Venerdì 26 Giu 2009, 15:47
No special description for this needed. Death metal has always been my favourite genre, thus I feel compelled to at least pay due to the artists/albums that have shaped me over the years.
10. The Rack
http://www.fanfromhell.com.mx/portadas_blog/asphyx_therack.jpg
I love Martin Van Drunen to death. I swear, whatever this dude touches turns to pure gold. Asphyx, Pestilence and Hail of Bullets quickly come to mind. His vocals are so sick and over the top that the music could be the most generic band ever and I would still enjoy it. The riffs are crushing and evoke an atmosphere of utter filth and wretchedness. Must have.
9. Clandestine
Admitedly, for a long time I believed "Left Hand Path" was the best Entombed album. However, with the passage of time I came to appreciate "Clandestine" more and more. For some reason, LHP seemed to become more and more mundane to me. Don't get me wrong, it's still great and worth purchasing - but this one has even better riffs. It even hints at the death'n'roll direction they would take on the next album.
The more purists of the genre will deride me for this inclusion, but it's close enough to death metal to be added. A more death metallish version of Dissection. Beautiful in every way.
http://images.uulyrics.com/cover/d/death/album-scream-bloody-gore.jpg
I used to be such a Schuldiner fanboy when I was younger and to a certain extent I still am, although my taste in Death changed quite a bit. "Symbolic" and "The Sound of Perseverance" were once my favourite but that quickly changed as I got more and more into old school death metal. Now instead of always thinking of the intro riff from Scavenger of Human Sorrow when someone mentions Death, the riff from Infernal Death always ends up beating it to the punch. Just pure awesome. I do wish people would recognize the other bands that partook in the development of death metal though, like Necrovore, Poison, Master and even Vulcano.
http://www.musicline.de/cover/MORBID+ANGEL_ALTARS+OF+MADNESS_5018615101123.jpg
I listened to this for the first time when I was 14. Needless to say, I shat bricks. Some people accuse this album of being too dull as it's sound like a "standard 80s heavily thrash influenced death metal album" (I shit you not, someone once said this). This is of course a load of bollocks. Sure, Blessed are the Sick may have some more interesting compositions, but this just simply has better riffs. Many times has the evil chuckle from "Maze Torment" suddenly popped into my head out of nowhere, and I love it each time it happens.
http://img54.imageshack.us/img54/4987/demigodsummerofsulleneyesfrontdx0.jpg
It's no secret that a lot of black metal fans are idiots. It often puzzles me when they pull out the argument "death metal can't create an atmosphere like black metal can" when trying to justify why black metal trumps death metal. It actually holds water…if your death metal catalogue happens to be Cannibal Corpse and Devourment. Demigod dispels the notion completely and unleashes an album that can only be described as a "vile, transcendant experience" that evokes an atmosphere of utter evil. Superb in every sense of the word. It's a shame when most people think of Finnish metal, the first thing that seems to pop into their head is Nightwish. Eggh.
4. To the Depths...In Degradation
http://i42.tinypic.com/1zno67n.jpg
Speaking of death metal bands creating evil atmospheres, the fine ensemble of Infester take it to a whole new level. This is what hell itself sounds like folks. And it's frightening to the core. Funny how even though this was released in 1994, it still is more brutal than most of these SiK GuTTurAL br00TL SlAMMin DEFF bands that keep popping up.
http://mediaportal.ru/uploads/posts/2008-02/1202560114_close-to-a-world-below.jpg
If Infester is the soundtrack to hell, then this Immolation album is the announcement of hell arriving on Earth. What always amazed me about this band was that they always played the same crushing NYDM sound in every album, yet managed to make each one so completely different. Out of everything this band has ever released, this takes the cake. From a first listen, it will sound a bit samey. But after multiple listens, you begin to hear the differences and the melodies in each song. You have never truly lived without listening to this at least once.
http://neomedia-dg.com/MYSPACE/CD_LikeAnEverFlowingStream.jpg
I think no explanation is really needed for this. To think that it's nearly been 20 years since this album was conceived and yet it remains so awe-spiring in every way. Hard to believe I didn't dig this the first time I listened to it.
1. Necroticism: Descanting the Insalubrious
http://www.metalkingdom.net/album/img/d28/277.jpg
This is as close to pure death metal Carcass ever got and they managed to get it right the first time around. I wish I had some heartfelt speech to describe how I love this album in every shape and form, from the vocals to the riffs to the solos to the drumming but it would be useless. This album is too amazing to express it in mere words.
Other honourable mentions that didn't make the list but you should still get because they kick ass:
The Nocturnal Silence
The Winterlong
Consuming Impulse
Legion
Divus De Mortuus (not an album, but a must nonetheless.)
The Ending Quest
Children of the Scorn
The Karelian Isthmus
Mental Funeral
Piece of Time
Screams of Anguish
Ritual of Infinity
Considered Dead
From Beyond
Effigy of the Forgotten (I don't give a shit if it spawned a new generation of shit br00tl bands, this is still fantastic)
Changes
The Red Sky Is Ours
Sleep Forever... (again, not an album but it must be mentioned).