May 2024 - Albums I have listened to

I am always a sucker for cosmic black metal and this one really scratches that itch for me. I like that it keeps the black metal and never verges too far into the prog lane.

This would be the perfect soundtrack for navigating Neuromancer-era cyberspace. Just watch out for the massive black-ice cubes. Those are the AIs and no one really knows what their plan is since they carved off their own realm.

Aside from being a fantastic album, this one also features one of my favorite album covers of all time.

I get that King Diamond may not be to all tastes but I think he was perfect for this band. Every track on this album is a perfect example of what sets Mercyful Fate apart from nearly all of their contemporaries is that in addition to being really heavy, they rock. I mean, these songs all just have a groove to them that you generally just don't find in metal. I love it.

I have always been tangentially aware of this band but had never really listened to them. I have been a bit of a post-hardcore binge this last week or two, though, and they keep popping up in my recommendations. I figured I should check them out.

This album is good. It's a bit like if Fugazi got a bit angrier and harder. I also appreciate the degree to which the album straddles the line between hardcore and post-hardcore. There are a few tracks that are pretty straight-ahead punk/hardcore but then a bunch that stretch things out a bit without ever tipping over into full-on math rock.

I think I shall be exploring the rest of their catalog once I am done with this album.