Another year comes to an end. We looked back on it and created our top 5 albums lists!
The top 5 albums for each of us:
Jared:
5.
Slimelord is gooey, depraved death doom from the UK, featuring members of Cryptic Shift. With a Brad Moore cover on 20 Buck Spin you might pass this over as Worm worship, but it transcends the similarities and stands on its own. Between Slimelord and Spectral Voice, death/doom was on point this year.
4.
Australia’s Aquilus put out the second half of their Bellum duology this year to limited fanfare, but it shaped up to be an outstanding piece of work. It really feels like Aquilus have perfected the neoclassical/atmospheric/folky black metal formula, striking a wonderful balance between ambience, atmosphere, beauty and intensity. You may recall my review of Bellum I from 2021 (wow three years ago??) and Bellum II is more than a worthy sequel.
3.
Chile’s Mayhemic unleashed their monstrous debut full-length this year, consisting of 35 minutes of pedal to the metal blackened thrash, complete with lightning-fast riffs, evil vocals, driving and memorable songs, and riffs wall to wall. I could have easily picked Oxygen Destroyer for this spot too, as the thrash-fusion styles continue to be powerhouses in the metal scene.
2.
Sweden’s Dödsrit nearly completely shed their crust influence for their fourth full-length Nocturnal Will, and in my opinion they’re all the better for it. This record is a gorgeous slab of melodic, atmospheric, expressive black metal with some of the most lovely melodies of the year.
1.
Autumnfall is the newest project from Jussi Hänninen, the songwriter behind the ever-underappreciated Fall of the Leafe. This album, even more so than Autumnfall’s previous, really feels like an extension of the late-90’s melodic black metal that Fall of the Leafe perfected, and it’s beautiful. I spent a lot of this year obsessing over Fall of the Leafe’s catalog, and Autumnfall is a welcome addition to the pantheon.
Matthew:
5.
With vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe not returning to the stage for the foreseeable future, MDB’s fourteenth studio album hits even harder at the end of the year. Hopefully there will be more albums by the death/doom masters, but even if there aren’t, A Mortal Binding adds to a legacy that will never be forgotten.
4.
Dissonant death metal aficionados rejoice! Replicant does everything right on Infinite Mortality, slinging an album full of gritty atmosphere and complex riffs right in your face.
3.
My Silent Wake trudge forward amid the gloom with yet another serving of poignant melancholy. Lost in Memories, Lost in Grief adds to a discography of death/doom and acoustic albums stretching back to 2005; My Silent Wake’s been one of my comfort bands for many years, and I hope there are many more years to come.
2.
In Vain continues to be one of the most criminally underrated metal bands. The band’s progressive brand of death metal soars triumphantly on Solemn, providing a lush sonic soundscape demanding repeatedly captivating listens.
1.
Absolute Elsewhere took the metal world by storm, cementing Blood Incantation’s place in death metal history. Brilliantly complex and boldly progressive, this is an album I’ll be listening to for years to come.
Connor:
5.
An odd blend and oldpeth and newpeth, Last Will and Testament sees Mikael Akerfeldt’s growls return, this time over the lower-gain rock-leaning instrumentation established on the previous few records. Where the band succeeds is in the strange, unpredictable scoring of a well-told story, and they sound more evil and experimental than they have in years.
4.
An impressively diverse album, Never, Neverland channels the best of metal’s legacy influences while always managing to sound new and original. My highest praise for the record: almost every song, as great as they are, is also interesting.
Fall is a triumph in capturing a sound that is epic but not campy, black but not unpleasant. Tremendous power is found in the songwriting, with a beautiful cloak of harmony draped over the entire record. It’s a standout from an already very accomplished group.
2.
Survive the distracting hype and the overlong interludes, and in Time II you’ll find a great example of why Wintersun is so beloved in the first place: outrageous, fast, fun melodic metal. With a breadth of songs that soar and thunder through harmony and furious riffing, Time II reminds us that good things can come to those who wait.
1.
Nocturnal Will is a record that grabs your attention immediately and rewards you constantly through the very end. This is an example of brilliant songwriting, unburdened by pretense. The atmosphere is gripping and intense, and the melodies are shapely. Where Dödsrit succeed most, though, is in creating a metal album that, above all else, is fun to listen to.
Nathan:
5.
I have had the chorus to “I Can Never Die” stuck in my head consistently since goddam August. Fleshgod Apocalypse have already proven themselves to be masters of the messy epics, but on Opera they tightened their songwriting up a bit and proved that they can succeed no matter the starting point.
4.
A place to go when you feel warn out from other prog-death stalwarts. This debut EP from the one-man Australian band came out of absolute nowhere, and contains some absolutely magic riffs and cohesive songwriting. The production is raw and independent enough to give Wastelands a unique feeling without being detrimental. I loved Blood Incantation, Gigan, Exocrine, and friends as much as everyone else, and this small release deserves to be mentioned in the same breath.
3.
Technical yes, brutal yes, but above all, ridiculous. Defeated Sanity have carved a unique identity for themselves. Chronicles of Lunacy absolutely belongs in the conversation of best Defeated Sanity albums and best brutal death metal albums of the decade. This is some beautiful, memorable machine gun music.
2.
I saw Oceans of Slumber open for Insomnium on their Winter’s Gate tour a few years back. At first I was just politely listening, but by the end their set was so engrossing that I felt disappointed when Insomnium rolled out, despite how excited I was for that show. Where Gods Fear To Speak isn’t the most concise record, and the production has some hiccups. But no other metal band in the world puts this much bare passion into every single song. When Oceans of Slumber grab you, they really grab you. Maybe it’s just where I was in my life when this record came out, but I can’t remember the last time an album had an emotional impact one me like this one did.
1.
By far my most listened-to record released this year, although being less than 20 minutes is slightly cheating in that regard. Beaten To Death go places that no one else does. Sunrise Over Rigor Mortis does not contain the most emotionally poignant and expertly technical music. Instead it features brightly-colored excursions into a place no other band took me this year.
Some non-metal releases:
There’s something magical about each Alcest album. Les Chants De l’Aurore captivates with its brightly woven atmosphere, lifting the spirits with ethereal melodies.
Ka was the world’s best lyricist. The Thief Next To Jesus is a raw and introspective album, art with dark meaning and a journey that feels important.
Absolutely beautiful rhythmic jazz. Amaro Freitas uses the piano in a unique manner, and creates a full world of sounds completely separate from what I expect from jazz. The notes call this decolonized jazz, a reinterpretation of what this music can be.
This is bouzouki music, which should have some familiar driving sonic forces to metal fans. I’m not familiar enough with the musical traditions that Mohammad Syfkhan draws from, but this album has been a constant companion since I first listened to it.
