Dark Castle's Radular Top 50 V. Skeletonwitch Booty Shorts Feel Great

[Nekov]

 

The best metal album ever

[Elite]

I might be the only one in this world who thinks The Great Southern Trendkill is Pantera's best album. Everyone I've ever met would say Cowboys or Vulgar Display of Power.

Well, anyway, nice inclusion.

[Dr. DTVT]

Probably more of a product of when I was into Pantera, but the only two albums I've ever owned of theirs were Vulgar Display and Far Beyond Driven.  Vulgar Display was my pump-up music for football games when I was high school.

[Dark Castle]

41. Skeletonwitch - Breathing The Fire


Breathing The Fire is my second favorite Skeletonwitch album, and is there second album (If you don't factor in their first album which was self released) They're a Blackened Thrash group from Ohio, and the vocalist and rhythm guitarist are brothers.  These nice boys sound extremely evil however when playing, Chance's vocals are either raspy and throat tearing, or guttural and dark.  His vocals are something that makes the group so awesome, as he not only sounds different from other vocalists in the genre but also has such diverse range. Nate(Chance's brother) and Scott link like cyborgs and have an endless array of memorable riffage.  Scott's solos are also a highlight, and unlike a lot of musicians who wings there solos, his are calculated and deadly, and stick to your head unlike many who just put together something that doesn't really sound all that good.  Where as Beyond The Permafrost had more warm of tones, Breathing The Fire feels icy (kind of ironic right?) like true kvlt Norwegian black metal welded into thrash, and it gives the album a nice originality about it.  If you're up for a half hour of blistering speed, evil, Satan, and great blackened thrash, look no further, Skeletonwitch is the band to go to.
Favorite Tracks: Crushed Beyond Dust, Gorge Upon My Soul, Repulsive Salvation

[Dr. DTVT]

OK...just checked out a Skeletonwitch song from their new album...


















it was fucking awesome.  Buying now at Omega Order sale.

[Dark Castle]

OK...just checked out a Skeletonwitch song from their new album...


















it was fucking awesome.  Buying now at Omega Order sale.

If you liked that, keep an eye out for it later

[Dr. DTVT]

I got the album you listed as well, just for good measure.

[Dark Castle]

Sorry for not updating over the weekend guys, it was my brothers birthday yesterday and it's been so nice out, I don't want to just sit inside all day, I'll try and get 40. done tonight, no promises though hehe.

[Dr. DTVT]

I've been meaning to ask...why does your avatar look like Nick cross-dressing in some Philadelphia Flyers jacket?

[Dark Castle]

I've been meaning to ask...why does your avatar look like Nick cross-dressing in some Philadelphia Flyers jacket?

Heheh, Lady Gaga ungh.

[Dark Castle]

40. Overkill - Ironbound


The final entry in the 40's, Overkill is a band who are finally getting their due after a long time in obscurity.  In regards to the Big 4, I don't really care for Slayer that much, Megadeth are not a good band, Anthrax has certain albums that I love, and Metallica is a favorite, but a lot of quality bands were tossed aside due to not being in that exclusive 4 band club, Overkill being a big one.  Their 15th album Ironbound, is quite a thrasher.  I first heard of these guys when looking through my local FYE(RIP) and saw an older album of theirs.  It looked interesting so I picked it up and I was hooked.  So when Ironbound came out I picked it up as soon as I could.  The album absolutely kicks ass, and exudes a display of amazing songwriting and technical display.  The tone of the album is imminent, almost depressing.  The singer's voice is high pitched, and forceful; something very enjoyable to listen to.  The drumming is well fitting for a thrash band and he is beyond capable of handling drums.  I think my favorite thing about this record though is the radular guitar playing.  The solos are breathtaking, emotionally, all the while being technical displays of prowess.  I can't really say much more, but seriously, if you're a lover of thrash, and you find yourself always looking for more, Overkill is a fantastic band to check into and you won't be sorry.
Favorite Tracks: The Green and Black, The Goal Is Your Soul, The Head and Heart

[Dark Castle]

39.Doomriders - Darkness Come Alive


This album here, Darkness Come Alive, is from the side project of Converge bassist Nate Newton, Doomriders, in which he is the guitarist and sometimes vocalist.  This album is passionate, I can't really say that enough.  It really gets your blood boiling at times, only to bring you back down to earth with some well placed transitional tracks, so that each song can get the most out of you.  The tone of all the instruments in this record are thick.  Something that sets these guys apart from the heavy metal crowd is how unique they sound, I can't think of anyone who really sounds like them, and their songwriting is just phenomenal.  Another thing I love about this band and album is the vocals, they're really the heart of the passionate vibe you get from this album.  My favorite song, Crooked Path, has it seem like the vocalists are giving it their 200% and it really makes the listening experience that much better, because when the band feels extremely in to what they're playing and musically it's great, that only makes you enjoy the experience that much more.  According to Wikipedia they're recording a new album and I for one cannot wait to hear what they have to show us next.
Favorite Tracks: Come Alive, Crooked Path, Jealous God, Blood Avenger

[Dark Castle]

38. Mastodon - Blood Mountain


My 5th favorite Mastodon album.......could you believe that?  Would someone actually have all of Mastodon's Discography on their Top 50?  Maybe, but that's not me, have to diversify, it is my second favorite Mastodon album though, and boy is it amazing.  Everything that makes Mastodon Mastodon is present on this record.  Brann Dailor's drumming is just the stuff made of drumming gods, his fills are everywhere and yet he's so precise.  I believe this is the record where Mastodon started taking a turn into progressive metal, and while some prefer their older albums, their newer ones just continue to get better and better for me.  I also believe this is one of their concept albums, but admittedly, I only sort of know Crack The Skye's concept, but that doesn't stop me from enjoying this wonderful album.  Another thing about this record is that the riffs are just there, the songs are alive, and everyone syncs in to blow your mind.  Along with the last song, Pendulous Skin, where at the end they read a letter from the fan, it just cracks me up.  For fans of Baroness, Neurosis, and Red Fang, hopefully you'll see that this record is a slab of great musicianship, and wonderful melding of Sludge and Prog metal.
Favorite Tracks: Sleeping Giant, Colony of Birchmen, Siberian Divide

[Elite]

Blood Mountain!
Fucking awesome album, for sure. And you even have Siberian Divide in your top tracks list, that makes it even better

[Dark Castle]

37. Ghost - Opus Eponymous


One of my most favorite current bands, Ghost are a band from Sweden who crank out the classic metal sound seamlessly all the while praising Satan, for a very fun listen.  Until recently, the frontman The Undead Pope had remained anonymous, but for the purposes of this, I'll leave it to you to find out who he is if you're interested  Anywho onto the music.  If you get Mercyful Fate vibes then you're listening to the right music.  The album reeks of 80's classic metal ala Mercyful Fate, but not in a tired, beating the old horse kind of way.  They stamp their own personality into the music, and stir in Satanic themes to get the stew cooking.  The guitars are simple yet effective tools in this album, and always stay interesting, track 2 Con Clavi Con Dio, after the intro track start off with keyboards that remind me of Scooby Doo, you can see for yourself and see if they do for you, but they do for me.  A standout is The Undead Pope's vocal pipes, as they're quite radular.  His voice is always clear, and he pronunciates each and every syllable and overall just has a wonderful singing voice.  It's not a long album, but each song has it's own personality, and it's a great album to have on in the background, or for a party, as it's just very fun overall.  Recommended for fans of Mercyful Fate, In Solitude, and King Diamond
Favorite Tracks: Con Clavi Con Dio, Elizabeth, Death Knell

[Dr. DTVT]

I ordered that album from The End.  Should be here tomorrow I hope.

[Kosmo]

Listening to this right now, so far it's really good.

[Heretic]

Blood Mountain is pretty awesome.

[wolfking]

Glad to see some love for Ironbound.  A true heavy metal classic, the title track is my fav.

[pain of occupation]

blood mountain = 

"megadeth are not a good band" from people exclusively into underground isht = elitist, but kinda understandable.
"megadeth are not a good band" from unenlightened metallica fans = sad but true.
"megadeth are not a good band" from someone with a wide range of metal interests, from genre to genre, from obscure to mainstream = 

anywayz, have been following. sorry if i sounded like a dick there; was going for serious but comedic.

 

[Dark Castle]

blood mountain = 

"megadeth are not a good band" from people exclusively into underground isht = elitist, but kinda understandable.
"megadeth are not a good band" from unenlightened metallica fans = sad but true.
"megadeth are not a good band" from someone with a wide range of metal interests, from genre to genre, from obscure to mainstream = 

anywayz, have been following. sorry if i sounded like a dick there; was going for serious but comedic.

heh it's all good, just with Megadeth, I've always found them to be the weakest out of the Big 4, as Dave's voice really annoys me heheh.

[pain of occupation]

^ ya, i can understand the vocals issue.

dave's vox are an anomaly...obviously he isnt a good singer (and is dreadful live), yet a lot of people that dont seem to like most heavy metal (mostly b/c of the vox) will make megadave one of the two metal bands they'll listen to and find his vox palatable.

[Dr. DTVT]

Of the 26 albums I just got from The Omega Order, I decided to listen to Ghost first.  Holy fuck is this awesome, or to use your preferred vernacular, Radular.  I really need to go see the Opeth show that these guys are goign to open up for in May in DC.

I'm really digging Ghost, and liked the one Skeletonwitch song I heard.  If I end up liking Skeletonwitch and Kvelertak as well, you're going to end up doing some nice damage to my wallet.  Hopefully you start listing bands I know 

[Dark Castle]

36. The Mars Volta - Deloused in a Comatorium


Not the first Mars Volta album I've heard, and while I think Noctruniquet will end up overtaking it, for now this is my favorite The Mars Volta album.  They're quite different from any other band I've listened to, and they encompass so many sounds, and mesh them together into beautiful, strange, wacky, and forceful compositions.  Son et Lumiere/Inertiatic ESP kick things off on the album and is one of my most favorite songs ever.  Everything about this album is just airy, and the flow of the album is fantastic, songs meld into each other and things just keep on a rolling.  My favorite things about this album is the vocals and guitars.  Vocal-wise, vocals can go from soft crooning to full on bravado and the range that they hit is simply amazing, and they continue to stand out from the rest.  Guitar-wise, the tone is seems very clean but has this distorted edge to it that retains your ear's attention throughout the record.  Simply put, this may not remain my favorite The Mars Volta record of all time, but it will always stand out as an amazing debut, which not many bands normally have, and for that reason, this record makes my list.
Favorite Tracks: Son et Lumiere/Inertiatic ESP, Drunkship of Lanterns, Cicatriz ESP

[Dark Castle]

35. Black Breath - Sentenced To Life


This is the only time I break my rule, originally Black Breath's previous record Heavy Breathing was in this spot, and truthfully I've only heard this once, but it's so noticeably apparent that this is an improvement and I enjoyed what I heard more overall.  Black Breath are what a lot of elitists call "Entombed-core" in which, they worship at the altar of Entombed and are heavily influenced by them.  Now I think that is such a dumb fucking reason to hate a band, and these guys have song writing chops and sound radular, so I just ignore the elitist haters and jam out.  So for a true definition, they're a hardcore/crust band from Washington, and satanic I believe, so there's your little bio on them.  Funnily enough on this record, they've found similar amps to Entombed and have found pretty much the same tone which is like a buzzsaw, and the riffage is memorable.  This is their fastest record yet, which is their second heheh, and it's a ferocious slice of music.  The vocals are abrasive and tough, and if you're a fan of harsh vocals, I think you'll like the muffler on this guy, he has a ghoulish howl that often rears it's demonic head.  For fans of Entombed, Trap Them, and bands in similar vein, check these guys out for some good ol' heavy tunes.
Favorite Tracks: Feast of the Damned, Endless Corpse, Mother Abyss, The Flame
(There's plenty of images of the album online, but I just got the vinyl, so I thought I'd just post it.

[WebRaider]

Killer stuff on here so far. Mastodon  and the amazing Deloused album .

I'm a thrash fan and I like some of the older Overkill stuff and have heard great things about the newest release. I hope to check it out soon.

[Dark Castle]

Killer stuff on here so far. Mastodon  and the amazing Deloused album .

I'm a thrash fan and I like some of the older Overkill stuff and have heard great things about the newest release. I hope to check it out soon.

I'm glad you're enjoying it so far, and if you're a thrash fan, I've got a few more thrash albums coming up that I hope you enjoy

[wolfking]

Shit, I just went back and read your writeup about Ghost cause I caught the words 'Mercyful Fate' in there.  I have to check into this band, pronto!!

EDIT: Just listened to a couple of songs.  I like it, but jeez, talk about wearing your influences on your sleeve.

[Dr. DTVT]

That Ghost album is pretty awesome.  I don't have a problem with them showing their influences.  Yeah, we see them, but to some kid in HS its just music, and when some wise old man comes around to tell them to check out Merciful Fate, they'll be more receptive to it.

[Kosmo]

but to some kid in HS its just music

This would be me, I've never listened to Mercyful Fate but that Ghost album was one of the best things I've heard in a while. So I guess I should give them a listen then.

[Dark Castle]

34. Dawnbringer - Nucleus


A band that wears it's oldschool influences on it's sleeves and manages to sound completely original, Dawnbringer's album Nucleus comes in at number 34 on this list.  A Traditional Heavy Metal band that splashes in subtle other hints of other genres, they're from Chicago, and are about to release their net album, which I hope only further continues the amazing muscianship.  Many songs on this album rely more on guitar than vocals, entire minutes devoted to soloing and guitar driven story telling, and vocals are utilized when they're needed.  Never does the solo go into noodling and they keep things changing so as to retain interest, you'll go from a warm guitar riff to an icy cold tremolo picking reminiscent of Black Metal, galore with blast beating.  If you're a fan of bands such as Cauldron, Iron Maiden, and bands in similar vein, I feel that you will enjoy this album very much.
Favorite Tracks: You Know Me, The Devil, Cataract, Pendulum

[Dr. DTVT]

Sounds interesting, and I'm quickly finding a lot of faith in your tastes.

[Dark Castle]

33. Annihilator - Never, Neverland


This album right here is a thrash classic.  This was the record that I discovered Annihilator, after hearing about others talk about them, I put them in the search and Never, Never Land pulled up.  The album is just completely full with gems, and there really isn't a weak track on this record.  Something cool about Jeff Waters, the only original member(guitarist/sometimes vocalist) is the lyrics.  The songs on this album are about things ranging from mental illness, pollution, to the tale of a girl kept hidden from society.  Going on, the guitars are probably the best thing about this record, as Jeff Waters is an amazing guitarists and one of my personal favorites, and his leads are memorable, his solos aren't wanky, and his tone is aerodynamic for sexiness.  Now that isn't to say everything else is lacking, because that's not the case at all, Jeff Waters always makes sure he has a good lineup, Mike Mangini has even drummed on a few records, my favorite that he drummed on was Set The World On Fire(check it out).  Anywho, Annihilator stood out from the thrash pack for me just due to how fresh they sounded, and how they actually set themselves apart from the rest.  A lot of other thrash bands were just trying to ape the big 4 just to get a quick 5 minutes of fame, but Annihilator(Jeff Waters) really just did what he wanted to, and because he did, Annihilator has many great albums, and are still going strong, with a more stable line up these days.
Favorite Tracks: Fun Palace, Sixes and Sevens, Never, Never land, Imperiled Eyes

[Dark Castle]

32. Opeth - Ghost Reveries


The first Opeth song I ever heard was an edit of The Lotus Eater, off of a Metal Hammer cd compilation and damn, it was on repeat for many days.  After that I started picking up Opeth where I could, my first buy being The Candlelight Years with the first three albums, all fantastic, but my favorite would have to be Ghost Reveries.  Nudging out Watershed and My Arms, Your Hears by just a tiny bit, Ghost Reveries is an amazing record all around, from the artwork to the music contained inside.  Mikeal is one of my favorite vocalists in metal, for the reason that both aspects of his vocals are extraordinary.  His growl is powerful, and ferocious, where as his clean vocals are crooning, and calming.  Muscianship is something that is never lacking in Opeth, whether you prefer Lopez or Legolas, you're in for a treat with the drumming, bass is just splendid, and guitars are never lacking, with the warm acoustic tones, and the electric raze of their electric guitars.  Opeth is also a band I never really compare to other bands because they have such a distinctive sound, you know right away that you're listening to Opeth when they come on, even with Heritage.  Now more so onto why I consider Ghost Reveries their best.  Along with the descriptions about their musicianship above, Ghost Reveries is just extremely memorable to me, and while their catalog is for the most part, Ghost Reveries just edges out on top.  Also it has some of my favorite songs from them, The Grand Conjuration being one of my most favorites, the transitioning in the song gives me goosebumps, plain and simple.  So if you haven't given Opeth a chance yet for some crazy reason, and you're okay with growling, Ghost Reveries would be the album to start at, as it's simply radulartastic.
Favorite Tracks: Ghost of Perdition, Reverie/Harlequin Forest, The Grand Conjuration

[Elite]

YES, Ghost Reveries! Awesome