Top 10 of 2009

Sorry, no download links today. Just words and pictures. I still haven't heard the new albums from YOB, The Spits, Zombi, and Peste Noire and surely I'll come across some other '09 releases in the years to come. But these things are always kinda fun to do, so what the hell:

1. Slough Feg - Ape Uprising!

Slough Feg can do no wrong.

2. Teitanblood - Seven Chalices

I was expecting something along the lines of their fellow countrymen Proclamation, but this is absolutely immense and so much better. The best booklet art of the year as well. Should've held out for the vinyl...

3. Beherit - Engram

Their first metal album in 16 years and they nailed it. Fuck the nay-sayers.

4. Villains - Lifecode of Decadence

Criminally underrated, filthy, sleazy street thrash/punk band. I enjoyed this quite a bit more than 2007's Drenched in the Poisons. Awesome drumming and the vocalist is insane, channeling Cronos, Quorthon, King Diamond, and Nocturno Culto all at roughly the same time.

5. Deströyer 666 - Defiance

Deströyer 666's weakest album is still pretty damn good. I finally got to see them live this year in Calgary and they were flawless.

6. Argus - Argus

A very well-executed debut album of classic doom metal mixed with the heavier aspects of the NWOBHM era. Lovecraft metal!

7. Neko Case - Middle Cyclone

I'm a sucker for this lady's voice. The last track is a half hour of frogs/insects/swamp sounds. Neat.

8. Katharsis - Fourth Reich

This one grows on me every time that I listen to it. Maybe not quite as good as VVorld VVithout End, but close.

9. Black Pyramid - Black Pyramid

Nothing terribly original, but nonetheless a very solid doom metal album chock full of deadly solos and grooves.

10. Immortal - All Shall Fall

Ah, good old reliable Immortal. Never putting out a bad album, only good ones of varying degrees of awesomeness. I daresay this is better than the last couple.

Honorable mentions, EPs, compilations, and re-issues (AKA most of the rest of the stuff I picked up last year):

Reverend Bizarre - Death Is Glory... Now - If I was counting compilations of old material this might be number 1. This is 2 CDs of their previously out-of-print tracks from various splits, covers from tribute albums and other rarities. Not a single track is a throwaway and it's great to have all of these crucial songs in one set.
Ignivomous - Death Transmutation - Australians playing American death metal in the vein of Immolation and Incantation very well.
Citizens Arrest - Collosus - Nice 2LP discography of this late 80's/early 90's New York hardcore band.
Weapon - Drakonian Paradigm - I wanted to like this more, but it's still pretty good.
Cobalt - Gin - See above. A good album, but not AS good as a lot of reviews would have you believe.
Fucked Up - Year of the Rat/First Born - A couple of decent tracks on this single. Picked this up when I saw them in April last year. Good show.
Maserati/Zombi - split - The Maserati tracks are cool, but Zombi is where it's at.
Bone Awl - Night's Middle - Damned good EP.
Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures - Enjoyable for a bit.
Abigail/Syphilitic Vaginas - split - The Abigail tracks are alright, but Syphilitic Vaginas are seriously fantastic. They sound like Motörhead, Japanese hardcore, and 80's black metal all at once. Great stuff.
Bleak House - Suspended Animation - Super-sweet collection of this NWOBHM band's two EPs from '80 and '82 with some well-recorded live tracks on the B-side.
Diocletian - Doom Cult - Kiwis playing some very solid Blasphemy-worship with a bit more lower-end and variation than the other thousand band playing this style.
Proclamation - Execration of Cruel Bestiality - More blatant Blasphemy-worship from these Spaniards, but still a thrillingly violent-sounding album.
Speedwolf/Hookers - split - A cool split 7" of upbeat drinkin' metal/punk.
Nirvana 2002 - Recordings 89-91 - Awesome. All of the recorded output from one of the best bands from the Swedish death metal scene.
Heaven & Hell - The Devil You Know - Dio-Sabbath still knows what's up.
Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster - Yes, I'm fucking serious. Shut up.
Children of Technology - Chaosmutant Hordes - Three Italian crusties playing apocalypse-themed speed metal/thrash/punk. This EP is the first thing that I've heard from them and it's quite good.
Abigail - Sweet Baby Metal Slut - Nothing that great, but definitely some of the best song titles of the year; "Teenage Metal Fuck", "Wild Fire Metal Bitch", "Metal Bitch Inferno", "Satanic Hell Slut", "Metal Evil Metal". Yeah!