AOTY 2013: Top 20 Albums

The time has come.

Everyone talks about how great the aging year was and how many great albums were released, then presenting their personal favourites and move on. I stumbled upon all kinds of quality music this year and I will keep a number of records under daily listen if possible, for quite some time. However, I don't see why Sunbather, Colored Sands, Teethed Glory and Injury are so great that you guys couldn't grasp a breath while listening to them. I could not get very much into any of these, so don't expect them high in this list at all. 

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Wishes I.

AOTY 2013: Top 10 failures

I don't want to widely justify why these albums were a disappointment for me, that's why there will be the list only. Of course, I included albums from bands that I had hopes of something good and received a washed out, lame record, not just any bad album I came across this year. I'm usually polite with my negative points but some albums this year hit me hard and got on my nerves, so I present the hate.

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10. Ghost B.C. - Infestissumam

Loma Vista Recordings

Stop worshiping this band like they're the inventors of music because it's really nothing more than fancy dark cloaks and pseudo satanic imagery. I would stand this album if it was not so shallow and annoying. While Opus Eponymous almost had a couple of nice rhythms, this fails everywhere.

9. Nocturnal Poisoning - A Misleading Reality

Self-released

I do not want Xasthur back either and that's not the reason why I put this in the list. I was actually interested to listen what would this acoustic project would be, but it shares little emotion after all. I was not touched by it at all and the repetitive mellow melodies made me sick. It's not atmospheric or melancholic as it was supposed. Keep going if you feel it guys, but I'm not going to follow.

8. Glorior Belli - Gators Rumble, Chaos Unfurls

Agonia Records

Did Glorior Belli always have so many stoner elements in their music? If these guys tried to mix black with stoner here, they totally failed, apparently they're not good at experimentation. Most of the songs are way too boring to even review this at all, spare your time with something better.

7. Alice in Chains - The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here

Capitol Records

The only thing that reminds of Alice In Chains with this band of today, is Jerry. All is fragile and mediocre, apart from Jerry, who is like the Iommi of grunge. This album will break the hearts of all grungeheads out there, because the once huge AiC are now mainstream, MTV rock. Fetch me!

6. Rotting Christ - Κατά το δαίμονα εαυτού

Season of Mist

I respect this band very much, but this is one of their worst albums I have listened, if not the worst. Incomprehensible subject, too many studio effects, hardly any solid guitar work. The whole album is like an introduction to a main part that never came after all. No.

5. Burzum - Sol Austan, Mani Vestan

Byelobog Productions

Ideal for sleeping! As much as I like his past albums up until Fallen (yes, all the way until Fallen) this one is average, spiritless ambient that bores me to death. Read more here.

4. Gehenna - Unravel

Indie Recordings

This is really bad, for something to come out after eight years of waiting. I don't expect Gehenna to return to the glorious times of their first four albums, but I didn't expect a snail paced, weak and monotonous album like this either. The production is horrible (are there any drums? Or is that a pumping noise behind the harsh guitar moaning) and the tracks are juvenile. I asked myself more than once during my first listen, are these the same Gehenna I knew?

3. Sepultura - The Mediator Between the Head and Hands Should Be the Heart

Nuclear Blast

Not a single good guitar riff was produced that day. Did you laugh with the title too? Wait to hear the music. Anyhow, Sepultura are long gone, the guys should stop raping the band's corpse and leave it at peace at once.

2. Satyricon - Satyricon

Roadrunner Records

Definitely one of the hardest punches in the face I got this year, from a band I adore(d) that decided to go, who knows what. The modern Satyricon play thin rock that even the last rebel laughs at. Again, do not get fooled by various music sources that call it a masterpiece and an album that will mark the future, the band's highest peak so far and other stupid statements like these. It's by all means bad. A bad album. Check my review here.

1. Megadeth - Super Collider

Tradecraft

I can't get into Mustaine's mind, what the heck is he thinking? Is he jealous of the wonderful carreer of Metallica and wants to be like them? Did he aim for another classy album like Risk? Did he forget how to write solid lyrics? He found God again and finally got educated about this scientific thingy called super collider that got him so impressed that he wrote an album that's close to the worst in his carreer. I don't put 0 in a rating easily, but this would get it. By far the worst album of the year and now my image of Megadeth is further damaged, for life.

AOTY 2013: Top 15 EPs

 

15. Nazgûl – Witch of the Northern Frost

Hygieia Records

Sweet epic black metal by a Tolkien inspired new band. It has great synths, great melodies, nice piano and generally solid ideas.The production is clean enough and the album is mostly middle paced, mostly for fans of atmospheric black metal. The changes between acoustic and distortion parts reminded me a little of early Ulver, but the music is not really any further equivalent to them.

14. Ingested - Revered By No One, Feared By All

Siege of Amida Records

As a fan of this band, I enjoyed the new EP as much I did of their last album The Surreption. Not much have changed since then and if you like their previous stuff, you will like this as well.

13. Firtan – Wogen Der Trauer

Self-released

[Black clouds devour the light]

The first time I listened to this, I was impressed! Warm sound of melodic German / Swedish riffs and raged vocals, fused with amazing synths and keyboard. The record is mostly revolving around pagan black metal and it's German spoken, while it contains half an hour of amazing, well crafted music.

12. Zozobra – Savage Masters

Brutal Panda Records

[A chorus of war]

I didn't like this band until this EP, I can't get into their first stuff at all. This, however, builds the mixture of dirty sludge, hardcore and post-metal that's immense and crushing. Not to mention the breathtaking, vintage occult front art it has, among the best covers I saw this year.

11. Odem – Valley of Cut Tongues

Daemon Worship Productions

[Cult of flesh]

With this release, Odem combine pure death metal vocals with third wave, orthodox driven guitar work and nineties extreme metal solos. It creates organized chaos and it's captivating. To me, the signs shown in this EP are way better than what they did in 2010 and they should continue like that, definitely among the seriously aggressive bands of black / death.

10. Infernal Revulsion – Infernally Revulsed

Alliance Trax

[Will is to kill]

I'm glad these guys changed from pathetic brutal death metal into a more technical, modern death, bass drop and breakdown type of thing. I don't like the way they murdered their production but it sounds improved and fresh, really enjoyable.

9. Vampire – Vampire

Self-released

[On my way down to hell]

Organic old school death / thrash, very honest and organic. This EP has four tracks and they all kick some serious ass, for fans of 80s / 90s underground metal, horror, Fenriz-approves bands and generally cult patch metal. I don't know how they got into Century Media, I'm looking forward to their full length in the spring of 2014. Under the grudge...

8. Jess And The Ancient Ones - Astral Sabbat

Svart Records

Isn't this an adorable band? And trippy too... Two members of the death metal band Demilich (now named Deathchain) play here and the music itself is worderful, majestic and unique. The way I see it, if a new full length gets built at the level of these two tracks (and one cover) it will be better than their debut. Can't wait.

7. Grá – Necrology of the Witch

Unexploded Records

Even if this band is a little more silent than the rest of it's country and time, I think they are one of the best outcomes yet. The self-titled was brilliant and this is distorted, deranged and uncompromising, in the service of it's art and only. The songs are dark and alluring, with a great painting as a front art, a great Freezing Moon cover and a song title in Greek (On the Way to the Styx). Grá need more attention than what they get.

6. Gevurah - Necheshirion

Profound Lore Records

[Divine ignition]

I was unsure of what to think of the band with their first demo, which has few but good moments. With this new release, they totally got into the list of bands to look out for. The hammering sound is amazing, the musicianship is also very good, the compositions are tight and accurate, bringing up a unique and scourging style of black / death metal, full of dissonant riffing and bitter vocals. I love the particular subject as well, which puts them somehow into the orthodox scene. Anyway, fascinating release.

5. Pig Destroyer - Mass and Volume

Relapse Records

[Harder than gravity]

I was fond of this band, even though I can't stand grindcore for much time. They have some awesome records out already and their name is correctly a trademark for the genre. And what a turn is this! They decided to experiment in this new EP, creating some of the heaviest sludge I have listened, for what I know. I'm not sure what of the impression it will leave to the fans, since it's way slower and "indifferent" that what they usually do (the first track is 19 minutes, equal to their whole debut) but I love it. Lay back, be patient and it will burn you from the inside.

4. Sun Worship - Surpass Eclipse

Self-released

Definitely not your average atmospheric black metal band. Two songs are contained in the EP and in the first "Castle High" lies one of the most wonderful riffs I heard this year, while "Eclipse" is also a thick, crushing and prodigious track. The record is intense and malefic, very deep and artistic. I didn't know this band and now I'm definitely a fan.

3. Ash Borer - Bloodlands

Gilead Media

You either get along with these bands or you don't. This band is honest and straightforward. They don't fuck around, they spend time for their releases and they hand them out when they are perfect. This EP hardly lacks anything and it's as good as their previous albums, in the same feeling and equally dark, devastating atmosphere.

2. Blut Aus Nord - Liber III - What Once Was...

Debemur Morti Productions

Loved the black metal, loved the ambient parts. I don't have much to say about this monster band. Third eye opener for sure.

1. War Master - Blood Dawn

Torture Garden Pictures Company

Fuck yeah death metal! If this doesn't get you moving, you should revise your standards and think things through again, because it's among the most brilliant records for this genre this year. They stepped out of the Entombed phantasm and grew into something of their own, along with their influences, and with their new Blood Dawn they shall tear everything apart. Top class, high quality, of the finest branch, only for you.

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Locals to check out:

ArchDaeva - Kia - Escaping the Pain of Creation

Serpent Path –I, The Creator

BiotoxicWarfare - Baptized in Blood and Greed

Collapse fromInside – Among the Deceased

AOTY 2013: Top 10 demos

10. Devouring Star – Demo

Self-released

Great new discovery! These Finnish dudes did a great job with this two song demo and their material is very promising. I'm curious to listen to more stuff by them and a full length is needed. Quite clean production for a demo and a chaotic sound similar to Deathspell Omega (but less complex, maybe) and raspy vocals on the top.

9. Phlesh – Demo / Promo

Suicidal Black Art Productions

One man project from Vancouver, Canada. Crystal clean sound, as if it's a full record and better, inducing into crushing black metal with great vocals and great strength, more close to the Swedish scene. A new album is set for early 2014 and this works as a promo for that upcoming release as well, including three compositions, of which one is an interlude.

8. Monument – Geminae

Dead Section Records

Dark and intense stuff by this obscure American act. The demo lasts almost ten minutes and it's quite noisy, but it gives a great feeling of decay when listening to it. The reason I chose it is because it has everything primitive I like in such records, both tracks are relentless and brutally wonderful! Apart from the fast, hammering parts, there are also slower, almost drone-like moments, perfect for world outsiders. Geminae has it's own deranged experimentation and that's why it's unique.

7. Hrungnir - Hymn to Bragi

Self-released

Dark ambient / dungeon synth records rarely make it to a full length list, since there are so many other stuff for me to include. However, small and neat demos have their own beauty especially when it comes to medieval keyboard music, battle samples and folkoric atmosphere. Hrungnir's demo contains two tracks of exactly that and that's why I loved it. Specifically, the change of the second track “The Chants of Old Heroes” from a depressive, evil melody to a bard's flute in a castle on a sunny day, is really great.

6. Impious Blood – Temple of Flesh, Pillars of Bones

Nexro Records

Killer stuff by Impious Blood. The only flaw of the demo is that it's short, and it has unnecessary instrumentals. For more comments about it, click this.

5. Ancient Crypts – Devoured By Serpents

Iron Bonehead Productions

Old school death metal from Chile. Second demo, in the veins of foul odor bands like Asphyx and Autopsy, with powerful compositions and great arrangement. The demo is not that original, but it's not indifferent either, building it's atmosphere from the guitar sound and melodies, as well as the hellish vocals. For fans of merciless death metal, this is ideal.

4. Beastiality – Ancient Bell Chimes

Self-released

A mixture of awesome Swedish death metal, occultism and early Bathory. More information here.

3. Montsegur - Under The Banner Of Witchcraft

Self-released

When I saw that the band is influenced by bands like Vlad Tepes and Moonblood in their Bandcamp, I thought “not another band of nothing” but it's nothing like that. The kvlt atmosphere and awesomeness of the nineties black metal unsung heroes is all over this beautiful record. Audible sound, great musicianship and accurate song writing, along with a medieval artwork and very cool titles, make this demo one of my favorites of the year. All the fan freaks out there should get this.

2. Serpentfyre - Of Darkness & True Light

Cursed Tapes

It's possible that this might be an EP after all, but it's entitled as a demo in their bandcamp so that's how I'm going to count it for. Outstanding work by this Finnish act, puts them among their best acts for me already, even though that's their only release. Absolute darkness and excellence.

1. Skógr – Skógr

Self-released

It's strange how I enjoy this a lot more than the full length these guys released this year as well. I was always a fan of well written, chilling depressive black metal. This has the production, the vocals, the riffs and the atmosphere of a DSBM act (similar to Irrwisch, early Woods of Desolation) but it's sped up, giving a hell of a result. I did not go through many demos this years, but because of personal tastes, this was the most breathtaking. Listening to it is like a journey and I recommend the fans and only, to give it a chance.