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
.

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 Death Metal Albums of 2015

While death metal doesn't get as much air time with me, I am no stranger to the genre having bought my first death metal album "Leprosy" in 1988. From there Morbid Angel and Deicide would become my favorite death metal bands  with Incantation, Obituary, Cancer, Nocturnus and Unleashed picking up the slack. As with all things the darker the better so that while factor in as we leave no grave unturned and dig into the best of 2015. This list is going to touch on every aspect of the genre sometimes getting so melodic I had to question if they were death metal and then give the album another listen to ease my doubts. There was not one sub-genre of genre that dominated this year though I tend to lean more toward the doomier more blackened side, we still have more traditional, tech and experimental death metal bands gave good showings. So here are my top ten death metal albums, ranked in according to which one got the most rotation on my iPod.Links to full reviews which include streams posted with each entry.




10 - Vehemence -"Forward Without Motion"

 Certainly could have stood to have listened to this one more, but I suppose I'm not always in need of this much shredding mixed in with your death metal. It was guitar players album for sure. The drummer was no slouch either but the focus in more on the sweep arpeggios. It is pretty melodic in the post- Spiritual Healing or Heartwork way. As this one progresses it becomes impressively melodic and not in the cheesy Dark Tranquility way. It can be hard to take a more conventional approach to death metal and make it interesting and these guys made more than listenable and topped out with outstanding shred guitar.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/10/vehemence-forward-without-motion.html

9 - Grave: "Out of Respect For the Dead"

 It's the eleventh album from the Swedish Death Metal vets. Along with Entombed they helped hone a sound that bands have been trying to emulate ever since.There is a lot of groove to this album which help keep it's dark and grisly vibe moving forward. This is pretty much everything you could want from this era of old school death metal . It's an impressive display of power, that comes with seasoned songwriting.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/grave-out-of-respect-for-dead.html

8 - Pyrrhon -"Growth Without End"

 The album title must be this band's motto as the New York based band headed in a more intense yet mathematical direction.The songs were short spastic burst not as herky jerky as power-violence or grind core. At times this came across like a more death metal version of what Converge does, but with a meth driven ADD. Where most of the so called deathcore bands attempt something similar to this, Pyrrhon gets it right and understands the beauty in creating ugliness. The production of the album is as in your face as the music that was recorded, not too noisy or lo-fi, but balancing out the layers like a Bosch painting.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/pyrrhon-growth-without-end.html

7 - Aevangelist: "Enthrall to the Void of Bliss"

This didn't hit me like "Writhes in the Murk " did as it's not as dense and jazz like. They shed some of the black metal elements to you deeper into the land of profane nightmares from a more death metal perspective. The drag riffs out of the murk, proving they are making metal and not just hell-spawned noise-scapes. The vocals stay at bubbling gurgle, like lava being poured down a drain pipe.They have brought experimentation and metal meet at a dark crossroads. This is like heavy machinery and should not be operated while on drugs at risk to your own sanity.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/aevangelist-enthrall-to-void-of-bliss.html

6 -Desolate Shrine- "the Heart of the Netherworld"

 This is an album of dark death where the guitars lay their melodies over a fairly brutal battering. The production on this album is how death metal should sound. It's not too , but it's not under produced to the point of sounding like they are playing in your crawlspace. Many death metal bands blown their wad after the first song, and hit me with everything they have. This leaves me waiting around to see what else they can do which is usually more of the same. This album made me forget that I was waiting around for as it evident the onset and didn't let up from there. It really grew on me with each listen.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/05/desolate-shrine-heart-of-netherworld.html

5 - No Trust: "the Cycle"

 Despite having a slight black metal torment to the mid-range throat scraping of the vocals, these guys play death metal that attacks as a very keen machine. The compact songs , run around four minutes, getting in and getting the job done without losing you in the sprawl. This is not straight forward death metal, it retains enough of the raw aggression to give the tightly coiled progressive metal influence more bite, always finding ways to work in catchy grooves. Tastefully finding ways to conforms more to what today's headbangers would want from death metal, the band doesn't owe much to classic bands like Morbid Angel, but slight touches of Slayer can be detected. Keep your ears open to what the future holds for this band.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/07/no-trust-cycle.html

4 -Howls of Ebb -"the Marrow Veil"

 I hear too many bands in today's metal that play it way to safe , so Howls of Ebb are welcomed relief. They are not afraid of wildly deviating from the masses . I am not a fan of twenty minute songs, but these guys are able to occupy the space. They kick in with a bizarre psychedelic fury and ebb down to linger in the awkward silence of whispers. This makes the silence as confrontational as their louder moments in a manner similar to bands like Mr. Bungle.There is a chance that when this album is over you'll find your self wondering what the hell you listened to, depending upon how stoned you are. It will take a few more listens and a half dozen more bong hits to come to a conclusion. Stone cold sober I concludeD that I need more of this in my life , though would prefer it in smaller more song like doses and less like sprawling soundtracks. But if they do not choose to temper their wild creative streak with the restraint, then I'll take that as well.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/07/howls-of-ebb-marrow-veil.html

3 -Nightfell - "Darkness Evermore"

 The bar was raised pretty high as their debut album"the Living Ever Mourn" really killed it. The same woefully melodic throb still flows through the veins of this beast. The guitars are masterfully layered and production wise this album sounds even better than their first. The arrangements are crafted in a way that other bands should take note as it is so organic and fluid you almost don't notice the transitions. The song writing has stepped up to the challenge. I would otherwise balk at opening an album with a ten minute song, but they know how to make every second count. They gallop into the darkened landscapes with classic metal bravado, once again delivering the goods.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/nightfell-darkness-evermore.html

 

2 - Archgoat - "the Apocalyptic Triumphator"

 This Finnish band has been spreading the unholy word since the early nineties. They have left a trail of splits and eps in their wake but this is only the band's third full length...so it's kind of a big deal.While this band's mission statement and role in the occult community is more in line with black metal, but intention and attitude alone doesn't keep this album from being death metal as the vocals are growled in a manner below guttural like Angel Slayer is funneling a sewer from from the bowels of hell down his throat. At best it's blackened death metal, but the band's influences are pre-dark throne a time when death metal was the heaviest thing going and Deicide and Acheron were the most satanic shows in town. Never numbing you out with blast beats, they raised the bar for metal bands in 2015. This album proved it was possible to be insanely heavy with out forsaking songwriting. This album Has both the brutality and attention to detail I want from my metal death, black or otherwise.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/01/archgoatthe-apocalyptic-triumphator.html

1 - Tribulation - the Children of the Night Was a little torn as to if this album even belonged here, until I went back and listened to the album and "Music From the Other " sealed the deal. While I liked the band's last album, but found them much more fascinating of a creature on stage when I saw them open for Watain, so I am hoping some of those more progressive and wandering qualities have carried over from the road and right from the first few chords of the opener it seems like they have. There is an almost Opeth like lushness to the sound. They don't use the traditional metal crunch, instead just going for an organic tone that they are playing loudly. The vocals are more intelligible than the previous album. When they dive deeper into the darkness answering the question what would it have sounded like if DeepPurple had written the soundtrack to the Exorcist. This is another step forward for the band that continues to grow with every album, they blend the more classic metal elements in with their more ethereal colors with ease, as they are not afraid to push the bounds of what death metal can be.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/tribulation-children-of-night.html

Vehemence : "Forward Without Motion"

Looking for some shredding mixed in with your death metal this is a guitar players album for sure. The drummer is no slouch either but the focus in more on the sweep arpeggios. It is pretty melodic in the post- Spiritual Healing or Heartwork way. "Imagining the Loss" is catchier riff wise and while the opening tune is not bad it was what you expect from melodic death metal. Meeting all expectations , but only exceeding them when it came to the guitar solos and songs are not really the vehicles for guitar solos to anyone but the nerds analyzing them.They turn into more of a thrash band on the third song "Murdered By the Earth". There is even a bright power metal like melody to the guitar riff in some parts where it sounds like a death metal singer just happens to be growling over this. The double bass becomes almost obligatory much in the same way blast beats are for black metal bands, despite the cool strummed outro.

It's strange to think most of this band was in Abigail Williams until you get to "Jim the Prophet" which is the first song that baring the echoes of their former band. The vocals take on a more conventional lower death metal growl. The music speeds up rather haphazardly around the steady vocal line midway into the song before the redeeming chug comes in. The solo section gets a little long wind but it is bookended by two cool riffs. To be called "In the Shadows We Dwell" this song isn't very dark as it races along. The vocals pick an interesting pattern to bark along before gang vocals join in. The galloped riff further presses them toward thrash territory.  They get a little caught up in speed for the sake of speed in a few places.

The clean guitar at the beginning of " A Dark Figure in the Distance". The go into the song with a Cynic like progressive sense to the winding song. Even though it's not heavy as most death metal can be, the melodic sensibility of the song is what makes it for me. This song is an ambitious progressive composition as it winds around it self and the solos are tastefully place and quick.  However , I was hoping for something a little more from the build up section rather than just full speed ahead. At three and a half minutes " It's All My Fault" is the polar opposite from the previous song , just fast and too the point. This brings back more the thrash feeling. They do cram a lot the three and half minutes they do have of this song. Effective in its aggression, for a song to be so wonderfully titled as "She Fucks Like She's Alive" the deathly thrash doesn't seem to be as dark as a song with that subject matter needs to be.

There streak of great song titles that are hard to live up to musically continues with "There are So Many Reasons to Give Up on Religion". This one finds the vocals locking in with the riff for some catchier moments. The shuffle through some razor sharp riff but never wield one long enough to get maximum damage done. Similar pacing propels " I Take You Life" which is conventional death metal. The chorus as some punch to it thanks to the vocals. The close out the album with the marginally more melodic " Reconditioning the Flock".  The guitars slow down on the chorus to give the song room to breath over the stream of double bass. As this one progresses it becomes impressively melodic and not in the cheesy Dark Tranquility way. I'll give this one an 8, it's hard to take a more conventional approach to death metal and make it interesting and these guys make it listenable more often than not, topped out with outstanding shred guitar.