When looking at a certain scene from
year to year, over a fairly long period of time (let’s
say, around five years), patterns start to rise and also the path a genre
follows over time becomes more apparent. Trends come and go. Old bands get
older, new bands pop up like acne, the system changes on many levels and the
fan should be ready to adjust and follow. For the first time in years, I was
actually disappointed by many bands I expected more from and was also impressed
by bands out of my radar, while the situation outside the musical borders is
clearly affecting festivals, artists and news websites.
I was obsessed with following each and
every new release within a genre I was interested in a couple of years ago, but
I’m
slowly switching into a state of only going after bands I think are vital and
serious, whether I like their music or not. This will get clearer to me during
2019 and how I will deal with stuff then.
I stopped counting after I had listened
to 507 albums this year, and I’m not sure how many more I listened to
the last month or something, but the number gives a general idea of the metal I
consumed in 2018. Enough for a list here anyhow. I decided I will probably not
get into doing that next year though, and maybe the lists might get smaller,
even though I think a size of ~20 is perfect for each year.
In the past, I had created a system to
rate an album with points up to 100, by rating specific elements of it (like
drums, lyrics, sound, etc…) but it was strictly for guitar centered music which failed
me completely in genres outside that, so I abandoned it. However, I modified it
this year and added some more elements to it, in order to alter in specific
circumstances (for example: vocals are excluded in instrumental releases and
are replaced by something else), in order to cover as much of my taste as
possible. The aim is to have a program where I blindly enter a bunch of ratings
about a music album and it gives out an overall percent, similar to Metal
Archives’
rating system.
I used this for this year’s
list and it was around 90% accurate, and after running everything through that
filter, albums took their own spot in the list without me worrying about it or
losing my sleep over it. I did a few changes in the end, but after all this
effort, 2018’s list was one of the easiest.
Apart from the top 25, the following
are some other interesting lists for this year:
Let’s
get going.
2018: Top 25 albums
25.
Pagan Hellfire – At the Resting Depths Eternal
Tour
de Garde | Listen
I was lucky because this was released
just about when I was finishing a listening marathon of all their releases, and
I didn’t
really know about it. Nothing will beat Solidarity
to me but At the Resting Depths Eternal
has a great flow and amazing compositions. I think there is improvement space
for the vocals (imagine the ripping voice from SdG for example) but in general, very good black metal.
24.
Ascension – Under Ether
World Terror Committee | Listen
One of the bands that kind of started
in the shadow of Watain musically,
but soon evolved into their own entity, and especially in Under Ether they have pretty much nailed a unique sound with
elements from everywhere in the alternative music spectrum. The album hit very
hard during the first few listens, but at some point later in the year I
stopped listening and came back now in December. In other terms, it might have
been above the top 15, maybe. Ascension have a lot to offer to the listener
with their new record, for sure.
23.
Mørketida - Panphage Mysticism
Werewolf
Records | Listen
An album mostly structured around
middle-paced, pure black metal compositions, would in theory not work in my
mind. This Finnish band comes to prove me wrong with some really beautiful,
deep and captivating material in their debut album Panphage Mysticism, which is also among my favorite releases from
Finland this year as well. The country had a great year, now that I think about
it. This record has hypnotic lines as needed, wonderful vocals, great artwork,
and it uses the simplest elements of the genre to sound unique, making their
work more and more addictive the more you listen.
22.
Carved Cross - The Yawning Abyss of Perdition
Goatowarex
| Listen
An energetic band of the Australian raw
black metal scene, Carved Cross do
not rest. There are only three full lengths among numerous releases since 2012,
but The Yawning Abyss of Perdition is
the one that took me in its arms and held me for pretty much its whole duration
without me getting bored or startled. In a way, it’s
a pretty easy listening album, stripped to the basics, repetitive, with its own
beauty. I didn’t like them as much in the past, but the latest album is
totally fine.
21.
Paragon Impure – Sade
Ván
Records | Listen https://paragonimpure-vanrecords.bandcamp.com/album/sade
I seriously thought this band was dead,
and Sade is much different than the
debut that came out thirteen years ago. By now, they have a proper production,
with relatively clean sound, and an utterly disgusting concept. The lyrics are
almost as shocking as the works of Marquis, and the music can be described as,
in a sense, modern black metal with many decent guitar lines. Some of the
tracks are longer than needed, but I’m glad Paragon Impure are back, because they are.
20.
Spectral Wound – Infernal Decadence
Les
Fleurs du Mal Productions | Listen
The first release of Infernal Decadence again was in cassette
format only and in limited quantities, as their debut three years ago. Spectral Wound have a unique
understanding of the purpose of their music and they demonstrate an excellent
compositional skillset, with addictive tracks, full of power and memorable
riffs. The production and instruments sound great, it left a very good
impression to me, at even higher levels than Terra Nullius (it might be a bit more lyrically consistent, maybe?
I don’t
know).
19.
Sargeist – Unbound
World
Terror Committee | Listen
While some people believe that Sargeist actually fell of the track
with their new album, which does not follow the pure black metal energy and
sound they had in previous works, I think that specific energy was boosted to
the sky in Unbound, providing the
world with their most multi-faceted and complete record to date, a glorious
offering by an anyways great band. There were line-up differences and all of it
is obvious in the music, which has taken serious leaps forward and deserves
repeated listens.
18.
Angantyr – Ulykke
Northern
Silence Productions | Listen
After a few years of silence,
Ynleborgaz is back with Angantyr and
Make a Change…
Kill Yourself in 2018. Ulykke stayed in my player for much longer in the long run compared
to IV, an hour-long deep piece with
amazing riffs, droning atmosphere and all of the Angantyr nuances I’ve been missing. The project has been
gradually evolving since the 00’s and Ulykke has more than you could ask for from him.
17.
Lucifer’s
Child –
The Order
Agonia
Records | Listen
The debut was great, but The Order surprised me in a very positive way. Modern, energy fuelled, with a bunch of great riffs, really cool vocals, and a proper sound, Lucifer's Child surpassed themselves after an already successful first record. The musicians involved are experienced anyway, and The Order is one of the best releases from Greece this year. The first two tracks are serious hitters too.
16.
Kriegsmaschine – Apocalypticists
No
Solace | Listen
Apocalypticists
was released when rumous of a new Mgła
record were growing, which is an amazing way to surprise the fans, especially
with such a high-quality black metal album. Most people are very aware of the
band beforehand, but to newcomers I would suggest paying attention how the drum
work in this record pretty much rips you and blast beats apart with the force
of the cymbal, standing among the albums with the most unique drum lines in the
whole of this genre. Apocalypticists
is highly immersive, with an infectious flow, lots of hidden gold moments, a
feast until demigods Mgła
return.
15.
Horrendous – Idol
Season
of Mist | Listen
A superb, excellent, perfectly crafted,
death metal record that lifts the genre a bit higher. If it had different
vocals, maybe more growls instead of high pitched screams, it would have been
top five for me. Expect to see this in many lists of 2018, an album that is
worth owned for the strikingly beautiful cover that reminds of the mouth of
Sauron, as well as the fine musicianship. Horrendous
were out and about in album-of-the-year material the previous years as well,
but only now they hit close to my heart.
14.
Watain – Trident Wolf Eclipse
Century
Media Records | Listen
Watain
are in a position that whatever they do, they will be hated. Around the
controversy, the awards, the global recognition, people watched them get
mellower in The Wild Hunt, but
Trident Wolf Eclipse has the kind of melody that was only going on between Casus Luciferi & Sworn to the Dark, not even Lawless Darkness. The new record has
good lyrics, it has some great tracks and it’s very catchy, as well as hard hitting
at times.
13.
Obliteration – Cenotaph Obscure
Indie
Recordings | Listen
At first Cenotaph Obscure seems more stable and less furious compared to Black Death Horizon, which was
brilliant. Yet, it is a multi-faceted album with a fabulous approach on death
metal as well as the band’s sound, which is once again very potent in all aspects of
their music.
12.
Varathron – Patriarchs of Evil
Agonia
Records | Listen
One of the most respected and
influential bands of Greek black metal released maybe my favorite album by them
this year. Patriarchs of Evil is
flawless, with amazing tracks and great memorable moments all over the place,
great production, great lyrics, very atmospheric and mainly residing in the
Hellenic black metal core sound. I was never a Varathron fanboy but their discography is profound, and I have now
found the top of the pyramid.
11.
Mylingar - Döda drömmar
Amor
Fati Productions | Listen
Where did this come from? An unknown to
me band comes out with some really intense, unconventional and pretty brutal
kind of death metal. The tracks are addictive once you get behind them, while
the whole listening experience is unsettling, like holding burning coal. I
remember I was taken off guard when I first listened to it and until now, I
enjoy it the same. Tracks like “Skammen” or “Besvikelsen”
are on frequent repeat. It turns out they have released an EP in 2016, but Döda drömmar is something else.
10.
Djevel – Blant Svarte Graner
Aftermath
Music | Listen
Finally, Djevel made it. They had a streak of good albums, with ounces of
potential of breakthrough, but they didn’t escape the heavy burden of the
Norwegian black metal shadow. Now, with Blant
Svarte Graner they present a true masterpiece of how the term sounds like
in this day and age, with supreme guitar lines, acoustic parts, vocals, variety
and flirty looks to Norwegian titans like Taake.
All of it is in Norwegian, and it’s a proof that supergroups can happen
to -not- suck, from time to time.
9.
Portal – Ion
Profound
Lore Records | Listen
While Portal are considered death metal masterminds, I couldn’t
ever get into them that much and their blend of chaotic, atonal body of work
didn’t
really deliver the genius or the claustrophobia as they are said to induce by
the audience. It’s an interesting band to say the least. With Ion, I could finally sit through the
full album and appreciate that time as time not wasted, since the record some
tracks, art and a feeling that I enjoy. The prolific production gives the album
the light it needs, as they muddy / thick production of older records ruined it
for me. Ion is one of the albums I
will surely remember when thinking of what happened in the scene, in 2018.
8.
Carpe Noctem – Vitrun
Code666
Records | Listen
A top-notch second album by an overall,
way above average band, which had left me speechless with their debut in 2013. Carpe Noctem’s
new album is equally well thought through, they unravel many interesting
musical ideas with a great production and fine musicianship. This might have
been within the first three spots if it weren’t for a few more silent
moments when Vitrun seemed to be in a
halt, but regardless of that, I absolutely have favorite 2018 tunes from this
album.
7.
Nécropole – Solarité
Northern
Heritage Records | Listen
After a series of successful demos,
this project finally comes out with a full length of perfectly written black
metal of epic proportions. One of the records I also bought in physical format
this year, as it’s out through one of the most solid labels of the genre and
also the minimal approach of the band is adorable. It also musically kicks ass,
and even though I missed Caverne in
2015, I kept an eye out for this. Wonderful.
6.
Fluisteraars / Turia – De Oord
Independent
| Listen
I was in a huge dilemma whether to
include this or not. Since it’s a split release, and I like doing
releases by format, bastardizing lists in such a manner would jeopardize the
integrity of the whole operation, at least that’s what my nerd list brain
tells me. On the other hand, I would not do a list with splits this year and
this just can’t go to waste. In splits, as in demos (big example is my
demos #1, Dispirit, which could
easily be in a full length list), some releases are in overall, bigger than a
regular mini release of their kind. That’s why, I decided to include it after
all, and look at how high it reached. I hate myself for ignoring Fluisteraars and I have to admit, I
have not had such intense chills even when listening to Agalloch, if a comparison with a band of similar kind needs to be
made. Both tracks in here are breathtaking, immensely beautiful, among the best
pieces within “atmospheric” black metal I have ever listened.
5.
Ungfell - Mythen, Mären, Pestilenz
Eisenwald
| Listen
Last year, I made a wish for Ungfell to improve their production for
their following album. A contract probably arrived rather quickly, so we had
their second album a year later, and my wish also came true. The new album has
the proper sound for the band, all the folky passages are glorified, and the
main black metal body of Mythen… is wonderful and even catchier than
the previous album. Well done.
4.
Funeral Mist – Hekatomb
Norma
Evangelium Diaboli | Listen
I was in a really bad mood after the
smelly potato that was Viktoria. The
two albums were released close to each other, so I went into Hekatomb with a negative gut feeling,
and during the first listens, it didn’t really move me. Yet again, it might
be the album I have gone back to and listened to the most this year, for some
reason. There are some spectacular tracks here, the riffing is often
relentless, even in the goofier tracks. I can’t say Hekatomb is the revelation that were the
previous two records, but I’m glad he stepped in to save the day
from the Marduk failure. At the end
of the day, I think I like it done like that. Since June, by now I listen to
all of the tracks in the record with equal pleasure.
3.
Akitsa – Credo
Profound
Lore Records | Listen
I was skeptic when I first saw the
cover for Credo, as it has abandoned
the wondrous black / white aesthetics Akitsa
had since their inception two decades ago. It turns out it is the most robust
and most complete album from the project, with noise and punk elements, great
black metal parts, great production and proper length. I have always been a fan
of Akitsa but they never completely
achieved high spots in my year to year archives, however this time Credo has almost no weak musical point,
and some truly addictive tunes.
2.
Imperial Triumphant – Vile Luxury
Gilead
Media | Listen
There has never been a metal album that
was a bigger challenge for me to go through, for as long as I remember myself
infecting my ears with this shit. Vile
Luxury is a very difficult record to get across, and the amount of musical
content that each track has risen at really high levels. The tracks are
perfectly placed, the lyrics are unique, the music is the definition of unique,
the musicians are talented to an extent unknown within extreme metal (intended
exaggeration). I had seen the potential in 2015 with Abyssal Gods, which was also high in that year’s
list. But Vile Luxury was at #1 for
2018 for many months, almost until the end.
1.
Svartidauði – Revelations of the Red Sword
Ván
Records | Listen
It is exactly six years since the
monumental debut of this band. And by exactly, I mean it literally, as both
records were released on the 3rd of December, in 2012 and now in
2018. We have had sparse Svartidauði
releases in the meantime, but the long-awaited second full length is already
hanging out with the absolute best contenders for BM of the current decade, or
even in the more general realm even. They have not been eaten up by their own
snake hole, compared to Flesh Cathedral.
The evolution and the marksmanship are a fact, as Revelations…
is truly aural poetry, one that touches excellence in all aspects. For me, they
are at the top of the food chain in this current wave of quality Icelandic
black metal. I can definitely live with this until December 2024.
★
Thanks for the attention,
fuck hope and godspeed
★
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