Teeth of the Divine Staff Picks for 2016
Well, here we are at the start of a fresh new year. And while New Years is usually a time for bright-eyed, wishful optimism and wistful reminiscence, the global political and social climates have the world at unease. Yet despite a near blastbeat-pace of bummers and deaths, 2016 gave us another year of stellar extreme music.
Teethofthedivine soldiered on in 2016 as well, with some new faces on the team (though our distaste for digital promos hasn’t changed a bit). We also experienced a growth spurt on social media, so if you’re not following us yet, why the hell not? ‘Cause while other sites seem content to feed you with celebrity blogs, lists of ‘top 10 albums from 1993 which which had llamas on the cover’ or so-called humor pieces, TOTD just did what we do best: reviews, reviews, and reviews. One review every week day for the whole year. That’s 300+ reviews, folks.
We hope to add more interviews, features, and contests in 2017, and we do it all for you guys – our loyal readers, sharers, likers, and listeners. So keep on keeping it real in 2017, as it might be the last year the earth continues to spin. We’ll do our part to make sure metal stays as relevant in 2017 as it has been in the decades before.
So with much ado, here are the hand-picked releases that the TOTD staff enjoyed in 2016. Given the thousands of releases that assaulted our collective senses last year, hopefully we’ll introduce you to a few new favorites. And as always, stay tuned for our Fillings and Cavities feature, where we’ll shovel even more death, destruction, blackened weirdness, and melodic wonders into your willing ears.
Nick K
1.) Deathspell Omega – The Synarchy of Molten Bones.Norma Evangelium Diaboli. Bordering on an EP, Deathspell Omega continues to put out amazing work. This might be their most brutal.
2.) Departe – Failure/Subside-Season of Mist Productions. Unbelievable Debut For fans of Ulcerate and Portal.
3.) Blood Red Throne–Union of Flesh and Machine. Candlelight Records.Best album since Altered Genesis, Norwegian Bloodbath perhaps? Great production and unbelievably heavy and catchy riffs.
4.) Vainaja –Verenvalaja– Svart Records. 2nd album of diverse Funeral Doom from Finland. Not necessarily as heavy as their debut Kadotetut, but definitely more diverse.
5.) Mithras – On Strange Loops. Willowtip Records – Best release from Willowtip Records this year! Unbelievable atmosphere. Heavy Morbid Angel influence if they were in outer space. Fantastic!
6.) Convulsing – Errata. Independent Release – Unbelievable debut one man project for fans of Ulcerate, Portal, and even Deathspell Omega.
7.) Volturyon – Cleansed by Carnage. Vicisolum Records. Awesome Technical death metal and a great 3rd release from these sickos from Sweden.
8.) Virus – Memento Collider. Karisma records These Norwegians make avant garde seem so simplistic. 4th Studio record. Features guest guitar work by Daniel Mongrain from Voivod
9.) Zhrine – Unorthea. Season of Mist Productions. Iceland keeps breeding amazing metal bands. Zhrine’s take on black/death is meticulous and well thought out. Highly recommended.
10.) Ion Dissonance – Cast The First Stone. Good Fight Music. Montreal’s tech math death core band returns after a six year hiatus. I hope you are caffeinated enough for this one.
11.) Despised Icon – Beast. Nuclear Blast Records. The Deathcore band of all Deathcore bands returns! Maybe not their most intricate record but definitely sounds like one of the most entertaining records they have done. True to their form and style. Breakdown city!
12.) Brain Tentacles – Brain Tentacles. Relapse Records. This eclectic trio dazzles and practicing safe sax has never sounded so groovy. Awesome drum work by Dave Witte.
13.) Unmerciful – Ravenous Impulse. Unique Leader Records. The 2nd album from these monsters from Kansas. Completely different from The Debut Record. Brutal is an understatement. Heavy Gorgasm influence on this one. Features John Longstreth on drums.
14.) Antaeus –Condemnation. Norma Evangelion Diaboli. Blisteringly fast black metal. For fans of Marduk, Merrimack or Funeral Mist.
15.) C.B Murdoc – Here be Dragons. Vicisolum Productions. One of the more interesting releases of this year. Great production and riffs. Ex-Mork Gryning.
16.) Revocation – Great is our Sin. Metal Blade Records. Fun album of American melodic technical death thrash on Metal Blade. Sick Slayer cover of Altar of Sacrifice.
17.) Meshuggah – The Violent Sleep of Reason – Nuclear Blast Records. The Swedish Djent Champions return and crush just about everything with their 9th studio album on Nuclear Blast.
18.) Serpentine Dominion – Serpentine Dominion. Metal Blade Records. Interesting Hybrid of Killswitch Engage and Cannibal Corpse. Musically, awesome! Can live without the clean vocal parts though. Corpsegrinder is on this for a reason!
19.) The Zenith Passage – Solipsist. Unique Leader Records. Probably my favorite Technical Death record of the year (Sorry, First Fragment). Intricate arrangements and fantastic musicianship throughout.
20.) First Fragment – Desain. Unique Leader Records Runner up for best tech death record of the year. Holy smokes! Neo-classically delicious. Can’t wait to hear their next offering.
Label of the year: Season of Mist – Insane amount of releases in 2016. Zhrine and Departe are fantastic!
Cover of the year: Leather Rebel (Originally by Judas Priest) done by Blood Red Throne
Find more articles with: 2016, Staff Picks
Jordan, I was literally just listening to that Perturbator record. so good.
on Jan 3rd, 2017 at 19:51Dead Register! Might be my fave album of 2016.
on Jan 5th, 2017 at 02:41Hail Humiliation!!!
on Jan 5th, 2017 at 03:15The Metallica doesn’t have a decent melody or vocal delivery anywhere. It sounds like Hetfield shouting atonally over some mediocre thrash and Hamster sprayed Wah-Wah nonsense. Weak.
on Jan 6th, 2017 at 16:56Yeah that Dead Register disc made my list too.
on Jan 7th, 2017 at 12:35http://www.abismoblogzine.com/2017/01/lo-mejor-del-2016-sebas.html
on Jan 25th, 2017 at 11:19