Post by GL on Dec 31, 2010 15:11:05 GMT -5
Death Metal-A pretty hard time for ranking this one, as there was a lot of good stuff that could’ve easily been placed here, but overall, I feel good with the efforts this time around. There was plenty of good stuff to come out, and it makes for a varied feel as this one manages to incorporate a lot of different styles and genres, which I think makes for a healthy, vibrant scene that’ll expand in the future. A few shocking moments on the back end of this list, but the upper-tier is no big surprise, but mostly I feel good about a perpetual underdog finally getting the goods when it came time for the top spot. It’ll be in more detail, but this was a long time coming and it makes for a good story this time out, and overall this was an utterly impressive year for the genre.
10. Carnifex-Hell Chose Me
Finally leaving the Deathcore elements behind and concentrating instead on infusing some more traditional Death Metal into their sound, it makes for a much more satisfying and rewarding experience than their last few albums. Now much more in league with The Black Dahlia Murder with the mid-range rasps pretty much exclusive, that should give an idea of where they’ve headed and come from, but despite all this improvement afforded in the songwriting and performances, it still doesn’t impress as much as it should. Due to the brand-spanking clean production job, however, the antiseptic digitalization-style kills all the rough edges, including the ones that are nice to have around, during the brutal moments which made their last efforts that much fun. There’s nothing wrong with this stuff, and it’s fun if you’re into the style as well as displaying a better approach for the future, if not sporting a better production-job than the past, but overall this could use some work.
9. Triptykon-Eparistera Daimones
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Celtic Frost, as their doomy sound and long-winded passages inspired boredom more often than not and merely seemed to be considered legendary since they came out when the genre started, and I don’t think that’s enough of a reason to give a band anything. Crap knows no insignificant matters like historical legacy and genre importance, both utterly unimportant to begin with, and the fact that I found them to be bland and boring didn’t help matters. What does this mean in regards to this album? Had they sounded like this, I would’ve joined you all in their unanimous praise, as this is the type of stuff that usually whets my whistle and really appeals to me. From its doom-influenced riffing, dynamic song-structures and tortured, wailing vocals over a memorable collection of cerebral, angular drumming makes for a haunting experience, if only slightly commanding and exhausting than most other matters.
8. Grave-Burial Ground
The Swedish old-schoolers’ newest opus, this one manages to rank among their best albums, but yet due to a startlingly-fun overflow of quality, material this good manages to stay this high on the list. There’s nothing wrong with them, quality Swedish Death Metal of the highest caliber with its relentless pacing, furious solos, barking growls and punishing production manage to create a perfectly-balanced effort, yet the fact that this one manages to up the melody normally hidden away on their attack and putting it front-and-center seems to be a curious decision. Normally one of the heaviest entries in the style, this one’s doomier side seems a rather confusing mixture here. It’s a fine experimentation, but a misstep this year, no matter how slight, goes here this time.
7. Hail of Bullets-On Divine Winds
For those of you who have your iPod’s music playlist separated in play-count total as Death’s Leprosy album and then everything else so far behind it wouldn’t tabulate that many listens in a thousand lifetimes, meet the closest thing to possibly joining that album. Now to say it’s as important to the history, since it isn’t, but in sheer style, tone and feel, this one could’ve been released in 1990 and you wouldn’t have known. Epic, brutal old-school sounding Death Metal is always fun times, and when played with as much conviction, determination and aggression as these guys are doing, it’s a blast all the way through. Flesh-ripping guitars, pounding, battle-tank like drums and a vocalist on par with the best of the genre make this one of the best metal-bands, not only super-groups of their class. Not only that, add in the history lesson with the lyrics and it’s a full-package that goes well in hand with the material and comes off as a fantastic experience all around.
6. Hour of Penance-Paradogma
I guess Italy finally decided to offer up forgiveness for ‘Jersey Shore’, and if they continue to do so like this, I’ll allow them to do so every time. Talk about brutal, this one manages to tip the scales so heavily it’s insane to think they’d never attempted this before. Riffs hitting heavier than a sledgehammer, drumming seemingly done by an octopus it’s so frantic and forceful, catchy songwriting, accommodations of melody and mood to spice up the attack needlessly and just a bludgeoning, pummeling approach that’s impossible not to like, even though they tend to blend together by the end of the whole affair, though it’s forgivable with an attack this vicious. If these guys can keep it up in the future, they could just be about the next big thing in the genre.
5. Malevolent Creation-Invidious Dominion
Long one of my favorites of the original Floridian Deathsters that started this genre, these guys have managed to create one of the better albums in a catalog already filled with classics. All the usual elements are here, from the rampaging drumming, torturous guitar riffing, higher-register-but-still-clearly Death Metal vocals and memorable breakdowns that they’ve always had just upped by the newfound off-the-rails intensity and pacing that makes the material that much more vicious. This is nothing new from these guys, and that’s really the problem here; this is stuff they can write in their sleep, and despite the intensity and brutality, other acts managed to move forward or progress with more impressive releases, and while this is still a devastating album and that’s not a bad thing, other acts took a step forward so they’re stuck here in the middle. Still, managing to make the list should be enough of a commendation no matter how it’s sliced.
4. Aeon-Path of Fire
One of the brightest up-and-coming Swedish USDM-sounding bands to come along in a long time, this here is a frantic, ferocious album. A brutal mix of Deicide, Hate Eternal and early Morbid Angel are all fine starting points, yet warped through a Swedish grinder and it all comes up roses. From blistering solos, unmitigated brutality, memorable songwriting and an approach to listenable-but-still-extreme music, this is one of the better bands to emerge in a crowded scene in a long time. Ranging from the guttural barks, technical riffing, lock-step drumming and that commanding Swedish sound all coming through like a sledgehammer, this’ll be one of the acts to watch in years to come and needs to be exposed to more of the masses out there.
3. Katakylsm-Heaven’s Venom
Technically-proficient Melodic Death Metal played at insane speeds, filled with groove and backed by loads of melody are what these guys have been doing for a while now, and at this point you count simply count on them to produce that every time out. Due to their very nature of being, it’s impossible to think they’d ever do a crummy record, and this one is another in a long line of quality that’s reaching back almost a decade now. Brutally heavy, manic vocals, incessant guitar riffs and a pounding, blistering production that never dilutes or tones their sound down rank this one among their better efforts, and continue their line of quality.
2. Misery Index-Heirs to Thievery
This is what makes it fun to be a fan of a band when they first get signed, have a hit and then continue on over the years, each one progressing to a point where you finally see what made you enjoy them in the beginning and see all the potential finally released for all to understand what you knew all along. This is exactly the kind of album that they have been moving toward making over the last several years, a comparatively more varied affair than their last few albums and is the most complete, consistent, and dynamic album they’ve recorded to date. A concise, perfect concoction of Grindcore and Death Metal woven into lethal, brilliantly-structured tracks made even more impressive by a wider array and sharper use of guitar interplay, riff accents, leads, backing vocals, inhuman speed-drumming, flesh shredding guitars, and a level of songwriting that makes each song stand-out on it’s own but combined into a devastation force in a full-length affair. I knew they had it in them, and they finally came through smashingly.
1. Immolation-Majesty and Decay
Frankly, it’s always been a treacherous road in the past with me and Immolation. They’ve always been in the wrong cycle when it came time for their album releases, always seemingly stuck behind Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth and Katakylsm who usually end up taking the top spot every year it seems in this particular genre despite the fact I’ve never ranked an album of theirs in any given year below the 4th best of the year. While placing them here this time might seem like consolation, finally giving them their long-overdue just deserts, I frankly find it hard to call it a consolation effort when they finally release something this glorious and enjoyable. Dark, brutal Death in the grand New York style, this here is the type of music that can conjure nightmares for days with its depressive, swallow-the-sun style of riffing, blasting drum-work and just sheer mournful vocals that just make everything all the more gloomy backed with perhaps the finest production job ever done for the band. This, to me, is quality material that should be rewarded no matter how often they’ve come up just short in the past. Congrats, fellas, you’ve finally earned the big one after all these years and tries.
10. Carnifex-Hell Chose Me
Finally leaving the Deathcore elements behind and concentrating instead on infusing some more traditional Death Metal into their sound, it makes for a much more satisfying and rewarding experience than their last few albums. Now much more in league with The Black Dahlia Murder with the mid-range rasps pretty much exclusive, that should give an idea of where they’ve headed and come from, but despite all this improvement afforded in the songwriting and performances, it still doesn’t impress as much as it should. Due to the brand-spanking clean production job, however, the antiseptic digitalization-style kills all the rough edges, including the ones that are nice to have around, during the brutal moments which made their last efforts that much fun. There’s nothing wrong with this stuff, and it’s fun if you’re into the style as well as displaying a better approach for the future, if not sporting a better production-job than the past, but overall this could use some work.
9. Triptykon-Eparistera Daimones
I’ve never been the biggest fan of Celtic Frost, as their doomy sound and long-winded passages inspired boredom more often than not and merely seemed to be considered legendary since they came out when the genre started, and I don’t think that’s enough of a reason to give a band anything. Crap knows no insignificant matters like historical legacy and genre importance, both utterly unimportant to begin with, and the fact that I found them to be bland and boring didn’t help matters. What does this mean in regards to this album? Had they sounded like this, I would’ve joined you all in their unanimous praise, as this is the type of stuff that usually whets my whistle and really appeals to me. From its doom-influenced riffing, dynamic song-structures and tortured, wailing vocals over a memorable collection of cerebral, angular drumming makes for a haunting experience, if only slightly commanding and exhausting than most other matters.
8. Grave-Burial Ground
The Swedish old-schoolers’ newest opus, this one manages to rank among their best albums, but yet due to a startlingly-fun overflow of quality, material this good manages to stay this high on the list. There’s nothing wrong with them, quality Swedish Death Metal of the highest caliber with its relentless pacing, furious solos, barking growls and punishing production manage to create a perfectly-balanced effort, yet the fact that this one manages to up the melody normally hidden away on their attack and putting it front-and-center seems to be a curious decision. Normally one of the heaviest entries in the style, this one’s doomier side seems a rather confusing mixture here. It’s a fine experimentation, but a misstep this year, no matter how slight, goes here this time.
7. Hail of Bullets-On Divine Winds
For those of you who have your iPod’s music playlist separated in play-count total as Death’s Leprosy album and then everything else so far behind it wouldn’t tabulate that many listens in a thousand lifetimes, meet the closest thing to possibly joining that album. Now to say it’s as important to the history, since it isn’t, but in sheer style, tone and feel, this one could’ve been released in 1990 and you wouldn’t have known. Epic, brutal old-school sounding Death Metal is always fun times, and when played with as much conviction, determination and aggression as these guys are doing, it’s a blast all the way through. Flesh-ripping guitars, pounding, battle-tank like drums and a vocalist on par with the best of the genre make this one of the best metal-bands, not only super-groups of their class. Not only that, add in the history lesson with the lyrics and it’s a full-package that goes well in hand with the material and comes off as a fantastic experience all around.
6. Hour of Penance-Paradogma
I guess Italy finally decided to offer up forgiveness for ‘Jersey Shore’, and if they continue to do so like this, I’ll allow them to do so every time. Talk about brutal, this one manages to tip the scales so heavily it’s insane to think they’d never attempted this before. Riffs hitting heavier than a sledgehammer, drumming seemingly done by an octopus it’s so frantic and forceful, catchy songwriting, accommodations of melody and mood to spice up the attack needlessly and just a bludgeoning, pummeling approach that’s impossible not to like, even though they tend to blend together by the end of the whole affair, though it’s forgivable with an attack this vicious. If these guys can keep it up in the future, they could just be about the next big thing in the genre.
5. Malevolent Creation-Invidious Dominion
Long one of my favorites of the original Floridian Deathsters that started this genre, these guys have managed to create one of the better albums in a catalog already filled with classics. All the usual elements are here, from the rampaging drumming, torturous guitar riffing, higher-register-but-still-clearly Death Metal vocals and memorable breakdowns that they’ve always had just upped by the newfound off-the-rails intensity and pacing that makes the material that much more vicious. This is nothing new from these guys, and that’s really the problem here; this is stuff they can write in their sleep, and despite the intensity and brutality, other acts managed to move forward or progress with more impressive releases, and while this is still a devastating album and that’s not a bad thing, other acts took a step forward so they’re stuck here in the middle. Still, managing to make the list should be enough of a commendation no matter how it’s sliced.
4. Aeon-Path of Fire
One of the brightest up-and-coming Swedish USDM-sounding bands to come along in a long time, this here is a frantic, ferocious album. A brutal mix of Deicide, Hate Eternal and early Morbid Angel are all fine starting points, yet warped through a Swedish grinder and it all comes up roses. From blistering solos, unmitigated brutality, memorable songwriting and an approach to listenable-but-still-extreme music, this is one of the better bands to emerge in a crowded scene in a long time. Ranging from the guttural barks, technical riffing, lock-step drumming and that commanding Swedish sound all coming through like a sledgehammer, this’ll be one of the acts to watch in years to come and needs to be exposed to more of the masses out there.
3. Katakylsm-Heaven’s Venom
Technically-proficient Melodic Death Metal played at insane speeds, filled with groove and backed by loads of melody are what these guys have been doing for a while now, and at this point you count simply count on them to produce that every time out. Due to their very nature of being, it’s impossible to think they’d ever do a crummy record, and this one is another in a long line of quality that’s reaching back almost a decade now. Brutally heavy, manic vocals, incessant guitar riffs and a pounding, blistering production that never dilutes or tones their sound down rank this one among their better efforts, and continue their line of quality.
2. Misery Index-Heirs to Thievery
This is what makes it fun to be a fan of a band when they first get signed, have a hit and then continue on over the years, each one progressing to a point where you finally see what made you enjoy them in the beginning and see all the potential finally released for all to understand what you knew all along. This is exactly the kind of album that they have been moving toward making over the last several years, a comparatively more varied affair than their last few albums and is the most complete, consistent, and dynamic album they’ve recorded to date. A concise, perfect concoction of Grindcore and Death Metal woven into lethal, brilliantly-structured tracks made even more impressive by a wider array and sharper use of guitar interplay, riff accents, leads, backing vocals, inhuman speed-drumming, flesh shredding guitars, and a level of songwriting that makes each song stand-out on it’s own but combined into a devastation force in a full-length affair. I knew they had it in them, and they finally came through smashingly.
1. Immolation-Majesty and Decay
Frankly, it’s always been a treacherous road in the past with me and Immolation. They’ve always been in the wrong cycle when it came time for their album releases, always seemingly stuck behind Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth and Katakylsm who usually end up taking the top spot every year it seems in this particular genre despite the fact I’ve never ranked an album of theirs in any given year below the 4th best of the year. While placing them here this time might seem like consolation, finally giving them their long-overdue just deserts, I frankly find it hard to call it a consolation effort when they finally release something this glorious and enjoyable. Dark, brutal Death in the grand New York style, this here is the type of music that can conjure nightmares for days with its depressive, swallow-the-sun style of riffing, blasting drum-work and just sheer mournful vocals that just make everything all the more gloomy backed with perhaps the finest production job ever done for the band. This, to me, is quality material that should be rewarded no matter how often they’ve come up just short in the past. Congrats, fellas, you’ve finally earned the big one after all these years and tries.