2013
2013
My top 50 from 2013. Definitely a triumphant year for death metal. Enjoy, my heathens.
1.
Grave Miasma
- Odori Sepulcrorum
(9.5) (Death) For the longest time I have resisted becoming a fan of death metal. This album may single handedly be responsible for permanently changing that. Everything just clicked for me on this album and my musical tastes will never be the same.
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2.
Wormlust
- The Feral Wisdom
(9.5) (Ambient Psychedelic Black) A dark acid trip in space. This is the gold standard of Psychedelic Black metal as well as Icelandic Black metal. A truly landmark album that unfortunately has not seen a follow up. Dark ambient sections perfect contrast and compliment explosive, disorienting black metal.
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3.
Station Dysthymia
- Overhead, Without Any Fuss, The Stars Were Going Out
(9.5) (Funeral Drone Doom) I'm far from the world's biggest fan of drone doom. But this is captivating and I honestly can't get enough of it.
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4.
Gorguts
- Colored Sands
(9) (Avant-Garde Tech Death) The godfather of tech death has returned. Despite, or perhaps thanks to an entirely new supporting cast this album sounds fresh and inspired. Masterful use of dissonant riffs and odd time signatures.
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6.
Carpe Noctem
- In Terra Profugus
(9) (Black) Iceland's got this black metal shit on lock. I saw this album referred to as 'raw black metal' on this site. Couldn't be further from the truth. There is a fair amount of death and doom metal influence to be found here. There is definitely a Deathspell Omega vibe but Carpe Noctem certainly creates a sound all their own. I like this album more each time I listen to it. The album artwork is among the best of the year as well.
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7.
Ulcerate
- Vermis
(9) (Brutal Tech Death) Ulcerate is back and as brutal as ever. These kiwis are as consistently excellent as any band going right now. This album will curb-stomp your neighbor, ear-fuck you and bang your girlfriend all at once. What does that have to do with music? I don't know but I just punched a hole through my wall.
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8.
Cult Of Fire
- मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान
(9) (Black) My favorite tracks on this album are the ones that can barely be called black metal.
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9.
Progenie Terrestre Pura
- U.M.A.
(9) (Ambient Industrial Post-Black with touches of IDM) If Mass Effect had a post-black metal soundtrack, this would be it.
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10.
Procession
- To Reap Heavens Apart
(9) (Doom) An overall cleaner sound here than on the debut, this is traditional doom done perfectly.
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11.
Lorn
- Subconscious Metamorphosis
(8.5) (Black) Dissonant sci-fi themed black metal, how can you go wrong?
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14.
Abyssal
- Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius
(8.5) (Avant-Garde Death) This thing listens like falling into the abyss. Try to maintain your sanity as you are bombarded with nihilism and dragged into misanthropic disphoria.
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15.
Gris
- À L'Âme Enflammée, L'Äme Constellée...
(8.5) (Depressive Symphonic Black) The sheer majesty of this album overwhelmed me on my first few listens. The overall consistency on this 90 minute double album is remarkable in itself. However, this consistency gives way to a tangible sense of complacency as this album runs with the sound hinted at on the last track of their previous full length. Undisputedly beautiful but lacking the aggressive adventurousness that can push a metal album into true greatness.
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16.
Deafheaven
- Sunbather
(8.5) (Blackened Dream Pop/Blackgaze) This album has wet the dicks of hipsters with a toe in the black metal stream. As much as I loathe the pretense with which outfits like pitchfork and stereogum describe this album it is a very good album on its own merit. Shimmering nostalgic walls-of-sound are the bread and butter of this band. And those drums...
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18.
Castevet
- Obsian
(8.5) (Blackened Post-Hardcore) Their first album was good... but this one cockslaps it. These Brooklynites seem to toss influences ranging from post-hardcore and black metal to post-rock and avant-garde metal into a blender and use the stylistic diversity of said genres to subvert any and all expectations of where each track may progress next. Multiple build-ups are created which flirt with the idea of climaxing with a post-rock style crescendo only to veer sharply into seemingly unexplored territory make this album the sonic equivalent of Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
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20.
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24.
Red Fang
- Whales And Leeches
(8) (Stoner Sludge Rock) A fun fluffy romp. As countless others have said, it is in fact a nice album to drink to. The drumming is the stand out.
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26.
Ævangelist
- To The Dream Plateau Of Hideous Revelation
(8) (Black/Blackened Death) One of the better splits I've come across.
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34.
Arizmenda
- Tliltic Tlapoyauak
(8) (Black) Amazing compilation of various bands associated with the Black Twilight Circle. The circle's ringleader Volahn calls this album his life's work. Has its ups and downs over the course of its nearly 2 hour run time but fantastic overall.
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42.
Consciousness Removal Project
- Tacit
(7.5) (Post-Metal) Interesting song structures and a variety of instruments kept me intrigued and entertained.
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46.
Temple Of Baal
- Verses Of Fire
(7.5) (Black/Death) Straight up, in your face French Black Metal. They're certainly no Blut aus Nord or DsO when it comes to creativity but these guys have crafted an album of well produced, well executed music sure to be worth a listen to any self-professed fan of the genre.
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48.
Apocynthion
- Sidereus Nuncius
(7.5) (Post-Black/Post-Punk) Yet another sci-fi tinged black(ish) metal album near the top of my list. This one masterfully incorporates post-punk atmosphere and vocals. Think Agalloch meets Echo & The Bunnymen.
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49.
Regarde Les Hommes Tomber
- Regarde Les Hommes Tomber
(7.5) (Blackened Sludge) Fun yet aggressive. The black and sludge elements come together nicely. Not pushing genre boundaries by any means but well produced and a great overall sound.
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50.
In Vain
- Ænigma
(7.5) (Extreme Progressive) My natural inclination when listening to any band for the first time is to make comparisons to other bands I'm familiar with. My first thoughts were of Enslaved and Opeth as well as De Profundis' recent album I heard a while back. The one that stuck however was Enslaved but with a strong death metal influence.
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Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
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Comments
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Posts: 3553  |
Posts: 3553
Nice list, I'll be following this seeing as I found some nice releases on your 2012 list.
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Posts: 498  |
Posts: 498 Written by Alex F on 26.02.2013 at 18:22 Appreciate it. I always keep up with yours as well. Been meaning to ask you where I might listen to Paysage d'Hiver's new demo
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Posts: 3553 |
Posts: 3553 Written by Neachy on 26.02.2013 at 20:11 I managed to find a download after lots of internet searching. I can't find it anymore unfortunately, but there are a few of the songs on youtube
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Posts: 5277
Great list. We have the same tastes. Also, Rosetta is coming out with new material this fall! All we need is an album title 
---- rekt
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Posts: 498 |
Posts: 498 Written by tea[m]ster on 28.03.2013 at 01:01 Yeah, pretty close. I tend to keep an eye on your list for interesting albums I may have missed. New material from Rosetta is always a good thing. Looking forward to it.
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Posts: 4280
It's nice to see Entropia so high on your list, one of the better debuts of 2013. I would love to see them featured here on MS...
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 Posts: 5989 |
Posts: 5989
Good list, but Nocte Obducta and Meads are some of the albums of the year imo, I personally would've put them much higher
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 498 |
Posts: 498 Written by Auntie Sahar on 02.09.2013 at 03:40 I wasn't able to get into them. Because I respect your opinion I'll probably give them another shot.
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Posts: 5989 Written by Neachy on 02.09.2013 at 04:25 I understand, neither are really that accessible after all  Sonderkommando is actually a lot more tightly composed than some previous Meads albums, flows together a bit more so to speak. Hard to get into, but once you've listened to it a few times you see how all the tracks connect. Umbriel is just really atmospheric and all-enveloping in that dark, keyboard-driven sound. Good for a nighttime listen.
---- I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle. “Come unto me” is a foolish word: for it is I that go. ~ II. VII
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Posts: 498 |
Posts: 498 Written by Auntie Sahar on 02.09.2013 at 15:20 Listening to Sonderkommando again, it's growing on me the way Hail Spirit Noir's Pneuma did last year.
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Posts: 3553 |
Posts: 3553
Wasn't expecting much from the new God Is An Astronaut given the relatively stale sounding previous two albums, but I was pleasantly surprised. Glad to see you enjoyed it as well.
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Posts: 447  |
Posts: 447
I actually laughed out loud at your description of Ulcerate. Well said sir. The vulgar mini-reviews gain by support.
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