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1.
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Kalmah - 12 Gauge
Can metal be both really brutal and really melodic? INDEED. If the first 3 songs don't get your attention, leave the hall. Seriously. |
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2.
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Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void
A Gothenburg reflexion about death and mortality, that couldn't start any more fitting like with this riff that reminds of a ticking clock. Everything DT is about condensed in one album, plus an extra pinch of coldness. |
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3.
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Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier
The proggy twin of AMOLAD, anyone? Don't believe the hype, but the lengthy songs are really not to be missed. |
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4.
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Equilibrium - Rekreatur
Melodies? Melodies! Where do they get them all from? Plus a new singer (I was secretly hoping for it). |
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5.
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Sigh - Scenes From Hell
How do Venom-esque rumbling, female death grunts and horn orchestration fit together? Well, if it would fit, it wouldn't be SIGH, and this is hell after all. Oh, and it's got Saxophones (see "Ihsahn - After"). |
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6.
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Agalloch - Marrow Of The Spirit
A journey through eerie soundscapes of haunting beauty. Light up a camp fire and raise a nithing pole. Headphones mandatory! |
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7.
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Ihsahn - After
OMG SAXOPHONES =>> [infinite avantgardness]!!! Strange, beautiful, and sometimes disturbing ("A Grave Inversed" is the craziest thing I've heard... and liked). |
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8.
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Rotting Christ - Aealo
Powerful, heavy, epic. Music to defend Sparta by. |
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9.
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Enforcer - Diamonds
OLD SCHOOL! If you want a trip back through time to the 80s, here's your ticket. |
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10.
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Amorphis - Magic & Mayhem - Tales From The Early Years
Finally I can listen to the "Tales" songs without thinking how much the production sucks. And the growls. And the clear vocals. |
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11.
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Machinae Supremacy - A View From The End Of The World
Although the songs are more hit-or-miss than those of the predecessor, Machinae's video game metal is still unique and extremely entertaining. And this time again, even more 'metal'. |
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12.
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Kvelertak - Kvelertak
Owls - O RLY? Black 'n' roll - YA RLY. |
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13.
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Barren Earth - Curse Of The Red River
Skip the first couple of songs, and you get a wonderful doomy & melodic early-AMORPHIS style album. Used to calm me down when writing my thesis, and I'm thankful for that. |
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14.
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Cradle Of Filth - Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa
Blasting, growling, epic female choruses and sex on graveyards -> Guilty pleasure of 2010. |
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15.
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Mar De Grises - Streams Inwards
Something for the dark winter days... an album that makes you lose yourself in the sonicspheres. |
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16.
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System Divide - The Conscious Sedation |
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17.
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Keep Of Kalessin - Reptilian
Here be dragons! Not the cheesy, power-metal ones - the huge and pissed-off specimens. Black metal for people who don't like black metal. |
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18.
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Eluveitie - Everything Remains As It Never Was
Probably their best effort up to date, though the metal parts remain boring. Hear my... CRYYYYYY!!! |
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19.
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The Sword - Warp Riders
Dusty, retro-rock-meets-a-little-bit-metal opus with a nice sci-fi background story. Not too memorable, but hard to dislike. |
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20.
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Alcest - Écailles De Lune
Interesting end-of-the-year discovery. Otherworldly frenchman music, like a soundtrack to a lucid dream. |
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21.
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~~~ LETDOWN OF THE YEAR: ~~~ |
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22.
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Nevermore - The Obsidian Conspiracy
Hum. So where's the controlled insanity of the last albums gone? Totally. Not. Impressed. |
