The Metal Month III Progress Thread

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah but it sounds uber-gay does it not?

Sure it sounds gay and I think the fact that Rob Halford being gay was still not public knowledge at this time.

[Trollheart]

Also, now that you mention it, I noted it as being their fourth, not fifth album. I really need to learn how to count!

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Yeah but it sounds uber-gay does it not?

It's also Metal-as-Fuck.

[Trollheart]

Fuck being the operative word!

[Trollheart]

Day Eleven:

Viking's No Child Left Behind is our "Freshly Forged" album today, followed by Whispers in Crimson as our second band from Iran in "The International Language of Metal", then we're back with Metal Massacre for the second volume to ask "Where are they now?". The "Triple Boxset" this year comes from Gnaw Their Tongues and we're delving back into Atmospheric Black Metal again in the second part of "What's that all about?" with Sear Bliss, Caladon Brood and Empyrium. Finally, it's back to The Batlord's Torture Chamber to sample the delights of Burn the Priest.

It's been a busy day!

[The Batlord]

If we do the Torture Chamber next year, I think we're gonna have to change things up. Even if you hadn't opened your mind in the interim, this second time wouldn't have been as special anyway. There are only so many subgenres to assault you with before this just becomes a redundant exercise. I could have thrown any number of brutal death metal, harsh black metal, grindcore, etc albums at you that may very well have been offensive to you than the first two albums this year, but that would have been boring to me. The next two albums should do the trick, though. There's simply no way you'll be able to enjoy Anaal Nathrakh.

Maybe instead of a Metal Month thing, this can be a regular, monthly feature on your journal where you have to review one album of any genre. I'm never gonna be able to top Merzbow with a metal album, but you're missing out on suffering through Metal Machine Music, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Diamanda Galas, that weird vocal album I did in my avant garde thread, and god knows what else.

[Trollheart]

That's actually a good idea, but we can't do it for November, as the whole month would be torture for you: it's Genesis discography time!

But yeah, I noted the same thing in my intro: it is hard to torture me now with metal, as I've acclimatised to much of what would have two years ago put the ****s up me. Mind you, there will have to be limits: no six-hour avant-garde jazz albums or boyband boxsets! But yeah, between yourself and Frown, and whoever else wants to get involved, that might be a good thing. You're right that it's becoming redundant. It's only year two, but even now I'm sort of ho-humming because it's just not doing it for me. Still, we'll see what else you have to come my way before Metal Month III ends.

If you have any ideas for Metal Month IV (you or anyone) feel free to brainstorm here and let me know. I already have another ton of features, but I'm always open to suggestions.

I already told you, that's anatomically impossible...

[The Batlord]

One suggestion I'd give would be to open the three-album boxset idea to recommendations. A lot of your reviews are scattershot, covering obscure, irrelevant bands. I know you enjoy that, but there are a disproportionate number of reviews for bands that simply don't rate inclusion. Letting people give you recs of three albums for bands that would probably be more relevant would be a good way of focusing the scope of Metal Month.

Keep the number of recs limited obviously. Try to keep a sub-genre balance so you're covering a wide variety of metal. Do a little bit of research, or ask the forum which bands are most worthy of inclusion, to make sure you're not just covering obscure bands that are just one member's pet favorite. That kind of thing.

[Trollheart]

Scattershot? Scattershot? I chose GTT very specifically I can tell you. And last year's Gehenna was deliberate as I wanted to explore the darker black metal out there (how do you get darker than black anyway?)

I'm not sure about offering recs to people. I choose triple boxsets of artistes I want to listen to. I already get some good and some bad in DLTT--- LTT! so I think I have that covered. I've only done two TBS here so I'm not entirely sure where you're coming from?

Edit: I see I misread that. Maybe. You're talking about ALL my reviews? But they're always ordered to a certain focus. Look at ABM: took recs for that and it's going well. Pirate Metal, nothing I can do about that; basically covered them all. Recced albums is with the members and so are the top tens. The Intl Language is hard to do, as I've already explained. I'm not quite clear on which ones you think are random? Even the latest albums for the "Freshly Forged" section I've been careful to pick a mix of well known and more obscure albums released this year, so I think there's really something for everybody here.

[The Batlord]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

Scattershot? Scattershot? I chose GTT very specifically I can tell you. And last year's Gehenna was deliberate as I wanted to explore the darker black metal out there (how do you get darker than black anyway?)

I'm not sure about offering recs to people. I choose triple boxsets of artistes I want to listen to. I already get some good and some bad in DLTT--- LTT! so I think I have that covered. I've only done two TBS here so I'm not entirely sure where you're coming from?

Edit: I see I misread that. Maybe. You're talking about ALL my reviews? But they're always ordered to a certain focus. Look at ABM: took recs for that and it's going well. Pirate Metal, nothing I can do about that; basically covered them all. Recced albums is with the members and so are the top tens. The Intl Language is hard to do, as I've already explained. I'm not quite clear on which ones you think are random? Even the latest albums for the "Freshly Forged" section I've been careful to pick a mix of well known and more obscure albums released this year, so I think there's really something for everybody here.

Definitely the International feature. It's moderately interesting, but considering Bosnia's (I think it was Bosnia) lack of relevancy to metal at large, does it really make sense to do 50 features on it? The AGM thing was good, as it was focused on a specific topic which featured an important subgenre of metal... as opposed to pirate metal.

There's been plenty of good stuff, but it feels like a disproportionate amount of times I click on your thread, I scratch my head as to why you included this or that band or feature. I just think a bit more focus would be good.