Top 10 of 2003 for the Rest of Us

[Nate The Great]

Well, I decided to go ahead and post my top 10 of 2003 even though the year has a few days to go. So here's mine (with explanations).

1) Watchmaker Kill.Fucking.Everyone.
The most vicious, uncompromising metal album in recent history. Watchmaker doesn't pay attention to any of the conventions of their peers. This album represents everything that metal is supposed to be about.

2) Khanate Things Viral
Things Viral is a redefinition of the blackened doom sub-genre Khanate invented in 2001. This album is more frightening and even blacker. This is what every black metal band tries to achieve.

3) Curse of the Golden Vampire Mass Destruction
Extreme technoise played by masters of brutal music. The noisiest and harshest release of the year, but also the years most original application of digital technology to extreme music.

4) Burst Prey on Life
The best progressive hardcore release of the year. Also one of the most enjoyable albums, in terms of dynamics and songwriting, since Isis' 'Oceanic' and Tool's 'Laterallus'

5) Unearthly Trance Season of Seance, Science of Silence
Blackened doom played by a black metal band. This is the most grim and raw release of the year.

6) Aborym With No Human Intervention
Basically a continuation and refinement of the sub-genre (post blackmetal) that Aborym invented. The songwriting is really where this album sticks out from the rest of the bands following in Aborym's footsteps.

7) Mistress II: The Chronovisor
Filthy sludge that puts others in this style to shame. Mistress is also getting frighteningly close to sounding like everything Superjoint Ritual wishes they could be . . . only WAY more brutal.

8) Goatsblood Drull
Sick, sick, sick sludge/crust/filth played to the beat of both a grind freak and a doom lover.

9) Nasum Helvete
Probably the best grind band since Napalm Death. Easily the best grind album of the year.

10) Katatonia Viva Emptiness
Catchy, dark, and great song writing. Exactly what I expected, but done to the point of near perfection. Not their best album, but still done much better than anybody else that does this.[/b]

Honorable Mentions: Anathema 'A Natural Disaster', Rune 'The End of Nothing', Halo 'Body of Light', Akercocke 'Choronzone', Nevermore 'Enemies of Reality', Lamb of God 'As the Palaces Burn', Xasthur 'The Funeral of Being' and probably a few others.

There is no way I could evaluate the excellent releases from Keelhaul, Mithras, and Pelican in time for an end of the year list.

Other people should feel free to post their lists here . . . or start your own thread. I don't care.

 

[J.]

25) Bathory Nordland II
24) The Devin Townsend Band Accelerated Evolution
23) Forest Stream Tears of Mortal Solitude
22) Ion Dissonance Breathing is Irrelevant
21) Shai Hulud That Within Blood Ill Tempered
20) Enslaved Below the Lights
19) Skepticism Farmakon
18) Kalibas/Rune Split CD
17) Goatsblood Drull
16) Melechesh Sphynx
15) Boy Sets Fire Tomorrow Come Today
14) Cult of Luna The Beyond
13) Akercocke Choronzon
12) Manes Vilosophe
11) Poison the Well You Come Before You

10) Nasum Helvete
Nasum's best release yet of uncompromising grind. I didn't expect much, and I got a whole lot more.

9) Graveland The Fire of Awakening
Releasing one album every year seems to be Darken's goal these days. Yet, nothing sounds rushed, and no recycled riffs appear. Darken's best release since Creed of Iron.

8) Burst Prey on Life
A wonderful grinding hardcore release that combines technicality and simplicity.

7) Falkenbach Ok Nefna Tysvar Ty
A return to glory for this cult band. Seven hymns of moving beauty. Falkenbach's best since the debut.

6) Negura Bunget 'N Crugu Bradului
Virtually out of nowhere comes a black metal band that are actually interesting. A truly moving epic that is as beautiful as the intimate packaging.

5) Aborym With No Human Intervention
An entirely original band that treads where few bands dare, and even fewer listeners dare to follow.

4) Watchmaker Kill.Fucking.Everyone.
Few albums are able to convey what "metal" truly is, with too many bands trying to be different or simply copying one of their peers. Like a sledgehammer to the skull, Watchmaker reminds us why we fell in love with metal in the first place.

3) Geasa Fate's Lost Son
With only five new songs, Geasa blew away the competetion in 2003. Mournful pagan black metal from Ireland done flawlessly. The six songs from the band's famous long lost demo only makes this release that much more essential.

2) Rune The End of Nothing
Doomy grind is rarely, if ever, played this effectively. The future looks bright for this band.

Album of the Year 2003

Scald Headworm
After hearing one of the band's demos earlier this year, I expected a fine full-length from Scald. What I got was a veritable classic. Avant-grind with piano interludes and subdued sections ala Neurosis topped with two different vocal styles. What makes Headworm even more of an enigma is the fact that Scald is not signed to a label. A milestone in every sense of the word, that sadly, will go unnoticed.

 

[Nate The Great]

I need to figure out how to get Scald.

Also, would I like Geasa?

 

[J.]

if you like Primordial, you'll like Geasa

 

[J.]

If someone signs Scald, the band will distribute Headworm worldwide.

 

[J.]

oh, and how do I get Unearthly Trance?

 

[Nate The Great]

www.riseaboverecords.com for Unearthly Trance.

Can I still order Scald directly from the band?

I don't have Primordial yet. Maybe I should just order them and Geasa.

 

[Nate The Great]

Oh . . . wait. I actually got Unearthly Trance from The End.

 

[J.]

OK, I see Unearthly Trance for $13 at The End. As soon as some of these chumps pay me for my auctions, I'll prolly get it.

The only way to order Headworm at the moment is to send $15 to the band. You could also possibly trade with someone at the www.metalireland.com board. Scald members visit it frequently.

Geasa's 'Angels Cry' is fairly easy to find. In fact, you might be able to get it pretty cheap off of eBay. 'Fate's Lost Son' is a bit harder to find.

Any Primordial album is easy to find. My fave is Spirit the Earth Aflame, although you'll prolly like A Journeys End the most.

 

[Black Winter Day]

good god, npearce, a sane person would have a hemmorhage after listening to those albums!

 

[NAD]

Scald intrigues me, mostly because of their kickass album covers.

 

[Erik]

npearce: You should read my review of Primordial's "A Journey's End" here on RC, then you should run out and buy the album. Or just click around a bit on The End Recs or something.

 

[Demonspell]

After very careful consideration, I've managed to narrow it down to ten, which is a difficult task for me because I tend to be indecisive, frequently procrastinate, and see littel point in ranking albums (especially from different genres) against each other. I still haven't brought myself to come up with an order of preference, so here it goes in alphabetical order:

Anathema - A Natural Disaster
Dead Soul Tribe - A Murder Of Crows
Enslaved - Below The Lights
Ephel Duath - The Painter's Palette
Evergrey - Recreation Day
Katatonia - Viva Emptiness
Kayo Dot - Choirs Of The Eye
Moonsorrow - Kivenkantaja
Solefald - In Harmonia Universali
Wolverine - Cold Light Of Monday

 

[bloodfiredeath]

This was tough for me, and I still may tweak it a bit, but this is the best I can do right now. Keep in mind that it was a very tight year, and the difference between 6 and 20 is very little.

1. Ghoul - Maniaxe
It's hard for me to explain why this is my number one album of the year, but simply put, there is nothing I listened to more in 2003 than Maniaxe. You really have to hear it to understand, but I'll try to describe: members of Impaled playing gore drenched thrash.

2. Aborted - Goremageddon: The Saw And The Carnage Done
A perfect mixture of all out blasting, thrash riffs and head banging groove. Wrap that up in a brutal death metal assault with great Carcass influenced solos and you got an album that just misses being tops for the year.

3. Vital Remains - Dechristianize
Let the killing begin! I really can't say much about this album that already hasn't been said. An epic masterpiece with Benton's best vocal performance since Deicide's Legion. Lazaro and Suzuki are sick as fuck, I love this album.

4. Blood Red Throne - Afilliated With Suffering
One of my favorite sounds of all time is easily 'Floridian Death Metal,' which Blood Red Throne play flawlessly. A ton of killer riffs.

5. Exhumed - Anatomy Is Destiny
Exhumed surprised me this year with this one, easily surpassing their earlier work. One of the finest of Carcass influenced albums I've heard in quite some time.

6. Enslaved - Below The Lights
This album is about as fruity (aka progressive) as I get, and it does occassionally push my limits. However the sheer brilliance of this album is not lost on me.

7. Edge Of Sanity - Crimson II
Unlike many, just because the album is called Crimson II, I did not expect another Crimson, for such expectations are simply not fair. Mr Swano does a fine job here, putting out a top five album in his body of work, which to me, is quite an accomplishment.

8. Dew Scented - Impact
It may be a hair below their previous effort, Inwards, but Dew Scented definitely still hold their own as one of the top thrash bands today.

9. Paganizer - Murder Death Kill
Pure old school (late 80s/early 90s) Swedish death metal. There are not enough albums made like this in my book.

10. Murder Squad - Murderous, Ravenous
I can now live without new Autopsy albums as long as I can get Murder Squad. Not surprisingly, Chris Reifert makes a couple of guest appearances. Makes you want to puke blood... in a good way.

11. God Dethroned - Into The Lungs Of Hell
12. Soul Reaper - Life Erazer
13. The Crown - Possessed 13
14. Morbid Angel - Heretic
15. Iron Maiden - Dance of Death
16. King Diamond - The Puppet Master
17. Monstrosity - Rise To Power
18. Destruction - Metal Discharge
19. Spawn of Possession - Cabinet
20. Runemagick - Darkness Death Doom

 

[Dev]

1 . Elend - Winds Devouring Men
2 . Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God
3 . Negura Bunget - 'N Crugu Bradului
4 . Ephel Duath - The Painter's Palette
5 . The Mars Volta - De-Loused In The Comatorium
6 . Solefald - In Harmonia Universali
7 . The Gathering - Souvenirs
8 . Monolithe - Monolithe I
9 . Septic Flesh - Sumerian Daemons
10 . Enslaved - Below The Lights

 

[Nate The Great]

Where can I find Blut Aus Nord's new one for less than $20. I'm in the US.

 

[Dev]

Adipoecre has it for 12 € if I'm not mistaken .
http://www.adipocere.fr/boutique/boutique.htm

Go to 'CD' and so on .. there is an English version there

 

[Lutz]

1. Ondskapt - Draco Sit Mihi Dux
2. Skepticism - Farmakon
3. Mütiilation - Majestas Leprosus
4. Nehëmah - Shadows From The Past...
5. Graveland - The Fire Of Awakening
6. Nokturnal Mortum - The Taste Of Victory
7. Holmgang - Runens Advarsel
8. Xasthur - The Funeral Of Being
9. Watain - Casus Luciferi
10. Katatonia - Viva Emptiness
11. Blodulv - Blodulv
12. Krohm - Crown Of The Ancients
13. Bathory - Nordland II
14. Darkthrone - Hate Them
15. Himinbjørg - Golden Age

Too lazy to write descriptions, mostly black metal. Check out Ondskapt if you have not yet.

Maybe I forgot some..

 

[Nate The Great]

I don't suppose you have time to give descriptions of some of those bands. I've only heard a few of them.

 

[Lutz]

I could, which ones do you know?

Ondskapt - Mayhem "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas" sounding black metal, very atmospheric and with Atilla-like vocals, though not as hard to get into.
Nehëmah - French black metal that sounds very scandinavian, songs written from 1992-2002 on that album..
Krohm - Burzum "Hvis Lyset Tar Oss" sounding black metal by an Evoken member.. Slow stuff. Since you like Xasthur, you should check this band out. It's not as "obscyre" though.