All right, once again I have to bow to Batty's superior knowledge of metal subgenres. He said Funeral Doom would bore me to tears and, only three albums in, I'm ready to say **** it I'm not listening to any more of that! Talk about mind-numbingly slow and boring!

My idea now is to change the "What's that all about?" section to encompass Atmospheric Black Metal, so if anyone can shout with decent bands/albums I could use in this, I would appreciate it as I've already wasted about a week on Funeral Doom which I can not use now, unless I think of some other way to utilise or feature those albums. But WTAA? needs to be sorted, so any help very much appreciated. Also, any insight on best countries for this genre, how it differs significantly from normal Black Metal, and so on.

Thanks guys!

I was originally gonna use a funeral doom double album in the Torture Chamber, so consider yourself lucky... or not, since you listened to three albums.

It wouldn't have mattered. I listened to Catacombs and began listening to Esoteric but just got so bored I couldn't finish. It wasn't quite what I'd consider torture though. Which leads us to an interesting question: what do you consider torture? Is it an album that make me **** myself, one I can't manage to get through, one which bores me stupid, or scares me, or makes me want to puke? Like, what actual result are we going for here? Never really thought about it. Like, with those FD bands I'd just browse and write and do other things till they were over: that's not torture surely?

Well, you've already listened to enough death metal, black metal, and grindcore that it would get kind of boring to just keep throwing more of the same at you. If I'm going to do that, then it has to be an album that's particularly offensive or unique. Otherwise this would be boring for both of us.

I don't want to just give you four Frownland-ish albums either, for much the same reason. Another problem is that that Gnaw Their Tongues album from last year was supposed to freak you out, but apparently atmosphere doesn't really do that, so that cuts out a lot of music I might otherwise have used.

I'll definitely rec an album that's just plain terrible though, like Limp Bizkit. No reason it has to be torturous for you alone. And just boring you to tears is a possible tactic, if the album is monotonous or long enough (hence the funeral doom double album).

Honestly, though, I don't know that this will be an interesting thing to do three years in a row. We've offended your tastes in so many ways already that another four albums you probably won't like isn't going to be an especially notable feature. Sorry to say, but after Merzbow, I really don't have another level of abrasiveness to hit you with.

How about Stallaggh's Projekt Nihil? I can't see him having any positive thoughts on that record.

Has TH already listened to the albums I sent him? Would he be willing to change the list at this point? If so then I could always check that out. I'm mad at you for giving him that Fantomas album BTW. Would've been perfect.

Just give it a cursory listen on YouTube and tell me it's not perfect torture chamber material.

TH, don't click the video, I don't want to spoil your appetite.

No and yes in order. Maybe someone else would volunteer (ie be abducted) to go in the Chamber? You're right to be honest; after one session it does kind of lose its appeal and uniqueness. I vote Frownland to listen to a ton of power and prog metal albums.... if ye're hard enough. Or you Batty: can I find anything in the world of metal that could torture you I wonder?

Not really. I don't like plenty of stuff, but nothing really offends my sensibilities in the world of metal anymore.

You know what, **** that list I gave you. Give me a day to come up with a new one. I wasn't really all that thrilled about it anyway.