PLAYLIST 2018
Another year comes to an end, a year which has seen a few comebacks, surprises and great albums, both at home and abroad. There have been some changes inside our stuff, and a huge transformation for our website as well, but as usual it’s time to come to terms with 2018, a year that has left us hoping for a quick human extinction: may the wait be pleasant with the following selection of titles.
Coming at a tie for second and third place, in our overall best album chart, are an Italian gem and an album that stretches from one pole to the other, respectively Messa and Sojourner, with 3 mentions each. The gold medal goes to The Ocean (Collective) from Germany, with their monumental Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic which collected 4 preferences. Good scores also for our fellow Italians Marnero and Void Of Silence, along with other artists who stretch a bit far from standard metal vibes, like the Swede Anna Von Hausswolff. Surprisingly, Ghost are mentioned only once even though their new effort is nice and catchy, as well as Behemoth who, in contrast with their previous work, close this poll with one positive mark.
Talking about the worst titles, the situation is more rigid: in 2018 this may sound as a national sport, but the much-awaited Eonian by Dimmu Borgir goes down with 5 negative remarks, closely followed by Deafheaven and another name that was very predictable here, Machine Head. There are a few other bad ones, though, like death godfathers Deicide (2 negative mentions for them) and Ihsahn‘s new effort, probably a bit hard to deal with.
Regarding EPs et similia, the strong presence of Organ from Belluno and Progenie Terrestre Pura, by now a staple in the avantgarde/black scene, with their great work starCross.
Our Spotify channel, therefore, is more active than ever: enjoy our selection of the best material which came out in 2018 according to our modest and, at the same time, aristocratic opinions.
Bosj
Top 5:
- Aïsha Devi – DNA Feelings
- Materianera – Abyss
- Marnero – Quando Vedrai Le Navi In Fiamme Sarà Giunta L’Ora
- Messa – Feast For Water
- Sojourner – The Shadowed Road
Flop 3:
- Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
- Dimmu Borgir – Eonian
- Machine Head – Catharsis
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Progenie Terrestre Pura – starCross [EP]
Newcomers:
- Materianera
Rediscovered Artist:
- Paul Kalkbrenner
Crypt Of Fear
Top 5:
- Convocation – Scars Across
- Varathron – Patriarchs Of Evil
- Manes – Slow Motion Death Sequence
- STORM{O} – Ere
- Valgrind – The Blackest Horizon
Flop 3:
- Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
- Machine Head – Catharsis
- Pestilence – Hadeon
Top Demo/EP/Split:
- Engulf – Gold And Rust [EP]
- Organ – Eterno [EP]
Newcomers:
- Godless Enthropia
Rediscovered Artist:
- Primordial
Dope Fiend
Top 5:
- Infection Code – Dissenso
- The Ocean Collective – Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
- Behemoth – I Loved You At Your Darkest
- Void Of Silence – The Sky Over
- Funeral Mist – Hekatomb
Flop 3:
- Chthonic – Battlefields Of Asura
- Dimmu Borgir – Eonian
- Watain – Trident Wolf Eclipse
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Organ – Eterno [EP]
Newcomers:
- Bodies On Everest
Rediscovered Artist:
- Placebo
Elisunn
Top 5:
- Okra Playground – Ääneni Yli Vesien
- Ghost – Prequelle
- The Dogs – The Grief Manual
- Yawning Man – The Revolt Against Tired Noises
- Stam1na – Taival
Flop 3:
- Shining – Animal
- not specified
- not specified
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Jutta Rahmel – Varjot Kulkevat Mukanani [EP]
Newcomers:
- Sixcircles
Rediscovered Artist:
- Caparezza
Giup
Top 5:
- Messa – Feast For Water
- Ingrina – Etter Lys
- Anna Von Hausswolff – Dead Magic
- King Dude – Music To Make War To
- The Ocean Collective – Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
Flop 3:
- Harakiri For The Sky – Arson
- Legend Of The Seagullmen – Legend Of The Seagullmen
- not specified
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Progenie Terrestre Pura – starCross [EP]
- The Secret – Lux Tenebris [EP]
Newcomers:
- Born To Murder The World
Rediscovered Artist:
- The Ocean
Huldradans
Top 5:
- Amorphis – Queen Of Time
- Summoning – With Doom We Come
- Eneferens – The Bleakness Of Our Constant
- Uada – Cult Of A Dying Sun
- Harakiri For The Sky – Arson
Flop 3:
- Dimmu Borgir – Eonian
- Marduk – Viktoria
- Therion – Beloved Antichrist
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Noesis – Unheard Whispers [EP]
Newcomers:
- Entropia
- Realm Of Wolves
Rediscovered Artist:
- Immortal
- Magnum
LordPist
Top 5:
- Messa – Feast For Water
- Khôrada – Salt
- Marnero – Quando Vedrai Le Navi In Fiamme Sarà Giunta L’Ora
- The Ocean Collective – Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
- God Is An Astronaut – Epitaph
Flop 3:
- not specified
- not specified
- not specified
Top EP/Demo/Split:
Newcomers:
- Materianera
Rediscovered Artist:
- Tangerine Dream
M1
Top 5:
- Acherontas – Faustian Ethos
- Sargeist – Unbound
- Sojourner – The Shadowed Road
- Trick Or Treat – Re-Animated
- Void Of Silence – The Sky Over
Flop 3:
- Dimmu Borgir – Eonian
- Watain – Trident Wolf Eclipse
- not specified
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Horna / Pure – Split [split]
- Veratrum – Visioni [EP]
Newcomers:
- Délétère
Rediscovered Artist:
- Body Count
Mourning
Top 5:
- Cor Scorpii – Ruin
- Necros Christos – Domedon Doxomedon
- Una Stagione All’Inferno – Il Mostro Di Firenze
- None – Life Has Gone On Long Enough
- Skeletal Remains – Devouring Mortality
Flop 3:
- Deicide – Overtures Of Blasphemy
- Machine Head – Catharsis
- Monstrosity – The Passage Of Existence
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Japanische Kampfhörspiele / Nervous Impulse / Meat Cutting Floor / Brud – Grind Cuts [split]
Newcomers:
- Hellish God
Rediscovered Artist:
- Paradox
Oneiros
Top 5:
- Drudkh – Їм часто сниться капіж (They Often See Dreams About The Spring)
- Harakiri For The Sky – Arson
- Rome In Monochrome – Away From Light
- Selvans – Faunalia
- The Ocean Collective – Phanerozoic I: Palaeozoic
Flop 3:
- Dimmu Borgir – Eonian
- Nightwish – Decades (An Archive Of Song 1996 – 2015)
- not specified
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Veratrum – Visioni [EP]
Newcomers:
Rediscovered Artist:
- Saor
Nihal
Top 5:
- Alice In Chains – Rainier Fog
- Amorphis – Queen Of Time
- God Is An Astronaut – Epitaph
- Distorted Harmony – A Way Out
- Borealis – The Offering
Flop 3:
- Avatar – Avatar Country
- Machine Head – Catharsis
- Three Days Grace – Outsider
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- not specified
Newcomers:
- Thegiornalisti
Rediscovered Artist:
- Pain Of Salvation
VACVVM
Top 5:
- Anna Von Hausswolff – Dead Magic
- Wrekmeister Harmonies – The Alone Rush
- Jóhann Jóhannsson – Mandy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
- Alessandro Cortini & Lawrence English – Immediate Horizon
- Randall Dunn – Beloved
Flop 3:
- Cease The Day
- Ihsahn – Ámr
- Sol Invictus – Necropolis
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Nozomu Matsumoto – Climatotherapy [EP]
Newcomers:
- Renzo Arbore E L’Orchestra Italiana
Rediscovered Artist:
- Mount Eerie
Vlakorados
Top 5:
- Chthonic – Battlefields Of Asura
- Pavillon Rouge – Dynasteïa Klub
- Sigh – Heir To Despair
- 幽世テロルArchitect – Cultural Mixing
- ぜんぶ君のせいだ。 – Neorder Nation
Flop 3:
- Deafheaven – Ordinary Corrupt Human Love
- Semargl – New Era
- not specified
Top EP/Demo/Split:
- Blackpink – Square Up [EP]
- Sora Tob Sakana – Alight [EP]
- 本田華子(CV: 木野日菜)、オリヴィア(CV: 長江里加)、野村香純(CV: 小原好美) – インキャインパルス [EP]
Newcomers:
- Broken By The Scream
Rediscovered Artist:
- Anorexia Nervosa
