So you're looking to be inducted into the temple, but you have no idea where to start, eh? Let this list be your guide. The aim here is to walk newcomers to the realms of drone and ambient music through those realms in a slow and steady manner, from generally more relaxing/accessible releases to those that are more uncompromising and/or harder to wrap one's head around.

1.

2.The Angelic Process - Weighing Souls With Sand

3.Jesu - Jesu

4.Locrian - Infinite Dissolution

5.Menace Ruine - Venus Armata

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Cos, y'know, same shiz different year. Ran out of space again so will post final album opinions in comments.

1.Infestus - The Reflecting Void

2.Dirge - Hyperion

3.Nero Di Marte - Derivae

4.Steve Rothery - The Ghosts Of Pripyat

5.Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

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For Posterity. In No Particular Order. I'm certain I missed some quality releases, so I might update the list some time. Cheers.

1.Darkspace - Dark Space III I

2.Botanist - VI: Flora

3.Nachtmystium - The World We Left Behind

4.Nightbringer - Ego Dominus Tuus

5.Pallbearer - Foundations Of Burden

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This list is provisional with no specific order. It's subject to change as time passes and more albums get released. For now, Triptykon's new work tops my chart.

1.Mayhem - Esoteric Warfare

2.Triptykon - Melana Chasmata

3.Insomnium - Shadows Of The Dying Sun

4.Behemoth - The Satanist

5.Witch Mountain - Mobile Of Angels

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Pretty much every album that's caught my attention over the year, including non-metal. (Variety is a virtue, y'know )

I'll only be commenting on albums that I've given enough time to really form an opinion on. Chances are albums that failed to interest me beyond a first listen will eventually be removed from the list.

1.Swans - To Be Kind

2.Darren Korb - Transistor Original Soundtrack

3.Bent Knee - Shiny Eyed Babies

4.Gazpacho - Demon

5.Vampillia - My Beautiful Twisted Nightmares In Aurora Rainbow Darkness

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This year, I will try to listen to less music more. That is, I won't go out of my way to hear and list every possible album I sort of dig on the first spin, and the ones I do include I aim to know thoroughly. A lot of the albums I include tentatively will probably get deleted, too. Without further preamble, interesting albums in no particular order:

1.Owen Pallett - In Conflict

2.Menace Ruine - Venus Armata

3.Pallbearer - Foundations Of Burden

4.Jenny Hval & Susanna - Meshes of Voice

5.Tuomas Henrikin Jeesuksen Kristuksen Bändi - Käkkyrällään

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2014 is upon us and as per usual here is yet another unimaginative top list!

1.Monarch - Sabbracadaver

2.Nasheim - Solens Vemod

3.Earth - Primitive And Deadly

4.Darkspace - Dark Space III I

5.Lethian Dreams - Red Silence Lodge

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I doubt I'll have the time to sample enough music to match the 201 albums I covered in 2013, but hopefully I'll be able to listen to a fair few things and pass on me ol' thoughts.

1.Sleepmakeswaves - Love Of Cartography

2.Infestus - The Reflecting Void

3.Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

4.Ortega - Crows

5.Dirge - Hyperion

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1.Disemballerina - Undertaker

2.Empyrium - The Turn Of The Tides

3.Devin Townsend - Casualties Of Cool

4.Nadja - /ɪmpəˈfɛkʃ ( ə ) n/

5.Saor - Aura

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