cultshock

Oh yeah, I've bought a bunch of indie and self released metal from Bandcamp. And you're right that it's great to get the digital copy immediately, as it does take weeks, or in some cases months, to get physical copies from Europe, especially vinyl as releases in that format take even longer to get manufactured and shipped out these days. I just ordered an LP that I won't see until at least the end of next March if I'm lucky.

morriscroy

(Thinking about this more, as a long historical autobio rant).


For perspective, a lot of my "blind buys" based on the album cover artwork typically had other factors behind my buying decisions at the time. In terms of metal type stuff, I only really started listening to metal semi-regularly around 1982 or so. Before 1982, music was not a major factor in my life.

Prior to 1984, I was more into stuff like comic books, videos games (atari 2600 and arcades), etc ... The only records I had prior to 1982, was stuff like the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, Grease soundtrack, and an ABBA album. They were given to me by well-meaning relatives, around 1979 or 1980. The only record I ever listened to a lot was Saturday Night Fever, which is still one of my favorite non-metal albums. (I didn't really listen to the Grease and ABBA records as much).

What really changed my perspective on music at that time, was an older relative who listened to heavier stuff. I was given a Thin Lizzy 45rpm 7" single of "Boys Are Back In Town" by this relative, which I subsequently played a lot. (Previously I had asked this relative if they could play that song over again several times, where they likely saw it as an opportunity to turn me on to heavier stuff). The times my family visited this particular relative's home, this was where I first heard stuff like Judas Priest, Deep Purple, Rush, etc ... Shortly after these visits, I picked up stuff like: Judas Priest "Screaming For Vengeance", Rush "Moving Pictures", etc .... where I had previously seen the actual record covers at my relative's place. (I also picked up Judas Priest "Sin After Sin" when I saw it in the $4 bargain bin).

During this same time period when I was also a "video game addict" skipping school and going to the arcades (when they were still open all day), a jukebox was frequently playing. If I wasn't in the middle of a game and a song on the jukebox caught my attention, I went up to the jukebox to see what song was playing. This was were I first came across stuff like J Geils Band "Centerfold", Journey, Blondie, etc ... (Lots of other jukebox stuff like Air Supply, REO Speedwagon, etc ... which didn't really catch my attention in those days). Other stuff I came across was at various other friends' homes when we were playing atari2600 video games, while their older sibbling was playing their music in their rooms. This was where I first heard stuff like: AC DC ("Shot Down In Flames, "Hells Bells", etc ...), Led Zeppelin, etc ... As a result, I picked up albums like: Led Zeppelin III, Journey "Frontiers", AC DC "Highway to Hell" and "Back in Black".

In the case of Led Zeppelin, there were too many albums to buy all at once. So at the time I ended up buying Led Zeppelin III which I thought had the neatest looking cover.


After this initial batch of albums, I had no easy of figuring out what other possible albums might have sounded like, where I was looking for stuff similar to AC DC, Judas Priest, etc ... So the only criteria I could figure out, was the album cover artwork and the song titles being similar to the style of records I already owned. My first "blind buy" was Iron Maiden "The Number of the Beast" + "Killers" based heavily on the cool "Eddie with an axe" cover artwork. (I had actually heard Iron Maiden's music before at my relative's place, but I didn't know who the band was and didn't see the record cover. Later I found out it was "The Number of the Beast"). My next "blind buy" was Ozzy Osbourne "Speak of the Devil", primarily based on the sick gross front cover photo and song titles. Other "blind buys" at the time, was stuff like: Motley Crue "Shout At The Devil", Krokus "Headhunter", Black Sabbath "Born Again", etc ... also primarily based on the record cover and song titles.

Though in the case of Krokus "Headhunter", my buying decision was also based a lot on seeing Tom Allom as the record producer (who also produced the Judas Priest records). So I figured "Headhunter" might sound just as heavy like Judas Priest. (It turned out this was the only "heavy" Krokus album, where their other albums sounded more like a second rate AC DC clone). This was the first time I noticed a record producer's name between different bands/records, which jogged my memory recall of reading the liner notes of Judas Priest records. (A later "blind buy" I made also based on the record cover artwork along with Tom Allom as producer, was Y&T "In Rock We Trust"). In those days, I had no idea what a record "producer" actually did.

All this was before I came across rock music magazines and rock video shows + mtv. Up until this time, the cash I had was mostly spent on comic books and video games. Not so much on records. At the time I was not willing to do many "blind buys" of $8 or $9 vinyl albums, when I was easily spending around that same amount of cash on comic books every month.




What really changed and opened the floodgates for me, was when I first encountered rock videos and rock magazines at the end of 1983 and into 1984. After seeing some Quiet Riot, Ratt, KISS, Def Leppard, Van Halen, etc ... rock videos on tv, I picked up their albums. After reading rock magazine articles, I did some "blind buys" on bands/albums I saw in these magazines without ever hearing their music, such as:

Dokken - Breaking The Chains
Bon Jovi - 7800 Fahrenheit
Lita Ford
Twisted Sister - Stay Hungry
Queensryche - The Warning
Stryper - Soldiers Under Command
Cinderella - Night Songs
Grim Reaper
WASP


In the case of producers, I read about Gene Simmons producing albums where I later did "blind buys" of stuff like: Wendy O Williams, Black N Blue "Nasty Nasty", Keel "The Final Frontier" and "The Right To Rock", etc ... without ever hearing them previously.

An "oddball" case for me was Ted Nugent. There were some articles about him in various rock magazines, but very little written about his then-current music albums. It was mostly articles about his past heydays from the 1970s. I don't remember seeing any of his rock videos in those days. A similar media non-coverage pattern also happened with Alice Cooper in those days before his comeback album "Constrictor". So basically I thought (incorrectly) that Ted Nugent and Alice Cooper were these guys who were once famous rockstars in 1970s, who were not as active in the 1980s. After I picked up Alice Cooper's "Constrictor" after seeing the "He's Back ... The Man Behind The Mask" video, I decided to do a "blind buy" on Ted Nugent's then-current record "Little Miss Dangerous". At the time I had no idea that "Little Miss Dangerous" didn't sound anything like his earlier classic stuff, but I did like the album a lot.

morriscroy

When I was younger, I had a lot more patience in waiting for vinyl pre-orders or special orders to arrive.

Nowadays I don't have that kind of patience anymore, when it comes to cd/dvd/bluray/vinyl stuff.

As a recent example, I didn't bother ordering some catalog bluray versions of Kreator albums (ie. "Gods of Violence" and "Dying Alive") when I realized it would take several weeks or over a month for them to arrive. I ended up buying the dvd versions of these two titles which arrived in a few days. (I came to the realization the original video source quality on these bluray/dvd bonus discs were rather headache inducing lousy to begin with, due to the reddish tint and shaky camera angles with extremely fast cut video editing),.

morriscroy

Listening to the recent Exodus "Persona Non Grata".

It was decent enough to listen to two times (so far). It remains to be seen whether it keeps my attention on further listenings.

beavis69

Guess it's about that time of year again. What does everyone have as their favorites for the year? Mine is kinda long because I enjoyed a lot of new stuff this year. I would say my overall my favorite album was Kekht Arakh - Pale Swordsman (did not see a one man, lo fi, DSBM album being my favorite). Most dissapointing album was Exodus's Persona Non Grata. Favorite album cover is Kekht Arakh's over the top black metal picture and least favorite is Crystal Coffins (seriously doesn't do justice for how great the album is).

Creeping Death - Edge of Existence (Death Metal/Hardcore)
https://creepingdeathtx.bandcamp.com...e-of-existence

200 Stab Wounds - Slave to the Scalpel (Death Metal)
https://200stabwounds-maggotstomp.ba...to-the-scalpel

Vulture - Dealin Death (Speed/Thrash Metal)
https://vulturekills.bandcamp.com/album/dealin-death

Gods Hate - Gods Hate (Hardcore)
https://godshate.bandcamp.com/album/gods-hate

Inhuman Condition - Rat God (Death/Thrash Metal)
https://inhumancondition.bandcamp.com/album/rat-god

Sanguisugabogg - Tortured Whole (Death Metal)

Kekht Arakh - Pale Swordsman (Depressive Suicidal Black Metal)
https://kekhtarakh.bandcamp.com/album/pale-swordsman

Khemmis - Deceiver (Doom Metal)
https://khemmis.bandcamp.com/

Asphyx - Necroceros (Death/Doom Metal)

Mortiferum - Perserved in Torment (Death/Doom Metal)
https://mortiferum.bandcamp.com/albu...ved-in-torment

Archspire - Bleed the Future (Technical Death Metal)
https://archspire.bandcamp.com/album/bleed-the-future

Crystal Coffin - The Starway Eternal (Melodic Black Metal)
https://crystalcoffin.bandcamp.com/a...tarway-eternal

Frozen Soul - Crypt of Ice (Death Metal)

Rude - Outer Reaches (Death Metal)
https://rudedeathmetal.bandcamp.com/album/outer-reaches

Crypta - Echoes of the Soul (Death Metal)
https://cryptabrazil.bandcamp.com/?f...n_menubar=true

Phodg

Maiden, Carcass, Unto Others, Sarke, Under The Church, Massacre, Mordred, Rudimentary Peni probably. Never been a fan of Mastodon at all but I have to admit I do like their new album. Reminds me of Killing Joke/Prong in parts.

asianxcore

This is my list in general

Favorite LPs of 2021

Spiritbox- Eternal Blue
Frozen Soul- Crypt of Ice
Emma Ruth Rundle- Engine of Hell
Amenra- De Doorn
Lingua Ignota- Sinner Get Ready
Dying Wish- Fragments of a Bitter Memory
God's Hate- God's Hate
Lamp of Murmuur- Submission and Slavery
Scowl- How Flowers Grow
Spectral Wound- A Diabolic Thirst

Favorite EPs of 2021

Emma Ruth Rundle & Thou- Helm of Sorrow
Knocked Loose- A Tear In The Fabric of Life
Sunami/Gulch (Split 7")
Extinguish- Extinguish
Whispers- Narok Bon Din
Spy- Habitual Offender
High Cost- What's Living Worth?
Gatecreeper- An Unexpected Reality
Snuffed On Sight- Snuffed On Sight
Witchvomit- Abhorrent Rapture

beavis69

I need to check out that Lamp of Murmuur. Listened to it on bandcamp a bit and enjoyed it. Didn’t realize Emma Ruth Rundoe put out something.

That Gods Hate album is amazing. Didn’t realize the lead singer is a wrestler till the other day.

Trout

My faves for 2021:

Wolves in the Throne Room- Primordial Arcana

Spectral Wound- A Diabolic Thirst

Worm- Foreverglade

Stormkeep- Tales of Othertime

Cannibal Corpse- Violence Unimagined

Gravesend- Methods of Human Disposal

Witch Vomit- Abhorrent Rapture

cultshock

My faves of 2021 include two of yours:

Stormkeep - Tales of Othertime

Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst

Plus:

Cradle of Filth - Existance is Futile

Darkthrone - Eternal Hails...

Grima - Rotten Garden

Grima - The Mighty Spirit (Live in Moscow)

Plaagdraager - Rampspoed & Verdriet

Devil's Force - Singles Collection (compilation of digital singles)

I know I'm forgetting a couple more, but can't think of them at the moment.

Fist of Doom Jr

My 2021 list:

1. Stormkeep - Tales of Othertime
2. Sabhankra - Death to Traitors
3. Jinjer - Wallflowers
4. Enforced - Kill Grid
5. Asphyx - Necroceros

Honorable Mention:
Grab - Zeitlang
Elderwind - Fires
Grima - Rotten Garden

There's still a bunch of stuff I haven't listened to yet. It's insane how much Metal gets released every year.

morriscroy

I can only list 2021 titles I have actually purchased on cd.

Orden Ogan - Final Days
Asphyx - Necroceros
Epica - Omega
Sirenia - Riddles, Ruins & Revelations
Iron Maiden - Senjutsu

(Not representative of whether they have much of any re-listening value for me).

morriscroy

Listening to Vendetta's "Brain Damage" album from the late 1980s.

They were another long forgotten german thrash band produced by Harris Johns, and released by Noise Records in 1988. Very generic sounding thrash metal from that time period, which was largely forgettable.

morriscroy

Earlier today, listening to Vendetta's first album "Go and Live ... Stay and Die".

Similar to their second album "Brain Damage", it was produced by Harris Johns and released by Noise Records in 1987. Just as generic and forgettable.

morriscroy

Listening to Tankard's third album "The Morning After" from 1988.

Their first and second albums "Zombie Attack" (1986) and "Chemical Invasion" (1987) were somewhat unmemorable and "unmusical". In those days, I thought Tankard sounded like a really garbage version of Kreator with a decent Harris Johns production.

"The Morning After" was the first time I thought Tankard started to sound "musical" with a step up in their songwriting abilities. Still holds up today.

morriscroy

Found my old vinyl copies of Tankard's "Zombie Attack" and "Chemical Invasion".

Listening to these records again, they were just as I remembered from back in the day. Unmemorable generic thrash with silly song titles about alcohol.

morriscroy

Found my old vinyl copy of Sword's debut 1986 album "Metalized".

I completely forgot about this album. I listened to it over and over again back when I first got it in 1986-87.

Giving it a spin again earlier today, it still holds up 35 years later.

morriscroy

Listening to Hyperia.

They sound like 1980s era thrash like Nuclear Assault, Death Angel, etc ... with a female vocalist that alternates between high pitched wailing and lower death metal style vocals.

morriscroy

After listening to Hyperia a few times, it jogged my memory of an older thrash band with a female vocalist who did a lot of high pitched wailing style vocals (but no lower death metal style grunts).

Going through storage, I found my old vinyl copy of Detente "Recognize No Authority". They weren't the most memorable 80s thrash band, but it still stands up.

cultshock

I bought that album on cassette back in the day, and it's a pretty damn good thrash album, it still stands up for me too. Singer Dawn Crosby (RIP, she passed back in 1996 I believe?) had a great voice for this type of music, raw and powerful.

morriscroy

Her subsequent band "Fear of God" sounded somewhat different on "Within The Veil. The album was buried during the decline of metal in 1991-92.

Rumor has it that the 2020 vinyl re-release of "Within The Veil" is a very different raw mix, than the original 1991 version mixed by Andy Wallace.

cultshock

New single/video from the only and only Abbath! I really liked his last album, so I'm looking forward to this. Hope he tours North America, I had tickets for his Toronto show in April 2020 until you know, fucking Covid.

PerryD

too many shows have been announced in the past couple weeks, but this one just announced is a banger

cultshock

Shit, I want to see all four of those bands, gonna try to get tix for the Toronto show.

beavis69

Sucks that Napalm Death (and hell even Unto Others) play below those bands, but I know how the industry works.

A lot of good tours coming up but I’m still crossing my fingers that nothing goes south and Maryland Death Fest gets cancelled (or a lot of bands drop).