Metal Days – November Cornucopia

Each month I take a look at some of the most highly rated metal from the past year. We’re approaching the home stretch, so let’s get down to it. This month we look at Dosrit, Ghastly, Isla, Mammoth Grinder and Pig Destroyer!

Here we go! This is a pretty eclectic month, with Post-Black Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Harcore, and Grindcore. We’re deep into the Pitchfork top 20, and it looks like a medley of metal, to be honest. Let’s take a look at what’s here.

Dodsrit – Spirit Crusher

Dodsrit is a black metal/Crust band, which is a strange thing to me because I still don’t understand what crust is in metal. Regardless, the Black metal had me a bit wary, as I don’t enjoy many black metal albums, and haven’t really found one I can latch onto in the way I have with many other bands. Unfortunately, Dodsrit is not the band. Like each black metal band, in turn, the music is great and the sound of the album is enjoyable, but the black metal vocals simply turn me off. For this, the vocals are clearly punk-inspired but clearly recall the black metal genre. Thankfully, the whole is pulled up on the strength of the instrumentalism, but the final product isn’t one that drives hard enough in a direction that I enjoy.

Recommended songs: Andlosa Ador and Spirit Crusher

Personal Rating:

It’s good, but I can’t really give it more than a 3. it has a lot of really good parts, and it thunders at times like Amon Amarth, feeling that powerful speed/death metal that is awesome to simply rock out to. Unfortunately, the lead singer has to stop singing for me to enjoy the album.

Ghastly – Death Velour

Here we are, Death metal. Like Black Metal, I simply don’t think I enjoy the genre the majority of the time. Instead, I’m left with excellent music that simply has a vocal tone that pulls me out of the music and sets my enjoyment back. I’ve said it a hundred times, I am glad that people enjoy this type of music, but It is not my type of music.

Recommended Songs: Scarlet Woman, Ghastly

Personal Rating:

It’s fine. It’s ok. I have nothing really to say good about it, but nothing bad either. Its an album and has music in it.

Isla – Corpse Fortress

While the first bit of Doom and Death/Doom that I listened too back in ’17 was intriguing and cool, most of it past that point has been pretty miserable. Isla is more in that vein, a slow grinding affair that, while cool musically, destroys its possibilities with a vocalist I cannot get behind. This music, once again, does not appeal to me.

Recommended Tracks: None.

Personal rating:

Another doom/death or Black/doom band that I simply cannot enjoy. Thankfully, it’s not immediately offensive, but its really, really close.

Mammoth Grinder – Cosmic Crypt

With the name of Mammoth Grinder and the album called Cosmic Crypt, I was looking forward, hoping really, to this band being cool. Unfortunately, it has the title of Death Metal/Hardcore, which simply prevents me from enjoying the product. This time, though, the music wasn’t nearly as gripping as other bands in the Death Metal genre, and the vocals are too harsh and echoey. I had hoped, but alas this isn’t a band I like. I do think, however, that if you like Death Metal, this is a solid band for you. Its got a ton going for it if it’s your thing.

Recommended Tracks: Sadly, I cannot distinguish one from the other so… Either the whole album or none of it, depending on how intensely you like Death Metal.

Personal Rating:

Coming as no surprise, this album has little going for it that I enjoyed, while also having a lot that I disliked, with Unproduced sound, grasping rumbles, and interminably similar sound.

Pig Destroyer – Head Cage

This is clearly some form of Core… or Punk.. .or Rock. it is not metal, and I don’t like it. This is the first year I took some lists that added punk to the mix, combining them with the best of metal lists, and I regret it some very, very much. I do not like punk, I do not. I will not make this mistake again. My apologies to all those who like punk music. It is not my cup of tea.

Recommended Tracks: None. This is not metal. Does not recommend.

Personal Rating:

One Metal horn. Does not want, does not like. It doesn’t sound or feel like metal, its clearly punk, and it does not belong on a metal music list. I’m sorry it’s on here, and I’m sorry, once again, to Punk fans.