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!
Dark Reflections 