Metal Reviews

I wasn't trying to come off as defensive, sorry about that. I was just merely pointing out that there aren't any more than 12 albums of the month per year per reviewer.

I don't mind suggestions at all, in fact I welcome them. If you think the system of each reviewer being able to label one album per month as "Album of the Month" is excessive, feel free to suggest an alternative.

That's a lot! lol. I like your quote btw.

Anyways, have you ever thought of collaborating with the other writers, like everyone voting...and whichever album received the most points was album of the month. I've been reading this website for a long time and I eventually just figured if an album received a certain score it would automatically say album of the month. I like what metalstorm does the best...it's a little much for me to describe on here but you should check it out. They don't really do album of the month, but readers can vote etc. It's really helpful for people like me, because I don't have so enough time to listen to as many albums as I would like. When I go to the store and flip through Terrorizer, it's nice that (although there are different reviewers) they all seem to collaborate on a rating system and one album of the month.

But Pest >>>>>> Gaahl. And I don't mind Constellation of the Black Widow, just the new Drudkh.

Terrorizer has a less wide remit than we do, less of a diversity in reviewer tastes. Something that Marty, say, a Power Metal reviewer, would think is an AOTM would be very different from me, Ecletica Esoterica, would. If I didn't give, say, Sunn O))) or Cobalt an award no-one would and then only the big bands would get awards. I don't see why each reviewer can't have their own AOTM, something that Terrorizer does have with the individual picks etc - you only have time to listen to one album a month, fine, but plenty of people can wrap their ears around more than that, reviewers included.

The problem with each reviewer having an album of the month is that it makes the award almost meaningless (I don't really notice them anyways), whereas if the all the reviewers only gave out one per month then it would be more noticeable. It's not really a big deal though.

Its a good thought, but it would be hard to implement. Since all of us have other things going on (jobs, school, families, etc.) its hard for some of us to find the time to listen to anything other than what's in our individual promo stacks. Plus, being that we're spread out all across the globe, its sometimes hard to communicate by anything other than emails. I think if the site were a full time job and none of us had other obligations, that might be something we could do. As it is now, my best advice would be to find a reviewer or two whose tastes align with yours and focus on their "Album of the Month" recipients. Thanks for the feedback though.

The first couple of days when there was no postings in this review thread I was beginning to worry. Then I was away on business for a couple of days and now we have a discussion. Great!
I am not going to debate the album of the month system here, just like I won't debate scoring scale, etc. Just go ahead read the review and see if you want to listen to that album. Like Adam said, if you have the reviewer who you think has similar tastes with you, maybe you can pay more attention to his writings. BTW, someone once did ask me if I "recommend" the album explicitly. I simply state what I think I heard. It is up to you to make a choice to listen or not.
Konrad, man, Ad Majorem was a great album, and I liked it, just read the review, so please don't accuse me of bias of which there is none. Now who seems to be biased is you, since you seem to diminish anythign done by Infernus (even the fact that it was a court verdict, meaning there was a docket case #, suit, etc.) Primitive songwriter you say? To each his own. But the man has passion in his songs, even though I may not like the personality. He had that passion before King and Gaahl ever showed up in the band and he still has it now that they have left. He took that passion, squeezed it in his fist and QPAST was born. I hear it. When you have a chance to work with people and then they turn on you, to be able to express yourself in music is a great outlet to have that emotion go.

Gorgoroth both old and new is a band I find incredibly hard to get into. Their music often seems a little... dull

I don't see what Infernus's skill as a vocalist has to do with this album. He's sung on, what, one Gorgoroth song? A long time ago?

I'm not biased against Infernus's personality, although I don't think the satan stuff helps Black Metal as a genre anymore. I just have never thought any of the Gorgoroth music was very original until King came along. The old Gorgoroth was just kind of...standard.

I don't really care what albums you guys give albums of the month, as it's almost meaningless because there are so many...I care more about the scoring...the same with any other site or magazine. Generally, however, an album which receives the highest score will be album of the month, but not always. My favorite internet review site (metalreview) doesn't even give an album of the month.

I also don't find it necessary to find a reviewer with the same tastes. In fact, I try to do just the opposite. I would rather expand my tastes than listen to the same stuff, and to do that I like getting out of my comfort zone...and listening to something like last years Esoterik, Nortt, or Ahab for example. Generally, reviewers with my taste wouldn't tackle those albums. I don't need much help recognizing good Black or Death metal acts because I know what to look for quicker than I would with say Doom or Drone. You get the point.

Great album. In many parts it reminds me of Immortal, with those awesome-and-close-to-heavy-metal riffs. But, unlike Immortal, instead of epic, it oozes evil. Nice surprise, I didn't see this coming.

album is fucking ace what can you say

I've been listening quite a bit to this album and I must say that it is fucking awesome.

Especially "Prayer" and "Rebirth".

Can't wait to see them live with Pest, especially since it is at Baroeg, a small venue that fits perhaps 200 people!

.:crast:.

Echo you.

Satan-Prometheus is a great track as well.

Oh, and I ran the title through some latin->english translator and it came up with:

"By how much To be able to Satanitatem To drag"

I think it's a much catchier title,

.:crast:.

Latin in black metal is turning to a trend and I don't like it. No one even understands it, and it is just a language, how many cool words can be in it?

I'm not THAT Black Metal expert, but as far as I know, Black Metal was ALWAYS about satan stuff. That's why it's called "Black" Metal. Not for the cold winter atmosphere of Immortal, not for the viking style of Bathory, but for the satan stuff from Bands like Venom, early Bathory, Hellhammer, Mayhem, Darkthrone and so on.

Just because it once was doesn't mean it always has to be.

Blame Deathspell Omega