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Reviewing what the reviewers reviewed

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Vim Fuego View Drop Down
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    Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 10:59am
I'm working at home for a bit and have managed to get Spotify to work, which I couldn't last year. It can be a bit of a bugger trying to think of what to listen to, so I had the idea of going back to an old metal magazine and listening to everything they reviewed that month. One of the first suitable candidates I pulled out was: 

Hot Metal October 1991.
Image result for Hot Metal October 1991
This was an Aussie metal magazine, and the first I really got into. It gave a general view of the metal scene, rather than the harder end like Terrorizer or Metal Maniacs, which were in the same pile of magazines. Editor Robyn Doreian ended up in the UK editing one of the mags there (can't remember if it was Kerrang! or Metal Hammer). There's stuff in here I have never heard, and would never think of listening to! Let's see how far I get...


Edited by Vim Fuego - 27 Feb 2021 at 9:17pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 12:03pm
First album up was Crimson Glory - Strange and Beautiful
CRIMSON GLORY - Strange And Beautiful cover
I'd never heard anything by this band before. And I won't be going out of my way to seek out anything else by these guys. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, it's just not my thing.

The reviewer Jeremy Sheaffe was my favourite writer at reviewer at the magazine. He said "As far as the quality of Strange and Beautiful goes, no one can deny that it is a very high standard - production and presentation wise. But as far as me actually liking it, 'fraid not." 3/5
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote adg211288 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 12:36pm
Originally posted by Vim Fuego Vim Fuego wrote:

First album up was Crimson Glory - Strange and Beautiful
CRIMSON GLORY - Strange And Beautiful cover
I'd never heard anything by this band before. And I won't be going out of my way to seek out anything else by these guys. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, it's just not my thing.

The reviewer Jeremy Sheaffe was my favourite writer at reviewer at the magazine. He said "As far as the quality of Strange and Beautiful goes, no one can deny that it is a very high standard - production and presentation wise. But as far as me actually liking it, 'fraid not." 3/5

'And I won't be going out of my way to seek out anything else by these guys.'

Worst possible Crimson Glory album to form that opinion on. This sounds nothing like their other work. Listen to one of the first two instead. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 1:10pm
Originally posted by adg211288 adg211288 wrote:

Originally posted by Vim Fuego Vim Fuego wrote:

First album up was Crimson Glory - Strange and Beautiful
I'd never heard anything by this band before. And I won't be going out of my way to seek out anything else by these guys. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, it's just not my thing.

The reviewer Jeremy Sheaffe was my favourite writer at reviewer at the magazine. He said "As far as the quality of Strange and Beautiful goes, no one can deny that it is a very high standard - production and presentation wise. But as far as me actually liking it, 'fraid not." 3/5

'And I won't be going out of my way to seek out anything else by these guys.'

Worst possible Crimson Glory album to form that opinion on. This sounds nothing like their other work. Listen to one of the first two instead. 

OK, worth a shot. It wasn't terrible, but it just really didn't grab me.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 1:13pm
Next came:
CORONER - Mental Vortex cover
Yep, much more to my liking! I don't remember hearing The Beatles cover at the end of the album before, but otherwise it's just quality Coroner through and through.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 1:35pm
And then the magazine moved into the EP section. First was The Mandelbroth Set by Killing Time. No, this isn't the NYHC band, but instead an Australian band. This thing doesn't appear on either Spotify or YouTube, but it's probably for the best, as this band renamed itself Mantissa, and Mantissa were shit!

YouTube DID turn up Vio-Lence's Torture Tactics EP. 
VIO-LENCE - Torture Tactics cover
This was the song controversially left off the album "Oppressing The Masses" due to it's violent lyrics (ah, the joys of thrash metal bands dealing with clueless major labels...) Torture Tactics the song is fucking excellent. Hot Metal gave this EP 4/5, I gave it 4.5/5 (Dicks of Death is just too fucking stupid for this to rate a 5).
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 1:38pm
I can't find all of Nursery Crimes' Eleanor Rigby EP, but the song itself still exists. It's a rocking pop punk version of the song:


Great fun! Hot Metal rated it 5/5, and I wouldn't be far behind.


Edited by Vim Fuego - 16 Feb 2021 at 1:42pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 2:33pm
A line in the review for this said "vintage death metal at it's best". Quite correct.
MASSACRE - From Beyond cover
I didn't rate this when I first heard it. After all, this whole band is made up of people booted out of Death. However, I now recognise it for the certifiable classic it is! Hot Metal gave it 4/5, which was too low.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 3:49pm
SARAYA - When the Blackbird Sings... cover
When The Blackbird Sings... - Saraya. OK, nice voice, promising start to the album, but the whole it is just a bit underwhelming and inoffensive. It needs to rock a bit harder, or at least show a bit more originality. This whole oversaturated hard-rock-tending-to-glam-metal genre was on it's last legs at this time, and albums like this showed why. Just no gas left in the tank. Hot Metal rated it 3. I'm giving it 2.


Edited by Vim Fuego - 16 Feb 2021 at 3:50pm
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 4:48pm
PEARL JAM - Ten cover
Only took me 30 years to finally listen to this fucking thing, and it's just like I thought - I hadn't missed out at all. 53 long and boring minutes! What utter bland mediocrity dressed up in the Emperor's new clothes! Hot Metal gave it 5. I didn't.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 5:47pm
From an overrated album, to an underrated one:
VENOM - Temples of Ice cover
Arachnid was the only song on Temples of Ice I'd heard, and I don't know what fuckwit at Music For Nations thought of putting it on Speed Kills 6, but it's the worst fucking song here! No, it's not classic Venom. The production is far too clean. But neither is it bad Venom either. And it proved Venom without Cronos is better than Cronos without Venom. Hot Metal only gave it 2. I'm giving it 4.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Feb 2021 at 7:21pm
And last one for this working day:
MR. BUNGLE - Mr. Bungle cover
I gave this a 5 star rating some time in the past. HM gave it 3, but I'm not surprised. This is a grower of an album, and it takes multiple listens to really appreciate. I would have only rated it a 3 when I first got it.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2021 at 11:43am
NIRVANA - Nevermind cover
This is a 5 every day of the week, and Hot Metal recognised it as such at the time. I haven't listened to it in ages, so it's been a welcome listen.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2021 at 3:30pm
RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS - Blood Sugar Sex Magik cover

Never again.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Bosh66 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2021 at 3:37pm
^ yeah I have that squirrelled away somewhere unfortunately LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2021 at 3:53pm
I made myself listen to the whole thing. Luckily the last two albums to go here will be an easier listen.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BitterJalapeno Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2021 at 3:53pm
Agree completely about "Ten" bring overrated but I really love "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"

One of the first gigs I went to was when I was 13 in 2003 at an annual one day festival called "Gig on the Green" hosted in a park in Glasgow City Centre which has since been replaced with a foul pop oriented festival called TRSNMT.

The line up from opener to headliner was The Distillers, Electric Six, P.J. Harvey, QOTSA, Foo Fighters and RHCP - some of which were promoting some very good albums at the time. My young adolecent self was blown away.

I should add that I had yet to discover the delights of metal at that point...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Vim Fuego Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2021 at 3:58pm
Originally posted by BitterJalapeno BitterJalapeno wrote:

Agree completely about "Ten" bring overrated but I really love "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"

One of the first gigs I went to was when I was 13 in 2003 at an annual one day festival called "Gig on the Green" hosted in a park in Glasgow City Centre which has since been replaced with a foul pop oriented festival called TRSNMT.

The line up from opener to headliner was The Distillers, Electric Six, P.J. Harvey, QOTSA, Foo Fighters and RHCP - some of which were promoting some very good albums at the time. My young adolecent self was blown away.

I should add that I had yet to discover the delights of metal at that point...

That's quite a line-up!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BitterJalapeno Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2021 at 4:01pm
It was a great day. Electric Six were just entertaining and great fun. I've always been a QOTSA fan and the Foos and RHCP hadn't reached the point of insipid blandness yet. Or maybe it was just due to it being my first proper live music experience..
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Unitron Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2021 at 4:28pm
Originally posted by BitterJalapeno BitterJalapeno wrote:

Agree completely about "Ten" bring overrated but I really love "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"

+1, Mother's Milk is probably my favorite from the Chili Peppers though. Glam funk metal perfection.

Comments regarding a couple other albums here:

The title track for When the Blackbird Sings is awesome, but the rest of that album is so boring.

Demolition Man-era Venom is so underrated. Temples of Ice is great, but I highly recommend checking out Prime Evil if you haven't heard it, my favorite Venom album and one of my favorite thrash albums probably. Has such a great punch with the production, and fantastic songwriting.
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