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| The Top 10 Metal Albums Of 2008 (according To Wizard)
Yeah I know, I like to think of myself as a connoisseur of metal. Truthfully, no one in their right mind can ever say this seeing as youre always discovering new and interesting paths throughout the genre. Plus, its impossible to know everything about anything. My new path in metal this year: Industrial & DOOM! And thanks to rasputin, Willie and a number of other wonderful Sputnik users, you have successfully reduced my bank account significantly.
Anyways, 2008 has been quite the year for heavy metal (see my list below). A lot of predictable, a lot of surprises and a lot (and I mean a lot) of overrated albums (can we say PTH and the utterly despicable Underoath efforts?). As childish as both of these bands are, they seem to forget that song writing needs to have some cohesion, let alone the songs being cohesive as a whole too. My rant is done; here are my picks. Enjoy responsibly like you should with booze over the holidays (Im one to talk hahahaha). Runners up: Mirrorthrone - Gangrene, Moonsorrow - Tulimyrsky, Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder Gods and Meshuggah - Obzen. | | 1 |  | Opeth
Watershed
Predictable choice for the_wizard? Yes, but you should know me by now that Ive listened to this album over a 100 times since its release in June. | | 2 |  | Arghoslent
Hornets of the Pogrom
Greatest death metal record ever? Debateable, but youre retarded to think otherwise. | | 3 |  | Burst
Lazarus Bird
Not as stunning as Origo. It?s still the best prog-metal effort you will listen to this year. | | 4 |  | Enslaved
Vertebrae
Better then everything theyve ever put out before? Yes, and its their most focused album, combining even more progressive elements into their blackened Viking sound while putting more emphasis on the melody through keyboards and clean vocals. | | 5 |  | Leviathan
Massive Conspiracy Against All Life
Biggest surprise of 2008? Absolutely! Oh, and I didn?t mention it?s by far the best black metal I?ve heard all year as well. | | 6 |  | Sculptured
Embodiment
Did the_wizard just throw a wrench into the gears with this pick? He sure did! And I bet half of you are scratching your heads, wondering what planet you were on when a specific staff member introduced this to the Sputnik masses (thanks Cocaine). | | 7 |  | Cynic
Traced in Air
The biggest non-surprise of 2008? Hell, every metal list includes this slick-as-laxative release from the band that thought it was a great idea to combine robotic vocals, death metal, and jazz progressions 15 years ago, in a tight album called Focus. | | 8 |  | Skepticism
Alloy
Anyone for funeral doom? Count me in seeing as Im absolutely thrilled to jump on this bandwagon that is the word on the street in Sputniks metal community. DOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! (Sorry, I just had too) | | 9 |  | Withered
Folie Circulaire
Blackened Sludge; so thick that it couldnt be pride off the ground if your life depended on it? Well, I can?t find a way to remove this album from my brain and thats why this band has stuck with me throughout the year. | | 10 |  | In Mourning
Shrouded Divine
Boy, oh boy, Opeth should be flattered by these guys, shouldnt they? I thought this at one point, except In Mourning just goes straight for the throat without messing around while still retaining everything that makes melo-death/ prog-metal so enjoyable to begin with. | |
Wizard
12.26.08 | I think many people take their 'top 10 lists' way too seriously so I just had some fun with it. Sorry about my pompous attitude that I included with the list; it's all for shits and giggles. I hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday.
And what the hell is wrong with some of the album covers on this list? Geez! | BallsToTheWall
12.26.08 | Shit, I forgot Sculptured put out that album this year. It is good, I should have put it on my list, definitelty top 30 stuff. Otherwise, sick list except Skepticism who I still need to "really" jam too. You need the new Krallice record son for the best B.M of the year. | Wizard
12.26.08 | Krallice is good, but it doesn't reinvent the wheel like MCAAM does! | Poet
12.26.08 | holy crap Balls is back on Christmas. What a gift. 1 will be the only thing on my list. | Wizard
12.26.08 | If you say Equilibrium is the best, Santa will shit in your stocking Poet hahahaha jk. Looking forward to seeing what you put up for scrutinizing! | Chewie
12.26.08 | I listened to 1 today, and hot damn its good. 3 is really great as well. | Wizard
12.26.08 | Glad to see you're not trying to pick fights with my Derek, are you? hahahahahaha | 72haha72
12.26.08 | Very nice list man!
3 and 7 are tied for my favorite album of 2008 | JumpTheF**kUp
12.26.08 | is this list really stupid? it sure is! | Wizard
12.26.08 | Thanks JumpTheFuckUp, way to pop my balloon of fun :(. Your a meany. Hope you get drunk over the holidays and fall down a flight of stairs (jk by the ways). | Hawks
12.26.08 | 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7 all rule. Haven't heard the others. | Zoo
12.26.08 | Not bad but it's missing a lot. Did you ever take a look at my best of '08 list, wizard? | marksellsuswallets
12.26.08 | To bad Underoath's album is amazing douchebag :( | bastard
12.26.08 | pompous tone = funny
nice work. | Yazz_Flute
12.26.08 | niceeee
balls where were you | marksellsuswallets
12.26.08 | i'm jk brah
skepticism ftw though... | Pebster49
12.26.08 | nice list, couldn't agree more with #1 | McP3000
12.26.08 | 1 is pretty bad
the rest is great though. Haven't heard all of them though | foreverendeared
12.26.08 | how in hell is "Greatest death metal record ever" not at number one?? otherwise, great list. | myhigherpie
12.26.08 | damn... no obZen...
at least its a runner up :)
good list. glad to see someone is as big a fan of 1 as I am. | luci
12.26.08 | Nice list! Lots of great metal here ... | Wizard
12.26.08 | marksellsuswallets,
My feelings were hurt and I started crying. Ya happy now?
foreverendeared,
It's not #1 because it ain't Opeth. Plus death metal really has to hit me as hard as Hornets of Pogrom has to even make it that far up the list. Death metal will never be my favourite sub-genre.
| JAV
12.30.08 | Watershed would have been on my worst list, lol. I really find it to be quite boring. Lazarus Bird is excellent, plan to get it soon. | Piglet
06.20.09 | Opeth so deserves to be in the top ten, Watershed was more then excellent | PanasonicYouth
06.20.09 | I don't get why everyone thinks 7 is so great. I mean it's good, but not exactly as fantastarific as everyone claims it is.
But yeah. 1 is fucking awesome. | TracedInAir
07.25.09 | everything here is killer except 5 why is anyone into leviathan honestly? | Crysis
07.25.09 | When I put Insomnium's record up as number one from this year you have no right to bitch, seeing how Watershed is tremendously boring :P
All in good fun, besides the part about it being boring.
2 is excellent, so is 8 and 10. I'm not a fan of 1, 4, 5, and 7 but whatever its an opinion. | Bleak
07.25.09 | Don't be afraid to make Watershed a 5 :) I know you want to. |
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