Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives

Message board

* FAQ    * Register   * Login 



Reply to topic
Author Message Previous topic | Next topic
Hellbeast11
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:46 pm
Posts: 233
Location: Omega Cen
PostPosted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 12:51 pm 
 

My Top 10 of 2012 (some of them have already been discussed)

10. Evenoire – Vitriol
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwMsNvwuUAw
Symphonic Gothic Metal from Italy that reminds on Dutch bands as Within Temptation, After Forever or The Gathering. Well done.
9. Urgewalt – Traumweber
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7zOZIJ4bQk
This non-physical release features Atmospheric/Ambient Black. Still way to go, but one of the few highlights in this sub-genre this year, which overall was disappointing.
8. Horrendous – The Chills
7. My Dying Bride – A Map Of All Our Failures
6. Asphyx – Deathhammer
5. Funera Edo – De Bello Heroico
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZsQp9EtkdM
Nothing spectacular, but from A to Z a flawless, uplifting Black Metal album.
4. Corvuz - Невидимые Пейзажи
[url]http://www.discogs.com/Corvuz-Невидимые-Пейзажи/release/3547685[/url](Video is on the lower right side)
I don't know much about this kind of music, but this is the best Ambient album I've discovered so far. And it's a debut. Soundscapes full of spirit.
3. Menace Ruine – Alight in Ashes
2. Kaevum – Natur
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Fatew0Mkk
A heavily overseen band. Norwegian Black Metal at its best; raw, cold, hateful, elitist. Check also out their other releases, which are more traditional than „Natur“.
1. Meshuggah – Koloss

Top
 Profile  
ld50
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:22 am
Posts: 507
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 7:01 pm 
 

Wow...after reading the rest of your post, I did not see that #1 spot coming at all.

Top
 Profile  
oneinfinity
Metal newbie

Joined: Wed Apr 04, 2007 4:10 am
Posts: 76
PostPosted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 8:47 pm 
 

Here's my Top 10 for this year. Didn't get to hear all of the albums of my favorite bands that released stuff this year though.

10: Shining - Redefining Darkness. This is really only on here because I am a big Shining fanboy, otherwise I wouldn't have included it. This was really a mixed bag, half of the songs on here were quite uninteresting and disappointing, the other half was the best stuff they put out in years.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAMKnC3FiHE

9: Ahab - The Giant. Ahab have really expanded their sound on this one and included a lot of Post Rock and Jazz influences into their sound. What we got was a really unique brand of Funeral Doom and a big improvement over the rather dull "The Divinity of Oceans".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WETwWI2CySU

8. Forgotten Tomb - ...And Don't Deliver Us From Evil. This was all I hoped the new Shining album to be like. Heavy, grooving, but still extremely bleak Black/Doom Metal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5XoJ0zzxtk

7. Swallow the Sun - Emerald Forest and the Blackbird. StS stepped away a bit from Doom Metal and ramped up the Gothic and Black Metal influences from their previous record on this one, but the result, although less heavy, is just as gloomy as ever, and even a bit more diverse.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fau4OBgp7sE

6. High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis. A vast improvement over "Snakes for the Divine". More diverse songwriting and a sound that is just as heavy and sludgy as their older albums.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq1gb50iobU

5. Katatonia - Dead End Kings. Again an improvement over the previous record. The album is less proggy and more straight forward and atmospheric again, although some songs drag a bit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJihdZm5qeU

4. Daylight Dies - A Frail Becoming. After a long absence, Daylight Dies are finally back and brought some fine Melodic Death/Doom with them. Wohoo!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJC-hunxjwE

3. Kuolemanlaakso - Uljas Uusi Maailma. This really was the discovery of the year for me. Slow, heavy, atmospheric and very dark music somewhere between Black, Death and Doom Metal, just as I like it. And Finnish lyrics are also a plus!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ8YRuciB18

2. Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol. Paradise Lost have gone down a darker and heavier path with this one. In my opinion their best album since their return to form.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqq6Nt70LZc

1. Wodensthrone - Curse. It's extremely epic and atmospheric Black Metal and it has a guest appearance of Greg Chandler of Esoteric. What more could you want?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VH83n2OYaZU
_________________
0kill wrote:
Kruel wrote:
Orkish Warlords riding the Black Dragons of Eternal Hellfire Imperishable wielding the Hellhammer of Mayhemic Immoratality does not exist.


Wrong.

Top
 Profile  
lord_ghengis
Still Standing After 38 Beers... hic

Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:31 pm
Posts: 5953
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Sun Jan 06, 2013 9:00 pm 
 

Greg Chandler was on Wodensthrone??? Damn, as much as I worship the guy, he really likes guesting with shitty bands. [Echo], Consumatem Est and now this? Wodensthrone was really, really boring to me, this whole "pagan" BM thing is about the most boring black metal style around to me, it's possibly worse than the Cascadian garbage. With that said, Winterfylleth were similar to this and were pretty cool, lots of epic leads and stuff, much more interesting.
_________________
Naamath wrote:
No comments, no words need it, no BM, no compromise, only grains in her face.

Top
 Profile  
Doomsday
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Jul 20, 2003 12:30 pm
Posts: 1042
Location: Sweden
PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 11:13 am 
 

You can count on a lot of doom.

01. I Compagni Di Baal - I Compagni di Baal JOLLY ROGER
Out of nowhere came I Compagni di Baal, a virtually unknown Italian entity. Who are these guys? What are their backgrounds? Not really important to know, I reckon. What is important to know is that these guys love their Italian roots of obscure and dark (and heavy) music. It’s a brilliant mix of doomy heavy metal and progressive rock, and I don’t need to understand the lyrics to understand that their songwriting chops are of the highest order. Proof that music is a universal language.

02. Serpent Warning - Beyond the Wisdom SELF-RELEASED
I proclaim Serpent Warning the future of Finnish doom metal. There, I said it again. This is doom metal with great vocal and musical hooks and for such a young band the songwriting is already superior to almost every other contemporary band. That’s high praise and I stand by it all the way. Had this been a full-length it would have been number one. Expect that full-length in 2013.

03. Opium Warlords - We Meditate Under the Pussy in the Sky SVART
I have a long history with Sami Hynninen’s music so it shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me that a Hynninen album is destined to end up on my list. This one took a while to fully appreciate but once it clicked, it took off like a bat out of hell. A very intimate and personal record. Could have been 100% instrumental and I wouldn’t have minded it a bit.

04. Hellwell - Beyond the Boundaries of Sin SHADOW KINGDOM
The best thing Mark Shelton has done since 1990, in my opinion. The last couple of Manilla Road albums haven’t been up to snuff (my opinion, of course) and I think a new project was just what he needed to kick his inspiration back into gear. Would be a shame if Hellwell becomes a one-off thing.

05. Fall of the Idols - Solemn Verses I HATE
The album on this list I’ve had in my possession the longest. The songs at least. Lucky, because Solemn Verses took a while to grow on me. For the longest time I was unsure if the direction the band took on this album worked for me. They have certainly strayed further away from the traditional doom path. Not a bad thing, per se, but once you’re used to a certain approach from a band it takes time to adjust to any changes. Sometimes it works and sometimes not, but here I reached the conclusion that the songwriting has improved with the changes and that this is remarkable music. Period.

06. Altar of Oblivion - Grand Gesture of Defiance SHADOW KINGDOM
I remember loving the debut the year it came out. It has since then faded away into thin air. The sound was fresh and unique but when the dust had settled the obvious faults came into light. For one thing the album is very monotonous. The MCD in the interim didn’t exactly inspire hope. This was a game changer however. Grand Gesture of Defiance is more dynamic, both musically and vocally (the singer has improved his technique) and the shorter running time works in the band’s favor. Epic doom done right.

07. Pale Divine - Painted Windows Black SHADOW KINGDOM
The first 2012 album I figured would end up on my list. And lo and behold, here it is. Pale Divine can be counted as veterans now and they might be formulaic but they still manage to improve in some ways. The vocals for instance are better than ever. Gotta love improved vocals. The guitarist’s almost continuous soloing might bother some listeners (you know who you are!) but I think he has skill and soul, and it has become a trademark of the band. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

08. Moon Curse - Moon Curse SELF-RELEASED
Another newcomer I found through the Internet. How I love finding new talent. This band has some of the best riffs I have heard all year. No kidding. The release is a digital only demo-EP you can download for free (or name your price) at Bandcamp. Here’s hoping they can match this level of songwriting on a future full-length.

09. Chowder - Passion Rift I, VOIDHANGER
It took 20 years for these guys to get their debut album released. I wasn’t with them the whole time but I will say it was worth the wait. An adventurous release of instrumental prog/doom with (post-)hardcore elements. It ain’t catchy and it’s a combination of genres that won’t be everybody’s cup of tea but it works well for me. It always comes down to the ability to write good songs and these fellows know their craft.

10. Bedemon - Symphony of Shadows SVART
An album with a long and sad but ultimately heartwarming story. A fitting tribute to the talent of the late Randy Palmer. The hard work and commitment by the surviving band members to complete Symphony of Shadows in his memory goes beyond words. The minor faults in the songwriting (all because they wanted to keep Palmer's contributions the way he left them) don’t diminish my overall impression at all. This is a great record, no doubt about it. Oh, and that thick and informative booklet is really something. Should become the standard.

11. Elysian Blaze - Blood Geometry OSMOSE
I respect a man who follows his vision without compromise and Blood Geometry is ambitious and visionary. Impossible to fully appreciate unless taken in as a whole. With a running time of over two hours, this behemoth is not for every occasion. There might be other titles on this list that are hard to get into but this is mood music, pure and simple. If you’re not in the mood for this, it isn’t enjoyable. But goddamn if you happen to be in the right mood.

12. Terrorama - Genocide TO THE DEATH
The band’s best material up to now. Fierce, violent and to the point, just like any great extreme metal record should be. Also dynamic to a certain point. Writing lyrics about genocide and crimes against humanity in an objective and detached manner is a great idea. There’s been enough glorification of war and suffering in metal. The nature of man has expressed itself in terrible ways throughout history and documenting those atrocities the Terrorama way makes sense. Some things work better if done seriously, you know?

13. Revelation - Inner Harbor BLAND HAND
I wouldn’t call Inner Harbor a disappointment because a Revelation album usually clicks a few years after the release date. Also every Revelation album is different. With that said, I must say that the progression (even as natural as it may be) isn’t exactly what I’m on board for. Yet. As I said, come back to me in 3 years and this might be my favorite Revelation album ever. Don’t get me wrong, I think the songs are quite exceptional, it’s just the progression in the band’s style is something I need time adjusting to.

14. Saturnus - Saturn in Ascension CYCLONE EMPIRE
The biggest surprise on this list, I presume. Now I must confess I was a fan of Paradise Belongs to You and For the Loveless Lonely Nights, but I had written this band off a long time ago. Then this album happened. Shit, “Wind Torn” IS one of my favorite songs of 2012, you better believe it.

15. Bong - Mana-Yood-Sushai RITUAL PRODS.
And finally we have Bong. Hooray for an actual studio recording! Everything sounds crystal clear for a change and it really enhances the experience. This is blissful music. Ah, so very blissful. Whoever thought of adding sitar to drone metal deserves a medal.

Some honorable mentions in alphabetical order:
Crimson Cult - Tales of Doom PURE LEGEND
Damnations Hammer - Disciples of the Hex SELF-RELEASED
Earthen Grave - Earthen Grave SELF-RELEASED
Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, Oren Ambarchi - Imikuzushi BLACK TRUFFLE
Reino Ermitaño - Veneración del Fuego I HATE
Sleep Research Facility - Stealth COLD SPRING
Temple - On the Steps of the Temple SELF-RELEASED
The Moon Mistress - Silent Voice Inside PESTIS INSANIAE
The Raveonettes - Observator BEAT DIES
The Wandering Midget - From the Meadows of Opium Dreams EYES LIKE SNOW
Threshold - March of Progress NUCLEAR BLAST

Top
 Profile  
Twisted_Psychology
Metal freak

Joined: Sat May 16, 2009 8:22 pm
Posts: 6260
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Jan 07, 2013 9:24 pm 
 

-Carved Into Stone by Prong
While my experience with Prong is mostly limited to their most popular 90s anthems, I think Carved Into Stone may be the most consistent album that Tommy Victor and friends have ever put out. Songs like "Revenge . . . Best Served Cold" and "Put Myself To Sleep" do an excellent job of recreating the fun of their signature songs while other tracks like "Eternal Heat" channel their thrash/hardcore punk roots to the best of their ability. I'll always associate this album with the time my friend David and I went to see Danzig this summer and heard half of it as the band was setting up. We may have been too impatient as an audience to really appreciate this stuff, but I hope at least one person walked away from that show wondering what it is they heard before "Skincarver" started playing...

-Psalms For The Dead by Candlemass
A big part of me wants to call shenanigans on this being the last album that Candlemass will ever release, but the fact that this is at least the last one to feature Solitude Aeternus singer Robert Lowe does help to give it a sense of finality. Fans of the three albums before this one are sure to enjoy this one just as much as the others and I would personally place it between King Of The Grey Islands and Death Magic Doom in terms of quality. The more prominent keyboards do give it a spacy dimension that hasn't been seen since From The 13th Sun and the more upbeat songwriting does make it a little easier to get a feel for.

-Stalingrad by Accept
Now here's an album that I did not really expect to be on this list. Much like the latest efforts by Overkill and Anathema, Stalingrad has the unfortunate luck of being a safe followup to one of the best comebacks that has occurred in the last decade. And while this album isn't quite as consistent across the board as Blood Of The Nations, it still manages to be pretty damn good. The majority of songs like the opening "Hung, Drawn, And Quartered" and "Revolution" show off their signature speed metal sound but there are tracks like "Shadow Soldiers" and the glorious title track that show up their strong mid-tempo side. Also worth noting is "Twist Of Fate," a more subtle track that manages to sound more like Dokken than the Dokken album that came out this year. (Or T&N for that matter...)

-Honor Found In Decay by Neurosis
Neurosis is one of those bands that I'd been meaning to get into for some time, if only because the modern scene wouldn't be anything like it is today but if they weren't around. While I've since amended this by venturing further into the more famous portions of their discography, Honor Found In Decay does a pretty good job of representing their overall sound. This is an album that is heavy without being loud, contemplative without being depressing, and building without being boring. "We All Rage In Gold" starts things off well but tracks like "At The Well" are where this album truly makes its mark.

-In Somniphobia by Sigh
Another one of those bands that I'd been meaning to listen to for some time, Sigh's latest album does a pretty good job of securing their reputation as one of the most batshit insane bands that the black metal genre has to offer. Of course, their stance in said genre seems to be rather iffy as they seem to be taking just as many cues from thrash and power metal, blues, jazz, classical, and carnival music throughout. Either way, it manages to be a ride that is just as fun as it is nightmarish. "Purgatorium" sets the tone in a triumphant fashion while the one-two punch of "Amnesia" and "Far Beneath The In-Between" does make me wonder if blackened blues could ever be a thing...

10) Lillie: F-65 by Saint Vitus
This album would probably be higher on my list if not for one thing: It's too damn short. Granted, Saint Vitus has always had a knack for making filler-free full-lengths that only had six to eight songs on them but having only eight songs on your first album since 1995 is an odd move, especially when two of them are instrumentals. Fortunately, the songs on here are pretty damn impressive as the band members' performances have held up through the years and the tone is identical to the sound that flourished on such classics as Born Too Late and Mournful Cries. I had the riffs to "The Bleeding Ground" and "The Waste Of Time" stuck in my head for weeks though I also give credit to "Let Them Fall" for starting things off in a very Born Too Late fashion.

9) A Eulogy For The Damned by Orange Goblin
Having come out early February, this was an early 2012 favorite for me and one that I am glad to see still hold up through the year. Orange Goblin's first album since 2007's Healing Through Fire is an excellent release with a lot of variety for something under a straightforward stoner metal umbrella. The opening "Red Tide Rising" manages to be as aggressive as it is upbeat, "The Filthy And The Few" has some punk influence, "The Death Of Aquarius" is doomy as hell, and "Save Me From Myself" and the closing title track offer up some excellent psychedelic touches.

8) Fire Make Thunder by OSI
Masterminded by Fates Warning guitar Jim Matheos and former Dream Theater/Chroma Key keyboardist Kevin Moore, OSI has seemingly made it onto my list by virtue of being depressing as fuck. Songs like "Cold Call" and the sweeping "Invisible Men" may be worth looking into for fans of bands like Porcupine Tree and Damnation-era Opeth, but the songs like "Indian Curse" and "Wind Won't Howl" were the ones that really clogged my iPod in 2012. It is lethargic, somber, minimalistic, mechanical, and detached and the songwriting really makes it worth trudging through. I guess that's Kevin Moore for ya.

7) Chrome Waves by Chrome Waves
I know next to nothing about the contemporary black metal scene, let alone the type that brings in influences from stuff like post rock and shoegaze (Which I also barely know anything about). Hell, my reasons for getting this EP in the first place were due to it featuring The Gates of Slumber/Apostle Of Solitude's Bob Fouts on rhythm duties and for having been blown away by the band when I saw them live with Skeletonwitch and a few other groups this fall. Fortunately, this EP did manage to be an excellent debut with a lot of bleakness, heaviness, and atmosphere to it. The two interludes actually work to the material's favor and help to give it a good sense of unity. Definitely recommended to fans of Burzum and Darkthrone though more experienced fans of the genre should be able to make even better comparisons.

6) Bury The Light by Pharaoh
In a way similar to Symphony X, Pharaoh is one of those bands that seems to be right on the line between prog and power metal. The material on songs like "Cry" and "Burn With Me" is melodic and generally upbeat, but the album also has a great deal of structural complexity and shows a lot of technical dexterity and influence from other genres. Fortunately, the songwriting works well with the variety and there is not a filler to be found throughout the release. Also, "The Year Of The Blizzard" may be one of the most awe-inspiring songs I've heard all year. Even if you're not a fan of the genre, I'd advise you to at least read the lyrics as they do manage to be pretty damn chilling in a "Severed Survival" sort of way...

5) Clockwork Angels by Rush
Seems like Rush is getting a lot of credibility these days, eh? Their most recent albums are selling incredibly well by contemporary standards, their recent documentary left a good impression, and they're finally getting into the Rock 'N Roll Hall Of Fame after decades of snubbing. The announcement of their first themed album since the 70s seems to have only fueled the fire and has resulted in their greatest album since the days of Grace Under Pressure. Even if you aren't paying attention to the intriguing steampunk storyline, the components really do lead to a more cohesive album. It is hard to deny the swagger of "Carnies" and "Seven Cities Of Gold," songs like "Caravan" and "The Wreckers" feature some excellent hooks, and "The Garden" just might be the most touching song that they have ever put out. Now if I could just find a decent copy of the novelization...

4) Tragic Idol by Paradise Lost
I love albums like Gothic and Draconian Times and found Faith Divides Us, Death Unites Us to be quite satisfying, but I did not expect Tragic Idol to place this highly on my list. Fortunately, the listing is more than deserved as the group showcases a lot of chemistry and has some of their best songwriting in some time. The guitars on "Crucify" show a heavy influence from their classic doom metal days, the drumming on "Theories From Another World" and "In This We Dwell" is more aggressive than it's been in some time, and the choruses on "Fear Of Impending Hell" and the title track are some of their most memorable to date. Part of me hopes for an eventual revisit of the One Second sound or that guitarist Gregor Mackintosh will try some dual vocal stuff after his experience leading the charge in Vallenfyre, but this is more than satisfying.

3) Flying Colors by Flying Colors
Consisting of former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy alongside members of The Dixie Dregs and Spock's Beard, Flying Colors seems to be the polar opposite of what the other DT alum I mentioned earlier is doing. While OSI succeeds for sounding so depressing and minimalistic in terms of composition, Flying Colors is an optimistic project with a very feel good hit of the summer tone to it. While there are pauses for reflection on tracks like the bluesy "Fool In My Heart," the majority of the album just feels good to listen to and the fact that every instrument stands out makes it even more enjoyable. Just listen to "Blue Ocean" and tell me that it doesn't make you want to go out and make your life better. At least it's better than Adrenaline Mob...

2) De Mysteriis Vermis by High On Fire
I've been a High On Fire fan since Blessed Black Wings and while the band hasn't exactly changed that drastically, it has been cool to see the band gain more notoriety and develop different nuances with each album. De Mysteriis Vermis is certainly no exception and showcases the best elements of their overall style. "Bloody Knuckles" and "Fertile Green" are some of the most aggressive songs they've ever written, "Madness Of An Architect" and "Warhorn" are some of their doomiest, and the lyrics are at their most incomprehensible (Something about Jesus's twin brother traveling back in time?). Basically, if someone asked me what metal was like in 2012, this is what I would shove in their face.

1) Advaitic Songs by Om
Even though doom legends Sleep still haven't put out a new album in the wake of their recent reunion, it looks like 2012 may indirectly belong to them as their two off-shoots have achieved even higher aspirations than before. Om in particular has become absolutely transcendental and their fourth album is one that I personally can't find a single flaw with. Adding in the string sections and Eastern percussion to complement their droning bass and drum sound was the smartest thing they could've done and the songs on here work well with the spiritual imagery at hand. "State Of Non-Return" proves that you can be heavy without the use of an electric guitar while songs like "Sinai" and the closing "Haqq al-Yaqin" are as hypnotic as they are lengthy and powerful. In hindsight, this is pretty much what I was going for when Psychic Faith was writing "Desert Gold" about two years ago. Now if we could just get a new Sleep album figured out...
_________________
Lavaborne (Power Doom): https://lavaborne.bandcamp.com
The Skyspeakers (Heavy Psych): https://theskyspeakers.bandcamp.com/
Cloud of Souls (Experimental Doom): https://cloudofsouls.bandcamp.com/

Top
 Profile  
Hastein45
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:56 pm
Posts: 203
PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 1:29 am 
 

My 2012 Metal Highlights!

6 Best Death Metal Albums

1. Aeon - 'Aeons Black': http://youtu.be/lRpELRu4au0 From: Sweden

I have always been a big Aeon fan so this was much anticipated. This album represents a progression in their sound, much to my delight. The
guitar tone is thick and the riffs are a little less complex then on the other albums with the intent of grooviness over sheer technicality. It has
the usual fast tremolo-picked riffs as well as excellent guitar solos. It contains a few interludes, which I enjoy. The drumming is straight forward and akin to 'Rise to Dominate'. The vocals are less 'hooky' than previous Aeon albums yet still catchy, anti-Christian and discernible. The album has 15 tracks all of which are quality. I enjoyed it more than 'Deathhammer', 'Torture', 'Endless Procession Of Souls', and 'Odalheim'. This was a big slab of death metal deliciousness. (Sounds like Deicide)

2. Dying Fetus - 'Reign Supreme': http://youtu.be/E3Td8FXlOIo From: United States

Excellent record which is chalk full of meaty and technical riffs, face-melting solos, and intense drumming. This is the best record they have done in a long time. (Sounds like Suffocation)

3. Desecravity - 'Implicit Obedience': http://youtu.be/8XPBjqiAJms From: Japan

I don`t typically listen to Japanese bands but this album was recieving high praise so I checked it out. The sheer speed and technicality of this
album is praiseworthy. I like the experimentation with guitar sounds as well. The solos are quite good and the vocals are solid. Very solid debut
release. (Sounds like someone with tourette syndrome smoking meth or a more death metal sounding Origin)

4. Resurgency - 'False Enlightenment': http://youtu.be/Na421kxDU8g From: Greece

Mid-paced death metal with a good bevy of groovy and tremolo-picked riffs, quality drumming which is uninterruptive(a good thing), and a solid
vocal performance. (Sounds like Incantation)

5. Asphyx - 'Deathhammer': http://youtu.be/IXhyzGc7_pc From: Netherlands

This album is high-quality old-school death metal and a visit to their older material. Rarely are bands so consistent as Asphyx. For those not
familiar with Martin van Drunen`s vocals, they are unique and are summarized by being raspy yet discernable. (Bow down to the Deathhammer; or Hail of Bullets and Grand Supreme Blood Court)

6. Grave - 'Endless Procession of Souls': http://youtu.be/xZpW-mODvJw From: Sweden

A trip down memory lane for me. This album hearkens back to the 90`s and the plethora of bands who played death metal in the 'Swedish' vein.
This album embodies all that makes the 'Swedish' sound good. (Sounds like Dismember)

6 Best Thrash Metal Albums

1. Angelus Apatrida - 'The Call': http://youtu.be/FZcpiT1A1rY From: Spain

There are many bands that play thrash metal but most of them sound unoriginal . This band, though not unique in the sound, are better in their
presentation than the vast majority of the bands I have heard. The riffs are awesome, the solos compliment the songs very well, and the pace is great. Truly an awesome album. (Sounds like Annihilator)

2. Kreator - 'Phantom Antichrist': http://youtu.be/ojpQ3LCeQTY From: Germany

Good ol` Kreator. Consistently good and still fresh on ideas. This album is a bit slower than I would like because of the implementation of melodies into this album but surprisingly, they are good. The solos as always, are top notch and there are a few sing-along tracks which should make anyone sympathetic to their cause feel good. (Sounds like Sodom)

3. Ketzer - 'Endzeit Metropolis': http://youtu.be/e8f9Ewl-o1Y From: Germany

I checked this out through a recommendation on a forum and am thankful I did so. This album is, in my opinion, one of the better blackened thrash metal albums I have heard in awhile. It is varied, full of riffs, and has a nice vocal performance. The solos are well placed and the drumming is solid. (Sounds like Desaster)

4. Testament - 'Dark Roots of Earth': http://youtu.be/l5Ibm8mjSek From: United States

Testament carried the American(North or South) torch this year with a barnburner. This album has a variation in melodic/slower songs and fast
tracks, with 'Native Blood' being possibly the best thrash metal song this year. The limited edition carries some solid covers of Queen, Scorpions, and Iron Maiden as well. (Sounds like Metallica, good Metallica)

5. Black Breath - 'Sentenced to Life': http://youtu.be/W7wgq7n-gSk From: United States

This should be good enough ----> (Sounds like a punky/thrashy Entombed)

6. Aura Noir - 'Out to Die': http://youtu.be/nS4NKhq_7iA From: Norway

Another blackened thrash metal album I enjoyed this year. It is more black than Ketzer, yet provides qualitive listening experience nonetheless. It is good to see so many veterans still putting out good material. (Sounds like newer Darkthrone)

5 Best Black Metal Albums

1. Anaal Nathrakh - 'Vanitas': http://youtu.be/b3lhmCabGYA From: England

This album is not as good as their others but I am a fan of their chaotic blend of black metal and grindcore. The vocals are unique and provide an overwhelming listening experience. Many times one can feel the emanation of sheer horror through the vocals alone. The riffs are still great but the composition of the album feels a little off. (Sounds like ear rape)

2. Enslaved - 'RIITIIR': http://youtu.be/YoMInT2Ysi0 From: Norway

Again, another great band with yet another great release. I personally adore their fusion of prog and black, as well as admiring their consistency, which I believe is a true testament to their talent. The drumming always fits nicely with the music, the solos feel like something out of Pink Floyd`s playbook, the harsh vocals are what you would expect from Kjellson, and the cleans add the cherry on top. This album is similar to their recent releases. (Sounds like Pink Floydish black metal)

3. Marduk - 'Serpent Sermon': http://youtu.be/EUWOqr_AJvI From: Sweden

Constant blastbeating, fast paced, quality riffage, evil atmosphere and lyrics, and Mortuus' oh-so-suiting vocals. Sounds like Marduk. Sounds
gooood. (Sounds like a 1349)

4. Carach Angren - 'Where the Corpses Sink Forever': http://youtu.be/DeYHq8kaeos From: Netherlands

The aim of this band is to take you through a journey; one of intriguing storytelling behind a wall of symphonic black metal. I really like the
composition and concept of this album. It reminds me sort of a classical composition and presents many nice ebbs and flows. I do want to emphasize the lyrical content which is about war, which is not new subject material but is presented in a highly engaging matter. (Sounds like an intelligent Dimmu Borgir)

5. Mgla - 'With Hearts Toward None': http://youtu.be/TbSpg0q1q_Q From: Poland

There is nothing overly complex about this album but what it does, it does well. The riffs are fairly simple mid-paced tremelo-picked riffs but the
guitar lines are damn good. The guitars and the atmosphere they create are what seperates this album from other. The production is something
which draws me to the album as well. It is not raw, yet not clean. (Sounds like good black metal)

5 Best Folk/Viking Metal Albums

1. Heidevolk - 'Batavi': http://youtu.be/Wm1h3hz-4VA From: Netherlands

I really like the Dutch lyrics and the melodic, yet darker tone of this album. Especially compared to a lot of other folk releases this year. The vocals are one of the strengths of this album and I find that this album is quite catchy. (Sounds a little like Tyr.)

2. King of Asgard - '...to North': http://youtu.be/ONcF4GDiSUI From: Sweden

This album was not as good as their first, yet it was still solid and folk/viking metal is not my strong suit. They went with longer tracks and the
implementation of more solos, the latter of which was nice. This band has a high ceiling but is missing their potential by not being consistent.
Indicators of their talent can be found in tracks like 'Einhärjar' and 'The Nine Worlds Burn'. (Sounds like folky Amon Amarth)

3. Hel - 'Das Atmen der Erde': http://youtu.be/nKnCGAMWdFQ From: Germany

Not very folk sounding but enough to warrant its inception me thinks. This is a varied record full of rich melodies whose intent is more melancholic than many other folk bands whose music centers around something more upbeat., e.g. drinking, partying, etc. (Sounds like Pagan Black Metal with German lyrics)

4. Eluveitie - 'Helvetios': http://youtu.be/XM1v-00C6AM From: Switzerland

Sounds very similar to their previous stuff but they are masters at what they do so I cannot complain. There is nothing outstanding about this album but it is nonetheless a solid album. For a summary: quality melodic folk metal. (Sounds like Ensiferum)

5. Skalmold - 'Born Loka': http://youtu.be/9ZDi87UZhFk From: Iceland

Metal sounds awesome in Icelandic, just so you understand. This band has some chops for a folk metal band(no disrespect) and surprised me
multiple times with the guitar work. Listen to the guitar work in the song 'Midgardsormur' in the link. This is quality stuff/

5 Best Grindcore Albums

1. Cattle Decapitation - 'Monolith Of Inhumanity': http://youtu.be/6mgNLE4GHvk From: United States

This album truly is a masterpiece. This is one of the best grindcore albums I have heard ever. While everything is great on this album, I want to
point out that this is one of my favorite drumming albums of 2012. (Moves at the same pace I bang my girlfriend to)

2. Pig Destoryer - 'Book Burner': http://youtu.be/d6dycCqqZS0 From: United States

This is a no frills assault on your ear drums. From beginning to end this is a violent exhibition in quality grindcore. (You are most likely the monkey in this video and sounds kinda like Napalm Death)

3. Absvrdist - 'Illusory': http://youtu.be/l1iTULIImuQ From: United States

Everything flows smoothly in this album and they have no problem transitioning from one element to the next, which made this a beat of a debut album. The vocals are a nice median between grind and black metal and the amount of aggression the band exhibits makes the case even more believable. (Sounds like well done blackened grind)

4. Plague Widow - 'Plague Widow': http://youtu.be/AUNHufICeJ4 From: United States

This is merely an EP but definitely signifies things to come. Upon first listen I was blown away by how massive the guitar tone was and the pounding and prominence of the drums. The riffs are f `in good tremolo-picked ones and I am looking forward to a full-length. This band embodies brutal. (Sounds like Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire)

5. Murder Construct - 'Results': http://youtu.be/la-H6BVZhSU From: United States

Filthy and unrelenting brutality. Nothing overly technical but everything is solid. The drumming is very good as well and it is another one of my
favorite drumming albums of 2012. It was a good year for Travis Ryan, who has some rangy vocals. (Sounds like Cattle Decapitation)

4 Best Melodic Metal Albums

1. In Mourning - 'The Weight of Oceans': http://youtu.be/YZ4ioEQ7okM From: Sweden

Great melodies and guitar lines to be found throughout. No other melodic influenced band conveyed their message as clearly as In Mourning this
year. This was my first listen of the band and definitely makes me yearn for newer material. This was a showcase in melodic metal which few
bands can touch, minus Insomnium or Opeth. Many melodic bands have taken steps towards doom, this band has gone for something more progressive and as stated, it yields fine results. (Sounds a little like Opeth)

2. Daylight Dies - 'A Frail Becoming': http://youtu.be/r3QVPEUJYRg From: United States

Daylight dies presents another solid album, full of melancholic melodies and doomy passages. The lyrics are centered around death, depression,
and suicide which appeal to some but are not really my cup of tea. There are clean vocals to be found in the album, which adds a positive change. There are interesting riffs, layered guitar work, and solos but this is not their best work. The vocals fit the music nicely too. (Sounds like Swallow the Sun)

3. Be'lakor - 'Of Breath & Bone': http://youtu.be/mPHJycgRLN8 From: Australia

Another melodic death metal band with doom influences. This is overall a more varied and intriguing album than Swallow the Sun`s. The riffs are
interesting and paint a solid picture of the message they wish to convey. The lyrics are interesting as well. They deal more so with nature and paganism which helps keep my attention. Be'lakor also resemble a band I am quite fond of in Insomnium. This is their best effort to date. (Sounds like Insomnium)

4. Swallow the Sun - 'Emerald Forest and the Blackbird': http://youtu.be/g6W5ScOEv2c From: Finland

To be honest, I did not listen to a massive quantity of melodic bands but this album was one of them. I am not in love with this album but there
are things that can be taken as worthwhile. The vocalist has range, from clean singing(which is more prominent than other bands I reviewed) to deep growls. There are some truly emotional pieces in here but the album is not varied and interesting enough to be highly regarded. The lyrics, like many who play similar sounding music, center around the bleakness of this world. This album was quality, though I know they can make better records. (Sounds like Daylight Dies but with more clean vocals)

Other Metal Albums

1. Ne Obliviscaris - 'Portal of I': http://youtu.be/aMorAdnCixg From: Australia

If one happens to be into extreme metal which encorporates a violin, long tracks, prolonged instrumental passages, growls, and quality musicianship across the board, then look no further. This album does things with metal which are quite unusual, yet in a hearty and tasteful dosage. Few bands create material in this vein(that I am aware of) and that is a good thing. (Sorta resembles Opeth)

2. Gojira - 'L'Enfant Sauvage': http://youtu.be/IV8z3H-9Dy0 From: France

Quantitative and qualitative riffs permeate this album. The groove induces head-banging for sure, with the progressive lines adding a characteristic of its own. The songs are well written and contain solid instrumentation across the board. This was my first experience with Gojira but it won`t be my last. (Sounds kinda like Meshuggah banged Mastodon)

3. Meshuggah - 'Koloss': http://youtu.be/UISjgLu8zBA From: Sweden

Meshuggah is a well known band and love them or hate them, they are pioneers. Though the bands that typically try and copy their sound suck, they continue to churn out quality albums and set the bar higher for any "djent" band wishing to nibble on their teet. This album is not their best work and gets a little repetitive, but it is the variation from their other albums which helps give it personality. They are outstanding musicians, especially Haake who writes memorable drum lines and some very interesting lyrics. Their style is not something I enjoy listening to constantly but I respect and understand their work. (Sounds like Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects)

4. Rush - 'Clockwork Angels': http://youtu.be/ZcFGrWjOX0E

Yes, that Rush.

5. Spawn Of Possession - 'Incurso': http://youtu.be/LlMsWdZtsB8 From: Sweden

Great vocals? Check. Numerous highly technical and hard to mimic riffs? Check. Fast-paced, tight, and varied drumming? Yes. Audible bass lines? I think so. This album is my second favorite tech-death album next to 'Antithesis'. I honest wish the guitar tone was closer to 'Cabinet' but there is no denying the immense talent the fuckers have. This album also makes it a point to be vary from song to song and the solos are performed by that one guy from Defeated Sanity, which helps broaden their game. The solos shred and take you by surprise. The added classical elements don`t hurt either. To add to that, the songs are long but sometimes feel like songs within songs. (Sounds like Necrophagist)

6. Devin Townsend - 'Epicloud': http://youtu.be/NraG_UFkkFY From: Canada

At first this reminded me of a sort of hyper Led Zepplin project but even if I am off my rocker, this shit is cool. I love the diversity in his vocal range and the interesting music this guy composes. (Not overly metal and sort of poppy but this is sure as fuck high-quality rock. And if you are not into metal you still may like this)

7. Enabler - 'All Hail the Void': http://youtu.be/VQZrCvc7VhI From: United States

Almost like maniacal hardcore music. It is fast, catchy, and definitely has metal influences. (It`s okay, try it)

Disappointment:

Hour of Penance-'Sedition': A few good songs but it feels like a stripped version of their other releases, only shinier. For it to receive two 100 ratings is ridiculous. The riffs are meh, the vocals are the same(no problem here), there is less variation and less compelling climaxes, and the drumming is less varied and not as tight.

* These are in no particular order even though they are numbered.
** This list is subject to change.


Last edited by Hastein45 on Tue Jan 08, 2013 7:13 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Top
 Profile  
ld50
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:22 am
Posts: 507
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:24 am 
 

Hastein45 wrote:
Gojira - 'L'Enfant Sauvage'
...Quantitative and qualitive riffs permeate this album...

You masturbated furiously upon posting this, didn't you? I couldn't disagree more, but I admire your masturbatory language - and the amount of time put into your list.

Also, it's "qualitative." Just sayin. ;)

Top
 Profile  
UnrealReality
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 8:20 am
Posts: 25
Location: Denmark
PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 9:42 am 
 

My list is in no particular order, but it is (mostly) the best regarded album, in its respective genre, and/or style.

Heretoir - Substanz: I love how they reworked songs I felt were very good before, and made them better in a way, so that I can still enjoy both the old and the new versions of the reworked songs.
Their sound is original, and I can especially relate to their songs, since I live in an urban area, and also dislike it.

Elysian Blaze - Blood Geometry: Long anticipated album (at least to me), and by far managed to exceed my expectations. It is almost impossible to explain the feeling one gets from listening to this album, but I can at least say it is deeply hidden, mostly dark emotions.
Masterpiece, yet again.

Alcest - Les Voyages de L'Âme: The first 2012 album I bought, preordered. While it is not similar to Souvenirs or Ecailles de Lune, it is however a 3rd unrelated masterpiece from Neige and Winterhalter. Neige manages to give the listener a great journey through both his, and the listeners own memories. Deep listening is important.


Well, that is what I can supply with. I haven't been listening much to new albums, and I never strive to do so. Having a catalogue of over 500 physical albums makes one look back more than look.

Top
 Profile  
Hastein45
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:56 pm
Posts: 203
PostPosted: Tue Jan 08, 2013 3:45 pm 
 

ld50 wrote:
Hastein45 wrote:
Gojira - 'L'Enfant Sauvage'
...Quantitative and qualitive riffs permeate this album...

You masturbated furiously upon posting this, didn't you? I couldn't disagree more, but I admire your masturbatory language - and the amount of time put into your list.

Also, it's "qualitative." Just sayin. ;)

It was a long post, I was bound to miss a word but thanks for the correction :thumbsup: Honestly, this was my first Gojira record. They are viewed as a groove metal band and after listening to it, they seemed to accomplish this and more. The album felt varied, organic, musically cohesive, and definitely groovy, which I assume was the aim of the band based on the interviews I had seen.

Top
 Profile  
nosferatu1234
Metal newbie

Joined: Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:40 am
Posts: 315
PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 12:29 am 
 

I just couldn’t decide between the top two albums as to which one was my favorite. I kept switching them back and forth so fuck it, they’re both my Album of the Year.

1a. Young Hunter - Stone Tools
1b. Neurosis - Honor Found In Decay
3. Bound By Entrails - The Stars Bode You Farewell
4. Anhedonist - Netherwards
5. Leeches of Lore - Frenzy, Ecstasy
6. Reverence - The Asthenic Ascension
7. Panopticon - Kentucky
8. Ahab - The Giant
9. Monolithe - Monolithe III
10. Emptiness – Error


1a. Young Hunter – Stone Tools: Wow. Just wow. The surprise album of the year for me. I randomly came across this unique 7 member band on their bandcamp page one day and they blew me away. Trying to think of how to describe them… maybe Psychedelic Desert Stoner Doom Rock? Lol something along those lines. They’re not on Metal Archives but they’re more rock than metal so I can see why. Great songwriting and really great vocals, which include both male and female singers. When listening to this album I feel like I’m walking through the middle of the desert on peyote. At times somewhat haunting, but yet always beautiful. Anyone who’s into any kind of stoner doom should at least check them out, even tho they are more rock than metal like I said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la-cuGo7lEo But don’t stop there! Here’s their bandcamp, you can stream their album: http://younghunter.bandcamp.com/album/stone-tools

1b. Neurosis – Honor Found in Decay: I discovered Neurosis just this year and they quickly soared to become my favorite band. Now that I’m a fanboy, and considering that everything I hear from them is still relatively new and fresh from having just gotten into them this year, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise that this is tied for my album of the year. It’s not their best album, but it’s still better than practically everyone else’s.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehhu6-Z0Fd0

3. Bound by Entrails – The Stars Bode You Farewel l: This album has gotten quite a bit of praise on this particular message board, and with good reason. This is an album that when you listen to it, you listen to the music as a whole. What I mean by that is there isn’t one particular instrument that stands out among the rest. And I mean that in a good way. The guitars, the vocals, the drums, the bass, the keyboards, everything comes together seamlessly to create music that stands as one. Everything comes together perfectly. As for the music itself, it’s hard to describe the genre, or genres. It’s best to just call this progressive extreme metal, as much as I hate the term “extreme metal”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2ZsObUXsjc

4. Anhedonist – Netherwards: When this first came out I was sure this was gonna be my album of the year, and I still think it’s album of the year worthy, it just got overthrown by some behemoth’s that I wasn’t expecting. Anyway, this album is a dark and brooding mix of death/doom metal perfection. Only 4 songs on the album, but it still clocks in at 40 minutes. The obvious standout track is Estrangement, which could very well be the song of the year. The fifteen minute closing track is nothing to scoff at either.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvVFnj2MB3I

5. Leeches of Lore - Frenzy, Ecstasy: One of the more experimental bands I’ve ever had the pleasure to listen to. This unusual album at it’s core is speed metal, and very quirky speed metal at that, but it’s so much more. So many different genres and influences all throughout the album, and all of it is drenched in a heavy western sound. Better than their last album, Attack the Future, and at the very least on par with their debut, tho it’s hard to say that I like this one better. Some days I like this one more, and some days I like their debut more. Both are quality records.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T9gox7QBAE

6. Reverence - The Asthenic Ascension: This is my underrated album of the year. I’ve only seen a couple people even mention this album on here. They play an experimental/industrial style of black metal. Think of Blut Aus Nord with a lot more of a death metal influence in their sound. Actually there are parts of this album that could probably be put on a straight up death metal album. I think this is their best album to date, surpassing their last three.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFvvpvuSaoQ

7. Panopticon - Kentucky: Well here's an interesting one. Panopticon plays an odd and unique style of folk black metal similar to the Agalloch and Skagos sound, but with the addition of an element that I’ve never heard in metal before. Yep, you guessed it… BLUEGRASS. That may be enough in and of itself to immediately turn people away, but that would be an unfortunate mistake to miss out on experiencing an album that mixes genres that I never knew or could have guessed to be possible. Fans of any kind of folk black metal should listen to this, if nothing more than to hear something unique.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vo7f_gWxj4

8. Ahab – The Giant: Ahab are one of the few and only funeral doom metal bands I really care for. On this album, they takes the songwriting in the natural progression that they started with on Divinity, which includes a lot more softer parts and much more clean vocals. Though I don’t find it better than either of their first two, it’s still a great album and much more interesting than most funeral doom bands, imo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhnSFlLwaYY

9. Monolithe – Monolithe III: Riffs, riffs, riffs. This album is all about the riffs. One song, 52 minutes, and hundreds of riffs. This is not your typical funeral doom band. A lot of people will be turned off or won’t have the attention span to even try and tackle this behemoth, but you should at least give it a shot. It’s well worth it, even if you’re not into funeral doom.
No sample track since the whole album is one song.

10. Emptiness – Error: Unique mix of black/death metal. While somewhat odd and experimental, almost disorienting yet groovy, it still maintains a very dark and disturbing atmosphere. Recommended for any death metal fans wanting to hear something that’s not you’re run of the mill death metal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3P4Vop9Iy4c


Top 5 EP’s just for the fuck of it:

1. Agalloch - Faustian Echoes
2. Hesper Payne - The Strange Tale of Samuel Gonzalez
3. Inverloch - Dusk | Subside
4. Muknal - Muknal
5. Shroud of the Heretic - Boiled to Death
_________________
Gelseth_Andrano wrote:
You'd think people who would be on a journey to convert those to their beliefs would be a bit less face-rapey about it. Most people don't usually like the face rape.

Top
 Profile  
Shadoeking
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Feb 21, 2007 10:34 am
Posts: 1254
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 1:09 am 
 

This is taken directly from my blog.

10. RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER: GHOSTMAKER
The best pure thrash metal album this year came from a very unexpected source. Rumpelstiltskin Grinder had previously been kind of an anomaly in the wave of retro thrash metal bands, a band with a strong sense of humor and some non-thrash metal elements thrown in for good measure. Their sound really came together on this release. It is a shame so few people have been willing to give them a shot because they really deserve it with this one.

9. AURA NOIR: OUT TO DIE
Australia has mostly become known for this style of blackened thrash metal, so it came as a bit of a shock to hear a terrific blackened thrash metal album from Norway. This is an incredibly grimy and dirty sound that kicks ass and takes names. It is short and raw and a wild ride.

8. EVOKEN: ATRA MORS
This release shows just how morose and despairing funeral doom metal can get. Ahab remains my favorite funeral doom metal band, but this release may be one of my favorite albums from the subgenre, joining prior Ahab material and the Catacombs album. This album is utterly hopeless with an incredible sense of despair hanging over the entire album.

7. HOODED MENACE: EFFIGIES OF EVIL
The best pure doom metal album this year, Hooded Menace's lyrics mostly deal in horror themes. There is definitely a market for this style and lyrical theme. Hooded Menace craft extremely impressive traditional-styled doom metal with infectious riffs and incredibly catchy songs. The vocals may be death metal-styled but the music is pure doom.

6. GOATWHORE: BLOOD FOR THE MASTER
I can always count on Goatwhore to release an album of purely chaotic and menacing black/thrash/death/extreme metal. They have not disappointed me yet. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Goatwhore though is that the band continually gets better. Each time they release a new album, it is the best album they have ever done. That continues with this release. This is the best Goatwhore album ever. Though that will only last until the next one if history is any indication.

5. MORTALICUM: THE ENDTIME PROPHECY
Every year it seems like a traditional metal album comes out of nowhere to completely shock me and make it very high on my end of the year countdown. This is not the only one this year, but it is perhaps the most shocking. This one was sent to me to review from Metal on Metal Records and I have not been able to stop listening to it since.

4. GOJIRA: L'ENFANT SAUVAGE
I once said that Gojira released one of the heaviest songs of all time. Now they have released one of the heaviest albums. The French band continually puts out ridiculously heavy material. This is my favorite album that Gojira have released so far and it came damn close to taking the top album of the year. The band is almost unclassifiable, but that is not important when the music is this good.

3. ATARAXY: REVELATIONS OF THE ETHEREAL
I have said it before in this list, 2012 was a great year for death metal. Ataraxy is a Spanish death metal band that has released an utterly terrific raw and grimy album. Not bad for a debut album. I owe my knowledge of this band to Full Metal Attorney.

2. NEPHELIUM: COILS OF ENTROPY
Almost everything I said about Ataraxy could be said about Nephelium, except that they are from the United Arab Emirates originally before relocating to Canada. This is a death metal album on par with just about any other death metal album of the last several years. There is just something about this release that grabs the listener and refuses to let go. It is an incredibly raw and brutal death metal album that is fresh and exciting. 2012 was a great year for death metal and Nephelium is the biggest reason why.

1. CHRISTIAN MISTRESS: POSSESSION
Here it is, the best metal album of 2012 and this is definitely from an unusual place. As I said with Mortalicum, every year it seems like a traditional metal album comes out of nowhere and blows me away. Christian Mistress have released the best metal album of the year. Their sound can be traced back to the NWOBHM. The vocals are simply incredible and are a large reason why this album is so impressive.
_________________
http://metallattorney.blogspot.com

Top
 Profile  
ld50
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:22 am
Posts: 507
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Sun Jan 13, 2013 9:20 pm 
 

Hastein45 wrote:
It was a long post, I was bound to miss a word but thanks for the correction :thumbsup: Honestly, this was my first Gojira record. They are viewed as a groove metal band and after listening to it, they seemed to accomplish this and more. The album felt varied, organic, musically cohesive, and definitely groovy, which I assume was the aim of the band based on the interviews I had seen.

In that context, your opinion of the album makes more sense. If you had been following them from the beginning, you may have had an opinion closer to mine. Or perhaps not, like others who have heard their entire discography.

With Terra Incognito, they showed a slightly experimental death metal/post-thrash that was a little rough around the edges compared to what was to come later. With The Link, they further refined their sound into something more cohesive; the comparisons to/influence of Meshuggah were obvious, but they still manged to compose something that was original that progressed from their earlier work and did not stagnate from track to track at all. With the Link they strayed further from death metal and more towards a progressive groove/post-thrash sound with elements of death metal. By the time they released From Mars to Sirius, they may have produced their most refined album album consisting even more of their progressive post-thrash sound and perhaps their best album to date. I think that album really defined the sound of Gojira.

From their, they went to The Way Of All Flesh which was more formulaic - for Gojira, that is - with several guest musicians and some single riff-based songs and didn't seem as complete overall. I enjoyed some of it, but this album was a sign of creative stagnance and a step back. Although I've enjoyed the pic slides in their previous albums, hearing it in most songs was beginning to wear thin by the time The Way Of All Flesh was released; it was time to move on.

Now, fast forward to Infant Sausage, and what you get is a Gojira that is recycling old old ideas, riffs, and writing in general. I think that The Fall was about the only slightly new idea that they had on that album, the rest I gloss over in disinterest without the urge to stop or listen to more than a snippet of song, in favor of the superior and predating albums of From Mars to Sirius and The Link. Also, if I hear that god damned pic slide one time, I swear I'll start stabbing someone.

In short, they hit their creative peak on their second and third albums.

Top
 Profile  
Misfit74
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 1:23 am
Posts: 1623
Location: United States
PostPosted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 9:30 pm 
 

Having a hard time getting mine together. From the looks of it, the one I'm making is a lot different. It's mainly different due to the genres I prefer. Cool thread and I hope to contribute soon.

Sick as a freakin' dog now, though. :(
_________________
Last.fm
My Music on RYM

Top
 Profile  
shouvince
Veteran

Joined: Sat Jan 22, 2005 9:11 am
Posts: 3225
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 8:13 am 
 

Shadoeking wrote:
2. NEPHELIUM: COILS OF ENTROPY
Almost everything I said about Ataraxy could be said about Nephelium, except that they are from the United Arab Emirates originally before relocating to Canada. This is a death metal album on par with just about any other death metal album of the last several years. There is just something about this release that grabs the listener and refuses to let go. It is an incredibly raw and brutal death metal album that is fresh and exciting. 2012 was a great year for death metal and Nephelium is the biggest reason why.



Brilliant. I feel the same way about their music. 'Coils...' is arguably the best album of 2012 for me. I'm trying not to be biased here but for the quality music they make, they are seriously underrated and not promoted enough on the internet. Thanks for the shout out and the fact that it made number 2 on your list.

Top
 Profile  
Corpus_Chain
Metal newbie

Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 1:34 pm
Posts: 134
Location: United Kingdom
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:14 am 
 

Top 5 releases (not necessarily albums)

5. Bevar Sea - Bevar Sea
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5pwKKYM_OE&list=FLXltUiHf4WWAeWk3CqbXPEA
http://store.bevarsea.com/
You might not have heard of Bangalore-based stoner/doom band Bevar Sea, but they have great riffs coming out of their ears. Fantastic artwork, great guys and by all accounts, a riveting live performance. Imagine Electric Wizard crossed with Mastodon. The Smiler is a stand-out track from their debut self-titled album.


4. Soulfly - Enslaved
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3dG23D1-P8
Soulfly's latest album is a strange one. The band have got more extreme over the years, to the point where they have crossed over the thrash-death boundary. The song above, World Scum, has distinct death tinge to it that makes it stand out from the rest of the Soulfly canon. Some of the songs on the album are more traditional Soulfly, such as Gladiator, which has echoes of the Dark Ages album about it. The obligatory instrumental Soulfly track is as beautiful as ever. Very similar in intent to Testament's latest.


3. Electric Wizard - Legalise Drugs and Murder 7"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_HW1-oI-yY
This 7" from England's loudest doom band (seriously, they were actually too loud at their latest London gig) just oozes smoky mysteriousness. The endlessly repeated riff and refrain of, "legalise drugs and murder" drives itself into your consciousness until you know of nothing else. It helps a bit that when the singer says "drugs", it sounds like "slugs"! Comes on a beautiful, thick, purple slab of vinyl.


2. Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_yx6uAd70I
I only just listened to this album, as it took quite a while before it was finally available on vinyl. The track above highlights just what is good about this return to form for the horsemen of the apocalypse from Birmingham. This album actually contains solos! Holy moly! Don't get too carried away, because the ugly, grinding, industrial blizzard of guitars and screams is present, but this time around is more refined and direct. A couple of albums ago, one could have been forgiven for saying that AN's songs were too messy and sporadic, but this year they have pulled out all the stops to make a coherent masterpiece.



1. Testament - Dark Roots of the Earth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpNMyoO37vo
This is most definitely my favourite album of the year by a country mile. It has everything you'd want from a thrash album: great riffs, anger and creative drumming. The lyrical themes are right on the money for what has been going on in the world recently, and vocalist Chuck Billy lets his emotion shine through strongly in every line.

Honourable mentions:
Enslaved - Riitiir (progressive black)
Monolithe - III (funeral doom)
Panopticon - Kentucky (folk black)
Satan's Wrath - Galloping Blasphemy (raw black)
Dead Beyond Buried - The Dark Era (death)
Mortalicum - The Endtime Prophecy (doom)

Top
 Profile  
Hastein45
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Mar 21, 2011 9:56 pm
Posts: 203
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 6:45 pm 
 

ld50 wrote:
Hastein45 wrote:
It was a long post, I was bound to miss a word but thanks for the correction :thumbsup: Honestly, this was my first Gojira record. They are viewed as a groove metal band and after listening to it, they seemed to accomplish this and more. The album felt varied, organic, musically cohesive, and definitely groovy, which I assume was the aim of the band based on the interviews I had seen.

In that context, your opinion of the album makes more sense. If you had been following them from the beginning, you may have had an opinion closer to mine. Or perhaps not, like others who have heard their entire discography.

With Terra Incognito, they showed a slightly experimental death metal/post-thrash that was a little rough around the edges compared to what was to come later. With The Link, they further refined their sound into something more cohesive; the comparisons to/influence of Meshuggah were obvious, but they still manged to compose something that was original that progressed from their earlier work and did not stagnate from track to track at all. With the Link they strayed further from death metal and more towards a progressive groove/post-thrash sound with elements of death metal. By the time they released From Mars to Sirius, they may have produced their most refined album album consisting even more of their progressive post-thrash sound and perhaps their best album to date. I think that album really defined the sound of Gojira.

From their, they went to The Way Of All Flesh which was more formulaic - for Gojira, that is - with several guest musicians and some single riff-based songs and didn't seem as complete overall. I enjoyed some of it, but this album was a sign of creative stagnance and a step back. Although I've enjoyed the pic slides in their previous albums, hearing it in most songs was beginning to wear thin by the time The Way Of All Flesh was released; it was time to move on.

Now, fast forward to Infant Sausage, and what you get is a Gojira that is recycling old old ideas, riffs, and writing in general. I think that The Fall was about the only slightly new idea that they had on that album, the rest I gloss over in disinterest without the urge to stop or listen to more than a snippet of song, in favor of the superior and predating albums of From Mars to Sirius and The Link. Also, if I hear that god damned pic slide one time, I swear I'll start stabbing someone.

In short, they hit their creative peak on their second and third albums.

I really appreciate that post. Very informative and I`m sure paints a clear picture of what their albums provide. I am going to make a conscious effort to listen to their other stuff one of these days and I will use your information as guidance. I`ve never heard someone so distraught over pic sliding though :lol:

Top
 Profile  
lord_ghengis
Still Standing After 38 Beers... hic

Joined: Mon Dec 04, 2006 8:31 pm
Posts: 5953
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Thu Jan 17, 2013 7:34 pm 
 

Corpus_Chain wrote:
2. Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_yx6uAd70I
I only just listened to this album, as it took quite a while before it was finally available on vinyl. The track above highlights just what is good about this return to form for the horsemen of the apocalypse from Birmingham. This album actually contains solos! Holy moly! Don't get too carried away, because the ugly, grinding, industrial blizzard of guitars and screams is present, but this time around is more refined and direct. A couple of albums ago, one could have been forgiven for saying that AN's songs were too messy and sporadic, but this year they have pulled out all the stops to make a coherent masterpiece.


You should relisten to the old stuff again, they've had solos since Eschaton, and the song structuring was even more straight forward up until Passion where the got a little more inventive.
_________________
Naamath wrote:
No comments, no words need it, no BM, no compromise, only grains in her face.

Top
 Profile  
Misfit74
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2011 1:23 am
Posts: 1623
Location: United States
PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 1:46 am 
 

1. Deadly Remains - Severing Humanity
[Brutal Technical Death Metal]
Crunchy precision, strong musicianship, and overall just hits the mark perfectly for the entire album. Strong material start to finish, good song structures, and plenty of interesting brutality. Even the lyrical themes and song titles are interesting, which I usually don't pay much attention to. More good songs on this album than any other on my list and the quality is excellent. Production is also excellent.

2. Aeon - Aeons Black
[Brutal Death Metal]
Well-composed, excellent sounding, crunchy guitar-based songs that put it all together like a well-oiled machine. I love the production - probably my favorite this year in that department. Many good songs across the entire disc and not a dud among them. I keep playing this one as much as any other. It has 'it', whatever that is. Again falls short in the lyrical/song theme department but I can easily get past that here. Simple, powerful and well-done.

3. Abominable Putridity - Anomalies Of Artificial Origin
[Slam/Brutal Death Metal]
Unrelenting pounding of drums, tight guitars and top-flight cohesion make this one stand out. They do slam as well as anyone, and this album delivers it in spades. There are clever breaks but not big dumb breakdowns like other bands might use (and can be used with success, but I digress). This band is a machine of Russian slam and the production, song structures and delivery is outstanding. Vocals by Matti Way: excellent. That said, the drumming here is the start of the show. Amazing work on the skins.

4. Malignancy - Eugenics
[Brutal Technical Death Metal]
Patented riff-after-riff songs with squeals. Everything is interesting and energetic. Production a bit lacking for this high on my list but it's not poor. Keeps returning to my playlist.

5. Unfathomable Ruination - Misshapen Congenital Entropy
[Brutal Technical Death Metal]
Intense, creative, complex riffing and musicianship sets this one apart. Blisteringly brutal and detailed. Not Spawn of Possession detailed, but stand-out riffing, changes everywhere.

6. Coprocephalic - Gluttonous Chunks
[Slam/Brutal Death Metal]
Sick, thick, bludgeoning riffs and blast-beats. Slams, squeals, and gutturals. All one needs to know about this. Similar to Pathology's work in many ways, but a lower, sometimes slower, more twisted sound. More diverse that this year's release.

7. 7 H. Target - Fast-Slow Demolition
[Slam/Technical Brutal Death Metal]
Innovative, creative, complex and brutal that always manages to thrill and surprise and still bring the slams. Very unique within its genre(s).

8. Begging For Incest - Orgasmic Selfmutilation
[Slam]
Twisted, fun and sick. Huge slams and great guitar riffing. Sometimes slightly undone by too many loud pig squeals. That by no means wrecks this fantastic release.

9. Pathology - The Time Of Great Purification
[Brutal Death Metal/Slam]
Crunchy, head-banging riffs; pounding tight-knit drums; and low gutturals. Win. Good album start to finish and plus production.

10. Omnihility - Biogenesis
[Brutal Technical Death Metal]
Unimaginably fast riffs/songs that push the boundaries of what is humanly possible on guitar. Powerfully brutal songs with crunch, structure, and crazy-intense guitar. Guitars just scream. One hell of a debut album with several truly stand-out tracks with some groove and catchiness to them.

11. Ataraxy - Revelations Of The Ethereal
[Death Metal]
The range and near-perfectness of this album is great. It's massive, intense, and memorable.

12. Kraanium - Post Coital Fixation
[Slam]
Powerful, with twisted riff after riff. Songs that deliver some of the top slam material released to date. Meaty.

13. Binah - Hallucinating In Resurrecture
[Death Metal]
That classic HM-2 sound bolstered by great vocals and developed songwriting and structures. Sound rules the day here with massive power and riffing, but also provides some enjoyable hooks. Feels like an endless maze of fear and battle.

14. Grand Supreme Blood Court - Bow Down Before The Blood Court
[Death/Doom Metal]
Sounds like Hail Of Bullets (a lesser version) and Asphyx (a comparable version). This formula is familiar to everyone. I enjoy the hell out of it.

15. Visceral Throne - Omnipotent Asperity
[Brutal Technical Death Metal]
Creative riffing and patterns highlight this fantastic debut album. Energy and pounding drums with great sound and production.


Just Missed: Hideous Divinity - Obeisance Rising, Asphyx - Deathhammer, Cannibal Corpse - Torture, Puteraeon - Cult Cthulu, Incantation - Vanquished In Vengeance.

Surprise misses: Sinister - The Carnage Ending (a bit thrashy for my death metal and not a ton of good songs), Beheaded - Never To Dawn (not great vocals and much tamer than older Beheaded). Good but I expected better.
_________________
Last.fm
My Music on RYM

Top
 Profile  
UNCHAIN_THE_WOLVES
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 1:19 am
Posts: 431
Location: Australia
PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:56 am 
 

Finally put this list together, I knew the contenders but putting them into order proved harder than I expected....

1. Drudkh - Eternal Turn Of The Wheel:
The best album of 2012... A return to form for Drudkh and an AGGRESSIVE one at that. A prime and solid beast of desolate black metal.

2. Woods Of Ypres - Woods 5: Grey Skies & Electric Light:
The final chapter for WOY and such an awesome and lyrically fitting departure for David... a Blackened Doom Rock mix I guess but taking into account it's content and context it's seriously an album like no other.

3. Addaura - Burning For The Ancient
Beautifully crafted cascadian Black Metal. Had been keeping an eye on these guys having been very impressed with their demo and I think this (their first official release) is even better.

4. Agalloch - Faustian Echoes:
Only one song here but it just so happens to be the best song of 2012, at 21 and a half minutes this blackened offering has more highlights and substance than most bands achieve in their entire career... If you take one thing from this post I urge you to set aside 20 minutes to do NOTHING but listen to this song.

5. Hermóðr - Hermóðr:
Black metal in all it's Desolate painful disgrace. This demo is my most exciting discovery of 2012. Fuck I'm glad I stumbled upon this gem, can't wait to hear more!

6. Eternum - Veil Of Ancient Darkness:
This was my first new release in 2012 so it's had the longest time to digest. Tortured offerings of raw black metal at it's best...

7. White Ward - Illusions:
Awesome little EP here... same goes for their "When Gift Becomes Damnation & Inhale My Despair" Demo also released this year. Another promising Black metal gem I'm glad came into my path in 2012, will be keeping an eye on these guys for sure.

8. Alcest - Les Voyages De L'Âme:
A great "black metal" album. Yet another fine display of beauty within such a dark genre from Alcest.

9. Burzum - Umskiptar:
A very rewarding listen once I let my blackened ears surrender and take it all in. A long drawn atmospheric and emotional journey...

10. Denial Of God - Death and the Beyond:
Some serioulsy kick ass Blackened Horror Metal... catchy as hell and great fun. Not as solid an album as I'd hoped but the highlights are fuckin amazing.

...another highlight of 2012 for me was Goatmoon: ...And The Tears Of Our Fatherland Fell ...one of my absolute favourite songs of 2013, shame it wasn't part of a worthy release...


Last edited by UNCHAIN_THE_WOLVES on Sun Jan 20, 2013 10:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Top
 Profile  
BastardHead
Worse than Stalin

Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2005 7:53 pm
Posts: 10857
Location: Oswego, Illinois
PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:09 pm 
 

Quickest way to make me completely ignore your post? Start with #1.
_________________
Lair of the Bastard: LATEST REVIEW: In Flames - Foregone
The Outer RIM - Uatism: The dogs bark in street slang
niix wrote:
the reason your grandmother has all those plastic sheets on her furniture is because she is probably a squirter

Top
 Profile  
Dragunov
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2004 6:34 pm
Posts: 2260
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 2:58 pm 
 

BastardHead wrote:
Quickest way to make me completely ignore your post? Start with #1.

Top
 Profile  
Inspector_Satan
Metalhead

Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2011 11:48 pm
Posts: 657
PostPosted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 5:14 pm 
 

I spent most of the year listening to "Hazzard's Cure"'s unbelievably amazing demo on permanent repeat for the second year in a row (which is actually not as much of an exaggeration as it sounds like,) instead of keeping up with new releases but I there's a few that I didn't see mentioned here.

Samothrace - Reverance to Stone
This thing probably held my attention the longest. Dense and incredibly satisfying doom featuring the bassist/clean vocalist of Bell Witch. These guys also put on a hell of a live show.

Knelt Rote - Tresspass
Intense noisy grind meets Incantation-worship. It's a perfect combination really.

Inter Arma - Destroyer EP
Cool mix of 60's psychedelia and bm. Not as out there as Hail Spirit Noir's brilliant Crimson-esque album but there's some amazing lead work all over this and the styles mesh together perfectly.

Top
 Profile  
Jagged
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Mar 18, 2008 4:38 am
Posts: 654
Location: Spain
PostPosted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 11:00 pm 
 

Nice to see Ataraxy's Revelations of the Ethereal being mentioned quite a few times on this thread. It's indeed an amazing album that we feel deeply honoured to have on our catalogue :headbang:
_________________
MEMENTO MORI
Label / Mailorder
http://www.memento-mori.es
http://www.facebook.com/memento.mori.label
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChHTHj ... 9UqrABF7WA

Top
 Profile  
Celestial Alchemist
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:06 am
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:09 am 
 

Jimi Hendrix Experience Winterland and Led Zeppelin Celebration Day.
Nothing else worth mentioning comes to mind.

Top
 Profile  
Celestial Alchemist
Mallcore Kid

Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 2:06 am
Posts: 5
PostPosted: Sun Jan 20, 2013 3:26 am 
 

Twisted_Psychology wrote:
-Carved Into Stone by Prong
-Psalms For The Dead by Candlemass
The more prominent keyboards do give it a spacy dimension that hasn't been seen since From The 13th Sun and the more upbeat songwriting does make it a little easier to get a feel for.



There's no keyboards on From The 13th Sun except in one short instrumental.
Hope this information helps.

Top
 Profile  
IntoNevermore
Metalhead

Joined: Wed Aug 18, 2010 11:31 pm
Posts: 1153
Location: Venezuela
PostPosted: Sun Jan 27, 2013 4:13 pm 
 

This is my non-metal list
Spoiler: show
20. Zardonic - Vulgar Display of Bass(Drum & bass/rock)
A Dj from my country Venezuela has released this pretty interesting album, that featured a lot of not just fun electronic beats, but also really intense guitar tracks and
even ocasional vocal lines.

19. Owl City - The Midsummer Station (Synth pop)
Yeah, I put this one really simple, this album can make everything to be ok, it is just happy and fun, nothing complex, pop melodies, synth lines, lots of keys and minimal
drum beats.

18. Viniloversus - Cambie de Nombre (Alternative rock)
Another artist from Venezuela, this guys play a kind of garage rock, ocasional hard rock riffing, intro-verse-chorus-bridge formula, once more, nothing out ot the ordinary,
but everything is well done and the instruments merge pretty well.

17. Knife Party - Rage Vallet [EP] (Dubstep)
The guys from Pendulum can make pretty awesome dance music, the man focus are not the drops, of course, there are some, but is not what the music is really based on,
and it is actually interesting to listen to, you can enjoy the music while you try to decipher whats
happening (Again, it is not technical,complex or anything, just very entertaining)

16. Deftones - Koi No Yokan (Alternative rock/metal)
Deftones comeback, all the elements that made big Deftones are still there, heavy and groovy riffing with softer rythmic sections, long and melodic vocal lines, solid drums and basic songs structures, this will
keep happy to most of the fans, or so I believe, the album is great.

15. Anthony Green - Beautiful Things (Indie rock)
Mr. Anthony Green comes with his sometimes happy, sometimes melancholic but most of all ethereal voice, wich I really love, everything this
man sing into I'll be buying, it is hard to believe that I hated it at first, now, his voice is not the only reason why this record is on my list, the music itself
is pretty variated (Into the indie rock field) acoustic songs, and some more rock oriented ones, but all of them express such emotion that only Mr. Anthony can deliver.

14. Art By Numbers - Retilence: The Musical (Progressive post-hardcore)
Finally something that you can call "Technical" or "Complex" this band reminds me a lot to The Human Abstract with more cleans, almost same riffing style (Sweeps
being used as rythmic riffs, same with leads) big chords, high pitched vocals, many interludes, classical influenced keys, everything that a fan of THA
and Protest the Hero will enjoy.

13. Baroness - Yellow & Green (Stoner Rock)
Barones changed teh direction of their music with this record, some may not like it, I loved it, with southern rock style riffing being dominantly in most songs
but always keeping interesting changes in the chords and the melodies, so they hardly fall in being too repetitive through the album, there are a lot of ideas
mixed here, and you can apreciate every one of them.

12. Feed Me - Feed Me's Escape from Electric Mountain [EP] (Dubstep)
Another electronic release that caught my attention, pretty much the same as Knife Party, but, this is one longer and more fun (Well yeah, I listen to some dubstep just for fun
what else?)

11. Trioscapes - Separate Realities (Acid Jazz)
Strange, atonal, and deep jazz is what these guys play, maybe not for anyone, but those who want to have a weird experience listening to some cromatic sax, a full of
virtuosity bass from the hand of MR. Dan Briggs and a very versatile drumwork, give this record a chance.

10. T.R.A.M - Lingua Franca (Jazz Fusion)
Same as the above, but more guitar driven, Tosin Abasi plays here, expect latin grooves, sothing parts and most of all, complexity.

09. Torche - Harmonicraft

08. Coheed and Cambria - The Aftermath: Ascension

07. Smashing Pumpkins - Oceania

06. Muse - The 2nd Law

05. Periphery - Periphery II: This Time it's Personal

04. Circa Survive - Violent Waves (Indie Prog-Rock)

03. Between the Buried and Me - The Parallax: Future Sequence (Progressive Hardcore/Death Metal)

02. Twelve Foot Ninja- Silent Machine (Experimental Rock)

Are you looking for the most variated form of rock? Well, look no further,
industrial, jazz, reagge, latin grooves, some djenty pasagges,
chill/acouestic moments, even some dubstep, these guys have it all and manage to merge it in a way where
you don't feel unpleasant at all.

01. Anathema - Weather Systems (Atmospheric/Prog Rock)

This album is the most beautiful piece of music I've hear in my life,
not only that, but it really got to mean a lot to me. n.n


Metal albums, I will not share thoughs for all of them because everything has been said already
Spoiler: show
20. Nahrayan - The Beginning of the End . The End of The Beginning

This album has a Neurosis vibe IMO, everyone who likes them should really give it a chance.

19. Make Them Suffer - Neverbloom

At first it was a bit of a letdown, the single Neverbloom gave me high expectations, but most of the songs have almost the same chord progression and style, still, the few songs that stand out (like Elegies, Weeping Wastelands and Neverbloom) make this one a pretty good album.

18. Veil of Maya - Eclipse

17. Spawn of Possession - Incurso

16. In Mourning - The Weight of the Ocean

15. Alces - Les Voyages de LÁme

14. Carach Angren - Where The Corpses Sink Forever

13. Abiotic - Symbiosis

12. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage

11. Der Weg Einer Freiheit - Unstille

10. Meshuggah - Koloss

09. Ne Obliviscaris- Portal of I

08. Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas

07. Murder Construct - Results

06. Dying Fetus - Reign Supreme

05. Rings of Saturn - Dingir

04. Pig Destroyer - Book Burner

03. The Contortionist - Instrinsic

02. The Faceless - Autotheism

01. Cattle Decapitation - The Monolith of Inhumanity
_________________
theposega wrote:
pressingtoplead13 wrote:
what those bands do is water it down

so you perfectly understand why people don't like the shit

Last.Fm|Twitter|Youtube Channel|Facebook


Last edited by IntoNevermore on Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Top
 Profile  
NorthernDarkness6
Metal newbie

Joined: Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:35 pm
Posts: 131
Location: United States of America
PostPosted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 7:48 pm 
 

RAM "Death" is easily my favorite of the year, then Degial, Pseudogod, Vomitor, and Demoncy.

Top
 Profile  
ld50
Metalhead

Joined: Tue Jan 11, 2011 2:22 am
Posts: 507
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 8:17 pm 
 

Fuck it, I'm done. Unfortunately, I don't have time to review all of these. The first two are tied; it was an impossible task to choose. Don't ignore the Splits/EPs/Demos/Comps list, some of the best material of the year can be found there.

Best Albums of 2012:
1] Pallbearer - Sorrow And Extinction (http://pallbearer.bandcamp.com/album/sorrow-and-extinction)
1] Svartidaudi - Flesh Cathedral (https://soundcloud.com/daemon-worship/svartidau-i-the-perpetual)
3] Mgla - With hearts toward none (http://youtu.be/GD-B5EfId-s)
4] Aevangelist - De Masticatione Mortuorum in Tumulis (https://soundcloud.com/i-voidhanger-records/aevangelist-blood-darkness)
5] Dysrhythmia - Test of Submission (https://soundcloud.com/brooklynvegan/sets/dysrhythmia-test-of-submission)
6] Dodecahedron - Dodecahedron (http://dodecahedronbm.bandcamp.com/)
7] Lento - Anxiety Despair Languish (http://youtu.be/WIJW6XV7VpA)
8] Spawn of Possession - Incurso (http://spawnofpossession.bandcamp.com/)
9] Auroch - From Forgotten Worlds (http://auroch1.bandcamp.com/album/from-forgotten-worlds)
10] Neurosis - Honor Found In Decay (http://youtu.be/yyw1lyhaTHw)
11] Knelte Rote - Trespass (http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/trespass)
12] Occultation - Three & Seven (http://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/three-seven)
13] LvxCaelis - Mysteria Mystica Maxima XXIII (http://lvxcaelis.bandcamp.com/album/mysteria-mystica-maxima-xxiii)

The rest that I'm too lazy to apply numbers to:
Impiety - Ravage & Conquer (https://soundcloud.com/pulverised/impiety-weaponized)
Degial - Death's Striking Wings (http://youtu.be/jwKECeuAVX4)
Weapon - Embers and Revelations (http://weaponchakra.bandcamp.com/)
Blut aus Nord - 777 Cosmosophy (http://dmp666.bandcamp.com/album/777-cosmosophy)
Incantation - Vanquish In Vengeance (http://youtu.be/WdHbT5wSckM)
Begrime Exemious - Visions of the Scourge (http://begrimeexemious.bandcamp.com/album/visions-of-the-scourge)
Pathology - The Time of Great Purification (http://youtu.be/W84LDNR2SGo)
Porta Negra - Fin de Siècle (http://youtu.be/oo-5zzim-Xg)
Undergang: til doden os skiller (http://undergang.bandcamp.com/album/til-d-den-os-skiller)
Anhedonist – Netherwards (http://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/netherwards)
Desecravity - Implicit Obedience (http://willowtip.bandcamp.com/album/implicit-obedience)
Evoken - Embrace The Emptiness (http://evoken1.bandcamp.com/)
Serocs - Oneirology (http://serocs.bandcamp.com/album/oneirology)
Om - Advaitic Songs (http://youtu.be/kKqoNrZ00Bg)
Binah - Hallucinating in Resurrecture (http://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hallucinating-in-resurrecture)
Napalm Death - Utilitarian (http://youtu.be/el5ewJxBASo)
The Great Old Ones - Al Azif (http://thegreatoldones.bandcamp.com/album/al-azif)
Monolithe - Monolithe III (http://dmp666.bandcamp.com/album/monolithe-iii)
Hideous Divinity - Obeisance Rising (http://youtu.be/OcsntAinwYM)
Wrathprayer - The Sun of Moloch: The Sublimation of Sulphur's Essence Which Spawns Death and Life (http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/the-sun-of-moloch-the-sublimation-of-sulphurs-essence-which-spawns-death-and-life)
High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis (http://youtu.be/fq1gb50iobU)
Paroxsihzem - Paroxsihzem (http://paroxsihzem.bandcamp.com/)


Splits/EPs/Demos/Comps:
1] Antediluvian/Adversarial - Split (http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/antediluvian-adversarial-split0
2] Deathspell Omega - Drought (http://seasonofmistcatalogue.bandcamp.com/album/drought)
3] Chtheilist - Amechthntaasmrriachth (https://soundcloud.com/chtheilist)
4] Chaos Echœs - Tone Of Things To Come (http://chaosechoes.bandcamp.com/)
5] Autopsy - All Tomorrows Funerals (1-4 new, rest are old EPs) (http://youtu.be/INA4rjd1GJs)
6] Sonne Adam - Doctrines Of Dark Devotion (https://soundcloud.com/imperiumproductions/sonne-adam-hater-of-mankind)
7] Plague Widow - Plague Widow (http://plaguewidow.bandcamp.com/album/plague-widow-ep)
8] Dire Omen - Severing Soul From Flesh (http://direomen.bandcamp.com/)


Non-metal:
1] Hexvessel - No Holier Temple (http://youtu.be/Q6ZO8VXUFCo)
2] Tim Hecker & Daniel Lopatin - Instrumental Tourist (http://youtu.be/kn6zlGKI4SU)
3] Yurei - Night Vision (https://soundcloud.com/bjeima/yurei-night-vision-dali-by)
4] Naevus - The Division Of Labour (http://naevus.bandcamp.com/album/the-division-of-labour)
5] Death Grips - NO LOVE DEEP WEB / The Money Store (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCgxi-h1PoI)
6] Chelsea Wolfe - Unknown Rooms - A Collection Of Acoustic Songs (http://chelseawolfe.bandcamp.com/album/unknown-rooms-a-collection-of-acoustic-songs)

Top
 Profile  
bensabre
Metal newbie

Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:39 pm
Posts: 181
Location: Israel
PostPosted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:20 am 
 

1) Bosse-De-Nage - III
This one was a great find for me.Very orignal Post-Black.The drumming is Amazing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxMryekibBA

2) Omotai - Terrestrial Grief
Great chotic mix of genres. Also new discovery for me this year.
http://omotai.bandcamp.com/

3)The Great Sabatini - Matterhorn
Mixing old Sludge blues and aggressiveness with modern Sludge Progressive.
http://thegreatsabatini.bandcamp.com/album/matterhorn

4)Planks - Funeral Mouth
Planks are amaizing Band mixing Post Metal, Crust, Sludge and Black Metal. Last year EP and the Album before that are my favourites from them but this album is still an amazing album.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLMxbWxf ... eS&index=2

5)Dodecahedron - Dodecahedron
6)Inter Arma - Destroyer
7)Graveyard - Lights Out
8)Deathspell Omega - Drought
9)Leeches of Lore - Frenzy, Ecstasy
10)Rabbits - Bites Rites
11)Heikousen - Parallels

Top
 Profile  
SisuBerserk
Metal newbie

Joined: Sun Apr 14, 2013 3:57 am
Posts: 153
Location: Finland
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:12 am 
 

Disclaimer: Don't wonder about many 100/100 and 98/100 ratings, I'm easy to please.

1. Overkill - The Electric Age (Thrash Metal) 100/100
Kick ass thras metal. Essential for any self-respecting thrash metal fan out there
Best song: Tie between Electric Rattlesnake and Good Night

2. Asphyx - Deathhammer (Death/Doom Metal) 100/100
Tied with Overkill, Overkill wins number one spot only because I like thrash metal generally more than death. Each song on this album kicks ass.
Best song: Deathhammer

3. Elysian Blaze - Blood Geometry (Black/Funeral Doom) 100/100
Found this band few days ago, fell in love instantly. Been blasting "The Temple Is Falling" and "Blood of Ancients, Blood of Hatred" from this album a lot.
Best song: Tie between The Temple Is Falling and Blood of Ancients, Blood of Hatred

4. Drudkh - Eternal Turn of the Wheel (Black Metal) 100/100
Nice acoustic/ambient intro and then 4 long black metal tracks, others who put this on their top list probably described it better than I could. (I hate describing stuff, derp). Last track "Ніч Зіткана Зі Снігу, Вітрів Та Сивих Зірок (Грудень)" is my favorite here. I love that bass line in the beginning.
Best song: Ніч Зіткана Зі Снігу, Вітрів Та Сивих Зірок (Грудень) (Night Woven of Snow, Winds and Grey-Haired Stars (December))

5. Wintercult - Neverending Selfhatred (Black Metal) 100/100
Excellent black metal, great ambiance, fuzzy guitars and that drumming... especially on "The Somber End" (my favorite track from this album).
Best song: The Somber End

6. Galaktik Cancer Squad - The Gathering (Black Metal) 98/100
Instrumental, progressive black metal with great ambiance. Space themed.
Best song: Nocturnal Waltz

7. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist (Thrash Metal) 98/100
German thrash metal, maybe little on the melodic side but still brutal. Been blasting title track and "Death to the World" very much.
Best song: Phantom Antichrist and Death to the World

8. Manowar - The Lord of Steel (Heavy Metal) 98/100
I enjoy this album. I don't care if songs are simple or "lacking imagination", good generic heavy metal the way I like it. Hammer edition wins the final version.
Best song: Touch the Sky

9. Happy Days - Cause of Death: Life (Black Metal) 97/100
Happy Days is the best song of 2012. Other great tracks include "Broken", "No Point in Living", "Heroin Is Good for You", "No Solution" and pretty much everything except "Abwärts (Freitod Cover)". Speech parts were kinda "eh", but the music after those... pure diamond.
Best song: Happy Days

10. Napalm Death - Utilitarian (Grindcore) 96/100
Some kick ass grindcore.
Best song: Fall on Their Swords

Disappointments
Rush - Clockwork Angels (Hard/Progressive Rock) 86/100
I expected better. It's still good but some songs are just like "listen-forget" numbers.
Best song: Headlong Flight

Carnal Demise - Carnal Demise (Death/Thrash Metal) 79/100
Random pick from library. "What is this, looks good." No, it wasn't. Some songs are pain to listen to.
Best song: Flatline Fever
_________________
That Finnish bastard.

Top
 Profile  
InfernoxDeath
Metalhead

Joined: Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:40 am
Posts: 454
Location: Singapore
PostPosted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 6:48 pm 
 

A list i consolidated late December

12: Panopticon - Kentucky
A great conceptual album from the one-man band with a few bluegrass elements amidst the atmospheric ambience of black metal

11: Funeral Whore - Step Into Damnation
It may sound generic, but there's quite a tinge of old school death metal that drawn me

10: Asphyx - Deathhammer
Legends. Yes another consider death/doom album from the Dutch veterans.

9. Make A Change.. Kill Yourself -Fri
Depressive, melancholic black metal that quite lives up to the elements of a good depressive black metal band

8. Swallow the Sun - Emerald Forest and the Blackbird
Being a long time fan of STS, this may not be the best from the band, but the songwriting on this album is superb.

7. Ex Deo - Caligvla
Maurizio Iacono's Italian heritage leads to this romanesque album, impressive, symphonic death metal that Spartacus would be proud of.

6. Year of the Goat - Angel's Necropolis
Like Ghost, YOTG is what I call, "unholy praise and worship".

5. Royal Thunder - C.V.I
Excellent female fronted band, sultry stoner/southern rock. Mlny Parsonz vocals nailed it as well.

4. Enslaved - RIITIIR
Muchly anticipated after "Axioma Ethica Odini", Enslaved once again pushed beyond the limits with another stellar progressive black metal release. Consistent.

3. Hour of Penance - Sedition
Album continues from the long line of massive brutality from Hour Of Penance since their debut, 'Disturbance"

2. Ne Obliviscaris - The Portal of I
A debut that won't go unnoticed. Excellent album of great diversity from down under. Progressive metal? Indeed.

1. Jess and the Ancient Ones - Jess and The Ancient Ones
Debut album forges the amount of talent each member has. Spellbinding release.
_________________
https://twitter.com/thoughtsovrobin
http://www.last.fm/user/InfernoxDeath

Top
 Profile  
XSpidercideX
Metal newbie

Joined: Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:43 pm
Posts: 200
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 12:00 am 
 

10. Screaming Savoir - Infinity
Chaotic, consistently good, symphonic black metal. Really good keys, riffs, melodies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo36UY5LsTU

9. Woods of Ypres - Grey Skies and Electric Light
A few AMAZING songs on this album. Really emotional, and amazing lyrics. The vocals are top notch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8ieVfyEdZs

8. Carech Angren - Where Corpses Sink Forever
Really cool orchestral symphonic black metal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hAZd9fM0FgM

7. Sonata Arctica - Stones Grow Her Name
Really fun album, some really good, catchy, and memorable songs. Definitely a highlight later in their career.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Y7BjuLM5U

6. Cannibal Corpse - Torture
Great effort form CC. Probably their favorite of mine to date.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24J5zejKXkk

5. Borknagar - Urd
Borknagar take the epic progressive nature of their music to the extreme. Some insane vocal melodies from Vortex are icing on the cake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMpoPuyRbIY

4. Desecresy - The Doom Skeptron
Extremely DARK and HEAVY sounding death metal. Just really deep vocals, great memorable riffs, and nice leads.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwjWB2NwCQU

3. Lord Mantis - Pervertor
Insanely depraved sounding vocals in thick blackened doom pummeling assault. This stuff is crazy and gets your adrenaline going and has a lot of groovy aspects. The riffs are relentless. Awesome for blasting in the car. Favorite tracks are #2 and #3, but the others are good too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS7FV8Ns2aw


2. Timor et Tremor - Upon Bleack Grey Fields
Like #1, this is about as epic and atmospheric as it gets for black metal. Very well executed and melodies that stick with you for days, leaving you wanting to return again and again. Some of the melodies are triumphant/victorious sounding like hard fought battle has just been won.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28v0fdjZYYY

1. Lunar Aurora - Hoagascht
Favorite black metal band... amazing atmospheric black metal with little touches of nature and synths that put you deep in the forest. This album grew on me throughout the year, found myself listening again and again. I love all the little melodic touches thrown into the epic massive sound of guitars and crashing drum sound, and the vocals are perfect. Best to listen LOUD!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rR-LfyCNrg


Last edited by XSpidercideX on Sun Apr 21, 2013 2:22 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Top
 Profile  
HeySharpshooter
Metalhead

Joined: Sun Sep 17, 2006 3:12 am
Posts: 447
Location: United States
PostPosted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 1:21 am 
 

10. Spawn of Possession- Incurso
Technical Death Metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlMsWdZtsB8
Another great album from Spawn of Possession. The production is the only weakness here: way too fucking slick and clean. However, composition wise, it's some of the bands best material.

9. Rahu- The Quest For the Vajra of Shadows
Raw Atmospheric Black Metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEQ08MVRyF0
Fantastic album from a brilliant Circle of Ouroborus side project. Mixes Burzum, Darkspace and Sargiest and creates soaring, beautiful, heavy and atmospheric Black Metal.

8.Plague Widow- Plague Widow EP
Brutal Technical Blackened Deathgrind(seriously)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AceI1jDGMq8
Just an incredibly awesome fusion of sounds and styles. Brutal and atmospheric at the same time. Really looking forward to more from these guys.

7. Putrevore- Macabre Kingdom
Old School Death Metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJIhXN42pIA
This band aint some Rottrevore worship act anymore. Now they are a vicious, brutal, skull-fucking nightmare mash-up of Old School Death Metal and even a few modern touches. Dave Rotten is a fucking BEAST.

6. Vattnet Viskar- Vattnet Viskar EP
Atmospheric Black Metal/Post-Sludge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVNxlyOVh1U
IMO, this is the best band out there doing this sound that a lot of people hate. I think they really nail it here: sounds like Neurosis playing Black Metal.

5. Wreck and Reference- No Youth
Drone/Sludge/Black Metal/Noise
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QR2tdKajlvY
This is one of those albums which just makes you wonder about other human beings... are people really this disgusted with humanity and themselves? Strong Swans influence, but also some Angelic Process, Sun O))), Neurosis and early Darkthrone.

4. Antediluvian/Adversarial- Initiated in Impiety as Mysteries split
Blackened Occult Death Metal(Antediluvian)/Technical Bestial Death Metal(Adversarial)
http://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcam ... rial-split
One of the best splits I have ever heard, if not THE best split ever. I prefer the Adversarial side, but both bands fucking kill it.

3. Muknal- Muknal demo
Blackened Occult Death Metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Uk0MOH7f3c
I am seriously head over-heels in love with this band and their sound. Murky, cosmic, demonic and cavernous. One of the most atmospheric and yet approachable Death Metal albums in a long time.

2. Charon- Sulfur Seraph(The Archon Principle)
Black Thrash/Blackened Occult Death Metal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9MUCXsPlpA
This was my top album of 2012 when the year ended. This album has everything: brutality, catchiness, atmosphere, energy, diversity and a little bit of originality. It slays so hard.

1. Vassafor- The Obsidian Codex
Blackened Occult Death/Doom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1-QIQboRt8
I technically discovered this album this year(2013), but if I had discovered it last year it would have been my AOTY. Imagine Antediluvian, Diocletian, Autopsy and Mitochondrion in a blender... and they even throw in some Sludge on one track. Diverse, atmospheric, active and completely unapproachable... in the best way possible. Be warned, this album is fucking DENSE.

Top
 Profile  
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Commisaur and 54 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

  Print view
Jump to:  

Back to the Encyclopaedia Metallum


Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group