I could describe it better than you do. It's just really engaging progressive black metal that just keeps your attention through the whole time through. It's got a lot of memorable

riffs and ups and downs and cool little pretty things it does it's just fucking great man it's when you get good musicians and know how to write you can you can really do creative things in some of these genres that that people have a hard time getting into sometimes and i know we all like black metal but this is why it exists for stuff like this it's a great record cool that's awesome i remember jay you sent that to me um did i yeah i think yeah you definitely did and uh it's bl

L-O-E-M? Yeah, O-E-M, yeah. We're thinking that means bloom in whatever language. Where are they from, Finland? They're from Netherlands. Netherlands, excuse me. They're Dutch. And why didn't they put a tulip on the front then? What the fuck? Well, there are. And where's the fucking umlaut? No, I mean, are those tulips, though? I'll have to go look at it again. Anyways, it's good stuff. Yeah. Cool. George. All right, number 11.

11, yes. 11. Yes. Getting us into the tens here in a minute. All right. My number 11. Make it count. Hail Spirit Noir. Eden in Reverse from Grease, Agonia Records. Wow. Yeah. John and everybody else is like, what the fuck? I'm not what the fuck. I'm not what the fuck at all. This is a great album. You know, I, based on

On John's initial impressions, I was like, oh, I'm not going to like this. But I mean, I've been a big fan of this band since the beginning. And I listened to this and I was like, wow, this is like Voivod meets... Oh, no, let's all take that in for a minute. Yeah, Voivod. No, I heard that too. Yeah. This is like Voivod meets Pink Floyd, which is basically Voivod meets Voivod.

That's a good comment. I like that. But Voivod's version of Pink Floyd. It's Voivod's version of Pink Floyd. And it's very cool. And I dig it. But it's very psychedelic. What the hell is going on? Markisan is having problems. I don't think it's like funny when people drop things. I just like the way those noises are happening. I'm drunk. I'm trying. There's more rainbows over here. Fucking rainbows, dude. Shit. I gotta say, George, I knew you liked it, but I didn't think you put it

That's awesome. It moved up fast. It did. I was like, whoa. It might come up again. Yeah, I mean, I put it on there and I was like, oh no, it's got to go up. And I was like, wait, no, it's got to go up a little more. Got a little more. All right, we're into our tens. Can we do a quick five or three? Yeah, my cat is going bananas right now. You're listening to the Metalheads podcast. So you're the one. We were wondering who it was.

We're on 10, right? Yeah. James, go. James, take us into 10. 10. Exactly. This is where really, I say this every year, now we're getting serious. I know, but sometimes you say that at 15, sometimes you say that at 10, sometimes you say that at 5. It's time for shit to get real with the rolling. Well, we're five and a half hours in, now we're getting fucking real. Number 10 would be Godin, Beyond Darkness on Swart. It's a bummer that George doesn't

I know, he's like, where's the crickets? That's definitely a crickets. That's a crickets. Oh, it's... Have you heard of that one? It's Doom on the deathy side. George, play crickets real quick. What? Oh, hold on. He's not that drunk. Nothing really. Oh. You couldn't even get two crickets. You only got one. That was terrible. By former members of Winter.

Oh, okay. Yeah. I know anything. Okay. Um, it's ultra do me and despondent. And then there's these, um, spoken word segments between, I think it's every track or at least most every track. It's really interesting. Um, I would have thought that this would be way high up on the list for will. I'm very surprised. I never even heard it. What's the name of it again? It's called Godin G O D E N or maybe Godin.

The record is called Beyond Darkness. Again, it's on Swirt. I've heard of it, but I didn't listen to it yet. And that name Winter that nobody knows? I know it. Spoken word. That sounds not cool. It is! Listen to the record. It's great. You know, I have to share a cricket's joke real quick.

I did put it in my wish list. I did

I don't know.

reason for liking something, but I'm not the only one. I'm not just pulling this out of nowhere. Do you remember your

Decibel's number two album last year? Off the top of my head? Yeah, that Linguagnota. I know that a lot of people were into that. It wasn't mine. It's not music. I can tell you six people who weren't. It's not music. Don't make this poor man defend that. I don't know. I'm not saying that I need to defend it because, again,

I don't make any editorial decisions for the magazine. Of course. So talk to Bossman and give him an earful at Metal and Beer Fest and I'm sure that he'll tell you exactly why he picked that record. And he does have a systematic process of like different writers voting for things. So it wasn't just like, oh, I randomly thought this name looked cool or something, you know? Of course. It is a matter of people voting for it. So what you're saying is you need better writers. Okay. No, no, no, no. What he's saying is...

should be coming on this cast because he said he would he was waiting for a new date which they have in fact announced okay yeah it's not gonna happen but yeah because that record's not very good i don't know who the fuck voted for that but you definitely need new writers it's not they need new writers it's just that it's just that when it's voted by committee that just means a bunch of people were wrong i mean right you can take it up uh do you will yeah i don't

You can corner that person and harass them.

Of course. We will do that.

This is all in fine.

Hey James, I'm really not that concerned.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I don't fucking care.

We're just, we're just, we're just fucking around.

Yeah, we do.

We still love Testimals.

Let's move on to our next.

We're fucking around to the point that we all hated that album, but yes.

Yes.

It's not good.

I don't know what you want me to tell you about that. Nothing. Nothing. Do you like it, James? I don't remember having a strong opinion on it. You've never listened to it, have you? So political. You're running for office or something? That means he hates it. I can neither confirm nor deny whether I like this album. He's going through his list.

to listen to this album. It's like, fuck that album.

No, I mean, something that we're going to put that high up,

I'm at least going to listen to it.

That's what I think.

But I don't remember having a tremendously strong opinion on that one.

That's cool, man.

Fair enough.

Fair enough.

Fair enough.

Whatever.

Come on.

Who's next?

Let's do it.

Come on.

Markistan, I think.

We're on number 10.

Yes, the top 10.

Top 10.

Jay mentioned this one, and I was pleased because he got it from me,

and it's Sons of a Wanted Man, Konoma, from Les Acteurs de Hombres Record. And records. Records. Yes. It's a blackened progressive post-metal with some very spirited musical shifts and surprises. Probably more so than any of their album this year, I think. Big riffs, groovy breakdowns.

Some hardcore, some shoegaze, some female guest vocals. It all sounds like it belongs on this album. There's nothing really out of place out of it. And this is just Sun's first album. And they're really terrific at doing different kind of sounds on a record. And textures, dynamics. I can't wait to hear what they do next on it. So I really like Sons of a Wanted Man. I think it was my album of the month.

whatever month it was. February, March. Yep, I think so too. All right, Matt. Jen, this is a post-metal band on Pelagio Records. They're very much, you know, fits in with that family. The band is called Psychonaut and the album is called Unfold the God Man. Psychonaut.

All right, then.

Haven't heard of that one.

Is that an offshoot of Slipknot?

That came out a long time ago, didn't it, Matt?

That came out a while ago, didn't it?

Yeah, right at the beginning of the year.

Yeah, that's what I thought.

All right.

My number 10, not going to go into much detail other than the fact that I'll get shit for putting it so low,

but I like the previous album a lot more than this one,

even though I think this is a decent album to good.

My number 10 is Temple of Void, The World That Was.

I like this album. I just think I like

Lords of Death a little bit more.

The number 10 that was?

Lords of Death.

Yeah.

I like it.

I do.

I think this album will sound way better live

than it does on album.

Interesting.

Yeah.

They just canceled their live show at Atlas.

Yeah.

Oh.

I can't.

I mean, it makes sense at this point.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

We're not going to be back to 100%.

And I love those guys.

They've been great.

Both times they've been on the cast.

And they were so much fun at the show when George and Will and I saw them at Atlas. Yeah. So. Not a band you want to fuck with, by the way. Every one of those. No, they're jacked. They're jacked. They're jacked. Has anyone spent any time on Hellmouth? I know we're trying to get through this real quick, but if anyone's. Hellmouth, Alex's other band. Oh, no, no, no. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I checked them out. It's more punky, though. Yeah, it's. You have to be in the kind of a punk.

mindset, but man, is it great. It is phenomenal stuff. Totally worth your time. Yeah. Well, let me see. My number 10. Wake, Devouring Ruins. Been mentioned before. Blackened Death Grind from Calgary, Canada on translation loss records. I think Canada may make some of the best black metal. Duh.

I think I mean come on man I walked right into that softball served up the Ross and Blatt but I remember will will from Winnipeg what is still probably one of my favorite black metal albums of all time I mean I wouldn't classify this particularly as black metal no no it's like a grindy black I mean it's a little bit of everything hold on hold on I've got wills

opinion on Wilt.

It is this epically beautiful symphony of black metal.

Nice.

Anyway, we mentioned before Wake, Devouring Ruin.

Yeah.

Number 10.

That's a great, great, great album.

For me, proof, George, that you made some good suggestions to me and that they dominate my next two, both this and my next selection.

I've never really paid attention to this band much. There's probably not a good reason for that, especially since I really dig this record. Super fun to listen to. Well produced. Heavier than a two ton heavy thing or whatever that is. Smart Crown. That's a great record, dude. That is a great fucking record. That's the second time somebody said Smart Crown, right? I mentioned it on my honorable mentions for the album cover. I like it a lot. It's one that was just easy

It's easy to put in. You don't have to think about it much, and yet it's engaging. It is. Super heavy. You could not accuse these guys of not being heavy as fuck, and that always works with me. And I also like a certain amount of good, every once in a while, a hyper-produced band. When I mean it's very, very good production. That's not a terribly good explanation of this band, but maybe we'll get another chance to have George explain it later if it shows up on his list. Could be. Maybe. That's a yes. All right.

So that is me for number 10. Yes. Yes. I know you're not going to believe this, but my number 10 is disbelief. And their album, The Ground Collapses, a German band on listenable records. That was one of your albums of the month, wasn't it? Twas. Twir. Twir. Yes. Yeah, I listened to this. I re-listened to this album today. It's on my, I'll have to admit, it's on my,

My Honorable Mentions. Fair enough. It's a good album. I always felt like the album cover looked like something from Slipknot or Mushroom Head. It is a little. It's not like that at all. I know it's not, but this is one that was like, if I would have sold an album cover now. It's a very generic album cover. I agree. Yeah, if I would have sold an album cover now, I'm like, I'm not buying that. No, and even the font, you start reading it and you're like, this might say Disturb by the time I'm done reading it. It might change.

But they've been around a while. Come on. They've been around a while. All right. Back to James for number nine. Nine. Midnight. That came out like January 1st or something, didn't it? Jesus. That seems like years ago. Is that the first time it's on a list and not the album coming? I can't believe that nobody else brought this up earlier. Maybe I'm just more excited about this band than other people. No, no, no.

You may hear it again. You may not. By the way, one of the absolute best shows ever, Atlas Brew Works, Midnight. They bring it to another level that you just rarely have I seen a show at Atlas like that before. Rarely have I seen a show at Atlas. I can't say that because I have. Well, I can look at three people

People who have not seen a show at Atlas. James has seen one. It's a pretty long commute for me to be fair. Yeah, I know. That's a really long commute for me. Yeah. Oh, by the way, Blake, our tapper manager, who we had on the podcast, who's in... Take the story. Yeah, no. I was just joking. No, no. It is funny because when I go to text or call Blake and I put in Blake, Blake Harrison comes up before Blake.

Peterson. But anyway, he's moving back to California, so we have to find a new general manager. So what you're saying is Pig Destroyer is breaking up. Is that what you're telling us? No, a different place. Hey, let's do number nine. Markison. Number nine for me is Drown. Sub-Aqueous from Proophecy.

This is one of the best funeral doom albums I've heard in some time. When I listen to this, I feel like I'm falling beneath the ocean waves, watching as the last light slowly disappears, and the faint call of Davy Jones' locker grows louder with every lost fathom. Jesus Christ, man. What's the name of the album? Drown. No, that doesn't.

It's not the band, the Gister album. Sub-Aqueous. Sub-Aqueous. Yeah, it's phenomenal. When you say Funeral Doom, I'm putting it in my wish list. That's the Chornabor guy, right? Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's one of the best Funeral Doom albums in a long time. So if you'd like that kind of stuff, this should be on the top of your list. It's so good. I think Skepticism may be one of my favorite Funeral Doom bands.

Wait a minute, by, might be one of your favorite, you mean is one of the best, objectively. Yes, clearly. Fair enough. Had to throw that objectively in there. Yeah, all right. That's a science. Well, that's a fact. Yeah. I just remember Skepticism, their last album, Ordeal, they played it live, they recorded it while they were playing live in front of a studio audience. And,

It was like flawless. It was amazing. Isn't that one of George's favorite bands that he was like every year on the top 50? Sentence. That was Sentence. Sentence. Sentence. Sentence and Woods of Apricot. Right. Right. Fucking Sentence. What else is there? Escape it. I still don't think I've ever heard a single song by Sentence. Oh, they do some good stuff. You must have.

No, you haven't. But yeah, definitely check out Drown, because they put out a lot of great albums. It's a good album. It's probably the best. It is. My wish list just expanded. I like 50. Expanded like my penis on Niagara. Oh, yeah. Huge. It's fucking huge. Help Will expand his penis. Was my number nine? Yes. Number nine. Number nine. Number nine.

Actually, it was another album of the month from previously in this year that feels like a decade. The band is called Those Snakes and the album is called Widowmaker. They're a band from the UK. It's their second album. Metal Archive describes them as psychedelic thrash, I guess you could call them that. I mean, honestly, it's just a weird style. It's a mix of many different things. It's something that, honestly, there's a few things from number nine up.

And I hate to use this word because when I

when somebody says something to me and I'm like, oh, that's interesting.

That's my way of saying like, that's dumb.

That is stupid. And I would describe this as interesting,

but like in the real way that it actually is interesting, not dumb or stupid.

And honestly, I'm surprised I haven't heard much more about this, but

it's definitely something we're checking out.

That was so good. That was so like, sometimes when I say I love you, I mean, I hate you.

But right now, when I say I love you, I'm really telling you I love you.

You know what I'm trying to say?

That's good. I like that. It's a good explanation.

How drunk is everybody? Because I'm really drunk. I'm just tired. I'm pretty good. I'm fucking hammered. I am surprisingly, I am not drunk at all. I'm just tired. I'm getting close to my first one. It feels like the first time. My number nine. Sorry. I'm really fucking hammered.

Sorry, Will. I'm going to give you a little shrinkage with this one. Nobody has this on the list. I'm positive, but that's cool. It's an Irish progressive metal band called Sectile. The album's called Falls Apart. Nobody knows it. That's cool. I do. I like that album quite a bit. Suck what? Balls Apart? What? No, that was on YouPorn. This is called Sectile. I'm not sure how you pronounce it. It's pretty cool.

If you like progressive metal?

I think it's really good, John.

I pronounce it sectile.

And I definitely considered it for my list.

It's not on my list, but I really like that album.

Wow.

I feel good.

I said four of my next five albums nobody's heard of, and two have already gotten mentioned.

I'm like, this is awesome.

I'm killing it.

I'll be back at 9 and 11 every Tuesday and Thursday nights.

I mean, it's really good progressive metal, you know?

Yeah.

And you don't hear about many progressive metal bands?

No, and I feel like that band, that's a good album, but I feel like in the future they're going to do a really great album that nobody's going to be able to deny. That'd be cool. Yeah. All right. Well, my number nine, I expect to hear Complete Crickets, except for maybe Marc Gasan, who I know has heard of this.

Australia from Black Farm Records. I mentioned this in my, I think it was my number four in my album cover art. But this is phenomenal. I'm one of the only guys in this podcast who really dives into the Stoner Doom stuff. But Mammon's Throne, Forward Undo Flame. This is right in my wheelhouse, my number nine. I listen to this album so many times.

Yeah. I mean, it's definitely, it's on my honorable mentions. It's not on my list. I'm not a really stuttered Doom guy, but I think that one is quite exceptional for that genre. So. Yeah. It's, it's, it's a good one. Very good in my opinion. It's so good. It's my number nine. There you go. Number nine. It's so good. It's your number nine. Nine, nine, nine, nine

He should never have to defend himself and nobody made him defend himself because but it was still it was the cover lies what lies beneath disbelief the ground collapses I think fucking solid super fun put it on while you're driving record another really just like well well produced sub genre ask but really kind of just a metal record you know I mean like almost never more ish with a more deathy vocal kind of thing I dig it it's good stuff as well

I needn't go on. I liked it. I was glad George brought that and Spark on in particular to my attention this year. Yeah, I mean, they've been around for a while and I've not necessarily paid that much attention, but this album was just so, I was like, whoa. Solid. Rock, solid metal. Yeah, it's very good. So, can't disagree. With that, your influence over me, Wayne's George, from this point forward. I do appreciate.

I do appreciate those. Your influence wanes. Hey, at least I had an influence. I'm done with you, George. I just want you to let you know in the nicest way possible. He got into my top ten. George put the first two records in my top ten in my top ten. Then you moved on. That's quite all right. At least it's something. It's better than nothing. Something is better than nothing. That sounds like an 80s hair metal song.

Yeah.

Yeah.

All right.

Number nine.

Yeah.

Nine.

Nine.

Number nine is benighted, obscene, repressed from France on season of mist.

It's grindy.

It's grindy.

That's all I got to say.

It's not exactly grind, but it's grindy.

No, it's grindy.

It's kind of grindy.

It was one of the ones you sent to me also.

Yeah.

And I liked it. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not a big fan of it, but I knew George would have it on his list. Cause I know how much he enjoys it. It's kind of fucked up. I think it's been on a quite a few. Like if you look at, um, not lists, but, uh, highly rated. Yeah. Their, their stuff's always a lot of, they have a lot of heavily disturbing things. Yes. I mean, this album is all about like some dude who's like, I want to do my mom, but she doesn't like me. So I'm going to cut off my tongue and feed it to her.

It's like some Oedipus fucking thing. It's really fucked up. It's like Oedipus triple X. Yeah. Well, the main dude in the band works at like a mental hospital. Oh, is that true? Yeah, that's true. And he's been there for years. And so it's kind of based on, I mean, I don't know what this is based on, but you know, he does,

that sort of thing. Sure. And at least it's inspired by shit that he has to deal with. So. Yeah. It's wild. Fucking great. The one like three records ago, Asylum Cave, was just phenomenal. It's like death and grind, but then there's all these like catchy parts. It's really great. Sweet. Since you're talking, James, keep talking. Let's get to it. Yeah. It didn't seem like too many people were into that. So I'm going to keep going with some crickets here.

Golden Light. Oh. Sacred Color of the Source of Light. Anybody? That's Crickets, for sure. Dragons game? Yes, that's actually, you know what, I'm sorry, that was on my D&D list. I was looking at the wrong spray. No, it's on Iron Bonehead. It's black metal, but it's like the black metal that you would listen to on a sunny day.

Sunny days, taking the... Yes. But it's got this warm, fuzzy tone to it. It was only a two-piece, and then they broke up after the record, so as far as I know, they'll never have another record again, so it's going to be total crickets for forever. But it's really weird, and if you're into the unusual or the atmospheric black metal swing of the spectrum, it's great.

It's nice to have you come in and stump six people who do nothing but sit around and listen to new music. So they're not crickets, dude. They're not crickets. It's making us look like a bunch of fucking posers is what it's doing. It's the first one from James that we haven't, we don't know about. I guess my, it reminds me of, have you seen the, there's a movie called Lord of Bad Astem? Yeah. Have you guys seen her? That sounds like it would be part of that soundtrack.

What's that midget's name? Or the dwarf? Peter Dinklage. Wow, that is so un-PC. The midget part? Just all of it. Just dude. Peter Dinklage is un-PC or total un-PC? No. That's his name. The first thing I call out about him is that he's a dwarf. I mean, like if it was like a hot chick. He's an actor. Okay.

What's that actor's name? Yeah. He has no distinguishing qualities, so you just gotta, he has really dark hair. Yeah. I know, I get it, but seriously. Short arms and legs. What's his name? He's the guy who was alive in the, what's that show on HBO? Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones. He lived at the end. So, to circle back to the record, it's not like, it's not like sunny day poppy music.

It's black metal that you could listen to when it's light out and not the middle of winter. And you'll be like, oh yeah, this fits. I really recommend it. It's great. I actually think that Will's correlation to Knights of Bad Estim fits. That's good. I like that. It's not like D&D goofiness. No, no, no, no. I get it. I get it. But that's exactly what that movie is. It's like a horror movie that you could watch on a nice Saturday afternoon. I'm nervous. You said Sonny Dame. I thought the Partridge family there for a second.

Is that Partridge Family or is that? It's Sesame Street. Sunny Day. Everything's A-OK. Yeah. All right. Fair enough. Sorry, James. We shit all over that. It's just the way we do things here. Yeah, that's fine. Listen to the record. Somebody, if one of you will listen to it. So you just joined the club. You got your album shit on, all right? Yeah. Come on. Far for the course. It's up with all of us. Just take your lumps and get up and move on. Yeah. Give us your seven and move on.

Oh, there's more crickets to follow. Oh, I can't wait. Yeah, well, then you'll be an expert by the end of this podcast. Marcus, I think you're next, right? My number eight. Matt's mentioned this one. Vengeful Spectre. Self-title from Pest Spectres. This album is a bloody battle sword of black metal mixed with Chinese folk music. It's a concept album.

about Eastern swordsmen dealing with war, conspiracy, betrayal, and revenge. I love the merging of musical worlds on this album. I have not heard anything else quite like Vengeful Spectre. I don't remember any other Chinese black metal bands, to be honest with you, or any metal bands, to be quite frankly.

It was my album of the month

for whatever month it was. I think it was February.

But

it's remained high on my list.

I've listened to it quite a bit.

Markisan, you just gave me an epiphany.

You know what that is?

Because I'm usually the one who's been

the absolute fucking drunkest

on this podcast. Yes, I was going to say,

dude, you sound really fucking drunk.

I do? Me?

No, no, Markisan.

My epiphany is that Markisan

has a script and he writes everything down and he reads it. I don't write anything down. I don't read anything. But I need to do that because when I get super drunk, you sound way better. Like, Markasine, you were like super like, whoa. And then you start reading what you wrote and you're like, bam, here I am, bitches. I need to write stuff down. I'm so hammered. That's why I write notes for everything because there's no way I could do this off the cuff at this point.

No, of course not. In the cuss. Also, Will, I wrote it down. What if your notes are just crickets? Because that's what my notes are. Will, I have a promise to you, too. Next time we get together, I will teach you to read, I promise. And then we can. Thank you. I've been hiding this secret for you. I know, I know. But now you see how useful it can be. But I can write my name and it's not an X. Oh, no. You bought it somehow. Yes.

It's actually three X's, by the way. Nice. Yeah. So I sound really drunk. You're telling me. Not when you're reading. Not when you're reading. That's the point. Okay. Now, because I'm fucking hammered. If you ever get pulled over, though, you should write a script down. And then if you're ever drunk driving, you can pull it out and read it to him. I'm shocked I can even read. I don't know how I'm reading at this point. You're doing great. Well, I'm pulling for you.

I'm sober. I have nothing written down and I'm going to sound drunk. So I think it's. My number eight, Lesser Glow, Nullity. They're on Pelagic Records from the US. This is their second album. I would describe it as kind of a sludgy doomy post metal, which is kind of right in my wheelhouse. Yeah, you should check it out if you haven't. Wow. Apparently number eight is like a very rare number.

For everybody.

Because I'm going to add to it.

All right.

My band, hopefully I say it right, Maris Mealy, Between the Land and Sky,

kind of a black metal, pagan black metal band from Finland, debut release.

This is their debut release, and I hopefully see good things for this band going forward.

Cool.

All right.

Will.

Sorry, I was on mute.

My Number 8. I thought maybe I would have heard the name of this band before, but now that I haven't, there's no way anybody has this higher than 8. Hyborian, Volume 2. Kansas City, Missouri, Season of Mist. I remember that Dan Klayon, jar of pressure, he sent out a Twitter message saying, these guys are like baronets.

but doesn't suck and there is a lot of baroness high on fire influence in these guys but um this just it gets me right in the feels it just gets me right in that wheelhouse that is like old older baroness it's fun it's just straight heavy metal and um and it's good it doesn't kind of like baroness kind of sucks now wait a minute no way no way no way i'm interrupting purple is a

That record is phenomenal. Awesome. I'm liking this. I can't tell whoever just said that is joking or not. I checked that after red. No, purple is so good. Go listen to it again. It's phenomenal. What a great record. All right. Well, I would suggest that if you like that, listen to High Borean volume two. It's better than anything that Baroness has ever put out. It is. It is good. Yeah, I agree.

It's just called Volume 2. Even better than Red, Will? The Red Album? I'm sorry. I'll repeat it again. Volume 2, How Boring is Better Than Anything. I'll repeat my question again. It's better than the Red Album? Yes, it is. I don't know. Yes, it is. No. Fine. Way to go, Will. You just broke up the podcast. Nice job. No one else is going to have this on there. Give me the crickets. Give them to me.

- Hey, hold on, hold on. Thank you. Man, that cricket is really not doing its job. It does like one chirp and it's down. Is that cricket pretty wasted too? I mean, has it been hit? It was a drunk cricket. Actually, James, that's... That cricket has done so much tonight. It's so burned out. Just tired. It's like, oh my God, again? When you have the seventh person on, the cricket gets tired.

Well, it's seven picks in a row. Seven picks in a row. Come on. Gee, pick an album. Everybody knows. Well, a good thing is going to happen, I think, here pretty soon this week. Well, we're going to get to a lot of these. This has already been said, so I'm not going to describe it. That should get us through some of these. And this is going to help. Ulcerate, stare into death and be still. I don't need to describe it. You guys know all about it, but that's my number eight. Nice. Nice. Go, George, go. Number eight. I know you probably haven't heard of this,

So this is going to be cool for you. This is a band from Michigan. You might have not heard of them. They're called Temple of Void. And the album is called The World That Was. Never heard of them. Never heard of them. I'm sure. What kind of music is that? It's hair metal. Metal port. Yeah.

So yeah, you should check them out if you haven't heard of them. Definitely. It's good. You could probably make an argument that the world that was, was the hair metal world back in like the late eighties. Sure. What? If you wanted to. Yeah. Hair metal really came out late mid to late eighties. I can't. I didn't know what you're saying, but okay. George, just go look back through your record collection and find out

The first time you bought Poison and Warren. 1986. What the fuck? That's what I just said. Or seven. Did you not know what the mid to late 80s? I've been waiting for this. I was born in 1986. Shut up. I was in college in 1986. I was in high school at least. Yeah. Damn it. Fucking youngin. Youngin. Number seven. Let's move on.

I got a wee wee. Sorry. Seven. Yeah. Um, in the company of serpents. Oh, yeah. That record is on my list. Yeah. He also, I think you had talked about this in the last episode and you had described parts of it as being spaghetti Western. And I was actually this episode. It just happened to be like six hours ago. No, no, no, no, no, no. Because I was definitely listening to this on my iPod, not on the computer. Um,

But yeah, I hadn't thought of it in that way, but it is. And it's amazing. You never knew you wanted that in the metal record, but you totally do. No, I 100% agree with you. I don't know what fucking happened to me with the epic fail. I'm not having that on my list. The record's great. That's all. I'm done. Markisan. Number seven for me is Dark Forest, Oak, Ash, and Thorn from

Cruz del Sur music. This is ultra catchy spirit lifting metal with folk layers, heavy riffs, soaring solos, and top notch songwriting. It's like Iron Maiden having sex with the Renaissance Festival inside your ear. It's fucking so good. Again, I don't know if I want that. What's the name of the

Dark Forest. Dark Fortress or Forest? Forest. That's different than Dark Fortress. Yes. Yes. Okay. Oh, man, Bruce is going to be getting it on in my ear. That's kind of weird. It's really good. Matty. I'm intrigued. My number seven has been mentioned. It's obviously much higher for me. I find this album to just completely fucking shred shards of humanity.

Cold Logic. Nice. That's three now, isn't it? Three or four. I'm dropping the ball. I like that fan, too. Yeah. All right. This is funny. George is not on screen, so he's going to miss my number seven. Oh, wait. He's coming back. He's not dead yet. Put the headphones on, George. What? I heard my name. My number seven. George is not alone in this. I heard this the other day.

And it shot right up my list. It is. It's a Spanish band from Greece. They're fucking weird. Oh, really cool. Okay. So it must be Heil. Heil. Yeah. Hail spirit. Noir. Noir. Eden in reverse. I love it. Yeah. It shot up my list too, dude. It's probably the last metal album I'll ever do. It shot up your list. Is a list the metaphor for something that we don't know?

I didn't think it would I was skeptical and I heard it the first time I was like wow it's kind of cool second time I was like oh fuck I think this is gonna go up my list pretty high yeah so um it's cool yeah it is you got it but you gotta like avant-garde there's no black metal anymore in the sound no but it's it's very psychedelic avant-garde-ish but it's still metal yes it's still heavy

to be black metal. Like avant-garde-ish black metal. They were kind of weird. You know, so. But I think this might be their last metal album. I hope it's not, but it might be. I'll still like it regardless either way. Will. By number seven, it's been mentioned before, Midnight Rebirth of Blasphemy. Speed Flash Metal from Cleveland, motherfucking Ohio. Who do we know from Cleveland? I mean, seriously.

Nobody. Drew Carey. Yeah. Isn't Workingman Brewery? Sorry. Workingman Brewery is out there, I think. I'm not sure, but that's about the only thing I know about it. I only say this because I am Michigan to the core. That almost seems like an oxymoron statement somehow. That's like saying I'm hardcore Wisconsin. Well, James. We get up at two to melt the cows. If you're from Cleveland, you know. Michigan, Ohio.

Rivalry. You're talking about Michigan State and Ohio State. No, Michigan and Ohio State. Not Michigan State. University of Michigan. Fuck Michigan State. No, no, no, no. I don't care. That's hours away. That's Columbus. Yeah, it is. Right. But still, Michigan, Ohio. I have nothing but disdain for fucking Ohio. But Midnight is from Cleveland. I don't care. I don't care. They are awesome. I am Michigan.

Ohio sucks a dick. Except for James, because I love James. Let's just piss the guests off some more. No, no, no, seriously. This is seriously just like for shits and giggles. It's not a real thing. But let's not forget that WKRP is in Cincinnati. Oh, that's like Dr. Johnny Beaver. True that. True that. Les Nesman. Les Nesman once met somebody on that show and his name was Steel.

And he said, hi, my name is Steele. I feel like a guy's name says something about him. And he goes, what's your name? And he goes, Les. I remember that episode. Les. But I'm from Michigan. All I can have is spite for Ohio. Hey, Michigan, hold it down over there. Number seven for Jay. That means that us Ohioans moved on and went on with life. And we're like, yeah, those clowns. Dude, that being said, like a bunch of my family is actually from Ohio.

My mother's side of the family's from Michigan. Yeah. Yeah. My dad's side of the family's from Ohio. All right. But I think Jay has a number seven. Is this Ancestry.com or Metalhead's podcast? Yeah. Whatever you want it to be. The Hatfields and the McCoys of the north. Number seven. Been talked about dirty, gritty, heavy, fun. Ulthar Providence. Oh, yes.

I'm not going to keep describing things people. You know, that was meant to be on my list and it wasn't by accident. Damn it, George, because you're from Michigan. I meant to update my list to include this and I didn't. All right, year end for you, George. All right, number seven. Yes. The Borg have arrived.

The Crown. Wolves Among the Ashes. George, can you name who that is talking at the very beginning of that record? Because I can. I cannot. It's Jim Jones. Really? Like fucking Kool-Aid man. Yeah, and I only know that because I saw a documentary about him and Jim had that lift. You hear that lift at the beginning of it? Yeah, yeah. Because he took so much speed before he died. Wow. I didn't know that. Yeah, that's a good documentary about. Let's go to Guyana. Yeah. And I only know that.

Because of Manowar. Well, that's not about Jim Jones, is it? The Day of Kiana, yeah, off of Sign of the Hammer. Of course, I guess that only makes sense. That just seems so non-Manowar-ish. Some of us were living in the city when that happened. There's a lot of nervous people sitting by phones that day, I feel sure, Jim. Yes, there were. I'm going to go pee-pee. Right, six. Let's do it. All right, James, number six.

Six, Zabalba, Agnes, and Inferno. That's the guy from Phantom Menace, right? Zabalba? Oh, that's right. Yeah, we had this conversation. I know. Marcus is not here to call me out. No, he's here. He is, but he's not. He's saving his energy to speak. Either that or he's really out. It's ultra-heavy, death, doom, hardcore kind of. They used to do more of like a death and hardcore kind of thing.

I wasn't cool enough to be on board in the early years. I only got on board in like 2012, but after that, it just kept getting better and better, in my opinion. Only eight years ago, yeah. Oh, yeah. Eight years ago. The most recent record is just, it's just ultra heavy. I know that throwing hardcore in there probably alienates a lot of people. It doesn't. No, no, no. We talked about this record when it came out. Oh, did you?

I miss that.

You missed that episode.

If you haven't heard it, just like throw on 15 seconds of this record at any point.

And you'll be like, yeah, okay.

All right.

I'm on board for this.

It's just crushing.

It's great.

Let's see if he answers the call.

Marcus, huh?

He's not there.

He's still with us.

He must be making a pee pee.

No, no, no.

It's been a little while.

He's not there.

He's there.

No, there's no one there.

I'm not joking.

He put his head down the desk.

You can see like a little silhouette to the left.

Something's going on.

No, no, no.

I swear to you, he put his head down his desk.

He brought it up for his last number.

I think he's out.

He's kind of doing it a little bit.

I'm not joking.

I think he's sleeping.

I think he's fucked down.

I'm not joking.

Which is fucking hilarious because it's only like six, seven o'clock in Hawaii.

This is the way he did his last one. Number five. For part of that, too, he was doing one eye. Sorry, Markisan. I've been Markisan many times. So I hate to say it. I think we've got to move on to Max. That's fucking hilarious. Wait a minute. Sorry, go ahead. I didn't mean to. Go for it. No, it's just hilarious because he's the earliest time zone of all of us.

And so should therefore not be out of it before any of us. But he's also got, well, he's also got an iron liver usually. Yeah. He usually starts drinking like as soon as he gets up. So how is Will and I like the most sober people right now? I got to drive in New Jersey tomorrow. I got to drive. I got to drive. I got to drive trying to keep it together. I have to drive to the couch. Yeah. I have to drive to the elliptical machine. So I really do think we have to move on to Matt. Cause I, I'm telling you.

So Marcasson's number six is Lady Gaga. Okay. All right. If he's out, though, does his score no longer count? No. We'll figure it out later. Yeah, he'll just have to get in with George tomorrow. Yeah. Oh, man. All right. Me, number six, has been mentioned. All I'll say about this is, you know, I listened to it once. I was like, but it was honestly the cover that made me keep

to listen to it and keep coming back to it. Cryptic Shift. Visitations from Enceladus. Enceladus. Enceladus. What is the California town? Enceladus. Enceladus. Enceladus. But there's a California town that's trying to be nuts. It's like that. Encel

But I like it. It's some kind of music. And it's from like members from like 47 different bands all from Denver. That's cool. And we know some of them. Black Curse, Endless Wound. I like this album a lot. That final track, Finality I Behold, is just a monster of a track. And every time I hear that song, it moves the album up a little higher on my list just because I like that track that much.

So nice. Awesome. I feel like I did not listen to this closely enough as much as everybody likes to it. So I need to, this needs to be at the top of my list to revisit. But Jay, when I said it's death, black, black and death and war metal. Yeah. It's all of that. It's just kind of crazy how they mixed the two black and death metal together. So more than anything else mentioned tonight, that's an assignment for tomorrow. I did listen to it, but I just didn't, I probably didn't even listen to it all because of trying to cram so much. Well, it has a, has a member from chemist in it. So you're not going to like it.

Okay, I know we've had that conversation. But Jay, it's got members from Blood Incantation and Spectral Voice. What are we going to do? Damned if you do, Damned if you don't type deal here. I think if it sounds like anything, it's more Primitive Man than any of the other four bands. True. All right. Okay, well, let's see if it can have an effect on my year end. Well, you got a chance to listen to it before we're finished. Well, I'll tell you what will have an effect on your list.

What do you got, Will? This is an album that came out very, very early in the year and it stuck with me. Convent. Puritan Masochism. Yes. From Denmark. Napalm Records. Good album. Yeah. Just straight up fucking filthy doom metal. That's Convent with a K. So long ago. Yeah, Convent with a K. K-O-N-V-E-N-T. Puritan Masochism.

So it's like K-rab, sort of like fake combat. Is that what you're saying? Yeah. Imitation combat. Yes, I think. Shall I jump in then, Will? Yep. We've heard this a couple of times, at least once. I thought we'd hear it a lot, and maybe we will still hear some more. Dark Fortress Spectres of the Old World. Yeah. I just thought this was a well-constructed, put-together, interesting throughout record that just doesn't really dip off anywhere. And there's a lot of different stylistic stuff they hit.

Really expert guitar solos for a kind of black and deathy thing. So is this the one that's on Central Media? Yes. Yeah. So I'm curious, and this is an actual real question, is that I completely pretty much live on promos and band camp at this point. So how do you find this stuff that's like Central Media that's not on? I go to Angry Metal Guy and just other stuff. It's on Spotify.

I never look at Spotify to look for new music. I just got this. I know I got this one through a review. Yeah. And I was like, okay, I'll try it. Yeah. And we used to get, we used to get century media promos, but they just kind of stopped. No, Sony got them. That's why. Cause I used to get all kinds of inside out promos all the time for my radio station. And then century media bought inside out and then Sony came in, everything.

Yeah, it's true. The Triptychon is on Century Media. And we didn't get a promo. Yeah, we didn't get it. Yeah. Oh, what's in the box then? I don't know. Markisan put that in there. Oh, yeah. But yeah, what's in the box, man? What's in the box? That's good. Well done. All right. Who's left for six? George? George, you boy. I think so. All right.

Speaking of Century Media, this band is from France. Wait. Nope. Sorry. That was the last one. I'm drunk. I can't read. This is actually from Denmark. Scarlet Records. Horned Almighty to fathom the master's grand design. Came close to get on my left. Hey, there's Markisan. Hey, handsome. Dude, where you been?

Did you fall asleep?

Hey, Will. You've been completely absolved, Will, for everything.

No, no. I just feel more of a kindred spirit. I've been there twice recently on these episodes that go to some ungodly.

It's only quarter after one in the morning. What are you talking about?

Well, you've never once admitted a response that sort of implied, who the fuck are you guys? And how did you get in my house? Get the fuck out of here. Marcus, where you been, dude? I'm sleeping. Sleeping, yeah. You're Mr. fucking six hours ahead of us. But you're back just in time to give us your number six. Holy shit, I made it in time for six. No, you didn't, but you can do it anyway. We're going back.

We are still on six, but we passed you out. Just do it. My number six is Forlison Hierophant Violent. Ah, yeah. This record is a stirring palatial mix of black, doom, dark, ambient, post-metal, and slowcore. Yeah, it's cool. I bought it. Listening to this album makes me feel like I died, and my ghost is floating.

through the clouds to an unknown destination. I don't like how you feel right now. Above the white, wispy tendrils lies a hidden storm city of dark grandeur. And that feels like home to me, friends. You may be sleepy, but you're still there. That I can't stop listening to. I think that you did not read that. You were riffing on that because you literally just described it. Oh, down he goes.

He literally just fell on the floor. Let's see if he rallies for fun. Anybody have a phone number for Tracy by chance? Seriously. Seriously. Oh my God. He's all right. I hope so. He literally just fell. Do you have a video of? Yeah. Yeah. If he was, if he was, if he did not read

as he just did, trust me, I'd be more worried than I am. He's just fucking tired, dude. Yeah, but it's like six o'clock in the afternoon there, dude. Well, but he started drinking a long time ago. Oh, my God. Seriously, I hope he's okay. He's okay. He may rally again. That was some serious fucking falling down there. It was a little bit like this, wasn't it? I don't know if I've ever seen it before. Out of screen. Oh, my God. There was an episode,

I woke up and even in the morning after I woke up on the podcast, continue with the podcast, I still had the cross hatching from my, I mean, it was like a tattoo in my forehead down on my face down on my, like hardcore all my weight on my forehead to the point that in the morning it was still there. Yeah. I'm sure he's fine. I'm sure he's fine, but I am, I am concerned.

So yeah, he went down kind of fast. He did. That was really fast. He's tired. But where's Trayton? Oh my God. All right. Well, that takes us to Matt, I think. Well, at least we're expressing concern because we're like, all right, who's next? I mean, what can we do? You know? Oh, there he is. There he is. Ah, we picked him.

Oh my god.

Very serious.

I've never seen you look so fucked up, dude.

Dude, are you all right?

Markisan.

Are you all right?

Headphones might not even be playing at this point, dude.

Can you hear us?

Probably not yet.

We'll get there.

He has headphones on.

I know, but...

He may not be up again.

Look how the rim comes around the front of his...

Here we go. He's got to set his mic up again. Here we go.

Here we go. You there, dude?

A dude would be Markisan.

Yeah, dude.

What?

Are you there?

Yeah.

Are you all right?

That's good enough, man. Let's go.

Yeah, let's go.

We've been worried about you, man.

We've been on five.

No, some of us were. Some of us weren't. You look great.

Holy shit, we're on five already?

Yeah.

You're killing me.

You just gave us your six. Yeah. We just did six. Now we're on five. Yeah. You're good. You just disappeared. We were worried. Oh, man. I got a shit. Go do that. You got time, dude. Go take a shit. I got a shit now? Just come back, though. You're not at number five. I'm coming back. Okay. Jesus Christ. He's not coming back.

- James, five. He might be back. Five. Butcher. Woo! Actually, I would prefer if he would just go lay down in his bed right now. That'd be alright. That's fine to me. Just, I don't want to see him fall again. Honestly, he may well, he may do that. I would not be surprised to be, yeah. James, this is... That's a long walk. James, you... This is the first. Just so you know. No, it's not the first. I've done this. Sort of. No, I just, I'm glad he's... I'm glad he's okay.

He's fine. He's fine. He's got to take a shit, you know? It happens. I'm not going to lie to you, guys. That might be the funniest thing ever. He's just like, I gotta take a shit. I feel bad laughing when it's... I do too. I don't know why you guys feel bad. This is just like that big a deal. Well, Jay, it's like the guy who falls down and is freaking people walk by or film it and put it on Facebook, you know what I mean? I hear you. I mean, I'm just

I truly am not concerned about him at all. We've all been that drunk before. He's just drunk. But I don't think he'll be coming back. My theory is he walks by the couch and he's like, that looks good. So we'll see. Let's wrap this up. We only have five more. No, we're going to do this fast. We're on five. Okay, five. Butcher, 666.

I thought this record was phenomenal really fun

if you look on the band camp page you'll see people describing in all different manners and I think that means it appeals to a lot of different people

it is a great album

it's yeah it's just non-stop fun from

it's very 80s

I wanted to like it more than I did but that's

and bear with me here and it's simply that

sometimes

when somebody does something like that

I almost feel like I can either feel the respect or that they're kind of making fun of it and I kind of feel like they're making fun of it and that sounds shitty and that's probably not true because you're not going to dedicate that much time to something you think is a joke but it just it just needed just a little bit more something to make me feel like these guys love this and that's not you I might be exactly on the other end of the fence from you I guess I think they do it way too well to me making fun of it because I think they're all in I think it's great yeah I agree I made it and maybe

It's just the lyrics are so tongue-in-cheek, you know, and the titles and stuff. But short of that, they nailed it. I mean, it sounds like what it's supposed to sound like. And I agree with you. They must love it. You can't do that if you're not dedicated. First thought was Exciter. I don't know why, but it was. Also, it's got a lot of weird little Judas Priest things in it, believe it or not. I hear every once in a while some of the passages, and I notice that if you really look at their logo, it's very Judas Priest, even though it's more of a fresh thing. Oh, yeah, definitely.

All right. Matt. Mark and Matt. My number five was my album of the month, I think, in a very recent month. The band is Draught. The album is called Tremurdi. It's on Alvar and Crab Music. This is an Italian black metal band. In the interest of time, I'll just say it's awesome. Go listen to it. Love it. Nice. All right. John. All right.

I can honestly say my top five are five albums I listened to the most so far in the first half of the year. My number five, I actually saw these guys recent, not recently, but in the last couple of years. And James was at the same show as I was in Baltimore. We hung out and that is Paradise Lost Obsidian. I like this album a lot. I know some people keep comparing, try to compare it to what is it?

Draconian? No, drawing a blank here from The Plague Within. It's not that. It's a little bit of that, but it's got a little bit of Draconian Times in it. I personally like it. I think it's good. You know, what's funny is I really wanted to like this album, and I listened to it a bunch of times, and it was just a little too slow for me, where I thought The Plague Within, I think, made my list a couple years ago. Yeah, I made mine too. Yeah, I thought The Plague Within was phenomenal.

It was. It's the best. Go ahead. I'm sorry, Will. No, I'll probably, yeah. To me, it's one of the better Paradise Lost albums, but this one, to me, just, it kind of bored me. I have to say, like, I really, really, really wanted to like it, and I just. Yeah, they delved back in more to their gothic metal sound. Yeah. It's one a little more. So, and which the last three have been kind of a lot different than the previous ones, because Medusa was completely different than the Play Within. Yeah, I didn't.

I didn't like Medusa at all and I was actually pretty sure Despo had that as number one and I was shocked by that yeah I liked I think we were all shocked by that actually yeah I know I know Albert's a huge Paradise Lost fan that one wasn't his voice on that though that was writers voices coming in he had like four or five of them come in right away with that as number one and I remember him saying that he's like well this is you know a band that I really like and a whole bunch of writers came in right away but that is number one wow that's wow I thought it was I thought it was

It was a definite departure, not departure, but it was a change from the play with it. It was way more doomy and slower, I thought. But hey, I like this one. With Obsidian, somebody said this on the podcast again in the last couple episodes, or somebody was talking about it. It was like puzzle pieces from all the different records from their different eras all put together. And I would absolutely agree with that. If you're a big fan of the band, you can see this piece from this record, this piece from this record, and it all fits together.

They're in this album. So if you're a big fan of their career as a whole, you'll like this album. Yeah, I agree. Wow. My number five. Holy shit, dude. How you doing there, Markisan? Fucking hammered, dude. Holy shit. Yeah. Yeah. I think so. Markisan, what's your number five? Fuck, I'm up. Okay.

You been up dude. We didn't I do cryptic shift? No, you sort of said cryptic and then you said I gotta take a shit and you left. I have to do a cryptic shit. I had to take a little nap. Shit, I feel better now though. Good, good, good. Number five, cryptic shift. Yeah. All right. From Enceladus. Excellent. Sounds like an interstellar warning.

through the cosmos by alien architects in a hostile galaxy. Exactly. The way a cryptic shift executes the kaleidoscope of shapes and sounds on this record is remarkable. From distant noise to melodic hooks to tranquil passages to off the rails thrashy death rifts. Visitations from Enceladus is a unique interstellar hyperbolic.

of progressive metal heaviness. Love this album. Boing. You get the fucking... And I will say it again. This is exactly why I need to write stuff down like he does. Yeah. Dude, I'm so... Dude, I passed out. I don't know. I feel much better right now all of a sudden. That's weird. But I don't even know what happened. I fucking blacked out. You did. You fell off your chair.

And then you took your shit. And then you got up and then you gave us your number six. And then as soon as you were done, you're like, I have to shit. And then you went away for like 10 minutes and you came back. It's so long. I've been drinking so much beer. Unbelievable. I feel good. Let's go. Let's do it. I have no idea where we.

We're at number five. It's my pick. We've talked about it multiple times. I kept saying it's the second best death metal album. Plague. Portraits of Mind. What? Good choice. What? George is J on this one. I am totally J in this thing. Yeah, you are. I totally forgot about this album. Not that it's not good, but I forgot. I don't feel bad about myself, but I do feel like I should feel bad by looking at somebody like George and saying,

Don't be such a J dude. Like I have my own name as a put down now, but I get it. I don't think he wants a J. Yeah. I'll call. We can also, you could, yeah. Shank might be another word. You're Shank. Shank. Um, five, my number five, I don't think anybody's said this yet. And I thought a lot of people were going to say it. Um, some black and death, uh, with a vague, uh, hint of behemoth, uh, super heavy.

A Lotta Killer Riffs, very exciting seasons of Myst Records and Ocean's Cosmic World Mother. Wow. Really thought I was going to hear that one more. Yeah. Because I'm just really excited about it. That's a return album, right? Yes. It's been like 18 years or something. Yeah. It's really good. I'm really impressed with it. Cool. I'm not discounting that. I just didn't listen to it that much. I just don't like it. But yeah, thank you. No, no. No, seriously.

I just did not listen to it that much. Now I feel like I should. What's your five? My number five is not an EP. Oh, no. It is a full-length album because it is over 30 minutes long. Uh-oh. Where are we going with this? This is Monarchy of Shadows by Tombs. Oh, no, I'm not surprised. Yeah. You know what's coming?

I need a beer. I'm down with beer. Holy shit. Yeah, I'm on. I'm well, I have a little bit of beer. A little bit. So you're down with it or done with it? I think. Well, I have a beer, but I can't drink it until the end of this cast because shit. Yeah. Yeah, I'm pretty. I'm pretty fucked up. How's James doing? He's there. He's good, man. He's awake. He's good. He's better.

than all of us. I should have drank

rolling rock. I would have been loving.

That's the difference.

James has been pacing himself on those rocks.

Oh my god. All my beers are like over

10%. We haven't even done.

You know, we did the like original

like what are you drinking, but

I've had like four beers since

then.

So.

Number four?

Yeah. Okay. James, number four.

Number four.

This is the one I'll be fighting Will for. Velnius. Sign of Aether. This record is phenomenal. Will, you should have put this higher. Velnius. I would say that I'm the only other person who had this on their list, so maybe a hug better than a fist. Yeah, fine. I thought it was all right. You thought it was all right? I bought it. I don't even know what you're talking about. It's great. It's on Eisenwald. In my opinion,

It sounds like a melding of

some of the best years of Opath

plus Agaloc. It's great.

It's like

black and folk doom death

kind of spreading

all around. It's really

No, I actually thought this would be

on a lot more people's list.

Yeah, sure.

We'll be fighting the rest of them.

Yeah, but you know,

they're just dildo heads.

I am a dildo head.

I can't recommend it enough. John. John, was you making? Yeah. All right, fuck it. I'll make it my number one if everyone, if that makes it fun. Do it right now. Do it. No, I won't. But anyway. Yeah, I'm done with that. Mark is on. Number four. Number four for me is ulcerate. Stare into death and be still.

Number four!

Number four!

The Big World of Morty Records.

This is an absolute monster of inventive death metal delivered with the cold, liquid texture of atmospheric black metal.

I love how mammoth and brutal this album sounds while still conveying a feeling of

astronomic dread and desolation just a phenomenal record I spend this one a lot indeed

how many is that is that three now four four wow that's a lot of less it is 1 30 in the morning

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's like.

My number four. I'm trying to think. This band, it's a one-man project from France, black metal. His albums have been kind of in and out of my list throughout the years, but I never actually stayed on to actually be on an episode, but this one has changed that for me. The band is Esau Trillium. The album's called Eternity of Shog on Ivor Hanger Records. It's very bizarre. The spirit of it reminds me of Blueda Snored, while it doesn't sound like them.

I was going to say blue-dossed art. Yeah. Just very crazy stuff. Nice. We were just going to say, just to have something to say, George. You were like, you know what? I was just about to say blue-dossed art. No, it was more of a... I thought I was going to say horsey. I was like, it's France and it's high up on the list. It must be. Okay, fair enough. Okay, say no more. You're right. I didn't make the connection. My bad. That's my bad. That's my bad, George. Sorry. Johnny.

They are also an I Void Hanger Records album. I like this album so much I ended up buying everything for this band and I bought all the other stuff from all the other bands associated with the main guy from this. Cosmic Putrefaction, The Horizons Towards Which Spoon the Withers. Love this album. I love that this album is a headphones album that you can catch a lot of things you wouldn't hear normally without putting the cans on your head.

I love big cans on my head by the way. And around my face. I'm actually a little surprised by that. That's a really like pure death metal album. I know you love death metal. I think there's more than just death metal going on in this album. Oh there is but no I'm pleased and now I'm slightly ashamed

that mine was, it was probably not at all. Because I'm hearing, if you listen to his other stuff, this guy, his name's Gabrielle Graham Maliki or whatever. He's got this band called the clearing path, which is like a black metal thing he's got on. I avoid hanger. And then he's got another band called summit, which is like a post metal, like sludgy band. He has similar themes on all of them that all tie together for all the different projects. So, okay. Yeah.

My number four, I thought Jay may have had this on his list, but probably not because I don't think it'd be at number four. But this was just... Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Look at Marcus's hat just floating in the void there. That's all I see is Marcus's hat. Yeah. I'm not passed out. I took a little nap. I'm back. Muted. I'm sad that I missed you.

I am recording it. Sorry, Will. I may not stop you there. Dope Lord. Sign of the devil. Stoner Doom from Warsaw, Poland. They are unsigned. I am not muted. Who's muted? Oh, shit. I hit a mute button. Yeah, anyway. Can I say, Will, actually... Can you hear me now, George? Sorry, I hit the wrong button and I muted everybody.

All right. Repeat yourself real quick, Will. All right. Dope Lord, Sign of the Devil, Stone or Doom from Warsaw, Poland. This is the band that I thought maybe Jay would have on the list, but this album, almost solely for the fact that they have a song called Hail Satan, which is a phenomenal song. And I've played this many, many times on the outdoor loudspeaker when I'm doing yard work.

for all the local Christians to be, to just be aghast by. But they put out an album a couple years ago. I think Jay had on his list too, a couple years ago. But anyway, dope alert from Poland. I love these guys. It was funny. I pictured this exact conversation happening. I really didn't. I knew you'd say, I'm surprised. I thought Jay would have this. This will probably be on my mid-year. It got overlooked by me. This is the mid-year. Excuse me.

I love it when he calls me numb nuts

no no it's true because he knows my nuts are numb

oh my gosh why are they so

well it's between me and Will

no dude I it's

honest truth Will I only listen to this like once

and not because it's not good so I love these guys

I fully expect this to be all I hear it

I think it's song three which is Hail Satan

That alone will make this album for you. I just think it's so good. No, I believe it because I love the last one. I kind of forgot about it and it got late on me. It's on my iPod, so I'll get to it and you can probably count on me. Underwateraudio.com. I'll see you on Underwateraudio.com. I'm sure I'll back you up coming at the end of the year. I'm almost 100% sure of that. My number four, this is where Matt starts to take over my world.

He mentioned it. It was his album of the month. I put it higher than he did. But this is a great mix between Allfather, Mastodon, Isis, a bunch of other really cool stuff. And super heavy along the way with a lot of, and then suddenly an old Sabbath lick comes in. Those Snakes, Widowmaker, a damn fine record. Really just so good from start to finish. That's it. Cool.

I need to lay it.

All right.

Number four.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Orange or George.

Sorry.

Yeah.

This is exactly the same as Markisan's hat.

Boy hanger.

No.

Well,

uh,

from New Zealand.

Deb,

Ben,

your morte.

Sure.

Ulcerate. Stare into death and be still. Yes. Number four. Number four. Seriously. I mean, why was this even? You know, I expected a lot of grief over this because I complained about this. The production. I'm actually surprised it's number four for you, George. The production is fucking horrible, but the music is good. I totally disagree with that. We all disagree with you, George. I don't care.

I don't care. The production is not good. The production has issues. But the music is good. I disagree. But I have to say this is starting to look like Dominator Boys. This is going to be one that's going to really be way up there. So yeah. Number four ulcerate. That is to say in the aggregate it's going to be way up there. Yeah. Number three James. Take us to number three. Wait. Get the cricket shirt ready. All right. I'm excited.

Wormhole. Who? The record's called The Weakest Among Us. It's by... It's on Lacerated Enemy. Crickets, come on. Definitely Crickets. I haven't heard of that. I don't even know who that is. I like the silence better than the Crickets. That's more insulting somehow. George is like, I'm not even going to push the button, dude. I just had to work my way to it. I'm fire. I know.

It's on this weird, spacey, slam side of the spectrum. You'll see people. If you're going to check them out on Bandcamp, you'll see people talking about it being like neoclassical next to jazz, next to slam. It's just way out there. Yeah, it's really weird. You're freaking me out, man. Wow, what a cover on this fucking thing. That's a killer cover. You know you're on the Metalheads podcast, right? Can I just point out that according to the recorder, we are at

6 hours and 43 minutes. Yeah, but we're really closing in on it. We're getting there. I'll get finished with this real quick then. It's a really weird record. It's really strange. It's totally worth checking out. Awesome, dude. I'm sold on this just by the cover alone. Told you. Crickets. Yeah. Oh, come on! They really are weak crickets. Did you have a different crickets before or something? I don't know.

Markusson, number three.

Three?

Oh, fuck.

Number three for me.

I think it's been mentioned once before.

Firelink, self-titled.

Yes.

Self-released.

This album is a thermobaric explosion of progressive black and death metal

inspired by Dark Souls lore. It's only been a year since their last album came out. Yeah. The Inveterate Fire. And this self-titled release improved on that one in every single way to me. There's more going on. It's heavier. It's written and structured better. The production is more dynamic. The vocal performance.

is more passionate. There's real drums on this one. There wasn't on the last one. And they add a depth that just pummels your bones. And the songs are just more creative and incendiary. In addition, I told John I would say this, to being number three on my list, Firelink is also my album of the month for June. I thought you were going to say number one in my heart.

It really did

No, it's my favorite album of this month

and I just love it. I mean, it just came out

a week or so ago

and it's quickly

risen in the ranks, obviously

because it's number three on my list, but man

it's just, it's phenomenal

Nice

Number three

Arunzi Pazuzu

and as Jay had mentioned, that translates to masters fingernail, nuclear or masters of sex, either one. Right. Depending on which border you're on. You know, what I do find funny about that is that Finnish is like Finnish Hungarian and is Estonian. Sure. Are literally the three languages in Europe that have absolutely no basis in the Indo-European family of languages. So how you have a,

translation from Finnish into even Swedish or Norwegian is almost impossible. Well, here's the weird thing. The way I got what I got when I got the Masters of Sex thing was I put in the title in my Google Translate. And it was just for some reason, I must have looked up a record a while ago, and my Google Translate was Danish to English, and it translated it that way, Danish to English, even though it wasn't Danish. That's how I got what I got. Yeah. Anyway, that was my little...

And again, when I'm sober enough, I give you a weird little international

relationship. I love it. You're just like, you know what? Let me drop a bomb. Drop a bomb on me. So I don't think I'm sorry, Matt, because you were saying what you were saying and interrupted you. But I don't think John said Aranci Pazuzu yet. So I wonder where that's going to lead us. I was listening to Willopedia. Just kidding.

Line number three. Ronzi Pazuzu. Well, there you go. Nothing more to say other than the fact that I think they have hit home runs the last three albums. They don't fuck up. No. Ronzi Pazuzu was one of those albums that when we got the promo, I listened to it quite a bit doing, you know, on the outdoor speaker doing yard work. But I did not spend enough time with it because I've never been a Ronzi Pazuzu fan only because I've never spent time with it. Mostly because the way you guys describe it,

It's a lot of work. I don't know if it's a lot of work, but if I was you, Will, I'd go back to the, as John said, they hit the last three out of the park. Go back to and come that direction. It's one of those bands that, especially when you guys talk about how they dominated Death Fest, I want to explore them more. I hate to pile onto that, but they were amazing at Death Fest. They just absolutely destroyed Ram's head.

And people walked out of there for the rest of the weekend saying like, yeah, highlight Aranzi Pazuzu. Yeah. They were so good. Yeah. And Warren, our good friend of the podcast, he and I went and saw them with horrendous at Metro Gallery. They played pretty much the whole new album at that show. And I was like, I don't know these songs. What's wrong with me? I thought I was a fan of this band. What I didn't know is they were playing a new album. Which is, which is, that's how avant-garde those motherfuckers are. They're like, you've never heard this, but fuck it. You're getting it.

For that, dude. I love that. If you like, I'm not going to say it's 60 psychedelic, but if you like that kind of psychedelic, you know, they bring a lot of that into their music, but it's an updated sound. And it's absolutely black metal at the same time. Yeah. You know, his vocals are just brutal. Yeah. You know, so it's a real deal. It's fucking metal. I mean, yeah. Willem, what's yours? My number three, ulcerate, stare into death and be still.

This is by far the best death metal album of the year. Almost no way it's not the number one. Is that five now? I think we've all said it. It's the best death metal. Not everybody. It's almost the best death metal album of the year. Almost. It is. What's weird is I did not go back to this album that often because when I heard it for the first time I'm like this is super high on my list. This is unbelievable. I love it.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's fucking great. And it really is great. J number three. Uh, this is the only one I have to think Matt for. Cause it was number three. And, um the closest, uh, Markisan the only one I think who really liked this band other than me, which is black fucking cancer. That was not what I'm going to say. That's not who this is, but that's the band that's most spiritually reminds me of. But it's different than that too. It's a little catchier. Drop to Murdy. If you guys have listened to this, Matt pushed that on me. And I got to tell you, this is a fucking,

Monster. John, I think you'd like it if you haven't listened to it. Fuck. So fucking good, dude. D-R-O-U-G-T. Like drought with an O. Yeah, it's so fucking good, dude. What label is that on? That's the Chornoburg guy. It's so fucking good. It's a really good album. I bought that one. I really like it. It's not on my list, but I think it's exceptional. It had to be in my top five.

And I have a hard time believing it won't survive pretty high through the end of the year. What's the name of the album again? It is called, Drot is the name of the band. The album is called Timurti. T-I-M-U-R-T-I. Don't know what the fuck that means. It's all one word, Timurti. Has Matt mentioned that one? Yeah, he had it about two, yeah, a couple ago. When I was asleep. Yeah. As that happens to be.

What does number three look like over there in Frederick, Maryland? Ha ha ha. Frederick, Maryland. It's pronounced Frodrick. Uh huh. Uh huh. That's why I'm reading. Oh, fair enough. You need your strength. Number three. From Denmark.

on indisciplinarian records. Wow. Really? Yeah. You think? Okay. I know what it is. Yeah, so do I. Yeah. Geldo. Alchemist. Sanctuary. Wow. Wow. This was my number one for a long time. Actually, I think it's interdisciplinary. That's the weirdest name for a record label, but in any case. However. Yeah, who gives a fuck? But yeah, it's good. Yeah. No, it's very good.

It's very good. It was, like I said, number one for a long time, but it moved down. So. It's a monster. Yeah. James, number two. Number two. Cue up those crickets again. Got them. Ready? All right. Afterbirth, four-dimensional flesh. I'm going to read a quote from their band camp page.

decided to make a brutal death metal band. It would definitely sound something like this. I'm sold. What was it called again? What's the name of the band? The band is Afterbirth. The record is Four Dimensional Flesh. It's on Unique Leader. It sounds like if you took like suffocation and then tried to prog it out, it's great. Yeah. Never heard of them, dude.

But I'll check it out

Yeah

He wasn't kidding about

Getting some crickets

Yeah but this is cool

I'm listening to it

It sounds good

He's not fucking good with us

I mean they're cool records

This one and the one

That I picked previously

Again are total crickets

But I think it's worth your time

I'm not normally a big tech head

But this stuff is great

Crickets only for our lack

Of knowing it dude

It's nothing to do with it

Not being good

I appreciate it

Because I mean we listen

To so many metal albums

So the fact that you can come up with something that we just haven't really heard of

is over and over

and over again

It's just fucking yeah

Okay, who's next?

Oh, Marksler, yeah

Number two

Number two for me

is Unrequited

Wow

Really?

Northern Silence Productions

This is a breathtakingly epic, symphonic, block metal album that will send your heart into the strip. The Trophosphere. Where is that? The Trophosphere. Where is that? It's like the spot before you into space. Okay. It's just above where the clouds are. All right. Thanks. Thank you. Just below the fart zone. There's the ozone, and then there's the fart zone, and then there's the Trophosphere. Yeah. I mean, it's got Lord of the Rings level.

soundscapes, soaring melodies, just haunted, tortured vocals that almost sound like spirits screaming as they move to the world beyond. I've liked all of Unrequited's albums, but Empathica just takes them to another level. I spin this one constantly. I think it's just an amazing metal record. Nice. Cool. All right.

Meet my number two, Wake Devouring Rune. It's an addition a few times. It's good. Okay. Okay. So people started saying that again. Well, Jay, it's only been a day. How many people have had Wake on their list? That's at least three. I'm guessing that's Marcus's number one. Just saying. Well, it could be. You gotta wait and find out. Oh, all right.

You got a terrible poker face, but okay. Yeah. Terrible poker face. Don't go to fucking Vegas, bro. Yeah, I might have a full house. How do you? John, go. Yeah, if you go to Vegas, let us know. We'll sit at your table. Sounds good, John. All right, my number two, Swaven. Yeah. The girl residence. It was coming. Yeah, I knew it.

We knew it would be on your list, John. Oh, yeah. That was my number one for a long time, and it got knocked off. Mm-hmm. Sway. Have you mentioned CryptoShift yet? Huh. What? That's got to be number one. Maybe. Who knows? Maybe not. We'll see. We'll see. All right, Will. Sorry, I was muted. We know. We know.

It says the guy has been falling off his chair. Oh my God. I'm so shocked. I'm so hammering. Barishi, Old Smoke. The best thing, the best way I can describe this is Inner Armor Without Filler. They are a totally different band in my opinion. Not totally different, but they are a different band from their last releases. And Barishi actually played Atlas last year or two years ago.

I did not see them, but I hope they come and play again. This is just think of like the crushing riffs and soundscape of like a death metal chaotic inner armor. Just the first time I heard this, I was just taken with this album. I love it. I just got the vinyl today in the mail. I knew this would show us in your list. Where are they from? Well, do you know? Battleboro, Vermont.

Which goes with the nine-eyed moose. Nine-eyed moose. One of the hotbeds of metal in the northeast. Yeah. During quarantine, they did a live playthrough of the entire new album in a church. Oh, cool. It was pretty awesome. I bet it sounded good, too. Yeah. All right. We're getting close. Somebody else did say this one, and I think it was Matt. Maybe it was George. It was George, I believe.

is resonating with me. It's what you hyper, not hyper produced, but clearly clarity produced Polish black metal to prove well that Poland is indeed trying to take over the metal world. I think I told you recently that he songed created their logo for them. This band is called Odraza. Don't know how to fucking pronounce that album. This is just so fucking good from start to finish. This is like, and actually they remind me of Isan.

a little bit just because of the weird places they go and that hyper production that they have that's not the right word for it just to say that it's produced as if it were not a black metal album so a lot of cool things happen in polish black metal right now this is a great fucking record super entertaining from start to finish cannot recommend it enough yeah definitely nice is anybody else seen how fucking purple i am no maybe right

There's some purple right here. Purple George. Purple George. One eye, one horn flying purple people. Oh my God. You look like a giant purple helmeted warrior though. I'm so fucking fucked up. Hey look, it's Baroque assault. Yeah, I am so fucked up. I mean, you didn't pass out. I got that. I got that. No, granted that did not disappear for half an hour. Oh my gosh. Do the snozzberries taste like snozzberries George?

We're already pulled over. We can't pull over any further. Where are we? One. You're on number two. And then we fucking light this candle. Me? Okay. Yeah. You're number two. Apparently purple rain was your number two. Did I mention I'm purple? Okay. My number two is from the country of Finland.

And there are nuclear blast records. Bring it. The album is called Mestaren Kinsi. Wow, George. Fucking Oranci Pazuzu. Maybe you've heard of them? Yeah, he's good. You sound like a drunk Romanian grandmother. I'm fucking hammered, dude. Yeah. Wow. Oranci Pazuzu number two. He is Romanian.

Yeah.

Very good.

Very good.

Yes.

Well, I jade this one hard.

I know you guys love it.

Very good.

Well, I will say this.

So many of us put it so high.

It's going to get a bunch of points.

So you can.

Yeah, it is.

Your J shouldn't hurt it too hard.

It'll hurt a little bit.

A little bit.

Yeah.

No, it'll hurt.

Sure.

Yeah.

Okay.

And we'll jade it too.

So fine.

Number James.

Number one.

We are here.

We are here.

Number one.

This is it, James.

Whoa.

Number one. You've made it. How many hours is this, George? Seven hours and one minute and 37 seconds. We're only doing 25 albums. We might have to split this into two episodes. Let's put this bitch to rest. Let's do it. Do it, James. It is now 2 a.m. If you guys all shut the fuck up, maybe Josh will answer this number one. Yeah, we can go to bed at 4 in the morning. We're building it up. 2 a.m. I didn't want to interrupt. Number one.

What? Not normally my kind of thing. I just thought this record was so striking from the first time I heard it. I thought it was a phenomenal record. The vocalist on this is Hamish, playing cross, who was with My Dying Bride before. And when he went to record these songs, he apparently just went up to the mic and started singing. And then this phenomenal,

and he was not a vocalist before on where he could sing like that and just it's phenomenal and i find that really striking um epic doom is not really my thing i normally prefer like some caveman death metal and from the first second i heard this i just thought it was like whoa like that's awesome so that's that's my pick for number one interesting well it's a real good album nice love it

I believe some of you've guessed what my number one is going to be. I don't think that I've hidden this very well over the course of the first six months of the year. But in my number one, I've listened to this LP almost every single day since we got the promo. And sometimes albums come along that just feel important to me. And Devouring Ruin by Wake.

is that kind of record. It's ambitious. It's ferocious. A ferocious dirge of black and crust, death, and grind metal that doesn't sound like anything else out there to me. I think it's just a master class of songwriting, atmosphere, and brutality that not only improves on the band's formula in every single way, but it offers a blueprint for

creating new dynamic textures in metal. And I just, I mean, I feel like every time I listen to it, I hear something a little bit different with this album, but I can't get enough of it. Wake has, they've taken their formula to an amazing level with this album. So Wake, Devouring, Ruined, has always been my number one.

There's never been a debate for me. You know, there's been a lot of great records, but nothing's ever threatened that one. So. All right. Cool. Matt. My number one, the best way I could describe this is I am making up for lost time. The best thing that I could tell this band to do for the remainder of the year or forever would be to file a restraining order against me. Temple of Void, the world that was. Wow. Nice.

Apoil Void's got some votes. Yeah, boy. Nice. All right. Are you done, Matt? Yes, sir. My number one. Only this band would have the balls to lead off their album with a 26-minute song. And that's ballsy. But I guess if you're out in the middle of space, you can do whatever the fuck you want. Cryptic Shift. Visitations from Insulatus.

Enchiladas, whatever you want to say. Enchiladas. Every one of us doubled on that. Every one of us was like Enchiladas. Enchiladas. Yeah, it's just, I'm not saying that stupid Enchiladas because we know it's not the name, but nonetheless. Nonetheless. All right. It's so good. So, so good. I just got the tape in the mail, actually. So. Go waiting for my vinyl two months later. Yeah. Yeah. Way to go, Sweden. You suck. I'd like to get the vinyl.

I'm still waiting for my bloodbath mask. Where did you order that from, Will? I think it was that old merch thing that somebody mentioned. I got my stuff from them fairly quick. I don't know. My number one, it's probably not a surprise. I'm sure some of you could have guessed it. The Dad of Northern Darkness sort of guessed it about five seconds ago. Temple of Blood.

I have to say that I did I mentioned on messenger a couple days ago that I even have some issues with my number one my new can anyone guess what my issue is with this album clean singing which is not good in them you know I love these guys they're nice guys they play Atlas I they are in my absolute sweet spot of death

And I think their balance is amazing. I even love all the synthesizers that are doing it. I did not like the clean vocals in Leave the Light Behind. But one thing that what I really did enjoy is if you take the Dustable Flexi Disc, which would have been on the album had they not decided to cut it out because of keeping a single LP length, Ravencyshize in the distance is perhaps

the best song if it was included on the album. But yeah, I think Ulcerate, Barishi, and Temple of Void could have all kind of like throw them in a jar, mix them up, pull one out, could have been my number one. But Death Doom has just lately been my sweet spot. And I've loved every single thing Temple of Void has ever done. So that's my number one.

Cool.

Don't mind.

I feel bad about this because I made a promise to John BT who did not join us tonight.

He was with,

actually he was hanging out with Tyler from gimme radio tonight.

He lives in Nashville.

If you guys didn't know that they're pretty good buddies now.

And he,

he really wanted me to.

And I told him,

I would tell you that my number one was chemist doomed heavy metal,

but there's no way you guys were going to believe that if I said that.

So I thought I wanted to do it,

John,

but they'd all just say,

fuck you.

So,

But I am still going to place the pretty big fucking turd down here on the table because you guys are going to be like, what? But I'm joking. I haven't listened to any record more than I have listened to this record this year. I know what it is. I think it's a masterwork. I am writing an article about it for the website. It's long and exhaustive. Go ahead and say it out loud if you want to, Marcus. No, man, I'm going to let you do the honors. All right. Trypticon Requiem is the fucking best piece of music that I have heard this year.

and I must have listened to this record 25 to 50 times. And I know it hasn't really resonated with you, George, that much, but I'm telling you, I feel this record soul. Okay. And I'm surprised nobody else said it at all. I thought one of you guys might have it on there. So I'm going to be ignorant here. I know this is a live album and it's got an orchestra. Indeed. But it has like a new music. It's a new song, the middle section. They've never put that out.

Well, he wrote it in the last few years. Yeah. And they've never like put it out in an album. So there's a lot of new material. The middle part is unreleased. Yeah, it's a big deal. Yeah. The first song is from Into the Pandemonium, the first movement. The last movement is from, it's the last thing they ever put on a record, which is the last song on Monotheist. And the middle thing is something he wrote over the last few years, though apparently it was in his head for years and years and years. I get it. I understand it. I feel it. I have a lot to say about it, but I'm not going to put you through it now.

But I am not joking. No piece of music has moved me the way this one has this year. And it's not just because I think Tom's great. It's fucking great. It's amazing. Yeah. Tom is your Joel. I love it. I love it. I just I didn't put it on my list because it's a live album. And, you know, there's other the parts of it have already been put on albums.

So I don't normally put live albums on there, but I struggle. I almost put it on there. You did that for the year end. You put a live album on there. Yeah, but this one I'm going to call not live for one reason, and that is that they literally, I think like with most orchestral performances, they probably told the audience we're recording the thing tonight, don't clap until the end, which they don't, so it doesn't come off as a live album. And there is new music on it, and it's the first time all three movements came together. It is very much a piece of music that is

It's been being written for the last 30 years. It's monumental in my mind. And so it does stand out as a new piece of music to me. I understand the live thing, but it's not. It doesn't feel like a live record to me until you hear clapping. I thought it was like live at Roadburn or something. It is, yeah. But they play with this orchestra on a special venue for it. I feel like that downplays it a little. I think it's a bigger deal than that. Which is a bigger deal than what I've said? No, no, no, no. Sorry. What are you saying? Like live at Roadburn? Like it sounds,

like it would be just like a live show like part of a set yeah yeah yeah it's it's significantly uh a bigger deal than that okay it was it was i mean it was like it just happened to take place like it makes sense to do it during robin probably but i'm i wouldn't doubt if it was the only thing that took place that night during that festival you probably had to have a fucking special ticket to get in anyway i i i think that highly of it i've already said more than i need to because i'm writing a very detailed article about um that's awesome

writing that, Jay, but yeah, I really struggled with putting this on there because I love it so much, but. Yeah, but I know you do, which is, which is great. Yeah. Yeah. And I doubt it's hard for me to believe anything's going to knock it off before the end of the year. I mean, I know we have Carcass and Enslaved coming, but I think it's that good, but we'll see. Yeah. George, wrap this up. I. So my number one has not been mentioned by anybody.

Not surprising.

It is from the United States of America.

Thank you for always included.

That was like one word.

Yeah.

On Season of Mist, the album is called Philogenesis.

The band is called Abysmal Dawn.

That is my number one. Nobody liked it. But I liked it. I remember you talking highly of it when it came out and you were like, whoa. Weirdly enough, I thought maybe your number one was going to be Volcano because you talked so much about that when that came out. Actually, my number one for a long time was Alchemist. Until recently. But no.

You know what's weird is for a brief period of time, Testament was on my list. Then the more I listened to it, I'm like, this is not that good. Like there's a couple good songs on it. But I thought one thing that struck me is that I don't think anyone had like the big, big name. I mean, aside from maybe Jay's Trypticon, but there's not really that many big names.

we've mentioned. It's a lot of unknown stuff.

Yeah. And I'll say this with the Trypticon, that's also like the record itself is vaguely obscure.

Like nobody else is going to have that. So that one almost doesn't count as like being a big name.

I mean, bear in mind, there's a lot of big name stuff coming out for the year.

So many things got pushed back. I mean, enslaved would have been a huge one.

And Carcass is coming.

Is Paradise Lost the biggest name?

I mean, there's a lot.

Actually, yeah, I would say probably.

It's the biggest name.

That we've mentioned so far. Yeah. Wow. That's saying something. Yeah, but there's I mean, there's no like just think about some of the big names, whether, you know, it's creator overkill carcass incantation immolation, like some of the bigger name bands that are like bigger labels. Yeah, I mean, those bands are going to dominate the second half of the year, though, because already like seriously.

and slave forget it you know what i mean like and those for me and i'm excited about that one too well i really am

especially because james is talking about how much he loves it i mean incantation is my favorite death

metal band so i mean usually i mean they're going to be on my list no matter what if they put out an

album it's a matter of where and uh you know we've already heard some really great things about this album so

Well, and here's the other thing, and this is the thing I always look forward to, is there's something, there could be something out there that's going to come and shake up our lips that we don't even know exists yet, or is about to exist, and that's always the exciting part. I think Cannibal Corpse may come out with an album this year. They are recording as we speak, or is it that they were pre-production or something? This may have been pre-pandemic. No, they posted something. Yeah, this may have been pre-pandemic that they were planning on whether it happens or not, I don't know. No, I saw news after we got locked down.

I think the second half of this year is going to look totally, totally, totally different. Me too. I mean, I'm sure you're going to see a lot of the bigger names. If people couldn't tour on records, a lot of them got pushed back. Yeah. But also a lot of people who weren't, maybe weren't planning on making a record might be making a record right now too. So we'll see. Or people who suddenly had time that they didn't know they had and were like, let's finish something or whatever it is. So we'll see. Or they're sitting on a record that they already made, you know, and they weren't sure.

they were going to announce it because of the pandemic. It'll be interesting to say the least. I mean, we're halfway there. And I have to say, once we made our lists, I was a little, you know, not that excited. But once we really made our list, I was like, I don't know, there's a bunch of shit I really like this year so far. So I think it's a great year for metal, even with everything that's going on. There's a lot of good like these albums. I think there's a lot of great bands, too. If anyone's listening to this, they aren't familiar with some of these bands.

It's just a lot of great records to check out. Cause even like some of the records that I listened to once or twice, you guys are talking about that I didn't have written down. I look at those and say like, Oh yeah, I remember liking that. I need to spend more time on that. So maybe, you know, for a year where some of the bigger tours aren't happening, you can check out some of these bands that you weren't that familiar with. And they're going to be a total home run. Well, I already downloaded wormhole and that other one that you mentioned. So I have been purchasing too, as we've been speaking here.

That and Afterbirth? The Afterbirth was the other one. Are we going to do honorable mentions? I'm fine not doing it because I don't have any, but that's just me. I already did my two. I have nine, but I'm fine without them. It's 2.15 in the morning. 7 hours and 7 hours. We're not going to change anybody's life. Let's save them for the year end. Alright, good deal. We need all the albums we can get. I can't believe this went this long.

I thought it was going to be much shorter. Seven people. I mean, that's part of our issue. Sorry. Markisan you get the rally champ fucking medal of all time. Cause you went from like, he's in his coffin to like, okay, here's my number five. I have no idea what I miss. I'm glad I was. Holy shit, man. I just, you did completely fall like over off your chair. We were all.

It was really only like 10 minutes, but you need to listen to it because everybody else was freaking out. And I said, nah, he's fine. I had your back the whole time, buddy. I believed in you. I'm just hoping you weren't like your head cracked open, gushing on the floor. Where's Tracy? Like, did she not hear that? She wasn't even here for a while. But yeah, I mean, I drank so many beers. It's unbelievable. I'm glad I was able. I thought I was when I got up. I'm like, holy shit. I fucking missed the whole cast.

Now, we thought we were going to have to edit you in tomorrow, but you didn't really miss anything. So yeah. All right, boys. Well, let's just call it then. Everybody's tired. Will's got to drive. People are passing out. James, I want to say thank you. No, thank you guys for having me on. I'm a huge fan. I've been listening for years. I make this real quick because I know it's late, but really thank you for having me on. It's much appreciated. I love the podcast. I love listening to you guys. So thank you very much. And it's much appreciated for you guys.

to invite me here and also for all the wonderful kind words you have to say about the magazine thank you again dude we think highly of you and we speak highly of you thanks for coming on finally james yeah yeah like we seriously we consider you one of us and and there's been more than once a time that your name has been mentioned on this podcast we're like hey he's a nice guy you know i mean so what fun to have you buddy well i hope i didn't drag it down too uh too far with my uh not on par uh speech or uh audio equipment

here, but thanks for having me. You're by far one of the best guests when it came to your connectivity. Yeah, you sound fine, dude. It was like perfect. Yeah. Great, thanks. All right. Well, hey, man, that was epic. I love y'all. Awesome. All right. All right. Ladies and gentlemen, good night. Peace. Sleep well. Sleep travels well. Yeah, enjoy the drive. Nice. Yeah, enjoy the drive. Jesus Christ. All right. Later, bitches. Later.

FUN!

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