My Favorite Metal Albums of 2020

2020 was, obviously, a terrible year. As usual, there was plenty of metal to enjoy and several of these releases are ones I’ll be spinning for years to come. That being said, this year I spent more time with old comforts such as Rush (RIP Neil Peart) and AC/DC, so I probably listened to less metal in terms of hours than I have in ten years. Still, here’s what I enjoyed the most.

As usual, all genre descriptions according to http://www.metal-archives.com, truly one of the best websites to ever grace the Internet.

Honorable Mentions (in Alphabetical Order)

Black Elephant – Seven Swords

Fates Warning – Long Day Good Night

Haken – Virus

Katatonia – City Burials

Spell – Opulent Decay

20. Pallbearer – Forgotten Days

Genre: Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Forgotten Days”

19. Stygian Crown – Stygian Crown

Genre: Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Up From the Depths”

18. Lik – Misanthropic Breed

Genre: Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Females Fatal to the Flesh”

17. Skeletal Remains – The Entombment of Chaos

Genre: Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Congregation of Flesh”

16. Glacier – The Passing of Time

Genre: Heavy/Power Metal

Favorite Song: “Live for the Whip”

15. Cirith Ungol – Forever Black

Genre: Heavy/Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “The Frost Monstreme”

14. Dark Forest – Oak, Ash & Thorn

Genre: Heavy/Power Metal

Favorite Song: “The Midnight Folk”

13. Falconer – From a Dying Ember

Genre: Folk/Power Metal

Favorite Song: “Rejoice the Adorned”

12. Enslaved – Utgard

Genre: Progressive Black/Viking Metal

Favorite Song: “Fires in the Dark”

11. Temple of Void – The World That Was

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “The World That Was”

10. Dexter Ward – III

Genre: Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “Return of the Blades”

9. Bone Church – Acid Communion

Genre: Stoner Metal/Rock

Favorite Song: “Bone Church Blues”

8. Wytch Hazel – III: Pentecost

Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “I Am Redeemed”

7. Raider – Guardian of the Fire

Genre: Thrash/Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Endless Vengeance”

6. Paradise Lost – Obsidian

Genre: Doom/Death/Gothic Metal/Rock

Favorite Song: “Ghosts”

5. Necrot – Mortal

Genre: Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Asleep Forever”

4. Briton Rites – Occulte Fantastique

Genre: Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Strange, But Beautiful”

3. Ironsword – Servants of Steel

Genre: Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “Tower of the Elephant”

2. Eternal Champion – Ravening Iron

Genre: Epic Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “Coward’s Keep”

1. Warbringer – Weapons of Tomorrow

Genre: Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Outer Reaches”

Bonus: My Top 5 Non-Metal Albums of 2020

1. Bob Dylan – Rough and Rowdy Ways

2. AC/DC – Power Up

3. American Aquarium – Lamentations

4. Bruce Springsteen – Letter to You

5. Drive-By Truckers – The Unraveling

My 20 Favorite Comics of the Decade (2010 – 2019)

That’s right. A comics list and not a metal one, completely destroying the theme of this barely used “blog.” Why have I done this? Because I can and only a handful of people read this stuff, so why not? In short, I deeply love comics. So much. To say we saw some great comics this decade would grossly undersell the truth. Some of the best comics ever have been published in the last ten years, and this is my way of honoring them. Read on if you have any interest.

Honorable Mentions

The Immortal Hulk by Al Ewing/Joe Bennett

What if the Hulk was written more like a horror series instead of a straightforward superhero title? Al Ewing certainly brings a horror flavor to the book in more ways than one. The Hulk simply cannot die, and Bruce Banner is pulled into an increasingly majestic fight against enemies and heroes.

Injustice: Gods Among Us by Tom Taylor/Various

Superman has lost his mind! It is up to Batman and other heroes to stop the Kryptonian and his band of sympathizers as the entire DC universe is pulled into a battle of epic proportions. A great comic series that just missed the list because of its length and the feeling that (at times) they were trying to throw in every character they could just for the hell of it. But still, this is excellent stuff, with the first twelve issues (or year) being particularly strong.

20. Kill or Be Killed

Writer: Ed Brubaker

Artist: Sean Phillips

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: August 2016 – June 2018

The premise of this one is very simple: A college student named Dylan attempts suicide but surprisingly survives before a demon appears to him and explains that it saved his life. In exchange, Dylan will be allowed to live one month for every person he kills. And that’s it. That’s the setup. Naturally, Dylan makes it a point to kill people who “deserve” death, so he’s not just running around killing old ladies on the street. This is Ed Brubaker’s more “serious” exploration into vigilantism and the effect it has on society and friends/family. This comic is intense as hell with more pulse-pounding moments of suspense than I can count. If that isn’t enough for you, Brubaker has stated that the comic is basically “Death Wish meets Breaking Bad with the adventure of The Amazing Spider-Man comics from the 1970s.” I mean c’mon. At this point, Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips have to be considered one of the most accomplished teams in all of comics, having worked together previously on more titles than I care to name here, with Criminal probably being the big one. To me, Kill or Be Killed is a more interesting and suspenseful comic than the other big Brubaker/Phillips collaboration I read this decade, The Fade Out, which feels like it never gets going before it just kind of ends. Bleh. Don’t have to worry about that with this title as it calls for some of the most compulsive page-turning I’ve encountered in the last ten years.

19. Rough Riders

Writer: Adam Glass

Artist: Patrick Olliffe

Publisher: AfterShock Comics

Publication Date: April 2016 – May 2018

Okay people, this one is just sheer fun. Devoid of pretentiousness and delusions of artistic grandeur, Rough Riders from upstarts AfterShock Comics features one of those plots that basically guaranteed I’d buy the first trade without even opening it: Theodore Roosevelt gathers a team of soon-to-be American legends in order to stop evil and save the country. I mean, my God. How could I not love this? This is basically the historical version of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen without Moore’s pretentiousness (despite my boundless love for that title) and bizarre rape scenes (shew bubba). Joining ‘ol Teddy is scientist/inventor Thomas Edison, trick-shot Annie Oakley, boxer Jack Johnson, and street magician Harry Houdini as they go up against stern odds in three distinct arcs: Give Them Hell, Riders on the Storm, and Ride or Die. This is just plain fun, simple as that. That being said, as far as I can tell the title ended after Ride or Die so, while that is a huge bummer, it has all been collected in one super-sexy hardcover. But surely there can be a comeback, right? Teddy died in 1919, and as far as I can remember Ride or Die is set in 1906, so there’s over a decade of stories left to tell as far as I’m concerned. There’s got to be somebody that needs some killin’.

18. Green Arrow by Lemire/Sorrentino

Writer: Jeff Lemire

Artist: Andrea Sorrentino

Publisher: DC Comics

Publication Date: February 2013 – August 2014

I have a soft spot for B-level characters, and despite his Justice League card-carrying status, Oliver Queen is just that. The man is basically a less-cool, more politically bent Bruce Wayne as an archer. Some of the most thrilling comics ever written take B/C level characters and pushes them to true A-level, and that is what master Jeff Lemire and partner-in-crime Andrea Sorrentino accomplished with this Green Arrow run. Though I have not read the first 16 issues of the title’s New 52 run, I had always heard bad things about it. When Jeff Lemire assumed writing duties with issue 17, he said at the time that he was basically treating it as a number 1, so this is an excellent starting point if you’ve never read any Green Arrow before. While naturally broken up into arcs, the entire run is one story often called War of the Clans and pits Oliver Queen against master archer Komodo as he tries to uncover truths about his time on the island that initially transformed him into the famous vigilante. Sorrentino’s instantly-recognizable artwork perfectly matches Lemire’s serious approach to the subject matter, which should not be surprising considering the two of them have teamed up repeatedly over the years. I particularly enjoy Lemire’s treatment of Count Vertigo, a pretty foolish character reforged into something new and altogether threatening and unsettling. Lemire is simply a master, and after reading this and the first arc of his incredible Black Hammer series I more or less buy anything I see him attached to and so far I have not been disappointed.

17. The Wicked + The Divine

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Artist: Jamie McKelvie

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: June 2014 – September 2019

I guess if you held a gun to my head (please don’t), I’d say that The Wicked + The Divine is probably the most “different” comic on this list. Heavily influenced by pop music, fashion, and various mythological gods, the story concerns the Parthenon, a group of twelve people who are reincarnated deities. These people discover power and immense fame, but there is a catch: they die within two years as part of a ninety-year cycle. Yeah, a bare bones summary of this doesn’t even begin to tell the wild and unpredictable story that follows. At this point in his career, this is considered to be Gillen’s magnum opus, and even though there is another title featuring his writing on this list, I’d probably have to agree. There’s just nothing else like it that I have read in comics. I was completely unfamiliar with artist Jamie McKelvie before reading this, which baffles me considering how excellent the art on this title is. When pared with Matt Wilson’s GORGEOUS colors, The Wicked + The Divine features one of the most well-rounded experiences of the decade. Just stellar, strange stuff. God bless it.

16. Paper Girls

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan

Artist: Cliff Chiang

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: October 2015 – July 2019

As if obliterating all other comics with Saga this past decade was not enough, Brian K. Vaughan co-created another top shelf comic in Paper Girls. Also one of the most praised comics of the decade, this one packs a more “nostalgic” punch than Vaughan’s other big title as it is set in the (when else?) ‘80s, which has grown to be the go-to decade for nostalgia digging the past few years. The premise is simply crazy: a group of 12-year-old paper delivery girls unwillingly get caught in the middle of a conflict between two warring groups of time travelers after their town is invaded. It somehow manages to get crazier with each and every issue while avoiding the Morrison (at his worst) problem of getting so weird that it becomes impossible to follow the plot. Artist Cliff Chiang has an immediately recognizable style and his depiction of a wide assortment of creatures, beings, and devices in this comic is genuinely impressive. At this point in his career, Brian K. Vaughan has to be considered on the level of the likes of Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, and others as one of the greatest of all time. In my opinion, no other comic book writer had a better decade than Vaughan. The man is a damn genius who somehow has maintained a remarkable level of consistency throughout his entire career. Paper Girls belongs in the company of Y: The Last Man, Ex Machina, Runaways, and Saga, and I can scarcely wait to see what Vaughan cooks up in the decades to come.

15. Nailbiter

Writer: Joshua Williamson

Artist: Mike Henderson

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: May 2014 – March 2017

While I do enjoy horror comics, for the most part I stick to superhero, fantasy, and science fiction titles when perusing the shelves. I tried the first Nailbiter trade paperback at the behest of Alex Ray and I’m really glad I did, for this series is a true thrill-ride. Set in the fictional town of Buckaroo, Oregon, which is (in)famous for producing sixteen serial killers, the story mostly centers around the hunt for Edward Charles Warren, aka the Nailbiter. Naturally, he got the name from his tendency to bite off his victim’s nails. The plot becomes more grand as it goes along, with the mystery of just why the town produces so many serial killers becoming a focal point. This was the first Josh Williamson title I ever read, and he has since gone on to write other comics I greatly enjoy, such as Frostbite and a very good, lengthy run on The Flash. But so far, to me Nailbiter remains his best work, despite becoming a bit too “out there” for its own good during the last several issues, which probably explains why it isn’t higher up on the list. Sometimes it really is all about the ride and not the destination, and my God what a ride this series is.

14. The Sixth Gun

Writer: Cullen Bunn

Artist: Brian Hurtt

Publisher: Oni Press

Publication Date: May 2010 – June 2016

Anyone who knows me knows I am a slut for westerns, so it should come as no surprise to see The Sixth Gun on this list. But this ain’t your grandpappy’s western, oh no. Did he ever watch a western containing six magic pistols, each of which grants a unique power to whoever wields them? I think not. So, if that sounds interesting to you, I can almost guarantee you one thing: it is even better than you think it could be. This 50-issue series acts as one story with clearly-defined arcs building to a grand ending, and the ride along the way makes me wanna yell “yee-haw.” Cullen Bunn’s scripts are tight, surprising, and oftentimes hilarious while simultaneously carrying a real weight. Characters have dark, sad pasts in this story, so the whole thing isn’t just a foolish western/fantasy romp. Brian Hurtt’s art is perfect for the type of story as it looks “comic-booky,” and I mean that as the greatest compliment. Shamefully, I have yet to read anything else Cullen Bunn has written (I’ll probably tackle Harrow County next), but the sheer strength of The Sixth Gun guarantees I will someday.

13. Batman: Earth One 

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Gary Frank

Publisher: DC Comics

Publication Date: July 2012; May 2015

Once again, I’m probably cheating by including two separate graphic novels as one entry, but this is my list and I can do what I want. Geoff Johns’s treatment of Batman here is essentially the direct opposite of how Grant Morrison usually handles the character: Bruce Wayne is GREEN and a novice in many respects in these two books. Definitely a more “realistic” (as far as this type of story can go, anyway) take on the character, there’s many great scenes displaying Batman’s incompetence, with my favorite probably Gordon lightly berating him for standing in the middle of a crime scene and contaminating it. The first volume puts just about my favorite version of Penguin ever as the villain and ends in a genuinely shocking and surprising way. Volume 2 is even better in my opinion, as Johns and Frank (who, at this point, has to be considered one of the best artists of his day) are able to hit the ground running with a story centered on a reimagining of the Riddler. Set six months after the first volume, Bruce is definitely better this time around but still a FAR cry from the living god from Morrison’s JLA who could stand toe-to-toe with multiple white martians without breaking a sweat. That version of Batman, in my mind, is Bruce at the height of his powers and basically just about the highest a mortal man can push himself in the DC universe. The Earth One books will never see him at that level of mastery, but I think that is what makes these books so interesting as they still demonstrate the two traits every Batman depiction needs for it to truly be Batman: (1) he will not kill and (2) he accomplishes what he needs to through sheer superhuman will. Johns has been very busy since Volume 2 was released what with his role in trying to get a decent DCU movie made (poor bastard never had much of a chance) and his work on Rebirth and Doomsday Clock, so there’s been no word of Volume 3. Johns said that he’d like to bring Dick Grayson into this world, so fingers crossed.

12. Southern Bastards

Writer: Jason Aaron

Artist: Jason Latour

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: 2014 – Present

In many ways, Southern Bastards is the type of story I’m always on the look for outside the realms of fantasy and horror: southern and dark. With all of its subtle/not-so-subtle Drive-By Truckers references and countless odes to the American South, I was pretty much on board the second I opened the first issue. The writing and art is so good that it doesn’t bother me at all that a good deal of the plot centers around football, a sport I’ve never really been able to tolerate. As much as I wish it was baseball instead, you don’t really need to know anything about football except that there are winners and losers, and Coach Euless Boss doesn’t abide losers. As most quality southern literature is wont to do, Aaron and Latour make their series equal parts love letter and angry rant. Such is the duality of the Southern Thing. I love this series deeply, and had there been a more regular publishing schedule this easily would have made my top 5. But my God, I think there’s been just twenty issues published since 2014. With gaps that long I’ve had to go back and read issues multiple times just to remember what is going on before reading the new stuff. And to top it off, there wasn’t a single Southern Bastards issue published in 2019. That being said, I don’t begrudge the creators as the title is basically a side project, with Aaron over the years working on Thor, Star Wars, Conan the Barbarian, and others while Latour co-created and wrote a lengthy run on Spider-Gwen. But c’mon, guys. I need more of this series in my life.

11. Daredevil by Mark Waid

Writer: Mark Waid

Artist: Various

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Publication Date: September 2011 – September 2015

In my mind, Daredevil is to Marvel what Batman is to DC: the title featuring consistently the best writing and the one everyone wants to work on. Ever since Daredevil was relaunched in 1998 when Kevin Smith took over for his Guardian Devil arc, the title has featured what I consider the best (with a few hiccups *cough* Shadowland *cough*) string of stories and writers the title has seen since Frank Miller make the character A-tier in the ‘80s. I mean my god, you got Kevin Smith, Brian Michael Bendis and his insanely good, lengthy run, Ed Brubaker, and finally Mark Waid, who took over in 2011. The writer took things in a considerably lighter, more-swashbuckling direction when compared to the dark grittiness of the Bendis and Brubaker runs. Because of this, I didn’t think I would enjoy it that much, but I was sold by issue 2. There’s still plenty of darkness to be found, but it is told while surrounded by COMICS. Insanity and madness happen in Waid’s story that could only be told in comic book format and it is damn hard not to love. And once you consider the strong stable of artists Waid worked with during this time, the big two being Chris Samnee and Paolo Rivera, this surely stands out as one of the best comic runs of the decade.

10. The Walking Dead

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artist: Tony Moore (#1-6), Charlie Adlard (#7-193)

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: October 2003 – July 2019

Yeah, yeah, should this series even count on a 2010-2019 decade list since it has been around since 2003? Considering some of Kirkman’s best and most-famous story arcs came after the year 2010, such as the introduction of Negan, the Whisperer War, etc, I have to think it belongs here. The biggest runaway hit Image Comics has ever seen since the original launch of Spawn in 1992, The Walking Dead caused Robert Kirkman to become the poster boy for the creator-owned movement years after seven comic book artists left Marvel to form their own company. This is a dark, consistently-shocking comic that is compulsively readable once you get drawn in by Kirkman’s tight story arcs and Adlard’s bleak artwork, gloriously left uncolored. As with Invincible, Kirkman is a master of building an arc into an explosive conclusion that makes you itch to read more. I can’t imagine reading this series month-to-month as I’ve always just plowed through the compendiums. Once you pick it up, you can’t just read 22 pages and stop for a month, can you?

9. Star Wars: Darth Vader by Gillen/Larocca

Writer: Kieron Gillen

Artist: Salvador Larocca

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Publication Date: February 2015 – October 2016

I admit I was a bit skeptical when I initially approached this series. Set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, I knew nothing really earth-shattering could happen in this canonical series. Was it going to be boring? Would Vader be way too talkative? How would this work? Imagine my surprise when Kieron Gillen (probably most known for his stellar The Wicked + The Divine for Image) not only wrote an endlessly interesting comic, but also helped create one of my favorite Star Wars properties ever. The series essentially tries to answer a single question: Given that Vader was basically the only survivor of the Death Star explosion at the end of A New Hope, how was he able to please what must have been one pissed-off Emperor while ascending to an even higher position of power for The Empire Strikes Back? Gillen approaches the iconic character with the utmost respect, wisely creating the “chatty” criminal archaeologist Doctor Aphra to act as something of a voice for the stoic eponymous character. This is just Star Wars done right, featuring Vader pitted against an interesting variety of foes and political machinations while surrounding himself (sometimes against his will) with a lovely supporting cast, with Inspector Tanoth being a personal favorite. The Vader Down crossover with Jason Aaron is especially superb and features just about my favorite (and most metal) Vader moment in the entire franchise. Wonderful stuff.

8. Spider-Man: Life Story

Writer: Chip Zdarsky

Artist: Mark Bagley

Publisher: Marvel Comics

Publication Date: March 2019 – August 2019

Easily the shortest work on this list, I was immediately intrigued when I heard the premise for Chip Zdarsky’s Spider-Man miniseries: what would happen if Peter Parker had aged along with the decades since his first appearance in 1962 when he was fifteen? Teaming up with illustrator Mark Bagley (who is quite possibly my favorite Spider-Man illustrator of all time, I mean my god the man co-created Carnage in the early ‘90s, drew 111 consecutive issues of Ultimate Spider-Man, and now has this masterpiece under his belt), Zdarsky’s ambitious Life Story not only shows how an aging Peter Parker would have handled the different eras of comic book history, but also how he would have handled more “serious” issues like the draft and a mentally deteriorating Aunt May. I cannot remember a time I wasn’t a Spider-Man fan as I’ve seen pictures of me wearing the suit when I was three or four. Despite being only six “high-end” issues, this comic packs an incredible punch and builds to a simply orgasmic conclusion which I confess made me cry like a little bitch. After I closed the book on this, I knew it had immediately became one of my favorite Spider-Man properties of all time. Truly transcendent stuff.

7. Justice League by Geoff Johns

Writer: Geoff Johns

Artist: Various

Publisher: DC Comics

Publication Date: October 2011 – May 2016

Over the years, Geoff Johns has grown to become one of my favorite superhero writers of all time. The man simply understands comics and superhero stories in general. One of the most prolific and consistent writers of his generation, before 2010 rolled around he already had lengthy, title-defining runs on The Flash, Teen Titans, JSA, and (probably what will be remembered as his masterpiece) Green Lantern, all before the age of 37. Johns’ output slowed considerably as the 2010s rolled on, mostly after taking a position in DC as Chief Creative Officer for several years. Still, we got this superlative Justice League run, which in my mind is second only to Grant Morrison’s transcendent work on JLA. While I oftentimes thought Johns’ treatment of Batman was a bit off during this run, I can’t deny the stellar writing as a whole and the impressive stable of all-star artists he snagged for the title (Jim Lee, Jason Fabok, Ivan Reis, etc). During this run Johns penned the great arcs Origin, Throne of Atlantis, my personal favorite of The Injustice League and the incredible Forever Evil crossover/miniseries, and the lengthy closing arc The Darkseid War. This is how a big team book should be written: in the style of a story-driven, big blockbuster movie where each character gets their chance to shine before the end. I hope Johns returns to writing more regularly in the years to come. He is truly one of the best there is.

6. Invincible

Writer: Robert Kirkman

Artist: Ryan Ottley, Cory Walker

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: 2003 – 2018

Much like Kirkman’s other enormous title on this list, Invincible probably shouldn’t belong here considering it also started in 2003. But, then again, I don’t care. Invincible is probably my favorite superhero title of all time that does not feature Bruce Wayne, so it deserves to be high on this list. Much like my reasoning with The Walking Dead, some of the title’s best story arcs came after 2010, such as The Viltrumite War, The Death of Everyone, Reboot?, and the epic conclusion The End of All Things. This comic is simply an amalgamation of everything I love about superhero comics: epic fights, space and interdimensional travel, nefarious goons, heinous super-villains, aliens hell-bent on world domination, shadowy government agencies, and the list goes on. All of this is told by Kirkman with an enormous dose of humor as he pokes fun at the genre. The comic is just stellar. That being said, it just narrowly misses my top 5 because (1) so much incredible material was published before 2010 and (2) I think the last several issues feel a taaaaad rushed. I would have liked another issue or two towards the end to pad out some things, but at the end of the day this is a very minor quibble. Make no mistake, Invincible is one of my favorite comic titles of all time, and I really hope Kirkman revisits Mark Grayson and his colorful supporting cast of characters someday.

5. Providence

Writer: Alan Moore

Artist: Jacen Burrows

Publisher: Avatar Press

Publication Date: May 2015 – April 2017

Without question the most unsettling work on this list, Providence is comics legend (and all-around fascinating and somewhat spooky) Alan Moore’s self-proclaimed “final” exploration into the work of Howard Phillips Lovecraft and acts as both prequel and sequel to his The Courtyard (2003) and Neonomicon (2010-2011) miniseries releases for small independent comics publisher Avatar Press. While I did enjoy both The Courtyard and Neonomicon as a whole, I felt like Moore was a bit too heavy-handed with the sexual aspects of the books, which (I felt) threatened to overshadow the otherworldly, unsettling nature of Lovecraft’s work. There was also some surprisingly-lazy writing on display as well, such as Moore gracelessly informing the reader in the first issue of Neonomicon that a character has a past of sexual addiction, basically telegraphing that said character would run into some sexual roadblocks (to say the least) later in the series. Luckily, the sprawling 12-issue miniseries Providence showcases Moore at his latter day best, once again channeling the genius that made ‘90s and ‘00s titles such as From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen so smart and captivating.

There are so many references and nods to Lovecraft’s work, as well as writings from authors in the “Lovecraft Circle” and extended mythos, that it is truly mind-boggling. That being said, they all service the story and never once feel like an Easter egg just thrown in for fans. The story’s protagonist is writer Robert Black, a secretly-gay man who takes a leave of absence from his journalism career to pursue writing a Great American Novel centered around occult subjects found throughout New England. By creating a character Lovecraft himself did not create, Moore is able to freely stroll through a wild world of Lovecraftian inventions while pulling everything together in driving, increasingly-unsettling plot. Moore certainly doesn’t shy away from Lovecraft’s racism and other prejudices and instead tackles the subject head-on throughout the series. Plus, incorporating the Watchmen method of lengthy prose journals/clippings/etc. at the end of each issue makes for an engaging read you can’t just sit down and blow through. Alan Moore is widely hailed as the greatest comic book writer of all time, and in my eyes Providence belongs up there with his more widely-read works. A truly stunning masterwork with a mind-boggling attention to detail.

4. Locke & Key

Writer: Joe Hill

Artist: Gabriel Rodriguez

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Publication Date: February 2008 – December 2013; plus various one-shots published after 2010

I love Stephen King. I first read The Stand when I was in middle school and it blew me away. From there I became obsessed with The Dark Tower series, IT, and various short-story collections. My infatuation with the man’s work only grew as he continued to release strong “latter day” material. I was intrigued when I heard his son, Joe Hill, had published a comic book named Locke & Key, so I decided to give it a shot, having never read his published novels Heart-Shaped Box or Horns. I was going in blind, as they say, with a bit of worry in my heart that Hill would ape his old man’s style and come off forced. I should have known that this was not to be the case when I first read his name, which is naturally a pen name to avoid coat-tailing off his father’s immense name and reputation. To me, Locke & Key doesn’t read like Stephen King at all. This is the work of a talented man successfully striking out to forge an identity of his own.

Beautifully drawn by Gabriel Rodriguez, Locke & Key tells the oftentimes non-chronological story of the Keyhouse in Lovecraft, Massachusetts and the Locke family who move into the house after a terrible tragedy. From there, the family discover keys that have different magical properties and mischief ensues. Clearly, this is the sort of intricate plot that really can’t be explained in a few sentences without sounding goofy. Rest assured that this series has it all: humor, horror, magic, heartache, family, etc. This title belongs in the “Comics That Made Carson Ray Weep” category, which is a much smaller category than television shows and movies, I’ll have you know. Just read it if you haven’t, as the main series is efficiently collected in six trade paperbacks. Read and fall in love, because coming soon this new decade will see the birth of World War Key. I can’t wait.

3. Black Hammer

Writer: Jeff Lemire

Artist: Dean Ormston

Publisher: Dark Horse Comics

Publication Date: July 2016 – Present

Lord, what a comic. Over the past several years, Jeff Lemire has grown to become one of my favorite writers working in comics today, and Black Hammer is my favorite title he’s written so far. Lovingly embracing comic book history by creating characters mirroring classics from the Big Two, Lemire sets the stage with a relatively simple premise: six heroes have been stranded in the Twilight Zone-inspired town of Rockwood for ten years, starting the day they saved Spiral City from the Anti-God (HAHA IT’S DARKSEID). While some of the heroes are still desperately trying to figure a way out of the strange town, others have given up or have even taken to it. From there, the story becomes more intriguing with each issue, going in directions I never would have imagined. I love how the heroes each represent classic comic heroes I’ve always wished could interact together: Golden Gail/Billy Batson is trapped with Abraham Slam/Captain America, Barbalien/Martian Manhunter, Colonel Weird/Adam Strange, and others. I love how the title takes tropes from the Golden Age, Silver Age, and even the weirdness of ‘80s Doom Patrol comics and mixes them altogether into a very palatable stew.

I should note that while I am mostly focusing on the main title, I am also throwing in the spin-offs as I’ve read most all of those as well, and damned if they ain’t all quality. My two favorites are probably Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil in all of its silly glory and Doctor Star and the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows, the latter of which honestly made me roll a single tear down my cheek before closing the book. There’s a good bit of these spin-offs but they are usually contained within a single trade paperback. Even after I started writing this entry, I got distracted for a bit and checked Instagram to see that Lemire just announced a Colonel Weird spin-off. And I don’t doubt for an instant that it will be great.

2. Saga

Writer: Brian K. Vaughan

Artist: Fiona Staples

Publisher: Image Comics

Publication Date: March 2012 – Present

At this point it is simply redundant to state that Saga is a good comic, so I’m not going to get too long-winded in that regard. Being the most critically acclaimed comic of the decade while somehow avoiding the more aggravating aspects of hype and backlash, Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples have created something that will go down as a defining moment in comics history for decades to come. The series has been on extended hiatus since 2018 after reaching the halfway point of the story with issue 54, so we still have another several years of goodness before it’s all said and done. Considering Vaughan has been tinkering with this insane world since his childhood, you know good and well he and Staples have a powerful ending coming our way.

I’ve heard this described as Star Wars (Vaughan himself has jokingly referred to it as Star Wars for perverts) meets Game of Thrones, and while I can understand those comparisons, to me Saga is simply Saga, and I have a strong feeling it will be the comic series every other creator-owned space comic gets compared to for years to come. Everything about the series simply works. From the setup of a husband and wife from long-warring races coming together to have a child, from the insane races (there’s a race of goddamn TELEVISION HEADED ALIENS), crazy fights, weird sex worlds, unsettling assassins (all gorgeously brought to life by Staples), Saga has already etched itself in stone as one of the great stories of our time. The trick, I think, is to temper all of that insanity with a very relatable fear: the pressure of raising a child. Is this technically the best comic on the list? Taste is subjective, but hell…probably. So why is it only number 2? Well, I might be more than a little sentimental.

1. Batman by Snyder/Capullo

Writer: Scott Snyder

Artist: Greg Capullo

Publisher: DC Comics

Publication Date: November 2011 – June 2016

I don’t deny that Snyder and Capullo’s Batman has climbed atop this list due in part to the overwhelming nostalgia I feel for it and the significance it played into making me a true, honest-to-God comics fan in the first place. Is the writing as consistent and groundbreaking as Saga? No. Does the run start to lose a bit of steam towards the end? Well, yes, but it is still good. So, how then, can I justify placing Batman at the top of my list? Because this is MY list, I can do whatever I want, and there is NO other comic title I read in the last ten years that had a greater impact on me than the marvelous work these two masters did on my favorite character of all time.

Starting with the majestic The Court of Owls arc, Scott Snyder (fresh off the superb Black Mirror arc on Detective Comics) sought to make Gotham City Bruce Wayne’s enemy this time around by asking this simple question: what if there has been a shadowy organization secretly operating within Gotham this entire time? From there he and the great Greg Capullo got to work and created (what I believe) just about the best Batman story written in the last twenty years. The arc, which winds its way through Gotham’s history in 11 issues, would have made the Snyder/Capullo team legendary had they stopped there, but thankfully they didn’t. Next up came Death of the Family, one of the best Joker tales of all time and set the bar for how the character has been written ever since. Snyder simply “gets” the character and I honestly can’t think of a time the Joker has been any scarier. Though it wasn’t Snyder’s decision to have the Joker idiotically cut his face off (that happened in Detective Comics #1), he made the most of it and, with Capullo’s haunting artwork, made the Crown Prince of Crime the horror villain he always should have been.

So, with two arcs under their belts, Snyder and Capullo had added major new players to Batman’s rogues gallery with The Court of Owls and their Talons as well as fashioned a Joker story for the ages. So, naturally, they had to set their sights on the Dark Knight’s origins. Taking place between June 2013 and July 2014, the yearlong Zero Year arc was a massive DC Comics crossover event intended as a redefined origin for Batman in The New 52. While I have read a lot of the crossover material, I am solely focusing on Snyder and Capullo’s Batman work here. I’ve always thought that The Riddler had the potential to be one of the coolest Batman villains if he was treated respectfully and not as some sort of gimmick, and Snyder really nails a more serious Riddler here without sacrificing his obsession with forcing others to answer riddles. He wouldn’t be the Riddler without riddles, would he? The genius of the arc lies in Batman’s failure to stop the Riddler from flooding Gotham. Everyone just assumed Bruce would save the day, but that wasn’t the case this time around. Only when Bruce comes to and goes after a Riddler in control of the city does he have better luck. Zero Year also features some of the most gorgeous colors (thanks to the great Danny Miki) I’ve seen in any book, with vibrant pinks and yellows to offset the usual grimness of Batman comics. Just stellar stuff.

In many ways, I think Endgame is truly the last half of Snyder’s Joker story, making the entire thing 12 issues long when combined with Death of the Family. Whereas DotF centered on the Joker’s love for Batman and the clown’s demented way of showing it, Endgame is all about Joker accepting that maybe it is time to be rid of his nemesis once and for all like it’s all little more than an abusive relationship. The arc also features one of my favorite Batman moments of all time in the first issue when Bruce stands toe-to-toe and takes out an entire infected Justice League with relative ease due to the man’s insane level of preparation. The end of the arc shakes up the title in radical ways before leading into the last arc, Superheavy. Boldly (as hell) featuring damn James Gordon as a different sort of corporate-led Batman, the writing and art remains of a high quality, but to me the core premise is a bit too absurd for my taste, as is the whole cloning machine angle. For a run that is grounded in detective-work and realism (or as much realism as a Batman comic can muster) the last arc felt out of place to me. That all being said, it is still a fun read, and Bruce’s return marks one of the best moments of the entire decade. The magical run ends with the single-issue “Gotham Is,” beautifully wrapping up the now-legendary duo’s main-title story by referencing moments and themes throughout the entire run.

Before I read The Court of Owls, I considered myself a comics fan. I avidly collected Hellboy trades and the classic Batman tales from the ‘80s and ‘90s, but for the most part I (for some reason, and foolishly) thought modern comics were as bad as modern rock music. I don’t know what I was thinking and I now suspect I wasn’t thinking at all, but The Court of Owls shattered those notions and, simply put, kicked down the door to a new world and obsession that has not stopped ever since. I became driven to see what all was out there in as many genres as I could find. I love this medium with all of my heart and soul despite how unbelievably punishing it is on my poor ‘ol wallet. I have so many books now that I’ve ran out of shelf space at least three times. I no longer have enough room for more bookshelves at this point in my life. Many of my babies sit in piles on the floor, just waiting for their time to be displayed proudly. I long for the day when I have an entire room dedicated to all of my books, nestled beside glass cases for my statues and figures and all the…you see? This is an obsession, and the Snyder/Capullo team have done a great deal to set me on my path.

My 20 Favorite Metal Albums of 2019

2019 was a pretty strange year for metal as far as I’m concerned, with death metal as a whole predictably experiencing a bit of a comedown after the truly superlative year that was 2018. In order to fill the void, I turned to the genres preferred in my youth and found a wealth of quality in the power, traditional, and doom subgenres. But, clearly, death metal was not dead in 2019 and some good ‘ol growls pop up on my list. How can you kill what is already dead?

As usual, all genre descriptions according to http://www.metal-archives.com, truly one of the best websites to ever grace the Internet.

Albums I Didn’t Get to Spend Enough Time With/Discovered Too Late But Can Tell Are Quality (I Am Sorry)

Avatarium – The Fire I Long For

Firelink – The Inveterate Fire

Honorable Mentions (In Alphabetical Order)

Capilla Ardiente // The Siege – Fantastic epic doom from Chile featuring key members of Procession. A great piece of work featuring four long songs that is somewhat marred by sounding very “samey” the longer the album goes on. Nevertheless, the opener “The Open Arms, the Open Wounds” is quite possibly the best doom song of the year.

Idle Hands // Mana – One of the most loved releases of 2019, and for good reason. Mana simply works with its gothy, Sisters of Mercy quality and smart songwriting. Both “Give Me to the Night” and the absurd “Dragon, Why Do You Cry?” are two of the best songs of the year. Every now and then, though, vocalist Gabriel Franco does to tend grate on my nerves with his weirdly persistent barks, but his actual performance is great. Had I listened to this more, I could easily see it climbing higher onto the list proper.

Mortiferum // Disgorged from Psychotic Depths – Death/Doom done right. Another album I didn’t listen to as much as I should have in 2019, but I plan on remedying that in the coming months. Featuring a fantastically fat and growling bass tone, opener “Archaic Vision of Despair” was one of my favorite death metal songs of the year: immense, crushing, and foreboding

Possessed // Revelations of Oblivion – A quality album from a legend long thought done. The first Possessed album since damn 1986, this album has no right being as good as it is, even if it’s about three songs too long. This is just smartly-written and executed death/thrash, with the songs “No More Room in Hell” and “Demon” taking the cake for me. Welcome back, Jeff Becerra.

Rimfrost // Expedition: Darkness – I love Immortal. This isn’t Immortal, but parts of this album could certainly fool me. “Dawnbreaker,” the title-track, and “At the Blessing of the Damned” sound more epic than Blashyrkh’s favorite sons have since Sons of Northern Darkness. Apparently Rimfrost has split-up already, which is a shame, but at least they didn’t go out on a whimper.

Smoulder // Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring – More doom, which is probably my favorite genre these days. Featuring the soaring vocals of Sarah Ann of Banger TV fame, this is simply epic doom/heavy metal done right, with “Ilian of Garathorm” being one of the most infectious songs I heard all year. The quality keeps on coming with “The Sword Woman” and “Voyage of the Sunchaser,” making for an impressive debut.

Spirit Adrift // Divided by Darkness – Another strong album from the other side of the Gatecreeper coin, even if Nate Garrett’s brainchild seems to be following the way of Pallbearer and Khemmis by slowly moving away from its doom roots. Regardless, this album’s huge dosage of traditional metal ala Dio and the like make songs “We Will Not Die,” “Angel and Abyss,” and “Hear Her” a treat to listen to.

20. Iron Griffin – Curse of the Sky

Genre: Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “Reign of Thunder”

Here’s another one of those albums I listened to early on, enjoyed it, and then turned to something else, only to come back to this one repeatedly throughout the year. This is the debut album from Finnish band Iron Griffin, which is (as far as I can tell) made up of just two musicians. The first thing that struck me about Curse of the Sky was its production, which I’ve recently seen referred to as “soft.” I myself would call it shitty, but in a good way if that makes any sense. Every song is simple and to the point, but there’s just something charming about it that I can’t shake. The instruments are played simply and devoid of pretentious tendencies. The star of the album is unquestionably vocalist Maija Tiljander, who sounds wonderful throughout in a subtly haunted sort of way. I’ve seen this album get a ton of rough reviews, with the vast majority of them damning the album’s simple musical approach. Look, not everything can break a genre down and start something new. In fact, that almost never happens these days. What’s wrong with simple, straightforward music from time to time? People who can’t stand simple music tend to dislike AC/DC, so to hell with ‘em.

19. Diviner – Realms of Time

Genre: Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “The Earth, the Moon, the Sun”

Riff-heavy almost-but-not-quite power metal featuring a vocalist who sounds A LOT like Ronnie James Dio? Sign me up. Greece has long been a haven for excellent, quality metal, and this sophomore album from Diviner is no exception. Tons of power metal bands seem to focus on the big, sexy chorus while neglecting everything else around them. I like big choruses, but you gotta have something to serve them on. Diviner specialize in tasteful, chugging riffage and driving verses before opening up with the big chorus, as the Lord intended. The one-two punch of “Against the Grain” and “Heaven Falls” clearly demonstrate this with smart songwriting devoid of repetitive bloat. And those riffs! Just listen to the Iced Earthian riffage of “The Earth, the Moon, the Sun” and tell me it doesn’t sound like something Jon Schaffer wrote for Dio himself back in 1998. “King of the Masquerade” is heavier still with an intro riff that begs to be blasted. While it is a bit of a bummer that the band chose to end the album with the only ballad-ish song (and even then you get some strong riffs), “Stargate,” it still isn’t a bad song, but it should’ve been a few notches higher up the track-listing. God, vocalist Yiannis Papanikolaou (that was HELL to spell) sounds so much like Dio in places it actually troubles me. So yeah, if you are a Dio fan at all and wish he was still with us, give these guys a try. Musically, Diviner sounds different enough from the master’s solo band and 1980-1982 era Sabbath to avoid sounding like a copycat, but the influence remains.

EDIT: Yeah I just looked it up and the vocalist for this band (I ain’t spelling that again even if I can just copy and paste) actually sings in the Dio tribute band Rock ‘n’ Roll Children because of course he does.

18. Candlemass – The Door to Doom

Genre: Epic Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Astorolus – The Great Octopus”

Ah, Candlemass. Surely in my top 5 favorite metal bands of all time, I was both surprised and delighted when leader/bassist/main-songwriter/Doomfather Leif Edling announced the band was recording a new album after 2012’s disappointing Psalms for the Dead was said to be their last. Amazingly, he even managed to recruit Johan Langquist of Epicus Doomicus Metallicus fame to return after a 33 year absence. Insanity. The somewhat lamely-titled The Door to Doom is a definite step up from Psalms, with Edling writing riffs like he cares again. “Splendor Demon Majesty” is the obligatory “faster” Candlemass opener, and from there the Doom Doors get thrown wide open. The album highlight is unquestionably “Astorolus – The Great Octopus,” which features both the best riffs as well as a guest guitar solo from the master Tony Iommi himself. Langquist sounds great throughout as well, even if he doesn’t really sound much like he did 33 years ago, and who would honestly expect that? Now he sounds like a gruffer, more-weathered doomer who can still belt it out when he has to (see the amazing mid-album highlight “Death’s Wheel” for further proof). That all being said, this is not quite the triumphant return to form that was advertised, which explains the low placement on this list. I feel I must hold legends to a higher standard than the rest, and I know good and well Edling and co have better stuff in them. Just go listen to 2009’s masterful Death Magic Doom for further proof that this legendary band can still release material worthy of standing next to their hallowed first four albums. We have been seeing a traditional/epic doom resurgence over the past five years, and the masters have thrown their hats back into the ring. Here’s hoping the next one places them squarely atop the throne once again.

17. Crypt Sermon – The Ruins of Fading Light

Genre: Epic Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Key of Solomon”

I was really pumped for this one. Crypt Sermon’s 2015 debut Out of the Garden remains one of my favorite epic doom albums ever, so naturally I was anxious to see if the band could avoid the sophomore slump. For the most part, they did just that, releasing another mighty album of fat riffs, wailing vocals, and doomy atmosphere. Vocalist (and cover artist, apparently) Brooks Wilson pushes his range on opener “The Ninth Templar (Black Candle Flame),” setting the tone for the whole album. This isn’t Out of the Garden 2.0, though the sound is still (at its core) very much the same with meaty riffs and emotive vocals. Both “Key of Solomon” and “Christ is Dead” rank among the best songs this band has put to tape. That being said, I do have to dock the album for having THREE instrumental interludes, with two of them playing back-to-back towards the end of the album for reasons completely unknown to me. This zaps a lot of momentum and power from the record, so much so that I think the band didn’t manage to top the debut with this one. Nevertheless, a very strong album that just needs some editing to whittle down the tracklist.

16. Kryptos – Afterburner

Genre: Heavy/Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Cold Blood”

If you like simple, attitude-soaked, riff-fueled heavy metal, then this is the album for you. Afterburner is devoid of pretentious nonsense and only seeks to rock and rock some more. The title-track kicks things off in grand fashion and just keeps rolling with the sharp “Cold Blood,” “Dead of Night,” and beyond. Songs like “Mach Speed Running” make Afterburner one of the best albums I heard all year for blasting while driving down a highway at night. This is just a “correct” metal album. No ballads. No lengthy, showboating instrumental wank-fests. Just meat-and-potatoes, pure steel ownage. Highly recommended.

15. Atlantean Kodex – The Course of Empire

Genre: Epic Heavy/Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Chariots (Descending from Zagros)”

I’ve always been vocal about my love for German masters Atlantean Kodex. I’ve considered them to be one of the top 5 current metal bands for years, their first two studio albums The Golden Bough (2010) and The White Goddess (2013) being more or less the two best epic metal albums of the decade. The band simply understand the genre, showcasing thoughtful, intelligent lyrics (written by a doctor of comparative cultural studies and art history, no less) to go along with truly massive riffs. The Course of Empire comes six years after The White Goddess, the longest gap between albums thus far. Simply put, The Course of Empire continues the band’s dominance of the genre, though I also believe that it is doomed a bit to live in the shadow of The White Goddess, which is probably the purest representation of their vision and sound. After a tasteful intro, the album starts off triumphantly with trio “People of the Moon,” “Lion of Chaldea,” and “Chariots,” three of the finest tunes the band has ever penned. After that, the last half of the album isn’t quuuiiittteee as strong as the first, though “A Secret Byzantium” probably takes the cake as far as the last several tracks go. Once again, I can’t help but compare this album to The White Goddess, which ended in spectacularly grand fashion with “Enthroned in Clouds and Fire” (probably my favorite Atlantean Kodex song of all time) and the immense “White Goddess Unveiled.” I’ve come to expect this band’s albums to build and build before ending in majestic epicness, and to me The Course of Empire is more top-heavy this time around, leading to an unbalanced listen. Be that as it may, Atlantean Kodex remain gods in the field of epic heavy metal. No band really comes close.

14. Paladin – Ascension

Genre: Power/Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Awakening”

Here was another surprise. Ascension is the debut album from young Atlanta-based (PROUD) band Paladin, who are a sort of hybrid power/thrash band with some melodeath influences sprinkled in for added seasoning. Whereas a lot of melodic death metal bands will fire up a power metal chorus every now and then, Paladin is basically the inverse of that: the Lost Horizon-flavored power metal comes first, and the melodeath comes in as an added bonus. Album opener “Awakening” is simply one of my favorite songs of the year and is a nerdy ode to The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. The song is a masterclass in tasteful, mesmerizing guitar pyrotechnics. Vocalist/Guitarist Taylor Washington is a real talent on the microphone, and after seeing the band live in Atlanta this past summer I can attest to his skill on the guitar as well. Some guys just get all the talent. The melodeath influence is most prevalent in songs “Divine Providence” and “Bury the Light,” which keeps everything balanced and prevents the album from being pigeonholed into a single genre. This album is simply an enjoyable experience, and I hope the band is able to maintain the youthful exuberance found here for at least another release or two. The talent just bleeds from the speakers, and (as a Georgia native myself) I wish them all the best.

13. Thornbridge – Theatrical Masterpiece

Genre: Power Metal

Favorite Song: “Theatrical Masterpiece”

I listen to a lot of epic doom, death, and progressive metal and all the hybrids those genres bring. But my first love (along with thrash metal) was power metal, and sometimes that’s just what I need to cleanse the palate. Power metal gets made fun of a bit in metal circles for being “cheesy,” but to me that hyper-dark and serious Satan-worshiping stuff is infinitely goofier, so each to their own I guess. Though German band Thornbridge was formed in 2008, Theatrical Masterpiece is only their second studio album. I can’t quite remember where, but I saw this album get a good rating on a review site. After listening to and loving the title track, I listened to the entire album in one sitting and was delighted to discover it to be a string of non-filler songs with great hooks. Seriously, hooks are everywhere, with the title-track, “Demon in Your Heart,” and “Journey to the Other Side” delivering the goods in particular. If it can’t be riff-heavy like the mighty Falconer, this is basically the other type of power metal I like: catchy and exuberant, yet with a darker undercurrent running through the music. Every song here is a winner, though I guess the brief, bookending instrumentals aren’t entirely necessary even if they are brief enough to not get in the way. Great album, and I’m hoping the band’s third album will be even better and really launch them to greater heights.

12. Borknagar – True North 

Genre: Progressive Viking/Folk/Black Metal

Favorite Song: “Up North”

I’m a newcomer when it comes to this band, with True North being the first Borknagar material I’ve ever heard. Naturally, I had heard of them for years and years, but I’m simply not the biggest black metal guy so I stupidly didn’t try to sample any of their songs. While I can’t speak for the band’s early to middle years material, True North is right up my alley with its expansive riffs, wide range of vocals, and cold, almost-dreamlike atmosphere. If I’m being honest, this sounds a bit like the last several Enslaved albums to me, so there’s no wonder that I like this album as I tend to put Enslaved on a pedestal. “Thunderous” is a massive opener with just about everything thrown into the pot: ICS Vortex’s mesmerizing clean and harsh vocals, blastbeats, and the furious yet varied guitarwork of band leader Oystein G. Brun. “Up North” is probably my favorite as I can’t resist its catchy melodies and Lars Nedland’s swirling Hammond organ playing. This album is a masterclass in how to properly sequence an album, balancing faster/furious moments with slower, more-reflective passages while maintaining a generally epic sound and scope throughout the entire record. I love how the album ends with the insanely melodic “Voices,” which showcases keyboardist Lars Nedland’s voice in show-stopping fashion and closing out True North with almost trance-like catchiness. I now plan on going backward through this band’s material and I’m really looking forward to it. Oh, and I can’t wait for that 2020 Enslaved album, but True North has scratched my itch for now. Very impressive.

11. Arch/Matheos – Winter Ethereal

Genre: Progressive Metal

Favorite Song: Either “Straight and Narrow” or “Pitch Black Prism”

Easily one of my most anticipated albums of the year, the debut Arch/Matheos album Sympathetic Resonance sat atop my year-end metal list for 2011 and has since grown to be one of my favorite albums of all time. Because of that, the two Fates Warning legends had a tall order to fill with their sophomore album Winter Ethereal. Starting out the gate with the uncompromising 9-minute “Vermilion Moons,” the duo immediately prove two things: (1) they still got it and (2) the material is as challenging as ever. Unlike Sympathetic Resonance, which was made up of predominately long songs with two shorter tracks, Winter Ethereal features shorter songs across the board with a peppering of epics. That being said, this album is over ten minutes longer than the debut and features more tracks, so this could be considered an even more intimidating listen. Both “Wanderlust” and “Straight and Narrow” are surprisingly direct bangers with emotional lyrics from the legend John Arch, who sounds just as incredible as ever. In my mind, the man is one of the ten best metal vocalists to ever step up to the microphone. Jim Matheos is clearly in the midst of a late-career resurgence, and the breadth of his abilities are on full display throughout the album. “Pitch Black Prism” is the undisputed masterpiece of the album and ranks among the best songs Matheos has ever committed to tape, and that is saying a lot. Unlike the debut album, Winter Ethereal is made up of an all-star team of revolving instrumentalists, with guests ranging from Fates Warning alums Mark Zonder, Joe DiBiase, Joey Vera, Frank Aresti, and Bobby Jarzombek to bass masters Steve DiGiorgio and Sean Malone. While at first I was afraid this would give the album a disjointed feel, the sheer strength of Matheos and Arch’s writing and vision dispelled that fear. So, is this as good as the debut? In short: no. I think it runs on a little long and the 13-minute closer “Kindred Spirits” never seems to stick in my head no matter how many times I listen to it, which sort of makes me wish they had dropped it from the album altogether. I also don’t think there’s anything on here as transcendent as “Neurotically Wired” or “Any Given Day.” Nevertheless, this album remains the best “pure” progressive metal album I heard all year, which should say something about how high I hold that debut on a pedestal. I hope these two masters have a few more albums left together before all is said and done.

10. Nile – Vile Nilotic Rites

Genre: Brutal/Technical Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Vile Nilotic Rites”

Well, here’s one I certainly did not expect. Long one of my favorite death metal bands, the Egyptian-obsessed institution simply hasn’t been the same post-Ithyphallic, and that’s a long time considering that album came out way back in 2007. Everybody except me seems to love 2009’s Those Whom the Gods Detest, which I think has some classic songs mixed in with faceless boredom. 2012 saw the release of At the Gate of Sethu, which remains easily the worst Nile album ever and one that honestly left me depressed. I still can’t listen to it today. 2015’s What Should Not Be Unearthed was a step in the right direction after the dumpster-fire that was Sethu, but still just passable. Then longtime guitarist/co-vocalist Dallas Toler-Wade was either fired or left the band, so I expected next to nothing out of this one. Thank Set, how wrong I was. Karl Sanders enlisted Brian Kingsland of Enthean to fill Toler-Wade’s shoes before getting to work on clearly trying to make a statement that the band still had quality material to offer. Vile Nilotic Rites is the sound of a much-loved band returning to form without aping past classics like In Their Darkened Shrines or Annihilation of the Wicked. Kingsland is a welcome addition with his higher register growls and at times nasty sounding screams. The title-track is an instant classic, as is the epic “Seven Horns of War,” which amazingly takes the classic Godzilla theme and twists it into epic death metal splendor. I don’t know how Sanders keeps writing effective songs about snakes, but “Snake Pit Mating Frenzy” was born to get the mosh pits going at all future Nile shows. While I do think the album runs a bit long towards the end, I still like it while its on. So welcome back Sanders, Kollias, and the rest. It has been a long time.

9. Blood Incantation – Hidden History of the Human Race

Genre: Death Metal

Favorite Song: “The Giza Power Plant”

Easily the most hyped metal album this year (yeah, I’m not counting that trash Tool album), I approached this one a bit apprehensively. I mean, this thing was hyped out the ass just about everywhere you looked. But yeah, it’s making yet another list so I guess the hype is real. Is it the best death metal album to come out in the last several years? I don’t think so. But it certainly was one of the best this year. Blood Incantation have found a way to push their cosmic-fueled brand of death metal even further than on Starspawn without jumping the shark. Hidden History of the Human Race is yet another digestible (4 tracks coming in at a total 36:20 run-time) album with chugging, serpentine riffage that suddenly veers into spacey weirdness (especially on instrumental “Inner Paths (To Outer Space)” and the 18-minute closer with a title too long for me to type out). While I do still wish vocalist/guitarist Paul Riedl was a bit clearer with his vocals, they are better this time out and really keep in line with the echoing space vibe. Great album, great band, and they ARE NOT Tool, which are three things Tool didn’t accomplish this year.

8. Wilderun – Veil of Imagination

Genre: Symphonic Progressive/Folk Metal

Favorite Song: “Far from Where Dreams Unfurl”

While Blood Incantation’s new album was easily the most-hyped metal release of the year (not counting the TOOL nonsense), this new Wilderun album snagged some of the heaviest praise on the Angry Metal Guy website, easily my favorite metal blog running today. AMG himself basically created a new ranking just to clearly communicate his love for this album, so I naturally had to give this a shot. To my ears, Wilderun sound like classic Opeth (before Akerfeldt abandoned the growls and metal altogether) with stronger shots of folk, power, and symphonic metal influences. Simply put, Veil of Imagination is a massive album, as the 14-minute opener “The Unimaginable Zero Summer” clearly demonstrates. The brainchild of vocalist/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Evan Berry, the tracks ebb and flow together as if the whole album is one, huge hour-long song. While Berry’s voice (especially the death growls) does sound a lot like Mikael Akerfeldt himself, there is also a bit of Roy Khan in there when he sings cleanly in a lower register, which of course makes me smile. The real power/symphonic metal explosion occurs halfway through the album with the transcendent “Far from Where Dreams Unfurl,” which might just feature the hookiest chorus of the year. When listening to the album as a whole, it seems like the first half of the record builds to this amazing song before veering back into a heavier, death-infused material like “The Tyranny of Imagination,” which sees the band at its most Opethian. And to top it all off, this is an independent release, so it is truly amazing that (1) they could pull off such an amazing, professional record without record label backing and (2) no one has signed such a talented band. Now, is it as amazing as AMG seems to think it is? I don’t think so, as it clearly isn’t my record of the year. I think his love for Opeth’s glory days has blinded him a bit, but Veil of Imagination remains a triumph regardless. In fact, this one of the albums on this list I can see rising even higher in my estimation over time, as it slowly opens into something grand with repeatedly listens. Oh, when I ordered a copy of the album through Bandcamp, I got a handwritten thank you note from Berry himself. How cool is that?

7. Exumer – Hostile Defiance

Genre: Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Dust Eater”

This was definitely one of my big surprises this year. Naturally, I had heard of Exumer since they’ve been around since the mid-1980s as one of those smaller thrash bands that didn’t gain as much recognition as the Big Four or Testament, Overkill, Exodus, Kreator, etc. I checked this album out on a whim just to see if the band was just another washed up, aged thrash band trying to recapture a shred of that ‘80s glory. Imagine my surprise when Hostile Defiance turned out to be a catchy, riff-fueled, jack-booted ass-stomper of an album. Everything about this album bleeds attitude and razor riffage without a single song stretching past the 5-minute mark. Exumer cranks out song after song that makes up a well-rounded thrash experience, with speedy numbers like the title-track, “King’s End,” and “Vertical Violence” paired beautifully with mid-paced chuggers “Dust Eater” (my favorite song here) and “Descent.” Vocalist/bassist Mem V. Stein snarls and spits venom on the microphone on the level of the great Bobby Blitz, marking one of my favorite thrash vocal performances in recent years. Look, I love Overkill, but they got beat out this year by a more compact, attitude-bleeding album. Bloat just can’t beat a lean, mean killing-machine.

6. Sabaton – The Great War

Genre: Power Metal

Favorite Song: “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”

Ah, one of my favorite power metal bands of all time. Yes, Sabaton gets some hate for their unwavering dedication to their sound and subject matter, but my god once you see this band live you are a fan for the rest of your life. I enjoyed their last album, 2016’s The Last Stand, but it was washed out with keyboards and peppered with cookie-cutter power metal writing in many places. Here the Swedes return with a concept album about World War I, an idea that just makes sense all around. And while there’s still some “samey” cookie-cutter writing going on, the songwriting dough is much tastier this time around. Banger after banger about glorious heroes and the horror of war makes up a delightfully digestible 38 minute run-time, a breath of fresh air in a time when all albums apparently need to be an hour long. And after all the pompous epicness, the album closes with the brief and touching “In Flanders Fields,” which will haunt you in a way that is appropriate for this grim period in history. Welcome back, boys.

5. Swallow the Sun – When a Shadow is Forced into the Light

Genre: Melodic Doom/Death Metal

Favorite Song: Either “Upon the Water” or “Stone Wings”

One of my favorite doom bands, Swallow the Sun have been going through a creative resurgence unfortunately born out of the real-world pain of guitarist/main-songwriter Juha Raivio after losing his girlfriend Aleah Starbridge. I see this album as the final part of a trilogy dealing with that loss, starting with Trees of Eternity’s masterful 2016 album Hour of the Nightingale, which saw Raivio writing songs with Starbridge, who turned in a truly haunting performance that was only heard in full several months after she passed away. The next year saw Raivio team with Amorphis vocalist Tomi Joutsen and release the album No Stars Upon the Bridge under the Hallatar moniker. That album was drenched with despair and anger, making for an occasionally unsettling listen. It just isn’t everyday when you hear music so painful and depressing. This one, the band’s seventh studio album, features a tad more acceptance and light (hence the title) in a terrible situation, but make no mistake: this is a gloomy album. The black-metal tinged “Upon the Water” was the first song I heard of this album and immediately had me intrigued. As a whole, vocalist powerhouse Mikko Kotamaki mostly employs raspier, black metal shrieks to go along with his seductive croon as opposed to his absolutely monstrous death growls, which does make me a bit sad. Thankfully, he peppers in more death vocals as the album goes on, with the showstopper “Stone Wings” showcasing all the powers the man has at his beck and call. At only 8 tracks, the album does not overstay its welcome and the quality is consistent throughout. This is the FOURTH Juha Raivio-written album to make my year-end list in five years, so I guess you could say I am a fan. I hope the guy continues to heal and find some peace, because he is truly one of doom’s greatest songwriters and we need him around for a long, long time.

4. Insomnium – Heart Like a Grave

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Heart Like a Grave”

I was a bit worried when this album was announced. This band, truly at this point one of the greatest melodic death metal bands to ever exist, has been on a tremendous roll for a long time and I was simply unsure they could keep it up for one more album. Especially considering their previous album, 2016’s Winter’s Gate, was an experiment of pushing their sound into uncharted territory by composing one single 40+ minute track, I wasn’t sure the band could settle back into a more “traditional” multi-song album. Instead the band has fired out another somber and depressing masterwork. “Valediction,” “Pale Morning Star,” “And Bells They Toll,” and the haunting title-track are all instant Insomnium classics. By adding a third vocalist/guitarist in Jani Liimatainen of Cain’s Offering fame, the band has managed to up clean-singing element of their sound even further when paired with mainstay Ville Friman. And then there’s Niilo Sevanen, who continues to possess one of my favorite death vocals of all time: vicious, powerful, and intelligible. If you are ever feeling a bit down, put this album on and take a walk outside as the sun is setting. Doesn’t get much better.

3. Avantasia – Moonglow

Genre: Symphonic Power Metal

Favorite Song: “The Raven Child”

At this point, I have to consider Tobias Sammet as one of my favorite songwriters of all time, regardless of genre. The man is just so remarkably prolific and consistent, and (with Avantasia especially) he consistently satisfies a craving I always carry in my heart: Meat Loaf/Steinman-inspired rock operas. Bat Out of Hell might be my favorite album of all time, but there really aren’t many people writing songs in that style these days. Moonglow is another masterwork from Sammet, which bursts out with great song after great song with a murderer’s row of guest vocalists: Hansi Kursch, Geoff Tate (who sounds better than he has in years), Michael Kiske, Mille Petrozza(!), the ever-present Jorn Lande, and others. While I do think it runs out of steam a bit towards the end, the first seven songs are among the best tunes Sammet has ever written, with “The Raven Child” being his best epic since “The Scarecrow.” Now, if only Meat Loaf would hire Tobias to write songs for his next album. I can dream, right?

2. Skelator – Cyber Metal

Genre: Epic Heavy/Speed Metal

Favorite Song: “Seven Scars”

Sometimes a man just needs a hefty plate of cheese in his diet, and that is what Skelator’s fifth studio album Cyber Metal is to me: something to temper the more serious metal albums I’ve binged this year by injected a hearty dose of lactose. I mean my God just look at that cover. This was one of those albums I listened to around the time it came out (June) and never really left my rotation for the rest of the year. This is just fun, over-the-top speed metal with nerdy lyrics about damn CYBER SAMURAIS, anime, Highlander, and so on. At only eight songs and a truly delightful 40 minutes, the album is direct, to the point, and entirely devoid of filler. My personal favorites would be opener “Cyber Samurai,” which perfectly introduces Jason Conde-Houston’s unhinged, crazy vocals and the quality of the riffage. “Akira” was the first song I heard from the album and made me place an order for a physical copy immediately without hearing the remaining seven tracks. My favorite song though would be “Seven Scars,” which is about the anime Fist of the North Star, a series I know nothing about. I just love the cool chorus, the Maiden-esque harmonies of the bridge, and the voice-overs from the show. And then the album closes out in fine style with the simply cool “Psychic Silver Wheels,” one of my favorite road songs of the year. While I have seen this album get some love this year, I’ve seen an equal number of people berating it. That is just an easy way to pick people who don’t enjoy fun out of a crowd, so always keep Cyber Metal queued up and ready to go.

1. Gloryhammer – Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex

Genre: Symphonic Power Metal

Favorite Song: Impossible to say

OH YEAH GLORYHAMMER SITS ATOP THE MOUNTAIN. Yeah, that’s right, a positively-foolish band about as serious as a rubber chicken has taken my top spot this year. While this probably shouldn’t be much of a surprise to anyone who knows me, I myself was surprised by how much I spun the band’s scrumptiously-titled third album Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex. I believe the band’s 2015 sophomore album Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards (the titles, people!) is one of the best power metal albums OF ALL TIME, so I was honestly expecting Legends to be an inevitable disappointment. Despite the thunderous instant classic of proper album opener “The Siege of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)” and lead single “Gloryhammer,” I did indeed feel a bit letdown after my first listen. But, as cheese always calls for more sampling, I kept coming back to this album again and again and again. While anchored by the first three singles, the two aforementioned tracks and “Hootsforce” (probably the catchiest song of 2019), the rest of the songs work together to give the album a remarkably well-rounded experience. “Masters of the Galaxy” is riffy and features a wonderful murder order from Zargothrax, which every Gloryhammer needs to be complete. “Legendary Enchanted Jetpack” (YEAH) features one of my favorite lines of the year with “There is a goblin in the castle…take heeeeeeeed!” Oh, so glorious.

And you can’t talk about glory without mentioned the band’s supremely foolish and thunderously excellent and engaging story that makes up all of their albums. Brave hero Angus McFife XIII finds himself in an alternate reality where evil wizard Zargothrax is basically Sauron at the height of his powers, and our hero’s fabled weapon, the Gloryhammer, is useless to him as it is charged by a star from another universe. So the third album’s story tells the tale of how Angus sets out to gain allies, power the Astral Hammer once again, and bring down Zargothrax once and for all(?). While the band clearly tried to come up with the most foolish story they could, I love how they always take writing catchy, interesting songs with all the seriousness of craftsmen. And the songs match what the story calls for as well, as massive album closer “The Fires of Ancient Cosmic Destiny” depicts the glorious battle between Angus and his allies and Zargothrax while also marking the return of past hero the Hollywood Hootsman. Man, I love writing sentences like that. The song sends the album off in grand fashion with everything you need to make a fantasy/sci-fi story work: good vs. evil, battles, sudden appearances of assumed-dead characters, a surprisingly painful sacrifice, etc. After an album of proper, uber-catchy power metal, the symphonic aspect really gets ramped up without sacrificing singability. I’ve heard that the band’s story is essentially a Scottish, foolish version of Warhammer 40K, and I’m going along with that even if I’ve never played the game/studied the lore.

I can’t end this entry without writing about the band members themselves. By now a well-oiled machine, the lineup has been the same since 2011 when keyboardist/main-songwriter Christopher Bowes (also leader of pirate metallers Alestorm) recruited Thomas Winkler to be the band’s vocalist. Winkler steals the show on this album, having blossomed into one of my favorite metal singers ever. It amazes me how he can put so much emotion into the goofiest of lyrics, but there you go. His performance on “The Fires of Ancient Cosmic Destiny” damn near brings tears to my eyes. The rhythm section of drummer Ben Turk and James Cartwright (or Ralathor and the Hootsman, whichever you prefer) lay down a solid foundation for Paul Templing’s/Ser Proletius’ guitars. While Templing’s playing could easily be lost in the shuffle amongst sugary keyboards and melodic vocals, the band has always made sure to balance everything correctly and allow the guitars to shine and stand on their own. And then there is Bowes himself, the grand architect behind this whole insane thing. To me, Gloryhammer (his side project) has long eclipsed Alestorm, another band I enjoy. The man is simply a songwriting machine who simultaneously pokes fun at a genre he clearly loves while also writing some of the best damn hooks metal has ever heard.

So there you have it. An insane, goofy-ass record takes the top spot. Amazingly, I don’t think this album tops Space 1992, which should give you an idea how much I worship the band’s sophomore album. Nevertheless, Legends from Beyond the Galactic Terrorvortex cements Gloryhammer’s status as the best power metal band in the world, and I can’t wait to see what the McFife lineage gets up to next. Hail hoots!

My 20 Favorite Metal Albums of 2018

2018 was another great year for quality metal, particularly on the more extreme side of things. While my beloved epic doom and power metal genres were eclipsed by death metal, I still can’t complain. I just look forward to power and doom roaring back in 2019.

All genre descriptions according to http://www.metal-archives.com

Note: As I have NOT yet heard the new Sulphur Aeon, it (and all late December releases) gets bumped into 2019.

Albums I Didn’t Spend Enough Time With But Can Tell Are Quality (I Am Sorry)

Evoken – Hypnagogia 

1914 – The Blind Leading the Blind

Honorable Mentions (In Alphabetical Order)

Amorphis – Queen of Time

Gruesome – Twisted Prayers

Plague Years – Unholy Infestation

Skeletal Remains – Devouring Mortality

Witherfall – A Prelude to Sorrow

20. Carnation – Chapel of Abhorrence 

Genre: Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Disciples of Bloodlust”

Cannibal Corpse is one of my favorite death metal bands ever. They release insanely consistent albums every two or three years. However, the band can’t release an album a year, unfortunately, but thankfully 2018 gave us this debut album from the interestingly-named Carnation as a way of appeasing the Cannibal hunger. True, the band doesn’t 100% sound like the gore legends, as Carnation doesn’t get as wild as some Pat O’Brien riffage or Alex Webster techy basslines, but the spirit is there. Plus, vocalist Simon Duson sounds so similar to Corpsegrinder it is borderline creepy at times. Chapel of Abhorrence is simply death metal done right, be it from doom-flavored (how I wish Cannibal would lean into this style just a hair more) opener “The Whisperer” or the blistering (and catchy) title track. Energy crackles and pops throughout the entire album, so you can definitely tell that this is a young band with something to prove. Crunchy riffage provides a launching ground for the aforementioned Duson, whose very discernible bellow annunciates each word as clearly as ol George Fischer himself, though Duson can’t seem to do those classic screams. Instead, Duson occasionally peppers in nasty BLEKTS that sound like he’s hawking up blood as he tries to fight off death for just one more minute. Very cool. “Disciples of Bloodlust” is probably my favorite song on this very solid debut, and is (along with the title track) the song I’d use to introduce someone to the band. The song gives you a very memorable vocal pattern and a nice chug for most of the song before things slow down about 2:15 in and some cool double-bass work gets going. Plus, it ends with one of those blood-hawking BLEKTS I was talking about. Nastay, nastay. I look forward to many more albums from this band, and I sincerely hope they fall into pattern by never releasing an album the same year as Cannibal Corpse so I can have this meat and potatoes death metal each and every year. I am greedy, what can I say?

19. Blackslash – Lightning Strikes Again

Genre: Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “Skyline Rider”

Starting off ominously with howling winds, shouting, faint chants, and heavy breathing, German band Blackslash’s third album eventually gets rolling with a title track that features a glorious riff that sounds like it was ripped right out of 1985. The first time I heard that riff, a grin spread across my face that never went away through the whole album. In a way, I often compared this album to Haunt’s Burst into Flame all year long, as they are both cut from the same cloth. Whereas Haunt focused a tad more on vocal melodies, Blackslash features a bit more bite to their Maiden-esque riffage while not neglecting catchy vocal melodies themselves. Highlights are abound. “Skyline Rider” is super fun, featuring a hyper-catchy chorus and a riff that could’ve been on Maiden’s Killers. “Eyes of a Stranger” is similarly awesome, even if it can’t stand up to the Queensryche classic of the same name. The intro to “Illuminate the Night” was (still is) my phone alarm for most of the year due to its admirable riffage. “Steel Held High” dials things back a little bit before the band inevitably kick back into a gallop. “Unknown Heroes” is the album’s epic song and is mostly a success, though I wish the band would’ve cut loose a bit at some point to add a bit of variety to the song itself. Apparently, Blackslash has had the same members since the band formed in 2007. Considering they’ve been active for over a decade now, that is pretty incredible, and you can hear that in the music. This is an album played by people who are dialed in with one another, and I hope for an even better album from the group in the future.

18. Khemmis – Desolation

Genre: Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Flesh to Nothing”

Here we have a great, young band returning with a third album that is slightly less monstrous than their sophomore release. I thought Hunted was insanely close to a masterpiece, and it came in at number 4 on my 2016 albums list. With Desolation, the band have expanded their sound to include even more melodic influences, which I actually dig, though I feel that this in some small way caused the riffs themselves—the core backbone of any doom band—to be a little less memorable this time around. That being said, I still like the riffage throughout. I’m a simple man, what can I say? Vocalist/guitarist Phil Pendergast has improved as a singer so much from the 2015 debut Absolution that at times I can barely tell its the same guy. Seriously, his voice (especially on “Isolation”) doesn’t sound too far removed from Týr vocalist Heri Joensen, so that’s certainly high praise. The six songs found here are all good, particularly the first four tracks, during which the album hits the high point with the blissful “Flesh to Nothing.” At this point, given Pendergast’s incredible vocal blossoming, I wish the band would just do away with Ben Hutcherson’s harsh vocals, as I think they just sound jarring and don’t add anything to the music at all. That was all fine a few years ago when Pendergast was still finding himself as a vocalist, but now the harsh stuff just sounds like an old relic from a band’s developing stages that needs to be laid to rest. Khemmis, along with Crypt Sermon and Messa, are (as far as I’m concerned) one of the big three modern doom bands following in Pallbearer’s mighty wake, and I don’t see this band making a bad album for a long time, if they ever do.

17. Barren Earth – A Complex of Cages

Genre: Progressive Melodic Death/Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “The Living Fortress”

Probably one of the most “different” albums on this list, Barren Earth play a melodic death style interspersed with some theatrical clean singing. Basically, if you took a basic melodeath band and injected a strong dose of Opeth and some “classic” sounding vocals that would not be out of place on an epic doom album, you’d pretty much get Barren Earth. Simply put, A Complex of Cages is built upon strong songwriting that manages to walk that razor’s edge to balance hookiness and experimentation. Jón Aldará continues to grow to be one of the most versatile vocalists in metal, switching between Akerfeldtian growls to melodious cleans on album highlights “The Living Fortress” (that chorus gets me every time) and “The Ruby.” The man even channels his inner Bowie during the piano and synth driven intro to “Zeal.” Album centerpiece “Solitude Pith” clocks in at over ten minutes and sounds like Pink Floyd, Mastodon, and Tales from the Thousand Lakes all got together for drinks and ended up making a baby. And speaking of Amorphis, now that Olli-Pekka Laine has rejoined his old band while remaining in Barren Earth, the dude definitely had a good year considering the release of this album and Amorphis’s very impressive Queen of Time, which just narrowly missed this list. I hope the wandering bassist never abandons this band, which he formed in 2007, as it has truly steadily grown into one of metal’s great progressive bands.

16. Judas Priest – Firepower

Genre: Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “No Surrender”

Of all the albums on this list, Judas Priest’s eighteenth studio album is without question the biggest surprise as I simply didn’t believe this legendary band still had it in them. To my ears, the band was never the same after Painkiller, which is one of their top 3 albums and one of the most important metal albums of the ‘90s. After that, be it with Rob Halford or Tim Owens, the band just wasn’t the same. I’m not even too keen on Angel of Retribution, which marked Halford’s return. However, Firepower demonstrates what this band is best at: short and sweet catchy songs with great riffs. The songs really just keep coming on this thing, from the “classic” Priest songs like “Firepower” or “No Surrender” (God what a song) to closer “Sea of Red,” which channels a bit of that old epic feel found in classics such as “Beyond the Realms of Death” or “Victim of Changes.” Sure, the album is too long, which is why it isn’t placed any higher, but the only song I would really cut for sure is “Lone Wolf,” which is definitely too “bro” for this band, even if I do like some of the riffs. Trim another two songs off and you really have a contender on your hands. While I’d also like some more highs from Halford, the man is damn 67 (and still sounds majestic) so I just have to learn to not be as greedy. To get an album this strong from Priest this late in their career is nothing short of a miracle, and it is truly a fantastic swan song of sorts for Glen Tipton, who I’m sure will continue to record with the band should they make another album.

15. Immortal – Northern Chaos Gods

Genre: Black Metal

Favorite Song: “Gates to Blashyrkh”

Here’s another one of those albums I wasn’t expecting much from given the circumstances surrounding it. With vocalist/guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Abbath getting the boot from the band he helped formed, I was afraid Demonaz and Horgh would just drift into obscurity. I am not the biggest fan of black metal, but I’ve always enjoyed Immortal and a few other bands in the genre, so I was a bit bummed that it seemed like one of the few bands I actually do like was dead. Abbath released a fine solo album that made my 2016 list, so at least I had that. Fast-forward to 2018, and I wasn’t prepared for the quality of Northern Chaos Gods. What we have here is a vicious, angry record that is 100% Demonaz proving that Immortal is much more than just Abbath Doom Occulta. The opening title track is a vengeful ripper, and really the album doesn’t let up from there. There are moments of sonic reprieve, like in the middle of “Gates to Blashyrkh” when some quiet clean-picking accompanies Demonaz’s dry rasp before the thunder returns. Closer “Mighty Ravendark” ends things in grand style for over 9 minutes, channeling a bit from the Sons of Northern Darkness days. While I could criticize Demonaz’s lyrics for being a conscious attempt at writing the most “Immortal” Immortal lyrics ever (seriously, it’s all: cold, frost, snow, dark, black, Blashyrkh, ravens, etc.), this whole album is sort of that: a legendary band trying to right the ship after the captain is gone. I am thrilled that they succeeded.

14. Behemoth – I Loved You at Your Darkest

Genre: Black/Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Bartzabel”

I guess you could say I have an odd relationship with Behemoth. I find most of their “classic” albums to be unlistenable (such as 2004’s grotesquely overrated Demigod, good lord those multi-tracked vocals) or just plain dull. Truth be told, the first Behemoth album I enjoyed was Evangelion, but it was its follow-up, 2014’s masterpiece The Satanist, that really blew me away. Finally, Behemoth was the great band that I had always heard that they were. For this album, Nergal and company have injected an even more theatrical and epic strain into the band’s core blackened death sound, which will no doubt piss off the fans who prefer the 250 bpm, 15-Nergals-a-yelling sound of the old days. Good riddance I say. I admit that I was worried when I heard the first single, the terribly-titled “God = Dog,” but I can say now that it makes sense when listening to the album as a whole. There is just some great, memorable songwriting throughout, be it in the form of burners “Wolves ov Siberia” and “Angelvs XIII” or more expansive affairs like “Sabbath Mater,” “Havohej Pantocrator,” or the glorious “Bartzabel,” the latter being my favorite track here and features the band’s best usage of chanting vocals ever. This will certainly go down in history as being more of a divisive album after the hyped praise of The Satanist, but I for one applaud Nergal for clearly making a conscious effort to create something different and avoiding making The Satanist II altogether.

13. Lucifer – Lucifer II

Genre: Heavy/Doom Metal/Rock

Favorite Song: “Dreamer”

I really enjoyed Lucifer’s debut album, but I think this one (the cleverly titled Lucifer II) is even better. This right here is simple, insanely catchy retro metal that is very easy to listen to. Every song here has solid hooks anchored by the sultry vocals of Johanna Sadonis, who just sounds great throughout. While ridiculous earworm choruses on “Dreamer,” “Reaper on Your Heels,” and “Eyes in the Sky” will dig themselves into your brain after just one listen, other songs, such as opener “California Son” and “Anton,” feature strong, simple riffs that you’ll be humming before you know what you are doing. Even the cover of the Rolling Stones semi-classic “Dancing With Mr. D” is awesome. This album didn’t seem to get as much love in the press and whatnot, which I simply don’t understand. This is pure quality for those who like their metal to actually have some hooks.

12. Haunt – Burst into Flame

Genre: Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “Reflectors”

I first learned of Trevor William Church through his horror-obsessed Doom band Beastmaker, a band I enjoy, so when I heard about Haunt I figured I’d give it a whirl. I’m glad I did, because this is some strong, highly-catchy heavy metal music played in a very straightforward style I very much appreciate. Burst into Flame is a very taut album at 37:32, featuring nine songs without an ounce of filler. These songs are written with that familiar retro sort of vibe in mind, though they rise above most bands playing this kind of style by simply being great songs. Church’s production is super clean, which goes a long way to let the amazing guitar licks and solos shine. Every single chorus here is an earworm, even if Church is not exactly what you would call a “great” singer, but then again a Roy Khan or Daniel Heiman would obviously make zero sense for this band. I mean it when I say that there isn’t any filler on here and all the songs are good, though I have to single out “Crystal Ball,” “Reflectors,” “Wanderlust,” and “Frozen in Time” for being so catchy that it’s almost illegal. Strong stuff from a guy who is really starting to make a name for himself in the genre. The man clearly benefits from a strong work ethic with a high number of quality releases. Seriously, Church released eight (edit: TEN) EPs this year with Beastmaker in addition to this full-length, and I’m sure he’s working on something else even as I type this. So, needless to say, if you like this album and want more, rest assured that more is on the way.

11. Messa – Feast for Water

Genre: Doom Metal, Ambient/Drone

Favorite Song: “Leah”

To say that I was impressed with Messa’s 2016 debut Belfry would be a colossal understatement. The album topped my metal list that year, which is something I still stand by. I was excited for a sophomore release so soon, as a lot of time with these new doom bands years and years can go by between releases. I listened to Feast for Water when it first came out in April, and then it somehow slipped through the cracks for many more months. I blame this on me struggling to listen to anything other than the new albums by Slugdge or the Crown, so clearly I was in need of more aggression earlier this year. But as the temperatures steadily fell and the leaves started to die, Feast for Water came calling yet again. What we have here is another strong doom album in a year when “traditional” doom was basically absent/mediocre as far as I’m concerned. Again opening with another drone-inflected instrumental, “Naunet” eventually snaps into “Snakeskin Drape,” which kicks off a string of songs that easily stand up to the quality of the band’s debut. The third song, “Leah,” features a truly incredible, alien-sounding riff and luscious keyboards. Once again, the mysterious “Sara” cements herself as my favorite female doom vocalist with yet another tremendous performance, simultaneously soulful, sultry, and powerful all at once. “The Seer” features some truly tasteful guitar solos, bringing in the blues to sit along snugly with Sara’s smoking-lounge vocals. Again, keyboards shine throughout the ominous “She Knows,” which will stay in your head and, under the right listening conditions, spook you a bit. Hell, “Tulsi” makes a saxophone sound like the logical instrument of choice for a metal band. While the last two songs might not stand up to the quality of the rest of the album, they are by no means bad, but the album could have used a slight change in track sequencing. I applaud the band for maintaining the vibe and mystique of Belfry while subtly exploring new ground with their growing use of keyboards. This is one of the best doom bands on the planet, folks. Simple as that. Don’t sleep on them.

10. Michael Romeo – War of the Worlds // Pt. 1

Genre: Progressive/Neoclassical Metal

Favorite Song: “Black” or “Djinn”

Man, I wasn’t expecting this one. Michael Romeo is the guitarist/main songwriter/leader of one of my favorite metal bands of all time, the mighty Symphony X. Naturally, due to his pedigree, I knew this would be quality, but I was expecting a purely instrumental, neoclassical affair like his debut album The Dark Chapter, which was released waaaaay back in 1995. Instead, the master recruited an excellent newcomer of a singer named Rick Castellano, BLS bassist John DeServio, and drummer John Macaluso, who has played with like 20 different bands. What we have here is basically a Symphony X record to some degree as if it had been crafted 100% by Romeo himself instead of the usual collaborations with Allen or the other Michaels in the group. The last Symphony X album was 2015’s Underworld, an album I still really enjoy if it is clearly a step down from the previous four albums. Though this album might not have a song as good as “Legend,” it is an all-around better album than Underworld, which simply delights me. A Symphony X fan simply can’t listen to “Fear the Unknown” or “Black” without grinning at those big, meaty riffs and strong choruses. Because this is technically his solo album, Romeo might shred a bit more during his solos throughout, but he never comes off as wanky. Romeo has always been a master of putting the song first before his own playing, and War of the Worlds is no exception. Bangers stand firmly beside longer, more intriguing pieces like the quasi-ballad “Believe” or the majestic “Djinn,” the latter calling to mind Symphony X mixed with Myrath. Awesome stuff. Now, yeah, there is a song on here called “Fucking Robots” and it is weird, a bit out of place, and probably even should have been cut, but I still kind of like it when Castellano’s vocals rise out of the robotic muck. This has me pumped for a new Symphony X album, as an album equal to or greater than this one will easily make my list.

9. Ghost – Prequelle

Genre: Heavy Metal/Rock

Favorite Song: “Dance Macabre”

That’s right. I love Ghost, despite the endless hate they get. God forbid, a catchy band gets popular for being catchy. Their previous album Meliora was their best album ever, a distinction I thought would never be taken from the debut. On Prequelle, Forge’s vision has taken on an even poppier vibe, especially with the instant classic “Dance Macabre,” one of the most maddeningly catchy metal/rock songs I’ve heard in years. “Rats” and “Life Eternal” are two other songs that the band should play at every show until the end of time. Is Prequelle better than Meliora? No. The song “See the Light” is Forge’s petty jab at his ex-band mates, and is just decent. Also, I’ll never understand why Forge chose to put TWO (not counting the brief intro “Ashes”) instrumentals on a relatively short release. “Miasma” is awesome with its synth and sax solos, but “Helvetesfonster” is downright boring. Nevertheless, this is another strong release from a highly divisive—but still brilliant—band.

8. Mutilated by Zombies – Scripts of Anguish

Genre: Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Decayed Manifestation”

2018 was a year dominated by ridiculously high-quality death metal, but I don’t think enough people gave this album the praise it deserves. This is the third album from Mutilated by Zombies, which is a band name I might not fully like, but by-god it tells you what they are about, doesn’t it? What we have here is straight up, undiluted death metal played with a high level of skill and songwriting class. Vocalist/guitarist Josh DeMuth spits some of the vilest vocal patterns I heard all year, and it is that (as well as some truly excellent bass playing by Jason Guler) that makes Scripts of Anguish such a pleasant(?!) listen. Throughout the album, DeMuth moves back and forth from a deep and clear guttural in the same vein as Immolation’s Ross Dolan and a truly excellent higher rasp that sounds like what Chris Barnes had wanted to achieve when he tried it on those early Cannibal Corpse albums. And speaking of that legendary band, who will always be my measuring stick for good, quality death metal, I’m not sure Cannibal have made a better album than this since Kill, and considering Evisceration Plague and Torture exist, that is no easy feat. This is a tight, compact album at 37 minutes and entirely devoid of filler, though I must single out opener “Decayed Manifestation” for its maddeningly catchy vocal patterns and how closer “Rise to Enslave” leaves the listener wanting more with a crushing, chuggy groove inflected with well-placed pinch harmonics. And the other eight songs in the middle are just as strong, folks.

7. Tribulation – Down Below

Genre: Gothic/Heavy Metal with Black Metal Influences

Favorite Song: Either “The Lament” or “Subterranea”

I’ve always enjoyed Tribulation. I liked the rawness of The Horror and the odd prog of The Formulas of Death. And I did enjoy The Children of the Night, even if it didn’t make my list that year while it seemed to be on everyone else’s, and deservedly so. While TCotN is their breakout album, Down Below is the next logical step for the band as they progress into a full-on Gothic juggernaut. I love Gothic metal, but I often feel as though there isn’t much out there in terms of pure quality. Down Below trims down from the slight bloat of the previous album to a glorious 46 minutes, which is practically the ideal album length as far as I’m concerned. This is just great music to listen to that puts you in the mind of classy vampires drinking wine in an old castle on a stormy night. Songs like “The Lament,” “Lady Death,” and “Subterranea” are maddeningly catchy and feature vocalist/bassist Johannes Andersson’s finest (and clearest) vocal performances to date. But it isn’t all short and catchy bangers, though, as “Lacrimosa” and “Here Be Dragons” should still satisfy fans of the band’s more rambling older style.

6. Voivod – The Wake

Genre: Progressive/Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “The End of Dormancy”

Ah yes, Voivod. Certainly one of the most revered (and strangest) metal bands to ever exist, these Canadians have marched to the beat of their own snare drum since their formation. However, the band obviously fell on hard times after the death of legendary guitarist Denis “Piggy” D’Amour in 2005. The band soldiered on, releasing music Piggy had recorded before his death. However, once that well ran dry, the group recruited Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain of Martyr fame, who was/is a massive Voivod fan. Here on The Wake, Chewy’s second full-length with the band, the guy has somehow learned to channel Piggy’s ghost with some truly strange, “classic” sounding Voivod riffage that sounds like it could have been captured on cassette recorders in 1988. Every single song here features odd, alien riffage that no other band except Voivod can deliver. “Obsolete Beings,” “Orb Confusion,” “Iconspiracy,” and especially “The End of Dormancy” are all modern classics as far as I’m concerned, each sporting odd and catchy vocal melodies barked out by the inimitable Snake. It is simply thrilling hearing such weirdness anchored by Away’s frantic drumming and (relative) newcomer Rocky’s bass, the latter doing a damn fine job of replacing Blacky, one of the best thrash bassists ever. The band even takes melodies and themes from all the songs and throw them together in a big gumbo at the end with “Sonic Mycelium,” a 12:24 mammoth that closes things down in fine style. Voivod simply can’t be stopped, people, and I never want them to be.

5. Dire Peril – The Extraterrestrial Compendium

Genre: Power/Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Blood in the Ice”

Sometimes, an album comes along that sounds like it was tailor-made for me. Dire Peril’s debut album is one of those albums: an Iced Earthian power/thrash hybrid theme album about different science fiction films such as Predator, E.T., The Thing, 2001, etc. I mean c’mon. And when the vocalist, John Yelland of Judicator fame, sounds so much like a slightly-smoother Hansi, there’s just no way I wouldn’t like this. But my affection for this goes beyond mere like. This is love, for this band can write songs. Opener “Yautja (Hunter Culture)” uses Jon Schaffer’s classic, tight rhythm style to stunning effect, while “Total Recall” and “Heart of the Furyan” perfectly combine melody and aggression. Hell, the song “Always Right Here” sounds like Jon Schaffer could have written it himself. “Blood in the Ice” is one of my favorite songs of the year, having been given an excellent music video treatment that perfectly recalls The Thing. Simply put, Iced Earth haven’t released an album this good since The Glorious Burden, and considering I’m still a fan of the Stu Block years, that is high praise.

4. Obscura – Diluvium

Genre: Progressive/Technical Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Ekpyrosis”

There was a time when I would have been really excited to see that Obscura was releasing a new album. I LOVED 2011’s masterpiece Omnivium, but then Hannes Grossman left the group and band member musical chairs took into effect, leaving vocalist/guitarist Steffen Kummerer as the only original member of the band. 2016’s follow-up Akroasis was decent, but a clear step down to my ears. So when Diluvium was released, I figured I’d give it one listen just to see if the band had continued their decline. Little did I expect the sheer, punishing greatness of this release. My word. What we have here is actually quite possibly the best album the band has managed to date, deftly blending super-complex playing with intelligent songwriting and catchiness. Opener “Clandestine Stars” is insanely fun, featuring Cynic-esque vocoder vocals, tasteful fretless bass, and a driving, morphing quality that carries throughout the whole record. “Mortification of the Vulgar Sun” is held together by an excellent chugging riff before a downright pretty middle section. Honestly, every song here is awesome, and the performances are next level. That being said, I do have to single out the playing of drummer Sebastian Lanser: JESUS. Every aspect of his playing gives the songs here an added excitement and weight, being the best drum performance I heard on any record this year. Just listen to his performance on “Ekpyrosis.” Absolute madness. With this album, Obscura prove once again that they belong at the forefront of the tech-death genre. Now, if I could just understand what these songs are about, that would be great.

3. Alkaloid – Liquid Anatomy

Genre: Progressive Death Metal

Favorite Song: “As Decreed by Laws Unwritten”

Spoiler: I knew this album was going to be good. Given the pedigree of the band’s members and how much I loved the 2015 debut The Malkuth Grimoire, there was really no way I wasn’t going to like this. Any doubts I had (there weren’t any) were put to rest when the band released “Azagthoth” as a first single. The pet project of drumming machine Hannes Grossmann, Alkaloid is a super-group of sorts, made up from current and former members of Obscura, God Dethroned, and Dark Fortress. Simply put: Liquid Anatomy is awesome. Not only is it awesome, the band has improved upon the stellar debut, crushing the very idea of the sophomore slump. Opener “Kernal Panic” was one of my most played songs of the year. Cleverly lulling the listener with some clean, spacey guitars, everything kicks into overdrive around 2 minutes in on the back of the sickest, nastiest vocal “BLEKT” of the year. Pure filth. “As Decreed by Laws Unwritten” gets my vote for heaviest song of the year with its crushing, chugging riffage, sounding like what modern day Morbid Angel should sound like but cannot manage. Instead, this song decimates everything on that last MA album put together. The aforementioned single “Azagthoth” is as great as it is weird. Seriously, go check out Morean’s vocals. Grossmann really shines on “In Turmoil’s Swirling Reaches,” and you can go watch him perform a great drum playthrough on YouTube. Album closer “Rise of the Cephalopods” is epic incarnate, clocking in at 19:42 but never feeling that long. The song is a masterful triumph of both songcraft and lyrical storytelling, moving between acoustic reflection to savage blastbeats and mayhem. That all being said, I have to mention my two minor problems with this album: “Interstellar Boredom” and “Chaos Theory and Practice,” both written by Morean as part of the ongoing Dyson Sphere song cycle that began on the debut. I really, really didn’t like the Dyson songs on the debut and, while these two songs are better this time around, I still don’t very much care for them, especially the latter. All the sudden there’s tons of F-bombs and weirdness, which really disrupts the flow and feel of the album. Had the band cut at least “Chaos Theory and Practice,” this would have been my Album of the Year. Regardless, Liquid Anatomy is a super strong album by a band, as far as I’m concerned, stand alone in the progressive death metal genre.

2. The Crown – Cobra Speed Venom

Genre: Melodic Death/Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “In the Name of Death”

What a ripper of an album this is. What we have here is the sonic equivalent to all those mud-hole stomps Stone Cold Steve Austin inflicted at the height of the Attitude Era, except this ain’t wrasslin’, son, this is real (though wrasslin’ is STILL REAL TO ME). After listening through Cobra Speed Venom once I was simply blown away, and it did not once dip below my top 5 during the entire year. This is violence turned into sonic rage, but with an undercurrent of Lemmy swagger and catchiness. Every song is a jack-booted ass-stomper, but I have to single out “In the Name of Death” as one of the most addicting death metal songs of the year, which sits in just right between the blistering “Iron Crown” and the chugalicious “We Avenge!” Honestly, it’s just highlight after highlight without an ounce of filler in sight. The only sort of “break” the band gives you is the hyper-melodic instrumental “Where My Grave Shall Stand,” and after that they hit you with the Stone Cold Stunner in the form of mighty doomish closer “The Sign of the Scythe.” Simply put, Cobra Speed Venom is the best melodic death metal album I’ve heard since Carcass’s Surgical Steel back in 2013. And look at that cool artwork. So pretty and mildly unsettling. While the more “meat and potatoes” approach to the genre might get lost on some year end lists when sat next to the technical and more experimental side of death metal, The Crown proved that they sure ain’t dead yet and they just might be stronger than ever. Just go ahead and lie down for the 3-count.

1. Slugdge – Esoteric Malacology

Genre: Blackened Death/Sludge Metal

Favorite Song: Either “War Squids” or “Putrid Fairytale”

God help me, a band lyrically centered around slugs has created my 2018 Album of the Year. When I first heard about this UK-based duo, I assumed what probably many others assumed: this is a joke. It has to be, right? I mean, the band’s lyrics are literally obsessed with mollusks while at the same time parodying classic metal songs and bands (“War Squids”/“War Pigs,” “Salt Thrower,” Bolt Thrower, etc). But when I listened to the opening track of this masterpiece for the first time, I instantly connected with it and understood it deep in my bones. Yes, this band is obsessed with mollusks, but they treat the invertebrates as characters in an unsettling, Lovecraftian universe on the constant brink of destruction. Honestly, no other album this year made me feel the presence of Lovecraft’s spirit more than this one. I mean, just look at some of these epic lyrics just from the first song:

“Bathe the abyss in cosmic afterbirth

He shall arise to reclaim the multiverse

In noxious sanctums beyond the walls that keep

The cursed sleepers from the beast”

Metal. Consistently across the board, no band wrote more “metal” lyrics in 2018. If they did, someone send me a link right now because I’d love to hear them. And as for the music, Slugdge gamely equals the ambition of the lyrics with epic songcraft in the form of long, morphing songs with strong riffage and Matt Moss’s harsh and clean vocals. Moss has a very clear harsh vocal, slightly on the higher register of a death growl, which he spits forth throughout much of the album. However, the deeper cleans that he uses (sometimes overdubbed with his harsh vocals) really elevate this whole album to a greater artistic plane. Every song here is awesome and there is no point in doing a track-by-track, but I have to again mention the opener “War Squids,” which expertly sets up the entire album: lengthy (but not stupid lengthy), morphing, razor sharp…MOLLUSCA. Guitarist Kev Pearson’s work throughout is inspired as every single song features great and memorable riffage. Just listen to “Salt Thrower,” especially the midsection: ferocious, chugging majesty. My personal favorite moment comes at the end of “Putrid Fairytale,” which probably should have closed the album. The song is furious, but then suddenly ends with Matt Moss delivering his most majestic and breathtaking clean vocals on the entire record. Honestly, I could go on about this album all day. I am thrilled the band has gained the publicity it deserves. 2018 was the year of death metal, and (to my ears) Slugdge was at the pinnacle the moment this album was released. I look forward to hearing the band try and top this album. Mollusks. Mollusks everywhere.

My 20 Favorite Metal Albums of 2017

Like almost every year, 2017 was a great year for metal. And that’s all I have to say about that. Let’s get it started.

Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order)

Avatarium – Hurricanes and Halos

Eruption – Cloaks of Oblivion

Evil Invaders – Feed Me Violence (features some of the best leads of the year)

Ne Obliviscaris – Urn

Unleash the Archers – Apex

20. Hour of Penance – Cast the First Stone

Genre: Technical/Brutal Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Cast the First Stone”

Italy’s favorite brutal death metal sons return with their seventh full-length, and I have to say I’ve enjoyed their more recent stuff than the first few albums. For years I wrote this band off as brutality for the sake of brutality, but 2014’s Regicide and now Cast the First Stone have more or less forced me to take notice.The title track, “Burning Bright,” and “The Chains of Misdeed” showcase some of the best songwriting death metal saw in 2017. Plus, I really like the cover art, which many people hated.

19. Daydream XI – The Circus of the Tattered and Torn

Genre: Progressive/Power Metal

Favorite Song: “A Cup of Agony”

I first listened to this album a mere three weeks ago, but I knew it deserved to be on this list. Buoyed by some incredible singing by vocalist/guitarist Tiago Masseti, the songwriting is incredibly well-rounded with hyper-catchy scorchers (“Trust-Forged Knife” and “A Cup of Agony”), quirky Queen-influenced oddities (“Collector of Souls”), and complex, multi-layered epics (“Forgettable” and the 12+ minute title track). Had I originally discovered this album when it was released in September, there’s a strong chance it would be in my top 10. It is that good.

18. Pallbearer – Heartless

Genre: Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Dancing in Madness”

I love this band. Their 2014 album Foundations of Burden was my Album of the Year. Heartless is the band’s “most different” sounding album thus far, featuring shorter song lengths and a more pronounced Pink Floyd influence. This album did not grab me as thoroughly and completely as the first two, but I can’t argue with the pounding “I Saw the End,” “Thorns,” and “Cruel Road.” Album centerpiece “Dancing in Madness” is my favorite, its intro featuring some lovely Gilmour-inspired soloing. Yes, while I’m not sure I enjoy this album as much as the other two, Pallbearer remain a force to be reckoned with in doom metal.

17. Bell Witch – Mirror Reaper

Genre: Sludge/Funeral Doom Metal

Favorite Song: …yeah, about that…

I really enjoy Bell Witch. Their previous album, 2015’s Four Phantoms, made my list that year. Now they return with Mirror Reaper, which so obviously features the best metal artwork of 2017. Greatly (and unfortunately) inspired by the passing of drummer Adrian Guerra, this album is literally one 83 minute long song, though I honestly count it as two songs since the CD version splits it in half. While I do think they could’ve trimmed it down to a more manageable 65 minutes—which would also eliminate the problem of having two discs—this remains a compelling and often moving piece of work. The last third of it, with its softer leanings and clean vocals, features some of the most serene metal music of the year. A truly singular experience.

16. Paradise Lost – Medusa

Genre: Doom/Death Metal, Gothic Metal/Rock

Favorite Song: “Shrines,” but since it is technically a bonus track, I’ll choose “Blood & Chaos”

One of my favorite bands of all time returns with an album slightly less monstrous than the previous two. My main issue with this album is the production—with the drums in particular—and some of the band’s strange choices with sequencing and exclusion. For example, the two bonus tracks, “Shrines” and “Symbolic Virtue,” are two of the best songs here, and I’ve listened to them so much I’ve come to count them as part of the album proper, a practice I always avoid. Clearly they were left off because they feature Nick Holmes showcasing more of his clean singing style whereas most of the album he’s in full death croak mode, which I also love deeply. On this album the band leans more heavily on their death/doom past, with the tracks “Fearless Sky,” “No Passage for the Dead,” and the title track reminding everyone that they were one of the originators of the style. Yet, as found on “Blood & Chaos,” they remain masters of the gothic ear-worm.

15. Dying Fetus – Wrong One to Fuck With

Genre: Brutal Death Metal/Grindcore

Favorite Song: “Panic Amongst the Herd” or “Reveling in the Abyss”

Gawd. If you are looking for an album filled to the brim with savage riffage, look no further. Seriously, it sounds as if these guys had 300 riffs, whittled those down to the 200 strongest ones, and then crammed every single one of those into ten songs. This is some insanely intricate and complex stuff, yet the band so often settles into a groove on the back of some world class riffage you feel compelled to bang your head. My only real complaint about this is the vocals, with guitarist John Gallagher and bassist Sean Beasley trading off almost entirely unintelligible bellows and rasps. I love death metal, but I always get more out of the easier-to-understand vocalists. Nevertheless, this album is a masterclass of savagery, and I never heard anything more brutal all year. It is what the everyman on the street thinks of when they hear “death metal,” and it will always send them running.

14. Cellador – Off the Grid

Genre: Power Metal

Favorite Song: “Shadowfold”

I played this one a lot this year. This is Cellador’s second album and comes after an eleven year absence, so I’d certainly consider it a worthy comeback. This is some smart, catchy power metal with some surprising twists in the riffage and arrangements. “Shadowfold,” “Swallow Your Pride,” and the title track are three of the catchiest metal songs I heard all year. “Wake Up the Tyrant” is equally catchy, yet somehow works in some great thrash riffs. The album even features the Cyndi Lauper cover “Good Enough,” an intriguing choice that somehow works. If you enjoy your hard rock or metal catchy and memorable, Off the Grid is definitely for you.

13. Septicflesh – Codex Omega

Genre: Atmospheric/Symphonic Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Our Church, Below the Sea”

Ah yes, this is the stuff. Septicflesh have been riding high on a string of great albums since their reformation in 2007, and Codex Omega certainly follows that trend. In fact, I consider this to be even more solid than the previous album, 2014’s Titan, which I felt lost a bit of steam towards the end. This album expertly showcases what this band is all about: the marriage of brutality and symphonic splendor. Tracks “3rd Testament (Codex Omega),” “Portrait of a Headless Man,” and “Enemy of Truth” are simply majestic, each reminding the world why bassist (and cover artist) Seth Siro Anton is one of the best death metal vocalists in the world. But I find that this album really hits its stride in the middle with the trio of songs “Dark Art,” “Our Church, Below the Sea,” and “Faceless Queen,” each featuring the clean vocals of guitarist and primary lyricist Sotiris Vayenas. While I do think it is strange that they sequenced the album to feature the three songs with clean singing strung together, it sort of works on a thematic level. There seems to be no stopping this great band, and I hope they always remain so dependable.

12. Cannibal Corpse – Red Before Black

Genre: Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Scavenger Consuming Death”

Aaaannd speaking of no stopping a great band, here is the fourteenth album by the unkillable legends Cannibal Corpse. This band has released a string of more-than-solid albums since 2006’s Kill and this one is certainly no exception. Very well-sequenced in terms of tempo variety and songwriting credits, this is just what I want from this band. Whether it’s the fast and brutal opener “Only One Will Die,” the slower and insanely catchy “Code of the Slashers,” the chuggy “Firestorm Vengeance,” or the riff-laden “Scavenger Consuming Death,” this band continues to remind everyone why they are a hallowed name in the genre. While I do wish Erik Rutan’s production gave Alex Webster’s superb bass playing a bit more clarity, there’s not much else to complain about here. Not a fan of that artwork though. Seriously guys, nobody buys albums anymore, so you don’t have to worry about being banned. Let’s get back to those ‘90s, early 2000s covers.

11. Enslaved – E

Genre: Progressive Black/Viking Metal

Favorite Song: “Axis of the Worlds”

For years I’ve been saying that Enslaved rank among the five best active metal bands in the world. With E, the band’s fourteenth full-length album, I stand by that statement. E sees the band continuing down the progressive path they truly started exploring on 2010’s Axioma Ethica Odini, only this time they are armed with a new keyboardist/clean vocalist in the form of young (seriously he’s a year younger than me) Hakon Vinje. I was greatly dismayed when I heard that Herbrand Larsen had stepped down, but honestly the new guy sounds very similar to him vocally so I can’t complain. The monolithic opener “Storm Son,” the truly delightful “Axis of the Worlds,” and the damn saxophone-laden closer “Hiindsiight” are the work of a band with few equals. That all being said, I do consider the band’s tendency to drone on a bit too long during the last half of several tracks to be more than a bit redundant. I wouldn’t have minded the choice at all on a song or two, but half the songs on this album follow this unfortunate pattern. Thus, the only band ever to release two albums (2012’s RIITIIR and 2015’s In Times) to be crowned my Album of the Year was unable to complete the trilogy with this one. Nevertheless, Enslaved remain a force to be reckoned with and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if they did complete that trilogy sooner or later.

10. Iced Earth – Incorruptible

Genre: Power/Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Seven Headed Whore”

Anyone who knows me and my musical tastes at all knows I am a massive Iced Earth fan. They were one of the first metal bands I fell in love with after Metallica and Iron Maiden, and so far I’ve managed to catch them live three times, with the fourth time coming in March of next year. Despite my deep love for Jon Schaffer and co., the last decade has proven a bit rocky for them, falling into the good/bad/good album pattern that seems to plague many bands. Their last album, 2014’s Plagues of Babylon, was a massive disappointment and easily one of their worst albums ever. Thankfully, Incorruptible is miles better and a striking return to form, featuring the instant classics “Great Heathen Army,” the monstrously tasty “Seven Headed Whore,” and the spine-tingling “Clear the Way,” the latter being Jon’s best epic composition since the Gettysburg Trilogy. Unfortunately, this album is pushed a bit down the list due to the inclusion of the songs “The Relic (Part 1)” and “Brothers,” two dull clinkers with bad lyrics that really needed two or three more polishes. Nevertheless, the other eight songs are late-period Iced Earth at their finest, and I look forward to seeing some of them played live.

9. Pain of Salvation – In the Passing Light of Day

Genre: Progressive Rock/Metal

Favorite Song: “On a Tuesday”

Released way back in January, this was definitely the first 2017 album I fell in love with. I can’t say how this ranks with the rest of Pain of Salvation’s discography as I’ve never really listened to them before, but this is some quality prog. The 10+ minute opening track “On a Tuesday” is a masterpiece, veering between some sharp riffage and quieter moments. For me, the track becomes truly moving about seven minutes in when the keyboards really fire up. In a way, this opening song sets the stage for everything else that follows, as catchy burners “Tongue of God,” “Meaningless,” and (the occasionally strange) “Reasons” sit comfortably alongside softer tracks like the excellent “Silent Gold” and the tad-overlong title track. This is something of a concept album based on what I’ve read as it deals with singer/leader Daniel Gildenlow’s recent hospitalization and near-death experience. To me, this is what metal is all about: taking the darkness life throws at us and transforming it into something powerful.

8. Hallatar – No Stars Upon the Bridge

Genre: Atmospheric Doom/Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Dreams Burn Down”

For the third year in a row, doom wizard Juha Raivio releases a highly impressive (and heartbreaking) album that makes my end of the year list. More or less, Hallatar is a project dedicated to the memory of his girlfriend, Trees of Eternity vocalist Aleah Starbridge (hence the name of the album), who passed away in 2016. No Stars Upon the Bridge uses Starbridge’s lyrics and is practically a companion piece to Tree of Eternity’s heartbreaking Hour of the Nightingale, and in some ways this one is even more devastating as—other than the final, perfect track—Starbridge is not present on the record. Her absence can be felt in each note Raivio composed, giving his melancholic slabs of doom even more (unfortunate) potency. Amorphis vocalist Tomi Joutsen sounds almost completely unrecognizable as he growls, snarls, and croons his way through the emotionally-charged “Mirrors,” “Melt,” and “The Maze.” He sounds particularly moving on the gorgeous ballad “Severed Eyes,” which made me misty the first time I heard it. Despite all that, the unquestionable highlight comes at the end with “Dreams Burn Down” when Starbridge herself returns from beyond for the chorus. Punishing, heartbreaking stuff, but also the truly doomiest doom album from 2017.

7. Power Trip – Nightmare Logic

Genre: Thrash Metal/Crossover

Favorite Song: “Firing Squad”

I admit I was initially hesitant to give this album a fair shake. It seemed as if everyone praised this album at some point this year, so much so that I couldn’t help but think of all the Power Trip love as an old fashioned case of hype. The first time I listened to Nightmare Logic, I have to say that I wasn’t really impressed. I found most of the songs to be trapped in a mid-paced tempo and the vocals too drenched in reverb. But then I listened to it again. And again. And again. With just eight tracks clocking in at a grand total of a 32:48 runtime, this album was built for back to back listens and is full of simplistic, catchy riffs that just worm their way into your brain again and again, song after song. The opening one-two punch of “Soul Sacrifice” and “Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)” is awesome, both catchier than they have any real right to be. The band doesn’t really ramp up in speed until track three, the awesome “Firing Squad,” and even then they slow it back down halfway through. The other five songs all have moments that make me grin with the utmost satisfaction. Nightmare Logic is just a rock-solid album that was made to crank loudly during a drive, and for once I feel that all the hype was justified.

6. Sorcerer – The Crowning of the Fire King

Genre: Epic Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Abandoned by the Gods” or “The Devil’s Incubus”

I love epic doom metal. Deeply. Passionately. The closer a band can get in sound and style to the perfect, genre-defining Candlemass debut album Epicus Doomicus Metallicus the better. And that is exactly what Sorcerer have done on their second full-length record. This is big, bombastic music with soaring vocals (courtesy of the excellent Anders Engberg) and fat, meaty riffs that sound like they were forged by Leif Edling himself at the peak of his mid-to-late ‘80s powers. It even features a traditional Candlemass-like opener in the form of the more up-tempo “Sirens” before really bringing the doom with the appropriately titled “Ship of Doom,” a very good song marred slightly by bloating. The album really hits it’s stride and doesn’t let up with “Abandoned by the Gods,” “The Devil’s Incubus,” and “Crimson Cross,” all riff-laden masterpieces of the genre. While I do have some minor complaints, such as the aforementioned “Ship of Doom” and the equally overlong closing track “Unbearable Sorrow,” there are no bad songs on this record, and if Sorcerer can follow up this album with another one of equal quality they will instantly become one of my favorite doom bands ever. If Candlemass, Solitude Aeturnus, or DoomSword make you happy, you must listen to this album.

5. Threshold – Legends of the Shires

Genre: Progressive Metal

Favorite Song: “Small Dark Lines”

Threshold are one of my favorite progressive metal bands ever, so when I heard that vocalist Damian Wilson had been shown the door and was replaced by old/new member Glynn Morgan, I still knew this would be a great album. After all, to my knowledge all the music and lyrics are almost always written by guitarist Karl Groom and keyboardist Richard West, so the songwriting team is unchanged. Legends of the Shires is a double album, which is something I’m not normally too keen on given how most bands seem to incorporate tons of filler to pad out a running time to justify two discs. Luckily, this is a double album composed by masters, all held together by the recurring themes of aging, reflection, regret, and rejuvenation. In a way, the band explores all aspects of their collective sound while leaning most heavily on their excellent 1998-2007 run of albums with vocalist Mac McDermott (RIP). “Small Dark Lines” is my metal song of the year and represents everything I love about this wonderful band: sharp riffage, absurdly catchy vocal melodies (Morgan sounds fantastic), crisp guitar and keyboard solos, and heartfelt lyrics that actually mean something. From there the highlights keep coming, with the driving “Trust the Process,” the intriguing “Stars & Satellites,” and the moving disc two opener “The Shire (Part 2)” ranking among my favorites. The band pulls all the themes together with the penultimate track, the truly excellent 10+ minute epic “Lost in Translation.” Gets me misty every time, just like how this band seems to release a great album every time. World class prog.

4. Below – Upon a Pale Horse

Genre: Epic Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Suffer in Silence”

This, also a second album from a Swedish epic doom band, just narrowly beat out the Sorcerer album by an ass-hair due to one key difference: tighter songs. Yes, Upon a Pale Horse clocks in at the absolutely perfect 47 minute mark, all of the songs arranged in such a way that prevents the listener from thinking “okay, how long is this one gonna keep going?” While Below are a very young band—having formed in 2012—you’d never know it by this professional display of true epic doom. What I like most about this band is their ability to write great shorter songs, which is something many doom bands have trouble doing. Proper opener “Disappearing Into Nothing,” the superb “Suffer in Silence,” and penultimate track “1000 Broken Bones” are all less than 6 minutes long and still feature all the riffs and soaring vocals any doom lover should need. I must take a second to praise vocalist Sebastian “Zeb” Jansson. He sounds like a very interesting mix of Geoff Tate, Todd La Torre, and even a bit of Johan Langquist. Yeah, he sounds that good. When the band does stretch out into the more usual lengthy epics the genre requires, as on the atmospheric title track, the stunning “Hours of Darkness,” and closer “We Are All Slaves,” they do so with smart arrangements and logical progressions. It seems like the epic doom genre has been making something of a comeback over the last few years, and I couldn’t be happier. All we need now is for Leif Edling to release another proper Candlemass record.

3. Immolation – Atonement

Genre: Death Metal

Favorite Song: Very hard to say. Either “When the Jackals Come,” “Thrown to the Fire” or “Epiphany”

When one of my favorite death metal bands of all time announced that they would be releasing their tenth studio album in 2017, I knew it was going to be awesome. They’ve never released a bad album. What I didn’t expect was for said tenth album to be one of the three best albums of their entire career. Yes indeed, Atonement is a late-period masterwork from a legendary band. There’s nothing really new here from this group, especially considering the three preceding albums. Instead, what we have here is an application of fresh blood and blasphemy to coat the metallic engines, ramping up every aspect of the band’s sound to maximum vitality. Mastermind Robert Vigna’s pinch-harmonic peppered riffs are as strange, unique, and instantly identifiable as ever, with “The Distorting Light,” “Rise the Heretics,” “Thrown to the Fire,” and “Epiphany” all featuring some of the best rhythm guitar parts you will hear in metal all year. Steve Shalaty’s drumming—absurdly percussive and always following Vigna’s lead—are downright ridiculous. No death metal drummer could outshine him all year. Above it all looms the ominous rumble of bassist Ross Dolan, who happens to be one of my favorite death vocalists ever. I know there are some people who don’t like his deep, easily-understood bellow. Posers. Let them end when the jackals come.

2. Mastodon – Emperor of Sand

Genre: Progressive Metal/Rock

Favorite Song: “Sultan’s Curse,” “Roots Remain,” or “Jaguar God”

I know. It is a bit cliche these days to include Mastodon on a best of the year list, but honestly I’ve considered them to be hit or miss over the past several years. 2006’s Blood Mountain and 2009’s Crack the Skye saw the band rise to monumental levels in the metal community, and it was well-deserved. For a few years there, nobody could touch them. Then they released The Hunter in 2011 and fell flat on their collective face. The mighty had fallen. 2014’s Once More ‘Round the Sun was a definite step back in the right direction, wisely incorporating drummer Brann Dailor’s smooth vocals more often to offset Troy Sanders’ howls and the oftentimes bizarre voice of Brent Hinds. And now we have Emperor of Sand, a concept/theme album hearkening back to the Leviathan/Blood Mountain/Crack the Skye trinity. Basically, the band have managed to take Once More ‘Round the Sun, really perfect how they logically incorporate the three vocalists, and re-inject some much needed Crack the Skye weirdness and progressive tendencies back into their sound. Held together by an intriguing concept concerning an exiled man sentenced to his death in the desert, once again the band manages to take personal tragedy in their lives (the cancer battles of immediate family members) and transformed it into something positive and profound. This is a ridiculously solid album, but I have to point out great opener “Sultan’s Curse,” the Alice in Chains influenced “Steambreather,” and the delightfully strange “Roots Remain” and “Jaguar God” as highlights for me personally. Mastodon are an original force in metal, no matter how many elitists moan and complain about how popular they’ve become, and when they stick to concepts and try to push their sound few can stand against them. They became so popular because of smart songwriting and the constant desire to change into something else. That’s all I can ask for out of a great band.

1. Seven Kingdoms – Decennium

Genre: Power/Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “In the Walls” or “Kingslayer”

That’s right. A power metal album with a big pink cover is my favorite metal album of 2017. In a way, I even resisted thinking of this album so highly all throughout the year. Each and every time I put this album on I found it highly enjoyable, but then I would move on to something else. But I would always return to Decennium and like it more than the previous time. Whereas on a first listen I loved half the songs and considered the others to be decent filler, by listen ten I thoroughly enjoyed each of the ten songs. To say this is some catchy stuff is an understatement, but what I find most impressive about this album is how Seven Kingdoms deftly marries female-fronted (Sabrina Valentine sounds great throughout) catchiness with strong riffs, transitions, and bridges. This is an album entirely devoid of the trap so many power metal bands fall into: limping onward over stock riffs until a big chorus kicks in. These songs have those big choruses, but the music itself never bores you on the way to them. “Undying” and the Lovecraftian-inspired “In the Walls” are thrash just as much as the wonderfully catchy nod to Jaime Lannister, “Kingslayer,” is straight up power metal of the highest quality. I think, upon reflection, the main reason this album strikes such a chord with me is because it gives me the same feeling I had when I first got into power metal during my early teens. I would spend days and days just listening to classic albums by Kamelot, Falconer, Helloween, and Gamma Ray over and over again. As I aged into my twenties power metal sort of fell down my list of preferences behind doom, death, and progressive metal, but I will never, ever fall out of love with the genre, especially if there are great newer bands like Seven Kingdoms cranking out albums as strong as Decennium. So in the end I place this atop the pile of metal album I listened to in 2017. It is the one I listened to the most, contains the songs I’d hum to myself the most, and the only album this year that made me feel like I had been transported to when I was first getting into the genre.

The 25 Best Metal Albums of 2016

2016 was yet another great year for metal music and a very interesting one for me personally. Almost none of my absolute favorite bands (Iron Maiden, Enslaved, Iced Earth, Overkill, Atlantean Kodex, Pallbearer, just to name a few) released an album in 2016, so the year instead was dominated by debut albums and a ton of surprises by bands I either never liked or had given up on completely. And no, do not expect to find Meshuggah or Nails on this list. Those bands suck. These bands don’t. Enjoy.

Note: All genre labels are as written on http://www.metal-archives.com.

 

25.  Zaum – Eidolon 

Genre: Psychedelic Doom Metal

Favorite Song: Just listen to the whole thing

For the most part, those two-member stoner doom bands without a guitarist leave me pretty cold. I find Om, probably the most notorious band exploring the style, to be almost completely unlistenable. But I rather like Zaum. With Eidolon, the band favors long-form doom with a psychedelic twist, a welcome departure from the same old stoner trash. There are only two songs here, “Influence of the Magi” and “The Enlightenment,” both of which clock in at over twenty minutes. I listened to this album a lot last year as I was drifting off to sleep, which is high praise since music I dislike makes me restless. This album rises and falls again and again, the duo of vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Kyle McDonald and drummer Chris Lewis carefully crafting an experience that never feels as long as it is. Despite the two enormous songs, Eidolon remains a quite economical effort from a band I had never heard of before 2016.

 

24.  Gojira – Magma

Genre: Progressive/Groove/Death Metal

Favorite Song: “The Shooting Star”

I am not a Gojira fan. Like, at all. If you held a gun to my head right now I don’t think I could name two songs that didn’t come from this album. They’ve just never impressed me before, and I have never understood the hype surrounding them. While Magma still doesn’t really help me see why they are supposed to be one of the best bands in the universe, I do like it a whole lot. For this album, vocalist/guitarist Joe Duplantier took the often-maligned route of adding much more clean singing in with his usual harsh style, and I think it was successful. “The Shooting Star” is a great, almost mechanical sounding song with haunted, spacey vocals. The fabulous ‘singles’ “Silvera” and “Stranded” are taken to a whole other level when Duplantier sings clean, giving the songs added emotion that he simply couldn’t pull off by just barking like he normally does. Interestingly, this album hasn’t been getting much love on metal reviews sites, which was unheard of for any previous Gojira album. I guess people dislike their newer, more melodic approach. Oh well. For me, Gojira are finally a good band, even if they will never be and never were close to the best.

 

23.  Sabaton – The Last Stand

Genre: Power Metal

Favorite Song: “Winged Hussars”

This album is getting destroyed critically. It currently has a 49/100 on the Metal Archives, and I can even understand why. Here we have Sabaton, one of the most samey bands ever, releasing an album of very samey material, with dialed up keyboards and softened guitars. But god help me I love this band so much. No, The Last Stand isn’t as good as Heroes and doesn’t hold a candle to their true masterpiece The Art of War, but there are still some fine songs here. “Sparta” is a perfect opener as much as “The Lost Battalion” was the logical first single. “Winged Hussars” is one of the best Sabaton songs ever, and it was an absolute joy to see the band play it live last year. So yes, critical metal community, I see all the faults with this album and I understand where you are coming from. I just don’t care.

And that album cover is glorious.

 

22.  Sumerlands – Sumerlands

Genre: Heavy Metal

Favorite Song: “The Seventh Seal”

Ah, this is the stuff right here. Sumerlands play that good, classic style of heavy metal that everyone on earth should love. The kind you crank when you are out driving and thinking about the next patch you want for your battle vest. Featuring the guitar team of Arthur Rizk and John Powers, two members of Eternal Champion (it was a damn good year for these guys, and The Armor of Ire would’ve made this list if it wasn’t so scanty), the rhythms and leads on this album are divine. “The Seventh Seal” and “The Guardian” explode with confident, fuzzy riffage as if born out of the ‘80s. The band is rounded out by drummer Justin DeTore, who played bass on Magic Circle’s album Journey Blind, which made my 2015 list, and vocalist Phil Swanson. Swanson has sung for so many bands it’s almost sarcastic, with Hour of 13, Atlantean Kodex, and Briton Rites probably being the most noteworthy. He sounds better here than he ever has, sounding like a by-god confident frontman on the aforementioned “The Seventh Seal” and “The Guardian,” even incorporating his uncommonly-used upper register during the latter. Honestly, this album has no bad songs, even if I wish they didn’t end it when an instrumental. While I still think the best Swanson-fronted album is Briton Rites’ 2010 underrated classic For Mircalla, Sumerlands clearly contains his best recorded performance, rocketing the band near the top of his seven million projects.

 

21.  Metallica – Hardwired…to Self-Destruct

Genre: Hard Rock/Heavy/Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Spit Out the Bone”

I love Metallica. I just can’t help it. The Black Album got me into metal over ten years ago, after all. Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets are two of the greatest albums ever. Hell, with the exception of ReLoad, I can find something to like on any Metallica album, and yes that includes St. Anger. This one comes eight years after Death Magnetic, a good album with HORRENDOUS production. This time around the production is better, though it isn’t perfect, and there are some songs on here that rank among their best material since 1991. “Hardwired” rips while “Moth Into Flame” masterfully blends catchiness with aggression. “Halo on Fire” is a joy, riding a fantastic outro with Hammett briefly reclaiming some of his past glory. And my god if “Spit Out the Bone” isn’t the best Metallica song since the ‘80s: fast, progressive, and chock full of Hetfield’s best riffs. This doesn’t rank higher because there are simply too many tracks. “ManUnkind” and “Murder One” shouldn’t have made the cut, even if the latter is about Lemmy Damn Kilmister. There are too many Ulrich jungle drum intros. Had Hardwired… been cut and edited down to the eight best songs, we would have had a true powerhouse on our hands.

 

20.  Schammasch – Triangle

Genre: Avant-garde/Black Metal

Favorite Song: “Above the Stars of God”

Ah, the triple album. Personally, I normally find double albums to be overlong and ponderous, so a triple album is just downright silly. However, like Swallow the Sun’s massive 2015 album Songs from the North I, II & III, yet another triple album has made my end of the year list. I had never heard of Schammasch before, but Triangle has certainly grabbed my attention due to the sheer scope and range the band conjures up throughout the three discs. Thankfully much shorter than Swallow the Sun’s 153:39 monstrosity, each disc here was meticulously arranged to have a 33 minute runtime, with each disc (naturally) giving off a different flavor. The first disc is pure modern Behemoth in the best possible way, with “Father’s Breath” and “In Dialogue with Death” leading the charge. The second disc is more progressive, featuring longer songs like the masterful “Above the Stars of God,” one of the best songs of the year. The third disc is a mostly instrumental exercise in ambience and atmosphere that is both relaxing and mildly unsettling. Simply, Triangle is a great piece of work and is definitely one of the most mysterious albums of the year.

 

19.  King Goat – Conduit

Genre: Progressive Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Flight of the Deviants”

Of all the albums on this list, with the exception of the Schammasch, I understand King Goat’s debut Conduit the least. Epic doom is very close to my heart, and this album has that in spades, but King Goat play with the form much more than I am normally used to. All of these songs go to places you don’t expect, both in the music and Anthony Trimming’s shape shifting vocals. Seriously, the guy sounds like Messiah Marcolin (like on the masterful first few minutes of “Feral King”) as often as he uses a more aggressive, almost death metal side of his voice. The whole album, which is only five songs long, is just plain weird. But I keep coming back to it. I would recommend this for anyone who loves classic Candlemass, but with the warning that this is weirder than that legendary band ever was. But if you listen to it long enough, Conduit reveals itself to be a new take on epic doom, one that I am hoping the band expands upon for years to come.

 

18.  Spiritus Mortis – The Year is One

Genre: Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “I Am a Name on Your Funeral Wreath”

I am a big fan of defunct Finnish doom masters Reverend Bizarre, so it should come as zero surprise that this album is on this list. I’ve never listened to Spiritus Mortis before, but I checked them out immediately when I finally heard that Sami Hynninen, aka the mighty Albert Witchfinder, was the band’s singer. Witchfinder is one of the most instantly recognizable vocalists in doom, and he sounds as good as ever on The Year is One. You can practically see the smile on his face as he tackles “Robe of Ectoplasm,” and you can definitely see me smile when he intones during the midsection of the absolutely splendid “I Am a Name on Your Funeral Wreath.” People who loved his style in Reverend Bizarre will immediately feel warm inside when “Holiday in the Cemetery” blasts out of the speakers, his voice sounding completely possessed and deranged amongst the doomiest of riffage. Apparently this is Witchfinder’s second album with the band, so of course I plan on checking out their back catalogue, even the ones without him. But for now, 2016 was a great year for doom metal, and it was great to hear a master remind everyone that he was still around.

 

17. Insomnium – Winter’s Gate

Genre: Melodic Death Metal

Favorite Song: …yeah, about that…

The whole one song album thing is tricky. Obviously. In order to have an album length song, the temptation for repetition must be almost unbearable. I mean, it only makes sense. Why not ride out a riff for fifteen minutes and eat up some of that playing time? (Sleep, I’m looking at you). The only way a single song album can work is if the band can seamlessly blend several different sections together to form a coherent piece that doesn’t repeat itself, while simultaneously being open to repeated motifs and movements. Two major examples of two bands who pulled this off successfully in 2016: Gorguts and their “EP” Pleiades’ Dust and Insomnium’s seventh full-length Winter’s Gate. Now, had Gorguts considered their 30+ EP a full-length, it would’ve easily made the top ten of this list. But, since it’s not considered a full album, here we have Winter’s Gate carrying the flag for 2016 long-as-hell songs. The song does what it should: encapsulate everything about the band’s sound. We have blast beats, furious riffage, the demonic growls of bassist Niilo Sevanen (who wrote the Viking short story that inspired the album’s lyrics), the clean singing of guitarist Ville Friman, and open, pastoral acoustic moments that give the song its beauty. While there is no section on here as catchy as “While We Sleep” or “Lose to Night” from the previous album Shadows of the Dying Sun (2014), Winter’s Gate proves that Insomnium, who have pretty much mastered the melodic death metal sound as far as I’m concerned, are a great band and can still be daring and experimental almost 20 years after its formation.

 

16.  Defecto – Excluded

Genre: Progressive Metal

Favorite Song: “Excluded”

Defecto feel like my very own little discovery. I have not seen this album on a single best of list, nor does it have any reviews on the Metal Archives. Even though I guess the album lives up to its name, Excluded is a strong debut album in a year filled with them. Defecto play prog, but don’t think about the long and wanky Dream Theater variety. No, this is short and sweet, well-played prog, with the longest song (album closer “The Sands of Time”) stretching to a very manageable seven minutes. Most of the songs are under four minutes long, but the band makes the most out of each track with subtly technical instrumentation and big, catchy hooks. If any of your friends scoff at prog for its more indulgent tendencies, I urge you to play them “Excluded,” “When Daylight Dies,” or “Drifting into Blackness,” as they are all fine examples of composition trumping technical showboating. Hopefully Defecto’s next album will create some well-deserved buzz for the band, because we could certainly use more progressive bands like them.

 

15.  Fleshgod Apocalypse – King

Genre: Symphonic/Technical Death Metal

Favorite Song: “Gravity”

Barring the occasional song here and there (particularly “Epilogue”), I’ve never been able to click with Fleshgod Apocalypse. I considered SepticFlesh, a less-technical symphonic death metal group, to be the infinitely better and more creative band, and I never really understood why so much attention was on Fleshgod Apocalypse. Well, at last, the band has produced an entire album I thoroughly enjoy, and that album is titled King. Finally, the painful production marring the band’s previous two efforts is no more, and the songs can shine at last. Because of this improvement, King finally finds the band marrying their tech death approach with wondrous orchestrations in a clear manner. It’s hard to not get excited when furiously driving numbers like “The Fool,” “Mitra,” and the crushing “Gravity” (I FEEL THE WEIGHT OF METAAALLLL!!!!) burst out of the speakers/headphones in a rush. What elevates King onto a greater plane, though, are the two mini-epics, “Cold as Perfection” and “Syphilis,” two of the band’s most successful tunes truly deserving of the term “epic.” Plus the lyrics are cool, which is always a bonus, as the record concerns a king (obviously) who tries to do what he thinks is right, only to fill his court with liars and cheats who want to use him for their own nefarious means. So, yeah, great album Fleshgod Apocalypse, it was about damn time.

 

14.  Condition Critical – Extermination Plan

Genre: Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Genocidal Void”

This is balls to the wall thrash metal. Plain and simple. Even though this is Condition Critical’s second album, it is more or less a new beginning for the band as Extermination Plan features two new guitarists, Tony Barhoum and Ryan Taylor, the latter also filling the role of lead vocalist. What we have here is 31:48 of no nonsense testicle-stomping thrash, the way it should be. There are no pretentious epics to break up the flow of carnage, the longest tune clocking in at 4:30. Opener “Interminable Surgery” is damn near perfect and immediately puts the world on notice: this band is gunning for the Slightly Smaller Thrash Throne (you know, the one that sits next to Overkill’s big one) left vacant in the wake of subpar albums from Warbringer and Havok. Everything from performance to production is how it should be. Seriously, you rarely hear a bass tone that mighty in thrash metal from anyone except D. D. Verni. If you love thrash and this album doesn’t do it for you, then we just can’t be friends. Just crank the album’s closer, the ripping “Genocidal Void,” and let the band crush you into powder and sweep you out of my life.

 

13.  Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts

Genre: Depressive Rock/Metal

Favorite Song: “Takeover”

I’ve grown into a pretty big Katatonia fan over the years. While I still don’t much care for anything they released before Last Fair Deal Gone Down (2001), I love the more melancholic and depressive sound they’ve been nurturing since. The Fall of Hearts sees the group take on a more progressive edge, featuring some of their longest songs since the ‘90s. Opener “Takeover” is an absolute masterpiece, setting the tone (as all good openers should) for the direction of the album: longer, a bit more complex, and heavier, all anchored by one of Jonas Renkse’s most emotive vocal performances. “Old Heart Falls” is another instant classic, calling to mind one of the catchier moments of Night is the New Day (2009), which I still think is the band’s best album. Both “Sanction” and “Last Song Before the Fade” feature some of Renkse’s most heartbreaking lyrics. The albums ends in much the same way is it began with “Passer,” a longer workout blending the band’s sorrowful atmosphere with interesting musical offshoots and some great drum work by new member Daniel Moilanen. If you don’t like Katatonia (or their direction over the last ten years), The Fall of Hearts probably won’t change your opinion. To my ears, though, it’s an impressive work from one of metal’s most consistent and dependable bands.

 

12.  Abbath – Abbath

Genre: Black Metal

Favorite Song: “Root of the Mountain”

Abbath is, of course, the debut solo album of Abbath Doom Occulta, legendary vocalist/multi-instrumentalist of black metal gods Immortal. The band split with Abbath and vowed to keep going, which makes no sense to me at all. Oh well. Abbath strikes first with a rock solid debut album, featuring a bit more of that “swagger” from his I project than classic Immortal. “To War!” and “Fenrir Hunts” tear through the speakers with furious blast beats courtesy of the mysterious Creature on drums, and even though I’ve listened to the album a dozen times, I still get a rush hearing the band kick it up a notch. Even amongst such speed and aggression, the adept playing of bassist King Ov Hell shines through clear as day with his classic rock-inspired style. But for my money, the best stuff can be found in the slower stuff. “Ocean of Wounds” and “Root of the Mountain” consistently make me misty, with both songs featuring some insanely metal lyrics from Abbath’s lyricist Simon Dancaster. I mean seriously, just look at this “Root of the Mountain” verse:

Beneath vast crush of crag

Entombed in gut of molten slag

An Archon-King cursed to live

As regent in Abyss of eldritch Necropolis

That verse, like this album, is so metal it’s downright foolish.

 

11.  Kroh – Altars

Genre: Stoner/Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Feed the Brain”

Man, these female-fronted doom bands are just popping up like crazy, aren’t they? I mean my word, there are a lot of them these days, so much that I’ve seen the “movement” described in reviews and magazines as a “fad.” I don’t know about that, but I’m glad the ladies are here, saving us from YET ANOTHER death/doom band. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like death/doom, but to me doom is the purest of all metal genres, and for the purity to be, well, pure, you gotta have a clean vocalist. If more ladies want to sing clean than the boys do these days, more power to them. Altars is Kroh’s second album and the first with their young (seriously, she is 22) Polish singer Oliwia Sobieszek. All of the songs are fairly economical for doom metal (no song goes over the six minute mark) and of the hooky variety I always enjoy. Every song is memorable, and I enjoyed the album immediately. “Mother Serpent” and “Living Water” display both the muscle and atmosphere I crave in my doom metal, while “Feed the Brain” features a grandiose chorus that sounds like it was written by Leif Edling himself. Sobieszek soars on “Break the Bread” just as well as she quietly croons on “Malady” and the chorus of the awesome “Stone into Flesh.” This is a very impressive album, and while I wish they threw in a longer song or two to truly stretch their legs and do some exploring, I have to hand it to Kroh for creating probably the most immediately accessible doom album of 2016. Good for you, boys (and girl).

 

10.  Anthrax – For All Kings

Genre: Speed/Thrash Metal, Groove Metal

Favorite Song: “Monster at the End”

Everybody knows Anthrax, so there’s no point in me going into detail about their classic output. All I’ll say is the band has been back on track since bringing classic singer Joey Belladonna back into the fold in 2010, finally releasing Worship Music the year after, and touring endlessly. For All Kings comes five years after Worship Music, and it continues that album’s rejuvenated vigor, with some extra thrash thrown in with the band’s very melodic and catchy songwriting. “You Gotta Believe” perfectly showcases the band’s classic New York attitude that always set them apart from the other bands in the “Big Four,” even featuring a surprising calm midsection with a great performance by bassist Frank Bello. “Monster at the End” is catchy and riffy while “For All Kings” and “Breathing Lightning” are somehow even catchier. The band even slows down a bit and broods on the longest track, “Blood Eagle Wings,” to great effect. Sure, “This Battle Chose Us” probably shouldn’t have made the cut (even if I do like it) and I still don’t understand why Ian insists on adding little instrumental intros and interludes that don’t really add anything, but For All Kings is clearly a triumph, proving once again that Anthrax is the strongest of those famous four bands as they all march into their latter years.

 

9.  Avantasia – Ghostlights

Genre: Symphonic Power Metal

Favorite Song: “Draconian Love”

Tobias Sammet is quite possibly the most prolific heavy metal artist working today. Seriously. Since forming Edguy in 1992, the man has released eleven studio albums with his “main” band while also maintaining the epic side project Avantasia since the year 2000. Ghostlights is already the seventh studio album by Avantasia, and it seems as if the “side project” term no longer applies to Tobias’ rock opera supergroup. While I enjoy Edguy a good deal, particularly the Mandrake album, I’ve always preferred Avantasia’s bombastic Meat Loaf-inspired approach once Tobias injected a more pop-conscious flavor to his songwriting with the 2008 masterpiece The Scarecrow.  I admit I still find the group’s previous album, The Mystery of Time (2013), to be fairly forgettable when compared to the three albums preceding it, but Ghostlights steers the ship back on course with some of Sammet’s strongest songwriting in years. These are all good songs, though I have to single out “The Haunting” (featuring a great performance from Dee Snider) for its pure pop brilliance in the theater-metal style, the absurdly catchy “Draconian Love,” and “Let the Storm Descend upon You,” without question one of Tobi’s finest epics. There are far too many guest vocalists and instrumentalists to name, but just know that Marco Hietala, Sharon den Adel, Michael Kiske, and (thank heavens) Jørn Lande are all belting it out with Tobi. This was the album I had hoped Meat Loaf and Jim Steinman would’ve released in 2016 instead of Braver Than We Are, but that wasn’t the case. Oh well. Meat, just call Tobias Sammet and ask him to write your next album. I’m sure he’ll be back with you in about three days with something fantastic.

 

8.  Trees of Eternity – Hour of the Nightingale

Genre: Doom Metal/Ambient

Favorite Song: “Gallows Bird”

There’s some tragedy to this one. Apparently formed in 2009, this is the debut album from Trees of Eternity, and (I assume) will also be the last record they ever release. Sadly, Aleah Stanbridge, the band’s vocalist and principal lyricist, succumbed earlier in 2016 to cancer before the album’s release. I was familiar with her guest vocals on the last three Swallow the Sun albums, as well the most recent Amorphis album, so I knew what I was getting with Hour of the Nightingale. Stanbridge is a very soft singer, certainly a far cry from the wailing and often operatic style of traditional doom, and her style brings a lot of melancholy to these recordings. Opener “My Requiem,” the aching “A Million Tears,” and the possibly even more aching “Black Ocean” are fine examples of the band’s brand of doom metal: solemn, heartbreaking, and mildly haunting. I’d say the album probably gets better as it goes along, as the penultimate song is an almost unbearably sad ballad “Sinking Ships,” and might contain Stanbridge’s best and most emotional performance ever. The song works wonderfully alongside album closer “Gallows Bird,” the longest and best song on the album. The tune features guest vocals from the mighty Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost, who is a personal hero of mine, and his deep croon always sounds best when being surrounded by doom riffs. I must give props to guitarist Juha Raivio, the deeply talented songwriter who wrote most (if not all) the music for this album. He’s mainly known as the leader of Swallow the Sun, who just released one of their best albums the previous year. The man is clearly in the midst of a very fruitful songwriting period. Even so, this album will forever belong to Aleah Stanbridge, and it is about as fitting of a metal swan song as any I’ve ever heard.

 

7.  Inquisition – Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith

Genre: Black Metal

Favorite Song: “A Black Aeon Shall Cleanse”

• Cosmic eagles
• Black serpent dragons
• Poison gas clouds
• Wars of ancient ones
• Crypts of stars

These are just a few of the many very metal subjects found on Inquisition’s seventh studio album, Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith, easily the most evil album on this list. But before I jump in, it should be known: I don’t like black metal. Of all the major metal genres, black metal has proved to be the most difficult for me to enjoy. While I do like key albums from Emperor and Immortal, as a whole I find the genre to be fairly boring. So many bands focus on obtaining a “trve” atmosphere by having the worst production possible that they forget the most important thing: the music. Luckily, once again we have Inquisition leveling just about every other black metal band on earth to nothingness with this new album, which has an album title so hilariously long I shan’t type it again. I love everything about this: great production, monstrously catchy riffage, demonic vocals that sound like they came from a massive robotic toad, etc. It’s great! This album has everything, from the fury of “From Chaos They Came” and “Wings of Anu,” to the more chuggy and measured “The Flames of Infinite Blackness Before Creation” and album highlight “A Black Aeon Shall Cleanse.” Seriously, if more black metal bands looked to this band for inspiration, I might actually enjoy the genre as a whole. So, all you other bands, look not to your awful basement productions. Look to the almighty riff.

 

6.  Asphyx – Incoming Death

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Favorite Song: Three way tie between “Candiru,” “Wardroid,” and “The Grand Denial”

Oh, lord yes. Yes, indeed. YES. A new Asphyx album is almost always guaranteed to make my top ten metal albums of the year, and Incoming Death is certainly no exception. Probably the most whiplash-inducing album on this list, Asphyx’s ninth studio album continues the band’s creative resurgence since reforming in 2007. “Candiru” is the perfect opener, and I was immediately grinning like an idiot when I first heard Martin van Drunen’s immediately recognizable voice. I love van Drunen, even if his hoarse-sounding voice is easily mocked (I do it myself from time to time). But anyway, Incoming Death just keeps firing out pure death metal soaked in attitude. I particularly adore “Division Brandenburg” and how it transitions into the glorious science fiction of “Wardroid.” This classic band can basically do it all, as the aforementioned “Candiru” and the title-track are both short bursts of badassery that sound even more furious alongside something like “The Grand Denial,” surely one of the best doom songs of the year. While (and this is saying something) still not as good as the previous album, the insanely awesome Deathhammer (2012), Incoming Death probably has the best production of any Asphyx album, and it is a (crushingly amazing) pleasure to listen to. Death served, as always, the brutal way.

 

5.  Sodom – Decision Day

Genre: Thrash Metal

Favorite Song: “Strange Lost World”

Tom Angelripper and his band Sodom have been putting boots to asses since 1981, so it should come as no surprise that their fifteenth(!) studio album Decision Day is another solid piece of work. But I argue that it is more than solid. Much more, actually. It’s as if Angelripper’s ass-stomping boots finally started to wear out, so he bought a brand new pair that were painstakingly handmade by hell’s tormented legions. Anyway, this album just kills from start to finish. Angelripper uses an almost black metal sounding vocal throughout, spitting acid on the sensational opening one-two punch of “In Retribution” and “Rolling Thunder.” The songwriting here also has a catchy quality to it, particularly on “Caligula” and “Blood Lions.” When I listen to this album, I always think about a desolate, hot landscape out of one of the Mad Max movies. A biker gang chases down a hopeless soul as “Strange Lost World” cranks louder than the engines. If that isn’t metal, I don’t know what is.

 

4.  Khemmis – Hunted

Genre: Doom Metal

Favorite Song: “Candlelight”

I didn’t like Absolution, the 2015 debut album from Colorado based group Khemmis. Don’t get me wrong, I liked parts of it, but as a whole the band squandered their songwriting away with weak stoner moments and unimpressive extreme vocals. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to Hunted, coming just a year after the debut. I’m always on the lookout for good doom metal, so in the end I caved and gave the band another chance, and I’m glad I did. Sometime during the writing of this album, apparently Khemmis realized that they should move away from the stoner elements of their sound and instead embrace…Pallbearer! And thank heavens for that, because Hunted mercilessly blows away Absolution with ease. All five songs on here are great, with “Candlelight” and epic closing title-track probably being the best of the bunch. Even though the extreme vocals are greatly diminished, they still pop up every now and then (particularly on the speedier “Three Gates”), but they sound better than they did on the debut. Hunted is simply doom metal done right. The riffs are great, the vocal melodies are memorable, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome with a runtime of 43:48. The album cover is badass. I could’ve used a beefier recording job, as some added weight to the riffs would certainly be welcome, but that’s a small complaint. I placed Pallbearer’s Foundations of Burden as number one on my metal list of 2014, also adding that I hoped that other doom bands would look to the young group for inspiration. Hunted is a direct example of what I had hoped for doom metal. The stoner vibe is washing away into greater, more majestic waters.

 

3.  Fates Warning – Theories of Flight

Genre: Progressive Metal

Favorite Song: Tie between “From the Rooftops” and “The Ghosts of Home”

Fates Warning was one of the great bands of the ‘80s and early ‘90s. With vocalist John Arch they released three classic albums, the best being the undisputed 1986 masterpiece Awaken the Guardian. After Arch’s exit in 1987, the band recruited Ray Alder and swiftly moved away from epic power metal to a more Rush-influenced progressive style. Without missing a beat, the band kept releasing classic albums, culminating in Parallels (1991), which I think is probably their best album with Alder. After that, though, the band got less interesting and the gaps between releases got longer and longer. After guitarist Jim Matheos came roaring back with John Arch on the utterly sublime Arch/Matheos album Sympathetic Resonance, which was my album of the year (I’ve been doing these lists for a while), Fates Warning shook off the cobwebs and released Darkness in a Different Light in 2013, their first album in nine years. That entire back story was essential because I just had to drive home how long it has been since Fates Warning kicked as much rear end as they do with Theories of Flight, which is (to my ears) the band’s best album since Parallels.

This album is just hooky songwriting mastery. The album starts rather oddly with “From the Rooftops,” which is quite laidback and soft for the first two minutes before exploding into a powerhouse of a tune with a monstrous chorus. Alder sounds completely rejuvenated on these songs. “Seven Stars,” “SOS,” and “Like Stars Our Eyes Have Seen,” all have fantastic choruses, and I’m not sure the Alder from Disconnected or Fates Warning X could’ve pulled them off. This is still a band effort, though, as the rhythm section of bassist Joey Vera and drummer Bobby Jarzombek blend together seamlessly. And then there is the master, Jim Matheos. A songwriter of the highest caliber, Theories of Flight proves that he can still write short and direct songs just as well as he can the long stuff. I have to single out the ten-minute “The Ghosts of Home,” which Matheos wrote the music and lyrics for, as being a masterpiece in the band’s catalogue. The song’s lyrics about childhood and the past really strike a chord with me:

So goodbye again to empty rooms

And farewell to walls and windows

Print them once more in your memory

As the lights recede and the road behind you grows

Fates Warning is, at long, long last, back in the best sense of the word, I could not be happier. I never expected Theories of Flight to be this good, but it is, and completely blows Darkness in a Different Light away. If you used to love the band but lost interest in them over the years, give this one a try. They are still one of the best progressive metal bands on the planet.

 

2.  Sunburst – Fragments of Creation

Genre: Power/Progressive Metal

Favorite Song: Tie between “Out of the World” and “Lullaby”

This was my album of the year for a long, long time, pretty much since it was released in February. It was the album to beat for almost the entire year until a surprise snuck up and grabbed the top spot during the last few months of 2016. Fragments of Creation is the debut album from Greek band Sunburst, who sound like a wondrous mix of Symphony X and Kamelot, two of my favorite bands of all time. The vocalist, Vasilis Georgiou, sounds almost exactly like Roy Khan, which is actually what drew me to the band in the first place. That wouldn’t mean anything, though, if the songwriting was subpar, and it certainly is not. Every single song on this album is a memorable highlight, from the driving opener “Out of the World” to the 12+ minute closer “Remedy of My Heart.” This is the kind of progressive metal I love: great, memorable tunes with complex playing and soaring guitar solos. Seriously, guitarist Gus Drax is a wizard, as his solos are a great mix of shred and soul in the Criss Oliva (probably my favorite metal guitarist ever) style.

This album is just, well, correct. I decided to give it the number two spot, though, because of two reasons. First off, I wish there was a theatrical element tying all of the songs together, like the best work of Symphony X and Kamelot. Now I know, I shouldn’t be comparing this new band to genre legends, but I can’t help it. As GREAT as the songs are, this album (somehow) feels like a great collection of songs as opposed to an album. All of the songs are pretty much of the same verse/chorus/verse/chorus style, with the exception of instrumental “Beyond the Darkest Sun” and the aforementioned closer “Remedy of My Heart.” Had the band added some curveballs to the mix more often, this would probably be my album of the year. Oh, and the second reason I gave Sunburst the number two spot is because I’m probably just blinded by my love of Roy Khan, who will forever be Kamelot’s greatest vocalist and the best damn power metal singer of all time. Seriously, just listen to Georgiou’s performance on “Lullaby” and then play “Wander” by Kamelot. The resemblance is uncanny. Every day I wake up I lament the loss of Roy Khan to the metal scene, and I wish he would return like the god he is. Oh well. For now, I have Sunburst, and don’t let my reasons for docking the band keep you away. This is still the second best album of the year, and one of the best debuts power/progressive metal has seen in a while.

 

1.  Messa – Belfry

Genre: Doom Metal, Ambient/Drone

Favorite Song: Tie between “Babalon” and “Blood”

Behold: Belfry, the debut album by doom band Messa, Carson Ray’s metal album of the year. Belfry is one of those great albums that slowly grow on you over time until you just keep thinking about its greatness when you should be doing things like eating, working, or breathing. The first song I heard off this was “Babalon,” which the band made into a video, and I immediately loved it. Yes, this is yet another female-fronted doom band, the singer being (apparently) only known as “Sara.” Female-fronted doom bands are popping up every day here lately, but I’ll be damned if Belfry isn’t the best album of the style I’ve ever heard, and that says a lot considering how much I love the two Avatarium albums. But it seems I’m getting ahead of myself.

Considering that Messa was formed in 2014, it makes zero sense that the band could release a debut album this amazing. Now, as the Metal Archives genre tag suggests, Messa do incorporate some ambient and drone styles into their music, but mostly in the form of a few brief instrumentals that buffer the band’s more “traditional” and longer doom songs. Don’t think they play a verse, hit a chorus, and then go on a long Sunn O))) drone section for ten minutes before coming back around to the chorus again. This isn’t like that. The droning instrumentals like “Faro” and “Alba” are meant to set up some atmosphere before the real behemoths, like the aforementioned true opener “Babalon” and “Hour of the Wolf” pummel you with traditional epic doom might of the Epicus Doomicus Metallicus variety. This is an album you would play at night as you walked through the woods looking for abandoned churches or witch houses. This is the kind of ambience I crave in metal albums, and Belfry delivers in spades while throwing curveball after curveball. The album’s centerpiece is “Blood,” a downright haunting song featuring a mesmerizing performance from Sara and…get ready for this…a damn clarinet solo. That’s right. A clarinet solo. I guess it could be coming from a keyboard for all I know, because there is no mention of a clarinet in the album’s liner notes, but it sure does sound like one and instantly makes “Blood” one of the most memorable metal songs of the year. Just to further demonstrate that they aren’t going to follow any traditional routes, the band end things with the relatively short and catchy acoustic number “Confess,” which is no less haunting. Without going on any longer, if you are a fan of doom metal, fantastic singing, great riffs, and haunting atmosphere, you owe it to yourself to check out Belfry. It’s the album that slowly grew and grew in my estimation until I had no choice but to name it my album of the year. Doom metal is coming back, folks, and with Belfry unleashed upon the world, I am, for the first time in a few years, no longer so sure that Pallbearer is the best doom band in the land. A masterwork.