Post by GL on Jan 2, 2012 13:05:13 GMT -5
Well, this year really turned out to be a bust, due to the fact that the higher end of the list entries weren't all that good and really didn't deserve to be on here, yet the dearth of good releases pretty much signaled that this would be the overall rankings for the year. While the upper tier definitely had some good moments, the fact that this one still has such a weak second-half that it really signals just how poor the crop was, as either the veterans were involved with other projects, touring or just not releasing anything and so the overall field for this year is quite low. Again, like the Modern Metal list that also had poor results, lets hope it's an aberration and not the norm.
10. Glorior Belli-The Great Southern Darkness
Melodic, spacey Black Metal from France, this is probably the one album I’m the least comfortable with placing here but really couldn’t find another entry that deserved placement here. This is still some decent music, as the fact that the band makes for some good techniques is certainly worth noting here, and the experimental, almost avant-garde feel generated from the songs’ dissonant guitar riffs and off-beat drumming is certainly catchy the first time around. Filled with emotive segments that wash over with great appeal, this has a winning combination of intelligent songwriting that pulls together so many different influences to allow the songs to wind through their many sections with full abandon, yet the fact that so many different influences come together that mix awkwardly with their Black Metal roots creates a clash when it tries to generate a fever pitch related to its chosen genre, leaving this a good album at times but a massively frustrating one at others, and the inconsistency does hurt it somewhat.
9. Infuneral-Torn from the Abyss
A blaring blast of Old-School Swedish violence mixed with some pretty tight performances, they might be one of the better bands in the Black Metal underground. Mixing some pretty disturbing vocal performances over that ever-present buzzsaw-like guitar attack, a rather old-school production job that gives the songs a rather raw, dirty feel that’s perfectly done here and some rather-thin sounding drums, in essence the only true flaw of the band but actually in perfect keeping with the raw nature of the attack, all creating a perfect storm of destruction that is perfectly satisfying in small doses but does have a hard time with distinguish-ability as it roars along. Even then, the bands’ solid performances and a great dose of energy can’t really overcome that one big flaw, and while it’s still a perfectly acceptable album, it’s got a fitting spot here in the list.
8. Noctem-Oblivion
An unmerciless assault of devastating Black/Death Metal, this is some incredibly stuff that’s far better than expected and definitely has a lot to like about it. Combining Technical Death Metal with Black Metal screams and shrieks is definitely a plus, and the brutality that creates of pulverizing, hitting quickly and immediately with its vicious, razorwire-sharp guitars which are just completely over-the-top, Death Metal-esque drumming with its extreme double-bass blasting, tremendous fills and utterly annihilating tone that leaves nothing in its wake and a furious, frenetic vocal performance that merely makes the cacophony all the more pleasing to the ear. It just simply suffers way too much from the dreaded blended-together-songs as it goes on, which considering the brutality on display shouldn’t mean that much, but this is still a top-notch effort from a great band finding its way that’s going on to better things in the future.
7. Ipsissimus-The Way of Descent
The next wave of Old-School Black Metal may be upon the masses if this full-length debut is any indicator, as the band manages to create an immediately recognizable tone as being influenced by the first generation of practitioners to hail from Norway in the early 90s. From the mighty riffs that crush like a bulldozer yet retain an icy feel that creates a satisfying tone for that kind of fan, and the blast-beats underneath it all merely contribute to the violence when combined with the wailing shrieks and growls that launch themselves over it all. It’s also quite noteworthy to mention the adherence to the formulas of old, mixing in the more soothing slower numbers as well as the speedier numbers and a couple of epics strewn throughout, all making this rather short effort seem much longer and negating a sense of dissatisfaction with the small tracklist. While the digital clarity providing by the new-age production does this a lot of favors in giving the songs a lot of muscle, it’s just too crisp and clean for a band of the style, and much of the album would benefit greatly from a dirtier, rawer style that gives them more of a connection to their influences, but this is still a nice dose of the Old-School when that’s what’s required.
6. Khors-Return to Abandoned
Absolutely amazing Atmospheric Black Metal from Ukraine, this may seem like an odd placement for such an unknown band but this is definitely worthy of being here. Rather than indulge in the traditional forms of Black Metal, this one instead discards it for a more airy, opened-up sound that instead lets the songs breathe rather well, creating an insanely addictive atmosphere with the mixture of pounding drums, melodic guitar-riffs, spacey keyboards and impeccable musicianship throughout, which is a lot of fun and definitely worthwhile in terms of creating a memorable album. Also quite novel is the use of tempo change-ups and different pacing throughout the songs, as the fact that the epic-length songs don’t have much about them that really drones on about them to make them feel overlong is a great quality that not many bands possess that keeps this one moving along. Not much else to say, just a lot of fun and definitely a worthwhile album through-and-through.
5. Absu-Abzu
Quite a brief amount of time, both in the overall time of the record and the release date between this and its’ successor, really isn’t all that favorable to a band and this is apparent here, which is perhaps the first fumble in the band’s long career. While the band can still thrash circles around most of their contemporaries, which is on display here in a number of hyper-speed tracks that show the band charging forth with enough intensity and energy that it almost runs off the rails and chugging forward with their great vocal work, for a band usually this careful and considerate of their work to have tracks that just end up going nowhere or worse, overstuffed to the point of ridiculousness and boredom that wasn’t there in the past is definitely an odd sign, so let’s hope this is just a minor blip and not the start of something unfortunate, as the band’s just too good to keep making music this bland and uninspired.
4. Thulcandra-Under A Frozen Sun
Easily the best band to ever imitate the mighty Dissection, these Germans make that old sound rather cool again on this release that picks up right where they left off with just a fantastic offering that really contains a lot of incredible elements into the whole package. Still working those old-school Black Metal riffs to the core, the injection of melody makes them feel all the more colder that makes this perhaps the most listenable band on the genre for newcomers, especially with the up-tempo pace and more Death Metal feel in terms of attack, despite this being unmistakable for anything other than Black Metal. Those melodic interjections also serve to alter the pace from the full-on thrashing, which highlights the rest of the bands performance with some skillful attributes, including stellar drumming and a great collection of riffs atop those great vocals. A great album, though it just doesn’t have enough to go any higher.
3. Belphegor-Blood Magick Necromance
An absolutely relentless offering, which is to be expected from these guys, this one is one of their better all-around records if not their best, which with their storied catalog is an accomplishment in itself. Still blasting out infernal Black/Death of the highest order, it creates an ultimately suffocating hellstorm of intense riffing, brutal drumming and an absolutely ferocious vocal performance that creates the perfect narration for the devastation created around the whole affair. This is about as brutal as Black Metal gets that still manages to retain a sense of listenable material surrounding the madness, and the whole experience is incredibly draining and yet still a lot of fun overall. This, though, could do with some trimming down a bit as there’s too many songs that pass the five-minute point for the whole effect to be rendered in its maximum devastation, and would this have been trimmed even a few minutes in total, it would’ve been a stronger contender for the genre title but it’s still a top-notch quality Black Metal album.
2. Chthonic-Takasago Army
Easily Taiwan’s greatest cultural export, these Symphonic Black Metallers are getting better and better with each new release and this is clearly their opus work. Filled with their devastating riffs backed by a huge culture influence that gives them a strong identity sorely lacking in most of the bands out there, this maybe their most melodic offering but it’s still got enough muscle when it counts with lots of double-bass blasting, scorching riffs and a pounding production that gives the songs a great sense of life and energy, even during the more melodic songs that pop up throughout, as well as the freaky instrumental sections that appear placed in the songs which give them more atmosphere than most other bands. The only thing really out-of-place here is, strangely, the keyboards which don’t have any real impact and seem injected into the songs like an afterthought as they mostly sweep across the background without adding anything to the songs themselves, a rather odd feeling but not too diminishing of the rest of the album’s quality.
1. Anaal Nathrakh-Passion
This may be the most controversial choice amongst my genre best-ofs, but this was a simply impressive album that really had a lot of great things going for it and definitely had the right elements to appear here. Managing to incorporate a minor difference into their attack this time, the band utilizes their clean-singing a lot more often here, creating an incredible sense of atmosphere and emotion that is almost completely absent in the genre, not to mention the fact that they’re catchy beyond belief and imminently memorable that are just expertly mixed with their deep growls and shrieks, creating a magnificent experience just from the vocals alone. That’s not taking into account the fact that the band itself is simply outstanding, with their blasting drums working the gamut from full-on thrash to blastbeat-riddled destruction of all that it surveys, lethal and vicious guitar-work that retains a sense of atmosphere amidst the carnage, even on some of their epics and a flawless, furious production that captures it all for full effect. Great work overall and one of their best work overall.
10. Glorior Belli-The Great Southern Darkness
Melodic, spacey Black Metal from France, this is probably the one album I’m the least comfortable with placing here but really couldn’t find another entry that deserved placement here. This is still some decent music, as the fact that the band makes for some good techniques is certainly worth noting here, and the experimental, almost avant-garde feel generated from the songs’ dissonant guitar riffs and off-beat drumming is certainly catchy the first time around. Filled with emotive segments that wash over with great appeal, this has a winning combination of intelligent songwriting that pulls together so many different influences to allow the songs to wind through their many sections with full abandon, yet the fact that so many different influences come together that mix awkwardly with their Black Metal roots creates a clash when it tries to generate a fever pitch related to its chosen genre, leaving this a good album at times but a massively frustrating one at others, and the inconsistency does hurt it somewhat.
9. Infuneral-Torn from the Abyss
A blaring blast of Old-School Swedish violence mixed with some pretty tight performances, they might be one of the better bands in the Black Metal underground. Mixing some pretty disturbing vocal performances over that ever-present buzzsaw-like guitar attack, a rather old-school production job that gives the songs a rather raw, dirty feel that’s perfectly done here and some rather-thin sounding drums, in essence the only true flaw of the band but actually in perfect keeping with the raw nature of the attack, all creating a perfect storm of destruction that is perfectly satisfying in small doses but does have a hard time with distinguish-ability as it roars along. Even then, the bands’ solid performances and a great dose of energy can’t really overcome that one big flaw, and while it’s still a perfectly acceptable album, it’s got a fitting spot here in the list.
8. Noctem-Oblivion
An unmerciless assault of devastating Black/Death Metal, this is some incredibly stuff that’s far better than expected and definitely has a lot to like about it. Combining Technical Death Metal with Black Metal screams and shrieks is definitely a plus, and the brutality that creates of pulverizing, hitting quickly and immediately with its vicious, razorwire-sharp guitars which are just completely over-the-top, Death Metal-esque drumming with its extreme double-bass blasting, tremendous fills and utterly annihilating tone that leaves nothing in its wake and a furious, frenetic vocal performance that merely makes the cacophony all the more pleasing to the ear. It just simply suffers way too much from the dreaded blended-together-songs as it goes on, which considering the brutality on display shouldn’t mean that much, but this is still a top-notch effort from a great band finding its way that’s going on to better things in the future.
7. Ipsissimus-The Way of Descent
The next wave of Old-School Black Metal may be upon the masses if this full-length debut is any indicator, as the band manages to create an immediately recognizable tone as being influenced by the first generation of practitioners to hail from Norway in the early 90s. From the mighty riffs that crush like a bulldozer yet retain an icy feel that creates a satisfying tone for that kind of fan, and the blast-beats underneath it all merely contribute to the violence when combined with the wailing shrieks and growls that launch themselves over it all. It’s also quite noteworthy to mention the adherence to the formulas of old, mixing in the more soothing slower numbers as well as the speedier numbers and a couple of epics strewn throughout, all making this rather short effort seem much longer and negating a sense of dissatisfaction with the small tracklist. While the digital clarity providing by the new-age production does this a lot of favors in giving the songs a lot of muscle, it’s just too crisp and clean for a band of the style, and much of the album would benefit greatly from a dirtier, rawer style that gives them more of a connection to their influences, but this is still a nice dose of the Old-School when that’s what’s required.
6. Khors-Return to Abandoned
Absolutely amazing Atmospheric Black Metal from Ukraine, this may seem like an odd placement for such an unknown band but this is definitely worthy of being here. Rather than indulge in the traditional forms of Black Metal, this one instead discards it for a more airy, opened-up sound that instead lets the songs breathe rather well, creating an insanely addictive atmosphere with the mixture of pounding drums, melodic guitar-riffs, spacey keyboards and impeccable musicianship throughout, which is a lot of fun and definitely worthwhile in terms of creating a memorable album. Also quite novel is the use of tempo change-ups and different pacing throughout the songs, as the fact that the epic-length songs don’t have much about them that really drones on about them to make them feel overlong is a great quality that not many bands possess that keeps this one moving along. Not much else to say, just a lot of fun and definitely a worthwhile album through-and-through.
5. Absu-Abzu
Quite a brief amount of time, both in the overall time of the record and the release date between this and its’ successor, really isn’t all that favorable to a band and this is apparent here, which is perhaps the first fumble in the band’s long career. While the band can still thrash circles around most of their contemporaries, which is on display here in a number of hyper-speed tracks that show the band charging forth with enough intensity and energy that it almost runs off the rails and chugging forward with their great vocal work, for a band usually this careful and considerate of their work to have tracks that just end up going nowhere or worse, overstuffed to the point of ridiculousness and boredom that wasn’t there in the past is definitely an odd sign, so let’s hope this is just a minor blip and not the start of something unfortunate, as the band’s just too good to keep making music this bland and uninspired.
4. Thulcandra-Under A Frozen Sun
Easily the best band to ever imitate the mighty Dissection, these Germans make that old sound rather cool again on this release that picks up right where they left off with just a fantastic offering that really contains a lot of incredible elements into the whole package. Still working those old-school Black Metal riffs to the core, the injection of melody makes them feel all the more colder that makes this perhaps the most listenable band on the genre for newcomers, especially with the up-tempo pace and more Death Metal feel in terms of attack, despite this being unmistakable for anything other than Black Metal. Those melodic interjections also serve to alter the pace from the full-on thrashing, which highlights the rest of the bands performance with some skillful attributes, including stellar drumming and a great collection of riffs atop those great vocals. A great album, though it just doesn’t have enough to go any higher.
3. Belphegor-Blood Magick Necromance
An absolutely relentless offering, which is to be expected from these guys, this one is one of their better all-around records if not their best, which with their storied catalog is an accomplishment in itself. Still blasting out infernal Black/Death of the highest order, it creates an ultimately suffocating hellstorm of intense riffing, brutal drumming and an absolutely ferocious vocal performance that creates the perfect narration for the devastation created around the whole affair. This is about as brutal as Black Metal gets that still manages to retain a sense of listenable material surrounding the madness, and the whole experience is incredibly draining and yet still a lot of fun overall. This, though, could do with some trimming down a bit as there’s too many songs that pass the five-minute point for the whole effect to be rendered in its maximum devastation, and would this have been trimmed even a few minutes in total, it would’ve been a stronger contender for the genre title but it’s still a top-notch quality Black Metal album.
2. Chthonic-Takasago Army
Easily Taiwan’s greatest cultural export, these Symphonic Black Metallers are getting better and better with each new release and this is clearly their opus work. Filled with their devastating riffs backed by a huge culture influence that gives them a strong identity sorely lacking in most of the bands out there, this maybe their most melodic offering but it’s still got enough muscle when it counts with lots of double-bass blasting, scorching riffs and a pounding production that gives the songs a great sense of life and energy, even during the more melodic songs that pop up throughout, as well as the freaky instrumental sections that appear placed in the songs which give them more atmosphere than most other bands. The only thing really out-of-place here is, strangely, the keyboards which don’t have any real impact and seem injected into the songs like an afterthought as they mostly sweep across the background without adding anything to the songs themselves, a rather odd feeling but not too diminishing of the rest of the album’s quality.
1. Anaal Nathrakh-Passion
This may be the most controversial choice amongst my genre best-ofs, but this was a simply impressive album that really had a lot of great things going for it and definitely had the right elements to appear here. Managing to incorporate a minor difference into their attack this time, the band utilizes their clean-singing a lot more often here, creating an incredible sense of atmosphere and emotion that is almost completely absent in the genre, not to mention the fact that they’re catchy beyond belief and imminently memorable that are just expertly mixed with their deep growls and shrieks, creating a magnificent experience just from the vocals alone. That’s not taking into account the fact that the band itself is simply outstanding, with their blasting drums working the gamut from full-on thrash to blastbeat-riddled destruction of all that it surveys, lethal and vicious guitar-work that retains a sense of atmosphere amidst the carnage, even on some of their epics and a flawless, furious production that captures it all for full effect. Great work overall and one of their best work overall.