Hails and pixels gaming metalheads! From my previous post y’all learned that I played some video games but did you know that I also listened to a lot of music? I mean, A. LOT. OF. MUSIC. Most of it was metal of course and some was not. Now I decided to narrow down the list to my 15 favorites of the year by using a very rigorous methodology that takes into account rhythm, tempo, mood, timbre, song length, epic-ness, and a variety of other variables that are weighted against a complex algorithm.
I basically just listened to about a minute or so of a song and if it grabbed my attention enough then I would put it as a contender and narrowed it down from there. There were definitely some bands that were going to be included on this list while some favorites of mine - Leprous, Mastodon, Cannibal Corpse, etc - were left on the cutting room floor. And that’s unfortunate because they had some solid albums this year! But this is my list and this is what I favored. Objectivity has no meaning in this list!
Omnium Gatherum - Origin
The long-running melodic death outfit from Finland really knocked it out of the park with this one! I’ve listened to their stuff in the past but it never quite clicked with me despite loving the sub-genre. What they did differently on Origin is just write some really good songs combined with solid production.
Song: Paragon
Carcass - Torn Arteries
Carass went away after Swansong and then came back with Surgical Steel and then delivered again with Torn Arteries. This is just a solid slab of death metal. The cover art is novel too – a human heart made of vegetables. In the lead up to the release of the album, a video was released showing the album art decaying and that was just about as disgusting as any of their other covers showing cadavers and autopsies.
Song: Kelly’s Meat Emporium
TWRP - New & Improved
The first non-metal band on this list is a favorite of mine. TWRP is a funk disco-synth pop group that pulls from the greats of the 70s and early 80s and Daft Punk while adding their own modern spin. Catchy, up-tempo songs that would feel right at home in a discotheque are in store for you!
Song: Fusion Reactor
Night Crowned - Hädanfärd
This is some solid blackened melodic death metal that is not unlike bands like Old Man’s Child, Naglfar, or Dissection. Just a really solid offering that I didn’t know that I was missing!
Song: Gudars Skymning
Unto Others - Strength
The gothic rock band formerly known as Idle Hands has put out a solid sophomore album with Strength. I don’t think that this one is as good as their debut – Mana – but it’s still really strong in songwriting and hooks and it still has that dark aura about it.
Song: Heroin
Silver Talon - Decadence and Decay
This band is the closest thing we’ll probably get to Nevermore short of them reforming with a new singer. And if they do decide to reform with a new singer then they should give Wyatt Howell a call because he sounds remarkably like Warrel Dane.
Song: Divine Fury
Bewitcher - Cursed Be Thy Kingdom
What a blistering and blasphemous blend of black and speed metal! Take some Venom, some early Iron Maiden and Motorhead, and you basically have Bewitcher. It’s leather jackets, denim, spikes and chains for the hell that is on earth of the new millenium.
Song: Satanic Magick Attack
Mitch Murder - Then Again
The other non-metal band on this list! For some reason, I thought that Mitch Murder was on the darker and harder spectrum of synthwave but this more like a J-Fusion album than anything. Either way, I love it!
Song: Ocean Parkway
The Night Flight Orchestra - Aeromantic II
More retro throwback music here this time courtesy of Bjorn Strid & David Andersson of Soilwork and Sharlee D’Angelo of Arch Enemy among the rest of the crew. This is more 80s rock like from REO Speedwagon or something.
Song: Burn for Me
Alchemy of Flesh - Ageless Abomination
If you were feeling the itch for some mid-era Morbid Angel then Alchemy of Flesh will scratch that to satisfaction.
Song: Slipgates to Annihilation
Ophidian I - Desolate
There was a lot of technical death metal released this year. And I’m a sucker for that style of music. Three bands – including this one – made it onto my list with a bunch more left off.
Song: Spiral to Oblivion
Big City - Testify X
Big City made it onto my radar with how good the song the Rush is and they landed in the top five for me because of the rest of their songs. And because that damn song, the Rush, just wouldn’t leave my head!
Song: The Rush
First Fragment - Gloire éternelle
The debut of First Fragment came out several years ago and it was a banger. Now after this long wait, they released another banger! Glorie eternelle is musically more diverse than their debut with some flamenco influence and funk bass against a tech death backdrop.
Song: Le Veuve et Le Martyr
Stortregn - Impermanence
Here is some really good melodic black/death metal from Switzerland! It has the chaotic and technical flair of Inferi with some of the majesty of early Dissection. They also do a great job of moving between songs. Rather than being an album of songs it feels like a giant song but it never gets stale or tiring.
Song: Grand Nexion Abyss
Obscura - A Valediction
This album was basically a shoe-in for album of the year for me after I heard the singles before release. Obscura is a definite favorite of mine and they certainly did not disappoint here even though I felt that their last album – Diluvium – was a bit disappointing, mostly in the production area. This is technical death metal but the Obscura gang do not sacrifice the song for their technical ability. They compliment it by making it interesting and even catchy at times. This has the feel of an '80s throwback hair metal album too with how some of the leads are composed.
Song: A Valediction
No comments:
Post a Comment