Mid-year highlights, the 2017 edition

[(The bass player)]

I forgot to add Insulters - Metal Still Means Danger to my list. A splendid little piece of old school brutality.

 

[the_fiend]

I obviously don't listen to as much new music as any of you, so this is my short list :

Mors Principium Est - Embers of the dying world
Immolation - Atonement
Novembers Doom - Hamartia
Cold Insight - Further Nowhere


I actually enjoyed the new Kreator album on a first couple of spins too, but it wore off real fast and now it feels distinctly average.

I do think that most of my highlights of 2017 will come in the 2nd half... a lot of promising stuff scheduled to be released : Paradise Lost, Wintersun, Decapitated, Moonspell, Decrepit Birth, Incantation, Eluveitie, Arch Enemy, Rage... I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple other big ones too.

 

[stefan86]

 

[winters epilogue]

Haven't had a chance to dig into much this year—and more releases than expected didn't grab me like I hoped they would (e.g. At the Drive-In, Author & Punisher, Dodecahedron, Emptiness, Kendrick Lamar, Pharmakon, etc)—but here are some I've really liked so far:

LP
Artificial Brain - Infrared Horizon
Bestia Arcana - Holókauston
Drug Honkey - Cloak of Skies
Endon - Through the Mirror
Immolation - Atonement
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me
Oxbow - Thin Black Duke
The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia
Toby Driver - Madonnawhore
Suffocation - ...Of the Dark Light

EP/Splits
Abigor/Nightbringer/Thy Darkened Shade/Mortuus - ANTM
Árstíðir lífsins - Heljarkviða
Sinmara/Misþyrming - Split
Weeping Sores - Weeping Sores

Edit: Looking forward to (including things that have already come out that I haven't heard yet): Blut Aus Nord, Cavernlight, Chelsea Wolfe, Couch Slut, Ex Eye, Expulsion, Harvestman, Integrity, King Woman, Loss, The Lurking Fear, Myrkur, Neun Welten, Paradise Lost, Planning for Burial, Pyrrhon, Sanhet, Völur, Wolves in the Throne Room, Zola Jesus.

 

[nizzon]

DOOL - Here Now, There Then
Was never a fan of the 'occult rock' genre somehow, still don't like many bands in the genre. Don't care much for Ghost for instance. Somehow decided to give Dool a chance and wow, simply a great album, 8 great songs, from the amazing, atmospheric, doomy opener Vantablack to closer She Goat, it's highlight after highlight. Great album of atmospheric, dark metal/rock.

...

My band of the year so far is, as you have surely noticed, THE DEVIL'S BLOOD. Defunct already for 4 years and the bandleader dead for 3 years. I decided to give them another chance because of their relation to Dool. And finally the coin dropped, HARD! Holy fuck, they are the best thing I've heard in a loooooong time. I've not been obsessed with a band like that since discovering Porcupine Tree in 2005. It's hard to imagine I even listened to them twice before, in 2009 and 2011, and not realising the greatness then. Better late then never, only a shame I'll never be able to see them live. I'll still be enjoying the albums for many years to come.

Congratulations on finding one of the best bands ever! TDB that is. Im jealous of you because I have kind of played them to death personally. Selim was an amazing guitarist, I haven't heard anyone else writing so catchy, seductive and yet wicked and evil rocktunes as he did.
Im glad I got to see them live even if it was really short, missed most of the show because they got on stage so early.

To me DOOL is a boring copycat, they lack that evil spark Selim created, and I mean Selim was TDB, there is no way the drummer and basist are going to be able to match him or continue what he created. Going to give the new album another shot though.

Overall a depressing year so far.
ORDOS - House Of The Dead is the best release so far.
Looking forward to PL, Myrkur, maybe Decapitated but the last song they released was really boring. Hallatar looks interesting too.
Oh yeah almost forgot Samael.

 

[DarkGift]

Within the Fall - Beyond the Gate

 

[stefan86]

ärehanfråndendärgrejenmedbutcherknivespåsång?

 

[MadTinus]

Thanks for the recommendation!

I think Sol Nox is the album of the year so far but I have not listened to it enough to compare it to Thaumiel yet.

You're welcome, here's another album of some of your countrymen I think you may enjoy:



Heard (of) these guys before?

Congratulations on finding one of the best bands ever! TDB that is. Im jealous of you because I have kind of played them to death personally. Selim was an amazing guitarist, I haven't heard anyone else writing so catchy, seductive and yet wicked and evil rocktunes as he did.
Im glad I got to see them live even if it was really short, missed most of the show because they got on stage so early.

To me DOOL is a boring copycat, they lack that evil spark Selim created, and I mean Selim was TDB, there is no way the drummer and basist are going to be able to match him or continue what he created. Going to give the new album another shot though.

So far I have not played them to death, the complete obsession has somewhat cooled down, but I still need my fix every couple days.

You shouldn't see Dool as a TDB 'copy cat', the label is using the fact that they feature 2 former (1 meanwhile, the bassist has been replaced) TDB members for promotion, but it's a completely independent band that deserves a chance and shouldn't be compared to TDB cause it simply doesn't make sense. The singer/guitarplayer wrote all songs on the album. The album's really good I think, great songs, really fresh atmosphere. It really feels like something I hadn't heard before. The opening track is a crushing Doom track and the 2nd track is a really great, catchy track that sounds almost like Fleetwood Mac sometimes. You get my point, give it another chance and try not to compare them to TDB.

 

[(The bass player)]

You're welcome, here's another album of some of your countrymen I think you may enjoy:



Heard (of) these guys before?
So far I have not played them to death, the complete obsession has somewhat cooled down, but I still need my fix every couple days.

You shouldn't see Dool as a TDB 'copy cat', the label is using the fact that they feature 2 former (1 meanwhile, the bassist has been replaced) TDB members for promotion, but it's a completely independent band that deserves a chance and shouldn't be compared to TDB cause it simply doesn't make sense. The singer/guitarplayer wrote all songs on the album. The album's really good I think, great songs, really fresh atmosphere. It really feels like something I hadn't heard before. The opening track is a crushing Doom track and the 2nd track is a really great, catchy track that sounds almost like Fleetwood Mac sometimes. You get my point, give it another chance and try not to compare them to TDB.

Yeah I saw Antichrist live way back in 2009 and they fucking sucked hahaha, I cannot take them seriously.

 

[the_fiend]

Anyone tried the new Vintersorg album yet? I kind of like it, but I lose interest when I don't understand most of what is being said.

 

[PhlegethonVeins]

Haven't had a chance to dig into much this year—and more releases than expected didn't grab me like I hoped they would (e.g. At the Drive-In, Author & Punisher, Dodecahedron, Emptiness, Kendrick Lamar, Pharmakon, etc)—but here are some I've really liked so far:

LP
Artificial Brain - Infrared Horizon
Bestia Arcana - Holókauston
Drug Honkey - Cloak of Skies
Endon - Through the Mirror
Immolation - Atonement
Mount Eerie - A Crow Looked at Me
Oxbow - Thin Black Duke
The Ruins of Beverast - Exuvia
Toby Driver - Madonnawhore
Suffocation - ...Of the Dark Light

EP/Splits
Abigor/Nightbringer/Thy Darkened Shade/Mortuus - ANTM
Árstíðir lífsins - Heljarkviða
Sinmara/Misþyrming - Split
Weeping Sores - Weeping Sores

Edit: Looking forward to (including things that have already come out that I haven't heard yet): Blut Aus Nord, Cavernlight, Chelsea Wolfe, Couch Slut, Ex Eye, Expulsion, Harvestman, Integrity, King Woman, Loss, The Lurking Fear, Myrkur, Neun Welten, Paradise Lost, Planning for Burial, Pyrrhon, Sanhet, Völur, Wolves in the Throne Room, Zola Jesus.

I have mixed feelings on the new Dodecahedron, not sure where I sit with it yet, but I know that the new Emptiness album is being filed under biggest disappointments come the end of the year here.

 

[stefan86]

Anyone tried the new Vintersorg album yet? I kind of like it, but I lose interest when I don't understand most of what is being said.

Listened to the single, and it sounded rather crappy

 

[the_fiend]

Coming back to Wintersun, here's my short review of Forest Seasons :

Track 1, Spring : Decent, some nice riffs. 6.5/10
Track 2, Summer : Some really good, catchy, melodic parts. One of the better wintersun songs. 8.5/10
Track 3, Autumn : Hard to sit through, utter filler garbage. 1/10
Track 4, Winter : Generic, average, uninspired. 3/10

Overall : 5/10

 

[Lifemocker]

This makes me sad, but just confirmed my fears. Previous album, because of the orchwestrations reeked of being a preludium to uninspired bullshit. Looks like I was right yet again.

Gonna listen to it myself but damn, I really need metal to redeem itself, because 1 more year without something good and I will convert to other stuff for good.

 

[PowerBlade]

preludium to uninspired bullshit

 

[DarkGift]

Anyone tried the new Vintersorg album yet? I kind of like it, but I lose interest when I don't understand most of what is being said.

This is the best song on it imo:

 

[Lifemocker]

https://www.facebook.com/wintersun/posts/10155564210137402

tfw 7.5 is bad review for Maenpaa

tfw when you read comments complaining about him calling 7.5 when 7.5 avarage

When did 5/10 stopped being fucking avarage?

 

[DarkGift]

haha, those guys seem epic

 

[the_fiend]

New Paradise Lost is unlikely to make my 2017 top-list as well... Sounds like some weird Sludge/Death metal combination. It might grow on me after a while, but I'm definitely not blown away or anything.

Arch Enemy is next in 3 days, but their 2 singles from the new album don't inspire confidence either.

 

[MadTinus]

Agreed on Paradise Lost, I had the same problem with The Plague Within.