Top 10 Albums of Any Given Year

[BlutAusNerd]

Sick list. Unholy, Gorement, Edge of Sanity, and Samael definitely deserve their places here. I don't have those albums from Abigor and Running Wild, but if they're like the ones I do have, then I would say that they deserve their places here too.

 

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[Ecthelion]

34 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Sick list. Unholy, Gorement, Edge of Sanity, and Samael definitely deserve their places here. I don't have those albums from Abigor and Running Wild, but if they're like the ones I do have, then I would say that they deserve their places here too.

I'm thinking of making an updated 1995 list too since I'm pretty much doing all of these in order. 

[MacabreEternal]

Fail on my 2003 list missing Blut Aus Nord "The Work Which Transforms God".  Unforgivable error there.

[BlutAusNerd]

A most sinful omission.

 

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[MacabreEternal]

MacabreEternal’s Top Albums 2004 & 2005

2004

There's no point me trying to do an order for this period, just going to list my favourite records of the year, looking at the list it is pretty much a least favourite to most favourite order with the exception of Isis "Panopticon" which I would under the circumstances of doing things in order have placed higher.

Deicide “Scars Of The Crucifix”

Coming after two successively poor and directionless albums (“Insineratehymn” & “In Torment In Hell”) to complete their obligations to Roadrunner, “Scars Of The Crucifix” was the last album with the complete original line up of Deicide.  Whilst still mediocre at best, there are some interesting – if not odd – blooping lead sounds on here.  The chug of the title and opening track stays with you for days afterwards.

Matricide “Black Mass Gathering”

If you’re looking for a wall of primitive, raw and thoroughly orthodox black metal you can’t go wrong with “Black Mass Gathering”.  Well-paced structures and some subtle melodies hidden in there to boot without ever sacrificing intensity.  Matricides only full length offering which is a shame.

Isis “Panopticon”

Sophisticated structures? Yep, we got em.  I love the balance on “Panopticon”, certainly coming from a music lover who has little time for post-metal or hardcore as individual genres done in singularity.  This record just blends the two, doing so with a seemingly effortless aptitude.  There’s passages on here that genuinely soothe my soul whilst at the same time keep a simmering intensity to proceedings to remind me that my troubles are still there even in the calmer and more beautiful times of life.

Drudkh “Autumn Aurora”

The first ever Drudkh purchase I made was “Autumn Aurora” and from its opening acoustic intro and sounds of nature, through its vivid and intense atmospherics, it’s terrific use of melodies and solid and aggressive delivery I loved every minute.  This release contains one of my favourite ever Drudkh tracks in “The First Snow” and the release as a whole is a perfect accompaniment to any bleak skied Autumnal day in a forest of fiery brown decaying leaves and lush green undergrowth as the cover of the release suggests.

Leviathan “Tentacles Of Whorror”

This is just all the negative, hateful and painful emotion of an artist battling demons and committing the experience to record.  It isn’t the same as the debut and never quite hits those same heights but the smothering intention of the records atmospherics coupled with the harsh and fractured nature of the album structure do make it a demanding if not less memorable experience.

Deathspell Omega “Si Momentum Requires Circumspice”

Staying with a theme of difficult listens, Deathspell Omega add a much more ritualistic edge to their particular brand of blackened chaos.  It ain’t no “Paracletus” for certain and it could certainly do with a trim in more than one place but the overall darkness that seeps through on this record draws me in everytime I listen to it with my candles burning low and the shutters on my chamber windows bolted tightly shut.  However, there’s some catchy, black n’roll moments hidden in here too that get the foot tapping on the skull of some dead person who perished at my feet.

Tsjuder “Desert Northern Hell”

This is Tsjuder at their peak for me.  Mind-blowing chaos, frenzied darkness and utterly fucking relentless delivery.  Some don’t like the modern production but I find it enhances the experience perfectly as the record skins you alive over nine tracks of razor sharp BM blasting fury.  Pure fucking hatred folks!

2005

Bolt Thrower “Those Once Loyal”

Welcome back Mr Willetts!  I can play the track “The Killchain” fucking endlessly and never get tired of it (luckily I have Amazon Prime so nearly achieve this feat).  I can’t point out a weak track on here and the record seems to get stronger with each passing track.

Taake “Doedskvad”

One of the few black metal albums that I think works beyond just the BM elements. Structurally it is very clever with nods to folk (of course), Death Metal, Heavy Metal and Punk.  To change things up as often as Hoest does in singular tracks without losing the listener shows an aptitude for song writing and structure that few can rival.  The scathing intensity never wanes throughout, even in the more melodic and calmer passages the aether still feels charged.

Nile “Annihilation Of The Wicked”

Precise, heavy and thoroughly well produced without being done so at the expense of the music.  This was my first exposure to Nile (as with many of my peers) and although I recently began to look back at the rest of Nile’s discography I haven’t found much to rival this release yet.

Sigh “Gallows Gallery”

The one and only Sigh release I own.  To say it is avant-garde is a bit of a push, it is more just plain fucking wacky most of the time as Sigh move between heavy metal plod and cheesy cabaret showmanship and everything in between.  Always enjoy giving this a spin just for the novelty value.

Opeth “Ghost Reveries”

The pinnacle of Opeth releases?  Or just another fine example of Akerfeldt and co’s excellent song writing abilities?  For sure the song writing prowess was notched up a few gears on this and the instrumentation too found a whole new high.  Jazzy runs and keyboards/pianos sit alongside the familiar acoustic picks and more heavy riffs we were all accustomed to at this point.  I will leave it described as one of their masterpieces.

[Ecthelion]

Ecthelion's (Updated) Top Ten Metal Albums of 1995

1. Dissection - Storm of the Light's Bane

Arguably the peak of the band's quality and an incredible melodic black metal release. The melding of their previous sound on The Somberlain with traditional metal influence proves to be a potent combination that never grows dull, is unique and is consistently rewarding with each listen. Worthy of all the praise it gets. 

2. Blind Guardian - Imaginations From the Other Side 

After the brilliant Somewhere Far Beyond, Blind Guardian focused on a more epic and grandiose sound when it came to this album. While their previous album remains as my favorite, this change pays off immensely due to their fantastic songwriting and excellent musicianship, giving an immersive experience that few others can match. Power metal classic. 

3. Abigor - Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom) 

When discussing melodic black metal, you may hear about Sacramentum or Dissection sure, but rarely is this band's work ever mentioned when it comes to this particular sound. This is rather unfortunate due to Abigor releasing one of the most atmospheric yet complex black metal albums in the history of the genre. This album is a meticulously-crafted masterwork that I've listened to for years and my opinion of it has not diminished even the slightest bit upon each listen. 

4. Symphony X - The Damnation Game 

While I felt that their debut was somewhat underrated due to it being rather decent prog/power with some excellent tracks woven throughout, their sophomore release not only saw the emergence of one of the best vocalists in the entire metal genre but the overall improvement of the entire band from the already high degrees of skill they portrayed on the debut. As I said in my last iteration of this list, it was the start of something beautiful. 

5. Death - Symbolic 

While this is a far more accessible album than its predecessors, it is still great and among the band's best work due to still retaining the progressive elements, dazzling musicianship (especially Gene Hoglan, holy crap), and excellent lyricism. A death metal classic. 

6. Necromantia - Scarlet Evil Witching Black 

A jewel of the Hellenic black metal scene. Concentrating more on a hateful and angry atmosphere that has a distinct warmth to it that combines with eclectic songwriting and musicianship creates one of the best black metal albums of the decade. Necromantia's masterpiece. 

7. Dark Tranquility - The Gallery 

Unlike the other "classic" melodic death metal release that came out this year, this one is actually worthy of the praise it gets. Featuring excellent vocals by Mikael Stanne, fantastic performances from every member of the band and gorgeous composition, this album proves to possess much more depth than those it's compared to and becomes an exemplar of the genre. What also really helps this album is that nothing else in this band's discography really sounds much like it in terms of songwriting. Despite releasing a bunch of other great albums, The Gallery really is one of a kind, in my opinion. I'm glad I revisited it again so that I could become convinced that it should be put on my top ten for this year because frankly, it felt criminal to exclude it. 

8. Conception - In Your Multitude 

I was highly considering putting The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Pt. II in the top ten but it got knocked into the top 20 region by this album. This was probably the band's creative peak and all of the great things that were on Parallel Minds are still very much present here. Thus, I recommend it wholeheartedly. 

9. Mütiilation - Vampires of the Black Imperial Blood

Probably one of the best black metal records this year along with some other notable records that didn't make the top ten here but are still among my black metal favorites like the Vlad Tepes/Belketre split that almost made it both times I was making this list and Summoning's awe-inspiring Minas Morgul. The atmosphere on this album is fantastic and honestly, after relistening to it again for this list, it is still strong enough to stay.

10. Grave Digger - Heart of Darkness

Now, this album knocked Orchid for a variety of reasons. It is essentially among metal's best comeback records. Sure, Grave Digger did release The Reaper which was great but it did not exactly guarantee a promising career as they only seemed to be doing the kind of speed metal they did during the band's infancy. However, this album showed what lurked underneath. This band's talent and potential exploded with this album in all of its dark, epic and tenebrous might. A true epic that, like Virgin Steele's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Pt. I, started an impressive streak of quality for the band. 

 

Considering that this year alone practicallly proves that the '90s wasn't a bad decade for this genre, it was especially brutal to rate. Hope you guys will be convinced to listen to some records you have not considered from this year. That's always a cool feature about these lists and I hope it fulfilled that. Excited to do 1996 as there is some stuff there I want to go over again. 

[BlutAusNerd]

Nice list, especially in the black metal department with Dissection, Abigor, and Necromantia.

 

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[Ecthelion]

Ecthelion's Top Ten Metal Albums of 1996 

1. Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun 

Yet another fantastic melodic black metal album. Pretty much the perfect expansion on their sound from Finis Malorum and an extremely tight-knit effort that perfectly melds blazing-fast performance, dynamic composition, meticulously crafted melodies and sorrowful atmosphere in order to make an absolutely unforgettable experience. Classic. 

2. Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding 

Psychotic Waltz's last album. Another sad but excellent conclusion to the discography of another fantastic band. Just like Anacrusis' Screams and Whispers, this album is more accessible than its predecessors but it doesn't even approach the word "mediocre", let alone "bad". By this point, they had quickly adapted to the stylistic differences they introduced on the somewhat poorly-produced and inconsistent Mosquito and made all of the weakness of that album into strengths with improved production, vastly superior performances and far greater composition. Essentially the perfect place to start if you're new to this band. 

3. Edge of Sanity - Crimson 

Easily Edge of Sanity's most famous record. This gargantuan album-length track proves to be one of the finest cuts of progressive death metal of the decade and among Dan Swano's most ambitious works. I can't say a whole lot that hasn't already been said about this thing. It's simply incredible. 

4. Scald - Will of the Gods is Great Power 

A great combination of Bathory's Viking era and Candlemass' brand of epic doom metal that manages to be a refreshingly unique entry to the subgenre. Which is a shame considering that they split up after this album due to the untimely death of their vocalist, resulting in it being the only full-length they ever did. The surviving members did start a folk metal band called Tumulus but I wouldn't know about them that much. 

5. Stratovarius - Episode 

After Dreamspace and Fourth Dimension, Stratovarius had established a more consistent output and that only continued with the excellent Episode, which is Jens Johansson (of YM's Rising Force fame)'s introduction to the band. His expertise combined with the talents of the rest of the band made for some of the best power metal in the genre. 

6. Adramelech - Psychostasia 

Demented, abyssal and masterful death metal from Finland that proves to be among some of the most interesting material in the genre. While not as bizarre as other albums in this vein like Nespithe, it makes up for that a ton of variety and layered composition that makes this album quite challenging yet rewarding to listen to. Probably one of my favorite death metal records. 

7. Immolation - Here in After

I've often heard fans of this band lament that they did not release an album for much of the '90s after the excellent Dawn of Possession but honestly, if this was the result, it was worth it. This clearly was a masterwork five years in the making and it shows. With technical playing and superb composition that is slightly obscured underneath a murky atmosphere, this album shows the unbelievable level of artistry this band possessed when they wrote this album and it stands as a highlight of the genre. 

8. Angra - Holy Land 

The conceptual jewel of early Angra. Contains all the excellence of the debut in a more ambitious mold. Great power metal. 

9. Opeth - Morningrise 

So, here's when Opeth is going to start becoming a regularity in these lists. This album still remains as one of my favorites from them considering that it was my first but upon more recent listens, this album really does manage to hold up with some of the better releases from this year and manages to be a healthy mixture of both death metal and progressive rock. 

10. Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter 

Another excellent melodic black metal album from this year. This one is not quite as intense as Far Away From the Sun but still manages to be an epic entry in the genre. Lamentably, this was their first and last full-length. 

 

This year was less difficult to rate but there were still some hard cuts to make. 

 

On 7/22/2017 at 2:01 PM, BlutAusNerd said:

Sick list. Unholy, Gorement, Edge of Sanity, and Samael definitely deserve their places here. I don't have those albums from Abigor and Running Wild, but if they're like the ones I do have, then I would say that they deserve their places here too.

What albums from Abigor do you have? 

[FatherAlabaster]

Hey neat, that's the first time we have more than one or two in common. Sacramentum, Immolation, Vinterland, Opeth, Edge Of Sanity, and Adramelech are all great picks, probably going on my list as well.

[Ecthelion]

1 hour ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Hey neat, that's the first time we have more than one or two in common. Sacramentum, Immolation, Vinterland, Opeth, Edge Of Sanity, and Adramelech are all great picks, probably going on my list as well.

This is the first time that's happened? Hm. Interesting. 

[FatherAlabaster]

We have different taste in black metal, and you like a lot more power and thrash than I do. It's all good, it's just funny to me that we'd have the majority of our 96 albums in common after only sharing two off my double list from 95. I haven't written up my early 90s stuff yet, but looking back at yours, we'll probably only have about 20% in common. That's a good thing IMO, far better to have some variety here than a bunch of the same albums in different orders.

[Ecthelion]

1 hour ago, FatherAlabaster said:

We have different taste in black metal, and you like a lot more power and thrash than I do. It's all good, it's just funny to me that we'd have the majority of our 96 albums in common after only sharing two off my double list from 95. I haven't written up my early 90s stuff yet, but looking back at yours, we'll probably only have about 20% in common. That's a good thing IMO, far better to have some variety here than a bunch of the same albums in different orders.

Yeah, that's definitely more preferable to me too. Makes it fun to find new stuff I may have overlooked. What kind of black metal do you prefer? 

[FatherAlabaster]

8 hours ago, Ecthelion said:

Yeah, that's definitely more preferable to me too. Makes it fun to find new stuff I may have overlooked. What kind of black metal do you prefer? 

All sorts, except I'm not big on "bestial" BM, and I'm picky with first wave stuff. It's not even that you seem to be into different styles from me, it's more the individual bands that you mentioned - I would have picked Satyricon, Ulver, Dawn, Naglfar, maybe even Burzum over Abigor, Dissection, Samael, or Mutiilation. I'm only recently getting into the LLN stuff, so maybe "Vampires" will click with me at some point. Right now I'm more taken with Black Murder's "Feasts" and the Vlad Tepes/Belketre split you mentioned. I'm not criticizing your lists, it's just interesting to me to see albums like "Bergtatt" or "The Shadowthrone" (which for me are indispensable classics) passed over in favor of albums I've never really gotten on with. It makes me want to revisit the picks of yours that I've previously disregarded, and see if I'm more open to them now, which is a good thing in my book.

[BlutAusNerd]

20 hours ago, Ecthelion said:

Ecthelion's Top Ten Metal Albums of 1996 

1. Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun 

Yet another fantastic melodic black metal album. Pretty much the perfect expansion on their sound from Finis Malorum and an extremely tight-knit effort that perfectly melds blazing-fast performance, dynamic composition, meticulously crafted melodies and sorrowful atmosphere in order to make an absolutely unforgettable experience. Classic. 

2. Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding 

Psychotic Waltz's last album. Another sad but excellent conclusion to the discography of another fantastic band. Just like Anacrusis' Screams and Whispers, this album is more accessible than its predecessors but it doesn't even approach the word "mediocre", let alone "bad". By this point, they had quickly adapted to the stylistic differences they introduced on the somewhat poorly-produced and inconsistent Mosquito and made all of the weakness of that album into strengths with improved production, vastly superior performances and far greater composition. Essentially the perfect place to start if you're new to this band. 

3. Edge of Sanity - Crimson 

Easily Edge of Sanity's most famous record. This gargantuan album-length track proves to be one of the finest cuts of progressive death metal of the decade and among Dan Swano's most ambitious works. I can't say a whole lot that hasn't already been said about this thing. It's simply incredible. 

4. Scald - Will of the Gods is Great Power 

A great combination of Bathory's Viking era and Candlemass' brand of epic doom metal that manages to be a refreshingly unique entry to the subgenre. Which is a shame considering that they split up after this album due to the untimely death of their vocalist, resulting in it being the only full-length they ever did. The surviving members did start a folk metal band called Tumulus but I wouldn't know about them that much. 

5. Stratovarius - Episode 

After Dreamspace and Fourth Dimension, Stratovarius had established a more consistent output and that only continued with the excellent Episode, which is Jens Johansson (of YM's Rising Force fame)'s introduction to the band. His expertise combined with the talents of the rest of the band made for some of the best power metal in the genre. 

6. Adramelech - Psychostasia 

Demented, abyssal and masterful death metal from Finland that proves to be among some of the most interesting material in the genre. While not as bizarre as other albums in this vein like Nespithe, it makes up for that a ton of variety and layered composition that makes this album quite challenging yet rewarding to listen to. Probably one of my favorite death metal records. 

7. Immolation - Here in After

I've often heard fans of this band lament that they did not release an album for much of the '90s after the excellent Dawn of Possession but honestly, if this was the result, it was worth it. This clearly was a masterwork five years in the making and it shows. With technical playing and superb composition that is slightly obscured underneath a murky atmosphere, this album shows the unbelievable level of artistry this band possessed when they wrote this album and it stands as a highlight of the genre. 

8. Angra - Holy Land 

The conceptual jewel of early Angra. Contains all the excellence of the debut in a more ambitious mold. Great power metal. 

9. Opeth - Morningrise 

So, here's when Opeth is going to start becoming a regularity in these lists. This album still remains as one of my favorites from them considering that it was my first but upon more recent listens, this album really does manage to hold up with some of the better releases from this year and manages to be a healthy mixture of both death metal and progressive rock. 

10. Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter 

Another excellent melodic black metal album from this year. This one is not quite as intense as Far Away From the Sun but still manages to be an epic entry in the genre. Lamentably, this was their first and last full-length. 

 

This year was less difficult to rate but there were still some hard cuts to make. 

 

What albums from Abigor do you have? 

Just Nachthymen and Orkblut. I bought Satanized a while back, not knowing what a steaming pile of fecal matter it was, so I promptly traded it back in.

[Ecthelion]

1 hour ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Just Nachthymen and Orkblut. I bought Satanized a while back, not knowing what a steaming pile of fecal matter it was, so I promptly traded it back in.

Yeah, their '90s work is the good stuff. 

[Requiem]

On 27/07/2017 at 2:37 PM, Ecthelion said:

Ecthelion's Top Ten Metal Albums of 1996 

1. Sacramentum - Far Away From the Sun 

Yet another fantastic melodic black metal album. Pretty much the perfect expansion on their sound from Finis Malorum and an extremely tight-knit effort that perfectly melds blazing-fast performance, dynamic composition, meticulously crafted melodies and sorrowful atmosphere in order to make an absolutely unforgettable experience. Classic. 

2. Psychotic Waltz - Bleeding 

Psychotic Waltz's last album. Another sad but excellent conclusion to the discography of another fantastic band. Just like Anacrusis' Screams and Whispers, this album is more accessible than its predecessors but it doesn't even approach the word "mediocre", let alone "bad". By this point, they had quickly adapted to the stylistic differences they introduced on the somewhat poorly-produced and inconsistent Mosquito and made all of the weakness of that album into strengths with improved production, vastly superior performances and far greater composition. Essentially the perfect place to start if you're new to this band. 

3. Edge of Sanity - Crimson 

Easily Edge of Sanity's most famous record. This gargantuan album-length track proves to be one of the finest cuts of progressive death metal of the decade and among Dan Swano's most ambitious works. I can't say a whole lot that hasn't already been said about this thing. It's simply incredible. 

4. Scald - Will of the Gods is Great Power 

A great combination of Bathory's Viking era and Candlemass' brand of epic doom metal that manages to be a refreshingly unique entry to the subgenre. Which is a shame considering that they split up after this album due to the untimely death of their vocalist, resulting in it being the only full-length they ever did. The surviving members did start a folk metal band called Tumulus but I wouldn't know about them that much. 

5. Stratovarius - Episode 

After Dreamspace and Fourth Dimension, Stratovarius had established a more consistent output and that only continued with the excellent Episode, which is Jens Johansson (of YM's Rising Force fame)'s introduction to the band. His expertise combined with the talents of the rest of the band made for some of the best power metal in the genre. 

6. Adramelech - Psychostasia 

Demented, abyssal and masterful death metal from Finland that proves to be among some of the most interesting material in the genre. While not as bizarre as other albums in this vein like Nespithe, it makes up for that a ton of variety and layered composition that makes this album quite challenging yet rewarding to listen to. Probably one of my favorite death metal records. 

7. Immolation - Here in After

I've often heard fans of this band lament that they did not release an album for much of the '90s after the excellent Dawn of Possession but honestly, if this was the result, it was worth it. This clearly was a masterwork five years in the making and it shows. With technical playing and superb composition that is slightly obscured underneath a murky atmosphere, this album shows the unbelievable level of artistry this band possessed when they wrote this album and it stands as a highlight of the genre. 

8. Angra - Holy Land 

The conceptual jewel of early Angra. Contains all the excellence of the debut in a more ambitious mold. Great power metal. 

9. Opeth - Morningrise 

So, here's when Opeth is going to start becoming a regularity in these lists. This album still remains as one of my favorites from them considering that it was my first but upon more recent listens, this album really does manage to hold up with some of the better releases from this year and manages to be a healthy mixture of both death metal and progressive rock. 

10. Vinterland - Welcome My Last Chapter 

Another excellent melodic black metal album from this year. This one is not quite as intense as Far Away From the Sun but still manages to be an epic entry in the genre. Lamentably, this was their first and last full-length. 

 

This year was less difficult to rate but there were still some hard cuts to make. 

 

What albums from Abigor do you have? 

I just had a rush of blood to the head and ordered that Sacramentum album, so impressed was I by the description.

Hard to believe I've never heard it before. Im not going to check it out on YouTube either. 

[BlutAusNerd]

17 hours ago, Requiem said:

I just had a rush of blood to the head and ordered that Sacramentum album, so impressed was I by the description.

Hard to believe I've never heard it before. Im not going to check it out on YouTube either. 

Seeing your frequent praise for Dissection, I'm surprised by this. I would say that Far Away From the Sun is even better than Storm of the Lights Bane or The Somberlain, but I know that not many agree with that. Are you familiar with any of their other contemporaries among the Swedish melodic black metal scene?

[FatherAlabaster]

7 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

I would say that Far Away From the Sun is even better than Storm of the Lights Bane or The Somberlain, but I know that not many agree with that. 

I'm totally with that. 

[BlutAusNerd]

1 minute ago, FatherAlabaster said:

I'm totally with that. 

I knew I could count on you. ?

[Ecthelion]

3 hours ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Seeing your frequent praise for Dissection, I'm surprised by this. I would say that Far Away From the Sun is even better than Storm of the Lights Bane or The Somberlain, but I know that not many agree with that.

What makes you say that? I could certainly see an argument for that being the case. 

[BlutAusNerd]

15 hours ago, Ecthelion said:

What makes you say that? I could certainly see an argument for that being the case. 

It just feels deeper and more advanced to me in a lot of ways. I love that Dissection keeps a lot of traditional black metal in their writing, but advance it with more technical composition and an excellent melodic pallet, but Sacramentum seems to not be tied to traditionalism in the same way. It's strange to me, since I usually prefer hearing ties to the origins of the sounds in my black metal, but the contrapuntal melodies are structures in Far Away From the Sun are really quite special, almost like a black metal version of early At the Gates.

[Requiem]

21 hours ago, BlutAusNerd said:

Seeing your frequent praise for Dissection, I'm surprised by this. I would say that Far Away From the Sun is even better than Storm of the Lights Bane or The Somberlain, but I know that not many agree with that. Are you familiar with any of their other contemporaries among the Swedish melodic black metal scene?

This excites me more than a 40 year old virgin at a $2 peep show. 

I'm not sure why Sacramentum has escaped my notice. It's just one of those things. I'm a Dissection tragic, and I'm a huge fan of Dawn's 'Slaughtersun' album although I don't actually own it. I had it on my ebay watch list for months but never pulled the trigger and bought it, which is to my discredit. Other Swedish melodic black metal bands I'm a longtime fan of are Shining, Marduk and Dark Funeral, although I know at least one of these bands isn't to your personal taste. Any suggestions for what I should check out beyond Sacramentum and Dawn? 

EDIT: You're going to jump on the Shining reference, so I'll qualify it by saying something like "depressive-BM-with-elements-of-melody-at-times-although-not-enough-to define-the-band-as-melodic" melodic black metal. 

[Ecthelion]

34 minutes ago, Requiem said:

Any suggestions for what I should check out beyond Sacramentum and Dawn?

Vinterland.

[BlutAusNerd]

51 minutes ago, Requiem said:

This excites me more than a 40 year old virgin at a $2 peep show. 

I'm not sure why Sacramentum has escaped my notice. It's just one of those things. I'm a Dissection tragic, and I'm a huge fan of Dawn's 'Slaughtersun' album although I don't actually own it. I had it on my ebay watch list for months but never pulled the trigger and bought it, which is to my discredit. Other Swedish melodic black metal bands I'm a longtime fan of are Shining, Marduk and Dark Funeral, although I know at least one of these bands isn't to your personal taste. Any suggestions for what I should check out beyond Sacramentum and Dawn? 

EDIT: You're going to jump on the Shining reference, so I'll qualify it by saying something like "depressive-BM-with-elements-of-melody-at-times-although-not-enough-to define-the-band-as-melodic" melodic black metal. 

No, I get the Shining comparison. They use different melodies in different ways than the other bands mentioned, but something about them still makes them sound quintessentially "Swedish" like the others. Probably because they've shared members with bands like Watain who have endeavored to keep that sound alive. On that subject, if you're interested in hearing something that sounds like Opus Nocturne era Marduk with Kvarforth's vocals, check out the album Towards the Eternal Chaos by the Turkish band The Sarcophagus. I think you'll enjoy it.

As far as others occupying that sound, I would suggest checking out Tusen år har Gått by Mörk Gryning, Darkside by Necrophobic, The Forest of the Dreaming Dead and Ancient God of Evil by Unanimated (kind of a melodic black/death metal hybrid), and maybe At the Sight of the Apocalypse Dragon by Midvinter. 

[Requiem]

On 30/07/2017 at 9:22 AM, Ecthelion said:

Vinterland.

I'll check it out. 

 

On 30/07/2017 at 9:39 AM, BlutAusNerd said:

No, I get the Shining comparison. They use different melodies in different ways than the other bands mentioned, but something about them still makes them sound quintessentially "Swedish" like the others. Probably because they've shared members with bands like Watain who have endeavored to keep that sound alive. On that subject, if you're interested in hearing something that sounds like Opus Nocturne era Marduk with Kvarforth's vocals, check out the album Towards the Eternal Chaos by the Turkish band The Sarcophagus. I think you'll enjoy it.

As far as others occupying that sound, I would suggest checking out Tusen år har Gått by Mörk Gryning, Darkside by Necrophobic, The Forest of the Dreaming Dead and Ancient God of Evil by Unanimated (kind of a melodic black/death metal hybrid), and maybe At the Sight of the Apocalypse Dragon by Midvinter. 

Ditto. Not that I'm suddenly thirsting for this type of music though. 

Actually I've also got Thulcandra's 'Fallen Angel's Dominion', although they're German I think. I only bought it because of the deliberate Dissection worship, and I guess it's pretty good. I mean, it's impressive and fun, but at the end of the day it's a tribute. They're definitely in the Dissection/Dawn ballpark though. Ballpark - how's that for an Americanism that really means nothing in my country.