Oh shit, the Killjoy is reviewing a thrash metal album. Brace yourselves.
ADD-friendly review: This is not the worst album of the revivalist thrash movement I've come across.
In spite of my pseudo-crusade against anything revivalist, I admittedly found Vektor's Outer Isolation to be a clear step above the rest. Now, I compared these guys to Toxik when I first listened to the over-hyped debut, Black Future. They immediately built success off that sound, a highly technical form of thrash metal that even drew some appreciation from the prog crowd. Yet, people kept telling me how much more they had in common with Voivod, so I took a break and caught up with those old school thrashers.
Idk about you guys but.....
releases like this, their previous one Black Future, Toxic Holocaust's last two LP's, some Municipal Waste, and Lazarus A.D.'s debut are enough to convince me that these newer thrash bands are pretty darn good. I mean yeah, the "classics" of the genre are better (you know what albums im talkin about), but I prefer most of these new bands to the new stuff by Sodom, Megadeth, Heathen, Overkill, and Helstar. Death Angel's last album was an exception, I freakin love that thing.
Now, to listen to Marcel, I like how there is a lot of variety to this. To a band that has kind become known for ambition, I think they did a good job not to disappoint there. My only negative is it's got so many of those mini 3 second long guitar solos/interludes that it actually changes their style from a kind of grim thrash-with-black-influence to this quite melodic flashy thrash band with black-ish vocals...to my ears anyways.
I say this with respect for your opinions, Troy, but I think this is the first time I have found myself agreeing whole-heartedly with you. While I can certainly see the technical prowess in this release, it hardly merits a #1 spot on this year's Top of 2011 list. I am no expert in the virtues of modern thrash, though. I only recently discovered Helstar and Testament
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 24.11.2011 at 21:58 Please stay on-topic
Sorry about that...
I'd also like to see a review of this in your words, if you're keen (and would punctuate 'its' correctly ). I share about half of your taste for thrash, and I very very much enjoyed Vektor's material up to now. I gave a few listens to the two songs provided by the band/label online, and for one reason or another found myself disappointed to a degree... thinking the rest of the album must be up to their IMO brilliant standard if it's still doing so well in the MS ratings. (I'm almost amazed it's still above 9, whether taking those two tracks into consideration or not.) I don't think it's beyond them to put out three incredible albums in a row, or highlight-of-the-year stuff again, I just refuse to blindly buy into the hype. Well, blindly minus eight minutes
Regardless, if you don't choose to hear and write on this album, I'd still be quite happy to read your takes on something else
Written by Syk on 25.11.2011 at 10:04 I'd also like to see a review of this in your words, if you're keen (and would punctuate 'its' correctly ). I share about half of your taste for thrash, and I very very much enjoyed Vektor's material up to now. I gave a few listens to the two songs provided by the band/label online, and for one reason or another found myself disappointed to a degree... thinking the rest of the album must be up to their IMO brilliant standard if it's still doing so well in the MS ratings. (I'm almost amazed it's still above 9, whether taking those two tracks into consideration or not.) I don't think it's beyond them to put out three incredible albums in a row, or highlight-of-the-year stuff again, I just refuse to blindly buy into the hype. Well, blindly minus eight minutes
Regardless, if you don't choose to hear and write on this album, I'd still be quite happy to read your takes on something else
What? I do punctuate "it's" correctly! My last review was cut quite considerably, but it wasn't edited due to punctuation errors. (at least not that I noticed)
When you say you'd like to see a "review of this" in my words, are you meaning this album? (Vektor's latest) Or "Unseen" by The Haunted? I have never heard Vektor, but I will rectify that soon. Though I've heard other revivalist thrash bands being raved about, then when I've heard them, I've been very disappointed, so I take the hype over them very much with a pinch of salt. At least until I've listened to them.
I haven't heard Vektor, so I can't comment on them, but bands like Warbringer, Evile, Bonded By Blood etc just haven't done anything that has excited me.
then please, go listen (A LOT) to all the rerecorded songs that this album contains (tetrastructural minds, fast pace society, venus project). go listen to "Echoless Chamber" to "Hunger For Violence" and then come here and comment. this band is really awesome and different...
Vektor has NO SIMILARITIES with those bands you've mentioned... try it for yourself...
----
Υou've sold your human essence to the cold world of dead and empty things... You're SOLD!
Oh yeah, sorry, I did mean this one. Like Troy said, it'd be great to have a review of this from someone who isn't madly jumping (or continuing to hang) on the bandwagon. So to speak... hahaha. If you'd rather do The Haunted instead, though, go for it
MS reviews aside, I agreed to some extent about the lack of freshness or outstandingness of the new thrash crop, but I must calmly side with Deadmeat on his last point. They really are something else, in my view... I'm just slightly hesitant to say, keeping in mind your past comments on Morbid Saint and Vio-lence
Written by Syk on 25.11.2011 at 11:07 Oh yeah, sorry, I did mean this one. Like Troy said, it'd be great to have a review of this from someone who isn't madly jumping (or continuing to hang) on the bandwagon. So to speak... hahaha. If you'd rather do The Haunted instead, though, go for it
MS reviews aside, I agreed to some extent about the lack of freshness or outstandingness of the new thrash crop, but I must calmly side with Deadmeat on his last point. They really are something else, in my view... I'm just slightly hesitant to say, keeping in mind your past comments on Morbid Saint and Vio-lence
I think Troy was meaning "Unseen" when he said that. I can't review the new Vektor album until 3 months have passed since it's release.
Well, once I have listened to Vektor, I will give my verdict on them.
Written by pisymbol on 24.11.2011 at 17:01 One poster's 5 is another poster's 8. Its the way of the Storm.
You either get it or you don't. You don't, no big deal. I read your other reviews of various albums and honestly, other than your definition of good thrash, I like a lot of what you seem to gravitate toward. As I said, you are at least consistent in your thrash (again, meant as a compliment).
I agree with the first part (tastes differ) and I appreciate the compliment, but I do have a problem with people saying I don't "get it". Thrash is pretty simple stuff, there isn't much to get. I might be misinterpreting what you meant by that though. Maybe you just meant I don't get it as in I don't "feel it" (which is basically just saying I don't like it) which I can agree with, but it's not a genre I don't understand.
Correction: You don't seem to enjoy the revivalist thrash bands. What's interesting is I would expect (as you pointed out) that you might like one revivalist style than others, but that's not true either. I think your overall sentiment on all of these releases is what garnered the "Troy, you don't really like thrash" comments. I can empathize a bit with the popular crowd this time! :-)
In any event, I have gone through Outer Isolation now three times and I'm pretty positive I enjoy it more than Black Future (I really need to buy the lossless copy than make do with Spotify).
----
The word gen means "illusion" or "apparition." In India, a man who uses conjury is called a genjutsushi ["a master of illusion technique"]. Everything in this world is but a marionette show. Thus we use the word gen.
Written by eyeofthebeholder on 27.11.2011 at 00:58 Can anybody give me a link where to get this album from?I'm really interested in thrash metal and I want to check this band
It goes against site policy to solicit for illegal download links, so I'm assuming you were asking for a Youtube video.
----
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
Aaaand I caved in and listened to this last night. Admittedly it's much better than most revivalist thrash bands...to the point I wouldn't necessarily label this as revivalist thrash, just contemporary thrash. Decent stuff, probably worth a high 6.
----
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
I haven't listened to this album yet but I found there debut album quite outstanding. In their debut they really nice injected some black metal influences in a thrash metal album. What also was nice about there debut was there ability to show emotion and create atmosphere. Especially accelerating universe is quite a top notch song. In my opinion accelerating universe was way better than the last Sodom album which has some good songs like Nothing Counts More Than Blood and God Bless You but sounded overall flat and boring to me. Black Future on the other hand was a pleasure to listen all the way through. Hexen, Savage Messiah and Warbringer also delivered some great albums.
For 80's Thrash bands I think Overkill, Destruction, Kreator and Megadeth are really doing a great job.
The ironic thing is, if this album is given a negative review by a staff member, they will incur a similar wrath that many associate only with mainstream metal fanboys.
Written by Angelic Storm on 28.11.2011 at 14:23 if this album is given a negative review by a staff member, they will incur a similar wrath that many associate only with mainstream metal fanboys.
----
"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
The ironic thing is, if this album is given a negative review by a staff member, they will incur a similar wrath that many associate only with mainstream metal fanboys.
That's why you have guest reviews.
A bit off topic:
I do think that the rules regarding guest reviews should be relaxed a bit, i.e. If a staff reviews an album, then guest reviews should be reviewed/accepted/rejected at any time afterward. I do not think a multi-week wait should be imposed after a staffer reviews it. I think that would be a nice compromise for all.
Written by pisymbol on 29.11.2011 at 00:21 I do think that the rules regarding guest reviews should be relaxed a bit, i.e. If a staff reviews an album, then guest reviews should be reviewed/accepted/rejected at any time afterward. I do not think a multi-week wait should be imposed after a staffer reviews it. I think that would be a nice compromise for all.
As far as I'm aware, that is already the way it works. The 3 month rule only applies if a staff member hasn't reviewed it. A guest reviewer is free to make a review any time after a staff member reviews it.
Written by pisymbol on 29.11.2011 at 00:21 I do think that the rules regarding guest reviews should be relaxed a bit, i.e. If a staff reviews an album, then guest reviews should be reviewed/accepted/rejected at any time afterward. I do not think a multi-week wait should be imposed after a staffer reviews it. I think that would be a nice compromise for all.
As far as I'm aware, that is already the way it works. The 3 month rule only applies if a staff member hasn't reviewed it. A guest reviewer is free to make a review any time after a staff member reviews it.