Alright, I'll finally do this. There's still a lot of stuff put out this year that I want to listen to, but just haven't. I don't even know if I'd say these five are my "favorites" of the year, but they're the first ones to come to mind. Here goes...
Horrid Cross - Demo I & II
I'm putting these together since the second one came out only months after the first one. I was hyped for this band before I even heard them since they had the guitarist of Divisions. I was expecting it to be some really disgusting Sarcofago-worship kind of stuff, which would've been fine with me, but when I finally heard it...oh shit. Feedback, stick clicks, and then immediately I got annihilated by the most insane thing I've heard all year. Insane distorted vocals, epic riffs, machine gun drums, it sounds like someone opened up a doorway to Hell. Absolutely PERFECT.
Divisions - Fin
One of my favorite recent bands' (who unfortunately have broken up) final release. The 7" was one of my favorite things of last year, so this tape was a surefire winner for this year. They took the black metal/hardcore fusion they already had and turned up the EVIL knob to 11. The sound is filthy, the vocals sound like they were recorded in a cave, and there's a Bathory cover at the end. Also, if you were one of the lucky ones to get this tape from them when they were on tour (where were you people at the Columbus show, huh?), your tape came with a fucking live bullet. AARRRGGGHHH
Daitro - Y
I just heard this album recently, but I think it was good enough to make it on this list. Daitro has always been one of the better bands in the whole Euro-screamo scene, so they would've really had to fuck up to make a "bad" album. They didn't, of course. This album actually strays away a little bit from the sound they had before. Poppier maybe? It's actually catchy as hell, and still just as "powerful" as the old stuff. I hate describing music.
Mammoth Grinder - Extinction Of Humanity
This can't be the same band that put out No Results or Rage & Ruin, it just can't be. They traded in their stoner riffs for Entombed shirts. Mammoth Grinder is officially a thrash/death metal band now. This album also has the best "OUGH" moments I've heard in a while. This album could be on this list just for those.
Cult Ritual - s/t LP
Oh of course, this is on here. The hype band of this past summer. There's a reason for that hype. This LP is magnificent. I don't really know how else to put it. I wouldn't say they're as "groundbreaking" as people were saying a few months ago, but this is definitely different than the straight up hardcore stuff they used to do. This album also has two of my favorite moments in MUSIC from this year. The songs "Failed" and "Saturday's Blood." When it suddenly goes into that pretty part in the middle of "Failed" and then that 3 minute drum beat that starts off "Saturday's Blood" that builds up into...ah you just need to hear it. When I heard that live it just blew me away.
I'm sure there are others that I absolutely loved this year, but I just can't remember them right now. I hate writing reviews.
Horrid Cross - Demo I & II
I'm putting these together since the second one came out only months after the first one. I was hyped for this band before I even heard them since they had the guitarist of Divisions. I was expecting it to be some really disgusting Sarcofago-worship kind of stuff, which would've been fine with me, but when I finally heard it...oh shit. Feedback, stick clicks, and then immediately I got annihilated by the most insane thing I've heard all year. Insane distorted vocals, epic riffs, machine gun drums, it sounds like someone opened up a doorway to Hell. Absolutely PERFECT.
Divisions - Fin
One of my favorite recent bands' (who unfortunately have broken up) final release. The 7" was one of my favorite things of last year, so this tape was a surefire winner for this year. They took the black metal/hardcore fusion they already had and turned up the EVIL knob to 11. The sound is filthy, the vocals sound like they were recorded in a cave, and there's a Bathory cover at the end. Also, if you were one of the lucky ones to get this tape from them when they were on tour (where were you people at the Columbus show, huh?), your tape came with a fucking live bullet. AARRRGGGHHH
Daitro - Y
I just heard this album recently, but I think it was good enough to make it on this list. Daitro has always been one of the better bands in the whole Euro-screamo scene, so they would've really had to fuck up to make a "bad" album. They didn't, of course. This album actually strays away a little bit from the sound they had before. Poppier maybe? It's actually catchy as hell, and still just as "powerful" as the old stuff. I hate describing music.
Mammoth Grinder - Extinction Of Humanity
This can't be the same band that put out No Results or Rage & Ruin, it just can't be. They traded in their stoner riffs for Entombed shirts. Mammoth Grinder is officially a thrash/death metal band now. This album also has the best "OUGH" moments I've heard in a while. This album could be on this list just for those.
Cult Ritual - s/t LP
Oh of course, this is on here. The hype band of this past summer. There's a reason for that hype. This LP is magnificent. I don't really know how else to put it. I wouldn't say they're as "groundbreaking" as people were saying a few months ago, but this is definitely different than the straight up hardcore stuff they used to do. This album also has two of my favorite moments in MUSIC from this year. The songs "Failed" and "Saturday's Blood." When it suddenly goes into that pretty part in the middle of "Failed" and then that 3 minute drum beat that starts off "Saturday's Blood" that builds up into...ah you just need to hear it. When I heard that live it just blew me away.
I'm sure there are others that I absolutely loved this year, but I just can't remember them right now. I hate writing reviews.
