Balthamel

Chris Rekstad
MMA Special Collaborator · Sludge/Post Metal Team
Registered 782 days ago · Last visit 5 hours ago

Favorite Metal Artists

All Reviews/Ratings

24 reviews/ratings
ALICE COOPER - Killer Proto-Metal | review permalink
MASTODON - Remission Sludge/Post-metal | review permalink
MASTODON - Leviathan Sludge/Post-metal
MASTODON - Blood Mountain Sludge/Post-metal
MASTODON - Crack the Skye Sludge/Post-metal
DREAM THEATER - Images and Words Progressive Metal
MASTODON - The Hunter Sludge/Post-metal
SEIGMEN - Total Gothic Metal
SEIGMEN - Pluto Gothic Metal
DØDSVERK - Fun For All The Family Avant-garde Metal | review permalink
SOUNDGARDEN - Badmotorfinger Alternative Metal | review permalink
SUBROSA - No Help for the Mighty Ones Doom Metal
SEIGMEN - Metropolis Gothic Metal
SEIGMEN - Radiowaves Gothic Metal
SOUNDGARDEN - Superunknown Hard Rock
EL DOOM & THE BORN ELECTRIC - El Doom & the Born Electric Sludge/Post-metal
SEIGMEN - Ameneon Gothic Metal | review permalink
KILLING JOKE - Night Time Industrial Metal | review permalink
KILLING JOKE - Pandemonium Industrial Metal
SOUNDGARDEN - Louder Than Love Alternative Metal

See all reviews/ratings

Metal Genre Nb. Rated Avg. rating
1 Sludge/Post-metal 6 4.92
2 Gothic Metal 5 4.70
3 Alternative Metal 3 4.00
4 Industrial Metal 3 4.00
5 Proto-Metal 2 4.50
6 Avant-garde Metal 2 4.50
7 Doom Metal 1 4.50
8 Hard Rock 1 4.50
9 Progressive Metal 1 5.00

Latest Albums Reviews

KILLING JOKE Night Time

Album · 1985 · Industrial Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Night Time - Killing Joke

If you really wants to get what Killing Joke is all about, this is the album that you should listen to, all that Killing Joke is, will be defined by the sonic spectre of this album, all the songs are the peak to what sonicly, vissionaly and artisticaly Killing Joke will pour out, all the songs in this album caries a spessial feal to them.

From the beginning track Night Time it introduces the listner to the raw, gloomy, gothic and deep sound of what the band will explore, and it is working very well for the band to try out the dark sounds of rock, which gives this album a cloustrophobic feal. You can feel the intencety of closed dores around you by listening to this album.

I will not pick out any particular songs as the album should be listend to as a whole, but the songs which i will recomend which stand out from this album is the title track, Darkness Before Dawn, Louder then Low, Kings and Queens and Eightees,

To tell which genere this album falls withing is a difficult task, it fits non but it is also defiened by its era, its 80s new/wave sound, wuth industrual and gothic rock/metal influence. the album is gloomy and powerfull, perfect for a time for reflection and thinking.

This album is a recomandation to all fans of metal in general, this is a different sounding band/album yet a vry important step for the development of metal, and this album is one of the most important steppingstones for alternative rock/metal scene.

enjoy

DØDSVERK Fun For All The Family

Album · 1997 · Avant-garde Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Fun for the Family - Dodsverk,

i really did not expect anything when i stumbled upon this band, but what i stumbled on was something unexpected and fearly insane prog metal, which blends jazz and avantgarde with jazz.

This album is the more mature brother of the debute album, more refined and added to the all a mellotron which gives the heavy, crazy music a vintage depth which only the mellotron can give.

the singing is in Norwegain, and can therefor be compared to Seigmen, but that is a missleading carcterestic, which the band themselvs would loudly say NO WE DON'T. but it is to lie to tell that the two bands share some similar traits, but more in that they sound like nobody else, Dodsverk sounds like nobody else as far as i know, this album sounds like nothing youve ever heard, bold statement is bold, this is a genious metal album, and in the Avant garde section this album would be a good investigation for those who like the strange in the metal world, the techicality of the musicians involved is staggering, the controll on isntruments are done by masters of ceveral genres not only metal, they go from metalcrushing riffs, to cabaret style music, to swing jazz in one hit on the snaredrum, but it is unmistakable avantgarde metal, an experiment with metal by taking in sounds from avant garde,

fans os maudlin of the Well, Kayo Dot, Sleepytime Gorilla Museeum, Shining will cherish this album... also fans of the RiO scene will like this album many would like this album

recomended songs, Mer, Zoolist, Sr 2, Sr 3, 846 484 and Apati...

SEIGMEN Ameneon

Album · 1993 · Gothic Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Seigmen - Ameneon

Seigmen seems to be quite an unknown metal act outside of Scandinavia, which is a pitty couse they rocks... if their is one reason there be that most of their albums are sung in Norwegian, but the musical quality of the music played on this album should be of interest to metal music fans world wide, as this is a very original and experimental metal music act that shows an uncanny abilaty to create unique atmopheres, you might get opiphanys when you listen to this album, it is in my opion quite a mark in the evolution of post-metal, i know i make a huge statement, but Seigmen should be regarded as one of many bands to predesses post-metal.

I Find very few metal acts out there who desplays such an intensity to an album as i find in this 93 release of the Norwegian act Seigmen, from first to last song you have varied riffs, atmopheric bass lines, rasping vocals, clean vocals, semi-growls, prestine clear and solid drums, that have never sounded better on a metal album (drummers is gonna love the drums on this record, atmophseric guitar playing, layering, soundshaping, shoegaze/post-rock elements etc there is alot to put your metal teaths in.

the music in itself on this album stylewise is a hybreed, of doom metal, gothich sounding metal, alternative metal and post-metal in its earlyes embryonic face, it also have an atmosphere similar to black metal but it is far from being black metal, more gothic/doom metal overall with several sub-genres of metal visitting, in and out of songs, the title track is a pure melancholic folk instrumental, and their is a classical piano interlude to the track Negativ,

I will state that, to fans of Tool, Neurosis, Melvins, Kyuss and other dark alternative, sludgy and atmophserical bands this album are recomendable

it is a good/even great addition to any fans of metal, if you want original, fresh, innovative metal in, the borders doom metal and gothic metal, then this album is probably one of the defining album in that respect.

MASTODON Remission

Album · 2002 · Sludge/Post-metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Remission is a heavy, it is brutal and it is a fierce, what Mastodon have done on this album is nothing short of amazing. Song after song on this album are ether intense, claustrophobic or eyescratching violent, it plays on your subconscious and it plays on your adrenaline, because it somehow invokes your primeval and violent subconscious mind.

It is hard to describe one song in particular that makes this album what it is, but I will try to take on three songs

March of the Fire Ants, is intense and brutal it shows the bands skills folding out both as a uncompromising metal band that can melt rocks, but also as kinetic unit who’s minds is so tightly tide up to each other that technical parts goes of like it is a delicate piece of apple cake, with wiped cream on top. this song is like molted rocks and apple cake with wiped cream (solid but also tasty).

Ol'e Nessie - is the beauty and the beast in one song first 3 min is a calm melodic submarine travel on discovery channel the next 3mins are a bumpy ride in a submarine with no air left (claustrophobic). (Trainwreck and Trilobite awoke the same feeling).

the tree headed beast on this album are the heavy trunks of songs, Where Strides the Behemoth, Trampled Under Hoof (underrated song)and Mother Puncher, this songs are so brutal they can lit water, crunch rocks and melt led, with their sludging menacing powers, and intense heat.

So if you like to intense, fierce and claustrophobic music get this album... if not get Crack the Skye.

sold 5 star album

ALICE COOPER Killer

Album · 1971 · Proto-Metal
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Alice Cooper (the band)- Killer

Yeah the title says it all...KILLER, this album is a Killer album from the first track to the last noise part on the title track. Let me say this, not one song here seems out of focus, lack of creativity or lack of context. They all say something to you, speaks to you.

I will not go track by track; I will instead try to explain some songs, where to place this album stylistically and its metal credibility. First you will notice is that this is a band effort not a solo project. It is also a mirror of the adult American home/reality/pop culture portrayed satirically through biting thought provoking lyrics.

Some of the highlight songs here are the song that starts the show, Under My Wheels - which is a great rocker, full speeded guitar with twang approach - you surely will dance to this song it really aches in the dance foot.

The second highlight is the EPIC Halo of Flies - WOW this track is 8:00 minutes long prog rock with heavy guitar, a song which goes through different awesome passages, some LoonyToon parts, mellotron's, vaudeville like parts. This song is HUGE in every aspect, the more you hear it the brilliant it gets IMO.

The third and fourth highlights are Dead Babies and Killer both caries some sort of DOOM metal flavour, dark menacing songs, with some art rock moments. Both songs gives this an haunting, epic and grandiose end to this record, And for safety reasons be careful if you have the volume loud and are relaxing to this album the title track ends in a loud noise. BE AWEAR!

What styles are presented on this album, well first thing that may cross some minds is, "is this Alice Cooper" because it’s pretty artsy. Second it is not 100% metal or glam metal (more glam rock since I can hear some similarities to early Bowie, Lou Reed and Slade here) but the guitar and song topics are heavier and darker, thus gives it a metal edge, like I said a bow some Doom metal like atmosphere. Other songs like Desperado and Halo of Flies is not what I would call metal.

but the album as a hole, yeah totaly uniq piece of proto metal with glam overtones.

Enjoy Chris

Latest Forum Topic Posts

  • Posted 2 days ago in Deftones or Korn
    why is Deftones so popular and Korn is become a laughing stock i must admit that i don't hate Korn, i can listen to the music and sometimes i hear something that i like,Deftones is more better ofcourse and is in a class of their own, but they are not THAT different and i don't think Korns music is so much more bad, that they should be mocked, so why do people hate Korn but love Deftones
  • Posted 3 days ago in Rate the avatar and sig above you
    2/5 for the avatar is quite boring actualy 
  • Posted 3 days ago in Metal Up Your Ass and all that Jazz Room V2
    Norway is leading 11 - 3 against Germany 

Shouts

Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Contents

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Sub-Genres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA Collaborator's Album of 2011

Special thanks to special collaborator Any Colour You Like & Triceratopsoil Arch/Matheos – Sympathetic Resonance
Sympathetic Resonance Progressive Metal
ARCH/MATHEOS
TOP 20

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Rust in Peace Thrash Metal
MEGADETH
Buy this album from our partners
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Crimson Death Metal
EDGE OF SANITY
Buy this album from our partners
The Somberlain Black Metal
DISSECTION
Buy this album from our partners
Symbolic Death Metal
DEATH
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

Dark Roots Of Earth Thrash Metal
TESTAMENT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Seventh Year of the Broken Mirror Power Metal
ORDER OF NINE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Troppo Hard Rock
THE NEXT HUNDRED YEARS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Nine Progressive Metal
CIRCUS MAXIMUS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Free Metal MP3 download/stream

New Metal Online Videos

SWORD - "Where To Hide"
SWORD
Colt· 2 hours ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Share this site
Follow us

Buy Metal Music