Tuesday, 31 December 2019

TOP 50 Of The Best Albums 2019


As always in December we get into the tedious task of listing our favorite albums of the year.

This year we did not have a countdown as we usually do, this is because I simply took some time off, you know that at times you have to rest and charge up the batteries. So I decided to drop everything at once, yes everything. Starting from the top and ending with the number one :) Tomorrow we wrap things up with the Best of 2019 that includes everything else.

Some thoughts about the Top 50 album list.

So that you know it was really hard to make that final list, the bands have changed the position more than once, but hey “a man gotta do what a man gotta do”. I know I have excluded many good releases, as far as I can see is that the Vinyl box with unplayed records is more than full, shame on me.

First of all, I have to OWN a physical copy of the album, it can be a test press, promo album or just a normal record, that is the requirement for joining the list. No Live albums, No Singles or EPs, No Compilation, No Splits and finally, No record No place on the list, easy peasy.

And as I only play Vinyl, things can be a bit tricky for some band to even get a position, but these days most bands release their creations on the only true format, that also means that a digital copy of any kind, Cassette or CD will not shine a light here, I hope you will understand that before you judge my decision to hard and in the other hand it's my decision after all :)

2019’s lineup is very strong on its own. Many great releases, from successful bands to new discoveries on the musical map. One thing that I have noticed is that the music style has got a bit heavier than usual, which in turn has led to a lot of other things trickled between the fingers.

Here is the full lineup. 19 of them are Swedish :)



Tune Of The Day - Top 50 of the Best Albums 2019.


50. WOLFBRIGADE - The Enemy: Reality
49. DREAM THEATER - Distance Over Time
48. RAISED FIST - Anthems
47. HAUNT - If Icarus Could Fly
46. SOEN - Lotus
45. THE SABBATHIAN - Latum Alterum
44. SKYBLOOD - Skyblood
43. REFUSED - War Music
42. CRASHDIET - Rust
41. JESS BY THE LAKE - Under The Red Light Shine


40. VALLEY OF THE SUN - Old Gods
39. MISERY LOVES CO. - Zero
38. ROSALIE CUNNINGHAM - Rosalie Cunningham
37. SPIDERGAWD - Spidergawd V
36. RAMMSTEIN - Rammstein
35. WORMWITCH - Heave That Dwells Within
34. THE LUNAR EFFECT - Calm Before The Calm
33. D-A-D - A Prayer For The Loud
32. SMOULDER - Times Of Obscene Evil And Wild Daring
31. IN MOURNING - Garden Of Storms


30. BATUSHKA - Hospodi
29. SWALLOW THE SUN - When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light
28. NIGHTSTALKER - Great Hallucinations
27. THE WELL - Death And Consolation
26. WITCHERS CREED - Awakened From The Tomb...
25. CANDLEMASS - The Door To Doom
24. SOILWORK - Verkligheten
23. SPIRIT ADRIFT - Divided By Darkness
22. ROTTING CHRIST - The Heretics
21. BARONESS - Gold & Grey


20. VLTIMAS - Something Wicked Marches In
This is really something, a modern—death and a wicked metal album that marches in delightfully into your heart. Read the review here!


19. SKRAECKOEDLAN - Eorþe
"Eorþe" is a spectacular mix with an interesting story that gives you a listener SKRAECKOEDLANs finest hour. Read the review here!



18. HIPPIE DEATH CULT - 111
HIPPIE DEATH CULT is infectious 70’s hard rock blues, a doom-infused stoner rock band that turns our heads so severely it nearly causes cervical fracture and hemophilia so you need some blood thinners to keep up with the tunes. Read the review here!


17. BOMBUS - Vulture Culture
"Vulture Culture" is really addictive, an album that should be played on Repeat, Until Death!
Read the review here!


16. KADAVAR - For The Dead Travel Fast
70's psychedelic horror rock at it's best, you absolutely need this!
Read the review here!


15. DARKTHRONE - Old Star
"Old Star" displays a mastery of the art of the riff, with its 6 epic tracks taking in the best of the old school of Heavy and Extreme Metal combined with a large dose of Doom channeled through the grime of the underground.
Read about it here!


14. YEAR OF THE GOAT - Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis
"Four years of neverending lust for creativity. For years of gluttony and decadence within our most sacred temple. For years of unspeakable boiling wrath. For years of greed filled wastefulness. Now, envy us in our moment of pride"
Read the review here!


13. RIVAL SONS - Feral Roots
RIVAL SONS show they still can do it. Excellent blend of styles along with their signature sound.
Read the review here!


12. TANITH - In Another Time
"In Another Time" is chock full of 70s protometal goodness. A really enjoyable record from beginning to end!


11. VAK - Loud Wind
With "Loud Wind" VAK want to have a good time before the ultimate disaster. An album that you have to pick up a.s.a.p. Read about it here!


10. AVATARIUM - The Fire I Long For
Once again they have opened another chapter of their hauntingly beautiful otherworld and enlightened our hearts with some dark gospel.
Read the review here!



9. ALCEST - Spiritual Instinct
"Spiritual Instinct" is the sixth full-length release for the French blackgaze duo of Neige and Winterhalter in ALCEST. Once again these lads have given us a breathtaking piece of music - a gateway to the otherworldly.
Read the review here!


8. MONOLORD - No Comfort
"No Comfort" is a heavy piece of work, sludgy doomed and lightly psychedelic and one thing is for sure it's a "No Comfort" for pop or indie peeps or hip-hoppers, but this is true comfort for any doomheads around this world.
Read the review here!



7. MISPYRMING - Alglemi
"Algleymi" has hit hard enough to leave an impression on me and I guess the whole world, now we all love metal from Iceland. I just love it.
Read about it here!


6. DEVIL MASTER - Satan Spits On Children Of Light
Philadelphia's DEVIL MASTER is one of the most venomous, twisted entities in the underground with their hellish debut, "Satan Spits on Children of Light".
Read about it here!


5. OPETH - In Cauda Venenum
The 4th and strongest of the albums in the band’s progressive path.
Read the review here!



4. CATTLE DECAPITATION – Death Atlas
CATTLE DECAPITATIONs apocalyptic vision of humanity’s extinction has never felt more real than it does now with this masterpiece "Death Atlas".


3. CULT OF LUNA - A Dawn To Fear
The Swedish post-metal CULT OF LUNA returns with seventy-nine minutes of hypnotic riffs and dark trance matic tunes.



2. NUMENOREAN - Adore
NUMENOREAN delivers a mesmerizing masterpiece.
Read the review here!


1. GREEN LUNG - Woodland Rites
Excellent and grandiose heavy rock debut! GREEN LUNG sound harks back to the golden days of psychedelic rock, injecting those classic sounds with occult venom and punk energy. "Woodland Rites" gives an instantly appealing journey with excellent groove and hooks.
Read the review here!


Honorable mentions:

MOON TOOTH - CruxMISERY INDEX - Rituals Of Power, TOOL Fear Inoculum, 
SLIPKNOT We Are Not Your Kind, CHELSEA WOLFE Birth Of Violence, 
INSOMNIUM Heart Like A Grave, INTER ARMA Sulphur English, 
DEAD WITCHES The Final Exorcism, THE PICTUREBOOKS The Hands Of Time, 
SUPRALUNAR Ghosts, TWIN TEMPLE Twin Temple, THE BUDOS BAND V, 
WHITESNAKE Flesh & Blood, WHITECHAPEL The Valley, 
GAAHLS WYRD Gastir - Ghost Invited, DEATH ANGEL Humanicide, 
SAOR Forgotten Path, NICK CAVE Ghosteen, HORNDAL Häng Honom,
OCTOBER TIDE In Splendor Below, SÁVER They Came With Sunlight, DORRE Fall River, 
1782 1782, WARISH Down In Flames, CRYPT SERMON The Ruins Of Fading Light, 
SAINT VITUS Saint Vitus, ALPAHANNE Atomvinter, BRIGHT CURSE Time Of The Healer, 
GRAND MAGUS Wolf God, SHOTGUN SAWYER Bury The Hatchet, BRING ME THE HORIZON amo, FRANK CARTER End Of Suffering, KING HOBO Mauga, 
NORTH MISSISSIPPI ALLSTARS Up & Rolling, MISTER MISERY Unalive, 
ANCIENT VVISDOM Mundus, MOUNTAIN WOLF - Orbiter, 
BATHUSKA Panihida, SINMARA Hvísl Stjarnanna, MARK LANEGAN Somebody's Knocking, FRANSKA TRION Dom Ensammas Planet, JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE The Saint Of Lost Causes, KHRUANGBIN Hasta El Cielo, DANIEL NORGREN Wooh Dang, 
THE HEAVY MIND Second Mind, TRANSPORT LEAGUE A Million Volt Scream, 
LYKANTROPI Spirituosa, VOKONIS Grasping Time, PRETTY MAIDS Undress Your Madness, THE GREAT OLD ONES Cosmicism, KAL-EL Witches Of Mars, 
DEAF RAT Ban The Light, GRIMA Will Of The Primordial, TYGERS OF PAN TANG Ritual, BOKASSA Crimson Riders, TORCHE Admission, JOSEPH THOLL Devil's Drum, DÖ Astral Death Cult, YEAR OF THE COBRA Ash And Dust, KING Coldest Of Cold, 
GOATESS Blood And Wine, DUEL Valley Of Shadows, MOURNFUL CRIES Bad Taste, 
BIG BUSINESS The Beast You Are, MAMMOTH MAMMOTH Kreuzung, 
BLUT AUS NORD Hallucinogen, SUNN O))) Pyroclats, LEPROUS Pitfalls,
 KING GIZZARD & THE LIZZARD WIZZARD Infest The Rats' Nest,
IN FLAMES I, The Mask, BAD RELIGION Age Of Unreason, HIGH REEPER High Reeper, 
HAZEMAZE Hymns Of The Damned, BUS Never Decide, BLOOD INCANTATION Hidden History Of The Human Race, MICHAEL KIWANUKA Kiwanuka, CROBOT Motherbrain, 
ENFORCER Zenith, BRUTUS Nest, GATECREEPER Deserted, ALLEGAEON Apoptosis, BEASTWARS IV, BÖLZER Lese Majesty, HEXVESSEL All Tree,  IDLE HANDS Mana,
WILDERUN Veil Of Imagination, FVNERAL FVKK Carnal Confessions,
 LIGUNA IGNOTA Caligula, KRYPTOS Afterburner,  CLOAK The Burning Dawn. 

Haha that was a long list of Honours…but all these are excellent ones that never got enough attention and just slipped out from the list, a few of them are the albums that have been played on the digital media but never really got a chance to get played on the real media and still stands on high heels in the box on the floor and waits for the opportunity and a bunch of them are still on my to-buy list and wait's that the account is filled up to be ready to be bought, sorry guys if my rules are harsh, but I would never be able to make it.

Regarding albums, yes, I am still using the best tool for my records "Discogs", I just love it!! But hey, it's pretty dangerous surfing around, always end with a newly purchased record. Even if my best friend "Discogs" is around, I still have bought a few records twice, or even three times bah! And this year I will not even look at how many records have entered my home during 2019. We keep it as a secret, I think that's the best way to do it, as I know deep inside that I have burned my budget more than once already :)

Well that's it for today, we wish you all a Happy new year!

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