31st August 2025

5 Albums I Want To Be Buried With #12: Fates Messenger!

Imagine you’re writing you’re last will and testament to instruct your loved ones of your last wishes. You’re going to ascend to the afterlife but you can only take with you the contents of your coffin to start the next chapter with. Which 5 albums would you take? We asked Fates Messenger vocalist Tony Maddocks that question after reviewing their glorious new EP “Eternal War“, a record which features guest appearances from Tim Williams of Vision Of Disorder and Al Llewellyn of Dyscarnate. Mixed by Stu McKay (Desolated, Malevolence, Ingested) at Studio 6 and mastered by Scott Atkinson (Cradle Of Filth, Sylosis) at Grindstone its a fierce record from musicians know for their time in Romeo Must Die, Dishonour the Crown and Stampin’ Ground…

The premise is simple: “Back in ancient Egypt they believed that the items their Kings were buried with would travel with them into the afterlife and so part of the burial ritual would see the mummified bodies surrounded by chariots, gold and more. Fast forward to now. If there were five albums that you’d want buried in the coffin with you to take to the afterlife, what would you choose?”

Foreword: “Hi Its Tony, the lead singer of Fates Messenger. I’ve actually found this quite a challenge to narrow down to 5, I’ve gone for 5 records that have shaped and formed my musical foundation but there a million others that I could talk all day about, but in no particular order……”

#1 – Metallica– “Master of Puppets”

“This album was the ‘metal’ record that help me transition from casual rock/pop listener as a young kid to the darker harder side of metal at the time, it didn’t happen easily and I had to keep listening to it but once I got ‘it’ there was no turning back. Masterpiece!!”

#2 – Gorilla Biscuits -“Start today”

“One of the bands and albums that introduced me to hardcore music and led me to the straight edge scene. Helped me form great friendships across the world, made me want to be in a band and just filled me with such strength and positivity. I’m not straight edge these days but I still look back so fondly at this time and the scene I was lucky enough to be involved with, a very influential album in my life!!”

#3 – Slayer “Reign in Blood”

“What’s to say? Evil, sinister and totally crushing, an absolute thrash masterpiece from start to finish.”

#4 – Integrity– “For those who fear tomorrow“

“An absolute classic in my opinion – bringing the darker more metallic sound to a whole new level within the hardcore scene- twisted, demonic and life changing.”

#5 – Deftones – “Around the fur”

“Played this album to death when it 1st came out and will still give it a spin at least once a month- just so unique with the groove, hooks and Chino’s mesmerising vocal style just add up to one of the standout metal records in recent memory. They had the look, style and sound and influenced so many different music genres. All killer, no filler!!”