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Top 10 Albums of Any Given Year


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2002

fist of the northern destroyer by clandestine blaze

eskhata by catamenia

zos kia cultus (here and beyond) by behemoth

nordland 1 by bathory

demonic possession by tsjuder

over bjoergvin graater himmerik by taake

genesis by rotting christ

damien by mystic circle

bloodhymns by necrophobic

legend by tyrant

 

honorable mentions: they will return by kalmah, versus the world by amon amarth and until it bleeds again by agathocles 

 

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            2002  

1. Inquisition - Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan

2. Deathspell Omega - Inquisitors of Satan

3. Morrigan - Enter the Sea of Flames

4. Nehëmah - Light of a Dead Star

5. Baptism - The Beherial Midnight

Graven - Perished and Forgotten

Deströyer 666 - Cold Steel...for an Iron Age

Disgust - The Horror of It All

Vomitory - Blood Rapture

Tragedy - Vengeance

Desaster - Divine Blasphemies

Craft - Terror Propaganda

Megiddo - The Atavism of Evil

Clandestine Blaze - Fist of the Northern Destroyer

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2001 - overall, absolute dogshit year for metal

 

Armagedda - The Final War Approaching

Blood Storm - Ancient Wraith of Ku

Church of Misery - Master of Brutality

Deteriorot - In Ancient Beliefs

Horna - Sudentaival

Vomitory - Revelation Nausea

Arkona - Zeta Reticuli: A Tale About Hatred and Total Enslavement

Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult - Follow the Calls for Battle

Azarath - Demon Seed

Satanic Warmaster - Strength & Honour

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I thought 2001 was a pretty decent year. Had 20 albums which was the most I've ever had on one of these lists, and I still somehow missed Armagedda which I love, and Horna which is understandable because I don't have that particular album. I do think both 2000 & 2002 were slightly better years even though I had less albums on my lists for those years. But just slightly

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Finally narrowed it down from 49 albums for 1999: 10. Demons & Wizards - Demons & Wizards

as we established in 1998 I have an enormous amount of time for the vocal talents of Hansi Kursch. Matched with the guitar playing of Jon Schaffer you get the best of Blind Guardian and Iced Earth in one band, such a fun album to listen through.

9. Maniac Butcher - Invaze

Evil nasty sounding black metal, not much more to say about it really… Two entries in this list is already shaping up as being quite eclectic.

8. Control Denied - The Fragile Art of Existance

Also established in my previous list is how highly I rate Chuck Schuldiner, so while I’m not a fan of the vocals on this album I can overlook them for the very cool progressive/Power metal performances from the other instruments, really this is just death but with clean singing.

7. …and Oceans - The Symmetry of I the Circle of O

Dark, heavy and symphonic black metal, or maybe black and death metal I find it hard to distinguish between those two sometimes honestly, either way if you would like your extreme metal with a sinister atmosphere and a healthy dose of symphonic elements you’ll probably enjoy this.

6. Lord Belial - Unholy Crusade

Dark evil and blasty Black metal, this is one you can really bang your head to.

5. November’s Doom - Of Sculpted Ivy and Stone Flowers

Melodic, heavy, there are clean passages here and there to break up the growls besides would it even be one of my list without doom metal? Didn’t think so.

4. Demoncy - Joined in Darkness

Murky and sinister well it’s black metal these things are never far away, but what I love about this album is the heavy bass presents something you don’t really here often in this genre.

3. Taake - Nattestid Ser Porten Vid

Ah Norway, Home to snowy Mountains, deep dark forests, oh and black metal. These guys remind me of a less  folky Ulver circa Bergtat.

2. Nevermore - Dreaming Neon Black

Warrel Dane’s vocal hear sound full of pain and anger, a perfect match for the slightly dissonant heavy metal which accompanies them. Given the backstory to this album is very little surprise hell  Dane’s vocal sound here in all honesty.

1. Worship - Last CD Before Doomsday

Holy shit is this bleak. Just tortured, grief riddled funeral doom. Tragically the front man passed away not long after recording this record and his parents destroyed most copies of it, meaning YouTube is perhaps the best chance you have of hearing this record, a brief disclaimer though this will absolutely ruin your day .

 

aside from using the word record and obscene amount in the last entry I’m pretty happy with how this turned out, as much as possible I favourite albums which hadn’t been mentioned over ones which had also all the power metal was on my list regardless. but they never really feel like they overstay their welcome.

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               2003  

1. Morrigan - Celts

2. Armagedda - Only True Believers

3. Overkill - Killbox 13

Hellshock - Only the Dead Know the End of War

Urgehal - Through Thick Fog Till Death

Blut Aus Nord - The Work Which Transforms God

Setherial - Endtime Divine

Decayed - The Beast Has Risen

Disfear - Misanthropic Generation

Bloodhammer - Abbedissan Saatanalliset Houreet   .

Hate Forest - Purity

Warloghe - Womb of Pestilence

Kadotus - Seven Glorifications of Evil

Integrity - To Die For

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2003

chaos born by catamenia

open the gates of hell by mystic circle

opferblut by satanic warmaster

defending the throne of evil by carpathian forest

likferd by windir

evil never dies by toxic holocaust

nordland 2 by bathory

twilight of the idols by gorgoroth

through thick fog till death by urgehal 

satanic black devotion by sargeist 

 

honorable mentions: into the lungs of hell by god dethroned, the end of halcyon age by twilight ophera, liberation by 1349, lucifer incestus by belphegor and room service by panzerchrist

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17 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

I thought 2001 was a pretty decent year. Had 20 albums which was the most I've ever had on one of these lists, and I still somehow missed Armagedda which I love, and Horna which is understandable because I don't have that particular album. I do think both 2000 & 2002 were slightly better years even though I had less albums on my lists for those years. But just slightly

i have a tons of more faves from 2003 than i could remember on the spot. holy shit! that was an amazing metal year. so, i keep having to go back and add a bunch of honorable mentions i brain farted on when making the list earlier 😂

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22 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

I thought 2001 was a pretty decent year. Had 20 albums which was the most I've ever had on one of these lists, and I still somehow missed Armagedda which I love, and Horna which is understandable because I don't have that particular album. I do think both 2000 & 2002 were slightly better years even though I had less albums on my lists for those years. But just slightly

I started with 15 albums for 2001 before checking out everyone else’s list, for me I’d say it’s under explored year but not necessarily a bad one.

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1 minute ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Wish you guys would hurry the fuck up and catch up to me and Serpie already. 2004 list is ready to go and it's a real banger. But I don't want to get too far ahead of the slowpokes. Except for Kuke, no intention of waiting for his slow ass, he'll be stuck in the 90's til Christmas probably.

Don't let that stop you.

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2 hours ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

I started with 15 albums for 2001 before checking out everyone else’s list, for me I’d say it’s under explored year but not necessarily a bad one.

No...trust me, it's not under explored. It was just a bad year for metal

 

2002

Inquisition - Invoking the Majestic Throne of Satan

Sadistik Exekution - Fukk

Unlord - Lord of Beneath

Wolf - Black Wings

Taake - Over Bjoergvin graater himmerik

Kaamos – S/T

Baptism - The Beherial Midnight

Suidakra - Emprise to Avalon

Craft - Terror Propaganda (Second Black Metal Attack)

Sadism - Summon

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Time to start catching up I guess…

2000: 10. Ritual Carnage - Every Nerve Alive

Thrash? In 2000? Shit Ku is rubbing off on me, anyway this is fast, heavy, and aggressive and everything you could want in a thrash album. You have my solemn promise this is the only non-extreme metal on the list.

9. Extol - Undeceived

Progressive death metal with a little less Melody then is common for the style of, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but this works for me.

8. Impaled Nazarene - Nihil

I have to admit the only other IN album to click with me was Ugra Karma, just really dig the evil atmosphere here.

7. Deceased - Supernatural Addiction

Melodic, thrashy, death Metal with every song inspired by some work of horror fiction, bonus points to anyone who guesses the inspiration for each track without looking it up…

6. The Chasm - Procession to the Infraworlds

what is this now the third? fourth time this album has appeared on one of these lists for 2000? Tells you everything you need to know really.

5. Primordial - Spirit the Earth Aflame

another repeat offender here, these guys really do have such a unique and folky approach to black metal.

4. Ragnarok - Diabolical Age

Its A hat trick of entries from other lists now. Black metal that’s just I full of everything I love about the genre.

3. Thyrfing - Urkraft

The hits just keep coming I guess, promise the top two spots are unique, anyway I love my folk metal dark and heavy so of course this is going to resonate with me.

2. Anorexia Nervosa - Drudenhaus

Symphonic, chaotic, i’ve heard some describes these guys as black and death metal but I don’t hear it, just sounds like symphonic black metal leaning on the heavier side of the spectrum to me.

1. Lykathea Aflame - Elvenefris

One and done must have been the attitude for these guys, but when your debut is pure perfection white release anything else right? Melodic, technical, progressive, heavy and unique this is one death metal album which can’t be described it has to be heard.

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1 hour ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

One and done must have been the attitude for these guys, but when your debut is pure perfection white release anything else right? Melodic, technical, progressive, heavy and unique this is one death metal album which can’t be described it has to be heard.

They had an album out under the name Appalling Spawn a couple years before that. I don't think it's as good or as interesting, but it's worth hearing. They switched up drummers in between but the rest of the lineup was the same.

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6 hours ago, RelentlessOblivion said:

2000: 10. Ritual Carnage - Every Nerve Alive

Thrash? In 2000? Shit Ku is rubbing off on me, anyway this is fast, heavy, and aggressive and everything you could want in a thrash album. You have my solemn promise this is the only non-extreme metal on the list.

Dude this ain't Master of Puppets, this is undeniably extreme metal, it's death/thrash. It's also pretty fucking good, up til now I'd only ever heard The Highest Law from '98. Kuke would probably even like this. But you're allowed to have any genre you want on your list, no oaths or promises required.

 

Ritual Carnage - Every Nerve Alive, Japan 2000

 

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2004

chimera by mayhem

fate of norns by amon amarth

iron by ensiferum

demigod by behemoth

the grand hammering by gloomy grim

the arrival by hypocrisy 

death unlimited by norther

the polarity axiom by alghazanth

fueled by hate by jungle rot

satanic warmaster/clandestine blaze split

 

honorable mentions: beyond the apocalypse by 1349, lair of the whiteworm by god dethroned, nightbreed of macabria by theatres des vampires, plague angel by marduk and the gorgon cult by stormlord 

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2 hours ago, GoatmasterGeneral said:

Dude this ain't Master of Puppets, this is undeniably extreme metal, it's death/thrash. It's also pretty fucking good, up til now I'd only ever heard The Highest Law from '98. Kuke would probably even like this. But you're allowed to have any genre you want on your list, no oaths or promises required.

 

Ritual Carnage - Every Nerve Alive, Japan 2000

 

Sarcasm doesn’t translate well to text it seems…

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2001. Somehow it still feels more recent than it actually is. Spring semester of my freshman year at art school, I'm not sure I'm going to stick it out. Some of the people I spend time with will become good friends for decades. I unexpectedly win an art scholarship competition and go home feeling like it must have been a mistake. Over the summer, I work for peanuts in one of the school wood shops and move into a neighborhood roach motel with my GF. Graffiti on the corner says "white people are stealing our homes". We're in a part of Brooklyn where this eventually becomes more or less true. A quick trip to visit my people in NC leaves me with an irrevocable sense of distance. I get introduced to metallic hardcore, mathcore, noise rock, and first wave black metal. Fall semester is the beginning of sophomore year, my first year of formal painting classes, and it's all focus; I'm acquiring a lot of techniques and ideas that I'll still be leaning on twenty-one years later; one Tuesday, I'm learning to stretch a canvas and somebody runs into the classroom yelling that the World Trade Center is on fire. Not much later, I'm part of a cluster of people at a 6th floor stairwell window. I light a cigarette and watch the north tower disappear in a slow-motion puff of smoke and glittery things. People are crying in the hallways. A few days later, it's back to the human form, removing the self from the drawing process by taping charcoal to 24" twigs, theory, history, criticism. My drawing portfolio for my entire semester is stolen from the classroom on a lunch break, minutes before my review - the second incident in a trend that would continue throughout my college years. Somewhere in there, I get my first copy of Cubase, and the world of digital recording opens up.

No wonder I wasn't keeping up with shit that year. I dug through Metallum to refresh my memory and saw a bunch of albums I used to like, a ton of purportedly good stuff I still haven't heard, and a metric boatload of dreck. My top ten list seems almost incidental.

Opeth - Blackwater Park 

Akercocke - The Goat Of Mendes 

Katatonia - Last Fair Deal Gone Down 

Neurosis - A Sun That Never Sets 

Diabolical Masquerade - Death's Design 

Funebrarum - Beneath The Columns Of Abandoned Gods 

Gorguts - From Wisdom To Hate 

Darkthrone - Plaguewielder 

My Dying Bride - The Dreadful Hours 

Borknagar - Empiricism

 

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