2013 Albums

I didn't search for new albums as much as I did last year, and a lot of what I found didn't interest me enough to pursue it further. So my list is a lot shorter this year.   

0. "Album title" Band (Genre) [score out of 10]

description. Recommended tracks: (If any particularly stand out.)

1."The White Goddess" Atlantean Kodex (Epic Doom Metal) [9]

I really expected a lot from this album, perhaps too much. I enjoyed  “The Pnakotic Demos” and “The Golden Bough” and was really looking forward to this album, and after hearing “Sol Invictus” I was really expecting this to be a tremendous album. However the last two tracks on the album just didn’t grab me and kind of blur together and that’s what kept me from giving it a 10.  Recommended tracks:  “Sol Invictus” and  “Heresiarch”

2."Multi-Dimensional Fractal-Sorcery And Super Science" Gigan (Progressive/Technical Death Metal) [9]

The new vocalist Eston Browne is a great improvement, as the vocals were the weakest part of the last album. This album isn’t as good as the EP and first album, but it come pretty close. Recommended tracks:  “Mother of Toads” and “Gibbering Hordes of Zemiath”

3."IV: Mandragora" Botanist (Experimental Black Metal) [9]

This is my favorite Botanist album to date. The music has a strong chaotic beauty that’s difficult to describe.

4.  split “Vestiges / Panopticon” Panopticon (Atmospheric Black Metal) [9]

The score is only for the Panopticon side of the split, as I downloaded it from their bandcamp page and never actually listened to Vestiges side of the split.

5."Ave Mortis" Cromlech (Heavy/Doom Metal) [8]

I really like this album but they could really use some more slower and softer parts. It’s almost exhausting when listening to this album in its entirety and the shouting just gets annoying at times. Recommended tracks: “Of the Eagle and the Trident” and “Shadow and Flame”.

6."Mysterium" Manilla Road (Epic Heavy/Power Metal) [8]

Recommended tracks: “The Grey God Passes”, “The Battle of Bonchester Bridge” and “The Fountain”

7."Black Soil" Horse Latitudes (Doom Metal) [8]

If the last album was a man, this would be the same man now broken down into a more primal and angry animal.

8."Lancer" Lancer (Power Metal) [8]

The most fun and whimsical power metal album I heard this year. They still need to try and diversify their sound to help distinguish themselves from other popular euro power metal bands that play a similar style. Recommended tracks:  “Purple Sky”, “The Exiled” and “Mr. Starlight”

9. "Borrowed Time" Borrowed Time (Heavy Metal) [8]

Recommended tracks:  “Wallow in the Mire!” and “Of Nymph and Nihil”

10.  EP "The Powers That Be" Phantom (Heavy Metal) [8]

11."Roots" by Saor(previously known as Àrsaidh) (Atmospheric Folk/Black Metal) [7]

12. "Target Earth" Voivod [Progressive Thrash Metal] [7]

13. "Eye of the Storm" Bud Tribe (Heavy/Power Metal) [7]

14."Beyond The Martyrs" Argus (Heavy/Doom Metal) [6]

15."Glaciers" by Hammerhands (Sludge Metal) [5]