As most of you will know; good things will make you wait. No, what was the proverb? Slow and easy wins the race. Yes! In any event, but apply here at the Halifax Collect blog because we're not done with the Year End 2018 and for a good reason (no I won't let you in on those!). Music is forever and that's why we're still racking our brains over good ol' 18 here.
Next in line is one Jónas Haux, drummer extraordinary eclectic acts such as Narthraal (death metal), CXVIII (doom) and Morpholith (psychedelic doom) and big boss organiser of the annual Doomcember festival in Reykjavík, Iceland. And he's god a good taste let me tell ya...
11. LIK – Carnage
LIK isn't exactly inventing the wheel, they are more like modifying a cycle into a motorbike. Their latest album, Carnage works in two ways. First, their music is a big love letter to swedish death metal. The tone, structure, lyric theme and everything else is there. Furthermore, they are expanding whatever potential the genre has left, which is harder said than done since it is hard to stand out for such a limited sub-genre. Add superb drums and vocals with terrific pronunciation and you got a kick-ass album.
Fav song: "Left to Die"
10. RIVERS OF NIHIL - Where Owls Know My Name
When it comes to metal that shrieks epic, Where Owls Know My Name was the best I heard this year. It got my attention pretty quickly during its first listen. Partially prog metal, partially death metal, partially whatever the hell the band decided to put into it, including saxophone leads. Despite the fact that all the members are terrific on their respected instrument, it does not turn into another wankfest of an album. The songs are delicately structured so you can enjoy the complex part as much as the calm, simple parts. The vocals varies and are terrific throughout the album, accompanied with good lyrical theme, and held my interest from start to finish.
Fav song: "A Home"
9. CARPE NOCTEM – Vitrun
Sometime in 2017, I wondered if the Icelandic black metal could still keep its international cult status when the bands would start to release their sophomore albums. Auðn made its mark last year, as well as Svartidauði this year, and with Carpe Noctem returning with a new album, the hype will probably continue. Carpe Noctem thrives on uncomfortable atmosphere and does it better than so many other black metal bands. The dissonant chords, the dynamic in the drums and the lyrics create a terrific soundscape throughout its six tracks.
Fav song: "Söngurinn sem ómar á milli stjarnanna"
8. WE MADE GOD – Beyond The Pale
The Iceland post-rock/metal group seems to get less heavy with each release, but that does not stop Beyond The Pale to be a great album. Right at the beginning the band showcases its strength: hauntingly beautiful vocals, catchy melodies and steady beats. But the record is so much more than just that. The dynamic between the songs as well as between parts of each song makes the record feel more as a concept album compared to their earlier albums. The songs are diverse in structure, heaviness and how the riffs are composed. It is bands like these that make me wish that there was a stronger "post scene" in Iceland.
And these vocals!
Fav song: "Dear" and "Backdoor"
7. HUNDRED YEAR OLD MAN – Breaching
If We Made God shows the more promising, optimistic sounding aspect of post-rock, then HYOM showcases the brooding, slow and harsh tones of post-metal. Taking influences from bands such as Neurosis, Cult of Luna and Amenra, the band appropriately uses slow build-ups to range from drone to slow, crushing riffs, filled with antagonising vocals, out of this world leads and a strong feel of emptiness from start to finish. I had the honour of seeing them when they came to Iceland and they managed to perform one of my favourite concert I saw last year. Not for everyone but definitely worth it if you like this genre.
Fav song: "Ascension"
6. ABYSMAL TORMENT – The Misanthrope
Brutal death metal tends to work this way for me: if it does not catch my attention within the first song, the rest is not worth it. Abysmal Torment has been a favourite in this genre since I first listened to their second album, Omnicide, which is still to this day one of my favourite death metal album. Their newest one leaves nothing behind and brings them to a full force. The drums are one of the best sounding (as well as best played) I‘ve heard this year. The guitars have weird but brutal riffs on top of the occasional sweep and dissonant chords. The singing consists of two frontmen who each brings their unique take. Combined, this is the most brutal album I’ve heard this year.
Fav song: "Squalid Thoughts"
5. ALEX JONES PRISON PLANET – Super Heavy Galactic Stuff
So the premise of this band is pretty basic: Make 10min EPs with short death metal/deathcore songs combined with ramblings from the conspiracy „theorist“ Alex Jones. While it has been done before, this is the first time it has been crafted into songs. The band is non-political in its creation so it can be enjoyed by both fans and critics of Alex Jones. Their third EP features a lot of talk from him about space and dimensions and how the aliens are working with the globalists, as well as the usual shouts and grunts from him that make him all the more fit for death metal. Thankfully, the songs themselves are good enough to support this idea, with catchy riffs which the writers use differently throughout the structure of the song. There is even a instrumental versions at their Bandcamp.
Fav song: "Wreck And Ruin"
4. YOB – Our Raw Heart
Yob has been releasing terrific albums after another since they started two decades ago. Four before the split and four after it with Our Raw Heart as their latest. Unlike their previous albums, this one took a few playthroughs to be as appreciated as it deserves to be. It has been a good time since they were pretty traditional doom metal. While the singer, Mike Scheidt, can not scream as harshly as he could 10 years ago, the singing, as well as the songs, are constantly developing. Our Raw Heart features some of the most haunting as well as some of the most beautiful moments I‘ve heard all year, which fits with the album being inspired by Scheidt‘s health issues last year. An absolute gem.
Fav song: "Our Raw Heart"
3. SUNNATA – Outlands
Another doom band that has been developing over the years, Sunnata somehow manages to be inspired by many genres but fit all so well to create this soundscape. Straight from the beginning the sludgy, psychedelic aspects start to show up which is later combined with post-metal, drone and even some grunge. The spiritual atmosphere surrounds this records and it only broken during the heaviest parts of it, but the structure allows that to happen since they take their time moving from riff, or even just an idea, to the next one. The vocal harmonies are well executed and all of the instruments are performed as good as the structure.
Fav song: "Lucid Dream" and "The Ascender"
2. DAUGHTERS – You Won‘t Get What You Want
Whenever I question if we have reached the peak of potential music, I hear of a band like Daughters which quickly turns it to its back. Daughters' new record is by far their longest and weirdest and does not waste a second in bringing fantastic song after another. While each and every song is unique and non-comparable to the next one there is one element visible in all of them: oppressive soundscape. The sound on this album makes the harshest black metal sound like hippie music, and the dissonant sound only becomes greater as the album progresses. Each song holds you tight with its ideas, whether it is driven by beats, atmosphere or the flat, jarring vocals. An absolute must hear.
Fav song: "The Lords Song" and "Ocean Song"
My favourite album of the year is from my favourite doom metal band of all time, the great Chicago heaviness of Bongripper. Terminal holds nothing back during its two songs featuring crushing, absolutely crushing riffs that make you beg for more. But what make these riffs extra juicy is Bongripper's great ability to transition from one riff to another using dynamics and any potential connection between the riffs. The sound is also the best I’ve heard from them, which was unexpected since I was not a big fan of it on their last, Miserable. With just the right amount of seriousness in their music, Bongripper has done it again.
Fav song: "Slow"
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| Photo lifted from This Is Not A Scene |
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