Here are Metal Utopia’s top albums of 2019!
A playlist with all our favorite songs of the year:
And the Top 5 Albums of the year for each of us:
JP:
5. Thank You Scientist – Terraformer
Ever since Stranger Heads Prevail released, I have shamelessly been non-stop listening to their music and that most certainly did not change with their new mammoth of a record, Terraformer. This record is incredibly infectious and the utmost pleasure to listen to. The masterminds behind Thank You Scientist show how they are the most proficient musicians out there (I can attest to that seeing them live twice) yet they’re the most quirky and nerdiest guys out there who just want to have fun. This blend of jazz and progressive rock/metal is sure to get anyone, regardless of musical preference, to tap their foot and bang their heads (when appropriate).
Ever since Stranger Heads Prevail released, I have shamelessly been non-stop listening to their music and that most certainly did not change with their new mammoth of a record, Terraformer. This record is incredibly infectious and the utmost pleasure to listen to. The masterminds behind Thank You Scientist show how they are the most proficient musicians out there (I can attest to that seeing them live twice) yet they’re the most quirky and nerdiest guys out there who just want to have fun. This blend of jazz and progressive rock/metal is sure to get anyone, regardless of musical preference, to tap their foot and bang their heads (when appropriate).
Rutger:
Nathan:
Leon:
5. Haze of Summer - Stuzha
This one came out of nowhere and is still severely underrated. Self-proclaimed hipster black metal band from Russia pushes what can be done with the genre. Uplifting atmospheres, catchy hooks, ska sections, accordions, trumpets, folk singing, all wrapped into really well executed and produced black metal. And black metal nowadays thrives on innovation. Check it out, it needs more attention.
This one came out of nowhere and is still severely underrated. Self-proclaimed hipster black metal band from Russia pushes what can be done with the genre. Uplifting atmospheres, catchy hooks, ska sections, accordions, trumpets, folk singing, all wrapped into really well executed and produced black metal. And black metal nowadays thrives on innovation. Check it out, it needs more attention.
Spenser:
5. Vukari - Aevum
Discovering this in a random reddit post, I started listening to it for the album artwork alone. But as the album progressed, it kept sucking me in like a black hole. Vast with no trace of light, all-consuming and terrifying, I keep longing to return to that realm. With song titles such as “Abrasive Hallucinations,” “Entire Worlds Encased In Ice,” and “Vacating Existence,” this album was guaranteed to make my list from the first listen.
Discovering this in a random reddit post, I started listening to it for the album artwork alone. But as the album progressed, it kept sucking me in like a black hole. Vast with no trace of light, all-consuming and terrifying, I keep longing to return to that realm. With song titles such as “Abrasive Hallucinations,” “Entire Worlds Encased In Ice,” and “Vacating Existence,” this album was guaranteed to make my list from the first listen.
Elias:
Shankar:
3. Full of Hell - Weeping Choir
It took a band like Full of Hell to show that grindcore is like any other genre of metal; it can be blended with any other genre of music. Full of Hell has honed their craft for ten years as they explore different approaches to their sound. Trumpeting Ecstasy was their penultimate draft of their sound, but ultimately it is Weeping Choir that stands as the definition of Full of Hell’s sound. Full of Hell borrows elements from death metal, slam metal, jazz, electronic, and even a cappella to fine tune their slab of heaviness, and does so masterfully. As hard as it is to imagine, Full of Hell has redefined what grindcore is capable of doing, all while making it more accessible to the broader audience of abstract music in general. Due to this redefinition if grindcore, it can now be said with confidence that Weeping Choir stands to be on an AOTY list.
It took a band like Full of Hell to show that grindcore is like any other genre of metal; it can be blended with any other genre of music. Full of Hell has honed their craft for ten years as they explore different approaches to their sound. Trumpeting Ecstasy was their penultimate draft of their sound, but ultimately it is Weeping Choir that stands as the definition of Full of Hell’s sound. Full of Hell borrows elements from death metal, slam metal, jazz, electronic, and even a cappella to fine tune their slab of heaviness, and does so masterfully. As hard as it is to imagine, Full of Hell has redefined what grindcore is capable of doing, all while making it more accessible to the broader audience of abstract music in general. Due to this redefinition if grindcore, it can now be said with confidence that Weeping Choir stands to be on an AOTY list.
Lester:
5. Tool - Fear Inoculum
Admittedly, this is the first and only Tool album that I’ve properly listened to, so I can’t really compare it to their work from 13+ years ago. However, Fear Inoculum is an intriguing listen, full of complexity and songs with memorable musical passages and it definitely makes me curious to check out their previous work.
Admittedly, this is the first and only Tool album that I’ve properly listened to, so I can’t really compare it to their work from 13+ years ago. However, Fear Inoculum is an intriguing listen, full of complexity and songs with memorable musical passages and it definitely makes me curious to check out their previous work.
Hannes:
5. In Flames - I, The Mask
Didn't like it at first, listened to it again recently and I really enjoyed it. Sure, I wouldn't consider it MeloDeath anymore, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Great guitar lines, awesome melodies and it's overall very catchy. There are definitely some outliers on here when it comes to quality, but most of the songs are cohesive and catchy.
Didn't like it at first, listened to it again recently and I really enjoyed it. Sure, I wouldn't consider it MeloDeath anymore, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Great guitar lines, awesome melodies and it's overall very catchy. There are definitely some outliers on here when it comes to quality, but most of the songs are cohesive and catchy.
Connor:
5. Illyria - The Carpathian Summit
One of the pleasant surprises of the year, Illyria's second album thrives on a diverse range of content. Throughout the decade, ambient soundscapes have become prevalent, even ubiquitous, in several of metal's most impressionable subgenres, and after ten years of the growing trend it's difficult for newer groups to stand out. Illyria does a fine job of creating layered, echoing walls of sound with their clean tones and reverb effects while maintaining a balance of melodic shape and dynamic riffing. Musical statements are clear and memorable, and don't get lost in a dirge of echoes and repetition. It's a success as broad as its own dynamic and emotional range.
One of the pleasant surprises of the year, Illyria's second album thrives on a diverse range of content. Throughout the decade, ambient soundscapes have become prevalent, even ubiquitous, in several of metal's most impressionable subgenres, and after ten years of the growing trend it's difficult for newer groups to stand out. Illyria does a fine job of creating layered, echoing walls of sound with their clean tones and reverb effects while maintaining a balance of melodic shape and dynamic riffing. Musical statements are clear and memorable, and don't get lost in a dirge of echoes and repetition. It's a success as broad as its own dynamic and emotional range.
Josh:
5. An Isolated Mind - I’m Losing Myself
An absolute wretched and heartbreaking album that won’t make anyone’s end of the year list for most enjoyable album, I’m Losing Myself invites the listener into the mind of a man who is reflecting on his own struggle with mental health. It’s brilliant, dark, and one of the most incredible and interesting albums put out this year.
An absolute wretched and heartbreaking album that won’t make anyone’s end of the year list for most enjoyable album, I’m Losing Myself invites the listener into the mind of a man who is reflecting on his own struggle with mental health. It’s brilliant, dark, and one of the most incredible and interesting albums put out this year.
Rick:
5. A Pale Horse Named Death - When the World Becomes Undone
Gloomy atmospheres and dirty sounds are strong in this records just like they were before, so it may not be exactly an innovative album, yet it never gets boring. Between doom, alternative, gothic and grunge, this band has carved out a niche for itself in the scene, and it is ready to stay.
Gloomy atmospheres and dirty sounds are strong in this records just like they were before, so it may not be exactly an innovative album, yet it never gets boring. Between doom, alternative, gothic and grunge, this band has carved out a niche for itself in the scene, and it is ready to stay.
Matthew M:
5. Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance
If you like old school death metal with a bit of atmosphere, look no further than Tomb Mold. Manor of Infinite Forms was a solid album, but Planetary Clairvoyance proves that wasn't just a fluke. If Tomb Mold can keep this up, they can help carry the torch of old school death metal into the next decade and beyond.
If you like old school death metal with a bit of atmosphere, look no further than Tomb Mold. Manor of Infinite Forms was a solid album, but Planetary Clairvoyance proves that wasn't just a fluke. If Tomb Mold can keep this up, they can help carry the torch of old school death metal into the next decade and beyond.
Ethan:
5. Akasha - Canticles of the Sepulchral Deity
Dark, menacing, and riff-tastic Black Metal that ripped out my heart early this year, ate it in front of me, and gave me back the scraps. I haven’t been quite the same since, but I would do it all over again. For fans of Black Metal that is memorable and completely evil.
Dark, menacing, and riff-tastic Black Metal that ripped out my heart early this year, ate it in front of me, and gave me back the scraps. I haven’t been quite the same since, but I would do it all over again. For fans of Black Metal that is memorable and completely evil.
Our favorite non-metal albums of 2019:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Ghosteen
Nick Cave might be my favorite artist of all time. For every mood, he's got a fitting album. In 2015, his son died, and on his 2016 album, Skeleton Tree, he expressed his grief beautifully in the music. On Ghosteen, Nick's direct grief has passed, and the album is more like an interpretation of the afterlife, and he expresses what it's like to have lost a child. I think it's perfect, and it's definitely one of my favorite albums of the year.
Nick Cave might be my favorite artist of all time. For every mood, he's got a fitting album. In 2015, his son died, and on his 2016 album, Skeleton Tree, he expressed his grief beautifully in the music. On Ghosteen, Nick's direct grief has passed, and the album is more like an interpretation of the afterlife, and he expresses what it's like to have lost a child. I think it's perfect, and it's definitely one of my favorite albums of the year.
Header image by Connor Martin. Floral graphic designed by Onfocus / Freepik
“The demo was better.”