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Friday, January 5, 2018

Jack Rafferty’s 2017 Top Album List

By Jack Rafferty

After pecking away at this a bit every day, here it is. These lists always start off innocently enough, and end up becoming an abyss of endless music to review. This has been another excellent year for music, though. I have shortened the overall list down to 40, a list of best EPs, and have written short reviews for honorable mentions/other albums listened to as well. This list is overwhelming as hell, so let’s get started.

1.     Ne Obliviscaris, Urn.
Thoughts: For me, there is no other band that even comes close to the brilliance of Ne Obliviscaris. Their songwriting capability and mastery of every instrument and element they utilize is unparalleled. Urn is in many ways a more contemplative album, one that diverges from Portal of I and Citadel (and their EPs), but in no way forsakes who they are musically. Ne Obliviscaris stands alone in their ability to combine death/black metal with classical, progressive influences. As I listen to each track on Urn, transitions between themes and sounds are distinct, yet flow beautifully and without effort. NeO has clearly refined their songwriting with each new release, and Urn is no exception. For a band that began with exquisite, mature song writing with their debut, such progress would be difficult to achieve, yet they have continually done so. Urn is the culmination thus far of NeO’s songwriting talent, and everything that happens at each moment throughout every song does so exactly when and how it feels like it should. This album is already receiving a good deal of criticism for abandoning more of the extreme metal influences, but it is not an issue with me. As far as I am concerned, a balance is still very much achieved. In terms of comparing NeO albums, it has proved fruitless in the past, and remains so. Each release has held a place in my heart for different reasons, as I am sure Urn will do as well.

2.     Fit for an Autopsy, The Great Collapse.
Thoughts: Crushing. FFAA always delivers with heaviness that is anything but mindless. This is one of the bands that introduced me to deathcore, and they continue to be consistently powerful. It is especially impressive to stand out in a year that has some of the best deathcore releases in recent memory. Their themes of environmental cataclysm, devastation, and suffering caused by the unparalleled violence and hubris of the worst systems we could conjure out of the slime of human avarice and evil, have been ones I have deeply connected to, continually so, at an ever-increasing level of severity. While their previous albums have captured the rage directed at the abhorrent ecological decimation and slaughter for the sake of ruling-class greed very well, they have never truly captured the despair accompanying that rage, until now. This album is the heart ripped out of the hopeful. It is the macabre and the misery of late-capitalism’s violent descent. It personifies and perfectly captures the sonic agony of the collective suffering of life that is systematically oppressed and annihilated. There is no other album I returned to more often than this one in 2017. They also released a deluxe version of this album, with live versions of old and new songs, and holy fuck, are they heavy and sharp live.

3.     Archspire, Relentless Mutation.
Thoughts: This band is breaking the land speed record musically. It is a literal game changer. Nothing has been like it before. This is insane speed, but it is thought out. This is not mindless, masturbatory, or flashy. It is refined, and it is fucking beautifully done. I also have a very personal connection to this album. After nearly dying in a near-head-on collision somewhere between Kayenta and Page, this album kept me sane and going on the way home. It is electric and tech death in purely unique light. I will always kick myself for not leaving my International Business course one evening in my final year at the university to meet up with these guys at The Pie.

4.     The Black Dahlia Murder, Nightbringers.
Thoughts: The masters of melo-death (I typically do not classify Ne Obliviscaris as melo-death, but if so, they reign). Not even a discussion. Black Dahlia introduced me to death metal, and have easily been one of, if not the most important, metal bands I have encountered next to Ne Obliviscaris and Make Them Suffer. This band has not (and cannot, I’m convinced) made a bad album. However, when it comes to ranking among other Black Dahlia albums, Nightbringers is top 3. Ritual of course being #1, and Nocturnal being 2. While not as blackened, this album reminds me a lot of Nocturnal, with hints of Miasma while also integrating some of their more recent attributes. Overall, though, this album stands out for me much more than their other recent releases (Abysmal, Everblack). From the first impression, that being the cover art, I was hooked. They brought back Necrolord, who also did the Nocturnal artwork, and that was an excellent fucking decision. This may be the most metal album artwork I’ve ever seen. Also, Nocturnal? Nightbringers? Common themes? Yeah, I watch Banger’s Overkill reviews. Then that first track starts, and there is no fucking around from beginning to end. This album makes me dizzy from headbanging every single time I listen to it. Also, their new guitarist, Brandon Ellis, at a mere 25 years old, fucking slays (that Jars solo, though). I was skeptical at first, with the departure of the beloved Ryan Knight, but Ellis has fit in immediately and spectacularly. All hail and long live Black Dahlia Murder.

5.     Sadistik, Altars.
Thoughts: Sadistik has been one of the few artists that I have continued to consistently listen to since I first heard them. My first encounter with Sadistik was in 2008. It is strange to think that was nearly ten years ago. I have grown up with Sadistik’s music, and it has been with me for many issues in my life. Sadistik has also, strangely, evolved musically in many ways parallel to my disposition. From the melancholic gloom of The Balancing Act, to the lamenting Flowers for My Father, to the isolated masterpiece Ultraviolet. And now, with Altars, a dark and macabre culmination has been achieved. To one who sought to “search for something beautiful” and found none, this album is the realization of Sadistik’s entire discography. The lyrical structure, the beats, the atmosphere. Everything about this album captured me. I was wrong to think that Ultraviolet was Sadistik’s magnum opus. This album has the darkness and confrontation of the darkness all in one. It is the gloom forever and it is the conquering of it.

6.     Shadow of Intent, Reclaimer.
Thoughts: Shadow of Intent made my #4 slot in 2016, and I expected a situation where the band’s debut ended up being its magnum opus, and would not be topped, for Primordial was so utterly monumental. Reclaimer has proven me wrong in that regard. Retaining the sound and talent that so powerfully won me over last year, they have merely refined and evolved. This is an improvement in every way. The new blackened elements are especially enjoyable. This band and its members seem unstoppable in the scene, and have very rapidly made themselves a consistent top favorite of mine. The stature of this album cannot be understated. It is in every way a refinement and improvement. A logical next step in a direction where I thought there were no further steps to be made.

7.     Aversion’s Crown, Xenocide.
Thoughts: This would be the most appropriate soundtrack to an alien invasion. Their previous record, Tyrant, is one of my all-time favorites, and I never anticipated that they would reach that caliber once again. Enter Xenocide. This album shows a much more technical side of Aversion’s Crown, while remaining true to their deathcore roots. Otherworldly heaviness is abound on this record, very aptly so, as the band attempts to achieve a theme of the beyond-human. It grasps at, rather than the vacuity that Artificial Brain so beautifully harnesses, the depth of void in human hearts faced with annihilation. While the threat in the context of this album is indeed a foreign and militarily superior force, the album is very much introspective regarding humans and our inevitable encounter with demise. My subjective view of this invading force is that it can serve as a metaphor for the externalities of our endeavors, the products of our hubris, and how they exceed and defeat us. Our arrogance in imagining that we could dominate and subjugate an ecological mesh with which we are a part, births repercussions beyond reckoning. That global annihilation, those consequences, with which we are faced, is properly reflected in the eviscerating depth of this album.

8.     Arcane Roots, Melancholia Hymns.
Thoughts: My top ten always needs at least one mellow album, and this album…holy shit. I keep getting tempted to move it up the list, but stop myself because of bands like Black Dahlia. This band came out of fucking nowhere for me, as so many great bands do. It is diverse, complex, simple, calm, energized, everything. Every song is distinct and wonderful in its own way. While I do wish there were more songs like “Matter” and “Curtains” (which, by the way, “Curtains” is my #1 song of the year. It is perfect.), there isn’t a single track that I think is below great. From what I hear, this band used to have heavier, Mathcore roots, which I need to check out, but I am happy they departed from them for a more post-rock sound. The melodic, ethereal, and emotional is where this band belongs. These people are masterful songwriters. They all build in exactly the right way to a climax that is satisfying in every sense of the word. Speaking of words, they do not do this album justice, and it is much better felt.

9.     Robert Plant, Carry Fire.
I’m such a fanboy of Robert Plant, there is no possible way I could give an objective and unbiased review of Carry Fire. It is a real testament to Plant’s musical passion and creativity that he doesn’t rely upon Zeppelin’s legacy and continues to produce imaginative and wonderful music. I think this is a phenomenal record. Plant’s voice on Carry Fire reminds me of the most beautiful sunlit mornings shining through aspen leaves. He exudes the mystique of deserts and starlight and at the same time emanates the warmth of birdsong at dawn. He also tackles some lofty political issues without it coming off as being a gimmick, but rather an organic piece of the album. Robert is a light that keeps on shining, and illuminates an ever-darkening existence. Seeing him live a few years back will always be one of the greatest experiences of my life. May he live to be a two hundred year old sage with an oaken staff singing to the birds and stars as he traverses grassy plains and mountains.

10.  Pyrrhon, What Passes for Survival.
Thoughts: Lyrics required here. No excuses. Not only because they are the best of the year, but also because they would be otherwise indistinguishable. Pyrrhon has created a new standard for avant garde, anti-capitalist, spit-in-your-face fucking chaotic and angry, musically dense, lyrically dense, unbelievably well-produced metal. What Passes for Survival perfectly balances a feeling of manic, improvisational style with an almost paradoxical directness and clarity of vision. The pacing throughout songs and between them is done remarkably well, with tracks like “Tennessee” and “The Unraveling” doing a great job of reducing and enhancing the onslaught, respectively, all before presenting us with a final track that is a logical culmination of the albums distinct parts. This is a band and an album that truly tests the boundaries of a genre. In an interview, the vocalist described the process of writing and recording this album as “visceral” and “physically wrenching,” which translates unmistakably throughout its duration. Echoes and Dust aptly described it as a “tightly strung, carefully wrought cacophony” and I could not have put it better.

11.  Igorrr, Savage Sinusoid.
Thoughts: This is music born from mud. Igorrr is the most bizarre band on the planet that I know of. With the release of Savage Sinusoid, they are finally getting the recognition they have deserved for over a decade. I’m usually not forgiving of music that is conducted mainly through a laptop live, but I am here. This avant garde (primarily) metal act has been on my radar for a while now, and I am in love with their truly unique music. Igorrr’s music is purely visceral. It is primal in the most beautiful sense of the word. The accordion pieces, which seem to be more prevalent here, are wonderful. From blast beats, deranged screams, discordant piano pieces, baroque, folk, electronic, saxophones, to literal 8-bit video game music. Like everything Igorrr, it is a fucking ride. Then there is the truly gorgeous operatic contributions of Laure Le Prunenec (who has one of my favorite singing voices of all time, and her delivery is so entirely consuming, it gives me chills). It takes true brilliance to write and perform songs with such an eclectic and vast diversity pool of genres and elements, and have it not only work, but also be fantastic. I think it is in many ways indicative of Igorrr’s members being truly passionate about all forms of music to an obsessive level, a savant level. A level in which I would be confident entrusting them with just about any genre imaginable, knowing they could do something creative, intriguing, and enjoyable with it.

12.  Xanthochroid, Of Erthe and Axen: Act I/Act II.
Thoughts: First of all, two albums in one spot is unconventional, but so is this band. Also it’s a double album, also I couldn’t usurp another band by making two spots for this one, also fuck it, it’s my list and I’m in charge. Now that that’s out of the way, Xanthochroid’s Of Erthe and Axen Act I and II are without a doubt the best black metal albums in a year of solid releases. If you know me, you know I like the theatrical and immense. Of Erthe and Axen is a courageous, ambitious project of a band operating somewhat within a genre that is far too purist. For that reason, I loved Xanthochroid’s above and beyond effort of creating a concept double album that is lush, symphonic, dramatic, and vast. Just about as far from the wintry forests of black metal roots, yet it still fits beautifully. I also cannot help but think of Devin Townsend when listening to Xanthochroid. There is a richness, loftiness, and depth to this music that very much reminds me of that joyous, bald bastard. That is a high compliment for me to give, as I compare Townsend to very few. In terms of songwriting and composition, I believe that these albums are rivaled only by aa select few. Xanthochroid exceeded my expectations, which were incredibly high, and I couldn’t be happier.

13.  Impureza, La Caida De Tonatiuh.
This is the only metal band I’ve ever encountered that integrates flamenco flawlessly, and I have always strived for this to exist. Impureza has fulfilled a longtime desire of mine to experience death metal that not only utilizes flamenco elements, but breathes it in as a core of their sound. This was a late addition, and these always fuck with my world, as everything was so neat and figured out, but I simply couldn’t put this album any lower. La Caida De Tonatiuh is wholly unique in my listening experience, and it is beautifully done. The album cover art portraying a conquistador having his heart ripped out is also great. Another really powerful aspect of this album is the bass mix/production, which is very reminiscent of Virvum/Beyond Creation. It is given room to soar over and around the blast beats and shredding, which adds another level of musical texture to this already overwhelmingly rich album. Even if one isn’t a fan of flamenco, this album will be enjoyable, but for those like me that love flamenco and always wished to hear it used more diversely across genres, it doesn’t get better than Impreza.

14.  Make Them Suffer, Worlds Apart.
Thoughts: Make Them Suffer’s debut full-length, Neverbloom, is my #1 metal album of all time. Big words. The largely impressive thing about this band is how it has continually and successfully reinvented itself with each new installment that it has produced. Never have they remained quite the same, yet they also have never failed in transitioning into a new sound. It has always worked, and worked well. From Lord of Woe to Old Souls, this transition has been much less severe when compared to Worlds Apart. One reviewer aptly pointed out the title of the album being representative of the massive change they have made from their past music. That being said, this transition to a much more riff-oriented, groove-focused style could not have been executed better. While I will always love Neverbloom and their original sound the most, this band never ceases to amaze me.

15.  Ingurgitating Oblivion, Vision Wallows in Symphonies of Light.
Thoughts: Brilliant. Truly uncompromising avant-garde death metal. This album is unsettling, brutal, grim. It is unpredictable but structured. The tone, the atmosphere, the musicianship, everything is executed without a single misstep. As I listened to this album for the second time, I was getting lost in Goya’s black paintings, and it fit perfectly. The morbid hideousness and distorted yet caustic honesty of it all. Both manifest agony like a haunting oil-slathered hell, grasping you by the throat and dragging you in. Ingurgitating Oblivion is in a league all its own.

16.  Caligula’s Horse, In Contact.
Thoughts: Caligula’s Horse is one of my favorite modern prog bands (Haken and Leprous being other notable tops). The Tide, The Thief, and River’s End is easily one of the best albums of the past decade. Among the slew of overall negative and cynical releases on this list (my specialty), this one is powerfully optimistic. It is stated by the band to be “a celebration of what connects us as human beings”—an admittedly foreign concept to me. I was a little worried about this release, as it contains the weight of not just one but two members being replaced. This apprehension was quickly put to rest, and Caligula’s Horse is as spectacular as ever. While every member brings a unique, skillful, creative component to the table, it has always been the vocalist, Jim Grey, which has enraptured me. No prog vocalist currently operating comes close, in my opinion. The gorgeous melodies, the Shakespearean allusions, the flowing narrative, the pure lushness of the music is a true experience. I especially love the spoken word piece that caught me off guard. A very well constructed and performed piece. The finale, “Graves,” a sixteen-minute opus, may be their best track yet. It is a perfect conclusion. Overall stunning, as is to be expected at this point from Caligula’s Horse.

17.  Mastodon, Emperor of Sand.
Thoughts: This will be a long one, because context is important. I’ve had a love-love relationship with Mastodon ever since Remission and Leviathan, unlike many other fans and their pre and post Crack the Skye division. I love nearly all Mastodon albums (looking at you, Call of the Mastodon), and Emperor of Sand is no different. For varying reasons, each Mastodon album holds a place in my heart (cough cough, Call of the Mastodon), but I do tend to prefer the albums with more prog elements and those beautiful multi-vocals, Crack the Skye being my #1. While Mastodon went from metal’s sweetheart to the band everyone loved to hate for their “mainstream” shift in sound, I think that Emperor of Sand has reached a logical point where many old elements have combined with the new. This album, as has been discussed widely, is a concept album about a person faced with the inevitability of Death, in the form of a desert journey confronting such a harrowing reality. This concept is made all the more real and personal by the band members’ encounters with it. Both Troy and Brann had family members experiencing the awful bout with cancer, and Bill’s mother passed away from a brain tumor. These powerfully distressing experiences were in some way dealt with by the catharsis of making music, and Emperor of Sand reflects that despair, yet it also very much involves the courage involved in conquering such despair. The one track I will discuss is “Roots Remain,” as it is my favorite on the album (indeed, it is one of my favorite tracks they have ever done). This track, more than the others, truly captures the atmosphere, the feeling, of attempting to escape or encounter Death, as a physical and metaphorical entity, in the swirling desert sands. The soaring chorus, so gorgeously supplied by Brann’s voice, gives me chills, even after twenty or more listens. Then, once well into the depths of the song, Brann begins a meditative monologue accompanied by ethereal instrumentals that is a poignant and reflective transition into a controversial part of the song. We are met with a deep, ominous voice, speaking “The eyes, the face, the lips, the tongue, the end, the end.” Sam Dunn of BangerTV said this part ruins the entire song for him, and that it sounds like Brent Hinds in a robot suit. I found this analysis completely opposed to my own. To me, this represents Death, whispering mockingly in the traveler’s ear, always lingering just near his or her shoulder, of all that It will inevitably claim, challenging the will of the traveler. Following this is perhaps my favorite solo of the year, accompanied by a group vocal in the background, signifying in a way the strengthened solidarity of those faced with tragedy. The track ends with a melancholy piano piece, fading out like desert sands in a setting sun. Overall, this album returns to some of the aggressive roots of Mastodon, which I’m sure will be to the joy of many. For me, while it does not measure up to Crack the Skye or Blood Mountain, it is a great album in a discography that has been a huge part of my life.

18.  DVNE, Asheran.
Thoughts: A late addition, DVNE’s Asheran is a wonderful meld of melody, groove, prog, and stoner elements, and more. A lot of Elder and Mastodon influence seems present, perhaps even some Gojira. There are so many moments throughout this album that are so good. Moments that make you feel like you have to stop the song and just think about what you heard, then listen to it again. Everything is melded and incorporated so well. DVNE knows exactly when to be loud, when to be melodic, when to be lofty or soft-spoken.

19.  Elder, Reflections of a Floating World.
Thoughts: Elder has been one of my favorite stoner metal bands ever since Dead Roots Stirring, and this is just a band that continually gets better for me. 2015’s Lore really brought the band some well-deserved attention, and it is Reflections of a Floating World that solidifies them as one of the best in the genre today. To begin, we have the track “Sanctuary.” The riffs on this track are also in contention for best of the year. This band does not fuck around with opening tracks, never has. From the very first seconds of this album, I knew they had transcended everything they had done before. Elder persistently refines, while remaining at the core true to what they have always been. That is an exceptional and rare talent akin to Black Dahlia Murder. I enjoyed Metalinjection’s description of how Elder takes “listeners on a journey through sprawling soundscapes.” This is always how I have felt listening to Elder, and in my mind, they are rivaled only by masterful bands like The Sword, Kyuss, Mastodon, Sleep, and Electric Wizard (Sabbath doesn’t count, they transcend all). I look forward to more from the perpetual brilliance that is Elder.

20.  Artificial Brain, Infrared Horizon.
Thoughts: Another exceptional avant-garde death metal album. As many have pointed out, the Gorguts are strong with this one. Artificial Brain made waves with their 2014 release, Labyrinth Constellation, and I was unfortunate to miss that one. While I will get to that in sweet time, my introduction to this band is their third release, Infrared Horizon. This album is dissonant and nebulous. It is as abstract as a vacuous abyss in some blackened void beyond all human comprehension. The atonal quality of bands like this is often overused. It seems too often to be done for the sake of doing it. Artificial Brain do not take the easy route here. They use discordance but do not rely upon it. There is excellent songwriting here. The production is particularly important for me. While I’ve heard their 2014 album has a cleaner production, the muddy, old-school death metal production works very well for their sound on Infrared Horizon. I feel as though I have been sucked out into the infinity of another dimension entirely. This album has the same disorienting and visceral effect that 2001: A Space Odyssey has. I do not use that comparison lightly. A powerful musical experience.

21.  Kacy & Clayton, The Siren’s Song.
Thoughts: Kacy & Clayton are a duo that I stumbled upon not too long ago, and they have been one of my favorites ever since. Kacy’s vocals are like some psychedelic, melancholic, beautiful summer evening, with sunlit trees glimmering and clouds stealthily ominous in the distance. Clayton’s guitar work is superb, being very complex for the genre, while not being flashy or excessive to the point of dominating the songs. The two complement each other without flaw, and it is with this album that they have achieved their greatest accomplishment thus far. Each album that they have released has been a pleasure, but this is entering the realm of truly being great.

22.  Chelsea Wolfe, Hiss Spun.
Thoughts: I’m not usually a fan of more gothic-sounding music, but the eerie, deranged, strangely gorgeous music of Chelsea Wolfe captivates me. I was introduced to Chelsea through her acoustic album, and while it remains my favorite, Hiss Spun comes close. Here is a stark, macabre, simultaneously hollow and rich, dark album. Ever since “16 Psyche” was released as a single, this became one of my more anticipated releases, and it never disappoints. From beginning to end this album is a contemplative, baleful, and spectral. I am very interested to see her continue toward a more metal-oriented sound.

23.  Bufihimat, I.
There seems to be a trend of Gorguts-esque dissonant tech death on the top of my list this year. This is a result of not only my growing interest in the sub-genre, but also the sheer amount and quality of it in 2017. Bufihimat is yet another experimental, atonal, relentlessly brutal death metal band from Russia. For a debut, this album is truly impressive. From the first seconds of the first song, Bufihimat seizes hold of you, and will not let go. Perhaps my only criticism is what I consider to be an overwhelming use of pinch harmonics throughout the album. I only enjoy pinch harmonics for their subtlety and for their ability to unexpectedly enhance moments within a song. Besides that, however, Bufihimat have crafted an exceptional album. It is unfortunate for them to have released in a year where they are compared to bands like Pyrrhon, Ingurgitating Oblivion, and Artificial Brain, because that is simply unfair.

24.  Bell Witch, Mirror Reaper.
Thoughts: This album is haunting. No other album this year gave me such introspective chills. At 83 minutes, this single song/album is an arduous and demanding listen. That is not a bad thing, however. On the contrary, the difficulty of the listen lends to the album’s theme. Following the recent and unexpected death of a band member, Mirror Reaper is a sonic musing on death. This is perhaps the most harrowing and effective funeral doom album that I have ever experienced. This genre usually gets neglected in my listening, as I do not care for much of it, and that is why Bell Witch has not found itself higher on my list. However, make no mistake that its positioning on this list should not reflect nor disparage its brilliance. It will take patience, and a confrontation with brutal emotions and reality, but Mirror Reaper is worth every second.

25.  Dreadnought, A Wake in Sacred Waves.
The depth of this album is astounding. The transitions between ethereal calm and sky rending passages take place with tangible fluidity. This is also one of the few times in metal where I will not only tolerate, but enjoy sax segments. No Clean Singing described this album as “kaleidoscopic,” which I very much agree with. Multifaceted does not do its layered texture justice. This album is meant to conceptually mirror humanity’s existential struggle, and it certainly does so sonically. This is music that deserves time and effort to properly digest, for it is meant to envelop and to drown.

26.  Full of Hell, Trumpeting Ecstasy.
Trumpeting Ecstasy is an onslaught in every sense of the word. It reminds me quite a bit of Nails, which makes sense, as the two have collaborated in the past. Trumpeting Ecstasy has a malevolent aura to it. While being a form of sonic dismemberment, this album also carries with it quite a bit of experimentation with noise and atmosphere. The title track exemplifies this best, transitioning into hypnotic, distorted chugging accompanied by the unexpected and wonderfully unsettling vocals of Nicole Dollanganger. This is an incredibly powerful, albeit short, album. One of the more uncompromisingly brutal releases of 2017, and truly deserving of the praise it is receiving.

27.  Beyond Grace, Seekers.
Thoughts: An excellent album that has the unfortunate task of going up against the great and mighty Black Dahlia Murder in terms of the melo-death genre for 2017. The intro for Seekers hooked me immediately, beginning with an eerie piano piece you wouldn’t find out of place in a horror film, then leading straight into all-out slaughter. Those first couple of riffs are in contention for my favorites of the year. AMG’s review summed this album up well, “Crushing by nature but progressive by design.” Tracks such as “Oracle,” “The Etherealist,” and “Acolytes” gallop to savagely bash your head in, putting the death before the melo-, as AMG also stated, while tracks like “Altars (of Avarice),” “Demiurge,” “Omega Point,” and “Black Math Ritual” integrate melody to a far greater degree. The result is a highly diverse and constantly evolving musical experience—one not soon forgotten.

28.  The Kennedy Veil, Imperium.
Thoughts: Ever since I heard the single, “Godslaughter,” Imperium has been one of my most anticipated releases of the year. It did not disappoint. The production is wonderfully muddled, and serves to give the album a much more macabre sound. While utilizing blackened and symphonic elements, this is death metal that doesn’t fuck around. The vocals particularly stand out, from wretched highs to guttural lows, everything is done right and distributed properly throughout. Few albums have conveyed blackness and utter brutality so well this year.

29.  Peter Oren, Anthropocene.
Thoughts: While Pitchfork’s eloquent review says all I would need to about this album, I still need to note how it has in many ways been getting me through the tougher parts of life since Peter was shared with me. The rambler raconteur has more than a couple poignant moments on this album. In its entirety, it is both a lament and a call to action. Each song has a distinct character, like an old friend you’ve only just encountered. Few other albums this year have so powerfully captured the true sorrow of all the ever-endless wrong that seems to multiply like cancer. Anthropocene is a cathartic reflection, a beautiful mourning, a hope or at least a wish for something better.

30.  Cryptodira, The Devil’s Despair.
Thoughts: Akin to Between the Buried and Me, Black Crown Initiate, and other heavily prog-influenced death metal, Cryptodira has produced an unpredictable and immaculate piece of art. The Devil’s Despair caught hold of me from the first riff, and it maintains its hold in ever-changing ways. Jumping wildly yet flowing beautifully between a multitude of sounds, Cryptodira has produced a wonderfully composed and powerfully performed example of how to do prog-death right.

31.  Through the Eyes of the Dead, Disomus.
Thoughts: After seven years and heaps of hype, a trailblazing deathcore giant emerges from the depths of stone somnolence to wreak utter havoc. Malice is without a doubt one of the most important albums to emerge from the genre, and the band created big shoes to fill down the road. All worries of not meeting expectations are immediately eradicated, however, with the first notes of “Hate the Living.” This band just does not fuck around. This may, in fact, be my favorite album they have released. Ugh, it just hits so damn hard. Disomus will surely cause me to have neck injuries in the future.

32.  Unleash the Archers, Apex.
Thoughts: Never thought a power album would make the list, yet here we are. Apex has effectively picked me up and dumped me on my ass. It is an album that is truly refreshing. Brittany Hayes gives one of the more impressive vocal performances in recent memory. I feel the Iron Maiden, the Judas Priest, the obvious power metal, and some folk metal like Ensiferum influencing their style, but they are their own. Also, it has great fucking album art. The most notable part of the whole album for me is the chorus for the opening track, “Awakening.” It builds and soars to superb heights. This album is pure heart-swelling glory.

33.  At the Drive In, Inter Alia.
Thoughts: 17 years. What was thought to be their final album was released in 2000. After the many glorious years of The Mars Volta, they reunited to tour once more in 2012, and now we get Inter Alia. Cedric Bixler-Zavala is brilliant as always. There are many more refined subtleties to be found in every line that is belted. The production is sublime as well, producing a clarity through chaos and achieving a perfect balance. Everything about this album is a testament to a greater wisdom and ability that each member has gained. I’ve been seeing a lot of complaints regarding this album’s use of more conventional song structure, but I personally find no issue with it. The disjointed, stream-of-conscious lyrical presentation, and instrumentation to accompany it in many ways hearkens back to their old sound, yet is presented in a way that doesn’t seem like re-hashing. While I can understand long-time fans’ criticisms, this album in many ways presented an evolved ATDI. I was not looking for the same concepts, the same play style, the same music. The band members have had 17 years of life in between releases, and it shows, and that is not a bad thing in my mind.

34.  Septicflesh, Codex Omega.
Thoughts: I’m among the minority of people who absolutely loved Titan. In my opinion, that is one of the better symphonic death metal albums in past years. It is formidable in its portrayal of dread and hideousness. More focused on orchestration in many ways than previous releases, I believe this is one reason it faltered with long-time fans. Now, the follow up, Codex Omega, seems to me a return to form. This is a good thing for those fans, but it is also something that I enjoy, despite my love for Titan’s sound. Codex Omega has not parted too severely from what made Titan fantastic. The horns (which only Septicflesh utilizes this well), the blistering death metal (which gets more focus on this album, and it is excellent), the operatic elements, all of it exudes power and grim grandiosity. This is the only symphonic band that comes close to challenging Fleshgod (I still need to delve more into Rotting Christ), and I think in many ways they are not comparable, as they utilize these elements quite differently. Septicflesh’s sound is slower, weightier, more significant and thought-out in terms of atmosphere. I think that Fleshgod does many things better than Septic, and vice versa. Getting back to Codex Omega, there is a dark majesty to it, as Septicflesh has consistently been able to convey. This makes me want to explore their older work more as well. Albums like Communion, which is revered among fans, have the potential to be much more appreciated than they currently are with me, simply because I have not given them as much time.

35.  Spirit Adrift, Curse of Conception.
Thoughts: Atrocious album cover art aside, Spirit Adrift is the band that really made the decision for me to leave Pallbearer’s Heartless off of the top list, which was a tough decision. At the end of the day (or year), I liked Curse of Conception more. The melodies and riffs here are excellent, and the vocals really tie this one together. I think Nate has a much greater ability to achieve the sorrowful, melodic doom vocal range, which is not to disparage Pallbearer’s more melodic transition, a transition which I ended up supporting. I even get a Nevermore/Candlemass vibe from him at times. This album is getting a lot of comparisons to Khemmis (and Pallbearer), which I can see, but I also think that Spirit Adrift is carrying out their own thing, which is slightly nostalgic without passing into the realms of gimmicks. Superb solos, dense tone and rich production, powerful melodies, raw vocals, and riffs all around.

36.  Oxbow, Thin Black Duke.
Thoughts: I have had the misfortune of not being aware of Oxbow until this year. This eclectic, eccentric, esoteric band is one that I plan to immerse myself in. The vocalist, Eugene S. Robinson, has hints of Dillinger Escape, Jesus Lizard, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Bowie, Vedder/Cornell, Ray Charles, and yet is none of these. Pitchfork described his voice as a “vehicle of disorder,” which is apt. A brutally intimate album. Oxbow does not adhere to a formula or genre, and in many ways transcends definition. At once both lavish and discordant, Thin Black Duke strikes an excellent contrast throughout. It achieves both unpredictability and sense of flow. It conveys beauty and sorrow and anger and is unpretentious in every way. Truly excellent.

37.  Pagan Altar, The Room of Shadows.
Thoughts: Recorded before the death of lead vocalist, Terry Jones, The Room of Shadows is a poignant listen. There is a lot of old hard rock, New Wave British Heavy Metal, and 1970s prog influences in Pagan Altar, and I absolutely love it. This band helped shape doom into what it is. Terry’s voice is unlike any other. Knowing that this album was made before he succumbed to cancer and the fact that Terry’s son is also a part of the band to experience something like that alongside him is certainly an important thing to think about when listening to Room of Shadows. The ending track is particularly haunting. Beautiful beyond words.

38.  Enfold Darkness, Adversary Omnipotent.
Thoughts: Enfold Darkness’s expansive and dense Adversary Omnipotent is nothing if not complex and rich. Tech often falls victim to spiraling into mere musical virtuoso, while forgetting to actually engage the listener in their songwriting. Impressing people should not be the goal of tech-death. This is where Enfold Darkness excels. Each song on this album paints vivid scenes and draws on you emotionally. My only critique would have to be the lack of parsimony on an overall scale. While I think the band succeeds wonderfully on a song to song level, the album itself seems to dip, particularly in the end sequence. This only started to really become a problem for me after three or so listens. This is not a deal-killer though, and Adversary Omnipotent has a vast amount to offer a genre that too often stagnates.

39.  Pure Wrath, Ascetic Eventide.
A solo project debut from Indonesia, this one caught me off guard. This is really excellent atmospheric black metal (crushes other more prominent releases like Wolves in the Throne Room). Pure Wrath surpasses even Havukruunu (which I thought would be my atmospheric black metal of the year) in their execution of combining beauty and aggression. The use of piano is the most notable melodic aspect here. Truly wonderful throughout. The album cover art is also just incredible. Perhaps my favorite black metal album cover art ever. Gorgeous and wretched and very much worth a listen.

40.  The Faceless, In Becoming a Ghost.
Thoughts: Sigh. The Faceless is another one of the most controversial bands in metal right now. I’m going to stay away from that. It has been five years since they released their third album, Autotheism, which caused quite a stir among fans. The tech-purists hated it, and the more prog-inclined listeners loved it. I’m of the latter. I consider Autotheism to be a masterpiece. When I heard the first, long awaited singles from this new album, I was beyond excited, as it seemed they were telling the tech-purists to take their criticisms and fuck right off, leaning even more toward an experimental direction (“Digging the Grave” has a flute solo, for fucks sake). Alas, upon listening to the album in its entirety, I was quite underwhelmed. I expected this album to grab a top 5 spot. The first half of the album is quite excellent, but the exceptional moments become too few and far between as the album goes on. Overall, In Becoming is still a great album with many fine moments from a stellar band, but this is no Autotheism. The excellence of the first half of the album still gets In Becoming a Ghost a spot on the top, because some of the moments in those songs are my favorite of the year.

Top EP List

1.     The Dear Hunter, All Is as All Should Be.
To call this band prolific would be one hell of an understatement. The amazing thing about their output is how it does not lessen in quality, regardless of how rapidly they seem to churn out wonderful music. Act V: Hymns With the Devil in Confessional snagged my #2 spot seemingly out of nowhere last year. Ever since, this has been a band that I hold in the highest regard. The diversity and virtuoso songwriting Dear Hunter continuously achieves that never seems to degrade is astonishing to me. While I do not think this EP measures up to their LPs, I do not think it is meant to be measured on the same scale. This is a divergence from their loftier, more dramatic and conceptual work, but that is not a bad thing. Overall, I simply love every fucking thing about this band.

2.     Kardashev, The Almanac.
Usually, when a band creates a language just for an album, I would scoff and call it pretentious. That is not so here. It works, surprisingly. Beyond the creation of a language (which is done well, and I am impressed by the dedication), few bands create atmosphere like Kardashev. Often compared to Fallujah, this band transports you. This one left me in awe. At once swelling and lofty like being lifted into clouds, and at the same time dense and enshrouding like diving into blackened depths of water. Its contrast of beauty and brutality cannot be understated. Masterful.

3.     Gravemind, Deathgate.
One of the freshest sounding deathcore releases of the year (surprising, since it is more steeped in deathcore roots than many other deathcore bands branching off and evolving toward other genres). The heaviness of each song here cannot be properly conveyed through words. My only criticism is the amount of spoken word-esque parts. Too many, and some of them are tacky.

4.     Arctos, A Spire Silent.
When it comes to black metal, Arctos nails it for me. A gorgeous intro quickly transitions into blast beats, blistering guitar riffs imbued with sorrow, and bleak, screeching vocals that belong only amidst ashen and bare trees consumed by winter. I cannot wait for this band to release more of this, as 23 minutes simply is not enough when it is all so good.

5.     Mastodon, Cold Dark Place.
What was originally a solo album for Brann, this logically has a different sound from Mastodon’s other work. It has some really great stuff, especially if (and perhaps only if) you are fan of their more prog/melodious work. I despise the use of repetitive choruses, though, especially when they are surrounded by truly some of their best music to date in a progressive sense.

6.     Thantifaxath, Void Masquerading as Matter.
This is one of the more interesting experimental black metal releases of the year. Polyrhythmic, atonal, unconventional, all of these are aspects and in some respect clichés to describe an experimental band, but that is what they are on the surface. Sinking deeper, this blurred and illusory music is a twisted and jarring experience. As I have said and will say multiple times more, black metal needs an injection of this often, so I am glad Thantifaxath are around to provide.

7.     Hollow Prophet, Hellhole.
Disgustingly heavy. Deathcore supergoup, Hollow Prophet, combine the forces of Shadow of Intent and Acrania (two of my favorite bands) and Within Destruction/Slaughter to Prevail. Needless to say, the name provides the context. This EP is fucking bleak and unapologetic about it. I wasn’t taken in by Hollow Prophet in the same way that I was by Shadow of Intent or Acrania, but it is still an insanely heavy EP. It just seems that, when measured up to The Beginning of the End by Acrania (probably my favorite EP behind Black Crown Initiate’s Song of the Crippled Bull) or either album by SoI, it falls very short.

8.     Stone Circle, A Forest Dark.
Adaptations of Brothers Grimm tales. Poly-rhythmic prog death. I’m in. There is some seriously catchy guitar work here, especially the acoustic pieces. Intriguing concept, great songwriting. Recommended.

9.     Machines of Man, Dreamstates.
An SLC local, Machines of Man is one of the few bands that I can tolerate a sax in. I get a huge Scale the Summit vibe from them. They really have a powerfully mature songwriting presentation here. I was very impressed by the melodies and interlacing instrumental elementals being constructed here. The vocals were slightly monotone, but not nauseatingly so.

10.  Wide Eyes, Paradoxica.
Fans of melodic instrumental bands will enjoy this one. I am particularly drawn in by the way the riffing follows the drums beautifully. It creates a synergy where you have no choice but to groove to it. The melodies do tend to get a bit uniform, but not nauseatingly so. Perhaps the EP length serves Wide Eyes well.

11.  Death Like Mass, Jak Zabija Diabel.
Discordant, hollow-sounding, evil. Death Like Mass provide a truly disturbing experience in the form of blast beats, shredding, the works. Conventional form to a large degree, unconventional sound.

12.  Apotheon, Mechanically Consumed.
Some proggy tech death with good melodic riffing. The vocals leave something to be desired for me. They aren’t bad, by any means, but they don’t seem to fit the sound well, and aren’t given much room to flex.


Honorable Mentions/Other Notable Albums

Cytotoxin, Gammageddon.
This album fucking shreds. Some amazing brutal tech death here. The amount of fantastic riffs is too much for one person to handle. The vocalist is an irradiated demon. The drums and drum production are sharp, brutal. This mention is honorable indeed.

Kadinja, Ascendancy.
Probably my favorite metalcore album of the year. Unfortunaely, I’m not a huge fan of metalcore anymore. Regardless, this album is pure electricity at times, and bleeds creativity. I really don’t like the cleans. The rhythm and riffs are the album’s high points. Forgettable drum work.

Obscure of Acacia, The Biggest Lie.
This deathcore band definitely leans toward the heavier, straight-forward approach. Bleghs and chugs all around. They are also fast as shit, providing a much needed contrast for what would otherwise be a sound that would grow horribly mundane. Heavy as hell, but when Boris the Blade and Enterprise Earth don’t make it, these guys certainly don’t, either. To their credit, they actually pull off cleans at certain points, something I would not have expected.

Megalodon, Illusion of Origin.
Some really bouncy stuff here. A lot of Meshuggah influence. Vocals are great. Fun, but nothing too special. Might as well just listen to Meshuggah.

Sorrow Plagues, Homecoming.
One of the many great black metal releases of the year. Sorrow Plagues is particularly adept at pulling off atmospheric BM. There have been some great atmospheric BM albums this year, and this stands toe-to-toe with them. Like Ezerath, this is also a one-person project. I always have a lot of respect for solo artists who have the vision and talent to create an entire album alone. Beautifully done.

Eidola, To Speak, To listen.
I know a few who cannot get enough of this album, and it may very well make their top 5. While I see why, it simply isn’t for me. I have given it multiple chances, and it never clicked. Overall, some of the best songwriting of 2017, but the sound (particularly the vocals at times) just aren’t my thing.

Spite, Nothing Is Beautiful.
A large reason I stay away from hardcore is the genre’s tendency to have an overzealous use of mid-range vocals. Spite, in particular, has mid-range vocals that I can’t stand, which is a shame, because I feel that I would otherwise really enjoy this band. Nothing Is Beautiful shows the band beginning to depart a bit from hardcore roots, which can be a good thing, as they also remain true to the genre. The lows this vocalist has are bone crushing, and his highs are wretched. If only those damn mid-ranges were removed.

The User Lives, The User Lives.
This band is interesting as they caught my attention immediately. Melodic, fast, guitar-oriented, with excellent clean vocals to seal the deal. The clean vocals are what work so well with this sound. While the sounds are different, this reminds me of The Safety Fire, which is a fucking remarkable band. The User Lives utilizes an overall prog-tech death sound, with a slightly computerized tone, and rely a lot upon the guitar and vocals for melody. My problem with this band, as is the case with so many, is the recycling of melody. This is too repetitive for no reason. There is not building off of repeating structure or melodies, and so it simply drags on.

Dark Matter Secret, Perfect World Creation.
The best instrumental album of the year. I just feel they would be so much better with a vocalist. The lack of one does force some creativity in the instrumentation, however, so this may be a desire best unfulfilled. This is probably the best tech death guitar work of the year. Un-fucking-believable what they can do.

So This Is Suffering, Palace of the Pessimist.
One of the many deathcore albums unfortunate enough to release in a year that perhaps defines the turning point of the genre with some of its best, most progressive releases to date. This album is great, just not great enough. Also, fuck that misogynist album cover.

The Contortionist, Clairvoyant.
This is one of those bands that has suffered the all too common plight of producing the best album they probably ever will make at the beginning of their career. Exoplanet was a goddamn monstrosity of an album in the best way. Easily one of the best of its genre and has influenced all since. While this album is certainly gaining praise, and while it is certainly nearer to Exoplanet’s caliber than Language, it still falls short for me.

Cormorant, Diaspora.
I keep thinking that I’m making a mistake leaving this off the list. Cormorant’s Diaspora has some truly exquisite moments, and I feel that if I just gave the album more of a chance, it would be a contender. This is a hesitant honorable mention, surely. Mixing elements of prog, black metal, death metal, and even some doom, Diaspora is an arduous but rewarding listen.

Suzanne Santo, Ruby Red.
A very beautiful singer, but I wish she could produce more tracks like “Regrets.” That song is half the reason I like this artist. Unfortunate to see such potential and not see it utilized to the extent it could be.

Ensiferum, Two Paths.
I’ve always liked Ensiferum, but have lost interest more with each year. Folk metal is very hit and miss with me. Ensiferum’s old work has much more to offer than this.

Willie Watson, Folksinger Vol. 2.
I really like Willie Watson’s solo work. Such a unique and enjoyable voice. I liked Vol. 1 more, but this is still great and about on par with it. This album is bare-bones, and it is best presented that way. Reminiscent of older days. Also, Rawlings’s production is splendid.

Temple of Void, Lords of Death.
Some truly crushing death doom. There is nothing revolutionary here. Straight-forward guttural, punishing death doom, and that is okay. Those vocals sound like they are emanating from some abyssal cavern. The guitar tone has a palpable weight to it. The drums aren’t meant to be fancy here, and there are no unwelcome frills. The bass production is done very well, as it could easily be drowned out by such things, but it is there, distinct, and carrying it all. A Temple in the Void, indeed.

Pallbearer, Heartless.
Pallbearer is a fine wine of a melodic doom metal band. They continue to get better with age. I was worried when I began to hear that they had abandoned some of their heaviness on this album, but my energy was squandered on that worrying. Their shift to a more melodic sound on Heartless could not have worked better. This is one of the few uplifting doom albums that have ever been made, and it is still incredibly sad. Pallbearer has critics gushing as always, and rightfully so. Each new installment of their discography has shown them refining extreme talent in songwriting and musicianship. The vocals are particularly notable in their improvement from previous albums. When Brett Campbell croons that first “I Saw the End,” I melted like a love-struck teenager. Heartless is a great example of how Pallbearer is going to continue to produce some of the best modern doom albums. My only criticism of the album is the track “Cruel Road,” as I feel it throws off the pacing and mood. It is in no way a bad track, it just felt out of place. While I do not think they will be the next Mastodon, as people keep claiming (general audiences do not have the patience), they have certainly solidified themselves as mountainous forces to be reckoned with in the doom genre, and in metal in general.

A Trust Unclean, Parturition.
I love this album’s intro. It has a classic horror film score feel to it, and then it just delves right into the pits of hell, as if the Earth’s crust opened up at the band’s command. The transition from this into the first track leaves a lot to be desired, though, as it doesn’t flow well, and thus feels choppy. The guitar tone used here would serve much better in a fast-riffing, death metal sound, which is present at times (which are the high points of the album). The groovier, bouncing sections feel out of place with the sound being presented. Parturition does achieve some genuinely heavy, evil moments, though, and it is glorious. Also, the track name, “Dominion over Bone,” is metal as fuck.

Boris the Blade, Warpath.
Deathcore that in any normal year for the genre would be at the top, but this is no normal year, and when contending with albums like Reclaimer, simply can’t make it. Truly brutal stuff here, though, and done fucking right. In a straight-forward deathcore sense, this is some of the best in the game.

Artificial Language
This band has a very The Human Abstract, neo-classical feel to it. That is a fucking good thing, as I hold THA in almost ungraspable regard. This album definitely took me a few listens, but when it got me, it got me. The song composition here is fantastic. The vocalist is especially notable considering the instrumentation he has to keep up with (he does). I’ve seen this on a couple album of the year lists, and understand it completely. If you’re into this kind of shit, you’re in for a ride.

Hideous Divinity, Adveniens.
Another album that has moments of speed and brutality notable enough that they catch my attention. However, it just doesn’t have enough. Good, but doesn’t stand up to the caliber of a great deal else this year.

Necrot, Blood Offerings.
Old school sound, check. Massive riffs, check. Vocals from the tomb, check. Hammering drums like stones of collapsing monuments, bass like the thrumming moan of the undead. Check and check. Very good death metal that should not be passed up.

Power Trip, Nightmare Logic.
Old school. I am no longer much of a fan of thrash at all, which leads to some apathy toward this album on my end. However, for fans of thrash, I can see the appeal, and why this album is drawing so much attention.

Soen, Lykaia.
Soen is a band that I have held in high expectation since Cognitive. While Lykaia lives up to those expectations in many ways, it also falls short in others. Tracks like “Sectarian” really do it for me, but the album as whole seemed to not quite reach the level at which I hold Soen. Overall, this is a very mixed album for me. I like a good deal of what is here, but also long for more, perhaps greedily. We shall see where Soen goes from here. I think they will prove me wrong. I hope so.

Lorna Shore, Flesh Coffin.
Another great deathcore album that didn’t quite match up. Lorna’s EP will always be my favorite work that they did, even though objectively this album is more refined. Good work, but can’t stand with the likes of Shadow of Intent or Aversion’s Crown. That album title is so fucking metal.

Iapetus, The Long Road Home.
Ne Obliviscaris-esque, which is always a good thing. Had a few moments throughout that were truly excellent, but it seemed to me that those moments were too few.

Cavernlight, As We Cup Our Hands and Drink from the Stream of Our Ache.
Possibly my favorite album title of the year. Cavernlight’s debut is sludgy funeral doom with an oppressively dark ambience and black metal elements. Slower than the patient, seeping blackness of void beyond all knowing. An excellent release that deserves undivided attention.

Enterprise Earth, Embodiment.
While Dan Watson is one of my favorite vocalists, and this album is heavier than the collective weight of the ocean, it didn’t particularly stand out to me among all the other exceptional deathcore of this year.

Virulent Depravity, Fruit of the Poisoned Tree.
Impeccable guitar work. Truly impressive. It just didn’t grab me beyond that. Stellar tech death work, but nothing necessarily magnificent that could challenge my tech death picks for this year.

Leprous, Malina.
I’ve been a fan of Leprous for a while, and think that albums like Bilateral and Coal are two of the best modern prog albums. I liked The Congregation a lot as well, for different reasons. Now, with Malina, I found myself a bit disappointed. It has many merits, and moments of true dreamlike beauty, but felt far too flat compared to their incredible previous work.

Queens of the Stone Age, Villains.
This was a tough one for me. QOTSA has been one of my top bands for many years, and I possess the unpopular opinion that their previous album, …Like Clockwork, was their best work. Villains is, in a way, a logical follow up to that album. …Like Clockwork was by far the darkest thing QOTSA have released, due to Homme’s experience of literally dying and then being revived. Now, Villains brings back the groovier, more upbeat side, to an extent that I find a little overwhelming. There are moments that are great, to be sure, but not many for me.

Carach Angren, Dance and Laugh Amongst the Rotten.
I’m convinced Carach Angren will never top Where the Corpses Sink Forever, and I’m okay with that. That is one of the greatest metal albums ever made. I’m a huge fan of Carach Angren’s first three albums, but have not enjoyed their last two. They haven’t been bad albums by any means, they just have left me feeling indifferent. “Charles Francis Coghlan” and a couple other tracks are very enjoyable, still.

Dying Fetus, Wrong One to Fuck With.
When it comes to slamming brutal death, this is pretty much the album of the year. This has never been much my style, but it is becoming more so, and I still really enjoyed it. This is a band that has been pretty essential in the genre, despite some obstacles, for nearly twenty years now, and I think this is by far my favorite work they have put out. Also, that fucking album title.

Thy Art Is Murder, Dear Desolation.
I was very happy to see C.J. return to TAIM. He is one of the best, sincerely brutal vocalists in deathcore, and this band has done a lot for the genre. Now, at deathcore’s transition point, they follow, taking a much more death metal direction, while still leaving some deathcore roots intact. While I loved Hate and Holy War, I have wished for a long time they would make the decision that Job For a Cowboy did back with Genesis. It works fantastically well, though, once again, not enough to justify contending with the other top deathcore albums this year.

Danzig, Black Laden Crown.
Danzig’s work with Misfits and his first few solo albums are legendary. However, this album, like many of his recent works, seemed rather lifeless. His metal-blues croon seems weaker, stretched thin. Unfortunately, it is yet another album of his I could not get into.

Decapitated, Anticult.
Oh, how I miss the Vitek days of this band, particularly their work on Nihility. I understand that it is unfair to ask such a thing as wanting a band that has changed so much over the years to remain the same sound-wise, but I simply can’t appreciate the new stuff. Even when trying to view Decapitated as simply a different band, it doesn’t work for me. I am not a fan of the new Pantera-esque sound, nor am I a fan of the vocalist. Some have been able to make the transition, and I think that’s great, but I am not one of them. Also, regarding the kidnapping and rape charges against the band, I am hoping that they are not true, but if so, this band is fucking dead to me. I will be paying close attention to the investigation process.

Code Orange, Forever.
Some really great hardcore here. It is also quite unpredictable at times, which is refreshing for the genre. I was particularly and pleasantly surprised by “Bleeding in the Blur,” which features the guitarist, Reba Meyers, on vocals. It was a refreshing, unexpected change, and it still flowed. It didn’t just feel thrown in.

Fleshkiller, Awaken.
Fans of Extol will enjoy this band, mainly because it contains the member that was the driving force behind Extol’s sound, and remains so with Fleshkiller. The guitar here is indeed that force, but that does not mean that the rest cannot be appreciated. The proggy, groovy elements, the heavier stuff, it’s all here. I didn’t pay much attention upon first listens to the lyrical content, which is highly Christian-influenced, but whatever, it didn’t influence my experience of the album. They’re not Impending Doom, so that’s good. Overall, some great and memorable tracks, particular ones like “Wisdom.”

Anathema, The Optimist.
True to its name, The Optimist is an upbeat album, but not in a conventional sense, because there is a sense of being lost here. I do not have the context of Anathema’s history that many seem to have, and thus my review of this album is clearly lacking. Regardless, I feel that this album has a fresh take on atmosphere. On a thematic scale, I am a bit on the fence. I feel that this album is consistent, but didn’t keep me captivated. I think this is more a personal fault than a fault of the album itself.

Veil of Maya, False Idol.
I will always be one of those that laments VoM’s inability to match Common Man’s Collapse, as that is one of my top 5 metal albums of all time. However, False Idol is in no way a bad album. The guitar tone is especially terrific, and the production is stellar. They have continued on the path of a slower, denser heaviness, while also being much more melody-driven, and have integrated quite a bit of clean vocals. On some tracks it works, but it does not consistently hold up. I also get a Meshuggah vibe from some of the heavier sections. This is probably the best album they have made since the true masterpiece of CMC. In many ways, it is unfair to continue to judge their music as such, but I must, as CMC is such an integral part of my life. I do miss their old vocalist quite a bit, but False Idol is a joy to listen to in many ways. You can always expect some of the more creative riffs around being created and performed by the superb Marc Okubo.

Cradle of Filth, Cryptoriana, The Seductiveness of Decay.
I don’t like Cradle of Filth. Never have. They were pretty much everyone’s gateway band for extreme/black metal. Not mine. That’s why when I began listening to Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of Decay, I got momentarily scared, because I actually didn’t mind it. “Am I going to enjoy a Cradle of Filth record?” I asked myself in horror. While this album does have many things going for it, overall it still has too much that I hate about Cradle of Filth for me to enjoy. Like Blayne from Banger said multiple times in his review, once things started getting good, “Cue the goth shit.” I have nothing wrong with goth shit, although I hate most music surrounding it (there are exceptions like Chelsea Wolfe, who I would argue has some goth elements). With this album, Cradle is always just about there, but never grasps it. Relative to most of their other work, though, this is a step up for me. The guitar work is great. There are some well-placed, solid screeches. Also, the lyrics throughout most of the album are fantastic. I say most because when they say “Lift our hearts to sheer romantic pyromantic necromantic heights” in Wester Vespertine, I nearly vomited.

Paradise Lost, Medusa.
I’m new to this band. The more I read about them, I realize that they are essential listening for death doom, and so I must delve into their discography when I have the time. Medusa has dirge-like, mournful quality, as is appropriate for the genre, and the more brutal aspects, particularly the growling vocals, balance it all out to a wonderful mix. My biggest beef with this album is the drums. They sound nearly absent, which may be intentional, but if so it is not a choice I support.

Wintersun, The Forest Seasons.
Oh, Wintersun. You are as controversial as you are overhyped. I say overhyped, not overrated, for a reason. I loved Wintersun’s self-titled debut, which is in many ways an essential listen for melo-death, especially for fans of symphonic elements. Time I was also great, although I do not think it lived up to the debut, and therefore nowhere near the hype it generated. Now, in a reimagining of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the band has provided us with what seems to be a release to pacify fans and Nuclear Blast in the never-ending wait for Time II. It seems to simply be a justification for a ridiculous crowd-funding campaign to build Wintersun a fucking $800,000 studio that includes a sauna. I’m all for bands subverting the capitalist music industry and appealing to fans to directly contribute to them, which preserves artistic integrity (Ne Obliviscaris), but this is ridiculous. I wanted to attempt to give The Forest Seasons a clean slate, with controversy shitstorms like this put out of my mind, but it still falls short. While there are parts throughout that are genuinely great, and the band’s brilliance cannot be doubted, I found myself fading in and out of attention. This album seems slightly thrown together, and it lulls far too much in the wrong way. Compared to their previous two releases, particularly their first, The Forest Seasons is by far their weakest effort.

Sepultura, Mahcine Messiah.
I’ve never paid any attention to Sepultura. I am aware of their influence, and have been attempting to listen to some of their older shit like Roots and Chaos A.D., and while this is the only post-Cavalera album I’ve experienced, it has left me with mixed opinions. I really enjoyed the opening track, especially the out of character cleans that almost remind me of Woods of Ypres (that’s a fucking good thing). The track closes out with a solid guitar solo, and the heavy doom-esque riffing. At this point, I’m impressed with Derrick Green, especially considering the big shoes he has to fill. As the album continues, my apathy of thrash doesn’t even stop me from getting into the groove and the shred that is present. The beginning of “Phantom Self” continues to mix it up, with an eastern string sound, before delving into more heavy goodness. I would say one of my bigger criticisms of the album is, while I do enjoy Derrick’s vocals, they do seem a bit flat and repetitive to me. Tracks like “Alethea” and “Sworn Oath” are also low points in the album, not offering much and simply filling space. Because of this, I felt myself becoming less interested as I listened. However, this is a solid album, which is diverse without being all over the place. The drumming is also fucking excellent.

Goatwhore, Vengeful Ascension.
I love Goatwhore. Their mixture of sludge, thrash, and blackened death has always been an appealing amalgamation to me. Vengeful Ascension is an album that, for me, does not forsake any of those elements or depart from what they are known for, but it also seems far too stagnant. There is a lot of reliable material to be found, and some of it is even memorable, but that is few and far between. For the most part, this is no A Haunting Curse or Carving out the Eyes of God. Still worth a listen, though.

Aether Realm, Tarot.
Easily one of the better folk-metal albums of the year. Surpassed only by powerhouses like Lor, Aether Realm have delivered with Tarot. This album, in many ways, is what I imagine Wintersun wishes they could have crafted to satiate listeners. Tarot surpasses most folk-metal bands from this year for this reason. The fucking shredding on this album…shit. The vocals are great. The production: Great. Not one to miss. My only problem is “King of Cups” was a bit out of place, but when you’re touring with Alestorm, who can pass up doing a song about drinking with them?

Within the Ruins, Halfway Human.
Within the Ruins pioneered a new sound emerging from the early deathcore scene. Their heavily down-tuned, groove oriented music didn’t quite get into djent territory with Periphery and the like, but it still differed greatly from other deathcore being made at the time. Halfway Human is better than Phenomena, their 2014 release, but doesn’t quite match up to Elite or Invade. The grooviest riffs are in this album, though. I wanted to put this on the list, simply for how much I enjoy it and how much fun it is, but alas, it doesn’t quite meet the standards. The adaptation of clean vocals (as so many others are doing, where sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t) does not work here. There are also songs like “Death of the Rockstar” that I found tacky, and “Ataxia” is becoming a gimmick at this point. Still a great listen, though.

Gill Landry, Love Rides a Dark Horse.
A maudlin and dark Americana/country album, Gill Landry’s Love Rides a Dark Horse is a lamenting accompaniment to his reflection of separations and making sense of darker times on a personal level. This was a very enjoyable and introspective experience.

Toothgrinder, Phantom Amour.
I had high expectations for this one. It delivered on a few tracks, but for the most part let me down. Toothgrinder is essentially hard rock that integrates some groove, prog, and hardcore elements. Songs like “The Shadow,” “Let it Ride,” “Vagabond,” “Pieta,” and “Futile” (not the chorus) are the better ones on the album for me, as they seem to operate best when using their heavier/groovier sounds. The clean/acoustic sections on the album can be interesting at times, but the vocals really don’t do it for me.

Innervate, Unconquered.
Pretty by-the-book melo death here. I hear a good deal of Amon Amarth, but it lacks the vitality they had. Solid riffing, solid melodies, decent vocals to back it up. There is nothing to complain about here, but not much to rave about, either.

Gigan, Undulating Waves of Rainbiotic Iridescence.
Try saying that album title quickly ten times. Gigan is another band exploring the abyssal depths of the experimental side of death metal, and I love that. Taking a sort of frantic, yet at the same time unhurried, psychedelic, deranged approach, Undulating Waves melds perceptions and makes you question things. This album is a delirium and in no way friendly. It is meant to be dissected, not simply analyzed. Viscerally so. No Clean Singing had a good line of description regarding the album, “infused with an aura of hallucinatory horror and existential dread.” This album came close to the list, yet didn’t quite make it. It is fucking incredible, nonetheless. Their drummer is also an interdimensional monster.

Havok, Conformicide.
This is weird thrash and I like it. I’m not a huge fan because…thrash, but still, this album does a good job of mixing it up, changing structures, being slower, groovier. Tracks like “Ingsoc” are especially notable in this respect. However, while praising this quality, I must also provide a criticism for the uncharacteristic length. This album would appeal to me much more if it was 10-20 minutes shorter. Thrash has also never been known for subtleties, but those lyrics…c’mon.

Dodecahedron, Kwintessens.
This was an album that I expected to enjoy more than I actually did. With my tendency to lean toward experimental metal and black metal this year, it would make sense that I adore Dodecahedron, as they are black metal’s answer to the atonal, chaotic experimental sound that is thriving so powerfully for death metal right now. While Kwintessens is filled with many of the qualities that I enjoyed in other bands this year (Pyrrhon, Artificial Brain, Bufihimat, Ingurgitating Oblivion, etc.) it simply failed to strike me after multiple listens. There are definitely times where the album stands out and demands your attention. Moments that are truly raw and make you shudder. Overall, this is a great album, just not one that grabbed me the way I wanted it to. Perhaps my expectations were a big part of the problem with my experience.

Suffocation, …of the Dark Light.
I know there are those who would shoot me for saying so, but I agree with Bradley Zorddrager of Banger that Suffocation was the precursor to deathcore. One of the first bands to really start utilizing the slow-tempo chugging that wasn’t exactly a slam section, which could have been the early beginnings of the ultra-controversial “breakdown.” Such a viewpoint has its merits. Regardless, Suffocation is tech death all the way, and they are fast, tight, precise, galloping, guttural. However, they don’t really go beyond that with …of the Dark Light. There isn’t much distinguishing track from track, another victim of monotony. Good stuff, just not diverse enough.

Save Us from the Archon, Melancholia.
Save Us from the Archon is an instrumental act that is reminiscent of bands like Chon or Polyphia to me. The album is a reflection on depression, which is quite interesting to me, as it is not particularly up front about that sound-wise, but the more thought one puts into it, the more sense that makes. There are sporadic time chances, complexity abound, and an overall flow and struggle that is ever present in the album. As far as instrumental albums go, Dark Matter Secret still takes it for me this year, but SUFTA is up there as well.

Becomes Astral, Paleblood Sky.
Some prog death worth checking out. The guitar work isn’t anything new, but it still does the job of keeping me intrigued throughout. The timing and tone on the tremolo picking does sound like it could use some work. I really enjoy the high vocals, but the mids don’t do much for me, and the lows (while great) are under-utilized.

Spectrum of Delusion, Esoteric Entity.
More tech death. Overwhelming year for it. The stand out element here is the fretless bass. It isn’t the most impressive tech death bass playing I’ve heard, to be sure, but its prominence in the overall mix makes it a much more noticeable aspect to note upon. Some shame the over-emphasis on bass, but I think it works with certain sounds, especially in tech death like this. Spectrum is fast as hell, like most tech death bands, but it does hearken to tech death masters like Beyond Creation with more contemplative, lofty atmospheres to reduce the barrage of riffs and blast beats. I do not think they are near the caliber of that band, but they are grasping at it, and it shows. Speaking of blast beats, this band mixes it up with drums quite a bit, and their drummer is very skilled. The dual guitar playing off of one another also works well (some really good riffs throughout). I feel that the only aspect that really doesn’t stand out is the vocals. Not much variation there. Overall quality tech death, and I will keep a watchful eye on them.

Wolves in the Throne Room, Thrice Woven.
WIITR is one of the atmospheric black metal bands that really captivated me with their earlier work. Then they transitioned into some much more experimental territory which sent all the black metal purists into a fit, and while I respect experimentation, I must admit it was not my thing. Now, with Thrice Woven, we see a return to roots, albeit a stripped-down return. I can really feel the pacific-northwest in this album. The foggy shores. The strongest part of the album is the vocals of Anna von Hausswolff. Her voice is as mysterious as it is beautiful. It fits very well with the atmosphere. The low points are needless repetitiveness, which build no structure, and the drums. The drum production is some of the worst I’ve heard this year.

Persefone, Aathma.
This was one of the few that was very difficult to leave off of the list. Persefone (one of the four metal bands from Andorra, which is rad) has been a stand-out in prog tech death since their inception, and I am a huge fan of Shin-Ken and Spiritual Migration. Game changers, they were. With Aathma, we see a shift toward a more prog-focused sound, while still holding true to tech death. The piano pieces really stood out to me, and presented a courage to expand and experiment. Out of the three (I still haven’t gotten around to their work before Shin-Ken), Aathma is my least favorite album. However, that is only because the other releases are so monumental. Aathma is still a solid, vast, and powerfully good album.

Dethrone the Sovereign, Harbingers of Pestilence.
This was another close runner-up for the list. These Salt Lake City locals fucking shred, and present some truly excellent and inventive songwriting. Harbingers of Pestilence is an album that should not be overlooked as another honorable mention, for Dethrone the Sovereign effortlessly integrate numerous eclectic elements. This album is so much fun and it is heavy as all sorts of hell. A constantly evolving atmosphere and sound is expertly crafted, and the guitar work is notably my favorite aspect of the album. Do not pass this up.

Fen, Winter.
Everyone raved about this album, and it was yet another that I could not get into. I tried multiple times, giving their lengthy presentation multiple fair chances, but it simply did not do it for me. I like a great many aspects of this album and Fen’s sound overall, but as an album, Winter just simply did not make me want to return to it.

Ezerath, Overture: The Heir Apparent.
I definitely thought this was going to make the list, but it just kept getting pushed back and back until it was simply outmatched. Ezerath is a solo project, which is fucking impressive once you hear the music. The Heir Apparent is a concept album, and it seems as though it is going to be an installment in what is intended to be a narrative of concept albums, perhaps even a singular concept artist. The album sounds massive, and starts off especially strong with crushingly dense tone. I felt as though a feeling of sameness throughout begins to bring it down, but it could be my own fault in not taking the time to delve further into the narrative being presented. Overall, it is a great album, and I look forward to more music from Ezerath.

With Our Arms to the Sun, Orenda.
A lot of Mastodon influence here. These guys are from Arizona, and you can hear the landscape in their sound quite a bit. I always respect those who are able to capture a bit of the desert’s enigmatic aura. Orenda exemplifies a powerful step for this band, but I can’t help thinking they are not quite there in terms of comfort in their sound. Some parts, especially the use of aggressive vocals, feel strained. It is still an enjoyable listen, though, and I can see With Our Arms to the Sun being a band to keep an eye on.

Hybrid Nightmares, Almagest.
This is one of those albums where I like the concept more than the music. Metal As Fuck sums the concept up pretty well, saying that “Broadly the album’s concept has been mapped out based on Aristotelian cosmology and the geocentric model of the universe, which begins with the Earth at the centre and extends outwards to each known heavenly body that circulates the Earth. Almagest is presumably named for the great force behind the movement of the concentric circles at the outermost of this model, a precursor for the idea of a divine cosmic hand. The actor of Almagest is the Pilgrim, who is taken on a Dantean journey through the realm of the spheres.”

Galactic Empire, Galactic Empire.
A very interesting reimagining of John Williams’s original Star Wars scores. Has some truly creative moments that innovate the original music without distorting it. Pays respect to one of the greatest film scores to ever be made without coming off as tacky or too obsessed.

Inanimate Existence, Underneath a Melting Sky.
I had some trouble not including this in the top albums, because it is excellent tech death (what a fucking year for tech death) but I simply liked Enfold Darkness a bit more, and couldn’t justify adding another tech death album with so many other albums of other genres also competing. I feel like Inanimate Existence is finally finding their sweet spot, though, and it shows. A solid mix of brutal, shredding tech death, and soaring, melodic prog elements. With such a psychedelic concept and cover art, I was hoping for more psychedelic sounds to be integrated, as I feel it would be a very interesting addition to music such as this. Overall great album.

Primus, The Desaturating Seven.
Only Primus. Only Primus could take a concept about goblins that feed on color and suck up rainbows and make it an album and have it work. God damn it I love Primus and god damn it I love Les Claypool. Also, this is one of the only times ever that a concept album can open with narrated exposition and I actually like it. The voice is ominous and storybook, the ambience is eerie and dark. It sets the tone and introduces the story well. Then Claypool’s unmistakable bass bounces on in. I never get enough of it. This album is worth it – as with anything Primus – for the bass work alone, but the support of Larry’s guitar and Alexander’s drums should never be downplayed. The Desaturating Seven sounds quite a lot like what I imagine a phantasmagorical acid trip feels.  The album definitely does not showcase enough of the band’s talent and songwriting as it goes on, and that is why it falls a bit short for me.

Trivium, The Sin and the Sentence.
Trivium is pretty hit or miss with me. This was a miss. There were some stand out tracks, and even some moments on the album that I actually enjoyed quite a bit, but overall it fell very flat for me. I found myself getting bored at some point during each song. Trivium was another gateway band for me with Ascendancy, but they really haven’t done much that I have liked since.

Kreator, Gods of Violence.
Kreator is good shit. Again, not a thrash fan. Would probably enjoy Kreator a hell of a lot more otherwise. As far as thrash goes, though, they are among the better albums of the year, along with Power Trip.

The Ruins of Beverast, Exuvia.
This is a labyrinth of an album. It seems absent of gravity, interweaving sonically through the air like woodfire smoke under dark night sky. It has a powerfully psychedelic feeling, to the point of causing me to feel lightheaded at multiple points when I closed my eyes and truly immersed myself in it. The only other album this year that has achieved a similar sensation was Mirror Reaper. I’ve thus far been ignorant to the rest of TROB’s work, though I have listened to Rain Upon the Impure since, and while I enjoy it, it has that typical old school black metal shit production that I have trouble with. Beyond that, however, it is truly ugly and wonderful stuff. I will definitely be giving more time to this band.

Enslaved, E.
This was one of those albums that everyone seemed to love this year, except for me. My criticisms for it are about the same for most of those on this list. It is too repetitive with no reason to be. No layering, no direction, no build to something greater or reintegration for the sake of establishing a climax or a moment where one can look upon a melody in a different light. This album has really great moments, but I felt that every song could be shortened by a solid minute or two, and I wouldn’t lose anything. That is its main problem. I have very little to say negatively on a song to song basis, but the album as a whole just falls apart for me. I do feel as though I need to give this album more listens, and that I will enjoy it more over time.

Cannibal Corpse, Red Before Black.
I am not very familiar with CC’s discography. I enjoyed Tomb and Kill a lot when I was younger, but I still need to delve into their other work. For that reason, I don’t have much to compare Red Before Black to. However, I have dabbled enough to at least have a grasp of the Barnes CC and Corpsegringer CC sounds, and the holistic theme of the band. Red Before Black is an album that I enjoyed every time I listened to it. That being said, the more and more I listened to it, the more uniform every song seemed. There is very little variability or distinct, memorable moments for me. My favorite part is the tremolo riff in “Only One Will Die.” Every band member performs very well, and I do like their straight-forward, no bullshit death metal, but it just didn’t do much else for me.

Spectral Voice, Eroded Corridors of Unbeing.
First of all, that fucking album title is amazing. Now that that is out of the way, Spectral Voice does death doom right. We are dredging some truly dark waters, now. This album is a journey down into the underworld of the human heart. Eroded Corridors is grimy, murky, and laden with suffocating darkness. The tempo is often sluggish and it seems as though you are wading through a lonely, midnight swamp, being further dragged to its depths with each step. I am not a fan of the drum production here, but the rest is great. There are certain moments on this album that made me consider more than once of adding it to the list, but it didn’t quite make it.

Immolation, Atonement.
There are simply too many fucking massive riffs to handle here. This one very nearly made the list. It just barely didn’t make it. This is terrific death metal. That opening riff of “Fostering the Divide” is metal beyond words. Makes me think of standing upon blackened, jagged spires of rock in some devastated wasteland with hands raised toward an oppressively dark sky. Nathan Explosion said it best: “Blacker than the blackest black, times infinity.”

Myrkur, Mareridt.
Anything that subverts and upsets black metal purists, I’m all about. Especially that which simultaneously challenges the sick misogyny that is utterly rampant in most metal culture. Myrkur has done a good job at that this year. From pop to more metal-focused, Myrkur is controversial as hell. Tracks like “Maneblot” remind me a lot of Oathbreaker, and I love the discordance of it all. There are moments where the pop sensibility leaks through, and it bothers me, though not enough to truly impact my experience of the album. I love the folk elements in particular. That is the strong point of the album. Looking forward to the future of Myrkur.

Mors Principium Est, Embers of a Dying World.
Mors Principium Est produces some great melo-death. I haven’t had much experience at all with their discography, but I’m enjoying Embers of a Dying World quite a lot (besides the synths, which I’m beginning to hate more and more). Very emotional, very riff-heavy, and leaning more often toward the melodic side of things, this album is quite a ride. Some tracks do border on becoming ballads, which is a no go for me, but there is still quite a lot to like here.

Spires of the Lunar Sphere, SIREN (take the fair face of woman and gently suspending with butterflies flowers and jewels attending thus your fairy be made of most wondrous things).
The title of this album is enough to assume that this will be what was best described by It Djents as “auditory tomfoolery.” Sometimes avant garde as a concept can become over indulgent and experimental simply for the sake of experimentation. While I feel that this album avoids this for the most part, I can’t help feeling its presence. Regardless, this album is really fucking fun. It sounds far too much like a video game mixed with death metal, though. I got a bit of an Unexpect vibe from this, only I enjoy Unexpect more. There is a lot to like on this album, they just need to get rid of the synths and Nintendo 64 shit.

Havukruunu, Kelle Surut Soi.
As far as I am concerned, no band this year has combined atmospheric and aggressive black metal sounds more proficiently than Havukruunu, not to mention the fact that they actually pull off production that is sharp, yet still has a wretchedness that black metal needs (this is a big deal for me). I enjoy the folk elements that are integrated here, surprisingly, as I find that such things in black metal often contradict the tone. However, I find it to simply complement everything Havukruunu is doing. The riffs are excellently written, and carry a great deal of emotion to each part of each song, without getting bogged down in repetition as is likely to happen with atmospheric black metal. Each element of Kelle Surut Soi is selectively utilized at certain levels of varying emphasis to its extreme benefit. Nothing ever feels as though it is attempting to compete for your attention, and it is all used just at the right moment.

Wobbler, From Silence to Somewhere.
Very reminiscent of old school prog (King Crimson, Yes), this characteristically long-winded album contains some stunningly good vocals, among other examples adept musicianship.

Akercocke, Renaissance in Extremis.
This album was my introduction to Akercocke, which probably isn’t proper for a band as strange and multi-faceted as this. After breaking up in 2007, Renaissance in Extremis is Akercocke’s return after a decade apart, and it is quite possible that many changes have occurred in their sound. However, standing alone, with no prior knowledge of this band’s sound, I am intrigued. It presents a variety of genre-hopping sounds, from thrash to death to black to prog to whatever else. It mixes all of these well, with transitions that do not seem forced. The vocalist’s mid-range vocals are cringe-worthy for me, which is rough, but overall this is a fun and diverse album that makes me want to delve into their discography.

Vaivatar, Vanitas.
This is some symphonic black metal with a lot of traditional roots and not so traditional production. All good things. I found myself enjoying the mirthless emotion evoked on tracks like “Pioneer’s Courage,” “Maria,” and “Hide and Seek” (which has an interesting and unexpected bass line that opens the track) the most, although Vaivatar also achieves at many points the soft and wretched grandeur akin to atmospheric black metal like Wolves in the Throne Room. Some of these moments appear on tracks like “Sleep,” “Consolation,” and “Iphigenia” (wonderful piano pieces). The use of the organ throughout the album is an excellent choice that I find very fitting. This is an overall great black metal album and I look forward to hearing more from Vaivatar.

Body Count, Bloodlust.
Everyone is raving about this. Meh. The lyrics are powerful at times, but I’m not a huge fan of Ice-T. He just seems to be talking at most points in the album. No rhythm, no flow, no lyrical structure to speak of. There are too many campy moments and gimmicks on this album to keep track of. Also, what the actual fuck is right-wing, born again Christian Dave Mustaine doing on this album? The guitar work is boring as all sorts of hell. The metal/rap thing is a cool concept, not done well here. Also, holy fuck do they do a poor job at covering Slayer. I’ve heard Body Count’s old shit is good, so maybe I’ll give that a chance. This is a no go for me.

Solstafir, Berdreyminn.
This is no Otta, but that is in no way a terrible thing, just not the thing I was looking for from the new Solstafir. I really enjoyed Otta, with its heavily dark atmospheres as gentle and monumental as Icelandic glaciers. I also have a soft spot for Svartir Sandar. Berdreyminn is a new approach for the band, and in many ways I really like it. There are ethereal moments like the operatic pieces on “Hula,” to what many are calling Pink Floyd-esque hard rock sounds throughout, which I definitely hear and enjoy thoroughly. I wasn’t expecting another Otta, and so am in no way disappointed by Berdreyminn, but it still kind of fell short for me. However, can we just take a moment to appreciate that spectacular cover artwork?

Entheos, Dark Future.
Entheos made my list last year, and this super group’s 2017 release has been on my radar since it was announced. While I do enjoy moments of it, especially the first two minutes or so of the opening track, it doesn’t match up to their debut. They are going for an inhuman, futuristic approach here, but the production merely makes it sound programmatic, mechanical, distant in all the wrong ways. There is the expected superb musical ability of each member, and that cannot go overlooked. Chaney is a motherfucking badass, and Evan Brewer remains one of the best modern bassists I know of in his genre. Entheos also seems to be exploring some different styles of songwriting, which is a good thing. Overall, I was a bit disappointed with this release, but still have faith in the band and their direction.

Gwar, The Blood of Gods.
I’ve been a pretty casual fan of Gwar for many years, which is a strange thing to be. The very existence of Gwar seems to beg either pure hatred or adoration to the point of near-worship. I’m much less enthusiastic. I’ve always enjoyed Gwar’s theatricality, farcical political satire, and tendency to never take themselves seriously. All the Gwar music I know of is fun, and it of course is meant to be played at their notoriously epic live performances. After the death of Oderus, I was skeptical like many others about the future of the band. With the original Beefcake filling in for vocals, I must admit that I’m impressed. It isn’t like Oderus, but it shouldn’t try to be. All the songs on The Blood of Gods is what makes Gwar great, which is that they are fun as hell. They are gimmicky and they know it. It doesn’t really go beyond that for me, and that is all I need from them.

Dyscarnate, With All Their Might.
Awful album cover art aside, this album fucking smashes rock giants’ heads to rubble. Dyscarnate have been an iron hammer of force in death metal for over a decade now, and With All Their Might is no exception. From the moment I heard “Iron Strengthens Iron,” I was sold. The album could use a bit more diversity track to track, but it still crushes.

Primitive Man, Caustic.
This album is pure auditory misanthropy. This is doom at its most unforgivingly brutal and unhinged. There are no frills. No deviations. Only onslaught of misery. This is not a short or an easy listen, but it is a powerful one.

Throne of Heresy, Decameron.
Based on the book written by Giovanni Boccaccio, a survivor of the Black Death, Decameron recounts stories of the devastation and suffering that the plague wrought. With such an indescribably harsh and bleak concept, the music better step up to accompany it. Luckily, Throne of Heresy does not let me down on this front. Decameron gives one a real sense of hopelessness and panic, very much like what those who were experiencing the trepidation of approaching doom must have felt. Moments like the opening of the title track, “The Pale Burden,” and “Jartecken” are especially ominous and well done in terms of atmosphere, whereas tracks like “Liber Secretorum” bring the fucking heavy. My only criticism is that there are uncharacteristic moments of overly-prominent thrash. They don’t occur often, but they do occur. Tonally, it simply doesn’t belong. However, it does not drag this album down. Throne of Heresy has produced a grim success, and this definitely had a chance at top 25.

Magoth, Anti-Terrestrial Black Metal.
What a stupid fucking album title. Rad cover art to contrast that, I suppose. Magoth is old school and isn’t shy about it. The production isn’t too horrendous, but it still gets to me a bit. The drums are listenable, at least, and it seems mixed well. The vocals are frigid and wretched. Good stuff, but it didn’t thrill me in any way. Easy to pass over in a year of amazing black metal.

Woe, Hope Attrition.
This band certainly mixes it up in terms of black metal. There is more straight-forward energy here than ambience. That isn’t to say it doesn’t wallow in despair. It does plenty of that. There is certainly a punk influence here, which I think works well with the sound Woe is trying to cultivate. The tremolo is here as well, but it has a noticeable dissonance that imbues it with a greater sense of misery. Really good stuff.

King Woman, Created in the Image of Suffering.
In a year of great doom releases, King Woman still stands out. Created in the Image of Suffering may still retain some shoegaze sounds from Kristina Esfandiari’s earlier work, but the shift toward a far more doom-oriented sound is apparent from the beginning here. Kristina has distinct, perhaps slightly monotone, crooning vocals, accompanied by a haze of distortion that does its job of providing atmosphere and not drowning anything out. This album is very melancholy, and it works quite well throughout. Tracks like “Hierophant” don’t really do it for me, but others such as “Manna,” “Shame,” “Hem,” and “Worn” are ones that really stand out. On many occasions, the sound has notable similarities to Chelsea Wolfe, whose new album I enjoyed more, but King Woman is still worth checking out.

Arreat Summit, The Impure Liturgy.
Tech death with some heavy deathcore influence. Arreat Summit does some very interesting things in terms of instrumentation, but they can be somewhat few and far between. The vocals are well-balanced, and both lows and highs are quite good. Nothing too special here, but not bad for a listen or two.

Blut Aus Nord, Deus Salutis Meæ.
Soom doom-esque, industrial-esque, almost occult sounding black metal. I’m not the biggest fan of industrial, and the elements present here do detract from the overall experience for me, but it isn’t a deal-breaker. The drum machine really not my thing. Everything is dense in this album. Oppressive atmosphere aplenty here. Very little variation, though. “Abisme” was one that jumped out at me. Some seriously powerful riffs there, and those background vocals give one the feeling of attending some sacrificial cult meeting in the middle of a dead forest during a cloudy, moonlit night. Good stuff, but gets boring fast.

Samael, Hegemony.
Samael do symphonic…wrong…in my opinion. Now, I haven’t checked out their older shit, which I’ve heard is darker, but Hegemony just rubs me the wrong way. The tone sounds electronic, like some cyberpunk shit, the use of symphonic elements seems self-indulgent and not only unnecessary but out of place. I could see myself enjoying them much more with a different approach to how the sound is presented: with a denser, more (I hate using this word) organic, less computer-like presentation.

Satyricon, Deep Calleth upon Deep.
This is my first encounter with Satyricon. Apparently, they have a history of challenging black metal status quo, which is rad, and something I don’t have the time to get into. So, on face value, Deep Calleth upon Deep is…also rad. I enjoy the more melodic stuff they are doing here. It has a minimalist feel to it, and certainly departs from black metal conventions. For those reasons alone, I like it. However, it goes further, by actually being very well done. Tracks are distinct, and very much slowed down for black metal. Many riffs draw my attention and keep it. The vocals are a little underwhelming, and the drums are a bit forgettable, but nothing is bad. Overall, this material is intriguing and unconventional for black metal, with many a well-done riff to enjoy along the way.

Dumal, The Lesser God.
This is some wonderfully ugly sounding melodic black metal. The guitar tone is fucking fantastic. The drums are produced exceptionally for the genre. The bass is present and kick ass. The fucking vocals are gravelly and demented. Dumal establishes some excellent contrasts on The Lesser God. However, I’m not a fan of the synths like those used on “The Wind Demon.” Not a fan at all. The choice to use a violin on “Ukrainia” is great. Overall a vicious black metal release, with many a good thing going for it, and only a few holding it back like the synths.

Abhorrent Decimation, The Pardoner.
Chaucer-inspired death metal? Already on board. Abhorrent Decimation takes on the treacherous task of not only making a concept album, but a highly literary one, at that. Dangerous ground for a band to tread. The most difficult part of concept albums is both the atmosphere you create and the narrative you provide. Both of these can easily fall apart, and conceptual/atmospheric inconsistency is detrimental. Abhorrent Decimation boldly accepted this challenge, and executed it well. The atmosphere surrounding Chaucer’s villainous character of The Pardoner is established, remains consistent, yet evolves as the narrative demands. Overall, the album is dark, brutal, and engaging.

Warbringer, Woe to the Vanquished.
Sigh. By now you get it. I don’t like thrash. For thrash fans, I’m sure this album hits hard. Fucking riffs for days. Not for me, though. Next.

Winds of Plague, Blood of my Enemy.
I’ve enjoyed Winds of Plague in the past, but have long since moved on. I always saw them as having so much potential that was mostly ruined by not focusing more on the elements I considered best in their sound (heavy blackened). Blood of my Enemy emphasizes that sound more, to its benefit. A lot of parts still don’t work, especially a good many of the choruses, but it is a step up from their recent stuff, and approaches the caliber of Decimate the Weak.

Cloak, To Venomous Depths.
The best thing about this album is the cover art, which was done by Adrian Baxter, an artist I’ve followed for a while. Other than that, it is rather bland. I’m especially put off by the tone and tuning not fitting at all. It sounds almost peppy. Not for me.

Wormwood, Ghostlands: Wounds from a Bleeding Earth.
Melodic and wretched. Wormwood constructs a wonderfully blackened album with some surprising elements here. A hollow and cold wind in desolate lands. This album combines Hyperion with more folk elements. It’s fucking great.

Bask, Ramble Beyond.
Some really interesting psychedelic/stoner rock. My hopes were really high from the first opening minutes, and I was a bit let down as the album carried on, as it didn’t produce the same wow effect throughout. Regardless, Bask does a good job of playing something that is both old school and refreshing.

Oceano, Revelations.
Another crushing deathcore release. When Oceano released Depths, I was basically convinced that they were the heaviest band in the genre. I haven’t paid much attention to them since then, but Revelations shows that they haven’t lost their brutality. Another album focusing on ecological destruction, Revelations carries the weight of a dying world. Their vocalist is still a fucking monster. I do wish they were going in a more progressive direction away from deathcore roots, as I feel this is a band that could pull it off well, but I also don’t blame them for sticking to their guns.

Telekinetic Yeti, Abominable.
I really enjoy two piece bands. Reducing the amount of instruments and elements available like reducing the strings on a guitar forces creative ingenuity in many cases. Telekinetic Yeti is one of those cases. The stoner rock sound they utilize really works with this set up, and I could not be happier when it comes to the fuzzy goodness that is the production. Abominable achieves a massive sound despite the limited members, and it fucking grooves like hell.

Sunlight’s Bane, The Blackest Volume (Like All the Earth Was Buried).
This was one of the biggest disappointments of the year. Sunlight’s Bane features Nick Holland, the vocalist from And Hell Followed With, a band that released the second-best deathcore album in existence next to Make Them Suffer, which is Proprioception. AHFW split in 2010, and when I heard Nick was finally releasing new music, my expectations were through the roof. I get what Sunlight’s Bane is going for, which is a more raw and straightforward sound. Angry Metal Guy described it well as a combination of Anaal Nathrakh and Nails (albeit slower and more repetitive). On its own, with no context, this would be fine, but the fact that Nick is involved changes things for me. Tracks like “No Taste More Bitter” begin to sample the brilliance that AHFW lived and breathed, but it never lasts. I suppose I just couldn’t adjust to Nick in a different (and more boring, in my opinion) sound.

Siberian, Through Ages of Sleep.
This is an album with a couple great tracks, but for the most part was not for me. I enjoy the folk-metal elements throughout, especially on “Heresy Breath,” and the ending of “Axis Mundi” was surprising and enjoyable. Just seems to become bland after a while.

Eldamar, A Dark Forgotten Past.
Eldamar isn’t my thing. Too pretty in the wrong ways. Has a hint of cheese. Some moments that verge on intriguing, but to me seems lofty for no purpose. A cheap kite instead of a Peregrine.

Arcadea, Arcadea.
An interesting side project of Brann Dailor. I’m not a huge fan of the electronic sound, and am especially not a fan of the distortion of Brann’s voice. An intriguing alternative direction for him to take, and there are some good moments, where his wonderful voice pierces through the robotic alteration, and of course his drumming. Overall not a fan, though.

The Body/Full of Hell, Ascending a Mountain of Heavy Light.
Beyond the great album title, this one didn’t do it for me. I love Full of Hell, and their LP for this year is spectacular. However, I do not like The Body. It is one of those avant garde acts that doesn’t click with me. There is some intriguing experimentation going on here, and I particularly enjoy their use of ambient sound, but the electronic elements and The Body’s sound kill it for me. I seem to be alone in this opinion, however, so it is worth checking out.

BISON, You Are Not the Ocean You Are the Patient.
Huge Baroness and High on Fire vibe here. The bass tone and production on this album is tasty. I particularly enjoy tracks like “Water Becomes Fire,” with its use of violin to carry the song, providing an emotion not seen elsewhere on the album. A more succinct, groovy doom album, it still does not feel rushed in any way. The chugging riffs and density of the tone is by far the driving force here.

Oblivion, The Path Towards…
Oblivion has been one of those bands that I’ve appreciated the songwriting more of than the actual presentation of it. Something just seems lacking about it. I think that Nick Vasallo is a brilliant composer and songwriter, and I have much respect for him. This is by no means a bad album. The musicianship is solid. I guess it just really falls short in a year of uncompromisingly good tech death.

Electric Wizard, Wizard Bloody Wizard. 
This is no Dopethrone. I realize that it isn’t particularly fair to compare a band to its early-created opus, but that’s what I’m doing. Wizard Bloody Wizard is no Dopethrone. Not by a damn mile. There are some groovy parts, but it gets boring fast. Just go listen to Dopethrone. Also, that cover art is as atrocious as it gets.

Cavalera Conspiracy, Psychosis.
Not a huge Cavalera fan, but for those looking for Roots/Chaos A.D. era Sepultura, this comes close. Hard-hitting thrash is the core here, with Cavalera’s signature groove. There are strangely even some overt black metal elements in “Judas Pariah,” which I did not expect from this album. There is no doubt a good deal of this album is some of the better material the Cavalera brothers have done. Even if isn’t my thing, it is well done.

Despite Exile, Relics.
Despite Exile is causing quite the bustle with this album. I am unfamiliar with their previous work, but I am not unimpressed by what is being called their best album. Relics is wonderfully produced, and sounds crisp without losing an edge throughout. However, when it comes to prog-deathcore, I am not overwhelmed by Relics, especially in a year where so many deathcore releases stand out. I think Despite Exile has an ability to integrate melody well, but they do seem to slip into monotony from time to time. For fans of melodic and progressive deathcore, this album is definitely worth a listen, but it is nothing revolutionary.

Diablo Swing Orchestra, Pacifisticuffs.
There are few bands more fun than DSO. The old swing, jazz, opera, metal amalgamation is flawlessly executed, and it never fails to get me moving. The only other band I can think of that produces a feeling near this is early Gogol Bordello. Pacifisticuffs is a barrage of good time. Now that that part is out of the way, the music is also fucking great. Imaginative songwriting doesn’t do DSO justice. They are some of the most creative musicians straddling the metal genre that I know of. They remind me of Igorrr at times, but not as maddened. Music like this is so important, especially for me. When nearly all I listen to is consumed in despair, DSO is a powerful emotional tonic. Everything they have ever done, including Pacifisticuffs, is excellent and it never ceases in its energy.

Lor, In Forgotten Sleep.
Next to Unleash the Archers, this is easily the best power/folk metal album of the year. I struggled deeply to leave this off of the list, but did so nonetheless. Lor has produced a real gem here. Every song is filled to the brim with hooks, great riffs, excellent songwriting, excellent performances, etc. etc. Power metal often comes off as either horribly cheesy or pretentious or both to me. Thankfully, there are bands like Lor to keep those others in check by using these elements in ways that seem grounded, yet still sonically lofty as the genre requires to a certain degree. I am slightly underwhelmed by the vocalist at times, but I put emphasis on the slightly. I also think that the production surrounding the vocals could have been done better. Overall, this is a wonderfully fun album and one of the better power albums to be released in recent years.

Pillorian, Obsidian Arc.
With Agalloch now gone, we get to experience the debut from vocalist/guitarist John Haughm’s new black metal band, Pillorian. For starters, Obsidian Arc clearly shows that Pillorian will be focusing more on straight-forward black metal elements. A lot of reviewers seem to be comparing this to Agalloch’s discography, which seems strange to me. This is a new project with a clear desire to diverge in many ways from Agalloch’s sound, and should be regarded as such. When it comes to black metal for this year, Obsidian Arc doesn’t necessarily stand out for me. There isn’t anything really wrong with it that is notable. It was simply underwhelming in comparison to many other albums that were put out. Some tracks do stand out. “A Stygian Pyre” in particular, has many great moments. Another notable track is “Dark Is the River of Man.” The cleans on this track, coupled with the growling whispers and doleful guitar is done very well. Pillorian is a much angrier and blacker step for John, and I think it shows real promise. I liked Obsidian Arc quite a bit, but it did unfortunately fall short to other releases this year.

Tau Cross, Pillar of Fire.
Tau Cross has an interesting similarity to Motorhead. Every instrument, the vocals included, resemble them in some way. There are also identifiable punk and thrash influences here. Pillar of Fire sounds crusty and jagged. Considering the sounds that they are working with, this a good thing. Tau Cross channels the appropriately dirty and simple here. This isn’t really my style, and that hinders my appreciation of this album and band. However, I can understand why people are enjoying it so much.

Amenra, Mass VI.
If you know me, you probably know I don’t like religious anything, especially overtly religious music. However, I feel as though Amenra’s Mass VI, while being religious at its core, focuses more upon spiritual exploration through music and exploration into darker themes surrounding the emotional context being presented. I never found this music to be operating in a dogmatic or eulogizing sense. I do feel that, while this is a doom band with influences from other genres, the repetitive layering needed to be toned down. The clean moments of this album are particularly engaging, but there is no point where the album lapses emotionally. In some ways, the emotionally visceral presentation of this album reminded me of bands like Oathbreaker. Overall, there is a great deal of vulnerability and lack of restraint in portraying pain in this album, which I respect. Powerfully done and worth a listen.

Ulver, The Assassination of Julius Caesar.
Everyone and their dog seemed to love this album, but it didn’t do much for me. I’m not a huge fan of the electronica (whatever you would call it), and it has to be done in a certain way for me to enjoy it. Ulver just didn’t utilize those elements in a way that I could get into. For those who enjoy this specific sound, this album will surely be a gem.

HELL, Hell.
This album is grimy and distorted beyond reason. Pure visceral exposure and release. I do feel as though the doom aspects hinder the overall tone of HELL, as I think the sound would be better presented more concisely. Regardless, there is a sludgy depth to this album, It feels deranged as though it was indeed conjured from some imagined torturous beyond.

A Night in Texas, Global Slaughter.
The God Delusion is one of the better and heaviest deathcore albums ever made. Needless to say I was excited to the follow up, Global Slaughter. While this album is heavy, and retains many of the sounds that A Night in Texas are known for, I worry that they have settled into a mold. Now, with certain bands, this is not a bad thing, but I feel as though the straight-forward deathcore approach that they utilize unfortunately stagnates easily. This is a band that would benefit from experimentation if done properly. Still heavy as fuck and worth a listen. The best part of the album, ironically, is when Shadow of Intent is featured.

Mutoid Man, War Moans.
This is a really fun album. It isn’t incredibly consistent with delivering solid tracks for me, but there still a good many on here that are enjoyable and are worth checking out. I’m not sure if this really lives up to the hype everyone is giving it, with it being on quite a few end of the year lists, but it is good stuff.

Sikth, The Future in Whose Eyes?
I’ve always liked Sikth’s weirdness and unique sound. That being said, there is a good amount about their music that simply doesn’t click with me. A good amount of this has to do with the vocals. Because they are so varied, there are certain aspects that I appreciate about them, and others that detract from the music as a whole for me. The big problem is that the vocal styles I dislike seem to be more prominent. Still worth checking out, as this band is immensely creative and adventurous.

Ian Felice, In the Kingdom of Dreams.
This is an album where I appreciate the lyrics and presentation of narrative more than the music itself. Don’t get me wrong, I like Ian’s simple approach, and there is a great deal to be said about his adept use of musical subtlety. However, I feel as though the use of the atonal vocals only works in certain instances here, while throughout the rest of the album, it is either not properly accompanied by melody from the guitar, or simply throws off the tone. This is a criticism that only became apparent to me after a couple listens, and continued to be more noticeable with each listen. Overall, this is still a wonderful album, there are merely aspects of it that take away from what be a much greater experience.

Converge, The Dusk in Us.
Thoughts: When it comes to talking about genre pioneers, Converge are appropriate to discuss. This band has been around a long fucking time, and more importantly, have continued to mature, evolve, and stay heavy. It is a true indicator of musical talent and passion when this can be carried out with consistency at all, let alone over 20 years. The Dusk in Us is in many ways a culmination and yet another remarkable defining moment for a band that rarely disappoints. Manifesting the dark within, The Dusk in Us is a masterwork of metalcore. For a band that has done so much for the genre, and continues to do so, this is another dark and pain-filled addition to an immensely impressive discography. This may be the most enjoyed and talked about heavy album of the year next to Mastodon. I think this is a bit overzealous, but not beyond understanding. I can see why this band and this album have generated so much adoration and attention.

Nyn, Entropy: Of Chaos and Salt.
Yet another great tech death metal album. Nyn goes places that I certainly did not expect. For example, I surprisingly noticed parts that had a Dick Dale vibe. It is very difficult to keep up with this album, as so much is going on that is so good at a blistering rate. I do think that this album unfortunately falls into the category of tech death that suffers from poor songwriting and self-involved musicianship at times. It is because of this that Nyn did not make my list, as there are some remarkable things going on here. If they could take a better approach to composition of the creative and almost unique sounds they have crafted, they would be masterful.

Earth Electric, Vol. I Solar.
Huge 1970s influence here. I think there are moments on this album when a balance is achieved and it works well. I don’t think the vocals really fit well, however. The haunting, soaring vocals remind me a bit of someone like Marissa Nadler, and tend to clash with, as opposed to healthily contrast to, the instrumentation being presented. This is not a criticism that is 100% applicable, as they do strike a harmony by toning down the hard rock elements at times, though it doesn’t happen often enough.

Godflesh, Post Self.
This ended up on a few album of the year lists, which prompted me to check it out. I’m of a fairly biased opinion when it comes to Godflesh, because I do not like electronic, drone, or industrial. Since Post Self integrates these genres pretty gratuitously, it goes without saying that it didn’t do much for me.  

Wode, Servants of the Countercosmos.
Another solid black metal album more in the vein of bands like Emperor and Dissection. Wode channels the nail-splintering riffs and aversion to hope and joy as well as any top contender. The riffs are especially notable in their quality, as they really carry this album for me above all else. “Temple Internment” may have the best black metal riff of 2017. There is a mirthless ferocity to Wode that hearkens back to earlier days of black metal, but it is in no way re-hashing or invoking nostalgia. Wode does their own thing, and does it better than most around in the genre right now. I tended to lean more toward black metal that was unconventional this year, but I still have a special place in my little black heart for those who are straightforward and unapologetic in their performance.

Desolate Shrine, Deliverance from a Godless Void.
The cover art for this album does a great job of conveying what to expect in terms of sound from this album. Also the album title. Also the band name. You get it. The abyssal dirge that is Deliverance from a Godless Void is nothing to fuck with when it comes to blackened death. As densely grim and lightless as the black sludge pouring from the cover art, Desolate Shrine achieve what Heavy Blog is Heavy called “soundscapes of nihilistic dread.” That sums it up pretty well.

Kaosophia, Serpenti Vortex.
While some emotionally charging melodies are achieved throughout this album, I found it relatively stale compared to some of the other excellent black metal of 2017. The drums are especially boring. The riffs are forgettable for the most part, and seem to drag on for too long without having the quality to justify their length. The vocals are passable, but are nothing special, especially when surrounded by such mundane instrumentation. There are tracks that I cannot type, let alone pronounce, that have enjoyable moments. The fifth and sixth tracks, for example, open quite well and are intriguing throughout. However, these moments are rare.

Darkest Hour, Godless Prophets and Migrant Flora.
This is another album that was popping up on everyone’s AOTY lists, so I figured I might as well give it a try. I have never been a huge fan of Darkest Hour, even in the days when I was a bigger fan of melodic hardcore/metalcore. However, the hype was not uncalled for here. Godless Prophets and Migrant Flora is Darkest Hour at the best they have ever been, in my eyes. They finally found their songwriting groove, where I feel as though the pressure to present a certain type of product to a mass audience has been toned down. This album is just filled with hooks. It’s a damn hook factory. So many catchy riffs, breakdowns, all of it good shit. Pretty massive production as well, although I do feel like it tends to drown certain elements from time to time. I’m still not a huge fan of the vocal style, but I was able to forget that for the most part. I still think Converge released the best metalcore album of the year, but that’s hard to contend with.

Moonspell, 1755.
I like the concept of this album (the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755) more than the album itself. The opening track is cringe-worthy. The operatic support vocals are cringe-worthy and remind me of something from Epica, but not accompanying Simone’s gorgeous voice. I do not much like the main vocalist either. This album certainly suffered from overhype in my case, as it was getting praised all over the damn place. Don’t get me wrong, there are parts that I genuinely like quite a lot. The instrumental section of the title track, for example, has a certain mystique and is well done. There are also a good deal of enjoyable riffs to be had throughout. Moonspell is at their best when the orchestral elements are mixed properly with all else present, like they are on “Desastre,” “Todos Os Santos,” and “Abanao.” There is also a solid bass line in the beginning of “Evento,” but the song after that is not among my favorites.

Rings of Saturn, Ulta Ulla.
If you like chugs and growls and arpeggios and aliens and computer shit, Rings of Saturn usually synergizes with you. I hate computer shit, but enjoy Rings of Saturn. Few bands elicit as much controversy as RoS, alongside Faceless and Wintersun. I’ve always been sort of luke-warm when it comes to this band. There is a good amount of their discography that I enjoy to an extent, but I never enjoy their albums as a whole. For example, I loved “Senseless Massacre” from Lugal Ki En, but not much else. This is a band that has always straddled the boundary between tech death and deathcore, and has switched line ups to an infamous degree. Overall, I felt that Ulta Ulla was a step down from Lugal, and will never achieve the raw evil of their earlier shit. Still worth a listen, though.

ORM, ORM.
This is a case where talent is squandered on a general lack of creativity. While I enjoy all that ORM has to offer here, especially the vocalist, which stands out as the strongest component present, the way that ORM offers what they have is less than exciting for me. The song structures are needlessly repetitive to a nauseating extent. The length of these songs is in no way justified by how they are drawn out. The timing and pacing also seem a bit off. Overall, this is a debut that shows potential for something great down the road, but a lot of refinement and exploration needs to take place.

Uneven Structure, La Partition.
Another insanely close runner up. Next to Vildhjarta and Humanity’s Last Breath, this band was the best thing to come out of the djent/thall movement. Februus is an absolute masterpiece. With La Partition, Uneven Structure has (intelligently, in my opinion) deviated slightly from the sound on Februus, without forsaking it. This is a much more complex album in many ways, and it changes every time I listen to it. This isn’t to say the crazy fucking down tuned 8 string riffs slamming your mind aren’t present. Because they are. Overall, this is one that belongs on the top, damn it. I should make a 41st slot for it, but that would just bother the hell out of me. The songwriting here is so great. The vocals, the production, the instrumentation, all spectacular. Not an album to sleep on.

Gogol Bordello, Seekers and Finders.
I dislike how Gogol is considered a novelty band by some. I will argue all night that Gogol is one of the most important examples currently around of a globally influenced, integrated, eclectic music collective. They are drunk on musical passion, and it bleeds through their songs and their performances. They continue to evolve in many ways while remaining to true to many things that matter regarding the spirit of the band. Gogol takes full advantage of being full of talented and wonderful songwriters and passionate performers. Seekers and Finders is a much different album from their earlier work, which I enjoy. If there is anything that does not make sense for a band like Gogol to do, it is stagnate. I may not particularly like Seekers and Finders as much as earlier albums, but am simultaneously grateful that the album is the way it is. Can’t wait for the next time I get to see them live.


2 comments:

  1. DaveJanuary 5, 2018 at 11:16 AM

    I'm glad Oxbow made your list. They put on one of the best live shows you could ever see. Eugene Robinson is one of the greatest front men in rock -- one of the most underrated bands ever.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Class WarriorJanuary 7, 2018 at 8:40 PM

    Holy shit, Jack Rafferty. You listened to more music this year than I did in the last five!

    ReplyDelete

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