2008 Metal Top Ten
It’s been a hard year to pick a top ten. I’ve got a list of worthy mentions that has 11 albums in it - all of them worth a spot in the top ten in any normal year. Utterly spoilt for quality and choice this year. So without further adieu...
Metal Top Ten
1) Virus - The Black Flux
I had high hopes for this new Virus album, from the moment I heard it would be recorded. It’s not often I get my hopes up, as I learned many years ago, it was one sure way to be dashes upon the rocks of disappointment. However, anything that involves Carl-Michael “Czral” Eide will never foist that fate upon me, or anyone else for that matter. Not only did he survive the fall from a several stories high balcony, albeit disabled, he continues to write and play. He can no longer play the drums, but his sublime off kilter guitar playing has not suffered.
This album is somewhat less user friendly than the previous release, Carheart, perhaps sitting 20% distance between that and the work released as Ved Buens Ende, stylistically at least. This is a far darker album than Carheart, much closer in tone to VBE work, but sounding entirely more disharmonic. A miasma of moody, proggy, brooding rock/metal. Uneasy and uncomfortable, Songs ebb and flow, they groove at times, and grind oddly at others. CME’s voice remains as imperfect in technical terms, but as perfect as ever for the music and lends it a somewhat otherworldly feel. A far more accomplished vocal performance than he has ever previously produced. An album that is comparable to few other sounds, other than those 2 already referenced.
You won’t hear anything else like this from 2008, or the years before, and its very likely not from the years to come. A modern masterpiece of unease and a victory for music in an era of blandness.
2) Lifelover - Konkurs
Having enjoyed the previous 2 albums by Lifelover, I was expecting a good album, but certainly nothing quite this amazing. This is a cracking, if not utterly random and schizophrenic release, somewhat in the vein of the previous album, Erotik. As a result, this album is likely to be hated by as many as it is loved. From bell clanging ambient moments, to post rock, to grinding speed, to blackmetal, to fuzzy doom filled moments. This is a real mixed bag - something attempted before, and rarely anything other than a mess - that whilst feeling very disjointed, works somehow. The songs are strong - some of them very memorable, the vocals well varied, and songs are plentiful (a 60 minute album! So often these days albums are 30 mins or less). My only complaint is the recording quality is a little low, which I think stops some of the ambition clearly within from being fully realised.
3) Skepticism - Alloy
Skepticism albums are always something to look forward to. Always good. But this one really is great. This is what funeral doom should sound like. Slow, methodical, bleak, but without failing to be musical and utterly enjoyable. Why Finland seems to be such a hotbed for FD is not clear - perhaps the same reason they seem to have a lot of mass shootings! Either way, a ripper of a doom album and worth a listen almost just for the first track (The Arrival) alone!
4) Urfaust - Drei Rituale Jenseits Des Kosmos
Whilst not everyone’s cup of tea, I do have quite a soft spot for Urfaust. I still don’t think I can find a better way to describe than the way one reviewer did - it was her description that led me to seek them out in the first place - like the bastard offspring of Brian Eno, Ethel Merman and Burzum. The shrieking vocals are as shockingly visceral as ever, and the music is even more hypnotic and buckled. Although seemingly an EP (who knows with Urfaust though, as album lengths vary wildly) if this is a taste of more to come then a top ten spot for 2009 should be assured. Difficult, painful and melancholic listening at its finest.
5) Nachtmystium - Assassins
In 2008 it appears that Nachtmystium have out Enslaved’d Enslaved. In the vein of Ruun/Isa era Enslaved this album is a cosmic-psychedelic blackmetal mishmash wunderbaum of joy. As with many modern releases, it feels a little on the light side content wise, but musically is great. Quite a departure from their previous releases, and probably one many of their older TRVE KVLT fans may dislike, they have received widespread critical acclaim for a unique and powerful album. The lyrics are a little inane, so don’t listen too hard to them.
6) Fen - The Malediction Fields
Fen have previously only released an MCD which was really enjoyable, and certainly hinted at a bright future. The Malediction Fields picks up where Ancient Sorrow left off with a unique blend of shoegaze/post-rock styling and more pure bashing blackmetal. Slightly more developed and fleshed out than the EP/MCD, another good long release for the year (also coming in just a smidge under 60 minutes) with plenty of variety to keep most interested. As previously, the vocals are left sitting slightly back in the mix, and the rest of the instruments clash towards the front. The only real downside is that it sounds like it was recorded in the same cave near the ocean as the MCD. Which may be intentional, but I hope not, as a slightly less clouded, overfilled sound would IMHO be a very good thing, allowing the music to really breathe. Good quality headphones will help to some degree, but not solve the issue sadly.
7) Hollenthon - Opus Magnum
When first told of Hollenthon, and their link to Pungent Stench, most people I think would be expecting something quite horrid and messy. But that’s exactly what Hollenthon are not. The music is extremely well produced with clear and crisp sounds. Instruments are well balanced against the vocals, and sufficient emphasis is given to the bass - important on an album that sounds as if it wishes to sound epic - and it does. Truly epic. Dense, groovy, infused with classical, jazz and Middle Eastern influences. Gently howled female and honey smooth male vocals, with breaks of rabid growling. Head snapping time changes, huge guitars, big bass - a classic extreme metal album with hints of Folk, Blackmetal and Death Metal to ensure interest for fans of many sub genres. Every song is different, and not a crap one to be found.
8) Moonspell - Night Eternal
Moonspell can be a fairly hit and miss band. They have released some great albums, some good albums, and some pretty space filler type albums. This one definitely falls into the great category. Everything great about Moonspell is captured here. Brooding and often rough vocals, slightly sexy (they certainly seem to be at their best when appealing to the dark hearted ladies of the world) and entirely awesome. Black rock/metal at its best.
9) Deathspell Omega - Chaining the Katechon
I come close to breaching the no EP rule here. A single 25 minute song, as long as many albums released lately, so it counts as far as i’m concerned. Plus, it’s also half of a CD you can buy as a double, in a split with S.V.E.S.T. What a fucking orgasm of sound DSO have become. Mad, messy, heavily layered, just amazing. As usual DSO manage to sound like nothing else around, heavy and subtle at once, with breakdowns that could almost sound funky if they didn’t have such a latent undertone of malcontent, and if they didn’t as easily slice back into the heat of the preceding moments. An amazing release, and if it were a full album, almost certainly my number 1 or 2. Just amazing - Spine chilling.
10) Satyricon - The Age of Nero
Ah black’n roll. That’s what this album is. It’s not a blackmetal album. If you want or are expecting a blackmetal album, buy or listen to something else, ‘cos this aint it. Groovy, catchy and rockin - that’s what this is. In a similar style to Now, Diabolical, Satyricon have created a slightly less restricted album with Age of Nero. Still rock solid and as tight as an album of this sort can ever sound, but with a slightly less mechanical feel, and a bit more soul. A must have.
Honourable Mentions (in no particular order)
Enslaved - Vertebrae
In the same vein as Isa and Ruun once again, but slightly more cloudy sounding, and a little lacking in instant grab as a result. Still a great album, but a little weaker than the 2 that preceded it.
Vreid - Milorg
I very much enjoyed the first 2 Vreid albums, but the last one was a bit of a stinker. I don’t think I was alone in thinking that as this is a return to something much more akin to the earlier albums. Black’n roll ahoy.
Kerbenok - O
Similar in style to Negura Bunget, but not quite as well executed. Very emotive, expansive sounds, with well crafted story like songs.
Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale
2 huge CD’s of sound (for one low price, with free steak knives!). I love sitting in the dark wearing headphones listening to this album. A fantastic rolling doom album. Massive ugly vocals, and a wall of guitar sound bigger than me. Some truly mind shattering electronic drone also makes for a happy listening experience.
Moss - Sub Templum
It sure has been a great year for doom. Here’s another beauty to add to the list. Much less refined than the other doom album’s i’ve given the big ol’ thumbs up, this one is a thick pile of sludgy, plodding heaviness. Straight from the swamps.
Asva - What You Don’t Know is Frontier
More doom! This time in the drone arena. Like a slightly more musical version of Sunn O))) and I think a less morose one. Rather than being an exquisite exploration of the horrors of the mind, this also drifts into slightly brighter tones, all the while remaining a droning doom release.
Krallice - Krallice
Brilliant debut from a bunch of young lads. Blackmetal at its raw and smashing best.
Arckanum - Antikosmos
Arckanum have discovered electronics and progressive sounds. Nothing at all like the primitive early work, but still utterly grim and possessed by hatred - terrific!
Taake - Taake
A self titled album after all these years? Doing a Metallica on us. Unlike Metallica’s now widely bemoaned album, this one is a ripper. Much like the album that preceded it, Hordalands Doedeskvad, this is uncompromising, up tempo, bang your head and drink beer blackmetal.
Lantlos - Lantlos
Another of the brood of blackmetal/shoegaze bands that are starting to appear. Grittier and less easy listening than some other albums in this style - a fantastically rewarding piece of music.
Dishonourable mentions
Darkthrone - Dark Thrones and Black Flags
I wasn’t sure whether to put this in my top 10, or in the dishonourables. I think I am putting it here as it becomes tiresome rather quickly. If the guys ever sober up long enough to read some of the super serial reviews people are writing about their music, they will shit their pants laughing.
Opeth - Watershed
Blah, boring, blah. Same riffs, same stuff. With some totally out of place “experimentation” that sounds as forced as it no doubt was.
Ihsahn - AngL
Not a horrific album, but just too.. un inspired. I think we have a right to expect more, especially as the previous solo release was quite good, although poorly recorded.
Metal Top Ten
1) Virus - The Black Flux
I had high hopes for this new Virus album, from the moment I heard it would be recorded. It’s not often I get my hopes up, as I learned many years ago, it was one sure way to be dashes upon the rocks of disappointment. However, anything that involves Carl-Michael “Czral” Eide will never foist that fate upon me, or anyone else for that matter. Not only did he survive the fall from a several stories high balcony, albeit disabled, he continues to write and play. He can no longer play the drums, but his sublime off kilter guitar playing has not suffered.
This album is somewhat less user friendly than the previous release, Carheart, perhaps sitting 20% distance between that and the work released as Ved Buens Ende, stylistically at least. This is a far darker album than Carheart, much closer in tone to VBE work, but sounding entirely more disharmonic. A miasma of moody, proggy, brooding rock/metal. Uneasy and uncomfortable, Songs ebb and flow, they groove at times, and grind oddly at others. CME’s voice remains as imperfect in technical terms, but as perfect as ever for the music and lends it a somewhat otherworldly feel. A far more accomplished vocal performance than he has ever previously produced. An album that is comparable to few other sounds, other than those 2 already referenced.
You won’t hear anything else like this from 2008, or the years before, and its very likely not from the years to come. A modern masterpiece of unease and a victory for music in an era of blandness.
2) Lifelover - Konkurs
Having enjoyed the previous 2 albums by Lifelover, I was expecting a good album, but certainly nothing quite this amazing. This is a cracking, if not utterly random and schizophrenic release, somewhat in the vein of the previous album, Erotik. As a result, this album is likely to be hated by as many as it is loved. From bell clanging ambient moments, to post rock, to grinding speed, to blackmetal, to fuzzy doom filled moments. This is a real mixed bag - something attempted before, and rarely anything other than a mess - that whilst feeling very disjointed, works somehow. The songs are strong - some of them very memorable, the vocals well varied, and songs are plentiful (a 60 minute album! So often these days albums are 30 mins or less). My only complaint is the recording quality is a little low, which I think stops some of the ambition clearly within from being fully realised.
3) Skepticism - Alloy
Skepticism albums are always something to look forward to. Always good. But this one really is great. This is what funeral doom should sound like. Slow, methodical, bleak, but without failing to be musical and utterly enjoyable. Why Finland seems to be such a hotbed for FD is not clear - perhaps the same reason they seem to have a lot of mass shootings! Either way, a ripper of a doom album and worth a listen almost just for the first track (The Arrival) alone!
4) Urfaust - Drei Rituale Jenseits Des Kosmos
Whilst not everyone’s cup of tea, I do have quite a soft spot for Urfaust. I still don’t think I can find a better way to describe than the way one reviewer did - it was her description that led me to seek them out in the first place - like the bastard offspring of Brian Eno, Ethel Merman and Burzum. The shrieking vocals are as shockingly visceral as ever, and the music is even more hypnotic and buckled. Although seemingly an EP (who knows with Urfaust though, as album lengths vary wildly) if this is a taste of more to come then a top ten spot for 2009 should be assured. Difficult, painful and melancholic listening at its finest.
5) Nachtmystium - Assassins
In 2008 it appears that Nachtmystium have out Enslaved’d Enslaved. In the vein of Ruun/Isa era Enslaved this album is a cosmic-psychedelic blackmetal mishmash wunderbaum of joy. As with many modern releases, it feels a little on the light side content wise, but musically is great. Quite a departure from their previous releases, and probably one many of their older TRVE KVLT fans may dislike, they have received widespread critical acclaim for a unique and powerful album. The lyrics are a little inane, so don’t listen too hard to them.
6) Fen - The Malediction Fields
Fen have previously only released an MCD which was really enjoyable, and certainly hinted at a bright future. The Malediction Fields picks up where Ancient Sorrow left off with a unique blend of shoegaze/post-rock styling and more pure bashing blackmetal. Slightly more developed and fleshed out than the EP/MCD, another good long release for the year (also coming in just a smidge under 60 minutes) with plenty of variety to keep most interested. As previously, the vocals are left sitting slightly back in the mix, and the rest of the instruments clash towards the front. The only real downside is that it sounds like it was recorded in the same cave near the ocean as the MCD. Which may be intentional, but I hope not, as a slightly less clouded, overfilled sound would IMHO be a very good thing, allowing the music to really breathe. Good quality headphones will help to some degree, but not solve the issue sadly.
7) Hollenthon - Opus Magnum
When first told of Hollenthon, and their link to Pungent Stench, most people I think would be expecting something quite horrid and messy. But that’s exactly what Hollenthon are not. The music is extremely well produced with clear and crisp sounds. Instruments are well balanced against the vocals, and sufficient emphasis is given to the bass - important on an album that sounds as if it wishes to sound epic - and it does. Truly epic. Dense, groovy, infused with classical, jazz and Middle Eastern influences. Gently howled female and honey smooth male vocals, with breaks of rabid growling. Head snapping time changes, huge guitars, big bass - a classic extreme metal album with hints of Folk, Blackmetal and Death Metal to ensure interest for fans of many sub genres. Every song is different, and not a crap one to be found.
8) Moonspell - Night Eternal
Moonspell can be a fairly hit and miss band. They have released some great albums, some good albums, and some pretty space filler type albums. This one definitely falls into the great category. Everything great about Moonspell is captured here. Brooding and often rough vocals, slightly sexy (they certainly seem to be at their best when appealing to the dark hearted ladies of the world) and entirely awesome. Black rock/metal at its best.
9) Deathspell Omega - Chaining the Katechon
I come close to breaching the no EP rule here. A single 25 minute song, as long as many albums released lately, so it counts as far as i’m concerned. Plus, it’s also half of a CD you can buy as a double, in a split with S.V.E.S.T. What a fucking orgasm of sound DSO have become. Mad, messy, heavily layered, just amazing. As usual DSO manage to sound like nothing else around, heavy and subtle at once, with breakdowns that could almost sound funky if they didn’t have such a latent undertone of malcontent, and if they didn’t as easily slice back into the heat of the preceding moments. An amazing release, and if it were a full album, almost certainly my number 1 or 2. Just amazing - Spine chilling.
10) Satyricon - The Age of Nero
Ah black’n roll. That’s what this album is. It’s not a blackmetal album. If you want or are expecting a blackmetal album, buy or listen to something else, ‘cos this aint it. Groovy, catchy and rockin - that’s what this is. In a similar style to Now, Diabolical, Satyricon have created a slightly less restricted album with Age of Nero. Still rock solid and as tight as an album of this sort can ever sound, but with a slightly less mechanical feel, and a bit more soul. A must have.
Honourable Mentions (in no particular order)
Enslaved - Vertebrae
In the same vein as Isa and Ruun once again, but slightly more cloudy sounding, and a little lacking in instant grab as a result. Still a great album, but a little weaker than the 2 that preceded it.
Vreid - Milorg
I very much enjoyed the first 2 Vreid albums, but the last one was a bit of a stinker. I don’t think I was alone in thinking that as this is a return to something much more akin to the earlier albums. Black’n roll ahoy.
Kerbenok - O
Similar in style to Negura Bunget, but not quite as well executed. Very emotive, expansive sounds, with well crafted story like songs.
Esoteric - The Maniacal Vale
2 huge CD’s of sound (for one low price, with free steak knives!). I love sitting in the dark wearing headphones listening to this album. A fantastic rolling doom album. Massive ugly vocals, and a wall of guitar sound bigger than me. Some truly mind shattering electronic drone also makes for a happy listening experience.
Moss - Sub Templum
It sure has been a great year for doom. Here’s another beauty to add to the list. Much less refined than the other doom album’s i’ve given the big ol’ thumbs up, this one is a thick pile of sludgy, plodding heaviness. Straight from the swamps.
Asva - What You Don’t Know is Frontier
More doom! This time in the drone arena. Like a slightly more musical version of Sunn O))) and I think a less morose one. Rather than being an exquisite exploration of the horrors of the mind, this also drifts into slightly brighter tones, all the while remaining a droning doom release.
Krallice - Krallice
Brilliant debut from a bunch of young lads. Blackmetal at its raw and smashing best.
Arckanum - Antikosmos
Arckanum have discovered electronics and progressive sounds. Nothing at all like the primitive early work, but still utterly grim and possessed by hatred - terrific!
Taake - Taake
A self titled album after all these years? Doing a Metallica on us. Unlike Metallica’s now widely bemoaned album, this one is a ripper. Much like the album that preceded it, Hordalands Doedeskvad, this is uncompromising, up tempo, bang your head and drink beer blackmetal.
Lantlos - Lantlos
Another of the brood of blackmetal/shoegaze bands that are starting to appear. Grittier and less easy listening than some other albums in this style - a fantastically rewarding piece of music.
Dishonourable mentions
Darkthrone - Dark Thrones and Black Flags
I wasn’t sure whether to put this in my top 10, or in the dishonourables. I think I am putting it here as it becomes tiresome rather quickly. If the guys ever sober up long enough to read some of the super serial reviews people are writing about their music, they will shit their pants laughing.
Opeth - Watershed
Blah, boring, blah. Same riffs, same stuff. With some totally out of place “experimentation” that sounds as forced as it no doubt was.
Ihsahn - AngL
Not a horrific album, but just too.. un inspired. I think we have a right to expect more, especially as the previous solo release was quite good, although poorly recorded.