ICBHFGMW: My Top 10 Albums This May


I Can't Believe How Fucking Good May Was.
That's probably a very nonsensical combination of letters, but I can't really express my thoughts in any other way than that completely new word / sound. So for now, I'm going to do what I do best: talk about some great albums. Last month, especially the 31st, was incredibly rich with great releases, and I'm going to talk about my favorite of those in here. Of course, they're not the only good ones: Possessed came out with a very good album, Inanimate Existence made their biennial appearance, Fleshgod Apocalypse had a pretty good time with Veleno, Mental Cruelty scored for both the deathcore and slam teams via Inferis and of course there are many other bands that I haven't even heard. But this is my top 10 for the month. As always, it comes in no particular order.

1. Origin - Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence
(May 3rd)
Who doesn't love Origin? We're so used to their present form of an over-the-top technical death metal extravaganza, but Abiogenesis is the band in their most basic form: an excellent deathgrind group. The entire aesthetic of this record is simply amazing, and the product is worth it. These songs are a must for any fans of Origin., because they do a great job of showing the listener the place where the future releases all came from. For the collectors, their first EP, a rarity, is included and remastered here.

Origin - Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence

2. Ophiocordyceps - Delusional Infestation Of Mutated Pathogens
(May 10th)
I don't really have the words to explain why this album is so good, but it absolutely blows my mind. It's slam, but it's almost nothing like the usual affair we're used to. Let's mention the vocals first: they are mixed super low in the mix, at least compared to other bands of this ilk who put the gutturals at the forefront. This enables them to take the role of another instrument and helps the atmosphere a lot. Besides that, I swear, there a riffs here for days. More, please, amazing album.

Ophiocordyceps - Delusional Infestation Of Mutated Pathogens

3. Rammstein - RAMMSTEIN
(May 17th)
What if I told you this is the first Rammstein album I've managed to listen in its entirety? And I also loved it a lot! I kinda new I would like this ever since I heard Radio, but the album is much more interesting than just that. I really like the lyrics of Deutschland, which pay homage to their famous Du Hast. The riff of Radio is also great, as is the unhinged vocal performance on Puppe. Aside from those, you have some excellent choruses and awesome vocals all over the album.

Rammstein - RAMMSTEIN

4. Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
(May 17th)
This is undoubtedly my favorite album of this month and I'm positive it will land on my end of the year list. And to think at the beginning I didn't like it that much. I don't know how many of you have had the pleasure to listen to this, but I'm sure most of you will like this. Igor is an experience you need to take in wholly, without skipping or even pausing a lot. The production is absolutely amazing, with all these sprinkles of creativity in every beat. Even for the ones that want a bit more aggression from Tyler, you still have What's Good and my second favorite track, New Magic Wand.

Tyler, the Creator - IGOR

5. Nocturnus AD - Paradox
(May 24th)
Oh my god, I think my new kink is this: old concept albums picked up by old members of now-defunct bands, continued in modern form. And the Key story line is not the only thing they pursue further on this record. The keyboards of yore are back, and they sound great, along with the multiple mind-melting solos. Not to mention the amazing art, I think Nocturnus AD have the potential to join Memoriam as amazing new projects of this ilk.

Nocturnus AD - Paradox

6. Батюшка - Панихида
(May 26th)
I'm far too lazy to process all of this Batushka ownership drama, but that doesn't stop me from telling you that the new Батюшка record is the perfect follow-up to their blackened hit from 2015, Litourgiya. While I'm not much of a black metal fan (these days I prefer mine to be rather bestial), these two albums are great and you should really listen to both. The East European aesthetic and the artworks make this hit really close to home, at least for me.

Батюшка - Панихида

7. Darkthrone - Old Star
(May 31st)
Darkthrone are back! I must say, these god damned slow riffs are making my head spin. They are so bare, yet so effective. While the days of Transilvanian Hunger are long past, I'm certain this album will convince many naysayers that this amazing group has kept their honest identity and great songwriting. With creepy atmosphere, rotten vocals, great riffs and a haunting album art, this is a perfect addition for these champions.

Darkthrone - Old Star

8. Angelmaker - AngelMaker
(May 31st)
Deathcore is not really my strong point, but even I can appreciate when a great album is released. This is a very hefty serving of this genre, which I usually find works best in smaller doses, but I can't deny how well these songs work together. The sound of this album and the many breakdowns are so forceful, you'd be damned to pass at least a hopeful listen.

Angelmaker - AngelMaker

9. Gloryhammer - Legends from Beyond the Galactic TerrorVortex
(May 31st)
I was really cautious with this band, afraid not to smear my reputation of being a boneheaded metal fan. That lasted about until I heard their 2015 album, especially Rise of the Chaos Wizards. From then on, I think I'll be devoted to their ridiculous style of power metal for a very long time. This new record is kind of more of the same, but with a giant helping of early Iron Maiden, especially in the vocal performance. Listen to this if you miss the giants and wonder what they'd sound like if they took themselves a little less seriously from time to time.

Gloryhammer - Legends from Beyond the Galactic TerrorVortex

10. Annotations of an Autopsy - World Of Sludge
(May 31st)
What, detahcore again? Can't help it, fella. This EP is kinda all you could want from a release in this subgenre. It's short, replayable, to the point and generally extremely fun while crushing enough. While I haven't listened to Annotation's previous albums, I'm very much inclined to do so after hearing this EP, which sound like classic deathcore as much as that can be in 2019. Highly recommended, along with the rest of this list.

Annotations of an Autopsy - World Of Sludge

Yeah, this was one good month, but the year isn't over. We still have a lot of great albums coming out soon, and you better believe that I'll be sniffing around for new music. I also may have a few surprises planned for the future.

2 comentarii: