Black Metal.

[A1a23]

Yeah that demo is fucking amazing and the production is ace.

 

[Einherjar86]

I love Windir. I had 1184 first, and a friend of mine recently gave me Arntor and Likferd; they're a class act, in my opinion.

 

[cookiecutter]

I'd say yes.

I agree with that

 

[rms]

Likferd, Arntor and Soknardalr are simply oustanding

 

[Perdition's Light]

Anyone want to post a list of the noteworthy releases in black metal (and death metal if it's not going too much against the purpose of this thread) of 2009? By noteworthy I mean albums good enough to make your end-of-year top 10 or 20 lists.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Sure...here's some of mine...not all of them are good enough to make my top 10 but they're all worthy of a look:

BM:
Arckanum - ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ
Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Stars
Fäulnis - Gehirn zwischen Wahn und Sinn
Katharsis - Fourth Reich
Nazxul - Iconoclast
Graveland - Spears of Heaven

DM:
Ignivomous - Death Transmutation
Slugathor - Echoes from Beneath
Helcaraxë - Broadsword

 

[Einherjar86]

I'd suggest Wodensthrone's album, Loss.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

BTW the first on both of my lists WILL unequivocally make my top ten of the year of all genres. They're awesome.

 

[Perdition's Light]

I've heard all but the Arckanum, Faulnis (who I'm unfamiliar with), Helcaraxe (again, lazy), and Graveland albums. What does Faulnis (too lazy to do umlaut) sound like? And how is the new Graveland, is it more of the same? Most Graveland doesn't do anything for me except for oldschool Graveland like Carpathian Wolves and Thousand Swords. And lastly, what is that Helcaraxe album like?

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

Fäulnis is kind of an interesting blend of various types of "3rd wave" BM (that doesn't mind rocking out here and there) with a decidedly "urban noir"ish feel in aesthetic. It's not incredibly original or anything, but it's worth checking out. It intrigued me from a visual perspective, so I checked it out and enjoyed it. I'd recommend at least trying it.

The new Graveland is more of the same, but it's a good "more of the same" and he's certainly not really getting bad...I like all his recent stuff really, it's all worthy. The last track brings early Pink Floyd to mind for the first half, so it's the closest he comes to progression, which makes it worth checking out too.

Helcaraxë is mid-90s sounding death metal with good production and a surprising amount of trad-y power metal balls. Kind of Arghoslent-ish, but with unfortunately poor songwriting/song development (lots of short songs that end before they really blow their load, so to speak). It's good stuff though, anyway, and they're probably only going to keep improving.

 

[Perdition's Light]

Awesome reply, thank you. The Fäulnis album sounds very intriguing and along the lines of something I would enjoy. I'll definitely get around to checking out the Arckanum (I hope it's a tenth as good as Kostogher, the only Arckanum album I own) and Helcaraxë albums and if they're good enough I'll buy em. Someday I'll give Graveland another chance but Darken puts out music so fast it's kind of overwhelming for someone who wants to get into his music because it can be difficult figuring out where to start and how to progress through the catalog.

If anyone else has any more '09 black/death recs, post em. I wish this board were more active lately, it seems to have slowed down a lot since back when I first joined. Perhaps I'm mistaken, I was probably less bored back then and only checked the board once a day.

 

[challenge_everything]

For me there is a lot of decent BM this year, but very little that stands out. Skagos' Ast and Austere's To Lay Like Old Ashes are probably the best things I've heard. The former is really good no frills atmospheric BM, in the line of Fen's Malediction Fields (if you've heard that) but much better, the latter is depressive BM with great melodic riffs, excellent song development and a strangely uplifting mood.

 

[Chaosmönger]

Anyone want to post a list of the noteworthy releases in black metal (and death metal if it's not going too much against the purpose of this thread) of 2009? By noteworthy I mean albums good enough to make your end-of-year top 10 or 20 lists.

Black metal:

Weapon - Drakonian Paradigm
Varathron - Stygian Forces of Scorn
Katharsis - Fourth Reich
Nazxul - Iconoclast
Absu - Absu
Beherit - Engram
Archgoat - The Light-Devouring Darkness
Arckanum – ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ
Funeral Mist - Maranatha
Samael - Above

Death metal:

The Chasm - Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm
Seance - Awakening of the Gods
Asphyx - Death...the Brutal Way

Black/death/other:

Impiety - Terroreign (Apocalyptic Armageddon Command)
Destroyer 666 - Defiance
Cobalt - Gin
Necrophobic - Death to All
Teitanblood - Seven Chalices
Embrace of Thorns - Atonement Ritual
Hod - Serpent
Razor of Occam - Homage to Martyrs

 

[Tonka Time]

I've been listening to Marduk's Wormwood, great album I'm definently going to buy it. They've almost become a sort of better produced, faster Funeral Mist. I can see where some people that didn't like Maranatha could be dissapointed with this release though.

 

[challenge_everything]

Nazxul - Iconoclast
Funeral Mist - Maranatha
Samael - Above
Destroyer 666 - Defiance
Cobalt - Gin
Necrophobic - Death to All

These are all safely avoidable IMO.

 

[divine_torture]

Anyone heard Proclamation-'Execration of Cruel Bestiality' yet? I'm really enjoying it. Might just write a review for it, actually.

 

[ASD]

These are all safely avoidable IMO.

Actually, Cobalt's Gin is a great album. Its black/death that makes you feel like your in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or any other southern, sweaty, dark, and bloody scenario.

 

[Ravager61]

Actually, Cobalt's Gin is a great album. Its black/death that makes you feel like your in the Texas Chainsaw Massacre or any other southern, sweaty, dark, and bloody scenario.

I find that Glorior Belli's new album has a similar vibe. I actually think its surprising that no one has talked about it much. I think it might make my top 10 this year.

 

[Master_Yoda77]

Anyone want to post a list of the noteworthy releases in black metal (and death metal if it's not going too much against the purpose of this thread) of 2009? By noteworthy I mean albums good enough to make your end-of-year top 10 or 20 lists.

Beherit - Engram is the AOTY.

 

[Koude Haat]

Anyone heard Proclamation-'Execration of Cruel Bestiality' yet? I'm really enjoying it. Might just write a review for it, actually.

Yeah, i like the album a lot. They pretty much do everything right when it comes to bestialshit. Also love the aesthetics