A Year In Metal - 2018: Highlights Through The Eyes Of The MS Staff, Elites & Official Contributors
Written by: | D.T. Metal |
Published: | January 22, 2019 |
It's that time of the year again and our annual Metal Storm Awards are right around the corner. But before we let you lose to vote for your best album(s) of 2018 we compiled a list of our "best of", so make sure to check them out.
Enjoy reading, compare some of our favorites with your own lists and have fun voting on the awards.
Your MS Tower folks \m/
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Staff
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Staff
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[user_id]13767[/user_id] Favorite Album: Gaerea - Unsettling Whispers, Anna Von Hausswolff - Dead Magic, Black Elephant - Cosmic Blues Best Home-Country Album: The Canyon Observer - NØLL Most Played Song: Feastem - "Psychotic Excess", Clutch - "Electric Worry" Most Promising Band: Gnome Best Concert: Lots of cool, mind-blowing gigs: DT (the other one, not Dream Theater), Eyehategod, Naxatras, Stoned Jesus, to name some. Biggest Disappointment: Not much to tell. I'm rarely disappointed with anything or anyone. Metal Moment Of 2018: Came up with fantastic idea... And 2019?: To execute my project (which has already begun) till the end as planned. Which means, lots of gigs to attend and tons of all kind of bands seeing live. Very hyped and impatient for Ataraxie and Mono's upcoming new efforts. |
[user_id]108040[/user_id] Favorite Album: I'm never able to pick just one. Special mentions to Imperial Triumphant, Carpe Noctem, P.H.O.B.O.S., Arkheth, Sigh, Cult Leader, and Voivod for dropping some supah hot fiyah. Best Home-Country Album: Panegyrist's Hierurgy, also probably the best debut album of the year. Most Played Song: I find myself coming back a lot to Panegyrist's beautiful "The Void Is The Heart Of The Flame". More clean vocals black metal like this, please! Most Promising Band: Guðveiki and/or Délirant. Seriously, keep your eyes on Mystískaos as the head honchos for hallucinatory extreme metal going forward. Best Concert: Probably a tie between the otherworldy NYIÞ/Wormlust set at Roadburn and catching Ghostemane in my home town in October. If you don't get equally hyped for hip hop and drone performances, what are you doing with your life? Biggest Disappointment: Having two bands never follow up on replying to interview questions I typed up, organized, and emailed them after previously expressing interest in interviews. Metal Moment Of 2018: Finally getting that Bachelor's degree in History that I've been pursuing for so long. Onwards to full time teaching. And 2019?: The fifth Roadburn pilgrimage, transitioning into full time teaching, more writing here, plus some film review on the side. |
[user_id]1423[/user_id] Favorite Album: Legend Of The Seagullmen - S/T Best Home-Country Album: Legend Of The Seagullmen - S/T Most Played Song: Project Pain - "I Don't Give A Fuck" Most Promising Band: Towards Atlantis Lights Biggest Disappointment: Lots of good/very good albums, but one of the lightest albums in my time in MS as far as top tier albums that grab you by the short curlies. Metal Moment Of 2018: does visiting 39 craft breweries (actual breweries, not just bars) across 4 countries count?... revisiting talking Death Metal at an asado in Asuncion, Paraguay in 2016 with Chris from Banded Oak Brewing in Denver when visiting his new brewery. And 2019?: Waiting on 2020: The Big Year. Hopefully 2019 is more like 2009 for top releases. |
[user_id]966[/user_id] Favorite Album: Riverside - Wasteland, Thou - Magus and non-metal: Emma Ruth Rundle - On Dark Horses, Anna Von Hausswolff - Dead Magic Best Home-Country Album: Sinistro - Sangue Cássia Most Played Song: Riverside - "The Night Before" Most Promising Band: - Best Concert: Emma Ruth Rundle and Anna Von Hausswolff, both in Lisbon Biggest Disappointment: : Life in general Metal Moment Of 2018: Surviving And 2019?: I hear Devin Townsend, Evergrey, Darkwater are releasing new albums. Also, Chelsea Wolfe is releasing another acoustic gem! |
[user_id]125330[/user_id] Favorite Album: Powerwolf - The Sacrament Of Sin Best Home-Country Album: Powerwolf - The Sacrament Of Sin Most Played Song: Insomnium's "Where The Last Wave Broke" and "Down With The Sun" Most Promising Band: ugh - no clue, but lately I am getting into Deserted Fear and Nailed To Obscurity; both established bands though. Best Concert: The Night Flight Orchestra at Metal Hammer Paradise Festival, Dark Tranquillity at a way too small venue and Watain with Deströyer 666 earlier in the year. Biggest Disappointment: PEOPLE Metal Moment Of 2018: none; I had a relative quite year. And 2019?: looking forward to another awesome 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise and seeing Demons & Wizards at ProgPower USA in the fall. |
[user_id]1861[/user_id] Favorite Album: Seems my album of the year is Youth Code - Commitments To Complications but this one's from 2016. So I guess the title belongs to The Soft Moon - Criminal (not really metal either ). Best Home-Country Album: Eryn Non Dae. - Abandon Of The Self, but that was a close call with Gorod - Æthra. Dirge - Lost Empyrean is pretty great too. Most Played Song: probably Youth Code - "Anagnorisis", or a The Soft Moon tune. Also, there's In Vain - "Floating On The Murmuring Tide", Eryn Non Dae. - "Halo", and Vulture Industries - "Midnight Draws Near". Most Promising Band: - Best Concert: Hard question as always. I saw Dark Tranquillity twice this spring, and they were awesome as always; there's been Hellfest with Neurosis and At The Gates standing out; but also that excellent yet frustrating Front Line Assembly / Die Krupps tour, Moodie Black... Biggest Disappointment: Not getting the time and opportunity to talk beers and homebrewing with Mikael Stanne. Music wise, A Storm Of Light - Anthroscene and Shining (NOR) - Animal. Metal Moment Of 2018: Publishing my first short story, subsequently getting my first tattoo, and being invited to sign the anthology I appear in. And 2019?: Good shows coming to Toulouse again ^^ (At The Gates, Amorphis, Riverside, Wardruna, and others...) |
[user_id]125[/user_id] Favorite Album: Long Distance Calling - Boundless, Gåte - Svevn, Freak Kitchen - Confusion To The Enemy, Black Mirrors - Look Into The Black Mirror, Gleb Kolyadin - Gleb Kolyadin, Riverside - Wasteland, Tribulation - Down Below Most Promising Band: Black Mirrors, Gleb Kolyadin, Mission Jupiter, The Heard Best Concert: By a wide margin it was Steven Wilson at Royal Albert Hall: that venue is just amazing, a dream come true to be able to see any concert there and this one suited perfectly. Grails in Tallinn completely blew me away; it's a stunning band with stunning performance. Midsummer Prog Festival was also great again. And I was pleasantly surprised by Iron Maiden's Legacy of the Beast kickoff, didn't think I'd like it but I really did. All in all, a fair amount of good concerts this year that I'm perfectly happy with, worth a mention are Sumo Cyco, HVMM, Freak Kitchen, Clutch, and Sólstafir. Biggest Disappointment: Katatonia going into hibernation? Oceans Of Slumber failing to deliver? I don't think I was disappointed with anything worth mentioning. Metal Moment Of 2018: Almost getting lost in the dark in Bulgarian Rila mountains after a 25km hike? And 2019?: Having seen the last gig when Pure Reason Revolution split up, I'm now going to see their first reunion gig at Midsummer Prog; I'm excited. Seeing Ayreon's Into The Electric Castle live will be cool (that album holds a special spot historically). Dredg are also waking up again. |
[user_id]2481[/user_id] Favorite Album: Dimlight - Kingdom Of Horrors, Dust In Mind - From Ashes To Flames, Eleine - Until The End, On Thorns I Lay - Aegean Sorrow Best Home-Country Album: Benthic Realm - We Will Not Bow EP Most Played Song: Temperance - "Of Jupiter And Moons", Mizantropia - "Black Idol", Son Of Sorrow - "Just To Get", Leah - "Ruins Of Illusion" Most Promising Band: Heavy Temple, Eleine Best Concert: Mindmaze playing Black Sabbath's Heaven And Hell in its entirety, and the entire RPM festival, in particular the Heavy Temple set that weekend. If this band sounds as good live on their first full length, I'll be in awe. Biggest Disappointment: none Metal Moment Of 2018: The entire Halloween covers set at Ralph's Diner, particularly the Alice Cooper and Sabbath set. And 2019?: New albums from Helevorn, Edenbridge, and Autumn |
[user_id]207[/user_id] Favorite Album: Chapel Of Disease ...And As We Have Seen The Storm, We Have Embraced The Eye Best Home-Country Album: Faal Desolate Grief Most Played Song: Bon Jovi "Runaway" Most Promising Band: no idea Best Concert: While Heaven Wept at Dutch Doom Days XVII Biggest Disappointment: nothing really disappointed me this year. Metal Moment Of 2018: Spinning ABBA's "Thank You For The Music" after While Heaven Wept finished their set at Dutch Doom Days. And 2019?: I'll just wait and see what 2019 will bring. |
[user_id]828[/user_id] Favorite Album: Morne - To the Night Unknown Best Home-Country Album: Portable Mind - You Can't Do This On Television Most Played Song: The Ocean - Permian: The Great Dying Most Promising Band: Guapa Best Concert: October Tide in Dubai Biggest Disappointment: 2018 in general. Looking forward to a much more positive & rewarding 2019! Metal Moment Of 2018: Having Swallow The Sun around my house for drinks & a BBQ And 2019?: Hitting the European summer metal festival circuit once again after a 2018 hiatus. |
[user_id]109472[/user_id] Favorite Album: The SLoT - 200 кВт; Amorphis - Queen Of Time; Sigh - Heir To Despair Best Home-Country Album: Khemmis - Desolation or Nekrogoblikon - Welcome To Bonkers Most Played Song: The SLoT - "Кукушка"; Powerwolf - "Killers With The Cross"; Judas Priest - "Spectre"; Gama Bomb - "Kurt Russell"; Anaal Nathrakh - "Forward!" Most Promising Band: Snowy Shaw Best Concert: I went to so few... but I'd probably give it to the Amorphis/Dark Tranquillity/Moonspell/Omnium Gatherum package. Biggest Disappointment: Ghost - Prequelle (also the lack of new Sabaton to keep up the even-numbered-year pattern) Metal Moment Of 2018: Getting to interview Devin Townsend, Nookie, and Freddy Lim of Chthonic - three of my all-time favorite musicians, all within a few months. The latter two were by e-mail, but it still counts. And 2019?: Well, I started off by interviewing Mirai Kawashima of Sigh, so I'm really not sure how it gets better from here (except for Devin Townsend's next masterpiece). |
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Elites And Official Contributors
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Elites And Official Contributors
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[user_id]1443[/user_id] Favorite Album: There were 3: Slugdge Esoteric Malacology, Tribulation Down Below, Riverside Wasteland. They're all truly excellent and I'd rather not pick one. Best Home-Country Album: Behemoth I Loved You At Your Darkest. They're evolving, while staying relevant. Most Played Song: Riverside "Wasteland", Tribulation "Subterranea" Most Promising Band: Nothing comes to mind. Best Concert: That's a tie. Iron Maiden on July 27th vs. Slayer on November 27th. Judas Priest + Megadeth in June were great too. Biggest Disappointment: At The Gates To Drink From The Night Itself Metal Moment Of 2018: At the very end of the Slayer gig - Tom Araya standing alone on stage, looking at the packed venue (20k peeps!) and saying in Polish "będę za wami tęsknić" (I will miss you) And 2019?: Oh my, so much: Anthrax, Megadeth, Overkill, Flotsam And Jetsam, hopefully Ahab, maybe Mayhem. Too many to mention them all! |
[user_id]1186[/user_id] Favorite Album: Three-way tie between: Manes - Slow Motion Death Sequence | The Ocean - Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic | Slugdge - Esoteric Malacology Best Home-Country Album: Phideaux - Infernal Most Played Song: A twofer: Toby Driver - "470 Nanometers" | Sigh - "Aletheia" Most Promising Band: Alien Weaponry Best Concert: Ayreon (DVD, no time to go to concerts this past year) Biggest Disappointment: A Perfect Circle - Eat The Elephant Metal Moment Of 2018: Getting choked out by a chaplain during a combatives class And 2019?: The Return... |
[user_id]27874[/user_id] Favorite Album: While I thought 2018 was another great year music-wise. I don't feel any album truly grabbed me. Close encounters were the latest albums from Funeral Mist, Nadja (Sonnbonner), Offerbeest and Zeal & Ardor Best Home-Country Album: Haven't heard any Chilean albums from 2018 and Metal Archives just showed me at least 100 full lengths! For shame, Rodrigo! Most Played Song: "Don't You Dare" (Zeal & Ardor), "Bartzabel" (Behemoth). Most Promising Band: Sorry, my friends but I'm drawing a blank here. Best Concert: Oh man, where to begin: Bell Witch playing "Mirror Reaper" in full close to my town. Roadburn gave me the opportunity to finally see Igorrr, Phurpa, and Boris. All three annihilated my senses in different ways but the one that truly broke me was Godspeed You! Black Emperor... Damn. Biggest Disappointment: So much fucking drama. So many bands that need fucking counseling. Jeez. Metal Moment Of 2018: Hitting the number 1000 in my collection. And 2019?: Besides fucking my 9th ROADBURN?! I'd say the combo of At The Gates, Wolves In The Throne Room and Behemoth. |
[user_id]156842[/user_id] Favorite Album: Et Moriemur - Epigrammata. Full list of 2018's favourites here. Best Home-Country Album: Varathron - Patriarchs Of Evil Most Played Song: Dee Snider - "Become The Storm", Uriah Heep - "Take Away My Soul", Judas Priest - "No Surrender". Old-fart metal ftw. The best song of 2018 was "Trail Of The Conscience Of The Dead" though. Most Promising Band: : Erdve, Gaerea, Towards Atlantis Lights and Dionysiaque. Best Concert: Iron Maiden: The Legacy Of The Beast Tour - Rockwave Festival Athens. My whole childhood flashing before my eyes in just a couple of hours. Biggest Disappointment (saddest news): Dave Castillo's (Deceased's drummer) death. Take some time to listen to the awesome Ghostly White, Dave's final musical offering before leaving this world. RIP dude. Metal Moment Of 2018: :Jumping up and down and screaming my lungs out right where the fire is. And also this. And 2019?: The new My Dying Bride please. |
[user_id]137742[/user_id] Favorite Album: Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit, Wrekmeister Harmonies - The Alone Rush and Daughters - You Won't Get What You Want Best Home-Country Album: The Bipolar Disorder Project - Anna and Ordinul Negru - Faustian Nights Most Played Song: Emma Ruth Rundle - Darkhorse, Messa - Leah and Zeal & Ardor - Built On Ashes Most Promising Band: Them Moose Rush Best Concert: Massive Attack w/ Young Fathers, Kraftwerk, Mogwai and Heilung Biggest Disappointment: Shining (NOR) turning into butt rock Metal Moment Of 2018: Writing 100 reviews and getting to do interviews with people I never thought I would talk to And 2019?: My first festival outside my country (Roadburn) |
[user_id]40573[/user_id] Favorite Album: Møl - Jord Best Home-Country Album: Thou - Magus Most Played Song: Vola - "Alien Shivers" Most Promising Band: Subnoir, The Ever Living, Erdve Best Concert: Checking the local scene in downtown Milwaukee. Biggest Disappointment: Releases from Khôrada and RLYR. Metal Moment Of 2018: Being a Patreon member helping Disillusion fund their new album. Those guys are super people! And 2019?: Seeing Fates Warning in concert. My daughter is getting married in September. |
| Written on 22.01.2019 by Former boss lady. Now just a professional concertgoer... dangerously armed with a camera! |
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