20. I Declare War – I Declare War – Kick someone in the chest while listening to this album. Great deathcore. They really improved on their technique and song writing this time around. Maintaining raw brutality while adding some unique leads in the mix.
19. Decapitated – Carnival is Forever – Metal as fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.
18. Fleshgod Apocalypse – Agony – Symphonic death metal is symphonic. Very fast paced and over the top.
17. Endstille – Infektion 1813 – Some of the best black metal I’ve heard all year.
16. Rwake – Rest – Haunting and Soul shattering songs. Some of the riffs gave me goosebumps….so chilling and cold.
15. Belphegor – Blood Magick Necromance – If you’re a fan of Behemoth, then you’ll definitely love what Belphegor does here. Evil riffs and drumming from hell!
14. Revocation – Chaos of Forms – Some of the most exciting song writing and music of the year! Infectious guitar solo’s and hooks that’ll make you come back for more!
13. Junius – Reports From The Threshold Of Death – The most “non metal” band on the list. Incredible music and singing. Gives me a Deftones vibe with the singers breathy style and the bands build up during the song. Unexpectedly awesome sound and song writing.
12. Vildhjarta – Måsstaden – The only band labeled “djent” that I liked this year. Fucking brilliant music writing and technique. A true headbanger album. WHAT IS A THALL!?
11. Wayne Static – Pighammer – It’s Static-X…but with some of the best riffs and electronic work Wayne has ever done. “Static Killer” is possibly one of the best songs ever written by Wayne Static. It’s also one of the worst album covers of the year. Ah, well. Can’t win em all!
10. Chimaira – The Age of Hell – Songs that will make you drive a little faster…each song is great and you will definitely headbang and sing along. The work done on this is some of their best work since The Impossibility of Reason and it’s the last album that Matt and Rob will be apart of.
9. Mastodon – The Hunter – Excellent writing that is more prog than thrash/rock. Still very heavy and catchy. Masters of their craft.
8. Splattered Entrails – Nauseate – Death slam grind that does one thing and one thing well, be as brutal as possible. Mike O’Hara makes some of the best slam grind on the internet. Truly speaker destroying and gut wrenching stuff.
7. Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand – Those riffs, man! God damn. These slow songs really make you headbang hard. Good tunes!
6. Suicide Silence – The Black Crown – The most groovin’ album Suicide Silence has ever released! Some great riffs and awesome guest appearances too! The band is tighter than ever and the energy captured by the band is intense.
5. Hate Eternal – Phoenix Amongst The Ashes – True death metal that delivers. Running on all cylinders, the machine that is Hate Eternal punishes those who attempt to consume it whole. This album is dangerously fast and the riffs are fucking intense.
4. Amon Amarth – Surtur Rising – It’s Amon Amarth…of course it’s going to kick ass! Back with more great riffs, solo’s and amazing screams from Johan Hegg! Surtur Rising is just another chapter of the mighty Amon Amarth in their quest to conquer the world! Seeing this entire album performed live also was another highlight of the year. Great on the speakers and just as amazing live.
3. Beyond Creation – The Aura – A surprise tech-death band that I’ve never heard of, The Aura blows me away every single time I listen to it. If you need a band to scratch that Necrophagist itch, Beyond Creation will scratch it and then some. Very satisfying album. Some of the best guitar/bass playing and drumming I’ve heard all year.
2. Woods of Ypres – Woods IV: The Green Album – Blackened Doom that caught me off guard. I listened to this album hundreds of times this past year. It has a lot to offer since it’s a long album and it covers many more genres from an angle. The album is one emotional ride and tells a great story. Woods IV has inspired me to not only implement some of this style in my own guitar playing, but to start this blog and tell people of the lesser known bands that are incredibly good. Excellent writing and I just can’t help but sing along.
1. Last Chance To Reason – Level 2 – “We eat videogames and shit music.” Fuck yes they do. Level 2 is a groovin electric progressive technical metal album with harmonizing vocals, guitars and tons of poly-rhythmic playing all over the place. I love this album. It’s the best of both worlds, amazing metal combined with a layer of video game influence. The song writing is mind blowing and album as a whole is more than satisfying. Level 2 is just simply amazing, it’s definitely the best album I’ve heard this year. What a treat. From beginning to end it’s just a masterpiece.
I believe you forgot Devin Townsend’s Deconstruction. >.> tsk tsk