HORSEBURNER - The Thief
SAVAGE MASTER - Myth, Magic and Steel
Monday, December 30, 2019
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
My 25 Best Metal Albums of 2018
"There are areas of music that are more compassionate, more tolerate, more open, more accepting and more aware. What I think I've done is destroy the myth that Heavy Metal bands don't have that capacity." -- Rob Halford.
What a doozy of a year it's been. I've personally seen the passing of an extremely important family member, the unfortunate loss of a great friend, a slight health scare of my father's, a trip to the hospital, and a whole riptide of ups and downs along the way in 2018, but thankfully music -- in this particular case, Metal/Hard Rock -- was there to help me cope, heal, grow, embrace, and enjoy whatever worries, woes or wonderment life tossed me. I kept this list to a rounded number of 25, so here's a healthy and shiny quarter of bands that I greatly appreciated this year:
#25: GRAVEYARD -- Peace. 7.8
Sweden’s GRAVEYARD announced a breakup in September of 2016, but thankfully for fans it didn’t last long and they returned with their terrific WITCHCRAFT-like Doom Rock on this year’s Peace. The lonely and sad guitar twines of “See The Day” show you this isn’t a hastily thrown together work, and the jittering guitar skips of “Walk On” kick things into the air with an awesome feel. Here’s to hoping this great group stays together so we as fans can reep the benefits of any more future musical goodies from the grave they might give us.
#24: BEHEMOTH -- I Loved You At Your Darkest. 7.9
Nergal and company returned this year doing what they’ve been so comfortably doing since the mid 90’s: spewing their dark, sinful and sacrilegious Black Death Metal for the masses. The production quality is top notch with this release and the ferocity is ever apparent. Nergal’s howling shouts and Inferno’s drumming keep things all hot and hellishly toasty. If I’m permitted one minor complaint here, (although it’s only a matter of two minutes difference) this album feels far longer than their last work, The Satanist, which is to date my favorite record from this pounding Polish presence. I’m not sure if that’s I Loved You At Your Darkest’s theme growing tiresome for me a bit on repeated listens, or perhaps the tempos and lengths of some songs, but I couldn’t shake that feeling. Still, there’s a lot to enjoy and bang your head and pump a fist to on this, their eleventh hellbent record. The furious thumping of “Sabbath Mater” and the rapid fire ruptures of “We Are The Next 1000 Years” give fans all they crave and then some.
#23: KHEMMIS -- Desolation. 8.0
At first, Desolation might seem a bit of a slow, maybe even marred listen, but make no mistake, this rad record surges. As good as it may be, perhaps “Bloodletting” wasn’t the best foot to lead off with, but it’s heavily evident by the follow-up “Isolation” KHEMMIS means business with their third full length release. I can’t help but make the comparison to a more Doom-y TRIVIUM with this band, try as I might. The chugging lo-fidelity notes of “The Seer” coupled with Phil Pendergast’s spectacular singing/screaming showcase how well-equipped this band is to lay wrecked many a new listener’s ears. Add in the exciting tempo change towards the end of the fiery album closer “From Ruin” and you’ve got yourself one damn fine Metal record. This album — and band in general — is a far skipped stone on the surface of a pond away from the typical Sludge Metal shore, but this relatively young Denver quartet has the entire sea ahead of them.
#22: DEAFHEAVEN -- Ordinary Corrupt Human Love. 8.0
The sad teardrop-drenched piano notes of “Me Without You” begin DEAFHEAVEN’s fourth full-length record, and by the time you’ve journeyed into the crashing guitar intro of “Honeycomb” you’ve already recognized that DEAFHEAVEN have done it yet again. Ordinary Corrupt Human Love takes the yearning of Sunbather and the growth of New Bermuda and combines it into what might be their most enjoyable album to date - it’s definitely their most accessible. The San Franciscan duo of George Clarke and Kerry McKoy strike their unique Shoegaze/Black Metal gold again with tracks like “Canary Yellow” and “Glint,” and it’s no wonder why this release will be on many a year end list - it’s an incredible, crushing and smooth listen.
#21. REBEL WIZARD -- Voluptious Worship Of Rapture And Response 8.0
This record is the oddball talented nerd in the back of the class for this list. Australia’s NKSV is something of a one man band that furiously fuses Black, Thash, Power and Speed Metal into a smoldering clusterfuck of energy and rage, but with the guitar skills and demon screams to make any doubters take demanded notice. “High Mastery of The Woeful Arts” is a corpse’s sonic blast from the grave and “Drunk On The Wizdom Of Unicorn Semen” (probably the best song title of 2018) starts with some beautiful and stunning guitar solo shredding until the fuse is lit with an erupting verse riff and a sound barrier-shattering shriek. This album must be heard to be believed.
You can’t replicate or try to duplicate the sweet Swedish Stoner Metal sound of GREENLEAF and god bless you if you tried to. It’s one thing for a band to be labelled a Stoner or Sludge Metal band but this great, talented and fun-loving group is far more than meets the eye. Consistency is the name of their game and with terrific tracks like album opener “Let It Out!” and my personal favorite “A Point Of A Secret,” you recognize and appreciate that you’re knee-deep in the Sludgy Swamps of Sweden’s Stoner Rock before you even look behind your back or begin to clean the mud off your boots. “We Are The Pawns” is a masterful look at the lo-fidelity groove movements of Stoner Rock with a wicked slow burn feel. While I’ll admit I didn’t adore Hear The Rivers as much as GREENLEAF's prior work, Rise Above The Meadows, it’s certainly an incredible and amazing record that needn’t be skipped over.
#19: SLEEP -- The Sciences. 8.2
The sonic Doom Metal titans ignited the excitement of fans everywhere when they released their comeback record, The Sciences, on the most obvious of dates: 4/20. What SLEEP accomplishes on The Sciences shouldn’t and won’t be overlooked: their first full length record since 1999’s legendary Dopesmoker has them not missing a single step, still bringing the loudest and distorted smoke-filled riffs for many an eager eardrum. “Marijuanaut’s Theme” is an instant and unmistakable classic, and the nearly 13 minute “Sonic Titan” reverberates with enough radical energy to rattle even the most familiar listener. The Sciences is a stacked blast of a listen with more than enough cosmic energy to catapult every fan of this tremendous Doom/Sludge trio into outer space.
#18: GOZU -- Equilibrium. 8.3
There’s something awesomely positive to be said about a band with thick and rough riffs that doesn’t take themselves too serious, and GOZU definitely sits comfortably in that chair. The deep, extra throat-y, yet cooling vocals of Marc Gaffney, the lasting and pummeling riffs by lead guitarist Doug Sherman, the sense of comedy danger with song titles such as the roarin' and rockin' “They Might Know Karate” - it all equals an excellent listening experience. If hard Rock was physical combat, GOZU would be a dramatic elbow drop from the top rope of a wrestling ring, and Equilibrium showcases them at their best.
#17: LUCIFER -- Lucifer II. 8.3
The sun baked guitar beginning of album starter “California Sun” places you in the motorcycle seat of a rockin’ ride through LUCIFER’s lush second album, Lucifer II. THE HELLACOPTERS’ Nicke Andersson joins vocalist/leader Johanna Sadonis to give this terrific record the 70’s Rock feel that perfectly pushes everything into high gear. “Dreamer” is a wonderfully rich and slower Rock canvas that Johanna paints with her vocals on a clinching chorus, and the Sludgy “Eyes In The Sky” slushes along awesomely with a guitar growl that’s balanced with Johanna’s siren singing until it suddenly breaks and double tempos halfway through for a quick and fun bridge. All in all, this is a great listen that I was very pleased with, as I expected I would be.
#16: SKELETONWITCH -- Devouring Radiant Light. 8.4
I’ve always adored SKELETONWITCH — Beyond The Permafrost is a personal favorite of mine — and in 2016 vocalist Adam Clemans (formerly VEIL OF MAYA, WOLVHAMMER) replaced Chance Garnette and this band was born anew. Devouring Radiant Light showcases this rebirthing as best it could, with a far stronger and more serious approach to their marvelous Melodic Black Metal. The instant I heard the early single and album opener “Fen of Shadows” it was all over, I knew this record would be something special. And special it is; the crying urgency of the guitars in “The Luminous Sky,” the clean tone’d beginning of “The Vault” that smolders into a churning ball of smoke by the time the ten minute epic has finished — it’s all the perfect potent dose for an any addict of amazing Black Metal and I cannot wait to see what this band deals up in the future. Some truly stunning, massive stuff to be heard here.
#15: JUDAS PRIEST -- Firepower. 8.5
Awfully hard not to expect any and every best of the year Metal list to include JUDAS PRIEST’s Firepower. This is the tremendous legends at the top of their game, sounding as if they’re still in their 20’s and it’s the early 80’s all over again. The thumping fury of the title track, the crunching barrage of “Evil Never Dies,” the remarkable surging riffs and chorus of “Rising From Ruins,” all equally amazing, but it’s the bubbling hot melody and tempo of my personal favorite “Never The Heroes” that made it not even a question that this record be destined for my favorites come the end of the year. Bravo, Rob and company. Metalheads around the world thank you for all you’ve accomplished and all the amazing gifts you’ve given us!
#14: STONED JESUS -- Pilgrims. 8.6
Hot diddly damn, am I a fan of STONED JESUS. This Ukrainian trio takes Stoner Metal to a higher (har har) elevated level, and they really shine with some unique grooves you really don’t hear all that often in this sub genre. Their fourth album, Pilgrims, starts off with a bumping number, “Excited,” which does its intended job before it tosses the creeping Stoner grooves of “Thessalia” at you, which has easily been one of my favorite songs of 2018 ever since the first time I listened to it. The midway mark of the album begins with “Feel,” a nine minute magical journey that begins with peaceful melodies you can’t shake even if you tried to until it erupts excitingly, “Do you know what I know? Do you see what I see? Do you feel what I feel? I just want to be me!” Such a spectacular record, that deserves to be heard again and again.
#13: GHOST -- Prequelle. 8.6
“Every day that you feed me with hate, I grow stronger” croons Cardinal Copia (aka Tobias Forge) on “See The Light,” and Prequelle is just the right record to ensure more of the world sees the light of GHOST. Truth be told, I wasn’t seeing the light on my first few listens. In fact, I considered it a disappointment, but with further repeated listens I realized I was being too stern in my expectations of what a GHOST album should be. The saxophone of “Miasma,” the upbeat almost Disco-tempo of “Dance Macabre” — it was an unexpected and unfamiliar punch to the gut. The instant appreciation I had for tracks like “Rats” and “Witch Image” would combine and meld with the songs I didn’t enjoy the more I listened to this record. While it might not have the brunt anger of Infestissumam, songs like “Pro Memoria” grew on me and I can now see why Prequelle has been nominated for two Grammy’s and garnered the band their most attention and success thus far — it’s a great album with a lot to offer the listener.
#12: RIVERS OF NIHIL -- Where Owls Know My Name. 8.7
Formed in Reading, Pennsylvania in 2009, this remarkable Technical Death Metal quintet lead by Jake Dieffenbach broke through the already wonderfully crowded Death Metal waters of 2018 in March with their third outstanding long release, Where Owls Know My Name. The perfect production of this record on display with the nearly nine minute morphing creature of a song, “Subtle Change (Including The Forest of Transition And Dissatisfaction Dance),” this beast briefly beginning acoustically before rage sets in — only to sooth you later on with keyboards, horns and calming melody — before inevitably gaining anger again and erupting with screams and a mind-blowing guitar solo towards the end like only RIVERS OF NIHIL can. “Terrestria III: Wither” sets you up for a non-vocal and quick machine-induced interlude, while the following “Hollow” yanks you back into the familiar territory of thriving, crushing vibes and a rapid beating pounce. Metal Injection gave this album a perfect 10/10 rating and one listen to it can easily see why — it’s a devastating beauty.
#11: CAULDRON -- New Gods. 8.7
CAULDRON is Canada’s clear cut offering for some of the crispest classic Heavy Metal sounds outside of America. From the beginning plasma blasts of “Prisoner of The Past” all the way through until the ending lashings of “Last Requests,” New Gods is an incredible Metal feature that fights off any bad vibes you might be having while offering fantastic head-banging material. Jason Decay’s dynamite vocals are extremely infectious and the equally incredible and cascading riffs of Ian Chains tag-teams every song on this great album, while drummer Myles Deck sets the pace perfectly. The haunting notes of instrumental “Isolation” almost reminded me of an extended hand-from-the-grave homage to the intro of PANTERA’s “Cemetary Gates.” It’s over somewhat quickly with the record clocking in at a fast forty minutes, but by then the lasting excellent effects of “No Longer” and album apex “Letting Go” have well taken over, begging for repeat listens. I loved this album and I can't imagine anyone not feeling similarly.
#10: CASTLE -- Deal Thy Fate. 8.8
If you take only one thing away from my best of the year list, let it be this: the fact that I had to put this amazing album here is a true testament to how much tremendous Metal was released in 2018. There’s been many a year where this record would strongly sit atop my list, and I wish it could be that way now. Regardless, this cryptic San Franciscan duo tosses a total of nine magnificent matches (songs) into a casket filled with fuel to create this terrific and explosive Doom/Sludge album, the fifth from them. Liz Blackwell’s beautiful and haunting vocals lend perfectly to Mat Davis’ guitar work, creating some spectacular and dark Occult Rock. The riveting and radical Masque of The Red Death-inspired “Red Phantom” is a phenomenal number sure to jumpstart even a corpse’s heart, while the following album-ending “Firewind” has haunted me and remained one of my favorite songs of the year since I’ve had the pleasure of first hearing it. Bravo, CASTLE, and thank you!
#9: IRON VOID -- Excalibur. 8.8
Once disbanded in 2000 and then reformed anew eight years later by main member Jonathan “Sealey” Seale, this terrific UK Doom trio has crafted what I consider their best work yet with this collection of nine songs that pay respect of the highest caliber (caliber...sorry, I had to) to legends like SAINT VITUS and BLACK SABBATH, while terrifically telling the medieval tale with monstrous and crunching down tune’d riffage. “Lancelot of The Lake” is a skipping and beautifully layered Doom serving, while “Forbidden Love” lays as a slower, familiar Doom chop that doubles tempo halfway through in such a fantastic fashion it would make PENTAGRAM proud. Toss in an awesome solo here and there and an outstanding apex of a track with the over seven minute captivating monster “The Death of Arthur” and you’ve got yourself IRON VOID’s marvelous masterwork.
#8: SLUGDGE -- Esoteric Malacology. 8.9
Lancashire, England’s SLUGDGE slapped and slimed me out of nowhere sometime in October when I stumbled onto their March record, Esoteric Malacology. How had I not heard of this band? I instantly felt a guilt for that and began browsing and blasting their back catalogue of three other outstanding Progressive/Technical Death Metal works, besides this current year’s release. Originally formed as a duo by guitarist Kevin Pearson and vocalist Matthew Moss, SLUGDGE is spectacular entity all their own with unmistakable artistic album covers and technical instrumentation that honestly dwarfs a lot of current Death Metal bands nowadays. There is spectacular skill in the baseline and guitar notes of the seven minute “Crop Killer” and the following “The Spectral Burrows” is perhaps the best 1-2 punch duo of songs I’ve heard off any album this year. These songs are something of a warning of mankind’s threat to the Earth and the result of our carelessness with Mother Nature, and that message comes through clearly with an appropriate severity displayed in rapid guitar fretting, bumping bass lines, drastic and crisp drumming, and chillingly sung vocals. The nine minute “Salt Thrower” feels like a gigantic slug slowly gaining power through our waste, ready to wreak havoc. Esoteric Malacology is an exciting album and I’m so glad I caught glimpse of this great group when I did - better late than never.
#7: YOB -- Our Raw Heart. 9.0
Beginning beautifully and setting a tone to get lost adrift a sea of enticing and forlorn melodies, "Ablaze" starts off this outstanding eighth recorded work from the terrific trio known as Oregon's own YOB. The following track off this album then abruptly cuts into dangerous and choppy waters, "The Screen,” shows a slow-churning tidal wave of Doom, and such is this mesmerizing album by Mike Scheidt and company. “Lung’s Reach” is a calming few moments of peace and buildup to what I consider the apex of the record, the sixteen and a half minute “Beauty In Falling Leaves.” The title of this amazing album couldn’t be any more apt, it’s their raw heart available for this listen - and what a captivating listen it is.
#6: UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS -- Wasteland. 9.0
The placement of Wasteland and YOB’s Our Raw Heart practically being a game of musical chairs in my mind, it became a random toss-up when decision time came for who gets 6th and 7th rank on this list of mine. The intro samples and white noise that leads directly into the surging beat and striking melody of UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS' “I See Through You” almost a harkening back to Blood Lust’s “I’ll Cut You Down,” my personal favorite of theirs. The lurking and continually creeping riff of “No Return” sounding something like a serial killer’s warning to his victims while he stalks them, and by the third track you’ve already realized this is the Cambridge, England's group sounding just as good, if not better than ever. The terrific title track a stunningly beautiful acoustic ode that swoons you and croons, “The elders alone decided, it was better to die, than to lose.”
#5: HAUNT -- Burst Into Flame. 9.1
I won’t stop singing praises for HAUNT, even if you paid me. This fantastic Fresno, California quartet captured my excitement with their excellent Luminous Eyes EP in late December of last year, and they’ve been beating down the path of fiery fury ever since. HAUNT displays some of the most marvelous guitar work - these radical riffs are such a terrific and welcomed throwback to the classic Heavy Metal flavors of IRON MAIDEN, and
spectacular songs like "Crystal Ball" hypnotize with fretboard arpeggios and rising tensions to satisfy even the most seasoned spectator of Metal shredding. “Heroes” is an incredible tribute to fallen soldiers with one of the most dazzling opening riffs you'll hear this side of DRAGONFORCE, and “Frozen In Time” remains one of my favorite tracks of 2018, with it’s captivating guitar-fronted melodies and easy to enjoy lyrics. HAUNT is a flawless Metal monster that’s growing stronger with every song and I’ll be here to cheer them every step of the way.
#4: HIGH ON FIRE -- Electric Messiah. 9.2
Matt Pike is god; you know it, I know it, even dogs know it. 2018 might’ve been awful for a lot of reasons but musically it was practically a miracle because we were gifted not only a new SLEEP album, but a new HIGH ON FIRE album also -- when is the last time that happened? I thoroughly enjoyed 2015’s Luminiferous (wow, it's been that long?!) and topping that album would seem a feat almost impossible for anyone other than HIGH ON FIRE. Lo and behold, here comes Electric Messiah - Pike’s homage to MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy. Right from the beginning, you’re getting hurled into the seat of a bustling electric chair with the speedy “Spewn From The Earth,” and by the time you’ve reached the title track two steps down your flesh is already smoking and your veins are coursing with wicked, surging circuitry. The stomping of “Freebooter” remains my favorite cut from the album, but it’s the final “Drowning Dog” where Pike and crew channel one of their most memorable numbers, “Snakes For The Devine” - a cascading and ridiculous riff that blends with the other notes magically, toss in some spectacular lyrics and you’ve got an instant classic as far as I’m concerned. Electric Messiah equals another exciting and extraordinary musical ball of fire that adds to the legacy of HIGH ON FIRE.
#4: ARCHITECTS -- Holy Hell. 9.3
"Beyond my final heartbeat, I'll dismantle piece by piece. And I will know that death is not defeat." You’d imagine a band that’s been through four line-up changes, switched up styles on 8 different full length albums within 14 years, and had to deal with the unfortunate passing of a key member would be weathered and worse for the wear. But this is not the case with UK’s amazing Metalcore act, ARCHITECTS. It’s typical and seen so often where a band’s new release is considered their most emotional and heartfelt, but in the case of Holy Hell it actually and truly is. This band has been through hell and the remarkable songwriting from it can be easily heard on epics like “Doomsday,” “Dying To Heal,” “Damnation,” and my personal favorite, main single “Hereafter.” You can practically feel the swollen lumps of loss in vocalist Sam Carter’s screams as they drench over the vibrations of the guitar and rhythm section. An astonishing listen, even for people that might not appreciate the Metalcore genre.
#2: THE OCEAN -- Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic. 9.8
The ocean is often calming yet awfully chaotic in a moment’s notice and the band THE OCEAN COLLECTIVE is absolutely no different. Pelagial, Anthropocentric, Heliocentric, and Precambrian: I place all these albums alongside classics like ISIS’ Celestial, NEUROSIS’ Through Silver In Blood, KYUSS’ Blues For The Red Sun, and countless other outstanding albums. Easily one of my top fifty favorite bands ever, THE OCEAN isn’t as much a band as they are a huge symphonic and sonic movement in time, and their albums aren’t as much collections of music as they are audible pieces of the history of the Earth. I’d literally been waiting years for a new release from the movement known as THE OCEAN and February saw the coming of a volume I in a two part album, Phanerozoic: I Palaeozoic, the second part (gulp) to be released two years from now in 2020. Yikes. This goes to show you exactly how much thought, care and attention goes into every sliver of music, every ounce of energy and every bit of detail with this group. I’d already almost guaranteed myself this would be my album of the year, even before first hearing it — more on that in a minute. “Cambrian II: Eternal Recurrence” is an eight minute epic that erupts with volcanic explosions of energy and instrument, and “Devonian: Nascent” is a breathtaking ballad that billows with brilliance. Lead composer and musician Robin Staps holds tight a vision that sounds more remarkable with each and every repeated listen. The only drawback to music of this magnitude is it’s not necessarily something you can just jump into for a few minutes and then jump out of to immediately hear something else; I could see it a bit difficult attempting to peg and get a grasp of this band with one or two songs and then moving on, but perhaps that builds into just how important these sounds are. A masterful, remarkable work of a record.
#1: TRIBULATION -- Down Below. 9.9
“Broken, the bones lie scattered. Dimly the torch is lit. There’s a snake coiling inside of you. There’s a reek that you emit.” Vocalist/bassist Johannes Andersson shrieks the first lyrics of “The Lament,” your introduction to TRIBULATION’s Down Below. This record was released the end of January and I must’ve stated ten or twelve times on social networks or just to anyone within ear's reach that the bar for album of the year had already been set almost unfairly high by this Gothic Death Metal quartet from Sweden. Down Below is the collection of ten mini cryptic orchestras that sounds like it was recorded in a cobwebbed-crowded catacomb by four skilled corpses somehow brought to life. You can feel the urgency and angst in songs like “Cries From The Underworld” and the documentation of depressing decay in “Nightbound.” I haven’t stopped listening to this astonishing album since its release in January, and I certainly don’t intend to any time soon. Once THE OCEAN dropped their Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic I juggled both of these albums as to which would and should rightfully be number one, and in the end it came down to a matter of accessibility and simple enjoyment; while Down Below might not carry the weight and importance of Phanerozoic, it catches the ear slightly better and it’s far easier to enjoy briefly, moderately or for however long your heart and ears desire. Basically, it’s a more fun and less dramatic sounding work of a record, if that makes any sense. Down Below brilliantly ends with the bittersweet epic "Come, Become, To Be" - a breathtaking final number that feels like the musical crossing over to another realm.
This list was 92% complete and written on December 5th, but unfortunately I had to wait for an idiot buddy to return my laptop he borrowed for work purposes for well over a week. I even attempted to edit and post it on my phone and then tablet later, to no avail - I apologize for the tardiness. This year was tremendous for Metal and hard music and putting together this list was as tricky a task as always, but I’m glad I did it and I’ll continue doing what I do in appreciating all that Rock/Metal has to offer with a grin on my face and devil horns in the air. Happy holidays everyone, and have a great new year! Cheers!
Tuesday, December 5, 2017
Seventeen Best Metal Albums Of 2017
Like the whispering whisk of the wicked winter wind, I descend into the venomous depths to put together a cold, purposeless list of the best Metal records of 2017, the year of our dark lord.
Notice I say Metal and not Rock records — I did not want to handle the extra burden of figuring out where I’d include Foo Fighters, cKy, QOTSA, Royal Thunder, etc, amongst these Metal favorites, much less any other genre of music (all the Bluegrass I’ve been listening to must’ve taken its toll). Yeah, that's most certainly some form of cop out, but this list was already dreadfully difficult to compile as is, and it's my list, my party, and I'll cry in the corner if I want to.
Also, if you think there’s a selection I might’ve missed or passed over, I can assure you that’s most likely not the case unless you’re speaking of some obscure release from a Black Metal band from Barbados. I purposely waited until the majority of websites and publications produced their best of lists to make sure I hadn't overlooked anything. I chose these selections because of the mark they made, impact they had on me, and quality of the record throughout.
17: OBITUARY — (self titled)
With death metal veterans Obituary, you've pretty much always received what you'd expect from them and their self-titled tenth album is no different. Since 1989 they've been hammer and chisel'ing their legacy into the monstrous, ever expanding stone of the Metal music monument, with some extended breaks here and there. While I might still consider their sophomore effort, 1990's Cause of Death, their greatest and most mature release, this collection of eleven tracks showcases them still at the top of their game with almost a renewed sense of life. Songs like A Lesson In Vengeance and Kneel Before Me give everything Obituary fans crave: crunchy downtuned riffs, wailing solos, beat breaks, and John Tardy's snarling scream. It can be a welcomed refreshment when such a heavy band doesn't take themselves too seriously, as displayed in their last few fun animated music video singles, such as 10,000 Ways To Die.
https://youtu.be/tEznVpX4MBE
16: In This Moment -- Ritual
I'll be blunt, I’ve loved and then loathed this band more than a couple of times to the point where I’ve now almost become grumpy with their existence and pessimistic with each of their releases. This very much was the case when I first heard Ritual, even remarking to a few friends how typical and forgetful the album was. But then in future listens to the record I realized they are now what they’ve always probably meant to become, and the music will either suit me agreeably or simply summon my scoff with its transparency and silliness. I detested the Phil Collins cover of In The Air Tonight (how dare they), but then really enjoyed Joan of Arc - which very much reminded me of the sound they had many years back when I first noticed them. Witching Hour is a wonderful work of a song which I incorrectly and quickly dismissed on first listen. The collaboration with the Judas Priest himself, Rob Halford, failed to affect me in any way other than indifference, but Roots might actually be one of my top five In This Moment songs. How can an album be so sporadically up and down for my tastes? I guess that’s become the good and bad pills I’ll have to swallow when listening to this band’s albums in the future and perhaps that’s my just medicine for my judgments.
https://youtu.be/zfTz83yQ8hU
15: Enslaved -- E
The beginning of Norwegian band Enslaved's fourteenth (yes, fourteenth, they've been around since 1991) studio album is the epic and equally entrancing Storm Son, which begins like a soft dream and ends like waking up from a nightmare, with a healthy runtime of just under eleven minutes. Listening to an Enslaved album can be equal parts exhilarating and exhausting because of the lengthy trip you'll take, but in their maturity they're showing how comfortable they've grown into their cold and soaked clothes. Song Sacred Horse begins with a few seconds of birds chirping and soft singing until out of nowhere you're hit over the head with heaviness, almost in the form of Opeth. I couldn't help but feel fantastically flustered with the album's end, a cover of fellow Norwegian dance pop group Röyksopp's What Else Is There? Altogether, a lot of marvelous Metal moments in E, and the veterans deserve all the acclaim and credit they're receiving because of it.
https://youtu.be/a-OD2p0LYpc
14: While She Sleeps -- You Are Us
This release from British metalcore band While She Sleeps flew under my radar for longer than it should have, seeing as it was crowd funded and then released in May of 2017. If you find yourself at all a fan of fellow Sheffield, England band Bring Me The Horizon — and I very much am — then I strongly suggest a listen to While She Sleeps and this record, You Are Us. The production is top notch, vocalist Lawrence Taylor has an equally exciting scream and singing voice, and any fan of this particular genre of metal will be as pleased as a pig in a punch bowl with the tempo changes, infectious choruses, and riveting riffage. The excellence of lyrics like, “Did you sell your soul to the headlines?” echoes perfectly when remembering the fire that the first listen of Steal The Sun stoked in me. For my two cents, the album hit its high note on Silence Speaks featuring friend Oli Sykes of BMTH — a tremendously developing track that I must’ve listened to fifty times by now.
13: Code Orange — Forever
The first three tracks of this second album from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s Code Orange somewhat lull you into believing this will be just another angry as hell, angst-filled metalcore album by the numbers. And sure, that would be all well and fine — especially considering they’re signed to Jacob
Bannon’s (front man of Converge) record label, Deathwish — but I felt like it’s after those beginning three tracks that the album really finds its footing and gains its momentum. Bleeding In The Blur has almost a punk film soundtrack feel (Code Orange started out as a punk band, in fact) and the remainder of the record including No One Is Untouchable is at both times heavy as an anvil dropped on your feet and as crunchy as a bowl of shredded balsa wood. Hurt Goes On somehow feels harder with hardly any noticeable guitar minus the chorus riff, and Ugly was the apex of the album for me: “Live like a loser, die like a king!!” Great stuff for all of the grimy, gindcore loving gremlins.
12: Elder — Reflections of A Floating World
Somewhere between The Sword and perhaps Porcupine Tree lies the energy of Elder. Reflections of A Floating World is the band at their most progressive and imaginative, for sure. Composed of six equally excellent songs, running the album length to a hair over an hour. Blind is an immersive thirteen minute Mastodon-esque ode and might be my favorite selection from the album. This record practically beckons the listener to light up a joint (or ten of them) and lay back and sonically wade through works of wonderful doom metal and traverse the space and time therein.
11: Electric Wizard -- Wizard Bloody Wizard
I've read the words "rote," "perfunctory," and "underachieving" used to describe the Wizard's newest outing, but in those same reviews you can bet the reviewer also castigated the band for not creating another Dopethrone (the band's magnum opus). For me, I don't feel like Electric Wizard wants or even needs to live up to any of their past records, they just want to make heavy, dark doom - and that's exactly what you'll get on their ninth release, Wizard Bloody Wizard. I'll admit, the single and album opener See You In Hell does get a tad on the tedious and tiresome side, but it's just the top piece of bread in this satanic sandwich of song selections. Maybe I'm too easy to please, but you can bet I'm banging my head to the riffs of Necromania and Wicked Caresses, enjoying this awesome album offering from a band I will always adore.
10: Marilyn Manson — Heaven Upside Down
"So fuck your Bible and your Babylon," Marilyn Manson spits to begin the skipping riff of Tattooed In Reverse, the second song on his tenth album which was to be somewhat cleverly named Say10, but then changed to Heaven Upside Down for whatever creative reasoning. I read that the title change was because of the last minute creative importance of the added three songs which end the record, and even if I hadn't known that tidbit I would've felt and recognized the difference in the album's flow towards its finish. While I do enjoy all of these songs to varying levels, I felt the record hit its stride on what would technically be the hump or the middle, with the three song trilogy of KILL4ME, Saturnalia, and Je$u$ Cri$i$. All considered, an awesome album with interesting bumps and bruises around its energetic epidermis.
9: Converge -- The Dusk In Us
Once I heard word that the Boston battalion, Converge, were set to drop their first album in five years, I was practically foaming at the mouth with anticipation. The Dusk In Us is a beautiful and bludgeoning bash to the brainstem. From the outstanding opening of A Single Tear to singles Under Duress and I Can Tell You About Pain, you relish a group that can do what these dudes do. The title track had me taken back in its slow and building momentum, and I feel like even the most casual listener of Metal would enjoy it. "Survival can be such a cruel, cruel curse!!" Frontman Jacob Bannon shrieks on Wildlife, yet this release is anything but cruel.
8: Pallbearer -- Heartless
Marching onward to this year's March release of Pallbearer's Heartless, but yet this album might have the most heart and emotion of all three of their full-length releases. This is still the sludgy, riff-filled, classic doom metal that listeners have come to value from this mini Arkansas army of arbitrament, however, it's produced perfectly and shows maturity and development that at times stunned me. The eight minute escapade of Lie of Survival brings out Brett Campbell's beautiful singing alongside winding wails of crushing guitar notes and harmonizing something truly wonderful. Pallbearer produced my casket with their last album, Foundations of Burden, but Heartless placed me inside of it.
7: Kreator -- Gods of Violence
Good God, the Germans are back! The treasured and most tremendous European thrash metal band struck back again this year with Gods of Violence, and what can I say? They've been doing this since the early 80's with absolutely no sign of slowing or stagnation. From the album intro marching and drums of Apocalypticon, to the clean and soft guitar tone beginning of album ender Death Becomes My Light, Gods of Violence leaves absolutely nothing more to be desired except perhaps a nap afterwards. Album single Satan Is Real is a perfectly placed fist to the ribs, and god, these riffs are crisp!
6: Iced Earth -- Incorruptible
Some of the best bread and butter, classic American metal has been coming from Florida's Iced Earth since the late 80's, albeit often under the radar of casual Rock/Metal fans and listeners. I haven't yet decided if Incorruptible is my favorite Iced Earth record to date but I'll be damned if this band doesn't get better with age. Raven Wing begins with a beautiful and beguiling acoustic intro only to have ferocious fire and finger fretting added to it until it hits the song's apex in form of a quick and frenetic bridge and ending riff. Incorruptible continues incredibly with the next track in a similar manner, The Veil: "My one and only, you won't be lonely when it's over," vocalist Stu Block stupendously serenades over crushing guitar and rhythm section. But it is on track Brothers where Iced Earth unearths what is very likely my favorite song they've ever crafted. Incredible song, incredible record, incredible band.
5: Zeal And Ardor -- Devil Is Fine
"Burn the young boy, burn him good" Manuel Gagneux hauntingly chants on In Ashes, the second song on the spectacular and spooky Devil Is Fine. If I was to give one album off of this best of 2017 list to a random person who couldn't care less about Metal for the sole purpose of astonishing them, it would be this. Devil Is Fine is a wild mix of Black Metal, electronic, and African American fusion that sounds like the souls of slaves released with instruments and anger to wreak revenge. Practically a one man band fronted by the Swiss Gagneux, this freshmen effort has had the Metal community abuzz since it's release way back to the end of February and it's easy to understand why. As unique as it is important and incredible.
4: Trivium -- The Sin And The Sentence
The sky is the limit for Matt Heafy's Trivium as they terrifically traverse the terrain of Progressive and Speed Metal. If this band hasn't become familiar to you yet you need only but give it little time before you're acclimated with their amazing sound. Every track a special spectacle of shredding from the title track album-opener, to the outstanding bombardment of Beyond Oblivion, to the single Heart From Your Hate, and so forth and so on. Very little is needed to be said for an album, and more so a band, that isn't already expressed through it's monumental music and mammoth status.
#3: Mutoid Man -- War Moans
Confession: I've listened to no band's material more this year than Mutoid Man and I still find myself needing more and not getting enough of them. Partial blame (and shame) for this fact being that I had not yet been aware of the wonders of this tremendous trio, consisting of guitarist/vocalist Stephen Brodsky of band Cave In, and dominating drummer Ben Koller of Converge fame (making this his second appearance on my favorite of 2017 list). From the punk pounce of opener Melt Your Mind, to excellently heart breaking ode and album ender Bandages, this is something special and otherworldly. Sprinkle in Kiss of Death, Date With The Devil, Irons In The Fire, etc,
and you have a feature that's equally fun, frantic and fantastic. I was mentally and audibly infected with the chorus of Headrush: "Flipped upside down, flipped upside down for your looove," for longer than I'd care to mention. Bravo, boys.
#2: Mastodon -- Emperor of Sand
Even all the way back at the end of March and immediately upon my first listen, I simply knew the mighty Mastodon was to have the best album of the year. It was to be, it should've been. More on that in a minute...
Make no mistake, this is a future Hall of Fame band and this will be known as one of the records that broke them into widespread Metal mass appeal, and perhaps nothing is more deserved for these four phenomenal musicians. From the opening chimes of Sultan's Curse with tenacious Troy Sanders belting out "Tired and lost, no one to trust - who is there to give the push?" any and every Mastofan automatically knows they're in for yet another remarkable ride. Brann Dailor with his furious fills, showcasing why he's widely regarded as one of the greatest drummers alive, and Brent Hinds' masterwork up and down the fretboard is the atomic bomb of awesome that has been as colossal since their breath of life with 2002's Remission. It's such a gift to be alive to listen to this musical journey these four men are taking, and frankly, fuck any Metal-head snob quick to belittle and demerit the band for any popularity they might gain or musical maturity they might move to. Period.
#1: Cloak -- To Venomous Depths
Awestruck, dumbfounded, flabbergasted; quite literally none of these adjectives perfectly describes my immediate reaction to at least the first ten listens of the first album from Atlanta, Georgia's Cloak. If you were to try and tell me I would place an unknown band's freshman feature above one of my top ten favorite band's veteran yet excellent efforts, I would suggest you ease back on the booze or drugs or just do more of both. Truth is, I could have all the page space in the world to describe to you why this nine song LP eclipsed and prevailed over any and everything musical this year for me, but it wouldn't make a lickety split of difference as much as you listening to it yourself might. Goliath guitar work, long intros with even longer and winding yet explosive evolutions, dark and doomy subject matter and vocals, and the omnipresent overall brooding mood of a brutal song until it's captivating climax? This is everything I adore about Metal, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Ending interlude Passage leads hauntingly into the captivating closer Deep Red. To Venomous Depths is the musical equivalent of a coven of cursed witches escaping a flaming crypt, and that's that.
Thanks for reading, folks. Happy holidays and a nice New Year to you.
-Castle
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