HMaM Global Mod
Post by GL on Dec 31, 2010 13:20:43 GMT -5
Black Metal- Since this New Year turning over is actually the end of the decade, let's take a look at the last decade in Black Metal:
2000-
10. Carpathian Forest-Strange Old Brew
9. Mactatus-The Complex Bewitchment
8. Grief of Emerald-Malformed Seed
7. Mayhem-Grand Declaration of War
6. Tidfall-Circular Supremacy
5. Rotting Christ-Khronos
4. Old Man’s Child-Revelation 666
3. Cradle of Filth-Midian
2. Immortal-Damned in Black
1. Summon-Baptized by Fire
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An absolutely ferocious release, this one was an absolute barnburner of an album and is clearly their finest release to date. A blast of hyperbeats, chugging guitars and a devastating mix makes this one of the more insane releases of the year, which really didn’t have all that much to begin with but still, it’s the point that counts, and when filled with an improved collection of songwriting, performances and an increase in tempo, finally letting their compositions breathe and come off even more intense than they were before, an especially handy trick since they already were one of the more extreme acts in the genre already. One to watch in the years to come.
2001-
10. Zyklon-World ov Worms
9. Spell Forest-Adornus Satani
8. Mork Gryning-Maelstrom Chaos
7. Fog-Through the Eyes of Night…Winged They Come
6. Cirith Gorgor-Unveiling the Essence
5. Marduk-Le Grande Danse Macabre
4. Absu-Tara
3. Sigh-Imaginary Sonicscape
2. Emperor-Prometheus: The Disciple of Fire and Demise
1. Dimmu Borgir-Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Can’t put the artwork for this one up, it’ll get removed due to the no-nudity stature on picture posting.
The full realization of their potential thus far, this here is a thing of beauty in the genre. Grand, bombastic Symphonic Black Metal of high quality, filled to the brim with the hallmarks of the style in thunderous, propulsive drums, vicious, flesh-ripping guitars, loads of keyboard-enhanced atmosphere and a maturity in the songwriting that makes the music come off as classy-sounding, as well as a voracious mix that makes it all the more brutal. As the epic-style length of the songs allows for the ability to craft tons of twists and turns into the music, this also becomes quite a surprising album, not just content with dishing out the brutality and letting in some melodic moments. If they're able to capitalize on that in the future while keeping it big and grand, they’ll be the next big thing to come along in the genre.
2002-
10. Thronspawn-Wrath of War
9. Limbonic Art-The Ultimate Death Worship
8. Astarte-Quod Superius Sicut Inferius
7. Unlord-Lord of Beneath
6. Mystic Circle-Damien
5. Grief of Emerald-Christian Termination
4. Enthroned-Carnage in Worlds Below
3. Destroyer 666-Cold Steel…For an Iron Age
2. Immortal-Sons of Northern Darkness
1. Borknagar-Empiricism
One of the better Viking/Pagan Black Metal acts, this here is their crowning achievement. Full of power, expansive keyboards and just blasting drumming, this thing hits like a wallop and immediately stays in memory. The melodies are immediate and recognizable, there’s a burst of power from the overly-displayed drumming, and the guitars are just frantic enough not to overwhelm the rest of the music and remain just as important in their ability to stay in the listener’s memory, but frankly, it’s the clean-singing done here that’s the most impressive. Soaring high over the cacophony below it, or just backed with gang-shouts, the vocals are some of the most impressive of the genre and are a big factor, along with the catchy music, for making this one win out this year.
2003-
10. Naglfar-Sheol
9. Helheim-Yersinia Pestis
8. Tenebrosus-The Fall of the Worthless Mortals
7. Summon-And the Blood Runs Black
6. Mork Gryning-Pieces of Primal Expressionism
5. Satyricon-Volcano
4. Marduk-World Funeral
3. Dimmu Borgir-Death Cult Armageddon
2. Melechesh-Sphinx
1. Old Man’s Child-In Defiance of Existence
Nearly as good as the performers’ day-jobs, this side project has finally made it to the lime-light with this opus, narrowly winning out in a crowded field this year. Expansive, pummeling Black Metal, yet one still drenched in melody and accessibility, this has managed the rare feat of being vicious yet still not so much more that the average metal fan can’t get into them. Through the utterly extreme drumming, symphonic keyboards, ravenous guitars that can also dish out the pyrotechnics when required and a truly amazing production that lets it all shine through perfectly. There’s also a ton of outstanding tempo changes that range from slow to mid-paced and full-throttle bashing, often all within the same song. This is some of the best Black Metal on the planet, and they’ll continue that way for some time.
2004-
10. Spite Extreme Wing-Non Dvcor, Dvco
9. Mayhem-Chimera
8. Sear Bliss-Glory and Perdition
7. Enslaved-Isa
6. Abazagorath-Sacraments of Final Atrocity
5. Cirith Gorgor-Firestorm Apocalypse - Tomorrow Shall Know the Blackest Dawn
4. Astarte-Sirens
3. Cradle of Filth-Nymphetamine
2. Marduk-Plague Angel
1. Enthroned-XES Haereticum
The Belgian old-schoolers finally take the big one this year, but frankly, quality like this wouldn’t have been hard to take anyway. Mixing in a rawer production job, sounding more old-school than their previous records and allowing it to make the compositions drip with tons of atmosphere, there’s a much more focused attack this year than on earlier records and makes this one all the more chaotic and brutal, and that fits them more than the cleaner-productions in the past. We still have their infamous creaking, raspy vocals and blast-beat riddled songs, which makes the songs a lot more up-tempo than their contemporaries, and by managing to fit in some longer songs allows for some really impressive soloing sessions in the extended time, making it stick out a bit more. I approve of the new change, and let’s hope it continues.
2005-
10. Mork Gryning-Mork Gryning
9. Kult of Azazel-The World, The Flesh and The Devil
8. Spite Extreme Wing-Kosmokrator
7. Summon-Fallen
6. Dragonlord-Black Wings of Destiny
5. Belphegor-Goatreich – Fleshcult
4. Naglefar-Pariah
3. Old Man’s Child-Vermin
2. Dark Funeral-Attera Totus Sanctus
1. 1349-Hellfire
One of the better Black/Thrash bands out there, these guys hardly ever disappoint when it comes to this hyper-speed chaotic brand of music. Mixing it incredible speed-demon ragers, very little mix-up in tempo and variety and just basically interested in making the next song faster and more brutal than the one which came before it, it makes for a rather intense experience, but despite all the bashing going on, there’s a lot more at work here. The guitars are a lot more technical than expected and offer up some unusually catchy and memorable riffs, the absolute ferocity in the vocals shouting over the cacophony and by managing to make a few surprises in the more epic-length tracks allows for some rather colorful moments between the barbaric bludgeoning going on elsewhere. It’s not pretty like most Black Metal coming out, but it’s quite a lot of fun regardless.
2006-
10. Horna-Ääniä Yössä
9. Keep of Kalessin-Armada
8. Mystic Circle-The Bloody Path of God
7. Enslaved-Ruun
6. Gorgoroth-Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
5. Abgott-Artefact of Madness
4. Belphegor-Pestapocalypse VI
3. Satyricon-Now, Diabolical
2. Cradle of Filth-Thornography
1. Melechesh-Emisseries
Frankly, this here is just nothing short of brilliant. Epic, majesty Blackened Thrash Metal with Middle-Eastern folk overtones, off-beat instruments and an air of expansive sun-drenched desert landscapes creates an aura around them that is at once unique and highly impressive. The most amazing part is the fact that they create such a unique atmosphere without sacrificing tenacity. Instead of using a plethora of instruments to create their "Sumerian" sound, the band relies on solid, creative riffs that leave you awestruck. From a fantastic range of songs that goes from the epic, extreme lengths filled with folklore-ish sounds to more compact Thrash-fests that are just dripping with speed, atmosphere and their unique sounds all over it, there’s variety within this one that makes it all the more impressive. They’ve come a long way in a short time, and they’ll be around to stay if they keep up what they’ve done here.
2007-
10. Limbonic Art-Legacy of Evil
9. Horna-Sotahuuto
8. Thornspawn-Sacrificed by Satan’s Blood
7. Mayhem-Ordo ad Chao;
6. Naglfar-Harvest
5. Enthroned-Tetra Karcist
4. Marduk-Rom 5.12
3. Sigh-Hangman’s Hymn
2. Rotting Christ-Theogonia
1. Dimmu Borgir-In Sorte Diaboli
Can’t put the artwork for this one up, it’ll get removed due to the no-nudity stature on picture posting.
I recall once predicting that this band would be the next big thing if they managed to incorporate more melody into their bombastic approach, and after toying with that in their previous album, they’ve come right back and whole-handily put it front-and-center here. The fact that they’ve also managed to up the brutality as well as the introduction of melody is a tricky balancing act not many bands are capable of, but here it’s an art-form. Not merely content to bash away with abandon throughout the tracks’ full-length but to do so at specific moments shows an amazing amount of maturity in the songwriting, and making sure that all the songs have a varied, completely identical sound and feel amongst all that is a huge plus here. This here is a future hallmark of the genre and quite possibly of metal as a whole. In an impressive-beyond-expectations year, this here wins Album of the Year in addition to this award here.
2008-
10. Abigail Williams-In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns
9. Sothis-De Oppresso Libber
8. Nachtmystium-Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1
7. Carach Angren-Lammendam
6. Woe-A Spell for the Death of Man
5. Belphegor-Bondage Goat Zombie
4. Keep of Kalessin-Kolossus
3. Enslaved-Vertebrae
2. Dark Fortress-Eidolon
1. Sear Bliss-The Arcane Odyssey
One of the most impressive acts in a long while, these guys are a breath of fresh air in the scene. Atmospheric Black Metal of the highest caliber, hailing from Turkey of all places, mixing it with the use of unusual instruments, folk-ish moments and a variety of tempos, the result is just absolutely infectious and insanely catchy. This here is extreme music for people who think it can’t be melodic or memorable, and the mix from thrashy elements to full-on psychedelia at times to a maelstrom of traditional Black Metal whipped together into a memorable cocktail that is something to behold. There’s a lot to love with this record, and it’s the start of a long run for them. Just barely misses out on Album of the Year as well, but it’s still topping this list so it’s a fine consolation.
2009-
10. Marduk-Wormwood
9. Bleeding Fist-Bestial Kruxif66ion
8. Immortal-All Shall Fall
7. Chthonic-Mirror of Retribution
6. Belphegor-Walpurgis Rites-Hexenwahn
5. Absu-Absu
4. Satyricon-The Age of Nero
3. Old Man’s Child-Slaves to the World
2. Ensiferum-From Afar
1. Hermh-Cold Blooded Messiah
If my friend hadn’t sent me a gift with these guys in there, I wouldn’t have known about them so I have to say thanks for that. This is just an utterly brutal album, sounding like Symphonic Death/Black Metal, kinda like modern-day Behemoth with keyboards, creating one of the heaviest and most bombastic releases of the year. The Gregorian Chants in the background are simply atmospheric to say the least, the vocals are caustic and incredibly raspy, again mixing in the two different styles and the keyboards are a great mix to the tidal wave the rest of the band utilizes. From the frenzied drumming and catchy guitar-playing, there’s no shortage of areas to like on this one and it makes for one of the most promising bands to come along in the style in a long time.
2000-
10. Carpathian Forest-Strange Old Brew
9. Mactatus-The Complex Bewitchment
8. Grief of Emerald-Malformed Seed
7. Mayhem-Grand Declaration of War
6. Tidfall-Circular Supremacy
5. Rotting Christ-Khronos
4. Old Man’s Child-Revelation 666
3. Cradle of Filth-Midian
2. Immortal-Damned in Black
1. Summon-Baptized by Fire
An absolutely ferocious release, this one was an absolute barnburner of an album and is clearly their finest release to date. A blast of hyperbeats, chugging guitars and a devastating mix makes this one of the more insane releases of the year, which really didn’t have all that much to begin with but still, it’s the point that counts, and when filled with an improved collection of songwriting, performances and an increase in tempo, finally letting their compositions breathe and come off even more intense than they were before, an especially handy trick since they already were one of the more extreme acts in the genre already. One to watch in the years to come.
2001-
10. Zyklon-World ov Worms
9. Spell Forest-Adornus Satani
8. Mork Gryning-Maelstrom Chaos
7. Fog-Through the Eyes of Night…Winged They Come
6. Cirith Gorgor-Unveiling the Essence
5. Marduk-Le Grande Danse Macabre
4. Absu-Tara
3. Sigh-Imaginary Sonicscape
2. Emperor-Prometheus: The Disciple of Fire and Demise
1. Dimmu Borgir-Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia
Can’t put the artwork for this one up, it’ll get removed due to the no-nudity stature on picture posting.
The full realization of their potential thus far, this here is a thing of beauty in the genre. Grand, bombastic Symphonic Black Metal of high quality, filled to the brim with the hallmarks of the style in thunderous, propulsive drums, vicious, flesh-ripping guitars, loads of keyboard-enhanced atmosphere and a maturity in the songwriting that makes the music come off as classy-sounding, as well as a voracious mix that makes it all the more brutal. As the epic-style length of the songs allows for the ability to craft tons of twists and turns into the music, this also becomes quite a surprising album, not just content with dishing out the brutality and letting in some melodic moments. If they're able to capitalize on that in the future while keeping it big and grand, they’ll be the next big thing to come along in the genre.
2002-
10. Thronspawn-Wrath of War
9. Limbonic Art-The Ultimate Death Worship
8. Astarte-Quod Superius Sicut Inferius
7. Unlord-Lord of Beneath
6. Mystic Circle-Damien
5. Grief of Emerald-Christian Termination
4. Enthroned-Carnage in Worlds Below
3. Destroyer 666-Cold Steel…For an Iron Age
2. Immortal-Sons of Northern Darkness
1. Borknagar-Empiricism
One of the better Viking/Pagan Black Metal acts, this here is their crowning achievement. Full of power, expansive keyboards and just blasting drumming, this thing hits like a wallop and immediately stays in memory. The melodies are immediate and recognizable, there’s a burst of power from the overly-displayed drumming, and the guitars are just frantic enough not to overwhelm the rest of the music and remain just as important in their ability to stay in the listener’s memory, but frankly, it’s the clean-singing done here that’s the most impressive. Soaring high over the cacophony below it, or just backed with gang-shouts, the vocals are some of the most impressive of the genre and are a big factor, along with the catchy music, for making this one win out this year.
2003-
10. Naglfar-Sheol
9. Helheim-Yersinia Pestis
8. Tenebrosus-The Fall of the Worthless Mortals
7. Summon-And the Blood Runs Black
6. Mork Gryning-Pieces of Primal Expressionism
5. Satyricon-Volcano
4. Marduk-World Funeral
3. Dimmu Borgir-Death Cult Armageddon
2. Melechesh-Sphinx
1. Old Man’s Child-In Defiance of Existence
Nearly as good as the performers’ day-jobs, this side project has finally made it to the lime-light with this opus, narrowly winning out in a crowded field this year. Expansive, pummeling Black Metal, yet one still drenched in melody and accessibility, this has managed the rare feat of being vicious yet still not so much more that the average metal fan can’t get into them. Through the utterly extreme drumming, symphonic keyboards, ravenous guitars that can also dish out the pyrotechnics when required and a truly amazing production that lets it all shine through perfectly. There’s also a ton of outstanding tempo changes that range from slow to mid-paced and full-throttle bashing, often all within the same song. This is some of the best Black Metal on the planet, and they’ll continue that way for some time.
2004-
10. Spite Extreme Wing-Non Dvcor, Dvco
9. Mayhem-Chimera
8. Sear Bliss-Glory and Perdition
7. Enslaved-Isa
6. Abazagorath-Sacraments of Final Atrocity
5. Cirith Gorgor-Firestorm Apocalypse - Tomorrow Shall Know the Blackest Dawn
4. Astarte-Sirens
3. Cradle of Filth-Nymphetamine
2. Marduk-Plague Angel
1. Enthroned-XES Haereticum
The Belgian old-schoolers finally take the big one this year, but frankly, quality like this wouldn’t have been hard to take anyway. Mixing in a rawer production job, sounding more old-school than their previous records and allowing it to make the compositions drip with tons of atmosphere, there’s a much more focused attack this year than on earlier records and makes this one all the more chaotic and brutal, and that fits them more than the cleaner-productions in the past. We still have their infamous creaking, raspy vocals and blast-beat riddled songs, which makes the songs a lot more up-tempo than their contemporaries, and by managing to fit in some longer songs allows for some really impressive soloing sessions in the extended time, making it stick out a bit more. I approve of the new change, and let’s hope it continues.
2005-
10. Mork Gryning-Mork Gryning
9. Kult of Azazel-The World, The Flesh and The Devil
8. Spite Extreme Wing-Kosmokrator
7. Summon-Fallen
6. Dragonlord-Black Wings of Destiny
5. Belphegor-Goatreich – Fleshcult
4. Naglefar-Pariah
3. Old Man’s Child-Vermin
2. Dark Funeral-Attera Totus Sanctus
1. 1349-Hellfire
One of the better Black/Thrash bands out there, these guys hardly ever disappoint when it comes to this hyper-speed chaotic brand of music. Mixing it incredible speed-demon ragers, very little mix-up in tempo and variety and just basically interested in making the next song faster and more brutal than the one which came before it, it makes for a rather intense experience, but despite all the bashing going on, there’s a lot more at work here. The guitars are a lot more technical than expected and offer up some unusually catchy and memorable riffs, the absolute ferocity in the vocals shouting over the cacophony and by managing to make a few surprises in the more epic-length tracks allows for some rather colorful moments between the barbaric bludgeoning going on elsewhere. It’s not pretty like most Black Metal coming out, but it’s quite a lot of fun regardless.
2006-
10. Horna-Ääniä Yössä
9. Keep of Kalessin-Armada
8. Mystic Circle-The Bloody Path of God
7. Enslaved-Ruun
6. Gorgoroth-Ad Majorem Sathanas Gloriam
5. Abgott-Artefact of Madness
4. Belphegor-Pestapocalypse VI
3. Satyricon-Now, Diabolical
2. Cradle of Filth-Thornography
1. Melechesh-Emisseries
Frankly, this here is just nothing short of brilliant. Epic, majesty Blackened Thrash Metal with Middle-Eastern folk overtones, off-beat instruments and an air of expansive sun-drenched desert landscapes creates an aura around them that is at once unique and highly impressive. The most amazing part is the fact that they create such a unique atmosphere without sacrificing tenacity. Instead of using a plethora of instruments to create their "Sumerian" sound, the band relies on solid, creative riffs that leave you awestruck. From a fantastic range of songs that goes from the epic, extreme lengths filled with folklore-ish sounds to more compact Thrash-fests that are just dripping with speed, atmosphere and their unique sounds all over it, there’s variety within this one that makes it all the more impressive. They’ve come a long way in a short time, and they’ll be around to stay if they keep up what they’ve done here.
2007-
10. Limbonic Art-Legacy of Evil
9. Horna-Sotahuuto
8. Thornspawn-Sacrificed by Satan’s Blood
7. Mayhem-Ordo ad Chao;
6. Naglfar-Harvest
5. Enthroned-Tetra Karcist
4. Marduk-Rom 5.12
3. Sigh-Hangman’s Hymn
2. Rotting Christ-Theogonia
1. Dimmu Borgir-In Sorte Diaboli
Can’t put the artwork for this one up, it’ll get removed due to the no-nudity stature on picture posting.
I recall once predicting that this band would be the next big thing if they managed to incorporate more melody into their bombastic approach, and after toying with that in their previous album, they’ve come right back and whole-handily put it front-and-center here. The fact that they’ve also managed to up the brutality as well as the introduction of melody is a tricky balancing act not many bands are capable of, but here it’s an art-form. Not merely content to bash away with abandon throughout the tracks’ full-length but to do so at specific moments shows an amazing amount of maturity in the songwriting, and making sure that all the songs have a varied, completely identical sound and feel amongst all that is a huge plus here. This here is a future hallmark of the genre and quite possibly of metal as a whole. In an impressive-beyond-expectations year, this here wins Album of the Year in addition to this award here.
2008-
10. Abigail Williams-In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns
9. Sothis-De Oppresso Libber
8. Nachtmystium-Assassins: Black Meddle Part 1
7. Carach Angren-Lammendam
6. Woe-A Spell for the Death of Man
5. Belphegor-Bondage Goat Zombie
4. Keep of Kalessin-Kolossus
3. Enslaved-Vertebrae
2. Dark Fortress-Eidolon
1. Sear Bliss-The Arcane Odyssey
One of the most impressive acts in a long while, these guys are a breath of fresh air in the scene. Atmospheric Black Metal of the highest caliber, hailing from Turkey of all places, mixing it with the use of unusual instruments, folk-ish moments and a variety of tempos, the result is just absolutely infectious and insanely catchy. This here is extreme music for people who think it can’t be melodic or memorable, and the mix from thrashy elements to full-on psychedelia at times to a maelstrom of traditional Black Metal whipped together into a memorable cocktail that is something to behold. There’s a lot to love with this record, and it’s the start of a long run for them. Just barely misses out on Album of the Year as well, but it’s still topping this list so it’s a fine consolation.
2009-
10. Marduk-Wormwood
9. Bleeding Fist-Bestial Kruxif66ion
8. Immortal-All Shall Fall
7. Chthonic-Mirror of Retribution
6. Belphegor-Walpurgis Rites-Hexenwahn
5. Absu-Absu
4. Satyricon-The Age of Nero
3. Old Man’s Child-Slaves to the World
2. Ensiferum-From Afar
1. Hermh-Cold Blooded Messiah
If my friend hadn’t sent me a gift with these guys in there, I wouldn’t have known about them so I have to say thanks for that. This is just an utterly brutal album, sounding like Symphonic Death/Black Metal, kinda like modern-day Behemoth with keyboards, creating one of the heaviest and most bombastic releases of the year. The Gregorian Chants in the background are simply atmospheric to say the least, the vocals are caustic and incredibly raspy, again mixing in the two different styles and the keyboards are a great mix to the tidal wave the rest of the band utilizes. From the frenzied drumming and catchy guitar-playing, there’s no shortage of areas to like on this one and it makes for one of the most promising bands to come along in the style in a long time.
