i was gonna hold off on this until i, you know, got home and actually took a look at all the shit i have that came out last year. but i'm at work and i'm bored, so if i forget anything, which is likely, i'll add it later. set your weapons to "flame" 
the great:
#1 metal album: klabautamann - der ort
black metal, forest atmosphere, savage and ample acoustic interludes, long, epic tracks, masterful dynamics...just thinking about this album gives me a violent erection. i'll be rec'ing this one next week fo sheezy.
#1 non-metal album: dungen - ta det lugnt
trippy prog inventiveness, catchy hooks, vintage psychadelia--this album is fucking awesome...pick it up soon, the hipster community is already starting to catch on :Smug:
edit: joselito caught me, this came out in 2004 originally. but the rerelease with (equally excellent) bonus material is 2005, so
SAMPLE: dungen - panda
SAMPLE: dungen - tyst minut (bonus track)
SAMPLE: dungen - jamna plagor (bonus track)
nile - annihilation of the wicked
brutal, precise, neck-snappingly fierce. nothing this year made me bang my head harder than that wicked riff near the start of the title track.
kylesa - to walk a middle course
awesome hardcore/crust/metal album--mixed sludgy doom riffs, fist-pumping hardcore vox, and cool, dark atmosphere (esp towards the end)...lays waste to their previous stuff
primordial - the gathering wilderness
nothing i can say about this one that hasn't been said fifty times already around here
moonsorrow - verisakeet
i think it speaks enough about this album that it easily makes my list and i feel like i haven't given it NEARLY as many spins as it needs to sink in...i need to stop buying new shit and focus on the good shit i haven't fully absorbed
yyrkoon - occult medicine
crushing, yet very listenable death metal riffage...kinda got lost in the shuffle but its ability to get my head banging time and time again never ceases to amaze me
***************************************************************
the good:
sin origin - in the presence of a dread magician
the *only* reason this doesn't make the short list is i can't bring myself to put an album on that i've had for less than a week and only listened all the way through twice
helrunar - frostnacht
this is good. really fucking good. i have to put it here because on the first listen it blew me away, but again, not enough time--this one could easily make it onto a retrospective list.
queens of the stone age - lullabyes to paralyze
took a while to warm to it, but man did it surprise the fuck out of me when i did
taake - ...doedskvad
savage, grim, true black metal. if the entire album was as good as the final track it would make the top list easily.
impaled - death after life
"christ, the infection's spilling out of his ass!!"
opeth - ghost reveries
i think my expectations prevented me from enjoying this to the extent that i should have. a few flaws, but overall a very enjoyable effort.
ballast - sound asleep
between this, kylesa, and the nausea kick i've been on recently, i evidently have a thing for crust with female vox. these canucks churn out confident hardcore with good catchy moments and plenty of heaviness
the works - the works
dungen-related project, very similar but with even more of a beatlesy psych-pop vibe...great sunny day summer music
***************************************************************
the disappointing:
dark tranquillity – character (liked it a lot at first but have barely listened to it since)
omnium gatherum - years in waste (so much for melodeath)
the mars volta - frances the mute (i'll probably end up eating my words on this one though...i hope so)
the really not bad at all:
behemoth - demigod
i think that'll do for now, cheers
.....
the great:
#1 metal album: klabautamann - der ort
black metal, forest atmosphere, savage and ample acoustic interludes, long, epic tracks, masterful dynamics...just thinking about this album gives me a violent erection. i'll be rec'ing this one next week fo sheezy.
#1 non-metal album: dungen - ta det lugnt
trippy prog inventiveness, catchy hooks, vintage psychadelia--this album is fucking awesome...pick it up soon, the hipster community is already starting to catch on :Smug:
edit: joselito caught me, this came out in 2004 originally. but the rerelease with (equally excellent) bonus material is 2005, so
SAMPLE: dungen - panda
SAMPLE: dungen - tyst minut (bonus track)
SAMPLE: dungen - jamna plagor (bonus track)
nile - annihilation of the wicked
brutal, precise, neck-snappingly fierce. nothing this year made me bang my head harder than that wicked riff near the start of the title track.
kylesa - to walk a middle course
awesome hardcore/crust/metal album--mixed sludgy doom riffs, fist-pumping hardcore vox, and cool, dark atmosphere (esp towards the end)...lays waste to their previous stuff
primordial - the gathering wilderness
nothing i can say about this one that hasn't been said fifty times already around here
moonsorrow - verisakeet
i think it speaks enough about this album that it easily makes my list and i feel like i haven't given it NEARLY as many spins as it needs to sink in...i need to stop buying new shit and focus on the good shit i haven't fully absorbed
yyrkoon - occult medicine
crushing, yet very listenable death metal riffage...kinda got lost in the shuffle but its ability to get my head banging time and time again never ceases to amaze me
***************************************************************
the good:
sin origin - in the presence of a dread magician
the *only* reason this doesn't make the short list is i can't bring myself to put an album on that i've had for less than a week and only listened all the way through twice
helrunar - frostnacht
this is good. really fucking good. i have to put it here because on the first listen it blew me away, but again, not enough time--this one could easily make it onto a retrospective list.
queens of the stone age - lullabyes to paralyze
took a while to warm to it, but man did it surprise the fuck out of me when i did
taake - ...doedskvad
savage, grim, true black metal. if the entire album was as good as the final track it would make the top list easily.
impaled - death after life
"christ, the infection's spilling out of his ass!!"
opeth - ghost reveries
i think my expectations prevented me from enjoying this to the extent that i should have. a few flaws, but overall a very enjoyable effort.
ballast - sound asleep
between this, kylesa, and the nausea kick i've been on recently, i evidently have a thing for crust with female vox. these canucks churn out confident hardcore with good catchy moments and plenty of heaviness
the works - the works
dungen-related project, very similar but with even more of a beatlesy psych-pop vibe...great sunny day summer music
***************************************************************
the disappointing:
dark tranquillity – character (liked it a lot at first but have barely listened to it since)
omnium gatherum - years in waste (so much for melodeath)
the mars volta - frances the mute (i'll probably end up eating my words on this one though...i hope so)
the really not bad at all:
behemoth - demigod
i think that'll do for now, cheers
.....
