What Are You Listening To Right Now [Secular]?

Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
Metallica - ...And Justice for All
Metallica - Death Magnetic
Metallica - Kill 'Em All
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Wintersun - Wintersun

This is the most Metallica I have listened to in a while. Here are some thoughts (possibly hot takes?) I had:

- RtL is better than MoP.
- Their instrumental tracks are placed in a manner that ruins the pacing of the album. MoP, AJfA, and DM have their instrumentals as the penultimate track, which just makes me impatiently wait for the better song that follows. RtL has its instrumental at the very end, which is a horrible way to end literally any metal album imo. KEA's is placed better but is also the most boring, even though that distorted bass sound is pretty cool.
- DM is a good album but should be at least 20 minutes shorter. I bet I could create a modified tracklist for it that would make me enjoy it more. My Apocalypse is one of my favorite Metallica songs.
- The Four Horsemen is better than every track on RtL.
- I generally enjoyed the faster tracks like Fight Fire With Fire and Battery more than slower ones like For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Thing That Should Not Be.

I agree with you on DM. I think that’s it

I preferred RtL to MoP for a long time, but MoP eventually won out. AJfA is still my favorite, though.

CrimsonWarrior wrote:Iron Maiden - Somewhere in Time
Metallica - ...And Justice for All
Metallica - Death Magnetic
Metallica - Kill 'Em All
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Metallica - Ride the Lightning
Wintersun - Wintersun

This is the most Metallica I have listened to in a while. Here are some thoughts (possibly hot takes?) I had:

- RtL is better than MoP.
- Their instrumental tracks are placed in a manner that ruins the pacing of the album. MoP, AJfA, and DM have their instrumentals as the penultimate track, which just makes me impatiently wait for the better song that follows. RtL has its instrumental at the very end, which is a horrible way to end literally any metal album imo. KEA's is placed better but is also the most boring, even though that distorted bass sound is pretty cool.
- DM is a good album but should be at least 20 minutes shorter. I bet I could create a modified tracklist for it that would make me enjoy it more. My Apocalypse is one of my favorite Metallica songs.
- The Four Horsemen is better than every track on RtL.
- I generally enjoyed the faster tracks like Fight Fire With Fire and Battery more than slower ones like For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Thing That Should Not Be.

Love Wintersun, one of my favorite secular bands and some of the only death metal (if it counts as that) I like

Yeah I would call it melodic death metal. It's super good.

Sovereign: Altered Realities

Within Temptation: Bleed Out

Son of Nun wrote:The album is actually called "Tears of the Unborn." I have it on CD and vinyl. It's quite good progressive Death Metal ala Death's "Symbolic."

Nice!  I'm curious to learn more about 'em.  I'm going to make a thread about them shortly.

Bogside Sniper Squadron - Demo 2023

This rules. Melodic Death Metal in the vein of Arghoslent.

Hyperdontia - Deranged

Undergang - De syv stadier af fordærv

Nuclear Assault: Handle with Care

Immortal - War Against All

Annihilator: Schizo Deluxe

What do you think? I like it pretty well though Maximum Satan is dumb and I wasn't disappointed Padden left.

I like it a lot, actually. I don’t mind Maximum Satan since it seems to be more about human depravity. (Although it foolishly denies the existence of a literal satan). Warbird is one of my favorite Annihilator songs.

Wilt - Huginn
Wolves in the Throne Room - Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge

Atmospheric Black Metal.

Iron Maiden -Seventh Son of a Seventh Son

There's a time to live
And a time to die
When it's time to meet the Maker

These guys are releasing their 10 songs EP on Feb 1st. (includes some LIVE songs)

Anthrax - Spreading the Disease

First time I've ever listened to an Anthrax album. I was surprised by how much classic heavy metal influence there was on this, as I was expecting something more along the lines of standard thrash. But I really liked it. Lone Justice and Gung-Ho were my favorite tracks.

That's a great album. If you want something a bit darker and heavier, try Persistence of Time. Those are my two favorites from them.

Saxon- Solid Ball of Rock

Communic- Hiding From the World
I forgot about this band but it's really good.

CrimsonWarrior wrote:Anthrax - Spreading the Disease

First time I've ever listened to an Anthrax album. I was surprised by how much classic heavy metal influence there was on this, as I was expecting something more along the lines of standard thrash. But I really liked it. Lone Justice and Gung-Ho were my favorite tracks.

Here's my order, so obviously it's correct:

Essential:
Persistence of Time
Spreading the Disease
Among the Living

Recommended:
State of Euphoria 
Worship Music
For All Kings 
Sound of White Noise

Worth Hearing:
Fistful of Metal 
We've Come for You All

Avoid like the plague:
Vol 8: The Threat Is Real
Stomp 442

I'd add SoWN to essential and Stomp has some good stuff amidst a lot of filler imo.