Beast of 2015

Ditto what I said a year back. I basically haven't touched this blog in a year....or the year before that. Will things change this year? I have no fucking clue, maybe? So without further ado, here is what blew my mind this past 365.

10. The Squirm - Unspoken

Alesh AD, alum of Czech metal heroes Root, makes a bold move releasing an alt-rock album. Bold but brilliant cuz this is the stuff of top down, pedal down chant alongs. If I were hard pressed I'd have to say that Alesh has been listening to a lot of bro Blackosh's still phenomenal Uncommon Excursions.

9. Cradle of Filth - Hammer of the Witches

Another Root alum does good. I have to admit that I was a bit perplexed as to Ashok's decision to leave Root for COF. Certainly the paycheck has to be better but I really thought it was a shame that his unique riff-writing and superb leads would be buried under everything Filthy. I shouldn't a been worried about a goddamn thing cuz Ashok and short-armed drummer Marthus have upped Cradle's game, with extremely Root-esque riffs, effortlessly splendid leads and tasty drumming. I even enjoy Dani Filth's vocals on an album for maybe the first time ever. Probably the nicest surprise on this list, and definitely Cradle's best since 2000's excellent Midian.

8. Grimes - Art Angels

A small confession to make here, I am a Grimes fanboy through and through. No surprise then that I was awaiting Art Angels with bated breathing ever since Ms. Boucher released the demo of Realiti earlier this year. Also not surprising that I think Art Angels is an absolute slam dunk, a fiercer more aggro version of Grimes than Visions and I'm digging that fire.

7. Arnold Veeman - Klaai

Veeman is a Demon, an absolute beast. A master of production, subtle textures and intricate vocals.  Jazz, big band, handclaps...the whole kitchen sink pulled off with aplomb and appeal. Keep it up Veeman, you are fast becoming one of my favorite artists out there.

6. Dødheimsgard - A Umbra Omega

DHG may not be the most prolific of groups but I've always been one for quality over quantity anyway, and sweet lord is this quality. A perfect mix of 666 International's avant-garde storytelling and Supervillian Outcast's catchy as fuck take on modern black metal...not to mention the twisting creative riffwork of Satanic Art ep schmiered over 5 expansive cinematic tracks. Weird and exhilarating, I just hope we the fans don't have to wait 8 years for the next one. 

5. Mandroïd Of Krypton - Hyperkaossmarket

Well this is another real nice surprise. Swiss techno-thrashers Mandroïd of Krypton manage to bridge the ungodly chasm between Killing Technology Voivod and fellow swatchmasters Calhoun Conquer and I've been lappin' it up like Swiss Miss.

4. Liturgy - The Ark Work

Not everyone's cup of tea (to put it mildly). But this ritualistic weirdo type of metallish choral-chant/rap music puts me in one righteous mood...what more can I say?

3. Arcturus - Arcturian

Is there a more charismatic, more chance-taking metal frontman working today than ICY Vortex? That's not really a question, but more of a request, cuz if there is I'd really love to meet him or her. When Icy heats up just get the hell out of his way and enjoy the show, foghorns and all. 

2. Killing Joke - Pylon

A return to form, but have KJ ever really been out of form? I sincerely doubt it. Hell I personally favor Outside the Gates for fucks sake, but Pylon is pushing all of my right buttons. The riff structure of Big Buzz is absolutely sublime.

1. Aktor - Paranoia

A most excellent collab between Finland's fav guerre auteurs Circle & the USA's own Professor Admiron Black of classic metal resurgence renown. This group has crafted possibly the catchiest most out there but not quite all the way "out-there" album of recent memory. Licks of Dharma, kraut drumming ala Circle natch, fucking anthemic keyboards and Black's pitch perfect earnest vocals. Yes my friends, this is some ass shaking space boogie and it doesn't get any finer. For fans of Basement Metal, Club Ninja & for fans of Grimmer Than Thou blog....you know who you be. 

Most Honorable Mentions
Lugubrum - Herval, Kaeck - Stormkult, Mamaleek - Via Dolorosa, The Fall - Sub-Lingual Tablet, Sapthuran - Hildegicel, Krallice - Ygg Huur, Solefald - World Metal. Kosmopolis Sud, Bosse de Nage - All Fours, Necrocock - Hudba z psychiatrických pavilonů, Grave Pleasures - Dreamcrash, J.C. Satan - J.C. Satan, Mgla - Exercises In Futility, Sadist - Hyeana, Doug Hream Blunt - My Name is Doug Hream Blunt, Holy Forest - Holy Forest, Lychgate - An Antidote For the Glass Pill, Borgne - Regne des Morts, Alkaloid - The Malkuth Grimoire, Drudkh - A Furrow Cut Short, Peste Noire - La Chaise-Dyable, Imperial Triumphant  - Abyssal Gods

Phenomenal Tech eps
Theory In Practice - Evolving Transhumanism, Watchtower - Technology Inaction, Droid - Disconnected, Wild Hunt - Scroll and Urn

Other Greatness....
Ugandan street rap


Nuwaubian spiritual rap

What's Sounding Good

Getting close to round the half year mark here and I thought I'd check in and let y'all know whats worth a damn.

Arcturus - Arcturian
Icy Vortex continues to prove he's the most versatile balls out exhilarating vocalist out there. This one will be hard to beat.

The Squirm - Unspoken
Alesh AD from Root band crafts streamlined high-octane alt-metal thats a little slice of heaven. Some of the best shit I've heard since bro Blackosh's unfuckable with Uncommon Excursion.

Solefald - World Metal. Kosmopolis Sud
Cornelius von Jackheim Mutherfucker returns with a polyphonic supra sonic kaleidofriggindicious bouillabaisse of World & World-ly Sgt. Pepper's Metal. Just 3 words to hook ya...Bububu Bad Beuys. Hell any metal song that references that Fluxus meistermind is by definition ahead of the pack.

Liturgy - The Ark Work
I think The Tyranny of Tradition put it best "This is like listening to Ween cover a Three 6 Mafia song". Exactamundo.

DHG - A Umbra Omega
Worth the going on a decade wait. Dangerous and lysergic and epic.

I'm also really looking forward to the new Necrocock whenever that fucker decides to drop.

Good, Mean Medicine - To Your Health

Annual Airing of Grievances Anno 2014

End of year hate rants are pretty much the best part of doing a blog. Watch out for these turds.

Swans - To Be Kind  Another awful year in music another awful Swans recording. Swans seems to be everyones' and their great aunts' favor band to heap unending gushes of praise upon. Why this is? Don't ask me why. The emperor wear's no clothes? You betcha.
Opeth - Pale Communion  Oh my lord what do we have here, a nu Opeth that sucks yard upon yards of red hot balls yessirree. Take the emotion and charm out of one of Camel's lesser albums and you have this sort of toned down wanna be ELP bs.
Nachtmystium - The World We Left Behind  Bottom of the barrel attempt at catchy and anthemic black-like(lite) sludge metal. As empty sounding as a tapped out spike.
The Soft Pink Truth - Why Do the Heathen Rage?  Does this really still need to be a thing?? I think The Hard Mauve False are about 15 years late to the "lets do a piss-take of black metal" partay. At least it is easier on the ears than Impaled Northern Moonforest, but not quite up to Goat Thrower standards.
Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare Too over the top and theatrical, if I wanted to listen to some campy caterwaulin' I'd go watch Xanadu...the music's nothing to write home about either.
Massacre - Back From Beyond time to go back beyond Rozz and crew. This video sums it all up, what exactly is the joke? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jaSc_eQciVc
Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails  yikes my precious eardrums are still recovering
Cynic - Kindly Bent To Free Us Some kind of no man's land between unchallenging prog-rock, AOR ambient excursions and the absolute lightest kind of metal that could still be called such. A big step down from Traced In Air and even Elves Beam Out which at least had some goofy charm to it.
Behemoth - The Satanist  Nergal with penis-horn growls about satan, how he is satan or whatever, dresses up like cirque de soleil satan and plays lots of fast boring riffs with fancy drumming.
Triptykon - Melana Chasmata
ZzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzžzzzŹŻzŻzzzzzzzzzzžžžźz.......ZzzzzzzzzzzZzzzzzžzzzŹŻzŻzzzzzzzzzzžžžźzŻzŻzzzzzzzzzzžžžźz, a big old snoozefest. I haven't felt this tired after listening to an album since the time I dozed off and almost drove off the road listening to Hate Eternal's King of All Kings. Should at least come with a warning not to operate heavy machinery while listening, and a complimentary case of No-Doz and Red Bullz.
Heck, even Tom G Warrior admitted this wasn't very good, and I am more than inclined to agree.

also I haven't listened to Yob, Pallbearer, Indians, Mastodon, Thou, Godflesh, Sunn O))) but I'm sure that they're all awful.