Veto - 1986 - Veto

This took me by a surprise as I had listened the second album first and it was quite underwhelming, but this debut album is more to the point when we are talking about classic heavy metal. Not the most original sounding music besides mostly unique approaches in guitar playing and solos, the keyboards don't add anything interesting to be honest, this vocalist sounds great. Sadly the band had only two albums, I would've spent more time listening to them. 8/10

Veto - 1988 - Carthago

The album cover and the first song give quite high expectations. This is the same vocalist as on the debut, but here his voice sounds kind of broken or that he had some covAIDS in the throat when the vocals were recorded. The songs start to decrease in quality after first two, or even after the first, but Unknown Soldier is rather good too. Overall the songwriting sounds a bit failed experiment to me, but for one listen it's not too shabby. 6/10

Wothrosch – Odium
Listen it. You will not lose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o9CKK57raM

Messa - "Belfry" (2016)

Having discovered Messa via "Close" from 2022 I took some time this afternoon to go back to the start of their discography. Whilst clearly not showing the deftness for style-fusion that "Feast for Water" and "Close" possess, you can still hear the potential at this early stage. The curved balls do feel more like a combination of flukes (when they work) and poorly developed ideas (when they don't work) but the groundwork for what they were to become is mostly definitely laid out here.

Matthias Steele - 1987 - Haunting Tales of a Warrior's Past

One of the best band names that I've come across. The cheap demo style production reminds of Manilla Road records. Musically pretty exciting album and killer one too. The production does hinder the overall rating. 8,5/10

Widrir - Sturm

Found by accident, high level band what plaid so called viking or folk black metal, good songs, folky parts, but bad thing was that its bad studio work on this album, should be re recorded.

Metal Virgins - Animal People (1984)

A very early speed metal album from UK. From what I understand, this thing was recorded by some punk rockers who didn't really know much about metal and were probably drunken out of their minds while recording it. Some could call this album garbage, but I think it has some fancy esoteric qualities, like strange vocals, all around sloppy playing, riffs that sound like nothing else and just the raw intensity. I had fun with it, and that probably was the purpose of this stupid album to begin with: it's just entertainment, folks.

The Last things - 1993 - Circles and Butterflies

Little bit too proggy to my taste, but you know what you guys? Still real good listen and if we just skim through some of the instrumental parts here this is real good an album. Look in to this stuff, you guys, if you don't seek 4 chord radio songs with same old patterns 8/10 record

Surrealist - 1992 - Playing God (EP)

What the SHIET is this material, you guys, how did this guys come up with this? Even the album cover bamboozles the ole Steelemeister. 9/10 record why no 2nd

Liturgy - 93696

Colossal album, I listened to the entire album for the 4th time, the more I listen the more I realize how great and under appreciated this album is.

Winterkill - 1995 - A Feast for a Beggar

Reference to Slauter Xstroyes' debut album, of course. Not as good as aforementioned band's material, but I can listen to this quite effortlessly. The vocalist is the same dude who was on the Tyrant's Reign's legendary EP so that's a strong factor here. 7/10. I'd recommend checking Slauter Xstroyes and Tyrant's Reign before this.

Piah Mater - Under the Shadow of a Foreign Sun

a pleasant surprise to find this band

Mind Over Four - 1987 - Out Here

Some days I think I have heard em all then something like this gets in my speakers and suddenly I am humbled. Killer music and vocals. 9/10. Can someone add this band?

Bonfire – Demo 93' End Of An Era
Unofficial releases Bonfire demos with Michael Bromann on vocals.
It was on YT btw , its damn good album, damn good demo, awesome quality

Flaming Anger - 1997 - Biosphere II

Doesn't sound highly impressive but quite good nonetheless. Also as a 1997 release, kind of late to the party. I have a feeling that their demos are better, which I'm gonna check out later. 7/10

Conrad Schnitzler - Blau (1974)

This is not technically metal music, but hear me out. You know Euronymous from Mayhem was a huge fan of Schnitzler's bizarre avant garde synth music and he even managed to get Schnitzler to compose little something to their debut ep back in the day. I think this record perfectly demonstrates why some early black metal musicians found his body of work so intriguing, since the man didn't shy away from making his audience feel uncomfortable and frightened. As far as I'm concerned, this might be his darkest and best album. I don't know how much this stuff has influenced more experimental side of black metal and especially the more cosmic and psychedelic synth stuff, but I would think there is a connection.

Spectral Incursion - 1989 - Spectral Incursion EP

Heavy metal with unique songwriting approach. Kind of what happened with Manilla Road with Courts of Chaos, but this is actually one year earlier. 9/10

Ripped - 1991 - Blotter

You don't hear stuff like this every day. And maybe it's better that way, because it would be harder to appreciate it if it was a mainstream approach in music and heard all the time, it wouldn't stick out even in crossover. Rates somewhere between 8-9

audio quality sucks from cassette, though

Acrimony - 1992 - In Unknown Direction

This goes to many towns. Tech thrash and Poland in 90s, count me in 9/10

Crying Steel - 1987 - On The Prowl

The album cover is bad, the music is rather good. As an Italian band this doesn't sound very different from Vanadium. 8/10

Mad Butcher - 1985 - Metal Lightning Attack

Classic German speed metal debut like Running Wild's and Stormwitch's but one year too late to 1984 party. Good record, songwriting is somewhat too basic 7/10

Written by JOPE OF STEELE on 23.10.2024 at 17:28

Mad Butcher - 1985 - Metal Lightning Attack

Classic German speed metal debut like Running Wild's and Stormwitch's but one year too late to 1984 party. Good record, songwriting is somewhat too basic 7/10

Great recommendation.

Last week I was swinging "Green River Thrill" and it was fucking impressive. Not much differentiates from Metal Lightning.

Altered Moves Two - 1992 - Shifter Of Minds

Killer stuff, and this album actually manages not to make the mistake of being too long like lots of these Dutch tech/prog bands usually do. 8,5/10

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 23.10.2024 at 19:26


Last week I was swinging "Green River Thrill" and it was fucking impressive. Not much differentiates from Metal Lightning.

How do you mean, son?

Corum - 1997 - Riffhead

Surprising record for late 90s thrash with prog songwriting; lotsa bands wouldn't attempt it anymore at this point and many bands who were doing it quitted earlier or went with groove and to other directions. Interesting style in songwriting and playing, quite original approach. Well, not the best record ever.

edit: upped rating to 9/10. Superb stuff

Corum - 2000 - Not Myself

Man, either this band is on a spree or I'm on substances -- or maybe both simultaneously Killer one record and kind of a surprise from these unknown guys to do two such records in a row. The album cover cracks me up for some reason 9,5/10

Annex - 1990 - Powers That Be

Pretty nice classic prog with not bad songwriting at all. I don't think it's impressive enough against genre's big releases, but for quite an early record it doesn't seem disappointing either. 7,5/10

Lorn- Arrayed Claws

Been listening to this today. Really good black metal with parts that remind me alot of Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord. Definitely recommend if you’re into that kind of weird black stuff.

Unleashed Power - 1993 - Quintet of Spheres

This thrashes hard. Similar sounding band as Corum. Somehow this didn't get noticed by many people and only got appreciation by Joppe's of Steele and other obscurity seekers. 9,5/10.