Author Topic: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #26 bitter metallic side...  (Read 15249 times)

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Online wolfking

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #30 he went to far the f***er...
« Reply #315 on: February 12, 2021, 04:19:36 PM »
For whatever unknown reason, TGCD has never fully clicked for me, while I like it, I never would put it anywhere near my top 5 Katatonia records.

Agree.
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Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #30 he went to far the f***er...
« Reply #316 on: February 13, 2021, 12:14:42 AM »
TGCD was my first real exposure to Katatonia, that probably plays into it why I like it so much.
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

Offline Evermind

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #30 he went to far the f***er...
« Reply #317 on: February 13, 2021, 01:24:57 AM »
Where's Lethean and why hasn't he posted here yet?
This first band is Soen very cool swingy jazz fusion kinda stuff.

Online gazinwales

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #41 Now you find yourself in 82...
« Reply #318 on: April 01, 2021, 01:31:16 AM »
29.
Crimson Glory
Transcendence

Heavy Metal

Roadrunner Records 1989




1   Lady Of Winter   4:00
2   Red Sharks  4:52
3   Painted Skies   5:16
4   Masque Of The Red Death  4:15
5   In Dark Places   7:03
6   Where Dragons Rule   5:07
7   Lonely  5:18
8   Burning Bridges   6:32
9   Eternal World   3:54
10   Transcendence   4:34



Band line up

Bass – Jeff Lords
Drums – Dana Burnell
Lead Guitar – Jon Drenning
Rhythm Guitar – Ben Jackson
Vocals – Midnight


Ah this album brings back so many good memories of the golden era of metal in the 1980's.
It was a cold winter's day in Weston-supa-Mare, England, I was visiting relatives and I went into 'Ourprice' music shop and bought this LP for 9.99UKP.
Though I wouldn't be able to play the record for a few weeks until I returned home to Australia, I remember the wait to hear this being rather longer than it actually was.

So what's makes this album so special? One word Midnight! The legendary singer who's distinct high pitched vocals were a trademark of Crimson Glory's first two albums.
While the self titled CG debut album was a solid if not too spectacular effort, nothing could prepare me for what would come next in 'Transcendence'.

Arguably Midnight's finest hour (well 51 minutes to be precise) this album has stood the test of time in nearly all aspects.
The album's sound does have a slight '1980's' production style, with the drums quite high in the mix, but everything else is well balanced.
Compared to some of the horrible modern metal sounding albums, where the drums are almost inaudible, hearing them here is indeed a pleasure rather than a distraction.

But none of this would matter if the songs weren't strong and this album has 10 songs that are all top notch.
Of course there is the out and out headbangers 'Red Sharks' the lush sounds of 'Painted Skies' and the progressive tones of 'Painted Skies', this album has it all
with numerous different flavours added to keep this interesting and more to the point highlighting Midnight's extraordinary voice.

I almost forgot the band's image from this era, wearing those hideous masks, see the video's below, I guess it was an 1980's thing?
Sadly this would be Crimson Glory's one and only close-to-masterpiece album, the follow up was a complete disaster.

Live In Florida 1989 (Pro Shot) https://youtu.be/vd9NaMEw5J8
Lonely https://youtu.be/BH3h0OS84tM
Painted Skies https://youtu.be/72C-P2pBnj0

Offline Lowdz

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #29 Bloody Red Sharks!
« Reply #319 on: April 01, 2021, 02:29:02 AM »
Excellent album. Yes, i admit I was drawn to it by the cover, but it's an excellent piece of early progressive metal.
Agree about it being by far their best but I have a soft spot for Strange & Beautiful, although the style was very different.
I guess the masks were just a bit to stand out and as I never saw them live or their video back in the day I didn't really care. And I'm a KISS fan so anything goes in that department I guess.

Online wolfking

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #29 Bloody Red Sharks!
« Reply #320 on: April 01, 2021, 05:40:31 AM »
Knew what album this was going to be from that thread title.  Amazing metal album and there's nothing really weak here.  I love Lonely too though, great crossover tune. 
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Offline bl5150

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #29 Bloody Red Sharks!
« Reply #321 on: April 01, 2021, 05:08:16 PM »
Made my Top 50 too   :tup  :metal
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Offline Zoom E

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #29 Bloody Red Sharks!
« Reply #322 on: April 05, 2021, 10:51:36 AM »
Transcendence is a brilliant album. I have it in both vinyl and CD format.  It would probably make my top 50 too.

Online gazinwales

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #41 Now you find yourself in 82...
« Reply #323 on: May 07, 2021, 01:09:16 AM »
28.
Deathstars
Gothic/Industrial Metal

Nuclear Blast Records 2006




1   Tongues 3:43
2   Blitzkrieg Boom 4:04
3   Motherzone 4:06
4   Cyanide 3:54
5   The Greatest Fight On Earth 3:52
6   Play God 4:09
7   Trinity Fields 4:22
8   The Last Ammunition 4:06
9   Virtue To Vice 3:42
10   Death In Vogue 4:14
11   Termination Bliss 3:43


Band line up

Bass – Skinny
Drums – Bone W Machine
Guitar, Keyboards – Nightmare Industries
Vocals – Whiplasher Bernadotte


One look at the cover, the band name and song titles was enough to make me dislike this band instantly!.
But when this promo CD turned up in my mail in 2006 I had to listen to it, but already I was thinking this is gonna be absolute shite.

All my fears, preconceived notions and biasedness was instantly dismissed when I hit play and was unravelled by 'Tongues'.
The sheer force of the band's sound, the deep vocals of Andreas Bergh, the melodies got me instantly hooked.

But once you strip away all the glitz, the image, the big budget video's and everything else what your left with is an album of brilliant songs.
Songs that have substance, depth and most of all they get stuck in your heads for days.

While the vocals are most definitely almost stereotypical goth (also some growls) the music is pretty commercial sounding, with to my ears loads of 1980's pop influences.
Of course there are some suitably low slung guitar riffs and atmospheric keyboards.

This album sticks out like a sore thumb in my collection, and specially in this top 50 it does look a little odd to say the least.
The band's other three albums, while having some great songs, do not come close to this.

Blitzkrieg https://youtu.be/zeWBD7zHG8o
Virtue To Vice https://youtu.be/xAdmfIrjKQQ
Cyanide https://youtu.be/Ly-jMFFjIbM

Online twosuitsluke

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Man, I remember this band but don't think I ever listened to any of their music. Saying that, I think I may have seen them in support of someone like HIM, years ago. I'll check out the songs you've linked  :metal

Offline Zydar

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I remember Blitzkrieg from around that time and liking it.
Zydar is my new hero.  I just laughed so hard I nearly shat.

Online wolfking

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Just sampled Blitzkrieg.............Interesting.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.

Online twosuitsluke

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Man, I remember this band but don't think I ever listened to any of their music. Saying that, I think I may have seen them in support of someone like HIM, years ago. I'll check out the songs you've linked  :metal

Checked these out and they are pretty similar to Rammstein, mainly in the vocal department, I guess. Pretty solid but not sure whether I'll dig any deeper.

Online gazinwales

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #41 Now you find yourself in 82...
« Reply #328 on: June 12, 2022, 12:46:13 AM »
27.
Magnum
Wings Of Heaven
Hard Pomp Rock

Polydor Records 1988




1.   "Days of No Trust" 5:23
2.   "Wild Swan" 6:15
3.   "Start Talking Love" 3:36
4.   "One Step Away" 4:39
5.   "It Must Have Been Love" 5:16
6.   "Different Worlds" 4:39
7.   "Pray for the Day" 3:45
8.   "Don't Wake the Lion (Too Old To Die Young)" 10:34



Band line up

Bob Catley — vocals
Tony Clarkin – guitar
Wally Lowe – bass guitar
Mark Stanway – keyboards
Mickey Barker – drums


There was a lot of hype around Magnum and this release back in the day, 1988 it must have been either Kerrang! or some other
magazine I was reading at the time that was raving over this album. So I bought into it, and went down to my local import record shop and handed over the cash.

Wings Of Heaven was Magnum's seventh studio album and back in those pre-internet days I relied on reviews to discover new music. This was a hit and miss affair,
but generally I didn't end up with too many pineapples.
Having not heard a single not before pressing play on my CD player, I was almost immediately hooked by Magnum's commercial brand of hard pomp rock.
Well what exactly is pomp rock? To be honest I don't really know, the term was thrown around by Kerrang! writers Derek Oliver, Malcom Dome and a few others back in the day.
It could be as simple as a little more complicated arrangements/keyboards and layers of sounds than your standard hard rock.

This album in the end is pretty easy to listen to, it has some great hooks, some poppy singles, more lengthy rockers and the last song, the epic tour-de-force 10 minute finale.

What did stand out back then and even now is the great songwriting, Bob Catley's soaring voice and an album that doesn't really sound like it's from that era of 1980's heavy music.
There of course is the big drum sound and the slightly more glam look from the band, but they has the songs to back it up.

The resulting tour they peaked with their popularity and had a brilliant live showed captured on glorious VHS cassette, that has never been upgraded to DVD or BR.
If you've never heard of Magnum, do yourself a favour and watch the live the show in the link below, you won't be disappointed.

Wings Of Heaven live https://youtu.be/DDT3hO6gmWo

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #329 on: June 12, 2022, 12:10:33 PM »
Thread resurrection   :metal :metal :metal

I love Magnum and Wings Of Heaven is definitely one of their best. Bob Catley is an amazing singer and Tony Clarkin a seriously underrated guitar player.
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

Online wolfking

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #330 on: June 12, 2022, 03:48:17 PM »
Jesus, what a epic thread bump!  :metal

Bar OASN, probably their best album.  Wild Swan and Don't Wake the Lion are just classic.
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Offline ReaperKK

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #331 on: June 12, 2022, 04:22:09 PM »
Gonna catch up to this thread but man what a bump :lol

Online gazinwales

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #332 on: June 12, 2022, 05:36:16 PM »
Yeah been thinking about it for a while now, to resurrect this and keep it going.
TBH I didn't realise it had been almost a year since the last update.
OASTN was pretty close to knocking, but WoH wins by a nose...

Online wolfking

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #333 on: June 12, 2022, 05:37:35 PM »
Yeah been thinking about it for a while now, to resurrect this and keep it going.
TBH I didn't realise it had been almost a year since the last update.
OASTN was pretty close to knocking, but WoH wins by a nose...

No issue there mate.
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Online TAC

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #334 on: June 12, 2022, 05:50:54 PM »
I'm not really familiar with Magnum at all. Just listened to a big chunk of this album including Don't Wake The Lion.

This is a cool album. It's easy on the ears but not cheesy at all. I remember seeing Magnum in Kerrang all the time, but I guess I never searched their albums out at the time. I honestly don't remember ever seeing any of them.
But I would've dug this.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
Winger Theater Forums........or WTF.  ;D
TAC got a higher score than me in the electronic round? Honestly, can I just drop out now? :lol

Online wolfking

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #335 on: June 12, 2022, 06:08:33 PM »
I'm not really familiar with Magnum at all. Just listened to a big chunk of this album including Don't Wake The Lion.

This is a cool album. It's easy on the ears but not cheesy at all. I remember seeing Magnum in Kerrang all the time, but I guess I never searched their albums out at the time. I honestly don't remember ever seeing any of them.
But I would've dug this.

Just well done melodic rock.  They have quite a bit of filler but this one is wonderful.  On A Storytellers Night was top 50 material for me.  Check that one also mate.

Del Vicchio should seriously go back and listen to some old Magnum to hear how it's done right.
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Offline Zoom E

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...I
« Reply #336 on: June 12, 2022, 06:18:18 PM »
I have 6 or 7 Magnum albums, and rate On A Storyteller’s Night very highly, but for some reason I never bought Wings of Heaven and have never listened to it. I will have to rectify this.

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #337 on: June 13, 2022, 04:20:07 AM »
Chase The Dragon, On A Storyteller's Night and Wings Of Heaven are the best ones imo, but I really like all of their output.
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #338 on: June 13, 2022, 05:03:58 AM »
Chase The Dragon, On A Storyteller's Night and Wings Of Heaven are the best ones imo, but I really like all of their output.

Has to be the top 3 right there.
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Online gazinwales

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #27 Wild Swan follow the river...
« Reply #339 on: June 17, 2022, 10:11:54 PM »
Number 26 coming up soon  :metal

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #41 Now you find yourself in 82...
« Reply #340 on: June 18, 2022, 12:59:15 PM »
26.
Kalmah
The Black Waltz
Melodic Death Metal

Spikefarm/Spinefarm Records 2006




1. Defeat   5:32
2. Bitter Metallic Side   4:28
3. Time Takes Us All   4:23
4. To The Gallows   4:40
5. Svieri Doroga   1:08
6. The Black Waltz   4:37
7. With Terminal Intensity   4:56
8. Man Of The King   4:02
9. The Groan Of Wind   5:02
10. Mindrust   4:06
11. One From The Stands   4:32
12. This Mortal Coil (Carcass cover) Japan Only Bonus Track  4:35

Band line up
Pekka Kokko − guitars, vocals
Antti Kokko − guitars
Marco Sneck − keyboard
Timo Lehtinen − bass
Janne Kusmin − drums


There's a saying that I often heard on my many trips to Finland when I was living in Wales, 'Finland in winter you either drink or play metal'.
There are just so many bands in the land of a thousand lakes, it's hard to keep track, listen and fully appreciate many of them.
Kalmah are one of those bands that can disappear under the radar, one of many Finnish bands that make great albums, but seem to be relatively 'unknown'.
The Black Waltz was the band's fourth album, while I can honestly say that every one of their eight studio albums are top class, this is the one that got me hooked and
stood out and still does as the pinnacle of their career so far.

Kalmah's brand of melodic death metal could easily be compared to Children Of Bodom, the mostly catchy songs, the guitar/keys interplay, shredding solo's, the rough vocals.
While this is true, what make them different is the vocals of Pekka Kokko, he can go deep, and also their is a black metal element with his voice and the sometime BM blast beats.
Just like Bodom, Kalmah have an amazing ability to write some foot tapping headbanging tunes that stick in you head for days.

I think what has stopped them from being more well known is two things.
The first not getting enough push from their record label, being on Spikefarm, a subsidiary of Spinefarm Records (who got swallowed up by UMC)
But more importantly they didn't tour as much as Bodom seemed to do back in the day and I strongly suspect that all the band members have full time day jobs and families too.
By not touring much they couldn't develop their live act to the level required to step up to their peers, Both times I saw them live they seemed to be a bit off.

This release is highly recommended for anyone who is into MDM, who can tolerate harsh vocals, and loves a catchy song or two

To The Gallows https://youtu.be/ZLUx1oCqBHg

Offline King Puppies and the Acid Guppies

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #26 bitter metallic side...
« Reply #341 on: June 18, 2022, 02:13:20 PM »
This was the album that got me into Kalmah back in 2006-7ish. I had just discovered Opeth and Scar Symmetry and Melodic Death Metal in general, so I was eagerly trying to find as much new music in that vein as possible, which led me to these guys. Great album! Never did get into much from their other albums though. I think by the time I discovered this I was already moving on to finding other things.
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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #26 bitter metallic side...
« Reply #342 on: June 18, 2022, 02:33:51 PM »
I know this band rings a bell, and I'm pretty sure I've heard a song or two over the years. Children of Bodom are one of my all time faves, and I'm digging some old melodeath classics at the moment so it seems a perfect time to queue this up  :corn

Offline Cool Chris

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #26 bitter metallic side...
« Reply #343 on: June 18, 2022, 02:52:16 PM »
Longest anticipation for the 27th ranked anything in the history of time.
"Nostalgia is just the ability to forget the things that sucked" - Nelson DeMille, 'Up Country'

Online wolfking

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Re: Gazinwales Top 50 Albums - v. #26 bitter metallic side...
« Reply #344 on: June 18, 2022, 03:44:19 PM »
I have a couple of Kalmah albums but not this one.  I'll check it out.
Everyone else, except Wolfking is wrong.