Metal Reviews

Katatonia new album was mediocre for me.. I liked Viva Emptiness better but the first albums are like 10000000000 times better than the new ones.

The first two albums are two of my all time favorites. I tried getting into some of their recent stuff and got explosive diarrhea because it was so bad.

I like some of their newer songs but they do get boring very quickly. Although I don't think Katatonia were ever anything amazing.

I can't think of any truly awful metal albums this year, probably because I stay away from them if the signs are bad. Tons of disappointments though, such as Isis and The Mars Volta. Since when was putting out the same record for the third time progressive? And don't even get me started on Slayer.

Yea i didnt like the new Isis either.

I don't think I've heard any flatout crap albums all the way through this year.

Me too. Dulcinea is cool tho.

And +1 on The Mars Volta. It was sort of fresh in the first album but they gotta cut the crap already.

I couldn't think of anything to put until someone mentioned the new ISIS.

Slayer - Christ Illusion

Wake up kiddos, it's still mallcore.

Blah, Viva Emptiness is awesome. The Great Cold Distance is probably Katatonia's weakest so far, but it's still good. I can see why people dislike it since it has a slightly more commercial sound than earlier releases, but calling it nu-metal is quite a stretch. I've never heard a nu-metal band write a song like July.

As far as worst album go, I'm not sure at the moment, since I prefer to remember good music rather than bad.

This one's easy: Rhapsody (Of Fire) - Triumph Or Agony
One of the most boring albums ever.

Satyricon's abortion was the first that came to my mind.

I kinda like Katatonia's album, even though I don't listen to it very often. I agree it gets old fast, though.

Don't diss Mars Volta! it's not many bands who can put out 200+ minutes of music that doesn't sound like anything else out there in 4 years

I'm shocked you have this opinion, I mean look at your avatar!

Satyricon's new album:

The great cold distance was mildly interesting, not that great though

I really didn't like the latest Metal Church CD at all.

Damn, what's everyone's beef with Katatonia? I thought The Great Cold Distance was the best album of 2006. You people confuse me.

They're nu-metal! Didn't you know?

I want to punch you.

But seriously, what was metal about The Great Cold Distance? Rock riffs, rock vocals, pop/rock songs. And when I mean rock I mean generic, bland rock. The reason why Katatonia's pre-VE rock albums were pretty good was because they relied on a depressive sound and mood, which they were good at creating: think songs like "Saw You Drown" and "Clean Today". Since Viva Emptiness they sacrificed that depressive mood for an angrier sound, and therefore became just another generic hard rock band.

The post-VE albums don't sound angry at all to me. They don't sacrifice any of the gloomy rainy-day sound in their new albums, rather it sounds like they evolved/modernized it. It still sounds really depressive, just in a different-- dare I say "heavier" way. Journey Through Pressure is probably the most depressive song of their Rock era.

They're not very generic either. They have a sound that's distinctly all their own. I can't think of any other band that sounds like Katatonia.



Hahaha, as is the fate of pretty much every band on the planet from what I can tell. Hell, I predict that some "Sacrificed Baby Goat Foetus'" next album will be Nu-Metal.

down tuned power chords and whiny vocals are heavy as fuck