Mo of the same, better late than never.
Great new one from the Czech nutterz, with enough horns and atmosphere to keep me good and giddy. The ending minute of Vlocky is probably my favorite musical moment of the year.
9. Master's Hammer - Fascinator
Franta and krew just get tastier with age....especially with addition of legendary Blackosh on fretboard erosion. Also my favorite cover art of the year.
8. Furze - The Presence...
Ol Woe j Reaper back on his shit of lo-fi Ophthalamia worship and Dwarr-influenced headtrips. An old school black doom dance of death, and I do think that Space Scars is tune of the year!
7. Jorge Elbrecht - Here Lies
A phantasmagoria of occult pop perfection.
6. Alkaloid - Liquid Anatomy
The finest version of death metal Yes/Gentle Giant that I've heard to date.
5. Wild Hunt - Afterdream of the Reveller
Baroque claustrophobic metal with just the sweet spot of adventurousness. Puts me in the mood of Mork Gryning's s/t meisterpiece...which is never a bad thing at all.
Voices are proving themselves to be the most consistently great extreme metal band currently in existence.
3. Voivod - The Wake
I'm so glad that Voivod has settled into advancing their Nothingface/Outer-Limits sound on their last few albums. Really couldn't ask for anything more from these legends.
2. Howling Sycamore - Howling Sycamore
A technical avant-garde supergroup wet dream.
1. Book of Sand - Postmodern Witchcraft
By far and away my most listened to album of this past year. A joyous blast of occultism through dark-black metal-esque post-punk. Book of Sands shape-shifting sound is exhilarating and memorable...a rare feat.
Chaos Echoes - Mouvement Dilly Dally - Heaven Lunatic Gods - Turiec Gontyna Kry - Ignipoten Arkheth - 12 Winter Moons Comes the Witches Brew ORGAN: - Everything Is Pared Down. Minimal Expectations. Rites of Thy Degringolade - The Blade Philosophical Unreal Overflows - Latent Abigor - Höllenzwang Pestilence - Hadeon Estuarine - Sic Erat Scriptum Augury - Illusive Golden Age BONES - CARCASS Thy Catafalque - Geometria Einherjer - Norrone Spor Monstrosity - The Passage of Existence A Forest of Stars - Grave Mounds and Grave Mistakes Vessel- Queen of Golden Dogs Entropy Created Consciousness - Impressions of the Morning Star Yowler - Black Dog In My Path Starkweather/Concealment - split Varathron - Patriarchs of Evil Sear Bliss - Letters from the Edge
Least of the year
That nu Behemoth, Sigh and Hater eternal all laid big fat eggs.
