The Non RC Staff 2004 Top 10 list

[Krilons Resa]

Best of 2004:

1 - Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
2 - Reverend Bizarre - Return To The Rectory (70 minute bonus disc on re-issue of In The Rectory...)
3 - Astrofaes - Those Whose Past is Immortal
4 - Mar De Grises - The Tatterdemalion Express
5 - Nasheim - Undergang/Evigheit
6 - Lunar Aurora - Zyklus
7 - Hate Forest - Battlefields
8 - Nortt - Gudsforladt
9 - Armagedda - Ond Spiritism
10 - Reclusiam - Reclusiam

11 - Graveland - Dawn of Iron Blades
12 - Krohm - A World Through Dead Eyes
13 - Isis - Panopticon
14 - Pagan Altar - Lords of Hypocrisy
15 - Lunar Aurora - Nektar: Teil 1
16 - Eyes of Ligeia - What The Moon Brings
17 - Angantyr - Sejr
18 - YOB - Illusion of Motion
19 - Morrigan - Celts
20 - Funeralium - Ultra Sick Doom

21 - Morgion - Cloaked By Ages, Crowned in Earth
22 - Ocean Chief - Oden Sessions
23 - Uaral - Songs of Pain
24 - Esoteric - Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum
25 - Doomshine - Thy Kingdoom Come
26 - Ufomammut - Snailking
27 - Neurosis - Eye of Every Storm
28 - Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice
29 - Lunar Aurora - Elixir of Sorrow
30 - Tyranny - Bleak Vistae

Honorable Mentions:

Mirror of Deception - Foregone
Capricornus - Alone Against All
Leviathan - Tentacles of Whorror
Bergthron - Faust Fur Faust
Witchcraft - Witchcraft
Azrael - Into The Sahdows: Act II
Pig Destroyer - Terrifyer
The Gates of Slumber - The Awakening
Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve
Loits - Vere Kutse Kohustab
Mouth of The Architect - Time & Withering

The latter three need more time for me to absorb.


Favorite EP/Splits:

Reverend Bizarre/Orodruin 12"
Oktor EP
Eikind - Vargtime
Jesu - Heartache

PS - This is a rough list.

 

[En Vind Av Sorg]

I think the new Bloodbath might edge its way into my top 10 now as well. I was skeptical about how Tagtgren would sound with Bloodbath's style, but I am very happy with his performance as well.

 

[ScottG]

Here's my list as final as I could make it on the 22nd of December:

#1 Into Eternity - Buried In Oblivion

#2 Orphaned Land - Mabool

#3 Ayreon - The Human Equation

#4 Nightingale - Invisible

#5 Fates Warning - FWX

#6 Drudkh - Autumn Aurora

#7 Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice

#8 Insomnium - Since The Day It All Came Down

#9 Jag Panzer - Casting The Stones

#10 Anaal Nathrakh - Domine Non Es Dignus

Honorable Mentions:

Megadeth - The System Has Failed
Jorn Lande - Out To Every Nation

Best Live Albums:

Allman Bros. - Live At The Beacon Theatre
King Diamond - Deadly Lullabies Live

 

[Dev]

Here's my first attempt, the ordering may change completely when I publish the list in a more detailed fashion (or be dispensed with completely).

1. Orphaned Land - Mabool
2. Isis - Panopticon
3. Into Eternity - Buried In Oblivion
4. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural History
5. Blut Aus Nord - Screw you guys, I'm counting the work that transforms 2004
6. Ayreon - The Human Equation
7. Neurosis - The Eye Of Every Storm
8. Void Of Silence - Human Antithesis
9. Pain Of Salvation - Be
10. Dead Soul Tribe - The January Tree

honorable mentions, or the 11-25 portion (in no order): Morgion, Evergrey, Mastodon, Mercenary, Drudkh, Fates Warning, SunnO))), Chroma Key, Mono, Riverside, Leviathan, Threshold, My Dying Bride, Jag Panzer, Mithras (if you consider it 2004)

still waiting for: Enslaved

Should be pretty high reagarding your list

 

[SonOfNun]

I will have my list in shortly after Christmas I think. There are still a few things I want to hear. It probably will have little effect on the overall list though, there is going to be a lot of death metal and things that most people on this forum don't enjoy as much as I do.

 

[BenMech]

Here's my list

: 1. Tears For Fears - Everybody Loves A Happy Ending
: 2. Ayreon - The Human Equation
: 3. Orphaned Land - Mabool
: 4. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of Natural History
: 5. Oceansize - Effloresce and Music For Nurses
: 6. Fates Warning - FWX
: 7. Cea Serin - …Where Memories Combine…
: 8. Into Eternity - Buried in Oblivion
: 9. Slipknot - Vol 3 The Subliminal Verses
: 10. Evergrey -The Inner Circle

: below that:
11. Thornley - Come Again
12. Pain of Salvation - BE (still absorbing it), might move up ranking)
13. Megadeth - The System Has Failed
14. Dead Soul Tribe - The January Tree
15. Woods of Ypres - Pursuit of the Sun and Allure of the Earth (this may bump upwards)
16. Mastadon - Leviathan
17. Riverside - Out of Myself (this will move up)
18. Anti-Depressive Delivery - Feel Melt Release Explode (this will move up)
19. Anaal Nathrakh - Domine Non Es Dignus
20. Tea Party - Seven Circles (disappointment of the entire year)

Honorable mentions:

Enslaved - ISA (2005 domestic release)
Neurosis - The Eye of Every Storm
Dillenger Escape Plan - Miss Machine
Scott Mosher - Inferno
Samael - Reign of Light (2005 domestic release)


Worst event of the year:
Nathan Gale shoots Darrell Abbott when he should have shot Phil Anselmo

 

[J.]

still don't have Graveland, but I did order it from www.metalcentre.com for $14.99 p/p, and they've already confirmed my order, so I should have it next week.

also ordered another 2004 release that could have some impact

 

[Carbonized]

I went to fill this out a few times but never added anything so now i guess i will. Alphabetical order since i can't decide on a numerical order:

Bloodbath - NMF
Danzig - Circle of Snakes
Fall of the Leafe - Volvere
Mortiis - The Grudge
Symphorce - Twice Second
Throes of Dawn - Quicksilver Clouds
Woods of Ypres - Pursuit of the Sun etc etc...

ok not quite ten, but i'm a picky bastard with no cash.

 

[Henrik Main]

FINALLY!

HENRIK MAIN'S INSANELY THOROUGH BEST OF 2004 LIST - TOP 25 (Metal only)

01. 1349 - Beyond The Apocalypse
02. Malevolent Creation - Warkult
03. Finntroll - Nattfödd
04. Incantation - Decimate Christendom
05. Behexen - By The Blessing Of Satan
06. Suffocation - Souls To Deny
07. Monstrosity - Rise To Power
08. Insision - Revealed And Worshipped
09. Behemoth - Demigod
10. Brodequin - Methods Of Execution
11. Vomitory - Primal Massacre
12. Borknagar - Epic
13. Vader - The Beast
14. Darkthrone - Sardonic Wrath
15. Enslaved - Isa
16. Visceral Bleeding - Transcend Into Ferocity
17. Cattle Decapitation - Humanure
18. Sinners Bleed - From Womb To Tomb
19. Liturgy - Dawn Of Ash
20. Dies Irae - Sculpture Of Stone
21. Cannibal Corpse - The Wretched Spawn
22. Leviathan - Tentacles Of Whorror
23. Deathspell Omega - Si Monvmentvm Reqvires, Circvmspice
24. Drudkh - Autumn Aurora
25. Nattefrost - Blood And Vomit

Honourable mentions: Deicide - Scars Of The Crucifix, Nasheim - Evighet/Undergång (few of the songs were actually written/recorded in 2004, but I'll still mention them ), Wasteform - Ignorance Through Sovereignity. Mayhem - Chimera also had some very, very good songs.

Biggest disappointment: Decapitated - The Negation

Best black metal track: 1349 - Singer Of Strange Songs

Best death metal track: Malevolent Creation - Ravaged By Conflict

Other ace non-metal 2004 releases: Die Toten Hosen - Zurück Zum Glück, Guttermouth - Eat Your Face, Pulley - Matters, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - Ruin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah, Audio Karate - Lady Melody.

 

[MFJ]

I will complete this list later- but

1. Enslaved - Isa
2. Nasheim - Evighet/Undergang
3. Finntroll - Nattfodd
4. Velvet Cacoon - Genevieve ( i had a hard time getting into this one, but i realized it for what it is)
5. Vintersorg - The Focusing Blur (proud to have this on my list)
6. Borknagar - Epic (some awesome moments but it gets dry!)
7. Isis - Panopticon

 

[SonOfNun]

Quite a few things I need to check out on that list. 1349, Behexen, Finntroll, Monstrosity, Brodequin, Enslaved, Liturgy and Dies Irae.

 

[MFJ]

Quite a few things I need to check out on that list. 1349, Behexen, Finntroll, Monstrosity, Brodequin, Enslaved, Liturgy and Dies Irae.

absolutely check out the 1349, Finntroll, and Enslaved. Isa is a fucking masterpiece!

 

[Dev]

Woohoo , I played it tonight again , it's a winner. Everything is done so perfectly , it's even miles better than both Monumension and Below the Lights.
Enslaved rules.

Of those who haven't heard it yet , I think Nate will love it most (like top 10 2004 , we'll see if I am wrong ..)

 

[Henrik Main]

Quite a few things I need to check out on that list. 1349, Behexen, Finntroll, Monstrosity, Brodequin, Enslaved, Liturgy and Dies Irae.

1349 - Check out "Beyond The Apocalypse First", then "Liberation" and the MCDs. Fantastic, cold black metal, hyper-fast and chaotic at times, but also melodic.

Behexen - "By The Blessing Of Satan" is raw, cold black metal with a sharp but quite decent production. Lots of killer riffs that should satisfy all fans of extreme metal.

Finntroll - I think "Nattfödd" is their best, but "Jaktens Tid" and "Midnattens Widunder" are definitely worth a listen too. "Polka-folk-black".

Monstrosity - Very decent American DM. I think you will like these guys, considering your taste in metal. "Imperial Doom" is very good, but "Rise To Power" is perhaps a tad more accessible.

Enslaved - I prefer earlier Enslaved ("Vikingligr Veldi", "Frost", "Eld", the split with Enslaved, the split with Satyricon), but I find that "Isa", although considerably weaker than their excellent earlier material, is far better than their more recent efforts ("Monumension" and "Below The Lights", for instance).

Liturgy - Very brutal DM in the vein of Brodequin and Disgorge (US).

Dies Irae - Polish DM featuring Vader members. I think their first release, "Immolated", is their best. It's generally a lot faster (and I tend to like my DM FAST) than the often mid-paced "Sculpture Of Stone".

 

[J.]

finally got the new Graveland in. Give me a few listens before I post the list.

 

[Krilons Resa]

You cant decide where it will place on your top10 list of the year, in one night!

 

[J.]

I should have the list up by tomorrow. Tonight's a blockbuster night.

 

[Krilons Resa]

...and it the end of late fees.

 

[J.]

11. Cult of Luna - Salvation
12. Orphaned Land - Mabool
13. Mar de Grises - The Tatterdemalion Express
14. Amon Amarth - Fate of Norns
15. Woodtemple - The Call of the Pagan Woods
16. Fear Factory - Archetype
17. Ensiferum - Iron
18. Red Harvest - Internal Punishment Programs
19. Forefather - Ours is the Kingdom
20. Morgion - Cloaked by Ages, Crowned in Earth
21. Finntroll - Nattfodd
22. Esoteric - Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum
23. Old Man Gloom - Christmas
24. Mastodon - Leviathan
25. Cruachan - Pagan

 

[MFJ]

I really, really need to hear Woodtemple and Astrofaes.