| 4 excellent |
| 1349 Hellfire |
| A Forest of Stars The Corpse of Rebirth |
| Agalloch Split |
| Agalloch Of Stone, Wind, and Pillor |
| Aldebaran Dwellers In Twilight |
| Amon Amarth With Oden On Our Side |
| Amorphis Elegy |
| Anaal Nathrakh The Codex Necro |
| Anaal Nathrakh In the Constellation of the Black Widow |
| Anaal Nathrakh are one of those bands which, with their past albums, have crafted music which is right on the border of unlistenable. However, toss all that aside before you let "In the Constellation of the Black Widow" begin to play, because I can assure you that you will listen to the entire thing, cover to cover, in the first sitting. What Anaal Nathrakh have done here is manage to craft some of the most brutal and crushing death/black/grind (or whatever you want to call it) while still making each song uncannily easy to listen to. Underneath riff after riff of down tuned and distorted guitars lies a thick layer of melodies which always manage to come to forefront, even when the rest of the music is at its absolutely heaviest. Clean vocals ring through the inhuman shrieks and deep growls to create an atmoshpere which approaches, I dare say, epic. An album which proves that even with a hint of variation, even the most crushing barrage of noise can become a finely tuned metal leviathan, "In the Constellation of the Black Widow" is by far the most surprising metal album of 2009. |
| Anacrusis Manic Impressions |
| Arghoslent Galloping Through the Battle Ruins |
| Arthemesia Devs Iratvs |
| Ataraxie Slow Transcending Agony |
| Bathory Twilight of the Gods |
| Bathory is a band which really covers a broad spectrum of emotions. They have their Black Metal stuff, which is really gritty, raw, and battle-themed, and then they have albums like Twilight Of The Gods. Like more of a viking power metal sounding album, this one features insanely epic atmospheres, powerful riffs and clean vocals. Now, Quorthon is NOT a good vocalist when it comes down to his singing, and that is clearly apparent as soon as they come in. His singing is usually off key, overly cheesy, and his transitions from a high to low pitch is quite rocky and obviously troublesome. Putting that aside, though, we have a marvel of epic viking metal with some of the most insane guitar work ever to come from this band. Solos and grandiose riffs abound in this amazing spectacle of what instruments are capable of doing to human emotions, and where they are able to take us. |
| Bathory Hammerheart |
| Be'lakor Stone's Reach |
| Beyond The Embrace Against The Elements |
| Beyond The Embrace Insect Song |
While not being so emotionally charged or as ferocious as their superb previous attempt "Against The Elements", Beyond The Embrace have recorded yet another surprisingly good blend of Swedish Melodic Death and old-school Thrash Metal. It has it's shares of ups and downs, with the ups being the amazing three guitar landslide which picks the album up from a 3 or 3.5 and launches it right into a high 4, borderline 4.5. Whether it's the sorrowful "My Fall" and "Absent" or the ferocity of "Plague", "Insect Song", and "Redeemer", the guitar melodies make this album what it is. Along with extremely complex and melodic guitar leads (utilizing the three guitars to their best ability) comes stunning guitar solos to compliment the riffs. The vocals range from a timid serenading to some harsh screams, and usually interchange multiple times within a single song. As always too, Beyond The Embrace serves up another captivating instrumental with "Ashes", sounding as depressing as the title itself.
The only gripe I can make about this album is the rather terrible intro track "Fleshengine Breakdown", consisting of some boring guitar riffs coupled with absolutely awful half sing/half yell vocals reminiscent of the 80's, and do not belong here at all. Other than that one song, this album is nothing more than amazing, a treat for fans of Melodic Death with it's insane guitar riffing and good vocal performance. One listen to the opening riffing of "Redeemer" and you will know you are in for something totally unexpected. |
| Blasphemy Fallen Angel of Doom |
| Blind Guardian Somewhere Far Beyond |
| Bloodbath Resurrection Through Carnage |
| Blut Aus Nord Ultima Thulee |
| Borknagar Borknagar |
| Contrary to what was said by Hawks, Borknagar's self-titled debut is a work of folk-tinged black metal art. There are, in fact, many melodies present here and some clean, chanted vocals which mix nearly flawlessly with the harsher black metal sound. Garm really brings a lot of influence to the band, the music is undoubtedly influenced by Ulver, but it also veers off in a more melodic, atmospheric angle which is amazingly refreshing. The album is very long, but provides a rewarding and satisfying experience if listened to in its entirety. The many instrumentals break up the fury of most of the heavier songs, and there are numerous occasions where an acoustic guitar is introduced or a really epic riff is played out. Garm works his vocal magic on this album, with his uniquely awesome screeching abound in every non-instrumental track. An awesome, perhaps brilliant folk black metal recording which is vastly underrated and criminally overlooked. Check this one out ASAP. |
| Burzum Burzum |
| Canis Dirus A Somber Wind from a Distant Shore |
| Carcass Heartwork |
| Carcharoth From The Cavern Come |
| Catamenia Location:COLD |
| Children Of Bodom Hate Crew Deathroll |
| Coldworld The Stars Are Dead Now |
| Converge Axe To Fall |
| Cryptopsy None So Vile |
| Dahlia's Tear Harmonious Euphonies For Supernatural Traumas Mesm |
| Dark Tranquillity Skydancer/Of Chaos And Eternal Night |
| Dark Tranquillity Haven |
I strongly disagree, this is classic Dark Tranquillity. I picked up this CD today and I was very impressed, it was all I had hoped it to be. I also disagree with "self-indulgent" and "radio ready", this CD is perhaps the most overlooked DT album out there, and yet some songs here are so good they are DT classics.
If you are a fan of DT you will enjoy this a lot. I recommend:
The Wonders At Your Feet
Feast Of Burden
The Same
Ego Drama |
| Darkthrone Transilvanian Hunger |
| Darkthrone Panzerfaust |
| Daylight Dies Dismantling Devotion |
| Death Symbolic |
| Desire Locus Horrendus - The Night Cries Of A Sullen Soul |
| Dismember Like an Ever Flowing Stream |
| Dissection Live Legacy |
| Disturbed Believe |
The reasons why I appreciate Disturbed's second full length album Believe are quite simple: it is catchy, blissful, and downright awesome to listen to. Sure, the instrumental portions may be simple and not all that inventive, but that does not hinder the album from becoming the most emotional work this band has put out, and is an album which will certainly never be topped for the rest of their career.
The entire album drowns in an atmosphere of depressing anger, and you can almost feel it through David Draiman's voice. His singing talent has improved startlingly over The Sickness, and Believe remains as his finest vocal performance to date.
Along with "Darkness", other notable tracks include "Prayer", "Liberate", "Believe", the astounding "Remember" (a personal favorite), "Rise", "Breathe", "Bound" and "Devour". Yes, I realize that is virtually every song on the album, but that goes to show how damn solid the entire thing is. Naysayers of Disturbed be damned, this is one of those impressive albums from a band whose songwriting quality has drastically dropped on both sides of the release. Disturbed has not, and will never, create something as impressive as this again. That is both a blessing or a curse, you decide which is more potent. |
| Draconian Turning Season Within |
| Drudkh Blood In Our Wells |
| Drudkh Forgotten Legends |
| Drudkh Microcosmos |
| Edge Of Sanity Purgatory Afterglow |
| Edge Of Sanity Crimson |
| Elend A World in Their Screams |
| Eluveitie Spirit |
| Eminem The Marshall Mathers LP |
| Empyrium A Wintersunset |
| Ensiferum Iron |
| Enslaved Frost |
| Eucharist Mirrorworlds |
| Explosions In The Sky The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place |
| Forefather Steadfast |
| Forest Stream Tears of Mortal Solitude |
| Funebrarum The Sleep of Morbid Dreams |
| Gaza He Is Never Coming Back |
| Geist Galeere |
| Galeere isn't a black metal album which falls within the stereotypes of the genre. It isn't an album filled with hate, nothing about this band is Satanic, but everything about this album is awesome. The music is mercifully original, the song structures progressive, and the production clean. The subtle hooks and ambient sections of this album will keep you eagerly awaiting more, while the lengthy songs deliver just that. It's the little moments like the bass plucking away during Helike or the thundering of a timpani during the first few minutes of the album which really make this more than just another black metal release. This album brings the atmosphere but leaves the pretentiousness back at home next to the spiked gauntlets. All of this paired with really subtle hints at a maritime theme, plus downright brilliant artwork, means that any black metal fan who takes the genre they love with a sense of seriousness should hear Galeere immediately. |
| Gojira The Way Of All Flesh |
| Gorgoroth Pentagram |
| Heaven Shall Burn Whatever It May Take |
| Heaven Shall Burn Iconoclast (Part I:The Final Resistance) |
| Heaven Shall Burn Iconoclast (Part 2: Bildersturm - The Visual Resis |
| Iced Earth Burnt Offerings |
| Ikuinen Kaamos Closure |
| Immolation Close To A World Below |
| In Flames Whoracle |
| In Mourning Shrouded Divine |
| In The Woods... HEart Of The Ages |
| Insomnium Demo '99 |
| Iron Maiden The Number of the Beast |
| Iskald Revelations Of Reckoning Day |
| Judas Iscariot Distant In Solitary Night |
| Kalisia Cybion |
| Kalmah They Will Return |
| Kalmah The Black Waltz |
| Katatonia Viva Emptiness |
| Katatonia December Songs: A Tribute To Katatonia |
| Leviathan The Tenth Sub Level of Suicide |
| Lustmord Heresy |
| Marduk Opus Nocturne |
| Megiddo The Devil and the Whore |
| Mercenary The Hours That Remain |
| Mirrorthrone Carriers of Dust |
| Moonsorrow V: Havitetty |
| Moonsorrow Kivenkantaja |
| Mount Eerie Wind's Poem |
| My Dying Bride The Dreadful Hours |
| Naglfar Harvest |
| Naglfar Sheol |
| Nest Woodsmoke |
| Nightwish Oceanborn |
| Nokturnal Mortum Lunar Poetry |
| Nokturnal Mortum Weltanschauung |
| Norther Mirror of Madness |
| Novembre Classica |
| October Falls Tuoni |
| October Falls The Womb of Primordial Nature |
| Olafur Arnalds Eulogy For Evolution |
| Opeth Still Life |
| Opeth Orchid |
| Panopticon Collapse |
| Radiohead Kid A |
| Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine |
| Ragnarok Diabolical Age |
| It's certainly a shame that a band with such talent as Norway's Ragnarok goes completely under the radar. They bring a fresh, more modern and sophisticated sense to the older style of pure, raw Black Metal. With their album Diabolical Age, Ragnarok take the raw ferocity of early '90's Norwegian Black Metal and work in some sweet melodies and atmospheric touches. Whether it's with keyboards or the guitars, there is always something of interest going on. In a day and age where Black Metal bands are a dime a dozen, it's nice to see one of these relatively unknown bands put out something as good as this. Whether it's with the pummeling intricacy of "Heart Of Satan", the sheer energy of "It's War", or the mesmerizing, breathtaking keyboard harmonies of "Diabolical Age", Ragnarok give me a breath of fresh air in a scene full of look (and sound) alike bands. Certainly worth your time, money, and attention. Full review to come. |
| Rotting Christ A Dead Poem |
| Satyricon Dark Medieval Times |
| Scar Symmetry Symmetric In Design |
| Sentenced The Cold White Light |
| Shadows Fall The War Within |
| SIG:AR:TYR Sailing the Seas of Fate |
| Skepticism Alloy |
| Skyfire Spectral |
| Solitude Aeturnus Into the Depths of Sorrow |
| Sombres Forets Royaume De Glace |
| Suffocation Pierced From Within |
| SuidAkrA The Arcanum |
| Summoning Stronghold |
| Summoning Dol Guldur |
| Sun of the Blind Skullreader |
| Sunn O))) Dømkirke |
| Swallow The Sun Ghost Of Loss |
| Swallow The Sun Plague Of Butterflies |
| Taake Hordalands Doedskvad |
| Tool Lateralus |
| Torchbearer Warnaments |
| Tristania Beyond the Veil |
| Ulcerate Everything is Fire |
| Ulver Kveldssanger |
| Ulver Nattens Madrigal |
| Ulver Shadows of the Sun |
| Unearth The Oncoming Storm |
| United Nations United Nations |
| Vital Remains Dechristianize |
| Watch Me Fall Worn |
| Watchtower Control and Resistance |
| Weakling Dead as Dreams |
| Wintersun Wintersun |
| Wodensthrone Loss |
| Wolfchant A Pagan Storm |
| Wolves in the Throne Room Diadem of 12 Stars |
| Wolves in the Throne Room Two Hunters |
| Worship Dooom |
| 3.5 great |
| 3 Inches of Blood Advance and Vanquish |
| 3 Inches of Blood Here Waits Thy Doom |
| Aborted Strychnine.213 |
| Aeternus ...And So The Night Became |
| Agalloch The White EP |
| Agalloch From Which of this Oak |
| All That Remains This Darkened Heart |
| Amon Amarth Twilight of the Thunder God |
| Anaal Nathrakh Domine Non Es Dignus |
| Ancient Svartalvheim |
| Arch Enemy Anthems of Rebellion |
| Arcturus The Sham Mirrors |
| Arghoslent Incorrigible Bigotry |
| Arghoslent/Martial Barrage Send Forth The Best Ye Breed |
| Asmegin Hin Vordende Sod & Sø |
| At the Gates Slaughter of the Soul |
| At the Gates With Fear I Kiss the Burning Darkness |
| Autumn Leaves As Night Conquers Day |
| Barathrum Eerie |
| Bathory Nordland I |
| Bathory Nordland II |
| Behemoth And the Forests Dream Eternally |
| Belphegor Pestapokalypse VI |
| Blind Guardian A Twist in the Myth |
| Blind Guardian Imaginations from the Other Side |
| Bloodbath Nightmares Made Flesh |
| Bloodbath Unblessing the Purity |
| Blut Aus Nord Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Stars |
| Borknagar The Olden Domain |
| Boston Boston |
| Burzum Hliðskjálf |
| Burzum Draugen: Rarities |
| Carcass Swansong |
| Carpathian Forest Through Chasm, Caves And Titan Woods |
| Catamenia Winternight Tragedies |
| Catamenia Halls Of Frozen North |
| Cattle Decapitation The Harvest Floor |
| Celtic Frost Morbid Tales/Emperor's Return |
| Children Of Bodom Trashed, Lost & Strungout |
| Children Of Bodom Something Wild |
| Children Of Bodom Chaos Ridden Years - Stockholm Knockout |
| Coldworld Melancholie² |
| Converge Jane Doe |
| Crimfall As the Path Unfolds... |
| Cryptic Wintermoon Of Shadows...And The Dark Things You Fear |
| Dark Forest Aurora Boreali |
| Dark Fortress Seance |
| Dark Tranquillity Projector |
| Dark Tranquillity Exposures: In Retrospect And Denial |
| Darkest Hour Undoing Ruin |
| Darkest Hour The Eternal Return |
| Darkthrone Under a Funeral Moon |
| Deaf Center Pale Ravine |
| Death Human |
| Deathspell Omega Si Monumentum Requires Circumspice |
| Decapitated Winds of Creation |
| Deicide The Stench of Redemption |
| Demon Hunter The Triptych |
| Diablo Mimic 47 |
| Diabolical Masquerade Ravendusk in my Heart |
| Diadem Empyreal Dusk |
| Diecast Internal Revolution |
| Dimmu Borgir Enthrone Darkness Triumphant |
| Dimmu Borgir Stormbl�st |
| Discordance Axis The Inalienable Dreamless |
| Dissection The Past Is Alive |
| Dissection Maha Kali |
| Disturbed Ten Thousand Fists |
| Draconian The Burning Halo |
| Dragonland Astronomy |
| Dropkick Murphys The Warriors Code |
| Drudkh Autumn Aurora |
| Drudkh The Swan Road |
| Drudkh Songs of Grief and Solitude |
| Edge Of Sanity Crimson II |
| Edge Of Sanity The Spectral Sorrows |
| Elend The Umbersun |
| Eluveitie Slania |
| Eminem The Eminem Show |
| Enochian Crescent Black Church |
| Ensiferum Dragonheads (EP) |
| Eternal Tears of Sorrow Before the Bleeding Sun |
| Ethereal Beauty/Shyy/Heretoir/Soliness The World Comes To An End In The End Of A Journey |
| Evilfeast Lost Horizons of Wisdom |
| Evoken Antithesis of Light |
| Fluisterwoud Langs Galg En Rad |
| Forest Like a Blaze Above the Ashes |
| Forest Stream The Crown of Winter |
| Forgotten Tomb Songs to Leave |
| Forgotten Tomb Springtime Depression |
| Fragments of Unbecoming Skywards: A Sylphe's Ascension |
| Frozen Eternity Forgotten Past |
| God Forbid Gone Forever |
| Gorgoroth Under The Sign Of Hell |
| Gorgoroth Antichrist |
| Gorgoroth Quantos Possunt ad Satanitatem Trahunt |
| Graveland The Celtic Winter |
| Graveland Impaler's Wolves EP |
| Grendel Beowulf |
| Heathen Foray The Passage |
| Heaven Shall Burn Deaf to our prayers |
| Heaven Shall Burn Asunder |
| Heaven Shall Burn vs. Caliban The Split Program II |
| Hell Within Asylum Of The Human Predator |
| Heol Telwen An Deiz Ruz |
| Iced Earth Something Wicked This Way Comes |
| Ihsahn The Adversary |
| Immortal Sons of Northern Darkness |
| Immortal Pure Holocaust |
| Immortal Damned In Black |
| In Flames The Jester Race |
| In Flames Colony |
| Incantation Onward to Golgotha |
| Iron Maiden Piece of Mind |
| Isis Oceanic |
| Janvs Vega |
| Kalmah Swamplord |
| Kalmah For The Revolution |
| Kamelot The Black Halo |
| Kataklysm In The Arms Of Devastation |
| Katatonia Brave Murder Day |
| Katatonia Night Is The New Day |
| Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band Trouble Is... |
| Killswitch Engage The End of Heartache |
| Kroda Cry To Me River |
| KYPCK Cherno |
| Leviathan The Blind Wound |
| Leviathan Tentacles of Whorror |
| Leviathan Howl Mockery At The Cross |
| Lykathea Aflame Elvenefris |
| Marduk Nightwing |
| Martriden Martriden EP |
| Mayhem Dawn of the Blackhearts |
| Mayhem De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas |
| Mayhem Wolfs Lair Abyss |
| Megaherz Kopfschuss |
| Mercenary Architect of Lies |
| Merrimack ...Of Entropy and Life Denial... |
| Mindless Self Indulgence Frankenstein Girls Will... |
| Morker Hostmakter |
| Mount Eerie Lost Wisdom |
| My Dying Bride The Light at the End of the World |
| Nachtmystium Instinct: Decay |
| Nest Trail of the Unwary |
| Neurosis Given to the Rising |
| Nightrage A New Disease Is Born |
| Nightrage Wearing a Martyrs Crown |
| Nightshade Wielding The Scythe |
| Nightwish Once |
| Nokturnal Mortum To the Gates of Blasphemous Fire |
| Nokturnal Mortum NeChrist |
| Nonpoint Recoil |
| Norther Till Death Unites Us |
| Novembers Doom The Novella Reservoir |
| Ocean Here Where Nothing Grows |
| October Falls The Streams Of The End (EP) |
| October Falls Marras |
| Opeth Blackwater Park |
| Opeth My Arms, Your Hearse |
| Panic Circles |
| Paysage d'Hiver Paysage d'Hiver |
| Pelican City of Echoes |
| Pelican Ephemeral EP |
| Portal Outré |
| Primordial Storm Before Calm |
| Ra From One |
| Rage Against the Machine The Battle Of Los Angeles |
| Rammstein Rosenrot |
| Rammstein Mutter |
| Rise Against Appeal To Reason |
| Sacramentum Far Away from the Sun |
| Satanic Warmaster Strength & Honour |
| Satyricon Nemesis Divina |
| Satyricon The Shadowthrone |
| Scar Symmetry Holographic Universe |
| Sentenced Crimson |
| Shadows Fall Of One Blood |
| Shadows Fall Threads of Life |
| Shadows Fall Somber Eyes to the Sky |
| Shining VI - Klagopsalmer |
| Shining IV - The Eerie Cold |
| Skyfire Mind Revolution |
| Slipknot Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) |
| Soilwork A Predator's Portrait |
| Soilwork The Chainheart Machine |
| Stillhet Gjemt I Skyggene |
| SuidAkrA Caledonia |
| Summoning Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame |
| Sunn O))) Oracle |
| Swallow The Sun New Moon |
| Swashbuckle Back To The Noose |
| Sykdom Mjollnir |
| Taake Taake |
| Temnozor Folkstorm of the Azure Nights |
| The Absence Riders of the Plague |
| The Black Alongside Death |
| The Old Dead Tree The Nameless Disease |
| The Unseen State Of Discontent |
| Thurisaz Circadian Rhythm |
| "Circadian Rhythm" is an album which encompasses all that can be great about atmospheric metal. It flawlessly combines elements of avant-garde, death metal, and atmospheric black metal to create a near masterpiece which leaves a lasting impression. The album is melodic while incorporating the harshness of black metal and the brutality of death metal, but at the same time is incredibly progressive in nature. It incorporates syths and clean vocals, as well as the relatively frequent time signature changes and abnormal song structures to create a sound which is truly unclassifiable. The only really effective way of describing it is original. It is not an album you've heard before, and in a time when almost every metal album is a re-hash of old ideas, I think that originality means everything, and Thurisaz's "Circadian Rhythm" is the most refreshingly original album I have heard in years. |
| Todeskult Als Die Farben Alter Wurden |
| Tool 10,000 Days |
| Towards Darkness Solemn |
| Trelldom Til et Annet... |
| Trivium Ember to Inferno |
| Unearth The March |
| Unearth The Stings of Conscience |
| Venom Black Metal |
| Vintersorg Solens Rotter |
| Vintersorg Till Fjälls |
| Wyrd Huldrafolk |
| Wyrd Rota |
| 3 good |
| A Perfect Circle eMOTIVe |
| A Perfect Circle Mer de Noms |
| Aeternus Beyond The Wandering Moon |
| Agalloch Tomorrow Will Never Come |
| Agalloch The Grey |
| Alcest Souvenirs d'un autre Monde |
| Alestorm Captain Morgan's Revenge |
| Altar of Plagues White Tomb |
| Amon Amarth Fate of Norns |
| Amorphis Eclipse |
| Amorphis Tuonela |
| Amorphis The Karelian Isthmus |
| Amorphis Skyforger |
| Ancient Wisdom For Snow Covered the Northland |
| Arch Enemy Doomsday Machine |
| Arsis A Celebration of Guilt |
| At the Gates The Red in the Sky is Ours |
| August Burns Red Constellations |
| Bathory Bathory |
| Bathory The Return |
| Beherit Drawing Down the Moon |
| Between The Buried And Me The Silent Circus |
| Black Horizons A Dream's Funeral |
| Burzum Aske |
| Cannibal Corpse Tomb of the Mutilated |
| Carpathian Forest Morbid Fascination of Death |
| Catamenia Chaos Born |
| Celtic Frost Monotheist |
| Children Of Bodom Are You Dead Yet? |
| Chthonic Seediq Bale |
| Converge Petitioning The Empty Sky |
| Cryptopsy Blasphemy Made Flesh |
| Dark Age Acedia |
| Dark Fortress Eidolon |
| Dark Tranquillity Character |
| Definetly good, but I much perfer old Dark Tranquillity a la "The Gallery", "The Minds I" and "Skydancer/Of Chaos And Eternal Night". This album is nothing more than another solid release, if not a bit sub-par for their usual display of impressive songwriting and sheer emotion. Sure, there are tracks like the impressive "Lost To Apathy" or the modern "The New Build", but seriously, everything else sort of blends into something like a bunch of B-Sides off of "Damage Done". Each song melds into the previous one before doing much the same to the next track. The album is, instrumentally, solid, but in terms of genre overhauling (something DT is known for) this is pretty much a shot in the dark, and a complete miss. Well worth a listen, but keep in the back of your mind the fact that this band has done MUCH better things with their talents. |
| Dark Tranquillity Enter Suicidal Angels |
| Dark Tranquillity Live Damage |
| Darkest Hour Deliver Us |
| Darkthrone The Cult Is Alive |
| Darkthrone Total Death |
| Darkthrone Ravishing Grimness |
| Day Of Suffering The Eternal Jihad |
| Deathspell Omega Fas - Ite, Maledicti, In Ignem Aeternum |
| Decomposed Hope Finally Died... |
| Deicide Legion |
| Demonic Resurrection A Darkness Descends |
| DevilDriver The Fury of Our Maker's Hand |
| Diadem Crimson Sunset |
| Disillusion Back To Times Of Splendor |
| Dissection Where Dead Angels Lie |
| Draconian Arcane Rain Fell |
| Dream Theater Images and Words |
| Drudkh Estrangement |
| Edge Of Sanity Nothing But Death Remains |
| Edge Of Sanity Infernal |
| Eisbrecher Eisbrecher |
| Eluveitie Evocation I: The Arcane Dominion |
| Elvenking The Scythe |
| Eminem The Slim Shady LP |
| Ensiferum Victory Songs |
| Enslaved Isa |
| Enslaved Eld |
| Equilibrium Sagas |
| Eternal Tears of Sorrow A Virgin and A Whore |
| Eternal Tears of Sorrow Children of the Dark Waters |
| Fall of Serenity The Crossfire |
| Flaw Through the Eyes |
| Forest As A Song In The Harvest Of Grief |
| Forest Silence Philosophy Of Winter |
| God Forbid IV: Constitution of Treason |
| Gojira From Mars To Sirius |
| Hanging Garden TEOTWAWKI |
| TEOTWAWKI, an acronym for "The End Of The World As We Know It", marks Finnish melodic death/doom band Hanging Garden's second full-length album. Following up 2007's Inherit The Eden, TEOTWAWKI is an album which only lives up to its superb predecessor in the instrumental department. Wonderful musicianship and songwriting are present at the core of the album, with the instrumentation seeping out of the walls. Hugely melodic guitar riffs and beautifully atmospheric acoustic movements drive the album in a brilliant manner. Sadly, the vocals threaten to ruin everything which the instruments bring to the table. Instead of the deep, doomy growls which you may remember from Inherit The Eden, we are instead treated to a forced, shout-like vocal display which brings to mind the annoying qualities of bands like Hatebreed. While barely a scream at all, most of the vocals are a blemish on an otherwise perfect album, a disheartening downside to a release with so much promise. While there are moments where his much superior scream is present, it provides no excuse for the lackluster performance on most of the other tracks. Everything else is there, the atmosphere, the musicianship, the originality, the production. It's like that beautiful girl you met back in college with the hottest body you've ever seen in your life. However, upon approaching her she opens her mouth to reveal a set of rotted black teeth. Case in point, it's only good to admire from a distance, because if you linger too closely you are reminded why you stayed away in the first place. |
| Heaven Shall Burn In Battle... |
| Ikuinen Kaamos The Folorn |
| Immortal Diabolical Fullmoon Mysticism |
| Immortal Blizzard beasts |
| Immortal All Shall Fall |
| In Flames Subterranean |
| In Flames Lunar Strain |
| Isengard Høstmørke |
| It Dies Today The Caitiff Choir |
| Judas Iscariot Heaven In Flames |
| Kamelot Ghost Opera |
| Katatonia The Great Cold Distance |
| Katatonia For Funerals To Come EP |
| Katatonia Discouraged Ones |
| Kayo Dot Choirs of the Eye |
| Kroda Fimbulvinter |
| Lamb of God As the Palaces Burn |
| Lamb of God New American Gospel |
| Lay Down Rotten Gospel Of The Wretched |
| Leviathan Massive Conspiracy Against All Life |
| Manegarm Nordstjärnans Tidsålder |
| Manegarm Dodsfard |
| Marduk Heaven Shall Burn... When We Are Gathered |
| Marduk Wormwood |
| maudlin of the Well Bath |
| Mayhem Deathcrush |
| Mayhem Chimera |
| Miseration Your Demons Their Angels |
| Mondstille Am Ende... |
| Moonsorrow Tulimyrsky |
| Moonspell Memorial |
| Mors Principium Est The Unborn |
| My Dying Bride The Angel and the Dark River |
| Nachtmystium Worldfall EP |
| Nevermore This Godless Endeavor |
| Nightwish Dark Passion Play |
| Nightwish Angels Fall First |
| Noctes Pandemonic Requiem |
| Norther Death Unlimited |
| Nortt Gudsforladt |
| Nyktalgia Nyktalgia |
| Opeth Ghost Reveries |
| Opeth Watershed |
| Opeth Damnation |
| Papa Roach Infest |
| Primordial The Gathering Wilderness |
| Rammstein Sehnsucht |
| Rammstein Reise, Reise |
| Reverend Bizarre In The Rectory Of The Bizarre Reverend |
| Scar Symmetry Pitch Black Progress |
| Sentenced Frozen |
| Skinless Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead |
| Slipknot Slipknot |
| Slipknot Iowa |
| Slipknot All Hope is Gone |
| Soilwork Stabbing the Drama |
| Soilwork Natural Born Chaos |
| Sombres Forets Quintessence |
| Sorcier Des Glaces Snowland |
| Sterbend Dwelling Lifeless |
| Stormrider First Battle Won |
| The Absence From Your Grave |
| Thought Industry Mods Carve The Pig |
| Tool Aenima |
| Trivium Ascendancy |
| Ulver Blood Inside |
| Unearth III: In the Eyes of Fire |
| Windir Arntor |
| Wolves in the Throne Room Malevolent Grain |
| Woods of Ypres Pursuit Of The Sun & Allure Of the Earth |
| Wyrd Kammen |
