The Top 10 Most Disappointing Albums of 2024

Here's a new edition to the end-of-the-year traditions that makes more sense this year than in the past. I've already warned you there would be end-of-the-year lists not only with perhaps albums from my worst-off list but also trying to make a bigger deal out of albums that are more hype than substance for various reasons we can see here, ranging from nostalgia to wanting to offer a diverse or inclusive list rather than just focusing on which albums have the best songs. People live in such a warped reality bubble they can not handle disappointment and would rather pretend the emperor is wearing clothes than admit their favorite artists are falling short. My role has always been to call out things for what they are, as a form of quality. These are not bad albums, but they did not live up to what these artists did in the past, except for one entry that improved but was never that great and got a critical pass from mainstream music media for reasons that have nothing to do with music.  There are only three artists  that are favorites of mine that missing the mark stung a bit, but in the interest of honest journalism those are the ones I must draw the most attention to so here are the top 10 Most Disappointing albums of 2024

10- Tribulation - ''Sub Rosa In Æternum"

This album is an honorable mention, as it's not bad. It's decent for what is it, in fact in my original review I gave it a 9, but the more I listen to it the more lackluster it feels, some of the gloom is more genuine than others, I think the fact they have strayed so far from their death metal beginnings is part of the problem here, if I reviewed this album today it would have gotten an 8, which would not make it contender for any top 10 lists, aside from this one since this band is capable of greatness. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/gothtober-tribulation-sub-rosa-in-ternum.html

9-Dool- "The Shape of Fluidity" 

Another case of a band whose previous work was certainly better. This one scored an 8, on my initial listen, which still put it ahead of most radio rock, but unlike their previous album failed to inspire me to give additional listens , so if I had to rate it today would give it a 7.5, a far cry from a top 10 contender. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/05/dool-shape-of-fluidity.html

8-Body Count- "Merciless" 

This is a band that was never any good, and this album is actually an improvement. At least that is what I thought upon listening to the first few songs then it got worse the deeper into the album you go. I don't care how much they paid David Gilmore to be on this album it's the worst cover of "Comfortably Numb" I've heard. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/body-count-merciless.html

7-Oranssi Pazuzu : "Muuntautuja" 

In my review of this album, I first said they must be growing killer shrooms in Finland. It's a drugged-out mess of an album that captures cool sounds, they never are woven into being cool songs.  They have proven they can balance the two and it's not the case here. If I had to review this one today I would have given it a 7, clearly not best of material. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/10/oranssi-pazuzu-muuntautuja.html

6-Linkin Park- "From Zero" 

This one is more of a matter of all the hype and buzz around it, there was no way it could live up to the hype, it also highlighted the fact that Linkin Park has always been a pop band despite getting lumped into nu-metal. A few catchy pop songs do not equate to the best of 2024 material. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/11/linkin-park-from-zero.html

5-Oceans of Slumber - 'Where Gods Fear to Speak" 

Their previous material was doomier and made better use of her soulful voice, this feels rushed and uninspired, well-produced but also very bland. If you think this is the best of anything you did not listen to enough music this year, plenty of bands even did this better than this band. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/06/oceans-of-slumber-where-gods-fear-to.html

4-Lowen - "Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran"

This album was so bad I could not get through it to review it just felt like a waste of time. It was a flowery mess of symphonic pop rock. The only reason it was disappointing was because it was a shame the album title was so cool, and the music sounded like nothing that should be described like that. 

3-Nightwish- 'Yesterwynde"

Much like the number four I could not get through this album to review it, it's a shame as I liked both "Once" and "Dark Passion Play", there is no backbone driving these songs the attempts at metal sound empty, they would have been better off putting this band to rest. 

2-Unto Others -"Never Neverland" 

I had hoped they would have gone in a more goth direction, but they went in a poppier direction. It sounds like Billy Idol b-sides at times, a great deal of hair metal mixed in but with none of the metal edge.  The pop hooks lured me into giving this album a 9, but if I went back to review this album again I would give it an 8, as the pop hooks did not work to make me want to listen to it again. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/08/unto-others-never-neverland.html

1-Judas Priest - "Invincible Shield" 

Judas Priest is one of my favorite bands from my teen years, age has not been kind to Halford's pipes, though "Nostradomus" was a great album, perhaps I am in the minority in this regard, but it was more inspired than what they have put out since. This album might fool many people just hungry for Priest as it sounds good from a production stand point, though the original members are beginning to dwindle. At the end of the day if we are being honest this album sounds like the record label asked AI to write what it thought a Judas Priest album should sound like and this is what happened. I gave this a 9, when I first reviewed it but the more I listened to it the more I disliked it so I would give it a 7 today.  

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2024/03/judas-priest-invincible-shield.html

pst658

Gothtober- Tribulation : ''Sub Rosa In Æternum'

 No strangers to this band here we have reviewed almost every album they have released and at least a live show or two. They continue this journey from death metal into gloomy rock while self-identifying as goths. The sung vocals that open the first song solidify this; this may be the final step over this threshold for them. Johannes has sung before this time they are really committed to it. The growled vocals do not surface until the second song. This makes it feel more like Fields of the Nephilim. I think "Saturn Coming Down" makes it clear that one of the key benefits of including sung vocals is it keeps them from sounding like a mellower version of Watain. However, I do think the melody has superseded the last vestiges of aggression needed to still consider this a death metal band. 

It does not matter if they are death metal as they are writing good songs. Some of these songs are going to take a few listens to sink in. It could be a little heavier than it is, but this is where they were at when it came down to writing songs, and this has been a long time coming. 'Drink the Love of God" almost has more of a post-punk feel to it. The breakdown where the guitar solo lands in this song is really cool. They mellow out into a 69 Eyes-like power ballad for "Murder In Red"It builds up into a punchy riff that would be heavy on a 69 Eyes album but not on a Tribulation album. Almost to the point of needing to consider a name change. There is some great guitar work on this album, though I expect it is going to be divisive. 

The growls do return on "Time," which works. Perhaps they push too far from their sweet spot on "Reaping Song. "Poison Rages has very little rage, but it is well constructed. Sure, there is more of a Sisters of Mercy feel to it, but no new ground is being broken that we have not heard earlier in the album. I will give this album a 9 and see how it grows on me. It drops on November first.  

pst476

Carpenter Brut : "Leather Terror"

 The French synth wave project comes perhaps their closest yet to making a rock album with the more aggressive percussion leading into the album. One thing that makes this album stand out are the guest vocal appearances. The first is from Gunship an artist not far removed from what this project already does so it sounds like an extension of their natural direction though the vocal melody gives this a more accessible feel, connecting modern songwriting with retro sounds. Fromer Dillinger Escape Plan singer Greg Puciato,  handles the vocals for "Imaginary Firer". It might seem like an odd pairing if you are unfamiliar with his solo work, which does fall along the lines of a surreal retrofitted new wave sound similar to this. His voice flows very well with what they are doing here.    

Ulver is my favorite guest artist when it comes to their work apart from this. But here the ballad kind of falls little flat and I was hoping for more. I was not expecting anything from their black metal past, but more along the lines of their last album. Where "Day Stalker" sounds like this band is just clocking in for business as usual, "Night Prowler" is a more driven song that reminds me a little of Lords of Acid's first album. French singer Persha helps them to create a very authentic 80s feel that works well for what they7 are going for here. This could be the theme song to an 80s sci-fi movie.  Granted a very cheesy one, "Color Me Blood" kinda of feels like they are going to the well too many times as this worked on "Night Prowler " but more of the same falls flat.  

Sylvaine's voice works well with what they are doing on "Stabat Mate". When more electronic elements begin to pervade it works well as it brings her into their world and out of her comfort zone. This carries over into the following song. This finds them with a groove that plays more to the project's strengths without being redundant. Jonka from Tribulation joins them on the last song and adda a snarl to the proceedings. I think they should have produced his voice a little differently to blend it better, as this should be my favorite song but is not. I will give this album a 9 overall it is a great deal of fun, not perfect, but the strongest moments blanked those that did not connect with me as much. It could have been darker but I think it shines in regard to what they set out to do. 

the Top 10 Mainstream Metal Albums of 2021

Time to bang your head. Mainstream metal is either 

A- Middle of the road in it's attempt to appeal to a wider audience 

B- A less extreme sub-genre like Power metal or Thrash that is easier for your average suburban metal to swallow

C- bands that are harder than hard rock , but not what we think of as death or black metal here. 

This list it the best of those kind of bands, who you are more likely to see in the page of Revolver Magazine. As with years past I sort through the genre lists before making the overall top ten of the year 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 Mainstream Metal albums of 2021

10-Spirit Box- "Eternal Blue"  

Formed from the ashes of IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, these kids have had a buzz about them. This is their first full length. It is more refined that what I have heard in the past from them, it also plays it a little safer and much safer than their former band. A fun listen that is more song focused than many of their peers.

Abysmal Hymns: Spiritbox : " Eternal Blue"

 9-Khemmis - "Deceiver" 

These guys used to seem like a more NWOBHM obsessed version of Pallbearer. Over the years they have established more of their own identity and that can be heard more fully on this album that starts off with a more thrashy power metal tone to offset the melancholier melodies.

Abysmal Hymns: November is Doom - Khemmis : "Deceiver"

 8-the Lions Daughter- "Skin Show"

 Angry sludge vocals and other metal aggression coming in a stomping over some retro synth wave. I like where they are going with this, in some ways the sound is just as important as the songs if not more, but they still are able to keep your attention.   

Abysmal Hymns: the Lion's Daughter : " Skin Show"

7-Rob Zombie- "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy" 

 

More metal than you might have expected from the more booty grooving brand of industrial rock he normally peddles in. In other words it is heavier than his last album. though it is also more organic so at times closer to Steppenwolf than White Zombie.

Abysmal Hymns: Rob Zombie : "The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy"

  6-At the Gates - "the Nightmare of Being" 

The Swedish death metal pioneers are back for their 7th album. Granted this band has a 30-year history behind them. They have always seemed more thrash to me than death metal and their twin guitar harmonies are almost power metal, but they come on pretty strong and experience prove they know how to write songs on this album. 

Abysmal Hymns: At the Gates - "the Nightmare of Being"

 

5-Tribulation- "Where Gloom Becomes Sound" 

There could be a mor truthful title to this album.at times it sounds like what might come from a meeting with a major label and Watain if they told Watain to try to come up with something that might also appeal to fans of Nightwish.which works out better than that might appear on paper. 

Abysmal Hymns: Tribulation : " Where the Gloom Becomes Sound"

4-Exodus- "Persona Non Grata" 

Better than what younger bands following in their combat boots are doing , but not quite on the level of their classic work, thought close enough. At the album's best it feels like they picked up where "Fabulous Disaster " left. 

Abysmal Hymns: Exodus : "Persona Non Grata"

 

3-Alien Weaponry - "Tangroa" 

This metal band from New Zealand gets labelled as thrash when they are really more like New Zealand's answer Gojira. Granted their heritage somehow also brings with it a touch of Sepultura. As the album progressed the songs got more memorable, and some were pretty damn infectious that made for return listens.  

Abysmal Hymns: Alien Weaponry : "Tangaroa"

 

2- Flotsam and Jetsam- "Blood in the Water" 

These guys are the masters of power thrash. The album is way heavier than expected, but the songs are hooky, and Erik's voice sounds great, so what else can you ask for these guys, who keep surprising us with some of their best work coming this late in their careers. 

 Abysmal Hymns: Flotsam & Jetsam : "Blood in the Water"

1- Iron Maiden- "Senjutsu" 

There is no real filler on this album, the first single is the weakest song on the album and that is a relative term as it is still better than anything another band trying to be them could do, and a solid song in its own right even if it is not just what I showed up for, If this is their last album it is a fine summary of their legacy.  

Abysmal Hymns: Iron Maiden : "Senjutsu"

Tribulation : " Where the Gloom Becomes Sound"

 

The first song has the snarling vocals that still serve a purpose despite not contributing to melody along with a tense riff and plenty of hooks to be found. Oh yeah and a cool groovy bass line which is normally unheard of in death metal. The second song "Hour of the Wolf"  is less groove more Swedish metal in flavor. The same could be said for "Leviathans" , but it adds more rock flare to what goes down and is an interesting song for it. They now have the drummer from Deathstars which contributes to their more rock n roll sound as he never kicks into high gear like their original drummer. This is nothing against Oscar in fact it might be that he works for their new direction better. Dynamically this song goes more places. The brighter tone after the break down , would normally not work for me , but it is fine here. 

"Dirge of a Dying World" sounds like what might come from a meeting with a major label and Watain if they told Watain to try to come up with something that might also appeal to fans of Nightwish. It doesn't suck and goes to some interesting places it is just not what I expected. You hear the word goth get thrown around with these guys so you assume that means they are going to be darker. It is about as dark as maybe Sentenced in that regard. There is more of a Judas Priest like attack to the more upbeat stylings of "Daughter of the Djinn". This be be heavier but either this guys doesn't hit his drums with metal thunder or it is a production choice. It might be a combination of the two. This is not a deal breaker. He does break out some chops later into the song.

"Elementals" is the first song that feels a little like filler as it just charges ahead on the rock road with little to stand out. Not a bad song , but when we consider this band's body of work it might be a bit dialed in. "Inanna" reminds me of Watain's  "Waters of Ain" but with more guitar solos . I suppose it depends on how you feel about guitar solos. Not the album's most original moment and the more classic metal sounds on "Funeral Pyre" , which the takes a turn to the more spooky side with the atmosphere that creep in mid way into the song. The last song is fairly consistent for what this band does running off more of a triumphant gallop and perhaps not as dark. I like this album I have gotten a fair amount of mileage out of it so far. If you are a fan then they are giving you what you want for sure I will give this album a 9.

Gothtober- Crippled Black Phoenix : "Ellengæst"

 

When a band loses their singer it can be awkward. These guys brought in other singers and went in a differeent direction. Dark enough to belong in Gothtober so you know it'sa direction I like. It's good to hear the dark side of Vincent from Ananthema. The are blended with the band's femal singer Belinda Kordic. It creates almost a Swans vibe, with a western mood in the background. It gets very heavy sonically, much like the Swans do.I mean I consider these guys to be progressive but not metal. Vincent sticks around for "Lost" . Kordic has a mor soulful approach than what Jarboe invokes, so more in like with a less dramatic and British Siouxsie. Vincent plays less of a role coming in at the chorus. I like the opening trak better this one kind floats around, though it still has drive. I guess I kinda check out and got distracted while the first song held my attention. 

Ghaal does spoken word over "In the Night" . It's is even more western, but meets post rock. Ghaal can actually sing when he wants to . Instead we get this more Leonard Cohen approach. The female vocals float like a ghost around it.  He does eventually sing by the end of the song. Then Ryan from Fotocrime takes the mic for "Cry of Love". His voice improves with each recording . He is putting more melody behind it and not just doing an Ian Curtis thing. They are fully committed to goth here. "Everything I Say" is just Belinda by her self and it reminds me of a darker version of Patti Smith. There is some great guitar playing on this song. 

I like how samples bridge these songs together . Johnathan from Tribulation steps up to the mic on "the Invisible Past". He doesn't growl he actually sings. Not the most powerful voice , but it works for what the song is doing.  Eventually he does open up and sing more. His upper register is well blended when he reaches for his falsetto. The song soars and he soars with it. Not what I expected from him. It's kind of funny that the two guys in the heaviest bands have the least heavy songs. When you cover one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands you are going to be under a harsh microscope. I think a female voice over 'She's in Parties" . This works because I do not think you think you are Peter Murphy . You are not . There is only one Peter Murphy. She knows she is not Peter Murphy, but sticks to what he does in a way that makes all parties she could be in happy. I will give this a 9. This is a direction I like to hear them going in. Not prog in the way they used to explore but prog in that it finds them progressing as a band. 

5.5

Death is June - the Top 50 Death Metal Albums of All Time : 20 to 11

 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 .


20-Pulchra Morte- "Divina Autem et Aniles" 2019


 This was the number one death metal album here for 2019



 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2019/02/pulchra-morte-divina-autem-et-aniles.html


 



19-Daath - "the Hinderers" 2006


Balanced shredding with tasteful song writing and hooky riffs.



 




18-Unleashed- "Where No Life Dwells" 1991 


 When this came out it felt like the darkest juggernaut of death metal I had heard. It might not be the case now, but the songs have held up over time, which is more than you can say for many bands from this era.



 




17-Edge of Sanity- "Crimson" 1996 



Another album that was way ahead of it's time. Dan Swano is a genius.



 


15-Tribulation- 'Children of the Night" 2015



Not only the best death metal album of 2015, but the best metal album of 2015.



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



 




14-Fear Factory-"Soul of a New Machine" 1992


 They went in a more industrial groove direction , but let us not forget their death metal beginnings.


 


13- Cannibal Corpse-"the Bleeding"


Once upon a time death metal was mean spirited and did not give a fuck. I miss those days, this album embodies them.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2020/06/death-is-june-looking-back-in-anger-at_18.html



 




12- Meshuggah- "Nothing" 2002 


 These guys at one time where even more death metal. The vocals shifted into more of a bark that you hear here and their music went to a galaxy far away. This album was them at the threshold of stepping away from death metal, but still rooted in death metal aggression, they became so progressive that evolved into the infinate.




 



11- Morbid Angel- " Altars of Madness"


 This is without a doubt a justified classic. But did the band grow beyond this? I think so .


 

the Top Ten Death 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.I am not going for what is the most crushing death metal albums, but the ones with songs worth listening to again and again. There is nothing really tech about these albums as wanking around doesn't make for listening that stands the test of time.  Maybe these are not the hippest albums of the decade when it comes to this genre, but what matters more is the fact these are the albums I listened to the most when it came to this sort of thing. ; Any ways here are the Top 10 Death Metal  albums of the decade.



10-Disma -"Towards the Megalith"- 2011









9-Necros Christos - "Doom of  the Occult -  2011









8-Incantation -  "Dirges of Elysium" 2014














7-Goatwhore- "Constricting Rage of the Merciless"- 2014 












6-Vader  "Return to the Morbid Reich" 2011













5- Acid Witch- "Evil Sound Screamers" 2017













4-Pulchra Morte- "Divina Autem Et Aniles" - 2019 













3-Tribulation- "Children of the Night" - 2015 










< br />The decade began before this blog was started , I can not just rely on sorting through previous reviews. This is not something I can just thumb back through reviews for , 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. Stoner rock in past years was often lumped in with sludge and doom, but this year I seperated everything out. Maybe these are not the hippest albums of the decade when it comes to this genre, btu what matters more is the fact these are the albums I listened to the most when it came to this sort of thing. ; Any ways here are the Top 10 Stoner rock albums of the decade.

2-Mortuary Drape -"Spiritual Independence"- 2014










1-Morbid Angel -" Kingdoms Disdained"2017

The Top 10 Mainstream Metal Albums of 2018

It is that time again. For the sake of this list mainstream Metal is anything that is not black, doom, death metal, or sludge. So that leaves some of the more widely ingested forms like symphonic metal, power metal, folk metal, thrash and nu-metal .  Mainstream doesn't mean they are going on tour with Slipknot or going to be played along side them on Sirrus, as chances are that going to be some bullshit band who i only got three songs into their album before getting bored. 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 ?

While the top ten lists for other genres leaned more heavily on the side of new blood , this lists leans in the direction of 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 Mainstream Metal  albums of 2018.

10-Non Point -"x"


 They were always par for the course when it came to the tail end of nu-metal that was transitioning into the era of Myspace.There is a more thrash feel to the opener , but in a Slipknot manner and the vocal hooks have a Sevendust feel. They prove themselves to be good at what they do once again.


 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/08/nonpoint-x.html

9-Metal Church- "Damned if you Do" 


 Mike Howe and Kurdt Vanderhoof are the only members from the "Blessing In Disguise" era of the band, which is not the original line up, but a great incarnation of the band that I accept . Howe's voice sounds just as great as it did on "XI". There is a darker and more melodic tone to which is more original than the more straight forward by the numbers what you expect from these guys, straight head proto thrash. This makes the albums more somber and melodic moments help this one stand out.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/12/metal-church-damned-if-you-do.html

8-Code Orange- "the Hurt Goes On" 

 Their album "Forever" rules pretty hard as it showed them utilizing a bigger sound and blending a more industrial tinged influence into the mix. That industrial side of the band is given The first song is gritty and dense metal core that takes the concept of metal and hardcore thrown together and succeeds on every angle. This albums does rock pretty hard and I love how the left of center electronics are blended with their take on metallic hard core.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/06/code-orange-hurt-goes-on.html

7-Arkona-"Khram" 

 Clearing up any problems I had with folk metal, hey show up ready to do battle and don't get over indulgent into the more LARP like elements until the seventeen minute second song. I tend to not keep many sprawling seventeen minute songs in my iPod as they would take up the entire car ride to pretty much any where I go, they borders on being more progressive with the sprawling songs and refined chops.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/02/black-metal-history-month-arkona-khram.html

6-Destroyer 666 - "Call of the Wild"

 Warslut is back with something is almost more like W.A.S.P than black metal. Granted you could grandfather it in as it is as black metal as Venom...though closer to "Calm Before the Storm" than "At War With Satan".  They guitar sound is dialed in. The vocals are standing on the monitors and in your face. The vocal performance is executed in more of a 80s thrash shouted style of singing . There are some black metal tinged rasps thrown in. The drumming is very animated, but where it needs to be. I think the guitar benefits more from when things are not as busy.

  https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/02/black-metal-history-month-destroyer-666.html

5-Tribulation-"Down Below" 

 3 years after "Children of the Night" the boys from Sweden are back. This album seems like a logical progression with a more stream lined take on death metal. Their new drummer is more of a in the pocket rock guy and doesn't hit you with a ton of double bass so this factors in. There is still a great deal of atmosphere and keyboard parts, that help retain the darker mood. The guitar playing is more thoughtful and nuanced to make up for the fact it might not be as aggressive as their previous releases. The vocals haven't really changed and their mid range snarl is  the most biting part of their sound now

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/01/tribulation-down-below.html

4-Judas Priest- "Firepower" 

 The first concern going into any Priest album is how is Rob's voice going to hold up, We might be able to live with out KK, but as the Ripper Owens years proved, his voice is one of the defining traits of this band. Think closer to "Defenders of the Faith" which was the band trying to replicate the massive success of "Screaming For Vengeance" . It is truer to form for the band than "Redeemer of Souls". It has the up tempo aggression that influenced the thrash bands that would follow.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/judas-priest-fire-power.html

3-In the Woods - "Cease the Day"

 These guys are not the only black metal band from the early 90s that have changed their sound over the years.At the onset one might assume these guys have gone more of a Ulver route as baritone clean vocals have a mournful sound to them almost like a doomy gothy version of Pink Floyd. I do like the dark melodic tone this song has almost like something Katatonia might do. By the end of the song things have swelled back into metal. I also like how the effects drape the harsher vocals toward the end of the song, and while it is done in a more Enslaved like manner I do not feel the call and response between the clean and harsh vocals is predictable with a darker and moodier sound than most.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/10/in-woods-cease-day.html

2-Primordial -"Exile Amongst the Ruins"

 These guys used to be more black metal and have grown out of it, which you can't be mad at considering how dark they are and how they get pagan metal right. Right from the first song there is a passing return to harsh vocals for a few phrases. Their second best is better than most. If you are a fan of the band this is going to be what you are waiting for as it's more of the same.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/03/primordial-exile-amongst-ruins.html ,

1-Dimmu Borgir- "Eonian"

No longer black metal,they do what they do. This involves their ever evolving sound that retains the core of who they are. Shagrath croaks his way through the verses. There is a huge choral sound midway into the song. This confirms they are more of a symphonic metal band than a black metal band.These guys dialing it in is better than most bands can do on a good day.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2018/05/dimmu-borgir-eonian.html

Tribulation :"Down Below"

So 3 years after "Children of the Night" the boys from Sweden are back. This album seems like a logical progression with a more stream lined take on death metal. Their new drummer is more of a in the pocket rock guy and doesn't hit you with a ton of double bass so this factors in. There is still a great deal of atmosphere and keyboard parts, that help retain the darker mood. The guitar playing is more thoughtful and nuanced to make up for the fact it might not be as aggressive as their previous releases. The vocals haven't really changed and their mid range snarl is  the most biting part of their sound now as a song like "Nightbound" finds them more metal than say Ghost, but not really what I think of as death metal. They were already out growing and pushing past the boundaries of the genre on the last album I think this album might find them walking totally away from it. In fact it comes up in my iTunes as gothic metal. You still have to give them credit for great song writing and guitar playing. The solos are tasteful and add to the song rather than wank over it.

"Lady Death" is even more straight forward than the first two songs.It's more at the threshold of metal and rock. The raspy vocals are what keeps it anchored in metal. I read an article on Metal Sucks about why there will never be another band as big as Metallica, and it cited harsh vocals as one of the reasons why. It will be interesting to see how this album does as it is their most accessible to date. I don't think it's selling out as it is still true to their sound it just finds the heft dialed back . "Subterranea" keeps up a palm muted tension and has a good sense of dynamics when they bust back . The first hint of something dark and creepy enough to be goth is on the instrumental interlude "Purgatorio". There is more of a big metal punch to "Cries From the Underworld".But much like other songs on this album it owes more to classic metal than death metal. This album has a much more organic production value in terms of  what sounds to be vintage amps that they captured some of this guitar tones with. The vocals are dry and a little too upfront in the mix, but it's not a deal breaker.

There is a more death n roll feel to "Lacrimosa". The vocals do sound a little more like Watain, in the way there are exclaimed. Midway into this song it takes a darker turn. The synths play a much bigger role not only in this song, but the album as a whole. Things get more upbeat and uptempo on "the World". There are interesting layers of guitar and the vocals do sit back a little further in mix on this which works better for me. The actual power chords that set the tone almost sound like 80s Judas Priest, but somehow it all works. They close with the longest song "Here Be Dragons" which at 7 and a half minutes its still pretty compact when you think about how so much metal has gotten to be sprawling 10 minute epics. It moves with a smooth tight chug and then builds from their to a more sweeping build. So this album is not shy on dynamics. I think it's pretty fair to give this album a 9 as I gave "the Children of the Night" a 9.5 and I think that is where this album sits in comparison to it.It might grow on me and change my mind, but this is where it sits with me at present.

The Forecast for Music in 2018

We will see the year slowly evolve into more apocalyptic sounds. Music is not created in a vacuum. Trends emerge from bands on touring hearing what bands audiences are reacting to then making music that is either a reaction for or against that sound. Djent is dead and buried along side nu-metal as this point with metal core not far behind. They are no longer getting signed by labels with an eye to the future as those band wagons crashed. Also  dead is vest metal and really any super-retro stuff, by that we are talking about 70s, retro is now the 80s and 90s. Even still cock rock is dead as a limp dick, even the godfathers of this would be smart to hang it up at this point. Though W.A.S.P, Whitesnake and Lita Ford are releasing albums this year.What was once stoner rock is going to find itself colored with shades of shoe-gaze or grunge. If you are waiting for the 90s to make a comeback here is where to look. Fu-man Chu and Monster Magnet both have albums coming out the latter was always one foot into grunge any ways.

Crust is going to be the next trend with many of these hybrid grind-core/ punk bands taking the charge to bring in the darker times with more sonic sounds. Not going to be mainstream, but occupy the place in hipster metal that the post-rock influence black metal bands who are not going to fade into the background used to occupy.The two bands likely to break into bigger audiences are Power-Trip and Avatar. Both bands riding the momentum touring generated for them in 2017. Avatar will take the throne from Ghost, when it comes to big gimmicky theatrical metal. The most dangerous band will be Destroyer 666, who will find a larger audience and push buttons against the grain in what has become a climate in metal that has become too safe and tip toeing around being politically correct. Metal should be a middle finger to the world.

Except to see album in the next six months from well a few bands I'm sure but these are ones at at least give half a shit about.

My Bloody Valentine

the Atlas Moth

Hooded Menace

Tribulation

Portal

Therion

Ministry

Sigh

Nachtmystium

Monster Magnet

A Perfect Circle

Interpol

Chvrches

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 15 Albums of 2015

OK, this pretty much speaks for itself as this is overall, no genre left behind and ranked by how much I actually listened to it though out the course of the year, which is an impressive feat for an album to stay in rotation as I sometimes listen to an upwards of ten albums a day and that just to review, not counting in the car, walking to the gym etc. So here are the Top 15 Albums of 2015.

15- Tidemouth :"Velvet And Stone"

 If there had not been a hardcore/ punk list this year, this album would have been on the goth list. The trend in the maturation of hard core kids seems to be pulling out Nick Cave and Echo and the Bunnymen albums. This could be due to the interest in vinyl these kids took a few years back which might have caused them to stumble over these old 80s albums. I am fine with this as long as they do no become to slavish in their devotion only to Joy Division. I love Joy Division , but I do think dark music begins or ends with the. in the they do not abandon their hard core side. It is put through a darker filter. An incredible album that gives me just what I needed , they blend the "gothy" elements in a very fluid and natural manner similar to how Atriarch does this with metal. Each listen the more hard core emoish parts grew on me. It's one of those albums that becomes more enriched the further you dig into its grave. Worth your time for sure if you like dark and heavy music, these guys got the balance right without trying to hard.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/06/tidemouth-velvet-and-stone.html






14- Shape of Despair :"Monotony Fields"

 this Finnish band has taken the past fifteen years to perfect their very melodic and atmospheric brand of doom . The vocals range from are a low gurgle, to female oohs and aahs stacked like Type O Negative in the background. The stay on a depressing path through out. The oppressive feeling is almost tangible. The band is aware they have been notorious for putting long spans of time between releases, so everything is right where it should be with every nuance dialed in, so it was not time wasted. It might not dig as deep and dark of a grave as other funeral doom bands , but the songs are masterfully varied and dynamic to create an awesome album.

  http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/11/shape-of-despair-monotony-fields.html

13-Nechochwen : " Heart of Akamon"

 West Virginia is an unlikely breeding ground for this kind of music. Roughly black metal in some sense, it is highly progressive in the same manner as old Agalloch. The clean vocals are stronger and they layer clean sounds and the more metallic grim ones through a different lens than the Portland band. In some ways these sounds are blended much like their label mate Panopticon. The clean tones are very organic and often allowed to stand along. The blast pretty furiously into "Lost on the Trail of the Setting Sun". The drums are masterful insanity in motion. The footwork pretty breathtaking even in a genre where it is expected. The vocals are well layered and punchy. While they work in many twists and turns over the course of a song they do not exceed the seven minute mark. They are also good at not placing the clean vocals in the obvious Killswitch places to make it the good cop/ bad cop dynamic.

http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/nechochwen-heart-of-akamon.html
div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">

 12- Them are Us Too: "Remain"

 Right from the first song Kennedy Ashlyn Wenning's voice makes you take notice, before "The Problem With Red Heads" allows her to shed some of the Elizabeth Fraser worship when the duo drifts into an alluringly dreamy rock. Sure this would not have been out of place on  4AD, in the 80s and the band encourages these comparisons. This also reminds of the Gatherings post- metal moments. Her choice of melodies shows she cares abut crafting something that is not just a tribute. I can almost hear more Cure than Cocteau Twins until Cash Askew's guitar comes to prove he has discovered the lost secrets to Robin Guthrie's sound.Their influences might be worn on their sleeves ,but lets face it the Cocteau Twins are never going to make another album or tour again.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/04/them-are-us-too-remain.html

11 -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 />

10- Iron Maiden- "the Book of Souls"

 Right behind Black Sabbath when it comes being one of  the most revered classic metal bands  of all  time. This is for good reason as they have they have maintained tons of integrity over the years even if they did break down and use keyboards and made the poor choice of trying to replace Bruce with Blaze. This album upholds their legacy and I would not be surprised if it was their last as it feels they want to try everything they have yet to do and make the most of every solo. It would not be out of place if I decided to make a top ten power metal albums of the year or a top ten prog albums of the year... the latter being more likely as I doubt I listened to ten power metal albums this year, however they transcend both of those genres. Have done better and it might not be on the level of the albums that came before "Fear of the Dark", which is a bar held incredibly high, But they never outright miss the mark and even if this was just dialed in it would still be better than everything else. But that is the beauty of this they are still committed to putting their all into what they do and there is a lot of heart put into this, they are just older and wiser with that wisdom compensating for the fire that was in their music when they were a younger band, this is still an album made by one of the greatest bands ever.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/iron-maiden-book-of-souls.html

9- 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

8- Kylesa : "Exhausting Fire"

 These Savannah rockers continue to evolve, in someways that makes them progressive , since they are not where I first found them when I picked up a copy of "To Walk a Middle Course" ten years ago. There sludge roots are still intact but they have enough dark psychedelics is place to appeal to the hesher sect. They used to cover Pink Floyd, so this side of the band should come as not surprise.  Laura's vocals which have continues to grow sometimes take on a more Siouxsie like croon to them. There are plenty of balls this times around injected to these heavy grooves. After a dazed and glazed cover of the Sabbath classic "Paranoid" the path of the band is best in explained in the lyrics of the closing song where Laura says she is throwing caution to the wind and taking her chances again here. Even when they wander off into a more heady direction the bass line holds down the fort, until they bring the smack down the happy ending that blazes out with solos in true rock god/goddess fashion. Another moment of triumph for this band.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/09/kylesa-exhausting-fire.html

7- Health :"Death Magic"

 I first questioned some of the reviews where this project referred to as industrial, they seemed more like edm with a dark and dirty slant to it and a kick , but Industrial ? Well it took many listens to convince me of this. This is their sixth album and it's been five years in the making, so no wonder  they  have become masters at layering some clever vocal melodies over yearning grooves to create some hooks that sink into your brain and pull you along for the ride. The first hint it might just be industrial came in the tribal pound of  drums that open " Men Today" that has some noise to it , while the sounds assembled are cool , for an album with such emphasis place on sex and drugs it feels sometimes like foreplay with no climax.Until the subtle hooks are latched into your brain. There's an old 80s dance feel to "Flesh World" the androgynous are very fey in the same manner of Sliversun Pick ups or Savage Garden. There are some glitch ridden sounds thrown into the sonic jumble. I have always wondered if the remixes are going to sound better than the originals , then why not just make the original songs sound like that in  the first place? Well the solve that by making "Flesh World" sound like it has already been re-mixed. This album made me want to go back and dig up their earlier stuff, which I was unable to do since I was so hooked on this one.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/08/health-death-magic.html

6- Ryan Adams : "1989"

 This album served as the methadone for my Taylor Swift addiction. My wife doesn't like Taylor Swift, she is banned from being played in the car, but this album is totally acceptable. Ryan Adams who also must be a pretty big fan as well as a metal head...just look up his cover of "Holy Diver", made a bold move in covering Swift's "1989" in its entirety and the results are pretty great.He really makes these songs his own which is an impressive feat and colors them with more of a Bruce Springsteen feel.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/ryan-adams



5-the Weeknd : "Beauty Behind the Madness"

 Abel Makkonen Tesfaye goes about things in a manner darker than your average r&b singer  and has been known to sample both Siouxsie and the Cocteau Twins, his drug use might explain for this taste in music .He gives many winks to another addict...Michael Jackson. Lyrically the album has bi-polar moments, either he's a pimped out playa or hopeless romantic in the tug of war his pimp side is lyrically more interesting. He is a master of hook and they keep me returning to this album.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/12/report-to-dance-floor-weeknds-beauty.html

4- 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

 

3-Twin Shadow: "Eclipse" This album caught me by surprise I'll tell you right off the bat it's a strong contender for album of the year. From the first song he shows you how to make a chorus carry the most emotional impact possible.Who said pop music has to be a bad thing? More common with the 80s he sings in an urgent baritone, think Corey Hart but with a larger dose of soul injected in the phrasing. It's a crime not to check out this piece of greatness. Every vocal oozes like a hook in it's own right, one of the most perfect vocal performances.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/report-to-dance-floor-twin-shadows.html

 2-Royal Thunder: " Crooked Doors"

 This band continues to evolve from the blues soaked stoner rock, they have put the Black Sabbath albums away and now have become more of an indie rock band that takes on a rough edged hard rock dynamic. On the opener "Time Machine" which the band premiered on Npr,  Parsonz puts some angry husk to her voice when the band begins to climax toward the end of the song. The band was never fully committed to being a metal band even they they had a fetish for playing with metal bands , but they have taken another step away from metal with this album. This is not a bad thing as the new direction lends it's self to a compelling array of sounds and emotive glimpses into who this band is.

 http://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2015/03/royal-thunder-crooked-doors.html

1- Chelsea Wolfe -Abyss

 This might not have been the metal album every one hope it would be but it all works together perfectly. She might balk at being on this list because she denied begin goth when I interviewed her, though she said she like Nick Cave and the Cocteau Twins so she is in denial. This album might not be metal but it does have some pounding beauty. She stays true to her ethereal vocal style which works well over the hammering beats. Though "Iron Moon" seemed surprisingly heavy when the song was first released in the context of the album she is giving you are breather. Even more experimental than "Pain is Beauty" the fuzzed out bass to "Dragged Out" rumbles over her ghostly plea that sits back into the dark background. The chorus builds into a more industrial din as the song expands and contracts.he has not disappointed, in fact exceeded expectations  and the bar was raised really high. I didn't think she could beat "Pain is Beauty" , but that is what has happened.


http://www.cvltnation.com/cvlt-nation-interviews-chelsea-wolfe/