Staff
Reviews 473 Soundoffs 242 News Articles 45 Band Edits + Tags 75 Album Edits 176
Album Ratings 3715 Objectivity 86%
Last Active 01-01-70 12:00 am Joined 01-01-70
Review Comments 18,258
| Nocte's Top 50 of 2019
It's that time of the year again and while I'd normally wait another two-ish weeks to finalize my year work commitments are actually making me prioritize things here and there - but as long as it all works. Here's my completely ranked top 50 albums of the year (the ratings are either 4 out of 5 or higher) and while there is a host of great albums this year these are the stand-outs, painfully ranked. If it's not on here it's either a 3.5 or a 1.5 but I'll take your recommendations if you want to try proving that I've done my list too early. | 50 | | Valborg Zentrum | 49 | | Red Moon Architect Kuura | 48 | | Allegaeon Apoptosis | 47 | | Nucleus (USA-IL) Entity | 46 | | Vous Autres Champ du Sang | 45 | | Venom Prison Samsara | 44 | | Full Of Hell Weeping Choir | 43 | | Skyblood Skyblood | 42 | | Brume (USA-CA) Rabbits | 41 | | Monolithe OKTA KHORA | 40 | | Ghosts of Glaciers The Greatest Burden | 39 | | Cellar Darling The Spell | 38 | | Ashbringer Absolution | 37 | | Krypts Cadaver Circulation
Whether it be the despair and anguish or the cavernous misplacement of cheerier thoughts, Cadaver Circulation is doubly the album it’s meant to be, without fully achieving the record it should be. When looking at the sum of all Krypts’ parts, one could imagine the longevity as they recreate a noxious soundscape of hell’s very bowel, because let’s face it… they have not released a bad record as yet. | 36 | | Yellow Eyes Rare Field Ceiling | 35 | | A Swarm of the Sun The Woods | 34 | | Wishfield Wishfield | 33 | | WRVTH No Rising Sun | 32 | | Ataraxie Résignés
Whether it be the immersive planes that Ataraxie parallel with fear and imperfection, adding dread to a world of uncertainty or the spiral of decay only released when our last breath expires, Résignés deforms and yet defines our capacity to be human. Combining the marching dread of the title track or the monolithic pandering of tracks like "Les affres du trepas", Résignés manages to paint a portrait of black and grey. | 31 | | Numenorean Adore | 30 | | None Damp Chill of Life | 29 | | Weeping Sores Weeping Sores | 28 | | Gnaw Their Tongues An Eternity Of Suffering, An Eternity Of Pain | 27 | | Hope Drone Void Lustre
Hope Drone continues to captivate with organic minimalism (whether it be the feedback induced tail end of “This Body Will Be Ash” or the quiet cleans of “Being Into Nothingness”) juxtaposed to those consistently abrasive jagged instrumental sections that carry one theme of despair to another of melancholy and subtle hope. Sure, the shorter run time allows Void Lustre to be more easily held onto than its predecessor, yet it’s (speaking in terms of sonic ability) more challenging than the sophomore and in turn, the band’s debut. Despite the rather obvious short-coming of the album’s overall length and a tendency to occasionally tune its listeners out, Hope Drone’s 2019 piece is more digestible than the monolithic nature in Cloak Of Ash, using its repetitive phrases to hypnotize its listeners, carrying them on this journey of sound. | 26 | | Mortiferum Disgorged From Psychotic Depths | 25 | | Tomb Mold Planetary Clairvoyance
Tomb Mold craft delicious riffs and ear tearing growls is becoming progressively more solid. The immense weight of these Ontarians may shift slightly, but they remain well grounded in the past to bring new futures, ensuring a lack of sincere stagnation. Planetary Clairvoyance may not stray or deviate too far from what fans have come to love, sticking well to the deathly march and solid riffing they know. | 24 | | Fleshgod Apocalypse Veleno
When the sum of all Fleshgod Apocalypse's parts are considered together on their 2019 effort, the wholesome dexterity offered with simplicity and maturity offer an album both enjoyable and all together easier to digest than the band's catalog. There may be a slight step down here in terms of pure layered technicalities, but it comes with a moderate improvement of overall quality. | 23 | | Esoctrilihum The Telluric Ashes of the Ö Vrth Immemorial Gods
Esoctrilihum continue to add a consistent highlight into the realms of modern day extreme metal and thus far continues displaying Asthâghul’s impressive ability to craft mood from all manners of extremism. | 22 | | Inter Arma Sulphur English | 21 | | Cattle Decapitation Death Atlas | 20 | | The Great Old Ones Cosmicism | 19 | | Downfall of Gaia Ethic of Radical Finitude | 18 | | False Portent
False maintain their newest album that gears towards the fans of music that hold onto the In The Nightside Eclipse’s and Under A Funeral Moon purists of this world but it doesn’t conform to all the stereotypes that defined the greatness in the albums just mentioned. And largely, it shouldn’t. These after all are different times, and distinctly different bands. What is similar is the quality at which these group’s hold their music to. | 17 | | Darkthrone Old Star
Old dogs using old tricks. Darkthrone have always teetered on the edge of raw, primal black metal but even that's oh so nice in a package of musty old Sabbath-style riffs and traditional music values.
Review: https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/79632/Darkthrone-Old-Star/ | 16 | | Abyssal A Beacon In The Husk
The abstract death/doom/blackening that is Abyssal's 2019 effort is understated and underappreciated.
Review: https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/79840/Abyssal-A-Beacon-In-The-Husk/
https://abyssal-home.bandcamp.com/album/a-beacon-in-the-husk | 15 | | Can Bardd The Last Rain
Heavily influenced by the natural surrounds to which this album was written, Can Bardd fit in well with the crowd of Saor, Falls of Rauros, Fen...
Review:https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/79120/Can-Bardd-The-Last-Rain/
https://canbardd.bandcamp.com/album/the-last-rain | 14 | | Slow (BE) VI – Dantalion
If you guys thought 2017s 'Oceans' was vast, 'Dantalion' enters but two years later to offers the underworld. It's not as impactful as the albums ranked above this, but it's far from a dragging, slouchy listen. 'Dantalion' sits somewhere between extraordinary and incredible.
Review:https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80533/Slow-BE-VI-%E2%80%93-Dantalion/
https://slowdooom.bandcamp.com/album/vi-dantalion | 13 | | Saor Forgotten Paths
Another one of those albums that came out way too early in the year for people to have this immediately in mind but Scottish-born Andy Marshall delivers again, and again.
Review:https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/78901/Saor-Forgotten-Paths/
https://saor.bandcamp.com/album/forgotten-paths | 12 | | Mizmor Cairn
I’m still having trouble describing the pain, anguish and turmoil that ‘Cairn’ holds inside. I’m not going to lie - you have to be in the mood for this; it’s taxing, leaking moods into your very core and to some extent can make any bad feeling sustainably worse. This is Mizmor’s impact, you’re supposed to feel.
https://mizmor.bandcamp.com/ | 11 | | Rorcal Muladona
Story-telling in music. No really. The guys who call themselves Rorcal took a horror novel and transformed it into some bleak, despairing sludge that leans heavier on the band’s tendency to black metal.
Review:https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80585/Rorcal-Muladona/
https://rorcal.bandcamp.com/album/muladona-2 | 10 | | Vale (USA-CA-2) Burden of Sight
Visceral crust-punkened-black-doom metal whatchamacallit. Vale is fierce, delivering uncompromising music with intent to tear up a soul and what-ever being that may replace it.
https://valeoakland.bandcamp.com/album/burden-of-sight | 9 | | Chernaa Empyrean Fire
If you’ve got this album anywhere near your end of year list I applaud you. Seriously I do. Chernaa are one of those post-blackened hybrids that blur the lines where those two particular genres meet. Fairly, this isn’t going to please most of the black metal purists but those guys are probably way too busy listening to ‘Sunbather’ anyways.
https://chernaa.bandcamp.com/releases | 8 | | Deathspell Omega The Furnaces of Palingenesia
Despite how early this came out in the year this has done pretty well aging. Sure, there’s the usual controversy about the views of the act and what they’re about but in all honesty I came here for the music first and just about disregarded everything else. I don’t normally spend time quoting others’ opinions but that Milo guy nailed it when he said: “You know what also takes courage? Listening to The Furnaces of Palingenesia. This shit is so hard that a bag of prunes couldn't shift it once it lodges itself inside you.“
You tell em’ Milo. You tell em’.
https://deathspellomega.bandcamp.com/album/the-furnaces-of-palingenesia | 7 | | Advent Sorrow Kali Yuga Crown
If DSBM ever had a redemption ark worth following it’s Advent Sorrow. Their sound took a dramatic shift from their early days and since then they’ve been hitting stride. The vocals here are particularly well done, humbled by the album’s mixing which in all honesty balances everything in.
https://adventsorrow.bandcamp.com/album/kali-yuga-crown | 6 | | Profetus The Sadness Of Time Passing
Even as I write these little blurbs in I can already hear your thoughts: This guy listens to just metal?/What’s with the doom metal albums?
Well mostly, doom has quietly achieved this year and the underside of my desk has been cleaned too many times to count… eww, gross. ‘The Sadness Of Time Passing’ is near as masterful as the Esoteric album rated (slightly) higher than this but excels better in the nuances that define funeral doom. Chances are these guys aren’t going to get a great deal of notice around here - to which frankly, is a fucking shame.
https://profetus.bandcamp.com/ | 5 | | Wilderun Veil of Imagination
‘Veil Of Imagination’ was the “outlier” record for me. Having only heard a couple songs from the band over the years (quite casually I’ll admit) the early, out of the gate hype surely couldn’t be believed. It’s Ramon’s fault (gawd bless his probably synthetic cotton socks). I mean the man threw every loose terminology for whimsical Tolkein-inspired, Opeth-ian like music and the intrigue quickly turned to hype. Lucky for him (and by extension) and mostly myself, Wilderun delivered quickly, joyously and with a bam(!!) that left a smile on my face for the duration of this record - not once, but over and over again.
https://wilderun.bandcamp.com/album/veil-of-imagination | 4 | | Blood Incantation Hidden History of the Human Race
It’s not often a listener will come across a modern genre defining record, much less an album that’s measured amongst the best death metal genre has ever seen - but Blood Incantation made a statement with their 2019 effort but three years after slaying death metal giants with ‘Starspawn’. At times Hidden History… eases into the very stereotypes of the genre but also awakens the void of occasional aggressive psychedelia and beautiful heaviness.
https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-history-of-the-human-race | 3 | | Esoteric A Pyrrhic Existence
‘A Pyrrhic Existence’ is going to be a bit of a niche pick, but there’s little point in denying the sheer size of this funeral death/doom album.Moments of warning permeate throughout Esoteric’s monstrous 2019 effort, lumbering from one motif to the next.
Review: https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/80532/Esoteric-A-Pyrrhic-Existence/
https://esoteric.bandcamp.com/ | 2 | | Cult of Luna A Dawn to Fear
Cult Of Luna’s ‘Dawn To Fear’ is one of “those” albums that sucks you in and doesn’t let go. For years these guys have been honing their craft and have [arguably] released the best album of their career (Julie who?). ‘A Dawn To Fear’ further cements Cult Of Luna’s supremacy on the post-metal genre’s very precipice with climax and atmosphere in bounds.
https://cultofluna.bandcamp.com/ | 1 | | Falls of Rauros Patterns in Mythology
Anyone could have called this at anytime during the year, but ‘Patterns In Mythology’ is a sublime showcase of modern music, regardless of the extremities of the black metal genre. ‘Patterns In Mythology’ is a mix of gentle, surreal notes intertwined seamlessly into the icy furor of black metal’s wintery chill. Falls Of Rauros build on the momentum of their past releases in the best possible way making an album that’s good for the soul, the success of metal music and transcends the normal bounds of the genre.
Review:https://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/79872/Falls-of-Rauros-Patterns-in-Mythology/
https://fallsofrauros.bandcamp.com/album/patterns-in-mythology | |
Gnocchi
12.03.19 | Honorable mentions: Earth and Pillars, Axioma, The Gloaming, A Novelist, Soen, Altarage, Soilwork, Uluru, Merda Mundi, Unfurl, Haunter (USA - TX), Until Death Overtakes Me, Alarmist, The Lumberjack Feedback, Sinmara, Saver.
| Sniff
12.03.19 | Where's the Teeth album? | Gnocchi
12.03.19 | 3.8/5. Just short of mentioning. | DDDeftoneDDD
12.03.19 | awesome...this list doesn't fuck around....tons of them will meet my list as well! m/ | Gnocchi
12.03.19 | Still working on blurbs and links etc. Hopefully this gets a few more rates on albums | DDDeftoneDDD
12.03.19 | where's Warforged? m/ working on my list aws | Gnocchi
12.03.19 | I down rated it on my last list evaluation | Morningrise767
12.03.19 | awesome list mate, plenty of these I still need to check out m/
#1 is the bees knees m/ | TheNotrap
12.03.19 | Sweet, some of your picks are also in my top 50. I liked Skyblood's cover, I'll check it out. | PistolPete
12.03.19 | Nice to see someone else enjoyed Ghosts of Glaciers | Demon of the Fall
12.03.19 | Nice work. 'Bookmarked' for my own evil devices. | R4zor3dge
12.03.19 | Nice to see that Mizmor album on here. It doesn't get a lot of love | DungeonBoy
12.03.19 | Heck yeah dude, awesome list. 1 might be my 1 too, probably is, but also yes that Blood Incantation end of the year surprise skyrocketing it's way to the top 10 for sure. Didn't realize Nucleus released a new album, might check that out, but though Sentient was very okay. Really want to like the new Ashbringer.. will try again. | Egarran
12.03.19 | I don't seem to have the ears for CoL or Esoteric, otherwise much agerd.
Good DSO quote indeed. | DDDeftoneDDD
12.03.19 | get hears for those ASAP. Luv | Egarran
12.03.19 | But then I may lose the ability to appreciate the new Alcest. | DDDeftoneDDD
12.03.19 | you wouldn't really XP | DrGonzo1937
12.03.19 | nice to see 30 on here, it's a great album. | DoofDoof
12.03.19 | of these 23 is 1 | DDDeftoneDDD
12.03.19 | Indeed brother...it will meet my list when stuff the 4's there | Pikazilla
12.03.19 | Nice list! 2 and 3 are in my top 3 too :3 | Gnocchi
12.03.19 | You guys look like you're all over it this year. Hopefully this helps a little though, | MementoMori
12.05.19 | 48, 33, 32, 31, 26, 24, 22, 13, 12, 11, 4, 3, 2 and 1 are really, really excellent picks. Then again, you do have excellent taste anyway, so I expected nothing less. | Gnocchi
12.05.19 | Fen and Oak's newest also just missed out on a mention here too. | DDDeftoneDDD
12.05.19 | Well...grabbing that Slow (be) rec | Gnocchi
12.05.19 | Nice DDD | Willie
12.05.19 | This is the most consistent list I've seen. All the stuff I recognize, I liked. That means I need to add everything else to a playlist. | Gnocchi
12.05.19 | Consistent as in good right? I had to narrow this down from something like 500 albums... | Gnocchi
12.05.19 | and without pigeon-holing you too much Trey, if you're not on 39 you really should be. | Willie
12.05.19 | Definitely good. I liked all the stuff you listed that I've heard. I haven't heard 39 yet, but I'm going to add all of the ones I haven't heard. | Gnocchi
12.06.19 | Good to hear Willie, maybe give us a bit of a summary when you get through a couple of these albums? | Willie
12.06.19 | Definitely | frozencarl
12.08.19 | ty for reminding be about that can bardd album, havent listened in a minute | sixdegrees
12.08.19 | haven't heard any of these | Gnocchi
12.08.19 | like any?? | twlight
12.08.19 | Awesome list man. What an epic year for metal | sixdegrees
12.08.19 | no
I am going to listen to the new darkthrone before I make my list | Gnocchi
12.08.19 | Basically can't go wrong with a Darkthrone bump m/ | Willie
12.11.19 | Checked out Abyssal. It was definitely a surprise. I'm not a huge fan of death metal, so burying the vocals was a plus. I love the atmosphere on the album. I want to check out the older stuff now, too. | Gnocchi
12.11.19 | That's a bit of a leap from the stuff I normally see you getting into, no matter what direction you're currently enjoying. | Atari
12.12.19 | Thought I already commented on this before but nice list man. 1 and 4 are easily two of my favorite metal releases this year. And I’m starting to dive into 2... shit’s immense | Gnocchi
12.12.19 | Should be plenty of others for you to enjoy also, depends on what mood you're in. | deathofasalesman
12.12.19 | s-s-s-s-s-s-SOLID list bro | Egarran
12.12.19 | This is def in the top 3 of end of the year lists. | Gnocchi
12.12.19 | Benefits of having so much good music on hand this year honestly. Scary good. | Willie
12.13.19 | About half way through 15. Can Bardd - The Last Rain and I'm really liking this one. I could see this one being on my Top of 2019 if I had heard it earlier. Their older stuff just as good? | Gnocchi
12.14.19 | That's great Trey. I'll give you the short version. Very similar moods and styles but there's a production issue here and there that basically kills the crescendos and atmosphere. Still very worth a listen if you have time. | Egarran
12.14.19 | You should check out Enisum. | Gnocchi
12.14.19 | Name's not familiar, will get right on that. Thanks | Egarran
12.14.19 | Go for Arpitanian or Seasons.
The song Alpine Peaks has most of their elements. | osmark86
12.14.19 | Great list Nocte! Have really been a slow year for metal for me so it's time to catch up on what I've missed. That FoR album is truly fantastic though. That band really are special imo. | Gnocchi
12.14.19 | @eg, gave Enisum's 2019 a few spins last night. It's a solid 3.2/5 | Dedes
12.15.19 | Patterns in Mythology is probably the most pleasant album to ever grace the earholes | Gnocchi
12.15.19 | Agreed. Next year gonna have to step up. | Coast
12.22.19 | 2,3,4 rightfully up top. 1 and many others to catch up on. Nice Chopper cameo on Advent Sorrow. | Egarran
12.22.19 | > It's a solid 3.2/5
Yeah they do about 3 things, but they do them really well. Their 2019 is the 3. best but something like Afframont is almost meditative to me. | Gnocchi
12.22.19 | Well they're on my radar now. Maybe they'll throw out another album in a couple of years | BlazinBlitzer
12.26.19 | Love the love for Falls of Rauros. I'm also pretty sure Blood Incantation will be in the same spot on my own list. |
|