GMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 2008

[dwellerINTHEdark]

1. Falls of Rauros - Hail Wind and Hewn Oak
2. Haggard - Tales of Ithiria
3. Carach Angren - Lammendum
4. Virgin Black - Requiem - Fortissimo
5. Ceremonial Castings - Salem 1692
6. Evilfeast - Lost Horizons of Wisdom
7. Neo Inferno 262 - Hacking the Holy Code
8. A Forest of Stars - The Corpse of Rebirth
9. October Falls - The Womb of Primordial Nature
10. Ásmegin - Arv

 

[Phylactery]

Haven't heard this, I'll check it out. Have you heard Legion of Doom's album from this year? Really underrated stuff. I need to bump it up a few spots on my list.

I haven't actually heard any Legion of Doom outside of Kingdom of Endless Darkness which I love. Listening to some tracks from this now, and wtf, I was not expecting this. It's like really accessible and melodic! Nothing like the grimness of the debut. Sounds a lot more typically Hellenic in its 'warmness' whereas Kingdom of Endless Darkness was clearly more indebted to the Norwegian scene. It seems promising though, thanks!

Have you heard that Perversor record I mentioned earlier?

Hope you like the Vanhelgd!

 

[rms]

I'm not sure why you choose to engage her. You obviously do give a fuck about it.

I really don't care about Repkas history and haven't engaged that at all ya doofus. Go blacksmith me some skyline chili

 

[The Ozzman]

I really don't care about Repkas history and haven't engaged that at all ya doofus. Go blacksmith me some skyline chili

This makes absolutely zero sense. You engaged Omni but then claim you didn't?

 

[rms]

Ozz you stoner I don't care about Repkas credibility, re read brutha

 

[The Ozzman]

Ozz you stoner I don't care about Repkas credibility, re read brutha

You're not understanding me. You engaged Omni regardless of the topic. You have stated in the past to others 'Why do you engage her?'.

So, I'm asking you why you are engaging her now

i'm not arguing, I literally don't give a shit.

You literally do give a shit by responding to her

 

[rms]

oh, ok. i always engage her when I see her being socially retarded, like the CIG thing to where she went silent for like 3 weeks. didn't think it'd last this long though, bored now

 

[Phylactery]

1. Dead Congregation - Graves of the Archangles
2. Vanhelgd - Cult of Lazerus
3. Absurd/Grand Belial's Key/Sigrblot - Weltenfeind
4. Averse Sefira - Advent Parallax
5. Darkspace - Dark Space III
6. Forteresse - les hivers de notre époque
7. Necrovation - Breed Deadness Blood
8. Arghoslent - Hornets of the Progrom
9. Deathspell Omega - Manifestations 2002
10. Perversor - Cult of Destruction

Honourable mentions:

Cultes des Ghoules - Haxan
Adversarial - Thralls (I like this more than their full lengths tbh)
Karnarium - Karnarium
Mgla - Groza
Deathhammer - Forever Ripping Fast
Faustcoven - Rising From Below the Earth
The Lamp of Thoth - Portents, Omens and Dooms
The Gates of Slumber - Conqueror
Hades Archer - Penis Metal
Manilla Road - Voyager
Pest - Rest in Morbid Darkness
Steadfast - Forefather

Need to listen to the Legion of Doom album more, before I decide if it makes my list or HMs.

This year was really fucking good actually and people who have said it isn't clearly haven't listened to enough releases from it!

Song of the year: Dead Congregation - Teeth into Red

Edit: Swapped Cultes des Ghoules for Deathspell Omega. Forgot how good Manifestations 2002 is.

 

[-CC-]

To jump in late to the Ed Repka discussion - I had no idea that he plagiarized and was a bit saddened when reading through the blog that Omni mentioned. HOWEVER, Omni did make it seem like he was all over the blog, when in fact only two covers were mentioned (released in 2012 and the other in 2018). I don't see how that level of plagiarism completely discredits him as an artist, especially his 80's art (which is awesome). I will admit that the Twisted Prayers art is pretty bad because the faces are the focal point of the piece and the band should be getting a big chunk of money back for that. I'd be more upset if he was plagiarizing for his earlier iconic work, as it seems to me that he just got old and lazy at the end of his career. It's shameful, but not legacy-ruining IMO.

Here are the two covers in question:

 

[Dak]

Man that's some lazy shit.

 

[Sirjack]

That Frazetta piece is beautiful.
Reminds me of an old Savage Sword of Conan

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Certainly not.

Try these if you haven't heard them:

Absurd/Grand Belial's Key/Sigrblot - Weltenfeind
Averse Sefira - Advent Parallax
Vanhelgd - Cult of Lazarus
Cultes des Ghoules - Haxan
Karnarium - Karnarium
Forteresse - Le Hivers de notre époque

I'm not huge on these but you may like them:
Baptism - Grim Arts of Melancholy
Nightbringer - Death and the Black Work

I'm sure you already know Dead Congregation and Arghoslent.

Gave these a listen. Forteresse made a great first impression; Arghoslent sounds is strong. The rest didn't leave too strong of an impression.

 

[Phylactery]

Glad you liked some of it, even if it’s only two.

I’m not usually into the whole ultra “atmospheric” black metal but I really like that Forteresse album. Nails the aesthetic. Are you familiar with Sorcier des Glaces? Another Canadian black metal band, better than Forteresse imo. North, Snowland and Moonrise in Total Darkness are amazing. The Puressence of Primitive Forests is also good. Pure, frozen majesty.

Surprised you don’t like that split! Sure I remember you saying you like GBK and that’s some of their best material imo. But I like the stuff from all involved on it actually.

You could try Necrovation’s Breed Deadness Blood as well. No idea if you’d like it, but worth a look I’d say.

Apparently I’m the only person that loves that Vanhelgd!

 

[Krow]

Forteresse destroys SDG, but yeah they’re both great.

 

[Phylactery]

Really? Perhaps I need to listen to more Forteresse then. I only know the one from this year and the one from 2016.

The only SDG I don’t like is Ritual of the End, but I’ve not listened to it much tbf.

 

[crimsonfloyd]

Glad you liked some of it, even if it’s only two.

I’m not usually into the whole ultra “atmospheric” black metal but I really like that Forteresse album. Nails the aesthetic. Are you familiar with Sorcier des Glaces? Another Canadian black metal band, better than Forteresse imo. North, Snowland and Moonrise in Total Darkness are amazing. The Puressence of Primitive Forests is also good. Pure, frozen majesty.

I remember liking Snowland when I heard it years ago, but I'd need to go back to it.

Surprised you don’t like that split! Sure I remember you saying you like GBK and that’s some of their best material imo. But I like the stuff from all involved on it actually.

None of those songs are better than the worst song on Judeobeast Assassination. But I also thought Kosherat was a massive step down in quality from the first two albums. The Absurd part was solid but unspectacular. The last band was decent. Overall, not a bad split, but if it made my top 10 it would definitely be a sign that it was a bad year.

 

[Mort Divine]

Forteresse destroys SDG

They're good, but lol no

 

[Krow]

They're good, but lol no

Something of a standard in crowd opinion, which I dont really mean as an insult because I get referred to as such too. But... Forteresse is absolutely majestic black metal which evokes feelings in me only Autumn Aurora or Forgotten Legends did before.

 

[Serjeant Grumbles]

I wonder when the real deadline is? I guess as long as wainds hasn't started tagging people, I've still got time.

 

[Phylactery]

I don’t think he’s doing the them anymore? Just posting the threads.