[teestub]

If you want to spend over nine hours listening to an in-depth analysis of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun (and I personally did and had a great time), this is the podcast for you.

Sold!

[Carliios]

Dunno if this has been posted before but surely it has to be one of the best thrash albums of the decade?

https://open.spotify.com/album/3SW2GxwbStVJ4jXgizJggx?si=PPF9FEwURsScx2u8EbM1Ew

[BrutusTheBear]

Sounds very much like The Melvins, you'd most probably enjoy them if you like this. Dare I say the Melvins are a class above this bunch.. I did!

Their self-description is "A podcast about books for people who don't like books, podcasts or capitalism, but who like extreme metal."

  sounds right down my street   although I do like books.

[Ross Barker]

A couple mates of mine have just released their debut album. Punky-emo-y sounds, if that's your jam.

"Learn to Let This Go" by The Losing Score.

https://open.spotify.com/album/6cSZ3maEoNhExw0GRSUhVF?si=HO-XXM2cRH-ivSax7MjhvA&utm_source=copy-link

[JamieG]

One for Fiend. Ithaca’s new album ‘They fear us’ is fantastic. Been listening to it a lot. More expansive and melodic at times than their last album but still packs a punch.

Interesting interview with their lead singer in the guardian.
https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2022/jul/22/ithaca-we-said-stop-supporting-racist-bands-our-facebook-page-was-flooded-with-nazis

[Fiend]

I was just reading a Bandcamp article about them today! So yes I will check that out.

On a slightly different tip, I was on a Primus splurge in the car today (goddamn, Frizzle Fry is so consistently bloody great), which has been partly inspired by their latest track which is quite ridiculous in the best way:

[Fiend]

Two bits of high octane cheerfulness for y'all....

New ORIGIN, I hadn't really been following them as I wasn't so keen on their albums after the excellent Entity, but this one is a blast, all the Origin characteristics and some refreshing diversity too:

(Digital download involves jumping through hoops on Amazon Music)

And a random find for me, the well-named BALLISTA, tg-fronted hardcore / dm with a great straight-up crunchy sound:

(Latest album: https://ballistacotc.bandcamp.com/album/ballista-territory )

[scragrock]

I have decided to take a fake stand against the Ear Pollution you are pushing Fiend {only cause it's you} and give another option to balance things out

[SA Chris]

See you, raise you



With a surprising and excellent guitar solo

[scragrock]

HA HA excellent, we have hijacked the thread......

Yeah i forgot about that Solo, good choice.

I give you -

[lorentz]

Back on track....

Megadeth are back with a bang with their latest album, The Sick, The Dying and The Dead. Same crew as 2016's Dystopia with Kiko Loureira ably assisting Dave Mustaine
'on lead geetar duties.

 Always on point, but the current lineup in particular seems to produce the magical, thrashy goodness that somehow manages to be both hard and fast but also melodic and at times soulful. Dave Mustaine is a legend of the scene, and his cracked, gravelled vocals are gritty and perfect for the genre. Definitely on the easier access end of the metal spectrum. Check it out, yo.

[lorentz]

I fell down a deathcore rabbithole on YouTube recently and found these guys. The Exiled Martyr.

Talented players. Think you'll like, if you're not already across their output..

Instrumental shizz


Latest pop smash

[BrutusTheBear]

I fell down a deathcore rabbithole on YouTube recently and found these guys. The Exiled Martyr.

Talented players. Think you'll like, if you're not already across their output..

Particularly liked the instrumental track (old school thrash vibes going on).  Never seen anyone using 'double thumb' technique in a metal band before  #bassplayergeekery

[lorentz]

Yeah I prefer the instrumentals too... Find the vocals a bit too abrasive, though the lyrics are pretty intelligent (though intense.)

Re the bassist's playing... It almost looks sped up. Thumbs moving like a teenager texting... Amazing player.  Can only think of Metallica's current bassist who plays similar speeds with fingers and thumb. Great stuff. 

[mark20]

Nice, I quite like that and will check out some more. Good bass playing and tone, too.
Reminds me at times of Sikth (who incidentally are touring with the oringal, full, lineup again this Winter)


And on the topic of instrumentals, I'm a big fan of Bossk at the moment. This one is slow and atmospheric with a crushing riff at the end - great live.

[lorentz]

Great stuff both of those, Mark! Will chase those up further on the YT.
🤘😖

Was just about to post a couple more metal instrumentals recently discovered on you tube when your  post pinged in.

Chris Wiseman, great guitarist who the algorithm accurately picked out from my metal listening history



Plus this one from rattlehead991 who does blistering covers of the metal greats, but this is his own work and excellent it is too. Love the harmonised guitar parts... (3 at once at some points but without sounding crowded or too orcestral.)

[BrutusTheBear]

Yeah I prefer the instrumentals too... Find the vocals a bit too abrasive, though the lyrics are pretty intelligent (though intense.)

Re the bassist's playing... It almost looks sped up. Thumbs moving like a teenager texting... Amazing player.  Can only think of Metallica's current bassist who plays similar speeds with fingers and thumb. Great stuff.

WARNING: Going to get really geeky now.  Robert Trujillo is an incredible bass player and very fast (Cliff was THE best though ).  He plays slap bass really well, if you haven't heard Infectious Grooves a side project of his former band Suicidal Tendencies they are worth a listen for some super funky slap.  However, I don't think I have seen him use the 'double thumb' though, which involves a slap 'through' the string with the thumb and then a second strike or pluck on the way back up.  Victor Wooten is a master of this technique but generally he plays funk. As I say never seen it applied to metal before, sounds awesome though as well as being technical awesomeness.
Loving these tracks beis, I really struggle to get out of my 90s thrash metal comfort zone sometimes, so keep them coming.

[lorentz]

If you want 90s thrash metal vibes (because they were around back then too) then you'll need to hear Testament's latest album Titans of Creation if you've not done so yet. Came out in 2020. Frikkin awesome. How I never heard of these dudes  back in those days  I don't know... Gonna blame the lack of internet I guess. But they are right up there, for me and this whole album absolutely kills it in terms of speed, riffs, vocals, scorching lead runs... the lot. Thrash masterpiece.  🤘😖



Interesting. Will check out RT's side project. Thought that's what caused Metallica to pay ways with Jason Newsted though... Cliff forever. "Anaesthesia, Pulling teeth. Take one."

[lorentz]

In other news... Xentrix have a new album out very soon to follow up 2019's Bury the Pain. Released the title track from it last week.

Again showing that old guys can still thrash hard.

[BrutusTheBear]

In other news... Xentrix have a new album out very soon to follow up 2019's Bury the Pain. Released the title track from it last week.

Again showing that old guys can still thrash hard.

  Cool!  Can't believe they're still going.  In the early 90s I auditioned for and ended up touring with a band called Arbitrater.  This included supporting on an Xentrix tour.  I was a bright eyed youngster, in a band that I went to gigs as a younger teenager and then touring with a band that I was a big fan of.  Didn't really appreciate that it was a special time to experience at the time, I was very much living in the present!  You've stirred some great memories.

They still have a unique sound/tone that is unmistakable, love it.

[lorentz]

I think teenaged me would've been pretty jealous of teenaged you. Amazing stuff. I dabble in guitar, a lot more so since the lockdownms when I picked up a second hand Gibson and got clued up on YouTube guitar tutorials. Leaning more and more towards the metal end of things recently, and bought myself another more metal playing axe (though my playing still has a way to go!)

 The Internet is an amazing resource. I'd have probably kept playing in the late 90s if we'd had it back then.

I only came across bands like Xentrix and Testament thru youtube and its algorithm, so missed out on all their earlier stuff (but catching up now.) Here's Xentrix Bury the Pain in case you didn't catch up to it yet, Great album. Short and every track a banger!



I'll have a look and see if can track down any Arbitrater on there! 

Well impressed with your metal achievements though, Brutus. Waddage accordingly! 

[Falling Down]

So cool Brutus!

I was fortunate to be a teenager in the 80’s and was really into thrash/black/death metal.  I got to see Metallica on the Ride the Lightning and Puppets tours and, as a bass player myself was really into Cliff and had a chat with him outside the Manc Apollo. He was sadly dead a couple of weeks later.  I wish I hadn’t sold my signed copies of those first three albums. 

[Probes]

Quality thread this, as always. Thought I'd post this up... I was originally part of the band, over a decade ago, that morphed (with much greater and deserved success) into Attic Theory. I could never dedicate fully to it, always climbing got in the way. Any way the boys went full tilt and now getting the recognition for their efforts. They just bought out this new single, not quite as heavy/grungy as previous stuff but still great, and all for a very worthwhile cause! It's worth checking out their other tracks... Cold Hard Reality is a cracker, Pete's blistering solo  (I taught him well :D )
 

[BrutusTheBear]

Bass players are of course the coolest types...  Having a conversation with Cliff, now that really is cool! 
Must be good to see your former band mates doing good Probes, I joined Arbitrater just after they released their 2nd album 'Darkened Reality', when thrash metal was beginning to become unfashionable (was it ever the opposite?) and it really was the final run for them..  The original bass player, drummer and a guitarist left to be replaced by myself and Loz (drums).  The band went from twin leads to a single lead, we rearranged tracks to account for this and the new bass player (me) had to do some extra work to keep the sound full. I was 18 the rest of the band were in their early 30s!  Things ended on a high, with a headline tour and a final gig headlining the Marquee, remember signing our names in the dressing room next to The Stranglers, slab of beer and triangular sarnies on the rider!!.  And that was that..
Darkened Reality is on youtube  - 

Back on topic these fellas have been keeping the thrash vibe going over recent years. 

[kelvin]

The new album from Lorna Shore, Pain Remains, is well worth a listen if you're into a bit of deathcore.

It's excellent.