Demon of the Fall
Not being able to imagine myself as the object in a love song decreases my enjoyment
User

Reviews 3
Approval 100%

Soundoffs 1
Album Ratings 3193
Objectivity 89%

Last Active 12-22-22 3:44 pm
Joined 02-23-17

Review Comments 33,686

 Lists
01.17.24 Demon's top 100 albums* (v_3 yrs) 04.05.23 Demon reshuffles / purges 5s
01.11.23 Demon's Dazzling 2k22 list01.27.22 Demon's ongoing '22 - NOT FINAL
01.07.22 Demon's top 38(+2) of '2111.11.21 5/5 gg pogchampion
09.02.21 Demon's 2(.1k) top 100 albums 05.27.21 List contains good music...
04.01.20 Demon’s quarantine jams01.08.20 Demon's 2019 ranked
01.09.19 Demon's top 24 of 201810.31.18 1,000 ratings - my top 75 albums!

Demon's 2019 ranked

Will be updated in due course, trying to avoid Sput nuking my list - also this is more fun. HONOURABLE MENTIONS (from 51-60) - all scored (roughly) in the 60-65% range.
60Envelope Generator
Songs I Hate


Synthwave/Synth-pop
59Schammasch
Hearts of No Light


Progressive black metal
58Weeping Sores
False Confession


Death/doom

I usually want to like death/doom more than I do. The violins may be contentious with some, but for me they're actually the highlight here.
57White Ward
Love Exchange Failure


I like many of the individual sections on both sides of the black metal/jazz coin, but the way it comes together isn't always as satisfying as it could be. Less than the sum of it's parts. One to watch.
56Orville Peck
Pony


Country/indie

This guy has some genuinely affecting pipes on him, could do with a few more occasions where that's allowed to shine - the sparse and sometimes vaguely dull instrumentation isn't always for me. A few beautiful moments though.
55Full of Hell
Weeping Choir


Grind/hardcore - 'Obsidian Glass' is superb.
54Venom Prison
Samsara


Blackened deathcore

Asura's Realm rules, wanted to like it more overall.
53State Faults
Clairvoyant


I can't believe how much time I put into this record for it to fall short of the top 50, I respect it more than I enjoy it at this stage. Surpassed by other screamo/skramz and the like.
52The Great Old Ones
Cosmicism


post-black metal
51Deathspell Omega
The Furnaces of Palingenesia


Progressive black metal

Better than Synarchy as it captures the ominous atmosphere found on Fas, unfortunately the intensity of the heavier sections was somewhat lost - still a commendable effort.
50Undeath
Sentient Autolysis


Death metal (EP)
49Ithaca
The Language of Injury


Hardcore/post-rock
48The Comet Is Coming
Trust in the Lifeforce of Deep Mystery


Jazz fusion
47Krypts
Cadaver Circulation


Death/doom

This has a nice balance between mid-tempo DM riffs and slower atmospheric passages for me to enjoy - i.e. not too heavy on the doom.

66%
46Misthyrming
Algleymi


Black metal
45Sanguisugabogg
Pornographic Seizures


'Sausage Bog' are an OSDM act to watch out for in the coming years. (EP)
44Gatecreeper
Deserted


Death metal/hardcore

HM-2 'chainsaw' worship, like a modern Entombed
43Together to the Stars
An Oblivion Above


post-black metal/emo
42Battles
Juice B Crypts


Experimental/math rock

Battles return with their best material since Mirrored, it's still off-the-hinge weird, but it feels more focused this time around and you know, it actually has those booty shaking hooks (if you feel that way inclined). Not all the guest spots work seamlessly, but they're pivotal in helping breathe new life into Battles previously stagnating sound.

68%
41Forest of Tygers
I Will Die of Violence


blackened hardcore

'At its best, the latest record “I Will Die of Violence” is a tangled nest of dissonant guitar lines and wracked, psychotic screams. At it’s worst, it’s a bottomless pit of hellish noise. Personally, I can take either.' - dwightfryed's review
40Black Midi
Schlagenheim


Noise rock/experimental

'Let’s all be extras on Fame, dilute our contemporaries, piss on our predecessors and disengage with any potential peers by being modified sheep.

The youngsters get it cos they’re spiritless brats with no ball bags.'

Justice for 'art school wankers' because apparently they make good music too.
39The Moth Gatherer
Esoteric Oppression


Post metal/atmospheric sludge

Been meaning to check these guys out for a good while and this is some rock solid post-metal from Sweden, leading to comparisons with that band who's name escapes me.
38Pensees Nocturnes
Grand Guignol Orchestra


Black metal/jazz/experimental

French classical meats black metal, what could possibly go wrong? Well plenty actually, but in the most engaging way. This record is a blast.
37Can Bardd
The Last Rain


Folk/black metal

Celestial Invasion is a SOTY contender.
36Cranial
Alternate Endings


Post metal/sludge

More riff based than some, nothing new for the genre but very well executed
35Haunter (USA-TX)
Sacramental Death Qualia


Blackened death metal

'Interesting Artificial Brain/Deathspell Omega-esque sound, with potential to grow into something more personalized. If it weren't for the exaggerated acoustic moments, considering EP's length, my rating would be higher.' - TheNotrap summed this one up nicely, except maybe I like it more despite the flaws, or something.
34Jai Paul
Leak 04-13 (Bait Ones)


r&b/electronic/experimental

One of the more leftfield of my choices, I think that Chelsea shirt must be influencing my liking of this somehow. Similar to how King Krule had that lyric about Zola a couple of years ago.

70%
33Her Name Is Calla
Animal Choir


Art rock/indie/post-rock

Some stellar cuts here. The run-time of 75 mins is a little much, but as the band themselves explained this is their last album, and they wanted to get all their ideas out there. Despite not completely abandoning their roots, Animal Choir is a world away from the ambient post-rock/slowcore of the debut (although I haven't heard anything in-between) - there's certainly a lot more to sink your teeth into for fans of higher energy art-rock that's chock full of creativity.
32Mikron
Severance


Ambient techno

Nice chilled beats here, lost count of how many times I've jammed this... such an easy listen yet still actively engaging enough to keep me coming back for more.
31Yellow Eyes
Rare Field Ceiling


Atmospheric black metal

Occasionally an album encapsulates the rawness and intensity you'd expect from BM, whilst simultaneously displaying ample creative flourishes to avoid it becoming forgetfully familiar. This is one such release.
30Sebastian Field
Picture Stone


Art-pop/ambient

Liberty Bell is like a forgotten Thom Yorke song, plus there's a more than respectable take on Bjork's greatest ever track. Easy sell.
29Portico Quartet
Memory Streams


Contemporary jazz

I know very little about jazz and even less about modern jazz, yet I know this is highly enjoyable and I'm currently running through their discog. Credit to Sniff for including them in his list that highlighted under-appreciated releases in 2019.

72%
28Tipper
Jettison Mind Hatch


Breaks/IDM

It's no Broken Soul Jamboree, some very satisfying sound design nonetheless. I like how this guy's music almost has a psych-like leaning due to the layering.
27Opeth
In Cauda Venenum


'I thought that Opeth was metal... I guess I was wrong...'

OK, so here's the thing, this is actually their best prog rock album, Heritage has charm in abundance but I really think they fully realised their new sound here. Like the aforementioned release there's personality in abundance (it actually sounds like Opeth!), something that was sadly missing from the last 2 albums. There are a couple of mis-steps, yet I can easily forgive them because I actually enjoy listening to Opeth in 2019. Something to celebrate.
26Malfet
The Way To Avalon


Dungeon synth

This year I discovered people listen to fantasy-RPG-like music away from the world of gaming, also for some reason it doesn't suck. Surprisingly touching.

74%
25Chat Pile
Remove Your Skin Please


Noise rock/post-hardcore/sludge (EP)

A bite-sized dose of cacophonous, schizophrenic and unnerving noise rock which brings to mind legendary underground bands such as The Jesus Lizard and Godflesh, or if that now infamous Sput-circle jerk album of 2018 actually showed some teeth... yeah that one.

User pjorn is part of this project, so you can all thank him for a job well done.
24Knocked Loose
A Different Shade of Blue


Metallic hardcore/sludge

Now this is some modern metalcore I can get behind, maybe it's those old school leanings? These boys know how to write an engaging riff, that coupled with enough changes of pace to keep things fresh and you have a formula for success.
23De Staat
Bubble Gum


Psych/alt rock/'dance'

Equal parts trippy off-kilter weirdness and bouncy 'jump around the room level' fun, this is absurdly enjoyable, or is that enjoyably absurd? Everything from the aesthetic to the lyrical content sounds like a novelty nightmare, yet my word is it entertaining. There's almost a flavour of QOTSA's 'Villains' here, perhaps an alternative universe where Homme & co. totally embraced their sillier side without the constraints of being a 'serious rock group'.
22Tomb Mold
Planetary Clairvoyance


Death metal

An improvement on 'Manor' in almost every conceivable way (maybe not the guitar tone), this caught me somewhat by surprise. Another current act adding welcome twists to that well-trodden OSDM formula.

76%
21Downfall of Gaia
Ethic of Radical Finitude


Atmospheric post-black metal

Building on the considerable potential of their previous output, DoG conjure up an almost impeccably balanced record, the dizzying tremolo picked riffs are still there, as are the ambient post-rock-like sections. What's different is their improved ability to stitch these potentially jarring contrasts together so majestically.
20Witch Vomit
Buried Deep In A Bottomless Grave


Death metal

A dizzying maelstrom of thunderous riffs and venomous bile, these guys are helping to resurrect OSDM the old-fashioned way.
19Fever Ray
Live At Troxy


Art pop/synth-pop/experimental dance (just ask Pots, I don't bloody know)

After the wonderfully dark and intoxicating atmosphere found on the s/t, Karin Dreijer Andersson rekindled some of the infectious energy found on The Knife's earlier projects with 'Plunge'- it was bold, it was brash, it was provocative - unfortunately it was also disappointingly inconsistent. Live at Troxy goes some way to correct this by breathing new interesting life into this material (including some old cuts, which is almost a surprise given the maximalist approach to the recording). What it doesn't do is prevent This Country from existing. Still this is wonderfully eccentric and full of intrigue and there are numerous examples of experimentation worth hearing, for instance Red Trails is arguably the definitive version.
18Seizures
Reverie of the Revolving Diamond


Mathcore

Not exactly your run-of-the-mill core album, this self-proclaimed 'surf-core' number adds chilled jazzy ambience to the mix with surprisingly impressive results.

78%
17Fire! Orchestra
Arrival


Jazz/experimental

Captures that rare sensation when it feels like you're listening to a living breathing entity, full of unpredictable twists and turns whilst retaining it's captivating allure.
16Hath
Of Rot And Ruin


Progressive death metal

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A MOLLUSC SCORNED!... oh wait, that was last year - but the comparison to their label-mates Slugdge is indeed a noteworthy one. This is an impressive display of technical riffage without so many of the distracting, superfluous and ultimately neutering elements which plague the wider genre.
15WRVTH
No Rising Sun


Atmospheric black metal/post metal

Formerly a deathcore/tech death act 'Wrath of Vesuvius' have changed more than just their name, completely reinventing themselves (apparently, this was my introduction) beyond almost all recognition. There is no shortage of impressive musicianship here but the focus has shifted, instead what remains is an engrossing amalgamation of melody and atmosphere with significant artistic flourishes.

Here is an excerpt from Mars' stellar review...

'Regardless of intent, the entries presented here flow together immaculately, weighty crescendos precisely connected to opposing instances of post-rock serenity. Internally, the song compositions cycle through this valley-to-peak format, tempos accelerating and decelerating at equal rates with calm and aggression coexisting—a contradictory relationship that manages to highlight the power of the separate approaches'
14Lightning Bolt
Sonic Citadel


Noise rock/math rock/experimental

Having been a long-time fan of Hypermagic Mountain but inexplicably never delving further, this welcome opportunity to re-kindle lost love presented itself. As an unwavering fanatic of 'ahrd as feck riffs m/ (tm)' I'm in a tricky situation here, as saying this eccentric noise-rock two piece essentially out-riffed 99% of metal in 2019 is a trifle embarrassing, yet that appears to be the case. Addictive stuff.
13Barker
Utility


Minimal techno/IDM

Just like Skee Mask in 2019 this became one of the soundtracks to my year - somehow alluringly comforting and hypnotic, yet distant and unfamiliar.

luci's sound-off hits the right notes, despite the hyperbole, so here it is...

'barker's unique sound design, driven by translucent synths and absent a kick drum, creates a weightlessness that feels revelatory. there's a clarity to these tracks that leaves you in a state of contemplation, deeply felt emotions you can't quite explain.'
12Falls of Rauros
Patterns in Mythology


Atmospheric black metal/folk

If Tomb Mold's ascension was somewhat surprising this transformation is nothing short of miraculous. Where 'Vigilance Perennial' left me in icy darkness (and not in a 'frosty riffs of trvth' kind of way), Patterns is almost blindingly bright and welcoming. The usual atmo-BM tropes are here, but with a greater focus on lush melodic soundscapes and delicate folky passages FoR have refined their formula, creating something that feels 'progressive' without resorting to anything approaching a distracting gimmick.

80%
11Blood Incantation
Hidden History of the Human Race


Death metal

Seemingly able to have one foot entrenched firmly in the era of classic OSDM and the other catapulting towards our future life on Mars, Blood Incantation represent one of the genre's premier benchmark acts today. Their ability to piece together a plethora of forward-thinking and dizzying riffs is impressive from a technical standpoint, whereas their song-writing prowess allows for some surprisingly accessible material. This may not be decade-defining, in fact it probably doesn't surpass their previous effort in 'Starspawn' but these guys are impressively carrying the torch nonetheless.
10Janusz Jurga
Hypnowald


Dark ambient/minimal techno

This immersive amalgamation of ambient recordings and hypnotic minimal beats is reminiscent of nature itself, be it forest or ocean. What's so impressive about this Polish producers work, is that he has taken the time to create genuinely affecting musical compositions that actually hold up to attentive listening.
9Flying Lotus
Flamagra


Neo-Soul/glitch Hop/funk

Simply put, this is one of the most entertaining records released in 2019. Stylistically there's an almost bewildering selection of ideas, yet it feels like a culmination of all his work to this point - representing past, present and maybe even future. Simultaneously fresh and familiar, listening to Flamagra is akin to throwing the craziest party in your own mind, a vibrant, lush, funky, turbulent freak-out monstrosity where guests frequently appear to provide things you didn't know you wanted.

82%
8Lapalux
Amnioverse


Glitch Hop/breaks/ambient

Cosmic, vast and almost apocalyptic in scope, the fact Amnioverse sounds so organic and alive is testament to some wonderfully immersive sound design. Awash with atypical, or almost unexpected peaks and valleys, builds that seemingly amount to nothing, yet always end up making complete sense. This is that rarest of things, music we can justifiably call 'art' yet it's so instinctively engaging and relatable that plebs like myself can enjoy it. Having already stated a few potentially hyperbolic claims, one of the most impressive things here is it doesn't collapse under the weight of it's own thematical burden.
7Brutus (BE)
Nest


Post hardcore/post-rock

Summoning both the raw energetic heart of punk and the under-stated shimmering grace of post-rock, Brutus are more than your average hardcore band. Despite displaying wave after wave of creative song-writing flair, Nest doesn't get bogged down by wandering superfluous passages. It's hard-hitting, concise, catchy and an absolute blast. They can also surprise in ways you wouldn't perhaps expect - the incredible 'War' for instance is primarily a slow-building, dark, tense and emotional piece up until the ballistic finale - it's also their greatest track yet.
6Saor
Forgotten Paths


Atmospheric black metal/celtic folk

As we ascend (descend?) to the summit, I've noticed something - all of my top picks are releases that I've connected with on an emotional level. Sometimes this isn't even anything particularly tangible, often just a simple melody, or motif that's struck a chord with me. Saor certainly has that in abundance, as the celtic-influenced folk and swirling black metal riffs meticulously crafted by Saor's Andy Marshall leave me completely in awe.

84%
5Cara Neir
Part III / Part IV


Blackened skramz/hardcore/experimental

An excellent example of a band drawing upon their influences, refining the formula over time and eventually arriving at their destination with considerable aplomb, Cara Nier's latest release is a true triumph of perfectionism and perseverance. Expertly blending black metal, screamo, dark hardcore/crust, grind, post-rock and even a couple of surprisingly atmospheric electronic moments, this is as eclectic as it is chaotic.
4Thom Yorke
Anima


IDM/ambient pop

This takes everything I love about TKOL and expands upon it to create an almost faultless soundtrack awash with interesting beats and haunting vocals, complimented by a dense and immersive atmosphere. As is commonplace with the visionary Yorke, subtlety reigns supreme, yet this is littered with moments of immediacy in amongst the disarming quiet. Yorke's most thoroughly engaging material in 12 years was my most-played release of 2019.

86%
3Vi Som Alskade Varandra Sa Mycket
Det Onda. Det Goda. Det Vackra. Det Fula.


Screamo/skramz

When contradiction dissolves to reveal seamless harmony. Beautiful delicate melodies provide a sombre melancholic backdrop to an intensely raw, heart-wrenching vocal performance, the likes of which are rarely heard (it sounds like his soul is disintegrating... maybe because I can't understand Swedish idk). The unexpected unison here is fragility, never before has the combination of post-rock and screamo conjured up feelings of such synergy - it's as though all of a sudden it makes sense. If any release 'changed the game' for me in 2019, perhaps it was this one.

88%
2Joliette
Luz Devora


Post-hardcore

Check thread for description.

90%
1Cult of Luna
A Dawn to Fear


Transcendence itself/post-metal

Check thread for description.

96%
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