Testament - The Gathering [1999]

The production quality is nearly perfect. Even 12 years later, this album is still one of the heaviest I've heard. Nearly every song is excellent. There aren't any filler riffs to be found on this album. Every second is a triumph of heaviness, yet, there is a good deal of variation on the album. Some songs have ominous clean guitars. Some are 6/8 romps through a metal fortress. Others are forays into the thrashing days of yore. All are energetic and hair-raising experiences overall. What an awesome album. When one concentrates, creativity can be found in some of the background effects and guitar slides that are barely noticed. The lyrics are very strong as well. Everything just feels so tight, like everyone was on the same page for the writing of this album.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Testament - Demonic [1997]

FFFUUUUUCCCCKKKKK!!! "Demonic Refusal" is one fucking hell of a way to start the album. It's so fucking heavy and evil. Chucks vocals are purely his own brand of Death Metal. "Together as One" would have been great if they didn't include that really fucking gay and repetitive section with such a shitty riff. Shit kicks back into gear with "Jun-Jun" and "John Doe". Things actually even go back to Thrash Metal for the first time in years with "Murky Waters". The songs from this point on are all fucking great... except for "Nostrovia". This is an INCREDIBLY heavy, evil, angry, and destructive album that makes me want to mosh against the world. That said, there are a couple weak songs and some riffs throughout the album feel a bit half-assed.

Rating: 8

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

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Testament - Low [1994]

There is finally an appreciable increase in production quality. It's pretty damn heavy. Chuck has even taken to doing some growls that are more Death Metal now. Good use of 6/8 to create the feel of a heavy groove. There is also a blending of traditional Rock into the heavier sound. They're all heavy, but not all of them capture my attention. "Low", "Hail Mary", "Trail of Tears", "Dog Faced Gods", "Chasing Fear", and "Ride" stand out to me.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Testament - The Ritual [1992]

"Electric Crown" is already better than anything that was on the previous album. "So Many Lies" is completely pointless until the chorus. So, it's mostly boring. "Let Go Of My World" is acceptably energetic and heavy. "The Ritual" manages to inject a smidge of evil into the style. "Deadline" has a pretty damn catchy chorus and a decent amount of energy. This album is obviously the point at which Testament started driving their style more towards the Heavy Metal genre and away from Thrash. It's pretty good. Most songs have a good beat and heavy riffs with energy. It's a bit more Rock inspired in some parts which takes away from the attempted darkness of the album. There are a lot of good songs in here with good energy. It's not a breakthrough album that has the polished songwriting and perfection of style that I was hoping for. However, there are two gems that outshine the rest, "Electric Crown" and "Return to Serenity".

Rating: 7.5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

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Testament - Souls Of Black [1990]

A short and pointless intro track for "Beginning Of The End". "Face In The Sky" is pretty good. However, it's almost all groove metal with no semblance of the thrash they used to have. "Falling Fast" has a little thrash to it, but it's mostly a very aimless song with few riffs that are any good. "Souls Of Black" tries to redeem the album a little with a darker intro, but then drops into very non-evil groove metal. "Absence Of Light" is possibly the most disappointing thing I've ever heard... the beginning sounds like they're going to kick in with some insane thrash, but instead they just jump into a moderato beat with a boring and shitty guitar riff. "Malpractice" is one of the very few songs that actually a good verse riff to it. Extremely large let-down. This album is a very unpleasant turd. I'm not sure how it went wrong, but the riffs are lifeless and sound like they were taken from the reject bin. The only possible exception to this is "The Legacy"... and it's still not that great. Also, why the hell hasn't the production quality increased at all in the last four albums? What the fuck are they doing?

Rating: 5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

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Testament - Practice What You Preach [1989]

"Perilous Nation", while catchy and heavy, is quite predictable. There are a few songs that feel a bit tired and repetitive. However, overall it's a pretty catchy and heavy album with a lot of good riffs and energy. The production is a bit odd; heavy and powerful during palm muting, but feeling like it was played through a single-speaker practice amp the rest of the time.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

植松伸夫 - Final Fantasy VII Original Soundtrack [1997]

Much unlike FFIV, this actually has some really good writing mixed in. When he does evil and dark, it's very good. However, the more regal stuff feels too childish and weak. The whimsical stuff is TOO whimsical and ends up sounding camp. The battle music is usually pretty good. There are a few recurring themes that do get annoyingly repetitive and really tiresome by the end of the album. USE THEM SPARINGLY, NOBUO! While he does a great job with most of the dark stuff, the Sephiroth themes are actually some of the weakest of the dark songs. Sure, this is one of the best from the FF soundtracks up until this point, but, damn, that's not saying much. The old FF soundtracks are really over-hyped by people that don't know what good songwriting is. Most of it is shitty and bland. Damn, this thing is just waaay too long and there is way too much crap in here that really doesn't need to be on the soundtrack.

Rating: 5.5

http://www.square-enix.co.jp/music/sem/page/uematsu/index.html

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness [1989]

This whole album is full of great old-school Death Metal. It's hella-energetic and even pretty damn modern in some ways. The production is typical of under-ground bands of this period. There's obviously a lot of Slayer influence throughout the album. Lots of thrashing around and plenty of blasting. There isn't much in the way of variation at all, and compounding that issue is the fact that the album is over fifty minutes long. However, I never really found myself getting bored. I liked it all the way through. Didn't seem to be any fillers. That said, it wasn't mind-blowing, just solid well-written Death Metal.

Rating: 7.25

http://www.morbidangel.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Machine Head - The Blackening [2007]

"Clenching the Fists of Dissent" is an epic length. It has quite a lot to like... amorphous, energetic, and even beautiful at some parts. The song only drags, briefly, once or twice. "Beautiful Mourning" starts off really energetic, but drags like a fat-ass in the middle of the song. "Aesthetics of Hate" is a bit like the previous track, but with more hate and catchiness. "Now I Lay Thee Down" has a more mellow first half to it with a middle section made of barbed wire. "Slanderous" has the 6/8 energetic groove thing going on and it's pretty catchy until the chorus. "Halo" starts its epic-length off with a groovy and heavy riff. Light and catchy chorus, too. I hate the boring-ass cheap ending. "Wolves" takes a while before the good stuff kicks in, but after a little while, it becomes more bland, weak, and boring. "A Farewell to Arms" has a beautiful recurring theme to it, but a majority of the middle section is let down by filler riffs that only delay the awesome middle-ending riff. I must say that I'm impressed with the variation found within each song on the album. It keeps things interesting. Sure, not all of the riffs are good, but there are certainly more good than bad. I've never been a fan of Flynn's vocals, though. They always sound slurred to the point of being annoying... like he's drunk or something. It's a pretty damn good album. However, the good is mixed with bad riffs and it really lets the album down a bit.

Rating: 7.5

http://www.machinehead1.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Machine Head - Through the Ashes of Empires [2004]

There are a few songs on this album that are extremely high-energy all the way through. The one ailment of this album is the use of filler riffs in many of the songs. Songs like "Bite the Bullet" and "Seasons Wither" are half weak-sauce but with some really catchy heavy parts thrown inside. The production is great. It's damn clear and always heavy as hell. There are some annoying vocal sections like the end of "In the Presence of my Enemies", but there aren't enough to really piss me off. There is a little variation on this album as shown by the lighter and more validating "Days Turn Blue to Gray". However, too many of the songs fail to stimulate my interest and passion. Standouts include "Imperium", "Left Unfinished", "In the Presence of my Enemies", and "Days Turn Blue to Gray".

Rating: 7.25

http://www.machinehead1.com/

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Slayer - Christ Illusion [2006]

Whoa, no time wasted jumping into the fucking old-school Slayer sound. "Flesh Storm" really feels like something that could've been on Reign in Blood. It's so focused! "Skeleton Christ" is the first song that feels like it's dragging a bit, even though the thrashy sections are wonderful. I'm very happy that Tom's vocals don't sound like they're monotonous anymore. The production isn't quite as punchy and insane as the previous two albums, but it suits Slayer perfectly. There's much more Punk influence in this one as well. There are a few missteps... it's not all that catchy and the shoe-horned nu-metal riffs are as inappropriate as incest. That said, it's a damn good album that recaptures much of what had gone missing in recent Slayer albums.

Rating: 8

http://www.slayer.net

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Slayer - God Hates Us All [2001]

It's even more heavy than DiM. Despite the influx of Heavy Metal influence, this still feels very much like a Slayer album. The blisteringly hateful "Disciple" and "God Send Death" set the album on the right path to crush some skulls. One major complaint is that Tom's vocals feel a bit monotone on this album for some reason. It's also less focused on evil and more focused on hatred. "Cast Down" and "Threshold" feel a bit like they're dragging the album through the mud. There are a fair number of really powerful songs on here, but I must admit that the material feels like it has lost some of its potency. Maybe it's the shifting focus to lyrics about hatred instead of evil. Maybe it's the Heavy Metal influence being improperly handled. Not sure, but it has lost a little something.

Rating: 7.75

http://www.slayer.net

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Slayer - Diabolus in Musica [1998]

YES! This is the fucking guitar distortion and production quality that Slayer always deserved! I don't think I'll ever get tired of "Bitter Peace". "Death's Head" is a leap into the groove territory, but it also shows that Slayer is musically expanding and experimenting with their sound. Just in time, too, because I was getting a little tired of being able to predict the entire Slayer album. It's truly dark even when it's a bit more catchy and heavy. Even the really slow sections that feel like someone is being dragged through the mud don't bother me because it's just so fucking black. That's not to say that the album is perfect... it's not. "Stain of Mind" is all weak if the lyrics are disregarded and "Love to Hate" is simply awful in every way. It's very impressive that they've managed to change their sound so much and still make it incredibly dark and keep that Slayer feel. It's a real kick in the nuts to all the other bands that were around at that time with "modern" sounds and purely shit writing. All of that praise aside, this is probably one of the least thrashy album that Slayer has done up to this point, but it certainly is the heaviest by far.

Rating: 8.5

http://www.slayer.net

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Slayer - Divine Intervention [1994]

Well, they've mostly fixed the guitar distortion problem from the last album. The first thing I noticed was how much punch the bass drum has. "Killing Fields" has an amazing start, but it's followed by some pretty questionable transitions. Very angry, though. "Sex, Murder, Art" makes the album feel a bit more like a Slayer song. "Fictional Reality" is the first weak song on the album. "Dittohead" is a fun speed metal song for the majority of the song. "Divine Intervention" is a slow evil pounding before "Circle of Beliefs" takes a jackhammer to your face. This is much more of a continuation from Seasons. There are some really great songs, and some that are flat and boring. The evil has been diluted a bit, replaced with violence that reflects the punk phase that Slayer was in when making this album. Though, "213" really recaptures that evil feeling that was prevalent in the earlier stuff, but with a more modern twist.

Rating: 7.75

http://www.slayer.net

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Slayer - Seasons in the Abyss [1990]

The production is much more clear now. However, the guitar distortion is quite weak for the style of music. It works well when they aren't palm-muting, though. "War Ensemble" is, of course, a planet-powered kick in the nuts. "Blood Red" drops some of the energy, but keeps most of the evil attitude. "Spirit in Black" brings back the energy in the form of more mid-tempo Heavy Metal, eventually giving way to string-busting thrash. "Expendable Youth" drags quite a bit, but then "Dead Skin Mask" kicks in with some hardcore fucking slow evil shit. This is quite a mixed bag, songs like "Hallowed Point" and "Spirit in Black" have that thrash feel that I love, but there are also songs that are slow and evil as fuck as well as ones that are more up-beat Heavy Metal oriented. There are quite a few flops, especially when looking at the previous two albums from Slayer. However, the biggest problem by a light year is the weak-as-paper guitar distortion. You kind of get used to it, but fuck, every time they palm-mute it's just powerless.

Rating: 7.75

http://www.slayer.net

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Slayer - South of Heaven [1988]

One hell of an evil start with "South of Heaven". It's so obvious that they've perfected the hell-spawned metal writing. Fuck, I had forgotten how awesome "Silent Scream" is. On top of that, I had forgotten how fucking evil "Live Undead" is. Sure, things slow down a bit, but damn it's dark. "Behind the Crooked Cross" and "Mandatory Suicide" slow things down a bit and push everything into the evil heavy abyss where demons shall shred the listener's flesh for all of eternity. "Ghosts of War" returns the album to thrash brutality before "Read Between the Lies" drops things into catchy and heavy hammering. "Cleanse the Soul" and "Dissident Aggressor" decline a bit on the evil. So, the album as a whole is quite a bit less thrashy than RiB, but it's definitely as evil and there are quite a lot of catchy riffs thrown in the mix. However, the energy isn't quite as strong.

Rating:

http://www.slayer.net

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.

Slayer - Reign in Blood [1986]

"Angel of Death", the song that got me in to Slayer. What's there to say? It's evil; there isn't a single riff that is anything but awesome; heavy; energetic; chaotic. It's been many years since I listened to this album, and it's wonderful now to almost rediscover how awesome this album was. "Piece by Piece" is another brilliant thrash piece. It's very obvious when listening to this album that it has set the stage for Death Metal with it's brutal lyrics about death and the damn complicated guitar riffs. It's astonishing that Araya can pull off such chaotic and rapid-fire lyrics and still articulate with such excellence. This album is still great by today's standards and there isn't a weak song within. It's shockingly ahead of its time and the prototype for Death Metal. Nit-picking: it's a bit two dimensional; very little variation throughout the album.

Rating: 8.75

http://www.slayer.net

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Slayer - Hell Awaits [1985]

Evil kick-off to the album. In fact, it's all evil, all the time. This album really shows that Slayer has settled in to their new more thrash-based sound like a comet settles into a planet. Every song is an old-school thrash masterpiece. However, the production really needs work. The guitars feel dead and their distortion is quite week. The bass has very little actual bass to it and sits more in the mid-high frequency range.

Rating: 7

http://www.slayer.net

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Slayer - Haunting the Chapel [1984]

"Chemical Warfare" is one hell of a great kick-off to this album. This is definitely the "missing-link" in slayer's stylistic transition to what they would be for the next few decades. The production is pretty good. It feels alive and it's not weak at all. Certainly my favorite of the early Slayer albums. This is one of the wonderful things about EPs, the band can focus on making an awesome album from start to finish instead of a long album.

Rating: 7.75

http://www.slayer.net

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Testament - The New Order [1988]

"Eerie Inhabitants" sports a much more proficient and mature writing style with a good deal of variation and catchy riffs with a lot of heaviness. Four tracks in and it's clearly an excellent album so far. Thrashy, heavy as hell, and quite catchy. None of the riffs so far feel like filler. This is a much more hard-core Metal album than The Legacy. It's got much better songwriting. However, there's not a lot of variation across the album, so by the end I'm starting to get a little bored. There are a few weak songs towards the middle-end of the album, as well. The production also should be stepped up quite a bit.

Rating:

http://www.testamentlegions.com/

All ratings are out of 10. Rating may not be a whole number.