The Great Collection Rediscovery

Album: The Hunter

Old Rating: 5/5

Verdict: The Hunter is ten years old this year and I still don't understand why it was so lukewarmly received when it was released. This is my favourite Mastodon album. Was then, still is today, unless something changes as I got through the others, but I'm not expecting it to. 

New Rating: No Change.

Album: Dante XXI

Old Rating: 4/5

Verdict: I was still a rather inexperienced metalhead when I bought Sepultura's Dante XXI on a blind buy because it was cheap. At the time, I wasn't that impressed, but liked it enough to believe that they probably had better albums out there (an ill fated journey which led me to make the utterly dismal Roots my second Sepultura album). In the years since, I've grown a lot more fond of Dante XXI. It's been a while since I played it once again, since I typically go a long time between listening to any Sepultura, but the new album Quadra has reawakened my interest in the band and once again I think that Dante XXI has gone up in my estimations. 

New Rating: 4.5/5

Artist: Saviour Machine

Album: Saviour Machine

Old Rating: 4/5

Verdict: It's fair to say that, despite quite liking this debut album, that I am not a fan of Saviour Machine (unless something changes during this Rediscovery project). And yet, I own all their studio albums, thanks to a job lot of someone's collection, which is often referenced when I go through my collection. I'm more into gothic metal today thanks to Paradise Lost becoming one of my favourite bands, than I was when I got the Saviour Machine albums, but I still don't love this album. The voice of Eric Clayton doesn't click too well for me, and didn't even when he sang on Ayreon's The Human Equation to the point that he was the biggest barrier to me giving that album five stars for many years. Unless something changes though, this is still the only Saviour Machine album that did anything for me and is a keeper.

New Rating: No Change. 

Album: Legend Part I

Old Rating: 2/5

Verdict: This did not go well. An incredibly boring slog of an album that lasts for almost 80 minutes. After this I'm not sure I even want to listen to the next two.

New Rating: 1/5

Album: Escapexstacy

Old Rating: 4/5

Verdict: The Great Collection Rediscovery is returning to it's original intention for a while: that of listening to albums I own but really don't know well (mostly because of being out of that oft mentioned ebay job lot I bought). I must have enjoyed this at the time when first going through the job lot, since and gave both it and it's follow-up 4 stars, but dispute being into gothic metal now because of Paradise Lost (or maybe even because of it), Escapexstacy really didn't resonate with me with go around. It's got absolutely nothing untoward about it, but having been really into Paradise Lost's gothic work this ends up seeming comparatively bland and unimaginative. Might not be a keeper, unless the other one I have from them is better, then I probably wouldn't break them up.

New Rating: 3/5

Album: Welcome to Samhain

Old Rating: 3.5/5

Verdict: Not as bad as some make it out to be, but a rather patchy album (track 5 is especially worthless) and it seems likely that Morrigan has made better than this one. However it is the only one I have, and I like more of it than I don't. Not the most essential keeper, but a keeper all the same. 

New Rating: No Change. 

Album: The Triumph of Steel

Old Rating: 4/5

Verdict: Ah, Manowar. Either the most manly of metal bands on the planet or the most homoerotic (take your pick). Either way, they're not a band that's ever wowed me with their music. This album is okay. The long opener in some ways feels like they were trying to make their 2112, but for me it falls short of that greatness and could have used some trimming down. Everything's generally solid USPM though. It's a keeper, but I can't see myself ever buying anything else by them. I do also have The Hell of Steel compilation, which is about as much of them as I can stomach. 

New Rating: No Change. 

If you also have The Hell of Steel, you really don't need anything else by Manowar. Fighting The World and Kings of Metal are the best two albums (the first three albums are overrated by Manowar purists), but the highlights from them are on that compilation, and you're not missing anything by not owning them.

Album: The Crestfallen EP + Pentecost III

Old Rating: 4/5

Verdict: This compilation of two EPs went a lot better than their actual debut album that I featured in this project ages ago and was put off listening to any more Anathema at the time. While far from top tier I found this solid death-doom metal and a keeper. I can't say at this point whether I'll feel that way about other Anathema work; they could well end up like Saviour Machine - some kept, some put up for sale.

New Rating: No Change.