Even in my sometimes narrow world of music, where I can go for weeks lapsing back into 1980s post punk/darkwave/trad goth, to days of blasting nothing but 1970's rock, or even 1980s cheese – I eventually return back to playing metal once more. I describe myself nowadays as a part goth, part metalhead hybrid – but it's probably simpler to describe myself as a 'noisy music enthusiast'. If it's loud, lairy, guitar filled – and it pisses people off – then to me it's a beautiful thing.
Even more oddly, I'm not a man for 'chart lists' – but then I've
read and heard many people babbling on about great releases, and to
be honest this year has been a corker for the metal and extreme metal
scenes. Death and black metal is doing well, and there's still no let
up in what I refer to as the 'neo thrash renaissance'. In fact, I
grew to love that after initially being rather cynical about it (as
I've seen it done before); the turning point when I seen Gama Bomb
earlier this year – where it brought be back in time to the early
1990s when I first got into metal. So many new fans, carrying the
torch for metal – proper metal too, I may add. Nice work.
Please note: the order of these albums does not necessarily mean the lower
down ones suck – far from it. It was a hard decision to quantify
this into a list as it's something I normally don't do. In essence,
if you haven't listened to this selection from this year you are
either living in a cave, or you're a tone deaf root
vegetable.
Anyway, without further ado – here's my top 20 choices:
Anyway, without further ado – here's my top 20 choices:
20 : Mastodon – Once More Around The Sun
Love them or hate them, Mastodon appear to be going from strength to
strength. Stylistically, they have changed a lot since the early days
of Remission; and I personally thought the previous album 'The
Hunter' done nothing for me at all. Thankfully, Mastodon have
bounced back and made this fantastically catchy prog rock earworm.
19 : Mayhem – Esoteric Warfare
Mayhem had disappeared off the radar for a bit, and had suffered some
drastic (according to some cynics) line up changes. However, I feel
the latest album has shut the cynics up good and proper.
18: Monolord – Empress Rising
From out of the blue, some random Swedish band comes from nowhere as
a side project – taking the best cues from vintage Electric Wizard,
Kyuss and Sleep. A jaw dropping slice of doom.
17 : Conan – Blood Eagle
Gloriously fuzzy doom, that at times you feel will out doom Electric
Wizard. Slow, chugging, and with monumental riffs that if played
loudly will probably level disused apartment blocks.
16:
Godflesh – A World Lit Only By Fire
A band that's been going for many years, and is pretty much a
household established name in the scene. A band that had sailed past
me for many years; I knew of them but they didn't entirely grab me
for some odd reason. 'A World Lit Only By Fire' changed that for me, as it dragged
me off by the scruff of the neck and demanded that I listened. I'm
glad I did.
15
: Exodus – Blood In, Blood Out
A stunning return to form from the veteran thrashers, that somehow
are too far down most people's lists – which is criminal in my
book. Definitely worthy of investigation, especially since Zetro came
back.
14:
Electric Wizard – Time To Die
A superb album, drenched in lysergic doom that continues on in that
familiar old template of a down tuned and more fucked up vintage
Black Sabbath. What's not to like?
13:
Nacthmystium – The World We Left Behind
A glorious swan song from the now defunct purveyors of weird, that to
my ears sounded like a black metal version of Hawkwind. Not their
strongest release to my ears, but it's still an incredible album that
many bands strive for, with this level of quality.
12:
At The Gates – At War With Reality
One of my favourite bands, and one that I am surprised has decided to
bounce back and record an album. The 17 year old metal head living in
a 30 something body was like a kid at Christmas that had been bought
a shiny new Commodore Amiga. It filled my wooden bile filled cynical
heart with joy.
11:
Primordial – Where Greater Man Have Fallen
Gloriously catchy, infectious, and utterly enchanting with amazing
chest beating anthems – sung with such glory, power and majestic
force. A jaw dropping return from those Irish purveyors of black and
doom tinged folk metal.
10
: Triptykon -Melana Chasmata
Tommy G and the boys still keep delivering the goods with this
ongoing project formed from the ashes of Celtic Frost. Crushing as
ever with no drop in quality.
09:
Hoth – Oathbreaker
Insanely
catchy black metal with a bewitching groove, that in places is
vaguely Dimmu Borgir-esque but without the pretentiousness. Massive
hook laden earworms that stay in your head for days that you'll end
up whistling randomly. Love it.
08:
Cannibal Corpse – A Skeletal Domain
Their 13th album, and showing no signs of letting up. As
catchy and brutal as ever before, and worth it for the catchy 'Kill
Or Become' in its own right. Essential.
07:
Behemoth – The Satanist
I'm glad that Nergal and his merry men came back, and made a stunning
album. A true triumph over adversity that shows they have plenty of
life left in them.
06:
Agalloch – The Serpent And The Sphere
One of black metal's top tier artists in my humble opinion, that have
released a beautiful and emotive slab of glorious black metal with
doom and progressive elements.
05:
Foreseen – Helsinki Savagery
A thrash metal band, that came seemingly from nowhere and promptly
kicked the shit out of me sonically. Brining together all the best
bits of Nuclear Assault, C.I.A. and Hirax – and sounding equally as
good as the bands that influenced it. Utterly fucking ridiculously
good. Just when you think you got bored of the neo thrash renaissance
– these guys showed up.
04:
Nightbringer – Ego Dominus Tuus
A truly astonishing album, that took dramatic leaps and bounds in
quality from their previous output. Encompassing all your favourite
riffs you've heard before, but stamping it with a layer of
deliciously pernicious evil all of its own accord. I couldn't put the
thing down.
03
: Winterfylleth – The Divination Of Antiquity
One of the most amazing black metal bands in recent years. So
stereotypically British in sound, sounding soaring, majestic, and a
thing of total sonic wonder. You'd have to be mental in the face to
like black metal and not like this album, or Winterfylleth in
general.
02:
Darkspace III I
For me, this is a band that I feared had disappeared for good.
However, they returned valiantly with what I would refer to as
'Cenobite Black Metal' – a truly dark and cold malevolent sound
that at times is clastrophobic, suffocating, and bewitching in equal
measure. A black metal tour de force, and an essential masterpiece.
01:
Vesania – Deus Ex Machina
A wonderful return of the Polish super project, featuring members of
Behemoth and Vader crushing skulls while taking a brief break from
their day jobs. Initially, as much as I loved 'Distractive
Killusions' I felt that they had taken a bold and dodgy sonic leap
into trying to sound more mainstream – which at times sounded like
it was trying too hard. However, they came back and corrected the
balance with as much power and vigour than ever. Oddly, I got into
them before I got into Behemoth and I love both bands – but Vesania
held more of a place in my soul by a whisker. An amazing return.
