My Top 10 Essential Metal Albums

While watching Gojira at the Corporation in Sheffield the other day, I was challenged to produce my Top 10 Essential Metal Albums. The albums that I keep going back to, or have some special meaning to me. It's obviously a very personal list and I can guarantee that just about everybody in the world will find fault with it, but that's the point of these things, isn't it?

Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void Dark Tranquillity's latest album (although it is now five years old), and the one I have played most by a very large margin. I have even played it twice as much as Projector, my previous favourite. Featuring some shudderingly creepy melodeath riffs and covering all the classic Gothenburg bases, you can't go far wrong with this one. It's hard to choose a favourite track of this album, but I guess Shadow In Our Blood or Iridium would take it. Or Her Silent Language, or The Grandest Accusation. One of those, anyway.

Opeth - Ghost Reveries There will always be controversy over choosing a favourite Opeth album, but this is mine, narrowly beating Blackwater Park to the top spot (thanks to my decision to only have one album by any given band in the list). Of all the Opeth albums I have on my iPod (most of them) it's the one I return to time and again for my fix of proggy deathy growliness. The Grand Conjuration is probably the best track, but like We Are The Void there are too many good ones. The cover of Soldier of Fortune is bloody good, too.

Lacuna Coil - Comalies From way back in the days when I was finding my metal feet, as it were, Comalies contains just enough heavy, just enough catchy to get me hooked. This was my gateway drug to a love affair with melodic death metal, of all things. Top track would be Tight Rope, which gives me a little nerdgasm for recognising the game the voiceover samples are taken from.

Agalloch - Marrow Of The Spirit I heard about Agalloch long before I heard Agalloch, and when I finally did hear them, I wondered why I hadn't looked them up before. Dark and disquieting and epic in equal measure. Favourite track would have to be, um, all the tracks. Seriously, I can't choose between them.

Judas Priest - Painkiller The one and only venture into NWOBHM on this list. As must as Iron Maiden is seen as the pinnacle of British heavy metal, you just can't beat Painkiller for volume or tempo. I did air guitar to the title track a couple of months ago and my left shoulder still hasn't forgiven me. My favourite tracks are Painkiller, obviously, and Night Crawler.

Insomnium - Above The Weeping World Although in recent months it has been pushed aside in favour of One For Sorrow, Above The Weeping World is still Insomnium's magnum opus, and proof that they are still one of the finest melodic death bands in the business. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have tried to include a favourite track. On this one The Gale, Mortal Share, The Killjoy and Devoid of Caring are my choices.

Wolverine - Still One of my favourite albums ever. I first heard Sleepy Town on a friend's shuffle, and wanted to know what the rest sounded like. I was amazed, and have been a fan of the band ever since. Sleepy Town itself is high on the list of favourite songs ever, too.

Sylosis - Edge Of The Earth As grandiose and epic as it is proggy as it is ear pummeling. I originally dismissed Sylosis as being too -core for my tastes based on looks alone. Big. Mistake. This album was one of the surprises of 2011 and still gets regular rotation on my commute. It's hard to pick favourite tracks because the whole album flows so well together, although Empyreal (both parts) deserve special mention.

Eluveitie - Slania Is it folk metal, or is it Gothenburg melodic death with a hurdy gurdy? I don't really know, but it's bloody good. I first heard of (and, indeed, heard) Eluveitie at Bloodstock '08. I rushed to the CD sales tent, only to discover that I had missed the rush and every copy of Slania had been sold in 30 minutes. Inis Mona is the definite highlight of this folk juggernaut.

Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs I originally found out about Ghost Brigade from Last.fm, recommended due to my constant playing of Dark Tranquillity and Insomnium. I'm glad the recommendation engine worked this time! Possibly the most depressing death metal band I've ever heard. Highlights include Into The Black Light and Lost In A Loop.


I was also graciously allowed 5 "honourable mentions" for those albums that I love, but didn't make the top 10. To be honest this was harder to come up with than the first 10. There are so many albums I love  that narrowing it down proved difficult.

One in particular that gets regular plays is Skyforger by Amorphis. A random purchase at HMV led me to discover Amorphis, a sort of hybrid of melodic death and folk that's both heavy as a heavy thing and melodic as an, um, melodic ... thing. Aerolithe by Fall Of The Leafe (which led to the coining of the term "fotling", meaning "listening to Fall Of The Leafe") is another that I throw on a lot when I fancy something a bit more utterly nonsensical.

Perhaps a controversial choice because it is the least metal of anything I've put so far, but How To Measure A Planet by The Gathering is a long standing repeat listen. A fine work among a body of fine works. More recently, and definitely less controversially, is Woods of Ypres's final album Woods 5: Grey Skies And Electric Lights. Sure, it's depressing, but it's frankness and honesty elevates it from pointless morbidity into something far deeper and more philosophical.

And finally I can't forget to mention Monuments by Sheffield's own Northern Oak, the album I've seen played (in parts, at least) more than any other. If I fancy listening to it, I could put on the MP3s, or I could just pop to a local gig to enjoy it with an ale or five. 

Ghost Brigade - Until Fear No Longer Defines Us

Finnish death/doom/gloom metallers Ghost Brigade have returned with their third album, Until Fear No Longer Defines Us. I've been looking forward to this release for some time after hearing, and loving, Isolation Songs. I was interested to hear what direction the band would take with their songwriting, and whether they could top the spine-chilling Into The Black Light. I pre-ordered the album from Amazon, and was pleased to discover that the first pressing digipak contains the lyrics printed on the back of a pretty cool poster featuring the album art.

First impressions of the new material start with album opener In The Woods, an acoustic number with a mournful melody plucked from plaintive strings and Manne Ikonen's lilting vocal setting the tone, both lyrically and musically.

This slowness is immediately shattered with the opening riffs of Clawmaster. The heavy doom riffs and death vocals turn the mood around. It is immediately less melancholy, angrier. This is the way the album continues, drowning in sorry, then bursting in anger. Clawmaster is where the album really finds its feet. The sound is much more dense that Isolation Songs, consuming and immersive. Softer melodies interlace with the deep, intense drum beat.

Chamber continues the constant transition from heavy to despondent and back again. The melody is punctuated by the strong, repetitive beat of the drum as Manne's vocal carry a gentle misery. The vocals are stronger than on previous records, and the growls more convincing. The production of the record is somehow thicker, more viscous, to go with the denser musical sound. The vocals sometimes seem to get lost in the depths of the melody, but then shine through again a moment later.

Following the sorrowful calm of Chamber comes Traces Of Liberty, a guitar-driven track of chugging riffs and ringing cymbals. Almost the antithesis of Chamber, the vocals are entirely growled and take on an almost progressive feel as the driving chorus build up and carry the simple, yet effective, melody.

The next track, Divine Act Of Lunacy, is one of my favourites on the album. Lead by a strong, simple drum beat and repetitive riff that continue throughout, the song is more anthem than complex melodic track. But the chorus comes and the song lifts and the second mood of the album becomes readily apparent.

In an interview with Terrorizer the band said that they are disappointed that many people miss the hope in their music. That they are seen as a miserable, depressive Finnish death metal band. And this one track should be enough to dispell that myth. While the lyrics are depressing, they are also hopeful and strong. The message is clear. There is always hope, even when there is no hope, if you make it for yourself.

And no sooner has it begun, it abruptly ends. The next track, Grain, starts with a riff somewhat reminiscent of Into The Black Light, and with a similarly powerful riff running through the chorus. The songwriting on this new record is much stronger than before. While Isolation Songs had a couple of songs that really stood out from the rest, Until Fear No Longer Defines Us doesn't have any.

The songs so far on the album have all had their moods, their suitable adjectives, but nothing yet has really been there just to creep you out. Breakwater is up next to do just that. Starting out with a slow, repetitive rasp, the riff leads into a clash of heavy guitar, rattling cymbals and a discomforting slow growl. Fittingly, this is the song that contains the lyric the album is named for. The song is heavy with metaphor, of drowning and of struggling to stay above water. A topic that never fails to make my skin crawl.

In keeping with the ever changing tones of the album, Cult Of Decay actually manages to sound upbeat against the heavy dirge of Breakwater. This is where the band demonstrate their progressive stylings. Lighter melodies are offset with slightly off-kilter drums to give a somewhat confused feel to the song. It works well against the clean vocals, and the chorus, when it arrives, does so without much warning with a crash of cymbals and a prog-heavy guitar.

Continuing the progressive theme is Torn, a drum-led battering of forceful riffage. The simple bass line pummels the beat into your head while drums take you on a journey, shifting time signatures back and forth and building up the sound to a glorious crescendo.

Rounding off the album is Soulcarvers. Turning things right back down to the softer, slower melodies of the earlier tracks, this is a demanding, oppressive song to listen to. A very different type of song, the weight is in the dragging of the beats and the draining of hope. The chorus is tight as hell and the pounding riff, the resounding drums, the sheer force of it brings the album to a perfect close.

For this album Ghost Brigade have stepped up their game in every respect. The song writing is magnificent, the riffs, melodies, thundering drums all come together perfectly to product an album full of highlights. Every single song is worth the time to listen to. It is simply superb.


As a special bonus, here is the official video for the breathtaking Clawmaster.

Doozr's Top 10 of 2010

It's December again, and so it must be nearly time for yet another best-of list. I already made a list of my top 5 from the first half of the year back in July. Do my decisions still stand? Has enough awesome music been released lately to knock some of those five off the list?

While I chose my top five, I also included five that didn't quite make the grade. These were fine albums, but fell by the wayside to make way for the top five. Since making that list, my horizons have broadened, my collection has grown and my ears have been treated to a vast array of new musical morsels.

Picking the top ten has been tricky. I've had to base my decisions on initial impact, longevity and how much I just randomly decide to play it. So without further ado, in no particular order, here is my top 10 of 2010.

Crystalic - Persistence

What to say that I haven't already said? This album was released for free due to lack of label interest, which is a travesty because it's awesome.

Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs

A Last.fm recommendation come good. Death metal with a hint of black metal who happen to also be great live.

The Hoosiers - The Illusion Of Safety

It's cheesy, it's retro, it's silly and it's good. Enough said.

Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt One

Sometimes I listen to an album, and it's good. Sometimes, it's amazing. And just sometimes an album comes along that completely takes me by surprise at it's sheer brilliance. Road Salt One is one such album.

Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

One of the first albums I got in 2010, and still one of the best. Loved it from the very first time I saw the teaser video for Shadow In Our Blood.

Volbeat - Beyond Heaven / Above Hell

Part rock 'n' roll, part metal, part blues and part country. Quite a mix, but brilliant.

Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here

A wistful, contemplative, yet cheerful melancholy. The sort you might feel on a quiet summer's eve when the world is at peace, and everything, just for that moment, is okay.

Dimmu Borgir - Abrahadabra

A magnificent conglomeration of orchestra and black metal. Think Lord Of The Rings crossed with the more classically inspired bits of Nightwish. An album that is both exciting and satisfying to listen to.

Agalloch - Marrow Of The Spirit

An album rich with images of life and light being torn down by the heavy, unbearable weight of the physical and metaphorical winter. Dreamy, sombre black/folk metal at its best.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

A great third album, all the better having seen it played live. Nostalgia and melancholy about the ways and whys of childhood, growing up in a rapidly changing world.

Sadly not all the great albums from 2010 can go into the top 10. Well, unless there were only 10 of them. But there aren't. There are loads. Here are some of the runners up.

Northern Oak - Monuments Finely crafted folk/black metal from Sheffield's finest purveyors of black metal and waistcoats. (review coming soon)

The Birthday Massacre - Pins & Needles Great dark synth-rock and an obsession with purple bunnies. (review)

Mostly Autumn - Go Well, Diamond Heart The first album with their new lead vocalist, and a good start it is, too. (review)

Martriden - Encounter The Monolith An album that has got me through many a torturous train journey. Just great music. (review)

Disturbed - Asylum Loud and brash American heavy metal. (review)

Dream Theater - Octavarium Twiddly, complicated and totally prog.

Engines Of Armageddon - Self-titled A hella-tight Thrash/Power/Doom/Groove METAL BAND from Nottingham UK.

Courteeners - Falcon A bit of chavvy pop. A guilty pleasure. (review)

65DaysOfStatic - We Were Exploding Anyway An altogether more dance oriented album from the band who brought you the soundtrack to the end of the world. (review)

Tarot - Gravity Of Light It's metal. It's heavy. It's got Marco Hietala in it. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? (review)

Doozr's Half-Time Review

It's been a busy old year, musically speaking. 24 album purchases in 6 months, of which 14 were released in 2010. And of course, there are numerous artists and albums that I've heard but not bought. With this wealth of new musical greatness, I thought I'd break from tradition and produce my personal "best of" list for the first half of 2010 rather than waiting until New Year. So without further ado, here are my top 5 albums of 2010, part 1.

Dark Tranquillity - We Are The Void

I think this one goes without saying. My review of the album has been criticised for being less of a review, and more an outpouring of praise for this amazing album. I plead guilty, your honour.

65DaysOfStatic - We Were Exploding Anyway

One to work to. Whether writing code, mowing the lawn or writing blog posts, this post-rock/dance infusion is both motivating and enthusing. It's a fair departure from previous albums, but all the better for it.

Tarot - Gravity Of Light

This is my new driving album. Doesn't matter where I'm going or what sort of traffic I'm stuck in, this album makes it all the more bearable. Wind down the windows, turn up the volume, and use the steering wheel as your drum kit.

Martriden - Encounter The Monolith

Surprise of the year comes from Martriden. I first heard about this album on Invisible Oranges, and bought it on a whim. It's brilliant, and definitely one to put on headphones and listen to properly. Like so many death/black metal albums, the joy is in the subtle details that you might miss if you just had it on as background noise.

Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here

A latecomer, having only been released very recently, but instantly a "best of" candidate. I've lost track of how many times I've listened to this album, and when I do it feels so very familiar. It's like I've never not known it.

Of course, lists should always be 10 items long. I've only listed my "top five" so that, come Christmas, I'll have a "top ten". But just in case the second half of the year fails to live up to the promise of the first, here are five honourable mentions.

Ghost Brigade - Isolation Songs

I picked this one up from Amazon's MP3 shop after spotting them in my last.fm recommendations. A bit more commercial than the likes of Dark Tranquillity, and with a vocal leaning toward Black Metal, but still some brilliant tracks.

Dream Theater - Octavarium

Prog rock meets heavy metal. It's heavy, it's twiddly, it's definitely prog. This is what you'd hear if Montgomery Hall in Wath held 10,000 people.

The Engines Of Armageddon - Self Titled

Probably the best stoner-thrash-prog-doom-groove metal band in the world.

Avenged Sevenfold - Self Titled

Another one of those random Twitter followers that I thought I'd check out. Ostensibly metal-core, but with heavy metal, hard rock and many other influences. This album changes genre faster than I change underpants. A bit thrash, a bit heavy, a bit stoner, and just a bit good.

The Courteeners - Falcon

What's this? Not metal? Well no. I do like a fair old variety of music, and that does include a bit of radio friendly indie. I surprised myself by liking them so much, but like them I do and this is a bloody good album. A guilty pleasure indeed.