* = album reviewed, click the link
Top 10
1) Leeches of Lore –
Motel of Infinity* review
Another magical
album by the New Mexico trio, it's totally bonkers in the best way
possible.
2) Cave of Swimmers
– Reflection* review
Super epic
heavy/doom/hard rock/prog metal with some latin beats and superb
vocals, a great surprise for 2015.
3) Acolytes of Moros
– Herald of the Imminent* review
Swedish trad doom of
the highest caliber, I don't understand how these guys aren't signed
yet.
4) Baroness –
Purple* review
I liked Yellow & Green but this new album is much better, it's the bridge between Blue and Y&G and sees the band as its most condensed and feelsy incarnation yet. Marvelous record.
I liked Yellow & Green but this new album is much better, it's the bridge between Blue and Y&G and sees the band as its most condensed and feelsy incarnation yet. Marvelous record.
5) Father John Misty
– I Love You, Honeybear
Superb pop with
really great lyrics, Josh Tillman is a genius
6) Thy Catafalque - Sgùrr
6) Thy Catafalque - Sgùrr
Everything that this
band has released so far has been groundbreaking and this album is no
exception. Perhaps not as good as Róka
Hasa Rádió, this new album is still superb
7) Magister Templi
– Into Duat* review
Masterful heavy/doom from Norway about Egyptian mythology, it's epic as hell but contained within solid, catchy relatively short tracks.
Masterful heavy/doom from Norway about Egyptian mythology, it's epic as hell but contained within solid, catchy relatively short tracks.
8) High Inquisitor
Woe – Liquid Times
Super great belgian trad doom with psychedelic touches, impressive for a first release. 3 songs = 40 minutes!
Super great belgian trad doom with psychedelic touches, impressive for a first release. 3 songs = 40 minutes!
9) Enslaved – In
Times
Another great album from the Norwegian legends, more cohesive and better overall than RITTIR.
Another great album from the Norwegian legends, more cohesive and better overall than RITTIR.
10) Mgla – Exercises in Futility
Just the best black
metal band nowadays, top notch riffs and atmosphere. EIF is less
catchy than WHTN but it's more cohesive and it's better overall if
this is even possible.
Almost in the top 10
Tau Cross
A super group with Amebix and Voivod members, this is an intricate piece of proggy metal with a lot of different influences.
A super group with Amebix and Voivod members, this is an intricate piece of proggy metal with a lot of different influences.
Macabre Omen –
Gods of War – At War
Outstanding
Bathory-esque Greek black metal, can't get more epic than these guys.
Magic
Circle – Journey's Blind
Their debut album was certainly on my best of list of 2013 and this
one almost made the top 10 this year due mostly to the the title
track. The rest of the album is good but I prefer when they're slower
and doomier and this album is quite fast and the NWOBHM influence is
bigger. Still a solid record though.
Night Viper
Truly outstanding debut album from these Swedes, it's fun NWOBHMish heavy metal with powerful female vocals and awesome riffs. Might be top 10
Night Viper
Truly outstanding debut album from these Swedes, it's fun NWOBHMish heavy metal with powerful female vocals and awesome riffs. Might be top 10
Starlight
Ritual* review
For a debut album, these Quebecois really managed to
release very cool epic heavy/doom with some slight prog tendencies.
The vocals are similar to Dio and the guys really dig their Rainbow.
I can't wait to see them again with Cauchemar and Magic
Circle.
Remmirath - Shambhala Vril Saucers* review
Super original and twisted avant garde black metal with Tibetan, psychedelic and even video game music influences.
Remmirath - Shambhala Vril Saucers* review
Super original and twisted avant garde black metal with Tibetan, psychedelic and even video game music influences.
Batushka - Litourgiya
Only beaten by Mgla for black metal in 2015, this Polish band's debut album is so epic it hurts.
Some other outstanding albums *no particular order*
Pohjoinen* review
Ares
Kingdom – The Unburiable Dead
Garden
of Worm – Idle Stones* reviewMarie-Pierre
Arthur – Si l'aurore
Beach House –
Depression Cherry
Corridor – Le
voyage éternel
Deafheaven – New
Bermuda* review
Jean Leloup – À Paradis City
Jean Leloup – À Paradis City
Obsequiae – Aria
of Vernal Tombs
Bell Witch – Four
Phantoms
Iron Void –
Doomsday
Wreckmeister –
Night of your ascension
Sarpanitum –
Blessed be my Brothers
Gold – No Image
Reverie - Bliss* review
Gold – No Image
Reverie - Bliss* review
Cult Leader –
Lightless Walk
Bosse-de-Nage –
All Fours
Disappointments of the year:
Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls* review
Just.too.long.with.too.much.filler.
Tribulation - The Children of the Night
While a good album, it's not as rich as Formulas and it's a more streamlined and accessible release.
2 comments:
Wow, I don't recognise most of those names.
That Tau Cross album is fantastic. For once the record label blurb was correct when it referred to "huge booming vocals".
Bell Witch's Four Phantoms is also massive. Not first date material, one might say, but unbelievable material for the right state of mind.
I'm sad to hear you didn't dig the new Maiden though. I'm probably biased in that I love Maiden unconditionally, I'm a paying Maiden Fan Club member, and *gasp* I even love the Blaze-era stuff. Book Of Souls takes a long time to get into I admit, but like the gigantic Four Phantoms album, it's something that can be appreciated in one's stride in that it's not necessarily going to stick on first listen.
Well, I didn't hate The Book of Souls, I still gave it a 77% (?) but it could had been so much better if it had less filler, that's why it's a disappointment to me. I do like The X Factor too!
I've been recently listening to the new Magic Circle a lot and I'm sure it would be in my top 10 now.
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