| Ben's ranking of his 2015 listenings |
| 1 |  | The Hounds of Hasselvander
Midnight Howler
For lovers of bizarre and fucked up doom or Review Your Choices and Sub-Basement by Pentagram... give this gem a listen!!!
Best Tracks:
Phantom Childe
Appalachia Witch
Multi Vortex (Rise from the Wreckage)
Rating: 4.5 |
| 2 |  | Avatarium
The Girl With The Raven Mask
This one is a cunt hair away from being my favorite of the year.
Best Tracks:
January Sea
Pearls and Coffins
Ghostlight
Rating: 4.5 |
| 3 |  | Denner/Shermann
Satan's Tomb
Mercyful Fate anno 2015... instrumentally of course
Best Tracks:
Satan's Tomb
New Gods
Rating: 4.0 |
| 4 |  | Wino
Freedom Conspiracy
Scott "Wino" Weinrich never dissapoints.. even when he quits the Marshall amplifier
Best Tracks:
Crystal Madonna
Drain
Timeless Spirit
Rating: 4.0 |
| 5 |  | Sorcerer
In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross
Epic doom from Sweden ala Candlemass. This album was a big surprise for me this year
Best Tracks:
Excorcise the Demon
In the Shadow of the Inverted Cross
The Gates of Hell
Rating: 4.0 |
| 6 |  | With The Dead
With The Dead
One helluva raw album!! This record doesn't know the word "production." I love it! This is how doom is supposed to sound.. like in the 80s and early 90s.
Best Tracks:
I Am Your Virus
Crown of Burning Stars
Living With the Dead
Rating: 4.0 |
| 7 |  | Pentagram
Curious Volume
This is the album I've been listening the most to this year. I have been very critical about this record due to the studio manipulation of Bobby's vocals. Besides that it's a quite solid album. Pentagram's most commercial sounding record to this day.
Best Tracks:
The Tempter Push
Close the Casket
Misunderstood/Sufferin' (Can't decide)
Rating: 3.5 |
| 8 |  | Lucifer (DE)
Lucifer I
There's nothing that surprising here. Johanna's vocals aren't that versatile but her tone wins because of it's mystical touch.
Best Tracks:
Abracadabra
White Mountain
Morning Star
Rating: 3.5 |
| 9 |  | Lucifer's Friend
Awakening
I had the biggest musical erection on when I first read the news of Lucifer's Friend releasing four new songs. The new songs are quite solid. They are more in vein of their late 70s to early 80s stuff. Actually the band plans to release a full length next year. Take my fucking money will ya!!
Best Tracks:
Pray
Riding High
Rating: 3.5 |
| 10 |  | Raven
ExtermiNation
Are these guys never growing old? They still rock out like they are in their heyday!
Best Tracks:
Destroy all Monsters
Battle March/Tank Treads (The Blood Runs Red)
River of No Return
Rating: 3.5 |
| 11 |  | Venom
From the Very Depths
I think it's awesome! Venom stay Venom! They're long haired punks for gods sake!! (Except the guitarist, ha!)
Best Tracks:
Long Haired Punks
Smoke
From the Very Depths
Rating: 3.5 |
| 12 |  | Slayer
Repentless
Repentless grew on me a little bit but every time I hear this album I take a look at my collection and puts on Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits instead.
Best Tracks:
Repentless
Chasing Death
Rating: 3.0 |
| 13 |  | Enforcer
From Beyond
Some of it sounds a lot like glam metal to me and I ain't digging that. Otherwise they sound very convincing with their 80s sound.
Best Tracks:
Destroyer
Rating: 3.0 |
| 14 |  | Iron Maiden
The Book of Souls
This album is quite boring but it has some qualities to it. People who are calling this the best Maiden album.. fair enough, I respect that! I don't dig it. Just because it has an 18 minute song on with Bruce playing the piano doesn't make this the best. This is too over ambitious that it ain't fun and I don't like Bruce's singing on this. He's vocals are straining too much!!
Best Tracks:
The Book of Souls
Rating: 3.0 (The 3.0 rating is because of some of the qualities that are hidden here and there in those long as fuck compositions. I don't hate Bruce's piano playing. Actually it's different for Maiden and that's appreciated) |
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