Year-in-Review: 2015 Metal

The middle of February is an appropriate time to release a best-of list for the previous year in my opinion. No, seriously. The folks at AngryMetalGuy have the right idea - you need at least a month to listen to December’s output! In any case, here’s the list of my top ten metal releases in 2015, accompanied by two-sentence descriptions:

Honorable mentions: Visigoth - The Revenant King, Sumac - The Deal, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats - The Night Creeper, Paradise Lost - The Plague Within, Intronaut - The Direction of Last Things, Trials - This Ruined World, Khemmis - Absolution, Deafheaven - New Bermuda

10. Rivers of Nihil - Monarchy

Order at: http://www.metalblade.com/riversofnihil "Sand Baptism" from the "Monarchy" album. Directed by David Brodsky Edited by David Brodsky Shot by David Brodsky, Allison Woest, Kyle Petras and Tim Giddings Special Thanks to the Giddings family

Not having been on a technical death metal trip for a long time, Rivers of Nihil’s sophomore effort, Monarchy, is the perfect foray back into the field. Monarchy maintains a fine line balancing technical structures, grooviness, and songwriting skills, and is chockfull of memorable riffs and extremely talented instrumentation. 

9. Ghost - Meliora

"Cirice" is taken from Meliora, out August 21, 2015. Directed By: Roboshobo Pre-Order now: Ghost Store: http://found.ee/MELIORA iTunes: http://found.ee/MELIORA_iTunes Music video by Ghost performing Cirice. (C) 2015 Seven Four Entertainment, LLC and Concord Music Group, Inc. d/b/a Loma Vista Recordings. http://www.vevo.com/watch/USC4R1500741

God damn it (Satan damn it?), I was never a Ghost (or Ghost B.C.?) fan until 2015, when I went against my better judgement to see what all the fuss was about, and inevitably got sucked into the endlessly catchy vortex of Blue Öyster Cult jams and church music choruses. Meliora is on par with the other two Ghost albums: a solid throwback album with slow-paced, groovy, downtuned rock ’n roll riffs that stick to your brain and somehow don’t give you a saccharine overdose when you come back for seconds. 

8. Tau Cross - Tau Cross

TAU CROSS - "Lazarus" from the album 'Tau Cross' plus a detailed look at the artwork by Orion Landau Subscribe to Relapse Records: http://bit.ly/RelapseYouTube Purchase from Relapse: http://bit.ly/TauCross Purchase from BandCamp: http://taucross.bandcamp.com 'Tau Cross' available now on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records Official links: https://www.facebook.com/taucrossoffi...

I got turned onto Tau Cross even before I found out about its Amebix/Voivod roots by the incredibly grim album artwork. The remarkably refreshing self-titled debut delivers on all counts of a noteworthy metal album including how epic and anthemic it sounds despite its relentlessly crusty approach.

7. Horrendous - Anareta

A song from their newest masterpiece! Absolute kickass! I do not own any of the material, this is only for promotional purposes!

My word - this album took me by complete and utter surprise considering my expectations for exhilarating progressive death metal in the last few years. In a pool filled with multiple ‘old-school death metal’ tropes, Anareta delivers like nobody else, with fantastic, cohesive songwriting replete with somber, subtle melodies, and unsettling structures that are reminiscent of a much ‘doomier’ version of Atheist’s Unquestionable Presence.

6. Fluisteraars - Luwte

Waar ik ben geweest Kun je niet zijn En zul je niets voelen Dit is een plek van mij Fluisteraars - Luwte Release date September 25th, 2015

Though it is disappointing that no other black metal made my 2015 list (A Pregnant Light wasn’t a full length!), Dutch band Fluisteraars’ Luwte, takes the best parts of Drudkh, Summoning, Hate Forest, and Burzum’s naturalistic (and suicidal) tendencies and juxtaposes them with a unique, riff-driven, second-wave mentality that rivals the ferocity of any of the aforementioned bands. These guys are the European answer to the recent Cascadian black metal movement. 

5. Goatsnake - Black Age Blues

Goatsnake New Album Black age blues 2015

When I saw Goatsnake live in early 2015, on top of being able to see these legends perform, I had no idea that they were writing new material, let alone releasing a new album in the coming months! Black Age Blues is menacing, evil, folksy, bluesy, heavy as hell, and everything you could wish for in a Goatsnake album - classic entertainment right here.

4. Tribulation - The Children of the Night

TRIBULATION - Melancholia (OFFICIAL VIDEO). Taken from the album "The Children Of The Night". Century Media Records 2015.

What an inconceivable progression it has been for Tribulation from 2009’s rabid death/thrash metal homage to Entombed/Dismember, The Horror, to 2015’s goth ’n roll Children of the Night with its middle eastern melodies, atmospheric songwriting, and ethereal aura - who would’ve guessed? Though this was one of the first few new albums I heard in 2015, I have kept coming back for more, and it is always a blast - just like their live performance.

3. Satan - Atom by Atom

Provided to YouTube by Believe SAS The Devil's Infantry · Satan Atom by Atom ℗ 2015 LISTENABLE records ℗ Listenable Records Released on: 2015-10-02 Author: Brian Ross Composer: Steve Ramsey Composer: Russ Tippins Composer: Sean Taylor Composer: Graeme English Music Publisher: D.R Auto-generated by YouTube.

How were they ever going to top the heavy metal fury that was Life Sentence, which was also arguably the best return-to-form album in history? Well, here we are with Atom by Atom, an absolute stunner of a heavy metal record with ripping twin guitars, intricately complex structures, roaring solos, and some of the best bass-drum interplay I’ve heard in a while; simply stunning putting every other revival NWOBHM album to shame.

2. Royal Thunder - Crooked Doors

Royal Thunder - "Time Machine" from the album 'Crooked Doors' Subscribe to Relapse Records: http://bit.ly/RelapseYouTube Order from Relapse: http://bit.ly/royalthunder Download from iTunes: http://geni.us/CrookedDoorsDLX Download from BandCamp: http://royalthunder.bandcamp.com Director J.P. Bradburn Live footage shot by Prizmheir (Taylor) Crooked Doors' available now on CD/2xLP/Digital via Relapse Records Official links: http://www.facebook.com/royalthunderm...

Having seen them live twice, Royal Thunder are fast becoming one of my favorite bands. Crooked Doors is on the natural, upward trajectory from Royal Thunder's humble beginnings, but the maturity, depth, and character of this record somehow resonates with me on a fundamental level almost as if the most infectious moments of Anathema, Opeth, and Alice in Chains were fused onto one album. Go listen to it!

1. Elder - Lore

Artist: Elder // Album: Lore // Year: 2015 // Country: USA // Label: Armageddon Shop/Stickman Records // Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elderofficial All music by Elder Like the song? Support the artist; buy the music!

I am unable to find flaw with this unreservedly immense record (including its absolutely gorgeous cover artwork). This is one phenomenal journey, tumultuous crescendo after crescendo that never dulls, tying together the best facets of heavy music that pulls influences from across the spectrum and adds up to an incredibly expansive, satisfying, and rewarding listen! I cannot wait to see Elder perform Lore in a live setting!