Hell Mike
fuck melodic black metal
What we need is a best of 2010-2019 (or 2011-2020 if you prefer but that looks kinda dumb? or not?)
The big century eargasmic paraphernalia
- Thread starter Ellestin
- Start date
SonOfNun
Bill Ward's Red Pants
Man, 2002 is gonna be TOUGH. Are we doing a separate thread for each year or are we suppose to hold off until we have our number one for every year of the decade and then post it all at once? It's gonna take a good long while to figure that out.
Krilons Resa
Jerry's married?!
I appreciate you guys putting your heart into this but really, I think doing a thread per year would flood the forum and kill the whole thing off. The intent was "just" to post lists, however long it takes someone to put them together. The idea is really to have a base of albums to be intrigued about and fall back on whenever we need something new to discover. However, feel free to proceed otherwise, this is RC, not a fucking school 
SonOfNun
Bill Ward's Red Pants
I suppose year-by-year threads could flood the forum, but perhaps we could space them out where we only do one year every couple weeks. That would give people time to review the options and make a decision and it might encourage consistent activity across time (if enough people are interested). Once we've done each of the years we can calculate a top album for each year (if there is enough overlap) and at the end of the process make a thread that lists "RC's Top Albums 2001-2020"...then have a twenty album tournament for the greatest album of this century. [/takingthiswaytooseriously]
NAD
What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse
2001: Tool - Lateralus
2002: Agalloch - The Mantle
2003: Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye / Enslaved - Below the Lights / King Crimson - The Power to Believe (no way can I choose just one)
2004: Drudkh - Autumn Aurora (Ufomammut - Snailking is a very, very close second place)
2005: The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
2006: Negură Bunget - OM
EDIT: I forgot Type O Negative - Life is Killing Me so yessir that tears it, 2003 was pretty goldurn bahl hornin' I tell you what.
EDITx2: Hammers of Misfortune - The August Engine was released when? 2003, that's when. WHAT THE FRAK. 2003 = 1995
EDITx3: Yep, and Bathory - Nordland II along with Katatonia - Viva Emptiness, both from the glorious year of 2003. I just can't.
EDITx4: Orodruin - Epicurean Mass holy fuckholes. Well the good news is that I do have my #1 pick finally. Sorta. I think.
2002: Agalloch - The Mantle
2003: Kayo Dot - Choirs of the Eye / Enslaved - Below the Lights / King Crimson - The Power to Believe (no way can I choose just one)
2004: Drudkh - Autumn Aurora (Ufomammut - Snailking is a very, very close second place)
2005: The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
2006: Negură Bunget - OM
EDIT: I forgot Type O Negative - Life is Killing Me so yessir that tears it, 2003 was pretty goldurn bahl hornin' I tell you what.
EDITx2: Hammers of Misfortune - The August Engine was released when? 2003, that's when. WHAT THE FRAK. 2003 = 1995
EDITx3: Yep, and Bathory - Nordland II along with Katatonia - Viva Emptiness, both from the glorious year of 2003. I just can't.
EDITx4: Orodruin - Epicurean Mass holy fuckholes. Well the good news is that I do have my #1 pick finally. Sorta. I think.
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Krilons Resa
Jerry's married?!
spikes77
Active Member
Alright let's do this
Will keep former metal bands in this category
Maudlin of the Well – Bath/Leaving your body map (2001) Songs: Birthpains of Astral Projection, Stones of October Sobbing
Empyrium – Weiland (2002) Waldpoesie, Fortgang
Kayo Dot - Choirs of the eye (2003) The Manifold Curiosity, Wayfarer
HM Skepticism – Farmakon (maybe one of the most underrated albums in all of funeral doom—those last three tracks are mind blowing)
Isis – Panopticon (2004) Altered Course, so did we
HM - Urfaust Geist ist Teufe, , Jesu s/t , Deathspell - SMRC
The Gault – Even as all before us (2005) The Shores become the Enemy
HM - Urfuast - Verräterischer
Peste Noire - La sanie des siècles (2006) Dueil angoisseus, Spleen
Probably the toughest year for me—Could be Great Cold Distance, Ashes against the Grain, or Rain upon the Impure. I think La Sanie is the perfect combination of that filthy/decadent bm sound with flourishes of acoustic beauty coupled with rocking heavy metal parts. I also know Peste will never make another album of this quality. I love TGCD, I think it has some great tracks—but I still rate last fair deal higher and it slowly below vivia emptiness – Erik, what do you prefer between Viva and TGCD? Like most people here, I think Ashes is the last exceptional agalloch album, and it has great tracks, but I just rank the first two so much higher. Rain upon the Impure is a complete epic experience of bm, and Ruin’s finest hour –I spent a ton of time with this album on my Panasonic discman
Lunar Aurora - Andacht (2007) – Findling
HM: Angelic Process – Weighing Souls with Sand , or Gris (I rank their following album the superior one though)
Spite Extreme Wing – Vltra (2008) II, V
An absolute underrated classic of bm --
HM Misery’s Omen – Hope Dies
Maudlin of the Well – Part the second (2009)
Ilbeltz - Auskan gabiltz olatun gainian (2010) First or Forth track
Exceptional album of melodic viking sounding (more of a nautical theme to the album though) bm with basque folk parts and clean singing really well done, low on the cheese
Non-Metal
Aesop Rock – Labor Days (2001) (HM for Cannibal Ox, the Microphones - The glow pt. 2)
Songs Ohia – Didn’t it Rain (2002)
Jose Gonzalez – Veneer (2003)
Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)
Autechre – Untitled (2005)
Tenhi – Maaäet (2006)
Bon Iver – For Emma, forever ago (2007)
HM: Little Dragon s/t
Mount Eerie – Dawn (2008)
Ben Frost – By the Throat (2009)
HM Tapage – Fallen Clouds
Autechre – Oversteps (2010)
HM - Sun kil moon: Admiral fell promises
Will keep former metal bands in this category
Maudlin of the Well – Bath/Leaving your body map (2001) Songs: Birthpains of Astral Projection, Stones of October Sobbing
Empyrium – Weiland (2002) Waldpoesie, Fortgang
Kayo Dot - Choirs of the eye (2003) The Manifold Curiosity, Wayfarer
HM Skepticism – Farmakon (maybe one of the most underrated albums in all of funeral doom—those last three tracks are mind blowing)
Isis – Panopticon (2004) Altered Course, so did we
HM - Urfaust Geist ist Teufe, , Jesu s/t , Deathspell - SMRC
The Gault – Even as all before us (2005) The Shores become the Enemy
HM - Urfuast - Verräterischer
Peste Noire - La sanie des siècles (2006) Dueil angoisseus, Spleen
Probably the toughest year for me—Could be Great Cold Distance, Ashes against the Grain, or Rain upon the Impure. I think La Sanie is the perfect combination of that filthy/decadent bm sound with flourishes of acoustic beauty coupled with rocking heavy metal parts. I also know Peste will never make another album of this quality. I love TGCD, I think it has some great tracks—but I still rate last fair deal higher and it slowly below vivia emptiness – Erik, what do you prefer between Viva and TGCD? Like most people here, I think Ashes is the last exceptional agalloch album, and it has great tracks, but I just rank the first two so much higher. Rain upon the Impure is a complete epic experience of bm, and Ruin’s finest hour –I spent a ton of time with this album on my Panasonic discman
Lunar Aurora - Andacht (2007) – Findling
HM: Angelic Process – Weighing Souls with Sand , or Gris (I rank their following album the superior one though)
Spite Extreme Wing – Vltra (2008) II, V
An absolute underrated classic of bm --
HM Misery’s Omen – Hope Dies
Maudlin of the Well – Part the second (2009)
Ilbeltz - Auskan gabiltz olatun gainian (2010) First or Forth track
Exceptional album of melodic viking sounding (more of a nautical theme to the album though) bm with basque folk parts and clean singing really well done, low on the cheese
Non-Metal
Aesop Rock – Labor Days (2001) (HM for Cannibal Ox, the Microphones - The glow pt. 2)
Songs Ohia – Didn’t it Rain (2002)
Jose Gonzalez – Veneer (2003)
Arcade Fire – Funeral (2004)
Autechre – Untitled (2005)
Tenhi – Maaäet (2006)
Bon Iver – For Emma, forever ago (2007)
HM: Little Dragon s/t
Mount Eerie – Dawn (2008)
Ben Frost – By the Throat (2009)
HM Tapage – Fallen Clouds
Autechre – Oversteps (2010)
HM - Sun kil moon: Admiral fell promises
SonOfNun
Bill Ward's Red Pants
2002 for me is like 2003 for NAD.
Agalloch - The Mantle, Empyrium - Weiland, and Opeth - Deliverance. The Opeth album is what got me into metal so it's hard to not let sentimentality override, but I'll probably end up picking between Agalloch and Empyrium...except I don't know how to do that currently.
Negura Bunget - N Crugu Bradului also came out in 2002. I'm surprised no one has mentioned it. Has it not maintained the charm it had for the RC crowd?
Agalloch - The Mantle, Empyrium - Weiland, and Opeth - Deliverance. The Opeth album is what got me into metal so it's hard to not let sentimentality override, but I'll probably end up picking between Agalloch and Empyrium...except I don't know how to do that currently.
Negura Bunget - N Crugu Bradului also came out in 2002. I'm surprised no one has mentioned it. Has it not maintained the charm it had for the RC crowd?
NAD
What A Horrible Night To Have A Curse
'N Crugu Bradului has gone from well liked to loved to one of my favoUrite albums ever, it has gained power and respect with time. That's how much I love The Mantle, it's still the clear winnar of 2002 for me.
Great list spikes!
I remember seeing that Ilbeltz album mentioned, maybe in one of your posts. I'll have to hunt it down.
I'll get my shit together and post my stuff later this week. Funny how I think that most of us will flock to the same reservoir of albums until 2005 (RC circlejerk days) and then veer off in quite different directions.
I remember seeing that Ilbeltz album mentioned, maybe in one of your posts. I'll have to hunt it down.
I'll get my shit together and post my stuff later this week. Funny how I think that most of us will flock to the same reservoir of albums until 2005 (RC circlejerk days) and then veer off in quite different directions.
Nico
Onward!
Definitely formative years for a few of us. And ripples of it still influence my tastes in a big way.
Random internet forum cult eternal.
J.
Old Fart
J.
Old Fart
Just going based on what I own from these years. I'm sure I missed something.
2001: Devin Townsend - Terria
HM: Summoning - Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame; Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta; Enslaved - Monumension
2002 - Graveland - Memory and Destiny
HM: Isis - Oceanic; Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines; Negura Bunget - N Crugu Bradului
2003: Pelican - Australasia
HM: The Chasm - Conjuration of the Spectral Empire; Reverend Bizarre - Harbinger of Metal; Akercocke - Choronzon
2004: Neurosis - The Eye of Every Storm
HM: Nokturnal Mortum - Weltanschauung ; Drudkh - Autumn Aurora; Pagan Altar - The Lords of Hypocrisy
2005: Graveland - Fire Chariot of Destruction
HM: Reverend Bizarre - II: Crush the Insects; Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal; Evilfeast - Funeral Sorcery
2006: Pagan Altar - Mythical & Magical
HM: I - Between Two Worlds; Lord Wind - Atlantean Monument; Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
2007: Jesu - Conqueror & Sun Down/Sun Rise (both released in 2007)
HM: Thurisaz - Circadian Rhythm; Myrkgrav - Trollskau, Skromt Og Kolabrenning; Lunar Aurora - Andacht
2008: Evilfeast - Lost Horizons of Wisdom
HM: Spite Extreme Wing - Vltra; ASG - Win Us Over; Manilla Road - Voyager
2009: The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
HM: Nokturnal Mortum - The Voice of Steel; Drudkh - Microcosmos; The Chasm - Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm
2010: Alcest - Ecailles De Lune
HM: Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini; Negura Bunget - Virstele Pamintului; Imperium Dekadenz - Procella Vadens
2001: Devin Townsend - Terria
HM: Summoning - Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame; Moonsorrow - Voimasta Ja Kunniasta; Enslaved - Monumension
2002 - Graveland - Memory and Destiny
HM: Isis - Oceanic; Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines; Negura Bunget - N Crugu Bradului
2003: Pelican - Australasia
HM: The Chasm - Conjuration of the Spectral Empire; Reverend Bizarre - Harbinger of Metal; Akercocke - Choronzon
2004: Neurosis - The Eye of Every Storm
HM: Nokturnal Mortum - Weltanschauung ; Drudkh - Autumn Aurora; Pagan Altar - The Lords of Hypocrisy
2005: Graveland - Fire Chariot of Destruction
HM: Reverend Bizarre - II: Crush the Insects; Bolt Thrower - Those Once Loyal; Evilfeast - Funeral Sorcery
2006: Pagan Altar - Mythical & Magical
HM: I - Between Two Worlds; Lord Wind - Atlantean Monument; Agalloch - Ashes Against the Grain
2007: Jesu - Conqueror & Sun Down/Sun Rise (both released in 2007)
HM: Thurisaz - Circadian Rhythm; Myrkgrav - Trollskau, Skromt Og Kolabrenning; Lunar Aurora - Andacht
2008: Evilfeast - Lost Horizons of Wisdom
HM: Spite Extreme Wing - Vltra; ASG - Win Us Over; Manilla Road - Voyager
2009: The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
HM: Nokturnal Mortum - The Voice of Steel; Drudkh - Microcosmos; The Chasm - Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm
2010: Alcest - Ecailles De Lune
HM: Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini; Negura Bunget - Virstele Pamintului; Imperium Dekadenz - Procella Vadens
einride
your best friend
- Feb 29, 2008
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good picks, everyone
i think this is a good thread idea so i want to participate, but looking over my collection and various lists, some years there's just not an album i like enough to want to crown a winner
to be sure, there are albums from each year that i like, i just don't necessarily think like is good enough to single it out as the best of a year. like... some years just don't have a best album yet for me.
also i will pick an absurd number of honorable mentions because fuck your rules
2001: this year is total bullshit and i will protest by not picking a #1, only honorable mentions. no one wins.
dolorian "dolorian"
agalloch "of stone, wind and pillor"
paragon of beauty "comfort me, infinity"
neurosis "a sun that never sets"
2002: agalloch "the mantle"
empyrium "weiland"
woven hand "woven hand"
deadboy & the elephantmen "if this is hell then i'm lucky"
tenhi "väre"
thyrfing "vansinnesvisor"
antimatter "saviour"
taake "over bjoergvin graater himmerik"
daylight dies "no reply"
bathory "nordland i"
sólstafir "í blóði og anda"
rapture "songs for the withering"
woods of ypres "against the seasons"
negura bunget "'n crugu bradului"
2003: katatonia "viva emptiness"
woods of belial "deimos xiii" <--- SUPER UNDERRATED ALBUM ALERT
skepticism "farmakon"
in the woods... "liveatthecaledonienhall"
while heaven wept "of empires forlorn"
antimatter "lights out"
drudkh "forgotten legends"
deströyer 666 "terror abraxas"
cult of luna "cult of luna"
hate forest "battlefields"
bathory "nordland II"
2004: jesu "heart ache"
morgion "cloaked by ages, crowned in earth"
drudkh "autumn aurora"
void of silence "human antithesis"
velvet cacoon "genevieve" (remember this? it's still unique and good, idgaf)
lugubrum "de vette cuecken"
2005: sólstafir "masterpiece of bitterness"
antimatter "planetary confinement"
primordial "the gathering wilderness"
ataraxie "slow transcending agony"
alcest "le secret"
thyrfing "farsotstider"
2006: agalloch "ashes against the grain"
katatonia "the great cold distance"
dolorian "voidwards"
deadboy & the elephantmen "we are night sky"
wovenhand "mosaic"
celtic frost "monotheist"
david galas "the cataclysm"
negura bunget "om"
2007: phideaux "doomsday afternoon"
antimatter "leaving eden"
walknut "graveforests and their shadows"
dax riggs "we sing of only blood or love"
alcest "souvenirs d'un autre monde"
2008: –
(can you tell i stopped caring/music started sucking right around here?)
2009: sólstafir "köld"
2010: burzum "belus"
iron maiden "the final frontier"
alcest "écailles de lune"
agalloch "marrow of the spirit"
2011: arch/matheos "sympathetic resonance"
altar of plagues "mammal"
burzum "fallen"
2012: vemod "venter på stormene"
dordeduh "dar de duh"
2013: summoning "old mornings dawn"
2014: –
2015: tribulation "the children of the night"
2016: you know metal as a whole is in deep fucking doo-doo when the #2 voted metal record of the year on rateyourmusic is a video game soundtrack
2017: –
2018: see 2016, but now the video game soundtrack is #1
2019: alcest "spiritual instinct"
2020: –
i think this is a good thread idea so i want to participate, but looking over my collection and various lists, some years there's just not an album i like enough to want to crown a winner
to be sure, there are albums from each year that i like, i just don't necessarily think like is good enough to single it out as the best of a year. like... some years just don't have a best album yet for me.
also i will pick an absurd number of honorable mentions because fuck your rules
2001: this year is total bullshit and i will protest by not picking a #1, only honorable mentions. no one wins.
dolorian "dolorian"
agalloch "of stone, wind and pillor"
paragon of beauty "comfort me, infinity"
neurosis "a sun that never sets"
2002: agalloch "the mantle"
empyrium "weiland"
woven hand "woven hand"
deadboy & the elephantmen "if this is hell then i'm lucky"
tenhi "väre"
thyrfing "vansinnesvisor"
antimatter "saviour"
taake "over bjoergvin graater himmerik"
daylight dies "no reply"
bathory "nordland i"
sólstafir "í blóði og anda"
rapture "songs for the withering"
woods of ypres "against the seasons"
negura bunget "'n crugu bradului"
2003: katatonia "viva emptiness"
woods of belial "deimos xiii" <--- SUPER UNDERRATED ALBUM ALERT
skepticism "farmakon"
in the woods... "liveatthecaledonienhall"
while heaven wept "of empires forlorn"
antimatter "lights out"
drudkh "forgotten legends"
deströyer 666 "terror abraxas"
cult of luna "cult of luna"
hate forest "battlefields"
bathory "nordland II"
2004: jesu "heart ache"
morgion "cloaked by ages, crowned in earth"
drudkh "autumn aurora"
void of silence "human antithesis"
velvet cacoon "genevieve" (remember this? it's still unique and good, idgaf)
lugubrum "de vette cuecken"
2005: sólstafir "masterpiece of bitterness"
antimatter "planetary confinement"
primordial "the gathering wilderness"
ataraxie "slow transcending agony"
alcest "le secret"
thyrfing "farsotstider"
2006: agalloch "ashes against the grain"
katatonia "the great cold distance"
dolorian "voidwards"
deadboy & the elephantmen "we are night sky"
wovenhand "mosaic"
celtic frost "monotheist"
david galas "the cataclysm"
negura bunget "om"
2007: phideaux "doomsday afternoon"
antimatter "leaving eden"
walknut "graveforests and their shadows"
dax riggs "we sing of only blood or love"
alcest "souvenirs d'un autre monde"
2008: –
(can you tell i stopped caring/music started sucking right around here?)
2009: sólstafir "köld"
2010: burzum "belus"
iron maiden "the final frontier"
alcest "écailles de lune"
agalloch "marrow of the spirit"
2011: arch/matheos "sympathetic resonance"
altar of plagues "mammal"
burzum "fallen"
2012: vemod "venter på stormene"
dordeduh "dar de duh"
2013: summoning "old mornings dawn"
2014: –
2015: tribulation "the children of the night"
2016: you know metal as a whole is in deep fucking doo-doo when the #2 voted metal record of the year on rateyourmusic is a video game soundtrack
2017: –
2018: see 2016, but now the video game soundtrack is #1
2019: alcest "spiritual instinct"
2020: –
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J.
Old Fart
2011: Ildra - Edelland
HM: Obsequiae - Suspended in the Brume of Eos; Evilfeast - Wintermoon Enchantment; Gods Tower - Steel Says Last
2012: Lord Wind - Ales Stenar
HM: Agalloch - Faustian Echoes; Spectral Lore- Sentinel; Anathema - Weather Systems
2013: Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle
HM: Summoning - Old Mourning's Dawn; Midnight Odyssey - Funerals From the Astral Sphere; Spectral Lore/Mare Cognitum - Sol
2014: Spectral Lore - III (ALBUM OF THE DECADE)
HM: Hinayana - Endless; Ifing - Against This Weald; Arctic Sleep - Passage of Gaia
2015: Obsequiae - Aria of Vernal Tombs
HM: Shylmagoghnar - Emergence; Macabre Omen - Gods of War - At War; Batushka - Liturgiya
2016: NO CLEAR AOTY
HM: Neurosis - Fires Within Fires; Imperium Dekadenz - Dis Manibvs; Alcest - Kodama
2017: Apocalypse Orchestra - The End is Nigh
HM: Evilfeast - Elegies of the Stellar Wind; Maglor - Asunder; Akercocke - Renaissance in Extremis
2018: Shylmagoghnar - Transience
HM: Solstice - White Horse Hill; Primal Cult - Perennial Fire; Hinayana - Order Divine
2019: Borknagar - True North
HM: Obsequiae - The Palms of Sorrowed Kings; Flamen - Furor Lunae; Nile - Vile Nilotic Rites
2020: Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine
HM: Mystras - Castles Conquered and Reclaimed; Thurisaz - Re-Incentive; Howling Giant & Sergeant Thunderhoof - Masamune & Muramasa
HM: Obsequiae - Suspended in the Brume of Eos; Evilfeast - Wintermoon Enchantment; Gods Tower - Steel Says Last
2012: Lord Wind - Ales Stenar
HM: Agalloch - Faustian Echoes; Spectral Lore- Sentinel; Anathema - Weather Systems
2013: Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle
HM: Summoning - Old Mourning's Dawn; Midnight Odyssey - Funerals From the Astral Sphere; Spectral Lore/Mare Cognitum - Sol
2014: Spectral Lore - III (ALBUM OF THE DECADE)
HM: Hinayana - Endless; Ifing - Against This Weald; Arctic Sleep - Passage of Gaia
2015: Obsequiae - Aria of Vernal Tombs
HM: Shylmagoghnar - Emergence; Macabre Omen - Gods of War - At War; Batushka - Liturgiya
2016: NO CLEAR AOTY
HM: Neurosis - Fires Within Fires; Imperium Dekadenz - Dis Manibvs; Alcest - Kodama
2017: Apocalypse Orchestra - The End is Nigh
HM: Evilfeast - Elegies of the Stellar Wind; Maglor - Asunder; Akercocke - Renaissance in Extremis
2018: Shylmagoghnar - Transience
HM: Solstice - White Horse Hill; Primal Cult - Perennial Fire; Hinayana - Order Divine
2019: Borknagar - True North
HM: Obsequiae - The Palms of Sorrowed Kings; Flamen - Furor Lunae; Nile - Vile Nilotic Rites
2020: Spectral Lore & Mare Cognitum - Wanderers: Astrology of the Nine
HM: Mystras - Castles Conquered and Reclaimed; Thurisaz - Re-Incentive; Howling Giant & Sergeant Thunderhoof - Masamune & Muramasa
SonOfNun
Bill Ward's Red Pants
J.
Old Fart
Here we go. No honourable mention, winners take all.
2001 - Maudlin of the Well - Bath/Leaving your Body Map
let's treat it as one album, can't even tell which I like most anyway, it's one of these things I don't listen to more than once a year but the magic always works and seems to only get stronger as these albums age.
2002 - Empyrum - Weiland
probably the closest call of all years. I remember discovering this, The Mantle, Tenhi's Väre and N'Crugu Bradului in the span of what, a month? The definition of an epiphany.
2003 - Hala Strana - Fielding
I've enjoyed Steven R. Smith's projects to varying degrees throughout the years, but this double album is where his style was touched by near perfection. I even bought the LP re-release a few months ago, even though I don't own a turntable, just because...
2004 - Lunar Aurora - Zyklus
one of these bands with a flawless career. That album's cover was my first RC avatar for many years.
2005 - Lurker of Chalice - s/t
this album's suffocating atmosphere is still unparalleled to this day.
2006 - Drudkh - Blood in our Wells
just looking at the cover makes my skin tingle. The band should probably have called it quits at this point, even though Estrangement is still ok.
2007 - Elend - A World in their Screams
a frightening album in the true sense. The most believable crossover of classical (contemporary) music and horror ambient. It's 2020 and a successor is finally in the works.
2008 - Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy against all Life
the best Leviathan album crushed the feeble competition of that year
2009 - Cruciamentum - Convocation of Crawling Chaos
yup that's a demo. 2008-2010 was a draught period, but it was also the period I started enjoying death metal more, thanks to the slighjtly formulaic but intense OSDM revival. These four tracks are basically a synthesis of what this scene had to offer at the time.
2010 - Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat - Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water
had to throw that band's name somewhere. This album is rock solid from start to finish, though arguably their best songs came earlier in their discography. Again though, its place in the top spot is a testimony of how poor the year was overall.
2011 - Tenhi - Saivo
still floored by the beauty of this album
2012 - Fauna - Avifauna
the whole Cascadian thing is obsolete. Not this album, maybe because it has a much more personal sound and general philosophy. Had the good fortune of seeing them on stage, even participating in the ritual dressed up as a hermit (go figure...)
2013 - Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
best comeback of the decade
2014 - Dead Congregation - Promulgation of the Fall
obliterating and to the point. Dead Congregation can afford to live on two albums per decade I guess...
2015 - Leviathan - Scar Sighted
maybe the weakest year. This album is real good but wouldn't even have made a top 10 if released somewehere in the first half of the 2000s... Also, I realize that it's the third appearance of a Wrest album in this best-of, though I don't especially revere the guy I suppose that's not a coincidence, as he keeps putting out solid material (sadly nothing new since 2015, another victim of time).
2016 - Blood Incantation - Starspawn
best death metal newcomer of the decade, hands down. The follow-up is great too but I doubt they'll ever top "Vitrification Of Blood (Pt. 1)"
2017 - Krolok - Flying above ancient Ruins
starting to lack hindsight for these picks to feel fully legit but this album is awesome anyway. Hail Count Krokula!
2018 - Void of Silence - The Sky over
I had given up on VoS since the Nemtheanga record, but The Sky Over won me over with all the conceptual drama and the goosebumps this album delivers. Probably album of the decade so far. I'm not surprised no one seems to be interested in it though.
2019 - Nasheim - Jord och Aska
a Swedish band
2020 - Odraza - Rzeczom
so far... I have to say the 2020 batch makes me hopeful for the future. Many really exciting albums this year.
2001 - Maudlin of the Well - Bath/Leaving your Body Map
let's treat it as one album, can't even tell which I like most anyway, it's one of these things I don't listen to more than once a year but the magic always works and seems to only get stronger as these albums age.
2002 - Empyrum - Weiland
probably the closest call of all years. I remember discovering this, The Mantle, Tenhi's Väre and N'Crugu Bradului in the span of what, a month? The definition of an epiphany.
2003 - Hala Strana - Fielding
I've enjoyed Steven R. Smith's projects to varying degrees throughout the years, but this double album is where his style was touched by near perfection. I even bought the LP re-release a few months ago, even though I don't own a turntable, just because...
2004 - Lunar Aurora - Zyklus
one of these bands with a flawless career. That album's cover was my first RC avatar for many years.
2005 - Lurker of Chalice - s/t
this album's suffocating atmosphere is still unparalleled to this day.
2006 - Drudkh - Blood in our Wells
just looking at the cover makes my skin tingle. The band should probably have called it quits at this point, even though Estrangement is still ok.
2007 - Elend - A World in their Screams
a frightening album in the true sense. The most believable crossover of classical (contemporary) music and horror ambient. It's 2020 and a successor is finally in the works.
2008 - Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy against all Life
the best Leviathan album crushed the feeble competition of that year
2009 - Cruciamentum - Convocation of Crawling Chaos
yup that's a demo. 2008-2010 was a draught period, but it was also the period I started enjoying death metal more, thanks to the slighjtly formulaic but intense OSDM revival. These four tracks are basically a synthesis of what this scene had to offer at the time.
2010 - Kiss the Anus of a Black Cat - Hewers of Wood and Drawers of Water
had to throw that band's name somewhere. This album is rock solid from start to finish, though arguably their best songs came earlier in their discography. Again though, its place in the top spot is a testimony of how poor the year was overall.
2011 - Tenhi - Saivo
still floored by the beauty of this album
2012 - Fauna - Avifauna
the whole Cascadian thing is obsolete. Not this album, maybe because it has a much more personal sound and general philosophy. Had the good fortune of seeing them on stage, even participating in the ritual dressed up as a hermit (go figure...)
2013 - Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
best comeback of the decade
2014 - Dead Congregation - Promulgation of the Fall
obliterating and to the point. Dead Congregation can afford to live on two albums per decade I guess...
2015 - Leviathan - Scar Sighted
maybe the weakest year. This album is real good but wouldn't even have made a top 10 if released somewehere in the first half of the 2000s... Also, I realize that it's the third appearance of a Wrest album in this best-of, though I don't especially revere the guy I suppose that's not a coincidence, as he keeps putting out solid material (sadly nothing new since 2015, another victim of time).
2016 - Blood Incantation - Starspawn
best death metal newcomer of the decade, hands down. The follow-up is great too but I doubt they'll ever top "Vitrification Of Blood (Pt. 1)"
2017 - Krolok - Flying above ancient Ruins
starting to lack hindsight for these picks to feel fully legit but this album is awesome anyway. Hail Count Krokula!
2018 - Void of Silence - The Sky over
I had given up on VoS since the Nemtheanga record, but The Sky Over won me over with all the conceptual drama and the goosebumps this album delivers. Probably album of the decade so far. I'm not surprised no one seems to be interested in it though.
2019 - Nasheim - Jord och Aska
a Swedish band
2020 - Odraza - Rzeczom
so far... I have to say the 2020 batch makes me hopeful for the future. Many really exciting albums this year.
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