THE BEST OF 2011 - PART II

Moving on... now i bring you the second part of my Best Of 2011. It's time for some metal. It's essentially compost of releases i found out to be really great, read that as great with a capital "G", here you'll get some new releases from bands i already knew and other i had the pleasure to discover this year. These releases pleased me so much.. like a young boy lost in a candy store. I've put them in alphabetic order (because it was more easy) although i love them all as an only child (love you son!) Hope you enjoy it.

- 25 -

Ajattara - "Murhat"

One of my finest discoveries this year, the finnish Ajattara. Although is is their 7th release(!) it's funny how i never heard about this band before. In "Murhat" we get a great production and great sound, songs that have an exclusive personality of their own. You just don't get bored of listening to this.

- 24 -

Antediluvian - "Through The Cervix Of Hawaah"

Finally, 2011 was the year that these Canadian hellbent Death Metal monsters delivered us a full-length. Great expectations were delivered upon this and it didn't disappointed at all. Insane and primitive drumming allied to sick Incantation riffs and a guttural voice deeper than Mariana's Trench! A must have for absolute deadly Death Metal fans.

- 23 -

Aphrenous - "Ravaged By The Incessant Scourge Of Deception"

What i like the most in this album, and the big reason i brought it up to here, is specially the sound of it. It brings me back to the years in my youth when i was starting to discover Black Metal. That good and nostalgic Old School Black Metal. Great cold atmospheres that will turn a blizzard into your ears.

- 22 -

Ash Borer - "st"

Definitely one of the most claimed and important bands of the Cascadian Black Metal scene. True emotional and passionate Black Metal with raw riffs that will crawl and carve deep into your flesh, freezing your soul.

- 21 -

Battle Dagorath - "Ancient Wraith"

I love this album. It took me only one or two listening to it to be totally surrendered to this Black grim and frostbitten from Battle Dagorath. The sound, the voice.. the voice... damn. That's gotta be one of the most creepiest voices i've heard into Black Metal. That guy surely spits stalactites of ice, its like a fucking banshee from Hell. Like it!

- 20 -

Blut Aus Nord - "777 Sect(s)"

What can i say about these french madmen? Blut Aus Nord have given us some of the best BM releases in the history of Black Metal music. And this album is no exception. "777 Sect(s)" is just a freakin' trip in a serpent shaped roller-coaster. Devilish riffs that swirls around leaving us sometimes confused. This album gathers all characteristics to be classified as a classic. People, years from now, will still speak about this.

- 19 -

Corrupted - "Garten Der Unbewusstheit"

Hated by many, through disappointment, and loved by some. In this last minority, I'm included. Quite different from the other stuff Corrupted used to bring but still i find it a splendid, intimate and beautiful album.

- 18 -

Destroy Judas - "Wake"

Practically unknown, Destroy Judas are a Long Beach sludge/doom band that made their debut with "Wake". And what a debut ladies and gentlemen.. "Wake" is an incredible release filled with crushing-emotions in every note. Their sound resembles a lot to a band i also love, Mouth Of The Architect. Really good stuff here.

- 17 -

False - "st" 12''

False are a new promising Black Metal act that also made their debut this year, through the hands of the great DIY label Gilead Media. False present powerful visceral vocals and blistering riffs that will tear your skin off from thy flesh! Impressive.

- 16 -

Flourishing - "The Sum of All Fossils"

Great album this one brought by Flourishing. Although i'm not a big fan of technical death metal, this release really caught my attention due to the sound of it.. what a great fucking sound "The Sum of All Fossils" has a very keen technical/experimental/grind sound. It's fresh, it's invigorating, it's great.

- 15 -

Heresiarch - "Hammer of Intransigence"

Bestial Death Metal from New Zealand. After the Demo "Obsecrating the Global Holocaust" that turned all eyes on these guys, the announcement of a full length left everybody restless to see what would come out of this barbaric band. And this is the result, one of the most chaotic Death Metal albums of the year. 

- 14 -

Leucosis - "Pulling Down The Sky"

Leucosis basically delivered one of the best new Black Metal albums of the year. Although they're a young band, this "Pulling Down The Sky" is quite remarkable. They don't fit in the "satanic" or "paganism" circles, instead they deliver a lot of rawness and passion on this work. And every time i listen to it, it's like the first time. Great album.

- 13 -

Loss - "Despond"

Depression, anxiety, failure, illness, disease, despair, pain, fear and Loss. All of this resumed in one whole album. A total monolith of despair. Too good to let it pass by.

- 12 -

Miasmal - "Miasmal"

In for some Old School Swedish Death Metal? Fuck Yeah! One of the best Old School Death Metal albums that came out, no bullshit, no Entombed copycats, just "in-your-face" Death Metal. Where others tried and failed, Miasmal won.. fo' sho'.

- 11 -

Midnight - "Satanic Royalty"

Wait a sec.. let me get my leather jacket and a can of beer for this one. That's right. one of the most expected albums of the year for me to hear. Great Old School Blackened Rock n' Metal. Every song on this one are a blast of pure energy and fun. These guys have the sound, the artwork and the looks. What else do you need?

 - 10 -

Norska - "Norska"

Another great revelation found. Oregon's Norska debut really impressed me through the high quality of the songs. Heavy and hypnotic riffs mixed with great post-rock atmospheres that will make your jaw drop to the floor. Great debut.

 - 9 -

Rotten Sound - "Cursed"

If you're into grind and dig bands like Nasum, Kill The Client and Napalm Death than the name Rotten Sound isn't strange to you. Another great expectation of the year for me. Being a great Nasum fan it's impossible for me to not love this band. "Cursed" is a fucking bomb full of blastbeats, precise and fast riffs that will not give truce to your ears.

 - 8 -

Seidr - "For Winter Fire"

Seidr, a band that contains several members of other bands like Panopticon, Below and Wheels Within Wheels. So what happens when we get all these guys together? Dooooooooooommmm... mixed with some post rock, folk, ambient... whatever you wanna call it. An amazing, amazing album.

- 7 -

Sutekh Hexen - "Luciform"

I love, love, love Sutekh Hexen. Some of you might think.. "Dude, that's just a bunch of noisy feedback". Honestly, i don't care. What i see here is an intelligent new breed of Black Metal, mixed with some furious ambient drone. The ability of these guys to pick up that and shape it into music is just unbelievable. Really proves what this band is worth.

- 6 -

Thou - "The Archer & The Owle" EP

Thou, these Baton Rouge doomster have grew on me every since i heard their Demo. Everything that they put out is just solid gold. Even having 3 covers on this EP, they have that Thou twist that only they can do. Every time this bands releases something, i swear, i almost leave a drop or two in my underwear. Really good stuff.

- 5 -

Thrall - "Vermin to the Earth"

Thrall's new hate essay on mankind is one remarkable piece. If this guys continues to set the bar so high.. i don't know where it will stop. In my opinion it's a little bit slower than "Away from the Haunts of Men" but there are some blastbeats to keep that Thrall's (evil) reputation. A solid release.

 - 4 -

Trap Them - "Darker Handcraft"

And yes. The masters of dirty, dark, and schizophrenic crust grind are back. The big soul of this band is Ryan's voice, i mean, it's unmistakable as we hear it. And every time we hear a new Trap Them album is coming out it's like a young boy waiting for Christmas Day to arrive. Oh yeah. Every young new dark hardcore band wanna sound just like Trap Them.. that's the impression i get. But just to say that these guys deliver like no one and are, at this point, a reference into this genre.

- 3 -

Wolvhammer - "The Obsidian Plains"

Ugly, twisted and a bastard son of a rat of an album. Filled with songs that will rip your eyes out and piss on your bloody sockets. If you’re tired of squeaky clean productions, bands welding generic Swedish death metal onto faceless American hardcore, etc, Wolvhammer’s got the cure for what ails ya. Viva hate.

- 2 -

Wreck Of The Hesperus - "Light Rotting Out"

Slow and dirrrrrty... That's how i appreciate my sludge/doom. And WOTH really know the formula to it. This primitive sludge/doom they bring on "Light Rotting Out" it's just one of finest, in this genre, i had the pleasure to fill in my ears into. Gruesome!

- 1 -

Yellow Eyes - " Silence Threads The Evening's Cloth"

A great surprise and revelation. I must confess i got a little disappointed with new Krallice (don't even try to argue that) but this album, from the unknown Yellow Eyes, really filled that space. This is a very good album, a fresh and modern Black Metal with some post-rock and hardcore influences. Yellow Eyes have definitely earned their place in the actual American BM scene.

And this it folks... for now. Keep your eyes sharped for Part III. Because even better releases will be featured. Hope you've enjoyed this part, and you know the drill. Start the (healthy) discussion!