Metal Reviews

Right now I'm thinkin it's less black metal but equally awesome. They definitely have a cool sound that isn't like anything else I've heard going on.

This list could change pretty easily:

1 - Fairyland - Score to a New Beginning
2 - Cain's Offering - Gather The Faithful
3 - Gorod - Process Of A New Decline
4 - Porcupine Tree - The Incident
5 - Týr - By The Light Of The Northern Stār
6 - Stratovarius - Polaris
7 - Immortal - All shall fall
8 - Megadeth - Endgame
9 - Devin Townsend - Ki
10 - Canopy - Will and Perception
11 - Celesty - Vendetta
12 - Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
13 - Drudkh - Microcosmos
14 - Killswitch Engage - Killswitch Engage
15 - Vreid - Milorg

Good to see that Gorod on your top 5. It is an awesome album. Def on my top 10.

Yeah I am loving it. It is definitely my #1 for death metal.

Not 100% convinced by the Gorod... I would put Ulcerate, Gigan, and maybe even Gnostic ahead of it in tech-death terms this year. However, should give it more listens to be sure.

I can't quite decide what to think about the new Havohej. It's a pretty straining listen but at the same time I have this feeling that it contains more than what meets the eye (or ear or whatever). No matter what, I find the idea of making Black Metal without riffs or guitars very appealing, and I applaud the fact that this is Prog Black Metal that is actually progressive instead of just mixing up the Black Metal formula with some Gothic Rock or Power Metal and pass it off as innovative which seems to be the norm nowadays. Perhaps it just needs more spins. If that doesn't work I will have to like it on a conceptual basis without actually listening to it from time to time, which would be weird.

I don't see what's so amazing about Gnostic... they sound like an Atheist clone to me.

Nothing's amazing about it and I wouldn't put it in the top 10 of the year by a long shot. But most tech-death is quite limiting by the nature of the genre and Gnostic seem to me to do a good job which I prefer to the Gorod.

Like I said though, I definitely feel like I should give Gorod another chance.

Actually, I'd put Antigama right up there too with those bands, even though it is techy grind, rather than tech death. Similar attitude and truly arse-kicking.

This list wasn't an easy one to conceive...

1. The Ruins Of Beverast - Foulest Semen Of A Sheltered Elite
2. Isis - Wavering Radiant
3. Sunn O))) - Monoliths & Dimensions
4. Panopticon - Collapse
5. Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
6. Giant Squid - The Ichthyologist
7. Marduk - Wormwood
8. A Storm Of Light - Forgive Us Our Trespasses
9. Phideaux - Number Seven
10. Porcupine Tree - The Incident
11. Nile - Those Whom The Gods Detest
12. Altar of Plagues - White Tomb
13. L'Acephale - Malefeasance
14. Astral Luminous - Lunaric Tide
15. Napalm Death - Time Waits For No Slave

Add Katatonia's Night Is The New Day to my list!

These come to mind off the top of my head. Still tons of stuff I either haven't checked out or haven't listened to enough to make a decision.

Gorod - Process of A New Decline
Iron Fire - To the Grave ( Surprised this one isn't getting more love from the True/Power guys)
Dream Theater - Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Slough Feg - Ape Uprising

My favorites so far:

1. The Stone - Umro
2. Between The Buried And Me - The Great Misdirect
3. Ensiferum - From Afar
4. Celesty - Vendetta
5. Kreator - Hordes Of Chaos
6. Hellwitch - Omnipotent Convocation
7. Immortal - All Shall Fall
8. Skeletonwitch - Breathing The Fire
9. Axxis - Utopia
10. Obscura - Cosmogenesis

Almost sure to be added to this list are the new Heavenly, Krallice and Skyfire albums, once I get my hands on them.

The Krallice album is quite good, heard it at my friend's place. Tremolo landscapes, to describe it in short.

The best two records of this year (imo, of course) are Candlemass - Death Magic Moon & Solstafir - Khold. Still undecided which one of these is the best.

There are more great records, of course, but none at the level of these two in my books.

Very tempted to add the new Lost Soul album to my list. Seriously good Polish Death metal. Totally arsekicking.

^^ Still need to check that out, heard very good things about it.

I think I'll have to add new The Chasm on my list, ill shift Slough Feg 6th place and put it 5th.