It's come to my attention that Decibel Magazine just released a special issue that lists their picks for the top 100 black metal albums of all time. Usually these sorts of things do nothing really except bring out an endless spew of whining and complaining from the internet's vast legions of IMNs, but we here at Malicious Intent (i.e. me) felt left out from the party and decided to weigh in with our own thoughts on this controversial list. Here we go!!
100. "Ominious Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" - Inquisition
#100?? Seriously?? This should be much higher, as it's one of the best black metal albums to come out since 2000!! Killer stuff. Dagon's guitar-playing is top-notch, his croak is gnarly, and the way they layer the instruments in their songs is tastier than the new 7 Layer Bean Dip Crunchwrap Supreme at Taco Bell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously though, even Inquisition's lyrics are both interesting and original as well...most bands blather on about Satan and blah blah, but their take on "cosmic Satanism" is refreshing. As someone who's scared shitless of outer space after reading H.P. Lovecraft and taking astronomy courses in college, these lyrics resonate with me much more than talking about dying and going to Hell or whatever LaVey was trying to convey in The Satanic Bible.
On a side note, I actually met Inquisition when I was living in Sydney, Australia...really nice guys!! Friendly yet soft-spoken and a bit intense, I found these guys to be really cool and genuinely interested in meeting their fans and hanging out. If you're going to check out Inquisition, I would say it's perfectly reasonable just to enjoy the music as it is, but if you read the lyrics along with it I feel like it adds an extra dimension (so to speak) to it that solidifies it in my mind as a masterpiece!!
99. "Vampires of Black Imperial Blood" - Mütiilation
I've never actually listened to Mütiilation (or any other LLN band for that matter) so I'm kind of a n00b when it comes to old school French BM. I'll check it out very soon, but I still refuse to believe that it's going to be better than some of the lunacy the French have been sending our way in the past few years via Blut aus Nord, Deathspell Omega, Peste Noire, Spektr, etc. Anyway, yeah yeah I'm sure this is a great album...NEXT!!
EDIT, APRIL 2015:Finally checked out this album. I haven't listened any other LLN bands at the moment, but from what I've read this is supposed to be the pinnacle of that collective. It's not bad! I kind of dig the atmosphere and overall vision of what they seem to be going for, but as far as songwriting goes this isn't very good. However, I definitely respect this record in terms of influence (raw minimalism, experimentation, vaguely romantic atmosphere), especially within the French BM scene. I suppose this spot on the list is appropriate for this album, but it's definitely not better than anything Inquisition has put out, EVER!!
98. "Tentacles of Whorror" - Leviathan
First of all, this cover art is fucking insane. I really have no idea what to make of it...it's so bizarre and creepy that I'm just going to let it speak for itself. That being said, I've really tried to get into Leviathan and while I think it's interesting stuff, if we're talking one-man USBM then I'd much rather listen to Xasthur! I usually tend to go for the more atmospheric stuff to see where it takes my imagination, but for whatever reason it doesn't quite do it for me. I still need to check out his later albums tho, plus I'm sure at some point I'll revisit his earlier stuff. I did enjoy his Lurker of Chalice stuff tho, IIRC it's much more atmospheric and strange.
97. "Ordo ad Chao" - Mayhem
This is another great album that should be higher on the list. Yeah, yeah, it's maybe not as good as De Mysteriis, but it's arguably Mayhem's second best LP. Damn...isn't it crazy to think that Mayhem has only released four full-lengths??
Anyway, I haven't listened to this album in awhile but I remember this used to be a favorite to pass out listening to after a night of utter madness!! I don't know why, but it always reminds me of that one scene in Time Bandits where they're trying to escape from the hanging cages (or the last third of the movie where they enter the Fortress of Ultimate Darkness).
96. "Infiltration.Downfall.Death" - Revenge
I've never heard of these dudes, let alone listened to this album. I guess it's a Canadian black metal supergroup of sorts with Pete from Angelcorpse thrown in the mix? I'm pretty unfamiliar with Canadian black metal like Axis of Advance, Weapon, Conqueror, and Blasphemy. Sorry, not really much to say except that their band name is lame and they don't look like very nice guys :(
95. "V - Halmstad" - Shining
I remember when I got this promo in the mail and thinking "WTF is this?" Back then, DSBM hadn't quite become the popular subgenre that it is today, but I would argue that this was a very important album in bringing that style to the metal masses (or at least me haha). And I hadn't even heard of their legendary stage shows or all the drama surrounding Niklas Kvarforth's disappearance, addictions, mental health problems, etc. Yeah, it's pretty emo and I'm not really sure what to make of Kvarforth...he's a weird guy with a big ego for sure, but his vocal performance on this record is great!! I need to give it another listen, but at the time I hadn't quite heard music so atmospheric, depressing, and experimental, and yet at the same time still vaguely be categorized as black metal. I would say this should be higher on the list as well, kvlt warriors be damned (in black)!!
94. "Triarchy of the Lost Lovers" - Rotting Christ
I'm more familiar with Rotting Christ's newer stuff, but I thought this was the album where they started exploring a more gothic rock kind of sound or whatever. I could be wrong, maybe that's "A Dead Poem"...either way, I hate to say it but while I've listened to this album I really don't remember it at all. Sorry!! For what it's worth, I really enjoy some of Rotting Christ's newer stuff!!
93. "La sanie des siècles - Panégyrique de la dégénérescence" - Peste Noire
It's too bad that Famine's such a racist hooligan, because this band's music is awesome!! I put PN in the same boat as Nokturnal Mortum or Graveland; politically-incorrect bands that write some really killer stuff. Anyway, we're focusing on the music here, so I just want to say that I've been a huge fan of this album (PN's best, by the way) ever since Mark of the Beast played it on Malicious Intent years ago. I was blown away by the sloppy, punky attitude of Famine's guitar-playing, combined with his fucking insane vocals and the music's bizarre experimentation. Listening to this always made me think of a Bubonic Plague-stricken France, with peasants living in squalor, cities crumbling, and plague doctors wearing those bird beak gas masks running around trying to save the day all while the unwashed masses hysterically scream for forgiveness within vast cathedrals. Every Peste Noire album has gotten weirder since, but it's still been an awesome ride!! I just wish Famine wasn't such a bird brain!!
92. "Welcome to My Last Chapter" - Vinterland
Damn, 13 reviews and 94% on metal-archives.com???? I've never heard of these guys!! I'll be sure to check it out very soon.
91. "Göetia" - Mystifier
This album cover is awesome!! Sadly, I've never listened to Mystifier even tho I always feel like Brazilian bands come off as way more evil than anyone from North America or Western Europe...I have no idea why. Maybe because so many MMA fighters come fom there?
Anyway, sorry it's amateur hour at Malicious Intent right now!!
90. "Le Secret" - Alcest
Annnndd to finish off with what started with a bang and is rapidly ending in a whimper, we have Alcest's "Le Secret", which I've never listened to!! I'm quite familiar with the Neige's back story and their full-length releases, but I've never listened to this EP. I'm sure it's great though!! I remember Ty from Hammerlord saying that he really liked this release more than their later stuff. Or maybe he was talking about Amesoeurs and their "Ruines Humaines" EP, I can't remember.
Sorry this ended up being kind of shitty! It's pretty disheartening because I really thought I knew my black metal!! Looks like I've got some catching up to do!! Check in soon for further analysis of Decibel's Top 100 Black Metal Albums of All Time, more zany stories, and mildly interesting commentary!!
After a bit of silence, the time has come to make a couple announcements!! Prepare yourself for a series of interviews that will further probe into the mysterious depths of the Korean heavy metal scene, with a focus on some of the bands performing at the upcoming HELLRIDE: Resurrection of Death Party 2013 here in Seoul on Saturday, October 5, 2013!! It's going to be a great show, and I'm looking forward to seeing more of what the Korean metal scene has to offer. The last time I tried to do interviews for Asia Metal Fest it was on too short of notice for many of the bands, so this time I'm a bit more prepared.
Also, I'm planning on doing some interviews with bands/artists from the Kansas City/Lawrence/Topeka area. I'm not homesick, but I want to get a better idea of what's been going on there these past couple of years and feel like surely there are some tales to be told!! Stay tuned!!
It's actually not too cold out right now, but it looks relatively grim outside as I type this from my office in Daejeon, South Korea. It's overcast, rainy, and overall just pretty miserable-looking(kind of how I imagine London to be all year ha), so what better time to make a quick MI update? Since I've been in Korea I haven't had much time to really explore lots of music since it's been so hectic getting a rhythm going and settling into my new apartment, but all that's about to change! I've noticed as I get more acclimated to my new surroundings I've begun to have more and more free time...which means that I've decided to finally get off my ass and post a quick update on the ol' MI blog for all of you looking for your next fix of what's hot right now in early 2013!! While there's still lots of stuff I want to check out but haven't gotten around to yet (like the new Portal), here's what I've been enjoying so far!!
"Κατά τον δαίμονα εαυτού" - Rotting Christ
What I enjoy about Rotting Christ so much is their atmosphere. I don't know what it is about the Greeks these days, but both Rotting Christ and Septicflesh have been fucking nailing it with their latest music when it comes to getting my imagination going! Listening to this latest album makes me think of a cold evening somewhere in Athens, Greece, where blasphemous occultik ceremonies are taking place deep in the catacombs far below a giant Greek Orthodox cathedral...
"Death by Fire" - Enforcer
I was hanging out with Judge Dredd a few days ago and brought up the new Enforcer album and he was goes, "aren't they like...one of those 'vest metal' bands?" While indeed Enforcer falls into the vest metal camp for sure, that doesn't mean that "Death by Fire" still doesn't bring some great songs to get your party going this weekend!!
"The Underground Resistance" - Darkthrone
While I'm not as big a fan as I was of their last album ("Circle the Wagons"), this new one is still pretty good! I'm ashamed to admit it, but I think I prefer Fenriz's songs over Nocturno Culto's even though they're definitely more on the goofy side. For your consideration:
But that's not to say that Nocturno Culto's songs don't suck! Check this out!!
I pretty much agree with the Needle Drop dude.
"Nourishing the Spoil" - Guttural Secrete
Easily the most brutal album I've heard this year, even outdoing Devourment!! Hyper-technical death metal played by cavemen/the hillbillies from Deliverance:
I guess this is a re-recorded version of this song from the last album, but still!
"Conceived in Sewage" - Devourment
Speaking of Devourment, here's some of their new stuff (with a brand new music video too)! I haven't listened to too much of "Conceived in Sewage", but I've been enjoying it so far!! Brutal with plenty of slams, just how I like it!
I've also wanted to talk a little about a new black metal band that I've really been into lately. Before I left for Korea, Professor Grindstein and I were sitting around drinking beer and listening to some new metal vinyl that PG had bought at the record store he works at downtown. While one of the albums we listened to is one of my favorite black metal albums of all time ("La Sanie des Siècles - Panégyrique de la Dégénérescence" by Peste Noire, this is my favorite song off of it), the true star of the evening was an LP entitled "Häxan", by a Polish black metal band called Cultes Des Ghoules.
What really made it special were a number of things...for one, PG spent like 50 bucks on it (lol). Second, since we had a copy of the LP I was able to read the lyrics along with it out of the lyric book, which included a bunch of cool kvlt as fvck woodcut art that I guess was all originally created for that album. Third, I didn't really know what to expect and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the evil, ritualistic BM vibe of the whole thing, complete with ominous ambient parts and screaming that really added to the whole experience. Definitely check it out, and try to read the lyrics along with it too if you can!!
Here's a cool video someone made that syncs up one of the songs with the film Häxan (which is also worth checking out if it appeals to you!).
I should also mention that I've really been enjoying the new Chief Keef album, "Finally Rich"...but maybe that's for another post :D
So much cool stuff to be excited for in the future! New Cultes Des Ghoules, Burzum, Portal, Ghost, and many more coming up soon!! I'll keep you updated!!
This has been one hell of a year!! While most of it was spent working in Sydney, Australia (and exploring its seedy underbelly of thrash, doom, and black metal via some killer metal fests such as Evil Invaders IV and The Devil's Arcana), as of this writing I am now back home in the forsaken prairies of the vast American Midwest, just in time for another grim winter. While I spent most of this year pretty out of the loop due to not having the time or money to read Decibel or Terrorizer and just being too damn lazy to keep up online, I feel like with this list I'm probably overlooking a lot of releases that would have made it had I been more attentive to what's come out this year. Obviously some of the other writers on here have posted their top albums, and while I haven't listened to a lot of those albums I'm going to use my lack of expertise in what was hot this year to cobble together a list that is unique in its development (the majority of the albums I check out are usually based on friends' recommendations, but this year I did most of my exploring on my own due to living in another continent and being cut off from my usual magazine publications that keep me up to date). I have a feeling that if I had been back in Kansas this list would have been much different, but oh well. Here are the Top 10 albums I'll most likely be listening to repeatedly in the future that perhaps you will enjoy exploring as well:
10. "Monolith of Inhumanity" - Cattle Decapitation
You would think that at this point the whole "Cattle Decapitation" premise would be getting pretty old. Don't get me wrong, I think they're a great band and were all really cool dudes when I met them (especially Travis Ryan, one of my favorite metal performers to see live!), but I just remember back in the day they got a lot of attention for being vegetarians and singing about humans being slaughtered in abattoirs and shit and there wasn't a whole lot of focus on their actual music. 10 years later and 5 full-lengths in, half of the band isn't even vegetarian anymore and I was really disappointed when they lost the fat dude with the beard on bass (replaced, I should note, by local band Origin's very own Derek Engemann, small world!). You'd think they'd be losing steam, but holy shit did they kick the shit out of everyone with "Monolith of Inhumanity"! While I think it might be SLIGHTLY overhyped (and a little redundant from a songwriting perspective), it's still easily one of the year's best death metal albums for sure.
What does it for me on this album is almost purely David McGraw's drum performance and the drum production as a whole. I haven't heard drums sound this good in a long time...I usually describe it as a "punchy" sort of sound, but that just sounds kind of dumb...just listen to them, you'll know what I mean! I can't get enough of that drum sound, it's just so polished-sounding and crisp without crowding the mix. Needless to say, McGraw is a fucking BEAST on this recording, he's all over the place and I'm sure doing really complicated shit as well...I have a hard time listening to the rest of the album just because I like the way the drums sound so much!! My vote for the drummer of the year!
Everyone else sounds great too, especially the fucking insane vokillz!! Ryan viciously screams, growls, and rasps with extreme malice and venom throughout the entire album (although I'm not too sure about the Devin Townsend-esque semi-clean vocals, but whatevs)!
If you want to get crazy you can watch the really gross video for "Forced Gender Reassignment" here!
9. "Blood Fetish" - Putrid Pile
Although a pretty big name in the brutal death/slam scene, I feel like Putrid Pile is always overlooked! I really enjoyed "House of Dementia" from 2009 but I don't really remember it generating much buzz among critic picks for best of the year. "Blood Fetish" is just as good, with pretty much everything you would expect-- sick guttural vokillz and disgusting lyrics (Shaun LaCanne is probably not OK mentally), catchy, brutal riffs with the occasional slam breakdown, and a surprisingly good production job for being what is essentially bedroom death metal.
What I really like about LaCanne's guitar playing is that he doesn't get too nutty or ambitious by attempting to be overly-technical or fancy, just straight-to-the-point, unpretentious brutality and no-frills drums (which always sound crisp and punchy without being too mechanical-sounding, extremely important if your drums are going to be programmed IMO). This would be a blast to see live!!
8. "And So It Came To Pass" - Dyscarnate
If there was one death metal album that came out this year that I'd say is a perfect companion to an intense workout with your bros ("bro metal"), you can't go wrong with the new Dyscarnate joint. They combine killer production, brutality, slam/groove, and surprisingly catchy songs compared to most of the other br00tal shit that came out this year. While I wouldn't go so far as to call this slam, it still makes me want to wear a sideways cap (or at least wear it at a jaunty angle), mesh gym shorts, and prepare to get completely pummelled in the pit. With songs like these, I find it hard to believe that these dudes wouldn't kill it live on a regular basis. Oh, and to top it all off their promo pics look like they just got finished with their menswear catalogue photo shoot and didn't have time to change and just said fuck it. Who knows, maybe they don't even like metal but are just really disgruntled office employees.
Anyway, all jokes aside this is obviously one of my favorite death metal albums of the year, and if you like your slam/brutal DM slickly-produced (for once) with some top-notch performances, check this out!!
7. "Legend" - Witchcraft
It looks like the past few years have been rough on Witchcraft. I'm not too sure on the exact details of the all the drama that went down but they look like a different band at this point! Magnus even cut his hair :(
Anyway, I know the one they call (The Malicious Intent Blog's very own) Cate the Great wasn't too keen on this latest album, I really enjoyed it!! The experimentation from "The Alchemist" is still there, but without getting nutty and ruining the whole proto-doom/psychedelic rock atmosphere that's at the core of the band's sound. Passionate vocal delivery, memorable melodies and riffs, and overall just a really solid album. It's definitely great to put on if you're getting rowdy at a party or just hanging out with friends (or having sex for that matter, whatever)...a lot of metal (especially the metal I like) doesn't really fit that description, but then again I haven't considered Witchcraft a metal band for quite some time, if ever really...haha therefore I guess they don't belong on this list, but who cares. While I can't say that if you like their previous albums you'll enjoy this one, don't let Cate the Great scare you off! Light up a doobie with your friends or loved one(s) and have fun!! "Legend" is definitely an album you could put on that would satisfy many a metalhead as well as those who prefer non-metallic shit as well! Killer band!!
6. "I Begin" - God Seed
After King ov Hell dropped the turd of an album that was "The Underworld Regime" (which was supposed to be God Seed's debut album but obviously Gaahl was too embarrassed to have his name attached to it; King got Shagrath to do vocals instead lol), my hopes were not high for "I Begin". If "The Underworld Regime" was the best that King and Gaahl could come up with after splitting away from Gorgoroth, I was going to have to side with Team Infernus. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this new album!! While Gaahl's vocals are as venomous and versatile as ever and the rest of the band's playing and songwriting is quite strong, what truly impressed me was the atmosphere Geir Bratland brought to the mix with his experimental, psychedelic keyboard wizardry. While at times it's just kind of weird (like on "Aldrande Tre"), other times he fucking NAILS it (check out the second half or so of "This From the Past"!! I feel like it's the soundtrack to Gaahl taking too much LSD or something and standing on a mountain contemplating the cosmos or some shit. Also check out the album's bizarre single "Alt Liv", which they also produced a cryptic music video for. While sometimes I find the whole 70's keyboards thing kind of irritating in metal (see Borknagar's later shit or some of Amorphis' stuff) just because I think it just makes it sound more "zany" than anything, Bratland definitely knew what he was doing on here. Anyway, besides that I highly recommend it if you like your black metal weird and want to explore an interesting, multi-dimensional album!
I can't find "This From the Past" on Youtube, but you should definitely check it out (via Spotify or whatever), as it's definitely one of my favorites of the year (especially the second half!!).
5. "Sorrow and Extinction" - Pallbearer
Everyone was all over Pallbearer's nuts this year, and for good reason!! They came out of nowhere with their well-crafted brand of crushing doom, but still kept it real with their soaring vocals and some beautiful melodies intertwined with their funereal dirges of oblivion and woe. What really does it for me on this album are Brett Campbell's vocals! Just listen to "Foreigner" or "The Legend" and you'll see what I mean, as his style is far from original (similar to Ozzy-era Black Sabbath or Zeeb Parkes of Witchfinder General), holy shit does he nail that delivery perfectly without going overboard. I also really enjoyed the dual guitar harmonies as well!! While I still wouldn't say this is an amazing album, if you're a doom fan or don't like harsh vokills in your metal but still dig the heavy sound (??) then I'll bet you just might dig this album! Just get yourself into an altered state of irreversible misery and cry yourself to sleep, this album is the perfect soundtrack!!
4. "Umskiptar" - Burzum
Ah yes, the ol' Burzum dilemma. I'm not going to get into all the drama or pro/anti "fan of the music, not the artist" arguments, and am just going to specifically focus on my own thoughts regarding the album and where I feel Varg's coming from, based on his own ludicrous rants and cringe-worthy commentary on the state of the world that can be seen on Burzum's official website.
Anyway, "Umskiptar" is a weird album, to be sure. Compared to his pre-prison releases, the new Burzum is less heavy, more experimental, and yet still retains that dirty, adventurous, bold "Burzum" sound that's always been there. While thematically the album is supposed to revolve around Norse mythology and the Völuspá and all that, honestly I don't feel that imagery at all while listening to it. Instead, I just think about Varg himself, his writings, and his current feelings towards the state of the world...sadness, fear, despair, and a longing for the world to in reality be how it should be in his own imagination. On his website he rambles on about how fucked up and corrupt the world is and how Europe has lost its way and blah blah, yet he's constantly providing updates on his own RPG that he's developing (lol except I am actually pretty excited about this), his fantasy novel, and pseudo-scholarly writings on pagan Europe. I guess I can see where people are coming from when they talk about how it's difficult for them to enjoy Burzum's music because Varg is vehemently racist, a murderer, arsonist, etc., because I have difficulty not thinking of all the current events that I can only assume are the true inspirations for his music, from which all this mythological imagery seems to just be a cover or allegory.
Obviously, I could be mistaken since I don't know anything about the Völuspá, its story, or what's really going on in Varg's mind, but while listening to "Umskiptar" I couldn't help but imagine myself suddenly looking through the world from the eyes of Mr. Vikernes- his anxiety/dread over the potential collapse of the Eurozone/European Union, the massive influx of immigrants (specifically, Muslims) to Western Europe and its resulting change in racial demographics and the problems that may come with it (or not, hopefully), the supposed lack of values of modern day European society, etc. Or who knows, maybe what's really bugging him is that he has no one to playtest his new RPG with because his kids aren't old enough yet to get it, his wife thinks RPGs are gay, and his neighbors are all old and only speak French (I guess Varg lives in France now).
Seriously though, from a purely musical perspective I really enjoyed this album!! While at times it's a little clunky (and a little boring and dull), his songwriting is just as good as any other new Burzum album. I honestly feel like Varg is one of the most underrated metal guitarists because while he's no Steve Vai, the shit he comes up with such a limited style and sound is always amazingly creative. One of the best examples of this is on my favorite track, "Valgaldr"...it starts off kind of weird, but around the 3:00 mark it really starts to pick up, and by the end of it I feel like I've listened to something like a black metal requiem for Europe. Listen to how he combines layers of those guitar tracks together along with the vocals!! I remember walking along the highway in North Sydney in the rain and just really feeling this song...it's just so sad, yet kind of dream-like as well!! It always makes me think of man's place in the cosmos, the current state of European politics, forgotten gods, cavemen in bear cults, and shit like that. Yeah, it's also honestly pretty goofy, but I guess that just comes with listening to any metal, really.
3. "Becoming" - Abigail Williams
Yeah, yeah, I know what you're thinking. If you didn't read my previous post I wrote on these guys and want to know what the deal is, feel free to check it out! I'm too lazy to go into it here, except I will say that I might have overreacted slightly when I first heard this album earlier this year, but that's not to say that it's still not deserving of a place on my Top 10!!
Anyway, I knew something was up when I started listening to the first track and it reminded me of an outtake from the Heroes of Might and Magic 3 soundtrack until the guitars kicked in. After that I wasn't exactly surprised when it became clear that Abigail Williams had changed their style yet again, but what did surprise me was that they really seemed to get it right this time and seemed confident and comfortable at the same time, as if they'd been playing this style the whole time.
While some of the songs go on for too long and suffer from too much experimental indulgence (and perhaps even come off at times as slightly pretentious or goofy- a good example of this is the throwaway interlude track "Three Days of Darkness" which seems like it was co-produced by Yanni) or just get kind of boring, overall this album is quite strong- great production, solid musicianship, and just a general feeling of freshness and inspiration...even if they are just ripping off post-black metal darlings such as Wolves in the Throne Room, Altar of Plagues, and Nachtmystium.
What I like about this song is that it has so many gorgeous moments which contrast well with the harshness of the music and production. When I listen to this song I always get this scene in my head of some dude really high on opium and the Titanic just crashed into the iceberg and he's trying to make it out alive. Kind of reminds me of a cross between the end of the movie Titanic mixed with the game S.O.S. on SNES...I used to play that game with my buddy Braden when we were kids (who's involved with D&D metallers Accursed Wound). Maybe try listening to the song while watching this youtube video of some serious S.O.S. gameplay!!
Anyway, the strings and weird synth effects work really well and definitely make this one of the better experimental BM songs that came out this year.
2. "Time I" - Wintersun
Ah yes, the infamous "Time" album from Wintersun. Besides the really long songs, it's pretty much what you would expect from everyone's favorite "Extreme Majestic Technical Epic Melodic Metal" band from Finland (apparently Wintersun's own official classification of itself as a metal genre), but with a strong Eastern/Oriental flourish (especially on the intro track, "When Time Fades Away"). Probably a reference to Mists of Pandaria and how addicted Jari still is to WoW (zing).
While it's already semi-embarrassing that I'm still a giant metal fan, I'm not self-conscious enough to be weird when Cannibal Corpse or something comes on when I'm in mixed company, but I'd seriously have a hard time legitimately trying to explain to any normal person why I love Wintersun so much and how listening to them sweeps away to a land of frozen forests and misty crags upon which winter wizards of the grim Northern Wastes go to battle with forgotten arcane magic(k)al sorcery and unicorns triumphantly--
You get the idea. Either you love this shit or you don't, but there's no denying that Jari and co. are amazing musicians, and while perhaps this album isn't amazing enough to have to be 8 fucking years in the making (we'll see how the other half of the album goes whenever the shit that's released!!), I definitely worked on my Pathfinder (similar to D&D haaaa) campaign more than once while listening to this album. Definitely my guiltiest pleasure on this list!! At least it's not like Nightwish or something though, right (I did secretly kind of like "Dark Passion Play" and all of their shit with Tarja tho :/)??
It's too bad that Wintersun never released a real music video for a song off this album, but can you really blame them?? Besides the two instrumental tracks, the shortest song is over 8 minutes. Anyway, this is the best I could do. LOL at Jari Mäenpää's fashion sense, but I do really like the music.
1. "777 - Cosmosophy" - Blut aus Nord
My favorite metal release of 2012!! Whenever I listen to Blut aus Nord I always have visions of a vast, hyper-futuristic, dystopian metropolis where everything is just really fucked (basically this). I'm sure Vindsval has other shit in mind with his lyrics that involve astral projection and gnostic mysticism or whatever, but that's what his music makes me think of. That or being on heavy-duty psychedelics while being lost in space...constantly distracted by the beauty of the cosmos while also being absolutely fucking terrified. Yeah yeah, I know that obviously you don't need to be lost in outer space for that to happen to you, but it's an extremely important detail when I imagine this scene when listening to BaN. Just like the cover art and previous albums, "777 - Cosmosophy" is creepy, cold, etherial, weird, and at times quite beautiful. Vindsval's soaring clean vocals kind of remind me of Ihsahn's epic vocals in some of Emperor's later stuff, except more removed and distant...it's a great match with the meandering, at times even broken-sounding riffs and mechanical drums.
It's important to listen to this album when you're not doing anything distracting...check this album out when you're laying in bed at night in complete darkness and focus on following the music. I first tried to listen to it while doing yardwork for a family friend in the middle of the day and thought it was pretty boring. I hate to describe albums as "growers" but I guess that's what this record was to me. One day I plan on listening to the entire "777" trilogy all the way through, but for now I'd say perhaps "Cosmosophy" is my favorite of the three. This definitely isn't for everyone, but if it sounds intriguing to you then definitely check it out!!
On a separate note, is it bad that my truly favorite album of 2012 wasn't even a metal album? It wasn't even an "album" (in the technical sense) either!! Chief Keef's "Back From the Dead" mixtape was one hell of a compilation, and even though it seems like everyone's pretty over the whole "Don't Like" craze/meme I still feel like this is a great release! Also, I still haven't heard Chief Keef's debut album "Finally Rich" which came out this year, but I'm sure it's just as good!
(The video that started it all...)
I remember walking around Sydney while listening to this on my iPod and feeling so fucking cool. One of my favorite experiences was listening to the entire album while I was drinking by myself at The Star Bar and digging how it just kept on getting better with each song. Every time I heard "Midwest kush, bitch!" I remember walking around and thinking, "yeah, we don't fuck around in the Midwest! You bitches better not fuck with me!"...even though I'm white, from the suburbs of a progressive college town in Kansas, and was raised by parents that had academic backgrounds in the liberal arts. No one in The Star Bar knew that though (or would really care either way, I suppose) :D
(I prefer the "Back From the Dead" version, but whatever)
I think what really does it for me is not really Chief Keef's lyrics (which are actually surprisingly well-done given his really simple vocal delivery) or style but Young Chop's killer beats!!
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to check this out, feel free to leave any comments and let me know what you think! I'm definitely going to do a much better job of keeping up with metal for 2013 and plan on blogging more (as well as joining up with Judge Dredd and his current invasion of South Korea), so keep your eye on the good ol' Malicious Intent blog for updates!!
WULF: To my knowledge, this is the first Accursed Wound interview...tell us a bit about the band as far as its origins and its members. What do you hope to accomplish as a group?
WIZARD: Thanks for having us!! The band is relatively new, we’ve been playing together for a year now. Aaron (Orc) and I (Wizard) have been musical cohorts for a while now and share a passion for all types of metal. We recruited our friend Dean (Aeden) specifically for this project, he’s insane. We met Simon (Grimhilt) in a tavern during our travels and he joined our cause. Sei played keyboards for us on the record but isn’t a regular member, Aeden might take on that role for live shows. As far as a band goal?... We’d like to continue putting out fantasy themed black metal records and possibly some ambient instrumentals.
WULF: While I hate asking about a band's inspirations as it's usually the same answers every time, I'm curious as to what are some of Accursed Wound's main inspirations, both musical and literary?
WIZARD: I really can’t speak for everyone on this front, however, I can say that we all love hard science fiction and fantasy and we are all very much into dark themed role-playing games. Musically, me and Aaron were big into thrash, grindcore, sludge and extreme shit in general but also loved the emotional power and dramatic effect of classical music... Prokofiev, Bartok, Holst, Stravinsky. So the obvious next step was to put out something close to symphonic black metal, we are big fans of the greats like Dimmu, Bal Sagoth, Nile, Emperor. We gave it our best shot to put forth an authentic sounding record that could tell a tale we could all agree on, so naturally dark fantasy. Thanks for that question.
WULF: Your lyrics involve grim tales of dungeon exploration, morbid sacrifices, demons, trolls, the undead, etc. Would you care to elaborate what drives you to record such macabre visions, as well as perhaps some of the overall themes depicted on the album? Does the band promote a specific philosophy or message? What is the most ideal way for the listener to experience your music?
WIZARD: umm... Some of the lyrics are sort of compiled fragments from old D&D campaigns I’ve played. But the majority of it is basically a story of a necromancer or lich from the underworld who is gaining power on the surface, destroying villages and raising an undead army. The trick of it all is that a spell has been cast, so while humans are fighting their above ground crusades, the undead army is growing, when the dead are hauled back into the city they awaken and ransack the place. There’s also a bit(Dungeon Crawling) on heroes who have been contracted to venture down and kill the Lich only to be raised as undead warriors themselves. So yeah, i’d love to see this made into a film... or better yet a D&D adventure module. Maybe we’ll include a module with our next record!
...And finally i would say first that the best way to listen to any metal record is to read the lyrics along with the music, I remember doing this with Butchered at Birth when I first got into metal, because i couldn’t understand the words. It made the record awesome and more listenable for me. I’d say Listen to Embrace the Forge in a low light subterranean environment.. or driving recklessly at high speeds. Nothing in between. haha
WULF: Are there any future plans to perform live or tour? What is the black metal scene like in your region of the US, and do you associate with it?
WIZARD: We have played this material out live only twice and since the band is kind of spread across the country right now we don’t really know. A regional tour is definitely something we’d like to do, though it might involve new members or stripping down to a smaller group. Regardless of the difficulties there will be more live shows. We are’nt really involved in the scene here, since we are so new, but there’s definitely a lot going on here in the bay area, of course classic thrash and garage but also some pretty sick heavy metal.
WULF: Braden Young mixed your album, who is he and what is your connection to him?
WIZARD: Basically we know him through Simon(Grimhilt). Three of us were already going to be in Lawrence, KS (where we grew up) over the winter so we just asked him to record us and he agreed. It was pretty strait forward, we played through the songs and then overdubbed our parts again. Braden was really particular about perfecting all the parts, I think it made the album alot more solid. The whole project definitely woundn’t have happened without him. He also hooked us up with Brommer, who did the cover art.
WULF: Besides any possible live shows, what are some of the band's future plans? Do you have any more music on the way?
WIZARD: We have 8 songs that still need to be recorded so look forward to that. Definitely the ambient stuff and of course adventure modules! I’m really considering that right now.
WULF: Thanks so much for this interview!! Any final comments?
WIZARD: I guess I would say to all the metal heads and metal musicians out there, keep listening to and creating stuff that you believe in. If you believe in that candy coated corporate shit then good for you, but know that you’re seen as a fan of easy listening. Thanks Wulf.
I don't know what the deal is with me wanting to defend shit that no one likes. I already white-knightedLiturgy in an earlier post on here, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I really like Celtic Frost's notoriously shitty "Cold Lake" ("Seduce Me Tonight" fucking rules) and brain-dead guttural slam (Cephalotripsy, Devourment, Cemetery Rapist)- shit that makes internet metal nerds freak the fuck out. Maybe I feel bad for the artists for some reason? I don't know. Obviously there's shit that's terrible that I'll 100% agree is lousy (such as the latest Morbid Angel album, Cryptopsy's "The Unspoken King", "St. Anger", etc.), but I feel like there are times when you can tell an artist or band is super into their shit and really, REALLY want people to like it. This kind of desperation is a turn-off for most people, but at the end of the day for me it has the opposite effect. I guess I'm one of those "it's not THAT bad" kind of people, but whatever.
My point is that Abigail Williams is one of those artists that I feel gets a lot of hate for superficial reasons. I should probably preface this argument by saying that I haven't really done my homework on this, I haven't read too many interviews with these guys and don't know too much about them, so this might just be a stupid argument to make. Anyway, here's what I know about them:
1. They started out as a shitty blackened deathcore or whatever group (I haven't listened to their early shit, so I'm going off of metal-archives).
2. They tried to establish themselves as more legit by putting out "In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns", a more "symphonic black metal" effort which featured Trym drumming on some tracks.
3. Still not being taken very seriously and compared to Cradle of Filth and Dimmu Borgir, they decided to strip down their sound with a less-overblown, more "evil" atmosphere with their second album, "In the Absence of the Light". Still received mediocre reviews. At this point they've already gone through a shitload of lineup changes as well, and have been getting booed at live shows.
4. Recently put out "Becoming", which is one of the best albums that I've heard so far this year.
Wait, what?!
Seriously! I don't know if these guys started doing heavy-duty hallucinogens and/or just started listening to a lot of Wolves in the Throne Room or Altar of Plagues, but something's up. Whether or not these guys are totally ripping off this whole "post-black metal" trend or not is besides the point-- "Becoming" is an excellent album, and even though they've clearly jumped on a bandwagon, it's original enough to appreciate in its own way.
While there's plenty of "atmospheric" touches to Abigail Williams' new sound, conspicuously absent are the band's old trademarks of symphonic flourishes and polished production. Instead, while there are plenty of gorgeous melodies and beautiful string arrangements, the album has a gritty production quality to it that goes perfectly with its "dark" BM riffs and ominous ambient moments (listen to the beginning of "Beyond the Veil"!) and well-placed psychedelic moments.
I seriously would have never guessed this is Abigail Williams. I've listened to their two previous albums, and wasn't very impressed. I've read reviews of their live shows, and the general consensus I came across was that they were boring. My buddy told me that at the show he was at they got heckled by the audience. After putting out this album, I can't imagine these guys still sucking live since it's obvious that "Becoming" has the two essential ingredients for greatness the band has been lacking this entire time-- passion and inspiration. By listening to everything from Ken Sorceron's howling screams and growls (someone else mentioned Xasthur or Leviathan, I can see that) to the energy pulsing from the drums, it's obvious that these guys were FEELING this album. I have no idea what the lyrics are about on this album (I've noticed there's a significant lack of contemporary interviews), but clearly they're not phoning this shit in.
The musicians' performances are also all top-notch, and while nothing specifically stands out as amazing, it works to the music's advantage by maintaining the listener's focus on the music as a whole. I mentioned Altar of Plagues before, but that's who comes to mind most when describing Abigail William's musicianship. Personally, I didn't find "Mammal" to be a work of musical virtuosos, but they obviously don't suck either (the same could be said for Wolves in the Throne Room too). Saying they "get the job done" implies that they're kind of shitty at what they do, but that's not what I mean. When listening to "Becoming", you're not distracted by any musician in particular, just the "vibe" of the song. Eh, you know what I mean.
While I can see a lot of metal fans putting these guys down and not giving this album a chance (understandable, to a certain extent,) I'd say that by writing these guys off you're missing out. Obviously, I was blown away by "Becoming", and I hope by checking this album out you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I am. I can't believe I'm praising this album as much as I am, but as much shit as these guys have been through by internet metal nerds like myself, they definitely deserve it.
RIYL: Nachtmystium's newer stuff, Wolves in the Throne Room, Altar of Plagues, Deafheaven, Agalloch
Well, well, here we are again!! 2011 was a hell of a year, went to Korea, living in Australia now, and, most importantly, enjoyed some killer metal releases during my travels! I really don't have too much to say about 2011 that wasn't already covered by Judge Dredd, he pretty much nailed it with this being the year of USBM really breaking through to the critical acclaim it deserves...however, I still can't help but feel that 2011 was fairly weak compared to 2010. Last year, I had a tough time narrowing down my favorite masterpieces, but this year I found it difficult to come up with ten albums that I found to be truly excellent. Anyway, there are still some gems to be found, and I'll also list some albums I thought were pretty cool but not worthy of the "Top 10". Here we go!!
1. "L'Ordure à l'état Pur" - Peste Noire
What a monster of an album!! I remember really digging this album and the strangeness of it all, but after reading this blog post and using this album as a soundtrack to a game of Plague & Pestilence with some friends, I felt like for me this was definitely going to be my favorite of the year...and I was right! Easily PN's best since their debut album, controversial lyrics and themes aside, this album is absolutely nuts. Bizarre songwriting parodying modern French culture, batshit insane vocals, PN's trademark sloppy playing contrasted with excellent musicianship (and Indria's masterful fretless bass!), it's not for everyone but will definitely appeal to the more adventurous audiophiles out there. As far as black metal goes, Famine is the new Varg.
2. "Celestial Lineage" - Wolves in the Throne Room
While I don't feel as if Wolves are ever going to top 2007's "Two Hunters", there's no doubt that "Celestial Lineage" and is THE BEST USBM album of the year. While it took me awhile to get into this album just because there's so much stuff to explore in these labyrinthine tracks, eventually it really warmed up to me and found it to be a very rewarding listening experience. It's these kinds of albums that make me feel like it was recorded in a cave somewhere, evoking the same essence of primitive rituals long forgotten. It's sad to see that this is going to be their last album, but holy shit what a way to go out!
3. "Fallen" - Burzum
Speaking of which, the new Burzum album was amazing as well! I'm still sad that the interview didn't work out, but while writing up questions I really got into this album and found it to be better than "Belus". Of course you've got all the typical Burzum-style dirty riffing and hypnotic repetition, but also some of the most gorgeous melodies I've heard in black in quite some time. I'm definitely excited to see what else Varg's got in store for us in the near future.
4. "Ghost" - The Devin Townsend Project
Easily my biggest guilty pleasure of the year, I can't believe I enjoyed this album as much as I did. Ugh. I'd be embarrassed to listen to this while in the same room as someone else. Nevertheless, while for most people this might be The Mad Scientist of Metal's weakest of his 4-album quadrilogy, this was my favorite...in fact, it might be my favorite thing Devin's done since "Terria", which is one my favorite albums of all time. There's no metal on "Ghost"...instead, it's a relaxing, pseudo-new age "journey" of relaxing, lush acoustics and peaceful atmospherics. Vomits.
5. "Roads to Judah" - Deafheaven
Now THIS album came out of nowhere...who are these dudes? While some BM fashion police might be turned off because these guys don't "look" very "metal", they obviously play their brand of post-rock-influenced black metal without giving a shit (while simultaneously not coming across as pretentious...sorry Liturgy). I found that Deafheaven gives me the same vibe I get from bands like Amesoeurs, Nachtmystium, and black metal artists that give off a strong "urban decay" vibe. Rainy, cold afternoon/evening in NYC black metal.
6. "Mammal" - Altar of Plagues
I'm not too sure what to say about this album, other than it's "really good". While it's definitely in the vein of this rapidly-growing trend of "urban decay black metal" that all the kids are listening to these days (including me), I couldn't really get into this album until I listened to it in complete darkness one night before going to bed. It definitely could be said that listening to albums like this makes ANY album seem a lot better, it's really the only time that I could really get into it...in any other situation it just doesn't do it for me. So if you're reading this right now in the middle of the night and you can't sleep, give this album a shot if you're in the mood for some brooding, ominous post-black metal.
7. "Redemption at the Puritan's Hand" - Primordial
This isn't Primordial's best album, but it has some really killer tracks nonetheless, with "No Grave Deep Enough" and "Bloody Yet Unbowed" being two of the best metal songs of the year. I didn't get into this album as much as their previous two, but who knows, maybe it will grow on me. Still, Nemtheanga's lyrics and vocals are, as usual, top-notch, and
this is definitely a welcome addition to Primordial's excellent line of great releases.
8. "The Great Mass" - Septicflesh
While overall not a superb album, some of the highlights are definitely worth listening to, such as "The Vampire of Nazareth" and Fotis Benardo's superb drumming. When listening to this album I get the same sort of "exotic" vibe that is similar to when I listen to other Greek metal bands such as Rotting Christ. The adventurous, epic atmospherics always gets me going, and coupled with mysterious, occult lyrics and excellent production makes for a very rewarding listening experience. Definitely planning on getting into their back catalogue and reading some interviews!
9. "Agony" - Fleshgod Apocalypse
Seriously balls-out symphonic death metal. I'm not really sure what else to say, but besides the batshit drums, this album is completely over-the-top with its overblown orchestrations and frantic energy. When you combine cheesy Italian power metal and ridiculously brutal, blasting death metal (think Hate Eternal), this is what you get, and it's a hell of a lot of fun!
10. "In the Flesh" - Nader Sadek
While not quite as ludicrous sound-wise as, say, Fleshgod Apocalypse, the drumming on this album (courtesy of Cryptopsy's Flo Mournier, one of the best extreme metal drummers EVER) is what does it for me. It's as if Flo is compensating for his relatively recent embarrassing ventures ("The Unspoken King", Digital Doomzday, cutting his hair) by unleashing absolute hell on his drum set. Seriously, this shit is nuts. It's also worth mentioning that you've got Blasphemer (ex-Mayhem) on guitar, Nicholas McMaster (Krallice) on bass, and Steve Tucker (ex-Morbid Angel) on vokills, and the whole project directed by Nader Sadek (responsible for Mayhem's live visual atmospherics). While the whole album is good, Flo's drum performance on this album is what makes it for me.
Seriously though, even Inquisition's lyrics are both interesting and original as well...most bands blather on about Satan and blah blah, but their take on "cosmic Satanism" is refreshing. As someone who's scared shitless of outer space after reading H.P. Lovecraft and taking astronomy courses in college, these lyrics resonate with me much more than talking about dying and going to Hell or whatever LaVey was trying to convey in The Satanic Bible. 
.jpg)
