The Great Collection Rediscovery

Album: Doomsday Machine

Old Rating: 3/5

Verdict: The first Arch Enemy album I bought and it's ironically the one I look back least fondly on out of those I've got. This re-listen actually went a little better than expected, but I generally still find this one of the weaker Arch Enemy records and since I've had it for so long it's going to take more one 'better than expected' re-listen to get me to up my rating on what it's been for years.

New Rating: No Change.

Album: Stigmata

Old Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: This is the only one of theirs I own with Johan Liiva on vocals. I don't mind him, but do consider his growl the weakest they've had, although reports of him being crap when Angela first joined were always greatly exaggerated. This is one of their best albums for me more through the quality of the tracks than the vocals though. 

New Rating: No Change.

Album: The Aura

Old Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: Beyond Creation represents my kind of tech-death: progressively inclined with an ample helping of fretless bass work. While the individual songs tend to blur together a bit for me - a problem I have in death metal in general beyond some few very special exceptions, as a complete experience this band is pretty much tailor made for me, although they aren't a group I have returned to that often, this marking this one's first spin since 2016. It probably deserves to be played more though. 

New Rating: No Change. 

Album: Ithyphallic

Old Rating: 5/5

Verdict: My first Nile album, so it holds a special position in my esteem for the band. I've never understood why this one is sometimes singled out as a weaker offering from Nile or why for years RYM'ers have been insisting that unlike their other albums, this one is 'just' death metal, not tech or brutal. The first of many Nile to revisit.

New Rating: No Change. 

Album: Annihilation of the Wicked

Old Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: This is one Nile album I have never played enough, which is odd considering it's often upheld as their best and I've always rated it a 4.5 at minimum myself. I don't think one revisit is enough to see if this can get up to a 5, but it's certainly one I must remember that I have more often and be able to get to know it in the same way as I know it's next two follow-ups. 

New Rating: No change for now. 

Album: In Their Darkened Shrines

Old Rating: 4/5

Verdict: Historically I've struggled with this Nile album a bit, which is odd considering it's also held up as one of their best. But it's also one that a long time away has done wonders for. This time around it absolutely kicked my arse. And Unas Slayer of the Gods may just be the greatest thing they've ever recorded. Won't jump this up all the way to top tier on one listen, but it's going to 4.5 at least.

New Rating: 4.5/5

Album: Black Seeds of Vengeance

Old Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: It was great to listen to this one again. Like all my Nile albums I've really neglected it for a long time and when I was getting into them and buying records I had a real special fondness for this one, which is quickly revived on the revisit. I'm almost through all the Nile albums I own now and I've realised that I probably should have picked up their more recent releases too. 

New Rating: No Change. 

Album: Omnivium

Old Rating: 5/5

Verdict: Omnivium is an important album for me regarding the way my taste in metal developed. Although it was far from the first death metal album I owned it certainly was one which marked a turning point for me in listening to more death metal. Although to this day I still don't consider myself that well versed in death metal since it's a mood that tends to come and go for it (one I am very much in lately), this is one I tend to revisit fairly often at least with its best tracks if not as a whole. Beyond this I have not paid that much attention to Obscura and have not bought either of their subsequent albums, although I do also own their first one. They are a band I feel I could use getting to know better outside of Omnivium. 

New Rating: No Change.

Album: Orchid

Old Rating: 4.5/5

Verdict: For some bands it takes a record or two to find their sound, but with Orchid Opeth already had their (original) sound. It would go on to receive refinement before morphing into the growl-free band they are today, but everything that made the extreme metal Opeth special was already present and correct here. A damn fine debut album.

New Rating: No Change.