I don't really listen to them any more, but I listened to a lot of Sonata Arctica a few years ago.
Music The Ultimate Metal thread.
- Thread starter Kaos
- Start date
They've gone pretty abstract. I'd barely say it has much to do with black metal anymore. I don't think they were ever destined for that, even the first album 'Scorn Defeat ' was kinda saying "hey we're not gonna be playing this stuff for much longer!" even though it could very clearly be called BM. 'Shiki' is just lunacy-metal. But I like all their stuff.
Maybe it was kinda unfair to compare with Enslaved as they're fundamentally very different. It was just an example of a band that is highly progressive that seem to be keeping it much more fresh, interesting, risk taking. To me you have to do that on prog stuff, predictability is the antithesis of what I expect. Otherwise I may as well turn Darkthrone or something on and get lost in the same riff for the 8000th time that track. I kinda want all the progressiveness. I dunno, maybe I'm not cutting the new releases enough slack, they're still very good.
Would anyone be interested in posting their top 10, 15, 20 favourite albums (whichever number you can be bothered with.) Particularly interested in lists for death metal or black metal. I will put a couple of conditions on this.
You can only use an artist once.
Also the word favourite rather than "greatest" is deliberately chosen. I think greatness often starts to get into legacy or how influential something is. I want the ones you enjoy listening to best. Desert island choices. If that's a classic then that's cool as long as it's for that reason. Just want to avoid highly objective measures which anyone can identify, we all know who is influential, I'm more interested in personal opinion.
You can only use an artist once.
Also the word favourite rather than "greatest" is deliberately chosen. I think greatness often starts to get into legacy or how influential something is. I want the ones you enjoy listening to best. Desert island choices. If that's a classic then that's cool as long as it's for that reason. Just want to avoid highly objective measures which anyone can identify, we all know who is influential, I'm more interested in personal opinion.
I'm not sure any black or death metal would figure in my top 20 albums. But would be interested to see what people pick!
Maybe not within your overall, but you could still have a top 5, 10, 20 for those categories. Maybe there's only a handful if it's not your thing. I could probably get together a top 10 pop albums at a push.
...Actually no, I don't think I could.
In no particular order and as they come to mind...
1) Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk.
2) Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky.
3) Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.
4) Abigor - Nachthymen.
5) Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta I/Fathers Of The Icy Ages.
6) Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane.
7) Ulver - Bergtatt.
8) Bathory - Blood Fire Death.
9) Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter.
10) In The Woods... - Heart Of The Ages.
11) Deathspell Omega - Paracletus.
12) Mgla - Exercises In Futility.
13) Agalloch - The Mantle.
14) Enslaved - Isa.
15) Windir - Likferd.
16) Thorns - Thorns.
17) Satyricon - Nemesis Divina.
18) Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia.
19) Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast.
20) Gorgoroth - Under The Sign Of Hell. * Filosofem should be in there, but, honestly: Screw that prick, Vikernes.
Although i am forgetting a lot, writing down the very first ones that spring to mind is a good exercise to "discover" which are your favourites. I know that it seems like a "greatest" list, but i grew up on a steady diet of second wave Norwegian black metal.
1) Emperor - Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk.
2) Darkthrone - A Blaze In The Northern Sky.
3) Mayhem - De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.
4) Abigor - Nachthymen.
5) Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta I/Fathers Of The Icy Ages.
6) Dissection - Storm Of The Light's Bane.
7) Ulver - Bergtatt.
8) Bathory - Blood Fire Death.
9) Immortal - At The Heart Of Winter.
10) In The Woods... - Heart Of The Ages.
11) Deathspell Omega - Paracletus.
12) Mgla - Exercises In Futility.
13) Agalloch - The Mantle.
14) Enslaved - Isa.
15) Windir - Likferd.
16) Thorns - Thorns.
17) Satyricon - Nemesis Divina.
18) Arcturus - Aspera Hiems Symfonia.
19) Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty And The Beast.
20) Gorgoroth - Under The Sign Of Hell. * Filosofem should be in there, but, honestly: Screw that prick, Vikernes.
Although i am forgetting a lot, writing down the very first ones that spring to mind is a good exercise to "discover" which are your favourites. I know that it seems like a "greatest" list, but i grew up on a steady diet of second wave Norwegian black metal.
I will simply list the albums I remember playing more frequently than any other.
meaning, such list would simply have to contain:
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
Mastodon - Blood Mountain
Deftones - Around the Fur
Meshuggah - Obzen
Celtic Frost - Monotheist
Death - Symbolic
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
as for the rest, since this isn't even enough to complete top 10... perhaps something I used to listen when I was younger, something like Untouchables and Toxicity, possibly Ace of Spades, one of The Jester Race and Clayman, maybe something from Pantera and Gojira, even something from Isis.
meaning, such list would simply have to contain:
Fear Factory - Demanufacture
Mastodon - Blood Mountain
Deftones - Around the Fur
Meshuggah - Obzen
Celtic Frost - Monotheist
Death - Symbolic
Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath
as for the rest, since this isn't even enough to complete top 10... perhaps something I used to listen when I was younger, something like Untouchables and Toxicity, possibly Ace of Spades, one of The Jester Race and Clayman, maybe something from Pantera and Gojira, even something from Isis.
Some great choices. I'm still considering mine.
Particularly Abigor as they seem to get shafted in these kinds of lists, I would certainly have an album from them and probably the same one. That is dreamy symphonic black for sure.
I'm refusing Dissection though. It's never black metal, not in a month of Sundays. It might make it on my death metal list
Losing Jesper would do thatI haven't listened to In Flames in ages but I have to laugh at that clip a couple of posts up. It starts out as inoffensive but mediocre metalcore and then that refrain hits.
How do you go from this:
to that abomination?
December Flower (In Flames) solo is one of my faves
Haha, one of my mates from high school would, most definitely, agree with you. Well, they are not death metal in the strict sense of the term, either. It's this blackened death or deathened black that hits a sweet spot for me. It's too good to be omitted from my list. But i did leave bands like Celtic Frost, Venom or Mercyful Fate, who influenced the genre but don't really belong in it, out. I am waiting to see yours and everyone else's.Some great choices. I'm still considering mine.
Particularly Abigor as they seem to get shafted in these kinds of lists, I would certainly have an album from them and probably the same one. That is dreamy symphonic black for sure.
I'm refusing Dissection though. It's never black metal, not in a month of Sundays. It might make it on my death metal list
Really liked the first 2 Sonata albums then went a little more low tempo/midpaced after but first 2 albums are great power metal disks.
Mary Lou is still the greatest song about unplanned teenage pregnancy ever recorded by a power metal band from Finland.
"Blackened death" and all that. I think that's the clue though ain't it, it's usually said that way round because the genre is blatantly death and the description is (slightly) blackened.
Yet whenever it gets ranked, it's generally as black metal which is weird. I do give it credit because whatever way it's looked at, it's a very early example of that sound on The Somberlain. The dual guitar, harmonised Swedish (DM) playbookI'll let it pass, as long as they're on one list that's good enough for me.
A top ten for Black Metal for me would probably look like:
1. Ulver - Nattens Madrigal
2. Enslaved - Eld
3. Kawir - To Cavirs
4. Immortal - At The Heart of Winter
5. Mayhem - Deathcrush
6. Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
7. Venom - Welcome to Hell
8. Bathory - Bathory
9. Weakling - Dead as Dreams
10. Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black
(11. Cradle of Filth - Dusk and her Embrace)
1. Ulver - Nattens Madrigal
2. Enslaved - Eld
3. Kawir - To Cavirs
4. Immortal - At The Heart of Winter
5. Mayhem - Deathcrush
6. Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
7. Venom - Welcome to Hell
8. Bathory - Bathory
9. Weakling - Dead as Dreams
10. Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black
(11. Cradle of Filth - Dusk and her Embrace)
I've done 20 but I'm going to split it into 2 parts so I can write up my reasoning when I get round to it. I wanted to get a balance between atmospheric, symphonic, progressive and straight ahead black metal. I need it all.
1) Abigor - Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom) (1995) - One of the best symphonic albums because it's still ice cold, not too bombastic and clean.
2) Anaal Nathrakh - The Codex Necro (2001) - Outrageously aggressive black/grind. A favourite discography.
3) Antaeus - Blood Libels (2006) - I needed one that's just a sledgehammer to the face.
4) Blut aus Nord - Ultima Thulee (1995) - Probably a rare choice for a BaN favourite but I can't get enough of the cold sound.
5) Burzum - Burzum (1992) - Again I doubt this would be a popular choice for Burzum. But Ea, Feeble Screams, Black Spell? Come on, this has an insane number of classics.
6) Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle (2013) - Summoning worship at its best. Summoning are great and therefore this is great. Yeah we're getting some Summoning cheese.
7) Darkthrone - Panzerfaust (1995) - The Unholy Trinity are great and all, but what about the doomy change ups and production on this? Maybe their apex from a musical standpoint.
8) Deathspell Omega - Si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice (2004) - I adore this transition between the paint by numbers early Deathspell and the dissonant, Avant Garde direction. It's complex but highly listenable, it doesn't require a certain mood which Fas and Paracletus and EPs do for me.
9) Drudkh - Autumn Aurora (2004) - If these compositions don't touch you in some way, your heart is black. Beautiful.
10) Human Serpent - Inhumane Minimalism (2015) - Hellenic flair meets brutal aggression. They out Marduk a band like Marduk 10 times over.
1) Abigor - Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom) (1995) - One of the best symphonic albums because it's still ice cold, not too bombastic and clean.
2) Anaal Nathrakh - The Codex Necro (2001) - Outrageously aggressive black/grind. A favourite discography.
3) Antaeus - Blood Libels (2006) - I needed one that's just a sledgehammer to the face.
4) Blut aus Nord - Ultima Thulee (1995) - Probably a rare choice for a BaN favourite but I can't get enough of the cold sound.
5) Burzum - Burzum (1992) - Again I doubt this would be a popular choice for Burzum. But Ea, Feeble Screams, Black Spell? Come on, this has an insane number of classics.
6) Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle (2013) - Summoning worship at its best. Summoning are great and therefore this is great. Yeah we're getting some Summoning cheese.
7) Darkthrone - Panzerfaust (1995) - The Unholy Trinity are great and all, but what about the doomy change ups and production on this? Maybe their apex from a musical standpoint.
8) Deathspell Omega - Si monvmentvm reqvires, circvmspice (2004) - I adore this transition between the paint by numbers early Deathspell and the dissonant, Avant Garde direction. It's complex but highly listenable, it doesn't require a certain mood which Fas and Paracletus and EPs do for me.
9) Drudkh - Autumn Aurora (2004) - If these compositions don't touch you in some way, your heart is black. Beautiful.
10) Human Serpent - Inhumane Minimalism (2015) - Hellenic flair meets brutal aggression. They out Marduk a band like Marduk 10 times over.
Necromantia is such an inspired choice. That's the problem, you see something and think why the hell didn't I pick that.
@Abraxas Trying to remember more but for now:
In no particular order (except for Death, number 1)
Death - The Sound of Perseverance
The Covenant - Nexus Polaris
Witchery - Restless and dead
Old Man's Child - Revelation 666
Morbid Angel - Formulas Fatal to the Flesh
Mithotyn - King of the Distant Forest
Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armaggedon
Carcass - Heartwork
Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges
ps. I guess I'm more into the more melodic side of things.
In no particular order (except for Death, number 1)
Death - The Sound of Perseverance
The Covenant - Nexus Polaris
Witchery - Restless and dead
Old Man's Child - Revelation 666
Morbid Angel - Formulas Fatal to the Flesh
Mithotyn - King of the Distant Forest
Dimmu Borgir - Death Cult Armaggedon
Carcass - Heartwork
Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges
ps. I guess I'm more into the more melodic side of things.
It's also quite tricky because in my mind there are some bands who may be considered black metal whose albums I adore but I wouldn't put in that category, like La Masquerade Infernale by Arcturus or Shiki by Sigh.
I saw recently that there's a Necromantia biography being released this month, co-written by The Magnus and Aris Shock (who wrote Rites of the Abyss, a book on the Greek black metal scene). I hope to buy a copy of that soon.
Death metal:
1. Entombed - Clandestine
2. Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
3. Cynic - Focus
4. Amorphis - Privilege of Evil
5. Incantation - Onward to Golgotha
6. Immolation - Unholy Cult
7. Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments
8. Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines
9. Atheist - Piece of Time
10. Asphyx - The Rack
It's weird how I mentally segregate death metal and melodic death, but no issue putting Focus in there! Not really any surprises there, on another day I may swap some mid-90s Hypocrisy in for the Atheist. I never really got into death metal as much as some other genres, so stuck with the bigger names over time.
1. Entombed - Clandestine
2. Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
3. Cynic - Focus
4. Amorphis - Privilege of Evil
5. Incantation - Onward to Golgotha
6. Immolation - Unholy Cult
7. Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments
8. Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines
9. Atheist - Piece of Time
10. Asphyx - The Rack
It's weird how I mentally segregate death metal and melodic death, but no issue putting Focus in there! Not really any surprises there, on another day I may swap some mid-90s Hypocrisy in for the Atheist. I never really got into death metal as much as some other genres, so stuck with the bigger names over time.
1) Dark Tranquillity - The Gallery.
2) In Flames - The Jester Race.
3) At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul.
4) Carcass - Heartwork.
5) Soilwork - The Chainheart Machine.
6) Sentenced - Amok.
7) Septicflesh - Communion.
8) Insomium - Winter's Gate.
9) Amorphis - Tales From A Thousand Lakes.
10) Be'lakor - Stone's Reach.
11) Ulcerate - Shrines Of Paralysis.
12) Gorguts - Obscura.
13) Hypocrisy - The Final Chapter.
14) Cryptosy - Non So Vile.
15) Edge Of Sanity - Crimson.
16) Entombed - Clandestine.
17) Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding.
18) Morbid Angel - Covenant.
19) Bolt Thrower - The IV Crusade.
20) Atheist - Unquestionable Presence.
21) Obituary - Cause Of Death.
22) Cynic - Focus.
23) Opeth - Still Life.
24) Behemoth - The Satanist.
25) Immolation - Close To A World Below.
26) The Black Dahlia Murder - Nocturnal.
27) Demigod - Slumber Of Sullen Eyes.
28) Nocturnus - The Key.
29) Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper.
30) Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption.
31) Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments.
32) Vader - De Profundis.
33) Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines.
34) God Dethroned - Bloody Blasphemy.
35) Death - Full Discography. * EDIT: Symbolic, since @Abraxas says i have to pick one. Fair enough, you gave Dissection a pass for the other list. It has great sentimental value. In my younger days, i only had my Walkman and tapes older teens would give me or write for me. When i bought my first hi-fi system with my summer money savings, the first three CDs i got were Symbolic, Images And Words and Operation Mindcrime. To this day, i believe that these three albums are some of the finest music that has ever been recorded in the history of mankind.
2) In Flames - The Jester Race.
3) At The Gates - Slaughter Of The Soul.
4) Carcass - Heartwork.
5) Soilwork - The Chainheart Machine.
6) Sentenced - Amok.
7) Septicflesh - Communion.
8) Insomium - Winter's Gate.
9) Amorphis - Tales From A Thousand Lakes.
10) Be'lakor - Stone's Reach.
11) Ulcerate - Shrines Of Paralysis.
12) Gorguts - Obscura.
13) Hypocrisy - The Final Chapter.
14) Cryptosy - Non So Vile.
15) Edge Of Sanity - Crimson.
16) Entombed - Clandestine.
17) Cannibal Corpse - The Bleeding.
18) Morbid Angel - Covenant.
19) Bolt Thrower - The IV Crusade.
20) Atheist - Unquestionable Presence.
21) Obituary - Cause Of Death.
22) Cynic - Focus.
23) Opeth - Still Life.
24) Behemoth - The Satanist.
25) Immolation - Close To A World Below.
26) The Black Dahlia Murder - Nocturnal.
27) Demigod - Slumber Of Sullen Eyes.
28) Nocturnus - The Key.
29) Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper.
30) Deicide - The Stench Of Redemption.
31) Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments.
32) Vader - De Profundis.
33) Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines.
34) God Dethroned - Bloody Blasphemy.
35) Death - Full Discography. * EDIT: Symbolic, since @Abraxas says i have to pick one. Fair enough, you gave Dissection a pass for the other list. It has great sentimental value. In my younger days, i only had my Walkman and tapes older teens would give me or write for me. When i bought my first hi-fi system with my summer money savings, the first three CDs i got were Symbolic, Images And Words and Operation Mindcrime. To this day, i believe that these three albums are some of the finest music that has ever been recorded in the history of mankind.
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This is pretty cool, a top 35. Some ace choices.
But you absolutely have to nail down a Death album. Saying all of them is an outrage to this process.
I'm a simple man, I really like 'Scream Bloody Gore.' Simple and effective. That will definitely be making an appearance on mine when I get around to it.
Agreed, I would say those two would be better on a progressive top 10.
Okay. I'll try a more holistic list, inspired by @TheRedDevil'sAdvocate and I realised I left off Bloodbath!
1. Opeth - Still Life
2. Dark Tranquillity - The Gallery
3. At The Gates - Slaughter of the Soul (tbh I always felt this was more a thrash album)
4. Entombed - Clandestine
5. Suffocation - Effigy of the Forgotten
6. Cynic - Focus
7. Amorphis - Tales from the 1000 Lakes
8. In Flames - Whoracle
9. Bloodbath - Breeding Death EP
10. Edge of Sanity - Crimson
11. Arch Enemy - Burning Bridges
12. Incantation - Onward to Golgotha
13. Immolation - Unholy Cult
14. Children of Bodom - Hatebreeder
15. Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments
16. Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines
17. Atheist - Piece of Time
18. The Everdawn - Opera of the Damned EP
19. Asphyx - The Rack
20. Morbid Angel - Covenant
21. Hypocrisy - The Final Chapter
22. Cryptopsy - ...And Then You'll Beg
23. Misanthrope - Libertine Humiliations
24. Death - Individual Thought Patterns
25. Pan.Thy.Monium - Khaooohs and Kon-Fus-Ion
All this talk about death metal is making me regret selling most of my Death Metal CDs a couple of years ago.
As I make the gradual shift to digital music I've been selling off my music collection in stages via eBay, but there's some stuff that I'm not sure I will ever sell, for a start things I can't find on streaming services, but also things like my At The Heart of Winter CD that came in the card case or my original Still Life vinyl (stupidly sold my test pressing of it though).
Any had a process of clearing out stuff like that and going mostly digital?
As I make the gradual shift to digital music I've been selling off my music collection in stages via eBay, but there's some stuff that I'm not sure I will ever sell, for a start things I can't find on streaming services, but also things like my At The Heart of Winter CD that came in the card case or my original Still Life vinyl (stupidly sold my test pressing of it though).
Any had a process of clearing out stuff like that and going mostly digital?
That's a nice list @DavelinaJolie. And yeah, Bloodbath should probably be on mine, too. Good to see Edge Of Sanity on your list. Dan Swano deserves some love and recognition.
When it comes to death metal, it's more difficult to compile a comprehensive list because you have the melodic stuff on one hand and the more "traditional" death metal on the other. It could have easily been two different lists.
I like owning physical copies, either CDs/Vinyls or books. It makes the experience more personal (or i'm just an old fart). Especially the older ones, i don't think i can give them away or sell them. Some of them are 15, 20 or 25 years old, lots of memories attached to them. Then you have some limited editions, like Dusk And Her Embrace in the coffin shaped box, that you simply can't give away. I tried to refrain from buying new ones when i hit a certain "critical" age. It was around the time Moonspell had put out Alpha Noir with a whole album (Omega White) as bonus material. If you find a copy of that double album at a reasonable price, please let me know.
When it comes to death metal, it's more difficult to compile a comprehensive list because you have the melodic stuff on one hand and the more "traditional" death metal on the other. It could have easily been two different lists.
I like owning physical copies, either CDs/Vinyls or books. It makes the experience more personal (or i'm just an old fart). Especially the older ones, i don't think i can give them away or sell them. Some of them are 15, 20 or 25 years old, lots of memories attached to them. Then you have some limited editions, like Dusk And Her Embrace in the coffin shaped box, that you simply can't give away. I tried to refrain from buying new ones when i hit a certain "critical" age. It was around the time Moonspell had put out Alpha Noir with a whole album (Omega White) as bonus material. If you find a copy of that double album at a reasonable price, please let me know.
A lot of melodic DM fans it seems.
Mi'Gauss - Open Season
Worth checking out, that will be making my list without question. A one album wonder of the highest quality.
Mi'Gauss - Open Season
Worth checking out, that will be making my list without question. A one album wonder of the highest quality.
I was a massive Swanö fanboy back in the day, actively seeking out everything he had released and had most of it, and was also about halfway through buying up releases that he'd produced at Unisound. I was building up to a point where I was going to write a long form article about his discography and work, and see if I could interview him for it but ended up getting sidetracked with studying and shelved the idea. He was a really good producer too, in particular the As Tears EP by A Canorous Quintet always struck me as having an excellent sound. I'd love a biography/autobiography on the guy as he's released such great stuff over the years and I'd really like to read more about him.
I know where you're coming from with that connection you get from the physical item with music. To me half the joy would be tracking stuff down and I can look at the vast majority of items in my collection and tell you where I got them from. When I used to visit cities I'd essentially explore them by seeking out record shops.
Selling stuff off has been a bit of a wrench at times, like I had the original CD versions of the first two Gorguts albums that I really liked (especially Considered Dead), or the Edge of Sanity Kur-Nu-Gi-A demo, but ultimately I'm driven by pragmatism now. If I've not picked up a CD in several years there's not much point in keeping it here, even less if it's available by streaming. That said it's quite frustrating when I look at Spotify or Apple Music and can't find any Dismember or most of the classic Crematory albums.
At the moment I'm mostly selling my Doom and Drone stuff. I've got less of a problem selling the Sunn White Box, never even opened it!
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11) Immortal - At the Heart of Winter (1999) - Not much to say about this that hasn't been said.
12) Leviathan - Scar Sighted (2015) - Artsy as feck and it works. Hipster BM for sure.
13) Mäleficentt - Night of Eternal Darkness (2020) - It's Mütiilation without the distraction of a trash can for cymbals.
14) Mgla - Exercises in Futility (2015) These guys get a lot of acclaim and it's totally deserved.
15) Nokturnal Mortum - The Voice of Steel (2009) - A masterpiece of black metal with folk leanings.
16) Obtained Enslavement - Witchcraft (1997) - If Bach did black metal.
17) Summoning - Dol Goldur (1997) - All Summoning is kinda similar so could have picked any album. The synths on this are just welded into my brain.
18) Svartidauði - Flesh Cathedral (2012) - Probably my favourite progressive/Avant Garde BM outside Deathspell.
19) Véhémence - Ordalies (2022) - This blew my mind last year. A work of art in epic black metal.
20) Weakling - Dead as Dreams (1998) - Hugely influential but just as importantly it's a damn interesting listen.
That's me done, Death Metal next. I'd be interested to hear any Doom/Thrash lists. I'm not very knowledgeable in these genres. Or really any metal style anyone is interested in because it might get me into something I haven't considered.
12) Leviathan - Scar Sighted (2015) - Artsy as feck and it works. Hipster BM for sure.
13) Mäleficentt - Night of Eternal Darkness (2020) - It's Mütiilation without the distraction of a trash can for cymbals.
14) Mgla - Exercises in Futility (2015) These guys get a lot of acclaim and it's totally deserved.
15) Nokturnal Mortum - The Voice of Steel (2009) - A masterpiece of black metal with folk leanings.
16) Obtained Enslavement - Witchcraft (1997) - If Bach did black metal.
17) Summoning - Dol Goldur (1997) - All Summoning is kinda similar so could have picked any album. The synths on this are just welded into my brain.
18) Svartidauði - Flesh Cathedral (2012) - Probably my favourite progressive/Avant Garde BM outside Deathspell.
19) Véhémence - Ordalies (2022) - This blew my mind last year. A work of art in epic black metal.
20) Weakling - Dead as Dreams (1998) - Hugely influential but just as importantly it's a damn interesting listen.
That's me done, Death Metal next. I'd be interested to hear any Doom/Thrash lists. I'm not very knowledgeable in these genres. Or really any metal style anyone is interested in because it might get me into something I haven't considered.
I'm a bit surprised not to see Negura's OM in any of the lists.
Thumbs up for Summoning, another one i missed when writing my list.
Doom isn't really my thing. I had to "endure" it because my best mates in uni adored that stuff. Eventually, some of it seeped through but it was mostly "doom + something else" to make it more palatable. Furthermore, i... kind of believe that this is often the case, if you want to use Iommi's riffs and sound without being nothing more than a Black Sabbath rip-off.
1) Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality (obligatory).
2) Candlemass - Nightfall.
3) Cathedral - Carnival Bizarre (now, this is a band whose discography i actually enjoy in its entirety).
4) My Dying Bride - Let Loose The Swans.
5) Swallow The Sun - Hope.
6) Solitude Aeturnus - Beyond The Crimson Horizon.
7) Solstice - New Dark Age.
8) Trouble - Psalm 9.
9) Pentagram - Relentless.
10) Reverend Bizarre - In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend.
11) Witchfinder General - Death Penalty.
12) Anathema - Serenades.
13) Katatonia - Brave Murder Day.
14) Paradise Lost - Gothic.
15) Lake Of Tears - Headstones. (A Crimson Cosmos is the one album from them you need, but Abraxas would never allow it on a doom metal list).
16) Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea.
17) Theatre Of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear.
18) Mournful Congregation - The Monad Of Creation.
19) Evoken - Antithesis Of Light.
20) Pallbearer - Heartless.
Doom isn't really my thing. I had to "endure" it because my best mates in uni adored that stuff. Eventually, some of it seeped through but it was mostly "doom + something else" to make it more palatable. Furthermore, i... kind of believe that this is often the case, if you want to use Iommi's riffs and sound without being nothing more than a Black Sabbath rip-off.
1) Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality (obligatory).
2) Candlemass - Nightfall.
3) Cathedral - Carnival Bizarre (now, this is a band whose discography i actually enjoy in its entirety).
4) My Dying Bride - Let Loose The Swans.
5) Swallow The Sun - Hope.
6) Solitude Aeturnus - Beyond The Crimson Horizon.
7) Solstice - New Dark Age.
8) Trouble - Psalm 9.
9) Pentagram - Relentless.
10) Reverend Bizarre - In the Rectory of the Bizarre Reverend.
11) Witchfinder General - Death Penalty.
12) Anathema - Serenades.
13) Katatonia - Brave Murder Day.
14) Paradise Lost - Gothic.
15) Lake Of Tears - Headstones. (A Crimson Cosmos is the one album from them you need, but Abraxas would never allow it on a doom metal list).
16) Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea.
17) Theatre Of Tragedy - Velvet Darkness They Fear.
18) Mournful Congregation - The Monad Of Creation.
19) Evoken - Antithesis Of Light.
20) Pallbearer - Heartless.
This boomer must be some of you. Or should I say, some of us.
Don't know if other UK posters have seen this, but the Damnation Festival/Night of Salvation line up is looking pretty tasty so far. Special sets from Sigh (performing Scorn Defeat) and Enslaved (performing Vikingligr Veldi), another set by Sigh at the festival as well as Rotten Sound, Deadguy, Akercocke, Anaal Nathrakh, Strigoi and Electric Wizard.
I'm very tempted to go, I saw Sigh at the 2008 festival and they were great. I went to the festival last year and At The Gates doing Slaughter of the Soul was absolutely immense, my neck was wrecked after that set.
I'm very tempted to go, I saw Sigh at the 2008 festival and they were great. I went to the festival last year and At The Gates doing Slaughter of the Soul was absolutely immense, my neck was wrecked after that set.
I'm not the doomiest guy, either. It's a genre I'd like to explore a bit more but at the moment I tend to enjoy it on a band by band basis. Some of it is dull and some of it hits just right.
Really, Incantation and Autopsy is about where I am with doom influence, I do not listen to much pure doom, it is mostly Death/Doom. I quite like Ahab, maybe funeral doom is more my thing, for me that has a bit more going for it in terms of atmosphere, in particular I enjoy the album you listed quite a bit. So I think if I was going to get into it, that would be my path and then branching out later. I guess it makes sense because black metal was my first love so the dark ambient aspect is a hook for me.
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I'd be sold just on Sigh, Anaal Nathrakh and Enslaved. The rest are a bonus.
Some say it all started with the song Black Sabbath off the first Black Sabbath album but many forget bands like Vanilla Fudge, Iron butterfly and then the NWOBHM bands like Maiden, Saxon etc came dominating the music scene.
The triumvirate of Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath blew the music scene to pieces.
The triumvirate of Zeppelin, Purple and Sabbath blew the music scene to pieces.
Finally got round to my death metal list. Maybe it's a bit esoteric but I went through my entire collection and these stood out for me as my absolute favourites. I'm more of a death/black guy than a melodic guy so that should explain things. But I did try to keep to stuff I genuinely think is death metal as the primary genre.
1) Abyssal - Antikatastaseis (2015) - Amazing progressive/dissonant death metal from a solo artist. Solo BM is humdrum, but this is seriously impressive.
2) Arkhon Infaustus - Perdition Insanabilis (2004) - I've fanboyed these forever. Tough between this and 'Orthodoxyn.' Just enough death in this black metal.
3) Black Curse - Endless Wound (2020) - This is how I get Blood Incantation in twice.
4) Blood Incantation - Star Spawn (2016) - Wonderful prog-death from these already legends.
5) Carcass - Necroticism - Descanting The Insalubrious (1991) - Perfect Carcass. I like the grind and I like the melodic but this was a golden transition. Brutal melody.
6) Cattle Decapitation - Monolith of Inhumanity (2012) - My death/grind entry. Crap early albums but back of the net here.
7) Cryptopsy - None So Vile (1996) - One of the most brutal records ever made.
8) Death - Scream Bloody Gore (1987) - Where it all began, right? It's Death.
9) Diocletian - Gesundrian (2014) - Dead Congregation but more brutal.
10) Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) - It's DM goddamit. Nothing can really be said against this album in my mind.
11) Dragged Into Sunlight - Hatred for Mankind (2009) - Sludgy, grimey, hateful stuff.
12) Intestine Baalism - Banquet In The Darkness (2003) - I don't do too much melodic stuff but if it's Japanese it must be quality.
13) Kataklysm - Sorcery (1995) - All over the shop. But it works by the 10th listen.
14) Mi'gauss - Open Season (2003) - Great riffs, great lyrical themes, an epic slab of melodic DM.
15) Molested - Blod-draum (1995) - One of the most bizarrely brilliant albums that has ever been conceived.
16) Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest (2009) - You have to love Nile.
17) Portal - Outre' (2007) - I would have put 5 Portal albums on if I could.
18) Pseudogod - Deathwomb Catechesis (2012) - It's Russian but it's that good and heavy it can't be censored.
19) Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten (1991) - Probably where the more brutal strains of DM really got started. Still holds up.
20) Teitanblood - The Baneful Choir (2019) - It's death metal, it's dark ambient, it's war metal and I don't care, because that's not a thing. Reverb - maximum.
1) Abyssal - Antikatastaseis (2015) - Amazing progressive/dissonant death metal from a solo artist. Solo BM is humdrum, but this is seriously impressive.
2) Arkhon Infaustus - Perdition Insanabilis (2004) - I've fanboyed these forever. Tough between this and 'Orthodoxyn.' Just enough death in this black metal.
3) Black Curse - Endless Wound (2020) - This is how I get Blood Incantation in twice.
4) Blood Incantation - Star Spawn (2016) - Wonderful prog-death from these already legends.
5) Carcass - Necroticism - Descanting The Insalubrious (1991) - Perfect Carcass. I like the grind and I like the melodic but this was a golden transition. Brutal melody.
6) Cattle Decapitation - Monolith of Inhumanity (2012) - My death/grind entry. Crap early albums but back of the net here.
7) Cryptopsy - None So Vile (1996) - One of the most brutal records ever made.
8) Death - Scream Bloody Gore (1987) - Where it all began, right? It's Death.
9) Diocletian - Gesundrian (2014) - Dead Congregation but more brutal.
10) Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane (1995) - It's DM goddamit. Nothing can really be said against this album in my mind.
11) Dragged Into Sunlight - Hatred for Mankind (2009) - Sludgy, grimey, hateful stuff.
12) Intestine Baalism - Banquet In The Darkness (2003) - I don't do too much melodic stuff but if it's Japanese it must be quality.
13) Kataklysm - Sorcery (1995) - All over the shop. But it works by the 10th listen.
14) Mi'gauss - Open Season (2003) - Great riffs, great lyrical themes, an epic slab of melodic DM.
15) Molested - Blod-draum (1995) - One of the most bizarrely brilliant albums that has ever been conceived.
16) Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest (2009) - You have to love Nile.
17) Portal - Outre' (2007) - I would have put 5 Portal albums on if I could.
18) Pseudogod - Deathwomb Catechesis (2012) - It's Russian but it's that good and heavy it can't be censored.
19) Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten (1991) - Probably where the more brutal strains of DM really got started. Still holds up.
20) Teitanblood - The Baneful Choir (2019) - It's death metal, it's dark ambient, it's war metal and I don't care, because that's not a thing. Reverb - maximum.
Doom is a tricky one, I'd definitely include Nightfall by Candlemass, Sorrow of the Angels by While Heaven Wept, something by Corrupted, White 1 by Sunn 0))) amongst others. If including doom death I'd probably put a My Dying Bride and Maudlin of the Well (Leaving Your Body Map, probably) in there as well.
A few of the more high profile new releases I have managed to check out over the last few weeks. I'm not a deathcore guy so maybe I am not good to judge that.
Keep Of Kalessin - Katharsis - (melodic black) 2/5
Liturgy - 93696 - (avant-garde) - 4/5
Ne Obliviscaris - Exul - (progressive) - 4/5
Chelsea Grin - Suffer in Heaven (deathcore) 2.5/5
Lamp of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstorm - (black) - 3/5
Keep Of Kalessin - Katharsis - (melodic black) 2/5
Liturgy - 93696 - (avant-garde) - 4/5
Ne Obliviscaris - Exul - (progressive) - 4/5
Chelsea Grin - Suffer in Heaven (deathcore) 2.5/5
Lamp of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstorm - (black) - 3/5
Ne Obliviscaris is very good. I'm not sure about its staying power, though. The skill is always there and they've obviously put a lot of effort in it, but the final third of the album feels a bit stale. We'll see, it's definitely a good album.
As for Liturgy, i'll pass. The music, in general, doesn't hold up for me. There's no feeling to it, no substance. I blame Deafheaven for much of this trend in extreme/prog metal.
Anyway, i showed all the lists to a friend of mine and he asked me to tell you that you deserve a standing ovation for Molested. You also get a thumbs up from me for Starspawn. But i can't say i enjoyed their last one... Portal are a weird case for me. They are one of these bands that i know i should like, but i can't really get into.