The State of Metal 2015: Judge Dredd's Dreaded Top 10

I will preface this by saying this is probably the most curmudgeony end-of-the-year write up that I have ever done. Fitting that it's also the end of the first year of my 3rd decade on this hell called Earth and I'm quickly approaching 20 years of listening to Metal. So, just the natural course of things I suppose.

The older I get, the more I find myself attracted to the realer, rawer side of heavy music. More and more, I tend to avoid a lot of Metal music that is not firmly rooted in the "Real" (i.e. no fantastical elements). With some exceptions, I also tend to avoid anything that's overproduced, and I'm glad there are bands out there who don't believe that EVERYTHING should be quantized. I feel like that just takes away any emotion and power from music that SHOULD foster emotion and power within the listener. In fact, there seems to be quite a blowback from bands of all subgenres rejecting the still-current trend of over-digitizing music. But, of course, this rejection of quantization and over-digitization doesn't guarantee great results.

A lot of the bands that seem to reject quantizing and over-digitizing are too often bands that are merely repeating what has been done before, and thus are trying to maintain the sound quality of some past era. Whether Black Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal...I keep hearing more and more retreading every year. And the fact that we have had various "retro" waves (Thrash, Death, Proto/Occult and now Doom) is all the more telling that Metal is in serious need of a creative boost.

Concerning my Metal tastes, what I've found most appealing in the last few years is excellent songwriting with either emotional or mental depth (or both), excellent musicianship that avoids overly complex noodling, various qualities that make a specific band distinct or unique, and for Satan's sake, bands that sound MODERN. Obviously, all of these characteristics are pretty subjective, but such is the nature of music taste. *

Of current trends in Metal music, I am most impressed with the skronky Black Metal (aka the house that Deathspell Omega built), Post-Black Metal, and skronky Death Metal (aka the house that Gorguts built). However, I feel like these three styles are approaching over-saturation status rather quickly. I am also enjoying a lot of these bands that I hear combining Hardcore, Crust, and Black Metal in a variety of interesting ways, though many of them come off as being too derivative. Finally, I heard a fair amount of really good Grind/Powerviolence this year. While I love Grind/Powerviolence, they are two subgenres that don't produce a lot of memorable songs and albums. Bands like Unrest, Die Choking, Cloud Rat, and of course, the godfathers of Grind themselves, Napalm Death, have proven this notion wrong this year.

To me, bands that really pushed the envelope this year include Gnaw Their Tongues, Deafheaven, Liturgy, Igorrr, Cloak of Altering, Orakle, Aevangelist, Pyramids, Howls of Ebb, and Dendritic Arbor amongst others. The thing is, I don't even like some of these bands that much, but I fully acknowledge their unique sound and their pushing of boundaries. Despite how controversial Liturgy has been over the last 5 or 6 years, I don't think anyone can willingly admit that their newest album sounds like anyone else in the Metal world right now.

* Now, before you call me a hypocrite, I will explain why a couple of my choices could be designated as having "retro" qualities. For example, Tribulation was definitely going with a "retro" vibe with "Children of the Night". But the thing is, their songcraft is just so undeniably good and their unique mix of Occult/Psychedelic Rock and Death/Black Metal really sounds like no other band out there today (although I'm sure that will change shortly considering their recent success).

An Invisible Oranges writer basically summed up a lot my feelings quite nicely in his 2015 write up.

Without further adieu, here is Judge Dredd's Dreaded Top 10 of 2015:



10. "Qliphoth" Cloud Rat
Hands down the most emotionally gut-wrenching Grindcore album of the year. The band alternates between really crusty, punk-driven Grind songs and slow, churning and at times, shimmering, sludge songs. I get the impression from the lyrics that the vocalist, Madison Marshall, has gone through some pretty heavy emotional shit the last couple of years. A lot of songs focus on the despair of a downtrodden everyday life. A lot of the songs are named after animals ("Raccoon", "Bloated Goat"), which makes me wonder if they're used as metaphors for the lyrics. The French Romantic poet Charles Baudelaire did this, so I wonder if he's a lyrical influence. Baudelaire often took objects (most infamously "Spleen") and would write poems centered around the object. Anyway, it was close, but this probably my favorite Grind album of the year.





9. "Antikatastaseis"Abyssal
"Antikatastaseis" is one evil-sounding album. Albeit, there are some parts that have an almost triumphant sound to them, this album is overall psychologically dark. The record was produced/mixed to make it sound cavernous and murky, so most of the separate elements (guitars especially) have a fairly equal presence. Thus, it's difficult to distinguish each element from one another. This creates a sort of looming, chunky mass of malevolence, similar to that of Portal.




8. "The Armed" The Armed
These guys are kind of off the radar to a lot of Metal fans. They mix hardcore, noise rock, and metal, but a little less on the metal side. They obviously owe a huge debt to The Dillinger Escape Plan, but with this release, I feel like they are moving in a direction that is more their own. Their sound is much more focused in that there are a lot less instrumental gymnastics. Their songs are concise and violent.



7. "Children of the Night" Tribulation
"The Formulas of Death" was one of my favorite albums of 2013. In "Children of the Night", Tribulation take a much more psychedelic/classic/occult rock approach to their already potent mix of Death and Black Metal. I still hear a lot of Dissection influence, which is obviously not a bad thing. Not much more to add that hasn't already been said about this album. Looking forward to hearing more from these guys, and I really hope they don't turn into Ghost (bleh!).



6. "Anareta" Horrendous
It seems like a few bands are starting to "retrofit" the '90-'95 Death sound (as well as other Progressive Death Metal bands of that time, such as Atheist) onto their own sound, but this record stands out for a few reasons. First, there is an unbelievable amount of emotional depth to this album, and that comes out in a lot of different ways, but especially the expressive guitars. The guitarists have almost a mournful, elegant way of expressing melody at points. There almost a lyrical element to some of the guitar melodies. Second, solidly written, memorable songs. Definitely one of the best guitar performances of the year.



5. "New Bermuda" Deafheaven
I'm not really able to add much that hasn't already been said about this band and album. They kind of perfected the "blackgaze" sound (I hate that word) on 'Sunbather' and we've already seen some copycats in the last couple of years (*cough* Ghostbath *cough*). So, I think it was a great move for them to expand their sound in some ways (see the "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer" part in "Brought to the Water") and to make it a bit more aggressive. They took a chance and it obviously produced great results.



4. "Exercises in Futility" Mgla
I sort of suspected that these guys would be doing awesome things in the future when I elected to put their last full length, 2012's "Hearts Towards None", on my honorable mentions from that year. There were a lot of really good Black Metal albums that came out this year: Akhlys, Azavatar, Blaze of Perdition, Leviathan, Deafheaven, Pale Chalice, Bosse-de-Nage, etc., but Mgla stands above the pack for me. Nothing they do, at least on paper, is particularly unique but their sound is immediately recognizable. It's hard to pinpoint what's so damn good about this album, but there is certainly something hypnotic about the music.

 

3. "Lightless Walk" Cult Leader
Easily the meanest, angriest sounding album on my list. Former members of noisy metalcore legends, Gaza, come back more misanthropic than ever before.



2. "Nihil Quam Vacuitas Ordinatum Est" Ad Nauseam
Holy FUCK!!! Where the FUCK did this album come from?! And how come did I see absolutely NO PRESS about this? It's really noisy in the style of Gorguts, and I mean...like, straight up ripping off of Gorguts, but it's just soooooo good. Best Death Metal album of the year BY FAR.



1. "One Day All This Will End" Svalbard
This album came out of nowhere for me a few weeks ago. I cannot FUCKING BELIEVE that this has not been covered more. I've seen it quite a bit in the UK Metal press, but not in the US Metal press for whatever reason. Mixing a variety of subgenres can have disastrous results, as it sometimes comes out like having jigsaw puzzle pieces mixed from different sets, but not having all of the pieces you need to create one uniform image. However, Svalbard's sound is an organic mix of Black Metal, Crust, Hardcore, Screamo, and Post Metal that is uniquely their own (I've often seen the term "Stadium Crust" thrown around...wtf does that even mean?!). The album is an emotional, dynamic journey through various aspects of our modern and digital lives.



Honorable Mentions
"In Times" Enslaved
For some reason I never really got around to listening this album more than a couple of times. As always, though, really good stuff from Enslaved!

"The Dreaming I" Akhlys
This album was so close to being on my Top 10. I love how layered this album is. The layered guitars especially create an almost orchestral element to the music.

"Grindcore" Unrest
The title says it all. A phenomenal Grind album, kind of in the vein of older bands like Terrorizer...but BETTER. Musically tight with dynamic songwriting and songs you can actually distinguish from one another. Better than the newest Napalm Death, IMHO. This album also came very close to being in my Top 10.

"Hubris in Excelsis" Scythian
Some great Death/Black/Folk/War Metal from the UK. Their first album in six years and well worth the wait.

"All Fours" Bosse-de-Nage
Another great Post-Black Metal release from these guys. 

"Lore" Elder
Easily the best "stoner" album of the year. Long jams that don't get boring.

"Sentient Village//Obsolescent Garden" and "Romantic Love" Dendritic Arbor
The almost psychedelic way that this band uses the murky production value combined with their noisy electric guitar collisions (that's what it sounds like) makes "Romantic Love" the most nausea-inducing Metal albums of the year - and one of the best. They kind of encompass a strange intersection of Noise, Powerviolence, and Black Metal. The new single from "Sentient Village//Obsolescent Garden" is a bit more produced and sharp. Truly bizarre and whacked out, and terrifyingly unique.

"Death, Endless Nothing and the Black Knife of Nihilism" Adversarial
Great, evil Death Metal from the Great White North!

"Maktbehov" God Mother
I have a soft spot for Powerviolence/Grind/Punk kind of stuff, but the band has to do it RIGHT (I especially like when bands of that sound use the buzzsaw guitar tone made popular by Entombed). God Mother gets it right in almost every way. 

"Eclats" Orakle
One of my early favorites of 2015. Weirdo-progressive Black Metal from France. It gets a little too much in places, but really interesting stuff overall. Some parts are comparable to Arcturus while others are more comparable to Opeth or Deathspell Omega.

"Bleeder" Mutoid Man
Stephen Brodsky has been one of my favorite musicians for many years, and I kind of suspected this was where a band of his would end up once I saw Cave In covering "Dazed and Confused" by Led Zeppelin many years ago. Nonetheless, some great stoner shredding.

"Absolution" Khemmis
I wrote this album off pretty early. Retro Classic Doom, ya know *yaaaaawn*. But when I actually listened to it I realized how great the songs were. Awesome stuff.


Non-Metal
It's 2015, Metalheads are allowed to listen to different styles of music.

Rock
"Further Out" Cloakroom
"Celestial Frequency Shifter" Anakin
"Ultraluminal" City of Ships
"The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us" Beach Slang
"The Circle Binds" Glower
"The Heart is a Monster" Failure
"Painted Shut" Hop Along
"Sun Coming Down" Ought
"Viet Cong" Viet Cong

Folk/Folkish
"Sallows" ANAMAI
"On Your Own Love Again" Jessica Pratt
"Primrose Green" Ryley Walker

Electronic
"Caracal" Disclosure 
"In Color" Jamie XX
"Obsidian" Benjamin Damage
"1983" Kolsch
"Body Pill" Anthony Naples
"Fading Love" George FitzGerald
"Company" Slime

Emo/Pop Punk/Punk
"No Closer to Heaven" Wonder Years
"Summer Bones" Hit the Lights
"The Story So Far" The Story So Far

Other
"Abyss" Chelsea Wolfe
"Cranekiss" Tamaryn
"Best Blues" Small Black
"Hallucinogen" Kelela

Wulf's Top 10 Metal Albums of 2013 Insanity

So there it is, another year down the drain!! I really wish I had spent more time listening to what came out last year because there seems to have been a lot of good stuff, but unfortunately these days I spend most of my time listening to stupid podcasts and comedians :(
Anyway, that being said, there were still some great albums I did manage to check out, so here's a list of the best music that tortured my eardrums for 2013!!

10.  " Abusing Dismembered Beauties" - Vulvectomy

Yeah, it's a pretty gross first pick to start things off, but I almost had to include this album as a protest to how disappointed I was with the new Devourment album. While this isn't an amazing album by any stretch of the imagination (and even straight up plagiarizes Devourment, see the track "Dirty Rotten Infibulation" (around the 2:25 mark for a complete rip off of a riff from Devourment's classic(k) "Babykiller") but whatever). Also, some of the samples are a bit lame, but besides that this is still a really fun album that brings the brutal vokillz, pummeling drums (even though they're programmed, they sound damn good!!), and, of course, SIKK FUKKING SLAMZ!!!

9.   "Labyrinth" - Fleshgod Apocalypse

While as a whole this album isn't that great (lame cover art too :/), holy shit does it make up for it with energy and enthusiasm.  I guess this is supposed to be some grand concept album about Theseus slaying the Minotaur of Crete, but I didn't dwell too much on this.  Instead, I really just enjoyed this album purely from the music alone-- it's ridiculously over-the-top, bombastic, and fast as fuck!!  It works really great as the soundtrack to something like the God of War series of video games, as the sheer epicness and brutality of the music definitely conjures up images of clashing armies, powerful wizards, impossibly huge structures, and an overall Hollywood-esque aesthetic.
If Rhapsody of Fire (fellow Italians!) ever got bored and decided to be as brutal as possible without kicking out Alex Staropoli, it would probably sound like this.

8.   "Sunbather" - Deafheaven

This is another album that's been talked about to death this year so I don't really have much else to offer, other than that it's a great follow-up to 2011's "Roads to Judah", and that it just goes to show that post-black metal is still one of hottest genres in metal right now (the other being, of course, occult rock).  

Is it still black metal if you take away the Satanism, the corpsepaint, the obsession with nature and misanthropy, and instead focus on emotions and feelings?  Does it ruin a band's credibility if the main fanbase draws from both metalheads and NPR/Pitchfork dorks?  If the music is this good, I would say it doesn't matter.   Yeah yeah, it's essentially The Get Up Kids playing black metal, but you can tell it's genuine.  Also, it takes balls to experiment like this and piss off the hordes of black metal basement dwellers, so to do this AND pull it off shows that these dudes know what they're doing.  Anyway, I'm still exploring this album so I don't know really what else to say at the moment since I really need to publish this post and get on with my life.  I will leave you with this:  Don't be turned off by the haters!  Listen to it for yourself!  THIS is something that truly takes black metal to the next level, much more so than whatever the fuck Liturgy have been trying to pull off with their "transcendental black metal" nonsense. 

7.   "Das Tor" - Paysage D'Hiver

I don't know what it is about Paysage that has always attracted me.   Whenever I listen his (Wintherr's) black metal releases, I always feel as if I'm tuning into some kind of obscure frequency on an old radio, with bizarre, abrasive black metal/static emitting from the speakers and drawing me into a strange world of icy landscapes, alien intelligence, and unrelenting, freezing winds.   His ambient stuff, such as "Die Festung", is also excellent, and is awesome as background music for an RPG night (except Professor Grindstein AKA Gorgoroth the Barbarian just felt like we were listening to Hearts of Space on NPR haha).
Anyway, Judge Dredd may have thought it was just raw black metal nonsense, but for me it was one of the best black metal releases of the year!!  When I first heard this I was running some errands on a super gloomy, rainy day, and while it wasn't exactly the most bitter, grim and frostbitten day of the year, it was enough to really feel the music.  My imagination was transported to that bleak, sorrowful world again, where the riffs, like the wind, droned on and on, almost hypnotically.  I'm getting a little melodramatic at this point, but you get the idea of what this album is all about.  I guess if you mixed Burzum's atmosphere and vision with the horror of Xasthur and the rawness of Striborg, you get Paysage D'Hiver.  Enjoy!!

6.   "Halo of Blood" - Children of Bodom

I know I might get made fun of for putting Bodom on here because I'm not 16 anymore, but I'm just happy that they finally picked up where "Hate Crew Deathroll" left off and finally released a quality album, even if it took them 11 fucking years to do it (In Flames, we're still waiting for you to come around)!!  Anyway, there's not really much to say other than it's arguably the closest we're gonna get to the "classic CoB sound", with catchy songs, great performances and production, and an overall fun atmosphere that distinguished the band early on from all the other melodic death metal bands back the early-mid 2000s.   Fucking finally!!!  Welcome back dudes!!

Fun fact:  Children of Bodom actually stayed at the hotel I was working at when I was living in Sydney...not only did I get to meet Jaska Raatikainen (who was pretty quiet, but nice) at like 7AM, but after the band left they accidently left their tour photo album at the hotel (titled "Dirty Laundry" haha).  While I did get a chance to sneak a peak and check out all the behind the scenes shenanigans the band was up to on this tour, unfortunately there wasn't really very much in the way of shocking lewd pics or anything incriminating, so that was kind of disappointing.  Maybe a few years ago when the band was boozing it up a lot more I would have stumbled across something more crazy... :D

5.   "Peste Noire" - Peste Noire

While not as good as 2011's "L'Ordure à l'état Pur", this is still a good album!!  Part of what really does it for me with this band is the hype, controversy, and sheer arrogance that this band brings to the table (to get a taste of what I'm talking about, check out this interview).
Anyway, I'm actually still digesting this album because there's so much crap going on, but overall it retains the core PN sound (messy, sloppy guitars and production, medieval France atmosphere) with catchy riffs and classical guitar accompaniments and interludes (along with a host of other folk instruments as well).   Ardraos is a killer new drummer as well, with a loose, rickety playing technique that really compliments Famine's style)  Also featuring a slew of guests, if you're a fan of the band you'll probably like this release as well.  I wish I could expand more on this right now, but it's already February 2014 and I'm trying to put this out ASAP!!
Anyway, Famine may be nutty as fuck, but unlike Varg Vikernes, his Norwegian counterpart, it appears like he still knows what he's doing when it comes to releasing quality music.


4.   "Colored Sands" - Gorguts

A labyrinthine death metal masterpiece that sounds as if it was recorded underwater is probably the best I can do as far as describing what "Colored Sands" sounds like to me.  Seriously, put on some headphones and listen to some Hour of Penance or Katalepsy, and then immediately afterwards switch to this record and you'll notice the bizarre production.  What's cool though is that it totally works-- I think it was brilliant to leave the vocals kind of buried in the mix and have the guitars and bass dominate...definitely gives it a crushing, suffocating feeling that really gives it adds a lot to its unique atmosphere.  It also doesn't hurt that the riffs and songwriting are unusual as well.  Yeah, we're talking about Gorguts, but you can't forget that besides Luc Lemay it's an all-star virtuoso lineup with Kevin Hufnagel (Dysrhythmia), Colin Marston (Krallice, Behold the Arctopus, Dysrhythmia), and John Longstreth (Origin, a bunch of other brutal DM bands) tearing it up as well.  Anyway, while it may not be for everyone (I wouldn't describe it as a "fun" record like the usual stuff I like), it's definitely worth checking out!!  I really enjoyed it mainly for the production, atmosphere, and individual musicians' performances as a whole rather than the actual songs themselves :)
Great album art, too!!

3.   "Surgical Steel" - Carcass

Every dummy knows that this is one of the best metal albums of 2013.  It was on everyone's "best of the year" lists, and for good reason!!  The songs are catchy, the production is top-notch, and it's pretty much everything you could want in a badass comeback album from one of metal's most cherished bands!!  There's not really much else to say about it, other than it's a lot of fun and is a great addition to the mighty Carcass discography!

2.   "Obscure Verses for the Multiverse" - Inquisition

Another killer release by a killer band (both in the studio and live), while it's not quite as good as their last record, "Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm" (in terms of production and songwriting), it's definitely still a masterpiece.  There's already been a ton written about this album, so I'm just going to keep it short and say that this one's got all the trademark Inquisition stuff-- the hypnotic, swirling riffs, Dagon's croak, fresh and organic drumming, occult lyrics and atmospherics, etc.  One of my favorite things about this band is their fixation on the link between Satanism and the cosmos, something I've always found fascinating just because I think outer space is scary as fuck. 

Anyway, while a lot of people are turned off by Dagon's Tuvan throat singing-esque vokillz, there's no denying the power of their deadly combo of catchy riffs, pounding drums, and evil atmosphere.

1.   "Henbane" - Cultes Des Ghoules

Are CDG the new Watain??  It seems like everyone was pretty disappointed with "The Wild Hunt", and perhaps the whole "evil mystique" shtick with the band is a bit played out due to their relentless touring and appearance on covers of major metal magazines Terrorizer and Decibel, it seems like the doomed masses have found another BM horde to rule for some time as kvlt kings of all things grim and frostbitten.   There was tons of hype surrounding this release among IMNs, which is pretty surprising considering that the band doesn't do too much in the way of interviews or publicity, and has no official website or other social networking platform.   Anyway, as it turns out, unlike Watain's "The Wild Hunt", the hype here was well-deserved.
What I really love about Cultes Des Ghoules' music is a combination of the evil, ritualistic atmosphere they create, coupled with the primitive, vintage, fuzzed-out production...kind of like old-school Bathory jamming with Electric Wizard.  On top of that, the riffs are great too, with some truly brilliant moments (see the second track, "The Passion of a Sorceress", for where this record truly shines), but the real star of the show is Mark of the Devil's insane vocal performance.  He screams and howls like an absolute madman, and really gives off the impression like he's completely fucking possessed by whatever demon or evil spirit he's attempting to invoke.  Sheer "Vintage Black Magic" indeed!!

So there you have it everyone!!  My top 10!!  I was going to do more for this post, like list my favorite songs, favorite videos, disappointing releases, etc. but I'm so fucking sick of laboring over this and thinking about all the metal that came out in 2013 that I just want to finish it.  Anyway, I'm excited to see what 2014 has in store for us, I've already got my Spotify up and am currently exploring some of the stuff that has already come out, so check back again soon for more updates and other tomfoolery!!  Peace!!

The State of Metal 2013: Judge Dredd's Dreaded Top 10 of 2013

Listen, I’m Judge Dredd...so, that’s what you call me - or El Dredderino if you’re not into that whole brevity thing.  I have a very particular, humbug taste in Metal.  If a band is only trying to sound as br00tal or as kvlt as possible, then chances are I will not like said band.  I will also echo Sergeant D in saying that I’m really tired of all of these bands just retreading old ground.  Sure, there are bands like SubRosa who expand and experiment with the worn-out canvas of Proto-Metal.  However, 99% of these bands coming out now doing Old School Death Metal or Proto-Metal I find to be incredibly unnoteworthy (*yaaaawn*).  The proverbial dead horse being beaten.

That said, if a band has a distinct style, writes memorable songs, or has some emotional depth (or any combination thereof); chances are that I will enjoy them a great deal.  If I don’t enjoy them, I will at least have a lot of respect for them.

After 2012’s blowout of amazing albums, I was fairly certain that this year would be a relative letdown.  And…it kind of was, to be perfectly honest.  But I mean, c’mon…almost all of my favorite bands released albums in 2012.  It was almost unfair that 2013 really even existed (maybe it didn’t and we’re all just in the Matrix…?)

Well, enough of the whine fest, here is my Top 10 for 2013:

Best of the Best

10. Glorior Belli - "Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls"

Glorior Belli’s 2011 effort, “The Great Southern Darkness” (TGSD), was my second favorite album of that particular year.  Not only were the songs on that album memorable and (gasp!) even relatively catchy at times, but they were able to mix Black Metal and Southern Metal without sounding pastiche. 

For some reason, even after hearing a pre-released track from “Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls” (GR, CU), several months ago, I had completely forgotten that they were due to release a new album this year.  Having now listened to it in all of its southern-fried, whiskey-soaked Satanic glory, I can now safely name it as one of my favorite albums this year.

Glorior Belli more or less continued the same sound on "GR, CU" that they had on "TGSD".  However, there are glimpses of a melodicism that was not on "TGSD".  After having listened to both albums more or less back to back, I can safely admit that "GR, CU" has just as good of songs as its predecessor, if not better.

9.  Carcass - "Surgical Steel"



2013 marked the 20th anniversary of the monolithically influential album, "Heartwork".  An album conjured by The Original Gods of Grind and Gore themselves, Carcass.  I think it's safe to say that everyone was waiting with held breaths; expecting a massive letdown with their comeback album.  However, "Surgical Steel" proved to be just the opposite.  There is not much that hasn't already been said about this album, so I will refrain from my typical loquaciousness and merely say this is one of the best Death Metal albums I have heard in a very long time.

Keep on rotting in the free world, Carcass!

8.  Locrian - "Return to Annihilation" 

THIS was the biggest surprise for me this year.  I've only heard some of Locrian's material here and there.  Not being a fan of sparse, minimalistic music in general, I had quite frankly written them off.  It wasn't until "Return to Annihilation" was featured on Invisible Oranges that I decided to give them another shot, and oh my, am I glad I did!  

Tracks like "Two Moons" (a reference to "1Q84", perhaps?) are otherwordly, while tracks like "Return to Annihilation" conjure the anxiety and dread of bands like SWANS.  

An incredibly well done album. 

7.  Dillinger Escape Plan - "One of Us Is the Killer"



While "Calculating Infinity" will always be my favorite DEP album (as well as my top 10 all-time heavy albums), there has not been one year in which DEP have released an album that they have not made my top 10 list for said year.  

Probably not the best explanation for why they made my top 10 list this year, but hey - it's FUCKING DILLINGER.  Expect quality.


6.  Deafheaven - "Sunbather"



When I heard the title track, I knew almost immediately that this would be one of my favorites of 2013.  Loads has been written about this particular Post-Black Metal gem, so I will refrain from echoing what has been said by hundreds of other reviewers.  I just want to say this was a huge step up from 2011's "Roads to Judah" in terms of musicianship, emotiveness, and sound exploration.  For me, they are really expanding on the American Post-Black Metal sound with this album, and I hope other bands will follow suit with their own expansions of the unspoken Post-Black Metal rulebook.

An emotional and epic audio journey. 


5.  Tribulation - "The Formulas of Death"

If someone were to ask me, "Your Exalted Dreddness, which mighty release of 2013 doth thou'st believeth to be hailed as a classic for all time?"  I would most assuredly respond, "Why, 'The Formulas of Death', you fool!  Now, to the guillotine with you for such an insolent question!!!"

Seriously, though.  As soon as I heard the first opening distorted chords after the trippy psychedelic intro, I knew that this wasn't going to be just another mediocre Black Metal release.  Oh no, this was some altogether different monster, my metal brothers and sisters.  

I think "Formulas..." was the biggest surprise for me this year besides "Return to Annihilation" by Locrian.  I had never even heard of Tribulation before I saw them at #10 on Decibel’s Top 40 Albums of 2013 list a month or two ago.  While there are some clear nods to Dissection (and vis-à-vis, Watain) in the songwriting, riffing, and vocals, Tribulation aren't merely rip-offs.  No, not by a long shot. There are influences of psychedelia and rock all over the place.  Not only are there sitar-like, middle eastern sounding passages scattered throughout the release, but there are "loud and soft" dynamics that one does not oft find in generic Black Metal.  

My only complaint is that at 75 minutes, it does drag on a little bit.  I could imagine this release being only 45 minutes, and still feeling like I had just listened to a complete product. 

Despite this feeble complaint, this album MIGHT go down as a classic in the years to come.   

4.  Anciients - "Hearts of Oak"

Well, this band certainly came out of nowhere!  Equal parts Opeth, Mastodon, and Classic/Proto-Metal makes for one fucking incredible album.  These guys are absolutely experts at crafting memorable and dynamic Metal/Rock songs. 

Not much more to say other than that!  Looking forward to hearing more from these guys in the future!

3.  Cult of Luna - "Vertikal"

When this came out at the beginning of the year, I was quick to call “Vertikal” my favorite Cult of Luna release.  After giving it some months’ time, I can still say that it at least rivals my other favorite CoL release, “Somewhere Along the Highway” (2006).  It seems as though the elongated break between “Eternal Kingdom” (2008) and “Vertikal” is just what CoL needed to expand and experiment with their established sound.

While the typical build-ups and climaxes of post-metal's (and CoL's) typical sound are still present, there is a variety of experimentation that CoL has simply not had on their other releases.  For example, intro and interlude ("The One" and "The Sweep", respectively), showcase a heavy use of synthesizers, which to me brings to mind 80s and early 90s Sci-Fi (for some reason 'Terminator' comes to mind).  Another more "out there" track is the drugged-out "Passing Through", which closes the album out simply with some filtered vocals, a single guitar line, a repeating melody on bells, and finally some synthesizer.  Quite different from the maximalist approach that the band usually takes to instrumentation.

The whole album takes on a mechanized, robotic quality, yet still retains very human emotions.  A great release from a band that has finally gone from Post-Metal wannabes to Post-Metal masters.

  
2.  Castevet - "Obsian"

After enjoying their 2010 debut, “Mounds of Ash”, a great deal, I had high expectations for Castevet’s sophomore effort.  Personally, I think they have far surpassed their debut with the release of "Obsian".

One thing that I’ve noticed about “Obsian” as opposed to “Mounds of Ash” is that while “Mounds of Ash” seemed to have one foot in the transcendental and one in the terrestrial, “Obsian” seems to have both feet firmly planted in the transcendental.  I’m an absolute sucker for ineffable music – music that expresses the inexpressible. "Obsian" most assuredly fits the bill.

Furthermore, "Obsian" seems much more focused as one continuous piece of work, even while the individual songs themselves seem somewhat fluid.  But this quality of fluidity is certainly not equivalent to "meandering".  I guess what I'm saying is that the structures of the song SEEM more open than they were on "Mounds of Ash".

Besides Andrew Hock's mystical and fluid, yet abrasive, guitar playing, Nicholas McMaster (Krallice, et al) adds a punchy, expressive bass that really ties everything together.  Much like Colin Marston did on "Colored Sands", McMaster seems to be keenly aware of the balance between technical prowess and playing in the pocket.

An amazing sophomore effort.

1.  Gorguts – ‘Colored Sands’

“And after years of dark tunnels…he came to silence…there was nothing…”

This opening line from Emperor’s swansong describes my feelings towards waiting for the new Gorguts album (but is probably more apt in describing my feelings towards a new Necrophagist album…).

After years of setbacks and unfulfilled promises, my favorite Death Metal band ever released an album that surprisingly fulfilled the years of hype.  From the YouTube rehearsal videos between Luc Lemay and John Longstreth, to the announcement that two of my other favorite Metal musicians, Kevin Hufnagel and Colin Marston, would be joining the newest incarnation, to the two or three pre-released tracks provided by various Metal news outlets; my expectations were at an orgasmic peak.

Nonetheless, I can honestly say that it took me a while to blow my load over "Colored Sands".  However, after I let it sink in, I think it truly measures up to their last two releases, and may even surpass them in certain ways.  It should be made clear that their last two releases ("Obscura" (1998) and "From Wisdom to Hate" (2001)) are two of my favorite Metal releases of all time, so measuring up or surpassing my opinion of these releases is no small feat.  

As mentioned earlier, one element that raised my expectations tenfold for this album was the fact that Kevin Hufnagel and Colin Marston would be in the new lineup.  Hufnagel seems to be following Luc Lemay's lead throughout most of the album, but Marston's bass performance is phenomenal!  While he gets out of the pocket at moments with some tasty technical lines, he comes right back into just laying it down in the pocket.  I think it really adds another dimension to the album.  

I was also impressed with John Longstreth's performance.  While he is a total maniac machine gunner of a drummer in Origin, he totally replicates earlier Gorguts drummers' styles on the new album, while still adding his own unique flair.  Additionally, he adds much more space to the music than he does in Origin.

And, of course, there is Luc Lemay.  From what I remember reading, almost all of the songs and guitar parts were written by Mr. Lemay.  Enough said.

Although I don't think ALL of the songs are as memorable or as incredible as some past Gorguts material, there is no doubt in mind that my favorite Death Metal band has returned with a vengeance.

Best EPs

I generally decline to include EPs in my top albums of the year as just a personal policy.  But this year, there were two EPs that blew me away and left me wanting more.

Fallujah - "Nomadic"

As much as I’ve strayed away from the mundane sensationalism of most Death Metal, there are still a handful of DM bands that continue to inject some emotion into their particular sound (Obscura being another example).  On Fallujah’s EP, they have ditched much of the unnecessary br00tality of their previous album in favor of a more dynamic, melodic, and emotive sound.  A surprisingly quiet ambient track is sandwiched between two great heavier tracks.  This writer, for one, is looking forward to their next full length.

Mutoid Man - "Helium Head"

Stephen Brodsky is one of my favorite musicians, and I tend to get attached to just about anything the man touches.  I know what you're thinking...but my peener is already attached to me, you silly billy!

But seriously, this EP rocks fucking hard.  It's a shame they're a "one-and-done" side project!

Biggest Disappointment:

Beaten to Death - "Dodsfest!"

What the hell happened?!  2011's "Xes and Strokes" is one of my favorite Metal albums of the last few years.  With a angular, yet oddly melodic sound attached to some crushing Grindcore, Beaten to Death are one of a kind!  However, this album just has bad production and unmemorable songs compared to "Xes and Strokes".  I have no idea where they made a wrong turn.  I guess I am the only one who thinks this way, because I've only read good reviews for this album!  To each his own, I suppose.



Honorable Mentions (in no specific order)

Batillus -"Concrete Sustain"
Inquisition - "Obscure Verses for the Multiverse"
Iron Lung - "White Glove Test"
Celeste - "Animale(s)"
Code - "Augur Nox"
Ulcerate - "Vermis"
Nero Di Marte - "Nero Di Marte"
Beastmilk - "Climax"
Nails - "Abandon All Life"

In Defense of Liturgy

Obviously, I'm sticking myself out here for tons of ridicule by white knighting for notorious post-BM upstarts Liturgy, but before I stick up for these guys I'd like to catch everyone up on all the basic drama via some embedded videos and links because I'm lazy:

The Video That Started It All:


HHH's Manifesto (most of it):
http://www.vice.com/read/not-fit-to-print-transcendental-metal

Obviously, it's these two things that have really caused the internet to take the piss out of Liturgy. As far as I know, it all seemed to come to a head when Chris Grigg of the USBM band Woe:
Without Logic - An Open Letter to Hunter Hunt-Hendrix - Metal Review Features and Editorials - Metal Review Community

You can find more interesting reviews, videos, and blog posts about Liturgy on your own, I'm definitely not trying to be exhaustive here.

Last, if you haven't heard Liturgy and you're too lazy to go on youtube or myspace or whatever to listen to them, I'm gonna embed one last video so you can hear them for yourself:


Obviously, for internet metal nerds like myself, this is very controversial stuff! These guys don't look or act very black metal!!

The reason why I feel bad for Liturgy and have some respect for them is because what they're doing is much more ballsy than most other metal bands out there attempting to be "controversial" by being anti-Christian, evil, or even racist! At this point, I feel like the whole "is it OK to listen to Burzum even though he's racist and a murderer?" is fairly played-out, and no one really gives a shit that Nokturnal Mortum or Graveland have strong NSBM tendencies. In 2011, if you really want to stir the pot, bring up Liturgy (or even better, Krallice, Wolves in the Throne Room, Nachtmystium, Deafheaven, etc.) to a bunch of internet metal nerds and watch the fireworks.
Anyway, another strength of Liturgy's is their originality. Obviously, these guys are competent musicians, and their style is unique both musically and lyrically. If you listen to their songs, you'll notice that their sound is very "high" compared to the typical grim, "low" sounds of BM's heavy distortion and thundering drums. Of course, something else to point out is Liturgy's lyrical themes. Sure, Hunter Hunt-Hendrix's "manifesto" is pretentious and a slightly arrogant, but aren't those characteristics that are usually embraced by the metal community? Read any interview with Peste Noire, Judas Iscariot, Deathspell Omega, it doesn't matter...it appears as if all this backlash truly stems from so-called post-black metallers' fashion sense, not music.