A record that was an important stepping stone in my journey through the world of heavy metal. Although I wouldn't call this exactly my go-to sound as of today, it still hits the mark in nearly all aspects and is unequivocally one of the classics of this brand of metalcore.

Honestly, this is underrated. To me, this feels like the boldest artistic statement the band has ever made and while it doesn't hit 100% of its runtime, I find "The End, So Far" incredibly cohesive (and yet diverse), both in terms of the sonic palette that's explored throughout the album, and production. Yes, it is a world away from what they were in their early years but realistically that should never be expected at this point.

Plagued by repetition and subpar production.

Though a respectable addition to the band's discography in terms of sonority as their sophomore album, Iowa fails to live up to the standard set by the debut. By stripping away the unrelenting rawness and making the 9-member band gimmick barely justifiable due to the imposed limitations on the sampling work and the extra percussion, Slipknot delivers a record that is unquestionably hard-hitting but fairly inconsequential.

A chore to get through this as the songs - which aren't exactly short for a mainstream oriented album to begin with - feel twice as long than what they really are. On top of that, the overall vibe of this album in terms of guitar tone, riffing style, tempo, and vocals - all of which are unsurprisingly inherited from "Load" - is close to stomach churning.

Pretty unremarkable thrash metal that passes better as background noise.

Messy production, the same drum and guitar patterns during the verses (in ALL 3 songs), and painfully annoying breakdowns. Sure the vocals are technically challenging but it seems to me their appeal doesn't go far beyond that.

Hook is ok, beat is pretty good, the verses and the lyrics are extremely forgettable.

Both editions are equally good lol

Definitely a step down from the self-titled album. Production-wise, this record does sound clearer, although it comes at the cost of the iconic devilish atmosphere of the debut. Furthermore, the vocal style (which admittedly might've come off as almost cartoonish at points with its "demonic" overdubbing) and the groovier parts - essential ingredients of the first record - are disappointingly toned down. "Legion" sits at just 29 minutes of length, but it still manages to ... read more

I don't know, man. Nothing here really pulls me in. Lyrics strike me as a big bag of nothing, and Danny's flow and delivery don't really make up for it most of the time, being either tolerable at best and annoying at worst. As far as instrumentation goes, sure it is out of the ordinary (at least from what I'm used to hearing in rap music) and I guess I can see why it could be appealing to some people. However, it fails to interest me for the majority of the runtime of the ... read more

"There is a Hell..." without the interesting parts. That album on itself already lingers dangerously close to chug fest territory, while "Suicide Season" on the other hand dives head first into it.

No doubt that these guys definitely possess an admirable amount of technical prowess, but unlike the follow up "Bleed the Future", this just ends up corroborating the cliché that tech death is nothing more than wankery.

Nah, this is better than I remember. It seamlessly transitions from headbanging-inducing grooves ("Crippling Poison", "Chhinnamasta") to more ominous atmospheres ("Solace and Serenity", "I Breathed in..."). A couple of tracks are less impressive and most of the guest vocalists deliver underwhelming performances but overall this is a really solid core album.

Contrary to its sister album, this one is a slow burner and I would argue the emotions it carries in the slow, doomy passages that are interspersed with their sludgy metalcore trademark sound can't really be described as simply anger and hate as usual. This shows a somewhat multifaceted personality that's been present in their music for a while now. As a curiosity and to take the comparisons with the other LP even further, there is even a neat visual contrast in the tracklist (here, the titles ... read more

The Acacia Strain doing what they do best, that being of course pounding your ass for a little over 23 minutes straight. They have been incorporating sludge influence into the void of bleakness that is their music since DL left, and this project truly feels like a culmination point for them.

Chaos is great when it's controlled chaos and this is is a fine example. It's such a delicacy. It's so tasteful, textured, and yet so relentless, powerful and even uplifting. Absolutely incredible for a genre that I find somewhat one-dimensional.

Akin to their peers, Anthrax's debut is packed with NWOBHM influence, as the genre they would popularize was still in its embryonic stage. It's probably not even that controversial to say this is purely speed metal, considering today's standards. Regardless of genre debate, the record itself stands as a solid debut, with some tight instrumentation, especially the soloing. However, I do agree Joey's characteristic vocals do give this band a whole lot of charisma.

Slayer tries to keep up with the times, incorporating nu-metal influence into their sound, achieving moderate success. Ultimately, a more interesting record than its predecessor, though it inherits some of its sins, namely the awful production work on the drums and the excessive use of voice filters.

Slayer's debut sounds like a well-oiled, NWOBHM fueled machine pumping out satanic assaults of ferocity.