Top 10 of 2010

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aaron
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Top 10 of 2010

Post by aaron » Thu December 30th, 2010, 7:28 pm

Didn't see a thread on here for it, so I thought I would make one.

Albums:
1. Triptykon - Eparistera Daimones
2. Brendan Perry - Ark
3. Deathspell Omega - Paracletus
4. Negura Bunget - Vîrstele Pamîntului
5. Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit
6. Ludicra - The Tenant
7. Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini
8. Black Breath - Heavy Breathing
9. Melechesh - The Epegenisis
10. Black Anvil - Triumvirate

Performances:
1. Wormrot @ Eyedrum
2. Death Angel @ Masq, Heaven
3. Malevolent Creation @ Masq, Heaven
4. Slayer @ Alcatraz
5. Black Breath @ Masq, Heaven
6. Cynic @ Masq, Heaven
7. Trap Them @ Masq, Hell
8. Watain @ Masq, Hell
9. Cynic @ Masq, Heaven
10. Goatwhore @ Masq, Hell

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Kurt
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Re: Top 10 of 2010

Post by Kurt » Thu December 30th, 2010, 9:35 pm

aaron wrote:Brendan Perry - Ark
Was this actually released? I've been listening to the one song he posted on MySpace for over two years now...

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BlackRoija
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Post by BlackRoija » Thu December 30th, 2010, 10:34 pm

This is all copied from my I_LOVE_ZUCKERPENIS. Thus the descriptions are aimed at more of the general audience of my friends with diverse taste in music and not really geared towards an experienced metal-listening group.

10. StarGazer - A Great Work of Ages

I enjoyed this a lot more than The Scream That Tore the Sky. It might be the production, the more progressive flairs, or the greater variation of the songwriting. I don’t know. Whatever it is, it worked, and A Great Work of Ages snagged the #10 spot on my list. The guys in StarGazer must be getting drunk in celebration. For those who haven’t heard StarGazer before, it’s progressive death metal with a form and function quite opposite that of Opeth, if that’s the first thing you thought of after reading the genre tag. Very open-minded 70s progressive rock fans might actually enjoy this album a lot.

9. Christian Mistress – Agony & Opium

Christian Mistress played in Atlanta a little while back and it was at a 21+ venue. I was pretty pissed. Then I heard that they were going to play in Athens. Unfortunately it was on a Monday or something. It didn’t matter anyway since I don’t have much money to spend on shows nor do I have a car. I at least made an effort to let people know that the show was happening and to definitely check it out if they have the slightest bit of good taste at all. Guess who went? Apparently, hardly anybody. It’s a shame since Christian Mistress pretty much kick the shit out of most popular artists these days, including most of the bigger names in more “undergroundâ€Â￾ scenes. Godspeed You! Black Emperor sells out in an instant with tickets going for $100+ on eBay while a $10 show with one of the greatest no-bullshit heavy metal acts of the day draws a scant crowd. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand people with music. Anyway, Agony & Opium is a must-listen from this year with fun, catchy songs that still bleed substance and soul. It’s not even half an hour long but this album contains such a dense packing of quality music that it gets the #9 spot on the list with no trouble at all.

8. Force of Darkness – Darkness Revelation
I can definitely understand, however, why the kind of kid who thinks the new Kanye West or Beach House or whatever is the best album of the year wouldn’t enjoy this. It’d probably scare them. The thing is, if an oppressive or inaccessible atmosphere is what turns you off of a band, you’ve got a lot of evolving to do as a music fan. The only thing that should pose as a deterrent to music should be the quality of the music’s substance itself. Is it made with genuine effort? Does the songwriting go somewhere by achieving an intended effect? Is the music made with the intention of fulfilling the vision of the artist without making sacrifices in order to appeal to a larger audience? Does the production effectively serve this vision? (it is what killed the new Adversarial, anyway) These are the important questions. Luckily, Force of Darkness’ new album satisfies these criteria. It’s black/thrash with an incredible suffocating production. It doesn’t do too much that hasn’t been heard before, but originality has little to do with quality; a lot to do with overall significance and historical impact, but not direct quality. And it’s one of the best works of its kind. The music never relents, so indie fluff pop fans might want to steer clear; I’d direct them to the #9, #2, and #1 slots on this list instead.

7. Blut aus Nord – What Once Was… Liber I
Fans of Blut aus Nord’s mid-era works will enjoy this just as much as fans of their early stuff. It’s a great combination of both. The songwriting is in the style of the earlier more straightforward black metal while the aesthetics are clearly drawn from their more “industrialâ€Â￾ works like The Work Which Transforms God. The whole thing’s solid all around and appeals to a more balanced audience than Memoria Vetusta II. I think I liked this a bit more than that album as well.

6. Tyrants Blood – Crushing Onward Into Oblivion
Crushing Onward Into Oblivion crushes. If you get off to music that’s as intense and vitriolic as possible, I’d advise listening to this over Origin or whatever new triggered blastfest is big with the kids this year. Tyrants Blood tear your ears apart but never deteriorate into wanky nonsense manufacturing brutality as an end and not a means to an end. (for the former, see every Victory Records or modern deathcore release in existence!) This album kicks all of that garbage in the ovaries anyway with respect to intensity, so there’s really no point to seeking that characteristic elsewhere in 2010 music.

5. Vasaeleth – Crypt Born and Tethered to Ruin
What’s interesting to note is that Vasaeleth features O.A. from Atlanta’s own Legions of Astaroth. This band is completely unlike LoA, though. Whereas Legions play a style of black metal I find a bit tired and unimpressive, Vasaeleth tear face with a cacophony seemingly emanated straight from, quite appropriately, a crypt. Anyone who denies the massive influence of a certain Incantation would probably be of the same mind to suggest that 9/11 was an inside job, but that doesn’t detract from the skullfucking beauty of the thing. It’s dark, dark worship of a style as unhip to the college blogspot crowd as rich parents in fanny packs paying for their meal plans, but doesn’t that just make it all the more attractive?

4. Immolation – Majesty and Decay
Finally time for a band to not ape but to be aped. Immolation’s been the alpha dog leading the pack of death metal not groveling at the Altar of Madness since 1991 with Dawn of Possession. They maintain their position yet again with this year’s Majesty and Decay, a recovery from the ever-so-slight downward trend of their later 00s output. Even the presence of TWO intros (!!) doesn’t detract from its brilliance. Immediately out of the gate, The Purge beats and rapes you just like Daddy used to and similarly leaves you growing to love it. (Whether you continue down the same path you’ve come in life up to now afterwards is a different story.) Immolation’s brand of auditory destruction is summed up appropriately this time around as “majestic,â€Â￾ projecting an air of confidence with their playing that suggests they know exactly where they stand. They’re the kings of modern death and they know it. Failure to recognize this fact is punishable by a hanging in a noose constructed of Ross Dolan’s ridiculous hair.

3. Triptykon – Eparistera Daimones

“Who?â€Â￾ I guess if you’ve been away at sea for the past couple of years this artist might seem unfamiliar to you, but a cursory listen to a single track will bring to mind a ten-ton monstrosity from 2006 called Monotheist. Triptykon is the newest outlet of Thomas G. Fischer/Warrior, but you might as well just call it Celtic Frost because that’s what it is. Eparistera Daimones is also basically Monotheist but with a very apparent progression and focus in sound. It’s most certainly big and demanding, but full attention to the mastery within is rewarded with the enlightenment that this album absolutely kills and you can make back a good bit of money by selling all of your Lamb of God CDs.

2. (The Lord Weird) Slough Feg – The Animal Spirits
The mighty Slough Feg make their triumphant return to my top 10 list, and this time it’s at the greatly-coveted #2 position. I was one of the few people who loved Ape Uprising! to death, but even detractors of that album can’t deny the flawlessness of The Animal Spirits. This time Slough Feg step back a bit to Hardworlder like a college student could go back to high school algebra and annihilate every problem in their path with their experience acquired since (or not, given the state of higher education in the country). They’ve learned from their mistakes (were there any mistakes? Whatever, let’s go with it for the purposes of continuing) and have created yet another album within the span of only a year that uses for toilet paper all of the works of “modern metalâ€Â￾ bands who for some reason take pride in spending four years to vomit forth some new abomination of digital, trigger-and-sample-happy production. Slough Feg, on the other hand, are proud of something else: absolutely despising almost all modern music in existence. And it obviously works. If wearing your helmet on a motorcycle were to become “hip,â€Â￾ Mike Scalzi would be the first one on the news reported as having splattered his skull on the interstate. It’s unfortunate that the Thin Lizzies and Brocas Helms of the world aren’t as influential to modern music as the At the Gateses, Radioheads, and Panteras, but that’s life I guess. Slough Feg provide more than enough sustenance for those of us in the minority.

1. Rome – Nos Chants Perdus
Of course. In an unsurprising turn of events, Rome has once again claimed the #1 spot on my list. Is there any more that needs to be said that wasn’t said about Flowers from Exile? Rome are fucking wizards; they’ve somehow released an album every single year for the past five years that’s completely blown away anything that dares challenge it for the spot of one of the best releases of the year. In the case of the past two years, Rome hardly broke a sweat climbing up to and planting themselves firmly at the top. Nos Chants Perdus oozes emotion and focus with every track being an anthem to past regrets or humility towards life’s wonders or what have you. Jerome Reuter writes tracks a thousand miles deep and gushing personality at the pick of every single string. Nos Chants Perdus, compared to Flowers from Exile, is a bit more subdued yet consisting of greater variety in song style. It’s definitely darker, swapping that in place of last year’s grandiosity. But like Flowers from Exile, it is infinite in beauty. Jerome maybe gets a bit silly at a couple points, but who cares? The man puts so much of himself into every single song that he’s currently AWOL from the music scene as a result of it in order to recompose himself or something. Hopefully he’ll be back soon to break some more hearts because god knows the world could always use more Rome. Gloire à la gloire magnifique et ce qui est parfait.

Disappointments of 2010


Deathspell Omega - Paracletus (Apparently Hasjarl and friends have been digging a lot of Dillinger Escape Plan recently, because this album reeks of that stinking shit. It is here that we bid a fond farewell to our boys from 2004 and SMRC; we hardly knew ye.)

Solefald - Norrøn Livskunst (I don't dislike this or anything, but I guess I was just expecting a lot better based on the hype our two friends built up as well as the length of time since RfF/BfD. Oh well.)

The Meads of Asphodel - The Murder of Jesus the Jew (Ditto. Where'd all the great punk spirit and goofy experimentation of the past go? This is just goofy instead, and not really in a good way. My Psychotic Sand Deity made some big promises but the rest of the album didn't fulfill them. Shame.)

Enslaved - Axioma Ethica Odini (If I wanted to hear Porcupine Tree I'd just record the sound of myself taking a shit. But thanks anyway, guys.)

Cathedral - The Guessing Game (Weirdo tribute to 70s prog didn't quite work out for the best here. But I don't know if I can call any Cathedral album a disappointment anyway since it's all been a bit unspectacular since the works post-FoE.)

Sigh - Scenes from Hell (If a band brings in a scantily clad slut to serve as the new focus of the act, that might just be to offset and draw attention away from the deteriorating music quality. Arch Enemy ring any bells?)

Spiritual Front - Roma Rotten Casinò (Well, I guess we'll always have Armageddon Gigolo. At least the poppy sex obsession was kept to a controllable level back then.)

The Ocean - Heliocentric (I can feel my estrogen levels skyrocketing just listening to this crap. Come on.)

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Snowblind Sodomy
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Post by Snowblind Sodomy » Thu December 30th, 2010, 10:39 pm

I'll vouch for the Sigh album. I was disappointed with the half-assed attempt at orchestral parts over the less-than-memorable guitar riffs.
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Re: Top 10 of 2010

Post by aaron » Thu December 30th, 2010, 10:49 pm

Kurt wrote:
aaron wrote:Brendan Perry - Ark
Was this actually released? I've been listening to the one song he posted on MySpace for over two years now...
Hell yeah and it's mindblowingly awesome.

Oh, and I've been meaning to listen to the new Rome but I heard it's not as good as their older stuff? Only album i have is Masse Mensch Material and I really enjoyed it.

I wanted to fit in Immolation into my list but I've only listened to it once so not really fair, hah

Did you guys like Sigh's Imaginary Sonicscape? If that's what the new album sounds like... hell I'm in :P

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BlackRoija
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Re: Top 10 of 2010

Post by BlackRoija » Fri December 31st, 2010, 12:29 am

aaron wrote:Oh, and I've been meaning to listen to the new Rome but I heard it's not as good as their older stuff? Only album i have is Masse Mensch Material and I really enjoyed it.

Did you guys like Sigh's Imaginary Sonicscape? If that's what the new album sounds like... hell I'm in :P
MMM is their worst album so idk if you'd dislike NCP; and tbh I think those who say the new Rome is a "disappointment" or whatever are Agalloch-humping buttlickers or something because the only argument I ever see against it is "OMG its not neofolk nemore!!"

new Sigh sounds pretty much like Hangman's Hymn 2, and as appropriate with sequels it's devoid of originality or quality

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Ryan
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Post by Ryan » Fri December 31st, 2010, 9:46 am

Albums (in no particular order)
Withered - Dualatis
Watain - Lawless Darkness
Contagium - Archaic
Inter Arma - Sundown
Hooker Spit Windex / Pizza Hi Five - split ep
PLF / In Disgust -split lp
War Master - Thrones of Tyranny ep
Suffering Mind - s/t lp
Wormrot / I Abhor - split cd
Parlamentarisk Sodomi's side of the Bloodspurt split ep
Funerot - And Then You Die, Man

Performances (in no particular order)
Wormrot @ Eyedrum
Withered @ Jack's
Capitalist Casualities @ 585
Verbal Abuse @ 585
Primate's Black Flag cover set @ Clermont
Battlemaster @ 585
Age @ Drunken Unicorn
Otophobia @ Drunken Unicorn
Phobia @ Eyedrum
Coffin Dust @ Luna Nueva
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Matt
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Post by Matt » Fri December 31st, 2010, 10:15 am

i havent checked out a lot of releases this year but favorite is "the final frontier" by iron maiden.
your church was turned into an abortion clinic and we use it all the time... sluts!!!

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Post by SadisticRitual » Fri December 31st, 2010, 11:23 am

BlackRoija wrote:(If I wanted to hear Porcupine Tree I'd just record the sound of myself taking a shit. But thanks anyway, guys.)
ouch

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egg yolkeo
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Post by egg yolkeo » Sat January 1st, 2011, 4:54 pm

T.I. #1

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Matt
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Post by Matt » Sun January 2nd, 2011, 12:40 am

best gigs are saw this year

iron maiden - at jiffy lube center
mastodon - at the valarium
anthrax - at gwinnett
eyehategod - at earl
crowbar - at drunken unicorn
withered - at jacks
black cobra - at earl
otophobia - at drunken unicorn
immolation - at masquerade
megadeth - at tabernacle
slayer - at gwinnett
i didnt make it out to a ton of shows this year but those are some of the notable performances i recall.
your church was turned into an abortion clinic and we use it all the time... sluts!!!

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Post by Metalfreak » Sun January 2nd, 2011, 7:28 pm

I have no clue what all came out this year.

performances:
MDF ...too lazy to list bands - Sonar
Immolation - Masquerade
Infinatum Obscure/ Nominon - 585
Megadeth - Tabernacle
Slayer - Gwinnett
Watain - Masquerade
Death Angel - Masquerade
Korpiklaani - Masquerade (was that 2010? lol)
Marduk - Masquerade
Royal Thunder - house party (that was fun, need more house shows at that place)
They had you do a drug test and the forgot to test for drugs???

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Knucklehead
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Post by Knucklehead » Sun January 2nd, 2011, 8:20 pm

I think it is a little curious that Belus isn't making it to anyone's end-of-year lists.

Having said that, I haven't really listened to it since it was released. But I would think that someone would be gushing over it.

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DeathfareDevil
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Post by DeathfareDevil » Sun January 2nd, 2011, 10:42 pm

Knucklehead wrote: I haven't really listened to it since it was released.
The novelty factor wore off fast. I keep forgetting I even have it. That ... probably says something.

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Post by stewvee » Mon January 3rd, 2011, 9:02 am

Belus has two really great tunes on it. "Glemselens Elv" and then that "house beat thingama."

Both great for very different reasons and stand out conspicuously on a record thin on ideas and craft.

Expected more from a sorta musical savant (love 'im or hate 'im, you can't deny this) who had nothing but time on his hands.

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