Hell

The third chapter (staying exclusively in the PSX era) is the one that convinced me the least... I have so many memories of the second one (it was given to me by a relative from Luxembourg, it was in French!) and I can almost recall the levels by heart, like the Opera House... But I think the best remains the fourth. As for the Tomb Raider games for PS2: a bit of a disaster. The Angel of Darkness is a total flop, Legend might look nice graphically but you can finish it in a couple of hours, and then there's Anniversary which raises the level of TR but we’re still far from the glory of the first episodes. Well, I still need to try "Underworld" for the PS3, but I don't have high expectations...

What do you think about the PS2 remake of this first episode ("Anniversary")?

Ah, you forgot a monstrous group from the modern black metal scene that deserves attention more than any other: Deathspell Omega. Divine.

Damn, I completely forgot about "For All Tid" and "Stormblast"..! I had given up on Dimmu so long ago that I don’t even remember the masterpieces of their early days...

I love you!! You have reviewed a piece of video game history - and don't make that face, it's true! Many hate Tomb Raider and honestly, after some episodes, the saga took a direction that I didn't even like, but... I can't help but give it a 5. Lara in the first 3-4 episodes made those insane jumps that even Matrix couldn't match..! Then you had to calculate the acrobatics with millimeter precision, and what frustration every time you splattered on the ground (was I the only one who enjoyed hearing Lara scream in despair?) and had to start all over again! By the way, when I was younger (8-9 years old) I was terrified by the various enemies (bears, wolves, and then in the later episodes, the men with rifles or clubs who would jump out at you), and a bit by the ghostly atmospheres of some levels... And to "calm myself down" I used to create Lara's house... Let's say that it was a game that was innovative at first and then over the episodes (now we're at the ninth!!), with its ups and downs, there haven't been many changes and in the end, you continue to follow the heroine just because you've fallen in love with her character... Like me.

Ah, great page..!

@geb: look, I like black metal, but paradoxically I struggle to digest the "classics" of the genre. Some albums by Darkthrone (for example "Transilvanian Hunger," "Under a Funeral Moon," "A Blaze in the Northern Sky") don’t really say anything to me; they all sound the same. Yet they are praised everywhere (nothing to object to that, they just don't appeal to me). The same goes for Immortal: "Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism," "Pure Holocaust," and "Battles in the North" may be seminal and all that, but they don't excite me, especially due to the annoying production typical of the genre. "At the Heart of Winter" (also by Immortal), which I adore, is another story because the production becomes crystal clear and the sound is distinctly more mature and refined, far from the cacophonic buzz of their earlier works. For me, it's an album I recommend to anyone wanting to approach the genre! Emperor is an excellent band from start to finish: "In the Nightside Eclipse" is stunning, and the next three albums are also great. But they too had taken a more modern direction compared to "pure Norwegian black metal." It’s a shame they disbanded. Mayhem... I don’t know, the only album of theirs that I like is the first, "De Mysteriis..," and after that, it's complete silence... As for Burzum, aside from his personal issues, "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" is a masterpiece that I absolutely revere and the ambient album "Hlidskjalf" is particularly evocative (but again, if I had to listen to albums that are closest to black like the self-titled debut "Burzum," I would remain rather cold). Then it’s all a matter of taste; if some true blackster were to read my opinions, he would probably be quite horrified... :)))

<<hell I listened to during my teenage years from marduk to mayhem, from cof to carpathian forest>> Evidently, for you, it was just a teenage phase. For me (and many others), it's not like that; actually, it's much more. <<if you learn to listen to other stuff, you'll realize it's not good music>> As if I only listened to that. I really like black metal (even though I’m not a fan of many "classic" bands in the genre), but after a while, I get bored just listening to that and I look elsewhere. This doesn’t mean that once I've found a new toy, I have to leave the old one collecting dust; I'll continue to follow black metal in my own way and according to my own expectations. But then, excuse me, did you consult a magic crystal ball to say that if I discover other genres I must trash black? Well, I'm sorry, but that's not how it went, because black is just another way to make music. Whether it’s just an attitude is your mere opinion, and by all means, keep it to yourself, but don’t come saying that to me because you're saying it to someone who has a clear idea of the genre they've decided to follow. <<albums that get a 5 are important records in the history of music>> This, for me, is another bullshit. If you want to reason based on the "historicity" of music, take your time, but I’m not interested in the "historical" aspect, or at least I look at it later. If for you, 5-star albums are exclusively those that go down in history, well, good luck..! I give a 5 to an album regardless of whether it's become historical or not, also because if I thought otherwise, I'd end up making completely nonsensical comparisons (like, I can never give a 5 to "In the Nightside Eclipse" because the highest score should go to "Aftermath"… To me, honestly, that reasoning is crap). This would lead to a planetary collision between realms that have little in common. I gladly give a 5 to the milestones of music, of course! This doesn't prevent an excellent black album from getting the maximum score, without needing the patron saints of music to back it up. It's a matter of flexibility. <<If all black bands died tomorrow morning, practically no one would notice>> And what the hell does that mean?!? I don’t know, I don’t understand you, it's better if I stop here. Ciau

@GEB: The three bands you mentioned don't blow my mind, although Ulver and Arcturus were, at least in the golden days of black metal (about fifteen years ago), great bands. It's just that the term "avantgarde" always leaves one a bit perplexed... For example, Ulver were doing black/folk in the mid-'90s (so around the time of Bergtatt - Nattens Madrigal), then they changed direction and dedicated themselves to ambient/electronic music; some albums are very fascinating ("Shadows of the Sun," their latest album, is noteworthy, and "Perdition City" is fantastic) but in any case, there's no trace of metal. I still prefer the old-school Ulver. For Arcturus, I would also recommend "La Masquerade Infernale," which is a masterpiece of pure madness, but I don't know, the vocals might bother you... If that's the case, try their latest, "Sideshows Symphonies" (even though I think it's the worst of their discography). I've heard too little of Limbonic Art to give any advice. Give a listen to the albums I mentioned, but I can't guarantee anything.

Really a beautiful work, but the next "Totem" is even better: deeper, more "spiritual," and perhaps less immediate...