1. Lord Vicar - Signs of Osiris
2. Neoandertals - Ebu Gogo Gutting the Child
3. Realmbuilder - Fortifications of the Pale Architect
4. Buzzov•en - Revelation: Sick Again
5. Disma - Towards the Megalith
6. Autopsy - Macabre Eternal
7. Virus - The Agent That Shapes the Desert
8. Satan's Host - By the Hands of the Devil
9. Necros Christos - Doom of the Occult
10. Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand
2. Neoandertals - Ebu Gogo Gutting the Child
3. Realmbuilder - Fortifications of the Pale Architect
4. Buzzov•en - Revelation: Sick Again
5. Disma - Towards the Megalith
6. Autopsy - Macabre Eternal
7. Virus - The Agent That Shapes the Desert
8. Satan's Host - By the Hands of the Devil
9. Necros Christos - Doom of the Occult
10. Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand
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zerostatic
Damned in Flames
That Disma album crushes! 
Added it to my list.
What happened to that band? No new albums since 2011.
Added it to my list. What happened to that band? No new albums since 2011.
I think the controversy with Craig Pillard might have set them back (his retarded Nazi views). I know they couldn't book gigs or play fests for a bit, bands would pull out in protest etc.
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
1. Doomsword - The Eternal Battle
For my money, the first and only success of the NWOTHM movement to produce an album that slots right into the canon of arcane heavy metal alongside stuff like Crystal Logic, Irae Melanox and King of the Dead. It's got a powerful and distinctive vocal performance, a great production job that is both clear and satisfyingly raw, and stellar songwriting all around, with moments I love to death on just about every song. (Just to name a few; the crossfade from "Varusschlacht" into the title track, the verse riff on "The Fulminant", the -everything- on "Warlife", and perhaps above all, the solo & final chorus on "Soldier of Fortune".)
2. Realmbuilder - Fortifications of the Pale Architect
Let's start with the negatives: This is a two-man band that truly does sound like a two-man band, and Zahler isn't very good vocalist. But I love their attitude in not letting their obvious limitations restrict them from attempting epic, narrative heavy metal, and in reaching for the stars with their songwriting in a way that the overwhelming majority of fully featured modern heavy metal bands are either too cowardly or creatively bankrupt to do. I imagine it is this exact can-do attitude which has made Zahler so prolific across a wide range of media, having not only recorded heavy metal albums but also directed films, written novels, and last I heard, made a comic book?!
3. Taake - Noregs Vaapen
Like the Doomsword, here's another album that sounds like a lost genre classic come out of a time capsule. If I was as big a fan of black metal as I am of heavy metal, maybe I'd be raving about this as much. Oh and there's banjo on one of the tracks, which every comment on this album is legally obligated to mention.
4. Virus - The Agent that Shapes the Desert
The necessary experimental album to balance out all the genre-purism above, although it is not so much an exercise in throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks as the work of a mature band playing refined tunes in a genre of their own making. The drawback is that some of the songs blend together a bit too much, but the atmosphere is top notch and the geologically themed lyrics are a big step up from Written in Waters' edgy poetry about raping swans.
5. Hammers of Misfortune - 17th Street
I miss Scalzi and Myers, and I miss the pointed lyricism of The Locust Years, but Hammers are still masters of their craft, delivering a unique brand of prog metal that avoids the embarrassing tropes of the genre while adding color to their tunes with Hammond organ, multiple vocalists and instrumental overtures and interludes that develop and resolve in satisfying ways. This is the best of all their post-Scalzi albums, with "The Grain" and "The Day the City Died" in particular ranking among their finest songs.
6. Black Oath - The Third Aeon
Italo-doom in the Paul Chain mold. Nothing revolutionary but really damn satisfying to listen to.
7. Argus - Boldly Stride the Doomed
I've cooled a little on this album since being greatly enamored with it years ago, but it's still a terrific USPM/doom hybrid with a powerful, distinctly gruff vocalist and some killer tunes in the first half especially.
8. In Solitude - The World. The Flesh. The Devil
Sort of reminds me of Ghost and Idle Hands and other modern attempts to soften a heavy metal sound with 70s rock melodicism, but unlike with those bands any surface fusion genre gimmickry rests on a solid foundation of basically NWOBHM. These guys have a great sound and great riffs, and it might not be their fault that it all never really coalesces into something wonderful for me. I will keep revisiting this and hope that one day it does.
9. Galneryus - Phoenix Rising
A Galneryus album.
I'll add a tenth entry if I think of one I like.
For my money, the first and only success of the NWOTHM movement to produce an album that slots right into the canon of arcane heavy metal alongside stuff like Crystal Logic, Irae Melanox and King of the Dead. It's got a powerful and distinctive vocal performance, a great production job that is both clear and satisfyingly raw, and stellar songwriting all around, with moments I love to death on just about every song. (Just to name a few; the crossfade from "Varusschlacht" into the title track, the verse riff on "The Fulminant", the -everything- on "Warlife", and perhaps above all, the solo & final chorus on "Soldier of Fortune".)
2. Realmbuilder - Fortifications of the Pale Architect
Let's start with the negatives: This is a two-man band that truly does sound like a two-man band, and Zahler isn't very good vocalist. But I love their attitude in not letting their obvious limitations restrict them from attempting epic, narrative heavy metal, and in reaching for the stars with their songwriting in a way that the overwhelming majority of fully featured modern heavy metal bands are either too cowardly or creatively bankrupt to do. I imagine it is this exact can-do attitude which has made Zahler so prolific across a wide range of media, having not only recorded heavy metal albums but also directed films, written novels, and last I heard, made a comic book?!
3. Taake - Noregs Vaapen
Like the Doomsword, here's another album that sounds like a lost genre classic come out of a time capsule. If I was as big a fan of black metal as I am of heavy metal, maybe I'd be raving about this as much. Oh and there's banjo on one of the tracks, which every comment on this album is legally obligated to mention.
4. Virus - The Agent that Shapes the Desert
The necessary experimental album to balance out all the genre-purism above, although it is not so much an exercise in throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks as the work of a mature band playing refined tunes in a genre of their own making. The drawback is that some of the songs blend together a bit too much, but the atmosphere is top notch and the geologically themed lyrics are a big step up from Written in Waters' edgy poetry about raping swans.
5. Hammers of Misfortune - 17th Street
I miss Scalzi and Myers, and I miss the pointed lyricism of The Locust Years, but Hammers are still masters of their craft, delivering a unique brand of prog metal that avoids the embarrassing tropes of the genre while adding color to their tunes with Hammond organ, multiple vocalists and instrumental overtures and interludes that develop and resolve in satisfying ways. This is the best of all their post-Scalzi albums, with "The Grain" and "The Day the City Died" in particular ranking among their finest songs.
6. Black Oath - The Third Aeon
Italo-doom in the Paul Chain mold. Nothing revolutionary but really damn satisfying to listen to.
7. Argus - Boldly Stride the Doomed
I've cooled a little on this album since being greatly enamored with it years ago, but it's still a terrific USPM/doom hybrid with a powerful, distinctly gruff vocalist and some killer tunes in the first half especially.
8. In Solitude - The World. The Flesh. The Devil
Sort of reminds me of Ghost and Idle Hands and other modern attempts to soften a heavy metal sound with 70s rock melodicism, but unlike with those bands any surface fusion genre gimmickry rests on a solid foundation of basically NWOBHM. These guys have a great sound and great riffs, and it might not be their fault that it all never really coalesces into something wonderful for me. I will keep revisiting this and hope that one day it does.
9. Galneryus - Phoenix Rising
A Galneryus album.
I'll add a tenth entry if I think of one I like.
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no country for old wainds
Active Member
- Nov 23, 2002
- 26,696
- 9,669
- 113
check out the satan’s host, primordial and manilla road albums if you haven’t!
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
Playground might be my least favorite recent MR. And while it is still a MR album, and while I adore Shelton for writing a song about the fucking Death Proof/Planet Terror double feature, I doubt it'll make my list. Still, lots of November left to go, so maybe I'll listen to it some more and change my mind.
I'll check out the other two - I sampled a song from the Satan's Host and made a mental note to check it out but I guess I forgot. I like Primordial's sound but usually get fatigued with their albums before making it to the end. I'll see if the 2011 one hits any differently.
no country for old wainds
Active Member
- Nov 23, 2002
- 26,696
- 9,669
- 113
i don’t usually like primordial much and love that one for some reason. maybe i’m just more susceptible to them now ‘cause of how much i love the blood revolt album. the satan’s host is uneven but the peaks are pretty glorious. i suppose i like the manilla road more than most people, maybe my favourite post-80s record by them after gates of fire and spiral castle.
there’s also the vektor album, you like them iirc?
there’s also the vektor album, you like them iirc?
Sophii
lil' rat
1.) Dir en Grey - Dum Spiro Spero
2.) Vektor - Outer Isolation
3.) Disma - Towards the Megalith
4.) Wormrot - Dirge
5.) The Human Abstract - Digital Veil
6.) Meth Drinker - Meth Drinker
7.) Yob - Atma
8.) SubRosa - No Help For the Mighty Ones
9.) Beyond Creation - The Aura
10.) The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual
HMs:
Ride for Revenge - Under the Eye
TesseracT - One
Uncle Acid - Blood Lust
Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand
2.) Vektor - Outer Isolation
3.) Disma - Towards the Megalith
4.) Wormrot - Dirge
5.) The Human Abstract - Digital Veil
6.) Meth Drinker - Meth Drinker
7.) Yob - Atma
8.) SubRosa - No Help For the Mighty Ones
9.) Beyond Creation - The Aura
10.) The Black Dahlia Murder - Ritual
HMs:
Ride for Revenge - Under the Eye
TesseracT - One
Uncle Acid - Blood Lust
Primordial - Redemption at the Puritan's Hand
Sophii
lil' rat
Courtesy of you showing me them years ago
I should really make room for them in my list.
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
Finding Outer Isolation to be basically just the debut again but boringer
Bloopy
Active Member
Bloopy
Active Member
It's comparing apples with oranges as Beastwars aren't really even in the same scene, sticking among the stoner metal bands or sometimes playing with the more hardcore punk-oriented bands like Lord of Tigers.
It's the divide Draulicht was getting at when they put "death to all NZ weed wizard doom metal / fuck off" on their cassette insert.
It's the divide Draulicht was getting at when they put "death to all NZ weed wizard doom metal / fuck off" on their cassette insert.
Bloopy
Active Member
Just listened to Beastwars' self-titled album again now. It was a pretty big deal here at the time. Straightforward and crunchy. Unique vocals, though the sheen of that wears off a bit once they're more familiar. The next 3 albums were all a bit samey with less memorable songs. Attempts at atmosphere which make their sound a bit diluted or muddy to my ears if that makes sense. Will see how they are in concert in a few weeks.
-CC-
Something in My Eye
- Jan 12, 2009
- 3,967
- 800
- 113
Goddamn this was one of the toughest years to rate. I feel like you could practically slap any of the HM's into this top 10 on any given week. This year was bountiful as fuck with good albums. Nothing absolutely legendary per se, but a vast sea of good to very good albums IMO.
1) Entrails - The Tomb Awaits
2) Disma - Towards the Megalith
3) Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth
4) War Master - Pyramid of the Necropolis
5) Warbringer - Worlds Torn Asunder
6) Elder - Dead Roots Stirring
7) Havok - Time Is Up
8) Kartikeya - Mahayuga
9) Textures - Dualism
10) Toxic Holocaust - Conjure and Command
HM: Vader / Mastodon / Leprous / Arch / Matheos / Necros Christos / Morbus Chron / Cannabis Corpse / Nader Sadek / Demonic Death Judge / Vastum / Haken / Vektor / Thy Catafalque / Septicflesh / Antichrist / Blut Aus Nord / Deceased... / Premonition 13 / Embrace of Thorns / Execration / Demonical / Cianide / Crowbar / Project Hate
1) Entrails - The Tomb Awaits
2) Disma - Towards the Megalith
3) Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth
4) War Master - Pyramid of the Necropolis
5) Warbringer - Worlds Torn Asunder
6) Elder - Dead Roots Stirring
7) Havok - Time Is Up
8) Kartikeya - Mahayuga
9) Textures - Dualism
10) Toxic Holocaust - Conjure and Command
HM: Vader / Mastodon / Leprous / Arch / Matheos / Necros Christos / Morbus Chron / Cannabis Corpse / Nader Sadek / Demonic Death Judge / Vastum / Haken / Vektor / Thy Catafalque / Septicflesh / Antichrist / Blut Aus Nord / Deceased... / Premonition 13 / Embrace of Thorns / Execration / Demonical / Cianide / Crowbar / Project Hate
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