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Metal Genre Nb. Rated Avg. rating 1 Sludge/Post-metal 33 3.97 2 Progressive Metal 32 3.75 3 Avant-garde Metal 14 4.07 4 Black Metal 10 3.75 5 Doom Metal 8 3.88 6 Death Metal 5 3.60 7 Alternative Metal 4 3.13 8 Industrial Metal 3 3.17 9 Proto-Metal 3 3.83 10 Hard Rock 1 3.00

Latest Albums Reviews

PET SLIMMERS OF THE YEAR ...And The Sky Fell

EP · 2010 · Sludge/Post-metal

Now this is what I'm talking about. It's been a good while since I've heard an up-and-coming band with so much potential. Sure, Pet Slimmers of the Year's debut was a little less than amazing, but ...And The Sky Fell is pretty damned good, if I do say so.

The production is much better, smoother and more professional, without being over-polished. The melodies and riffs seem more inspired, while the percussion hovers around the periphery, as with their earlier release, threatening to derail the compositions into expansive spacey trips. The music feels a little more relaxed when the band kicks back, and more intense and suffocating when they decide to engage the distortion pedal. Having said this, there's more to Pet Slimmers of the Year than just the loud/soft dynamic. Indeed, they aren't afraid to lace compositions with melodic clean sections layered with delay and other effects. The expansive nature of the music is refreshing and immediately absorbing. It's not subversive and quirky, but rather restrained and diligent. While I would go so far as to describe this release as minimalist, don't for a second think that it's boring. This is the kind of music you can lose yourself in, and while post-metal isn't going to be everyone's favourite drop, it's just one of those things you can enjoy in the right context.

So, well done Pet Slimmers of the Year, I'm impressed with what you have done so far; but the true test is where you'll go from here. If this latest release is anything to go by, the band appear to have a good future ahead of them.

• 6 months ago
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PET SLIMMERS OF THE YEAR Pet Slimmers of the Year EP

EP · 2009 · Sludge/Post-metal

While not as coherent and consistent as their 2010 release '...And The Sky Fell', this debut self titled EP shows and immense amount of promise from this young British instrumental post-metal band. They definitely have their own style, which is refreshing to hear, given that too many bands (usually unwillingly or out of respect) tend to copy the styles of the fore-running artists. Pet Slimmers of the Year focus on expansive compositions, traversing the whole gamut of soft, mellow post rock and melodious distortion. They err upon math-rock in sections, seemingly floating above the temptation to deform into a fluid free-composition jam time. Indeed, as is common with this style of music, it's intentionally uplifting and dynamic, while sometimes crushing and discordant. Because the band prefer to let the music breathe a little, there's plenty of time to soak in the sound-scapes and pick upon the subtleties in the composition. Unfortunately, the production is a little too murky - even with the distorted and grimy aspects of the music, it still feels somewhat underdone. It's not a bad production by some underground metal standards, but there is some room for improvement (which they do make upon the follow-up release).

While this EP didn't exactly overpower my senses, there is no doubt that Pet Slimmers of the Year have immense promise; they also possess the best band name I've come across in quite some time. Seriously, I never thought putting my pet on a diet would sound so good.

• 6 months ago
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SAILORS WITH WAX WINGS Sailors With Wax Wings

Album · 2010 · Avant-garde Metal

Sailors With Wax Wings is a supergroup. Not that you would really notice if you didn't carefully pay attention to the array of musicians who collaborated on this 2010 release. Taking influences from a wide spectrum of sonic goodness, the result, much like R. Loren's previous efforts with Pyramids and White Moth, is a schizophrenic mix of drone, ambient, metal, indie, electronic and noise. That sure sounds like a fun combo, and it certainly comes across in the warm, enveloping world of Sailors With Wax Wings.

It's not often you can say that an album takes the sickly-sweet drawn out melodies of latter-period Earth, with tremolo picked guitars, deep male/female vocal melodies and psychedelic pop edges. I'm sure this is what and acid-soaked tribute album to Jesu would sound like. Sure, it's not exactly dynamic, but the lushness of the sound is mesmerising without being completely insane; or ostracising like harsh noise artists or those with a penchant for dissonance and atonality.

My only gripe with this release is it tends to drift aimlessly. For an album that feels like a stream-of-conciousness filtered through various mind altering substances, this is to be somewhat expected. And it's largely enjoyable for the first few tracks. However, I can't help but feel that there's so much more potential for exploration and expansion. Although there's no doubt in my mind that this album will please a select few; the artistic edges of this release will be sure to attract cries of pretension and bloated self-worth. Nay, there's plenty of evidence that Sailors With Wax Wings deserves more than to be pigeon-holed and derided.

• 6 months ago
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• Report #248352

DEVIN TOWNSEND Ghost

Album · 2011 · Progressive Metal

Tonight, tonight / Soothe your mind.

Now, I fully understand that this isn't really a an exciting experimental album. It's not, and I won't pretend it is. But it is the most beautiful album I've heard in a while, that's really all you need to know.

Well, not quite. Ghost obviously means a lot to Devin, because you can hear every emotion, every thought pattern, every memory, every human pulse and it's all genuine. That's really the essence of this album, yes it's laid back, yes it has poppy hooks and ambient passages and all that, but this is music from the heart. I challenge anybody who knows Devin's discography to present an album which is as emotionally dynamic as this. I can think of all but one, Terria, and there's a good reason why that's also a masterpiece. As I have eluded to already, Ghost is the last album in the Devin Townsend Project's quadrant. It takes the lucid tones and ethereal vibes from Ki, mixes them with the pop hooks of Addicted and then plays off against the chaotic nature of Deconstruction. It is generously paced as if one was recovering from the previous three semesters of adventure.

Sure, there aren't any mind blowing solos, or time signature mashing; but the crispness of the production and the glassy instrumentation is simply not of this world. Perhaps that's a reason why it's called Ghost, or perhaps sometimes the most beautiful things are those which you can't explain or 'perform', but feel. You don't hear Devin (and the band) playing here, you feel them. It is that connection which every artist strives for, therefore it would be pointless to let cumbersome definitions and categories get in the way of emotion. True, a progressive masterpiece this is not, it's a musical masterpiece instead. At the risk of sounding too much like a new-age sensitive chap, it's not all brilliant. Some of the ambient sections are overlong and aimless, but given the general atmosphere, it's quite easy to let the extraneous sounds just wash over you. A fitting way to end the project indeed.

• 6 months ago
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MASTODON The Hunter

Album · 2011 · Sludge/Post-metal

I killed a man because he killed my goat / I put my hands around his throat

Really? It's good to see Mastodon have a sense of humour and don't take themselves too seriously. Otherwise I'd be laughing at how bad some of these lyrics are. Sure, Mastodon's fifth studio album 'The Hunter' isn't about anything in particular, but bad lyrics aren't necessary in any domain. Apart from the decidedly mediocre stoner rock middling of 'Curl of the Burl', thankfully, the rest of the album is markedly improved.

The longest lasting image of this album, surely is the emphasis on shorter song writing, laced with psychedelic edges and bizarre imagery. I would argue that this album has a tenuous thematic link to space rock, not only in imagery but in sound. Sure, not all of the tracks here follow the same formula, but there is an overarching sound, undeniably Mastodon, but also an amalgam of influences which were formerly hidden, or less obviously used. There's a tangible Pink Floyd aura on some of the compositions, as well as other classic rock icons. The result is that Mastodon's heavier and chaotic edge is softened by phasers, delay, tremolo and other such effects. Combined with an emphasis on vocal depth, many of the compositions are layered extremely deep within the dense production. Mastodon's break-neck riffing and mercurial percussion remains, but's it's not called upon to be at the fore all the time. In this sense, 'The Hunter' is the culmination of Mastodon's previous four albums. The lack of a specific theme perhaps signifying the band's intention to experiment even further within their own history, and a slight reluctance to fall into a comfortable sentimentality.

The reliance on poppy hooks isn't as sickly as one may think. It obviously makes 'The Hunter' somewhat more accessible to casual listeners; but that doesn't stop Mastodon from mixing tracks up, just to make sure you never really settle into a one-paced groove. As mentioned, some of the lyrics are little bland, but that can be largely forgiven if you take a step back and consider the album entire. Thirteen tracks, thirteen different moods, thirteen different examples of why Mastodon is one of the pre-eminent modern compositional artists. Sure, they've crafted better individual pieces, and more cohesive 'concept' driven albums. But 'The Hunter' may be their most daring statement of intent. There's enough here to please most; a touch patchy, but there's always gold to be found in every Mastodon release.

• 6 months ago
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Latest Forum Topic Posts

• Posted 3 months ago in MMA Collaborator's Album of the Year 2011
  Welcome to the Metal Music Archives Collaborator's Album of the Year 2011!It is my pleasure to announce this year's list of the top 20 releases, as voted by the MMA collaborators. This year saw a close run for the first few places, with two tied placings. There's a healthy mix of established and younger artists, and like always, there should be a few surprises! We had a total of 190 albums ranked by our minions, with scores ranging from 1 to 183 (20 points for 1st, 1 point for 20th).So without further pause...1st Arch/Matheos – Sympathetic ResonanceThe minds of John Arch and Jim Matheos collide in this new collaboration featuring a fine ensemble cast of musicians, largely descended from existing progressive band, Fates Warning. The result of this alliance was Sympathetic Resonance, an album that stole the show in this year's Album of the Year configurations. Taking classic American progressive metal, Arch's signature soaring vocals and good old fashioned fret work, Arch/Matheos set the early standard in 2011, a standard of high quality and musical expertise, a standard which has seen them take this year's honours as album of the year."The musicianship is top notch across the board with rocking riffage and tasty guitar solos, rock solid bass, and tasty progressive drumming with lots of nice little details to enrich the overall experience. The main attraction, to me at least, is John Arch's soaring vocals. His voice is so unique and the vocal melodies so complex and busy." (Time Signature)2nd Equal: Leprous – BilateralWhen most young metal artists come out of Norway, everyone seems to expect another lo-fi black metal band that look like they are trying to scare your parents. Leprous is not that band. Although young and energetic, Leprous have already proven themselves as talented musicians through their 2009 album, Tall Poppy Syndrome. 2011's Bilateral takes a more experimental twist, at times swinging from the death metal tree, at times from an altogether more avant-garde one. Given the youthful energy of this young Norwegian outfit, hopefully Bilateral is just another step towards further artistic success."Leprous is a unique band that succeeds in marrying the attractions of classic prog metal with a fresh approach that is aggressive and modern, avoiding both the cliches and the cheese, and remaining entirely fascinating throughout the entire album." (bonnek)2nd Equal: Mastodon – The HunterEven without the sprawling concept album pretensions, The Hunter is no less of an adventure than we would expect from Mastodon. Powerful, energetic and yet still somehow cerebral, Mastodon continue to confound derision and silence detractors. Unabashed virtuosity and home-town brawn collide in The Hunter; sure, it may not be the same Mastodon of 2002, or even 2009, but it's all so damned infectious. It's pretty difficult to think of another contemporary artist who can make such a heavy album work like a straight-laced pop album, but still kick you in the face at every opportunity."The Hunter is also much hookier and accessible than anything Mastodon has previously done. For many progressive minded fans this may cause cringing, but fear not. Shorter, more to the point song writing is not a bad thing. Sometimes it's fine to just hang around town and not go on an epic journey." (The Angry Scotsman)4th Opeth – HeritageOne of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the year did not fail in creating enough discussion to keep the rumour-mill spinning at frantic pace. Will we ever hear Mikael Akerfeldt growl again? Have Opeth finally become stuck in a timewarp in 1972? Nonetheless, Heritage has its fair share of fans, and even with a tenuous link to 'modern metal', there's plenty of evidence in Opeth's tenth release to prove that there is still plenty of mileage left in old-school tube saturation, moog solos and lyrics about satanism. Ritchie Blackmore would be proud."Opeth may have abandoned a large portion of their fanbase with Heritage, but this just shows that these guys are always willing to experiment with new sounds and never succumb to treading on previously covered territory. Fans of retro progressive rock will find plenty to love here, and I think the more open-minded metalheads should be entertained as well. Opeth have really taken a risk with Heritage, and I'd say that they've succeeded for the most part." (J-Man)5th Symphony X – IconoclastSoaring progressive-power metal legends Symphony X have again produced another polished release in Iconoclast. Despite being firmly rooted in a style which has seen plently of mileage over recent years, Symphony X continue to surge ahead with sure-footed authority. In a year that also saw new Dream Theater, Anubis Gate and Haken releases, Iconoclast's success is sure to provide the band even more exposure within an increasingly crowded, but popular and successful area of contemporary music."If you like your progressive power metal as raw and heavy as possible yet with a rare melodic sensibility delivered by exceptionally well playing musicians and packed in a powerful and clear production, "Iconoclast" is the answer to your prayers." (UMUR)6th Equal: Fen – EpochWith the explosion of post-black metal in recent years, one could be forgiven to ignore all the badges and labels that tend to follow these artists around. British based Fen are no different. Call them atmospheric black metal, post-metal, shoegaze... call them what you want, because what Epoch highlights is that Fen are fast becoming recognised as visionary musicians in an often controversial realm of modern metal. Loud, sometimes extreme, sometimes pretty and always enthralling; there should be no doubt that Fen deserve to be recognised alongside the likes of Agalloch, Drudkh, Alcest and their ilk, not merely as a derivative."The music is emotional and bleak but you won't find any cheap or imitative solutions used to achieve the result. Everything stays in balance, just like in nature. Softness and harshness merge in one consistent and unique piece of art." (Bartosso)6th Equal: Haken – VisionsLondon based Haken have become somewhat of a semi-permanent fixture here at MMA. Haken have forged a name for themselves inside the progressive
• Posted 5 months ago in Post black metal
  Alcest, Agalloch, Drudkh, Old Silver Key and all the rest make me a happy metal hipster.
• Posted 6 months ago in Albums You Think Are Absolutely Perfect
  I can think of a fewPink Floyd - Dark Side of the MoonPink Floyd - AnimalsOpeth - Still LifeKayo Dot - Choirs of the EyeAgalloch - The MantleThere are heaps of others that come close, but those five are my god-tier.

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