Top ten of 2012... sort of...

It should be said that I found this to be a spectacular year for Heavy Metal!  My list therefore is going to be a little odd... and broken into the parts! First the top 11 I guess... :)

In no particular order...

Albums

Deathhammer- Onward to the Pits

Vampyric Blood- Ordo Dracul

Eternum- Veil of Ancient Darkness

Iron Dogs- Cold Bitch

Alchemyst- Nekromanteion

Arkham Witch- Legions of the Deep

Bible of the Devil- For the Love of Thugs and Fools

Superchrist- Holy Shit

Cauldron- Tomorrow's Lost

Saint Vitus- Lillie F:65

My Dying Bride- A Map of All Our Failures 

Eps/ Demos:

Oath of Cruelty- Altar of Impalement

Amulet- Cut the Crap

Visigoth- Final Spell

Stone Magnum- Stone Magnum Promo



Honorable Mentions:

Zuul- To the Frontlines

Corsair- Corsair

Air Raid- Night of the Axe

Hellwell- Beyond the Boundaries of Sin

If I had had more time with these I might have expanded my list!  Seriously some great metal this year!

 Happy New Year!

Alchemyst- Nekromanteion

         Wow... just Wow!!! This was a total surprise release for me!  I found out later it had members of Anael in it... Which if you don't know them you need to check them out, like, now!  This is great Occult sounding Black/Death metal. 
          To start, what's really interesting about these guys is the vocals.  They are not screamed or grunted as one might expect, oh, no... rather they are clean!!!  That's right The vocals are shouted in a very old school way.  You even get a few of those old Tom Warrior "ugh"s that we all know and love!  And if you don't know what I am talking about then you should leave the hall!
          Musically this is everything right about black and death metal.  Its heavy and powerful, emotive and occult.  Its atmospheric but doesn't take away from the metal side.  Every song is amazing and I will listen to this over and over again! Especially in candlelight during ritual moments for which atmosphere is called for undoubtedly!!!
           I will be honest that this record was hard to find but it is worth every minute of the search.  This record is amazing and should be bought listened to and included on everyone's top lists at the end of the year.  Go out and get this!!!


And I lied... I will put together a end of the year list but it will be tomorrow or the next day and at least before the New year...

Corsair- Corsair

    Another release I had been avoiding!  Well, when Decibel magazine gives anything a thumbs up I wonder off and ignore it... after all, it is Decibel.  But this time they may be onto something.
    After an well played but unimportant intro, "Chaemera" kicks off and we are treated to a good and authentic late 70's/early 80's metal style.  Imagine, if you will, combining Thin Lizzy with a more N.W.O.B.H.M. sensibility.  Its heavy in all the right places with great harmony and technical skill as well as a wonderful ability to write songs, but what makes this really great is mastering the smoothness of Thin Lizzy.  It comes across as a Heavy Metal band who have mastered what makes rock and roll great.  This really how Iron Maiden might have sounded if they wanted to start bar fights! Its solid rocking heavy Metal.
     The band can play and have solid song writing skills definitely but what's interesting is how they split the vocal duties.  The guitarists and bassist sing on different songs.  While this is very cool, I personally feel the should just let Paul Sebring sing as I think his voice fits the music the best. 
    This is a great fun and laid back metal release and everyone should listen to it at least once in their lives.  My favorite tracks are Falconer, Gryphon Wing and Of Kings and Cowards, but all the tracks are good.  So check these guys out.

Hellwell- Beyond the Boundaries of Sin

      Man, its been a while... Well, I never promised you consistency!  But I am going to post 3 reviews and a end of the year list so... :)

       So for whatever reason, I have been avoiding this release. Now, I have no idea why but its true.  Maybe its fear of disappointment.  Maybe it was because I heard there were keyboards on this thing and there can be such a thing as too much synth! Either way, I was so wrong!
       For those of you not in the know Hellwell is a side project from E.C. Hellwell and Mark "the Shark" Shelton of Manilla Road fame. It also contains a few other members as guests.  As I said I was fearful for some reason I cannot at this point explain.  But coming out of this I really like this record.  It combines Manilla Road's epic metal stylings with Deep Purple's use of organ.  You know how in Deep Purple sometimes the keyboards were what anchored the riffs and helped make it heavier... yeah, that's happening here in some songs too.  Every song on here is classic and powerful heavy metal.
      I honestly cannot think of standout tracks for this record.  Every track works together to create a cohesive whole in a way that great classic rock records do.  So all the tracks are not only essential but very amazing!  This record is a shoe- in for me for my top ten list.  I believe this record will be considered a metal classic and truly stand the test of time! Go and buy it now!!!

Oath of Cruelty- Altar of Impalement

        So I picked up this here demo on a whim.  It was advertised in  a forum with a link to a sample.  I went and listened to the sample and thought, "Hot Damn!".  This is great little corker right here.
        Oath of Cruelty is a knew name out there.  This is, I believe, their 1st demo.  However, they have members of Blaspherian and P.L.F.,  both of which float in the death metal arena one more grind and the other more bestial.  Knowing that, nothing could quite prepare me for the experience of this demo.  This is incredibly well written and viscous death/ thrash metal of the highest order! From the violent strains of the title track all the way to the Sodom cover (a medley of Fall of Majesty Town and Conqueror which are just great choices) this thing does not let up!  I got this in the mail a little more than 12 hours ago and have not stopped listening to it.  Its just great, violent and insane.
       I have been thinking about who I might compare this to, ya know, since I am writing a review and all.  I realized that the only two bands I could think of were Ares Kingdom and Excoriate( Germany).  Both of these bands are incredibly original and really breathe new life into death metal with a thrashy feel.  I should say I don't really feel like Oath of Cruelty sounds like those bands but that they are taking a similar sub genre and doing their own thing with it.  In the end a great new and original band!
      I really cannot recommend this demo enough.  It is obvious that these guys worked real hard to create good, honest and heartfelt metal and they really deserve your money! So support a really great band and send them a few bucks for their demo.  You will not be dissapointed. 

Kreator- Phantom Antichrist

      Ok.  I tried again.  I am a huge thrash fan.  I have been one for 20 years.  I used to love Kreator and German thrash was my favorite.  It just seems they knew how to balance real musicality and mania!  I have not been impressed with the last few Kreator records but decided to give this a chance.  So let's begin!
      Oh Boy... where to begin?  Well, the first song shows some promise.  After that the whole thing just becomes way too melodic.  I mean I am not expecting Endless Pain 2, but a couple of these tracks sound like Gamma Ray songs.  And I love me some Gamma Ray, but, come on Kreator what gives?  Mille even sounds like Kai Hanson on  the 5th track...
      In the end, Kreator has been going down this path for a bit.  They seem to have been influenced by Slaughter of the Soul more and more each record.  This is not thrash anymore.  It is slightly aggressive power metal.  I just don't see it.  So this is a short one as I have nothing more to say.

Deathhammer- Onward to the Pits

       I have been a fan of this band since "Forever Ripping Fast".  Seriously, you can go ask The person who ran Witches Brew (The label that found and released their first record).  I went nuts over them.  When Witches Brew decided to call it a day I was concerned that they might not have a place to release their stuff.  Then Hell's Headbangers came in and saved the day.
      "Onward..." is every bit as amazing as was "Phantom Knights".  It should be said I love thrash!  I have loved thrash since I was a teenager in the height of the thrash explosion of the late 80's.  I like new thrash.  I like old thrash.  But I have a different viewpoint on thrash then many.  I believe that the sub-genres of metal are in fact sub-genres.  They are not mementos to turn back to when we want to walk down memory lane, but a living, breathing art form.  I also know that there have been thrash bands new and old active and playing since the 1980's because they also see thrash as a living, breathing art form.  The assertion  by some young bands that "thrash is back" is patently ridiculous and those bands should be laughed off the labels that signed them!
       That being said so many of the new thrash bands do not get that thrash needs to be fast and played maniacally.  It should be the soundtrack for burning buildings and laughing at the fire.  Truthfully, most of the signed thrash bands have no balls at all! There are a few that do and Deathhammer lead that pack right now!  Young violent thrash that tears the world down around it! Its a caustic mix Iron Angel, Early Sodom and Bathory whipped into an utter frenzy of darkness!
       So, yes, you go buy this record... NOW!!!! It will tear your face off and laugh.  Then it will burn down your house because it needs a large space to drink in! Seriously thrash does not come any better than this!

Iron Dogs- Cold Bitch

         So to continue with my favorite releases of the year list, we move to the frozen north... CANADA! This band contains Jo of Bastardator/ Germ Attak fame.  He has a history of great bands at his back and this is no different!
        Cold Bitch is a viscous mix of NWOBHM, snotty hard core of the 80's variety, and early speed/ thrash metal.  Its a caustic sound that rips through your speakers straight into your ears.  Frankly, there is no doubt that the influences all come from the early 80's period and absolutely nothing later.  This sounds like it was recorded while listening to a steady diet of Exciter, Accept and GBH.  Its just good rough and tumble heavy metal/ punk. 
        From the moment "Razors of Doom", rips out of your speakers you know violent speed metal is the rule of the day. It should be said that this album, while influenced by the 80's, does not sound like it copies anything in particular.  It sounds like it could have come from that time period.  The songs are incredibly well written and have a great deal of variety.  These songs harken back to time when metal songs were built on variety and sub-genres were not so strictly enforced as they are today. Were the 80's better? I don't know, but it was a time when the borders of sub-genres were a little more loose.
       Iron Dogs could not have crafted an album that hit my personal taste meter more if they tried.  This style of punked up metal is one of my favorites! If you enjoy metal influenced by the old ways but not copying them then "Cold Bitch" is for you.

Vampyric Blood- Ordo Dracul

         So like I said we will be beginning with some of my favorite releases this year. And this happens to be one of them.  Dark Adversary has been racking them up this year between Eternum and this gem I might just go a bit crazy!
         Beginning with "Ordo Dracul(Introduction)" I had a feeling I was going to enjoy this.  I mean a minimal drumbeat over some weird woodwind(?) instrument and main man Lord of Shadows whispering malignantly over said music... Yep, my kind of deal.  "Black Sorcery of Wallachia" starts with some wonky stuff but then coalesces into some mid paced and mystical black metal and stays that way until the instrumental, "Vulgar Desires of Immortality".  This song works well as a departure from the black metal and adds some atmosphere but with only seven songs on the album I feel it takes away space for what could be another great black metal song and is the only contentious part of the album.  I really like that this drips with darkness and obscurity.  No matter what you think about black metal as a form of art or its possible "political/ social" merits, its the atmosphere that matters most. 
         This is what happens when you combine early Black Funeral and Crimson Moon and is superior to anything either of those bands did in their later career.  I may be wrong but I, again, hear a whiff of that 90's polish school in some of the (very) epic arrangements.  And the ghoulish whisper that makes up 90% of the album vocals adds some much to the vampyric atmosphere.  What an excellent choice, in my humble opinion.  This is an excellent album that should be enjoyed by candlelight.
          One of the best records released this year so far and a shoe-in for one of the top three in my own list.  Go now and pick this up!  My only other real complaint is that this is only seven tracks long! Next time put some more songs on it! 

Eternum- Veil of Ancient Darkness

       I bought this record pretty blindly. Which, to be honest, is not a normal thing for me.  I normally seek out ways to hear an album before I buy it.  This time I took the plunge and I am truly glad I did.  Quite an amazing mix of mid- period Bathory, Morrigan and Poland circa 96- 97 we have here.
       The whole thing starts with "Tyrannos Regnare In Aeternum", which begins with a solid mid 90's polish riff and bleeds into Azgorh's phenomenal rasp.  To be truthful I usually prefer the higher pitched screaming of early Emperor, but there is something so vicious and vile about Azgorh's rasp I am captured.  As we walk through this wonderland of dark northern influenced black metal we are greeted with various peons to occultism, Celtic mysticism, and the call to battle.  The music fits these themes by being a perfect mix of raw 2nd wave BM mixed with epic and powerful movements.  They even get the "viking" style chants right (i.e. something that adds to the mix and doesn't overshadow the metal.)
        The whole viking/ black metal thing is really a tight rope that is exceedingly difficult to walk.  I mean just look at the abomination that is modern folk "metal".  The only bands that have ever truly nailed this style are Bathory, Hades(Norway), Morrigan, and (in my humble opinion) Graveland.  Eternum sounds like a perfect cross section of the four.  The music flows epically.  The synths add to a sense of ancient wonder.  The guitar and drums are powerful and very metal.  This is just seriously well written and great black metal and I will be waiting for the next record with my wallet open!
         Obviously I recommend this record.  In fact,  It will be one of my top three records of the year.  More black metal should sound like this, or there should be less bands... probably the latter.    

Welcome!

I have discovered that I have a lot to say! I am  a metalhead and want to express myself in my interest more.  Here you will find reviews and interviews of records and bands I like.  I will tell you that most of the reviews will probably be positive as I will be buying most of the records I will be reviewing.  I am a fan not a journalist. Most of my reviews will come from the heavy metal genre but I will include non metal favorites occasionally. So there you have it. BE WARNED!