A Year In Metal - 2013: Highlights Through The Eyes Of The MS Staff, Elite & Official Contributors
| Written by: | D.T. Metal |
| Published: | January 18, 2014 |
It's that time of the year again - drumroll and stuff - the Metal Storm awards are upon us.
Be ready to check out some excellent music and you know the drill; when we open the MSA voting, it is up to you to crown the best albums in each genre.
Even though we worked long and countless nights on the Metal Storm Awards, we (Staff, Elite, and Official Contributors) took the time to recap the year 2013 and write down some of our personal favorites.
Enjoy reading, compare some of our favorites with your own "best of" lists and have fun voting on the awards.
May the METAL be with you.
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Staff
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Staff
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| [user_id]13767[/user_id] Favorite Album: Black Willows - Haze, Funeralium - Deceived Idealism, Blockheads - This World Is Dead Best Home-Country album: None (seriously). Most-Played song: Akelei - "Een Droom In 6/8" Most Promising Band: Black Willows Best Concert: Samothrace, Death Angel, Mournful Congregation, NOFX Biggest Disappointment: The cancellation of Down's concert in our main city, in June. Metal Moment Of 2013: Having sex with my GF, while listening to Blockheads. Grindcore + hardcore, yeah, I know. And 2014: Attending Hellfest is definitely main event for me this year. All other stuff will come along day by day. |  |
 | [user_id]108040[/user_id] Favorite Album: The Meads Of Asphodel - Sonderkommando, Progenie Terrestre Pura - U.M.A., and Domovoyd - Oh Sensibility were my most enjoyed. Special mentions also to Wormlust, Cult Of Fire, Carpe Noctem, Dark Buddha Rising, Dreadnought, Oranssi Pazuzu, and The Ruins Of Beverast. Best Home-Country Album: Monster Magnet - Last Patrol Most-Played Song: Quite likely this one Most Promising Band: Comes down to the four that've given us the best debuts this past year: Wormlust, Carpe Noctem, Domovoyd, and Progenie Terrestre Pura. Out of those, I think PTP show the most potential for maturing their style and wowing listeners in the future. Best Concert: Seeing Helstar in Miami, pre party before 70,000 Tons took off. Biggest Disappointment: As good as it was, Oranssi Pazuzu's Valonielu. Didn't have the sinister, chaotic vibe of Kosmonument and didn't immediately suck me in as much as I was expecting. Metal Moment Of 2013: Meeting and hanging out with Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse), who was in the crowd at the Helstar show. Very down to earth guy, and as a bassist it was fun talking metal bass technique with him. And 2014? Journeying overseas for Roadburn, and having some insane times with Marcel and Rod. Also highly looking forward to A Forest Of Stars' new album and Memoria Vetusta III from Blut Aus Nord. |
| [user_id]1423[/user_id] Favorite Album: Clutch - Earth Rocker (you'll be seeing more of this) Best Home-Country Album: Clutch - Earth Rocker Most-Played Song: Clutch - "Cyborg Bette" Most Promising Band: Black Willows, Evoke Thy Lords Best Concert: Clutch - Earth Rocker Tour Biggest Disappointment: 2013 in general. Metal Moment Of 2013: Drinking nine+ rounds and closing the bar at In De Wildeman, Amsterdam, with Marcel. And 2014?: Bringing the gift of Metal to the peoples of Paraguay. |  |
 | [user_id]966[/user_id] Favorite Album: Definitely Karnivool's Asymmetry. Honorable mentions to Riverside, Leprous, Avatarium, Voices, Kylesa, Atlantean Kodex, Consciousness Removal Project, Being and Grayceon with great releases this year. Best Home-Country Album: Gwydion's Veteran and Malevolence's Antithetical. Most-Played Song: Leprous' "The Valley"; Riverside's "Feel Like Falling"; Karnivool's "Float"; Kylesa's "Steady Breakdown". Most Promising Band: Bölzer, Being, Voices and Avatarium. Best Concert: Orphaned Land in Lisbon and also Therion in Lisbon Dark Fest. Biggest Disappointment: Protest The Hero's new album Volition; no Porcupine Tree (for years now!) and Riverside cancelling their gig in Lisbon (thanks very much guys!) Metal Moment Of 2013: Without a doubt, chatting with Kjetil Nordhus of Green Carnation, one of my favourite bands, about my love for the band, their music, etc. Amazingly nice guy. My admiration for the band grew even more after that conversation. And 2014?: Hopefully new Anathema and Opeth albums (maybe not so metal but who cares). Hopefully Grayceon can release a new album too (about freaking time!). Possibly new Darkwater and Evergrey albums as well. I want to be surprised by new music and continue to go to amazing concerts. I'm a simple woman. |
| [user_id]125330[/user_id] Favorite Album: Spinning In Solitude's - Sister since it got released. Best Home-Country Album: It hasn't been a great year for Germany (hopefully will be better 2014) so I have to go with The Ocean's Pelagial. Most-Played Song: For some reason Kreator's "Phobia". Best Concert: Hmmm, even though I have seen Kreator shit tons of times, I would say they sounded the best on their last North American tour. And for some odd reason, Anathema really moved me. Biggest Disappointment: The new Necrophagist album ... oh wait - they haven't done shit in ages - get on it Muhammed. Metal Moment Of 2013: Once again, being "trapped" with 40 bands on a cruise ship; (70000 Tons Of Metal) was pretty awesome. Some highlights were seeing Metal Church, watching Fabio sing with Angra, and seeing Helstar among others. So I guess, same as last year's since 2013 once again included the Watain tour madness. And 2014?: Might be heading over to Europe for some festivals, but nothing concrete so far. Bring it on! |  |
 | [user_id]1861[/user_id] Favorite Album: Vulture Industries - The Tower (also: Hacride - Back To Where You've Never Been, Terra Tenebrosa - The Purging, The Ocean - Pelagial) Best Home-Country Album: Hacride - Back To Where You've Never Been Most-Played Song: Hacride's Introversion, and next Vulture Industries - Lost Among Liars who comes second as it was released later... Best Concert: Not that many this year... Nothing outstanding, but Moonspell, Leprous and Orphaned Land were great as usual Biggest Surprise: enjoying the latest Die Krupps so much! Biggest Disappointment: Supuration's Cu3e, pretty meh. And no, Dark Tranquillity's Construct isn't a disappointment for me. A kind of failure, yet a step in a good direction. Metal Moment Of 2013: Hacride's music and lyrics giving me the kick in the butt I needed (thanks again!) And 2014?: Starting badly already, with Yossi leaving Orphaned Land. But there's Hellfest with Skyclad |
| [user_id]125[/user_id] Favorite Album: Seconds Before Landing - Seconds Before Landing, Clutch - Earth Rocker, Bolus - Triangulate Most Promising Band: Being Best Concert: Threshold @Biebob and/or Jolly/Riverside @Biebob, Vulture Industries supporting Leprous and practically owning them Biggest Disappointment: Dan Swanö's Witherscape, new ReVamp album and Serj Tankian with an orchestra in a totally unsuitable venue Metal Moment Of 2013: has to be the interview with Damian Wilson from Threshold, what a great guy And 2014?: Dare I hope that new Nightingale and Freak Kitchen albums see the light of day? |  |
 | [user_id]207[/user_id] Favorite Album: Tribulation - The Formulas Of Death Best Home-Country Album: Officium Triste - Mors Viri Most-Played Song: "Walk With Me, My Queen" (by Age Of Taurus) Most Promising Band: Bölzer Best Concert: Roadburn, Dordrecht Doom Day, Dutch Doom Days, Aluk Todolo, Footprints In The Void X (Verbum Verus, Svartidauði, Entrapment) Biggest Disappointment: The worship uninspired reunion stuff such as Black Sabbath - 13, Carcass - Surgical Steel and more of those bands and albums get in the metal world. Metal Moment Of 2013: Actually three moments: 1. Meeting up with Craig (BitterCOld) in Amsterdam at In De Wildeman for some great beer and banter. 2. Finding Bill Steer (Carcass, Angel Witch) on the back seat of the cab I was taking home, zonked out of his mind, after the Angel Witch gig in Rotterdam. So, dropped him off at his hotel instead of kicking him out of my cab. 3. Making my debut as a DJ at Dutch Doom Days. And 2014?: Let's just wait and see what this year brings and live it day by day. |
| [user_id]109674[/user_id] Favorite Album: Probably the new Riverside. Best Home-Country Album: A tie between Forever Storm's Tragedy and Consecration's Cimet. Most-Played Song: Probably Chvrches - Gun, you can go ahead and revoke all the metal cred I have left. Most Promising Band: Caligula's Horse didn't fall face-first into the proverbial sophomore slump, Beastmilk was hyped for a reason and Dreadnaught might be on to something big, too. Best Concert: It was a delight to behold the Cavanagh brothers and Lee Douglas playing acoustic versions of Anathema songs. The entire day was like a dream actually, I had a second date that went over well, made a new friend, met a great girl I only knew online and managed to catch a bus back from the show for the first time in my life. Biggest Disappointment: Missing two Leprous concerts and one Riverside concert. Also the new Fates Warning is their worst album yet and I'm a sad sad puppy. Metal Moment Of 2013: Twas not a very metal year for me. And 2014?: Well, Mariusz Duda is writing the new Lunatic Soul album, but it won't be metal. Same with Kevin Moore if he decides to write something. |  |
 | [user_id]2115[/user_id] Favorite Album: Ólafur Arnalds - For Now I Am Winter. Neoclassical, ambient, beautiful. If it comes to metal, Enforcer's Death by Fire and Mechina's Empyrean were my favs. Best Home-Country Album: Heaven Shall Burn and The Ocean delivered once again. Most-Played Song: My last.fm says GMS - "Juice", a psytrance remix of Clint Mansell's "Lux Aeterna". Don't ask why. Most Promising Band: Darkest Horizon and Regarde Les Hommes Tomber Best Concert: Heretoir @ Ragnarök Festival Biggest Disappointment: Both The Monolith Deathcult and Todtgelichter failed to keep up with their previous releases Trivmvirate and Angst respectively. Also, Windows 8. Metal Moment Of 2013: Meeting with a casual Metal Storm user and finding a good friend. And 2014?: Hoping to find the time to listen to more music again. |
| [user_id]105044[/user_id] Favorite Album: The album which had the biggest impact on me was The Moth Gatherer's - A Bright Celestial Light Best Home-Country Album: Caligula's Horse - The Tide, The Thief & River's End Most-Played Song: "Realms" by Beastwars Most Promising Band: The Moth Gatherer Metal Moment Of 2013: My promotion to a staff reviewing position. And 2014?: It goes without saying but, listening to more great music of course! At the moment I'm looking forward to the new Slough Feg album in particular. |  |
 | [user_id]1729[/user_id] Favorite Album: Amiensus - Restoration Best Home-Country Album: Amiensus - Restoration Most-Played Song: Tristania - "Night On Earth" Most Promising Band: Wound (death metal), Maudlin (bluesy post sludge fusion), Autolatry (black metal), Evoke Thy Lords (doom plus) Best Concert: Summer Slaughter Tour opening night in San Francisco. Biggest Disappointment: Power metal in general this year. Only a few good offerings. Metal Moment Of 2013: Interviewing SubRosa for Metal Storm before their Seattle show. Amazing, passionate musicians, crammed into a bathroom since we couldn't find any other quite place to talk. So much fun; they are incredible (and hilarious) people who make incredible music. And 2014?: Looking forward to seeing Wilderun and ReVamp live, finally! And of course another epic Summer Slaughter. |
| [user_id]35890[/user_id] Favorite Album: Power Trip's Manifest Decimation Best Home-Country Album: Manifest Decimation and Clutch's Earth Rocker Most-Played Song: Darkthrone - "Leave No Cross Unturned" Most Promising Band: Condor and Mion's Hill Best Concert: Clutch's Earth Rocker Tour Biggest Disappointment: Either the new Warbringer or the new Havok. Metal Moment Of 2013: ; 0 ur mom And 2014?: Hopefully more old-sounding black/thrash, but not too much of it. Would rather see it simmer for a long time than burn itself out, which seems to be happening with the bigger, more melodic thrash resurgence right now. |  |
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Elite
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Elite
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 | [user_id]4365[/user_id] Favorite Album: No obvious winner for me this year, but lots of great releases. Grave Miasma, Tribulation, Abyssal, Cult Of Fire, Evoke Thy Lords, Castevet, Bölzer, Carpe Noctem, Duobetic Homunkulus, SubRosa, Lychgate, Ensemble Pearl, Combat Astronomy, Wormlust, The Meads Of Asphodel, Antediluvian, Prurient, Ulcerate, Blut Aus Nord and so on. All worthy albums. Best Home-Country Album: Grave Miasma, Abyssal, Lychgate and The Meads Of Asphodel. Most-Played Song: Probably this. Most Promising Band: Probably Bölzer seeing as they've only given us two EPs. Best Concert: Far too many to even recall. Gotsu Totsu Kotsu (Brighton), A Void In Coma (Brighton), Napalm Death (Hammerfest), Chimp Spanner (Hammerfest), Saint Vitus (Brighton and Hammerfest), The Atrocity Exhibit (Brighton and London), Brutal Truth (London), Belphegor (Bloodstock). Biggest Disappointment: !T.O.O.H.!'s new album being not quite what I'd hoped. Nile were once again quite dismal live. Being too ill to go see Grave Miasma play. Metal Moment Of 2013: Undoubtedly this. And 2014?: Festivals. Temples Fest, Hellfest and Bloodstock. |
| [user_id]27874[/user_id] Favorite Album: Hmmmm can't pick out just one. A lot of great stuff was released. I warmly recommend the works of: Bölzer, Carpe Noctem, Clutch, Combat Astronomy, Cult Of Fire, Dream Death, Funeralium, The Meads Of Asphodel, Portal, Procession, Progenie Terrestre Pura, Scale The Summit, SubRosa, Tribulation and Ulcerate. Best Home-Country Album: I'd say Octopus - Into The Void Of Fear (Chile), Cult Of Luna - Vertikal (Sweden) and I'm gonna count Procession - To Reap Heavens Apart as both (just like me hehe  )Most-Played Song: Hmmm I usually hear only albums and rarely specific songs. Pretty sure it'd be a song that isn't from 2013 though. Most Promising Band: I must say Bölzer. Their EP blew me away and I can't wait to hear a full-length. Best Concert: Some of the best stuff at Roadburn: Royal Thunder, Lord Mantis, Dream Death, Electric Wizard, Amenra, Mories (as Aderlating) and Godflesh (for the second time, this time they played Pure in its entirety). Some of the great stuff I saw at home was Sonne Adam, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Sigur Rós (one of the best ever). Biggest Disappointment: !T.O.O.H.!'s last album. It tainted their legacy full of otherwise brilliant works. Also, Mar De Grises disbanded which is easily the worst piece of news of the past year for me but at least they left us with a trilogy of great albums showing the true potential of the Chilean metal scene. Metal Moment Of 2013: Roadburn 2013 for sure. Also being able to go to a Halloween party the day before a big anatomy exam and, despite the hangover, I nailed it... In an Alex costume nonetheless. And 2014?: Going to Roadburn for the fourth time in a row.  |  |
 | [user_id]828[/user_id] Favorite Album: Tribulation - The Formulas Of Death (honorable mentions to Carpe Noctem & Eye Of Solitude) Favorite EP: Bölzer - Aura, special mention to Outre - Tranquility Best Home-Country Album: Eye Of Solitude - Canto III Most-Played Song: Castevet - "Cavernous", The Ocean - "Bathyalpelagic I: Impasses" Most Promising Band: Bölzer Best Concert: In Vain - Brutal Assault Biggest Disappointment: Fleshgod Apocalypse - Labyrinth. Too much time [url=www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvAOxYnAp7Q]making pasta[/url] & not enough time making good music. Metal Moment Of 2013: Sat in a tattoo parlor in Czech Republic, blasting my pre-Brutal Assault playlist through the sound system while getting this done. And 2014?: First ever Hellfest experience & possibly last ever Wacken experience. |
| [user_id]37247[/user_id] Favorite Album: Cult Of Luna - Vertikal, The Ocean - Pelagial, or Gris - À l'âme enflammée, l'äme constellée... Best Home-Country Album: Gris's À l'âme enflammée, l'äme constellée... Most-Played Song: "I: The Weapon" (Cult Of Luna) or "Mesopelagic: Into the Uncanny" (The Ocean) Most Promising Band: Weedpecker, Black Willows, or Nails Biggest Disappointment: The overall lack of depth in 2013 compared to years previous. Metal Moment Of 2013: Glen Benton's prima donna douchebag attitude towards the guys from Broken Hope. And 2014?: Hopefully more to come from the Canadian black metal scene, with special regards to the Quebec scene. |  |
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Official Contributor
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Official Contributor
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 | [user_id]99343[/user_id] Favorite Album: An Autumn For Crippled Children - Try Not To Destroy Every Thing You Love (or perhaps Counterparts - The Difference Between Hell And Home) Best Home-Country Album: Protest The Hero - Volition Most-Played Song: Deafheaven - "Dreamhouse" Most Promising Band: Perfect Pussy (fantastic noise pop/pop sludge) Best Concert: Terror, Power Trip and Counterparts, so much moshing... so much Biggest Disappointment: Not going to as many shows as expected Metal Moment Of 2013: While more of a hardcore moment, but I stage dived at the Terror show. (which is hardcore bucket list goal #3). I was also knocked out at a Greber (grindcore from British Coloumbia) concert, that's pretty fuckin' metal. And 2014? Looking forward to more shows, fun albums and Blink 182 making a new album, stay rad. |
| [user_id]119663[/user_id] Favorite Album: Alter Bridge - Fortress Best Home-Country Album: Hollow Haze - Countdown To Revenge Most-Played Song: Stratovarius - "Halcyon Days" and... ehm... Green Day - "Kill The DJ" Most Promising Band: Shtack Best Concert: meh, poor year. 2014 will be better... Iron Maiden, Alter Bridge and Opeth on the same day! Biggest Disappointment: Rhapsody Of Fire - Dark Wings Of Steel Metal Moment Of 2013: Rhapsody Of Fire interview, joining the Contributors And 2014? It's gonna be great. New albums from Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica, Sabaton, Elvenking, Edguy, then Iron Maiden live... |  |
 | [user_id]109472[/user_id] Favorite Album: The SLoT - Шестой Best Home-Country Album: Dethklok - The Doomstar Requiem Most-Played Song: Ghost B.C. - "Ghuleh / Zombie Queen" Most Promising Band: Civil War Best Concert: Rob Zombie; Ghost B.C.; Nile Biggest Disappointment: Robban Bäck leaving Sabaton; grievous Slayer situation; inexplicable lack of opening bands on Black Sabbath tour Metal Moment Of 2013: Wearing corpse paint to a show for the first time; meeting Shane Embury (Napalm Death and others) on the seventh attempt after three hours of working up the courage And 2014? Looking forward to new Sabaton, Devin Townsend, Kypck, etc. and a number of swell concerts. |
 | Written on 18.01.2014 by Former boss lady. Now just a professional concertgoer... dangerously armed with a camera! |
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| Guib Thrash Talker Posts: 3220  |
Props to Wormdrink for Power Trip's Manifest Decimation... It is a very good album indeed.
---- - Headbanging with mostly clogged arteries to that stuff - Guib's List Of Essential Albums - Also Thrash Paradise Thrash Here
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| strade Posts: 677  |
Haha, you're not alone, Milena. I love Chvrches so much 
---- My lo-fi synth project: http://luciddreamer.bandcamp.com
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| Hellcult Posts: 346  |
Favorite Album: Ade - Spartacus; Squash Bowels - Grindvirus; Katalepsy - Autopsychosis. Best Home-Country Album: Antigama - Meteor Most-Played Song: Ade - Decimate The Coward Most Promising Band: Ade a Death metal from Italy they are new for me Best Concert: none - last one was Deicide, Belphegor and Hour of Penance in 2012 Biggest Disappointment: Burzum - Sôl austan, Mâni vestan Metal Moment Of 2013: Amazed by Black Sabbath - 13 it is just incredible i did not expect anything special and here u have it a kick ass from legends! enjoy! And 2014? Few more days and new Behemoth is coming out also waiting for new Vader album at most except that we've got Cannibal Corpse, Benighted, Carnifex, Aborted, Lost Soul my also listen to Pyorrhoea
---- And I see the blade fall down upon the head of lord in heaven And Darkness falls upon the end of history While I drink the milk of the Black Goddess and cry over the mankind Black Moses is my name...
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