GMD Poll: Top Ten Albums of 2008

Rated arbitrarily with no re-listening

  1. Meshuggah - ObZen
  2. Dead Congregation - Graves of the Archangels
  3. Mitochondrion - Archaeaon
  4. Volahn - Dimensiónes del Trance Kósmico
  5. Arghoslent - Hornets of the Pogrom
  6. Hooded Menace - Fulfill the Curse
  7. Darkspace - Dark Space III
  8. Intestine Baalism - Ultimate Instinct
  9. Necrovation - Breed Deadness Blood
  10. Faustcoven - Rising From Below the Earth

Honorable Mentions:
  • Intronaut - Prehistoricisms
  • Coffins - Buried Death
  • Ogre - Plague of the Planet
  • Jeff Loomis - Zero Order Phase
  • Averse Sefira - Advent Parallax
  • Decrepit Birth - Diminishing Between Worlds
  • Samothrace - Life's Trade
  • Acid Witch - Witchtanic Hellucinations
  • Cultes des Ghoules - Häxan
  • Cough - Sigillum Luciferi
  • Darkthrone - Dark Thrones and Black Flags
  • Ascend - Ample Fire Within
 
  • Like
Reactions: Phylactery and -CC-
10) Rising From Below the Earth by Faustcoven
The foul hand of fate did illuminate me...

198053.jpg


"Faustcoven is some evil shit." - @Dazed and Brutal

"I don't know when the fuck Faustcoven's Rising From Below the Earth is going to be released, but it will surely obliterate everything." - @Slayed Necros

"Well...I just got done listening to two songs that are going to be on the next Faustcoven album, Rising From Below The Earth. This seriously CRUSHES everything he's done prior to this. Colossal sound on this one as well. This one is going to be a minor classic." - Skeptik

"The new Faustcoven is better than the debut and is more cohesive, although both albums are great." - @Omni

"Halo (of Burning Wings) is better" - @Master_Yoda77

Chosen by:
Nagami (#3)

Omni (#5)
Anom@nder Rake (#7)
Oblivious Maximus (#7)
EternalMetal (#10)

TOTAL POINTS: 25
 
  • Like
Reactions: Anom@nder Rake
This Nagami hasn't been seen since posting their list, and their votes get a few albums into the top 10, but I can't be bothered to recalculate them.
 
9) Advent Parallax by Averse Sefira
Obliterated faces stone rooted in devotion...

220px-Advent_Parallax.jpeg


"That's a shame about Averse Sefira. Advent Parallax is a fucking amazing record." - @unknown

"Advent Parallax is their best album, one of the best released in 2008." - Bitencourt29

"ADVENT PARALLAX is better than any DSO methinks but i still have a major weakness for SMRC, unwieldy though it may be." - @no country for old wainds

"I actually still slightly favour Tetragrammatical Astygmata myself. I find Advent Parallex is a very involved album that requires your undivided attention, it's rewarding though. I've seen a few claims that the closer "Vomitorium Angelis" is their best song. I don't really have an issue with that claim, it does have a huge riff." -
@Phylactery

"I've only heard Advent Parallax, but it hasn't left an impression after multiple listens. Perhaps it would show a little more if I went back to it again, but it's certainly not in the discussion with DSO's best works." -
@crimsonfloyd

"If there is a summarization needed for this album, it would be in two words: dichotomy and universality. Furthermore, the album as a whole is a tribute to the interplay of the two. The lyrics of the band address these issues directly(albeit through the use of obdurately esoteric verbiage), and it is reflected in the album’s title itself; but the work’s real genius lies in its ability to meld musical expression with those lyrical themes." - Some reviewer on Sputnikmusic

Chosen by:
Nagami (#1)

Omni (#2)
Phylactery (#4)


TOTAL POINTS: 26
 
8) State of Insurgency by Hexen
I bear no life now that the war is done...

201593.jpg


" (Talking about thrash) If we were to name our top three post-2000 albums, I'd certainly list Hexen's State of Insurgency. That's a great work of art." - @EspaDa

"One of the best thrash albums to come out in recent years." - Technical Barbarity

"15 years from now the following will be considered classics: Hexen's State of Insurgency and Being and Nothingness. One of the most talented bands, they release two killer albums loaded with amazing riffs and solos and then fold. " - @zerostatic

Chosen by:
Zerostatic (#2)
Alex76 (#4)
Baroque (#5)
Talos of Atmora (#4)

TOTAL POINTS: 30
 
Last edited:
=6) Give Me Metal or Give Me Death by Skelator
Blitzkrieg wings of death ...

a1164752118_10.jpg


"Skelator is fucking fun stuff. I got a hotel with the vocalist of Skelator, the guitarist of Gatekeeper, and a few other bros at last year's Ragnarokkr and got super trashed. Nice dude. I hope he's cool with me puking everywhere and getting naked..." - @Master_Yoda77

Chosen by:
HamburgerBoy (#2)

Nagami (#2)
Omni (#3)
Talos of Atmora (#6)


TOTAL POINTS: 31

=6) Dark Space III by Darkspace
Maybe he's anti God, bringing darkness instead of light...

hqdefault.jpg


"The closest thing to nu-metal in any band that I like is this one riff on Dark Space III, except that it isn't gay and there's no rapping involved." - @Omni

"Also, I delved into Dark Space III last night for the first time. My ears still hurt. Absolutely mind-blowing. They really took their formula to the next level and added some much-needed depth." - @Zephyrus

"It seems like every Darkspace releases just gets better and better. III is like the perfect mix of I and II. I still perfer II, but the first riff in "Dark 3.16" is awesome." -
@Master_Yoda77

In response:
"it may be awesome but once you listen to it there's no reason to really give it a second listen" - Lord Kur


"Needs to be on more 2008 lists. They pull off their admittedly extremely singular vision superbly. This is the only release of theirs I really bother with. Those chunky, crushing riffs are awesome." -
@Phylactery

"It's good, but I have only heard it a few times. I can see where the detractors are coming from when they call it 'redundant' but I think this assessment is at least partially unfair. Sure it is very similar to their past works, but it also seems have its own voice; I can't pin it down with any precision at this point because, frankly I haven't had enough time to absorb it." -
Death Aflame

Chosen by:
Omni (#4)
Phylactery (#5)
Anom@ander Rake (#6)

Sleestaks (#6)
Crimsonfloyd (#7)
EternalMetal (#7)

TOTAL POINTS: 31
 
Last edited:
5) Hornets of the Pogrom by Arghoslent
So intolerably loathsome was the stench of the kidnapped that the air was unfit for respiration...

a4156225130_10.jpg


"Galloping through the Battle Ruins, Incorrigable Bigotry, and Hornets of the Pogrom are all amazing albums." - @Dak

"Incorrigible Bigotry is just slightly better, but Hornets is still really damn good. I think you would at the very least like Hornets if you liked Incorrigible Bigotry, as they haven't exactly reinvented their sound/ideology/etc in any sense, though the latest seems a tad more influenced by heavy metal to me." - Addo of Nex

"Yes, Hornets of the Pogrom is almost as good as Incorrigble Bigotry, and I like it slightly better than Galloping Through the Battle Ruins. It isn't quite as catchy as Incorrigble Bigotry upon first listen, but I also find that the riffing is slightly more complex than it is on Incorrigble Bigotry. Hornets of the Pogrom is a great CD, and is tied at #1 of the year for me with Mourning Beloveth - A Disease for the Ages. I know the year is barely half over, but I don't think an album that I like better than either will be released this year." -
Life Sucks

"Hmm, I'm pretty burnt out on Arghoslent and this is actually the first time I've even heard a song from Hornets of the Pogrom and it sounds pretty much exactly as the album before? Quite nice melodies and all, but mostly soulless boring stuff." -
@Vilden

"Arghoslent is the most pretentious and arrogant band on the planet. I just don't understand how anyone can consider racist lyrics "intelligent." Of course most people argue that they are "just writing about history," but people who are in fact racist would never come out and admit it. The same excuse works for homophobes against gay marriage, "I'm not against gays, I'm pro-family." -
Reanimator

Chosen by:
Alex76 (#1)

Dak (#3)
EternalMetal (#5)
Slayed Necros (#5)
Phylactery (#8)
Anom@nder Rake (#9)

TOTAL POINTS: 35
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: crimsonfloyd
4) War Without End by Warbringer
Intensive violence, outbreak of death...

5103f30ec2d9493fa214c53d7f02ae9d.jpg



"So wtf. Im listening to Socialized Hate by Atrophy, and this first song is a total mirror of Warbringer. Did Warbringer totally steal this? faggots" - @rms

"Warbringer? More like Snorebringer!" - @Podgie

"You could do far worse with throwback thrash than Warbringer. Like Sabbat (Jpn)." -
@HamburgerBoy

Chosen by:
Slammed (#1)

Baroque (#2)
Dak (#2)
Zerostatic (#5)
Alex76 (#6)

TOTAL POINTS: 39
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Baroque