A-Z - A2Z²
This is a progressive metal supergroup of sorts. Are supergroups passé? If so, don't tell A-Z. These guys crush Velvet Revolver anyway. So this project's moniker is derived from the names of the vocalist and the drummer, respectively. Fates Warning frontman Ray Alder takes the microphone, while Mark Zonder (formerly of Fates Warning and Warlord, I believe) sits behind the kit. I sound like a complete moron when I try to talk about drumming. Likewise, it's my suspicion that most metal journalists wouldn't know a hi-hat from a bowler hat, but for what it's worth, Zonder's work here is exceptional. Personally, I was hooked because of Alder's involvement. I just love the guy's voice. If you listen to "I Am Numb" or "A Wordless Prison," he sounds younger than his years suggest. If you're not into prog, you probably won't dig this stuff, although the songwriting prioritizes earworm melodies over herky-jerky time signatures.
Of course, some of A2Z² is herky-jerky. It comes with the territory. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the contributions of guitarist Nick van Dyke (see Retribution, which also boasted the talents of Ray Alder). The guitar solos are virtuosic without being Yngwie-able, if you catch my drift. This record is exceedingly listenable. What does that mean? It means I've listened to it quite a bit, and I wish that "Fire Away" was played at every sports stadium. It would drastically improve a seventh inning stretch.
Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon
Ordinarily, I would attempt to spotlight an obscure band that doesn't darken your browser that often, but what can I say? I'm on a(nother) Darkthrone kick. By this point in 1993, everyone's favorite Scandinavian hobgoblins had settled on black metal as their main vocation. Any and all traces of death metal had been flushed from their kidneys. Or mountain oysters, if you prefer. Maybe I'm mistaken, but it seems as if Under a Funeral Moon gets brushed aside, at least where Darkthrone's 90's output is concerned. That could be a miscalculation on my part. Either way, it goes hard. Check out the massive breakdown that bisects "Summer of the Diabolical Holocaust." So tasty. And I love the cacophonous leads that crop up here and there. The production is obviously abrasive, but from where I'm sitting, it never becomes too strident. You can still hear the riffs.
The riffs, man. "To Walk the Infernal Fields" is chock-full of them. That's probably my favorite track, but ask me tomorrow, and I might go with closer "Crossing the Triangle of Flames." I bet it's a scalene triangle. Shapes are pretty metal.