Riot was an enormously influential band and their Thundersteel album was, IMO, one of the best pure metal albums ever released. Riot had just reformed that classic Thundersteel line up and recorded the very impressive Immortal Soul album a few months ago. Mark was preparing for a tour in support of that album when he was hospitalized. He leaves us at the young age of fifty-seven.

All of us at Angry Metal Guy extend our condolences to the Reale family and bandmates and wish them all the best in these difficult times. Mark is now an immortal soul and his music will live on forever. R.I.P.

Related posts:

1. Riot Founder/Guitarist Mark Reale Hospitalized in Serious Condition
2. Riot – Immortal Soul Review
3. Retro-spective Review: Riot – Thundersteel

“We are receiving updates on his condition several times daily, and Mark is currently undergoing procedures to stabilize him. His father, in addition to several dedicated friends of the band and the family, are at Mark’s side constantly as doctors work to restore him to health. In accordance with the family’s wishes, no further details are being released at this time. While we are saddened by these developments, Riot’s music has been Mark’s lifeblood for over 30 years. We have struggled with idea of performing without him, and we are continuing to prepare with heavy hearts, but the entire Riot organization has agreed on the importance of bringing our music to the fans who have supported us for so long. Please watch this site for news on Mark’s recovery, and we ask that friends and fans pray for the best possible outcome. Thank you for continuing to support Riot during this difficult time, and we will see you at the shows.”

Mike, Tony, Bobby and Don

We here at Angry Metal Guy want to join in extending our hopes for a full and speedy recovery to Mark and all his loved ones. May the metal keep you strong and have you back in the spotlight very soon!

Related posts:

1. Riot Founder/Guitarist Mark Reale Passes Away
2. Riot – Immortal Soul Review
3. Retro-spective Review: Riot – Thundersteel

So, I just got this off a forum who apparently got it off of one of the band member’s Facebook pages, but apparently Joe Lombard who played the full lengths Blasphemy, Decimate Christendom, and Primordial Domination for Incantation has died. Here’s his obituary. It apparently happened on the 3rd of January, 2012.

RIP.

Edit: SMN is reporting that he committed suicide. That’s a damned shame.

Related posts:

1. Opeth Bush Crash/Suicide
2. Peter Steele Confirmed Dead
3. SPV is toast?

Work Through a PR Firm: Now, I normally don’t encourage anyone to deal with PR. People who do PR are generally the scum of the earth. Well, except for the people who do PR in metal, at which point, they are a very useful link between a reviewer and a number of independent releases. Do not underestimate what having someone doing your press work for you will do for you. I have discovered plenty of bands through PR firms that I probably would never have listened to otherwise and more importantly because PR firms use smart strategies, even if I miss one of their e-mails (highly likely, think 420 unread emails), I still have access to the promo material with your pictures, your bio and so forth. Yes, PR firms cost money: but then again, they save you time and they garner (from anecdotal experience) way more attention than you’d ever get for yourselves.

However, not everyone is loaded. Some bands are local bands without much money who invest their time in getting someone with a name to produce their material, or in really snazzy artwork. Your priorities are priorities (though, frankly, if you’re doing either of those two things, the above advice stands), but then…

Have A Plan: One of the things that a PR firm should do for you is plan your strategy for getting your music out there to the world. This plan should basically be set up three months ahead of time and should be followed accordingly. At the beginning of this plan you should have a bio. Preferably a well-written bio that isn’t much longer than a paragraph (or maybe two). Then, you’re going to want to have promotional photos that you package with high quality mp3s in a zip file. This can be sent to a digital promotional tool like Haulix or iPool (but if you’ve got the money for that, why not use a PR firm?), but another strategy is to just start assembling a mailing list. Do not abuse this mailing list. The more e-mails you send out, the less likely I become to read them. But when you’re ready to start sending out your promotional material (roughly two months ahead of time for print magazines and roughly a month ahead of time for blogs and zines), you can hit up these mailing lists and distribute your material.

Send Access to Promos Immediately: I don’t want to have to e-mail with you in order to get your promos, particularly when you’re sending me a review request. Don’t “kindly request” reviews of me (and on a side note, don’t request that I interview your band): just send me the damn link! As an independent band in a virtual flood of independent bands, your approach really does make all the difference. Me receiving a two sentences with a release date of your material and a link to your album and promotional material equals 2 minutes of work for me, and therefore a lot more likely that you’ll get a review in the long run.

Bloggers and Magazines Owe You Nothing: I think it is best, particularly if you’re not using a PR firm, to expect that less than half of all the e-mails you send will ever get read. These people owe you nothing and getting cranky at them gets you nowhere. The best thing to do is to send a follow up e-mail, in a couple of lines of clear language, asking them if they could tell you whether or not they plan on reviewing your material.

Another thing that’s important to remember for the grand scheme of things is that reviewers are doing you a service by reviewing your material (and sometimes, they’re doing you a service by not reviewing your material—Amaranthe had the misfortune of having my review of their last record as their first hit on Google for quite some time). Most websites advertise, and all of them want to be more popular than they are. And so reviewing the material of underground bands is often times a mission of reviewers, but it’s never a strategy for success. Reviews of your material may get to the people who are always looking for good, new material, but most people will never read the reviews. This is a sad reality, but it’s also the reality.

Finally: I’ve probably missed some things, but these are general words of wisdom to live by. Plan, plan, plan and put your damn money into it. If you have invested your life into your project, invest the extra cash it costs to make sure that people actually hear your music and take you seriously. If you follow these easy tips, you’ll probably get a lot more reviews than if you send me a YouTube clip of your latest project with an e-mail that is filled with apologies, misspellings and no punctuation at all. Just sayin’.

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy Speaks: On AngryMetalGuy.com
2. Angry Metal Guy Speaks: On His Own Obsolescence
3. Angry Metal Guy Speaks: On Objectivity

2011, really, was a gigantic disappointment. The records I was really looking forward to this year definitely let me down. The new Opeth was nothing to write home about, the new Amon Amarth was the same ol’ same ol’, the new Symphony X left me underwhelmed, while the records that the scene kids got boners over were stuff that isn’t really my thing. There were some really good albums this year, but they came from very unexpected places. In other words, I could never have predicted that this list would have looked like this at the beginning of the year.

So here’s to the disappointing year that was and hopefully to a much more interesting (musically) 2012. May we all see out the end of the year!

(ish): Comorant // Dwellings (Self-Released) — This record hasn’t been out long enough for me to declare it as one of my top 10 records, but I have to say that it has all the makings of a record that I will be listening to for a long, long time. It’s a good blend of melodic deathy vibes and modern strains of black metal. I love the production, the feel and the depth of this music. Only time will tell, but I’m giving this record my (ish) because it at least deserves a nod for being in strong contention.

#10: Yggdrasil // Irrbloss (Grandmaster Music) — I have to tip my hat to a member of the Vintersorg forum for tipping me off to this album, actually. She said it was one of her most anticipated records of the year and, well, I’d never really listened to the band at all. So I checked it out when it came out and was very surprised. In a year when good ol’ fashioned Swedish folk melodies have swayed my opinion a lot, Irrbloss nailed it. The musicianship and writing on this album are both outstanding and I am pleased to say that it earned its place here. The logo is also super sexy.

#9: Leprous // Bilateral (InsideOut) — So this album was definitely one of the coolest discoveries for me of the year. Wandering that fine line between extreme metal and Faith No More, Norwegian Leprous (who also double as Ihsahn‘s backing band), produced one of the most unique progressive records of the year. Eschewing of traditional progressive metal tendencies, Leprous constructs instead an alternate view of the direction of prog with this outstanding release. This is a stupendous release that has grown with time.

#8: Absu // Abzu (Candlelight) — I’m not sure how Absu continue to produce such excellent material regularly, but Abzu is definitely a serious winner in my book. While the scene consensus seems to have decided that this is the lesser son of greater fathers, I just don’t see where they’re coming from at all. Call it Reign in Blood disease, but this record’s balls to the walls attitude and short length made for one of the most enjoyable listens of the year for me. Looking forward to Apsu (so if 2011 is any kind of precedent, I’ll hate it).

#7: Falconer // Armod (Metal Blade) — I don’t take back my review of this record, but by the end of the year its fallen a bit down the rankings. Still, despite me not being nearly as rabid about it being the best album ever written, it is still a really awesome and enjoyable one. This is a record full of fantastic folky festivities, excellent writing and arrangements of traditional Swedish songs and vocal performances that make Angry Metal Girlfriend cringe just so. A great album and one definitely worth your consideration as the year comes to a close.

#6: The Black Dahlia Murder // Ritual (Metal Blade) — OK, this is the year’s “come back” album if ever there was one. I liked these guys’ first two records a lot, but I felt there was a bit of a dip in quality. With the addition of former Arsis guitar player Ryan Knight, everything about this band got taken up a notch. The guitar work on this record is ridiculous, and easily some of the best guitar performances that I heard this year. The writing and the riffing got kicked up a notch, too, with amazing tracks like “On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood” and “Blood in the Ink”. Apparently all that D&D™ has led to greatness.

#5: Vintersorg // Jordpuls (Napalm Records) — Well, this is another album that could class for “come back of the year, ” as well. As a non-fan of Solens rötter I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was clear to me from the opening notes of this album that this was a return to form. It might not outclass the classics of Till fjälls and Ödemarkens son but it is every bit as enjoyable as those records were, and it is one of my favorite albums of the year. Fans of progressive and melodic metal should check this out.

#4: The Human Abstract // Digital Veil (Steamhammer) — This record was a huge surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be that good. Hell, I didn’t even get a promo of it, I actually ended up hearing it streaming on AOL music. I actually purchased it immediately and went against my own policy of not reviewing records that I didn’t receive a promo of. I love this album, while I hate the scene it comes from and the production is way too manufactured, I cannot argue with the neo-classical approach and the great vocal performances. This is a fantastic album, and one of the best of 2011.

#3: Shining // Född förlorare (Spinefarm) — At first I wasn’t really convinced. But Född förlorare has shown a growing potential that I didn’t expect. The tracks keep drawing me back and the flow of the album is really perfect. It’s the kind of record you want to listen to all the way from start to finish, and the only bad moment on it is the little Swedish girl singing “You Are My Sunshine” at the beginning. After that, it settles into Kvarforth’s schtick: annoying the crap out of Angry Metal Girlfriend. The guest appearances are great and the Landberk cover is excellent. Also, this is definitely the best Opeth record of the year.

#2: Omnium Gatherum // New World Shadows (Lifeforce Records) — The new Omnium Gatherum record did for me what Insomnium was always supposed to do: it livened up a pretty stale melodic death scene by putting out a killer record that I couldn’t stop listening to. And man did I get blindsided. From the opening moments of this album I was stuck, and while “Ego” is probably my favorite song on the record (and one of my favorites of the year), every song is genius. This is melodic death metal done right. And such a damn powerful record. Well played.

#1: Moonsorrow // Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maasa (Spinefarm) — Well, I called it the year’s first perfect record. And really, I think it was the year’s only perfect record. Sure, I gave out either high scores (some I regret), but this album doesn’t lose any of its luster a year later and that’s saying something. Moonsorrow really is at the top of their game and Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maasa is an epic journey through darkness and cold that makes it seem like the band boiled down the essence of a Finnish winter and got it into a multi-tracking machine. This is easily the year’s best album. Incredible.

Honorable Mentions:
Anaal Nathrakh // Passion — This record made it really close to being number 10. This was basically bottled insanity, with just enough melody to keep me entranced.
Black Sun Aeon // Blacklight Deliverence — Tuomas Saukkonen hits home again after a pretty banal Routa. Good stuff, and worth a listen if you haven’t heard it.
Kebnekajse // Idioten — Not a perfect album, but a really enjoyable prog rock record from these Swedish veterans. Fans of Swedish folk would be well advised to check it out.
Vomitory // Opus Mortis VIII — Didn’t make the final list, but this is a good fucking album. It was definitely in the running all the way along.
Ulcerate // Destroyers of All  — This is a really unique and solid death metal album. It’s techy, misanthropic and leaves the listener feeling very uneasy. Not for the weak, but definitely one of the year’s best.

Biggest disappointment:
Primordial // Redemption at the Puritan’s Hand – Maybe someday I’ll understand what everyone sees in this record, but as of today I still get lost right in the middle and can’t keep listening. I was so looking forward to this album after the band’s previous output, but just can’t. A really serious bummer. I wanted to like it, but just couldn’t.

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10 Songs from 2011
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 15(ish) of the 2000s
3. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2010

Before said delivery, I want to extend my thanks to AMG for allowing me to share in the day-to-day trials and tribulations inherent in keeping this fantastic site alive and well. Of course, all the hard work we put into this would be pointless without you, the readers (or sheeple, as AMG secretly refers to you all). Your loyal readership and regular contributions [And thirsty demand for numerical ratings! - AMG] give the site a feeling of community that many other sites lack and you’re what makes the job so damn rewarding. So, without getting too sappy, Steel Druhm loves you all (even when you don’t agree with my indisputable brilliance). Shine on, you crazy King Diamonds! Okay, enough caring and sharing, let’s get to the paring! Raise the horns for 2012 and on with the hootenanny!

#10: Ava Inferi // Onyx - I owe these folks an apology of sorts. Although I gave their album a solid 3.5 and said good things, over the course of the year, this album kept growing on me and ended up getting more playtime than many albums with higher ratings. There’s something mysterious and otherworldly about it that keeps drawing me back. The melancholy writing and playing by Rune Eriksen and the haunting vocals by Carmen Susana Simoes combine to load this thing down with atmosphere and it overcame my burnout on female fronted goth-metal. Songs like “The Living End,” “Majesty” and “The Heathen Island” hum with dark energy despite the melodic vocals. It’s that ominous vibe just below the surface that makes things crackle and hum.  Although I can’t get into their previous material, Onyx clicks and is a real winner. Should have given it a higher score, my bad!

#9: Vyrion // Vyrion - These guys hit like a bolt of black lightning with a completely unheralded blast of progressive black metal and  it was just what the doctor ordered to allay my chronic black metal fatigue. It’s inventive, well written blackness incorporating elements of death, doom and goth along with a fair amount of post rock and managing to piece them all together into memorable songs. Sure, the production is cavernous, hollow and saddled with too much reverb but it doesn’t derail the impact of the top-flight material. There’s nasty, ugly stuff on here and there’s emotional, grandiose moments bound to impress. Don’t sleep on these Aussie newcomers, they’re onto something and they could evolve into something truly special, like a flesh-eating butterfly!

#8:  Battle Beast // Steel - Into every life, some cheese must fall and Battle Beast is that cheddar! Another band that came from left field to shock and awe, the Beast brings an irresistible 80′s worshipping, true metal brand of histrionics and silliness. Led by the uber-metal pipes of front-woman Nitte Valo, these proud Finns blast through every metal cliché known to God and Man and its nonstop fun and oh so rockin (with Dokken). At times more loinclothy than Manowar and more Germanic than Helloween, the entire length of Steel is catchy, fist-in-the-air, brain-at-the-door metal like they don’t write anymore and I defy you to only listen once (its like a musical potato chip). It also doesn’t hurt they named this thing after me, though of course, I can’t be bought and don’t play favorites. You complete me, Ms. Valo.

#7: Helrunar // Sól - Very few super-obscure bands have the ability (not to mention the means) to release a double album of  raw, uncompromising black metal, but Helrunar did just that with Sól. This thing is ninety minutes of caustic, sledgehammer-like blackness with heaps of grinding Celtic Frosty doom mixed in and it works like a charm. There’s tons of quality, a lot of heaviness and some interesting melodic passages as well. What amazed me was how consistently good this thing was over its long length. It’s a blackened tour-de-force and contains some of the best moments of extreme music from 2011, especially the ginormous title track, which you all should hear. Big album, big win! But how do you top it?

#6: Septic Flesh // The Great Mass - The lords of crazy-ass classical, symphonic black/death are back and man, did they make a big statement in 2011. Refining their berserk hodge-podge of elements to a razor’s edge, The Great Mass is a roller coaster ride through hell with Pinhead as your disgruntled and surly guide. The wild directional shifts from brutality to bombastic symphonics are disorienting but highly creative and well constructed. There’s a great dichotomy between ugly and beautiful throughout and it really turns the head and keeps you on your toes. Some of this stuff is so catchy, it’s shocking, while other stuff is so heavy and insane, it’s actually terrifying. Several friends asked me to turn this album off because it was “freaking them out,” so you know it’s gotta be good! Death metal needs these kinds of genre expanding bands. The Great Mass indeed!

#5:  Pentagram // Last Rites - I have to admit, it tickles me that the best doom metal album of the year came from the long-struggling, underrated geezers collectively known as Pentagram. These guys are old as dirt and have more miles on them than Amtrak, but fuck all if they didn’t find the Fountain of Youth with this MOFO. Last Rites is a throwback to the very beginnings of doom and rooted deep in the bluesy 70′s style these chaps pioneered along with Black Sabbath. Slow, thick and dirgey but melodic and steeped in world-weariness and exasperation, it could be the soundtrack for the occasional burnout we all experience in life. The care-worn, thread-bare vocals of Bobby Liebling mix so perfectly with the simplistic, haunted riffing by Victor Griffin, it’s indisputable these doom legends were made for each other. Doom to the world, the Lords have come!

#4: Arch/Matheos // Sympathetic Resonance - This quasi-Fates Warning reunion project had my anticipation factor set for nervous breakdown and it didn’t disappoint one iota. Anytime vocalist extraordinaire  John Arch (one of the best voices to ever grace metal) returns to music it’s going to be something special, but when teamed with his old Fates compatriots, pure magic results. It’s proggy, technical as hell, surprisingly heavy and made instantly accessible by Arch’s unbelievable pipes and vocal placement. The man’s one-of-a-kind voice soars over some very convoluted music and everything somehow gels. Huge props for the lyrical tribute to Fates classic “Exodus” in the beginning of “Stained Glass Sky.” A progressive masterwork, not to be missed. Hail the golden Arch!

#3: Voyager // The Meaning of I - Proggy heavy metal from down under and one of the most addicting listens of 2011. Featuring an odd blend of traditional, power metal and A-HA (yes, that A-HA), this is an album overflowing with impossibly catchy earworms of the most unkillable variety. Listen to songs like “Stare Into the Night,” “Iron Dreams” or “Fire of the Times” and you’ll see what I mean. Despite the catchiness, the songs have real substance and this is an excellent album through and through. While the cold, overproduced over-modern mix can put some people off, the songs speak for themselves. The few times  I didn’t have this on, various friends demanded to hear it. It has a way of infecting anyone that hears it. It’s an aural epidemic!

#2: Riot // Immortal Soul - I’ve said it a bunch and I’ll go to the grave saying it, Riot‘s 1988 Thundersteel album is one of the best metal albums ever written. I slavishly play that thing to this day and it never gets stale. When the revered Thundersteel lineup reunited last year to record a new album, I didn’t dare to hope they could come close to rivaling that sacred golden cow. Well, Immortal Soul landed late in the year and it comes as close as possible to equaling it in quality and addictiveness. Featuring the still amazing pipes of Tony Moore and the always dazzling fretboard gymnastics of Mark Reale, this thing is a big ole fistful of catchy, melodic but raging metal and I love every minute of it. Every single song blisters with Painkiller-esque leather and chrome and there’s one HUGE chorus after another to trip over. The only reason this didn’t end up in the #1 spot was its relative newness and that its staying power hasn’t been fully battle-tested yet. This is the biggest comeback of the year and a HUGE win for a legendary metal band. Welcome back Riot, I missed ya!

#1: Omnium Gatherum // New World Shadows – This was the shocker of the this year for me. Though I liked their previous album, I never expected anything from them THIS good! Virtually jump starting the entire melo-death genre single-handedly, New World Shadows is a monsterpiece of art and balance, deftly blending true death metal vocals with a cornucopia of glossy, often frilly melodies. Taking the best pieces of the Gothenberg ethos and technical flare of vintage In Flames and fusing them into a power metal construct loaded with keyboards and clean vox simply shouldn’t have worked this well. Songs like “Everfield,” “Soul Journeys” and the title track are jaw dropping in their power, scope and beauty. This got far more airtime than anything else this year and it holds up exceedingly well. Kudos, OG, you win the heavyweight title for 2011!

- ish: Anubis Gate // Anubis Gate - Since AMG gives me an “ish” as well as a top ten, I had to give it to these great Danes. It seems every release by these prog-power champs ends up somewhere on my end of the year list and this one is no different. Despite changing singers, they kept the quality intact and this eponymous opus is pure melodic gold from start to finish. Every song is prog-power as it was meant to be and several songs were candidates for my “top ten songs of the year” list. While there’s a slight change in musical direction, it’s very palatable and Henrik Fevre’s vocals make them sound a lot like Vanden Plas. “The Reformation Show” alone makes the album a worthwhile investment, but there are lots more goodies besides and this is one very listenable, engaging jaunt through melodic metal. Simply put, they have the “ish” factor.

Honorable Mentions:

• Sinister Realm // The Crystal Eye - A no-bullshit, stripped-down epic/doom metal ass kicking.
• Hate Eternal // Phoenix Amongst the Ashes – The album Morbid Angel decided not to give us.
• Draconian // A Rose for the Apocalypse – The year’s best “beauty and beast” album also features great doom.
• Aurvandil // Yearning – One of the most atmospheric black metal outings in recent memory.
• Loss // Despond – Crushing funeral doom that manages to be oddly catchy.
• Toxic Holocaust // Conjure and Command - Shamelessly fun throwback mid-80s thrash.
• Argus // Boldly Stride the Doomed – Old timey epic metal with loads of doom and balls of lead.
• Before the Dawn // Deathstar Rising – Brilliantly heavy goth-tinged death from Finland.
• Black Sun Aeon // Blacklight Deliverance – Brilliantly heavy death-tinged doom from Finland.
• Belphegor // Blood Magick Necromance - I told you they’d make it! Great blackened death.

Related posts:

1. Steel Druhm’s Top Ten Songs of 2011
2. Steel Druhm’s Top 10(ish) of 2010
3. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2011

#10: “Storytime” — Nightwish — While the record wasn’t exactly the greatest thing I’d ever heard, “Storytime” totally got me really fucking stoked to hear the album. This song is just everything Nightwish is and should be sort of boiled down to a fine paste. And man, they did such a good job of it. This track is like the unholy union of ABBA and Nightwish, thereby creating an Angry Metal Kryptonite that I fall victim for every time I hear it. It’s like I don’t want to listen, but then suddenly I’m knocked onto the floor singing “I am the voice of Neverneverland!” Due to these sort of obsessive compulsions, I cannot deny that this track belongs on this list. But know that it’s grudging.

#9: “The Violation” — Fleshgod Apocalypse — Alright, so I wasn’t blown away by this album as everyone is aware. But man did I love this song. I don’t have a ton to say about it beyond “wow, listen to those orchestrations!” So, wow! Listen to those orchestrations! While the drums kind of piss on the production a lot, the chorus was definitely cool and the song writing was smart, concise and enjoyable. This is just a kick ass song that definitely ranks among the best and most memorable of the year. By the way, it would have been just as (or more) awesome if all that melody had been played on the guitars instead of keyboards. Just a thought.

#8: “FFF” — Shining — I cannot explain why this song really stuck with me more than the others on this album (or this year), but it just did. I think partially it’s because I turned the chorus into a bit of a joke with Angry Metal Girlfriend when she wanted me to do things I didn’t want to do (“Jag säger nej [NEJ!] till diskandet!”) but this track with its creepy 70s sounding keyboards and its creeping pace just settled in under my skin and stuck. The riffs are memorable and slick, and while the solo is maybe even a tad much, the acoustic parts and melodies are just fantastic. There’s a bit of an Opeth vibe going on here and I straight up dig it.

#7: “Frost upon Their Graves” — Crimfall — By now it should be well known that I think that Helena Haaparanta is the most talented vocalist in metal. It’s tracks like this that make me feel that way. While Crimfall‘s newest album was not as good as its previous one, this song definitely kept me coming back and back.. and back…. and back again. This was everything that I was looking for from this band—melodic, epic and well-constructed, and making you want to do a folk dance. I love, too, that it builds up to a crescendo right at the end. So powerful. Just let it sink in for you as you listen. Folk metal lives! And Crimfall is its name!

#6: “On Stirring Seas of Salted Blood” — The Black Dahlia Murder — Holy shit. The riff on this track is just crushing. I think that this was the song that kind of showed that Ritual really was a different beast than earlier albums and this is the song that I come back to when I want to show people how fucking awesome this record is. The chorus is also awesome with the bass work and Trevor growling the words “On stirring seas of salted blood…” Oh right, and the fucking solo. Seriously, this is just a stellar track. Good on these guys for switching it up and writing some amazing stuff this year.

#5: “Antebellum” — The Human Abstract — I wholly expect Digital Veil to be a one shot, now that the vocalist is already no longer in the band and the guys seem to have gotten their neo-classical bug out of their system. But it’s too bad, because this record produced some of the best material of the year. While the production is really not my style, Travis Richter nails home the vocals in a way that sort of walks the fine line between pop punk vocals and Muse and the melodic structures and melodies are awesome. Combine that with amazing guitar work and some progressive composition and this little epic piece is one of the best songs of the year.

#4: “Fight ‘em ’til You Can’t” — Anthrax — OK, rarely do I fall for the single track from an album, but man this one just rocked my socks off. I’m not even a huge fan of Anthrax or a big fan of Worship Music, but this song with its trend-hopping zombie apocalypse theme and still adorably mulleted vocalist just worked its way into my brain like some sort of… zombie song, and stuck there. Eating. My brains. … OK, that analogy sucked, but this song didn’t. Seriously, it was just everything I wanted to hear from these guys and it really worked. So congrats to the boys from Anthrax.

#3: “Klippor och skär” — Vintersorg — So, for the first time in a long, long time Vintersorg reclaimed his ability to write some of the best melodic black metal or.. whatever the fuck this is. Anyway, back in the day we all fell for Vintersorg choruses like “Astral and Arcane” and “Till fjälls” and “Klippor och skär” continues this tradition in fantastic form. While the track may be a tad busy at times (as I complained in the original review), it still inspired me to go and frolic in the forest and has been on constant rotation all year.

#2: “Ego” – Omnium Gatherum — Omnium Gatherum‘s New World Shadows came as a big surprise to both myself and to my colleague Steel Druhm. Neither of us expected the tour de force that was this Finnish melodic death record. But while he was impressed with the title track, the song that I got stuck on immediately was “Ego,” a 4 minute rocker with some of the catchiest melodic guitar I’ve heard in a long time and a fairly straight forward chunkity chunk chunk going on. I never saw the lyrics, but the chorus is like the ultimate pep song for a person on the brink of something (“SO DO IT!”). Add a sweet solo and smart segues and a Eurovision key change in and this is a recipe for success. This song could’ve been #1, but there’s just one that I like just a tiny bit better.

#1: “To the Shoreline” — Pain of Salvation — As I commented upon in the review, this song outshone the rest of the record in its geniusity. That’s right, geniusity. It’s like the unholy combination of Camel and Ennio Morricone. Then, make it about as awesome and catchy as possible and you’ve got “To the Shorline”. The biggest problem with the song is that it is short as hell, but actually that might be part of why it was so good. In any case, I’ve listened to this track about a bajillion times this year and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Ok, so there were of course more than 10 tracks that deserved to be mentioned here. So I decided that I would mention 5 songs here. Three non-metal songs that I really enjoyed, and a couple of tracks that weren’t quite good enough for the list but that I thought deserved a special mention.

Kyarypamyupamyu — “PONPONPON” — That’s motherfucking right. This song just totally rules and if you don’t like it, well, that’s probably pretty understandable.

The Dear Hunter — “She’s Always Singing (Yellow”) — So this year, these guys put out a huge vinyl box set that they released with a number of EPs in the colors of the rainbow. This track is probably my favorite from the whole collection and has a nice 1960s surf rock vibe to it. I dug, dug, dug it. And still really dig it. The guy who writes this stuff is a seriously talented musical omnivore and I’m always impressed by the stuff he’s doing.

My Brightest Diamond — “Be Brave” — Angry Metal Girlfriend turned me onto this lady and I have to say I’m really impressed. This track is dark and progressive and fascinating. The video is weird and hard to watch, but it’s worth giving a shot if you’re a fan of that kind of stuff.

Falconer — “O tysta ensamhet” — So, this didn’t deserve to be on the list because the band didn’t write it, but man this track really rocks my world. It’s originally a traditional song and there are a ton of different arrangements of it and stuff, but I actually loooove this version of it. It totally kicks you in the junk once the guitars kick in. Great stuff.

Shining  — “I nattens timma” — This is exactly the same as the previous Falconer track. It was written by another band in the 1990s, and Shining just did a really great rendition of it. Again, in my time of darkness and horrible burnout, this is a song I was listening to quite a lot.

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2011
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10(ish) of 2010
3. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 15(ish) of the 2000s

#10: “The Grain” – Hammers of Misfortune - These oddball retro/experimental rockers from San Francisco were always interesting and catchy but this baby is their best song to date and it really put a hook in my brain. Joe Hutton’s passionate but downcast vocals wrap perfectly around the simple riffs and when the chorus arrives, it’s so damn pure,  honest and memorable, I haven’t been able to shake it outta my cranium. The Thin Lizzy-like riffs and solos only add to the huge charm factor. This will be a tough song for these folks to top.

#9: “Mermaids” – Amorphis – While the new platter from these Finnish legends wasn’t as great as I hoped, this song stood out as classic Amorphis and became a big staple in my 2011 playlists. That spacey lead riff is vintage and Tomi’s vocals are brilliant as always. It’s that perfect blend of hooky and bleak, somber and rocking that only Finnish bands seem capable of creating. Great chorus, great atmosphere, great everything. Why couldn’t the rest of The Beginning of Times have been this good? Get em’ next time guys!

#8: “Iron Dreams (In Memorium: Peter Steele)” – Voyager - Maybe it’s my sentimental side talking but this homage to the late great Mr. Steele really hit me in the head and the heart. While Voyager‘s new platter really floored me, this track is the one I keep coming back to for its emotional power, respectful presentation and memorable writing. The lyrics are thoughtful and touching and when the Pete Steele-like vocals come in, it’s actually haunting. Great song for a great man. Geezum crow, Steel Druhm is becoming a big sap in his old age.

#7: “Sanctuary” – Before the Dawn - Tuomas Saukkonen had a good year for himself. He scored big wins with his two main projects and ended up with two songs on this highly esteemed list! This one is the emotional highpoint of a great album and does an excellent job of leveraging the plaintive vocals of Lars Eikind for maximum effect. Conceptually gloomy like all Finnish metal except Korpiklaani, it casts a dark mood but remains so impossibly melodic and hooky, it makes you return time and again for more unhappiness.

#6: ”8″ – Pentagram – These old dogs have been a doom institution since, well, things were doomed! While a lot of their recent material felt watered down in comparison to their classic era, this year saw a great comeback album and this classic throwback to their roots. Mournful, melancholy, brooding, yep, it’s classic Pentagram and both Bobby Liebling and Victor Griffin sound born again and revitalized. Bobby’s forlorn, world-beaten vocals shine and clearly convey a feeling of burden bearing. Victor’s stripped down, simple riffing feels authentic and emotive but heavy as a two ton heavy thing. Doom the way it should be done.

#5: “Solitude” – Black Sun Aeon - Tuomas strikes again! As good as his Before the Dawn material is, he scored his biggest hit with his “other” unit and this brilliant moment of Finnish doom and gloom. Featuring exceptionally well done guest vocals from Janica Lonn and Mikko Heikkila paired with a raw, Entombed-like guitar tone, it’s painfully sad, dirgy and VERY heavy. Tuomas’s familiar riffing style is aces and the chorus is so good, it should get radio airplay. This is what inconsolable sounds like.

#4: “I Am” – Theocracy - Well, no one is more surprised than me that a christian metal song ended up so high on my year-end list. Yes, its loaded with God-fearing lyrics and they’re a might bit preachy but damn if this isn’t an exceptional dose of power metal. Running over eleven minutes, it incorporates traditional, thrash and power metal and always keep things moving, memorable and powerful. There are so many cool moments throughout, it’s staggering. The vocal performance by Matt Smith is stellar and passionate (despite the holier-than-thou lyrics). The fact that this song so completely overcomes the potentially bothersome lyrics is a testament to how good it really is. Stryper this ain’t. This is some seriously well done metal, for the Lord! [No video, sorry! - AMG]

#3: “Sol” – Helrunar - These German black metallers came out of nowhere with a huge double album, of which this is the enormous closing stanza. It’s frigid, epic, heavy as hell and flat-out great. While the first five minutes are a slow, grinding juggernaut, the last six minutes bring on a mournful but monumental guitar solo set-piece with so much damn emotion, it can barely be contained in my iTunes. The first half feels like a struggle up a snow-covered mountain, while the sweeping, beautiful refrains on the back half feels like victory music as you ponder things from the icy summit. A huge piece of music by an unheralded band. This kind of stuff makes the job worth it!

#2: “New World Shadows” – Omnium Gatherum - Talk about a breakthrough album and song! While I enjoyed some of the older Omnium material, this was clearly their year and this song in particular became an instant classic in my book. The amazingly hooky riffing, the hyper-melodic keys and those über guttural vocals all woven so perfectly together, this song blew me away from first listen. I even love the Michael Bolton-esque vocals Dan Swano drops in there! Never has melodic death metal felt this melodic and still so heavy. This was a welcome breath of fresh air in a genre that can feel plenty moribund. Finland wins again!

#1: “Fall Before Me” – Riot – Here it is folks! In a year I was certain “New World Shadows” couldn’t be topped, Riot arose from the dead to seize the top spot with this killer nod to traditional American metal. With the lineup from their classic Thundersteel release back together at last, they uncork this badass song with a very Manowar vibe. Tony Moore’s voice is powerful as ever and he lends a ton of emotion and punch to the proceedings. The guitar lines are simple but effective and there’s a real epic, dramatic vibe which Moore locks into with his great delivery. Memorable moments abound and its fist raising, anthemic and all about balls of steel. Welcome back Riot, thanks for this song!

Related posts:

1. Steel Druhm’s Top 10(ish) of 2011
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10 Songs from 2011
3. Steel Druhm’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 20-11

#5: Sirenia - The Enigma of Life — Oh man. This was actually my first taste of Morten Veland’s post-Tristania band. As a fan of female fronted metal and of the sort of gothic metal subculture, I was hoping that it would be something special. But it was so not. Instead, I was entranced by the utter banality of the whole project. This is among the most boring things I’ve ever experienced, and I cannot imagine anyone listening to this of their own free will. If I could get the several hours I spent listening to this back, I’d probably dedicate it to listening to At Sixes and Sevens, in a desperate attempt to save Hr. Veland a little bit of face.

#4: Shadows’ Grey - Bonjour Tristesse — Actually, the fact that this is the second goth metal band on this list actually probably says something about where this little subgenre is these days. It’s pretty bad. This record was a particularly nutty treat, however. While the vocalist is really talented, her taste in musicians is very poor. And the music on this record was trite, mediocre and destroyed by some of the most horrendous ESL lyrics I’ve ever heard. There were glimmers of hope here, and I feel a bit guilty beating up on people who are already so down (Mr. “Maze” is so sad and deep), but these were wasted hours of my life. And I’d like them back.

#3: Rabbits - Lower Forms — Man, I could not quit listening to this album soon enough. But being a good sport (and trying to be fair to bands I’d never heard before), I decided to give it its due. Honestly, I don’t know that I could sum up how I feel about this band any better than what I wrote at the time (and what they quoted on their website): “It’s like everything I could possibly hate about a record rolled into one and then served on a piece of shit.” Indeed. This damage cannot be undone. But I’m happy to give these guys the satisfaction of me talking about their album again! <3

#2: Morbid Angel - Illud Divinum Insanus — Yeah. I mean, there was some OK stuff on here, but in reality I just want this guys to have not put this album out. Why’d you have to go and do this? It was just totally unnecessary. The band should have seen the backlash coming, but my guess is that they’re too surrounded by yesmen and suckups (certainly the response of other musicians was telling enough) to even have realized how bad it was. It was like that interview where someone asked George Lucas if he realized how much everyone hated Episode I and he was utterly shocked. This record should just disappear. Let’s put it away and agree to never think about it again. Please?

#1: Amaranthe - Amaranthe — I don’t actually have much more to say. This record sucked my will to live. My only wish is that it would go back to the shadows from whence it came!

Steel Druhm

As AMG so wonderfully explained, into every reviewer’s life, some crap must fall and since AMG is the boss, more tends to fall MY way (Steel Druhm is all about team). So, without further preamble, here are the worst examples of the dinosaur poo that invaded my promo bin and staged an unauthorized, unappreciated shit show. Avoid these like a Teletubby in a dark alley.

#5: In Flames – Sounds of a Playground Fading – Although I worship their first three albums still, I’ve long since given up on In Flames. Even with zero expectations, I was surprised how bad this one turned out. From the core-ish writing, abysmal vocals and moronic title, it fails every way it can. It’s almost impossible to remember this is the same band that once released The Jester Race. Sounds like a career fading.

#4: The Haunted – Unseen – While I never bought into the hype even when they were all thrashy, now they’re a big directionless, blob. Unseen cartwheels through generic nu-metal, emo, alternative rock and Clutch-worship and nothing really works. I give some props to Peter Dolving’s vocals for their flexibility but that’s all the praise Steel Druhm has for this clunker.

#3: Amaranthe – Amaranthe - This album embodies everything that’s wrong with commercialized metal. It’s soulless, slick, overproduced and aimed at teenagers who want to rebel, but safely (I call it “bubble gum rebellion”). Safe is not how metal is supposed to feel and this craptastic piece of shiny plastic is safer than Stryper. Avoid like your metal cred depends on it, because it does.

#2: Morbid Angel – Illud Divinum Insanus - An album that twisted me from shameless fanboy to enemy in one easy listen. This is one of the most stunning reverses of musical direction by a metal band (or any band for that matter) and I’ve yet to fathom what good they hoped would come from it. Don’t believe the whole “they are so brave” bullshit, this is one of the biggest sellouts the genre has ever seen and may even usurp Celtic Frost‘s Cold Lake as the sellout king. Disgraceful.

#1: Denial Fiend – Horror Holocaust - The most unlistenable album this year also features the worst vocal performance on a metal album, ever. Once a great old school death unit with a party vibe, with the addition of Blain Cook on the mic, it all went completely to shit. I doubt anyone can listen to his child-like screaming and cartoon voices all the way through and not want to take their own life (or his). WAAAAH!!!

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Top 10 Songs from 2011
2. Steel Druhm’s Top 10(ish) of 2011
3. Steel Druhm’s Top Ten Songs of 2011

October 3rd – 23rd

As Murphy would have it I got sick right after the Way Of Darkness weekend (which was a blast by the way, it’s always fun to hit the road with the Bullets). We drove together with Stephan and Paul’s other band Thanatos who were also performing and during the trip everyone around me was coughing and sneezing, so I was doomed from the start: bye bye singing voice, hello sore throat, running nose and general misery. In the meantime Ronnie kept working on the mix, and gradually we’ve arrived at a truly massive sound that’s both clear and huge. The guitar tone is even heavier than last time, something I didn’t think possible. Of course me being the perfectionist I am I’ve been driving Ronnie crazy with notes saying “add some delay here”, “do a slow fade there”, “some less reverb here”, and countless other details. I keep telling him it’s not as bad as last time when we had to literally work around the clock for several days to finish everything in time, but I’m sure I’m one of his more demanding clients. The end result is what counts though, and once this is done we’ll both have an album to be very, very proud of.

Which brings us to today; yesterday night I finally managed to record the last vocals (I ended up using the demo tracks for 2 songs, sometimes a first or second take it’s so good no 100 retakes can replicate it), a small but very important harmony with some rather tricky winding melodies. As always I did a few takes so today I picked the best stuff and combined it into a coherent track. Once I turned on all the other channels it was pure magic, a nice reward for all the hard work.

We’re entering the last week before the deadline, but unless something disastrous happens we’ll be done well in time. Sometimes it’s difficult to remain enthusiastic about songs you’ve heard thousands of times by now, but yesterday when I was going through the latest batch of mixes I got chills several times… and that’s a good sign!

Today I also received the final draft of the artwork and booklet, courtesy of my good friend Mick Koopman. I can’t disclose what the cover will look like yet, but it’s a very striking image, kudos as well to my brilliant photographer Hannah Anthonysz for shooting a very powerful and detailed picture. So, by now it’s been months since the original deadline but it’s all been for a good cause, namely creating an album I can put out there with complete satisfaction and confidence, knowing I’ve done the best job I possibly could. I’m just sorry I wasn’t able to honor my father by having the album released on the anniversary of his passing, but I’m sure he’ll understand. I made up for it in another way…

October 29th

Today we have a show at the renowned Hammer Of Doom festival in Würzburg, Germany. It’s probably the biggest doom fest there is and I’m nervous as hell, especially since we’ll be doing 2 new songs (which we already debuted at the Dublin Doom Day, but still). It’s a long drive so wake up time is 5.30, groan… the showwent well despite some technical problems (whoever decided that 15 minutes is enough time for change over and line check should really have his head examined), and the crowd seems to dig our doom a lot. I even hear some people singing along in the front rows, nice!

October 31st

Today my sister’s getting married (actually it’s a registered partnership which for all intents and purposes comes down to the same thing), and since it’s Halloween we’re all dressed up which causes quite a few raised eyebrows at city hall. I myself am donning a rather eye-catching wizard’s robe, maybe I’ll wear it for the next 11th Hour gig… (Please do so! – AMG) After the ceremony we all head back to her house for coffee and a festive dinner, but at the same time in a studio in Sweden Ronnie is putting the ultimate definite last most final touches on the mix of the album so every once in a while I sneak out to give him a call or send an e-mail. In the evening I get the latest mix and me being the hellish perfectionist I am there’s still some minor points to fix, but most people would already consider this a master file.

November 2nd

This is it, deadline day! We already sent the artwork and promo pics to Napalm Records and after some frantic last minute fixes Ronnie will create the master DDP file (thank god we don’t have to send it by snail mail, I know from experience that couriers have a habit of losing particularly important parcels). Of course this has to be checked, re-checked and double-checked so we’ll send it off tomorrow. I can’t imagine how empty my life will be after having this load of doom on my shoulders for 8 grueling months. I honestly thought this one would be a breeze as I demoed everything thoroughly and have a lot more experience, but looking back it was just as tough as the first time ’round. I’ve already decided that the next album will be a group effort, I do enjoy doing this on my own for several reasons but I think 2 DIY albums are enough for one lifetime. Besides, the band I have assembled is well up to the task, as Pim has proved very convincingly by delivering a truly monstrous performance.

And now the countdown to January 27th starts… but life goes on: 11th Hour band rehearsal tonight, playing Oberhausen and Dublin with the Bullets this weekend, headlining the Dutch Doom Days with 11th Hour the weekend after, no rest for the wicked!

Related posts:

1. The 11th Hour Studio Diary – #3
2. The 11th Hour Studio Diary – #1
3. The 11th Hour Studio Diary – #2