So What Are You Listening To?

[Rushmoras]

Ninth White Skull album "Will of the Strong" (2017). Not as good as their last three albums, but still pretty decent. I guess, the album kinda sounds like modern Iron Maiden'ish (especially, post Dance of Death).

 

[Rushmoras]

Tenth White Skull album "I Won't Burn Alone" (2020). Not a whole lot of their usual heaviness, but a whole lot of melancholy and music that I'd say would belong in Heart's discography. Kinda strange. As a metal album, I'd say pretty much meh and too poppy. But, on the other hand, it wasn't that bad. But... strange...

 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

 

[fastiller]

Sleep Token's latest full album Even In Arcadia has been released.  It's a thing of beauty.  The marketing folks at RCA (this is -I think- their first album on RCA) have been great, essentially letting Sleep Token be Sleep Token.   It really is a beautiful record.

 

The NME almost never gives a 5-star review, but they did for this release.

 

 

[Anduin]

I wonder if it was named after the Iain M Banks novel.

[Rushmoras]

Eleventh White Skull album "The XIII Skull" (2020). Again, a switch in vocalists. A man is singing this time. More usual sound of theirs in comparison to the previous album. It was quite alright.

 

[Rushmoras]

Twelfth and final so far White Skull album "Metal Never Rusts" (2022). The female vocalist is back. Pretty good.

As always, subjective assessments of each album:

1. Embittered (1996) - 10/10 [Best songs: Revenge is Sweet; Old Friends; Love Is; Flesh, Blood and Faith; She Won’t Wait All the Night; I Don’t Know About Sex;  B.T.B.W. North Italy]

2. Tales From the North (1999) - 7.5/10 [Best songs: Tales from the North;  Gods of the Sea; Kriemhild Story; The Killing Queen; The Terrible Slaughter]

3. Public Glory, Secret Agony (2000) - 8.2/10 [Best songs: The Roman Empire; Greedy Rome; Cleopathra; Time for Glory]

4. La Era Oscura (2002) - 6.4/10 [Best songs: La Virgen de Orleans; La Nueva Cruzada; Una Voz del Cielo; Sentencia de Muerte; Voice from the Heaven – Bonus Track]

5. The Dark Age (2002) - 6.7/10 [Best songs: New Crusade; The Edict; Voice from the Heaven; Devil’s Woman; A New Handbook]

6. The Ring of the Ancient (2006) - 10/10 [Best songs: Guardians; Head Hunters; The Ring of the Ancients; Half Moon Path; Ogam; After the Battle; King With the Silver Hand; Marching to Alesia]

7. Forever Fight (2009) - 8.3/10 [Best songs: Escape; Feel My Rage; Spy; Boudicca’s Speech; A Mother’s Revenge; Visions; Beer, Cheers]

8. Under This Flag (2012) - 10/10 [Best songs: Bottled Mind; Red Devil; Lost Alone; Prisoners of War; War After War; Nightmares; Redemption]

9. Will of the Strong (2017) - 7.5/10 [Best songs: Holy Warrior; Grace O’Malley;  Will of the Strong; Lady of Hope; Metal Indian]

10. I Won't Burn Alone (2020) - 7.5/10 [Best songs: In the Age of Unreason; Someone Call It Love; I Won’t Burn Alone; White Lady; Save the Planet]

11. The XIII Skull (2020) - 7.5/10 [Best songs: Last Navigator; The Skulls; Power of Blood; The Observers; Mothman Prophecies; I Wanna Fly Away]

12. Metal Never Rusts (2022) - 9/10 [Best songs: Black Ship; Scary Quiet; Ad Maiora Semper; Jingle Hell; Pay to Play; Weathering the Storm]

Average album score: 8.2/10

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

LOL !!! Well, this is certainly  a different  tune. 

[Anela]

 

[Rushmoras]

Started the Offspring discography. Was surprised that their debut album was in 1989. Always thought that they were mid 90s band. Anyways, their first self-titled album "The Offspring" (1989) is one of those ambiguous albums: on the one hand, as a whole, I don't really find much faults with, but on the other hand - I really do not like it on a personal level, and many of its songs, if heard on the radio, would be an indication to switch frequencies.

 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

 

Possibly the most underrated 90's band that kicked ass. 

[Anduin]

1 hour ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

 

Possibly the most underrated 90's band that kicked ass. 

Yeah, I love the Offspring. Smash got a lot of airplay on the radio and I've been a fan ever since.

[Rushmoras]

Second The Offspring album "Ignition" (1992). Now, this in comparison to their first one fucking slaps! 🤘

 

Edited May 20 by Rushmoras

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

 

 

[Rushmoras]

Third Offspring album "Smash" (1994). I'll be unpopular here and say I personally did not like the album. First half of the album to me was just noise, and the other half was more or less decent.

 

[Anela]

 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

 

[Rushmoras]

Fourth Offspring album "Ixnay on the Hombre" (1997). Average, though has a handful of songs that are quite good.

 

[Rushmoras]

14 hours ago, One4Sorrow2TooBad said:

 

I see that Robbie is back to his "Let Me Entertain You" days. New album upcoming?

[Anela]

 

 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

9 hours ago, Rushmoras said:

I see that Robbie is back to his "Let Me Entertain You" days. New album upcoming?

I think you've got that right Rushmorus, wouldn't doubt we hear something soon!

[Anela]

 

[Anela]

 

[Rushmoras]

Fifth Offspring album "Americana" (1998). Yeah, this one's pretty decent.

 

[Rushmoras]

Sixth Offspring album "Conspiracy of One" (2000). Well, finally, Dexter's voice in this matured noticeably. I'd say, almost perfect album, if not for that one song.

 

[Anduin]

4 hours ago, Rushmoras said:

Sixth Offspring album "Conspiracy of One" (2000). Well, finally, Dexter's voice in this matured noticeably. I'd say, almost perfect album, if not for that one song.

 

I remember where I was when I bought this one! Interstate, and the time was around Christmas.

[Anduin]

Here's something for Rushmoras. Bluegrass covers of Offspring! It works better than you might think.

[Rushmoras]

Seventh Offspring album "Splinter" (2003). Well, well, well, first ten out of ten album for the band in my ranking. Nothing really to complain about, though, I guess back then many original fans might have been left disappointed due to the change in style and seemingly maturity.

Thanks, @Anduin, will check it out after I finish up the discog listening.

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

 

[Rushmoras]

Eight Offspring album "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace" (2008). Second almost perfect album of theirs, if not for one song. So far, 2000s Offspring for me is better than 90s Offspring.

 

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

I couldn't find a thread for Britain's Got Talent, looks like Steps has a production coming out this Summer with others playing and performing their Steps songs etc... Lol, hardly recognized H in the dress.

[Rushmoras]

Ninth Offspring album "Happy Days" (2010), which was basically live album with, I'd like to say what seemed demo tracks for their early stuff (?), plus couple of remixes. Didn't listen to the live songs, started from the second half, and... it's kinda average. 

 

[Rushmoras]

Tenth Offspring album "Days Gone By" (2012). It sounds... I don't know pop like? Just wikied it, and, yep, the genre is called pop punk. Huh. I mean, for those that never listened to such music it might be considered heavy even, but it's an obvious contrast between what they played pre the end of 2000s for me to say that it's sounds pop like. And, you know what? In a vacuum, as a whole, again, I don't find any faults with the album. But as I stated near their other album post, it might not be like that to their original hard core fans :D 

Though, I guess, musical continuation of this song is continued in this

 

Edited Wednesday at 04:43 PM by Rushmoras

[One4Sorrow2TooBad]

 

[fastiller]

Been on a bit of an ambient techno EDM kick lately, specifically w/ two Irish artists.  Elaine Mai and Bicep

 

[Anduin]

Something kind of out there. Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus has a soundtrack different to pretty much anything else I've ever heard. An article described it as gothic monkstep, I suppose that's as good as any. Well worth a listen if that sounds intriguing.