SIGH : " I Saw The World’s End (Hangman’s Hymn MMXXV)

For the band's 30th anniversary, they decided to re-record the "Hangman's Hymn" album. Rather than just recording selections from their past, like Ministry did, they are tackling the whole album. This was when they were more of a black metal band and less of a prog band. With a new guitarist and drummer aboard this time around, there is a refinement to the frantic chaos that unfolds. The classical backdrops give it a Dimmu Borgir-like feel but with an explosive carnival atmosphere. Vocally "Inked in Blood" almost sound like the Muppets doing black metal.

"Me-Devil" blends orchestral hits with thrashing speed. "Scenes From Hell was my entry point to the band, and this is the album before it, so it hints at where they would take their sound. More trumpet fanfare leads into "The Master Malice." It retains its feral aggression in the re-recording. Impressive, their voices still do this after no screaming like this for some time. The bass tone cuts through more for "The Memories of a Sinner".  This is one of their most rapid-fire albums, which is not just straight-ahead black metal. "Death From Dishonor' just falls from the blur of razor-chugged riffs, which creates a more uniform sound even amid the guitar solos. 

I do like the more overt Satanic themes, even if they are just playing around here. They rip the guitar solos to "In Devil's Arms". The vocal trade-off reminds me of King Diamond. The title track this time around finds things just as scathing, with blistering guitars attacking from every corner of the mix. "Salvation in Flames" finds the horns creating more of a hyper-speed procession, and the punk roots of what they do can be heard. The classical element does not soften the blow here. The finale finds the brass bringing a more festive, almost Disney like feel to things. I will give this one a 9, they did the original a more proper send off, still more wild natured than what I prefer from them, but they did a great job at what they set out to do, thus why the album scores so high. Drops on Peaceville June 13th. 

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the Top 10 Black Metal Albums of 2022

 

In today's world we need the hateful nature of black metal more than ever. Here is the best of the current crop. As with years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year list. I know many of you are ready for 2022 to be over with. Hate to break it to you but nothing is getting better next year. 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. You can bitch and complain about your favorite band not being on the list. 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 Black Metal albums of 2022

10-Abhor- "Sex , Sex, Sex" 

The 8th album by this Italian black metal band, finds them in a similar place that captures a horror movie feel and pays homage to occult b-movies of the 70s and 80s.Their sound touches on a Mercyful Fate like place that also invokes a similar spirit to Acid Witch. The writing is very deliberate, and mood perfectly captured. The bulk of the blast beats are far and few between though they do show up from time to time

Abysmal Hymns: Abhor :"Sex Sex Sex"

 

 

9-Pamzerfaust-" The Suns of Perdition, Chapter III: The Astral Drain" 

If these guys are always as dark and sonically sinister as are on their 6th album, then I have been missing out. The lack of blast beats is inspiring and while the dense sound has a great deal in common with sludge, this still feels very much like black metal. While I like all the creepy elements of their sound that they have in play, The throaty roar of the vocals could also be applied to so sludge or death metal band as there is less of a scream to them than what you expect from death metal. This album captures one of the year's best evil auras. 

Abysmal Hymns: Panzerfaust :" The Suns of Perdition, Chapter III: The Astral Drain"

 

8-Freja - "Tides" 

This duo from the Netherlands is very interesting in their approach to atmospheric black metal. The have little in common with Deafheaven. Myrkur might be a better comparison at time with the female vocals are layered around the otherwise epic pounding that is burlier than anything the black gaze bands would do though they do weave in some cool melodic ambiance in the midst of their charge ahead. It made for one of the more interesting journeys into the darkness. 

Abysmal Hymns: Freja : "Tides"

 7-Deathspell Omega- "the Long Defeat" 

The French Black metal project's 8th full length. The bar is always high for these guys as they continue to make music that challenges both themselves and the listener. This album is both their most accessible work and some of the densest darkest atmosphere they have dug into in some time. The vocals are varied from a proclamation to croaks and gurgles. The bass tone is their sickest yet. They drape everything in dissonance. Not a depressive black metal band, but they touch on a similar gut-wrenching vibe

Abysmal Hymns: Deathspell Omega : "the Long Defeat"

6-Blut Aus Nord- "Disharmonium -Undreamable Abysses" 

Heading back into their darker heavier roots this French Black Metal projects returns to their sinful ways of summoning ancient evils by opening portals of sound for nameless horrors to slither from. Ripe with Lovecraft references, at times they are as close to a straightforward black metal as we have gotten from these guys in sometime, with that said we have to consider who is making this music and how in the past decade they have gotten further and further from convention. 

Abysmal Hymns: Blut Aus Nord : "Disharmonium - Undreamable Abysses"

 

5-Sigh- "Shiki"

Heavier and less progressive than their past few albums, they also offer up more blast beats in the first two songs than I have heard from these guys in the past decade. Not that they are back to being a black metal band, they dip into other styles of metal as well to create some of the most accessible grooves and head banging riffage t I have heard from these guys with dumbed down with less of the manic jerking into other styles, crossing a broad range of musical colors, but it is done in a more flowing organic fashion. It is the undercurrent of anger that earned their place back to this list. 

Abysmal Hymns: Sigh : "Shiki"

 

4-White Ward -" False Light" 

The third album from Ukrainian black metal band, starts off with a more typical aggression that might come to mind when you think of black metal. I was a huge fan of their 2019 album "Love Exchange Failure" in how it blended jazz with the genre. They continue to perfect what they embarked upon there, creating something that transcends the genre, while still being true to black metal's mood.

Abysmal Hymns: White Ward : "False Light"

  3-Watain-"the Agony and Ecstasy of Watain" 

Their 7th full length finds Watain continuing to show how they change and yet stay the same with each album. The production is crisp and big without losing what makes them sound like themselves. In fact, if you stripped away a lot of the symphonic tones from Dimmu Borgir's earlier work comparisons can be drawn sonically. They have often been accused of sounding like Dissection and I think those comparisons are long gone here. If you are a fan like I am then this is what you want from them. 

Abysmal Hymns: Black Metal History Month- Watain : "the Agony and Ecstasy of Watain"

  2-Darkthrone- "Astral Fortress" 

Watain put out an album that was what I expected from them, Darkthrone put out an album I did not expect from them and that is how they earned the number two spot. On their 19th album it's good to hear these guys get back in the direction of black metal. If they had pumped out another tribute to Celtic Frost or a Venom sounding punk album, I would have been less surprised. This more blackened offering is not them trying to recreate what they did in the 90s, but a darker turn from where they were already heading.  

Abysmal Hymns: Darkthrone : "Astral Fortress"

1-Black Anvil - "Regenesis" 

This was tough. At the end of the day New York's blackened trio charged out of the gates with a great deal of power, but the scope of what they do and how finely keened their songwriting is this time around is what earned them the number one spot over bands that I might be a bigger fan of. So, it speaks very loudly that repeated listens to this album were able to sway me away from fine albums by bands I am more connected to. These guys were always ok in my book, and I enjoyed what they did, but this time they have taken it to the next level when it comes to the epic scope of the black metal they have created here 

Abysmal Hymns: Black Anvil : "Regenesis"

Sigh : "Shiki"

 

Heavier and less progressive than their past few albums, they also offer up more blast beats in the first two songs than I have heard from these guys in the past decade. Not that they are back to being just a black metal band. In fact, this is also the most accessible to other metals that I have heard from these guys with dumbed down grooves and less manic jerking into other styles, they do cross a broad range of musical colors, but it is done in a more flowing organic fashion. There is a little jazz in the first song and the cadence of the vocal phrasing reminds me of a Run the Jewels song even though there is no rapping. 

The very deliberate riffing continues in a straight-ahead assault on "Shikabane" which is almost punk until the very adventurous drumming and guitar solo kick in.  This has a fun jammy live feel, when they go into a more spaced-out middle section.  Things continue to lash out with this renewed aggression they have found on this album. They are not taking the easy way out and just defaulting to the tropes of black metal. I really like the Middle Eastern chord progressions to "Satsui" and appreciate the dark and moody direction the song eventually wanders off into. Though there are some almost hip-hop inspired elements there which makes this the second song I have sense this under current. 

"Fuyu Ga Kuru" leads me to believe that they had a moment of clarity. The band was writing songs and saw the writing on the wall that they will never be accepted as a prog rock band due to their heavy metal past and instead they need to make a classic metal album the likes Dimmu Borgir might try. There are riffs that remind me of the title track from Seasons of the Abyss as well as King Diamond. Along with Pink Floyd space excursions that are shorter than the galloping that takes place.  The guitar solos are very rock godlike. I have been saying people have been sleeping on this guy's shred powers for some time. 

Things do get a little more proggy in the mood to "Mayonaka". The more snarled vocals are sung kind of crazily on this one. /There are plenty of keyboard solos and guitar solos to keep the prog crowd entertained here, though unlikely they are going to embrace this album as a whole unless they are into metal. I will round this up to a 9.5, as these guys are teaching a masterclass in metal and the prog smarts are there without getting carried away.    

the Top 10 Progressive Metal Albums of the Decade

The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. I am just embedding video clips to support the reasoning for these albums to be listed as such, since I already did a best of the year list for each sub-genre. Progressive does not mean this is going to be a wank fest. While I do like a good guitar solo, if you are just here for pretentious shredding, you have come to the wrong place.  For stuff more along those lines I have separated out a seperate power metal list,. This might not be the most hipster of the lists that say Vice puts out, what matters is the fact; these are the albums I listened to the most .&Any ways here are the Top 10 Progressive metal l albums of the decade.







10- Bask- "III"



 






9-Liturgy -- "the Ark Work" 2015





 





8-Baroness- "Gold & Grey" 2019





 





7-Cynic- "Kindly Bent to Free Us " 2014





 






6-Voices- " Frightened" 2018




 





5-Mastodon- "Emperor of Sand "




 






4- Igorrr - 'Savage Sinusoid - 2017












-
  3- Sigh- "Scenes From Hell" 2010




 






2- Voivod- " Target Earth" 2013







 







 1- Pain of Salvation- "Road Salt One" 2010

the Top 10 Prog Albums of 2018

It is that time again. If you showed up for wanking and frilly pirate shirts then look elsewhere, so no Dream Theater clones or really anything close.It has to go somewhere not the same noodling album after album. The score from my reviews to help determine the ranking , but also how many times Last FM told me I listened to each album.An album can have all the critical acclaim in the world but if it does not inspire multiple listens then how good can it actually be ?

This year it leans more heavily on the side of between new blood being spilled and  more well established acts .  Rather than posting media of a track from each band I am leaving a link to the review, which will contain Bandcamp or Full Album Streams. Ok enough talking about it, the time has come to dig into the top 10 Prog albums of 2018.

10- Arabrot- "Who Do You Love"

 This album finds the project taking on more more conventional rock slant, even their tendency to drone and the odd touch of quirk to the vocals on the first song, you can also hear traces of Led Zeppelin. The sonic oddities and genre jerking that have been reigned in for the sake of songwriting and are not missed as long as they are keeping this heading in a darker direction. I think this album is such it's own thing that it becomes most endearing over time.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/07/arabrot-who-do-you-love.html

9-Megaton Leviathan - "Mage"

 Another band that has changed this year. When I heard the first track off this album, I thought "Oh My God , they have turned into Jesu" . I am fine with this as I miss Jesu . In other words there is more of a dreamy  shoe gaze haze over this album and it barely touches upon metal, yet it does have rock in it's veins to the point that I am not putting this on an indie rock or post-punk list. It gets a lot of props for the surreal adventure it takes you on.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/11/megaton-leviathan-mage.html

8- Crippled Black Phoenix - "Great Escape"

 This project of Justin Greaves the drummer for Iron Monkey and Electric Wizard, typically embarks on a more psychedelic rock vein. This is still the case with ample doses of progressive rock which is still in the 70s rock zip code. Melodic vocals and a bong laden mood, allow the opening song to coast with the relaxed Pink Floyd like vibe. When it comes to prog rock these guys do it smoother than most.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/crippled-black-phoenix-great-escape.html






7-Ihsahn -"Amr"

 The ex Emperor master mind's last few album's drifted further into progressive rock. There are plenty of moments that are not only metal but closer to even black metal,with his choked croak almost picking up where his first solo album left off. Synths are more to the forefront. Not just any synths , but very retro synths that sound like they are from an 80s horror movie. Its a shade better than what most other artists in progressive metal are doing, though the progressive side is what breaks up the dark aggression that we came to know and love him by. The bar is set pretty high and my threshold for darkness is at the level of soul sucking so if you like darker progressive metal it might be your album so far year. I am a step away from being vampiric in my lust for darkness never be quenched by the metal of mere mortals, so take that into consideration

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/ihsahn-amr.html


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6-Sigh- "Heir to Despair"

    This band really defines progressive rock. There shit is not a bunch of notes it goes somewhere and actually makes progress. While I was surprised that it sounded like a space age take on Jethro Tull as a metal band, it makes perfect sense. Yes , I know they used to be a black metal band. They are still heavy,

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/11/sigh-heir-to-despair.html

5- Lychgate" The Contagion in Nine Steps" 

 Fans of the band who showed up for black metal might have found this to be jarring. It's also really dark and interesting so if you don't recognize that and want just blast beats so eat more glue and chase it with a bullet. This is not to say I approve of every movement in this shifting landscape of angular chaos. I do approve of the sense of adventure and rebellion against the black metal status quo even at risk of not being black metal anymore.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/05/lychgate-contagion-in-nine-steps.html

4-Vanishing Kids " Heavy Dreamer" 


This band features former members of Jex Thoth and draws influences from a wider web. The over driven guitar waking sluggishly from the hazy murk of occult rock while bathing with lusher atmosphere. Despite the occasional rock god guitar solo that puts it's foot upon on the monitor to remind you where they came from, both the title track and "Without a Sun" both sound like they could have come from 4AD's catalog in the late 80s.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/09/vanishing-kids-heavy-dreamer.html

3- Manes - "Slow Motion Death Sequence" 


 This album finds the band going further in a direction that is more electronic than metal. I like the vocals right from the jump. They are moody and the female vocals remind me of Bjork. While this might not be metal, there are rock elements t with distorted power chords creating a driving pulse. The male vocals continue to get weirder reminding me of Peter Gabriel.


https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/06/manes-slow-motion-death-sequence.html

2-Voivod- "the Wake" 

 The 14th album from these legends finds them embracing all of their sides. The album takes you through a wide array of dark and melodic places, with more of a proggy "Nothing Face" like drive rather than the thrash aggression of their earlier work.In terms of heavy it's more like "Dimension Hatross" than "War& Pain". Snake's voice sounds great on this album, where many of his peers feel the effects of time. I think while it only comes close to the very peak of the Piggy years , you are talking about the best albums by one of the very best metal bands, so that is a high fucking bat. It does however holds ground against their body of work as a whole and is clear they are not content to fall back into rehashing the past , but continuing to progress.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/08/voivod-wake.html

1-Voices- "Frightened" 


 Former members of Akercocke formed this progressive metal band. The dark sense of melody further into this album with each listen . It has a wide array of vocal colors. The metal core of what these musicians creates from doesn't hamper it from bringing other elements ranging from post-punk to post- hardcore, though I guess these post-men aren't just ringing twice as any other post-sub genre can also be found. This album is very impressive, when I got it back in April it was what I thought to be one of the first contenders for album of the year as I could not imagine someone bringing it in the dark and aggressive fashion these guys do.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/04/voices-frightened.html

Sigh : "Heir to Despair"

This band really defines progressive rock. There shit is not a bunch of notes it goes somewhere and actually makes progress. While I was surprised that it sounded like a space age take on Jethro Tull as a metal band, it makes perfect sense. Yes , I know they used to be a black metal band. They are still heavy, so if that doesn't make you content then I'll point you in the direction of the last Lychgate album. This is more melodic and flowing even in it's weirder moments. The second song is more spastic than the first. Things change much faster here and when they hit a powerful chugging riff it's soon over. "Hunters Not Horned " is a step in a more aggressive direction. I would not say a heavier one. There is a touch of rock n roll in the recklessness they pursue this with which is cool as a great deal of prog bands get to caught up in the precision and sound sterile.

"In Memories Delusional" is a faster yet more tightly coil trashing take on what they do. Then they enter into a trilogy of "Heresy " songs. The first one starts of in more of a Mr. Bungle like vein. It eventually gets in a good heavy groove more like a Slayer riff. I had to go back and listen to the second part of "Heresy" again. The 3rd part of this series of songs' has more of a Tangerine Dream vibe. It's more of a song and less of an experimental interlude. It continues to drift into a more Moody Blues neighborhood. There is more of a feral metal thrashing to " Hands of the String Puller".  It throws weirdness at you , but shows they know what they are doing when it comes to writing a fucking song. Everything seems like the next logical step rather than just being jarring for the sake of being jarring.

The album ends with the title track which is not black metal but chugs in that direction. I should say here the guitar playing is on fucking point. If you are into guitar solos , then know these guys can shred. I think what bears even more note is the fact they can, but at no point in time does it ever come across like they thought" Well this would be a cool riff to solo over". I like a good guitar solo. I don't like wanking onto a guitar, I can't really say I don't like wanking because it is one of my favorite past times. But the point is the song's come first. Vocally the title track is not as interesting as some of the previous songs. At over ten minutes this is album's longest song so it takes some twists and turns. I like when they go into the more sweeping strum that reminds me of Sleepy Time Gorilla Museum. There are many moments that sound like circus music.At the end of the day these guys are incredible at what they do I'll give this album a 9.

The Top 50 Metal Guitarists - 30 to 21

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.


30-Galder

Known for theatrical performances , his tight playing style and clean picking always finds the melody to compensate for the rough vocals. His band has so much going on that over playing would be a detriment.


 


29-Gunter Schulz 

 The best industrial player, as he can pull out thrash riffs as solid as anyone's and color them with the kinds of melodic embellishments needed to give the vocals the back drop they need. Playing with as many electronic elements as he does , you can set you clock to this guys playing. He is a machine.

 

28-Shinichi Ishikawa

 Playing in what became like a black metal version of Mr. Bungle, Shinichi's playing ranged from a more classic rock n roll to lots of wild Hungarian minor scales. He added a human component in his playing to what would otherwise turned into a chaotic circus of wild gymnastics.

 


27-Christian Hector 

Funeral doom can sometimes focus more on the atmosphere than the chops, though a great guitarist can always breathe life into a song despite the trappings of a genre and work within those to still shine. Hector is a prime example of this. He can fire out a solo with enough tasteful shred in it to satisfy any moody metal head. It's his almost jazz like approach that is the most appealing part of his playing.


  
26-Bill Hayden 

 This guy came out of the trash scene inn the late 80s early 90s but his playing was way ahead of it's time, much like his band. His solos retained the dark mood of the songs and were full of melodies , I can sing them all in my head. Then the singer died and never heard from him again.

 


25-Sami Duet

His dark and dynamic playing was more impressive to me in his first band than this current band. He does however prove himself to be just a capable playing blackened death metal as he was swamp sludge that was haunted by the ghost of the Doors. The few solos on those his early work had a rock n roll slant and a touch of wah.


 


24-Marty Friedman


His playing pretty much made the "Rust In Peace" album. He blended all the neo classical non-sense that Yngwie did into something more fluid that worked better in a metal context, than just using boring 80's gallops. Granted he had Dave Mustaine to work off of.


 


23- Juuso Heikkilä


 The thing I like about depressive black metal is the range of emotion. His playing embodies this. He remains tasteful at all times even when his solos go from delicate melodies to ripping your face off, in a band who dynamics is their stock and trade he honors this and is always a part of the song writing process rather than just seeing the song as something that bookends a guitar solo.

    

22-Brent Hinds

Next time I run into Brent he will probably say "Hey man what's up? How's your daughter, we need to jam again sometime, listen man if you weren't so big I would slap you up side your head for putting me on a god damn metal list. Yeah... I know we listened to a bunch of Dio that night I did cocaine off your ferret's cage, but I am a blues guitarist from Alabama. I'm not like those dudes in Meshuggah." But his band put out metal albums and he plays well so here he is. He made it this high because he has a unique finger picking style.

 

21- Paul Masvidal 

 He used to play in a death metal band, but they gradually got more progressive until their music can now summon elves from the future. Listen to the song below and then if you think he doesn't belong where he is then you do not know anything about anything so who cares what you think about this list or any other subject.


 

Black Metal History Month -the Top 50 Black Metal Albums of All Time-30 to 21

Here we go mid-way into Black Metal History month and midway into our top 50 black metal albums of all time. Now we get into the thick of things. Continuing to draw from every corner of the genre and globe. If you are just jumping in now I am only using one album by each artist. Most of the time they are ranked by what I have listened to the most , in some cases if an album would not exist if not for another album, the album that came first is ranked higher, since it is obviously of more importance. So here we go before entering into the top 20, which won't come til this weekend.

30-Samael- "Ceremony of Opposites"

Released in 94 this one crosses the first wave of black metal over into the second. There is a lot of groove to this album that influenced bands like Behemoth later on. The guitar sound on this album is mean as fuck. For when this came out it was one of the darkest and most sinister things going.

29- Deathspell Omega- Paracletus

An amazing album by a band that has made some amazing albums. This one is darker , dissonant and more angular than the other in a way that finds everything clicking in place perfectly. This is one of those class of 2010 albums. The took what Blut Aus Nord had done for French metal and added Emperor's ear for technicality and then raised the bar once again for French metal.

28- Sigh- "Scenes From Hell"


 2010 was also the year my daughter was born which might be an ill sign considering how this explosion of incredible black metal came about then. This album takes the progressive slant they had given their sound and turned it on it's head.Defying the idea that the best black metal has to come from Scandinavia, this Japanese band really slays it with the odd blend of gypsy tinged progressive black metal that shows no trace of their heritage.


 


27-Taake- "Noregs vaapen"

 It's mindblowing to think all this came from Hoest. The very fact this is a black metal album with banjo on it earns it's place here. Norweigan black metal that gives you all the frost ridden anger you expect , but not being content with blast beats alone. Even Hoest's raspy croak sets itself apart from the pack. At end of the day it's the song writing that makes this an album I can still put on seven years later and it sounds just as vital.



 




26- Negura Bunget-Vîrstele pămîntului

 And yet again 2010 proves to really be the number of the beast. This time from Romania as this folk tinged black metal band comes across as almost a Dead Can Dance of metal in the way they crafted this exotic masterpiece. Don't get me wrong "Om" is a great album as well, this one just finds every nuance touching the right place. They display an excellent use of clean vocals in a way that doesn't come across as a good cop / bad cop trick.



 

25- Carpathian Forest- "Defending the Throne of Evil" 


 This album blends death metal and black n roll into something ugly, perverse and powerfully catchy. The songs work smoothly as classic metal. The vocals are nasty and every thing is dark as hell. These guys were always consistent and I going back to listen to this album makes me wish they would put out a new one as this embodies all things black metal should be with blast beat far and few between.






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 24--Altar of Plagues- Teeth Glory & Injury"

 This 2013 album was sadly the Irish band's last. It blends pounding blackened math rock in the vein of Russian Circles with industrial. The dissonance and darkness to this album help to give it a black metal feel. There are a few blast beats sprinkled in but they typically keep you guessing in a way few other black metal bands were doing at the time. Oppressive in it's anguish, they crush on this one here their other albums droned.

 

23 Primordial- "the Gathering Wilderness" 


 This Irish band has always retained a strong sense of themselves on all of their albums, so this one weighs heavily on the fact that it has my favorite song by these guys "the Coffin Ships" on it. Nemtheanga's voice is particularly strong on this album, and proves actual singing can still work on a black metal album.

 

 22- Deafheaven - "Roads to Judah"

The Van Halen of black metal,  with "Sunbather" this band took the genre and made it easier for Americans to digest. Their 2011 album was actually black metal with whats sounds to be genuine anger and emotion to it. So much so that it is able to compensate for not having the kind of darkness black metal is known for. So for hipsters who wanted to get into black metal at this time it served as an easy entry point. Few stuck around as trends shifted, though if you go to a Deafheaven show it looks like you are at a Mumford and Sons concert.

21-Weakling- "Dead as Dreams"

 Here is a clear cut has of an album that needed to be here, because if it wasn't for this album Deafheaven would not exist. These guys are more depressive than shoe-gazing they came out with this back in 2000. So all American black metal bands pretty much have to bow down to this one.

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Top 10 Guitarists of 2015

The end of the 2015 lists is here , we are looking at the players who made the best albums of 2015 the best and breaking did down by looking at the top 10 guitarists , bassists , drummers and singers. I don't care if Shreddy Van McShredder put out the most blistering piece of neo-classical freturbation ever, if he doesn't play on an album that is on any of my top 10 charts then who cares...only you. So here we go with guitarists, not all of which twisted scales around the neck of their guitar some had awesome tone and pulled off their tricks in a more sonic scope with in the confines of their songs. I'll make another top ten greatest guitarist of al time list when I am done with these and perhaps that will put things into perspective as to what I look for in a guitar is for now we have this.

 10-You Oshima - Sigh

 After battling cancer and being forced to leave his home due to a nuclear disaster Oshima hooked up with Sigh, who are already a talented bunch and shone in a away among them his previous solo albums might not have allowed.

9-Slow Death -Brett Campbell


 Stepping away from the mic he dominates in Pallbearer Brett really proves his chops in a band that is way more doom than Pallbearer is at present. "Ark' found his playing reaching beyond the realms of doom into new heights.

 

8- Kyle Moeller - Vehemence "Forward Without Motion" is the perfect title for the album as it's forward thinking death metal that doesn't move away from what you expect from the genre. The opening run that opens the song posted below, should explain why Moeller made this list. His playing is very fluid and effortless and added another melodic dimension to their sound, while shredding pretty hard.

7-Arve Isdal - Enslaved

 If we were just talking about live he might have even ranked higher as he is a true rock god on stage with no denying, he also added some fire to the latest slab of Viking prog. He serves the song and knows when to turn it on and off. For a metal guitarist he is fine backing on the gain and exploring other tones. He doesn't have to shred, and can add more sonic qualities when called upon and "In Times" hight lights every aspect of his playing.

6-Laura Pleasants - Kylesa

 She doesn't shred like the others on this list , instead her super power is taste and tone. She gives her band and fuller sonic range and adds some dark texture. They have grown over the years as a band from a crusty sludge ridden monster into a more shadowy beast dripping with surreal effects, this is where her playing is most noted. Increasingly melodic and always tasteful, where great tone and aggression meet
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5- Nadir - Dodsferd

 Now we get into some players who straight up shred that the genre hasn't seen since Totalselfhatred, who are missing in action so it wonderful he has stepped up to place his foot on the monitor and fill the void. On wastes of life he makes his band atmospheric without making it minimally stagnant, by pulling off some beautiful acoustic passages. By not playing like a metal guitarist he has elevated this metal album. This is not to say he doesn't rip it when he needs to because this is some of the best metal playing no matter the genre.
 

4-Chris Richardson - Cleric/ John Zorn

 In the context of his metal band I was unaware he was a master of his instrument as he is on this John Zorn album, makes me want to really pay more attention when Cleric releases their next one. Considering who he is playing his tone play the pivot in making this metal while he is true to Zorn's vision.
 

3-Adam Zaars- Tribulation

 The solos on this album hold most of the melody and when he is not soloing the guitar is holding most of the melody, which is what makes he band stand out and question if they are indeed death metal. Something can be said for his tone which raises the death metal debate, since it is warmer and organic than most death metal bands and is what gives this band their personality.
 

2-Aaron Carey- Nechowhen

 His clean tone rips as much as when he steps on the distortion, if he wasn't up against one of the best guitarists ever he might have the number one slot.His solos balance technique and melody. If this was done in an over top fashion it would have ruined the songs, so he strikes a perfect balance.
 

1-Adrian Smith - Iron Maiden

 He plays like this is their last album and he wants to make every note count. Smith had the most to prove of all the players on this list as Dave and Jannick stepped up their game as well. "Book of Souls" is a great album that is only soldified by Smith blazing fret work.

the Top 10 Experimental / Prog Metal Albums of 2015

The emphasis here is sometimes on the experimentation and sometimes on the more progressive side of things. Some of these bands have pushed the bounds of what they do so far it's hard for any label to confine them much less metal. They are all in their own way heavy. Heavier emotionally than most of the more conventional metal that came out this year. There are jazz artists throwing up their horns, and New York hipster who want to burn the traditions of metal like a church in Norway. Some shred , others show a more difficult level of mastery in connecting their instruments to their bared hearts. Here is the albums that gave their middle finger to what you though heavy was supposed to be. They are ranked according to what Last FM told me I listened to the most. 10- John Zorn :"Simulacrum" This slab of wonderful weirdness, is more accessible than his classic "Naked City" album. He has put John Medeski together with the guitarist from Cleric, who I had no clue could shred like this. Yes thats right it's the dude from Medeski, Martin and Wood, playing with a dude from a metal band. There is more Crimson and Zappa influence on this one than what you normally hear from Zorn. This is not the first time Zorn has touched upon metal, he just commits a little more to it hear very deliberate intention rather than just giving you spastic bursts.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/john-zorn-simulacrum.html


9-Ahab : "The Boats of the Glen Carrig"

 You might remember these guys as a doom band. I certainly did when I went into this album hoping my hunger for funeral doom was going to be sated. Instead the band threw my expectations into the vast ocean of their creative aspirations. This is not to say these changes were not growth, they were just different. The album opens with something more like the kind of 70s prog rock that Opeth once gave ample nods to. The metal comes crashing in at the three minute mark. The production on this album is very lush, the low growled vocals carrying a bigger 90s Morbid Angel roar. The album ebbs and flows with the crunch dissolving into clean guitar and the vocals taking on an "Islands" era King Crimson croon.While part of me mourns for the doom band I once knew, they have created something pretty breathtaking here.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/ahab-boats-of-glen-carrig-like-red-foam.html
8-Sigh: "Graveward"

 Once upon a time one of my favorite black metal bands put out an album called "Scenes From Hell" and they transformed from one of my favorite black metal bands into one of my favorite prog metal bands. Their new album finds them getting some of the aggression back as they study the various aspects of death.this album is much heavier than any thing they have done since "Hangman's Hymn". So fans of the bands older work will not feel like they are listening to a Mr. Bungle album despite the weird electronics attacking a few songs. Some of the riffs on here grind into you more like death metal. I am glad they are embracing the heavier side of what they do here, I think the song writing as a whole was better on a few of the previous albums. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/sigh-graveward.html

7-the Black Heart Rebellion : "People, when you see the smoke, do not think it is the fields they’re burning"

 Here is one of the bands on this list that is very heavy both emotionally and sonically, but eschews drenching their guitars in such thick distortion that is falls into the typical metal chugga chugga. This gives their guitars a more anxiously organic tone. After the stunning "Har Nevo" expectations were high. The vocals are more refined, having grown by leaps and bounds this time around. Dynamically the intensity level has more muscle to it . Synths play a larger role and when the drugs kick in they give things a 60s like psychedelia. They sometimes crawl of into a similar place in the shadows as "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun". The vocals are a more dominate element here than they were for Floyd's darker early days, though on some songs manage to creep into more post-punk slither that almost touches upon death-rock. A perfect soundtrack for the days I forget to take my meds.
  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/the-black-heart-rebellion-people-when.html




6-A Forest of Stars :" Beware the Sword You Can Not See"

  At one point in time these guys presented themselves as steam punk black metal, but now this album encompasses a much more traditional prog metal sound, if you were to run it through a filter of folky black metal, which are this band's roots that they re-embrace on this album.They frequently throw so much at you all at once that sonically it feels like you are running into a wall. Female vocals play a larger role on this album, though some of their more tried and true vocal colors such as the harsher growls and maniacal ranting also makes appearances here. They fill the songs with many twists and turns , but it all flows rather elegantly. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/a-forest-of-stars-beware-sword-you-can.html

5-Pyramids - "A Northern Meadow"

 Here is an album that received a fair amount of hype upon it's release and once I sat down to really listen to it with headphones it won me over. It glides over you like a dreamy hybrid of Cynic mixed with Enslaved. The guitarists get points for the unorthodox guitar tone they chose to play metal with.They do use sounds loosely connected with black metal, but I would not say they are a black metal band.The drummer seems to be counting these songs with fractal mathematics as the drums wander beneath the guitars. The thing I like most about this album is it's ability to give me them same jarring feeling one might get from not being able to distinguish dream from waking life.
  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/pyramids-northern-meadow.html

4-Liturgy - the Ark Work

 Hunter and the boys catch a lot shit for some of their overt hipster pre-tense, but I've remained a fan and have ignored some of Hunter's thesis papers on black metal. Ben Fox is an amazing drummer who compliments the band as they blister into songs that split the difference between Sun Ra like jazz and the black metal of old. Here is where you must be warned the band's take on rap-metal is Hunter chanting in a sing song voice intervals similar to those Bone Thugs N Harmony uses. The chanting is more of a drone than anything resembling nu-metal. The lyrics are like something from Allen Ginsberg's "Howl as interpreted by Layzie Bone. The so called Bone Thugs elements are more toned down that what the buzz on this album might have suggested upon it's release and more often than not the mood blasts you, into a shimmering sunrise rather than the grim winter's dusk most black metal travels to.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/liturgy-ark-work.html

3-Dodheimsgard - "A Umbra Omega"

 Rather than just write songs, These guys have constructed dark chaotic passages of an aural labyrinth. If you like post-rock but haven't given black metal much of a chance this might be the album for you. The guitar playing is consistently mouth watering as it layers the disjointed groove that some how manage to stand on their own two feet. They morph form a Current 93 like ambiance to folk metal jazz in the span of a song and that is only the tip of the frost covered mountains on this one. They might not be black metal any more, but that is only because the genre could no longer contain them.
  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/dodheimsgard-umbra-omega.html

2- Strangeweather: "S/T"

 Another album that forsakes metallic overdrive and instead employs a more organic yet dark hearted Neo-folk with an Appalachian breeze blowing through it. The members switch off vocals resulting in a wide range of moodiness to the dirge like mourning allowing each instrument and voice embraces while adding another swathe of gray to the sonic tapestry. hey have really created something unique here. The lyrics carry the indignant unease of post- punk, while they set upon a soundtrack with the elegance that is the x-factor many a wanna-be goth bands just doesn't get . This brings the emotional weight making it heavy in feeling rather than metal.When I played this for my wife just dismissed it as more of the droning drug music I like, so you have to listen to this as a whole work to really get the full effect or have to have been involved with heavy narcotic use for a period of more than five years. Do not play while operating heavy machinery. http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/strangeweather-st.html

1- Eye of NIX : "Moros"

 This is more experimental than prog, though it is progressive in the sense the songs go somewhere. That is more can be said for many so called prog bands that remain stagnant in favor of wanking on the fret board. The album starts off as a more post-rock version of Dead Can Dance. Lead singer Joy Von Spain lets it all out in an operatic soprano as things get blasty beneath her. Male growls add a grit to their shifts into crustier paces. While Mykur gave us similar dynamics earlier this year, each end of the dynamic range here is pushed a little further. Joy is dynamic range extends into the not afraid to shred her vocals chords a little with some screams. Sometimes they play by the more typical metal rules and the veer off into slow-core. They sometimes build into the type of chaos that can be found in some of Swans' freak out moments but with a more metallic command.They incorporate every element of music that love into this one album in a cohesive fashion.
  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/eye-of-nix-moros.html