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1.
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Satan - Life Sentence
AotY, apparently. It just sort of stayed at the top, as the record with the highest quality out of those available. Now it sounds like I don't like it, hm. I do. It's just not oh-so-great. / |
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2.
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Avatarium - Avatarium
At its best, wonderful Candlemass worship, outshining Candlemass nowadays. Most of it could use some work - moar heavy riffs please. / Bird of Prey |
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3.
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Caladan Brood - Echoes Of Battle
A touch too long. I wish musikkers stopped trying to be "epic" at all costs. Amazingly improved after I came back to it after a few months. / |
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4.
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Coprolalia Intoxication - Level 7
Energetic and fresh. Get it off Bandcamp nao. / |
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5.
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Death Dealer - War Master
Cheesy heavy/power metal, just what the war master ordered. Gets old fast. / Curse of the Heretic |
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6.
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Ghost B.C. - Infestissumam
It's good, just not very good. The debut had high highs and low lows, this has middle highs and mid-to-low lows. Less likely to bore you quickly, or so is the case for me. / Year Zero |
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7.
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In Vain - Ænigma
I can't seem to make up my mind on this one. When it starts, I love it. Hours later, it's still going and I just wish it would end already. One year later, I think this should be higher, but I still can't seem to take it all in as a coherent whole. On the other hand, Against the Grain is, according to libre.fm, the most played track ever since I made an account (again, about a year ago). / Against the Grain |
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8.
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Powerwolf - Preachers Of The Night
Another Powerwolf album, sounds exactly as you'd think it does if you've heard the previous ones. Good, but gets tired really fast. How long before they turn to shadows of their former selves? An album, probably. / Amen & Attack |
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9.
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Progenie Terrestre Pura - UMA
Atmospheric BM, where the atmosphere finally found its way out of dungeons and forests, and did one better - it went to the stars above. / |
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10.
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Pryapisme - Hyperblast Super Collider
If Coprolalia was too much for you, don't even think about this. It's insanity so concentrated, one is to take only small doses, lest ye go mad! Mad, I say! / Just find the official single video on Youtube; you'll see (and hear) what I mean. |
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11.
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SubRosa - More Constant Than The Gods
A decent effort. More interesting and less meandering would have propelled it up, but fine. It's a notch down from their last effort, the wonderful No Help For the Mighty Ones, as it seemingly goes on for too long, too satisfied to pound away instead of doing something fresh or suprising. Hopefully they'll find it in them to make their next album delightful in addition to competent. The standout track is not representative, but it very much stands out, and could have easily been on No Help... - speaking of which, go listen to that one to build appreciation for why this isn't quite it. / Cosey Mo |
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12.
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Warlord - The Holy Empire
Concept-ish heavy/power metal with so-so results, take #1. This one has higher highs and lower lows compared to Roenwolfe. / 70,000 Sorrows |
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13.
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Age Of Taurus - Desperate Souls Of Tortured Times
Quite meh doom. It's not terrible, but it didn't do much for me. |
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14.
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Astronomikon - Dark Gorgon Rising
There's a single great track here. The rest of it should be taken to the studio for a reworking. A better produced/mixed one. But what a song! / The Spell I'm Under |
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15.
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Cultes Des Ghoules - Henbane
Enjoyable macabre BM. / |
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16.
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Denouncement Pyre - Almighty Arcanum
Enjoyable black/death. / |
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17.
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Portal - Vexovoid
I thought I'll love this based on my little sampling off YT. And I do, sort of. In small doses. Very small. Otherwise it's a miasma of boredom. Great cover art. / |
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18.
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Project: Roenwolfe - Neverwhere Dreamscape
Here we go, concept-ish power metal with so-so results, take #2. Nothing stands out. / |
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19.
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Wardruna - Runaljod - Yggdrasil
Not bad at all, but either I gave it too little time to "click", or it hasn't got the clicky mechanisms quite in place. |
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20.
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Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)
I forgot Metalstorm counts this as a valid entry. Anyway. It's so-so. Pah. |
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21.
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Judicator - Sleepy Plessow
There was a time when I thought a heavy or power metal concept album couldn't possibly be anything less than at least very good. I stand corrected. Maybe it's the fact it's not a very well written concept? It drags on in so many places, so many songs lack any energy, the emotions it tries to convey do not convince...it's a shame, really. This is take #3, naturally. / The Elector |
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22.
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Magic Circle - Magic Circle
So damn forgettable, a run-of-the-mill doom album. / |
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23.
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Newsted - Metal
Meh, groove. Thanks for saving Metallica, bro. / |
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24.
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Botanist - IV: Mandragora
After about thirty seconds, it becomes tedius. After a few songs, you start wondering if it's really a joke and you're not in on it. / |
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25.
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Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
Dunno why I even bothered. So painfully meh. / |
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26.
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Sodom - Epitome Of Torture
Gah, so there was one even worse than Darkthrone. And Sodom had such a nice streak of "modern" albums. WTF is this uninspired POS? / |
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27.
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Iwrestledabearonce - Late For Nothing
Why did I ever pollute my wires with the bits of this...thing? / |
