The Great Collection Rediscovery

Album: Reality Dysfunction

Obtained From: Ebay, came with another album that I was looked for.

Total Previous Scrobbles: 14

Old Rating: 4/5

Verdict: I actually got this in a lot of two albums on Ebay. The other one was the reason I bid so this was extra. The lot was sold as 2x technical death metal CDs. The other one, the one I wanted, was just that. This one, which is also tagged as technical death metal on RYM, certainly isn't. Really not sure how this album has been so badly misrepresented. It's actually an okay progressive metal album (with a tie to Haken), but it's let down by the vocals, which are very up and down in quality. 

New Rating: 3.5/5

Keeper? Just about. 

Album: Black Sabbath

Obtained From: Market Stall

Total Previous Scrobbles: A bloody shameful 18 (7 tracks)

Old Rating: 4/5 

Verdict: It could probably be seen as shameful the amount of time I actually spend listening to Black Sabbath as a self-respecting metalhead, especially this icon first album that is considered the birth of our genre. It could be seen as even more shameful that it's one of only a few records I've even heard by them. Or that my old rating was 'only' 4 stars. They are definitely a band I should give more appreciation to. 

New Rating: 4.5/5

Keeper? Yep.

Album: Pneuma

Obtained From: Online

Previous Last.fm Scrobbles: 81 (6 Tracks)

Old Rating: 5/5

Verdict: Who'd have thought that the debut album from a then new band sent to me unsolicited by a record label would end up becoming a release I love so much? It actually took me too long to buy this on CD, but is now a key part of my collection. Hail Spirit Noir is easily one of my favourite bands now. 

New rating: No Change

Keeper? Hell yeah. 

Album: Mayhem in Blue

Obtained From: Amazon

Previous Last.fm Scrobbles: 113 (6 Tracks)

Old Rating: 5/5

Verdict: My favourite of the black metal Hail Spirit Noir records. Latest album Eden in Reverse marks a change in direction for the band and that kind of makes sense listening to it with these first three, but especially this one. The band has achieved a lot in their original genre and will go on to no doubt do so in their new progressive incarnation. Only time will tell which Hail Spirit Noir graces my speakers more regularly, but between Mayhem in Blue and the new one they've sure made two back to back masterpieces that are very different from each other.

New Rating: No Change.

Keeper? Of course. 

Album: Serenades

Previous Last.fm Scrobbles: 10 (10 Tracks)

Old Rating: 3.5/5

Verdict: Anthema was one of those bands I ended up with a lot of CDs by in a job lot of someone's entire collection that I bought on Ebay and this marks the first time I have ever listened to any one of the albums a second time. This debut seemed okay on first listen, but it didn't wear too well on the revisit. In fact a lot of its quite boring to my ears. 

New Rating: 3/5 (could go lower)

Keeper? Not really. We'll see how the rest of them go. 

Album: Sola Scriptura

Previous Last.fm Scrobbles: 50

Old Rating: 5/5

Verdict: Until the one I picked up earlier today arrives, this remains the only Neal Morse solo album I actually own physically. Likewise I also only own one Spock's Beard album which will feature on this blog at some point. In both cases I'm really not sure why that is, because both albums number among my favourite prog rock albums, especially this one, which is likely the closest Morse has ever come to making a full metal album. Like with the rest of his solo work the Christian theme may be off putting to some (this particular releases is a concept album about the life of life of the German theologian Martin Luther), but I've never found Morse to be excessively preachy (and generally not at all), so it's a shame if anyone steers clear of his solo work for that reason. It's been too many years since I played this one, but it's as strong as ever. I still think he called in favours with God and got the ghost of Layne Staley to lay down some vocals on The Conflict. 

New Rating: No Change

Keeper? Yep.