Wow, 2013...so many great releases, after more than 100 new albums, it was really difficult to select the tops ones. But regardless I put this list of my top 20 of the year.
20. Twilight Of the Gods - Fire on the Mountain
Primordial’s Alan Averill teaming up with other musicians from well known bands such as Dimmu Borgir to pay a tribute to Bathory and while doing that adding elements from Primordial and Manowar - the result was amazing. Seven tracks of flawless true metal as it should be. Even if without anything ground breaking, Fire On The Mountain makes you pump your first and loose your mind.
19. Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods
There's nothing to surprise anyone here, those guys are very consistent (maybe except for the song Hel featuring Messiah Marcolin , ex-Candlemass). But there are at least 5 monstrous songs that have all an Amon Amarth fan would want: Melodic Death Metal exploding epicness. Also production with Andy Sneap touch is great; I had to get it in Vinyl!
18. Watain - The Wild Hunt
With The Wild Hunt, Watain expanded horizons without compromising themselves. Erik Danielsson incorporated clean vocals and even a "dark ballad", "They Rode On" which is influenced by Pink Floyd and an awesome journey. But don't get me wrong, there are other 8 blistering black metal assault tracks to satisfy older fans.
17. Ayreon - The Theory of Everything
Arjen Lucassen song writing, plus a selection of amazing but very different singers, top notch production, a story that feels like you are reading a book, and legends as guest musicians (Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson, and others) - There you have it, a genius delivering a suburb album! It's not easy to digest, and the lyrics can be cheesy at times, but it doesn't take the beauty out of the record.
16. Heaven Shall Burn - Veto
"Land of the Upright Ones" may be my song of the year and also "Godiva" is not far behind. Then there are other 3 or 4 songs that get your head banging. Plus the fun Blind Guardian cover of Valhalla. There is nothing new compared to previous albums, but those "hits" are so good and there's so much energy in Veto that it's addictive.
15. Five Finger Death Punch - TWSOHATRSOHV1
Volume 1 is a monster record - catchy choruses, riffing and brutality that tops everything they have done before. Special guests provide a glorious touch to it, especially Rob Halford. If the last two songs were replaced by volume 2 "Here to Die" and "Matter of Time" it would be among my top 5 albums.
14. Letlive. - The Blackest Beautiful
The Blackest Beautiful originally takes post-hardcore even further and add to it funk and other unusual influences. One of the most exciting and intimate shows I have ever seen. Musicality it's raw rage with emotion, aggressiveness and melody, just fantastic, a must have!
13. Rotting Christ - Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
Honestly, I did not know Rotting Christ, but gave it a try with this new album, and man, it's so good! The album is beautifully moving and melodic, full of dark passages, different languages. It takes you on a dark journey. I went back to their old stuff, and to me it's the band’s best album.
12. Fates Warning - Darkness In A Different Light
After 9 years without a new record, FW released this great album. It has all the elements that a FW fan would expect - progressive melodic metal with the well-known guitar style from Jim Matheos and the vocals from Ray Alder - suburb! Last 3 songs loose a bit the power, hence why it fell from the top 10.
11. Deafheaven - Sunbather
Sunbather was a very late entrant to my list and sky-rocketed to #11. One of the most intriguing extreme metal albums I have heard in quite some time. There's just something so strong and deep about Sunbather that I find myself hypnotized whenever I listen to it. It's black-metal, but it's not evil, quite the opposite it's very emotional and sad.
10. The Ocean - Pelagial
The Ocean nailed it, just brilliant, deserved the purchase of the Vinyl to fully appreciate this masterpiece! This is where heavy meats beautiful music. Incredibly well written, both musically and the conceptual lyrics.
9. Avatarium - Avatarium
Avatarium is the new band of Leif Edling (Candlemass, Krux) and this time with a female singer, Jennie-Ann Smith. Marcus Jidell (ex-Candlemass, ex-Evergrey, etc) plays some great doom riffs and added great melodic solos. The result is the best doom album of the year.
8. Atlantean Kodex - The White Goddess
As much as I love traditional Power Metal, it's been very difficult to see new good stuff coming from the genre, thankfully, Atlantean Kodex has reverted the trend. There's no filler at all on The White Goddess, long epic songs with awesome musical interludes that put you back in ancient Europe. It only dropped a few position in my list because I feel most songs could have been cut a bit shorter without loosing their power. Other than that, it’s just stellar traditional metal.
7. Avantasia - Mystery Of Time
I'm a big fan of Tobias Sammet's song writing and he has done it again, another brilliant Metal "opera". Honestly, Mystery Of Time brings nothing original, but it’s a well-written and displays epic power metal that I love so much. “Sleepwalking” is the only low point, can't take the pop flirting. Special guests make it even more special, amazing vocal works from Joe Lynn Turner, Michael Kiske, Biff Byford and even Eric Martin from Mr. Big.
6. Dream Theater - Dream Theater
This is the best Dream Theater album since"Train of Thought". It combines the heaviness of that album with "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" musicality, adding on top of it Mike Mangini showing what he has to offer and a very clear Rush influence. An opening track, an instrumental song, heavy songs, mid-tempo and an epic song, this album has it all. It’s a killer album deserving of the name Dream Theater.
5. Killswitch Engage - Disarm The Descent
I had huge expectations for this album after hearing that original vocalist Jesse Leach was the man deemed fit to replace Howard Jones. And those guys delivered it. Most songs are as good as anything from the classic first album and Jesse is singing much better than 10 years ago. It could have been the album of the year if Jesse had used a bit less clean vocals, basically the chorus of every song has clean vocals. Regardless, it's just a victorious come back from the metalcore masters
4. Witherscape - The Inheritance
Mastermind Swano new project is as instant classic. The clean singing is well balanced with concise growls, the riffs are great, production is top notch, and all of it very catchy. Plus, a conceptual story to follow. Let's just hope for a second album!
3. The Dillinger Escape Plan - One of Us is The Killer
I was lucky enough to see Dillinger Escape Plan this year for the first time, what a show! I had never seen them because this is actually the album that made me “get” their sound. Then I’ve gone back to older material and have found great songs and fell in love with their music, but this album is my favorite. It is insanely heavy and aggressive but also technical and melodic. Just couldn't stop listening to it!
2. Black Sabbath - 13
I don't care about forums, media and any drama on this "re-union", I just listen to the music, and it's great. Tony Iommi is the riff-master and the melodies are so catchy. Even if they were too inspired by their past-selves, who cares? They are still the same 3 guys and haven't worked together since 1978! For us who were not even alive during that era, it was great to have a taste of it.
1. Carcass - Surgical Steel
This is really awesome heavy music, period. Carcass is back after 17 years with "Surgical Steel" which takes the best moments of their previous three albums and melt them into explosive crushing metal at its best. The riffage is just so good, what a guitar work!
Awesome Bands That Are On My Top 45 List
21.The Black Dalia Murder - Everblack
22.Soilwork - The Living Infinite
23.Stone Sour - HoG&B2
24.Generation Kill - We're All Gonna Die
25.Hell - Curse and Chapter
26.Riverside - SONGS
27.Skeletonwitch - Serpents Unleashed
28.Oliva - Raise The Curtain
29.Kvelertak - Meir
30.Protest The Hero - Volition
31.Helloween - Straight Out of Hell
32.Airbourne - Black Dog Barking
33.Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing
34.In Solitude - Sister
35.Hatebreed - The Divinity of Purpose
36.Audrey Horne - Youngblood
37.Dark Tranquility - Construct
38.Alter Bridge - Fortress
39.Death Angel - The Dream Calls for Blood
40.Queensryche - Queensryche
41.The Temperance Movement - The Temperance Movement
42.Pretty Maids - Mother Land
43.Haken - The Mountain
44.Zodiac - A Hiding Place
45.Cult of Luna - Vertikal
Honorable Mentions:
Clutch - Earth Rocker
Motörhead - Aftershock
Stratovarius - Nemesis
Bleed From Within - Uprising
Satan - Life Setence
Cathedral - The Last Spire
Biggest Disappointments:
Ghost
Volbeat
Avenge Sevenfold
Best Shows:
King Diamond - GMM2013
KSE - Melkweg, Amsterdam
Letlive. - Trix Club, Antwerp
Worst Show:
Volbeat - Fortarock
