tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77548210873784269192024-03-19T09:19:07.221-07:00Lacerated Metal ZineLaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.comBlogger370125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-36309113065689001832023-12-31T02:26:00.000-08:002024-01-05T14:03:17.382-08:00Arthalos' Best of 2023<div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>~~~~~</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div></div></div><div>This was another year <i>loaded </i>with quality releases, so much so that, like last year, I had to push back some extremely good records and had to picky extra picky in choosing a top 23. For context, I'd rate everything below an 8.5/10 or above. As always, the most important predictor of a high rating is how likely I would re-listen a given album, and how much much I would enjoy it months after I first spun it. Albums released in winter have a bit of disadvantage given that 'time' element, which is why I periodically reassess my rankings and reorder where necessary. The diversity of genres is on point, I even surprised myself for having included so much underground black/death variety, since this niche is typically overcrowded with cavern-mongering copycats lacking inspiration. Yet it was impossible to disavow the efforts of <b>Wyrgher</b>, <b>Vertebra Atlantis</b>, and <b>Valdrin</b>, who showed once again that smaller, underground labels that easily oust the more established mainstream companies in quality and quantity. </div><div><br /></div><div>There was a lot of heresay about 2023 being 'the year of death metal', and though it was definitely a stalwart year for veterans joining back into the foray, I found more enjoyment in the backlog of black metal I listened to. <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-best-metal-of-2023/2/"><span style="color: red;">My top 50</span></a> has a more comprehensive list of everything I enjoyed in that realm in case you were wondering where all the black metal was at. For sure, my tastes veer more towards the unorthodox and innovative, so it's almost a given that bands like <b>Kvelertak</b>, <b>Dødheimsgard</b>, <b>Enslaved </b>and <b>Malorkarpatan </b>ended up where they did. Insane performances all, the <b>Dødheimsgard </b>disc especially mesmerized me every time I spun it. An elegiac, mind-bending ode to absurdism. </div><div><br /></div><div>There are also a couple of 'outliers' like the new <b>In Flames </b>and <b>Voyager</b>, records that seem to fit awkwardly between the grim, subterranean subtext engulfing them. As with previous years, I do not give a damn, these records were on repeat until my ears bled dry this year, and they've earned their spot for having some <i>annoyingly </i>catchy songs. Go figure. Finally, although there's a relatively equitable distribution of genres, it would have been nice to see some more standout tech death this year. My craving for noodling guitars and clinical breakdowns that thankfully satisfied by <b>Gorod</b> with one of their strongest outings to date, although <b>Suffocation </b>and <b>Afterbirth </b>(on my top 50 list) also did well. Other popular albums from this space, like the new <b>The Zenith Passage</b>, <b>Nithing </b>or <b>Nightmarer </b>were either mediocre or poorly executed. </div><div><br /></div><div>Links to the albums are below, as well as other random lists I've accrued over the year. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;">* <b>Top 23 Metal Albums of 2023* </b></h3><div style="text-align: center;"><b>23.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xmlpvb-Qt-8&ab_channel=Wyrgher-Topic">Wyrgher (Ch) − <i>Panspermic Warlords </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>22.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZmEgHce7u0&ab_channel=WillowtipRecords">The Anchoret (Ca) − <i>It All Began With Loneliness...</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>21.</b><i> </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5B3ed_VhsE&ab_channel=VertebraAtlantis-Topic">Vertebra Atlantis (US) − <i>A Dialogue With the Eeriest Sublime</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>20.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErTgN2zoTkA&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords">Enslaved (Nr) − <i>Heimdal</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>19.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek0UDtV2KO8&ab_channel=TheOcean-Topic">The Ocean (De) − <i>Holocene</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>18.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9qGDuElSobk&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords"><span style="text-align: left;">Wayfarer (US) −</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span><i style="text-align: left;">American Gothic </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>17.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYzVCJRJhow&ab_channel=NapalmRecords">Katatonia (Se) − <i>Sky Void of Stars</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>16.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q062X9nkW1M&ab_channel=Forti%C3%B0-Topic">Fortíð (Is) − N<i>arkissos</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>15.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K37V1KwROU&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords">Elegant Weapons (UK) − <i>Horns for a Halo</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>14.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3W3iZHn1rdE&ab_channel=20buckspinlabel">Majesties (US) − <i>Vast Reaches Unclaimed </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>13.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQKBcs54I0o&ab_channel=Valdrin-Topic">Valdrin (US) − <i>Throne of the Lunar Soul</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>12.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gduozaFJBoM&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords">Green Lung (UK) − <i>This Heathen Land</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>11.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjWOror5nws&ab_channel=ReaperEntertainment">Anthem (Jp) − <i>Crimson & Jet Black</i> </a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>10.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INjQ740x26E&ab_channel=Kvelertak-Topic">Kvelertak (Nr) − <i>Endling </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>09. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2y70yJ5Pyw&ab_channel=Horrendous-Topic">Horrendous (US) − <i>Ontological Mysterium</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>08.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQXBgmYKavQ&ab_channel=Stam1na">Stam1na (Fin) − <i>X</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>07.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbxSWm96INc&ab_channel=GOROD">Gorod (Fr) − <i>The Orb</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>06. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jllt_Vxm72o&ab_channel=MetalBladeRecords">Cirith Ungol (US) − <i>Dark Parade</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>05.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_MSqS1-Ubs&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords">In Flames (Se) − <i>Foregone </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>04.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MySaG3m_ahc&ab_channel=Malokarpatan-Topic">Malokarpatan (Sk) − <i>Vertumnus Caesar</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>03. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeOkYeaQp6k&ab_channel=Voyager%5BAUS%5D">Voyager (Aus) − <i>Fearless in Love</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>02.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMPPMhRHtag&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords">Spirit Adrift (US) − <i>Ghost at the Gallows</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>01.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_RA5rlhyzU&ab_channel=Dodheimsgard-Topic">Dødheimsgard (Nr) − <i>Black Medium Current</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br /></i></div><div><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"><br /></b></div><div><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsNFqDPopqeJRBG8FHCbOsHD7wiHcQvnp-Vgq9WdtLctcqyeVlCdQX2r7X48KLh_SYphW1uQ3-KnVAlyfRuRS_s82yaHxRUNF4NpC3cZvmghjLlA01FBUi0_m0x6k-f5huDAwPuaEviTfzxxnPcicQ7CIEoFbPUvrssHF7NNwDIkieplJ7E3YOL2RlcwdO" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img data-original-height="700" data-original-width="700" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhsNFqDPopqeJRBG8FHCbOsHD7wiHcQvnp-Vgq9WdtLctcqyeVlCdQX2r7X48KLh_SYphW1uQ3-KnVAlyfRuRS_s82yaHxRUNF4NpC3cZvmghjLlA01FBUi0_m0x6k-f5huDAwPuaEviTfzxxnPcicQ7CIEoFbPUvrssHF7NNwDIkieplJ7E3YOL2RlcwdO=w400-h400" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 18px;">~ </b></b></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-weight: 400; text-align: left;">You can find a more comprehensive list with short review blurbs that I've written for my top 50 albums </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">over at RateYourMusic. </span><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-best-metal-of-2023/2/">Link to that list over HERE. </a></span></b><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-best-metal-of-2023/2/"> </a></div><div><br /></div><div><b style="font-size: 18px;">~ </b></div></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;">~ </b><b style="text-align: center;">Top Gym Tunes of 2023 (In No Order)<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, Times, FreeSerif, serif;"><span style="font-size: 18px;"> </span></span></b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;">~</b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"><br /></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">2023 was a year of many good albums, but also of many good lifts. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Coldly Calculated Design </i>− The Faceless (US)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Grand Conjuration </i>− Opeth (Se)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Somewhere I Sadly Belong </i>− Subterranean Masquerade (Il)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Secrets of the American Gods </i>− Blind Guardian (De)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>We Are the Sun Gods </i>− Gorod (Fr)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Wheels of Fire </i>− Anthem (Jp)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Unleashing the Bloodthirsty </i>− Cannibal Corpse (US)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Motsols </i>− Kvelertak (Nr)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Back to Times of Splendor </i>− Disillusion (De)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Widow Maker </i>− Carpenter Brut (US)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Fallow Season </i>− Madder Mortem (Nr)</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;">~ Top 10 Books I've Read in 2023 </b><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;">~</b></h4><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>10. </b><i>Nomadland </i><span style="text-align: center;">− Jessica Bruder </span></div><div><b>09. </b><i>Burning the Books </i><span style="text-align: center;">− Richard Ovenden</span></div><div><b>08. </b><i>The Fall of Yugoslavia </i><span style="text-align: center;">− Misha Glenny </span></div><div><b>07. </b><i>Alexander the Great </i><span style="text-align: center;">− Norman F. Cantor</span></div><div><b>06. </b><i>Why We Sleep </i><span style="text-align: center;">− Matthew Walker</span></div><div><b>05. </b><i>The Pursuit of Italy </i><span style="text-align: center;">− David Gilmour </span></div><div><b>04. </b><i>Snow Crash </i><span style="text-align: center;">− Neal Stephenson </span></div><div><b>03. </b><i>Crack-Up Capitalism </i><span style="text-align: center;">− Quinn Slobodian </span></div><div><b>02. </b><i>Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sackler Dynasty </i><span style="text-align: center;">− Patrick Radden Keefe</span></div><div><b>01. </b><i>Not Enough: Human Rights in an Unequal World</i> <span style="text-align: center;">− </span>Samuel Moyn </div><div><br /></div><div><i><br /></i></div>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-7435796631979535712022-12-30T14:23:00.011-08:002023-12-25T04:14:23.818-08:00Arthalos' Best of 2022<div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"><b>~~~~~</b></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>Another fantastic year, 2022 was where all the unreleased potential from 2021 and 2020 spilled over. Normally, I find it difficult to fill in the last half/quarter of my top 20 lists, not because I don't enjoy those later entries, but rather that I find there is a large removal between the first half and the second in terms of quality. This was certainly not the case this year, and I realized I had such a large bastion of records that the list go up by 30-40 entries. Nonetheless, you can find those non-hierarchically ordered entities in <b><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-best-metal-of-2022/">my RYM list</a> </b>alongside short review blurbs. </div><div><br /></div><div>Like most of these yearly pickings, it's difficult to find a grand, overarching theme: it's safer to say there was smorgasbord of quality albums from the usual genre suspects... lots of traditional heavy/power, melodic death, some avantgarde/experimental stuff, a small league of varied black metal, and some miscellany. Bands like <b>Shape of Despair</b>, <b>Cult of Luna </b>and <b>Final Light </b>produced some impressive atmospheric material, regardless of whether they evoked a sense dread or majesty, all these bands transported the listener into a plateau ethereal immersion. <b>Cult of Luna</b>, in particular, astonished me so much by raising the bar <i>again </i>after <i>A Dawn to Fear </i>in 2019 that I think it's evident they've become the true inheritors to the <b>Neurosis </b>sound, going above and beyond. </div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Sumerlands</b>, <b>Spell </b>and <b>Hell Fire </b>came in guns blazing with trad-heavy, ancient-sounding paeans to 80s metal, inspired by, without mindless recycling riffs. Even <b>Ghost </b>released their most accessible record to date which was somewhat reviled by critics, though personally I enjoyed the shit out of it. More than ever, I'm now ready to pay for one of their extravagant shows. There are also a few records I avoided for a while on account of the hype they were getting across the internet - <b>Cave In </b>and <b>Messa </b>in particular. Upon returning to these albums later on in the year, however, it was evident that they fucking slayed, and between the groovy sludge panache of the former and the morose, oriental charm of the latter there is plenty of inspiration to be found for future sludge/doom practitioners. <b>Immolation</b>, conversely put out the greatest pure death metal album of the year, validated across countless review boards and forums. An impeccable fortress of profanity that should make about 95% of other OSDM outfits wet their pants in terror. The one outlier here is clearly the <b>Final Light</b> debut, an album that caught much less attention than it deserved, which is a shame. It remains a hypnotizing testament to inventiveness across electronic and metal music. </div><div><br /></div><div>But nothing could have prepared me for <b>Blind Guardian's </b>masterwork, a record so shocking in how hungry and crushing it was I might consider it the second best album in their sprawling discography. I'd only tie it with <b>Disillusion's </b><i>Ayam</i>, a record that, as the product of planetary alignment in some oceanborne galaxy, provided me with warmth, comfort, and dreams for days in an otherwise uncompromising universe. <b>Soilwork </b>and <b>Voivod </b>trailed just behind with their most proficient meditations in many years, one melodic and achingly beautiful, the other a challenging remedial pill for our postmodern, cybernetic age. Records I caught myself blasting in the shower over a dozen times. </div><div><br /></div><div>As always, thank you for reading. See you all in 2023.</div><div><br /></div><div>Links to the albums embedded below.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>*Top 20 Metal Albums*</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>20.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erPLMdSsqQk&ab_channel=ShapeofDespair-Topic">Shape of Despair (Fin) – <i>Return to the Void</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>19.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Jo_0K3jv60&ab_channel=Conjurer-Topic">Conjurer (UK) – <i>Páthos</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>18.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMzQbuPBoC4&ab_channel=Daeva-Topic">Daeva (US) – <i>Through Sheer Will and Black Magic</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>17.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikER7txirXQ&ab_channel=PeacevilleRecords">Sigh (Jp) – <i>Shiki</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>16.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN5zLfz20WA&ab_channel=Ultha-Topic">Ultha (De) – <i>All That Has Never Been True</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>15.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkZ_TPOLJhU&ab_channel=RelapseRecords">Sumerlands (US) – <i>Dreamkiller</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>14.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7-O236KrJE&ab_channel=Perturbator">Final Light (Int) – <i>Final Light</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>13. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSxr79yEZmY&ab_channel=Immolation-Topic">Immolation (US) – <i>Acts of God</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>12.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNvAofSbfWM&ab_channel=Spell-Topic">Spell (US) – <i>Tragic Magic</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>11.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9DV1eHQpcA&ab_channel=GhostBCVEVO">Ghost (Se) – <i>Impera</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>10.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeQbC8OYDQA&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords">The Halo Effect (Se) – <i>Days of the Lost</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>09.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Idzy5IzuzE&ab_channel=RelapseRecords">Cave In (US) – <i>Heavy Pendulum</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>08.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOkA5P4YH1s&ab_channel=HellFire-Topic">Hell Fire (US) – <i>Reckoning</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>07.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_catn1fLu8&ab_channel=TheSvartRecordsChannel">Messa (It) – <i>Close</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>06.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0alDMvVk4jY&ab_channel=CultofLuna">Cult of Luna (Se) – <i>The Long Road North</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>05.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xXFFlPmiCU&ab_channel=SeasonofMist">Destroyer 666 (Au) – <i>Never Surrender</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>04.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hryt9k8Zql8&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords">Voivod (Ca) – <i>Synchro Anarchy</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>03.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lnviIWjliE&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords">Soilwork (Se) – <i>Övergivenheten</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>02.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lndG8BiZCmM&ab_channel=BlindGuardian-Topic">Blind Guardian (De) – <i>The God Machine</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>01.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2B2loQa_dPs&ab_channel=ProphecyProductions ">Disillusion (De) – <i>Ayam</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcizPuK-gu1Ce7Wq7DZE0lTpx6kwTjqbPs70wJlf-1sR_fWd5scO0jVAhpfIYgLx7iiB67E9B_E1EruCpkIbV00BFd-24S7PCSfbRINVsy5K0CYZvtI1bS3UlZ_hvZmyuyN_qb__ZYkg1eHHh89B2NIFF0-udNjjx7IyVULytP5vtwtgIAhiAv0AaBPw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhcizPuK-gu1Ce7Wq7DZE0lTpx6kwTjqbPs70wJlf-1sR_fWd5scO0jVAhpfIYgLx7iiB67E9B_E1EruCpkIbV00BFd-24S7PCSfbRINVsy5K0CYZvtI1bS3UlZ_hvZmyuyN_qb__ZYkg1eHHh89B2NIFF0-udNjjx7IyVULytP5vtwtgIAhiAv0AaBPw=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div></div><div><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"><b>~~~~~</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><br />I also write short blurbs for all the albums I enjoyed yearly on RateYourMusic. <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-best-metal-of-2022/"><span style="color: red;">Link to the full, non-hierarchical list of my 50 favorite metal albums of the year here. </span><br /></a><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", Times, FreeSerif, serif; font-size: 18px; text-align: center;"><b>~~~~~</b></div></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Non-metal Albums I've Enjoyed</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div>In no particular order. These records just represent the few samplings I managed to listen in my down time, when I needed something... less heavy. Mostly records by bands I've been following for a while, so it's in no way meant to be comprehensive. </div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgZ5Bcvnb6Y&ab_channel=EverythingEverything">Everything Everything (UK) – <i>Raw Data Feel </i>(art pop)</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dtjK0sSs-o&t=615s&ab_channel=BoyHarsher">Boy Harsher (US) – <i>The Runner</i> (electronic) </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svU0bGxM8n4&ab_channel=NapalmRecords">Hällas (Se) – <i>Isle of Wisdom</i> (prog rock) </a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0s1tNzhkOM&ab_channel=viagraboys">Viagra Boys (Se) – <i>Cave World</i> (noise rock)</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pNsQXc_grE0&ab_channel=Brutus-Topic">Brutus (Be) – <i>Unison Life</i> (post-hardcore)</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9lsWI7zhTY&ab_channel=DancewiththeDead-Topic">Dance With the Dead (US) – <i>Driven to Madness</i> (synthwave)</a><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlFN9G4MX7U&ab_channel=TheBirthdayMassacre-Topic">The Birthday Massacre (Ca) – <i>Fascination</i> (synthwave) </a></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><br /></div> <br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-34473199026745084622022-10-20T08:29:00.009-07:002022-11-15T02:51:30.366-08:00Best Metal Albums of 2003<p></p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>20.</b> <b>TIE </b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Trauma </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">–</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>Imperfect Like a God | </i></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Nasum </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Helvete</i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>19.</b> Sargeist <span>– <i>Satanic Black Devotion</i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>18.</b> Septic Flesh <span>– <i>Sumerian Daemons </i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>17.</b> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Green Carnation </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>A Blessing in Disguise </i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>16.</b> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Killing Joke </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Killing Joke</i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>15.</b> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Children of Bodom </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Hate Crew Deathroll </i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>14.</b> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Intestine Baalism </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Banquet in the Darkness</i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>13.</b> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Carpathian Forest </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">–</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>Defending the Throne of Evil</i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b>12.</b> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Katatonia </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Viva Emptiness</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>11. </b>Soilwork </span>– <i>Figure Number Five</i></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>10.</b> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Rage </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Soundchaser <br /></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>09.</b> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Hammers of Misfortune </span><span>– </span><i>The August Engine</i></span></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>08.</b> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Dream Theater </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Train of Thought</i></span></span></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>07.</b> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Atrophia Red Sun </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Twisted Logic</i></span></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>06.</b> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Unmoored </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">–</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>Indefinite Soul-Extension</i></span></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>05. </b>Opeth </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">–</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>Damnation</i></span></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>04.</b> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Moonsorrow </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">– <i>Kivenkantaja</i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>03.</b> </span>Enslaved <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><span>– </span><i><span><span>Below the Lights</span></span></i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>02.</b> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">Slough Feg </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">–</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>Traveller</i></span></div></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>01.</b> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Mörk Gryning </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">–</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"> <i>Pieces of Primal Expressionism </i></span></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCfLv6XCKmOkqAkNEFDi0OMq5GUJnVlDx3e40UEDCtE_RZVED8MFRRw9E-wErdbfYSQOJZQ10ANr9t6N1biC5nAu6qhlHsKkcvn8atUtWt3Eas5eRE3myv1Ojq8ltWkp0cbyaovNRJgBrs7cI1ssWFjPYdfa7raPIcoHD7GvDMp29om0IthBcFtznhOw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCfLv6XCKmOkqAkNEFDi0OMq5GUJnVlDx3e40UEDCtE_RZVED8MFRRw9E-wErdbfYSQOJZQ10ANr9t6N1biC5nAu6qhlHsKkcvn8atUtWt3Eas5eRE3myv1Ojq8ltWkp0cbyaovNRJgBrs7cI1ssWFjPYdfa7raPIcoHD7GvDMp29om0IthBcFtznhOw=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></span></div>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-36432960581324680682022-07-03T03:56:00.011-07:002022-07-04T08:08:49.673-07:00Best Metal Albums of 2013<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">20. Cult of Luna – <i>Vertikal</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">19. Neige Éternelle – <i>Neige Éternelle</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">18. Oranssi Pazuzu – <i>Valonielu </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">17. Witherscape – <i>The Inheritance</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">16. Haken – <i>The Mountain </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">15. Gris – <i>À l'Âme Enflammée, l'Äme Constellée...</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">14. Black Trip – <i>Goin' Under</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">13. Autolatry – <i>Native</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">12. Mouth of the Architect – <i>Dawning</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">11. Gorguts – <i>Colored Sands</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">10. Sulphur Aeon – <i>Swallowed by the Ocean's Tide</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">09. The Dillinger Escape Plan – <i>One of Us is the Killer</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">08. Attacker – <i>Giants of Canaan</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">07. Iron Dogs – <i>Free and Wild</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">06. Protest the Hero – <i>Volition</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">05. The Ocean – <i>Pelagial </i></div><div style="text-align: center;">04. Warlord – <i>The Holy Empire</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">03. Summoning – <i>Old Mornings Dawn</i></div><div style="text-align: center;">02. Satan –<i> Life Sentence</i></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">01. In Solitude – <i>Sister</i></div><div><br /></div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLw83aJB2ftXaCfdBNt-xzbQJY-egN1QIpBIjTgtGDhSHEN9gYQNb_Yq0LhNhf1DGaSu5NgxQpseoSK5Bf4kd9OybgJRTmlZcJhAEKgbRL72UdMw8le7j7jg5tVm7VAO6H3AMs3Eb_OV995nXi7vmena3tIeoLqjM-X-lyURdeMBqtOUAczOZneiv_uw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjLw83aJB2ftXaCfdBNt-xzbQJY-egN1QIpBIjTgtGDhSHEN9gYQNb_Yq0LhNhf1DGaSu5NgxQpseoSK5Bf4kd9OybgJRTmlZcJhAEKgbRL72UdMw8le7j7jg5tVm7VAO6H3AMs3Eb_OV995nXi7vmena3tIeoLqjM-X-lyURdeMBqtOUAczOZneiv_uw=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-43019856605159978752021-12-28T13:08:00.004-08:002023-10-24T03:15:47.691-07:00Arthalos' Best of 2021<p><br /></p><p>This was a bountiful year for all genres at large, and I found myself diversifying into all sorts of avenues of extreme metal, beyond my conventional tastes in prog, doom, traditional and power metal. I probably listened to something in the vicinity of 200-250 new albums this year; the list could have included at least another ten entries that I found to be well worth my time, with all genres well-represented <span style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> a testament to sustained quality in songwriting even in the throes of an overlong pandemic. Again, there were stellar performances all across the board. A slew of amazing newsprint progressive power/heavy acts like <b>Edu Falaschi</b>, <b>Silver Talon</b>, <b>Pharaoh </b>and <b>Witherfall </b>take up a large chunk in the top 10, owing not least to the energy and inventiveness that they approached to the niche, managing to stand out amid a throng of fluffy symphonic denizens and Euro power metal. Speaking of symphonic, the only record this year that managed to capture my attention with that tag was the <b>Seven Spires </b>full-length, a wonderful, swashbuckling mirage that wasn't afraid to straddle a number of influences, proving the band should be every bit the successor of the <b>Nightwishes </b>and <b>Epicas </b>of the world. The spectrum, however, was as equally proficient in its musical wizardry as it was epic and memorable, thanks in no small part to groups like <b>Archspire</b>, <b>First Fragment </b>and <b>Obscura</b>, the latter of which stunned me with what seems almost like a perfect 'one step back, two steps forward' approach in the evolution of their style, harkening back to the Gothenburg melodeath etiquette to refresh their established tech death pedigree. Some of these pickings are also grim and beautiful in their own quaint ways, with <b>Sarke</b>, <b>Worm</b>, <b>Thy Catafalque</b>, <b>King Woman</b>, <b>The Silver </b>and most notably <b>Tribulation </b>generating eclectic, forbidding and morose spins on more standardized genre narratives. All in all, this was one of the more memorable years in recent memory, and a lot of musical windfall here provides us with compelling listens well into 2022.</p><p>Links to the albums are embedded below.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>*Top 20 Metal Albums of 2021*</b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk-rxh1xmKs&ab_channel=RelapseRecords" target="_blank"><b>20. </b>King Woman (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Celestial Blues</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p85-KtgDSs&ab_channel=Gojira" target="_blank"><b style="font-weight: bold;">19.</b> Gojira (Fr) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Fortitude</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReVpOY-lEEg&ab_channel=SubterraneanMasquerade" target="_blank"><b>18. </b></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeAm9i4lgv4&ab_channel=20buckspinlabel" target="_blank">Worm (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Foreverglade</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeAm9i4lgv4&ab_channel=20buckspinlabel" target="_blank"><b>17.</b> </a><b>TIE </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhgijETcC4&ab_channel=DeeSnider-Topic" target="_blank">Dee Snider (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span></a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhgijETcC4&ab_channel=DeeSnider-Topic" target="_blank">Leave a Scar</a> </i>| <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4x1_rxzMwxo&list=OLAK5uy_k6cyTYyZjlYb1kQOgLWPcFhc1DCrO6140&ab_channel=SpectralWound-Topic" target="_blank">Spectral Wound (Ca) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>A Diabolical Thirst</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>16.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNs5IOQTyUw&list=OLAK5uy_m7mBMQdAo0n6yD8D8kmiA1hzGbHNmIrzI&ab_channel=UntoOthers" target="_blank">Unto Others (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Strength</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNs5IOQTyUw&list=OLAK5uy_m7mBMQdAo0n6yD8D8kmiA1hzGbHNmIrzI&ab_channel=UntoOthers" target="_blank"><b>15.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdE96MQ65Y&ab_channel=UniqueLeaderRecords" target="_blank">First Fragment (Ca) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Gloire Éternelle</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQdE96MQ65Y&ab_channel=UniqueLeaderRecords" target="_blank"><b>14.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KFaPFpGRCk&ab_channel=GileadMedia" target="_blank">The Silver (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Ward of Roses</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KFaPFpGRCk&ab_channel=GileadMedia" target="_blank"><b>13.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w5mCrStpDY&ab_channel=SoulsellerRecords" target="_blank">Sarke (No) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Allsighr </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w5mCrStpDY&ab_channel=SoulsellerRecords" target="_blank"><b>12.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-st8FER6BMg&ab_channel=SeasonofMist" target="_blank">Thy Catafalque (Hu) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Vadak</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glk_qPdyMdM&ab_channel=DoctorSmoke-Topic" target="_blank"><b>11.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZRyuciuKtE&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords" target="_blank">Lucifer (Int) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>IV </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZRyuciuKtE&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords" target="_blank"><b>10.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glk_qPdyMdM&ab_channel=DoctorSmoke-Topic" target="_blank">Doctor Smoke (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Dreamers and the Dead</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-st8FER6BMg&ab_channel=SeasonofMist" target="_blank"><b>09.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O7LUgm9JKw&ab_channel=FrontiersMusicsrl" target="_blank">Seven Spires (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Gods of Debauchery</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlnGYcMpxgU&ab_channel=SeasonofMist" target="_blank"><b>08. </b></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFbrq-n17Gs&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords" target="_blank">Witherfall (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Curse of Autumn </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFbrq-n17Gs&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords" target="_blank"><b>07.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTblU6sFuqM&list=OLAK5uy_n9fA22uoO8daZpIqaSRZVVfs_yD9Xu3IQ&index=2&ab_channel=Pharaoh-Topic" target="_blank">Pharaoh (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>The Powers That Be</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTblU6sFuqM&list=OLAK5uy_n9fA22uoO8daZpIqaSRZVVfs_yD9Xu3IQ&index=2&ab_channel=Pharaoh-Topic" target="_blank"><b>06.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km5oQIZ9Mrk&list=OLAK5uy_nGzlLyiLZy958rSt2JAt0j8JhKWTBTAsg&ab_channel=EduFalaschi" target="_blank">Edu Falaschi (Br) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Vera Cruz </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3fVCkAH4zk&list=OLAK5uy_mWJrgF2euxHV1GI-MQ85EkwlwBPcTxsKs&index=1&ab_channel=SilverTalon-Topic" target="_blank"><b>05. </b>Silver Talon (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Decadence and Decay</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Km5oQIZ9Mrk&list=OLAK5uy_nGzlLyiLZy958rSt2JAt0j8JhKWTBTAsg&ab_channel=EduFalaschi" target="_blank"><b>04.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReVpOY-lEEg&ab_channel=SubterraneanMasquerade" target="_blank">Subterranean Masquerade (Is) - <i>Mountain Fever</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O7LUgm9JKw&ab_channel=FrontiersMusicsrl" target="_blank"><b>03.</b> </a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlnGYcMpxgU&ab_channel=SeasonofMist" target="_blank">Archspire (Ca) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Bleed the Future</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1P1dqyeODKo&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords" target="_blank"><b>02.</b> Tribulation (Se) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>When the Sound Becomes the Gloom</i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQdGX_zefvg&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords" target="_blank"><b>01. </b>Obscura (De) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>A Valediction</i></a></div><p></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQdGX_zefvg&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords" target="_blank"><i></i></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBJo__B6wr13ebLntYaaBHNn4zQe-breMyIs564F5GlVkvlu-aSfP0rauCynAYkFGmb59qYu0OG-3z6ei0YasoI37-8cKmEAyqm2Y-sNHb4918IfgHPMaqzdzUN-487HYIbADLhotDb-0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpBJo__B6wr13ebLntYaaBHNn4zQe-breMyIs564F5GlVkvlu-aSfP0rauCynAYkFGmb59qYu0OG-3z6ei0YasoI37-8cKmEAyqm2Y-sNHb4918IfgHPMaqzdzUN-487HYIbADLhotDb-0/w400-h400/image.png" width="400" /></a></i></div><i><br /><br /></i><p></p><p>I also write short blurbs for all the albums I enjoyed yearly on <b>RateYourMusic</b>. <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-best-of-2021/" target="_blank">Link to the full, non-hierarchical list of my 50 favorite metal albums of the year here. </a></p><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b>~~~~~</b></div><p>As per usual, anything that drew my attention this year that wasn't metal was probably a splurge of synthwave and synth pop, with a couple of rock records that weren't 'heavy' enough to qualify for the metal list. I don't get to explore <i>that </i>much when it comes to these genres, but I do my best to weed through the relevant releases. I've rounded things off with a sprinkle of pop and and punk/hardcore, although truth be told I'm probably neglecting a lot of really phenomenal efforts that unfortunately went under my radar. All in all, the <b>Jess and the Ancient Ones</b> record was the most addictive, something I've listened to intermittently throughout the year. The Finns have clearly injected an excellent sense of folk, psychedelic and prog rock elements into their compositions, filled to the brim with sequences with sequences so catchy and inspiring that the few sentences on this blurb would do them little justice. Reliable acts like <b>TNFO</b>, <b>Steven Wilson</b> and <b>Perturbator</b> also produced terrific music that probably received nods from a large chunk of the metal crowds, while I was pleased to discover a novel set of pop and synth-pop finesse via <b>Actors</b>, <b>Magdalena Bay</b> and <b>Japanese Breakfast</b>, setting the stage for a future cohort of artists to look out for.</p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>*Top 15 Non-metal Albums of 2021*</b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>15. </b><a href="https://dreamdivision.bandcamp.com/track/church-of-the-lizard-folk" target="_blank">Dream Division (UK) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Legend of Lizard Lake </i>(dungeon synth)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>14.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yywnpQ2vRhM&ab_channel=Iceage" target="_blank">Iceage (Dn) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Seek Shelter</i> (post-punk)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>13.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7AA4oZ8URA&ab_channel=SacredBonesRecords" target="_blank">John Carpenter <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Lost Themes III: Alive After Death </i>(synthwave)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>12.</b> <b>TIE </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F76Vp9ODy6s&ab_channel=JerryCantrell">Jerry Cantrell (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Brighten </i>(alternative rock) </a>| <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UroVey4fJ_g&ab_channel=StevenWilson" target="_blank">Steven Wilson (UK) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>The Future Bites</i> (progressive pop/rock)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>11.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koqiQTRc-3o&list=OLAK5uy_lg4DFSHNIq1_sAaXIT1y5TRrw2yUJX8wo&ab_channel=Hante." target="_blank">Hante. (Fr) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Morning Tsunami </i>(darkwave)<i> </i></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>10.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtGRLKVzzdg&ab_channel=Turnstile" target="_blank">Turnstile (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Glow On </i>(hardcore punk)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>09.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-EMiEpXLJg&list=OLAK5uy_lL_OEk0Wh8Q4skIFtsxjay7wno8ZnlyxE&ab_channel=JapaneseBreakfast-Topic" target="_blank">Japanese Breakfast (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Jubilee </i>(art pop)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>08.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgvv1hYmyNg&ab_channel=ArtoffactRecords" target="_blank">Kanga (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>You and I Will Never Die</i> (darkwave)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>07.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27BQY-h9MdU&ab_channel=EpitaphRecords" target="_blank">Thrice (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Horizons/East </i>(rock)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>06.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OujNh58WEQ0&list=OLAK5uy_nrklc_ZOlO347zrzVYla_Sq9wF1WUbENw&ab_channel=MagdalenaBay" target="_blank">Magdalena Bay (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Mercurial World </i>(synth pop)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>05</b>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLoqT_TdVY4&ab_channel=ArtoffactRecords" target="_blank">Actors (Ca) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Acts of Worship </i>(synth pop)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>04.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oe88DRFL98&list=OLAK5uy_kYugfMPrALglQ598QfhK-xta0dTLpZrn8&ab_channel=Perturbator-Topic" target="_blank">Perturbator (Fr) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Lustful Sacraments</i> (darkwave)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>03.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0H7HK6w2OE&ab_channel=ImperativeReaction-Topic" target="_blank">Imperative Reaction (US) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">–</span> <i>Mirror</i> (industrial/future pop)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>02.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfhR_fBuGMM&ab_channel=TheNightFlightOrchestra-Topic" target="_blank">The Night Flight Orchestra (Se) <span style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Aeromantic II</i> (rock)</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>01.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vM4RMgOPhU4&ab_channel=TheSvartRecordsChannel" target="_blank">Jess and the Ancient Ones (Fin) <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span><i>Vertigo </i>(psychedelic rock)</a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrhbnJoi0jIQWw_WKHW3JLh33A3DGs27NwpBJPivJ9_KT8kJ2qqhIcnTx264xZFgRxKufAX-_5tpBTiDuzNKGLHj0F2oWUT8bMpkoRu9KW0UEspzCSdQHdcE1IzkbinwmRA0ImCTluVk5/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitrhbnJoi0jIQWw_WKHW3JLh33A3DGs27NwpBJPivJ9_KT8kJ2qqhIcnTx264xZFgRxKufAX-_5tpBTiDuzNKGLHj0F2oWUT8bMpkoRu9KW0UEspzCSdQHdcE1IzkbinwmRA0ImCTluVk5/w400-h400/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><u>Bonus: Top 10 Books That I Read This Year</u></b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><b>01</b>.<i> Leonardo da Vinci</i> <span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Walter Isaacson (2017)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>02.</b> <i>Black Wave </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Kim Ghattas (2020)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-weight: bold;">03.</b><b> </b><i>How Asia Works </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Joe Studwell<i> </i>(2014)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>04.</b> <i>Capital </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Rana Dasragupta (2015)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>05. </b><i>Shock of the Anthropocene </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Christophe Bonneuil & Jean-Baptiste Fressoz (2015)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>06. </b><i>Shutdown </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Adam Tooze (2021)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>07.</b> <i>Sex at Dawn </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Christopher Ryan (2010)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>08. </b><i>Empire of Cotton </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Sven Beckert (2015)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>09. </b><i>The Darkness That Comes Before </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>R. Scott Bakker (2004)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>10.</b><i><b> </b>Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Philip K. Dick (1968)</div><p></p><p>Honorable mentions:</p><p>- <i>The Nickel Boys </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Colson Whitehead (2020)<br />- <i>Providence </i>[graphic novel]<i> </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Alan Moore & Jacen Burrows (2021)<br />- <i>Down and About in Paris and London </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>George Orwell (1933)<br />- <i>Afropean </i><span face="sans-serif" style="background-color: #fdfdfd; color: #202122; font-size: 14px;">– </span>Johny Pitts (2019)</p><p><br /></p>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-76339240999973403502020-12-31T05:06:00.023-08:002022-07-05T02:16:41.542-07:00Arthalos' Best Albums of the Year [2020]<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis80MIwf446veJI9uBjBLA_84CoeCNpqUbX2dXEp-2mM6MqJ3zMSHlKjMMZR0B2VjVSfxfjgccm69a-EbryuU8zQVKpsee3Zj-82s4qyn5XFoWKTFjgS6BDf42AGgRtB5lT0Zj63nHyQYY/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="976" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis80MIwf446veJI9uBjBLA_84CoeCNpqUbX2dXEp-2mM6MqJ3zMSHlKjMMZR0B2VjVSfxfjgccm69a-EbryuU8zQVKpsee3Zj-82s4qyn5XFoWKTFjgS6BDf42AGgRtB5lT0Zj63nHyQYY/w640-h360/p08d5wd6.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p>All things considered, with the the entire world warped in the Covid-19 pandemic chaos, this was a fruitful year for metal music, but then again it always somehow is. In the end, the leading theme, by an enormous margin, was traditional speed/heavy/doom and classic hard rock. Even though bands with a retro style commemorating the late the 70s and 80s have always drawn me in, this year was a particularly veritable cornucopia of such releases, as represented by my top 20 picks, and many other good albums spilled over into my top 50. Old school won the day. Indeed, in my top 10 alone I have 6-7 releases that can instantaneously trace their lineage back to the sounds of disco and Cold War mania. The <b>Chronus </b>sophomore might be a slight outsider among that motley crew of releases, since they have a much more updated take on trad metal, with quite a few nods to their more infamous countrymen <b>Ghost</b>, but regardless, it was a stellar late entrant into my list. I think I consumed a larger and broader quantity of music this year than the 2-3 years before (although I have no way of accounting for it) though surprisingly this hasn't necessarily enlarged the variety of genres and styles that are always represented to some degree in my picks. </p><p>If anything, this was a rather dull year for innovative, experimental, idiosyncratic metal music in general. Strange and avantgarde acts like <b>Imperial Triumphant</b>, <b>Ulcerate</b>, <b>Old Man Gloom</b>, <b>Mountaineer </b>- bands who gained considerable attention both in the mainstream and in underground circles - failed to impress me, and mostly exhibited a further marriage of metal and post-hardcore elements as the new frontier for envelope-pushing within the genre. That statement obviously excludes <i>Eden in Reverse</i> though, a dizzying exercise in kraut, space rock, black metal and alien shrooms. Perhaps not my favorite by the Greek mavericks - that would have been a tall order - but certainly an apt contender for the soundtrack for <i>2001: A Space Odyssey</i>.</p><p>I probably browsed more RYM lists than any previous year, and hopefully I was able to at least touch upon the bulk of releases that represented their respective sub-genres. Death and black metal acts (as well as black/death hybrids) seemed to dominate extreme metal enthusiasts' lists, and this is certainly well-earned. There was an enormous quality of solid black and death, though in the end there were only a few that were particularly <i>remarkable </i>for me. UK veterans <b>Anaal Nathrakh</b> and <b>Napalm Death </b>continue to annihilate and terrify with their distinct, by now well-matured panoplies of brutalizing grindcore and industrialized malice, respectively. Meanwhile totally new bands like <b>Ossaert </b>and <b>Serment </b>made lasting impressions with enveloping, icy atmospheric black records. Heavy/doom is well-represented, with <b>Lucifer</b>, <b>Spirit Adrift </b>and <b>Pallbearer </b>blazing trails for a newer, more melodic generation. The <b>Hallas </b>record isn't strictly speaking metal, so it could go into either of my lists below, but it was not only a natural refinement of their debut, but also a fantastic journey across the cosmos with a medley of haunting, psychedelic, synth-driven soundscapes that sounded like the lovechild of <b>Hawkwind </b>and <b>Gentle Giant</b>. Finally, the <b>Bütcher </b>record stands out as the most outlandish of the bunch, but it's retained its delicious speed and manic intensity throughout the year, and deserves a spot on the top 5. </p><p>When push came to shove, though, I think there was only one record that shone through and came the closest to perfection in 2020. The <b>Sölicitör </b>debut was just that, a sublime and unreal merger of equal parts <b>Holy Moses</b>, <b>Vicious Rumors</b>, and <b>Exciter </b>with a fittingly dilapidated production to boast. What an amazing record, channeling everything I love about all those bands at their respective career peaks and more, an absolute ass-kicker from start to finish. No other record this year - and, indeed, few records in the few years - made me want to strap on spikes and leather and cascade the empty streets of my city more. <i>And </i>it's the band's debut? Insane.</p><p><b>Edit 01/2021: </b>Added Ulthar's <i>Providence </i>and Valdrin's <i>Effigy of Nightmares</i>, pushed back the Necrophobic album. </p><p><b>Edit 07/22: </b>Pushed back the High Spirits record, added the Night record. </p><p>As always, YouTube links have been embedded below.</p><p><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-best-of-metal-2020/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #351c75;">I've also made a longer list of my favorite 50-60 metal albums of 2020, in non-hierarchical, order over at RYM.</span></a></p><p><br /></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>** Top 20 Metal Albums **</b></h3><p><b>Runners-up: </b><b>TIE</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzR78NbrnOk&ab_channel=NoRemorseRecords" target="_blank">Eternal Champion (US) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzR78NbrnOk&ab_channel=NoRemorseRecords" target="_blank">Ravening Iron </a> <b>|</b> </i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jZfWaNJSuc&ab_channel=Pallbearer-Topic" target="_blank">Pallbearer (US) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jZfWaNJSuc&ab_channel=Pallbearer-Topic" target="_blank">Forgotten Days</a></i><b><br />20. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehJtFcoR87k&ab_channel=AgoniaRecords" target="_blank">Hail Spirit Noir (Gr) –</a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehJtFcoR87k&ab_channel=AgoniaRecords" target="_blank"> Eden in Reverse</a></i><i><br /></i><b>19</b>. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwG0J78ibMw&list=OLAK5uy_lZQrGIHk1sxvgUYb_R2e_Ui_O4PFP8cDM&index=1&ab_channel=MetalBladeRecords" target="_blank">Anaal Nathrakh (UK) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwG0J78ibMw&list=OLAK5uy_lZQrGIHk1sxvgUYb_R2e_Ui_O4PFP8cDM&index=1&ab_channel=MetalBladeRecords" target="_blank">Endarkenment</a></i><i><br /></i><b>18.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5711r_p8jk&ab_channel=BlackLionRecordsTV">Kvaen (Swe) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5711r_p8jk&ab_channel=BlackLionRecordsTV">The Funeral Pyre</a></i><i><br /></i><b>17. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5-4thmZs28&ab_channel=Vader-Topic" target="_blank">Vader (Pol) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5-4thmZs28&ab_channel=Vader-Topic" target="_blank">Solitude in Madness</a></i><i><br /></i><b>16.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql3PAxkQy1s&ab_channel=MetalBladeRecords">Armored Saint (US) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql3PAxkQy1s&ab_channel=MetalBladeRecords">Punching the Sky </a></i><i><br /></i><b>15.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuy32FM2F2w&ab_channel=Ossaert-Topic" target="_blank">Ossaert (Nl) –</a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuy32FM2F2w&ab_channel=Ossaert-Topic" target="_blank"> Bedehuis</a></i><i><br /></i><b>14.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzGHd-ANtko&ab_channel=20buckspinlabel" target="_blank">Ulthar (US) <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">– <i>Providence </i></span></a><i><br /></i><b>13.</b> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn0apcqYBQ4&ab_channel=BloodHarvest" style="font-family: "Times New Roman";" target="_blank">Valdrin (US) – </a><i style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn0apcqYBQ4&ab_channel=BloodHarvest" target="_blank">Effigy of Nightmares</a></i><i><br /></i></span><b>12. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzTws4jdcvs&ab_channel=BlackMetalPromotion" target="_blank">Serment (Ca) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzTws4jdcvs&ab_channel=BlackMetalPromotion" target="_blank">Chante, ô flamme de la liberté </a></i><i><br /></i><b>11.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcy0AFfRTTc&ab_channel=NapalmDeath-Topic" target="_blank">Napalm Death (UK) – <i>Throes of Joy in the Jaws of Defeatism</i> </a><i><br /></i><b>10.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD8rXmuCAr0&ab_channel=Midnight-Topic" target="_blank">Midnight (US) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WD8rXmuCAr0&ab_channel=Midnight-Topic" target="_blank">Rebirth by Blasphemy</a></i><i><br /></i><b>09.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9BWJbRv5Ms&ab_channel=MetalBladeRecords" target="_blank">Cirith Ungol (US) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9BWJbRv5Ms&ab_channel=MetalBladeRecords" target="_blank">Forever Black </a></i><i><br /></i><b>08. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hS1EtMbqH8">Night (Se) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hS1EtMbqH8">High Tides - Distant Skies</a><br /></i><b>07.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92ptxt1FQiU&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords" target="_blank">Enslaved (No) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92ptxt1FQiU&ab_channel=NuclearBlastRecords" target="_blank">Utgard</a><br /></i><b>06. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX0vSM1H6dc&ab_channel=NapalmRecords" target="_blank">Hällas (Swe) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yX0vSM1H6dc&ab_channel=NapalmRecords" target="_blank">Conundrum</a><br /></i><b>05.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqKMPGcpn4M&ab_channel=Lucifer-Topic" target="_blank">Lucifer (Int) –</a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqKMPGcpn4M&ab_channel=Lucifer-Topic" target="_blank"> Lucifer III</a><br /></i><b>04.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCU181J7Ofg&ab_channel=LISTENABLERECORDS" target="_blank">Chronus (Swe) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCU181J7Ofg&ab_channel=LISTENABLERECORDS" target="_blank">Idols</a><br /></i><b>03.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QtF80_z1qM&ab_channel=NWOTHMFullAlbums" target="_blank">Bütcher (Be) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QtF80_z1qM&ab_channel=NWOTHMFullAlbums" target="_blank">666 Goats Carry My Chariot</a><br /></i><b>02.</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQAoXtpJeQI&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords" target="_blank">Spirit Adrift (US) <span style="background-color: #fdf9f9; color: #212121; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">–</span> </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQAoXtpJeQI&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords" target="_blank">Enlightened in Eternity</a><br /></i><b>01. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvySEM5ZgAM&ab_channel=CruzDelSurMusic">Sölicitör (US) <span style="background-color: #fdf9f9; color: #212121; font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">– </span><i>Spectral Devastation </i></a></p><p><br /></p><p>For my non-metal picks, I tried to be a bit more structured this year. I think there was enough interesting material across a swath of genres for me to eke out a top 15. A lot of these albums found their ways into my ears in the last 3-4 months of 2020, and indeed they were quite refreshing to hear after dozens of static black/death metal spelunking. There's a metric ton of 80s-inspired synthpop there, which is what I suppose my interests lie towards when I'm on the look for something moodier. The production standards on some of those records were insanely gratifying. Other artists (<b>Dool</b>, <b>Ulver</b>, <b>Myrkur</b>) received widespread attention in metal circles due to their associations with the scene, despite, in a lot of cases, having completely evolved from their metallic origins (I'm looking at you, <i>Bergtatt</i>). Never a bad thing. Besides the synthpop frenzy, an eccentric bevy of electronic, pop and rock releases round out the bulk of the list. Honorable mentions include <b>Korine's </b><i>The Night We Raise</i> and <b>Squarepusher's </b><i>Be Up a Hello</i>. </p><p><i><br /></i></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b> *Top 15 Non-metal Albums*</b></h3><p><b>15. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX1MykFo-gg&ab_channel=JessieWareVEVO" target="_blank">Jessie Ware (UK) – <i>What's You</i></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lX1MykFo-gg&ab_channel=JessieWareVEVO" target="_blank"><i>r Pleasure? </i>(pop)</a><b><br />14. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtanRfRtNkM&ab_channel=RianTreanor-Topic" target="_blank">Rian Treanor (UK) – <i>File Under UK Metaplasm </i>(electronic)</a><br /><b>13. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz5pxQEBG_s&ab_channel=RelapseRecords" target="_blank">Myrkur (Dn) – <i>Folkesange </i>(neofolk)</a><b> <br /></b><b>12. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlMxYHH8zI4&ab_channel=ProphecyProductions" target="_blank">Dool (Nl) – <i>Summerland </i>(occult rock)</a><br /><b>11. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWHp_qhBmgA&ab_channel=DaisRecords" target="_blank">Riki (US) – <i>Riki </i>(synthpop)</a><b> <br /></b><b>10. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS1VLDESKmQ&ab_channel=Ulver-Topic" target="_blank"><span>U</span></a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LS1VLDESKmQ&ab_channel=Ulver-Topic" target="_blank"><span>lver (Nr) </span>– <i>Flowers of Evil </i>(synthpop)</a><b> <br /></b><b>09. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhJ5S1d8dAQ&ab_channel=evrythngevrythngVEVO" target="_blank">Everything Everything (UK) – <i>Re-Animator </i>(art pop)</a><br /><b>08. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxWutMoqDJA&ab_channel=BlaqkAudio" target="_blank">Blaqk Audio (US) – <i>Beneath the Black Palms </i>(synthpop)</a><br /><b>07. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSltojAWo2U&ab_channel=Dependent" target="_blank">Black Nail Cabaret (Hu) – <i>Gods Verging on Sanity </i>(synthpop)</a><br /><b>06. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1I07qk6DW8&ab_channel=TheBirthdayMassacre-Topic" target="_blank">The Birthday Massacre (Ca) – <i>Diamonds </i>(synthpop)</a><br /><b>05. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yT-vFErk3R0&ab_channel=WailinStorms" target="_blank">Wailin Storms (US) – <i>Rattle </i>(doom rock)</a><br /><b>04. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVMkvCTT_yg&ab_channel=WaterTowerMusic" target="_blank">Ludwig Göransson (Swe) – </a><i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVMkvCTT_yg&ab_channel=WaterTowerMusic" target="_blank">Tenet: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack</a><br /></i><b>03. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6qmSBlhNik&ab_channel=MolchatDoma" target="_blank">Molchat Doma (By) – <i>Monument </i>| <i>Монумент</i> (post-punk/darkwave)</a><br /><b>02. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwQiVsj0m3w&ab_channel=Phantogram" target="_blank">Phantogram (US) – <i>Ceremony </i>(electronic)</a><br /><b>01. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7mWBMqqBxE" target="_blank">Assemblage 23 (US) – <i>Mourn </i>(electronic/industrial)</a></p><p><br /></p>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-7166501162368997052020-04-08T14:49:00.006-07:002020-12-29T14:13:59.078-08:00Arthalos' Best Albums of the Year [2012]<br />
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This was a pretty varied year, and I'm happy to say both records from bands that have achieved cult status by now and some more mainstream selections are distributed fairly equally. This was the year I started the blog, so naturally I started delving really deep into underground territory, and there are also plenty of great demos and EPs from this all across doom, death, black, sludge and traditional metal that shouldn't go unnoticed by obscurantists. The <b>Sigh </b>album was the first album I heard by them, a seemingly rudderless panoply of metallic oddities strewn together in one of the catchiest patchworks the band has ever made, probably my favorite by them after the flawless <i>Imaginary Soniscape</i>. A lot of great retro death metal as well, and a longer list would have had even more to show in that regard. Clearly, though, the Necrovation sophomore ranks the most engrossing in that department, a blistering, almost beautiful, at times melodic ode everything you love about old school death metal, finessed to just the pitch where everything feels familiar but still pulsating and fresh. Bands like <b>Dawnbringer</b>, <b>Anthem</b>, and <b>Pharaoh </b>represent a solid heavy/power balustrade, a sign that while traditional heavy and power metal are not as prominent as they were in the 80s, many bands, old and new, are still keeping the style in the present. Some later additions include <i>Carved into Stone</i>, <i>Kentucky </i>and <i>Eremita</i>, all by artists which I came to enjoy in later years, and I'm glad to say they all pop more often in my yearly favorites once I started to weed through their discographies.<br />
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<b>**Top 20 Metal Albums of 2012**</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">20 </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">HeXen (US) – <i>Being and Nothingness</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">19 </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Gojira (France) – <i>L’enfant Sauvage</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">18 Spawn of Possession (Sweden) – <i>Incurso</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">17 Panopticon (US) – <i>Kentucky</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">16 </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Burning Shadows (US) – <i>Gather, Darkness! </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">15 Hail Spirit Noir (Greece) – <i>Pneuma</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">14 </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Altar of Oblivion (Denmark) – <i>Grand Gesture of Defiance</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 17.12px;">13 Horrendous (US) – <i>The Chills</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">12 Hooded Menace (Finland) – <i>Effigies of Evil</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">11 </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Prong (US) – <i>Carved Into Stone</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">10 Anhedonist (US) – <i>Netherwards</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">09 Ihsahn (Norway) – <i>Eremita </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">08 Pharaoh (US) – <i>Bury the Light</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">07 Dawnbringer (US) – <i>Into the Lair of the Sun God </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">06 Necrovation (US) – <i>Necrovation</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">05 Trial (Sweden) – <i>The Primordial Temple</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">04 Tiamat (Sweden) – <i>The Scarred People</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">03 Anthem (Japan) – <i>Burning Oath</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">02 Enslaved (Norway) – <i>RIITIIR</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">01 Sigh (Japan) – <i>In Somniphobia </i></span></div>
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<b><i>Honorable mentions</i></b><br />
<b><i><br /></i></b>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 16px;">Charon (Germany) – <i>Sulphur Seraph</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Nekromantheon (Norway) – <i>Rise, Vulcan Spectre </i><br />
Chaos Inception (US) – <i>The Abrogation</i><br />
Bauda (Chile) – <i>Euphoria… of Flesh, Men and the Great Escape</i><br />
Yurei (Norway) – <i>Night Vision</i><br />
Draumar (Germany) – <i>Gebirge (EP)</i><br />
Black Table (US) – <i>Sentinel (EP)</i></span><i><br /></i>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-67949694097991903062020-01-04T07:07:00.006-08:002022-07-04T07:58:48.054-07:00Arthalos' Best Albums of the Year [2019]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3Zu9pNgIVe3gxjVhJstH4Qt2PhZyemXwtU1_5xPlNfdIpgzwrxg9V8MvnWC4Uc94TylBeFCrx1MQ-YE_vQtRfkfKr91QnpVtqsXHrkd1EZRC3zsXZsFdFv92M0yRZZJqoFXNnOwvQ4Os/s1600/Arthalos%2527+best+of+2019.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="600" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3Zu9pNgIVe3gxjVhJstH4Qt2PhZyemXwtU1_5xPlNfdIpgzwrxg9V8MvnWC4Uc94TylBeFCrx1MQ-YE_vQtRfkfKr91QnpVtqsXHrkd1EZRC3zsXZsFdFv92M0yRZZJqoFXNnOwvQ4Os/s400/Arthalos%2527+best+of+2019.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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In the final product, I'm happy to say most of the major genres receive some form of exposure and representation on this list. A reflection, as with most years, of the diversity and excellence that different artists can channel across different <i>metal-isms</i>. Death metal gets minimal representation on this list (though the <b>Coffin Rot </b>debut very nearly made the cut) but that doesn't mean there was a shortage of gruesome, choppy material hailing from both Europe and the States. My preferences naturally tilt towards the old school, so the <b>Inferi </b>record feels a bit disjointed within the mix, not least when it was considered among the 'poppiest' death metal albums of the year. Frankly, it was a great exercise in memorable melodic/technical death metal, and somehow made the double snarl/growl vocal formula work. <i>Dreadlord</i>, on the other hand, was easily the Dutchmen's best effort to date, a brutal, scathing panoply of riffs and morose <b>Dissection</b>-esque throngs of melody that cemented it as one of the best the genre had to offer this year, period.<br />
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But the broader story here is doom metal and prog. All of <b>Crypt Sermon</b>, <b>Capilla Ardiente</b>, <b>Spirit Adrift </b>and <b>Green Lung </b>delivered bouts of crushing, hazy, epic excellence that should hold a candle to some of the genre's forebears of the 80s and 90s. There were also a handful of solid releases that didn't make the cut to the top but which nonetheless fueled several hours' worth of headbanging back at the pad. Some of my favorite artists on earth like <b>Arch/Matheos </b>and <b>Opeth </b>made career apexes, and the Scandinavian express a la <b>Borknagar </b>and <b>Soilwork </b>was not too shabby either, displaying forth a committed continuation into their renewed artistic paths.<br />
<br />
Besides these, there was a swarm of black metal records that proved Guillermo del Toro's aphorism that evil always gestates; but never disappears. While albums like<i> </i><i>Ilmestysket </i>remained as unfazed monuments to the winter solitude bands like <b>Darkthrone </b>have been conjuring up since time immemorial, <i>Par le sang versé</i>, for instance, uprooted the traditional aesthetics of the genre and embedded it into a seemingly archaic palette, woven together through an impeccable assemblage of melodious tremolos. It was pretty gratifying to be reassured that black metal in 2019 is still the genre stylistically the most mercurial while quality-wise the most consistent.<br />
<br />
My last 5 or so picks are somewhat interchangeable, since they were all absorbing, if not wholly bordering on perfection. More generally, however, although there were quite a few enjoyable (and sometimes surprising) releases, the lion's share of extreme metal that reached my ears tended to be rather dull and generic. This is not a novel trend, and it's perhaps a product of the metric shit ton of records that found their way to my iPod. For a more comprehensive list with individual commentaries on each album, <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-top-metal-albums-of-2019/"><b>please refer to the RYM list I curate annually</b></a>. I've downsized my list to 50 choices this year to lock on the quality. Compulsive listening remains the key criteria.<br />
<br />
YouTube links to the albums embedded below.<br />
<br /><b>Update (January 2021): </b>Added <b>Bethlehem</b>, <b>Vargrav</b> and <b>Mo'ynoq</b>, pushed back the <b>Vulture</b>, <b>Tanith</b> and <b>Gardghastr</b> records. <div><br />
<br />
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">**Top 20 Metal Albums **</span></b></h3>
<br />
<b>20. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i01mTPuopm8">Inferi [US] - <i>End of an Era | Rebirth</i></a></div><div>
<b>19. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK2VhcnPkIw">Latitudes [UK] - <i>Part Island</i></a></div><div>
<b>18. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7wllxupIVw&ab_channel=Werwolf" target="_blank">Vargrav [Fin] - <i>Reign in Supreme Darkness</i></a></div><div>
<b>17. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO3-4Z8mi-E">Magnabolt [US] - <i>Magnabolt</i></a></div><div>
<b>16. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_0FhJwzxW4">Véhémence [France] - <i>Par le sang versé </i></a></div><div>
<b>15. </b><a href="https://youtu.be/GaBDD8XOrQg">Imperium Dekadenz [Germany] - <i>When We Are Forgotten</i></a></div><div>
<b>14. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgoOTFOatwg">Capilla Ardiente [Chile] - <i>The Siege</i></a></div><div>
<b>13. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV0b3fA9neA&ab_channel=ProphecyProductions" target="_blank">Bethlehem [Germany] - <i>Lebe Dich leer</i></a></div><div>
<b>12. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6ZywNguV9w">Abbath [Norway] - <i>Outstrider</i></a></div><div>
<b>11.</b><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6ZywNguV9w"> </a></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQu9rVMixQM&ab_channel=InfernusGate" target="_blank">Mo'ynoq [US] - <i>Dreaming in a Dead Language</i></a></div><div>
<b>10. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXc8Atwh3-c">Green Lung [UK] - <i>Woodland Rites</i></a></div><div>
<b>09. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka00AjftFFA">Bodyfarm [Netherlands] - <i>Dreadlord </i></a></div><div><b></b>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b>08. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-sNygFHM9M&ab_channel=NoEvDia">Deathspell Omega [France] - <i>The Furnaces of Palinganesia</i> </a><br /></span>
<b>07. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PVnML09w50">Idle Hands [US] - <i>Mana</i></a><br />
<b>06. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-kcWrCX9rA">Soilwork [Sweden] - <i>Verkligheten </i></a><br />
<b>05. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAKWe0DkBsE">Borknagar [Norway] - <i>True North</i></a><br />
<b>04. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9juAlTLvMA">Spirit Adrift [US] - <i>Divided by Darkness</i></a><br />
<b>03. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBnUR9wmmjQ">Arch/Matheos [US] - <i>Winter Ethereal</i></a><br />
<b>02.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNdc8tdjWvI"> </a></b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNdc8tdjWvI">Crypt Sermon [US] - <i>Ruins of Fading Light</i></a><br />
<b>01. </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO0qcFVWDs8">Opeth [Sweden] - <i>In Caudia Venenum</i></a><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b><br /></b>
<h3 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Non-metal albums</span></b></h3>
<b><br /></b>
I had a pretty limited exposure to non-metal releases from 2019, since most of time was spent spelunking in metallic excess. So if I were to write up a list of non-metal stuff I enjoyed, in no particular order, it would be fairly concise...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XZqoBb9UXk">Blanck Mass [UK] - <i>Animated Violence Mild </i>(Electronic)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbbbark8k7w">Boy Harsher [US] - <i>Careful </i>(Synthpop)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leJSDyLJ_mE">Brutus [Belgium] - <i>Nest </i>(Post-Hardcore)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9s11MlRWVM">Chelsea Wolfe [US] - <i>Birth of Violence </i>(Neofolk)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2tVkJFPkNY">Demon Head [Denmark] - <i>Hellfire Ocean Void </i>(Goth Rock)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjUhBVkJoMk">Diplodocus [Finland] - <i>Slow & Heavy </i>(Dungeon Synth)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icdiaV6WORc">Mega Drive [US]- <i>199XAD </i>(Synthwave)</a><br />
<a href="https://gondolinrecords.bandcamp.com/album/clavitasian-threshold">Moth Tower [Denmark] - <i>Clavitasian</i><i> Threshold </i>(Dungeon Synth)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpCtor2ViSc">Power Glove [Australia] - <i>Playback </i>(Synthwave)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWdUf9hSOA0">Ringo Sheena [Japan] - <i>Sandukoshi </i>(J-Pop/Art Pop)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxCVfl5nfoU">The Black Wizards [Portugal] - <i>Reflections </i>(Stoner/Blues Rock)</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUcKgzE0Ghk">TR/ST [Canada] - <i>The Destroyer I</i> (Synthpop)</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-18126767313918888382019-01-04T02:10:00.003-08:002023-02-06T04:31:01.187-08:00The Cream of the Crop: Arthalos Picks His Best of 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheowRdNU29MnMdrbO_6qXQfk4DyyBO08zqGKJuVfaJhPGGKHBlCCO-4z55CkGcd28uU4B1FweGHS3oSftn2y_ruIKLAtHg4RJcHWzBnSyFotwWrO1d8FmH3hs0bSDVzSwggSLH1c3JtnnR/s1600/Arthalos%2527+best+of+2018.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="501" data-original-width="815" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheowRdNU29MnMdrbO_6qXQfk4DyyBO08zqGKJuVfaJhPGGKHBlCCO-4z55CkGcd28uU4B1FweGHS3oSftn2y_ruIKLAtHg4RJcHWzBnSyFotwWrO1d8FmH3hs0bSDVzSwggSLH1c3JtnnR/s400/Arthalos%2527+best+of+2018.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<b>Top 25 Albums of 2018****</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>25)</b><b> </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ijc7A5oAc">Ghost (Se) - <i>Prequelle </i></a><br />
<b>24) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r9iS6fWnMA">Horrendous (US) - <i>Idol</i></a><br />
<b>23) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17VSsHQk7s8">Sulphur Aeon (De) - <i>The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos</i></a><br />
<b>22) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO5_a05wHVE">Stam1na (Fin)- <i>Taival</i></a><br />
<b>21) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RNEDd6ZYnU">Judas Priest (UK) -<i> Firepower</i></a><br />
<b>20) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7JCQRHROCk">Lucifer (Int) - <i>Lucifer II</i></a><br />
<b>19)</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZd2liHm8P8">Khemmis (US) - <i>Desolation</i></a><br />
<b>18) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq63StvBp_8">King Witch (UK) - <i>Under the Mountain</i></a><br />
<b>17) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX5Fs_cMhpc&ab_channel=MetalBladeRecords" target="_blank">Primordial (Ir) - <i>Exile Among the Ruins</i></a><br />
<b>16) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7sBMm5JJFc">Graveyard (Se) - <i>Peace</i></a><br />
<b>15) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CcdlxBPyYk">Satan (UK) - <i>Cruel Magic </i></a><br />
<b>14) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3ks2L5BO34&ab_channel=Ungfell-Topic" target="_blank">Ungfell (CH) - <i>Mythen, Mären, Pestilenz</i></a><br />
<b>13) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3gAWnUH-NM">Kontinuum (Is) - <i>No Need to Reason</i></a><b> </b><br />
<b>12) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hljBz0zTEKQ&ab_channel=NapalmRecords">Dee Snider (US) - <i>For the Love of Metal</i></a><br />
<b>11) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BD3v8w57_lU">Haken (UK) - <i>Vector</i></a><br />
<b>10) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0S2f2iu_fY">Sigh (Jp) - <i>Heir to Despair</i></a><br /><b>09) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9S_s2NiEQo">Uriah Heep (UK) -<i> Living the Dream</i></a><br /><b>08) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu-rdMK8ISA">Ihsahn (Nr) - <i>Àmr</i></a><br /><b>07) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceMlO3mHx7E">Saxon (UK) - <i>Thunderbolt</i></a><br /><b>06)</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ToK9VLJcxU">Voivod (Ca) - <i>The Wake</i></a><br /><b>05) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ca8QdzvJKQ">Rising (Dn) - <i>Sword and Scythe</i></a><br /><b>04) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QdHI0if_xk">The Night Flight Orchestra (Se) - <i>Sometimes the World Ain't Enough</i></a><br /><b>03) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSTDNCwrdAc">Madder Mortem (Nr) - <i>Marrow</i></a><br /><b>02) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXHWQrbCALQ">UDO (De) - <i>Steelfactory </i></a><br /><b>01) </b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU4AR_8LLHw">Amorphis (Fin) - <i>Queen of Time</i></a><br />
<br />
YouTube links to sample songs have been embedded above.<br />
<br />
<b>Honorable mentions</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Wytch Hazel - <i>II: Soujourn</i><br />
Angra - <i>OMNI</i><br />
Bane - <i>Esoteric Formulae</i><br />
Gorod - <i>Aethra </i><br />
Summoning - <i>With Doom We Come</i><br />
Usurpress - <i>Interregnum</i><br />
Necrophobic - <i>Mark of the Necrogram </i><br />
Striker - <i>Play to Win</i><br />
Witherfall - <i>A Prelude to Sorrow</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
This was an insanely prolific year for aged veterans, especially those coming from the British Isles, whether it's triumphant continuations of their already amazing compendium of 21st century releases from bands like <b>Saxon</b> and<b> Satan</b>, or just straight up shockers from <b>Uriah Heep</b> and <b>Judas Priest</b>... it's almost as if the entire cadre of geriatric rockers decided to make a few last statements before calling it quits (even long timers like <b>Heir Apparent</b> and <b>Fifth Angel</b> made notable, if not particularly great, comebacks). At any rate, these records are all fantastic additions to some of the most legendary discographies in all of heavy metal, and serve as a surefire kick on the face for all the countless agglomerations of oafish retro stuff that's being churned out <i>ad nauseaum </i>by newer generations. But the veteran aesthetic is prominent across plenty of genres here, with melodic death, black metal and progressive metal variants generating all sorts of lofty impressions thanks to <b>Ihsahn</b>, <b>Voivod</b>, <b>Madder Mortem</b>, <b>Sigh</b>, <b>Behemoth</b>, and <b>Amorphis</b>. The <b>Behemoth</b> record might be questionable choice for two reasons: firstly because the band fails to explore any uncharted territory as they did with their groundbreaking 2014 opus <i>The Satanist</i>, and secondly because it feels like a B-side to its predecessor at times. Yet despite the controversy surrounding it, it was a well-balanced and fabulously produced record with a good few tunes that will definitely stand the test of time.<br />
<br />
At the same time, there is disconcerting side to this list in the relative absence of any 'new' bands; in fact there are probably around 5-6 bands here which I would or have not included in any of my yearly lists at any point in time. This isn't all bad, though, and I was greatly elated by further solid outings by some of my favorite 'newsprint' acts, like <b>Ghost</b>, <b>Sulphur Aeon</b>, <b>Khemmis</b>, <b>Haken</b> and, most notably, <b>Horrendous</b>, who at this point have cracked the formula of penning compelling, melody-driven old school, splatter-thrash-induced death metal that channels anything from Finland's <b>Sentenced</b> to early <b>Death</b>. Beyond these, I was pleased that a list largely bearing the odor of classic heavy, power and progressive stuff could incorporate some genuinely resolute, unbridled evil and despair towards the tail end, and indeed there was also had a metric ton of archaic and mesmerizing death metal to boot, even if these weren't the <i>crème de la crème </i>as far as the entire glut is concerned.<br /><div><br /><b>2021 Update: </b>Added the Dee Snider album, pushed back the Golgotha record. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>2023 Update: </b>Added the Ungfell and Primordial records, pushed back Evoken and Behemoth. </div>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-80818613185686863182018-02-07T11:18:00.004-08:002024-02-06T01:35:02.803-08:00The Cream of the Crop: Arthalos Picks His Best of 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM_7QxGFXkV9w2zvDPBGQhzOVvtezVeLpbUTdSE3FaPIdLvsLgNKMX5glcY9Y5qTU8qkptBOtsak8HYgDhPDOYIKJ1cZgjaCYOHI_O95RAokiYqEVdKGMRFfB4oQArgUAdNaIbIDDyflL/s1600/Arthalos%2527+best+of+2017.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1196" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMM_7QxGFXkV9w2zvDPBGQhzOVvtezVeLpbUTdSE3FaPIdLvsLgNKMX5glcY9Y5qTU8qkptBOtsak8HYgDhPDOYIKJ1cZgjaCYOHI_O95RAokiYqEVdKGMRFfB4oQArgUAdNaIbIDDyflL/s400/Arthalos%2527+best+of+2017.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<b><br /></b><b><br /></b>
<b>Albums I haven't heard yet:</b><br />
<br />
The Ominous Circle (Pt) - <i>Appalling Ascension</i><br />
<div>
The Faceless (US) – <i>In Becoming A Ghost</i><br />
Wolves in the Throne Room (US) – <i>Thrice Woven</i></div>
<div>
Converge (US)<i> </i>– <i>The Dusk in Us</i></div>
<div>
Sarcasm (Se) – <i>Within the Sphere of Ethereal Minds</i></div>
<div>
Exhumed (US) – <i>Death Revenge</i></div>
<div>
Redemptor (Pl) - <i>Arthaneum</i></div>
<div>
Evil Invaders (Be) – <i>Feed Me Violence</i><br />
Time Lurker (Fr) - <i>Time Lurker</i><br />
Diablo Swing Orchestra (Se) - <i>Pacifisticuffs</i></div>
<div>
Black Sites (US) - <i>In Monochrome </i><br /><br />
I've also written up on <b>rateyourmusic</b> a list for my favorite 100 metal records for the year, in no particular order, with descriptions attached to each entry. You can access that list here:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-top-metal-albums-of-2017-1/">Arthalos' 2017 RYM listallurgy.</a></b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<i><br /></i>
<b>Top 25 Metal Albums of 2017****</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
25) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEk1NKihOk8">Slægt (Dk) - <i>Domus Mysterium</i></a><br />
24) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8W9ejXOSTjg&index=3&list=PLfvQMoYD6TXPHpHCubRYme793_17ENwNY">Selcouth (Fi) - <i>Heart is the Star of Chaos</i></a><br />
23) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQU0J8ViiM4">Affliktor (US) - <i>Affliktor</i></a><br />
22) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPiVHNj_WHg">Atrox (No) - <i>Monocle</i></a><br />
21) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R2V5jLY7b0">Oz (Fin) - <i>Transition State</i></a><br />
20) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB4yX5_6yYo">Lör (US) - <i>In Forgotten Sleep</i></a><br />
19) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFx2nCfeG0c">Cradle of Filth (UK) - <i>Cryptoriana: The Seductiveness of Decay</i></a><br />
18) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewOFEaEWsXs">The Doomsday Kingdom (Se) - <i>The Doomsday Kingdom</i></a><br />
17) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HRtA2_fTbc">Concerto Moon (Jp) - <i>Tears of Messiah</i></a></div><div>
16) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKYc6gvcfGw">Hällas (Se) - <i>Excerpts from a Future Past</i></a><br />
15) Ungfell (Sw) - <i>Mythen, Mären, Pestilenz</i><br />
14) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IfmXD90VWsg">Deep Purple (UK) - <i>Infinite</i></a><br />
13) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9kmdCb5gt4">Kreator (De) - <i>Gods of Violence</i></a><br />
12) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HphaH3ahYh4">Emptiness (Be) - <i>Not for Music</i></a><br />
11) Septicflesh (Gr) - <i>Codex Omega</i><br />
10) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBYOegpsiR4">Dool (Nl) - <i>Here Now, There Then</i></a><br />
09) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2lmSpfDfqg">Air Raid (Se) - <i>Across the Line</i></a><br />
08) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQtDr7TRoOA">Sólstafir (Isl) - <i>Berdreyminn</i></a><br />
07) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ry7FStwey4">Mastodon (US) - <i>Emperor of Sand</i></a><br />
06) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8EB49PA4lk">Firespawn (Se) - <i>The Reprobate</i></a><br />
05) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PR2I5r5kg7c">Argus (US) - <i>From Fields of Fire</i></a><br />
04) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMjw4PIhmO8">Dvne (UK) - <i>Asheran</i></a><br />
03) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpuEin8RUBM">Nocturnal Rites (Se) - <i>Phoenix</i></a><br />
02) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRlhMyXmTYQ">Enslaved (No) - <i>E</i></a><br />
01) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCMYJ8PW2gI">Nokturnal Mortum (Ukr) - <i>Істина</i></a><br />
<br />
Another very strong here overall, with Britain compensating for the political shenanigans in the previous year with a superb lot - both seasoned veterans and a couple of relative newcomers. A few deviants like Japan, Belgium and the Netherlands, but otherwise the list looks like a surefire dominion of American, Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish panache, reaching across several distinct genres (my top 100 pickings were much more diverse globally, however). A radiant comeback synergy is prevalent, whether its Mastodon or Deep Purple, although many of the more experienced bands on this list had already been producing impregnable outings for a while. The Dool and Hällas albums may seem like a cheat, but ultimately both bands come from a hesher tradition and had a huge number of very 'metal' riffs on parade, so I had to do them justice. The top three entries were perhaps the most difficult to order: while I was mesmerized both by the ways in which Enslaved turned the genre around its progressive head yet another time, and by the stellar 'pure' power metal gusto of <i>Phoenix</i>, the Ukrainians were too close to perfection to be pushed to the back row. A sliver away from the majesty of <i>The Voice of Steel</i>, <i>Істина </i>is an near-immaculate haunt of folk, electronics and black metal, and the mere name of Nokturnal Mortum is titular enough to gladden my heart.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
I won't promise that everything on the bottom 10 is there to stay, though I can promise that all of this is getting repeated listens on my iPod. Fhtagn fhtagn to everyone who's still reading, and hopefully 2018 will be more propitious for the blog. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Update 09/22: </b>Added the Ungfell album, pushed back Craven Idol. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Update 02/24: </b>Added Septicflesh, pushed back Akercocke. </div>
LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-45684504790023847962017-07-16T06:29:00.003-07:002017-07-16T06:29:21.090-07:00Below - Upon a Pale Horse [2017]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Doom takes some skill to do right. So much of what goes around my ears traverses fledgling attempts at sucking the listener's emotional valves through sustained, meandering, heavy music for the sake of being heavy and morose, that I'm not surprised that the genre is so often berated for being 'slow'. Especially past a certain classic era which ended somewhere in the 90's, I find it difficult to counteract these enduring doom myths, but thankfully bands like <b>Atlantean Kodex</b>, <b>Grand Magus </b>and <b>Crypt Sermon </b>have proven to be persuasive arbiters of the best which their genre has to offer, combining the groove-laden moods of <b>Candlemass</b>, <b>Count Raven </b>or <b>Pentagram </b>which juicy, unbarred traditional heavy metal riffcraft, creating a riveting fusion of pace, melody and earthly sensation. Both the artwork and thematic plateau of <b>Below's</b> <i>Upon a Pale Horse </i>suggests something more in line with a <b>King Diamond </b>disc, but the assured quality and content is rather on a par with the aforementioned masters, something which only serves to further boost Sweden's retinue for streaming such excellent old-school metal from its bloodline.<br />
<br />
To be frank, Below's effort here does not stack up an exceeding height to a body of already impressive recent heavy/doom offerings from bands I've already laid out, chiefly memorable among which I would cite the dazzling <b>Crypt Sermon </b>debut. The band gets the 'epic doom' tag from Metallum, a curious intimation with the original specters of the sub-genre, such as <b>Candlemass</b>, and one that I can't entirely agree with. The opener ''Disappearing into Nothing'' showcases a strong tact for tasteful riffing and harmonious, atmospheric choruses that explode with moving momentum; similarly, much of the rest of the songs follow such a course, whereby the sheer and dark <b>Candlemass</b>-esque pulsations are curtailed with a more pronounced proclivity for melancholy, injected through occasional arpeggios and low-ebb verses. All this, however, is not at all to detract from the band's capacity to churn out strong crafts of melody and musical narrative. There is also a fair bit variety in the pacing. ''Suffer in Silence'', my favorite from the album, begins with a harried diminished chord attack, and come chorus unveils with another killer, moving chorus the band seems to have such a knack for. ''The Coven'' could certainly have been a cover for <b>Mercyful Fate</b>, with its somber leads and Gothic vibe. Despite the evident comparisons, Below doesn't have the same saturnine weight as the Swedish legends <b>Candlemass</b>, because the compositions sail more elegant, albeit still convincingly poignant, waters, and the augmented fleshes of melody and harmony certainly serve as ear-catchers on the mast of the ship.<br />
<br />
Vocalist Zeb is no virtuoso, but he does a fine job in reconstructing the Bruce Dickinson timber, sometimes sporting this grainy haughteur that's more reminiscent of some of Bruce's creepier moments, with the early Maiden records or as on some of his solo records, and the choruses and chants are nothing if not vibrant and memorable. Production is close to perfect: the drums cling on loosely but patiently in the background like sleepwalking candle-bearers in an abandoned attic, witnessing a sacrificial ceremony, the guitars, both while clean and distorted, hover with organic, if slightly sinister precision above the dim lights, - here's where the Candlemass comparisons really get their due - and the vocals, all told, are sufficiently resplendent to carry out the emotional wave of the record forward. The riffs never offer a copious endless variety of funereal meatiness, but as far as I'm concerned they're groovy and crushing enough to elude the caveat of 'bored metal' for the good +45 minute duration of the album. Tip to toe, I'm happy to say this is an accessible record, a fairly delectable 21st century yarn for <b>Candlemass </b>fans like myself, perhaps not the most forward thinking piece of music you're likely to hear in 2017, and certainly not an impregnable morass of lugubrious horror a la <b>Esoteric </b>or <b>Skepticism</b>, but a highly listenable, inspiring gauze of melodic doom nonetheless. Retro and maudlin, a luminous contender in a sea of colorless mourning.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Suffer in Silence</b><br />
<b>Disappearing into Nothing</b><br />
<b>The Coven</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Rating: </u>77%</b></span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<br />
<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-77616763562292717142017-01-07T12:09:00.011-08:002021-06-05T17:30:34.181-07:00The Cream of the Crop: Arthalos Picks His Best of 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
This year I managed to expand my cream of the crop to 25 pickings, as a lot of great but not <i>absolutely riveting </i>works tend to get dismissed when lists are severely downsized. If anything, I thought 2016 offered an even more motley platter of goods when you look at the overall span of the records I enjoyed, but their year-on-year qualities are roughly on a par, which is a definitely a positive when I look back to 2013 and 2014. The latter two were not 'bad' by any means - not by a mile - but I think the surge of quality has been upped by a healthy pinch with the last two years. Moving on.<br />
<br />
As always, my top crop is a shapeless mesh of different genres and tastes. Since some of my favorite avantgarde artists had released records last year (<b>Arcturus</b>, <b>Sigh</b>, <b>Solefald</b>, <b>DHG</b>) this year was somewhat devoid of their clownish, gonzo black metal expressionism, but to cover up there was a fairly large plate of progressive-tagged servings. I am not the biggest progressive metal devotee (<b>Dream Theater</b> and <b>Opeth</b> <i>do</i> get unabashed ticks in my book but that's a good given for many metalheads) so it seems strange that six out of my top ten have overt 'progressive' tendencies, be it <b>Ihsahn</b>'s idiosyncratic mold of <b>Emperor</b>-isms and amplified 70's prog rock, <b>Stam1na</b>'s unique brand of proggy groove/thrash, or <b>Votum</b>'s 'chugressive' (see <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/autothrall/autothralls-best-metal-of-2016-1/4/">here</a> for reference). It's simply loaded. Nevertheless, every album here occupies a distinct sector of sound within metal. No two are even relatively similar.<br />
<br />
Two great experimental Greek black metal albums (<b>Hail Spirit Noir</b> and <b>Aenaon</b>) and a much-waited <b>Virus</b> record round up a small but addictive bastion of insanity and boiled freakishness that compensate for the larger lack of avantgarde; Lovecraftian old school death metal tribulations a la <b>Chthe'ilist</b> and <b>Howls of Ebb</b> carry the banner of appendage-laden antiquity for a genre that was starting to pale out in the last couple of years; retro heavy metal searching back into anything from <b>Thin Lizzy</b> to <b>Iron Maiden</b> and <b>Manilla Road</b> gets its due (<b>Spell</b>, <b>Eternal Champion</b>, <b>Sumerlands</b>, <b>Attacker</b>); black metal shows in a myriad forms why it isn't even close to running out of season (<b>Nordjevel</b>, <b>Winterhorde</b>, <b>Eldjudnir</b>, <b>Anaal Nathrakh</b>, <b>Khonsu</b>, <b>Oranssi Pazuzu</b>); and even the sludge/doom niche, something I usually don't look forward to listening to, let alone push so high up among my preferences, gets some representation with the new <b>Khemmis</b>. The only travesty among this potpourri seems to be the <b>Avenged Sevenfold</b> record: an admittedly difficult choice for me, but trust me when I say I fervently listened to the shit out of <i>The Stage, </i>a fantastic transformation from an otherwise negligible outfit. And so high up, too? My conviction remains unchanged.<br />
<br />
My pickings come full circle as the greatest diadem went to <i>Terminal Redux</i>. No other record felt so complete, so epic, from its magnificent lyrical narrative to its compendium of titillating technical thrash riffs, although the top 4-5 records did come close. It was sad hearing three of their four members departing after the tour.<br />
<br />
I've also decided, for a change, to make a brief pool of records I haven't got around to listening yet, particularly those which received a lot of internet media buzz. Because I'm a terrible person and often prefer discovering obscure lumps of black metal via <b><i>Mortuus</i></b> instead of checking the freshest Metal Blade releases. So this is pretty much a list of albums I want to hear in the near future. Don't be surprised if you see some of the below names cropping up randomly on my top 100 list in the ensuing weeks.<br />
<br />
The Dillinger Escape Plan - <i>Dissociation</i><br />
Wormed - <i>Krishgu</i><br />
Krypts - <i>Remnants of Expansion</i><br />
Lesbian - <i>Hallucinogenesis</i><br />
Zaum - <i>Eidolon</i><br />
Fates Warning - <i>Theories of Flight</i><br />
Schammasch - <i>Triangle</i><br />
Wildhunt - <i>Descending</i><br />
Insomnium - <i>Winter's Gate</i><br />
Messa - <i>Belfry</i><br />
Trap Them - <i>Feral Crown</i><br />
Ravencult - <i>Force of Profanation</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Bear in my mind also that my top 25 does NOT include EP's and demos, as I've reserved those for my larger, non-hierarchical grain storage of 100 metal on RYM, which you can <b><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos-top-100-albums-of-2016-1/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">access here</span></a></b>. The list has brief commentaries on each entry in case you were curious why I thought those were among the best albums of the year.<br />
<br />
YouTube links have been embedded in the list below.<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b><br /></b><b>Top 25 Metal Albums of 2016****</b></h3>
<div><br /></div>
25) <b>TIE</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY7ELJ0oeaA">Anaal Nathrakh (UK) - <i>The Whole of the Law</i></a> | <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSh037dz5OM">Attacker (US) - <i>Sins of the World</i></a> <br />
24) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNwTUgVFoUw">Khonsu (Nr) - <i>The Xun Protectorate</i></a> <br />
23) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB7PQuTqllg">Oranssi Pazuzu (Fin) - <i>Värähtelijä</i></a> <br />
22) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZRi_9HwMbE">Eternal Champion (US) - <i>The Armor of Ire</i></a> <br />21) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3ifVrsatSI">Virus (Nr) - <i>Memento Collider</i></a> <br />20) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nvgUvcblUo">Witherscape (Se) - <i>The Northern Sanctuary</i></a> <br />
19) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY56WUjtdHA">Winterhorde (Il) - <i>Maestro</i></a> <br />
18) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tej71K6dRA8">Aenaon (Gr) - <i>Hypnosophy</i></a> <br />
17) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DD7_svsv3c">Dark Tranquility (Se) - <i>Atoma</i> </a><br />
16) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSyBwaEBlE0">Nordjevel (Nr) - <i>Nordjevel</i></a> <br />
15) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zlc4mgqnx1g&ab_channel=MassacreRecordsMassacreRecords">Heavenwood (Pt) - <i>Tarot of the Bohemians</i></a><br />
14) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLRjJQCqCeo&list=OLAK5uy_ndc1eH1ZGsQXla3OC8eCPVjq4w0KGkqK0">Primal Fear (De) - <i>Rulebreaker</i></a><br />
13) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HXzPdshZKU">Khemmis (US) - <i>Hunted</i></a> <div>12) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKYQvQ8bKcc">Hammers of Misfortune (US) - <i>Dead Revolution</i></a> </div><div>
11)<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBasOn1MiW0&ab_channel=GloubiBoulga"> Howls of Ebb (US) - <i>Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows</i> </a><div>10) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LZ99QeDDnc&ab_channel=AccoladeSymphonyAccoladeSymphony">Sumerlands (US) - <i>Sumerlands </i></a></div><div>
09) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzuVBLW9zcE">Votum (Pl) - <i>:Ktonik:</i></a> <br />
08) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WxGoFS5d_Y">Avenged Sevenfold (US) - <i>The Stage</i></a> <br />
07) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7pEXGCtnnk">Haken (UK) - <i>Affinity</i> </a><br />
06) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9vA6dJJX-8">Opeth (Se) - <i>Sorceress</i></a> </div><div>
05) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bkGWgH2DqGY">Hail Spirit Noir (Gr)- <i>Mayhem in Blue</i></a> <br />
04) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Uq7al5JIo">Stam1na (Fin) - <i>Elokuutio</i></a> <br />
03) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huv6liitqyw">Mouth of the Architect (US) - <i>Path of Eight</i></a><i> </i><br />
02) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egeNO4rohn8">Ihsahn (Nr) - <i>Arktis.</i></a> <br />
01) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIJAo3NMRNc">Vektor (US) - <i>Terminal Redux</i></a> <br />
<br />
<br />
Unlike last year, there won't be any feature length non-metal list, as I was able to find less time research other music when preoccupied with metal in general. From what little I did hear, however, new albums by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzxpZO_jAFk"><b><span style="color: #990000;">White Lung</span></b></a>, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9g0RlOicPo"><span style="color: #990000;">John Carpenter</span></a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jryzEU7WAlg"><span style="color: #990000;">Phantogram</span></a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-JqH1M4Ya8"><span style="color: #990000;">David Bowie</span></a></b> are all extremely worthwhile. I might add an extra splash of names to that list later on in 2017, but no promises.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Update 06/2021: </b>Switched a few entries, added albums by Primal Fear, Sumerlands and Heavenwood pushing back a few others<br />
<b><br /></b><b><br /></b></div></div>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-65956312155553697752016-12-10T04:29:00.001-08:002017-01-06T05:21:32.708-08:00Eldjudnir - Eldjudnir [2016]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Black metal's ability to constantly reinvent itself and transcend the sepsis of bland musical conformism has been, for me, one of its key assets. That is not to say every black metal band or album per se capably defies genre conventions to achieve and cultivate sounds or soundscapes that are highly divergent from the next one, but in general I don't think it's a great coincidence that the genre has been able churn out so many harrowing, innovative and effective practitioners on a level that would surpass, if not always dwarf, those produced by other genres' think-tanks. The variety and imaginative stretch, as often grim and nightmarish as it may be, (not necessarily a deficit according to my tastes) is undeniable. Yet this also invites the whole <i>post-metal </i>sub-genre into scrutiny, since the label is so often thrown under the black metal banner, yet features a myriad taxonomies of its own that often constitute great difficulty for the analyst's part to categorize. Boring semi-academic platitudes aside, Danish hopefuls have been one such band to offer such a caveat. While I find myself meddling over the authenticity of the <i>atmospheric black metal </i>tag as bequeathed by the M-A, their unique, desert-like brand of black metal has sold me consistently, spin after spin, giving credibility to my initial statement, to the extent that I no longer give a fuck whether I should term them 'black metal' or 'blackened gonzo avant-garde desert rock'.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Comparisons to the Norwegians avant-garde weirdos are justified. Granted, <i>Eldjudnir </i>does not swerve with the same wacky post-metal antics as <i>The Virus That Shaped the Desert </i>or their latest, <i>Memento Collider</i>, but swerve it does. Rather than the skedaddling waltzes of the Norwegians, Eldjudnir employ slow, intimate, distorted arpeggios and droning chord sequences that all fit into a mid-paced tempo. The bass lines here are fantastic: they gyrate effortlessly underneath the dissonant wave of chords, flowing out with jazzy, serpentine succor. What's unique about the Danes is that they seem to channel a sonic discordance that strikes a balance between the slower, somber undertakings of French bands like Deathspell Omega, Merrimack and Blut Aus Nord and the crepuscular, desert leanings of Virus or DHM with their later, more progressive offerings. The album, coupled with the haunting visual of the cover art, presents this image of some antiquated train running across a lone rail track in the midst of a nocturnal, desert landscape, with derelict buildings or scraps of human development peeping about the ghost train. The Danes are certainly not industrial, but the mournful jangles of the guitars evoke such an atmosphere, leaving a trail of abandoned sickness as the tracks groove along.<br />
<br />
Another obvious selling point for me are the vocals: they come in a scree of varieties. The more traditional, raspy black metal rasps, which are delivered with great accord to the harrowing aura of the record, are prominent, but more than those I loved the absolutely haunting cleans, these ritualistic timbers stretching across the illimitable atmosphere the Danes have constructed. The title track employs a healthy portion of both, with titillating melodies accompanying the rasps and the choruses ballasted by a choir of harrowing cleans. This goes on to show how much and how successfully Eldjudnir enjoy experimenting vocally, even when their bizarre but consistent riff fodder retains a stylistic cohesion throughout. The cleans, as on ''Mimer'', are not unlike Opeth at their best, and pull at the listener's heart's strings as though with a pair of mechanized phantom hands. On top of that, the band is brazen enough to boast a series of female vocals, like on the excellent ''Skade'', and yet their delivery does not loosen at the seams, actually proving to amplify the crippling, strange dolor of the record.<br />
<br />
Clocking at a mere 36 minutes, <i>Eldjudnir </i>is an album I've found hard to break my jones for. Consistent, funereal and never really a drag; there <i>are </i>some sequences in some tracks where I wasn't wholly enamored, but certainly given the the brevity of each track (of which there are 7) there isn't ground aplenty to commit a lot of faults here. My biggest gripe, therefore, may simply be that I could not sink my teeth sufficiently into the plateau of ideas and musical desertification which they rather wonderfully shaped, however well it was construed, both in terms of atmosphere and production. The Danes' style is such that it can merely puncture a highly marginal niche even inside the black metal market, a small place alongside the likes of Virus, Hail Spirit Noir, DHM, Voivod, and maybe the more sophisticated dissonance of the French black metal school, but that quaint eccentricity which they espouse is precisely why I've grown to enjoy this record so much. Being so close to penning their own scripture, one that exists outside of the generic borders of black metal, I can merely wear out the humdingers on this on repeat until a third album pops into existence, out from the jarring and solemn womb of the Danes' imagination, and stamp this record as one of the finer yields of a crop that has already proved 2016 to be a blessed harvest.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Skade</b><br />
<b>Yggdrassil</b><br />
<b>Eldjudnir</b><br />
<b>Hræsvelgr</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Rating: </u>85%</span></b><b><br /></b>
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LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-74536062964103260372016-08-05T07:59:00.000-07:002016-08-05T07:59:02.689-07:00Pyrrhon - Running Out of Skin (EP) [2016]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In an alternative universe, I could have actually enjoyed records like <i>The Mother of Virtues </i>or <i>Vermiis</i>, records by two bands which pop up on occasion in my reviews since I entertain the prospect of teasing their most avid followers and acolytes by readdressing how artificially elevated they seem to be, especially when compared the bee knee's of the technical/avantgarde death metal spectrum, Canada's masterful Gorguts. That said, Pyrrhon's <i>Growth Without End </i>EP which came out last year was a refreshing coat of paint that fractured their immensely busybody stream of waxed, alienating notes and chord fusions into something more in tune with my ears, even though it still retained its caustic freakishness. Come 2016, I was excited to get my hands on their latest opus, <i>Running Out of Skin</i>, which turned out to be something less of an opus and rather a flimsy filler that obeyed the law of its titular maxim more than anything. Crafty and deracinating as these gentleman are in their approach, there is a level of versatility on this EP that I simply found unnerving, spin after spin.<br />
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And unnerving not in the most positive sense. Firstly, Pyrrhon are beyond doubt inaccessible, a feat they've already proven wit 2014's <i>Mother of Virtues</i>, but while complexity is certainly a characteristic, the real asset of their craft the cauterizing, unfazed attack of the guitars, the insomniac lying wait behind the thickset of instruments. Nevertheless, one reason for me abjuring this 16-minute EP is not it's dense focus on intricacy and avowed inaccessibility; it's the band's inability to employ little else that cultivates captivating musical experience. Let's take a look. ''Statistic Singular'', the opener and longest track here, broils with tense, discordant chords that weave into each other in a seeming mess, a characteristic choppy, bass-driven rhythm guitar driving a grotesque sort of groove beat while the lead guitars mingles with the fringes of utter ear-razing frippery: the intended effect IS alienation, but I'm too busy either scratching my head over what the hell is happening or waiting for a hook to give a damn about their skill. I profess: I do enjoy the simpler, plainer things in life, but the track absolutely lacks any momentum to engross anyone to a satisfying degree. As the same rule sadly applies to the rest of the disc, the quartet has apparently invested more time in attempting to emulate the philosophy of their half-sober practice sessions that actually filing any sensible flourish into the music.<br />
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But hell, if you're still pleading 'that's the whole point of the music, to sound dissonant'', be my guest. The guitar tone is unruly and boring, not a major deviation from the industrial grind of their previous records but nonetheless a degree more downtrodden, sharp high-end notes cutting at your eardrums like tiny bacteria with rusted, nail-sized cleavers hacking away in unkempt bliss.I actually enjoyed the vocals on here, though, perhaps the only single attribute that preserved some of that vile, cantankerous timbre I so loved on their previous outings - thankfully some things never change. There's something to be understood here if the best song on the whole disc is a cover of Death's ''Crystal Mountain'', surprisingly well applied into the individual, splenetic science which Pyrrhon has constructed on its own, - complete with both thicker and raspier variations on Schuldiner's voice plus tingling, cyborgian lead sections - and that's <i>Running Out of Skin </i>feels more like a piece of audio commitment fit for donation to poverty-stricken heshers in need, and even then I imagine a good many people wouldn't waste much tine before dumping it into the CD heap. Certainly not a 'terrible' effort by any means, but I felt that in between the dense interplay of meaningless notes and riffs some more substance would have been added, something which I hope the band will seek out to improve on their next full-length. That ''Crystal Mountain'' though.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Statistic Singular</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Rating: </u>52%</span></b><br />
<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-35112206101035691262016-07-13T14:04:00.000-07:002016-07-13T14:04:23.996-07:00Phobocosm - Bringer of Drought [2016]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Although the relentless 'cavern-core' trend of the past few years has quelled in the absence of convincing riffs and atmospheric dynamics that we associate with this murky, spelunking sub-genre, there is still plenty of chaos to be had around, Canada's Phobocosm being one of them, with influences of anything from Blasphemy to Ulcerate running amok through their thick, mired veins. Their debut, 2014's <i>Deprived</i>, was one of the reasons (alongside the <i>creme de la creme</i> output of pioneering mavericks like Antediluvian, Mitochondrion and Portal) that, despite its blooding excess of unruly brutality and sluggish Incantation-worship, I still keep my faith in this niche of music, and it was inevitable that through the conduit of one Dark Descent Records the group would continue to expand its retinue as a budding entity of this formula. Granted, whatever genre it is we're talking about, it's a perpetual labor to patronize and renew your sound; not only that, but to execute the newfound divisiveness in a coherent manner... none of which Phobocosm have quite attempted on their sophomore, <i>Bringer of Drought</i>, leaving, perhaps, something more to be desired.<br />
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Yet when I say the Canadians have not upped or refined their cavernous repository at all, I am not instinctively correct, but rather reflecting on the paucity of fresh elements that would render the music as immersive and punishing as the debut. The Canadians, unsurprisingly, have brought their huge, lumbering, even slightly granular guitars to the fore, such that songs like bombastic, crushing ''Ordeal'' reveal they haven't at all kept their cutlery dusty, delivering astonishingly heavy and smoldering waves of low-end chugs and sludge-like ruptures. Still, the song is probably my favorite among the bunch, (we're talking 4 tracks stretching between 8-12 minutes) so the rest of the songs hardly exhibit the same level of tactile destructiveness and pulverizing force, or, if anything, allure. Throughout the other three songs, we're exposed to a lot of contemplative post-metal, limping, desolate arpeggios that burst into cloudy swathes of distortion and titular chords in an almost Neurosis-esque fashion, sans the experimental tribalism of the California giants, sinewy impulses of fairly 'straightforward' old school death metal tremolos joined up by loose aural sections that make up for plenty of emotional resonance, occasional drum fills daunting and intimidating on the way.<br />
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The picture you get isn't a whole lot different from what <i>Deprived </i>had to offer, although a sludge/post-metal leaning is apparent, almost as though the Canadians are morphing into something in the mode of Mouth of the Architect or Holland's Sistere. However, there is a aridity to the riffs that just makes them too dry, lacking in intricacy, to be paired with Ulcerate, Deathspell Omega, or their fellow countrymen Gorguts, who possess an immovable vocation for balancing the cataracts of brutality and unearthly technical deceptiveness in a storm of highly refined wizardry. Not that any band has to be enormously technical to evoke satisfying, even stunning music: that much is abundantly clear. Indeed, <i>Bringer of Drought </i>nevertheless destroys within the furrows of its neanderthal regime: penalizing walls of sound and magnitude. The vocals are trenchant and great, highly claustrophobic and monstrous, just as you'd want them to be, looming over the instrumentation like an overfed cyclops out of hell, sending the listener's tranquility into a grating spiral of falling dominoes. My gripe is that by and large this isn't the most innovative thing I've heard, and even though its kills in its own standards, there's a point where it ceases to offer the listener anything more. I, too, am content that new bands are still channeling this atavistic and visceral sound that the new generation of old school death metal fanboys seem so enamored by, but without refurbishing their style, bands like Phobocosm don't have plenty of space to grow into. Solid stuff, gets a passing verdict, though I'd still vie for their debut.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Ordeal</b><br />
<b>Fallen</b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Rating: </u>70%</b></span><br />
<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-55766066227165984052016-07-11T08:09:00.002-07:002016-07-11T08:09:51.894-07:00Terra Tenebrosa - The Reverses [2016]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is something distinctly unnerving about Terra Tenebrosa even as you glance at their various cover arts. Slanting, oblique figures in masks that look like they were stolen from a hellish carnival around the whereabouts of Chernobyl, set against a grainy, black-and-white bucolic landscape as though something out of a modern indie horror movie. But even the cover of their albums - among which their third, <i>The Reverses</i>, I find the most visually frightening - does not begin to encompass the integument of the aural and parasitic trance which these Swedish obscures have no offer, a kind of digestible, if not lacking experimentation, configuration of grating, otherworldly senses which seems to liaise between highly industrialized, bogged down venture, and a more cohesive palette of instrumentation akin to Deathspell Omega, Samael, Neurosis at their most unhinged, Blut Aus Nord, Red Harvest, and the Dutch hopefuls Dodecahedron. While most of the time I'm accustomed to slab the label 'unusual' or 'strange' onto bands, the classification does not help much here. In fact, the only way to rectify the crawling insanity of such a band as Terra Teneborsa should require a deep dissection of the band's style and music.<br />
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How exactly to go about this? The Swedes are frightening, theatrical, capricious and dissonant. Predictability is completely out of question, with the band employing such a rich mixture of dense, broiling industrial guitars, cavernous murmurs intermingling with chants, and the production value is simply off the chain, pummeling and bombastic, it's oddly yet titillatingly loud which gives the parasitical quality of the riffs a great deal of punch and energy. Truly, production is at the helm of the sheer momentum of this music. Had the band opted for a grainier, lo-fi production the aural experience, while no less unnerving, might have come off as underwhelming and appropriately downsized, but the magnitude of sound here enhances the claustrophobia and atmosphere, much like the Swiss Samael, especially after their 1996 masterpiece, <i>Passage, </i>only instead of the cosmic, ethereal aura they manifest so endearingly, the Swedes meticulously fabricate the auditory equivalent of a industrial nightmare doll-house, with charred pieces of plastic and piled masses of doll's heads lying about. Ambient sounds textures and multitudes of creeping voices fill in the almost mindless discomfiture they strew in between tracks or passages, and these as freakish and harrowing as a lengthy shot from a Tarkovsky or Kubric opus, dragging in the listener for several minutes with terrible anticipation until a load of jagged, heavyweight riffs are unburdened.<br />
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This is very noticeable with the final, overarching megalith, ''Fire Dances'', some 16 minutes long, which not only has a terrific set of crushing, grooving riffs but a totally immersive center section with long, drudging currents of sound and discord enveloping the listener with minutes at an end. But besides the band's obvious stylistic merit in cultivating such shadowy, implosive chaos, I was surprised at how many of these songs which I felt like coming back to, even with actually memorable riffs and sections I could pick out across the board. ''Ghost at the End of the Rope'' is like a titular, cadaverous Leviathan track, with one guitar chugging out huge rhythms and the other plodding at a terse, repetitive melody; the band's mastery at experimental black metal is apparent from the unusual timing and signatures, the explosive drums and the few, narrow moments of pureblood Scandinavian dynamics which they employ, making for a delicious kind of escape for the bedraggled black metal outlaw. ''The End is Mine to Ride'', with its more traditional structural approach and mid-paced gait, is also very good. Intensity is never a problem for Terra Tenebrosa when they are so apt at picking paces and tempos apart, diverging and converging into varying structures and patterns, which they equally reveal on ''Exuvia'', a forlorn industrial metal piece utilizes a single riff for its entirety, building upon the soundscape around it. Granted, there is some repetition with the riffs but overall the sound sustains itself and the album never yields to musical equanimity, which means I was rarely disinterested throughout. The Swedes have not quite deracinated black metal as others, like, say, Arcturus or Sigh, have. Instead, black metal remains an element of the recipe which in itself is, beyond just 'unusual', mortifying and creepy as fuck. Tribal and nightmare-inducing, this is the kind of album you definitely don't want to give a spin at 2-3 in the morning, not in the least if you're living in a wooden cabin, with the closest scrap of civilization being a petrol station located 20 km away. You've been warned.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Where Shadows Have Teeth</b><br />
<b>Ghost at the End of the Rope<br />Fire Dances</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Rating: </u>80%</span></b><br />
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LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-28793714177477193302016-07-05T10:52:00.000-07:002016-07-05T10:52:53.781-07:00Dark Forest - Beyond the Veil [2016] <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What can I say? Metal and metalheads in general tend to have a soft spot for concept. That concept, whether its dragons, knights, spelunking ghouls, something out of Michael Moorcock or Tolkien, or in the case of Dudley's Dark Forest - embodying medieval myths and legend in lyrical, pastoral gloss - is always a profound selling point. And as lyrical/conceptual deviants from the foray of the more Goth-induced imagery of Swedish traditional heavy metal bands, Dark Forest, like some of the genre's greatest underground staples - to wit, Brocas Helm, Slough Feg, Cirith Ungol and Manilla Road - have a more retrogressive approach to their music, one that has helped absorb my initial exposure to them, their 2014 album <i>The Awakening,</i> with healthy and savory intakes as a powerful, melodic, moving barbican to the continuing presence of heavy/power in such a vein. To be sure, King Diamond and Mercyful Fate are great, no question about it, but bearing in mind the implants they've detonated across a good half of the entire traditional heavy metal revivalism, - hence the notorious 'Swede-fever' - the soundscape offered by Dark Forest, however slapstick it may seem to its condemners, is a welcome entry.<br />
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I get that Dark Forest aren't the most innovative bunch out there; that's never been the point. <i>Beyond the Veil </i>does not resort to be anything of that sort, instead you get tons of atmosphere, quite a perfect Anglo-Saxon feel as though you were an enchanted knight strolling through a forest in search of some covetous chalice, not even so much of a battle-hymn the way bands like Ironsword or DoomSword evoke Conan-esque violence and triumph, but more of a melodious assemblage of busy, technically affluent guitars conjuring up a rich groundwork of history and folklore. Again, the UK quintet does not possess the same jumpy, splenetic piquancy I so adored on magisterial albums like <i>Traveller </i>or <i>Down Among the Dead Men</i>, but assuredly the 'retro' feel is there, a lack of keyboards provides impetus to the lucid and poignant acrobatics of the guitars, ballasted by heavier, albeit simple rhythms underneath. The guitars are, blatantly, upfront and lead the charge. Crisp but not overdone, the guitarists employ stirring, 'epic' melodies and plenty of harmonization, not unaccustomed to in this niche, the sort of lead playing that's not as liberal and unencumbered as, say, one Protest the Hero or whatever progressive/technical act you can imagine, nor should they be taken with a grain of salt. In fact, I was surprised at the number of riffs they could pen on a song for song basis bearing the length of the songs in mind, a tasteful array of sweeps and hooking solos rounding up the arsenal, like speckles and shingles of Dragonforce seeping in occasionally.<br />
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That doesn't leave much else to be said about the record. John Winnard's vocals are fine, blending the operatic theatricality of Dickinson with the more high octane adventurism of Mike Scalzi, appropriately embellishing the vocal buoyancy needed. But <i>Beyond the Veil </i>is altogether feels repetitive after 2-3 spins, not that the craftsmanship is subpar but rather because there's too much of the same structural and stylistic melody/rhythm pattern to be had: while the first 4-5 songs kicks and swerve their way with atmosphere and a masterful, titular patronage of riffs, the formula essentially feels force-fed by the time you've made it to song no. 12, ''The Lore of the Land'', a lurching epic. It's essentially a sale from a soigne antiquarian who's selling us the feel, archaic and seemingly embossed in legend, even though the songs are memorable enough as you're listening to them (''Blackthorn'' has a great, choir-esque accompaniment to its chorus and ''Where the Arrow Falls'' is downright charged with energy) but the bulk of the record feeds back into the bands backlog of three full-lengths, principally an extension of the ideas explored therein. That's not to say you should omit Dark Forest, though; their position is certainly oblique, with songs like ''The Wild Hunt'' propagating such a delicate balance of folk metal a la Ensiferum, Korpiklaani and Turisas with ballsy heavy/rock (think Saxon and Def Leppard) and the more occult, atmospheric leanings of King Diamond, that I can't help but recommend it to an aficionado of the style. Be your own judge. With four albums at their belt, Dark Forest still have it. Gaunt, chivalrous and surging, I can't think of a whole lot of other bands fit to perform in a medieval fun fare. Have... fun?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>The Wild Hunt</b><br />
<b>Where the Arrow Falls</b><br />
<b>Blackthorn</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Rating: </u>75%</b></span><br />
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<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-6788993221282599452016-07-03T12:21:00.002-07:002016-07-03T12:26:57.590-07:00Megascavenger - As Dystopia Beckons [2016]<div>
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Imagine if Rogga Johansson were a heavy metal DJ. He could slip in at least half a dozen of his own tracks, culled from a pool of releases spanning, over a decade, a veritable compendium in the finesse and artistry of Swedish death metal, and not a soul would notice. Regardless of what he owes his creative and productive force to, the man is to praised for the sheer size and scope of his output, so much so that even I've reviewed more than a couple of them, though it is very difficult to keep up with all his works. Of course this comes with the principal issue of having to beat around the bush excessively, since his brand of 90's, Entombed/Dismember-influenced death metal, however well and tactfully executed, falls short of enticing most of the time with so many of his riffs being xeroxed from a grisly, brutalized melting pot of the aforementioned bands, plus a few regular nasties like Autopsy, Morbid Angel, Incantation and whatnot. Nor is his umpteenth project, Magescavenger, an alien to that formulaic chasm of gruesomeness and gore, but the interesting fact about the third album under the Megascavenger guise, <i>As Dystopia Beckons</i>, is not only a thematic digression from the Lovecraftian concepts of the previous records, but also minute breakthrough - an animosity in this case - with its odd integument of industrial and electronic influences blending into the seamless old school death metal formula Rogga is so keen on reaping.<br />
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This comes as a shocker to me as well, considering the organic and fleshy quality of the majority of his releases, and although this daring repose offers a few breaths of comfort for the seeker of experimentation, Rogga, unfortunately, doesn't implement the stylistic shift with as much meticulousness as you would have liked. The introductory tracks, ''Rotting Domain'' and the gimmicky ''The Machine That Turns Humans into Slop'' explode with fierce, bulbous guitars accompanied by whizzing electronic feedback and tingles, moving into casual industrial breakdowns redolent of Godflesh or Samael at their more experimental, but the riffs retain their trademark simplicity throughout. There is even considerable clarity on this disc, as if somehow Rogga had rectified the gravel and grime of his traditional crusty Swedeath guitar tone with a few buckets of water to wash the mud and cake off, almost as an homage to the development of slightly cleaner melodic death sound. But be sure that the songs rage with uncompromising carnality and hefty slog of chainsaw-heavy guitar work we are so fond of. ''Dead Rotting and Exposed'' is another one of those industrially-tinged bulls that stampede with generic chugs and patronizing spells of industrialized distortion, almost at an attempt to redeem the lack of fresh, sticking riff work on the record. </div>
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Kudos to Rogga for channeling a distinctly 'dystopian' feel, or at least trying to, through the use or reverb, robotic vocal syntheses, and mechanized d-beat rhythms that fluctuate around creepy tremolos and and chord-driven bevies. Force your imagination, and songs like ''Steel Through Flesh Extravaganza'' might just cloud your mind with the image of a gigantic, malicious, electrical saw-wielding cyborg chasing you down the streets of Detroit circa 2025, but at best these songs leave something more to be had, certainly in that they feel inchoate, and most likely because other, excellent death metal bands with industrial influences like The Monolith Deathcult have already played this weird, perfunctory sound to near-perfection. The oddballs across the record, like the Timat-esque ''The Harrowing of Hell'' (with Kam Lee on vocals) and the moody, stringently melodic ''As the Last Day Has Passed'' with its clean vocals and lumbering monotonous chords hardly contribute to the overall quality of the record; if anything, they should be hung up as addendum on a 'bonus material' disc. Fact is, Rogga has proven many times that he is a great songwriter. Peek into an album by Revolting, Humanity Delete, Paganizer, or the fantastic Putrevore and you'll see that my claims are justified. <i>As Dystopia Beckons </i>may be our gateway to a newer, more refined, maturer Rogga, one keeping tabs on occasional experimentation and versatility, but employing naked industrial synths into the traditional formula with guest vocal appearances on every track is almost like proselytizing the listener. It shouldn't come as a surprise that he's running out of material. At any rate, I would love to see him at the helm of another great, pummeling bastion of a brutal, sordid pummeling death metal machine, doted by the sounds of the late 80's and early 90's that we so love, not something as lackluster as this. Decidedly, Rogga needs his gusto back. Prescription: hard-boiled baby Cthulhu tentacles, blood syrup, and 5 hours of mandatory death metal listening every day.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span></div>
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<b>Rotting Domain</b></div>
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<b>Steel Through Flesh Extravaganza</b></div>
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<b>Dead Rotting and Exposed</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Rating: </u>63%</b></span></div>
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LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-19523219464075442842016-05-28T00:56:00.002-07:002016-05-28T00:56:50.925-07:00Qrixkuor - Three Devils Dance (EP) [2016]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the most strenuous challenges of the reviewer is, perhaps, beyond arbitrating his/her attention toward so many releases, (black and death metal albums are a dime a dozen these days) to selectively deploy his/her while rummaging from one near-indistinct album to the other. Such has been my travail when it comes to London's Qrixkuor, a quartet going by the rather practically brief pseudonyms R., M., A. and S. Now, while I always give considerable space to bands refurbishing the stylistic chaos and miasma of Blasphemy and Incantation, among a few less-known cults, I find it difficult to keep track of things when whole allure of mind-fuckery and heavy, discordant music turns its own head over itself by providing stale crumbs when the listener is looking forward to a nice, healthy helping of engaging chaos. Barring the caprice of this disappointed reviewer, the band's first EP, cleverly titled <i>Three Devils Dance </i>(there <i>are </i>three songs on it), is canned dissonance at best, but at least it doesn't try to veil the influences from which its malicious barbarity stems.<br />
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There isn't so much of a busy flow of ideas and novel sounds on <i>Three Devils Dance </i>as there is this tendency to emulate the sounds emanating from a slaughterhouse full of obnoxious ghouls and fat corpses: compared to renowned arbitrators of the black/death/war metal sounds (think Archgoat, Weregoat, Proclamation, Blasphemy, etc.), Qrixkuor is, to a strong degree, more pure death metal than anything else, a nostalgic manifestation of Incantation, Immolation and Morbid Angel as if there wasn't anything half so delectable to the retro death metal fan. Oozing, disgusting rhythm guitars cavort sluggishly with a tempest of tremolos and barged picking techniques as the drams waddle on in chaotic, yet formulated, disarray. What's interesting to note, perhaps, is that the Brits will employ twitchy, caterwauling leads sequences more often than many other bands in this niche, typically enclosing one riff with a wild flurry of notes and high pitched tremolo wails before cutting into the next riff, in a fashion that would have formed a malicious little grin on Trey Azathoth's face.<br />
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However, this EP is just so choked down to a mere three songs, each hovering above and below the bounds of the 10-minute mark, that it feels something is alack, but as the record trudges forward there seems to be no fresh catalyst of tension and furore that could make it more exciting. The guitar is fleshy and grimy enough, and the picking sequences are certainly intricate enough to offer some depth, but the overall trajectory of the album seems frozen in one formulaic engraving that can't seem to break the confines of its limitation. Tangibly, the artistry also freezes over; you just know you're not going to get much more out of this after two spins. Qrixkuor try to dress it up a notch with a lengthy intro full of dramatic buildup and taught violins clawing at your ears before riffs pop up, it's only a shame they can't deliver the same aural tension that's promised at the beginning. The vocals are 'good', to say the least, muffled cookie monster growls fed into a few bouts of treble and feedback that works well with the grisly tonality of the guitars for the first 4 minutes or so, but their venom quickly wanes. <i>Three Devils Dance </i>is not a bad piece, but as long the Brits resume their spelunking without much daring, - and there doesn't seem to be any sign of genuinely unique or ravishing craftsmanship - they have a long way to go, and their material won't entice me beyond the first 1-2 spins.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Serpent's Mirror</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Rating: </u>55%</b></span><br />
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LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-40615132827649842312016-05-15T12:03:00.000-07:002016-05-16T01:56:23.629-07:00Zhrine - Unortheta [2016]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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To be sure, it is a bit unfair to be labelled 'French black metal' every time you try to put on a little bit of dissonance, but there's still some credibility to that statement when you think of the collective impact of Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord on the black metal scene. But then by nature I've come to expect nothing less from Iceland, home not only to some of the most astounding black/post-black metal acts of the last decade (Sólstafir, Kontinuum, Misþyrming) but also to a veritable breeding ground of pyroclastic destruction and ash, a fitting environment for the country's latest upstart Zhrine to pop out, a force to be reckoned with solely on the grounds of <i>Unortheta's </i>cover: a cavernous concave built within an archaic isle floating with the majesty of a tributary running straight through it, whose origin remains alluringly mysterious. Or so I would have it. And so, even though these gentleman come from the Deathspell Omega school of fucked-upedness, (a poster of <i>Si Monvmentvm Requires, Circvmspice </i>behind the bandstand in one of their early rehearsals evinces my deduction) there must have been a deal of unease when entirely emulating the sound of the famed Frenchmen, and for that reason Zhrine come off as genuine engineers of chaos and tumult in a form that feels both fresh and somewhat familiar, a healthy combination.<br />
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The forecast of this record is depravity and lifelessness. The opener ''Utopian Warfare'' aches with terrible beauty and emptiness, but the Icelanders have a wonderful tendency to keep the tracks within a certain range, scarcely mounting the 6-minute mark, which reinforces the tension with considerable brevity. The core of <i>Unortheta</i>, - largely a caustic brew of Gorguts, Ulcerate, Deathspell Omega, some Demilich and some Portal - should certainly appeal to audience toward which the sound is tailored, but this is a record busy with riffs and conscious about chord clarity which sets them apart in one way or another from their notorious benefactors. Songs like the virulent, fantastic ''Spewing Gloom'' are as good as their titles suggest, fleshing out discordant but enticing chord progression and distorted arpeggios, ballasted by frenetic, almost poly-rhythmic drumming that oscillate into slower Meshuggah-like grooves (as on ''Syringe Dance'', my favorite piece on the record) tempered by a slew of cymbal crashes and splashes. The idea is a veined array of cables, taut, snapped, then jangling and jumbling all over the place like a bunch of mechanic eels. The gloomy lows of vocals, to add, are not just great and evenly placed within the tracks, but also stretch into these far raspier, anguished chants that provide the perfect contrast of duality and grimness to the record.<br />
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Zhrine are great at building up moods and tensions before imploding with catharsis - hence the cable imagery. They don't take their sweet time with it though, which is good, because who wants to hear hours upon hours of dysfunctional clean guitars drowsed in reverb just to hear a bunch of cool riffs at the end? The mechanism of <i>Unortheta </i>is rewarding in that the build-ups are just long enough for you too feel truly ravished and incited about the upcoming spasm of dissonance, a perfect example being ''World'' with boils into a crushing wave of riffs before plateauing into slower pace once more, after which the listener is greeted with a broiling haunt of pure black metal chords. Rhythmic variations also bring atmospheric sludge mavericks like Mouth of the Architect, Neurosis and Isis to mind, so it's undeniable that <i>Unortheta </i>is keenly probing the boundaries of its norms; what's better is that there seems to be no shortage of good riffs or hooks throughout the record, with humdingers like ''Empire'' and ''The Earth Inhaled'' counterbalancing the rear end of the album. With the exception of a few dull moments here and there <i>Unortheta </i>retains its abysmal aura and dire pallor, mapping out a new gap to be explored by bands performing in accordance to the so called 'French' school of black metal, or just contagious, neanderthal caverncore, which remains surprisingly popular in 2016. All told, unless you were looking for something burlesque or cheerful on this album - and you quite literally have to be a neanderthal to be searching for that - the probability that it will disappoint is low; the probability that will erase all your hopes and yearnings off the face of the earth and turn your ears into honeycombs of tar and ash - much higher.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Spewing Gloom</b><br />
<b>The Syringe Dance</b><br />
<b>Empire</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Rating: </u>83%</span></b><br />
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<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-49890211878183508442016-01-05T12:51:00.004-08:002024-01-01T13:58:55.111-08:00The Cream of the Crop: Arthalos Picks His Best of 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Overall I felt this was quite a strong terms of both quality and quantity across all genres of metal, but that has always been the case so I doubt 2015 surpassed annual mean scores by a great deal. In another sort of Murphy's Rule for yearly releases, the bulk of the quality was concentrated in the first and last couple of months, at least for me, and the pool of better releases in between was spread out a little more thinly. Still, that may also have to do with the fact that much of my own lack of research during these months was due to a combination of slight disinterest in and reluctance to pick up newer recordings at the time, which I managed to rectify somewhat by the end of the year. In terms of reviews I did start strong but my writing dwindled as lots of real life issues started filtering in, and unfortunately I had to conclude the year on a low-ish note in terms of reviews. Towards the end of the year I pushed to listen to as many new albums as possible, thus molding the current shape of my lists, but of course a good deal of albums went below my radars. I hope to make up as much as I can for those in the initial months of 2016.<br />
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Nonetheless, there was an excellent scree of releases all around, with France and Norway sticking out more than usual, beyond the usual suspects like USA and Sweden. France may not have made the top 20 cut, but it produced metric tons of great, caustic black and death metal in its national brew, fitting selections at a time when Deathspell Omega have remained idle for a good long while (seriously, new album better be in the work, guys). And Norway just trumped with an unprecedented triplet of gold from its three avantgarde mavericks Solefald, Arcturus and Dodheimsgard (though the latter did not make the cut) who assuredly produced enduring masterpieces to enrich the legacy of their discographies. But of course the Enslaved album, being more 'black metal' than its gonzo counterparts, perhaps one of the safer records they've done in the last decade, is also fantastic. 2015 is perhaps most surprising considering the wealth of releases that either belong to long-time masters (Sigh, Raven, Motorhead, Saxon, Solefald, Angra, Satan, Killing Joke, Enslaved, Arcturus, even Iron Maiden, etc.) or newer entrants and banner-carriers who had already won my heart from a few years hence (Horrendous, Sulphur Aeon, Tribulation, etc.).<br />
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As always, I avoided or just downright disliked many of these uber-hyped mainstream metal records, not to mention the mass of stoner/sludge material promulgated by media-friendly review sites and communities. But downsizing that pool in its entirety is also risky, as several of the year's best turned out to be some of the most 'overrated', like the Ghost or Enslaved records.<br />
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I have also compiled an extensive list of my 100 favorite releases, in non-hierarchical order, so as to provide a little more mileage on the density of worthwhile recordings for the year. You can take a look <b><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LaceratedArthalos/arthalos_top_100_metal_albums_of_2015/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">here</span></a></b><br />
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YouTube links have been embedded in the lists below.<br />
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<b>Edit: </b>After numerous listens the new Leprous record has earned my heart's fondness with exponentially high returns, hence acquiring a spot in the top 10. Pushed back the Katavasia album and replaced the Enforcer album with the new Nechochwen record.<div><br /></div><div><b>Edit April 2022/January 2024: </b>Extended the list to 25, added a few new entries, did some rearranging. The top 5 is pretty much interchangeable, all equally fantastic. Added <i>A Maze of Recycled Creeds, </i>pushed back Sulphur Aeon. Moved a few albums around in the 15-25 range. List looks pretty solid overall, extremely solid year. <br />
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<b><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Top 25 Metal Albums of 2015 ****<br /></span></b><br />25) Lychgate - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cCAU-PakSo">An Antidote for the Glass Pill</a> (Blood Music)<br />24) Sadist - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzrnRBIO4XM">Hyaena</a> (Scarlet Records)<br />23) Nechochwen - <a href="http://nechochwen.com/track/october-6-1813">Heart of Akamon</a> (Bindrune Recordings)<br />
22) A Forest of Stars - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2GDjP6RMDk">Beware the Sword You Cannot See</a> (Lupus Lounge)<br />
21) Horrendous - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYkSN0Uv7Eo">Anareta</a> (Dark Descent Records)<br />
20) Leviathan - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QKswuIfgqA&ab_channel=craiglagace">Scar Sighted</a> (Profound Lore)<br />
19) Trial - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOVIfXiZ5lE&list=PLi7KscxJiBbrAUujAPrMAbp7DyqWyOqRy">Vessel</a> (High Roller Records)<br />
18) Kontinuum - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAIYsvX30x8">Kyrr</a> (Candlelight Records)<br />
17) Year of the Goat - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJoSPbk7Jj0">The Unspeakable</a> (Napalm Records)<br />
16) Batushka - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a7-ggjvLIc&ab_channel=DeadInGrave">Litourgiya </a>(Witching Hour Productions)<br />
15) Black Trip - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qBv1AroYvo">Shadowline</a> (Steamhammer)<br />
14) Satan - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g3YuML3SbI">Atom by Atom</a> (Listenable Records)<br />
13) Killing Joke - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--E5itoejaU">Pylon</a> (Spinefarm Records)<br />
12) Gorod - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4ir7SJ2DXM&ab_channel=GOROD">A Maze of Recycled Creeds</a> (Listenable Records)<br />
11) Barren Earth - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyRnf7CkSyI&ab_channel=CenturyMediaRecords">On Lonely Towers</a> (Century Media)<br />
10) Enforcer - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZVmJukp2QY&ab_channel=CataDeCaria">From Beyond</a> (Metal Blade)<br />
09) Soilwork - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wLXeWKGRpM">The Ride Majestic</a> (Nuclear Blast Records)<br />
08) Crypt Sermon - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTp7hSCH5Cw">Out of the Garden</a> (Dark Descent Records)<br />
07) Tribulation - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgyxzCLEP50">Children of the Night</a> (Century Media Records)<br />
06) Ghost - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOrXKiSy8ZY">Meliora</a> (Loma Vista Recordings)<br />
05) Leprous - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk8pDqW-dI4">The Congregation</a> (InsideOut Music)<br />
04) Enslaved - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhbqvYzvxhY">In Times</a> (Nuclear Blast Records)<br />
03) Zierler - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FWYjXDTH54">ESC</a> (Vanity Music)<br />
02) Arcturus - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90Szgva11oc">Arcturian</a> (Prophecy Productions)<br />
01) Solefald<span style="color: #073763;"> </span>-<span style="color: #073763;"> <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWgon-a7qks">World Metal. Kosmopolis Sud</a></i></span> (Indie Recordings) <br />
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<b><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Top 10 Non-Metal Albums of 2015 **</span></b><br />
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10) Sammal - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5F0_2juBss">Myrskyvaroitus</a> (Progressive Rock/Folk)<br />
09) Julia Holter - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2JgMniIpRM">Have You in My Wilderness</a> (Dream Pop)<br />
08) Grimes - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tv9YoYCKNoE">Art Angels</a> (Pop)<br />
07) Grave Pleasures - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3afbBoUMpk">Dreamcrash</a> (Post-Punk/Goth)<br />
06) Mew - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnSJzohmtV0">+-</a> (Progressive Pop/Rock)<br />
05) Squarepusher - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnS1CV3QBXc">Damogen Furies</a> (Electronic/IDM)<br />
04) Purity Ring - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaKErmO1f9s">Another Eternity</a> (Pop)<br />
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03) John Carpenter - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4ZehDnk5ao">Lost Themes</a> (Electronic)</div>
02) Susanne Sundfør - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3492o3pfEWI">Ten Love Songs</a> (Synthpop)<br />
01) Everything Everything - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3FO46D1dqs">Get to Heaven</a> (Progressive Pop/Rock) <b><i>**</i></b><br />
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<b>Honorable mentions:</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Hot Chip - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S0ONyRctyE">Why Make Sense?</a> (Electronic/Synthpop)<br />
Zombi - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97kp0oQGcWM">Shape Shift</a> (Electronic)<br />
Steven Wilson - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy71Vvah7fM">Hand Cannot Erase</a> (Progressive Rock)<br />
Django Django - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8ms9460-Cg">Born Under Saturn</a> (Progressive/Indie Rock)<br />
Carpenter Brut - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts4axsSHlpA">Trilogy</a> (Compilation) (Synthwave/Electronic)<br />
Braids - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mO6ffLOp4M">Deep in the Iris</a> (Indie Rock)<br />
Knife City - <a href="https://knifecity.bandcamp.com/track/fast-times">Star Versus</a> (EP) (8-Bit/Chiptune)<br />
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A little addendum on my non-metal choices. Of course my auditory leisure time generally circulates around the realms of metal, but these albums reflect part of my interests outside of those realms, and as you may have noticed this year supported a wealth of wonderful pop albums with scarcer electronic music, rounded by a selection of rock albums of varying style and contour. Every album on this list is compulsive and I enjoyed them immensely, but I have to say the Everything Everything album earned its plaudits by far, a record I listened to more than any other album, in any genre. That may be partially because the songs are fairly short, but I also found myself in entranced with the Brits' ability energize with song after song, amazing falsetto vocals, synthesizers and other electronic influences popping in - just fantastic. I cannot recommend it enough, even though it has some minor flaws. But the Susanne Sundfor record comes close, despite the simplicity of the compositions. The John Carpenter album of 'lost' film scores is also extremely noteworthy, and should come as no surprise for someone who adores the man's backlog of 80's horror flicks. The oddest ball of the bunch is arguably the Sammal record, which not only restored my faith in modern prog rock outfits but strengthens Finland's hand as one of leading conduits of 60's-70's worship. Points for Svart Records (which also released the new Seremonia album this year).<br />
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<b><span face=""trebuchet ms" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And Now... Listmania: A List of Lists * </span></b><br />
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Of course during the course of over 4 years of blogging here, I've kept tabs on MANY blogs, and I've always had an inexplicable sympathy for fellow bloggers and reviewers alike. This year has been no exception. Therefore I've decided to make a compilation of all the notable year-end lists I could muster, since the idea is to make the music as widely known and accessible to people as possible. Granted, I may have my own little grudges about these lists, but rest assured it's nothing personal, in fact differentiation between choices is always welcome, so long as the list isn't a big, fat, cock-swallowing ape of Pitchfork's Top 10 albums of 2015. What follows is a comprehensive list of all the year-end lists I could find, although obviously with that excuse the curious reader is also encouraged to read through the other articles and reviews in the respective blogs. Some of the blogs I've linked can also be found on my blog roll column.<br />
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<b><a href="http://autothrall.blogspot.com.cy/2015/12/autothralls-execution-through.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Autothrall's Execution Through Listification: The 2015 Edition</span></a> -- </b>The best of the best. His lists amaze me for their depth, range and also for the sheer fact that I tend to enjoy almost every record in the top 20-25 unanimously. There's also a very extensive bonus section comprised of top-lists for books, non-metal and various games. Simply mandatory for metal music nerds.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.angrymetalguy.com/amg-staff-picks-top-ten-records-o-2015-theres-no-accounting-anything-anymore/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">The AMG Staff Picks the Top Ten Records o’ 2015: There’s No Accounting for Anything Anymore</span></a> -- </b>I love AMG's brash, in-your-face attitude when it comes to reviewing, and I certainly feel most of the time that their high scores are justified, plus they seem to be seated in some kind of independent twilight zone between the 'poorer' bloggers such as myself and the more mainstream milieu of music reviewers, in their own social commune which is just awesome. The end of the year lists are always great and exuberant, with so many different staff members with different tastes. Be sure to check out the individual lists as well.<br />
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<b><a href="http://skullfracturingmetal.blogspot.com.cy/2015/12/skull-fracturing-metals-top-30-of-2015.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Skull Fracturing Metal's Top 30 of 2015</span></a> -- </b>Perhaps a bit too high on modern power and traditional heavy metal but SFM has nonetheless been one of the very first blogs I've been acquainted with since my initiation and consequently I can't help but promote this list.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.nocleansinging.com/2016/01/04/listmania-2015-kevinps-best-of-2015/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Listmania 2015 (No Clean Singing)</span></a> --</b> These guys have a freaking open sale of awesome lists every year, from so many different users and with different labels that I can hardly keep track of all them. This is just a link to one of those individual lists, be sure them to give them all a decent look.<br />
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<b><a href="http://arsoncafe.blogspot.gr/2015/12/2015-dispirit-top-100-albums.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Arson Cafe: 2015 Dispirit</span></a> -- </b>Just a very well composed list that endures no truncation, leading up to 100 entries, all listed hierarchically. All sorts of meritorious extreme metal can be found here, as well some more modern metal records that should accord well with you if you have experimental tastes.<br />
<b><a href="http://heavymetalspotlight.blogspot.com.cy/2016/01/the-2015-end-of-year-list.html"><br /></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://heavymetalspotlight.blogspot.com.cy/2016/01/the-2015-end-of-year-list.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">The 2015 End-of-Year List (Heavy Metal Spotlight)</span></a> -- </b>Just seeing the Slugdge album at #20 makes me happy. I dunno, man, it just does. Plus range and diversity run fairly wide with this list, An opportunistic mash of death, black, doom and traditional heavy with a good focus on the more 'old school' side of things.<br />
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<b><a href="http://metantoinemagicalrealm.blogspot.com.cy/2016/01/best-albums-of-2015.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">Best Albums of 2015 (Metantoine's Magickal Realm)</span></a> -- </b>Basically your go-to blogspot (along with Slugdelord) when it comes to DOOM. All sorts of great, obscure, retro-related rock and metal here, and the list is pretty sweet to top it off. So much of a 70's stoner reprise in this blog that it practically begs a joint while you're browsing for music.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.sputnikmusic.com/list.php?listid=163473&memberid=1056178"><span style="color: #b45f06;">piotrekmax: Best metal albums of 2015 (Sputnik Music)</span></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://gouls-crypt.blogspot.com.cy/2015/12/2015-end-of-year-list.html"><span style="color: #b45f06;">2015 End of the Year List (Ghoul's Crypt)</span></a></b></div>
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Finally, you can seek <b><a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/list/ElectricLizard/list_of_lists__list_of_the_best_2015_metal_lists/"><span style="color: #b45f06;">here</span></a> </b>an even larger compilation of RYM lists, if that's your thing, a great, long shelf of worthwhile lists with actual descriptive commentary and out of the ordinary pickings. That rounds the end-of-the-year craze for 2015. You have no excuse not to check out at least a few of these works. Now is a time for rest, which I believe I've earned, shortly before I get on the 2016 bandwagon. Praise Cthulhu and stay metal, my friends.</div>
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</div>LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-43060484381021973162015-07-11T06:00:00.001-07:002015-07-11T06:00:58.478-07:00Vorage - Vorage [2015] (Demo)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I still find it surprising how claustrophobia isn't a commonplace occurrence among heavy metal throngs with the growing evocation of these monstrous, murky cavern-core acts in the underground. What started with Portal, Mitchondrion and Ulcerate is now a hit trend among youngsters who practice this irretrievably clamorous brand of death metal that fans seem to so fond of, even though the initial gloss of the sound has arguably worn off within last 3-4 years. In fact, propagators of these cavernous antics have become so formidably numerous that I'm starting to think if I spend just a little more time in their nullified vacuums, I'm going to end up starting to acknowledge the low-tuned vocal mantras of these bands as a veritable means of communicating with the Old Ones, who, without a shadow of a doubt, are just eagerly awaiting for one of their metallic emissaries to conduct the action necessary for us to enter into their threshold where there's no coming back....<br />
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And this is where Vorage comes in. One of the newest entrants into this field of disheartening evil and murky abrasion, the UK duo lets loose on the same brand of malefic music practiced by some of their larger forebears, bashing neanderthal death metal that resonates with the reticent insanity of some Lovecraftian elder thing sipping up the Earth's oceans and then regurgitating them back along with all the culinary excess of its interior. Bombastic, thick fucking guitars rule the mix almost entirely, and the riffs revolve around a more syncopated, semi-technical refurbishing Incantation, Rottrevore and late Gorguts, and these drilling tremolos that spiral like cranial whirlwinds. Granted, if you've been exposed to this style, you won't be immeasurably shocked by the discord of it all, and I should note that Vorage keep things fairly 'death metal', without going far into these more atmospheric, chord-driven exercises in dissonant chaos redolent of Portal or the New Zealanders Vassafor, sticking to the groove rather than outright chaotic madness, but in any case the material offered here is freakish enough to impress upon the mind of any cavern-core or black/death aficionado. Ballistic grooves are abundant, especially with the title track, adorned here and there with nervous snippets of technicality, and the overall impact leaves just as much life in the listener after one spin as after a 4-hour roller coaster ride.<br />
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I could compare this to the Malthusian EP, which I also heard this year, although Vorage certainly retain a more dynamic approach to their inherent claustrophobic overtures, dredging bountiful tremolos and eerie fringes of complexity rather than sticking to the death/doom motif. That said, the title track, also the longest in this 3-track demo, flirts with the sludge of bands like Malthusian around half way through. Just bear in mind that none of the material presented here can really hold a candle to the acknowledged masters of the genre, and that ''Vorage'', despite its initially dark appeal, is merely an addendum to the earlier, less intricate work of these bands. Whilst bombastic, the Brits aren't really doing anything to challenge the book here: the brief ambient outro is frightening enough, and there one or two decent moments I'd cite from this demo, but nowhere is this as fibrous or unhinged as, say, their peers Abyssal, nor does it completely wallow the listener in as Portal or Antediluvian with the soup-bowl trope of ungodly hymnals. The vocals are there, these ultra low grunts and growls that are excellent set-pieces for the lexicon of the Necronomicon, but once more, there are dozens of vocal practitioners out there who can produce the same, tremulous inflection. Vorage somehow ends up in this oblique spot where it has the choice to either expand upon riffs or atmosphere; or, if they're aplomb enough, both. The demo itself showcases that they have the rudiments in both, but not only is the sound too primal, but there are already hundreds of similar cave-dwellers working on it. Even so, this is archaic paranoia of the murkiest, fuzziest kind, just another solid gateway into cosmic fright and abyss.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Vorage</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Rating: </u>70%</b></span><br />
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<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-85144815976727022422015-07-09T08:44:00.000-07:002015-07-09T08:44:56.604-07:00Vardan - Between the Fog and Shadows [2015]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It would have been a high supposition at any rate to expect Italian one man suicidal black metal hermit Vardan to cast aside the cumbersome simplicity and rawness of his album ''Winter Woods'' and the dozen records which precede it and break mold with his 6th album for the year, ''Between the Fog and Shadows'', since the man has not only failed to mature in his taste for cover art but also to artistically develop and improve upon the quality of the music on way of another, let alone cast a wider net of influences to garner sounds from. Vardan's creative repertoire is quite frankly depleted at this point, but somehow he can still come up with songs of 10+ length by downsizing what the works of Burzum or fellow countrymen Forgotten Tomb into a recalcitrant amalgamation begetting nothing but doom and desolation. My only theory at this point is that he's bulk buying from some low-income producer of depressive bedroom black metal - who, by the way, might currently be strumming the strings of his next bleak piece - and then presenting them in seemingly remote packages for the maximum amount of profit. If not that, the man is working his ass off every hour of the day, crafting these dreary, sleepwalking bevies of desolation and wintry silence, and it's a real shame that the amount of work he's culminated hardly accrues into quality writing, on a par with other prolific modern black metal musicians like Jute Gyte. Quality over quantity, right?<br />
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The pastiche is the same; the musical equivalent of being strapped on a crucifix and slowly gliding through an icy fjord by midnight, with owls creaking in their groves and the forest leaves rustling silently behind. This is the kind of immersive experience already channeled by the likes of Midnight Odyssey, but Vardan are far too down-to-earth and never take the aesthetic to its cosmic and astronomical, mesmerizing flights as some other bands do, with raw and perturbed production standards capturing most of that early 90's Burzum/Darkthrone tone. Simplistic riffs in the river of convergence here. There is not even a hugely chord-based, Scandinavian trope to be found, since I found ''Between the Fog and Shadows'' to be even more dolorous than its predecessor, and instead there are loads of stringy open chords and flimsy, distorted arpeggios all over the place: the result is not a mess of whirlwind of intensity, but a pale wave of desolation and distress like ripples in the water. There are moments where Vardan will splash some damp gloss on the sway of the guitars with these odd, slightly inaudible synthesizers that remind me of the ambient mastery of Forest Silence, a Hungarian black metal outlet extraordinaire, but as much as I enjoyed the momentary aural realizations of the synthesizers, they're much too buried in the mix and the frankly poor levels of production to have any sheen. To wit, the songs feel outrageously long at times, and rightfully so, since by cutting down to 3 tracks Vardan is presenting us with songs of 11, 15 and 18 minutes in length, respectively, each another frigid exercise in blatant chord strumming and almost apologetic depression ad nauseam, with few breathing holes existing within their immersive bodies for the listener to take a moment from the monotony.<br />
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This seems like some pretty hateful flak here, but in fact there are some fairly 'enjoyable' sequences to be found within the album. ''Solitary Death of a Forest Spirit'' is easily the best among the triplet, with dissonant and angry chord sequences ousting the slower, black/doom moments and a rather excellent, rainy array of ambient synths working their way through the middle of the song, and during one of those rare instances Vardan truly captures the monotonous, dreary bulwark of emotion it needs to synthesize to its entirety. The riffs, limited in their natural disposition of favoring recurring waves rather than slews of unhinged creativity, are nonetheless not too bad, but I don't feel too good for them either. Vardan's vocals, once more, while the possible game changer, become stunted and lethargic as the record passes on, and with all the records pacing in linear currents and motives, vocal duties hardly retain a symbiotic relationship with the other instruments, merely propagating these harsh, unruly, echoing ululations and howls that are quite cold and haunting in their own respect, but fall short of excellent in the long-run. Unfortunately, while all the instruments never dip below the level of 'average', the drums are quite fucking painful. I'm not know to be a complainer of drums as much as I chastise guitars and riff-craft, but even the silent reviewer has to despair the awful stampede of the open hi-hat and the unnecessary loudness of the drums in general. This <i>is </i>a bedroom black metal record, and the drums should traditionally be embedded deep in the mix, way behind the guitars and vocals, but here they're constantly to the fore, without even producing anything besides simple beats. As Fenriz says the drums are only supposed ''to... be there'' - and thus on this one point I will be unabashedly cancel my charitableness. Fuck you, drums.<br />
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Beside that little mishap, ''Between the Fog and Shadows'' is not a bad record, and that mournful sameness it breeds would help you with sleep if one day you're in the mood for slashing your wrists open and there aren't any knives to be found in your house. Anti-depressants that come with corpse paint. But heck, we've already been through this, and if you've somehow traced this review from whatever obscure source you found it in, you're probably pretty well-versed in black metal yourself, and know that groups like Burzum, Bethlehem, Forgotten Tomb, Sombres Forets or Austere have long emerged as apostles of this somber, wintry sub-genre, so your chances are probably stronger with them.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Solitary Death of a Forest Spirit</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Rating: </u>55%</b></span><br />
<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-73855131970891158022015-07-05T01:05:00.002-07:002015-07-05T01:05:43.458-07:00Night Demon - Curse of the Damned [2015]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since everything from rainbow filtering to tasteless 'malcore' music is being practiced these days with utmost diligence, it would be impossible for me to argue against the resurgence of NWOBHM throwbacks, which has, along with the emergent superstars of rehashing from other genres of metal have created a small scene of their own. I can hardly find anything wrong with this; since I'm equally gratified to see legends from the olden days like Satan and raven uproot the foundations of modern heavy/speed metal with stunning comeback records as I am seeing newer groups like Iron Dogs, Hessian and Trial rise to the pulpit and proclaim these awesome, refreshing records which manage to retain identity and diversity without staving off the fundamental core of the 80's. California's Night Demon are not exactly on the same list as some of their more potent peers, especially when it comes to originality, and in fact their self-titled EP was not much more than a fun blast of modernized Angel Witch and Judas Priest, calcified in its obsession, but their debut is such a great, if frivolous, pastry of early 80's speed/heavy aesthetics that I'm willing to forgive whatever faults were made in the past.<br />
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Granted, those faults weren't many with their self-titled EP, since that was jumpy, Americanized misadventure in NWOBHM which could hardly be accused of anything except perhaps perusing its source material too deeply, and to be sure, their debut doesn't seem like a far cry from that familiar path, with cheesy 80's-inspired horror flick and youthful attitude, This is basically a parade for fans of anything from Exciter and Anvil to Maiden and Raven, from Razor and Running Wild to Abattoir and Angel Witch, or even newish acts like White Wizard and Enforcer. The 'heavy metal' palette offered here is pretty sparse, so the sound has a wide spectrum of appeal, simplistic barrages of speed metal and bluesy chords smitten with an occasionally heavier pantry of thrash-y discord and mid-paced chug fares a la Exodus and Agent Steel, and bear in mind that Night Demon are never melodic or intricate enough to earn themselves a seal of approval from the department of technical guitar work: so the riffs don't mirror the gyrating, harmonious minimalism of Iron Dogs, since the production is a fairly granular from any point, with tracks like the title track plodding on with some more mid-paced, rhythmic sways instead of a directly dynamic, effusive Iron Mainde-esque parade of whizzing melodies and lightweight chords. In fact, in the sense that ''Curse of the Damned'' feels more thrash-based than your regular NWOBHM outfit (think early Priest, Jaguar, early Satan, etc.) I might add that Night Demon aren't performing the strictly 'purest' brand of heavy metal. But who the hell cares, right? All the convoluted scholarly blather aside, the Californians kick ass on many levels here. ''Killer'', ''Screams in the Night'' and ''Heavy Metal Heat'' are all blazing metaltastic anthems (the last one being my favorite) loaded with unabashed, peppy riff-work that's never as coarse as, say, Piledriver, but never quite 'clean' either.<br />
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Sure, you may say that the tracks on this record feel too modern compared to their roots, especially with ample production values and Brent Woodward's vibrant vocals, but the again everyone's cashing in on the production game nowadays, since audibility is far too alluring to refuse, and while a tortured, punkish scream could as well have been supplanted on some of the songs, I can't say I'm in protest of the guy's voice. However, it's not that the back-to-basics riffing coupled with the loud production doesn't create a caveat. There are 1-2 humdingers across the record, but overall I did expect a stronger array of riffs from Californians that would have complemented the airiness of the record well; in fact as a restless dreamer and formulator of imaginary case-scenarios I envisioned that ''Curse of the Damned'' could have ousted a further dozen records in similarity had it displayed some more guitar acrobatics or impressive leads like on that spectacular album Satan bequeathed us with back in 2013, and sometimes the band will lag into this Sabbathian doom groove that doesn't always comply with its naturally gritty aesthetics. This is still old school, folks. To be frank, bands like Hessian or Order of the Solar Temple are practicing heavy metal with a closer adherence to the genre's early 80's and late 70's template than Night Demon, and while everything doesn't fall perfectly here, I did enjoy this album, especially some of its dirtier tracks just as much as Rob Halford enjoys a fast ride on his motorbike, so if you're ever in the craving for nostalgia, but with a modern face, look no further.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>Heavy Metal Heat</b><br />
<b>Screams in the Night<br />Livin' Danger</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Rating: </u>75%</span></b><br />
<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7754821087378426919.post-10197853077326295162015-06-30T10:37:00.001-07:002015-06-30T10:39:08.768-07:00Autokrator - Autokrator [2015]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Drone and death. Two things which would have seemed irreversibly oblique had you told me about it 20 years ago, when death metal had just gleaned its initial flourish, but here we are, at the edge of the world, listening to a French band with an album capable of satisfying followers of both genres, at least in theory. Autokrator. Oh, the autonomy. We've all had our fair share bands only too incapable of governing their own creativity and resulting in veritable travesties of musical produce, and a smaller percentage of bands which can skillfully exploit their unabashed titles and work out miracle albums, across the heavy metal spectrum. Autokrator doesn't quite belong to either camp. Simply put: there's a place, deep within the reaches of an industrial complex shrouded with clouds and gloom, perpetually fixated in production and yielding the same output with pretty much every return, coagulated in its moody ambient obsession. That's where you'll likely encounter ''Autokrator''.<br />
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Now, as much as the term 'drone/death' feels slightly alien to me, there's no denying that the Frenchmen are following a similar path to the Americans Aevangelist with their brand of irrevocable, tumultuous black/death shaking the very foundations of your cortex, or the calculated, Deathspell Omega-esque dissimilitude of Imperial Triumphant; but even so my resemblances wouldn't be entirely exact since there's a very industrial foundation to found here, not so slick or street-like as Ministry or Godflesh, but a more carefully plotted, systematic rendering of bulky, impenetrable chords redolent of Portal or Impetuous Ritual. Certainly the 'drone' is there, because Autokrator flesh out their riffs in some of the most mundane fashions I've recently heard, with dronish chord upon chord flung with unobtrusive reverb and patterned segments; yet I could also complain that between these gigantic hulks they propagate and the darkly atmosphere present, the Frenchmen aren't particularly interested in spicing their material up with detailed melodies or intricate high-end fret melodies the way their countrymen Deathspell Omega would have evoked excesses of nightmare and agony. Fuzzed out and implicitly linear, ''Autokrator'' is only slightly shy of becoming a dark marital industrial project - think In Slaughter Natives or Kreuzweg Ost - especially on the final track ''Optimus Princeps'', and as inclined the Frenchmen may be to spooning off your brain with these buzzed exhortations of sound and rhythm, I've found that none of the songs here cling to head, which isn't too surprising, but moreover, they lose their hypnotic and cranial power a little too quickly - in fact I found myself scrambling for ways to keep myself occupied by the third track.<br />
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Every track is nearly a duplicate of the other, with little or no nuance offered in between, therefore I find it silly to point out specific highlights on this record.While records of this kind are definitely difficult pills to swallow, after a acclimatization of the ears they should be taken in entire packages for the maximum, potent effect, yet ''Autokrator'' feels like a drug which loses its initial gloss of hypnosis shortly after the first injection, like a cheap, painful high. The drums here can be annoying for some. Personally I didn't have a problem with them since the sharp, industrialized snares provide with a few splotches of white in a a gossamer otherwise completely embroidered in darkness, but beyond that the cymbals were weak and the dynamics department therefore surprisingly meager. Some props go to the few ambient effects which somehow made it into an album almost completely filled with simplistic, gloomy synthesizers and hard-boiled riffcraft, giving the listener a few rare moments of breath and exploring more atmosphere than the instruments could ever hope to. As much as I sometimes enjoyed the aural and industrial punch of the rhythms from time to time, there's never enough variation to make the album worth reveling in. The majestic darkness of Deathspell Omega or Aevangelist is simply not there. The vocals, the musical equivalent of coughing out wet coals out of your asshole, are there, but even that hellish diarrhea feels unsatisfactory.<br />
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This is a record which strangely enough ticks all the boxes except for intricacy as far as this industrial black/death metal niche goes, but most of those ticks are, well... half-ticks. Unnerving, cyclical displeasure runs throughout. While one half of me wonders if this was the album those engineers and worker stormtroopers were jamming out to be while Death Star was being constructed in the midst of a spatial vacuum, the other half thinks it's probably a good idea to lay off this record, especially when there are so many other monstrous alternatives lying aground, although ''Autokrator'' still isn't terrible by any means.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Highlights:</u></b></span><br />
<b>The Tenth Persecution<br />Imperial Whore</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Rating: </u>52%</span></b><br />
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<br />LaceratedArthaloshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04982687964488192272noreply@blogger.com1