' Top 10 Metal Albums of 2024 of the Music Press

To compile this data, I went through every big music website that has a top ten metal album list along with all the writer's lists from various websites to find who my peers in music journalists thought were the top 10 metal albums of 2024, so this compiles lists, from Stereogum, Metal Sucks, Rolling Stone, Revolver, No Clean Singing, Ghost Cult, Treblezine, Pop Matters, Metal Injection, Angry Metal Guy, Loudwire, Decibel,, Lambgoat and more.  

Only a few surprises, the top 5 should be expected if you see what albums are getting the most buzz and hype. I think the number one album is perhaps the most overhyped of the bunch, but it also won by the hugest margin, I think most of these albums were safe bets, by artists who do not push societies buttons making them pretty tame, which is not really what metal is about, it's a very controlled danger, is the overall tone of this list with a few exceptions to this rule

10-Couch Slut - "You Could Do it Tonight" 

This was a surprise as it's a great album that rides the line between noise-rock and sludge. It's dark and lyrically interesting, glad that it is getting recognition. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/couch-slut-you-could-do-it-tonight.html

9-Wormed - "Omegon" 

I heard this album and thought I would rather listen to the new Benighted. But impressed this once got so many mentions. 

8-Job For a Cowboy - "Moon Healer" 

Well-made, but I would rather listen to Carcass when it comes to this sort of thing. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/01/job-for-cowboy-moon-healer.html

7-Caligula's Horse - "Charcoal Grace" 

Was not impressed enough by the songs I heard from this one to review the whole album. It's more for the kinda kids who listen to Devin Townsend and proggy rock and get their over-produced guitar tones painted up like a metal band without actually being, one, they are talented enough players, this one just bored me. Not dark enough. 

6-Replicant-"Infinite Mortality' 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/replicant-infinite-mortality.html

5-Crypt Sermon- "The Stygian Rose" 

Falling at the intersection where thrash, power metal and doom meet, this takes the best melodic elements from bands like Metal Church and takes them to work. The best album on this list. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/07/crypt-sermon-stygian-rose.html

4-Ulcerate - "Cutting the Throat of God' 

This album is good, and I am surprised it got so much recognition. It did not make my top 10 death metal albums as there were just more death metal albums that were better. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/04/ulcerate-cutting-throat-of-god.html

3-Chat Pile-"Cool World' 

This is one of the best sludge albums of the year. It's more accessible than a Neurosis album, and these guys are pretty clever so it's not surprising this album proved to be the one that broke them through to the metal mainstream. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/chat-pile-cool-world.html

2-Opeth-"The Last Will and Testament' 

They made number two on my prog-list. There is more of a metal touch to things, since he brings back the growl, and these are well-written songs so this is one of the few album's on here that warrants the hype. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/opeth-last-will-testament.html

1- Blood Incantation - "Absolute Elsewhere" 

This one won everyone over by a pretty huge margin. I was basically an honorable mention on my top 10 prog albums of the year. It's good, but not the best, however, the band has been a hipster favorite when it comes to death metal since they have mustaches and look like they work at a brewery rather than the bullet belt norm of the genre. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/blood-incantation-absolute-elsewhere.html

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The Top 10 Progressive Albums of 2024

When it comes to prog, few bands actually progress. Most that claim to be a part of this genre just wank around with an overabundance of guitar solos that the songs are merely bookends for, rather than serving songs that go somewhere.  The bands that made this year's top 10 list are taking you places with their songs. There are some guitar solos here and there, but shredding is not the emphasis, nor is using odd time signatures for the sake of just doing so. Some of these bands are more metallic, and a few albums even flirt with pop at times. These are not the coolest prog albums, but the best, fuck what other blogs say,  

After sorting through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of 2024. The fact that these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album; there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day, what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, and you look forward to listening to it again. You might find your next favorite on this list, and I have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway, here are the top 10 Progressive albums of 2024.

10- Blood Incantation- "Absolute Elsewhere" 

Sure combining Pink Floyd with Morbid Angel is a great idea. This album seems to have gotten enough hype due to it, and it certainly deserves an honorable mention here. But The rest of this list feels more original to me, and wears their influences less on their sleeves .

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/blood-incantation-absolute-elsewhere.html

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9-Trelldom- "...By the Shadows..." 

 It can be hard to keep up with all of Gaahl's varied project's over the years, despite him being one of my favorite Black Metal vocalists. This project is more diverse than Gorgoroth, and I think makes excellent use of his voice. The members of this band have also played in God Seed, with the drummer Kenneth Kapstad having covered the most ground. I would  not call this band black metal, though they are dark, but a flowing progressive sense flows through them. The shadowy drone they sweep you away in is very cool. This is the perfect mood for me. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/12/trelldom-by-shadows.html

8 Julie Christmas -""Ridiculous and Full of Blood" 

If you do not know Ms. Christmas from Made out of Babies then I am going to just go ahead and assume you know her from the album she did with Cult of Luna. The musicians she recruited to help her with this album provide a reasonable expectation of what sonic zip codes it's going take us in, as they include the guitarist from Cult of Luna, the drummer from Spotlights, KEN Mode's bassist, and John from Candiria adding guitars as well. So pretty every genre with post in front of it. Julie adds a playfully unhinged enthusiasm to her vocal performance, that reminds me a little of Rasputina. But with less baroque wistfulness. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/julie-christmas-ridiculous-and-full-of.html

7- Chapel of Disease- "Echoes of Light" 

The German band is a fairly interesting progressive death metal band, that wacky time changes aside and a penchant for rock n roll riffs are not too far out in left field. They are at times like a less gothy Tribulation. The guitarists are calling the shots here are the guitar is the centerpiece of the songs, often wandering f pocket very tastefully until things explode with the climax. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/chapel-of-disease-echoes-of-light.html

6-Xiu Xiu - " 13" Frank Beltrame Italian Stiletto with Bison Horn Grips"

My thoughts on Jamie Stewarts' experimental art vehicle range from respect to love to wishing he would stop fucking around and write songs as great as what was on "Dear God I Hate Myself". Here the band proves that they do not have to abandon their weird to write songs and launch into some genuine prog, enough to earn this a space on this list and not the post-punk list or the electronic list which both sub-genres the share common ground with. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/08/xiu-xiu-13-frank-beltrame-italian.htm

 

5 -Mamaleek - "Vida Blue" 

These guys are going further down the Tom Waits rabbit hole. The guitar is carried with a jazzier tone. There is a jammy abstract element that gets broken up by their heavier tendencies. As far as musicianship goes their game has really been stepped up. It's a weird collision of prog with punk. In fact, this album leans toward jazz more often than not with the gruff vocals the only thing anchoring it to the sound you are used to, which is progress, thus their place here. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/mamaleek-vida-blue.html

4-Crippled Black Pheonix - "'The Wolf Changes Its Fur But Not Its Nature"

I gained a new appreciation for this band since the darker turn their past few albums have taken.  This time around they sprawl out from a creeping post-rock, into a more grandiose throb. Not as dark as what I expected after the last album but it works. Excellent production brings all the sounds into focus for this sonic adventure.  

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/09/crippled-black-phoenix-wolf-changes-its.html

3-David Gilmour - "Luck and Strange" 

You might not know that Pink Floyd is one of my favorite bands,  which created a high bar for this album,. At 78  guitarist David Gilmour, is not fading away. The title track of his new album rivals almost any Pink Floyd song that is not on "Animals". It's some of Gilmour's best guitar work. Even his voice sounds great, he's not afraid to reach up into his head register for a few notes here and there. This is the last recording keyboardist Richard Wright appears on before his death. This album is almost as much Pink Floyd as the 'Division Bell' is

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/david-gilmour-luck-and-strange.html

 

2-Opeth - "The Last Will and Testament"

14 Albums later Akerfeldt is the only original member but I am willing to count anyone who has been playing since "Deliverance" so that makes two. The return of the growl, is not the best part as that feels like they are dialing it in, they are never going to be a death metal band again, and this album is not on the level of  "Blackwater Park", but it works thanks do some strong jamming grooves. Plenty of prog chaos, but more focused songwriting. , 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/opeth-last-will-testament.html

1-Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - "Of the Last Human Being" 

When I place one of my favorite bands on the pedestal of what other bands should aspire to, said band must then meet these exalted expectations. If they are one of the best bands I have ever seen live then expectations are even higher. If they are coming back 17 years later, after you lived thinking their last album was the final chapter, then you can only hope for the best album ever. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum reopened in an attempt to make their best album yet. 2007's "In Glorious Times" is a perfect album, so they were wise not to take it head on but in a more mature step forward with the emphasis on more of the chamber music side, while employing all the creepy dissonance they are known for. It's not just the best prog album of the year, but perhaps the best album of the year. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/02/sleepytime-gorilla-museum-of-last-human.html

pst633

November's Top 10 Albums

It's time for November's top 10 albums. Staying abreast of the month's highlights might help casual readers see what they missed and check these artists out. I am not writing little blurbs on them and just linking the reviews. I am using this to organize my lists for the end of the year, by listing the genre of music the album falls under. Inclusion here does not mean that these albums have been released this month, but it is a list of new or upcoming albums I have enjoyed the most, I have albums in my in-box that are not coming out til next year so I am normally way ahead of the curve in this regard. They are ranked in order of what I have listened to the most. This month there is a wide variety from Synth wave to Doom metal so you may find your new favorite among them. Here are the Top 10 albums for  November of 2024.

10-Aiwaz- "Darrkh… It Is!" 

Doom

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/november-is-doom-aiwaz-darrkh-it-is.html

9-Yersin- "THE SCYTHE IS REMORSELESS"

Crust 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/yersin-scythe-is-remorseless.html

8-Ulver -"Liminal Animals"

Synth Wave 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/ulver-red-light.html

7-Poppy-"Negative Spaces" 

Nu-pop Electronica 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/poppy-negative-spaces.html

6-Underworld -'Strawberry Hotel" 

Electronic 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/underworld-strawberry-hotel.html

5-Opeth -"The Last Will & Testament"

Prog

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/opeth-last-will-testament.html

4- Fatima- "Eerie" 

Grunge

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/november-is-doom-fatima-eerie.html

3-Marilyn Manson - ""One Assignation Under God Chapter 1"  

Goth Rock

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/marilyn-manson-one-assignation-under.html

2-David Gilmour - 'Luck and Strange" 

Progressive Rock 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/david-gilmour-luck-and-strange.html

1- the Cure -"Songs of a Lost World " 

Goth 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-cure-songs-of-lost-world.html

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Opeth : "The Last Will & Testament"

 14 Albums later Akerfeldt is the only original member but I am willing to count anyone who has been playing since "Deliverance" so that makes two. I know some are going to be thrilled about the return of the growl. I get it, but I would be more stoked for songwriting on the level of "Blackwater Park". Sure we get some proggy chaos, it's impressive, but it does not feel like the heart is invested in as much as they are punching the clock to give fans what they think they want.,  It is better than "Heritage' so I will accept that. The second song finds Joey Tempest from Europe lending his voice to the background, and he still has it. Ian Anderson also does a spoken word narration throughout.  I do like the second song better than the openers as there is more of a backbone to it. 

After checking out the first two songs, I started the album with track three, this album is not big on song titles, and let it play. The next thing I knew I was on song 5, so the songs run together at times. We are hearing more of Akerfeldt's lower range in places.  What separates them is the fact that the 4th song is a closer return to their older sound if we are calling "Ghost Reveries" their older sound. Granted it gets broken up with odd interludes so the momentum to headbang is never emphasized as it once was.. In fact, the song wanders out into a flute solo. They also fire off some impressive guitar solos if you are into that kind of thing.  

The 6th song falls out of the previous one like it's an extended jam. It has a stronger groove than most we have heard on this album up to this point, not the most metal moment, but it leaves things open to going in that direction. I like the way the guitar is phrased in the middle of the song it reminds me of "Deliverance" which is my favorite album by these guys. I think this best captures what they do. The guitar solo does rip out from this song in a heroic fashion. It takes you on a similar journey as the songs before it, just in what I think is the most classic manner from the band. The drummer really gets down on the 6th track, though I do not think it is as good as the previous song, but better than most prog metal these days. 

The 7th song dances between the death metal vocals and the jamming grooves they work off of. There are some darker more deliberate moments that I enjoy. The last song "A Story Never Told" is more of a proggy power ballad but feels true to who they are as a band., It wanders around the mellower drift of the chord progression more like something ELP might do. I will give this one a 9.5, not a perfect album, and perhaps it just needs to grow on me, but one of the best things they have done in a long time, it almost makes me forget some of those post- "Watershed" albums. 

pst562

the Top 200 Greatest Rock Singers -80 to 71

Now  past the half way point of our  list of the top 200 greatest rock singers, inspired by the travesty that was Rolling Stone's supposed list. Where they got it wrong, this list hopes to be more effective,  not only focusing on rock singers and those adjacent to the genre. If you have been reading you know the focus is not only on  technical vocal ability, in terms of range and power, as well as their dynamics, phrasing and the overall character of their voice. Can they emote from different places? How well does their voice hold up live? . How they control a crowd or their entertainment value as performers is also not a factor; there are some great front men who are also sub-par singers. There are also not going to be any Bob Dylan like singers, who are better songwriters than vocalists.

Pop singers, are far and few between, with  a few country or jazz singers who crossover just enough to qualify for this list, while having a significant influence on rock music. Don't expect rappers on this list or metal vocalists who just scream or growl, but never actually sing. I am keen on singers who are derivative of other singers. The bulk of these do their own thing, the few paying tribute to other artists made enough of an impact with their music. Having a unique vocal quality is going to be one of the most important factors often trumping technical ability. If they sound too much like Steve Perry from Journey after listening to their vocal coach rather than developing their own style, it is also not going to fly. Some of these might have been ignored by mainstream music media, but by the time we get to the top 10, I am sure it will all make sense, so here are the Top 200 greatest rock singers.

80-Jason Isabell

Breaking the country mold in many ways, he often takes the stage with his rock band the 400 Unit. His warm baritone does not rely on a country twang. He can also belt it out from his chest register as well as any rock singer.

 

 79- Phil Lynott 

Thin Lizzy is another band that if you judged them by their radio singles you would havea skewed idea of what they do. Due to this I used to think Phil just sang like a 70's cab driver in New Jersey, after hearing songs like "Jail Break" and "the Boys are Back In Town". He has a warm soulful voice that balances attitude with a lot of heart. His matter of fact delivery gives their songs an honest feel.

   

 78-Mikel Akerfeldt  

The Opeth mastermind might no longer employ his powerful death metal growl, but that is typically ok as he has perfected his clean singing voice. There is a mix of soul and 70's prog to the cadence of his voice. Light and introspective, he has slowly worked in more command to his singing though never really belts it out preferring a softer touch.

 

77 -Eugene Edwards

His band 16 Horsepower was ahead of their time as they laid the ground work for the current trend of apocalyptic bluegrass.  His voice however matured to his final for with his project Wovenhand, that is sonically heavier, calling him to deliver a more powerful performance.

  

76-Taylor Swift

Before you talk shit about Tay Tay, let me ask you one question... have you heard her "Folklore" album? Chances are you have just lumped her in with other pop singers. She proves she can use her voice as an instrument. Her country beginnings taught her a lot when it comes to having chops. She can throw her voice around how ever she sets her mind to it, and makes the most of studio tricks and stacking vocal tracks rather than relying on them.

 

 75- Simon Le Bon

Of all the big 80s super stars who emerged from the New Romantic movement, I listened to Duran Duran the least. That is not to say I do not respect the hell out of them as I do. Le Bon's vocals are at the center of that respect as his voice is pristine with a tenor that smoothly glides where he wants it. 

 

 75- Madonna 

She really became a powerhouse, once she accepted the fact she is an alto and started singing where her vocal cords were meant to go, gaining a great deal of power. She has some really impressive low notes in her range

.  

73- Mick Jagger

The idea of Jagger would rate higher , but we are talking about what the actually do as singers. His biggest asset is his attitude and always knowing how to put his voice in the right places. His solo work proves he can stand on his own without Richards.

 

72-Eddie Vedder

His growly baritone inspired other singers to try their hand at grunge in the 90s. Often imitated Vedder was an original, who drew from greats before him without trying to be anyone but himself. He is very emotive and uses his voice like an  instruments often making his lyrics obsolete. 

   

71- Paul McCartney

Technically he might be the best singer of the Beatles, might be. This is not a list of favorite singers, if it was Paul would not be on here, he is too sappy for my tastes. I am not going to deny his talent and he has a set of pipes on him that have graced some of the Beatles best work.

 

Death is June- Vidres a la Sang : "Fragments de l'esdevenir"

 This progressive band is rather interesting. The simmer in melancholy before coming out snarling at you. In some way a good comparison might be a more depressed version of Opeth with the ambient gloom of black metal. In fact, two members of Opeth play in this band. While we have featured other progressive death metal bands on here this month, these guys come at it from another angle. An assessment I can make just after the first song alone. The verses are darker and more aggressive on the verses. Progressive blackened death metal might be a better sub-genre to label them with. I like how they are not all out bombast. Sure, there are parts that speed into blasty sections, but the production keeps the layers separate and clearly divided rather than just hitting you with a wall of sound.  Enslaved earlier forays into more progressive realms serves as a fair point of reference here. 

On the third song it is dark and creepy but just drones in one place and feels more like an intro that never fully builds.  "Fins Aqui" gets stompy before backing off into things break down a bit. It flows back into a bigger more aggressive sound. It even grooves some.  At 8 and a half minutes the song certainly has plenty of time to build. They use this for a stormy tension. It expands into more movement, which feels like a very solid dynamic. If you are into guitar solos these guys have some good ones that are tasteful exercises in shed with melody uncompromised.   

The last song almost has more of a rock n roll sensibility to it in terms of groove. The riffs are strong they feel more like a death metal band here. I like the jazzier solo section in the middle of the song. I think more bands should have a song where they open things up like this. It helps that this dude is a killer guitarist, so his solos add to the song. I will give this album a 9, if you miss the days when Opeth were metal band , but not opposed to the shadows of black metal like darkness haunting things then these guys are for you. 

Death is June -The Top 10 Best Live Death Metal Bands

Live death metal, sounds like an oxymoron. Of all the sub genres of metal this has been the one that has been a trickier balance to obtain. Most of these bands play smaller to mid size venues, I am only seen perhaps one death metal band do well in an arena , they made it onto this list, and happened to be opening for Ozzy at the time. Often becoming boring due to the one track nature or not transitioning well to stage due to either too much volume or not enough. I have seen both issues plague bands. Most recently Incantation underwhelmed at my last pre -Covid concert due to low volume. Too loud is a more common problem as they then become a slushy wall of noise. Some of these bands used to be death metal bands and grew away from it into something else so I am referring to when I saw them back in the day as a death metal band . Including clips from the tour I saw the on

  10-Obituary

 I want to give these guys another shot , as I was not blown away but have been listening to them more in recent years and it could have been an off night for me as I just went with friends.

 

 9-Unleashed

These guys might be headliners now , but I saw them open up for Morbid Angel on the "Blessed are the Sick" tour.

   

 8-Skeleton Witch 

 With some of these it is just a clip from the tour I saw them on this is the exact show. These guys were a lot of fun.

   

 7- Fear Factory 

 Things began to change for them at this time, but they came on ajnd crushed it really hard in the smaller club setting I saw them in .

 

6-Sepultura

 Another band who was

   

 5-Tribulation 

 I was impressed how these guys did their own thing with little attempt to conform to what death metal should be and went off into long jams

   

 4- Goatwhore 

 These guys were very powerful yet also a great deal of fun,,, 

      

 3- Morbid Angel 

 As long as these guys have Pete they are hard to beat.

   

 2- Opeth

 They used to be such an incredible band until they got too proggy for their own good and quit playing metal

.

  1-Carcass

Some how I did not catch these guys back in high school, I do not remember them touring a lot then, but I did catch them on the first reunion tour.

 

Death is June -The Top 50 Death Metal Albums of all Time : 10 to 1

Normally I try to limit it to one album per artist. With death metal it tends to unify around certain works, so you might have hundreds of bands trying to be Morbid Angel. This means that some artists are more impactful. They made an impact because of the quality of their work so if they have released abums that are so dominating to the genre that they deserve multiple slots, only two bands got three slot, four other bands took two slots. There is a wide array of sub genre's represented here, granted this is my list so darker more satanic death metal and progressive death metal might out number tech death or grind core. Not al ofthe bands remained death metal bands , but they made a death metal album deserving of this list. If I have reviewed said album then I will include the link to the review.  Ok, it's death metal not quantum mechanics , so here we go into the top 10 death metal albums of all time.




10-Obituary-"the End Complete"1992 



 We have now reached a place where brutality alone will not do. Their 3rd abum finds them with songwriting dialed in to almost perfect.



 



9- Bolt Thrower - "Realm of Chaos" 1989



This album has more groove and hook to the riffs than the others .



 



8-Nocturnus- "the Key" 1990



 Morbid Angel's orignal drummer decided it was time to take Satan into space and made the most under rated death band ever. The keyoards stand out rather than just add texture.



 


7- Sepultura - "Arise" 1991 


 With the album that followed they would step away from death metal, here they just attacked it with a refined thrashing fury. And wrote great songs while they were at it.




 



6-Entombed - "Wolverine Blues"


1993 Why did it beat out Left Hand Path for this spot ? Better songs. "Full of Hell" alone beats that album. Called the beginning of death n roll, perhaps but it is still plenty aggressive.



 



5-Opeth -Black Water Park" - 2001



 Melodic yet capable of darkness and brutality. Deliverence is also a great album, this one just retains the death metal bite.



 



4-Deicide -Deicide" 1990


' Feral and their most evil sounding. Might take the number one spot if I was making a top ten most satanic death metal albums, even diverting into songs about Charles Manson and Evil Dead.


 


3-Cynic -"Focus" -1993

This is what progressive death metal should be like. It has all the shred you might want and still have songs that are not just bookends for guitar solos. Mind blowing


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-looking-back-in-anger-at.html


 


2-Carcass -"Necroticism Descanting the Insalubrious" 1991


 Having evolved from grind core , they decided to write some fucking songs that would rule, with riffs that command head banging decades later.

 



1-Morbid Angel- "Blessed Are the Sick"

 Not only the best death metal album, but one of the best metal abums ever made period.



 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-looking-back-in-anger-at_15.html

Death is June - White Stones : "Kuarahy"

Opeth's bassist missed death metal so started this side project.He mans not only bass put also the guitars here. "Worms" is much better than the first song. The first song is not bad it is like warmed over early Opeth or Bloodbath. There is more of a groove to "Worms". It is just more fun . What I like about this album is the dynamic variance. It deviates from the death metal tropes I am constantly complaining about when it comes to the genre. Is there rock n roll to "Drowned in Time" ? Yes and that is what makes it great. They know the death metal rules, use them while bringing other things to the party. As the album progresses it no longer is just looking back at what Opeth used to do , but finds these songs with an identity of their own.

However once they find their sweet spot they hang onto it going into "the One".  It almost sounds to much like the previous song to me. The double bass is very sick. As it should be since this is death metal. Have way into the song things do change, but I expect more after what we have gotten so far. They deliever with a more rock n roll swagger on "Guyra'. For a bass player this guy is a pretty killer guitarist . One thing cool about this album is it manages to blend prog with death metal without losing any of the balls. Aside from the slight groove and more abundant atmosphere there is a more straight forward approach on " Ashes". It is however more angular and dissonant than the bulk of the songs so far, so straight forward in how that applies to this album.

The more prog leaning ways of Opeth come into play on "Infected Soul". It has that darker creepy sound they used to have pre Blackwater Park. There is a pretty cool rifs that offsets some of the more rock n roll parts. It's not that the rock n roll parts are not cool, they are I just needed this to circle a darker direction in order to retain my interest.They dig into more of a metallic attack while still dazzling you with guitars on the more aggressive "Taste of Blood". It took a couple of listens before it's groove really clicked with me. There is an outro ditty, but I am not countring it for the purpose of this review.  This is an excellent album I will give this one a 9.5 . If you miss death metal Opeth, this is not total nostalgia , but you will appreciate this. Out on Nuclear Blast.

the Top 10 Progressive Metal Albums of 2019

It's that time of year again, to sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, then use them, to compile the top 10 albums of the year. Later in the month I am making  the top 10 lists for the decade,. Let's make something clear if you clicked on this looking for Dream Theater, then you have the wrong blog,. There are no power ballads here.Progressive mean there has to be progress, change not working off a formula. Not doodling to hold you over til the guitar solo. It was hard enough this year finding ten artists in their respective genres, but I did it.  As in  past years I am  giving a brief explanation as to why these albums stand over their peers in lower positions on the list. The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Sure you can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. However  I listen to five new albums a day so yes I heard your favorite album and was not impressed. No,  I do not care what you think about it.   I do hope you can find your next favorite on this list  and  have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out audio on these guys. Anyways here are the top 10  prog metal  albums of 2019 .

10-Meads of Asphodel - " Running Out of Time Doing nothing"

 It opens darker more industrial sound. They are almost like Sigh in the sense each song is dramatically different. There is still a darker mood over this with some more Coil like vocals. Unlike previous releases this is less pounding and the guitars sit kind of weirdly in the mix.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/05/the-meads-of-asphodel-running-out-of.html

9-Pensees Nocturnes- GRAND GUIGNOL ORCHESTRA"


Circus black metal, is bound to sound like Mr. Bungle. They don't prove me wrong in this theory. The French are always doing weird shit like this . They swing back and forth from operatic singing to growls of anguish. Blast beats are thrown in.the concept of what they are doing translates well in the finished product almost more prog weirdness than black metal. They are demented enough to beat out Meads of Asphodel.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/02/black-metal-history-month-pensees.html

8-OXXO XOOX- "Y" 


 The 3rd album from this Igorr lead project uses electronics that makes dipping into another brand of metal seem as easy as pressing an esc key on a sonic glitch. The fact that doom is the sound the return to despite covering a great deal of ground over the course of the song says a lot to me about what they are going for here. Darker than the first two bands sits them pretty at number 8.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/12/oxxo-xoox-y.html

7-Dreadnought- "Emergence"

 The jazz like drumming and the lapses into dissonance provide a suited juxtaposition to the smoothly sung female vocals. Plenty of your standard prog trappings are in place, though with less of the expected guitar solos.

6-White Ward- "Love Exchange Failure

" This album grows on me with each listen. What they have created proves to be a unique experience and finds the band improving their blend of jazz and black metal. Not the first time jazz and metal meet, this time around it does so in a more atmospheric manner that stays true to both genres being melded . This is putting the progress in progressive, more so than the long and winding road Dreadnought takes you down.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/08/white-ward-love-exchange-failure.html

5-Liturgy-"H.A,Q.Q"

 Hunter is back with something closer to the kind of experimental black metal that you want from this project, even if it comes in practice burst that might owe as much to grind core ... think the Locust here. Greg Fox left some big shoes to fill but Leo Didkovsky who also plasy with Kayo Dot measure's up. More spastic than past releases I admire these guys pushing past conventions. One of the few albums that is as far out in left field as White Ward, these guys just lock into more grooves that punch the point home.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/liturgy-haqq.html

4- Kayo Dot - "blasphemy"


 Toby Driver is the main creative force behind this project . They are like a more avant garde version of Leprous. This time around we find them after they have obviously smoked a shit ton of weed. this is not the most metallic album of their career. It does have hefty undercurrents of metal. Moodier and with song that coax you in more the abrasive nature of Liturgy. https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/09/kayo-dot-blasphemy.html



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3- Opeth - "In Cauda Veneum" 


 One of the best post death metal efforts. It is not fragile prog, but dark and with a biting edge. Mikel's voice sounds better here and this is not the heaviest album on this list, but it does pack considerable punch as needed. The beat out Kayo Dot by virtue of their superior musical skills.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/09/opeth-in-cauda-venenum.html

2- Bask- "III"


This North Carolina band merges prog with their brand of stoner rock, with a great deal of moody melody. It's two minutes in before the heavier side starts to show. When they fully commit the results are powerful as the big riffs counter balance the soulful vocal. The coolest thing to me is the underlying current of country / Americana which helps set them apart from the other bands on this list. They wrote catchier songs than Opeth this time around.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/11/november-doom-bask-iii.html

1- Baroness- "Gold & Grey" 

 The stakes were high as this was the first album after their Grammy nominated "Purple Album" and their first with new lead guitarist Gina Gleason. Their live show sold me on these songs then it grew on me. It was pretty ambitious , but they pulled it off. Very pristine production wise and a glimpse into their more introspective side .The winding sinew of the grooving riffs earned them the number one spot.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/06/baroness-gold-grey.html

Opeth : " In Cauda Venenum"

Having ventured too far from what made this band great , they need to show me that they have become over indulgent in the prog path and capable of once again creating dark music that is heavy. The intro "the Garden of Earthly " delight instead uses 80s synth sounds and is more like kraut rock, thus lowering my expectations for these guys once again. They do not have to be death metal. They do beef up the guitar sound a little more than what they bring to the table on the Uriah Heap like "Dignity".  They do bring  little more balls to the table on the verse, then float off into Porcupine Tree land on the chorus. There is almost a metallic edge to the chug on "Heart In Hand". The song ends up in a weird languid jazz tone. Technically Mikel is a better singer as he is not going up into a falsetto that adds another vocal color to his arsenal. "Next of Kin" is a little darker , but tends to wander.

Midway into the album the fact it is more melancholy if not darker puts it ahead of the last masturbatory prog fest they released. When they go into a more ballad like place with "Lovelorn Crime" I am ok with them compensating for this with better songwriting . The heavier thump of the bass groove helps "Charlatan".  This song is a good example of how they can have their cake and eat it to, by not reverting to death metal and still using prog to deliver something that works in its place. "Universal Truth " finds there less focused indulgence returning in a way that is not as engaging. There is more of a jazz influence to "the Garroter". This is not unlike some of the more recent progressive moments we have heard from them, but works in a darker and smoother, which seems to be the trend not only for this song but this album as a whole.

"Continuum" is not as engaging until the solo section that comes midway into the song. There are cool parts to it , but the first half of the song was allowed to meander. It's not heavy, but there is a good throbbing  pulse of a groove to it. Certainly a more focused song, though still allowing for them to indulge their prog side. I will give this album an 8.5. Not where they are capable of being if we weigh it against things like "Blackwater Park" but an improvement over the last album for sure. I think fans of the band that were introduced to them after they shed their death metal skin will embrace this one.

Bloodbath - "the Arrow of Satan is Drawn"

A death metal super group of sorts that features members of Opeth, Katatonia and Paradise Lost. This release feels like there is more heft than the first one that featured the Paradise Lost vocalist. They get real fucking serious on the weighty grind driving "Bloodicide". Sometimes it sounds like they almost feel obligated to speed things up.These songs work better when they are hitting you with more of a Celtic Frost feel. The chugs can be massive here and the guitar tone is just sick. Lyrically it's all a mute point and almost a heavy metal parody."Wayward Samaritan ' has an almost rock n roll feel like a Slipknot song gone off the rails and a more death metal vocal. You can kinda hear more of the doomy old Katatonia sound in "Leviator" . It has a lot of punch to it, but there is something angular and awkward about the riff. There is no mistaking the fact that the song's strongest moments are the ones that bear the most likeness to Morbid Angel.

"Deader" is pretty straight forward and grinding, not saying it's grindcore, it just feels like that is what the riff is doing. There is less punishment though "March of the Crucifers" has a massive wall of density that almost grooves. Midway into this album and I am pretty certain it's heavier than their previous album. Not a deal sealer with me as I don't live off heaviness alone, but know that new will thrill fans of the band and death metal in general. By the time we get to "Morbid Antichrist" it's beginning to take on a more uniform sound to me. I will give them credit these songs are all very compact and hit you hard and then are over , not droning or drawing anything out to make the attack more urgent. There is another hint of rock n roll to "Warhead Ritual". Not that they are turning into the Rolling Stones, their is just more of a melodic nuance than pure sonic violence death metal is known for.

The syncopated stomp of "Only The Dead Survive" is pretty powerful and also allows for a vulgar display of double bass. Considering what big pussies Opeth has become it's good to hear that their drummer still has metal in his heart and is just collecting a pay check. Even though it does not possess the dense heaviness of the previous song "Chainsaw Lullaby" has more grit to it. It might not be reinventing death metal but this song gives most fans of the genre what they are looking for in a manner that is brutal, but still done with a musical sense of class. I can hear touches of Entombed in what they are doing, but I guess that comes with your blood if you are from Sweden, it's better than if they sounded like Dark Tranquility. I'll give this album an 8.5 it's a very solid piece of death metal and fans of this band will be pleased it is one of their heaviest albums yet.

The Top 50 Metal Guitarists - 40 to 31

The death of a guitarist I played with turned my thoughts to what makes a good guitarist great. Metal finds the stakes for guitarists high. Shredding can come before playing a fucking song. While all of these guitarists can play a solo, I was also looking for tone, impact on the genre as a whole and how their personalities came through in their playing. So this list of the top 50 Metal Guitarists. If you don't find your favorite guitar player here then know they were just wankers.


40-Joey Z

How memorable is your work? Joey would answer very, which is why he is hanging tough along side guitarists who might be more technically sound. He is like the hard core little brother of Kirk Hammett the way he works cool melody lines into their riffs.


39-Eyal Levi

The problem with most death metal that makes it not worth a second listen is the guitarists all go for maximum speed and density, think being influenced by Slayer instead of Incantation is expanding their horizons, and play variations of the solos found on "Altars of Madness" . Eyal did not follow the status quo in that regard. He brought a hooky sense of groove to his band and layered it with neo-classical musicality that did not demand a pirate shirt to be worn.



38-Vivian Campbell 

He plays on the first 3 Dio albums...end of story


36-Chris De Garmo

There was once a awesome band who lost their guitarist who crafted their best work, then became a variation of Spinal Tap.



35-Bill Steer 

Helped create grind core. Napalm Death brought the more spastic elements, while his band brought the more gore ridden death metal elements to it. The riffs are so mean they would eat you if he was not a vegetarian.He proves brutality and melody can co-exist.





34 William Wright Barrow

This British gent brings a dignified and progressive quality to his band's brand of black metal that almost makes it steam punk in the nuanced Victorian quirk it possesses , so to make sounds that are visual is a feat. 




 33-Devin Townsend 

Got his start playing with Steve Vai. He then thought he could keep up with the drummer from Dark Angel. His various projects have covered a broad expanse some more metal than others. He has a distinct tone.


32-Peter Lindgren

He originally joined the band as a bass player and switched to guitar. As his band's vocals shifted their focus and added melody he augmented his playing to do the same incorporating a David Gilmore like sense for less is more.

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31-Greg Chandler 

He brought a degree of musicality to funeral doom that has been rarely rivaled in the genre. This tone grasps the kind of despair needed. He paints sonic picture rather than just overpowering you with a wall of feed back and distortion.


 

Opeth : "Sorceress"

Their last album was so bad it made me give up on them, but I'm such a sucker for "Blackwater Park" that I'll give this one a shot in hopes things have taken a heavier turn. The opening song only re-enforces the feeling that it's going to be flowers and prog all over again. The spiralling keyboards of the title track only build off of this fear of their over indulgent ways coming back to haunt. I can only hear wanna be hippies shimmying to this at some out door festival. A harder rock stomp develops, and the clean vocals don't bother me it's the fact there best attempts to be heavy are not convincing me that they know how to get back to their metal roots that I am bugged by. "the Wilde Flowers" finds me now hard pressed to tell the difference between Opeth and King's X. If you are a guitar player the solo section of this song might make you a believer, but if song are more than a bookend for guitar solos then you might be left wanting.

"Will O the Wisp" has a rambling Emerson Lake and Palmer feel to it. The first half is pretty unimpressive folk rock even when the drums come in. I could see this working much better on a Jethro Tull album. Once again the guitar solo really shines, but the song around it not so much. The first heavier riff shows up on "Chrysalis" . They really want to be Deep Purple here. The keyboards are allowed to run rampant.  This all works much better than the bulk of what I have heard on this album. There is no denying these guys are talented, but the bigger question is can they still write biting songs or is it going to be all jamming all the time?

The second take on the title track doesn't offer much hope in it's elf pleasing folk rock. There are cool sounds, but it has all the meat of cotton candy. I have heard more acoustic guitar than electric so far. This is fine if you are making "Led Zeppelin 3", but there has been no "Immigrant Song" to give this album any balls. I do like the fact "the Seventh Sojourn " has a darker exotic feel to it.  "Strange Brew" is not the Cream song. I also like the song " A Fleeting Glance" which serves as a good example of what they are capable of doing and ...should be doing if they are not playing metal as it harkens back to "Damnation". "Era" has more drive, but melody wise the vocals feel like they are all over the place and not locked in with the music beneath them.  This is a much better album than "Pale Communion" though still lacks balls, I'll give it a 6.

The Top Ten Worst Albums of 2014

I forced myself to listen to some of this so you wouldn't have to. Some of these albums got reviewed, others were so bad I couldn't listen to it again to really put it into words. Twilight's newest album which fell a little short, just missed this list by the skin of their teeth.There are some of the arena rockers you would expect to be dialing it in, but some more underground fare that fell flat too.
So let's count down the Top ten worst albums of 2014


10-Perfect Pussy: Say Yes to Love -Score 5

While they are better than Pussy Riot, what they do tends to fall short of being songs which when you are making music ...well.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/05/perfect-pussy-say-yes-to-love.html

9-the Dread Lords- Death Angel -5
This is one of those, where I couldn't get into it enough to write a review. A five is generous, but I think the singer has a good voice. The lyrics are beyond silly and trying to hard. The instrumentation is to sparse. The heavier moments feel awkward. I could go on, it's possible these guys might still have a good album in them, this just isn't it.

8-Opeth: Pale Communion - Score 4.5

These guys were once awesome, but the prog wagon has drifted them so far into indulgence they only have two good songs on this album. Sure some of this is well played. But it is wimpier than Jethro Tull

7- Dephosphorus: Ravenous Solemnity Score 4.5

Heavy handed riff chaos, where metal embraces the worst elements of punk. The litany of issues are listed below.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/02/dephosphorus-ravenous-solemnity.html

6- Foo-Fighters - Sonic Highways Score- 4

My biggest problem with Foo-fighters is they are one of the reasons for Sunny Day Real Estates demise. Their first two albums were decent for radio fluff. Now they are resorting to making HBO document specials to try to breathe life into their uninspired radio fodder. I have no clue why they have three guitar players. Sometimes Dave stumbles over a catchy melody or two. The lyrics are  far beyond horrible.

5- Midnight-No Mercy For Midnight- Score 4.5

We are now passing the point of no return, this is no ooops... better production or maybe we should have tweaked the songs a bit , maybe a disappointment after our last album .... no we are going into you straight up suck.I haven't been that bored listening to an album in some time. Raspberry Bulbs does this better. You can read the rest of my gripes below.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/11/midnight-no-mercy-for-mayhem.html

4 - Issues:-S/T- Score-4

The comeback of nu metal is even more lackluster than you might have braced yourself for. The full list of my issues with Issues can be read below.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2014/03/issues-st.html

3 - Slipknot: the Gray Album-Score -3

Talk about dialing it in. The new drummer isn't doing these guys any favors. I don't mind Corey's clean vocals , but here they sound like any teenager from Myspace in the 2000's Even worse at other moments they sound like something from a Foo- Fighters album.One of the funniest moments is the fact the song "Kilpop" is one of the poppiest things I have heard from them.



2 - Avenged Sevenfold : Waking the Fallen Score-2.5

They tried to get heavier on this one , but it doesn't work out. Big problem is all of the clean vocal melodies sound exactly the same. The really slam the point home that cool riffs along don't make a good song, in their case they have them wedged i between so much cheese, it's hard to tell one from the next.To even try to score this one I had to fast forward  to catch the gist . Has one of the worst power ballads ever written on this.



1- Black Veil Brides : s/t -Score 2.5

I knew this nu-metal version of Motley Crue would be bad. They have turned more into Avenged Fold, the singer is less Vince Neil and trying to put more balls in his voice, but ends up sounding like the guy from Slipknot. Some of the emo is gone , but replaced by beer rock. For every riff that could be good there is a stupid radio melody that borders on Nickleback.It's not until the 3rd song that the singer returns to his more Hot Topic form. They are really going toe to toe with Avenged Sevenfold to see who can write the worst power ballad. I almost could respect the cock rock emo they used to play more than this. This one I could only get through a minute at a time. "Last Rites" is the only song on here that's listenable.

Bloodbath: "Grand Morbid Funereal

This Swedish death metal band is a super group of sorts. Most of the members are from two bands that are no longer playing metal Opeth and Katatonia. I think my feelings about Katatonia are pretty well known on this site, after all we even interviewed their drummer. Opeth however...well lets say I couldn't get through the album in order to review it. So taking the sum of it's parts into consideration  and adding Paradise Lost vocalist into the equation, the result are surprisingly pretty straight forward. I'm not sure when the last time was that listened to Paradise Lost, I'm guessing the 90's. So  I really only Holmes from when the band made the awkward transition over into clean vocals. He is relativly convincing here.

"Total Death Exhumed" is the first song that really catches my attention. It has some catchy riffage. The intro to "Anne" really sounds like Morbid Angel. Which is not a bad thing. It means there has to be a heavy hook in the mix somewhere. It goes without saying this album is well played. The last time I caught these guys Akerfeldt was still growling for them. It never hit me that Jonas was playing bass for them. He is pretty buried in the mix. For the drummer to be a member of Opeth I expect a little more bombast and flash from him, but it's the guitar that dominates this album. They don't have your typical Swedish sound as this does not sound like Dissection or At the Gates.

They take a doomier turn on "Church of Vasitas". The crunch only last for so long until it takes an even deeper grind. The vocal accents on this one are pretty grime spewing. Though the rest of the album is very big and sparkling in it's production, which you would expect given the status of the members. I remember wondering when I saw Nick was singing for them, if this was going to come with a goth metal sound, but that is pretty minimal. "Famine of God's Word" continues to beat you with old school Morbid Angel style death metal. What is interesting is that most younger bands who take influence from Morbid Angel want to sound like Altars of Madness era, where as the veterans have more of a "Covenant" thing going on here. However neither guitarist is really much of a shredder. The stabs at it that they do take on songs like  "Mental Abortion" is  pretty effective for a dynamic shift. Other some of the beats are really straight forward. the punches in the chorus make up for this in "Mental Abortion and other spot in the album.. They do lean on that very punk snare beat, that Metallica made popular on Kill "Em All.

One of the album's hardest hitting songs is "Beyond cremation" that almost has a black metal feel to it. This is also one of the first songs the drummer gets to cut loose on. Normally for this sort of thing the drummer is really in the spot light, you would think more so as the verse riff has a tinge of Slayer to it. "His Infernal Necropsy" has to darken things up with a title like that. The Morbid Angel returns on this song. The lyrics for this album seem like the same horror movie like take on the occult. The band does go ape shit from the onset of "Unite in Pain" before locking into one of the albums best moments which is the Reign in Blood like chug that leads in.It sets the rest of the band up to punch a hook into your face. The straight ahead path they are on begins to wear on me by the times the blast beats of "My Torturer" kick up. When it slows down into the solo it's more tolerable.

The title track that closes the album out is a pretty massive chug. The robotic effects on the vocals are pretty cool. I thin if they had pulls more of these kind of tricks out of there sleeves the album would have have more dynamic scope. Some of the gothy samples go down on this one creating a very "Where the Slime Live" type of feeling when the rest of the band kicks in. Overall pretty meat and potatoes, if you are a fan of the band then don't fear, Nick is well behaved and leaves the goth at home. I'll give it a 7.5 as it could stand to be a little more adventurous considering this is the Swedish Metal cream of the crop. Fans of the band go ahead and tack on another point.


7.7