navybsn

I think Zakk is just fine. He's actually a pretty funny dude with decent music taste and an awesome guitar collection. Just his music sucks (although I did like that first Ozzy album he did back in the day).

And it would sell millions while still sucking turds. Maybe Phil has smoked up enough of his royalty money to try to cash in a bit more. I'm going to preliminarily rank it along side any Black Label Society or later Anthrax release in the category of won't GAF.

Yeah of course we are. I can never just do 1-10 because I can never really decide on order outside the top 3-5. Not the problems our grizzly old goat rustler has ( who's list is probably still in the high 80's) or anything, but enough to keep me from restricting it to 10. Besides, there were 8 KG albums this year, you had to like more than 2 other albums right 🤣?

For the 'best of' list this year, I'm going to go with the best and then top 5 rather than rank them all in order. I'm lazy and can't really decide on overall rankings for everything outside the top 5. So on to business... The 'Best' (of what I heard this year) Skumstrike - Deadly Intrusions - Canada, Blackened Speed metal/Punk. Seems like every year a nasty face-ripping piece of aural destruction makes its way into the top of the top. This year it's Skumstrike. This record will mug you while walking down the street and leave you bloody and broken on the sidewalk clinging to life. Vicious. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava - Australia, Psych Rock. The best of the 5 KG albums out this year (8 if you count live stuff I guess). Whatever. This is the one I go back to. You're always in for a ride with these guys and many times the albums just aren't that coherent to my ears. Too many ideas thrown in the mix. This one stays together enough to be enjoyable and warrant replay. Birth - Born - US, 70's progressive rock. New band with an old-school sound. Echoes the glory days of Uriah Heep if not a touch less rocking. Could use an extra "oomph" here and there as it comes off a little too mellow, but I can't get enough of the sound. Hällas - Isle of Wisdom - Sweden, Progressive Rock. Following these guys for a while, now their 4th full length. I would rank it 4th out of 4, but maybe just because the first 3 get so much replay I know them by heart at this point. Not far off from the Uriah Heep-ism of Birth with a few more "rocking" moments. Don't expect guitar theatrics here or anything however. Secret Shame - Autonomy - US, Post-punk/darkwave. You know it's a tough year when my favorite Siouxie & the Banshees cover band can't crack the top 5. This is a solid disc that just got eclipsed by a few stellar releases. Solid songwriting, good production, catchy hooks. Highly recommended. Circle of Ouroborus - Thurisa - Finland, Experimental Black Metal. The first of 3 CoO albums on the big list. This one is straight out of 2011. In other words, if you like the 'The Final Egg', 'Lost Key of the Just', 'Eleven Fingers" era, this will be up your alley. Not a starting point for those new to the band. This one takes some effort. Weird shit. I love it. Circle of Ouroborus - Aavikon varjo - Finland, Experimental Black Metal. Might as well get the second one out of the way. This is a concept album with the 2 sides representing "light" and "dark". Not sure you can ever say a CoO album flows like a normal album from start to finish, but this feels like 2 distinct EPs smashed into one record. Side A is the superior one IMO with Side B taking more effort. More weirder shit. Also love it. And now for the ranked top 5 5. The Antichrist Imperium - Vol 3: Satan In His Original Glory - UK, Progressive Black. Could go Progressive Blackened Death or Deathened Black. Whatever. I'm not good at the subgenre designation game. As a long time Akercocke fanboy, this tickles the goat in all the right spots. If you like the 'Cocke, you'll certainly like this. Has more of the aggression of early 'Cocke than their last release. Production is excellent. Songwriting solid. Makes you want to dress fancy, drink a fine merlot, and hail Satan. 4. Crime of Passing - Crime of Passing - US, post-punk. More punk edge to this one than the other releases in the genre on my list. Catchy with a touch of caustic edge. Just different enough than the others in a post-punk heavy year to impress jaded ears. Vocals in this genre make or break an album more than any other for me, and Andie Luman is just perfect. 3. Autonoesis - Moon of Foul Magics - Canada, Black Thrash. The riffs! These guys blend a little bit of everything into their sound. A little Darkthrone, a splash of Dimmu Borgir, Vektor, Slayer...tons of influences apparent to my ears. That could be a trainwreck, but they pull it off here. Some quiet moments, some jazzy bits, some progressive elements, melody, and did I mention blistering riffs. This was a nice surprise when I picked it up earlier this year. 2. Casket Cassette - Casket Cassette - US, post-punk/darkwave. I think I described this as 'Morrissey fronting Bauhaus' when I picked it up earlier this year. Other than the fact that I fucking hate Morrissey, I stand by that description. Morose vocals over danceable and often weird music. Weird in a good way. The production is just right lacking that overly polished sound that Vandal Moon has while not being a hindrance to the final product. The lyrics are a bit disturbing in regards to topics like mental health, depression, and abuse. Things much scarier to me than any goat sacrificing Satan worshipping Cthulu monster, but the songs manage to come across with a 'hopeful' tinge. There isn't a song here I can pick out as a standout because they're all stellar. By far my most played album of the year. Would have been number one if it hadn't been for.... Finland. It's always Finland. 1. Circle of Ouroborus - Autuala - Finland, Experimental Black Metal. I promised you 3 and here's the third. I am completely obsessed with these 2 Finns and everything they release. I have all 437 releases in their catalogue (okay, it's not quite that many but it does feel like it at times). I love every period of the band. You never get the same thing twice and you never know what you'll get. More ethereal and melanchonic than its predecessors in 2020 & 21, Autala shifts gears from the complete psychedelic mindfuck of Viimeinen juoksu and the more stripped-down psych of Kiromantia while still retaining the feel of both. I could probably list some elements here to give those unfamiliar with the band an idea, but I'm not sure it would make sense. Just drop a few tabs of shitty acid and chase it with a big glass of shroom tea while sitting in dark room staring at a lava lamp blasting Oranssi Pazuzu through shitty speakers. That's about as close as I can come to an analogue. CoO is a committment and cracking the code takes some effort, but once you get it you just can't get enough. The most complete album of weird shit form the masters of weird shit this year. Okay, that's a wrap. Now on to a few months of exploring all the good shit I missed that will surely be revealed to me by you beautiful people. I didn't have near the time to invest in listening/hunting new music as I have in previous years, so surely there is plenty to discover.

Nice @markm. The Honorable Mentions: Darkthrone - Astral Fortress - seriously, how could the venerable DT not make an appearance. Is this their best album? No. Does it still kick ass and warrant repeat plays? Hell yeah. The Chasm - Scars of a Lost Reflective Shadow - see all the comments above re: Darkthrone. Same applies here. Vauruva - Por Nos da Ventania - weird brazilian progressive black metal. HAUNTER - Discarnate Ails - more prog black but this time out of Austin, Tx. Worm - Bluenothing - this probably had a shot at the top 10 if it weren't so short. Doesn't measure up to their killer DM release from last year, but I dig the "something different". Daeva - Through Sheer Will and Black Magic - legit black/thrash from the good old USA. This is a killer release that just doesn't quite have the replay quality of my top selections, but shouldn't be missed. Riot City - Electric Elite - good follow up to the debut. Promising NWOTHM band, but they're just not at that standard bearer level for me just yet. Good old school Judas Priest worship. Songwriting is not quite as consistent on this one though. Sumerlands - Dreamkiller - the dreaded sophomore slump album. A little light on the Jake E Lee riff-fest antics of the first album and they replaced one of my all-time favorite singers. This one probably never had a real shot of making the big list. Expectations too high. Anyway, a few skippable songs and a bit too slick. The high points are really good though. Violet Age - Night Sins - this year was packed with good post-punk/darkwave releases. Some had to miss the cut. This is the best of those that missed my top 3 for the genre. Definitely worthy of investigation. Executioner's Mask - Winterlong - if Violet Age was my #4 in post-punk, this would be #5. A different sound/approach that feels a little more electronic/industrial to me, but don't trust me on that description. A good album that's had lots of spins around here. Vandal Moon - Queen of the Night - or maybe this would be #5. Catchy, good songs, replay value...I really like this album, so what's keeping it out of the tops? It's just a little too slick sounding for me. Otherwise, top quality "danceable" post-punk. Psychonaut - Violate Consensus Reality - prog metal ala Mastodon. Same style of prog metal, but I wouldn't put them in the same class. Really good album and my first introduction to this band. Warrants further listening and further investigation into the back catalogue. Escotrilihum - Sapoth's, Consecration of Spiritus Flesh - I really love this project, but neither of these really grabbed me this year the way previous releases have. The EP - Luadimmerantia is probably the best of the 3 releases he's put out this year. Envy of None - Envy of None - and now for something completely different. Alt-rock that reminds me of stuff I listened to back in the 90's/early aughts. Would this have caught my attention had Alex Fucking Lifeson not been involved? Probably not, but he is and it did. Solid songwriting and a few sweet Lerxst moments, but he's not the focus here. It's lead singer and smoking hot babe Maiah Wynne. Well, that's it for the honorable mentions. Now the real work on writing up the winners begins. Haha shit. That wasn't supposed to be on there. Must of transposed it from my "need to listen to" list.

Ok, well I get started with all of the stuff I really didn't get to spend any time with this year but is probably worthy of consideration. Just couldn't fit them in. Most came to my attention in the past week or so while others just got buried in the mountain of releases I picked up this year. Not saying they are all worthy, but stuff that is worthy of attention. Definitely releases I'll be focused on over the next month or so. No write ups on these for obvious reasons. The Could have beens: Parasit - En Falsk Utopia Kryptograf - The Eldorado Spell Spiral Staircase - Vision Shifting Form Hersker - Hudangst Rigorous Institution - Cainsmarsh Imprecation - In Nomine Diaboli GEVURAH - Gehinnom Malist - As I become Darkness Drudkh - All Belong to the Night Sigh - Shiki Eteraz - Villian Grave Axis - Dismal Aeon High Vis - Blending Phantasia - Ghost Stories French Police - Onyx Locust Revival - Your Delusion Are Not Mine Carrion Bloom - Sacraments of Pestilence Djevel - Naa skrider natten sort

So, are we ready to kick this shit off for 2022? I'm not ready with a full write up yet on all my choices, but maybe some of you aren't quite the procrastinators that I am. Anybody ready with an EOTY list yet?

Voilet Age - Night Sins - will be somewhere on my list HAUNTER - Discarnate Ails - another list entry but no idea where. Probably in the HMs. Sumerlands - Dreamkiller - really on the fence on this one and whether it is EOTY deserving King Gizzard - Polygonwondaland Eternal Champion - Ravening Iron

Prayer Position - S/T THERMOKARST - S/T Phantasia - Ghost Stories Kryptograf - The Eldorado Spell Poison Ruiin - Poison Ruiin II Devil's Witches - In All Her Forms - @markm this one may be up your alley Locust Revival - Your Delusions are not Mine

High Command is definitely not crust(thrash/crossover). Neither are the OSees (grarge/psych), but they're on there too. Rest of the list looks ok at a quick look, but I haven't heard anything outside of those specific 2 selections.

Seems appropriate to drop this here. Pretty great cover.

Quite a following on another forum I peruse. I dig their stuff in general, but it's just ok. Wouldn't go out of my way for anything. A.I.D.S. - The Road to Nuclear Holocaust ETERAZ - Villian Grave Axis - Dismal Aeon Phantasia - Ghost Stories - @FatherAlabaster - you may dig this. The warbly vocals are borderline for me, but the music is pretty good. French Police - Onyx - another one you may enjoy FA. Short 12 min EP

I liked it, but I agree it's not list-worthy and doesn't hold much replay value. dead city - banned from LA

I'm a bit of a list junkie too. I like reading lists to see what other people are talking about. I typically avoid AMG, so I haven't checked their stuff in a few years. Some of the sites I've seen this year with better EOTY lists: Home - CVLT Nation - nice variation broken down by subgenre NO CLEAN SINGING - PROPAGATING DARK AND DEVASTATING TONES SINCE 2009 - lots of different lists and a few from artists Nine Circles – Death to the Feeble Masses - same vein as NCS but less volume My own personal list is fairly set at this point, at least the selections that will end up on the list, but my "I need to listen to" list is getting out of control. It's at 25 now and growing every day. When we start putting our lists up here, I expect that will hit 50 if not more.

Abigor - Nachthymnen - liking this. Honestly, I haven't heard anything from these guys in quite some time. I'm getting some later Emperor vibes from this (Anthems/Equilibrium). Will spend some time with this one.

I buy stuff every year that I really like at the moment, but then they get lost along the way when something newer comes along. Thing is, I like buying music just as much as I like listening to it. With Spotify, Bandcamp, Youtube, and the rest of the streaming services available, there's really no reason for me to purchase anything before listening to it thoroughly. I still do occasionally, but that's usually a record store find that I've heard just not in many years. I did recently purchase a Poison Idea record I'd never heard before, but I like all of their other stuff so it was a fair bet. So, I don't really have a backlog as much as a large unruly collection that makes it impossible to listening to everything frequently. I recently finished rebuilding my music server, and even after booting out a bunch of lower quality/questionable rips and miscellanea, it still clocks in a touch over 6000 albums+eps. I've tried and failed multiple times to cut down on the amount of stuff I purchase every year. Unlike @MacabreEternal, I have shifted to more physical media and that strategy is working better. Buying digital is too easy. Hunting down the physical copy kinda forces me to be sure I actually want to spend the money and find the space for it. I added about 50 physical releases this year (CD & vinyl) and around 100 digital. My 2022 short list has 40 albums on it. That's about 25% of everything I buy ending up on the shortlist. Not bad, and if I filtered it down to only 2022 releases it would be closer to 60-65%. Would still like to be closer to 75-80% though.

Quite the list there. I haven't listened to that new Clutch album, but I surely will before too long. Will probably see them on tour before long too. I've caught them 6 times in the past 4 years and they always put on a heck of a show. I don't find their new output as compelling as say Blast Tyrant and earlier, but nothing I'll turn off. Neither that Cult or King's X albums will make my EOTY, but they did make it into my collection. NP: Skare -Skare

Sigh - Shiki - has taken me a while to get to this one, but damn. You never know what to expect with Sigh, but this isn't at all what I expected. Tis pretty good.

Excoriate - On Pestilent Winds Eschatology - Eschatology

GEVURAH = Gehinnom Lucifericon - The Warlock of Da'ath

As long as there are meatballs, it's all good. Besides, the afterlife seems dope: The Pastafarian conception of Heaven includes a beer volcano and a stripper (or sometimes prostitute or paint stripper) factory.[39][41] The Pastafarian Hell is similar, except that the beer is stale and the strippers have sexually transmitted diseases. Re: Cornish Cornish (Standard Written Form: Kernewek or Kernowek[7]) [kəɾˈnuːək], is a Southwestern Brittonic language of the Celtic language family. It is a revived language, having become extinct as a living community language in Cornwall at the end of the 18th century. However, knowledge of Cornish, including speaking ability to a certain extent, continued to be passed on within families and by individuals,[8] and a revival began in the early 20th century. The language has a growing number of second language speakers,[9] and a very small number of families now raise children to speak revived Cornish as a first language.[10][11] Cornish is currently recognised under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,[12] and the language is often described as an important part of Cornish identity, culture and heritage.[13][14] Along with Welsh and Breton, Cornish is descended from the Common Brittonic language spoken throughout much of Great Britain before the English language came to dominate. For centuries, until it was pushed westwards by English, it was the main language of Cornwall, maintaining close links with its sister language Breton, with which it was mutually intelligible, perhaps even as long as Cornish continued to be spoken as a vernacular.[15][16] Cornish continued to function as a common community language in parts of Cornwall until the mid 18th century. There is some evidence of knowledge of the language persisting into the 19th century, possibly almost overlapping the beginning of revival efforts. NP: AKASHA - Canticles of the Sepulchral Deity

Is a bit of alphabet vomit. Apparently it's Cornish. Same for the lyrics. Pretty cool if you ask me. The Cornish language was dead (fuck if I know how that works) but was reconstructed borrowing heavily from Welsh and Gaelic(fuck if I know how that works either). They could have abbreviated the words though. I tried to find a translation of the word but Google just laughed at me. Regardless, pretty decent stuff along the lines of Albionic Hermeticism.

Ynkleudherhenavogyon - Arvor Mysteri Ynkleudherhenavogyon - Adamant Keynvoryow Hager-awel Greuv

Archgoat - All Christianity Ends Archgoat - Heavenly Vulva I may have spoke too soon... Christmas music ain't so bad. The flying Spaghetti monster is a pretty good dude.

And I want meatballs too. I mean fuck, if pasta it is forever more, at least give me some damn meatballs.