VONLUGHLIO’S TOP 25 OF 2012

(As we forge ahead with our 2012 Listmania posts, we’re pleased to present a year-end list from one of our most ardent supporters, who lives in the Dominican Republic and goes by the name Vonlughlio.)

Everyone is doing their end-year list of best metal albums of 2012 and I  would type up my list as well, in order to post it on NCS. But first I just wanted to say that this has been my first year reading NCS and I’ve become a great fan of the site for the following reasons:

1) The music I discovered from the site and the great posts by the man with no head, Islander, the other writers, and guests.

2) The discovery of Bandcamp. I don’t need to state why I love it, because there have been plenty of posts already that basically show why, with all the advantages for records labels, bands, and fans.

3) The love triangle between Islander, Phro, and myself. Hoping we can all get together and go on either a camping or fishing trip and explore!!!

I did a top 25. These albums are just fantastic and a lot of them came from reviews or posts on No Clean Singing. So here is my list:

 

25. Wintersun – Time I

This album has received mixed reviews, some saying that it is just a beautiful album while others saying that it’s one disappointment with a lot of cheesy moments. But in my case I like beautiful things and I like cheese, so this album works well for me.

 

24.  Indesinence – Vessels of Light and Decay

This is one band that I found out about here and just love everything this album has to offer, the vocals and the guitar riffs are my favorite. I just hope they don’t take 5 years to make a new record.

 

23. Cytotoxin – Radiophobia

This band I found out about here and from Infidel Amsterdam and, ohh boy, this is one killer album with a great combination of technical and brutal death metal. The solos here are amazing and the vocals are insane!!! Every time I hear the pig squeals I just go nuts!!!! Yeah, by now you know I like me some pigs.   :/

 

22. Incantation – Vanquish in Vengeance

Well I don’t need to say much about this band, other than the fact they just released one of their finest, alongside Diabolical Conquest. When I think of blasphemous death metal, Incantation is in order.

 

21. Hideous Divinity – Obeisance Rising

These Italians are talented as fuck!!!! Great technical death metal from a country I adore (since I lived there for 6 years). Plus the lyrical content is really awesome!!!. Along with Hour Of Penance, Putridity, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Septycal Gorge, and Antropofagus, they are Italy’s finest.

 

20. Becoming The Archetype – I Am

Been a fan of these guys for quite some time and when I heard that Wisdom left, I thought they were done. In this case I’m glad to say that I was wrong, because the new singer did a great job and I really enjoyed this release more than Celestial Completion.

 

19. Sarcophagy – The Summoning

This band from Indiana, US, has been around for a while and their first full length to see the light is great. This is old school death metal the way it is supposed to be: crushing vocals, killer riffs, and great drum work.

 

18. Psycroptic – The Inherited Repression

Some friends of mine do not like the vocals and they feel that it is more suited for Hardcore than Technical Death Metal. I can understand to some extent, plus I think Chalky is far better, but I cannot deny that I like the vocals. Plus this album is much better than (Ob)servant, not all over the place and more groove oriented.

 

17. Abnormality – Contaminating The Hive Mind

I’ll start by saying that Malika is a Goddess and talented as fuck. She and Som are my favorite female vocalists. The music is tight and brutal. Plus the lyrics are not just your “slash, guts, fuck, blood” type of brutal death metal.

 

16. Aborted – Global Flatline

This is one amazing album from start to finish!!! So fucking good that I played the record to my family!!! Yeah, probably not a good idea but I don’t care. Their last record was a disappointment for me, since they tried to experiment with something new that honestly just did not go over well with me. So to see this band do what they do best and returning to their signature style is just killer.

 

15. Weapon – Embers and Revelations

Well, this is just one album that’s been on my playlist non-stop since its release. Amazing vocals, great solos, the bass is not buried in the mix, and the drums sound natural (if that makes sense). One band that I would like to see live someday.

 

14. The Devin Townsend Project – Epicloud

Devin Townsend alongside Ihshan are my favorite solo artists.  The music of this record reminds me of Addicted since I think they have a lot of elements in common. But there are new elements in Epicloud that give it a more distinctive sound and make it an entity of its own. Plus Anneke Van Giersbergen’s performance is just spectacular.

 

13. Unfathomable Ruination – Misshapen Congenital Entropy

This is another band I discovered from other bands’ posts on FB, and the review on NCS just sealed the deal for me. I bought it after it went up on Bandcamp. This is just a record that kills from the start and never slows down, plus their cover of Death’s “Vacant Planets” is top notch.

 

12. Anaal Nathrakh – Vanitas

Well, I’ll be dammed!!! This is just a fast, brutal, and chaotic record!!! To be honest I feel it is better than Passion, at least for me. The vocal performance is just insane and the overall production of the record is stellar. I bought it on Bandcamp after watching Phro’s reaction at NCS, all crazy and jolly and jumping around. Shit, I knew after that I needed to buy it.

 

11. Devolved – Reprisal

Yet another band I found out about thanks to NCS and another site called TNR, and I all I can say is that this is a great record. The guitar work is by far my favorite part, plus I really enjoy the lyrics. For me, this is their best work to date.

 

10. Spawn of Possession – Incurso

This is an album that I’ve been waiting on for a long time. So when it was released I was all over that shit!!!! They delivered a great performance from start to finish. “The guitar wankery” that some dislike is one of the reasons I like this album, and the fact that they tried something new in their last track is a plus.

 

09. Dying Fetus – Reign Supreme

This is Dying Fucking Fetus demonstrating why they are the best 3-piece band around. For me this is one of their finest releases and has become one of my favorite records alongside Destroy the Opposition and Killing On Adrenaline.

 

08. Be’lakor – Of Breath and Bone

This is one of those bands that I like because they are able to create an atmospheric surrounding that draws the listener in. They mix the heavy and melodic riffs well. This is a record that grew on me from the first listen and has become closer to my filthy heart.

 

07. Ne Obliviscaris – Portal of I

These guys know what they are doing. I like how they combine the harsh and clean vocals, the violin is a plus, and the drumming is awesome. This is progressive and I love it!!! I only wish the best for this band and can’t wait for their sophomore record.

 

06. Evoken – Atra Mors

When I think of this band the first thing that comes in my mind is DOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Antithesis of Light was a masterpiece and this record is just right by its side.  Just sit back, turn off the lights, and press play. This is one record you need to sit down and relax to it.

 

05. Enslaved – RIITIIR

Well, I could go on and on about how much I like these guys. I love the direction they took on this record, a lot of progressive elements. For me this is major step up from their previous record, not that it was bad, I just enjoy this more.

 

04. Ihsahn – Eremita

Ihsahn is a GOD!!!! And that is all.

 

03. Cattle Decapitation – Monolith of Inhumanity

Well well, these boys just gave us one of the finest metal releases of this year. Sick and brutal is what the doctor ordered. Plus I made the mistake of watching their video for “Forced Gender Reassignment” at work. (I was alone.) Yeah, that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

 

02. The Flower Kings – Banks of Eden

This is Symphonic Prog at its finest. You may ask why it is on my list? Well, my other love besides metal is prog rock and I have been a fan of these guys for more than 15 years. Plus I was waiting for this release since they were on hiatus for about 5 years. And all I can say is that I’m glad they took time off  because Banks of Eden is fresh, combining heavy riffs, jazz, and synths to perfection.

 

01. Gojira – L’Enfant Sauvage

This is one of my favorite bands ever!!!! While listening to the record, I just shed a tear and screamed GOJIRA in my room and got my wife thinking that I was probably losing my shit. Regardless, this is a record that surpassed my expectations and is probably one of their finest works!!!

 

So there you have it, my list for 2012. There are more records that I enjoyed that did not make it, but are still killer in my eyes. Some of those records I enjoyed are: Pig Destroyer, Converge, Murder Construct, Grave, God Seed, Pathology, Dehumanized, P.O.O.R, Kalter, Grand Supreme Blood Court, Beneath, Antestor, Gorod. I probably forgot some releases, but 2012 has been a good year for me.