Metal Awards

Goat's Top 15 albums of 2012

  1. Rush - Clockwork Angels
    It could only be the Canadians. Another amazing album from the best band in the world.
  2. The Gathering - Disclosure
    I worried, but I needn't have. The Dutch band have made a new masterpiece, a beautiful album that I will be playing for years and that I nearly put first...
  3. Elysian Blaze - Blood Geometry
    The most arresting atmospheric experience of the year, Elysian Blaze have set the bar higher for black metal.
  4. Enslaved - RIITIIR
    Norwegian's finest blacksmiths release another masterpiece.
  5. Sigh - In Somniphobia
    Japan's most mentalist black metal band, at their best.
  6. High on Fire - De Vermis Mysteriis
    Pike and co's heavy metal thunder continues to enthral.
  7. Cattle Decapitation - Monolith Of Inhumanity
    Incredible album, death/grind perfection.
  8. A Forest Of Stars - A Shadowplay For Yesterday
    British black metal continues to go from strength to strength
  9. Candlemass - Psalms For The Dead
    Genuinely perplexed at the poor reaction to this, a brilliant slice of doom from the masters.
  10. My Dying Bride - A Map Of All Our Failures
    A compelling and weighty tome of doom from the masters that gets better with every listen.
  11. Meshuggah - Koloss
    Catchy and immediate, crushing and powerful, Koloss is an awesome statement of intent from Meshuggah.
  12. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution
    Not quite as good as the album before, but still top-notch death metal.
  13. Nachtmystium - Silencing Machine
    A crushing album that gets better on every listen.
  14. In Mourning - The Weight Of Oceans
    Big, bold, epic melodic death loveliness.
  15. Asphyx - Deathhammer
    This is true death metal, you bastards!
Goat's Top 5 surprises of 2012

  1. Cult of Fire - Triumvirát
    Czech black metal is alive and roaring! Expecting great things from this band in the future.
  2. Abigail Williams - Becoming
    Swapping the deathcore elements in their sound to turn atmospheric, Abigail Williams proved their talent here.
  3. Torche - Harmonicraft
    Thunderous pop metal sure to put a grin on your face. It certainly did mine.
  4. Hung - Hung
    A pleasant surprise, I look forward to this band going from strength to strength.
  5. She Said Destroy - Bleeding Fiction (EP)
    Woo! More material from an excellent band that I'd pretty much forgotten about. Won't be doing so again!
Goat's Disappointment(s) of 2012

  1. Burzum - Umskiptar
    After two very good comeback albums from Varg, I felt he dropped the ball a little here.
  2. Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion
    That's it? Expected more from such a collaboration.
  3. Drudkh - Eternal Turn Of The Wheel
    It's not bad, but nor is it great. "Boringly competent" sums it up well.
  4. Lamb of God - Resolution
    The sound of a band running on empty, Randy and co are going to have to do something very interesting to pique my attention again...
  5. Ministry - Relapse
    Was generous to this at the time, but it did make me wonder whether Al wouldn't be better off putting the band back on hold...
Goat's words about 2012
  1. Not a bad one, all in all. Found it hard to pick albums for the 'joke' category, which either suggests I missed a lot or the year was a good one! I suspect the latter, given how hard it was to pick my top fifteen - quality was everywhere I looked, and that I cut out excellent releases from Nile, Ihsahn, Soulfly, and Be'Lakor is not to impugn on the reputations of those artists by any means. I have to point out too that written as this is with several important albums of 2012 not having yet passed my ears, the lack of mention here doesn't make it a poor one - apologies to Swans and Godspeed You! Black Emperor in particular for not lending your albums my time and praise. The top album may come as a bit of a surprise, but it's the one that shook my world the most, and those who have heard the top few will know what a difficult decision it was ultimately - they're all wonderful albums that more than deserve your ears. Ultimately, however, you can't beat Rush, despite my being literally unable to tell you how much I love that Gathering album - the Canadians are my favourite band, and although it took awhile to grow on me Clockwork Angels is yet another masterpiece in their amazing discog. Here's to 2013 and all the musical magic it will undoubtedly bring.