We’re now beginning the final month of 2016, and you know what that means: Now begins the final countdown to the end of the year (and the strengthening onslaught of the annual holiday season). In the world of metal, this month we’ll also start seeing more and more lists of the year’s best releases.
Back in 2009, when this site was just a few days old, I wrote a post about year-end lists and why people bother with them. The best reason still seems to be this: Reading someone else’s list of the albums they thought were best is a good way to discover music you missed and might like.
We don’t do an “official” NCS year-end “best albums” list. However, we publish the picks of each of our regular staff writers as well as a large group of guest writers (which we’ll start doing later this month). Every year we also invite our readers to share their lists and we’re doing that again right here, right now.
If you’ve been pondering what you’ve heard this year and have made your own list of the albums, EPs, or splits released in 2016 that you think are the best of what you’ve heard, we invite you to share it with us in the Comments section to this post. And if you haven’t made a list yet but want to, there’s still plenty of time (read below).
We don’t have any hard-and-fast rules about year-end lists. Your list doesn’t have to be a specific number — it doesn’t have to be a “Top 10″ or “Top 20″ list, it could be a Top 2 list or a Top 15, or any other number.
And it doesn’t have to be a cross-genre list, i.e., the best of all metal you’ve heard this year. It could be the best hardcore albums you heard, or the best death metal, or the best black metal, or the best grind, or the best folk metal, and on and on — pretty much whatever you want to do and feel comfortable doing, as long as it fits your definition of metal.
Don’t be shy, and don’t worry about being judged — if you haven’t figured it out already, it ain’t our style or the style of our commenters to ridicule what someone else thinks is great metal.
And if you don’t have a list ready yet, no sweat, because you can come back to this post whenever you like and add your list later — or comment on the lists others have posted. I’ll put a link to this post at the top right side of every page so people can find it quickly — look for the link to 2016 NCS READERS’ YEAR-END LISTS. That will make the comments to this post a collection point for “Best of” readers’ lists. And that link will stay on our page throughout 2017.
So start thinking and start commenting (please, and thank you).
264 Responses to “LISTMANIA 2016: AN INVITATION FOR READERS’ LISTS OF THE YEAR’S BEST METAL”
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Zeal and Ardor – Devil is Fine
Aenaon – Hypnosophy
Anagnorisis – Peripeteia
Hannes Grossmann – The Crypts of Sleep
Cloat – S/T
Ghoul – Dungeon Bastard
Some others were pretty good, but not really worth mentioning. Will see how i feel in 6 months tho. need to listen more to a ton of releases.
Ok, Bölzer also gets a spot on the list
I was actually a little bit disappointed by them, and a mere “good” just don’t do it in this rat race competition, I’m afraid. I was even more disappointed with Aenaon. Their previous album was amazing, but Hypnosophy became a bit to splayed and far to big-band jazz for my liking. Just getting it of my chest.
By June, you’ll be buried alive, only halfway through the first tonn, you’ll already have another metric tonn to listen to.
Never heard of Anagnorisis, but it sure sounds good.
i have no inside info, but I’m willing to bet that Aenaon is the one that will be on Andy’s “Disappointing” list this year (see below). And one reason I’m willing to bet is that I’m betting with your money.
Bolzer failed to connect with me as well, aside from a couple of tracks.
It didnt click for me either on my first couple listens, but everyone Ive heard who seems to like it says it takes awhile to actually grow on you. I plan to give it a bit more time before making a final judgement on it
For sure. I can’t tell how much of my reaction was just being put off by some of the vocals, and there were some standout parts. I’ll give it a chance when I’m in the right mood.
Wait, metal that strays into big band jazz territory? that is my fucking favourite kind of big band music. I have to listen to this right now!
So, ONE of those is probably going to end up on my “Disappointing” list. I am prepared for the flame-war.
That Zeal and Ardor record was an odd listen. I certainly approve of the melding of styles on display—they certainly suit the lyrical themes and overall mood—but I don’t think they’ve quite perfected the combination yet. I eagerly anticipate what they’ll do next, however. Even if it’s not perfect, it should be fascinating.
Devin Townsend Project- Transcendence
Gorguts- Pleiades Dust
Dark Funeral- Where Shadows Forever Reign
Insomnium- Winter’s Gate
Agoraphobic Nosebleed- ARC
Ghoul- Dungeon Bastards
Didn’t get to hear as much metal this year as I would have liked, but there you go.
Judging by how often I’m seeing that Ghoul name in this comment thread, I’m thinking I made a mistake in not making time for it. They played here in Seattle last night, and I probably made a mistake not being there too.
All three of the releases Phillipe Tougas was involved in this year – Chthe’ilist, Zealotry and First Fragment.
Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
Vektor – Outer Isolation
King Goat – Conduit
Khemmis – Hunted
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
That’s my current Top 10, with Meshuggah, Gorguts, Textures, Ravensire and Inter Arma just missing out.
Ulcerate is next up in my listening queue – and, based on past experience, they are likely to jump this lineup within minutes of pressing play.
You mean “Terminal Redux”, right?
Whoops – brain fart. Yes, I meant “Teminal Redux.” I’ve been listening to all of their albums a lot this year…
I really like everything on your list. Hyperion is my #1 and a lot of your others are in my top ten. Only one I’ve never heard of is King Goat so I’m listening to that now and I really like it. Thanks!
Thanks! That King Goat album was possibly the year’s biggest surprise – you can thank Angry Metal Guy for bringing it to a wider audience. He called it “Candlemass-core,” which is a genre the evolution of which I fully support.
Funny, I got into the strangest argument with an acquaintance about Chthe’ilist when I suggested half-jokingly that the Le Dernier Crépuscule did the whole Old World black-sabbaths-and-tarantelles kitsch vibe really well. Totally flew off the handle about Satanic imagery and Finnish death metal and… I was quite bemused, to tell you the truth. Regardless, it’s a fun album. Great production, really solid songwriting.
I’ve heard good things about the new Fleshgod, but not a lot of things, so I’m a little curious about it.
Khemmis-Hunted
Obscure Sphinx-Epitaphs
Allegeaon-Proponent For Sentience
Inter Arma-Paradise Gallows
Woman is the Earth – Torch of our Final Night
stoic. – Fall below
Stam1na – Elokuutio
Reproacher – Nature’s Bastard
Ondt Blod – Finnmark
Nordjevel – Nordjevel
Kvelertak – Nattesferd
The Dillinger Escape Plan – Dissociation
Architects – All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us
Others I suspect will eventually make it on to the 2016 list, but haven’t gotten around to really spending time with them due to bedgetary constraints:
Ulcerate – Shrines of Paralysis
Oranssi Pazuzu – Varahtelija
Thy Catafalque – Meta
Car Bomb – Meta
Alcest – Kodama
Ulver – ATGCLVLSSCAP
Wardruna – Ragnarok
and since I’m including Ulver and Wardruna, a couple of non-metal albums that I did buy and love this year:
Jóhann Jóhannsson – Arrival OST
O’Brother – Endless Light
Just checked out O’Brother. Interesting stuff, definitely some leanings towards metal going on there. And I loves me some sci-fi soundtrack so I’ll give Arrival a crack too. Thanks for the recommendations!
I loved Arrival, and thought the score brilliantly meshed with the mysterious, almost dreamlike ambience and pacing of the movie. I didn’t realize the soundtrack had been released, so many thanks for your mention of it.
Yeah O’Brother is really close to metal, could almost be included in a metal list, I guess I get just enough of a Jane’s Addiction alternative type feeling (not saying they sound like Jane’s, but Jane is also just not metal) to put it in a non-metal list. And the Arrival soundtrack, yeah it just oozes atmosphere. I noticed on the second watching of the movie that there is a lot of water in the movie: clouds, fog, car washes, lakes and the soundtrack works perfectly with that, especially the fog
OK so the six albums I actually ended up buying were:
Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
Harakiri for the Sky – III: Trauma
Khonsu – The Xun Protectorate
Kilner – Walk Type
Ulcerate – Shrines of Paralysis
Ion Dissonance – Cast the First Stone
and have also been enjoying:
Setentia – Darkness Transcend
Frontierer – Orange Mathematics
Autolux – Pussy’s Dead
Battle Dagorath – I – Dark Dragons of the Cosmos
Furia – Księżyc Milczy Luty
Glass Shrine – Lapidary
Cult of Fire – Life, Sex & Death
Wędrujący Wiatr – O turniach, jeziorach i nocnych szlakach
Terra Tenebrosa – The Reverses
Mentor – Guts, Graves and Blasphemy
Martyrdöd – List
Entropia – Ufonaut
Anaal Nathrakh – The Whole of the Law
Thy Worshipper – Klechdy
Deathspell Omega – The Synarchy of Molten Bones
Saor – Guardians
Brain Tentacles – Brain Tentacles
Wardruna – Runaljod: Ragnarok
Zaum – Eidolon
Uada – Devoid of Light
Abbath – Abbath
Rotting Christ – Rituals
By coincidence I just got a message from the label that released Glass Shrine’s album and had put it on a list of things to check out. I’m guessing I’ll like it because I sure like everything else on your list.
Damn, forgot all about Entropia. Need to revisit that one.
Battle Dagorath is utterly astounding. Also tops my list. On an unrelated note I preferred Furia’s EP release to the full length
Not in particular order:
DeathSpell Omega – The Synarchy of Molten Bones
Dark Tranquillity – Atoma
Sumerlands – Sumerlands
Urfaust – Empty Space Meditation
Glorio Belli – Sundown
Hammers of Misfortune – Dead Revolution
Oathbreaker – Rheia
Setentia – Darkness Transcend
Be’Lakor – Vessels
Cult Of Luna – Mariner
I forgot probably the absolute best, the new Coultes Des Ghoules of course.
The new Cultes Des Ghoules – Coven, Or Evil Ways Instead Of Love has only been leaked and is a February 2017 release so technically not a this year contender.
Not true. My copy of the digi-book double CD, which I had pre-ordered, arrived at my home last week. I know that the Hells Headbangers Bandcamp page for the album shows a release date of Feb 17, but that’s for the digital edition. They’ve been shipping the CDs since late November, and even the Bandcamp page says that CD orders will ship out within 2 days.
Double digi-book was released October 31…standard digi-book was released November 25th
They really messed up with the release date, It’s misleading.
I’ve failed finding time for this megalithic piece. I’ve been considering awaiting the digital release date, but that’s unfortunate if it’s good enough to squeeze in on the year-end list.
Oh, It’s surely good enough… *echoing malefic laugh*
Sorry I mistyped *Glorior Belli and *Cultes des Ghoules writing from phone.
Inter Arma “Paradise Gallows”
Mizmor “Yodh”
Altarage “Nihl”
Slaves BC “All Is Dust and I Am Nothing”
Vermin Womb “Decline”
Blood Incantation “Starspawn”
Ulcerate “Shrines of Paralysis”
Anaal Nathrakh “The Whole of the Law”
CHTHE’ILIST “Le Dernier Crépuscule”
Denouncement Pyre “Black Sun Unbound”
Gevurah “Hallelujah!”
Graves at Sea “The Curse That Is”
Oranssi Pazuzu – – Värähtelijä
Ovaryrot – – Suicide Ideation
Enthean – – Priests of Annihilation
Panopticon / Waldgeflüster – – Split
Unfathomable Ruination – – Finitude
Khemmis – – Absolution
Mephistopheles – – In Remembrance of Forever
Radian – – On Dark Silent Off
Ossuary Anex – – Mutilation Through Prayer
Deviant Process – – Paroxysm
Svmerlands – – S/T
FVCK I forgot about that Inter Arma!
Finally, someone else with Unfathomable Ruination! Kudos!!!
Some of my top albums so far (in no particular order):
Ripper – Experiment of Existence
Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude
Harm – October Fire
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep of Reason
Protector – Cursed and Coronated
Profanal – Supreme Fire
Funeral Whore – Phantasm
First Fragment – Dasein
Deviant Process – Paroxysm
Defeated Sanity – Disposal of the Dead / Dharmata
Bewitcher – Bewitcher
Escarnium – Interitus
Hellbringer – Awakened from the Abyss
Interment – Scent of the Buried
Reptilian – Perennial Void Traverse
Ruinous – Graves of Ceaseless Death
Scorched – Echoes of Dismemberment
Spirit Adrift – Chained to Oblivion
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Aenaon – Hypnosophy
Fifth to Infinity – Omnipotent Transdimensional Soulfire
Most disappointing albums of the year:
Blues Pills – Lady in Gold
Cult of Fire – Life, Sex & Death
Oops, I meant to make this a separate post. Too bad you cannot edit these.
our comment system comes for us all eventually
Congratulations…this list has a lot of albums on it that I also liked. You should be very proud 🙂
(Seriously though…nice list of bands here)
\m/ \m/
That Hellbringer is hilarious (way past worship into cover band status) but oh so unfuckwithable that you can’t help but love it!
I hope to see more lists with Spirits Adrift as we close the year out, he really deserves it.
Holy fuck there’s a new Protector album and I didn’t know about it??? Holy shit I’m so hyped.
Hell yeah! Always a good feeling.
Hellbringer is nice! But damn, I think they love Slayer even more than I do….
Yes, Deviant Process and Protector getting some recognition. They’re both albums I almost mentioned in my list.
I checked the Unfathomable Ruination based on its inclusion here (and the comments below). Holy shit. Great call, great record.
Mortalized-complete mortality
Deathspell Omega-the synarchy of molten bones
Ulcerate-shrines of paralysis
Behexen -the poisonous path
Martyrdod -list
Yanked from a list so albums aren’t mention but you get the idea.
Hexvessel
Arizmenda
Crowhurst
Ommadon
Haikai No Ku
Zeal and Ardor
Aluk Todolo
Sorciers De Glace
Ustalost
Ayahuasca
Hands of Thieves
Boss Keloid
Tim Hecker
Neroche
Metá Metá
Skaphe
Intervals
Nox Formulae
Sus Scrofa
The Spacelords
MASTER BOOT RECORD
Gnipahålan
Caverne
Minneriket
Pylah
Profanal
Nebrus
*mentioned
Also no real order but the new Arizmenda (the good digital version that’s now vanished) and that Ayahuasca one are probably my faves.
Some very deep cuts on here. Makes me realize that despite how much metal I listened to this year, there’s still a vast underground trove that I never made time for.
Same here really; this has been my least exploratory year so far. So much I’ve missed out on and I think I was just lucky to find the ones I did.
In no particular order, the albums on my EoY are:
Be’lakor – Vessels
Ravencult – Force of Profanation
UR – R’lyeh
Paganland – From Carpathian Land
Ossuary Anex – Mutilation Through Prayer
Borknagar – Winter Thrice
Urgehal – Aeons in Sodom
Novembre – Ursa
Belenos – Kornôg
In the Woods… – Pure
Urfaust – Empty Space Meditation
Deathspell Omega – The Synarchy of Molten Bones
Battle Dagorath – I – Dark Dragons of the Cosmos
Deathkin – Kohti Kotiani Kaaosta
We have a full month ahead of us, things might still change…
They may indeed. There are still some potential gems headed our way in December.
After Batushka sneaked that one on us, I don’t think we’ll be overlooking December again…
I like the Batushka album, love those baritone vocals, but I don’t understand the amount of praise they get. Like some other recent black metal albums, I thought “Litourgiya” played it too safe in terms of songwriting and melody. Seems like those songs could have been written any time over the past twenty years, you know? Not to crap on your taste here, just talking.
Yeah granted that any album that receives copious praise does tend to make you think it’s overblown. And song-wise, I don’t regard them as particularly breaking new ground; for me, it’s more there’s a raw passion in it that just gets me fired up. Throw in some religious chants in a language I don’t understand, and it ticks the right boxes – each to their own 🙂
Don’t get me wrong, I dig the album. The chanting is awesome. I just have a fondness for more quirky and/or distinctive melodies, and songs that go more places, if that makes sense. If the chanting was any less cool, the whole thing would come off as a gimmick.
Deathkin! Just discovered that one yesterday and hoping to make room for it on some future post…. I also completely forgot about that Novembre album.
Deathkin were a fresh discovery for me too and quickly nailed their place in my EoY. Last night’s discovery / addition to the list is GreyAblaze. The album is set for release this month and the list already changes…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLrahoRx_w4
My metal picks, in no particular order…
Car Bomb – Meta
Entheos – The Infinite Nothing
Gatecreeper – Sonoran Deprivation
Infecting the Swarm – Abyss
Defeated Sanity – Disposal of the Dead/Dharmata
Astronoid – Air
Seven Sisters of Sleep – Ezekiel’s Hags
Wormed – Krighsu
I Declare War – Songs for the Sick
Adding in non-metal (grind, hardcore, etc.) I’d add:
Knocked Loose
Trap Them
Every Time I Die
Magrudergrind
Wormrot
Rotten Sound
True Love
NAILS
Bent Life
Animals as Leaders
Russian Circles
Brain Tentacles
Candiria
SECT
Weekend Nachos
Top Tier:
Dark Forest – Beyond the Veil
Thrawsunblat – Metacthonia
Saor – Guardians
Second Tier:
Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crepuscule
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Anciients – Voice of the Void
Omnium Gatherum – Grey Heavens
Seax – Speed Metal Mania
Third Tier:
Khemmis – Hunted
Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
Dunedain – Pandemonium
Sojourner – Empires of Ash
Myrath – Legacy
Netherbird – The Grander Voyage
Dark Tranquility – Atoma
Wo Fat – Midnight Cometh
Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Sabaton – The Last Stand
XII Boar – Beyond the Valley of the Triclops
Inquisition – Bloodshed Across…
In the Woods… – Pure
Blood Incantation – Starspawn
Helion Prime – s/t
Sumerlands – s/t
SubRosa – For This We Fought the Battle of Ages
Thy Catafalque – Meta
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts
Haken – Affinity
Theocracy – Ghost Ship
Testament – Brotherhood of the Snake
I’m happy to see I’m not the only power metal fan around these parts. Dark Forest, Helion Prime and Sumerlands would have all made my list if this was All Clean Singing.com
Shit…I guess I need to actually get writing at some point if I want to have an actual list to post here
New drinking game…
…every time someone mentions Khemmis, take a shot
Yeah, I’d say a few people got the jump on you. And with that drinking game of yours, you’ll probably never catch up.
I’ll get you yer list!
…but I make no guarantees about legibility
Can you at least guarantee it will be free of puke?
That can never be guaranteed.
…….No
If you’re gonna make a comedy sketch, there’s gonna be some rat feces in there.
Cmon dude…we’re not barbarians…This is a classy joint
Oh yeah? We’ll see how classy you are after a few drinks… KHEMMIS KHEMMIS KHEMMIS KHEMMIS KHEMMIS.
🙂 It’s going to be so easy to keep him wasted straight through the end of the year.
I think I’m going to play too.
Oh please…like thats ever been a challenge
I so dread the days I have to spend putting my own list together. Mostly due to the voices in my head, whispering “you don’t have time for this. Don’t you have anything better to do? Places to be, people to see?”. But at the same time, it’s gonna be one hell of a reunion cavalcade. Fuck the voices, I’m looking forward to this.
Those same voices are whispering in my head. I really wish you hadn’t sent them to me. I’m sending them back, along with the ones that whisper, “when are you going to grow up?” and “that person seems nice but they really can’t stand you.” Enjoy!
I said fuck the voices. Fuck’em. And “grow up, already”? Nah, never!
Also, I find it legit to hate anyone who dislike me. Steadfast like a stud out of principle right there 🙂
I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours 😉
Vektor – Terminal Redux
Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts
Krallice – Hyperion
Thrawsunblat – Metachthonia
Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas – Mariner
Sun Worship – Pale Dawn
Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
Arizmenda – Beneath This Reality of Flesh
Wederganger / Laster – Split
Verwoed – Bodemloos
Cobalt – Slow Forever
Khemmis – Hunted
Fluisteraars – Gelderland
Neurosis – Fires within Fires
Zhrine – Unortheta
Sinistro – Semente
Opeth – Sorceress
Torrid Husk / The End – Swallow Matewan
Gilded Lily – Mongrel’s Light
Oathbreaker – Rheia
I’ve only heard the new Ash Borer twice, but I bet it’s going to be up there as well.
Aargh! I forgot the Krallice EP. They apparently have something new coming out before the end of the year, too.
They do indeed — ” Prelapsarian” — set for release on the winter solstice, which is December 21 this year.
Are you kidding me? Thats awesome news!
I’m really psyched. Ygg Huur was and is one of my favorite albums, and watching them perform it live was inspirational. Awesome news indeed.
I’m bad at lists, but this year I’ve enjoyed:
Gorguts – Pleiades’ Dust
Ulcerate – Shrines Of Paralysis
Plebeian Grandstand – False Highs, True Lows
Wormed – Krighsu
Vektor – Terminal Redux
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep Of Reason
Grave Miasma – Endless Pilgrimage
Ritual Chamber – Obscurations (To Feast On The Seraphim)
Mortichnia – Heir To Scoria And Ash
Setentia – Darkness Transcend
Virvum – Illuminance
Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude
Skuggsja – A Piece For Mind And Mirror
and lately I’ve been spending some time with the Dead Congregation and Sunless EPs, Khonsu, Voidthrone, and Zhrine, and was favorably struck by Inverloch and Australis.
Nice to see Grave Miasma on another list!
I love them. I think Odori Sepulcrorum is their high point so far, but I’ve enjoyed Endless Pilgrimage a lot nonetheless.
Will probably end up adding “Crator – The Ones Who Create: The Ones Who Destroy” on here, too. This is weird for me, I’m not usually this big on tech death. I guess it’s been a good year for it.
Man, the new DSO is kicking my ass as well, glad I finally got around to it.
Best Albums:
Cobalt – Slow Forever
Gatecreeper – Sonoran Depravation
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
Khemmis – Hunted
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika
Saor – Gaurdian
Thrawsunblat – Metachthonia
Vredehammer – Violator
Best EPs:
Cloak – s/t
No Trust – Heavy Hand
Homewrecker – Extinction by Design
Flom – Elders
Oarfish – Oarfish
High Command – The Secartha Demos
Looks like a lot of people are gonna pick that Hyperion. Wasn’t aware so many people were hip to it.
Damn good huh? And I just downloaded that High Command, it kicks ass!
I so thought Cobalt would be my #1 for months but Hunted was just so mammoth that it bludgeoned it way to the top.
I overlooked that Hyperion album until I went through the comments on our post soliciting “most infectious song” candidates for this year, and that Hyperion album turned out to be one of the most frequently appearing sources of recommendations.
As well it should have been… That album is one massive, aural sandworm.
How did I miss a Moonsorrow album this year? I just heard one song after seeing your list, and it sounds like this is quite good.
Vinterblot – Realms of the Untold
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
Vredehammer – Violator
Vektor – Terminal Redux
Acyl – Aftermath
Brymir – Slayer of Gods
Thrawsunblat – Metachthonia
Be’lakor – Vessels
Oracles – Miserycorde
ADE – Carthago Delenda Est
Harakiri For The Sky – III: Trauma
Altar of Oblivion – Barren Grounds
From the Vastland – Chamrosh
Anciients – Voice from the Void
Netherbird – The Grander Voyage
… plus probably a good handful of albums from October, November and December that I haven’t had time to listen to enough to justify placing them on par with the above. I’m slow, I know.
1. Schammasch- Triangle
2. Obscura- Akraosis
3. Vektor- Terminal Redux
4. Ihsahn- Arktis
5. The Deer Hunter- Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional
6. Haken- Affinity
7. A Sense of Gravity- Atrament
8. Car Bomb- Meta
9. Fleshgod Apocalypse- King
10. Katatonia- The Fall of Hearts
11. Khonsu- The Xun Protectorate
12. Shokran- Exodus
13. Dillinger Escape Plan- Dissociation
14. Anaal Nathrakh- The Whole of the Law
15. Textures- Phenotype
16. First Fragment- Dasein
17. Wormed- Krighsu
18. Mithras- On Strange Loops
19. Oracles- Miserycorde
20. Aborted- Retrogore
21. Allegaeon- Proponent for Sentience
22. Animals as Leaders- The Madness of Many
23. Fallujah- Dreamless
24. Meshuggah- The Violent Sleep of Reason
25. Cyborg Octopus- Learning to Breath
26. Alcest- Kodama
27. Virvum- Illuminance
28. Rotting Christ- Rituals
29. Abbath- Abbath
30. Moonsorrow- Jumalten Aika
I am pretty sure you are the first one to mention the new Aborted album. Top tier death/grind in my book.
I still have year end lists to comb through, but based on what I’ve been listening to this year:
(in no particular order)
Anicon – Exegeses
Mizmor – Yodh
Howls of Ebb – Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows
Lotus Thief – Gramarye
Sun Worship – Pale Dawn
Qrixkuor – Three Devils Dance
Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
Eight Bells – Landless
Snap. At this point my list of albums that I’m still really looking forward to hearing might end up being almost as good as a “best of”. I haven’t matched the sheer number of albums I listened to in years past and haven’t spent as much time with some of these as I’d like, but here’s what I’ve got at this point:
1. Howls of Ebb
2. Vektor
3. Thy Catafalque
4. Waxen
5. Spektr
6. Borknagar
7. Sacrilegium
8. Castle
9. Abbath
10. Hammers of Misfortune
11. Todtgelichter
12. Graves at Sea
13. High Spirits
14. Inquisition
15. Mare Cognitum
16. Hail Spirit Noir
17. Mithras
18. Seremonia
19. Megadeth
20. Darkend
21. Mizery
22. Subrosa
23. Hobbs’ Angel of Death
24. Albez Duz
24. Stone Magnum
25. Necromancing the Stone
26. Blood Incantation
27. Thrawsunblat
28. Ningen Isu
29. Destroyer 666
30. Bolzer (just listened to it yesterday, but my initial impression is good)
In alphabetical order because I’m cool like that
Anicon – Exegeses
Asphyx – Incoming Death
Blood Incantation – Starspawn
Brutally Deceased – Satanic Corpse
Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crépuscule
Destroyer 666 – Wildfire
Gatecreeper – Sonaran Depravation
Inquisition – Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith
Khemmis – Hunted
Marsh Dweller – The Weight of Sunlight
Nordjevel – S/T
Uada – Devoid of Light
Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude
Wormed – Krighsu
Zhrine – Unortheta
I’m a dork, so I started to keep a running list in May or June and it turned out to be a never-ending exercise in revisiting records and revising my opinions. My main criterium was how much enjoyment I got out of each record (plus I tend to be biased by live performances). I could keep doing this for another six months, but might as well call it now. I’m pretty set on the order in the top half of this list and feel very strongly about the top 4, each of which I think I will be listening to for many years to come.
1 – Vektor: Terminal Redux
2 – A.M.S.G.: Hostis Universi Generis
3 – Messa: Belfry
4 – Blood Incantation: Starspawn
5 – Ulcerate: Shrines of Paralysis
6 – Inter Arma: Paradise Gallows
7 – Khemmis: Hunted
8 – Anicon: Exegeses
9 – Thy Catafalque: Meta
10 – Revocation: Great is our Sin
11 – Hammers of Misfortune: Dead Revolution
12 – Wormed: Krighsu
13 – Bethlehem: Bethlehem
14 – Cobalt: Slow Forever
15 – Death Fortress: Deathless March of the Unyielding
16 – Thrawsunblat: Metachthonia
17 – Neurosis: Fires Within Fires
18 – Inquisition: Bloodshed
19 – Gojira: Magma
20 – Mizmor: Yodh
21 – Inverloch: Distance | Collapsed
22 – Plebeian Grandstand: False Highs, True Lows
23 – Ripper: Experiment of Existence
24 – Marsh Dweller: The Weight of Sunlight
25 – Profanatica: The Curling Flame of Blasphemy
26 – Antaeus: Condemnation
27 – Oranssi Pazuzu: Värähtelijä
28 – Ash Borer: The Irrepassable Gate
29 – Kvelertak: Nattesferd
30 – Reptilian: Perennial Void Traverse
31 – Schammasch: Triangle
32 – Withered: Grief Relic
33 – Hail Spirit Noir: Mayhem in Blue
34 – Eschatos: The Grand Noir
35 – Terra Tenebrosa: The Reverses
36 – Phobocosm: Bringer of Drought
37 – Krypts: Remnants of Expansion
38 – Ultha: Converging Sins
39 – Oathbreaker: Rheia
40 – Urfaust: Empty Space Meditation
41 – Zhrine: Unortheta
42 – Unfathomable Ruination: Finitude
43 – Glorior Belli: The Flock that Welcomes Sundown
44 – Black Table: Obelisk
45 – Bölzer: Hero
46 – Void Omnia: Dying Light
47 – Draugnim: Vulturine
48 – Gevurah: Hallelujah!
49 – Nadra: Allir Vegir til Glotunar
50 – Wode: Wode
Honorable mentions:
Stilla: Skuggsflock
Anagnorisis: Peripeteia
Skaphe: Skaphe2
LVTHN: Eradication of Nescience
Oozing Wound: Whatever Forever
Forteresse: Themes Pour la Rebellion
Mare Cognitum: Luminiferous Aether
Tarnkappe: Winterwaker
Graves at Sea: The Curse that is
Auroch: Mute Books
That Eschatos album is really good (should have a Synn Report for them next year sometime), but it was originally released at the tail-end of 2015… so I don’t feel right including it in this year’s list(s).
Same with The Infernal Sea.
Dang, didn’t realize that. Eschatos caught me by surprise, really solid record.
Serpents Lair, Gorrch, Khthoniik Cerviiks, Zørormr, Grey Heaven Fall, Serpent Seed, The Shiva Hypothesis and Blot suffer the same destiny as The Infernal Sea on my part. Did I discover the latter thanks to you? Very possible.
I almost find it legit to add second-half-of-December releases to next year’s list. Almost.
It’s not a competition buddy, hahaha
I know. It just so happens that making lists is one of my favorite things 😉
Like hell its not…
Geez…If I cant establish metal superiority over everyone else, whats the point of even making a list?
I shudder in anticipation of your mighty list.
A.M.S.G. and Eschatos sounds like awesome gems.
Islander claims these list are a great way of discovering such.
I say it’s a great way of inducing a guilt-trip for all the gems I’ve lost out on, dammit.
I’m kinda surprised not to see A.M.S.G. on more lists. I could listen to that record all day and night. So vile, dense and dark, yet containing great hooks and fantastic songwriting. Very close to being my number one for the year if it wasn’t for Vektor’s excellence in absolutely every department.
I was really impressed by the AMSG album and voluminously frothed at the mouth over it in a review here, but I’m not seeing it on very many lists.
That Black Table is greatness. It just missed my list as I cut off at 20. Oh and that Eschatos was super close to making it too. Just too many insane records this year and I felt 20 was enough.
Yes that Black Table is awesome. Shame the LP got delayed. I’ve been waiting for it forever.
Wyrding–S/T Just about my favorite record of the year, puzzled that very few other folks seem to be talking about it.
Auroch–Mute Books
Inter Arma–Paradise Gallows
Alcest–Kodama
Mithras–On Strange Loops
Old Graves–Long Shadows
Wormed–Krighsu
Zeal & Ardor–Devil is Fine
Darkthrone–Arctic Thunder
Astronoid–Air
Rebel Wizard–Triumph of Gloom
Ascendance–Miserliness
Forteresse–Themes Pour la Rebellion
Funeral Mourning–Intertia of Dissonance (A Sermon in Finality)
And a few that are mostly electronic but creepy, abrasive, or unsettling enough to appeal to metal fiends:
Valerio Tricoli–Clonic Earth
Puce Mary–The Spiral
Mika Vainio–Mannerlaatta
Tim Hecker–Love Streams
Keep up the good work, NCS!
Funeral Mourning–Intertia of Dissonance (A Sermon in Finality)
nice to see this one here!
1. Coma Cluster Void – Mind Cemeteries
2. Gorguts – Pleiades Dust
3. Ulcerate – Shrines Of Paralysis
Honorable Mention: Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep Of Reason
Mind Cemeteries is an absolute monster. Fantastic, ferocious album.
Agreed — glad to see it here.
1. Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika
2. Imperium – Titanomachy
3. Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
4. Gatecreeper – Sonaran Depravation
5. Grimner – Frost Mot Eld
6. Primordial – Shadow of Intent
7. Swine Overlord – Entheogenesis
8. Dawn of Disease – Worship the Grave
9. Mare Cognitum – Luminiferous Aether
10. Blade of Horus – Monumental Massacre
Actually, number 6 should be: Shadow of Intent – Primordial. And I would also add honorable mention: Infinite Density – Recollapse of the Universe
So many list already! I dread making mine but I always wait till after Christmas as I don’t run like a Magazine publication. This was another awesome year for Metal with some killer stuff still on the way.
Thy Catafalque – Meta
Stoned God – Discordant Divinity
Bifrost – Mana Ewah
Rhine – An Outsider
Necromancing the Stone – Jewel of the Vile
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
Lord Vicar – Gates of Flesh
Lone Wanderer – The Majesty of Loss
Hordak – Padres
Brutality – Sea of Ignorance
Kryptos – Burn Up the Night
Lord Vicar came out?! Dammit. I have to stop living under rocks 9 months out of the year.
Great list! Hordak and Bifrost diidnt make my list but I love both these bands!
https://rateyourmusic.com/list/LascaillesShroud/top-albums-of-2016/
In alphabetical order / EPs/Demos included
Blood Incantation – Starspawn
Cancer – Terminal
Death Fetishist – Clandestine Sacrament
Funeral Mourning – Inertia Of Dissonance (A Sermon In Finality)
Fvnerals – Wounds
Gateway – Scriptures Of Grief
Gespenst – Forfald
Imperceptum – Collapse Of Existence
Imperceptum – Entering The Domains Of Complete Nonexistence
Inverloch – Distance | Collapsed
Khemmis – Hunted
Krypts – Remnants Of Expansion
Lycus – Chasms
Sinistrous Diabolus – II
Sinistrous Diabolus – Monolith III-V
Skáphe – Skáphe²
Setentia – Darkness Transcend
Sol Sistere – Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum
Ulcerate – Shrines Of Paralysis
Urfaust – Empty Space Meditation
Veneficium – Demo
Voidspawn – Pyrrhic
You can count on another list from us!
Excellent!
My top 10 for now. Small changes may happen between 06 and 10.
There may be changes higher up, but I think it’s unlikely.
Top 10 – 2016
01 – The Infernal Sea – The Great Mortality
02 – Allegaeon – Proponents for Science
03 – Netherbird – The Grander Voyage
04 – Wode – Wode
05 – Watchtower – Concepts of Math: Book One
06 – Wolverine – Machina Viva
07 – Dark Funeral – Where Shadows Forever Reign
08 – Anaal Nathrakh – The Whole of the Law
09 – Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence
10 – Opeth – Sorceress
As Andy mentions under Comment 24, The Great Mortality was initially released in 2015. On the other hand, that was just on cassettes limited to 100 copies, whilst CD, LP and digital(?) releases were dropped this year. I wish it’d been a 2016 release, as I want it on my list too.
They actually self-released a cd version in 2015 too, which I also have.
Never put your full confidence in Metal Archives. About damn time I learn this now.
Not this again!
Listen, the band themselves consider the official release date of ‘The Great Mortality’ to be Februari the 19th 2016. Both the cassette and the initial cd release were very limited editions before the regular release of the album.
The 19th Februari release date 2016 is mentioned on their Bandcamp page on their Facebook en in an answer to me when I asked them about this. See here:
https://goo.gl/photos/1BFEYBayCoiyahzY7
Hey, if you want to count it as this year, feel free.
But considering the original independent release was definitely in 2015 (I received my cd copy in October, and reviewed the album month), and we, and several others, featured it prominently in our end of year round-up for 2015… we’re going to stick with that.
I’m fine with it being re-released this year. It definitely deserves more attention and wider exposure. But we counted it last year, so we’re not going to count it again.
01 – Thränenkind – King Apathy (just hit a sweet spot between post and black metal)
02 – Uada – Devoid of Light (just “fun” melodic black metal with a raw touch)
03 – Ashbringer – Yugen (that’s how atmospheric black metal should sound like)
04 – Be’Lakor – Vessel (definitly a slight departure of the typical sound and a improved over the last album which showed signs of stagnation)
04 – Adam Angst – Adam Angst (sweet fun and political german punk/hardcore)
05 – Netherbird – The Grander Voyage (took me by surprise)
06 – Morrow – Covenant of Teeth (love me some crust)
07 – Anaal Nathrakh – The whole of the law (that’s how depravity and armaggedon probably sound like…)
08 – Crippled Black Phoenix – Bronze (sometimes weird combination of psychodelic rock and melancholic, kinda Archive-like sound)
09 – Dark Tranquillity – Atoma (it’s dark tranquillity 😉
10 – Spellcaster – Night hides the day
but with all the years-end-list coming in my list will probably change, especially the entries after rank 4)
Kudoes for the shout out to Crippled Black Phoenix. Probably not extreme enough to get much notice from most people who frequent our site, but a wonderful album.
Darkend – The Canticle of Shadows. I had this on my bandcamp ‘wishlist’ since release. I use it just as a bookmarking system for things I mean to check out; it only ever gets longer. When I finally got around to listening to this a month or so ago I kicked myself for sitting on it so long. Probably album of the year for me. Reminds me of Shade Empire, but taken in a different direction.
Others in no particular order:
Allegaeon – Proponent for Sentience
Khonsu – The Xun Protectorate
Anaal Nathrakh – The Whole Of The Law
Myrkur – Mausoleum
Sarcoptes – Songs and Dances of Death
Schammasch – Triangle
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
Zeal and Ardor – Devil Is Fine
Acyl – Aftermath
Wardruna – Runaljod: Ragnarok
Youth Code – Commitment to Complications (thanks Wil Cifer!)
Dormant Ideal – We Had It Coming
Revocation – Great Is Our Sin
Protean – The Burning Centuries
Albums I thought were ‘good’ but didn’t fully grab me as much as previous releases:
Rotting Christ – Rituals
Be’lakor – Vessels
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep Of Reason
Mechina – Progenitor
Gojira – Magma
Singles:
Dymna Lotva – Самотны Чалавечы Голас (they released an album too, but I haven’t heard it yet)
Kartikeya – The Golden Blades
My favourite ‘Late to the party’ album this year (pre-2016 release I only discovered in 2016):
Obsequiae – Aria of Vernal Tombs
Obsequiae is phenomenal, I prefer the songs on”Suspended In The Brume Of Eos” but I listen to both albums a lot.
Thanks for reminding me how awesome that Darkend album was. I listened to it all weekend. MAKE YOU ALL PAY.
Wow, already so many lists! 🙂 So much new shit to listen to!
My top 33:
1. Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
2. In Mourning – Afterglow
3. Cult of Luna/ JUlie Christmas – Mariner
4. Obscure Sphinx – Epitaphs
5. Be’lakor – Vessels
6. Anaal Nathrakh – The Whole of Law
7. Deftones – Gore
8. Korn – The Serenity of Suffering
9. Alcest – Kodama
10. Omnium Gatherum – Grey Havens
11. Coldworld – Autumn
12. In Flames – Battles
13. Trees of Eternity – Hour of the Nightingale
14. Gojira – Magma
15. Moonsorrow – Jumalten Akia
16. Haken – Affinity
17. Hands of Despair – Bereft
18. Sylvaine – Wistful
19. Obsidian Kingdom – A Year With No Summer
20. Fallujah – Dreamless
21. Dark Tranquillity – Atoma
22. Hanging Garden – Hereafter
23. Red Moon Architect – Fall
24. Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
25. Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy
26. Khonsu – The Xun Protectorate
27. Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep of Reason
28. Hail Spirit Noir – Mayhem in Blue
29. Opeth – Sorceress
30. Novembre – URSA
31. October Tide – Winged Waltz
32. Lessen – A Nebulous Being
33. Countless Skies – New Dawn
I totally forgot about Clouds – Departe, which is an amazing doom record (à la Shape of Despair, Eye of Solitude, Saturnus) that is simply amazing.
In no particular order (probably will forget also a couple):
Furia – Księżyc milczy luty
Schammasch – Triangle
Hail Spirit Noir – Mayhem in Blue
Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
Ulcerate – Shrines of Paralysis
Obscure Sphinx – Epitaphs
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Krypts – Remnants of Expansion
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Khemmis – Hunted
Thy Catafalque – Meta
Zhrine – Unortheta
Wędrowcy~Tułacze~Zbiegi – Światu jest wszystko jedno
Mizmor – Yodh
Entropia – Ufonaut
Inverloch – Distance | Collapsed
Escarnium – Interitus
Lycus – Chasms
Draugnim – Vulturine
Wode – Wode
Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude
Imperium Dekadenz – Dis Manibvs
Probably in the end I would add some of the albums that were released not long ago, stuff like Antaeus, Bolzer and Aenaon.
Yes, the one I forgot would be The Hecatomb by Temple Nightside.
Every album I loved and remembered to write down, in no order:
I-Fuath
Thèmes pour la rébellion-Forteresse
Torn Cold Void-Laspell
Allir Vegir Til Glötunar-Naðra
In the shadow of the wolf-Vordr
Animus-Venom Prison
Hunted-Khemmis
Triumph of Gloom-Rebel Wizard
Arctic Thunder-Darkthrone
Commitment to Complications-Youth Code (not metal, but loud enough)
Luciferian Fullmoon Necromancy-Lykaionas
Without Providence-Reverend Brooks Wilson (not metal, but he’s the singer for Crypt Sermon)
Nordjevel-Nordjevel
L’Aube Glacée-Bahrrecht
Moloch-Ancst
Ode to the Flame-Mantar
Rites-Mysticisme
Ars Veneficium-The Reign of the Infernal King
From the Vastland-Chamrosh
Terminal Redux-Vektor
In the Shadows Below-Year of the Cobra
Rotten Limbs in Dreams of Blood-Uškumgallu
Kings in Sauron’s Service-Barrow Wight
Lunaris-Arkona
Vindland-Hanter Savet
Hour of the Nightingale-Trees of Eternity
Worms-Barbarian Swords
The Year is One-Spiritus Mortis
Oath-Kvlthammer
Vermin Lord-Anguish
Demon Summoning-Eternal Alchemist
Uškumgallu. Damn. Thanks for posting that. I’ve never heard of them before, but I’m listening to it now, and damn it’s good.
Yeah, I just happened upon that Uškumgallu release very recently. Digging it a lot.
Uškumgallu’s label, Vrasubatlat, has got some wicked stuff. Check out Triumvir Foul and Dagger Lust too!
Probably because the guys in Triumvir Foul are in every other band on the label as well…usually its just the two of them
That Spiritus Mortis record has a few killer hooks. Good call. Gonna have to check out a bunch of things on your list.
Cheers to you guys on letting the plebs have their say. As you’ll see from this list I get quite a lot of nice recommendations that would otherwise pass me by from this site. I’ve essentially given up on most other metal blogs which seem to be more concerned with who’s wearing a Metallica shirt nowadays and whatever the fuck Varg has to say about American elections. Keep up the great work! \m/
Anciients
Black Crown Initiate (I don’t know why people aren’t digging this, mayhaps I have a man crush on Andy’s cleans)
Blood Incantation
Brujeria
Colosso
Dark Tranquility
Johannes Grossmann
Hanging Garden
Hyperion
In Mourning
Katatonia
Khemmis
Meshuggah
Mightiest
Obscura
Polyptych
Terra Tenebrosa (The End is Mine to Ride is what I shave to every morning… true story)
Ultar
Wardruna
Witchery
Witherscape
Witherscape may be my favorite of the year. It’s certainly the album I’ve been spinning the most. Disappointment of the year certainly belongs to Gojira. There are 2, maybe 3 quality songs on that album, the rest is too lean, and sounds forced. My $.02
Very pleased to see Polyptych make an appearance. On my list as well. Some great tech death made the rounds this year, and “Defying the Metastasis” may be the best of the lot.
Yeah definitely overlooked album. The song-writing is top-notch. It’s a great example of tech death that doesn’t sacrifice good grooves to show us how fast everyone in the band can noodle.
Thanks for the kind words Pierre, and for the story about shaving to Terra Tenebrosa, which sounds like a very risky maneuver. 🙂
It’s possible that starting the day with The Cuckoo crooning about what I assume are the end times may sour my demeanor for the rest of the day. It’s definitely the cause of some uneven shaves. Cheers!
Now that you mention it I happen to have mine ready to go. Although I’m still running across great stuff every day. Spellcaster and Sear Bliss should probably be on here but I literally just heard them.
Cobalt was #1 all year since release and I thought there was no way they would be ousted, but then Hunted took over my life and I had to give it too them. Great year of music!
LPs
1. Khemmis, Hunted
2. Cobalt, Slow Forever
3. Asphyx, Incoming Death
4. Witchery, In His Infernal Majesty Service
5. Kvelertak, Nattesferd
6. Tower, Tower
7. Hyperion, Seraphical Euphony
8. Spirits Adrift, Chained To Oblivion
9. Oathbreaker, Rheia
10. Mindscar, What’s Beyond The Light
11. Nails, You Will Never Be One Of Us
12. Mantar, Ode To The Flame
13. Destroyer 666, Wildfire
14. Spell, For None and All
15. Nekrokraft, Will o’ Wisp
16. Summerlands, Summerlands
17. Cremosity, Witness of Human Brutality
18. Salems Pot, Pronounce This
19. Black Hate, Through The Darkness
20. Arkaik, Lucid Dawn
Eps
Skeletonwitch, The Apothic Gloom
Pallbearer, Fear And Fury
Lord Mantis, Nice Teeth Whore
a non-exhaustive list of some favorites that come to mind immediately:
Gorguts – Pleiades Dust
Zhrine – Unortheta (this is probably my number 1)
DSO – Synarchy
Mare Cognitum – Luminiferous Aether
Selvans/Downfall of Nur – Split
Virus – Memento Collider
Liminal – Fugue
The Wayward – Plutonic
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Neurosis – Fires Within Fires
Aluk Todolo – Voix
Another Aluk Todolo mention. Beginning to regret that I haven’t made time for that yet. I wonder if there’s an ecommerce site that sells blocks of time at a reasonable price.
Zhrine was fantastic indeed. They sounded so fucking good live too.
(since all my other favorites have been mentioned)
No love for SVARTELDER around here?
So far, and in no particular order
Battle Dagorath – I – Dark Dragons of the Cosmos
Clouds – Departe
Ancestors Blood – Hyperborea
Tardigrada – Emotionale Ödnis
Saor – Guardians
Imperium Dekadenz – Dis Manibvs
Marsh Dweller – The Weight of Sunlight
Old Graves – Long Shadows
ColdWorld – Autumn
Elffor – Malkhedant
Forteresse – Thèmes pour la rébellion
Sojourner – Empires of Ash
Sarcoptes – Songs And Dances Of Death
Winterlore – Winterlore
Draugnim – Vulturine
Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika
In my haste I forgot two of the absolute best ones!
Thrawsunblat – Metacthonia, and
Svirnath – Il Regno Della Natura
Well, in no particular order (and i’m sure i’ll forget some…) here they go:
Monolithe-Zeta Reticuli
Destroyer 666-Wildfire
Anciients-Voice Of The Void
Vale of Pnath-Vale of Pnath
Entropia-Ufonaut
Devin Townsend-Transcendence
Vaerbitt-Tid
Anaal Nathrakh – The Whole of the Law
Eneferens-The Inward Cold
Vektor-Terminal Redux
The Zenith Passage-Solipsist
Cobalt-Slow Forever
Ulcerate-Shrines Of Paralysis
Mare Cognitum-Luminiferous Aether
Mare Cognitum-Resonance: Crimson Void
Névoa-Re Un
Textures-Phenotype
Mouth Of The Architect-Path Of Eight
Devian Process-Paroxysm
Inter Arma-Paradise Gallows
City-On The Edge Of Forever
Mithras-On Strange Loops
Latitudes-Old Sunlight
Wayfarer-Old Souls
Thrawsunblat-Metachtonia
Hail Spirit Noir-Mayhem In Blue
Cult Of Luna-Mariner
Minarchist-In Absence
Virvum-Illuminance
Lotus Thief-Gramarye
Départe-Failure, Subside
Dementia-Dreaming In Monochrome
RLYR-Delayer
Hammers Of Misfortune-Dead Revolution
First Fragment-Desain
Astronoid-Air
Obsidian Kingdom-A Year Without Summer
Russian Circles-Guidance
Top 5 were probably Astronoid,Cult Of Luna, Hail Spirit Noir, Ancients and Entropia.
Biggest dissapointments? I’d say Fleshgod Apocalypse, Alcest and Be’Lakor. I was just expecting so much more, especially from the last two…
Shit, forgot Hyperion and Polyptich!
Great lists so far! I really enjoyed many of these albums. To avoid repetition here’s some great stuff which has not been mentioned yet (I’m referring to album releases by these bands):
– Latitudes
– Ehnahre
– Ecferus
– Pogavranjen
– Mesarthim
– Krater
– Goatpsalm
– Cantique Lépreux
– Vlk
– Palace Of Worms
– Jute Gyte
– Blizaro
– Wendess
– Darkestrah
– Mur
– Book Of Sands
– Haunter
– Toska (well ok, this one’s an EP)
– Funeral Moth
– Subterranean Disposition
– CB Murdoc
– Internal Suffering
– Fange
– Black Fucking Cancer
– Ahpdegma
– Circle Of Ouroborus (Uskottomien Kirkossa / Tarpeeton)
– Medevil
– Cognizant
– Odal
– Seputus
– Forgotten Spell
– Goes Cube
– Tardigrada
– Helcaraxë
– Jassa
– Downfall of Nur & Selvans
– Scum (because it has just been released this year, actually it’s a 90s release)
Latitudes was great 😉
Was a great year for post metal 🙂 latitudes (my favourite among these) cult of luna, sumac, russian circles, mouth of the architect, make, pyramido and ofc Neurosis! Post metal isnt dead yet 😀
Cognizant, hell yes. I also dig the new Wake, may be overshadowed by others though.
Great list! One day when I have a lot of free time I’m going to lock myself inside and listen to Jute Gyte until I can wrap my head around the music. I have a feeling it might be one of the best things I never had the patience to get into.
The last couple of releases haven’t really hit me. Some of the earlier ones are great, though; I’ve really enjoyed “Isolation”, “Senescence”, “Verstiegenheit”, and the beginning of his quarter tone guitar material on “Discontinuities” and “Vast Chains”. “Discontinuities” in particular blew me away when I first heard it.
Thanks 🙂 getting into his stuff is absolutely rewarding. It’s distinctly alien, but even though greatly composed and there are some killer riffs! But i also definitely needed some time to appreciate that 😀
I though I was going to be the one guy who was going to rep for Jute Gyte and maybe Ehnahre, but I’m really glad to find someone else who was that into this album. I think Perdurance might be the best thing he’s put out thus far.
Speaking of Jute Gyte, here’s a new track that appeared two weeks ago, if you haven’t come across it yet:
https://soundcloud.com/blue-tapes/forthcoming-in-2017-from-x-ray-five-jute-gyte-the-sparrow
This is neat. I dig it. I wish he’d change up his drum sounds a bit.
Deathspell Omega — The Synarchy Of Molten Bones
Gorguts – Pleiades Dust
Ulcerate – Shrines Of Paralysis
Gevurah – Hallelujah!
Throane – Derrière Nous, La Lumière
Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
Zhrine – Unortheta
Urfaust – Empty Space Meditation
Aluk Todolo – Voix
Qrixkuor – Three Devils Dance
Irkallian Oracle – Apollyon
Schammasch – Triangle
Vektor – Terminal Redux
Vlk – Of Wolves’ Blood
Darkestrah – Turan
Vektor – Terminal Redux (AotY)
A.M.S.G – Hostis Universi Generis
Daedalvs – Apotheosis
Fromhell – March On Gravitation
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Balance Interruption – Door 218
EP
Singularity – Void Walker
Pensées Nocturnes – A Boire et A Manger
Pretty much everything i got this year.
In alphabetical order:
An Abstract Illusion – Illuminate the Path
Alcest – Kodama
Alter Bridge – The Last Hero
Anup Sastry – Bloom
Barishi – Blood from the Lion’s Mouth
Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crépuscule
Crisis Actor – Rape Crisis Actor
Départe – Failure, Subside
Devildriver – Trust No One
The Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence
Dormant Ordeal – We Had It Coming
Dream Theater – The Astonishing
Enigma – Stars Misaligned
Entheos – The Infinite Nothing
Fallujah – Dreamless
First Fragment – Dasein
Fuath – I
Gojira – Magma
Gorguts – Pleiades’ Dust
Infant Annihilator – The Elysian Grandeval Galèriarch
Intonate – The Swerve
Korn – The Serenity of Suffering
Lustmord – Dark Matter
Mare Cognitum/Aureole – Resonance: Crimson Void
Martröð – Transmutation of Wounds
Neurotech – In Remission
The Noumenon – Terminus
Periphery – Periphery III: Select Difficulty
Perturbator – The Uncanny Valley
Perturbator – The Uncanny Valley (Expansion)
Plebeian Grandstand – False Highs, True Lows
Setentia – Darkness Transcend
Slabdragger – Rise of the Dawncrusher
Slice The Cake – Odyssey to the West
Summit – The Winds That Forestall Thy Return
Sunless – Demo
Writhe – Writhe
Wanzwa – Wanzwa IV
Wormed – Krighsu
The Zenith Passage – Solipsist
Zhrine – Unortheta
Nice to see Setentia get a mention. That Sunless demo is wicked. And I’m personally gratified that you dug Crisis Actor enough to put it on a list. 🙂
This is what I’ve got on my running list for the year:
Latitudes – “Old Sunlight”
Wildernessking – “Mystical Future”
Batushka – “Litourgiya” (technically Dec 2015)
Spotlights – “Tidals”
Astronoid – “Air”
Basement – “Promise Everything”
Zeal and Ardor – “Devil is Fine”
Gojira – “Magma”
Russian Circles – “Guidance”
Harakiri for the Sky – “III:Trauma”
IOTUNN – “The Wizard Falls”
Alcest – “Kodama”
I’m also partial to Oak Pantheon’s latest… but that doesn’t count. 😛
oh yes, it counts. 🙂
I haven’t ranked them yet, so here are 20 in no order whatsoever…
“Starspawn” – Blood Incantation
“Order of the Vulture” – Cemetery Piss
“No One Deserves Happiness” – The Body
“Värähtelijä” – Oranssi Pazuzu
“Slow Forever” – Cobalt
“Paradise Gallows” – Inter Arma
“Jumalten Aika” – Moonsorrow
“Allir vegir til glötunar” – Naðra
“The Art to Disappear” – Spektr
“Terminal Redux” – Vektor
“Bloodiest” – Bloodiest
“Save Yourself” – Happy Days
“Voices” – Wormrot
“Inferno” – Nuclear Devastation
“The Rest is Silence” – The Von Deer Skulls
“Kodama” – Alcest
“Arctic Thunder” – Darkthrone
“The Irrepassable Gate” – Ash Borer
“Yodh” – Mizmor
“The Devil is Fine” – Zeal and Ardor
I didn’t include any EPs, but notable ones for me were from Gorguts, Grave Miasma, Voivod, Tombs, and Skeletonwitch (which was surprising, because I just couldn’t fathom them without Chance’s vocals)
My Spinal Top Ten list for 2016. This wasn’t everything I enjoyed this year, not by a stretch, but these are the albums that really piqued my interest and got me excited enough to want to shout their praises to hell and back. In alphabetical order.
1. Bestial Raids – Master Satan’s Witchery.
If you thought disco metal peaked with Kiss’s Dynasty, then I have good news for you, because the best pop-metal band in recent memory just released a killer album. But that’s not important right now, because this Bestial Raids album is set to destroy all music as we know it. Listen to this immediately, and if your eardrums survive the massive orgasm this will cause them, listen to it again and again and again.
2. Blood Ceremony – Lord of Misrule.
Blood Ceremony does it again, with what may be their strongest album yet. This one is just amazing from start to finish. Every song is clever and compelling, though my favorite is The Rogue’s Lot. If no other retro/psychedelic/rock/doom albums are ever made, this one wins the title, hands down. Don’t miss it.
3. Cauchemar – Chapelle Ardente.
Epic doom at its epicest. At first, the vocals on the first song don’t seem to match the massive doomy sound and tolling bells, with a muted, restrained approach that feels a bit underwhelming for the music. In subsequent songs however the singer proves that she can wail with the best of them, so this is clearly a deliberate choice for the opener. And after a few listens it really grew on me, so now I wouldn’t want it any other way. Definitely one of my favorite doom albums of the year.
4. Cultes des Ghoules – Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love.
Release date be damned, this is too good not to mention. It may even go on my list for next year too. If you haven’t heard anything by this band yet, what the fuck are you waiting for? They don’t have a single weak album in their catalogue, and this is no exception. One of my most anticipated releases since the minute I heard about it, and it exceeded my very high expectations.
5. Grave Miasma – Endless Pilgrimage.
Death metal album of the year.
6. Hail Spirit Noir – Mayhem in Blue.
Their most aggro album to date, and while it doesn’t quite reach the fuck-you-in-the-brain destruction of Bestial Raids, maybe feeling more like an awkwardly accidental caress to the cerebrum in comparison, the songwriting here is amazing. Never dull, with their progressive and psychedelic elements on full display.
7. Hierophant – Mass Grave.
The songs are mostly short but manage to also be interesting. I loved this.
8. Inquisition – Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith.
Any Inquisition is good Inquisition, and this is particularly good Inquisition.
9. Profanatica – The Curling Flame of Blasphemy.
Booming drums and that fat chunky bass just drag you in and force you to listen all the way through. I couldn’t escape its clutches, and never wanted to, but just kept going back and back for more. Despite almost unbeatable entries from Blood Ceremony and Cultes des Ghouls, this wound up in my #1 spot for album of the year.
10. Ungod – Bewitched by Sins and Lust.
Fucking manic, with a vocal delivery that is best described as unhinged. I waited eagerly for this to arrive, and if it was possible to wear out the digital files streaming from Bandcamp prior to the album’s release, I would have. Simply the best kind of black metal.
11. Zaum – Eidolon.
This was just interesting from start to finish. It’s also a damn good album. In many ways it reminded me of the first time I heard Black Pyramid way back when. I just got absorbed into it and could listen to it over and over again. Really a fantastic doom album.
Bonus EPs:
12. Candlemass – Death thy Lover.
I’m physically incapable of making a best of list that doesn’t include a new release from Candlemass. If this EP doesn’t float your boat as much as their classic albums, go for the 5-disc Behind the Wall of Doom, with a 100-odd page book detailing the band’s history, with interviews and input from all current and past members. It’s a real treat.
13. Vomit of Doom – Magnus Cruelty.
While the band name neatly captures my reaction to our recent election, the music here promises salvation. Just listen for a little while, and all your little brains will be thrashed to bits, and you won’t care about politics or elections or countries or anything but banging your head through the next song. This is good.
I am probably being unfair to Antaeus, Blood Incantation, Deathspell Omega, and Slaughterday, to name a few, but as good as those albums are they didn’t excite me like the ones on my list did.
“Any Inquisition is good Inquisition, and this is particularly good Inquisition.”
Can I steal this? I would like to steal this.
Absolutely – you may steal with impunity.
SORRY FOR U MATE.. .HAVING TO READ ALL THIS SHIT NON SENENESS BULLSHITT
LOWBUDGED PUSSY PUNK
PUNK PUSSY
number one:::: SUMAC
I’m sensing a very deep-seated and possibly destabilizing admiration for Sumac.
Im still trying to translate it
Google Translate crashed when I resorted to it.
I feel like when humanity goes extinct this will be the last message sent out to the universe. There will be some humans left in a spaceship and they’ll see the explosion and the mass of rock and space dust headed their way as Earth is reduced to nothing, all the lights in the ship will turn deep red and power will fail and the only thing left on the multitude of screens in the ship will be this comment repeating over and over again.
So you’re saying this is actually Ultron?
And not shitty movie Ultron, but the badass version who co-opted the Phalanx to conquer entire planets?
You guys are making too big a deal about this – it’s an obvious reference to the phenomenal new PUNK PUSSY album, “Lowbudged Pussy Punk”.
Don’t know how I left that one off my list.
Black Sabbath – The End
Megadeth – Dystopia
Master – An Epiphany of Hate
Last in Line – Heavy Crown
Entombed A.D. – Dead Dawn
Rob Zombie – The Electric Warlock Acid Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser
Death Angel – The Evil Divide
Yngwie Malmsteen – World on Fire
White Chapel – Mark of the Blade
Centinex – Doomsday Rituals
Ghoul – Dungeon Bastards
Sodom – Decision Day
Neurosis – Fires Within Fires
The Agonist – Five
Asphyx – Incoming Death
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep of Reason
Korn – The Serenity of Suffering
Krypts – Remnants of Expansion
Serpentine Dominion – Serpentine Dominion
Vader – The Empire
Lamb of God – The Duke
Ghoulgatha – To Starve the Cross
Metallica – Hardwired…to Self-Destruct
Gruesome – Dimensions of Horror
🙂
Zhrine – Unortheta
Setentia – Darkness Transcend
Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
Khonsu – The Xun Protectorate
Départe – Failure, Subside
Harakiri for the Sky – III: Trauma
Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence
Wormed – Krighsu
Natvre’s – Wrath
In the Woods… – Pure
My top 17, in alphabetical order:
Antaeus – Condemnation
Blood incantation – Starspawn
Desaster – The Oath of an Iron Ritual
Escarnium – Interitus
Exumer – The Raging Tides
Forteresse – These pour la Rebellion
In Mourning – Afterglow
Martyrdod – List
Mistur – In Memoriam
Noctem – Haeresis
Nordjevel – Nordjevel
SIG:AR:TYR – Northen
Sulphur – Omens of Doom
Svarttjern – Dodsskrik
Uada – Devoid of Light
Ulcerate – Shrines Of Paralysis
Vukari – Divination
How has no one even mentioned Cough-Still They Prey? By far my favorite album this year.
One of the records I need to spend more time with soon, so thanks for the reminder.
Mithras
Schammasch
Obscura
An Abstract Illusion
Grave Miasma
I know I am far too late on this and that means no one will likely read, but here’s my list;
Skeletonwitch; Apothic Gloom (I have to support my boys)
Black Crown Initiate; Selves We Cannot Forgive
Ihsahn; Arktis
Testament; Brotherhood of the Snake
Sinsaenum; Echoes of the Tortured
Departe; Failure, Subside
The Agonist; Five
Khemmis; Hunted
Gojira; Magma
Hail Spirit Noir; Mayhem in Blue
Mithras; On Strange Loops
Cobalt; Slow Forever
Ketzer; Starless
Blood Incantation; Starspawn
Anciients; Voice of the Void
Heaven Shall Burn; Wanderer
You’re not too late at all. I expect more additions, especially since I’m about to circulate this post again on Facebook. It has turned into a very good (and extensive) resource for people looking for new music or reminders of things they meant to check out but haven’t.
Thanks. I use these lists exactly as you mentioned. So much great metal comes out nowadays and I find myself giving little time to most albums due to the sheer volume of releases. As most metalheads, I assume, I scour these lists to find those forgotten gems and always find quite a few.
You actually liked that Tribulation ripoff “Starless” Ketzer album?
Question… did you listen to this band before when they were a far superior blackened thrash band?
I’m pretty late this year (just seen the facebook post), but here goes. Albums in rough order within each genre.
BLACK METAL
Alkerdeel – Lede
Dagger Lust – Aggramica and s/t
Woddrea Mylenstede – Créda Beaducwealm
Mosaic – Samhain Celebration
Darkthrone – Arctic Thunder
Stillborn Fawn – Norn
Ash Borer – The Irrepassable Gate
Krallice – Hyperion
Aosoth – IV / Appendixes (sic)
NOISE / DRONE
Flysch – Madera Document
Skin Graft – Activity Intolerance
Mon.Ark Ammo – s/t
The Rita – Pedicure Deconstruction of the Feminine
FOLK
Forndom – Dauthra Dura
Arrowwood – Eye of Ivy, Thorn and Moss
Sangre de Muerdago – Os Segredos da Raposa Vermella
Kageraw – Shaman Tears
Worm Ouroborous – What Graceless Dawn
Wardruna – Ragnarok
Honourable mentions to Cloak, The Body, Kvelertak, Ulcerate, Eos, Caveman Cult, Black Fucking Cancer, and Bestial Raids
Also mad about Malokarpatan – Stridzie Dni, but that’s technically a 2015 release…
Yes! Those Dagger Lust tapes kicked my ass!
Top 50 of 2016
Aborted – Retrogore
Antigama – The Insolent
Ash Borer – The Irrepassible Gate
Blood Incantation – Starspawn
Blut Aus Nord – Codex Obscura Nomina
Car Bomb – Meta
Darkestrah – Turan
Darkthrone – Arctic Thunder
Dawnbringer – XX
Destroyer 666 – Wildfire
Diamond Head – Diamond Head
Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy
Draugnim – Vulterine
Entombed A.D. – Dead Dawn
Fuath – I (Year’s best album for me)
Gadget – The Great Destroyer
Gehennah – To Loud to Live, To Drunk to Die
Grave Miasma – Endless Pilgrimage
Hellbringer – Awakem from the Abyss
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
Ihsahn – Arktis
Inquisition – Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith
Inter Arma – The Paradise Gallows
The Lion’s Daughter – Existence is Horror
Massive Attack – Ritual Spirit
Metallica – Hardwired…To Self Destruct
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Neurosis – Fires Within Fires
Old Chapel – Visions from Beyond
Oranassi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
Piss Vortex – Future Cancer
Planes Mistaken for Stars – Prey
Plebeian Grandstand – False Highs, True Lows
Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
Ravencult – Force of Profanation
Saor – Guardians
Spektr – The Art to Disappear
Spinebreaker – Ice Grave
Sumerlands – Sumerlands
Testament – Brotherhood of the Snake
Thy Catafalque – Meta
A Tribe Called Quest – We Got It from Here… Thank You 4 Your Service
Vektor – Terminal Reflux
Vermin Womb – Decline
Voivod – Post Society
Wildernessking – Mystical Future
Witchery – In His Infernal Majesty’s Service
Wormrot – Voices
Zeal and Ardor – Devil is Fine
Zhrine- Unortheta
Ravencult–YES.
I didn’t even know Ash Borer had a new album in 2016. I just checked it out and it is awesome. Have to check out that new Blut Aus Nord too. Nice list (Radiohead even!).
It only just came out like a week ago
I’ll go with these, knowing that there are likely to be a couple last minute changes in December (Mechina’s new one comes out on Monday)
Anaal Nathrakh – The Whole of the Law
Khemmis – Hunted
Uada – Devoid of Light
The Gorge – Thousand Year Fire
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
The Vision Bleak – The Unknown
Goatpsalm – Downstream
Vainaja – Verenvalaja
Ihsahn – Arktis
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
Non metal
David Bowie – Blackstar
Myrkur – Mausoleum (live)
Youth Code – Commitment to Complications
Oops, left out Oak Pantheon’s “In Pieces”
1. Eight Bells – Landless
2. Deathspell Omega – Synarchy of Molten Bones
3. Gorguts – Pleiades’ Dust
4. Subrosa – For This We Fought the Battle of Ages
5. Sumac – What One Becomes
6. Neurosis – Fires Within Fires
I’ve been very busy this year and have missed out or slept on a lot of shit judging by these lists. This is no attempt at a “best of”, just my personal favorites from what I did get my grubbies on.
Astronoid – Air
Blood Incantation – Starspawn
Darkthrone – Arctic Thunder
Death Fortress – Deathless March of the Unyielding
Deftones – Gore
Dope Smoker – Marijuana
Ghost – Popestar
Gojira – Magma
Killswitch Engage – Incarnate
Landskap – III
Metallica – Hardwired…to Self Destruct
Panopticon/Waldgefluster – split
Skeletonwitch – The Apothic Gloom
Superjoint – Caught Up In the Gears of Application
Whitechapel – Mark of the Blade
Wode – s/t
Funnily enough you’ve got two of my absolute personal favourites in there… along with two of my biggest disappointments from this year.
That’s me, covering the spectrum. I have a guess at the disappointments, but I’m not gonna ask you to compromise your lists early 😉
Anagnorisis-Peripeteia
Draugur-By the Rays of His Golden Light
Endless Horizon-Cycle funèbre
Forteresse-Thèmes pour la rébellion
Frigoris-Nur ein Moment…
Krater-Urere
Nordjevel-Nordjevel
Pénitence Onirique-V.I.T.R.I.O.L
Sol Sistere-Unfading Incorporeal Vacuum
Throane-Derrière-Nous, La Lumière
True Black Dawn-Come the Colorless Dawn
Ultha-Converging Sins
Wode-Wode
Vektor-Terminal Redux
Khemmis-Hunted
Saor-Guardians
Ulcerate-Shrines of Paralysis
Skáphe-Skáphe2
Gorguts-Pleiades’ Dust
Insomnium-Winter’s Gate
Jute Gyte-Perdurance
Wormed-Krighsu
Moonsorrow- Jumalten aika
Inquisition-Bloodshed across the Empyrean Altar beyond the Celestial Zenith
Xoth-Invasion of the Tentacube
Those last two are just there because I’m from Seattle they’re both badass local bands
Best non-metal album: Danny Brown-Atrocity Exhibition
A few quality releases that haven’t been mentioned yet (if I’m not mistaken)…
Aornos – Mors Sola
Spawning Abhorrence – The Sleepless One
Trees, Clouds & Silence – s/t
Kvalvaag – Malum
Tardive Dyskinesia – Harmonic Confusion
Agatus – The Eternalist
Sarabante – Poisonous Legacy
Korgonthurus – Vuohen Siunaus
Kalmankanta – Tyhjyys
A Diadem Of Dead Stars – Kingdoms Bathed In Golden Light
Ψ.Χ – Το Φως Το Αληθινό
Dark Nightmare – Tortured Souls
The Howling Void – The Triumph Of Ruin
Holy cow I think this is the first mention of Korgonthurus! That album brutal.
Subject to revision…
1 Suma – The Order of Things
2 Schammasch – Triangle
3 Départe – Failure, Subside
4 Mouth of the Architect – Path of Eight
5 Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
6 Kodiac – Being and Nothingness
7 Monolith – Primordial
8 Worm Ouroborous – What Graceless Dawn
9 Oathbreaker – Rheia
10 Faces of the Bog – Ego Death
11 Religious Observance – Boiling Excrement
12 Subetroth – Native Alien
13 Neurosis – Fires Within Fires
14 Lycus – Chasms
15 Suffocate for Fuck Sake – In My Blood
16 Messa – Belfry
17 Subrosa – For This We Fought the Battle of Ages
18 Sumac – What One Becomes
19 Sedna – Eterno
20 Ortega – Sacred States
21 Mirrors for Psychic Warfare – Mirrors for Psychic Warfare
22 Nevoa – Re Un
23 Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas – Mariner
24 Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
25 Phantom Winter – Sundown Pleasures
26 Ovtrenoir – Eroded
27 Love Sex Machine – Asexual Anger
28 Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy
29 Yeti on Horseback -The Great Dying
30 Throane – Derrière-nous, la lumière
Final version.
1. Suma – The Order of Things
2. Départe – Failure, Subside
3. Schammasch – Triangle
4. Downfall of Gaia – Atrophy
5. Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
6. Cult of Luna & Julie Christmas – Mariner
7. Oathbreaker – Rheia
8. Ash Borer – The Irrepassable Gate
9. Sumac – What One Becomes
10. Kodiac – Being and Nothingness
11. Ortega – Sacred States
12. Love Sex Machine – Asexual Anger
13. Religious Observance – Boiling Excrement
14. Monolith – Primordial
15. Hipoxia – Si Devs Esset Occidendvs Erit – Monvmentvm ab Khaos I –
16. Subetroth – Native Alien
17. Black Bone Exorcism – Crack the Bone, Break the Heart
18. Worm Ouroborous – What Graceless Dawn
19. Névoa – Re Un
20. Partholón – Follow Me Through Body
21. Cobalt – Slow Forever
22. Mouth of the Architect – Path of Eight
23. Neurosis – Fires Within Fire
24. Throane – Derrière-nous, la lumière
25. Lycus – Chasms
26. Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
27. Faces of the Bog – Ego Death
28. Messa – Belfry
29. Subrosa – For This We Fought the Battle of Ages
30. Mirrors for Psychic Warfare – Mirrors for Psychic Warfare
Abbath – Abbath
Borknagar – Winter Thrice
Conan – Revengeance
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
Wildernessking – Mystical Future
Obscura – Akroasis
Hexvessel – When We Are Death
Gomorrah – The Haruspex
Desolator – Spawn of Misanthropy
Love Sex Machine – Asexual Anger
Oranssi Pazuzu – Varahtelija
Cobalt – Slow Forever
Slabdragger – Rise of the Dawncrusher
The Bendal Interlude – Reign of the Unblinking Eye
Wormed – Krighsu
Krater – Urere
Graves at Sea – The Curse That Is
Ihsahn – Arktis
Destroyer 666 – Wildfire
Vektor – Terminal Redux
Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika
Gorguts – Pleiades’ Dust
Astronoid – Air
Swans – The Glowing Man
Gojira – Magma
Nails – You Will Never Be One of Us
Skuggsja – Skuggsja
Black Crown Initiate – Selves We Cannot Forgive
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Inquisition – Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar…
Rebel Wizard – Triumph of Gloom
Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence
Neurosis – Fires Within Fires
40 Watt Sun – Wider Than Sky
Thy Catafalque – Meta
Hail Spirit Noir – Mayhem in Blue
Thrawsunblat – Metachthonia
Whores – Gold
Khemmis – Hunted
Witchery – In His Infernal Majesty’s Service
Ulver – ATGCLVSSCAP
My inevitable conclusion of this was to post every single metal record I enjoyed this year.
A bit late to the party, and still not entirely sure about the order, but mine is something like this:
1. Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crepuscule
2. Ehnahre – Douve
3. Ulcerate – Shrines of Paralysis
4. Gorguts – Pleiades’ Dust
5. Irkallian Oracle – Apolyon
6. Auroch – Mute Books
7. Convulsing – Errata
8. Temple Nightside – The Hecatomb
9. Inverloch – Distance Collapsed
10. Vmthanaachth – Fit Secundum Regulam
11. Ritual Chamber – Obscurations (To Feast On The Seraphim)
12. Zhrine – Unortheta
13. Skaphe – Skaphe2
14. Spire – Entropy
15. Coma Cluster Void – Mind Cemeteries
16. Howls of Ebb – Cursus Impasse, The Pendlomic Vows
17. Departe – Failure, Subside
18. Predatory Light – Predatory Light
19. Blood Incantation – Starspawn
20. Setentia – Darkness Transcend
21. Geryon – The Wound And The Bow
22. Concrete Mascara – Perennial Disappointment
23. Swampcult – The Festival
24. Altarage – Nihil
25. Our Place Of Worship Is Silence – The Embodiment Of Hate
COBALT – Slow Forever
Because I am slow, I never knew till today that Cobalt released an album in 2016, called Slow Forever. Just listening to this today. Wow, this belongs on an album of the year–I never heard such heartfelt vocals and riffs. This is real pain and anguish, presented in a stew of crushing heaviness. I read some reviews that disliked the lengthy songs but I think that enhances the effect.
My 2016 best playlist, by order of release:
Mutant – Pleiades
The Slayerking – Sanatana Dharma
Gomorrah – The Haruspex
Vredehammer – Violator
Cobalt – Slow Forever
Orbit Culture – Rasen
Fleshgod Apocalypse – King
Aborted – Retrogore
Haken – Affinity
Schammasch – Triangle
Vektor – Terminal Redux
The Vision Bleak – The Unknown
Bel’lakor – Vessels
Frost* – Falling Satellites
Thy Catafalque – Meta
Khonse – The Xun Protectorate
Best thing I did this year?… upgraded my iPod to 1TB. Now, I can fit all this wonderful new music you guys have turned me on to. This is the best online community in metal. ETERNAL FUCKING HAILS my friends.
Great year! List could easily be twice as long:
1. Mithras – On Strange Loops
2. Tides Of Sulphur – Extinction Curse
3. Voidspawn – Pyrrhic
4. War//Plague – Carrion
5. Dormant Ordeal – We Had It Coming
6. Asphyx – Incoming Death
7. Thralldom – Time Will Bend Into Horror
8. Bädr Vogu – Wroth
9. Ulcerate – Shrines Of Paralysis
0. Hollow Sense – Encirclement
I said it could easily be twice as long and I was right! Here are the rest:
11. Gadget – The Great Destroyer
12. Conan – Revengeance
13. Wormed – Krigshu
14. Ripper – Experiment Of Existence
15. Brutally Deceased – Satanic Corpse
16. Dead Congregation – Sombre Doom
17. Necrot – The Labyrinth
18. Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crepuscle
19. Phobocosm – Bringer Of Drought
20. Temple Of Gnosis – De Secretis Naturae Alchemica
2016 shaped up to be one of the best years in recent memory for metal.
Just saw that Soulburn put one out too so that complicates things.
Lots of cool little EPs this year, and a few LP gems as well! I haven’t spent an equal amount of time with all of the following, but these are the releases I enjoyed the most:
Wode – Wode
Imperial Triumphant – Inceste EP
Winterhorde – Maestro
Auroch/Mitochondrion – In Cronian Hour EP
Anicon – Exegeses
Cadaveric Fumes – Dimensions Obscure
Khemmis – Hunted
Convulsing – Errata
Palace of Worms – The Ladder
Blood Incantation – Starspawn
List of albums I listeneed to the most during the year:
imperium dekadenz – vis manibvs
The Vision Bleak – The Unknown
goatess II – purgatory under new management
Abbath – Abbath
Testament – Brotherhood of the Snake
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
darkher – realms
october tide – winged waltz
sahg – memento mori
vainaja – verenvalaja
usurpress – the regal tribe
winterfylleth – the dark hereafter
Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
Netherbird – The Grander Voyage
belenos – Kornôg
My Top 10 of 2016
1. Soar- Guardians
2. Cultes Des Ghoules- Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love.
3. Thy Catafalque- Meta
4. Schammasch- Triangle
5. Messa- Belfry
6. Moonsorrow- Jumalten aika
7. Quercus- Heart of Bread
8. Wode- Wode
9. Jute Gyte- Perdurance
10. Skuggsja- A Piece For Mind and Mirror
Honourable Mentions:
Khemmis- Hunted
Sojourner- Empires of Ash
Vukari- Divination
Thrawsunblast- Metachthonia
Ashbringer- Yugen
Grand Magus- Sword Songs
Amon Amarth- Jomsviking
Throane- Derrière-Nous, La Lumière
Madder Mortem- Red In Tooth And Claw
Eye of Solitude- Cenotaph
Clouds- Departe
King Goat- Conduit
Somnus Aeternus- Exulansis
The Loom of Time- NihilReich
Trivax- SIN
FromHell- March On Gravitation
Panychida- Haerecticalia (The Night Battles)
Departe- Failure, Subside
Dawnbringer- XX
Petrichor- Rain
Spirit of the Forest- A Void In The Fields of Silence
Lucian The Wolfbearer- Seidr
My Top 5 of 2016 (so far) :
Messa – Belfry
Thy Catfalque – Meta
Death Fortress – Deathless March of the Unyielding
Nadra – Allir vegir til glötunar
Pensées Nocturnes – À boire et à manger
in no particular order:
Alcest – Kodama
Rimfrost – Rimfrost
Khemmis – Hunted
Darkher – Relams
Vainaja – Verinvalaja
Vredehammer – Violator
Saor – Guardians
Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika
Harikiri for the Sky – III: Trauma
Oranssi Pazuzu – Varahtelija
Honourable Mentions:
Wildernessking – Mystical Journey
Clouds – Departe
Kvelertak – Natteferd
Uada – Devoid of Light
Hope I’m not too late:
Abbath – Abbath
Astronoid – Air
Cobalt – Slow Forever
Cult of Luna, Julie Christmas – Mariner
Dark Suns – Everchild
Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence
Fallujah – Dreamless
Ghoul – Dungeon Bastards
Gojira – Magma
Gone is Gone – Gone is Gone
Grieved – Grieved
Harakiri for the Sky – III: Trauma
Ihsahn – Arktis.
Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts
Luna’s Call – Divinity
Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep Of Reason
Obsidian Kingdom – A Year with no Summer
Opeth – Sorceress
Never too late.
Oh forgot Ellende – Todbringer
DOOMED – Anna
Schammasch – Triangle
Sodom – Decision Day
Witchery – In His Infernal Majesty’s Service
Asphyx – Incoming Death
Eternal Deformity – No Way Out
Seven Sister of Sleep – Ezekiel’s Hag
Be’Lakor – Vessels
Katatonia – The Fall of Hearts
Zhrine – Unorthete
It was painful cutting out my other top albums of 2016, but a good amount has already been listed. These are Great Albums that should not be missed by aficionados of this genre.
Listed alphabetically:
Alastor- Waldmark
Antmateria- Valo Aikojen Takaa
Astral Path- An Oath to the Void
Coldworld- Autumn
Darklaid- Modus
Ellende- Todbringer
Fiave- Dall Alto Di Una Roccia
Fimbultyr- Niddikter
Frostbite- Etching Obscurity
Gra- Ending (late 2015)
Krigsgrav- Waves of Degradation
Lathspell- Torn Cold Void
Mesarthim- -.- -… … .-.-. .
Nullingroots- take care
Oak Pantheon- In Pieces
Sektemtum- Panacea
Skyforest- Unity
Srogosc- Umbra Mortis
Stworz- Zagony Bogow (late 2015)
Svarta- Lethargie
Svirnath- II Regno della natura
Tardigrada- Emotionale Odnis
Thokkian Vortex- Into the Nagual
Unreqvited- Disquiet
Utzalu- Drowning in Sanguine Screams/Germinal
Vallum- Insight
Veldes- Ember Breather
Vermine- Vermine
Vow of Thorns- Farewell to the Sun
We’d Be- Beyond the Line of Sanity
Stuff I really liked this year:
Vektor – Terminal Redux
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
Khemmis – Hunted
Alcest – Kodama
Dark Tranquility – Atoma
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika
Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
Saor – Guardians
Inter Arma – Paradise Gallows
Russian Circles – Guidance
Wode – Wode (This one really surprised me, but I was immediately drawn in by the album art, which for some reason made me think of Dark Souls.)
Honorable Mentions that I didn’t spend enough time with:
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Thy Catafalque – Meta
Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
Devin Townsend Project – Transcendence (I’ve probably listened to Stormbending a ton though.)
Blood Incantation – Starspawn
Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crepuscule
My biggest disappointment this year would be Vessels. It’s not that it’s a bad album. I don’t think Be’lakor is capable of that. It’s just not as good as Stone’s Reach. And the honor didn’t go to Opeth because my wife enjoyed Sorceress. I think she has a crush on Mikael Akerfeldt, and I’m okay with this.
No-one seems to like Brujeria as much as I do…
– Brujeria
– Ravencult
– Ghoul
– Metallica :p
Love the site, check it daily (at least). Thought I’d share:
http://www.benwestdesign.net/studio-stream/post/225
1. Blood Incantation – Starspawn
2. Cultes des Ghoules – Cove, or Evil Ways Instead of Love
3. Howls of Ebb – Curses Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows
4. Nucleus – Sentient
5. Predatory Light – Predatory Light
6. Eternal Champion – The Armor of Ire
7. Ripper – Experiment of Existence
8. Demon Bitch – Hellfriends
9. Black Tomb – Black Tomb
10. Darkthrone – Arctic Thunder
11. Eternal Khan – Lost in the Night of Ages
12. Mavradoxa – Sojourners
13. Wretch – S/T
14. Sumerlands -S/T
15. Ritual Chamber – Obscurations (To Feast On The Seraphim)
16. Infant Death – Violent Rites
17. Iron Spell – Electronic Conjuring
18. Reptilian – Perennial Void Traverse
19. Crimson Moon – Oneironaut
20. Ustalost – The Spoor of Vipers
21. Skáphe – Skáphe2
22. Black Fucking Cancer – S/T
23. Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crépuscule
24. Grave Miasma – Endless Pilgrimage
25. Raptore – Rage n’ Fever
Ok..there is the thing..this post is pure nerdgasm..Here we go:
My absolute favorite top 55 albums
55.Kawir
54.Lord Vicar
53.Auroch
52.Mortichnia
51.Vukari
50.Spiritus Mortis
49.Anciients
48.Spire
47.Vanhelgd
46.Suspiral
45.Svartelder
44.Skaphe
43.Anagnorisis
42.Inquisition
41.Asphyx
40.Throane
39.VIII
38.Oranssi Pauu
37.Chthe’llst
36.Wode
35.In the Woods
34.Khemmis
33.Inter Arma
32.Temple Nightside
31.Gatecreeper
30.Bossk
29.Vainaja
28.Howls of Ebb
27.Cultes des Ghoules
26.Withered
25.Anaal Nathrakh
24.Polyptich
23.Destroyer 666
22.Behexen
21.Schammasch
20.Ravencult
19.Terra Tenebrosa
18.Abbath
17.Altarage
16.Nadra
15.Hail Spirit Noir
14.Plebean Grandstand
13.Aenaon
12.Agatus
11.Book of Sand
10.Phobocosm
9.Eternal Champion
8.Mithras
7.Thy Catafalque
6.Ulcerate
5.Zeal and Ardor
4.Antaeus
3.Vektor
2.Darkthrone
1.Deathspell Omega
0.CELTIC FROST – MONOTHEIST 10 YEARS ANNIVERSARY(this disc got me into extreme metal)
Top Eps: 10.Qrixkuor
9.Vircolac
8.Eucharist
7.Auroch/Mitochondrion split
6.Grave Miasma
5.Agoraphobic Nosebleed
4.Toska
3.Martrod
2.Ghost
1.Gorguts
Top 15 hardcore/crust fused with metal(i think you got the point)
15.Sarabante
14.Martyrdod
13Atrament
12.Slaves B.c.
11.Hesitation Wounds
10.Our place of worship is silence
9.Thranenkind
8.Trap Them
7.Kvelertak
6.Oathbreaker
5.Discharge
4.Nails
3.Mantar
2.Dillinger Esc. Plan
1.Kataxnia
Sorry for the long post and spelling mistakes in some bands’ names
Best of 2016
Void Meditation Cult – Utter the Tongue of the Dead
Slegest – Vidsyn
Grave Miasma -Endless Pilgrimage
Altarage – Nihil
Inquisition – Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith
Ultha – Converging Sins/ Dismal Ruins/ In Memorian of Quorthon
Batushka – Litourgiya
Uada – Devoid of Light
Death Fortress – Deathless March of the Unyielding
Darkthrone
Seven Sisters of Sleep
Murg – Gudatall
Darkestrah – Turan
Oranssi Pazuzu – Värähtelijä
Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas
Coffin Lust -Manifestation of Inner Darkness
Ggu:ll – Dwaling
Recitations – The First of the Listeners
Sheidim – Shrines of the Void
Gateway – Scriptures of Grief
Gatecreeper – Sonoran Depravation
Nevoa – Re Un
Départe – Failure, Subside
Mammoth Weed Wizard Bastard – Nachthexen
Urzeit – Anmoksha
Goatpsalm – Downstream
Zhrine
SPLITS/ E.P.
Verwoed – Bodemloos
Circle of Salt/Taggarik Split
Coffins/Ilsa split
Gateway – Unhallowed Ruins / Rites
Nocturnal Graves
Eucharist – Endarkenment
Shrine of Insanabilis – Tombs Opened by Fervent Tongues
Leather Glove – Skin on Glass
ACHERONTAS / SLIDHR
Deus Mortem – Demons of Matter and the Shells of the Dead
DEMOS
Enucleator – Demo
Ceremented – Unbound Horror Demo
Utzalu – Drowning in Sanguine Screams
Urzeit – Anmoksha
No love for Imperium Dekadenz?? Y’all are broken.
MY TOP 40 RELEASES OF 2016
1. CULTES DES GHOULES – Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love
2. ASH BORER – The Irrepassable Gate
3. WILDERNESSKING – Mystical Future
4. COBALT – Slow Forever
5. ANAGNORISIS – Peripeteia
6. MARE COGNITUM – lUMINIFEROUS
7. KRALLICE – Prelapsarian
8. CULT OF LUNA & JULIE CHRISTMAS – Mariner
9. OATHBREAKER – Rheia
10.HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY – Trauma
11.THY CATAFALQUE -Meta
12.MORPHINIST – Doomcraft,Giants,Terraforming and Nihil (Everything this guy does is golden)
13.MITHRAS – On Strange Loops
14.ORANNSI PAZUZU – Varahtelija
15.DEATHSPELL OMEGA – The Synarchy of Molten Bones
16.MESARTHIM – Suffocate , Spire , Pillars , .- -… … . -. -.-. . ,The Great Filter
17.ULCERATE – Shrines of Paralysis
18.BLOOD INCANTATION – Starspawn
19.VEKTOR – Terminal Redux
20.DEPARTE – Failure,Subside
21.UADA – Devoid of Light
22.ENEFERENS – The Hours Beneath
23.INTER ARMA – Paradise Gallows
24.DIN – Rain Follows The Plow
25.CONVULSING – Errata
26.COLDWORLD – Autumn
27.TARDIGRADA – Emotionale Odnis
27.THUNDERWAR – Black Storm
28.PLEBEIAN GRANDSTAND – False Highs,True Lows
29.MARSH DWELLER – The Weight Of Sunlight
30.THRAWSUNBLAT – Metachthonia
31.WODE – Wode
32.ALCEST – Kodama
33.KATATONIA – The Fall of Hearts
34.JUTE GYTE – Perdurance
35.FUATH – I
36.MIZMOR – Yodh
37.SCHAMMASCH – Triangle
38.IHSAHN – Arktis
39.HOWLS OF EBB – Cursus Impasse The Pendlomic Vows
40.TAKE OVER AND DETROY – Take Over and Destroy
Proudly joining the much-mocked laters, here’s my belatedly formulated list.
1. Vektor – Terminal Redux
2. Unfathomable Ruination – Finitude
3. Moonsorrow – Jumalten Aika
4. Insomnium – Winter’s Gate
5. Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
6. Kvelertak – Nattesferd
7. Astronoid – Air
8. Inquisition – Bloodshed…
9. Vainaja – Verenvalaja
10. Mistur – In Memoriam
now that it is 2017 i can post my list (with apologies to urzeit, uskumgallu, auroch, mizmor, anicon, withered, and uada whose albums i haven’t really listened to)
1. graves at sea – the curse that is
2. khemmis – hunted
3. nails – you will never be one of us
4. badr vogu – wroth
5. vektor – terminal redux
6. blood incantation – starspawn
7. ash borer – the irrepassable gate
8. trap them – crown feral
9. neurosis – fires within fires
10. body void – ruins
11. lycus – chasms
12. black tusk – pillars of ash
13. ringworm – snake church
14. chthe’ilist – le dernier crepuscule
15. wode – s/t
Obscura – Akroasis
Surgeon – Beast of Light
Revocation – Great is Our Sin
Colosso – Obnoxious (#1!)
Latitudes – Old Sunlight
Anciients – Voice of the Void
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Helgamite – Hypnagogia
Departe – Failure, Subside
Demo/EP – Ulthar – Demo, Blood Incantation – Starspawn
Live – All Them Witches – Brussels Belgium
“Damn if there weren’t a ton of folks could sub on this list on a given day” – The Loom of Time, Russian Circles, Lotus Thief, Cobalt, Megatherium, Sahg, In Mourning, Metal Church, The Wakedead Gathering, Warcrab…
I know, replying to myself…i was very ill and broke from bills most of the year, didn’t buy a lot of music. What i have bought is amazing. Being such a phenomenal year for metal, i want to mention Nevoa, which i picked up late and am just loving now and these groups always on my radar and from these lists, would love but haven’t heard at all 🙁 –
Witchery, Vektor, Thy Catalfalque, Ravencult, Inter Arma, Destroyer 666, Gorguts, Haken, Brutally Deceased, Katatonia, AND FALLUJAH(!?!?).
Well, better late than never, and being last will ensure this is easy to find if I care to reference it. Top 25:
Abbath – Abbath
A.M.S.G. – Nostis Universi Generis
Be’lakor – Vessels
Bethlehem – Bethlehem
Blood Incantation – Starspawn
Caina – Christ Clad in White Phosphorus
Chthe’ilist – Le Dernier Crepusale
Cobalt – Slow Forever
Destroyer 666 – Wildfire
First Fragment – Dasein
Gorguts – Pleiades’ Dust
Hail Spirit Noir – Mayhem in Blue
Helcaraxe – The Last Battle
Howls of Ebb – Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows
Hyperion Seraphical Euphony
Inquisition – Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith
Master’s Hammer – Formulae
Mithras – On Strange Loops
Panopticon – Revisions of the Past
Schammasch – Triangle
Sulphur – Omens of Doom
Uada – Devoid of Light
Vektor – Terminal Redux
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary
Zealotry – The Last Witness
NON-METAL
David Bowie – Blackstar
Death Grips – Bottomless Pit
Hexvessel – When We Are Death
My copy of Blackstar actually says 2015, but it would have felt like a great disservice to both the album and the man behind it to not mention it.
Oops. Panopticon should have been under “Best Reissue”, so I’ll replace it with Eternity’s End – The Fire Within.