Top CDs of 2008 + My Own Listening Experiment

[General Zod]

Overall, 2008 was a down year for Metal. However, that may be less about the quality of music being released and more about my own perspective. I've been listening to Metal for more than twenty five years. More and more, I find myself at a point where an artist needs a musical vision, as well as the songwriting acumen and musical talents to realize that vision, to truly capture my ever shortening attention span. Unfortunately, 99% of the artists out there don't possess an original voice. Of course, this isn't unique to Metal or even to music, but to all forms of art. As I'm dorky enough to maintain a spreadsheet of the music I listen to, buy and need to buy, I can see my growing ambivalence manifesting itself in my downward trending purchasing habits:

CDs Purchased by Year:

2003 - 96
2004 - 79
2005 - 77
2006 - 74
2007 - 61
2008 - 59

This downward trend isn't representative of my willingness to pull the trigger on a purchase. If anything, I'm more anxious to buy CDs now, as the part of my brain that houses my "collector mentality", starts to ache when a week or so passes without a CD purchase.

Finally, I seem to be adrift in a sea of endless releases. The internet has been both a blessing and a curse. Without it, I would have missed out on so many quality artists. However, with it, I seem more interested in the hunt, than ravishing the kill. I seem more intrigued by hearing what I've yet to hear, than revisiting those discs I enjoyed, but might have required additional listens to unlock their true potential. To that end, I intend to engage myself in a bit of an experiment. For the next three months, the only Metal I will listen to are the 40 discs listed below. These 40 discs represent those I feel were the best 2008 had to offer. I'm hoping that by locking in on these 40 discs, I'll uncover something my more casual listening habits failed to unearth.

BLACK HORIZON'S - A Dream's Funeral
BLOOD RED THRONE - Come Death
BLOODBATH - The Fathomless Mastery
CHAOSWAVE - Dead Eye Dreaming
CULT OF LUNA - Eternal Kingdom
DANE, WARRELL - Praises To The War Machine
DARK EMPIRE - Humanity Dethroned
DARKESTRAH - The Silk Road
DARKSPACE - Darkspace III
ENSLAVED - Vertebrae
EVERGREY - Torn
EYEFEAR - The Unseen
GATES OF WINTER - Lux Aeterna
GOJIRA - The Way of All Flesh
GRAND MAGUS - Iron Will
GRAVEYARD - Graveyard
ICED EARTH - The Crucible of Man
IHSAHN - angL
MALPRACTICE - Triangular
MGLA - Groza
MINDFLOW - Destructive Device
MISERY'S OMEN - Hope Dies
MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT - Quietly
NEATH - The Small Untruths
OCEANS OF SADNESS - The Arrogance of Ignorance
OCTOBER FALLS - The Womb of Primordial Nature
OPETH - Watershed
PROTEST THE HERO - Fortress
PYRAMAZE - Immortal
SABATON - The Art of War
SOULJOURNERS - Mind Control
TESLA - Forever More
THYRFING - Hels Vite
TOMMORROW'S EVE - Tales of Serpentia
TRIVIUM - Shogun
VELNIAS - Sovereign Nocturnal
VOLBEAT - Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood
VOODOO CIRCLE - VooDoo Circle
VOTUM - Time Must Have a Start
ZERO HOUR - Dark Deceiver

Zod

 

[Cheiron]

BLACK HORIZON'S - A Dream's Funeral // Don't know it
BLOOD RED THRONE - Come Death // Didn't catch onto me first time
BLOODBATH - The Fathomless Mastery // I need to listen to it more
CHAOSWAVE - Dead Eye Dreaming // Liked it
CULT OF LUNA - Eternal Kingdom // Didn't do much for me
DANE, WARRELL - Praises To The War Machine // Enjoyed it quite a bit. But haven't listened to it since the first few times.
DARK EMPIRE - Humanity Dethroned // Its a good album. I haven't listened to it as much as I'd prefer. I can't even find it right now.
DARKESTRAH - The Silk Road // Never heard
DARKSPACE - Darkspace III // Never heard
ENSLAVED - Vertebrae // Haven't heard it
EVERGREY - Torn // Its good, but I feel like something is missing.
EYEFEAR - The Unseen // Haven't heard it
GATES OF WINTER - Lux Aeterna // Meh.
GOJIRA - The Way of All Flesh // Good stuff
GRAND MAGUS - Iron Will // Haven't heard the whole thing. What I have heard I like.
GRAVEYARD - Graveyard // Haven't heard
ICED EARTH - The Crucible of Man // I like this one, but it, like Evergrey's, feels like something is missing.
IHSAHN - angL // Haven't heard it.
MALPRACTICE - Triangular // Haven't heard it. Want to though.
MGLA - Groza // Never heard
MINDFLOW - Destructive Device // Good stuff. Their best album to date.
MISERY'S OMEN - Hope Dies // Never heard.
MOUTH OF THE ARCHITECT - Quietly // Didn't leave much of an impression
NEATH - The Small Untruths // Never heard
OCEANS OF SADNESS - The Arrogance of Ignorance // Never heard
OCTOBER FALLS - The Womb of Primordial Nature // Never heard
OPETH - Watershed // I like it less the more I listen to it, but some killer songs.
PROTEST THE HERO - Fortress // Excellent album.
PYRAMAZE - Immortal // It is pretty good. But too much of an Iced Earth album due to the songwriting.
SABATON - The Art of War // Excellent. Voice overs get annoying, but I love it.
SOULJOURNERS - Mind Control // Very good.
TESLA - Forever More // Hated it.
THYRFING - Hels Vite // Haven't heard it.
TOMMORROW'S EVE - Tales of Serpentia // Very good. Singer makes this band work.
TRIVIUM - Shogun // Didn't do much for me. I need to visit it again, as its been a while. Kind of felt like they don't know where they are going, musically.
VELNIAS - Sovereign Nocturnal // Never heard
VOLBEAT - Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood // Haven't heard it yet.
VOODOO CIRCLE - VooDoo Circle // Never heard
VOTUM - Time Must Have a Start // I like it, but its unlikely I return to it much more.
ZERO HOUR - Dark Deceiver // I really get into this CD. Its a great CD to drive to.

 

[ashaman7122]

I'm always amazed at how similar our thought processes are Zod. I've been thinking the exact same thing, and yes, maybe not to your extent, I keep a database on new releases and purchases as well. My collection is databased too. I, too, enjoy the thrill of the chase rather than the kill, and I, too, freak out when there's nothing in the mailbox...something must have gone wrong.

After briefly looking at everything that was purchased in 2008, it was mostly new releases with some minor filling of back catalog. Nothing really new, and nothing that really made me stand up and cheer. Like you, looking back, I feel that there are some of those releases that I probably should have gotten more enjoyment from if only I had devoted myself a bit more...

OK...at this point, I'm just repeating what you said...but you're not alone in that analysis. Those two words...growing ambivalence...are the key here.

Call it what you will...we get older, and we get busier. Hopefully, we make more money than when we were younger, so we have the freedom to buy more shit...but less time to do shit with it...it's a paradox...

I have discovered that my tolerance for discovering and accepting new bands is growing more strict. There has to something truly original, heavy, catchy, enjoyable, satisfying, intruiging (whatever) for me to jump on the bandwagon lately. My bullshit meter is on...and it seems like I've heard it all before. But...that's what happens when you're a full-time obsessive fan and collector of something. Eventually, you hit saturation point.

Where will it end? Who knows? I'm 37. Will I still be buying metal when I'm 50? I'll probably be buying some stuff, but I kinda imagine that the breadth and depth of my collection will get me through the musical drought of my later years when the music that I love has left. Remember the drought of the early-mid 90s when American (Hair) Metal faded and the Euro-Power Metal base was just building. I switched to blues for a while cuz I wasn't gonna listen to grunge...so it was blues and my existing collection that sustained me for those few years. So...maybe our obsessive collecting is our way of stockpiling before the next musical drought (ha!). Maybe we're not absorbing the music now, but 15 years from now when we're digging into the archives, we'll realize that Torn album by Evergrey was really fucking killer...what year did it come out?

Rock on!

 

[Jasonic]

Hrmmm...
Your list actually contains NONE of my top releases for 2008.
Some of my favs were:
Manilla Road - Voyager
Candlemass - Lucifer Rising
Power Quest - Master of Illusion
Gates of Slumber - Conqueror
Motorhead - Motorizer

Not one of those disappointed!
Though we could all list our top 10s for every year and never come to an agreement.

 

[Cheiron]

Hrmmm...
Your list actually contains NONE of my top releases for 2008.
Some of my favs were:
Manilla Road - Voyager
Candlemass - Lucifer Rising
Power Quest - Master of Illusion
Gates of Slumber - Conqueror
Motorhead - Motorizer

Not one of those disappointed!
Though we could all list our top 10s for every year and never come to an agreement.

I've seen so few comments about Voyager. How does it compare to past albums?

Interesting you have an EP as one of your favs (Lucifer Rising). But I loved it as well.

Your enjoyment of PQ somewhat continues to surprise me, as while I think they are good, they are fairly cookie cutter power metal.

I haven't heard the new Gates yet. I don't want to spend $18 on it.

 

[Heavenly Call]

Hrmmm...
Your list actually contains NONE of my top releases for 2008.
Some of my favs were:
Manilla Road - Voyager
Candlemass - Lucifer Rising
Power Quest - Master of Illusion
Gates of Slumber - Conqueror
Motorhead - Motorizer

Not one of those disappointed!
Though we could all list our top 10s for every year and never come to an agreement.

How you can have Manilla Road, Candlemass, AND Power Quest in your top releases I'll never know! ha ha That's the great thing about music...you like what you like!

 

[Jasonic]

Voyager is a little slower than say, Crystal Logic.
Still solid, and good to hear they have stayed true to their epic metal formula after all these years.

Yeah, the C-Mass is an EP. I am a HUGE fanboy, so I have to still list as a fav album of the year. Lucifer Rising is SUCH a killer track!

Power Quest are a band that has clicked with me ever since their second one came out. Their 80s'/retro/synth driven brand of metal seems a lot more genuine than other bands. Also, I think their song writing gets stronger with each release.

If you like true doom, Gates of Slumber are your band!

As I said, no two people will ever agree. I am sure there are metal fans on this forum who would not give a doom band the time of day, so some will never know.

 

[Jasonic]

How you can have Manilla Road, Candlemass, AND Power Quest in your top releases I'll never know! ha ha That's the great thing about music...you like what you like!

EXACTLY!

I like what I like. I don't care if BAND A and at the other end of the metal spectrum than BAND B. I can listen to the flowery-est of metal band one minute, and then a death doom band the next, and think nothing of it.

I guess growing up, I went through a metal phase, a punk and hardcore phase, an alternative / indie phase, etc, etc. I can appreciate a lot of different genres.

 

[General Zod]

Cherion...

Some quick hits on those you hadn't heard of...

BLACK HORIZON'S - A Dream's Funeral // High quality, Black Metal, with strong guitar work and crisp production
DARKESTRAH - The Silk Road // Epic, atmospheric Black Metal. They're becoming one of the elite bands in the genre.
DARKSPACE - Darkspace III // Avant Garde/Atmospheric Black Metal. Almost more about mood than music. Sounds like the soundtrack to a deeply disturbed movie.
ENSLAVED - Vertebrae // Black Metal meets Pink Floyd. What Opeth did with Death Metal, Enslaved is doing with Black Metal.
EYEFEAR - The Unseen // Prog / Power Metal with excellent vocals, but with songwriting that has yet to grab me.
GRAVEYARD - Graveyard // Stoner / Retro / 70s. Think a Metal version of Cream.
MGLA - Groza // Atmospheric Black Metal.
VELNIAS - Sovereign Nocturnal // Atmospheric Black Metal

ashaman7122...

Just curious... have you noticed your tastes changing/evolving? Lately, I seem most interested in Black Metal. Not the CoF/Dimmu variety. But some of the lesser known acts. I suspect much of it isn't breaking new ground. However, since the ground is new to me, it doesn't really matter. There's just something about the music that has another level, which I find very satisfying. Unlike Power and Prog, which has begun to have a been there / done that feel about it.

Jasonic...

As you may or may not be aware, I hate Doom. When it's used in small parts, to add variety, I don't mind it. But when it's the overwhelming style, it's not for me. So right off the bat, the following (which I've heard) aren't for me:

Manilla Road - Voyager
Candlemass - Lucifer Rising
Gates of Slumber - Conqueror

In regard to Power Quest, or Power Metal in general for that matter, if the vocalist doesn't slay me, count me uninterested. With the exception of projects involving Barlow, Urban or Lance, I expect you'll only see a small handful of Power Metal releases each year in my Top XX.

Motorhead... I have a world of respect for them, but they've never done a thing for me.

Though we could all list our top 10s for every year and never come to an agreement.

What about Novembers Doom?

Zod

 

[ashaman7122]

Yeah, tastes are changing a little...

Rakosh was the first to start nudging me into more of the melodic death / death / hardcore realms that I've ever been willing to go before. Although, I have also been digging back into a lot of classic and current doom that I never expanded my collection into before. Here's where you and I differ...I love a good doom album. I believe that doom metal is the last pure form of metal left...until someone comes along and fucks it all up with some cross-genre-lization band...haha!

I'm willing to expand my tastes somewhat...just whatever grabs me.

But yeah, you're right, when you're exploring uncharted ground (to you)...it's all new...and it's all good!

 

[General Zod]

I believe that doom metal is the last pure form of metal left...

Perhaps. But purity is vastly overrated. Regardless of whether you're talking about women or music... pure gets dull fast.

Zod

 

[PurpleCrayonWriter]

Perhaps. But purity is vastly overrated. Regardless of whether you're talking about women or music... pure gets dull fast.

Zod

You rock, Zod.

 

[Jasonic]

Zod -
Well, the new Novembers Doom (whose title and artwork will be revealed today!!!) is already my #1 for 2009!!

For the record, Manilla Road are not doom.
They are true American cult metal, to the core!
They are a must, if you like classic US stuff, ala Jag Panzer, etc.

As far as traditional doom, I know it's not for everyone.
Though there are a lot of bands that push the envelope of the genre. For example, I would say ELECTRIC WIZARD are the ENSLAVED of the genre, if you know what I mean.

My tastes evolve over time.

When I first heard Nightwish, I hated them with a passion.
For some reason, they clicked with me recently.

 

[Angrafan]

I am on the same boat as Zod an ashaman7122...and I am just 25 (but listening to metal since I was 14...)

With 2 differences: I had to get away from Metal almost entirely to still find anything that interests me... If I was to do a top 30 of 2008 I don't think I'd have 5 metal releases on my list.... and I've finally started to get off my "collector's mentality".... I am starting to enjoy more of the same, my need for new things is decreasing... Don't get me wrong, I still need new music, new artists... But I am learning to enjoy what I already knew...

Does this happen to you guys? I tend to get attached to the music that I liked in a certain period of time... Angra for example. I feel that If I was introduced to Angels Cry today I'd hate it... But I still love Angels Cry, Holy Land.... and I am totally incapable of listeing to any of their recent stuff... It could be Angra, Shaman, Andre Matos solo... nothing interests me, but that old stuff I still enjoy listening to!

I started to think it was ME and not the music itself as soon as I noticed a trend: Not only I wasn't enjoying any new power/prog metal band with high pitched-vocals, I coulldn't really listen to any new albums that my old favorite bands put out... that goes for everyone! Angra, Blind Guardian, Dream Theater, Helloween, Stratovarius.... I still listen to the stuff they released in the 90's.... but I don't think there is a single disc relased after say...2001 that I find to be GREAT. Even discs that the fans seem to love, like some of the most recent Kamelot work.... I still think that 4th Legacy is their best album... It probably isn't... but it's their only album that I enjoy listening to LOL...

 

[dcowboys311]

DARKESTRAH - The Silk Road
DARKSPACE - Darkspace III
GOJIRA - The Way of All Flesh
GRAND MAGUS - Iron Will
IHSAHN - angL
MGLA - Groza
PROTEST THE HERO - Fortress


Awesome discs. The rest were are either ok, I don't like, or haven't heard.

Once these 3 months are over, there are a few 2008 discs that you should check out if you haven't heard them yet. Dead Congregation and Krallice are both fantastic!

 

[Pellaz]

Some intriguing titles here. Couldn't you have posted this BEFORE I made my quarterly mail-order CD purchases?

I've got a bit of Googling and listening to do.

 

[Burnout]

No Cynic?

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

When I first heard Nightwish, I hated them with a passion.
For some reason, they clicked with me recently.

Was it the change in singers or were vocals not a factor for you? Or did you just revisit an older disc?

 

[General Zod]

You rock, Zod.

Thank you Sir.

Well, the new Novembers Doom is already my #1 for 2009!

Mine as well.

For the record, Manilla Road are not doom. They are true American cult metal, to the core!

True. A few of the guys on the RC board pimp them all the time, but I've never liked the singer's voice. I'm sure I'll revisit at some point. Is there one release by them, in particular, I should investigate?

Does this happen to you guys? I tend to get attached to the music that I liked in a certain period of time... Angra for example. I feel that If I was introduced to Angels Cry today I'd hate it..

Definitely. I still give the first two Hammerfall discs the occasional spin. However, if I was hearing them for the first time today, they'd probably make me laugh.

Once these 3 months are over, there are a few 2008 discs that you should check out if you haven't heard them yet. Dead Congregation and Krallice are both fantastic!

I listened to a few snippets of the Dead Congregation on their MySpace page right before finalizing my list. It didn't strike me as something I'd like, but I'll probably give it a full listen it at some point. I downloaded and spun the Krallice. I didn't get it. Not sure what the fuss was. But over on RC, both discs are landing on a number of year end lists.

Some intriguing titles here. Couldn't you have posted this BEFORE I made my quarterly mail-order CD purchases? I've got a bit of Googling and listening to do.

Yeah... That always happens this time of year.

No Cynic?

You know, I saw their new one on a bunch of year end lists, but I assumed it was a nostalgia pick. I've never really listened to them (a few tracks here and there). For whatever reason, I've just never been intruiged. Is the new one really that good?

Zod

 

[edgeofthorns]

How noble of you Zod!

~Brian~