It’s obviously incredibly late to be listing my favorite albums from a year that’s been over for almost two months now, but nonetheless, I had to get this post done for pure catharsis sake. I’ve been busy with various projects and haven’t had time to devote to the site in a while. Honestly, this list looks like crap format-wise and probably doesn’t make any sense, but I had to get it done and posted to get that weight off my shoulders and move forward with new stuff for the blog. If you see something on there that sounds interesting, look em up, and if you can’t find any info, message me on Facebook and I’ll link you to their music. Enjoy!
1 Saint Vitus – Lillie: F-65
This is one of the few albums I heard last year that truly is perfect all the way through. Though the album only has five real songs, each one of those songs is one of the greatest Saint Vitus have ever written. I think part of my obsession with this album is because it only has five actual songs, so there isn’t much to take in, and also because I’ve seen all five of those songs played live twice this year and every one of them sound WAY better live than they do in the studio.
2 Napalm Death – Utilitarian
The best grind album of 2012, and possibly one of the best of their career. Every song on here is laden with hooks, but also some incredible blasts of grind fury. Napalm Death have once again claimed their crown of best grind band ever.
3 baroness – yellow and green
This record was my favorite of the year for a while until the very end, honestly. It’s completely different from every other album they’ve ever put out and both discs are a rollercoaster of badassery, without question.
4 converge – all we love we leave behind
The heaviest hardcore band on the planet got heavier and more ridiculous.
5 overkill – the electric age
This album, along with Royal Thunder, was my biggest surprise of the year. I knew Overkill would come out swinging for the fences, because that’s what thrash metal icons do, but I had no idea they’d knock the cover off the ball like they did with this record.
6 christian mistress – possession
I normally don’t dig female vocalists much, but this band is the major exception to the rule. Heavy as balls riffs, coked-up rock n’ roll fury and songs catchier than Jerry Rice in Super Bowl XXIII.
7 testament – dark roots of earth
Testament are one of my favorite thrash bands of all time and this record just goes to show that they still have it. Native Blood might be my favorite song all year.
8 pallbearer – sorrow and extinction
This is one of the greatest doom albums I’ve ever heard, without question. Riffs so heavy they’ll knock the fillings out of your teeth.
9 graveyard – lights out
People always talk about how rock n’ roll is dead, but if they’ve ever heard these Swedish monsters, it’s obvious that rock n’ roll is VERY much alive.
10 royal thunder – cvi
Incredibly bad ass bluesy, southern rock n’ roll. I hadn’t listened to them much prior to this year, so this album would have to be my biggest surprise of the year, without question.
11 deftones – koi no yokan
I haven’t heard a Deftones album since Self Titled that I wasn’t obsessed with, and Koi No Yokan was no exception. They have once again incorporated beautiful vocals and atmosphere with seven-string riffs that kill, and a powerful rhythm section. I would say this is definitely one of the best albums of their career, without question.
12 torche – harmonicraft
Any time Torche puts out a new album, they seem to unleash something new upon the world. With Harmonicraft, they somehow managed to include, ridiculously heavy, signature Torche riffs with elements of arena rock and pop punk. Fantastic driving album.
13 neurosis – honor found in decay
Neurosis have released yet another album that sounds like Neurosis, but doesn’t resemble any other album in their back catalog. It’s one of those albums that has so many elements in it, that you hear something new on each spin, and it can’t be classified under any real genre because it just sounds like Neurosis and not much else.
14 horseback – half blood
2012 was definitely the year of Relapse Records. One reason is because of bands like Horseback who completely pushed beyond genre limitations to create one of the sickest psychedelic rock albums ever. It’s got occasional black metal vocals sung over soothing, trippy, bass-driven rhythms that just melt my heart.
15 pig destroyer – book burner
I am a pretty big fan of Pig Destroyer, but upon hearing Book Burner, I became much more obsessed with them. This record has all of the elements that make them great, but they also added Adam Jarvis from Misery Index on drums, which took them to a completely new stratosphere of heavy.
16 conan – monnos
Words can’t express how disgustingly heavy this album is. It’s got the hugest, fattest tones i’ve ever heard on a doom album. These guys are the Yokozuna of British doom metal.
17 meshuggah – koloss
Meshuggah are one of my favorite bands on earth, so it wasn’t surprising how good their new record was. What did surprise me, however, is how they were able to slow it down and change their pace just enough to avoid sounding like they were ripping off the genre they unintentionally created.
18 cattle decapitation – monolith of inhumanity
I’ve always had respect for this band, but this is the first album of theirs that really blew my doors off. It’s got all of the usual brutal death/grind riffs going on, but the real star of the show is Travis Ryan’s version of clean vocals, which consists of disgusting, undead howls.
19 liberteer – better to die on your feet than live on your knees
When I first heard this album, I was completely floored. The stunning mix of HM2 death metal with grindcore and civil war type passages is absolutely crushing.
20 asphyx – deathhammer
This album is part two of Martin Van Drunen’s brutal death metal assault in 2012. It sounds like an Asphyx record, obviously, but with the fantastic production of the record, it’s helped them continue to reign as one of the heaviest bands on the planet.
21 black breath – sentenced to life
The cool thing about this band is the fact that they took a style like old school Entombed-style death metal that’s very old and familiar, and they added their own hardcore influence to make it even more intense and pummeling. This is a perfect mosh-pit album.
22 municipal waste – the fatal feast
At this point, it’s very easy to lump Municipal Waste in with the 80′s thrash bands as one of the best thrash bands of all time. Their new record continues that legacy with a ton of awesome thrash/punk anthems, as well as an appearance by John from Nuclear Assault which rules.
23 corrosion of conformity – corrosion of conformity
This is the first COC album in forever without Pepper on guitar, and in my opinion it’s one of their best. The mix of their doomy rock n’ roll era with their hardcore punk/thrash roots is just delicious.
24 incantation – vanquish in vengeance
This is another album that caught me by complete surprise. It’s an old school death metal album, but it’s also got a lot of slow, devastating doom riffs that add an extra 100 lbs to their already insanely heavy death metal.
25 pilgrim – misery wizard
In my review of this record, I stated that this band is like the football team that wins by running the ball up the middle and playing violent defense. The reason I said that is because this album is a slow, plodding, thick slab of doom that rarely changes pace and beats you to death every step of the way.
26 grave – endless procession of souls
I’m obviously a sucker for old school death metal and Grave are one of my favorite bands of the genre. This new record is just another gory chapter in their fantastic discography.
27 grand magus – the hunt
This album caught me by complete surprise with how catchy it is. It’s got a lot of heavy, bone-crushing riffs, as well as some epic Norse-themed lyrics, and it’s impossible to not headbang to.
28 the sword – apocryphon
I’ve always been a big fan of this band, and this record is another flawless part of their discography. It’s got all the foot-stomping classic rock/doom influence, as well as the cool sci-fi element that makes them continue to be interesting.
29 enslaved – riitir
Enslaved are a band that has been able to continually change and progress over the years, and with this record, they brought that progression to it’s highest peak yet. The vocals on this album are much cleaner than on previous records, which actually gives it a bit of beauty at times.
30 inverloch – dusk subsides
This band was formed in the ashes of dISEMBOWELMENT, and they picked up right where they left off. Slow, plodding funeral-esque passages lead to huge, monstrous doom riffs and back to a crawl again. It’s a shame this album wasn’t a full length, because it is truly intense.
31 paradise lost – tragic idol
Though they are a legendary British doom band, Paradise Lost have taken on a much stranger tone with their newer albums, but I love it. The biggest thing for me was the hooks all throughout this album, it’ll stay with you for MANY days after you hear it.
32 down – down iv part 1 purple ep
With this first of four EP’s, the boys from Nola seem to have gotten in touch with their Saint Vitus influence and I couldn’t be happier. I just hope the next three EP’s sound this awesome.
33 dying fetus – reign supreme
2012 was an amazing year for brutal death metal, particularly when a band like Dying Fetus comes out with a back-to-basics death metal album full of the slams and monstrous blast beats their fans know and love them for.
34 norska – norska
Though this album is a reissue, it was one of the finest doom albums I’ve heard all year thanks to their incredibly creative riffs. These guys definitely offer up a fresh take on a genre that is sometimes lacking in the freshness department.
35 unsane – wreck
Some people call Unsane noise rock, but it’s more than that. It’s a heavy, groovy, bruiser of an album. Chris Spencer’s voice is also incredibly grating and it never gets old to me.
36 prong – carved in stone
Tommy Victor perfected the art of “groove metal”, and when you hear this album, you’ll understand why. The man can also still write a hook like nobody’s business.
37 bison bc – lovelessness
Though these guys are a mix of stoner metal and Mastodon, they have managed to progress more and more with each album, culminating in one of the best albums of their career. This is another album that’s great for drinkin heavily and drivin fast.
38 ihsahn – eremita
The former Emperor main man has always managed to stay ahead of the curve as far as prog metal goes. “Eagle And The Snake” is one of my favorite songs of the year.
39 Nile – At The Gates Of Sethu
Another burly, technical, semi-eerie slab of Egyptian death metal from the only band in America that knows how to do it.
40 The Faceless – Autotheism
Definitely a change of pace for these guys from their previous albums due to a new vocalist, but still just as proggy and brutal as ever, with a touch of Opeth for good measure.
41 Grand Supreme Blood Court – Bow Down Before The Blood Court
One of the loudest albums I’ve heard all year. Seriously, it’s impossible to turn it up very loud without blowing out your ear drums. It’s brutal, old school death metal featuring current and former members of Asphyx.
42 Kreator – Phantom Antichrist
This album features a legendary German thrash band doing what legendary German thrash bands do…playing fast, infectious thrash metal.
43 Katatonia – Dead End Kings
This album is absolutely gorgeous at times. It seems that this album is quite a bit more melodic than previous records, and they also don’t sound like Chevelle anymore, thankfully.
44 Murder Construct – Results
Absolutely bloody grind/death metal from members of Pig Destroyer, Intronaut and more. Fast and violent win the race.
45 A Life Once Lost – Ecstatic Trance
This is their first new album in a while, but stylistically, they are just as nuts as ever. The manner in which they layer a crap-ton of awesome solos and leads over a huge, monstrous groove is just amazing to me.
46 haarp – Husks
These guys are one of the best bands going in New Orleans these days, so it’s not a surprise that this album is awesome. What did surprise me, however, was the fact that it only has three songs…three very long, brutal, depressing songs.
47 Bereft – Liechenhaus
This band features current and past members of bands like Intronaut, The Faceless and Abysmal Dawn, so I didn’t know what to expect from them style-wise. The end result is a ten-ton mountain of soul-crushing doom.
48 Nachtmystium – The Silencing Machine
The boys from Chicago broke away from the Meddle theme of their last two albums and went back to making hateful black metal. The results are exactly what you’d expect, only a little better due to better production, as well as a still-lingering Floyd influence.
49 High On Fire – De Vermis Mysteriis
Matt Pike is a complete monster, plain and simple. When you combine his amazing songwriting abilities with Kurt Ballou’s incredible production, good things are bound to happen.
50 Burning Love – Rotten Thing To Say
I listened to this album because their singer is Chris Colohan from Cursed. I fell in love with it because of their hardcore-punk mentality with some rock n’ roll thrown in for good measure.
51 Cannibal Corpse – Torture
If you have ever heard Cannibal Corpse, then you know what this album sounds like. Brutal lyrics and an uncompromisingly punishing form of death metal have been their calling card for 20 years.
52 Car Bomb – w-^-w-^^-w-^-w
This album reminds me of a mixture of Dillinger and Meshuggah, but at times fastier and groovier and a little more insane.
53 Castle – Blacklands
This album has a bit of a thrash metal influence, but it’s tuned way down and has a cool doom-rock vibe to it.
54 Bell Witch – Longing
Very emotionally-draining, super intense funeral doom. It’s made by just two guys, but you sure can’t tell due to the intense, soul-eviscerating riffs.
55 Horrendous – The Chills
Many bands try to sound like Entombed, few manage to pull it off the way these guys do. I’m a big fan of old school death metal, and apparently these guys are too, because this record could have come out in 1991, easily.
56 Angel Witch – As Above, So Below
I’m so glad that these guys got a real record label, because the production on this album is amazing. Music-wise, it’s exactly the kind of old school, epic metal you’d expect from one of the O.G. NWOBHM bands.
57 Candlemass – Psalms For The Dead
Epicus. Doomicus. Metallicus. This is supposedly their last album, and it’s got all of their typical bells & whistles to leave fans with a good taste in their mouths.
58 Pelican – Ataraxia Taraxis
Though this isn’t really the Pelican I’ve grown to love, I think I can appreciate what they were going for with this Ep. It’s way more rock n’ roll than their previous albums to say the least.
59 Dawnbringer – Into The Lair Of The Sun God
The only genre I could really give this album would be “heavy metal”. It’s throwback, epic metal with classic rock vocals, basically.
60 Gaza – No Absolutes In Human Suffering
It seems these guys get angrier and nastier with every album. At this point, they remind me of a hardcore band who tried to make technical death metal.
61 Gojira – L’Enfant Sauvage
I assumed that signing to a huge label would ruin these guys, but it actually made their unique brand of groovy, technical metal even heavier and more preposterous.
62 D.I.S. – Becoming Wrath
The letters in their name means destroyed in seconds, which is kind of a fitting band name for this incredibly mean-spirited mix of black metal, death metal and hardcore.
63 Cryptopsy – Cryptopsy
They finally got back to making violent, dizzying technical death metal, and it paid massive dividends.
64 Hooded Menace – Effigies Of Evil
A very cool mixture of death and doom metal, with a dash of horror samples to make it even more terrifying.
65 Swans – The Seer
This album was almost too much for me to take in due to it’s length. It’s not really metal by the standard definition, but it’s the kind of sprawling, gorgeous album that is very rewarding when you let it sink in.
66 Anaal Nathrakh – Vanitas
Loud and abrasive would be the operative words to describe this album. It’s blackened death metal with a sprinkle of weirdness.
67 Evoken – Atra Mors
Slow, plodding, depressing funeral doom. The perfect album to listen to while walking through the woods at night.
68 Dysrhythmia – Test Of Submission
Brain-rattlingly technical instrumental metal. Colin Marston knows how to make instrumental metal not boring.
69 Ancestors – In Dreams And Time
Very dreamy, sludgy post-metal. Great music to sleep to.
70 Daylight Dies – A Frail Becoming
A nice mixture of doom and death metal. It could be said that this is what Opeth should sound like these days.
71 Spawn Of Possession – Incurso
Insane, technical death metal. They seriously cram like 5,000 riffs into each song. Incredibly brutal.
72 Fight Amp – Birth Control
This album is also very hard to classify. I would say they are like Torche, but with maybe a bit more of a Jesus Lizard influence.
73 Evocation – Illusions Of Grandeur
More old school death metal that uses the crap out of the HM-2 pedal. Incredibly heavy and awesome.
74 Dragged Into Sunlight – Widowmaker
A nice, depressing, terrifying mixture of death and doom, but it’s more like the soundtrack to a serial murder, honestly.
75 Agalloch – Faustian Echoes
One twenty minute song of melodic, gorgeous, Agallochian black metal.
76 Gypsyhawk – Revelry And Resilience
Upbeat, throwback rock n’ roll just the way I like it. They have an amazing Rick Derringer cover on here as well.
77 Samothrace – Reverence To Stone
This album has just two songs, but both of them are thick, depressing and heavy as hell doom.
78 Kowloon Walled City – Container Ships
Very sludgy metal that’s hard to define, but they remind me of bands like Torche that have a rock n’ roll influence mixed in with doom.
79 Mutilation Rites – Empyrean
Very dense black metal, but also got elements of crust and thrash to keep it interesting.
80 Aborted – Global Flatline
Brutal Swedish goregrind/death metal with some…creative song titles. This record also has some cool guest vocalists like Trevor Strnad of Black Dahlia.
81 Old Man Gloom – NO
This album wasn’t as awesome as I initially thought it’d be, but when it hits the heavier songs, it definitely brings enough thunder to make up for the slower parts.
82 Chrome Waves – Chrome Waves
Can’t decide if this album is black metal or not, but it’s definitely fast, chaotic and intense. Stavros from Atlas Moth does an insane job on the vocals, the most unique part of the album.
83 Ram – Death
Traditional heavy metal in the vein of Judas Priest or Dio-era Sabbath.
84 Dethklok – Dethalbum III
Their last album was incredibly boring, so I was shocked to hear how brutal this album turned out to be. Then again, anything with Gene Hoglan is going to be at least a little awesome.
85 Mares Of Thrace – The Pilgrimage
Very eerie stoner/doom similar to The Melvins, but with a lot of shred and a lot of very intense passages.
86 Wizard Rifle – Speak Loud Say Nothing
Spastic mix of garage rock and sludge metal. Reminds me of a more spastic version of Pissed Jeans
87 Enabler – All Hail The Void
An insanely fun mix of black metal, punk and hardcore.
88 Zombiefication – Reaper’s Consecration
Incredibly vicious old school death metal. They’re clearly fans of Entombed and Autopsy.
89 Sons Of Tonatiuh – Parade Of Sorrow
A raw mixture of sludge/doom and punk from Georgia, but they sound like a band you’d hear opening for Eyehategod or Crowbar in New Orleans.
90 Hour Of Penance – Sedition
Insane technical death metal, but unlike some bands who just wank it Necrophagist-style…they are more hellbent on speed than anything.
91 Unconscious Disturbance – Mind’s Corner
Creative progressive rock with a jazzy touch, as well as Human-era Chuck Schuldineresque vocals.
92 Antigama – Stop The Chaos
Straight up face-smashing, creative grind.
93 Acephalix – Deathless Master
Brutal old school death metal done the right way.
94 Aura Noir – Out To Die
Awesome mix of old school thrash and black metal. Very similar to Venom or Celtic Frost.
95 Tiamat – The Scarred People
An absolute classic from the old school progressive death metal band turned into semi-gothic doom metal stalwarts.
96 National Sunday Law – Festival Of The Horned God
Ridiculously crushing atmospheric doom. Nice, beautiful acoustic passages one minute, insanely heavy doom riffs crashing down the next.
97 Vaginal Bear Trap – Just The Tip
Incredibly catchy goregrind/death metal. Also, best band name ever.
98 Martyrdod – Paranoia
Blistering blackened crust punk/thrash.
99 Grave Disgrace – Grave Disgrace
Very obscure Russian sludge/stoner doom that I stumbled on randomly, but fell in love with.
100 Abigail Williams – Becoming
Surprisingly good, epic black metal. Definitely their best album.
February 24, 2013 | Categories: Uncategorized, Listomania, Albums Of The Year | Tags: deftones, torche, saint vitus, liberteer, asphyx, corrosion of conformity, napalm death, christian mistress, testament, baroness, pig destroyer, converge, meshuggah, neurosis, pilgrim, pallbearer, enslaved, overkill, black breath, conan, municipal waste, inverloch, cattle decapitation, royal thunder, horseback, grand magus, grave, the sword, graveyard, incantation | 2 Comments »
When the year began, I had high hopes that it would be full of some awesome metal releases from some huge bands and so far my expectations have been met. There have been some incredible albums dropped already this year and with new albums by Nachtmystium, Murder Construct, Pig Destroyer, Converge, Kylesa, Neurosis, and C.T from Rwake’s other band Iron Tongue as well as many other big bands still pending, the release schedule for metal albums coming out in the second half of the year could be incredible. Here are my favorite albums to come out this year so far and though they are in numerical order, nothing is really set in stone at this point.
25. Unsane – Wreck
Incredibly pissed off bluesy noise rock from New York. Saw these guys play most of this album at MDF X and they were incredible.
24. Black Breath – Sentenced To Life
A wonderful mixture of hardcore, punk, and death metal. They use the HM-2 Heavy Metal Pedal which takes an intense sound to new levels.
23. Municipal Waste – The Fatal Feast
These guys are arguably the best new thrash band on the planet right now. This album is their most creative yet and shows how talented they are.
22. Cannibal Corpse – Torture
These death metal legends have returned with a new album that helps maintain their brutal legacy of razor sharp brutality.
21. Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol
Paradise Lost are a legendary gothic doom metal band and this album is easily one of the best records they released in a decade.
20. Pilgrim – Misery Wizard
The style on this album is mega depressing doom and Pilgrim take their razor-sharp weapon and repeatedly bludgeon you until you submit.
19. Grand Magus – The Hunt
The album is an incredible mixture of rock n’ roll mixed with NWOBHM riffs and lyrics about Odin and Thor and other viking themes.
18. Asphyx – Deathhammer
This record is certainly one of the heaviest you’ll hear all year. It features a stunning amalgam of brutal death metal and crushing doom riffs.
17. Cattle Decapitation – Monolith Of Inhumanity
I’ve always been a sucker for awesome deathgrind and this album is absolutely incredible. The best part is Travis Ryan’s disgusting vocals.
16.Inverloch – Dusk…Subside
Formed from the remains of the mighty dISEMBOWELMENT, these guys pick up right where they left off with a funeral doom/death masterpiece of epic proportions.
15.Dying Fetus – Reign Supreme
Another incredible album from one of the most brutal death metal bands of all time. Definitely their strongest effort in years.
14. Corrosion Of Conformity -Corrosion Of Conformity
They are back as a three-piece and just as incredible as ever. This album perfectly blends both era’s of the bands legendary catalog.
13. Conan – Monnos
This album features what could only be considered one of the greatest tones of all time. A burly, doomy, stomper of an album for sure.
12.Horseback – Half Blood
While not metal at all, this album is incredibly heavy. Wonderful, trippy, psychedelic rock n’ roll with amazing vocals and alot of creativity.
11. Torche – Harmonicraft
The tone on this album is much more fun and upbeat than their previous albums. Their unique mixture of styles create a monstrous sound for the ages.
10.Meshuggah – Koloss
Though “Koloss” is much slower than their previous albums, it features the same kind of mechanical, brutal as hell, impossible to headbang along to riffs that have made them the stuff of legend.
9. Saint Vitus – Lillie: F-65
The greatest doom band on the planet have put out a new album with Wino for the first time in many years. Though it’s short, this album goes a long way in cementing their legacy as one of the truly great bands of all time.
8. Ihsahn – Eremita
The former leader of Emperor has put out nothing but stellar material thus far and this album is no exception. A wonderful mixture of so many musical styles it’ll make your head spin, there are alot of saxophone solo’s to increase the brutality.
7. Royal Thunder – CVI
With the release of their first full length, Royal Thunder play a blend of hard rock, blues, psychedalia, and southern rock that is second to none. There are so many incredible solo’s and riffs on this album that they could be confused with seasoned veterans.
6. Liberteer – Better To Die On Your Feet, Than Live On Your Knees
This album is the first 2012 release I heard that completely floored me. It’s grind, but it’s played with a swedish death metal type guitar tone and a Napalm Deathesque fury, but there’s also alot of other civil war themed sounds involved to make the most creative grind album of the year…or ever really.
5. Overkill – The Electric Age
Overkill are one of the best thrash bands on the planet and one that has risen above the odds and managed to stay relevant. This album is a beefy slab of in-your-face thrash metal and bonecrushing riffs and they have, one again, left their competition licking their boots.
4. Baroness – Yellow And Green
I know it’s not out yet, but believe me, this album is going to put a huge smile on your face if you let it. It’s got alot of their signature guitar riffs, but there are also alot of moments you’d never expect to hear on a Baroness album that give them a sort of indie vibe. Though it’s two discs and the songs rollercoaster between rockin and chilled out beauty, this record never once gets boring and you gain more with each listen.
3. Pallbearer – Sorrow And Extinction
If there’s a better doom album released this year, i’ll be shocked. This album has a huge sound, monstrous riffs, and an incredible amount of emotion. It’s got alot of elements of funeral doom mixed in and it grabs you by the balls as soon as the album starts and doesn’t let go until you’re six feet deep.
2. Christian Mistress – Possession
This album is definitely the ultimate beer drinking record of 2012 so far. I gave this record a perfect 10 in my review in Feb and I still stand by it. The riffs are furious and feature many excellent solo’s and general awesomeness, particularly Christine Davis’ whiskey soaked vocals.
1. Napalm Death – Utilitarian
I’m not sure if this album will stay in the top spot, but for now (and always) Napalm Death reign supreme. Most of my strong connection to it come from listening on the way to Maryland Deathfest and hearing alot of songs from it performed live, but despite that, you can’t deny how amazing this album is. It shows the world’s first and best grind band at the peak of their songwriting ability, it even features a sax part by John Zorn and vocals by Mick Harris that sound like Burton C Bell of Fear Factory at times. If this album doesn’t make you want to punch every human in a ten foot radius, you’re doing it wrong.
July 2, 2012 | Categories: Albums Of The Year, Listomania | Tags: asphyx, baroness, black breath, cannibal corpse, cattle decapitation, christian mistress, conan, corrosion of conformity, dying fetus, grand magus, horseback, ihsahn, inverloch, liberteer, meshuggah, municipal waste, napalm death, overkill, pallbearer, paradise lost, pilgrim, royal thunder, saint vitus, torche, unsane, yellow and green | 6 Comments »
I know that it’s a couple of days too late to review the best albums that came out this week, however, they are three solid releases and are worth checking out. Unfortunately January 2012 was a horrible month for music, but in February we’ll have new releases by Psycroptic, Goatwhore, Asphyx, Napalm Death, and a few other awesome bands to look forward to.
Liberteer – Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees 10/10
Liberteer is a one man grind project of Matt Widener of Cretin, Exhumed, The County Medical Examiners, and various other projects, and it is, needless to say, a complete monster. The record starts out with the sound of a match being lit and this leads into banjos and horns and a very epic build up that sounds like something you’d hear in an old Civil War movie, and then all hell breaks loose.
This album is mostly made of incredibly fast, intense, grind that would make Napalm Death blush, but unlike Napalm Death, they use a guitar tone more akin to the Swedish style of Entombed or Dismember, which rules. The other thing that really sets this album apart from all of it’s peers in the grind community, is the occasional smattering of horns, banjo’s, strings, and other instruments that you wouldnt normally hear on a grind record, but they are done so tastefully that they provide a reprieve from the brutality, but they elude that the battle is far from over and create an amazing vibe. The lyrical theme on this album is based on anarchy and they are just another layer onto this 7 layer dip of violence. My favorite part of this album is by far, the song “Sweat For Blood” which sounds like the perfect song to play during the credits of an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie where at least one character was impaled by a flag from an opposing country, but the best part is, that riff builds and builds and then eventually explodes into a full fledged Swedish attack on the song “Barbarians At The Gate”. Let us not also forget to mention that the main riff in “It Is The Secret Curse Of Power That It Becomes Fatal” sounds, at least to me, very similar to the song “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, i’m not sayin…just sayin.
I can pretty much guarantee that this album will be on my top albums of the year list when the year is over. Liberteer has everything you could want from a grind album, in fact, if I had to choose one thing I don’t like about this record, the only thing would have to be the fact that it’s too short. If you like grind with the occasional horn or banjo mixed in for cinematic effect, then you really should check this album out because it kills.
Metallica – Beyond Magnetic EP 6/10
First of all, i’d like to say ahead of time that, in case you can’t tell from the picture above of my Metallica tapes…Metallica is my favorite band of all time. Anyways, Beyond Magnetic consists of the 4 extra songs written during the Death Magnetic sessions that didn’t make it onto the record, it’s been available digital since December, but you can now buy it on cd.
I’ve always been pretty whatever about b-sides albums, and this one is no exception, however, there are some pretty awesome moments on here that leave you wondering why these songs were left off of Death Magnetic and stinkers like “Unforgiven III” were allowed to stay. The best song on this album, in fact, one of the best songs to come from that time period is the song “Hate Train”, it’s got awesome, thrashy, creative riffs and some fantastic solo’s. Aside from that song, the rest of the songs on this album really are worthy of being thrown away, but the thing is, even though the songs aren’t very good as a whole , this album shows that the boys still know how to write some awesome riffs. I really enjoyed Death Magnetic and all of the awesome riffs pieced together throughout and you can tell that these guys still have the potential to write another perfect record, but they’ve hit the point now, where i’m fairly certain that window has been long closed.
Alot of people give Metallica crap for being “medicore” nowadays, and I won’t defend them, because I agree, but if i’ve taken away anything from the listening of this record, it would have to be the fact that my favorite band still knows how to kick ass occasionally and that’s all that I really need to help me sleep at night. This album really isn’t worth your time unless you are a Metallica completist, or a fan of Death Magnetic.
Ram – Death 7/10
Ram are a traditional heavy metal band from Sweden and “Death” is their third full length and first album for Metal Blade records. Usually when I see a band only referred to as “Heavy Metal” I assume they won’t sound very good, but you can tell that Ram have a very unique take on the genre almost immediately when the album’s first track “Death” starts, and sets the mood with a weird sci-fi/psychadelic vibe, from there this record takes off like a jet.
When the first real song on the album “Comes From The Mouth Beyond” begins, you can tell that Ram have a mix of two distinct styles of rock n’ roll, the first style is the revved up classic rock riffing, and awesome solo’s influenced by bands like The Scorpions, Judas Priest and Ufo; they also remind me alot of the newer breed of bands trying to play with a more throwback style, like Priestess, Kylesa, Mastodon, and Christian Mistress, which is certainly not a bad thing. The vocals on this album are very similar to Judas Priest, in fact, their vocalist Oscar Carlquist reminds me of both Rob Halford AND Ripper Owens at times, with some Bruce Dickinson thrown in for good measure. Musically, Ram really don’t cover any new ground, they sound like a mixture of “Painkiller”-era Judas Priest, and Iron Maiden from “Brave New World” til “The Final Frontier”, which isn’t a bad thing, ya know, they also have a song called “Frozen” which has a main riff that sounds very similar to “Sign Of The Southern Cross” from Dio-era Black Sabbath, so clearly these guys have good influences.
Critics might give Ram flack for not having a completely original sound, however, they are kind of like a good zombie movie in that, you know the dead have come back to life and are wreaking havoc, and there’s lots of blood and gore, yet it’s still enjoyable due to the fact that it’s based on a super solid, and enjoyable formula. This album would be perfect for long road trips thanks to it’s killer riffing, fast pace, and deadly attitude.
February 2, 2012 | Categories: New Releases, Record Reviews | Tags: asphyx, black sabbath, cretin, exhumed, goatwhore, iron maiden, judas priest, liberteer, metallica, napalm death, new york jets, ram | 1 Comment »
2011 was an incredible year for metal, without question. The best part is, 2012 is also shaping up to be a monumental year for metal. 2011 was a year full of releses from fantastic new bands like Atriarch, Disma, and Vallenfyre, but 2012 will be the year that some of the genre’s best put out new albums. This list i’m making is completely ridiculous because it’s based solely on predictions by both myself and record labels and even other magazines.
*UPDATE*: I have included links to my reviews for all of the albums on this list, so check them out if you are wanting a better idea of what some of these records sound like. Also, for more information on awesome upcoming releases, check out my Facebook page.
The first part of this list are all the albums coming out in the next few months with already confirmed street dates, that i will definitely be listening to.
Aborted – Global Flatline 1/24/12
The legendary goregrinders are back with a new record and i have a feeling it’s going to be a monster. Will have guest appearances from members of Black Dahlia Murder, Misery Index, Rotten Sound, and Benighted
Lamb Of God – Resolution 1/24/12
This band has gotten more and more boring over the years as they’ve become bigger and bigger, but i have a feeling this album will be pretty decent at least. They benefit from dropping it at a time with no other big records dropping. No offense to Aborted, of course.
Liberteer- Better To Live On Your Feet Than Die On Your Knees – 1/31/2012
Super progressive grind album from Matt Widener of Cretin. First song i heard had a swedish death metal type tone and seems like it’ll be a solid album.
Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression 2/7/2012
I don’t like technical death metal near as much as i did when i was younger, but if i did i’d be stoked to hear a new Psycroptic album. I’ll definitely give it a listenthough.
Asphyx – Deathhammer – 2/28/2012
This is a band i haven’t listened to alot, but Martin Va Drunen is a legend in the death/doom community and with a limited amount of albums distracting from it, it has potential to gain alot of attention.
Corrosion Of Conformity – Corrosion Of Conformity 2/28/2012
This will be their eigth album, and first with the Animosity era lineup in a really long time. I have a feeling this album is going to either be incredibly mediocre, or it’s going to absolutely rule, there’s not much grey area when a band goes from crossover to southern metal and attempts to go back to it’s crossover lineup and recreate magic.
Napalm Death – Utilitarian 2/28/2012
I will guarantee you that i’ll be purchasing this album and listening to it non-stop upon it’s release. It seems that every single Napalm album gets better than the one before it, and judging by how good “Time Waits For No Slave” was, this album is going to be a monster.
Autopsy – All Tomorrow’s Funerals 2/28/2012
This album is basically a re-recording of all of Autopsy’s random demo’s they’ve recorded over the years. There could be some terrible songs on there, but more than likely it’s going to sound alot like Macabre Eternal and it’ll completely kill.
Christian Mistress – Possession 2/28/2012
Already pre-ordered this album. Old school metal aesthetic played with a classic rock tone. This album is recommended for anyone who likes Heart, Motorhead, or awesome hard rock/heavy metal.
Saint Vitus – Lillie: F-65 (north american release date delayed)
I have no idea what this album title is in reference to, and I really don’t care. So glad they are finally scheduled to release this album, they played a new song when i saw them in New Orleans and it was fantastic. Wino’s voice sounds awesome on record these days so this album will be one of the best of the year, I truly believe.
Testament – The Dark Roots Of Earth 4/27/2012
One of the greatest thrash metal bands of all time. This is the followup to their last album which blew the doors off of their back catalogue and this album will do the same. Also some guy named Gene Hoglan did drums on this album, not sure if he’s any good, but I think this record will rule.
The second part of my most anticipated list are bands who’ve either been advertised to put out a new album, or who i’ve heard rumored to be putting something out this year. A few of these are just rumors, some are being recorded as we speak, but if even a few of them actually put out records like they’re supposed to, 2012 will be another epic year for metal.
Slayer
Admittedly, I sort of hate the guitar tone Slayer has taken on over the last 20 years, but i’d be lying if i said i’m not excited to hear them put out new music, specifically more stuff that sounds like “Psycopathy Red”.
Baroness
I have a feeling that if they release a new record this year, it’s going to sound completely different from anything they’ve done before, which may or may not be a good thing. I can definitely say that it’s going to be worth listening to for sure.
Pig Destroyer
Unlike the first 2 bands in this list, there is not a single doubt in my mind that if their new album is released this year…it will char the skin off of all who get in it’s way. So ready to hear new material from PxDx.
Converge
If Axe To Fall is any indication on where these guys are headed, they are going to release another unquestionable album of the year candidate.
High On Fire
Snakes For The Divine was a landmark release by Matt Pike and co, but I think that if they can build on the formula they started with that album, that the new one that’s being recorded right now will be just as deadly, if not moreso.
Nachtmystium
Supposedly they are going to do part 3 in the Black Meddle series, but i could really care less, i’m ready to hear anything Blake Judd is ready to unleash.
Voivod
I have a feeling there will definitely be a new Voivod album next year, and they have their original bassist back, plus a fantastic guitarist named Dan Mongrain, therefore I think their new album will run circles around their last 2 decades worth of material.
Meshuggah
It seems that, with every new album these guys release, they reinvent themselves completely. Considering how awesome ObZen was, that fact alone means that whatever they put out this year will be purchased by me immediately upon it’s release.
Intronaut
This band also features Danny Walker from Exhumed/Murder Construct, but instead of playing death metal, they are more similar to bands like Isis, but they aren’t just another Cult of Neurisis band by any means and i’m sure guitarist/vocalist Sacha Dunable has more than a couple tricks up his sleeve that’ll make this album their best yet.
Neurosis
Neurosis is recoring an album right this very second with Steve Albini. No reason in wasting anymore words on this one. Very stoked.
Down
Supposedly they are going to put out a new record 1 ep at a time until they’ve done 5. To me, it sounds like a waste of time not putting all of those songs on one disc, but they are good enough musicians, that i think it’ll be worth the wait.
Opeth
I heard they were supposed to put out a new album in 2011, but nothing ever came of it. I’m really hoping they release the follow up to Watershed this year so that they can finally prove they are still an awesome death metal band and not a bunch of folk rock wannabes like people claimed Mikael Akerfeldt was trying to turn them into.
Other albums supposed to be coming out in 2012 i’m looking forward to:
Torche
Goatwhore
Kylesa
Municipal Waste
Cobalt
Cattle Decapitation
Murder Construct
Kyuss Lives! (not really metal, but still amazing)
Black Sabbath
December 31, 2011 | Categories: Listomania, New Releases | Tags: aborted, asphyx, atriarch, autopsy, baroness, black dahlia murder, christian mistress, converge, corrosion of conformity, cretin, disma, down, high on fire, intronaut, lamb of god, liberteer, meshuggah, nachtmystium, napalm death, neurosis, opeth, pig destroyer, psycroptic, saint vitus, slayer, testament, vallenfyre, voivod | 1 Comment »
25. Unsane – Wreck
24. Black Breath – Sentenced To Life
23. Municipal Waste – The Fatal Feast 
22. Cannibal Corpse – Torture
21. Paradise Lost – Tragic Idol
20. Pilgrim – Misery Wizard
19. Grand Magus – The Hunt
18. Asphyx – Deathhammer
17. Cattle Decapitation – Monolith Of Inhumanity
16.Inverloch – Dusk…Subside
15.Dying Fetus – Reign Supreme
14. Corrosion Of Conformity -Corrosion Of Conformity
13. Conan – Monnos
12.Horseback – Half Blood
11. Torche – Harmonicraft
10.Meshuggah – Koloss
9. Saint Vitus – Lillie: F-65 
8. Ihsahn – Eremita
7. Royal Thunder – CVI
6. Liberteer – Better To Die On Your Feet, Than Live On Your Knees
5. Overkill – The Electric Age
4. Baroness – Yellow And Green
3. Pallbearer – Sorrow And Extinction
2. Christian Mistress – Possession
1. Napalm Death – Utilitarian
Liberteer – Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees 10/10
Metallica – Beyond Magnetic EP 6/10
Ram – Death 7/10
King Diamond – Abigail
Sacrifice – Torment In Fire
es In The Throne Room – Celestial Lineage
Liberteer – Better to Die on Your Feet Than Live on Your Knees
Flying Humanoids – Arrival
