Post by GL on Jan 1, 2010 14:27:07 GMT -5
It’s always the hardest job to do the Death Metal list for some reason, as it’s generally the strongest field and yields up some of the better albums the year in total produces. Some questionable stuff on mine this time around, as well as a couple blatant omissions (I easily could’ve put the new Asphyx, Vomitory, The Black Dahlia Murder, Pestilence, Solstice, Dethklok and Fatalist in here) but frankly, with such a crowded field and only a certain number of spots, there has to be some which didn’t make the cut. Not to say they’re bad or just not that good, but because of the confines of this list, some just can’t be here.
10. Cattle Decapitation-The Harvest Floor
So sue me, I happen to like these guys. They’ve got a fantastic formula, melding the brutal vocals (and inhuman, stuck-like-a-pig squealing) with a somewhat more melodious offshoot of Grindcore to create a catchy combination that has the melodic touch with the music and the extremity of the genre matched with the vocals. This isn’t anywhere close to their best work (I think it’s still ‘Humanure’) but this is a very fine addition to their cannon. With the inclusion of longer songs into their style, it allows them to expand upon their blasting style in very fine form and has some great moments because of it. Some might be put off by the lyrical content, but regardless, this is still one of the better albums of the year.
9. Suffocation-Blood Oath
Unlike Obituary, I’ve actually like their reformation stuff much more than their original material, and while they’re not going to top ‘Souls,’ this one is a very close attempt. Much more complete and whole-sounding after the incredibly underwhelming self-titled effort, this one has them almost going back to their roots at times to deliver what is easily the most brutal album on the list. The riffs are just jack-hammered into the head here with a severely over-the-top intensity, yet it never manages to lose style because of it, and it stays fresh and quite loose, which they’ve had a problem with in the past. Getting a much better production sound doesn’t hurt, and while this one might be on the top for a lot, this one does get a little similar-sounding towards the second half since it is so over-the-top, but it’s a minor quibble for those that love this stuff.
8. Goatwhore-Carving Out the Eyes of God
This one almost didn’t make the cut, but it got included for the sheer virtue of it being such a good album from start to finish that it slid in here. From some of their more memorable riffs of their career, the usual blasting rhythm section pounding away creating a very interesting and powerful underscore for the howling vocals to come through, and that creates part of what makes them successful. The catchiness with them is based just as much around the vocal prowess than it is the music, and it is some very catchy music at times, just not nearly as much as the vocal performance. They also manage to slip into the sludge category from time-to-time and that keeps this from being higher, but it’s still a great, extreme metal album for the year.
7. Hypocrisy-A Taste of Extreme Divinity
Never before has a Hypocrisy album ranked this high on any of my previous lists, and there’s a couple of good ones amongst their past catalog, so I have no problem at all saying this here is their finest work. With the Swedish Death Metal guitars all bringing their working boots, this one sounds just utterly fantastic and brutal, yet they’ve never been this catchy and memorable. Things are kept to a frenetic pace all the way through with a few mid-tempo gallops along the way, but the extreme nature of the majority of the songs on here recalls their fantastic past works with some of their most blast-beat riddled album ever for extra pummeling, and with some of their strongest, yet formulaic sounding songs ever, this one ranks among the elite of the year.
6. Vader-Necropolis
Vader is the Motorhead of Death Metal: you know exactly what’s going to happen every time out since they stopped experimenting with their sound after the third or four album. It’s always going to be hyper-speed Death/Thrash Metal with some of the most accessible yet aggressive vocals for the genre, and about the only difference between albums is personal preference regarding which riffs are more memorable. So why are they here, especially so high, compared to others out there that do something similar without being here? They’re so good at what they do, not to mention, that if you’re going to keep doing the same thing over and over again, it better be good the first time around, and this style is a perfect example of that, being so good the first time around that it’s impossible not to like what they do anyway, and have created another worthy addition to their catalog.
5. Nile-Those Whom the Gods Detest
Nile, as usual, produces one of the best, most brutal and technical album of the year, yet there’s a few points to be made here. First, the fact that there’s a lot more technicality on display, mainly because there’s, shockingly, very little in terms of real difference between songs here since they all seem to feature the same erratic guitar work from time-to-time, and on some of the later moments in the album’s second half, that is a little repetitive. However, when this band is in its stride and getting down to business, they’re just heads-and-shoulders above most out there. With their usual epics (both in length and title) showing up and the ferocity of the vocals coming in nicely, but the main thing about this is the just utterly-relentless drumming that manages to make the best parts of the album shine out through their highly impressive quality, and with the nice addition of chanting prayers popping up in several songs, it makes for one of their very best, and the years as well.
4. Dying Fetus-Descend into Depravity
This was a tough one to place, since there’s a lot of awesome stuff in here. Yet, for some reason, I can’t seem to want to place this one any higher for me. Whether it’s because it’s so similar to their last one with almost everything repetitive (though not to the extent of the new Napalm album) or whether it’s because their usually strong groove just doesn’t seem that strong, but whatever the case, this one here just didn’t seem to grab me like their last one did. Nevertheless, there was just a ton to like here as, despite the aforementioned problems, there was a rather strong and incredibly defined sense of brutality and urgency throughout all these songs such that it’s nearly impossible not to get into the spirit of things and while the groove factor does come into play, the fact that they’ve toned down the technical excesses, which didn’t fit into their sound at all, it makes for some rather strong and incredibly fun times here, showing their resurgence has not been in vain.
3. Fleshgod Apocalypse-Oracles
Frankly, very few bands have ever been as impactful upon a first listen as these guys, and if it weren’t for a few small factors, this would be on the top of the list just for it’s sheer ingenuity and imagination. The idea of mixing up bludgeoning, over-the-top Suffocation-style Death Metal with classical music, complete with piano flourishes and neoclassical guitar leads, is just mind-blowing and damn catchy, not to mention that this somehow makes those two camps seem like old friends all along with how meshed together they are, flowing together so seamlessly that it’s a shock nothing has been done before like it. With stellar material, fantastic, spot-on performances and a killer production, this one definitely impresses and signifies that these guys are going to be here to stay. Highly recommended.
2. Behemoth-Evangelion
Now, this is where these guys should rightfully be, as after a disappointing last album compared to a spectacular previous one, this one fixes the previous album’s problem and goes back to what made the former so good: its production. ‘Promethean’ had a very flat and dry sound that really robbed the band of the power and energy that ‘Demigod’ had that made that one so good, and here, this is once again a very heavy and lively album backed by their fantastic and brutal sound. The vocals are positively brutal, the drums bash away with unheeded abandon, and the technicality in the guitars is in fine order that these might be perhaps the catchiest selection of songs they’ve ever recorded, and even though it’s not the heaviest batch, it’s bound to be some of their strongest ever. This should’ve been the album after ‘Demigod,’ it’s that good.
1. Cannibal Corpse-Evisceration Plague
Now, this might be the fan boy in me talking, or it could be because Cannibal Corpse has always delivered time and time again, but they once again have made the best Death Metal album of the year, and are one of the rare bands that has won this rating for their genre for back-to-back releases. Despite slowing down on the throttle that earned them the spot last time, they still manage to keep the brutality amongst it all, making all the usual Corpse elements in fine order. With the rabid drumming, flesh-ripping guitars and once-again just utterly inhuman Death Metal growling topping off a fine selection of material that never manages to stay in memory like last time but feels more solid and cohesive as a whole, this one is just a blast to listen to. Coupled with yet another outstanding and devastating production, this is just as good as anything they’ve done before.
10. Cattle Decapitation-The Harvest Floor
So sue me, I happen to like these guys. They’ve got a fantastic formula, melding the brutal vocals (and inhuman, stuck-like-a-pig squealing) with a somewhat more melodious offshoot of Grindcore to create a catchy combination that has the melodic touch with the music and the extremity of the genre matched with the vocals. This isn’t anywhere close to their best work (I think it’s still ‘Humanure’) but this is a very fine addition to their cannon. With the inclusion of longer songs into their style, it allows them to expand upon their blasting style in very fine form and has some great moments because of it. Some might be put off by the lyrical content, but regardless, this is still one of the better albums of the year.
9. Suffocation-Blood Oath
Unlike Obituary, I’ve actually like their reformation stuff much more than their original material, and while they’re not going to top ‘Souls,’ this one is a very close attempt. Much more complete and whole-sounding after the incredibly underwhelming self-titled effort, this one has them almost going back to their roots at times to deliver what is easily the most brutal album on the list. The riffs are just jack-hammered into the head here with a severely over-the-top intensity, yet it never manages to lose style because of it, and it stays fresh and quite loose, which they’ve had a problem with in the past. Getting a much better production sound doesn’t hurt, and while this one might be on the top for a lot, this one does get a little similar-sounding towards the second half since it is so over-the-top, but it’s a minor quibble for those that love this stuff.
8. Goatwhore-Carving Out the Eyes of God
This one almost didn’t make the cut, but it got included for the sheer virtue of it being such a good album from start to finish that it slid in here. From some of their more memorable riffs of their career, the usual blasting rhythm section pounding away creating a very interesting and powerful underscore for the howling vocals to come through, and that creates part of what makes them successful. The catchiness with them is based just as much around the vocal prowess than it is the music, and it is some very catchy music at times, just not nearly as much as the vocal performance. They also manage to slip into the sludge category from time-to-time and that keeps this from being higher, but it’s still a great, extreme metal album for the year.
7. Hypocrisy-A Taste of Extreme Divinity
Never before has a Hypocrisy album ranked this high on any of my previous lists, and there’s a couple of good ones amongst their past catalog, so I have no problem at all saying this here is their finest work. With the Swedish Death Metal guitars all bringing their working boots, this one sounds just utterly fantastic and brutal, yet they’ve never been this catchy and memorable. Things are kept to a frenetic pace all the way through with a few mid-tempo gallops along the way, but the extreme nature of the majority of the songs on here recalls their fantastic past works with some of their most blast-beat riddled album ever for extra pummeling, and with some of their strongest, yet formulaic sounding songs ever, this one ranks among the elite of the year.
6. Vader-Necropolis
Vader is the Motorhead of Death Metal: you know exactly what’s going to happen every time out since they stopped experimenting with their sound after the third or four album. It’s always going to be hyper-speed Death/Thrash Metal with some of the most accessible yet aggressive vocals for the genre, and about the only difference between albums is personal preference regarding which riffs are more memorable. So why are they here, especially so high, compared to others out there that do something similar without being here? They’re so good at what they do, not to mention, that if you’re going to keep doing the same thing over and over again, it better be good the first time around, and this style is a perfect example of that, being so good the first time around that it’s impossible not to like what they do anyway, and have created another worthy addition to their catalog.
5. Nile-Those Whom the Gods Detest
Nile, as usual, produces one of the best, most brutal and technical album of the year, yet there’s a few points to be made here. First, the fact that there’s a lot more technicality on display, mainly because there’s, shockingly, very little in terms of real difference between songs here since they all seem to feature the same erratic guitar work from time-to-time, and on some of the later moments in the album’s second half, that is a little repetitive. However, when this band is in its stride and getting down to business, they’re just heads-and-shoulders above most out there. With their usual epics (both in length and title) showing up and the ferocity of the vocals coming in nicely, but the main thing about this is the just utterly-relentless drumming that manages to make the best parts of the album shine out through their highly impressive quality, and with the nice addition of chanting prayers popping up in several songs, it makes for one of their very best, and the years as well.
4. Dying Fetus-Descend into Depravity
This was a tough one to place, since there’s a lot of awesome stuff in here. Yet, for some reason, I can’t seem to want to place this one any higher for me. Whether it’s because it’s so similar to their last one with almost everything repetitive (though not to the extent of the new Napalm album) or whether it’s because their usually strong groove just doesn’t seem that strong, but whatever the case, this one here just didn’t seem to grab me like their last one did. Nevertheless, there was just a ton to like here as, despite the aforementioned problems, there was a rather strong and incredibly defined sense of brutality and urgency throughout all these songs such that it’s nearly impossible not to get into the spirit of things and while the groove factor does come into play, the fact that they’ve toned down the technical excesses, which didn’t fit into their sound at all, it makes for some rather strong and incredibly fun times here, showing their resurgence has not been in vain.
3. Fleshgod Apocalypse-Oracles
Frankly, very few bands have ever been as impactful upon a first listen as these guys, and if it weren’t for a few small factors, this would be on the top of the list just for it’s sheer ingenuity and imagination. The idea of mixing up bludgeoning, over-the-top Suffocation-style Death Metal with classical music, complete with piano flourishes and neoclassical guitar leads, is just mind-blowing and damn catchy, not to mention that this somehow makes those two camps seem like old friends all along with how meshed together they are, flowing together so seamlessly that it’s a shock nothing has been done before like it. With stellar material, fantastic, spot-on performances and a killer production, this one definitely impresses and signifies that these guys are going to be here to stay. Highly recommended.
2. Behemoth-Evangelion
Now, this is where these guys should rightfully be, as after a disappointing last album compared to a spectacular previous one, this one fixes the previous album’s problem and goes back to what made the former so good: its production. ‘Promethean’ had a very flat and dry sound that really robbed the band of the power and energy that ‘Demigod’ had that made that one so good, and here, this is once again a very heavy and lively album backed by their fantastic and brutal sound. The vocals are positively brutal, the drums bash away with unheeded abandon, and the technicality in the guitars is in fine order that these might be perhaps the catchiest selection of songs they’ve ever recorded, and even though it’s not the heaviest batch, it’s bound to be some of their strongest ever. This should’ve been the album after ‘Demigod,’ it’s that good.
1. Cannibal Corpse-Evisceration Plague
Now, this might be the fan boy in me talking, or it could be because Cannibal Corpse has always delivered time and time again, but they once again have made the best Death Metal album of the year, and are one of the rare bands that has won this rating for their genre for back-to-back releases. Despite slowing down on the throttle that earned them the spot last time, they still manage to keep the brutality amongst it all, making all the usual Corpse elements in fine order. With the rabid drumming, flesh-ripping guitars and once-again just utterly inhuman Death Metal growling topping off a fine selection of material that never manages to stay in memory like last time but feels more solid and cohesive as a whole, this one is just a blast to listen to. Coupled with yet another outstanding and devastating production, this is just as good as anything they’ve done before.