So Jon just did a list, and while it was brilliant as always, I felt he missed some stuff that I'm obsessed with and makes me wonder why I ever wasted my time doing things like "giving the third Faceless record a chance" and "purchasing a shower aid so that washing my middle/upper back would be less strenuous" and "pooping". Seriously, not sure if pooping is the best use of my time anymore, given most of the music I listen to is so disturbed and horrific that I can't unclench.
Speaking of clenching, I have some confessions to make regarding the breadth and depth of the listens I have had the chance to have had had had. That is, viz, that there were very little. I remember hearing Morbus Chron earlier this year and thought, "this is fine, I guess; sounds like a bunch of Scandinavians recorded a Death album with Explosions In the Sky-type interludes". Alas, you will not find them on my list, despite their critical acclaim this year; I have not had the time to digest what I'm sure is a genuinely talented group but sounds so far like a slightly less talented Death. I was upset that - with all due respect - Woods of Desolation, whose new album I'm assuming is some kind of new black metal-form of Ambien, was hyped as a Deafheaven of 2014, despite the former's track record of inducing somnolence and torpor. And while I'm aware that Inter Arma released a single song EP that is - since I heard it - demonstrably worthy of attention, I missed it. No excuse in the world. Just let that one sail on by.
But there are a few things that critics got right, and a few things that, regardless of whether someone gives a shit, were the bees' knees (is it "bee's knees" or "bees' knees"? how many bees are we talking here?). For example, this was the first year in which more than half of the metal by which I felt drawn was doom metal, as opposed to death metal. There are a few examples below, which - while not the majority of my top twenty - make up the majority of the albums I was really really really really really really excited about in 2014. (Other genres that did well this year were black metal, grind, and to a lesser extent, technical death metal.) For another example, there was an exciting, last-minute, surprise entry from a two-person avant-metal side project of Castevet's Andrew Hock. ("Literally? You were entered by Hock?" the reader asked aloud.) And I now have - with their 2014 release - a band in my life that competes with Converge for the coveted title of "ZWB's Favorite Band in the Whole Wide World". Let's jump inside and see!
*JJJJJJJJUUUUUUUUUUUUummmmmmmmmmpppppppppp............*
Top 20/2014:
20. Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire (Admitted tied with At the Gates, so relax.)
19. Black Monolith - Passenger (Deafheaven spin-off goes rogue.)
18. Code Orange - I Am King (OK, one hardcore record.)
17. Pyrrhon - The Mother of Virtues (Avant-grind Top 2 of 2014, second place.)
16. Behemoth - The Satanist (A fantastic return to form.)
15. Piss Vortex - Piss Vortex (It's Danish. So, yeah.)
14. Archspire - The Lucid Collective (My first obsession of 2014.)
13. Agalloch - The Sperpent & The Spire (Another gorgeous album - to be listened to as one piece, if possible, with a fine Bordeaux.)
12. Thantifaxath - Sacred White Noise (Winner of the 2014 Award for Funniest Name For a Thing.)
11. Fluisteraars - Dromers (My Lantlos substitute for this year. Addictive and nicely short.)
10. Vermin Womb - Permanence (Ex-Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire. Ew.)
9. Coffinworm - IV.I.VIII (Avant-grind Top 2 of 2014, first place.)
8. Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden (Happily shocking how good these guys keep being.)
7. Artificial Brain - Labyrinth Constellation (what.)
6. Spectral Lore - III (One-man, avant-garde, symphonic black metal. Yup.)
5. Baring Teeth - Ghost Chorus Among Old Ruins (I ACTUALLY BOUGHT THIS WITH $$.)
4. Psalm Zero - The Drain (Castevet, only weirder and teleported to the 80s. Truly something new, and deeply brilliant material. Highly taken with this.)
3. Inferi - The Path to Apotheosis ("Dhduhssijsjododoodododoissdsjfh." -Inferi's guitar leads.)
2. Tombs - Savage Gold (Tombs is probably now tied for my favorite band on Earth.)
1. YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend (Unmistakably the best release for this band ever, and a circuitous though fun journey through where doom metal can really go artistically.)
Alright, that's it. You beautiful shit, you.
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Twenty Fourteen Top Twenty
Getting the ball rolling early this year folks. I listened to a whole bunch of new albums this year. I tried to expand my horizons a bit and try some new things. I found some things to be wonderful and some things to be awful. No more bullshit, here goes nothing!
20. Artificial Brain - Labyrinth Constellation. Creepy, doom-y, technical. Moon Funeral
19. Unearth - Watchers Of Rule. Metalcore is back! Lifetime In Ruins
18. At The Gates - At War With Reality. Long-awaited comeback release from melodic death metal legends definitely delivers. Eater Of Gods
17. Omnihility - Deathscapes Of The Subconscious. Relentless, brutal, pummeling technical death metal from another great Unique Leader band. Contemplating The Ineffable
16. Pyrrhon - The Mother Of Virtues. Gritty, disturbing, technical craziness. Balkanized
15. Inter Arma - The Cavern. This 45+ minute-long song is officially an EP but I disagree. Instant classic in the same vein as Colors. The Cavern
14. Disentomb - Misery. Extreme, brutal, technical, all of the best things. Chthonic Gateways
13. Trioscapes - Digital Dream Sequence. Jazz-y, heavy, beautiful. From The Earth To The Moon
12. Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun. Makes me forget that The Hunter ever existed (in a good way). Halloween
11. Job For A Cowboy - Sun Eater. Completely different release from this band. Lots of bass, very progressive songs, and drums were on point with Danny Walker behind the set. Sun Of Nihility
10. Alterbeast - Immortal. Impressive debut chock full of technical goodness. Forget that they were once called Gary Busey Ambler Alert, Alterbeast's sound is very much melodic in the same way as The Black Dahlia Murder, but the song and riff structures offer more technically. Vile Remnants
9. Archspire - The Lucid Collective. Quite possibly the fastest stuff I've ever heard. And oh so very technical. This release can best de described as "on point." Spontaneous Generation
8. Dimesland - Psychogenic Atrophy. Scatter-brained technicality is on display in this great release. The bass is prominent in the mix, the drums are very heavy, the guitars are exact, and the vocals are frantic in a murderous shrill kind of way. Are They Cannibals?
7. Beneath - The Barren Throne. This is my kind of melodic death metal - more brutal than melodic and originating from Iceland. Second release from these guys and they are only getting better. This release is a perfect blend of brutal, melodic, and catchy. Sovereign Carnal Passion
6. Scientist - Scientist. I think I found this band in the deepest corner of the internet. You can't find it anywhere. No previews, nothing. If you want to hear it, you'll have to come to my basement and go through a series of humiliations before the panel considers your auditory awakening. This release is grind-y, jamming, technical, and cleansing.
5. Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails. This is the prettiest death metal album I have ever heard. Beautiful stuff. Much more progressive than their last effort and still just as technical. Levitation
4. Inanimate Existence - A Never Ending Cycle Of Atonement. Tech death masterpiece. Their debut from two years ago had too much material on it. This release was mature, slender, and efficient. All of the best material made the cut and none of the bullshit made it to my ears. Added a touch of experimentation and this band is ready to take off. The Rune Of Destruction
3. Black Crown Initiate - The Wreckage Of Stars. Between Black Crown Initiate and Rivers Of Nihil, I'm starting to wonder what wonderful things are in the water in Reading, PA. For a place that seems like a shithole, it has produced two of my favorite bands. This release is everything, genre-escaping, progressive, technical, dirty, clean, powerful, and subtle. Withering Waves
2. Inferi - The Path To Apotheosis. This album is two things; technical and melodic. This release is not versatile and it doesn't care because it doesn't matter. Both technical death metal and melodic death metal are executed perfectly on this record. This record is relentless for almost 66 minutes. Marching Through The Flames Of Tyranny
1. Baring Teeth - Ghost Chorus Among Old Ruins. I was excited for this album immediately after hearing their first record, Atrophy. Ghost Chorus Among Old Ruins delivered and exceeded my expectations. Beautifully strange and weird and technical with advanced, intelligent song/riff structures and that characteristic Obscura-era Gorguts sound to top it off. Loved every minute of this album. I can't stop listening. The Great Unwashed
It was a very good year for metal indeed. And I listened to tons of releases so I got some more lists!
Honorable Mentions
21. Misery Index - The Killing Gods
22. Septycal Gorge - Scourge Of The Formless Breed
23. Abhorrent Castigation - Throne Of Existential Abandonment
24. Cannibal Corpse - A Skeletal Domain
25. Revocation - Deathless
26. Abysmal Dawn - Obsolescence
27. Beyond Creation - Earthborn Evolution
28. Allegaeon - Elements Of The Infinite
29. The Kennedy Veil - Trinity Of Falsehood
30. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways
31. Animals As Leaders - The Joy Of Motion
32. Killer Be Killed - Killer Be Killed
33. Minus The Bear - Lost Loves
34. Cloudkicker - Little Histories
35. Hannes Grossmann - The Radial Covenant
36. Svffer - Lies We Live
37. Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia
38. Wretched - Cannibal
39. Suicide Silence - You Can't Stop Me
40. Devil You Know - The Beauty Of Destruction
Disappointments
-1. Bloodbath - Grand Morbid Funeral
-2. Decapitated - Blood Mantra
-3. Human Infection - Curvatures In Time
-4. Origin - Omnipresent
-5. Soreption - Engineering The Void
-6. Rings Of Saturn - Lugal Ki En
-7. Slipknot - 5: The Grey Chapter
-8. Gorgasm - Destined To Violate
-9. Opeth - Pale Communion
-10. Carnifex - Die Without Hope
Looking forward to some good shit in 2015 like new Psycroptic!
20. Artificial Brain - Labyrinth Constellation. Creepy, doom-y, technical. Moon Funeral
19. Unearth - Watchers Of Rule. Metalcore is back! Lifetime In Ruins
18. At The Gates - At War With Reality. Long-awaited comeback release from melodic death metal legends definitely delivers. Eater Of Gods
17. Omnihility - Deathscapes Of The Subconscious. Relentless, brutal, pummeling technical death metal from another great Unique Leader band. Contemplating The Ineffable
16. Pyrrhon - The Mother Of Virtues. Gritty, disturbing, technical craziness. Balkanized
15. Inter Arma - The Cavern. This 45+ minute-long song is officially an EP but I disagree. Instant classic in the same vein as Colors. The Cavern
14. Disentomb - Misery. Extreme, brutal, technical, all of the best things. Chthonic Gateways
13. Trioscapes - Digital Dream Sequence. Jazz-y, heavy, beautiful. From The Earth To The Moon
12. Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun. Makes me forget that The Hunter ever existed (in a good way). Halloween
11. Job For A Cowboy - Sun Eater. Completely different release from this band. Lots of bass, very progressive songs, and drums were on point with Danny Walker behind the set. Sun Of Nihility
10. Alterbeast - Immortal. Impressive debut chock full of technical goodness. Forget that they were once called Gary Busey Ambler Alert, Alterbeast's sound is very much melodic in the same way as The Black Dahlia Murder, but the song and riff structures offer more technically. Vile Remnants
9. Archspire - The Lucid Collective. Quite possibly the fastest stuff I've ever heard. And oh so very technical. This release can best de described as "on point." Spontaneous Generation
8. Dimesland - Psychogenic Atrophy. Scatter-brained technicality is on display in this great release. The bass is prominent in the mix, the drums are very heavy, the guitars are exact, and the vocals are frantic in a murderous shrill kind of way. Are They Cannibals?
7. Beneath - The Barren Throne. This is my kind of melodic death metal - more brutal than melodic and originating from Iceland. Second release from these guys and they are only getting better. This release is a perfect blend of brutal, melodic, and catchy. Sovereign Carnal Passion
6. Scientist - Scientist. I think I found this band in the deepest corner of the internet. You can't find it anywhere. No previews, nothing. If you want to hear it, you'll have to come to my basement and go through a series of humiliations before the panel considers your auditory awakening. This release is grind-y, jamming, technical, and cleansing.
5. Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails. This is the prettiest death metal album I have ever heard. Beautiful stuff. Much more progressive than their last effort and still just as technical. Levitation
4. Inanimate Existence - A Never Ending Cycle Of Atonement. Tech death masterpiece. Their debut from two years ago had too much material on it. This release was mature, slender, and efficient. All of the best material made the cut and none of the bullshit made it to my ears. Added a touch of experimentation and this band is ready to take off. The Rune Of Destruction
3. Black Crown Initiate - The Wreckage Of Stars. Between Black Crown Initiate and Rivers Of Nihil, I'm starting to wonder what wonderful things are in the water in Reading, PA. For a place that seems like a shithole, it has produced two of my favorite bands. This release is everything, genre-escaping, progressive, technical, dirty, clean, powerful, and subtle. Withering Waves
2. Inferi - The Path To Apotheosis. This album is two things; technical and melodic. This release is not versatile and it doesn't care because it doesn't matter. Both technical death metal and melodic death metal are executed perfectly on this record. This record is relentless for almost 66 minutes. Marching Through The Flames Of Tyranny
1. Baring Teeth - Ghost Chorus Among Old Ruins. I was excited for this album immediately after hearing their first record, Atrophy. Ghost Chorus Among Old Ruins delivered and exceeded my expectations. Beautifully strange and weird and technical with advanced, intelligent song/riff structures and that characteristic Obscura-era Gorguts sound to top it off. Loved every minute of this album. I can't stop listening. The Great Unwashed
It was a very good year for metal indeed. And I listened to tons of releases so I got some more lists!
Honorable Mentions
21. Misery Index - The Killing Gods
22. Septycal Gorge - Scourge Of The Formless Breed
23. Abhorrent Castigation - Throne Of Existential Abandonment
24. Cannibal Corpse - A Skeletal Domain
25. Revocation - Deathless
26. Abysmal Dawn - Obsolescence
27. Beyond Creation - Earthborn Evolution
28. Allegaeon - Elements Of The Infinite
29. The Kennedy Veil - Trinity Of Falsehood
30. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways
31. Animals As Leaders - The Joy Of Motion
32. Killer Be Killed - Killer Be Killed
33. Minus The Bear - Lost Loves
34. Cloudkicker - Little Histories
35. Hannes Grossmann - The Radial Covenant
36. Svffer - Lies We Live
37. Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia
38. Wretched - Cannibal
39. Suicide Silence - You Can't Stop Me
40. Devil You Know - The Beauty Of Destruction
Disappointments
-1. Bloodbath - Grand Morbid Funeral
-2. Decapitated - Blood Mantra
-3. Human Infection - Curvatures In Time
-4. Origin - Omnipresent
-5. Soreption - Engineering The Void
-6. Rings Of Saturn - Lugal Ki En
-7. Slipknot - 5: The Grey Chapter
-8. Gorgasm - Destined To Violate
-9. Opeth - Pale Communion
-10. Carnifex - Die Without Hope
Looking forward to some good shit in 2015 like new Psycroptic!
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