Kristofor Allred

 

Another year down and in the books, and to be honest, I don’t know where the majority of 2018 went. Seriously, most of this past year seems to have come and gone in the blink of an eye. From the late springtime indulgence in the plethora of extremity of the Maryland Deathfest, to experiencing the summer tour of Dead & Company (aka, the  Grateful Dead) with my hippie wife, to the frontline thrashings of autumn and winter tours from the likes of Exhumed, Incantation, Arsis, Skeletal Remains, and more. All of this, and then some, just came and went until here I am, trying to make heads and tails of a multitude of different aural investments. When I was about 13 years old, I remember my father telling me, “Son, one day you’re going to wake up and 30 years will have passed before you realize it.” I’ll be damned if once again my old man has proven to be correct. Anyways, without further adieu, here are some of the albums that made my boat float this year. As for 2019, all I have to say is, “Always face forward”.

 

                                  Top Albums of 2018 (in no particular order)

 

INFESTUS – Thrypsis (Debemur Morti Productions)

Poignant melancholy mixed with a blackened beast of extremity. Spend a little time with Thrypsis and I guarantee it will become a favorite of yours.

 

SLUGDGE – Esoteric Malacology (Willowtip Records)

Brilliant death metal; perfect for combating those pesky Jehovah Witnesses that like to show up on a Saturday morning, when you’re still sitting around in your underwear. Mollusca for the Win!

 

DECEASED – Ghostly White (Hells Headbangers)

Finally, the wait is over. So was it worth it? You bet your ass it was! Nothing will probably top the one-two punch of Fearless Undead Machines and Supernatural Addiction, but that said, this is the tits!

 

SKELETONWITCH – Devouring Radiant Light (Prosthetic Records)

The first proper album with their new vocalist, and it’s a doozy. A bit less thrash and a tad more black. Glad to see the band isn’t just side stepping, doing the same thing over again.

FLESH CONSUMED – Hymn for the Leeches (Sevared Records)

What do you get when you add Shaune Kelley to your line-up and give the man sole song writing responsibilities? A fiery, badass tech-death album full of creative brutality and even groove…Seriously, what else did you think you would get?

 

THE CROWN – Cobra Speed Venom ( Metal Blade Records)

Cobra Speed Venom = Bombastic Fun Death…the true to form comeback album we’ve been waiting for. Fuck Yes!

 

OBSCURA –  Diluvium (Relapse Records)

Sophisticated extremity. This is death metal for those of us who like to drink our liquor with our pinky fingers out.

 

ARSIS – Visitant (Nuclear Blast)

Melo-death with a hell of a bite. Probably their best album since the A Celebration of Guilt/A Diamond for a Disease days.

 

SKELETAL REMAINS – Devouring Mortality (Dark Descent Records)

Old-school flavored excellence that is full of fat riffs and a catchy genuine charisma that should move these guys up the death metal ladder.

 

GOROD – Aethra (overpowered Records)

This is some tasty progressive and jazzy tech-death right here. Too bad more bands don’t have a Gorod complex .

 

NETER – Infernus (Satanath Records)

Do you love Morbid Angel, but feel like last year’s Kingdom Disdained didn’t quite do it for you? Well friends, you’re in luck, as Infernus manages to capture that overall feeling that we really longed for, but overall didn’t get with Kingdoms…

 

ABSENCE BETRAYAL – Emotions (Self-Released)

One man Russian band that reeks of older/classic Cradle of Filth, but man, even though the style has been done to death a hundred times over, it still hits the spot when it’s done this good.

 

MONSTROSITY – The Passage of Existence (Metal Blade Records)

Quality over quanity must be Monstrosity‘s mantra. A bit long-winded, but worth it; and ultimately, makes sense considering the time since their last release. Let’s just hope we don’t have to wait another 11 years or more for their follow-up.

 

SHED THE SKIN – We of Scorn (Hells Headbangers)

As with their debut album, Shed the Skin and We of Scorn had me at Kyle Severn.

 

DEICIDE – Overtures of Blasphemy (Century Media Records)

Nothing necessarily new here, but the album seems to have  a little of a Serpents of the Light vibe to it, and what can I say, I like it.

 

CHEMICAUST – Unleashed Upon This World (Dark Rituals)

Not a stand out year for thrash metal, but this Dallas, Tx act gives a hell of a performance  that cultivates, pretty equally, from both sides of the proverbial pond of thrash, i.e. Germany and the U.S.A.

 

PESTILENCE – Hadeon (Hammerheart Records)

I’ve always dug Pestilence, and with Hadeon, that’s still the case.; especially as it draws a closer comparison to the Testimony of the Ancients and Spheres‘ era.

 

INTERNAL BLEEDING – Corrupting Influence (Unique Leader Records)

A fat grooving offering from a long time favorite; and the new vocalist is a monster on this thing. A fitting chapter to the band’s legacy. Bill is surely proud.

 

ECTOPLASMA – Cavern of Foul Unbeings (Memento Mori)

Dirty, authentic, thick, and awesomely genuine old-school greatness. Go Greece lightning!

 

THE GROTESQUERY – The Lupine Anathema (Xtreem Music)

Another great raucous death metal gem from Rogga Johansson and Kam Lee. That’s right, I said Kam Lee…’nuff said.

 

                                               Honorable Mentions

 

UNBIRTH – Fleshforged Columns of Deceit (New Standard Elite)

SADISTIK FOREST – Morbid Majesties (Transcending Obscurity)

FAITHXTRACTOR – Proverbial Limbs to the Ultimate Slaughter (Hells Headbangers)

KRISIUN – Scourge of the Enthroned (Century Media Records)

DIMMU BORGIR – Eonian (Nuclear Blast Records)

HOODED MENACE – Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed (Season of Mist)

JUDAS PRIEST – Firepower (Epic)

IMMORTAL – Northern Chaos Gods (Nuclear Blast Records)

DE PROFUNDIS – The Blinding Light of Faith (Transcending Obscurity)

ULTHAR – Cosmovore (20 Buck Spin)

 

                                                 Best/Favorite EP’s

 

DISCHORDIA – Binge/Purge (Self-Released)

SODOM – Partisan (Steamhammer)

ENGULF – Gold and Rust (Everlasting Spew Records)

RIVER OF SOULS – The Nihilist (Self-Released)

CRYPTOPSY – The Book of Suffering – Tome II (Hammerheart Records)

SACRIFICIAL SLAUGHTER – The Hate Divide (HGPD Productions)