Ah yes…another come and gone; A myriad of albums to listen to and a list to be made…How wonderful! Normally at this early stage of my musings about the music that’s been released during the year, I usually end up saying “there were so many quality releases, how could I possibly pick a few as the best?” And once again I must admit that this list has had at least four revisions with only two of the albums staying on the list in all versions. While last years’ list (kudos to Revocation for releasing the absolutely excellent “The Outer Ones” which was my number 1) was exceptionally difficult to put together, 2019 proved even more so. With so many artists putting out quality material, I was almost to the point of making my first “Top 20” list but alas that is not the name of the game.
So, without any further preamble…let’s get to it.
10. Green Lung – Woodland Rites
Green Lung kick this list off with a completely satisfying, catchy, heavy album all neatly wrapped in occult themed packaging. Not only do you get the classic 70s, early Sabbath-vibe here, but you’re getting incredible musicianship, sweeping guitar solos, and soulfully layered vocal melodies. Not to mention, on every single track, you get a heaping serving of groove that just carries this album to the next level. The production reminded me of Sabbath 2, but sounded more balanced, polished and dynamic too. (Props to the engineers who put this record together!) I ended up finding myself listening to this album a lot this year, because the groove and melody helped me to focus on what I was doing, but I usually ended up finding myself just cranking this album up and enjoying the hell out of it. I mean, who doesn’t need a little Satan in their lives right? All hail the Doomlords of the Occultsphere, Green Lung. 8.8/10
9. The Great Old Ones – Cosmicism
Another year, another H.P. Lovecraft/Cthulu Mythos album makes the list! (Reovcation was my AOTY for 2018 with The Outer Ones) The French wizards of interstellar doom and madness have done it again with their new album. While I loved the heaviness of their previous release A Tale of Dark Legacy, Cosmicism delivered some of the beloved ambience and palpable sense of dread felt on their classic Tekeli-Li album. The opening track blending into The Omniscient sets the tone early; this album will lull you into a sense of near-quietude as you wonder where the next attack will come from. Without warning, you’re struck with a monolithically huge dose of melodic chaos, that would only bring a smirk to the face of the great sunken god Cthulu himself. With pristine production put into this record, you can clearly discern all of the instrumentation and really pick up on all of the elaborately crafted textures TGOO put into their music. 8.9/10
8. Tyr- Hel
Again, all of the albums on this list were all so very, very close. Fortunately for Tyr’s newest offering Hel, their revered ancestors will be championing their efforts and chanting many a toast to their album over endless horns of mead. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed a good amount of the Folk/Viking metal that’s been released in the last 20 years, but Tyr somehow avoids the cheesiness and gimmicks that other bands tend to fall into. On Hel, Tyr manages to tell stories that you would probably hear around a bonfire after a well fought victory, without relying on the same themes that you’ve heard from a LOT of their peers within the genre. What Tyr has going for them aside from the well-crafted stories, is INCREDIBLE musicianship. Yes, there are some absolutely absurd guitar solos, and riffs that would make even Iron Maiden blush, but Tyr pulls all of the music together with excellent arrangements, stellar production and a will executed album that doesn’t overstay its welcome. I will be joining their honored ancestors over a mead soon, after finishing this list, and probably play this album again as well. 9.0/10
7. Venom Prison – Samsara
Not only did Venom Prison pick up where they left off with Animus, they somehow got angrier. My candidate (and easily the winner of) for “Angriest Album of the Year” is Samsara. VP showcases plenty of technicality, a penchant for heaviness, and they have a stunning knack for transitioning between one chaotic part to the next. All while listening to what could be the soundtrack to the end of the world, you’re being told stories about how absolutely fucked up the world can be, and Venom Prison’s vocalist Larissa Stupar isn’t at all afraid to paint the grimmest, bleakest and most brutal pictures for you as you read along with the lyrics. Samsara reminds you that people can be the worst, that life can be shit, and that faith in humanity is at an all-time low for certain people. But it’s albums like this that provide you a release from all that is terrible, and gives you a place to focus your anger with it all. I cannot wait for what Venom Prison does next, as Samsara only leaves me waiting for further punishment. 9.0/10
6. Baroness – Gold & Grey
All good things must come to an end. Sadly, but beautifully Baroness have ended their “Chromatic Album Cycle” with the stellar hues of Gold & Grey. I was able to take my eyes off of the stunning album artwork (goddamn you John Baizley for being so talented) long enough to give the album a spin, cover to cover and was immediately floored by how varied, adventurous and just…different this album was for Baroness. And yet, while all of the songs sound new, the album feels familiar to me. Baroness has always challenged me, and has never been easily categorized. I’d be a fool not to mention, that the newest addition to the band, Gina Gleason (guitars/vocals) makes such a huge impact for me, not just because she’s an astounding guitarist, but her vocal capabilities complement Baizley’s perfectly, and at times in a sort of hauntingly pretty sort of way. Certainly, they had their roots in metal, and always threw in elements of other genres in their music, but to me with this new release, they’ve transcended genre and are just “Baroness” now. With gorgeously crafted transition pieces between the tracks, Gold & Grey has multiple jaw-dropping, awe inspiring songs, and it’s incredibly difficult to pick one that stands out above the rest. So I won’t try to. Just listen to the damn thing and enjoy their masterpiece. 9.2/10
5. Myrone – Guitar Magic
Let’s keep this list going with arguably, the most fun album of the year. I will be the first to admit, I love energetic, in-your-face, fast video game soundtracks. And as I am a massive dork who loves an awesome guitar solo, Mr. Hugh Myrone’s aptly named Guitar Magic is exactly as the album title advertises. I mean, you get a robed wizard floating over a mountain with a guitar strapped up…How could it be anymore nerdy and awesome?! (Ok, I’ll settle down now) Mr. Myrone has had a long and productive career, releasing a new album or EP every year it seems like, and the man simply will not be stopped. Myrone’s albums go all over the place, and have channeled: 1980s shred, movie soundtrack, video game, and relaxing/ambient vibes. But on Guitar Magic you’re getting full dose of fun, and in the world as we know it today, we could all use some. I put on this album and feel like I could conquer my own mountains with magical powers given to me by Mr. Myrone himself. This album was too damn entertaining for me to not put this high on my list. 9.3/10
4. Traveler – S/T
It’s 1985, you’ve got your battle vest on, a case of beer at the ready, and your friends just came by to party. Now you’ve got to pick the right album. Sadly, you can’t pick Traveler’s rad self-titled debut because you’d need a time machine to get to 2019! Ok, now that I’ve gotten my horrible 80s sci-fi shtick out of the way, I can safely say that this album nails the “Retro” vibe best out of all the NWOTHM that came out this year. Traveler kept things simple for their debut. They stuck to writing your typical verse/chorus song structures, but vocalist Jean-Pierre Abboud sounds as if he’s having the time of his life, belting out high-pitched, and wailing melodies over the harmonized, Iron Maiden-esque riffage. So if you are a product of the 80s, and live through the heyday of the original NWOBHM/NWOTHM movement, Traveler would be right next Maiden, Priest, Saxon, Def Leppard, Motorhead, Liege Lord, Omen and Jag Panzer. Put down your beer, put on this album, pick your beer back up, and party. 9.4/10
3. Obsequiae – The Palms of Sorrowed Kings
To say that the top 3 albums of this list were so close is an understatement. Fortunately for Obsequiae’s newest offering The Palms of Sorrowed Kings, the stunningly beautiful ambience that permeates the entire release is what catapulted the album straight over the castle walls and onto my turntable endlessly. From the get-go, you’re met with medieval styled compositions that certainly got me imagining myself in an old hall, overlooking a massive landscape and listening to the instrumentation reverberate evenly throughout the whole space. Then as soon as the second track begins, you are swept up in a melodic, and technically sound mix of Black metal with hints of Folk Metal leaning harmonies. With a new drummer and harpist on this album, the record benefits from a new energy and that energy was captured beautifully by the recording/production staff. The album never drags on, it never lets up, and it certainly never lets my attention go anywhere else while listening. I didn’t think it was possible that a new Obsequiae record could top Aria of Vernal Tombs, but I was glad to be wrong. 9.4/10
2. Immortal Bird – Thrive on Neglect
Right from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois lives a band that has truly blurred the boundaries of subgenres within the world of metal. Yes, in a city of rampant corruption, asshole drivers, streets that drive like crater fields, and too many fucking bands to keep track of (maybe not a terrible thing, but still!) we have one shining light, Immortal Bird and my goodness did they absolutely make me forget about everything I hate about Chicago with their newest album, Thrive on Neglect. First off, they worked with the master, Dave Otero of Flatline Audio, so the production quality of this record is superb. Every single note strummed by guitarist Nate Madden can be clearly heard, so there’s no muddying up the nastiest sounding riffs he’s written here. Rhythm section John Picillo and Matt Korajczyk show that they are more than capable of launching salvo, after salvo of absolutely crushing arrangements and keep the songs moving on a one-way track towards a chaotic, blissful climax. What really makes this album my number 2 pick though, is Rae Amitay’s vocal performances. Not only does she sound as terrifying as ever, but her performances on this album are so visceral, and feel therapeutic in a way, as if her screams and growls about the stories she’s telling aren’t just for her to tell, but you as the listener to comprehend and maybe find solace in too. You want to shout, growl and scream along with because you may have had an experience that conjures the same responses you’ve felt while listening to this album. Immortal Bird truly blended all of the grind, death, thrash, prog and black metal subgenres into one, and the blend of it all truly yielded a violent, and exquisitely executed masterpiece. 9.4/10
1. Gygax – High Fantasy
And now, we’ve made it. We’ve adventured far and wide, searching for the holy grail, the lost book, the rarest gem…the best album of the year 2019 and we’ve found it here, on page one of the players handbook. Gygax return with their third LP, and once again they rolled a natural 20 on High Fantasy. The brave heroes of Gygax continue to showcase their love of twin-guitar attack leads a la Thin Lizzy, with harmonies right of out the Maiden/Priest playbook; they keep the energy up from start to finish by making sure the songs are brisk tempos with plenty of boogie-based groove thrown in and most importantly, they wear their love of Dungeons and Dragons on their sleeves. (On their arms rather, as these guys usually gig with sleeveless leather vests) Bassist/Vocalist Eric Harris and Guitarist Bryan Throckmorton are joined this time by Guitarist Wes Wilson and Drummer Daniel “Mucho” Velasco, and this lineup couldn’t have sounded more cohesive. Cleric, Fighter, Shaman and Wizard all banded together to weave spells and fight heroically to show us listeners a melodic, catchy and wildly fun adventure. With former Gygax Guitarist (now of Night Demon) Armand John Anthony at the helm for the recording and mixing of High Fantasy, the album has the perfect mix of classic, analog warmth and modern precision. Harris’ bass is more present in the mix this time around, and the guitars have a bright, more overdriven liveliness to them. Muchos’ drumming on this record is the best Gygax has had of all three of their records with great pocket feel, brilliant fills and great variation. This is a shorter LP, coming in under 30 minutes, and I found myself flipping the record back over more than others on this list but that didn’t bother me all that much. And yes, the middle track “Acquisition, Magnus Canis” could seem out of place, but I loved that they kept it simple and let Mucho have a moment to truly shine on the record and let the drums provide a transition before the second half of the record kicks off. High Fantasy not only rocks, but it makes me want to grab my dice, invite my friends over and go dive into a dungeon head first and all four of them can say they’ve multi-classed to Warrior-Bard with this record as they defend the most righteousness of Rock and Roll. 9.5/10