Metal Was Great in 2008!

I think I have one reader who listens to metal. But let's be honest -- this blog isn't really written for readers anyway. So, just because I want to, here's a year-end top 10 from my world of metal (and hardcore).

Of course, I haven't heard every record from 2008, so in fairness to some that I've missed, here are a few who would have been most likely to have made the list but for eluding my grasp:

Azmaveth -- Strong as Death: What I've heard of this has absolutely ripped.

In Exordium -- In Exordium: The new Paramaecium playing death metal? How did I not find a way to get ahold of this? I should be ashamed of myself, and I am.

Mirror of Dead Faces -- Lamentation: Everybody who's heard this raves. But metal raves, not like techno raves.

Synnove -- The Wh0re and the Bride: This band was kind of considered marginal until this effort, which is "supposed" to be fantastic.


One album that I have no idea what to do with:

Frost Like Ashes -- Born to Pieces: On musical merit, this is easily top 10. But they call it an ep, and even though it's 10 tracks, there are only 2 new songs, a couple re-recordings, and a Johnny Cash cover? There's just no category for this.

Finally a couple honorable mention that were good listens but didn't crack the final list:

For Today -- Ekklesia: Why were bands like For Today and Nodes of Ranvier not around when I was growing up in the Midwest? Oh yeah, because the members were probably about 4.

My Silent Wake -- A Garland of Tears: A good album, but not up to snuff with last year's outstanding Anatomy of Melancholy.

Once Nothing -- First Came the Law: More fun "Southern metal." From Pittsburgh?


And finally, the winners:

10. Call to Preserve -- From Isolation: Probably the best tough-guy hardcore band going right now.

9. Austrian Death Machine -- Total Brutal: Easily the best joke band in the history of the world. And while the music is admittedly trite and generic, it's listenable, too.

8. Holy Blood -- The Patriot: It has to be tough to follow up the completely brilliant Waves Are Dancing.

7. Soul Embraced -- Dead Alive: An impressive return. Maybe more bands should take a few years off.

6. The Famine -- The Raven and the Reaping: The embodiment of brutality and chaotic death/metalcore.

5. Once Dead -- Visions of Hell: Depending on your persective, you may have waited 3, 16, or even 18 years for this. Regardless, it proved worthwhile and the best old-school thrash album in what feels like forever.

4. MyChildren MyBride -- Unbreakable: Some people rip on this for not being original. Fair enough, but I'll bet that those people go to Wendy's when MyChildren MyBride are feasting at Fuddruckers.

3. War of Ages -- Arise & Conquer: These cats have it down. A great album that takes the next step forward from Pride of the Wicked.

2. Sympathy -- Anagogic Tyranny: Insanely brutal and professional sounding technical death metal. Blistering blast beats, phenomenal leads, just all around fantasticness.

1. Becoming the Archetype -- Dichotomy: Last year's Physics of Fire was good but still somewhat disappointing for such a leading band. This one, however, is only disappointing if you were hoping that they'd suck. Brutal, catchy, memorable, progressive, technical, atmospheric, and dare I say worshipful? What more could anybody possibly imagine could come from an audio compact disc? Truly a masterpiece, and if you only buy 1 album from 2008, I'd suggest that you reconsider your record buying policy and then pick this one up.


On the whole, at this point '08 doesn't quite have the depth of '07 which had a tremendous number of great releases, but if some of those that I missed come through it could be as good yet. But for the moment I'm more looking ahead to what promises to be an excellent '09, with albums from A Plea for Purging, Living Sacrifice, Deus Invictus, Impending Doom, Monotheist, Dagon, Believer, and Divine Symphony to name a few. Wohoo!