Grammy Awards 2018 - Best Metal Performance

Me posting this in September, which is an eternity later, makes the waiting for next year's event much less. I had thought of continuing last year, but of course I forgot and let's look into that shit now, long after the party's over.

Mastodon - Sultan's Curse

Body Count - Black Hoodie

August Burns Red - Invisible Enemy

Code Orange - Forever

Meshuggah - Clockworks

I'm not really surprised any of the bands are featured (maybe a bit for Meshuggah), all of them represent modern American mainstream as hell metal. Success is an important factor in picking artists and in these terms, Mastodon winning is a reasonable outcome and their had a good song here as well. It is a very polarizing band and the truth is, mostly non-metallers like them. So, that means a lot of people.

I also guess Power Trip would have participated in this, if their video clips managed 2 million views on Youtube, or more.

It shouldn't be mentioned how much I prefer Meshuggah to all of the rest. Like, levels above everyone, they shit on them for fun and "Clockworks" is an orgasmic track. I can't talk that warmly about Body Count, who I never listened and don't feel like jumping around with their stuff ("Black Hoodie" covers Sound of da Police, go on and check yourselves). Truth is, they are only relevant in the US.

August Burns Red are the least annoying right after Meshuggah, and I enjoyed the video clip of "Invisible Enemy" more than if it was the band itself jamming on it. The track has some sweet, characteristic ABR sound textures. Code Orange are completely uninteresting to me. I know local Greek hardcore bands that would hit harder than this "hardcore punk" circus.

If I were to put these tracks in terms of personal appeal, it would go like that: Meshuggah, August Burns Red, Mastodon, Body Count, Code Orange. 

Arson Cafe's best metal performance for 2017: Enslaved - "Sacred Horse"

Lo-fi Lowlife - D.1

Watain - I Am The Earth
Ravencult - Sacrilege of Death
Tsjuder - Lord of Swords
Baptism - Esoteric Spheres
Funeral Mist - Bread to Stone
Hate Forest - Elder Race
Aosoth - Songs Without Lungs
Nazxul - World Oblivion
Sorgsvart - Hedersmann
Korgonthurus - Puhtistuksen Tulet
Thunderbolt - Call from the Ancient Time
Belenos - Terre de Brume
Horna - Nostalgiaa

Bullet Ratings #6

Alice in Chains - Rainier Fog [2.5/10]
I don't think they are relevant anymore. Other than a couple of tracks ("So Far Under" is nice!) I couldn't listen to it. It will not sound bad for new listeners of modern alternative rock. I'm just not into their latest material at all.

Aether - Ego Vitium Sum [7.5/10]
It has power and deep atmosphere, I would prefer slightly different vocals than those howling ones but it didn't really bother me after all. Nice.

Coffinrot - Retribution Divine [3/10]
Too much blast beating and predictable riffs, the singer's scream try but it ain't really going anywhere.

Convulsing - Grievous [6.5/10]
While the compositions and the atmosphere are quite good, I would have preffered some faster moments at times.

Cultor Noctis - Demiurg (Demo) [8.5/10]
Brilliant.

Lampir - The Alchemy of Cursed Blood [5/10]
Extremely distant and cold, with nice ideas, even though it got a bit repetitive to me.

Manes - Slow Motion Death Sequence [4/10]
I always find a couple of moments to hung on to, in their new releases. I didn't find one this time. Manes are moving towards sounds I can't deal with that much.

Pious Levus - Beast of the Foulest Depths [1/10]
Shit vocals, no original content, fake production. What is this?

Plaguestorm - Eternal Throne EP [7.5/10]
Great black / thrash tracks, with awesome vocals and flow. Good stuff.

Rabbit Junk – Modified Mortality [6/10]
I don't know what that is, but it was fun listening to it, even though I ain't gonna touch it again.

Siege Column - Inferno Deathpassion [4.5/10]
An album with a good attitude that loses many points from its sound. There is space for improvement in the drums and guitar lines as well, but I really like the cover! Reminds me of old RPG games, sweet.

Sociasylum - Crossroads [6.5/10]
Sweet cover and good production of this powerviolence / grindcore act, they have some hardcore breakdowns and most of the songs are heavy enough.

The Red Coil - Himalayan Demons [2/10]
They need more time to clear their production, personalize their ideas and get a fuller and heavier sound.

Bullet Ratings #5

• Aphex Twin - Collapse EP [7/10]

Fun listen and didn't make me wanna turn the player off, like some of his other stuff.
 

• Black Tusk - TCBT [4/10]

I don't know why I can't get into this band and most of the tracks I found generic.
 

• Candelabrum - Portals [3.5/10]

Too much flat noise that had me bored quickly.
 

• Cemetery Urn - Barbaric Retribution [9/10]

A proper death metal record that honors the past and its greatest bands, as well as being in bed with the sound of the more recent greatest bands in the genre. Right next to Dead Congregation.
 

• Defeated Sanity - Chapters Of Repugnance [8.5/10]

The deluxe edition re-release was a good reason to come back to one of my favorite BDM albums.
 

• Ende - Goétie Funeste [6.5/10]

Not much innovation but a few good moments saved the day.
 

• Excision - Apex [4/10]

An overall good listen, but no bangers were as impressive as in previous records.
 

• Ill Omen - The Grande Usurper EP [6/10]

Nice guitar lines and melodies in general, but I didn't like the sound of the vocals and the production of the EP.
 

• Innumerable Forms - Punishment in Flesh [7/10]

Sweet and dirty.
 

• Mortuary Drape - Necromantic Doom Returns (Compilation) [7/10]

Including tracks from their early demos in the late 80's, as well as some early live recordings, makes this compilation a good rotten gem for the fans of the band.
 

• Mørketida - Panphage Mysticism [5.5/10]

I had higher hopes for this release because of its promotion but it doesn't shake much ground. By no means bad though.
 

• Nicki Minaj - Queen [6.5/10]

This album should have less tracks, because about half of it I really, really like. One of her better efforts, good job.
 

• Primitive Man & Unearthly Trance - Split [6/10]

Primitive Man haven't impressed me in the past, they didn't now either. Good that something happened when Unearthly Trance hit.
 

• Unanimated - Annihilation EP [8.5/10]

Amazing tracks with a feel of early Swedish melodic black (as they proudly are a part of) and touches of Dissection. Is "From a Throne Below" a title coincidence, thinking that Watain also have a track "A Throne Below" in their recent album? I will never know. Anyway, all four tracks are in my player.
 

• Young Thug - Slime Language [5.5/10]

I have to say i like his solo material more than the songs here, which -almost all- feature other artists. Nice artwork (with a sign language reference probably to his deaf brother) and a few nice trap tracks here and there. Wouldn't listen to such stuff too many times though.

A Norwegian Black Metal Playlist - 90's Part I

I would usually make an album list for this but for once, I chose specific favorite tracks to support the case instead of whole records. I try to maintain one track by each band when it's not a specific band's playlist, which means of course I have more tracks but the artists I like that I didn't use here. Many of them are personal choices of some of my favorite tunes, so if anything's missing, it's not that I might have ignored or overseen it. I wanted to create a Spotify playlist but some tracks were missing so I decided just to list Youtube links to each track, for anyone to have a quick listen. I have a second part of a similar playlist and then a third installment for bands active after 2000, I don't know when I will write things up about them in the future though.