Best of the Best, Rest to the Rest!

Best of the Best, Rest to the Rest! Mirgilus choise from 2016 releases.
Some people say Metal is long dead. If you are lazy, or just deaf with your head in your ass, you are right, but if you want some nice releases from 2016 here is my recommendation, of course not all is metal and no particular order, without any order, just read and listen!

Dark Fury - This Story Happened Before (Lower Silesian Stronghold, CD)
One of the strongest bands from the so called scene, the last two songs from the album just brilliant, militant black metal to our times!

Deströyer 666 ‎– Wildfire (Season Of Mist, CD)
After the “Cold Steel…” album the band was a long slope, ”Defiance” was a totally disappointment, with a new line-up last year we saw on stage a really hungry band with fresh blood and „Wildfire” is a really wild album with inner fire!

Forteresse ‎– Thèmes Pour La Rébellion (Sepulchral Productions, CD)
The perfect Black Metal album of 2016.

Cultes Des Ghoules ‎– Coven, Or Evil Ways Instead Of Love (Under The Sign Of Garazel, CD)
Hmm, not their best album for sure, somebody said that no boring moments, riffs on this really long album, wrong, half from this could be perfect! Too long! Better than the previous album!

Deathspell Omega - The Synarchy Of Molten Bones (Norma Evangelium Diaboli, CD)
One of the strangest release from 2016, I can’t judge this is a really great release, or just a good DSO album. First I didn’t liked at all, I got a serious headache from those songs, after I liked a lot, now I do not see any outstanding riffs, themes or songs here. I really like the wall of bass from the entirely album.

CON-DOM - How Welcome Is Death To I Who Have Nothing More To Do But Die (Tesco Organisation, CD)
The master of noise & power electronics with a brand new album, harsh, astonishing, violent and uncompromising, Mike Dando for president!

Spiritus Mortis ‎– The Year Is One (Svart Records, CD)
Sami Albert Hynninen, do you need other arguments? Ok one more: Spiritus Mortis is the first doom metal band from Finland! The second album with Sami on vocals! Fantastic new doom anthems with great lyrics from the „man of doom” himself. The album contains the best song of the year „Holiday in the Cemetary”
„I have the right to spend my time
As I wish
You can go to a beach
While I fall into abyss
Holiday in a cemetery
With my silent friends”

Urfaust ‎– Empty Space Meditation (Ván, LP)
In special (empty space) mood, this is the perfect record! Urfaust never dissapointing!

Eternal Champion ‎– The Armor Of Ire (No Remorse Records, CD)
Rob showed me this band, and I’m totally possessed, Cirith Ungol spirit for the new generation!

Master's Hammer ‎– Formulæ (Jihosound Records, CD)
At first I really don’t liked this record, after few listening and few months I listened almost every day, one of their best albums ever, if you get cought, captivates forever!

Bölzer ‎– Hero (Iron Bonehead Productions, CD)
I’m perverse, I know. I can not explain by myself for why (or why not) but I’m listening regularly this album, not as worse than „Soma”, those vocals sometimes make me gay, but works. The mastodonish title track drive up to wall!

Swans ‎– The Glowing Man (Young God Records, CD)
The best band ever existed on planet Earth, and their last album, what else can say? No words, no thoughts. Not easy listening, never was and never will! I hope we will see each other this year on the farewell tour once, with luck twice! Thank you Mr.Gira for the 80’s aggressive, violent music and for the 00’s prudence & wisdom.

Genocide Organ ‎– Obituary Of The Americas (Tesco Organisation, CD)
Much agressive than „Under – Kontrakt”, smarter, killer, still the number one industrial assembly from the current scene! A must release for every industrial worshipper! Today is the same as yesterday, it is world without a tomorrow!

Ghost ‎– Popestar (Loma Vista, Rise Above Records, Spinefarm Records)
The best album title from 2016! OK I know this is just an Ep! Warm, catchy, enclitic, mainstream, no metal, fantastic!

Clinic Of Torture ‎– Rope Suspension (Freak Animal Records, CD)
The last Clandestine Blaze and Grunt records are not my favorites, but Mikko Aspa never did a worse record, this time under the „Clinic Of Torture” moniker he released again a beast, a really intense album, a must record for every power electronics, noise junkie!

Thy Catafalque – Meta (Season Of Mist, CD)
Amazing new album, the previous one did not catch me, but this one from the first tunes embraced me and do not let. Beautiful artwork and one of the best songs from 2016, the more than 21 minutes called „Malmok járnak”. The perfect song, structure, feeling, tunes everything on the right place. Would be nice to releasing this song on a single LP, both side just this track!

Haare ‎– Regression (Freak Animal Records, CD)
Fuck to the musical progression, hail to regression! Cold blades from Finland!

Sutcliffe Jugend ‎– Offal (Cold Spring, CD)
This guys never did a bad record and never did the same stuff on the SJ albums. Kevin Tomkins with Paul Taylor is the best duo of the experimental scene!

Ranger - Speed & Violence (Spinefarm Records, CD)
Steel heavy metal with speed & violence!

Running Wild ‎– Rapid Foray (Steamhammer/SPV, CD)
The BAND from my childhood! After 2 shitty records finally back on track! Nothing new under the sun, sometimes I feel this one is a best of records with well known RW hits from past, a tribute to the RW legacy. I’m still believe in pirates, long live Mr. Rock 'n' Rolf!

Dead Congregation – Sombre Doom (Martyrdoom Productions, CD)
Dead Congregation doing better than Morbid Angel, now! I’m still believe in death metal. That guitar tune, amazing, this is death metal, other bands just playing some death rock comparing with Dead Congregation.

The Cult - Hidden City (Cooking Vinyl, CD)
The best rock band ever, pure rock songs with lots of melancholy, sad feeling, special atmosphere, bitter-sweet. Perfect music for late nights. In „Birds of Paradise” Astbury just singing the stars down from the bright sky! Outrageous underrated band!

Rome ‎– The Hyperion Machine / Coriolan (Trisol, CD)
How many people thought, that after a short time Jerome release again a masterpiece? „A Passage To Rhodesia” is a mindblowing album, a magnum opus from 2014, after the „Hell Money” album I have lost my interest in Rome, accidentally I got the „A Passage To Rhodesia” album and I was totally enchanted by Rome again! And here is the new album, again a super great release full with beautiful songs, Jerome just singing and singing those great melodies! Amazing! + he released a brand new minialbum too, 8 songs „Coriolan” a MLP for the old fans in the vein of first 3 Rome albums.

High Spirits ‎– Motivator (High Roller Records, CD)
The most positive album of 2016, if you are going to an examination, job interview, or something like this, you must to listen this brilliant heavy metal album, short but intense, Motivator!

Vektor - Terminal Redux (Earache, CD)
The best metal album of 2016, other comments are not necessary!

Lord Vicar ‎– Gates of Flesh (The Church Within Records, CD) ‎
Lord Vicar & Spiritus Mortis new albums in the same year are the best gifts for doomanoids! I’m just dirt my panties from the opening „Birth of wine” song, the rest also gold.

Metallica ‎– Hardwired...To Self-Destruct (Blackened Recordings, CD)
I really honest album after 25 years to doing just shit and shit over and over again! Video for every song on album also a bullseye! Natural sound, no alibi metal, just pure metal in old metallica style. I want to be a child again!

Denouncement Pyre - Black Sun Unbound (Hells Headbangers, CD)
Australian force, speed and power, if you want adrenaline you must listen australian metal. Need to listeninga lot to embracing this beast, worth it!

Wovenhand ‎– Star Treatment (Sargent House / Glitterhouse Records, CD)
Magic & mayhem, ritual, spiritual catharsis, celebration! Sometimes rock’n’roll, sometimes native folk, even country, strong in every aspect!

Jan Mörgenson ‎– Jass, Raag & Blooz (Specific / Mask of the Slave / LP, cassette)
One guitar. That’s all it takes JAN MÖRGENSON to build a whole wide universe made of countryside dreams and mountaintop nightmares. His blues is unique, blending his love for traditional anthems with an urge to explore new territories, always playing on the verge of cloud-like trance and twisted psychedelia.

Denner / Shermann - Masters of Evil (Metal Blade, CD)
Amazing guitar work, those solos! Great artwork, just Mr. King missing, maybe next time under the Mercyful Fate moniker!

Solstice ‎– To Sol A Thane (White Horse, LP)
Holy fucking shit, this is just a demo! The good example for the wasted talent! I pray for the god of doom every day from now to a new album from this band! The best doom metal record from 2016! Keep in your fucking mind! „For All Days, And For None”.

Dernière Volonté ‎– Prie Pour Moi (Hau Ruck!, CD)
French military pop always welcome! I’m just like Geoffroy Delacroix’s voice with some dancing like industrial songs.

Svoid - Storming Voices of Inner Devotion (Sun & Moon Records, CD)
Glory to the brave! Proud to be Hungarian!

The waggish cheaters

King Dude - Sex (Ván, LP)
Half is gold, half is just alibi music, from album point of view, better to have no girlfriend Mr. Dude, when you was lonely, lost and miserable you made better songs! One thing is certain: 2 same song is not available on this album! For the „Our Love Will Carry On” track, please send some money, drugs or pussies to Mr. Nick Cave! For the „Shine Your Light” song I forgive your every sins Dude!

Neurosis - Fires Within Fires (Neurot Recordings, CD)
After the total disappointment „Honor Found in Deacy” album here is a new one, which is much better than Honor, but still missing something. The band is still in crisis, but we can hear here some promising songs. For the „Broken Ground” track I’m turned a blind eye for the Honor album. If somebody wants to sending me a gift, please send a copy from „Strength and Vision” box, missing from my collection, many thanks.

Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder (Peaceville, CD)
Darkthrone is a hobby band, sometimes I like this hobby, this time not. OK I know it’s not so easy to making awesome album after 16 (!!) full length records. Better than the previous, I found 2-3 great songs, the rest is just standard darkthronish metal for the dudes!

The Fallens

Antaeus - Condemnation (Norma Evangelium Diaboli, CD)
Show me one single good riff on this album and I give you 100 euro! The drumsound just make me sick! Those cymbals sounds like shit.

Cult of Fire - Life, Sex and Death (Beyond Eyes Productions, CD)
Boring, boring & boring! Boring, boring & boring! Boring, boring & boring!

Inquisition ‎– Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith (Season Of Mist, CD)
Wanna be Blizzard Beasts or not? Nice title!

Grave Desecrator - Dust To Lust (Season Of Mist Underground Activists, CD)
What the hell happened with this band?

Cobalt - Slow Forever (Profound Lore Records, CD)
Slowly bleeding audio masturbation.

Diapsiquir ‎– 180° (Necrocosm, CD)
French hip-hop is not my friend.

Teitanblood ‎– Accursed Skin (Norma Evangelium Diaboli ‎/ The Ajna Offensive, LP)
I’m just too old for this, what the hell happening in the second track called „Sanctified Dysecdysis”? Black/death metal under the water? Aquatic noise metal. Slow parts are too boring for me, the rest is wicked cacophony. A really positive thing about this EP, just 25 minutes of satanic noise!

Ulver - ATGCLVLSSCAP (House Of Mythology, CD)
Simply, they are too smart boys now to making a good record, improvisative new album, come on...

Meshuggah - The Violent Sleep Of Reason (Nuclear Blast, CD)
With every new Meshuggah album I would like to undarstand why is so special this band, but I can’t. Tomas Haake on drums is just a genius, I have seen his videos couple of times and amazing drummer for sure, alien, but the most important thing: where is the music? Where is the song? What we are hearing on Meshuggah recods just musical instruments competition, nothing more, nothing less!

 

Best demo

Suruni & YANA – Split (self released, cassette)
Handmade cassette limited to 10 copies only, Finnish low-fi experimental shit, not for the masses, Suruni is more than just experiment, Suruni is passion & devotion!

Missing records, but sounding promising:

Goatess ‎– II : Purgatory Under New Management (Svart Records, CD)
All the time Rob talking about this album and I did not gave a flying fuck until yesterday when I realized that the singer is Christian Linderson, holy shit, a must listen in the next copule of weeks!

Sektemtum ‎- Panacea (Osmose Productions, CD)
Without Meyhna'ch they did a better job? Maybe, in the next couple of weeks I will get the answer! Promising second album!

Death Worship - Extermination Mass (Nuclear War Now!, 12" LP)
James Read & Ryan Förster again in a new band together, sounds amazing for every Conqueror fanatic!

Best Live actions

Black Sabbath @ Budapest
Varathron @ Old Grave Fest
King Dude @ Brutal Asault & @ A38
Abysmal Grief + Svoid @ Kolozsvar
Chelsea Wolfe @ Brutal Assault
Vektor @ Brutal Assault
Iron Maiden @ Bukarest
Prong @ Dürer, Budapest
Antisect @ Old Grave Fest
Angelcorpse @ Brutal Assault

 

Mirgilus, on the last day of cold January, 2017