Desolation Angels Halloween Megapost

Despite what the above might fool you into thinking, it's actually just about midnight-thirty where I am, so, given it's *technically* Oct. 31st (CST), I thought I'd get off of my ass and post something particularly special for you all today, this most Metal of holidays.

Desolation Angels were one of the great unsung, generally unknown, NWOBHM bands of the 1980's.
The question of why they never gained a large following or made it anywhere near as big as most of their contemporaries is a common one I'm reminded of every time I give them a listen. Did the murky production on their sole full length make their stuff too inaccessible for a record label to spoonfeed to a commercial audience? Was it the all-too simple matter of not being in the right place at the right time? I'll be damned if I know for sure. What I am certain of is that they deserved to.
Their best material was every bit as strong as the classic anthems of cult favorites like Angel Witch and Satan (see: "Evil Possessor", "Fury"), if pushed they could channel the sort of occult, epic atmospheres of bands like Pagan Altar and Brocas Helm ("Dance of the Demons", "Written in Blood"), and long time vocalist Dave Wall had one of the maniliest, most sheerly badass set of pipes ever to grace the business.
Seriously, fuck a music industry that would allow a great band like this to fall into absolute obscurity while it lets Iron Maiden to skate by releasing Live albums and constantly rehashed "Best of" Complilations year after agonizing year.

If any of you need more of a reason to check this band out, I suggest you check out the review of their '08 "Feels Like Thunder" compilation here on the now defunct, but previously excellent Morbid Knocking blog.
I doubt I could give you guys a better, more ringing, more well-thought out endorsement of Desolation Angels than is presented there, so do yourselves a favour and check that out before you bother to read more any of this.
Yeah I know it's long, read it anyway.

You done? Good.

Anyway, I present for you, our follwers, both that 4 disc Compilation and the aforementioned 1986 s/t full-length album.
I hope you enjoy the bygone FURY(!) of another band fate chose to overlook.

Desolation Angels (Look at that cover! You know you want this!)

Feels Like Thunder-
Disc 1 - Studio Recordings (The stuff with Lee Addison is nowhere near as strong as the stuff with Dave Wall)
Disc 2 - Demos (You will be rocking "All Hallow's Eve" today and for many Halloweens to come)
Disc 3 - Live Material (sometimes better than their studio recordings)
Disc 4 - Even More Live Material (seriously, it's really good)


I know you're out there.
Leave comments.
- FeatherofHuginn

Flight Charm - Waiting White Lady (1988)

Flight Charm was a Traditional Heavy Metal band active in Italy at about the same time their neighbors Dark Quarterer and Adramelch were pieceing together their respectively awesome cult masterworks. While perhaps not as "out there" compositionally as the aformentioned acts, Flight Charm still knew how to effectively bring the METAL, and this, the only EP released in their short career, is a testament to that simple truth.

Get it here-
Mediafire

P.S.: They had supposedly released a full-length album in 1990, but I have yet to find it anywhere. If anybody happens to have it, I'd be quite grateful if you could send it to me.
- FeatherofHuginn

All Souls' Day - Into The Mourning (2001)

Genre - Traditional Doom Metal, Heavy Metal, Epic Doom Metal
Reviews - Well traditional doom is a weird genre, If you love one band, you'll probably end up liking most of them. And it is one genre which is a tough one to hate if you are true metal fan. For a while, I stayed away from it because everytime I listened to a Trad doom band, I used to get back to the real masters like Sabbath and Pagan Altar instead. It was getting repititive indeed.

Yesterday, I was busy cleaning up my Ipod, I found this album lying there untouched. and the genre of tag of Epic Traditional Doom had me all worked up. two songs into it and I was already in love. Unlike most of the heavy/doom guys, they dont use the nasal vocals, They rather focus on the use of operatic vocals in the album. And there are great use of female vocals to create a melancholic sound to the music. On the background of heavy and thick guitar sounds there are superadded melodic leads and solos which works wonders. And not to forget a sinster use of keyboards to create a gloomy atmosphere. Most of the songs are over 7 minutes long and the album itself runs for more than 1 hour. So its a complete treat for any doomster.

-EyehateDoG
ENJOY!

Warlord - ...And the Cannons of Destruction Have Begun (1984)

Warlord ...a bandname which automatically leads to the assumption that this band will play some kind of metal. Since we are in the year of 1984 it is quite imaginable that they neither play black metal nor metalcore, what's left is the good old american way of heavy metal - the epic way.
If you are into guttural blastbeatz this will scare the fuck out of you: A frequent usage of keys support the fairly efficient riffs (sometimes classical heavy, sometimes even speed metalish) and the well done vocals (The combinations will remind you of Cloven Hoof's dominator which is outstanding as well but still feels less epic than this effort). Yeah talking about good catchy NWoBHM we can come to the point that this album is pretty catchy, you will get into this one in a fast way if you are open towards 80s metal in general.

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