Here we go dudes. The meat and potatoes. The grand poobah. The cream of the crop. The
pussy on the chainwax.
(aka 10 through 1)
Before this album, I always thought of Winterfylleth as that not-so-great black metal band whose acoustic interludes make for excellent D&D music. But here we are, in a post-Sunbather world where post-black-feels-metal is a thing, and we are the benefactors. The Divination of Antiquity is one of the ore accessible black metal albums I've heard, and is infectious in its powerfully emotional riffs. If you heard Sunbather and wanted more, this is a great next step.
(read in the ESPN 30-for-30 voice): What if I told you a young artist released one of the most exciting EPs I've ever heard, garnered massive hype for her debut album, postponed the album endlessly, picked a bunch of fights with people on twitter, released the awful "ATM Jam", and then finally released the long-forgotten debut album. Would you think that album would be any good? What if I told you it was? Would you listen?
This album hates you soooo much.
7.
Mutilation Rites - Harbinger
This album has just about everything: heavy ass riffs, emotional chord progressions, disgusting vocals you are not sure you like or not... Above all, it has what seems like hundreds of unique riffs. I once thought it might be a fun game to count the number of distinct riffs in one of the songs off of
Harbinger, but after the 10th riff or so, I got too caught up in air guitaring until my fingers air bled.
--DISCLAIMER--
Every album from here on out was at my #1 spot at some point throughout the year. It is both a testament to how good this year was, how good these albums are, and the necessity that you hear them all. You have your work cut out for you.
6.
Behemoth - The Satanist
Easily the least subtle of album on this list, this one absolutely crushes. The riffs are heavy, the vocals are menacing, and it is catchy as hell. You wouldn't think an album as evil sounding as this could be as fun as it is, but you would be wrong.
5.
Ava Luna - Electric Balloon
Right after my obsession with Talking Heads died to a low roar, I stumbled upon this record. It has all the punk energy of Talking Heads with the pop vocal stylings of Dirty Projectors. I don't think we've hit this band's ceiling either. Very excited to hear what's next.
4.
Jenny Hval & Susanna - Meshes of Voice
The first time I heard this record I thought it was interesting. Nice folky music with ambient elements for a cold day. But then the last song came on and I was floored. On repeat, the album revealed itself to me in a whole new light. This is folk music for those of you who believe there is something
else about a misty fog over a still lake at night. #woah #poetic #2deep4u
3.
Alraune - The Process of Self-Immolation
There are only four tracks on this album, but each one is a damn
composition. And when (spoiler alert) a young girl sings "O Willow Waly" in between the third and fourth tracks, the tone is set for the most amazing metal song I heard all year. The title track will leave you breathless, but I almost feel bad linking it above. This album, perhaps more than any other metal album I heard all year, demands that you listen from start to finish.
2.
Flying Lotus - You're Dead!
Ladies and gentlemen, Flying Lotus is
back. This album is filled with the same sensory-overload I experienced the first time I heard
Cosmogramma, and is just as addictive too. The best summation of this album is the video for "Never Catch Me", linked above. The song is a knock out, but the message in the video, that death just might be a jubilation, is felt on many of the tracks on this album. The album is a statement for life in the face of death, and I love it.
1.
Thou - Heathen
I spoke earlier about Alraune's "The Process of Self-Immolation" being the most powerful metal song I'd heard all year. Take the sheer power of that song, add in more gravitas, both sonically and in philosophical lyricism, and extend it over an album length. There you have
Heathen. This record will crush you in every sense of the word. It is undeniably powerful, yet astonishingly beautiful. One thing it is not is an easy listen. It took me a few listens to have the patience to pick out each riff in these drawn out songs. But once you hear them, you'll wonder what you were so preoccupied with before that you couldn't devote one well-spent hour focusing on them. I am not known to be someone who cares about lyrics (not that you'd be able to decipher them just by listening), but sitting down to read the lyrics as I listened was an awesome experience and really increased my appreciation for this album. If, while contemplating the state of the world, you ever wished people would remember what was
truly important in life, give this album a listen. We could all use a reminder.
