I want music to bring me down to my knees
make me sob like an infant, make me angry
rip me to shreds, glue me back up
make my mind explode
This verse, taken from one of the albums below, became something of a mantra this year. Life is too short to listen to mediocre music (a relative term, to be sure), so if it doesn’t hit me in some way, it’s not worth my time. Admittedly I may have gone against that a handful of times, but for the most part, it held true. This is one of the positives of the blitz: if it falls flat the first time, you move on. On the negative side, it doesn’t allow for increasing or diminishing returns.
So, I guess this is just my thing now, because I can’t seem to do this any other way. When the year began, I vowed to be better. I’d listen to the new stuff as it came in, and the stuff I liked would be filed away to be considered and categorized later. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but first there was my inability to remember much after initial listens; then the file became a dumping ground for stuff I’d listen to later; suddenly it was 5 weeks into the new year and I was already 3 months behind. I couldn’t stop it, so I surrendered to it.
It’s not perfect – if you don’t manage even that time right, you miss out on things. Among those victims this year was Iron Maiden, whose The Book of Souls kept getting pushed aside until there was no time to properly process that enormity. Another one that would have been nice to include is Lindemann‘s Skills in Pills, the collaboration of Rammstein‘s Till Lindemann and Hypocrisy/Pain mastermind Peter Tagtgren, which featured the best of their industrial leanings with a highly perverted slant that was pretty damn enjoyable but was perhaps a bit too novelty to find a place here.
Anyway, on to the albums that DID break the top 20 (and others deemed worthy of mention).
THE SECOND TOP TEN
20. With The Dead – S/T
The voice of Cathedral + the original rhythm section of Electric Wizard = one fine slab of doom.
19. Amorphis – Under the Red Cloud
I almost missed this one, otherwise it’d be higher. I hadn’t paid a lot of attention since Am Universum but this one hit all the right notes, whether they were heavy, mellow, folky, or meloncholy.
18. Guardians of Time – Rage and Fire
From the tepid murkiness of the power metal realm rose Guardians of Time, wielding one of those x-factors that sets such a band apart from their bombastic peers. They take it right to the top, but don’t go over it.
17. Children of Bodom – I Worship Chaos
I hated this at first because it didn’t sound like Children of Bodom. Then I remembered that I was tired of what Children of Bodom sounded like. Also, “Widdershins”.
16. Horrendous – Anareta
Something of a drop off from last year’s Ecdysis, but that was almost inevitable, given the watermark. Still, they continue to push the boundaries of death metal without fully committing to it.
15. Division Speed – S/T
After the flood of US-based retro-thrash bands, it’s good to hear one of the teutonic variety.
14. Soilwork – The Ride Majestic
Continuing to prove that not only is there life after Peter Wichers, there is life after Swedish melodeath (despite the attempts of In Flames to the contrary).
13. Visigoth – The Revenant King
One of the year’s early frontrunners slipped a bit as time went on, but this debut firmly planted Visigoth amongst the leaders of the resurgence of traditional heavy metal.
12. Ensiferum – One Man Army
This scratched that pagan/folk/war metal itch real nice. For me, this was to Ensiferum what By the Light of the Northern Star was to Tyr.
11. Clutch – Psychic Warfare
The impact was not as immediate as Earth Rocker (nor as strong), but Clutch continue to bring the rock as few others can.
• • • • •
10. NILE – WHAT SHOULD NOT BE UNEARTHED
Like Amorphis, this one almost fell through the cracks. Nile hasn’t been particularly interesting or exciting since at least Annihilation of the Wicked, but when I saw the attention this one started to get as the year drew to a close, I figured I’d give it a try. I wasn’t prepared for them to unleash the full power of Montu. Unrelentingly ferocious both musically and lyrically, it reminds me why I became a fan in the first place.
Released: Nuclear Blast Records, August 28th
Band website
• • • • •
9. FEAR FACTORY – GENEXUS
“Genexus immerses you in the sound and story, like you’re right in the middle of some sort of Blade Runner/The Matrix/Terminator future, experiencing all the tragedy and triumph of man’s fight to maintain their humanity in a world overrun by machines. The more I listen, the more I want to listen more. Truly a staggering musical achievement.” Read my full review here.
For the record: in the end, man won.
Released: Nuclear Blast Records, August 7th
Band website
• • • • •
8. ARMORED SAINT – WIN HANDS DOWN
“Wizards and warriors, hellfire and brimstone, chains and leather…all of these are themes that you will not find featured here, because for the most part, those things do not exist in the lives of John Bush, Joey Vera, Gonzo Sandoval, and Jeff Duncan. What you will find are ruminations on lives well lived and subsequently mellowing out. But no one ever said you can’t have a relaxed, nuanced view on life and still write kick-ass metal songs.” Read my full review here. Also, the album from which the quote that began this article was taken.
Released: Metal Blade Records, June 2nd
Band website
• • • • •
7. FAITH NO MORE – SOL INVICTUS
“Sol Invictus. It was everything my old classmates said that their reunion would be and was, only so much better, because it was hosted by a much dearer friend with whom I shared much dearer memories. As we were back then, so we were once again. It was suddenly all too clear who my true friends were. It was the music. It was always the music. It was Faith No More.” Read my full review here.
Released: Reclamation / Ipecac Records, May 19th
Band website
• • • • •
6. CAGE – ANCIENT EVIL
It had been quite awhile since I heard anything about Cage, then they went and snuck this album out there – and damn, was it a feat. The urgency of the story is only matched by the urgency of the music, which finds the band working at an almost oppressive pace while commanding your full attention, even during the spoken dialog parts. You could almost say its the power metal equivalent of my #4 album, which we’ll get to shortly.
Released: Independent, October 30th
Band website
• • • • •
5. PARADISE LOST – THE PLAGUE WITHIN
Now I’ve never been a HUGE Paradise Lost fan (in fact, I had completely forgotten about this until moments ago), but that doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed their work over the years. Something here caused me to take more notice than usual. I suppose just being that damn good would qualify as something, and Nick Holmes is a hell of a vocalist regardless of which voice hes using. No need to get into sub- or sub-sub-genres here – Paradise Lost is simply all things doom, and The Plague Within is a beautiful testament to that.
Released: Century Media Records, June 1st
Band website
• • • • •
4. VOICES – LONDON
OK, look, we can argue about whether this actually counts (released in some territories in late 2014; US release this year), or we can talk about what an amazing album this is. London is a journey I have taken several times and still have not been fully able to process, other than it being both mind-expanding and mind-fucking. Keith’s review just seemed too good to be true, so I put this aside. Next time, I’ll listen to you – I promise.
Released: Candlelight Records USA, January 27th
Band website
• • • • •
3. NAPALM DEATH – APEX PREDATOR-EASY MEAT
Napalm Death haven’t found the fountain of youth – they’ve found something much better. To be creating and releasing material this good at this stage of their career is unheard of in any genre, much less the death/grind one they inhabit. Blisteringly fast, crushingly heavy, timelessly energetic, and perhaps most importantly, as vital as ever in an increasingly miserable world.
Released: Century Media Records, January 23rd
Band website
• • • • •
2. HIGH ON FIRE – LUMINIFEROUS
What really sold me on this one was “Slave The Hive”…which turned out to be a previously released track from the Adult Swim singles series…which I had downloaded and never listened to. Guess you could call me a music hoarder. Luminiferous finds the band having still riding the top of the wave, which certainly beats barrelling downhill. Matt Pike also remains the genre’s resident riffmaster, whichever one it is you feel like categorizing High on Fire into.
Released: E1 Music, June 23rd
Band website
• • • • •
1. BLIND GUARDIAN – BEYOND THE RED MIRROR
It’s funny – I didn’t quite know how to describe this album when I reviewed it earlier this year, and I still don’t know now. Utterly epic and dramatic, whether the urgency of “Twilight of the Gods”, the stripped-down simplicity of “Miracle Machine” or the dramatic finale “The Grand Parade”, Beyond the Red Mirror was damn near a perfect album that commands as much of an ear now as it did the first time, and I can’t even count the number of plays in between. So naturally, I screwed up and missed them live last month. Looks like I’ll have to wait until 2019.
Released: Nuclear Blast Records, February 3rd
Band website
SOME RUNNERS-UP
Beaten to Death – Unplugged
He Whose Ox is Gored – The Camel, The Lion, The Child
Bosse De Nage – All Fours
Cradle of Filth – Hammer of the Witches
Crypt Sermon – Out of the Garden
Killing Joke – Pylon
Melechesh – Enki
Night Demon – Curse of the Damned
Pro-Pain – Voice of Rebellion
Saxon – Battering Ram
TOP TEN EPS
1. Denner/Shermann – Satan’s Tomb
If you miss Mercyful Fate (who doesn’t?), or for some reason Force of Evil (who does?), the legendary primaries have you covered, alongside the powerful vocals of Cage’s Sean Peck.
2. Cryptopsy – The Book of Suffering – Tome I
Confession time: I’ve always been more a Mike DiSalvo guy than a Lord Worm guy, so for me this is the best thing they’ve done since And Then You’ll Beg. The less said about everything in-between, the better.
3. Pyrrhon – Growth Without End
Pyrrhon continue to create some of the most aurally, perhaps even physically, challenging death metal, even when taken in shortened EP form. Watch out for the changes and, uh, try to keep up.
4. Immortal Bird – Empress/Abscess
The RIAA defines an EP as a recording of either six songs or a running time of 30 minutes or less. So this is right on the cusp (and one of the few times the RIAA will be mentioned favorably here), and besides, it gives me another chance to talk about good music. Immortal Bird takes great delight in being slightly deranged, killing you with the music and enjoying every moment of it. I almost fear the day they drop a “proper” album.
5. Hand of Fire – Let the Killings Begin
Finally I get to talk about something from my local music scene. Three tracks of modernized thrash that show a ton of talent and a ton of promise. I hope to expand on this later, if I haven’t jinxed them into disbandment by including them here.
6. Dire Peril – Through Time and Space
7. Grip Inc – Hostage to Heaven
8. Fulgora – Strategem
9. Total Badass – Into the Void
10. Orchid – Sign of the Witch
A FEW NON-METAL THINGS I LIKED
Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard – Django and Jimmie
These living legends, the last of a breed, teamed up one more time for the only country album that mattered in 2015 – or at least, the only one I bothered to listen to more than once.
Everclear – Black Is The New Black
After flying a bit under the radar for several years, the new album from Everlcear was far better than it had any right to be. Just really solid songwriting and musicianship that both satisfies the love of nostalgia and the desire for new and interesting sounds.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Letters From the Labyrinth
I’m still processing this one, but it’s solid work as usual from the TSO crew, perhaps a bit more instrumental than their previous non-holiday releases. Bonus points for making guest vocalist Lzzy Hale sound good, a feat previously thought to be impossible.
Band of Spice – Economic Dancers
Kick-ass rock n’ roll from the former vocalist of Spiritual Beggars and Mushroom River Band.
Ugly Kid Joe – Uglier Than They Used Ta Be
OK, not really, but someone had to bring it full circle.
—
Thus brings 2015 to an effective musical close. There was a lot of great music released in 2015, both detailed here and over the past 2 weeks of staff lists…but it all came with a price…
RIP to Rowdy Roddy Piper, Sir Christopher Lee, Dusty Rhodes, Scott Weiland, and all the others we lost in 2015.
Here’s to all that is to come in 2016 (yes, even you, new Megadeth album). Thanks for reading.
