Metallica’s last good album is 25 years old. OMG, how old am I then? This album has stood the test of time in a way that “…And Justice For All” didn’t. In 2011 it sounds more—what’s the word?—sedate than it did to me as a teenager, but let’s not forget that it was out a good six months before “Reign In Blood” and that’s when the world changed.
The title track now sounds a little stodgy to me, and with hindsight shows some signs of the bloatedness that would define the next Metallica record; indeed the mean song length on this one is 6:51. The album doesn’t overstep the limit, however, and remains something I can listen to all the way through.
Maybe in the future my internal Metallica opinion recalibration engine will tick over to set this one to “meh, just skip to Damage Inc.” but it might take another 25 years.
I’ve been digging the Valkyrie this month, both the official releases and various live stuff from SHODX, Declaration of Doom and around YouTube. They combine Thin Lizzy style harmonies with Iron Maiden gallops and an infusion of doom that I have seen nowhere else. I’d love to catch up with them again some time.
Primitive Graven Image: Celebrating Impending Chaos
I first encountered these guys at the Show No Mercia festival last December; playing shorthanded, they were still the band I enjoyed most that night. Nice chaps too, hailing from Chesham so we were able to discuss the Thai food at the Queen’s Head.
Anyway, this album is hard to describe: it’s well-executed middle-of-the-road Black Metal. Not too fast, but not slow; clear production but not polished. I like it.
Splendid NYC doom. It was interesting watching the development of these musicians while I lived there. I should dig out some Agnosis too, I guess!
0 Responses to “Music Post for March”