The Ten Best Albums of 2008...

...(in this dude's not-so-humble opinion).

To be fair, this list was complied before I heard Woe's A Spell For The Death of Man and Bible of the Devil's Freedom Metal.  Those two amazing albums need some time to sink in before any alterations could be considered, and the official U.S. release date for Freedom Metal is January 14th, 2009, anyway.  Regardless, at "press" time, this was my list.  While this year was not nearly as illustrious as the last, there were certainly a solid handful of amazing albums to be found.  The fact nearly all of them were total surprises only served to amplify their coolness.

 1.  Arsis - We Are The Nightmare

While James Malone and company have yet to recapture the brilliance that encapsulated their classic debut album, A Celebration of Guilt, this beast (their third LP), certainly makes a grand attempt. My initial infatuation with this band was predicated on their manipulation of Heartwork, ...And Justice For All, and Storm of the Light's Bane's DNA into a fresh and exhilarating cocktail of melodic death. This new effort sees Malone and new partner Ryan Knight pick up right where Chuck Schuldiner (prematurely) left progressive DM hanging, and the result is the world's finest blend of death-laden melody, high-octane technicality, and whip-smart anthemry. Simply put, this is a DM guitar-freak's dream, punctuated by some of the most acidic vocal expulsions in the business. A cornerstone of modern death metal, no question.

  2.  Grand Magus - Iron Will

I've been extremely verbose in professing my appreciation for this monstrous collision of traditional metal aesthetics. An iconic album that combines the band's ingrained, doomy heft with a newfound emphasis on the soaring, rousing songcraft, this is a full-on nutsack punch for all seasons.  Remember when we used to listen to songs, not just an exploding clusterfuck of riffs and solos? This is that catapult throwback.

"...With each thundering bassline, each crackling riff...with every smokin', soulful guitar solo and blood-shaking croon that comes out of JB's monitors, Grand Magus chips away at the stone, carving its name into the pantheon of modern icons. Iron Will ROCKS, and it rocks harder than any goddamn record I've heard this year....(read more)"

 3.  Decrepit Birth - Diminishing Between Worlds

Singlehandedly, lead guitarist/songwriter Matt Sotelo and his band of not-so-merry men have decimated the teched-out/ultra-brutal wing of modern death metal. How, you ask? By wielding something that their sterilized peers wholeheartedly lack: soul. This is the go-to record for sprawling, epic-as-balls shreddery - pure class, pure metal, pure fun.

"...this is the finest DM offering since Behind The Shadows Lie Madness. Diminishing Between Worlds succeeds as not only a necessary reinvention (a point only underscored by the re-recording of "...And Time Begins" included herein), but also a measuring stick by which the veracity of brutal death metal albums shall be judged in the latter part of this decade. Is it perfect? Nope. But it's damn close....(read more)"

  4.  Warrel Dane - Praises To The War Machine

Somewhat misunderstood by the masses (a judgment based upon it's lukewarm reception, even among Neverheads) , Praises achieves exactly what a solo album should:  it succeeds as an introspective, emotionally-charged platform for the unadulterated artistic vision of it's creator.  Despite a disappointing effort by guitarist Peter Wichers, who eschews a Chainheart Machine-esque renaissance in favor of a laconic sturdiness that allows Warrel to spread his wings, this is a brutally profound work. From his electrifying covers of The Sisters of Mercy's "Lucretia My Reflection" and Paul Simon's "Patterns", to the somber storytelling of "This Old Man", this is arguably the finest performance to date by one of the genre's most revered and recognizable vocalists.  This thing bleeds honesty, avoids pretense, and makes a serious connection.

  5.  Helrunar - Baldr Ok Íss

There's not much to say about this epic release that I haven't already stated previously. This dynamic, multi-faceted black metal album is of near-flawless execution. Subsequent lineup changes have likely rendered this a mere snapshot of brilliance, but this is definitely not one that should be left to rot in the annals of history. A gem, assuredly.

"...Helrunar disperse moderate helpings of clean singing and acoustic flavoring throughout the course of Baldr Ok Iss, keeping their folk element in play amid their fury. Their usage of these tricks is tasteful and seamless within the context of the album, an attribute associated with the most effective and authentic of bands; the truly elite need not club the listener over the head with their ethos and/or iconography, as it flows naturally through their art....(read more)"

  6.  Steve Von Till - A Grave Is A Grim Horse

Typically, I have an aversion to including non-metal works in year-end lists, but the impact that this thing has inflicted cannot go unmentioned.  Rich and profound, this album wields and projects more raw, heartfelt heaviness than anything 2008 has seen. Achieving this type of soul-melting darkness while still clinging to a wistful glimmer of hope is no small feat; especially when done such a minimalistic fashion. Easily the year's biggest surprise, especially when considering that the man's main outfit, Neurosis, does not rank among my cherished collectives.  A stunning piece.

  7.  Arghoslent - Hornets of the Pogrom

Certainly, it helps to be 'in the zone' in order to make this vile beast click properly, but holy hell - when the guitar/soul/gutpunch cylinders are all firing simultaneously, the beast rolls...and rolls hard. Cutting away some of the adrenaline-killing tempo shifts that sporadically curtailed Incorrigible Bigotry, the result is more even-keeled, but no less homicidal in its pointedness. Arghoslent gallop through the ruins with a clipping ferocity that is matched by few. Piling riff upon riff upon riff, this is a textbook for hellwrecking, melodic death dealing. A must-own for those with the stomach for such unbridled hatred.

  8.  Elite - We Own The Mountains

Riffs, man. They've been mentioned before (obviously, as they are the spine of our skeleton), but their importance cannot be understated. As evidenced by Helrunar's prominent spot on this list, the heightened profile of bands like Inquisition, and the cemented status of the legendary Immortal, the almighty riff is far from being abolished from black metal's top shelf. Droning dickery is out - proper, crisp, biting-as-fuck chordplay is in. Elite put on a clinic with We Own The Mountains, displaying an awesome knack for precision and punch that Taake and/or Khold would kill for. Elite, indeed.

  9.  Samothrace - Life's Trade

Solos, man. Last year's champ in this category, Amoral, shined for completely different reasons; their EVH backflip/fireball/machete-juggling is the antithesis of Samothrace's glorious, ascendant fretwork. This is an emotional expulsion of tar-soaked doom, punctuated by violent/delicate crescendoes that punctuate their slow-boiling, sorrow-laden wares. Few albums deliver a similar aortal grip.

"...Samothrace have not just taken surprise by the neck. They've squeezed every drop of vitality from its spinal column for cathartic purposes of their own benefit, not to mention that of the fortunate few that are savvy enough to partake in the poetic carnage....(read more)"

  10.  Nachtmystium - Assassins: Black Meddle pt. 1

Originally, Daylight Dies was in the cutoff slot here.  But as beautifully masterful as their opus was, I have to give my last.fm charts their due.  I listened to a veritable fuckton of Nachtmystium this year, and I have no idea why.  I am completely indifferent to their back catalog, I usually detest "almost-black" metal,  I outright loathe Pink Floyd, and, quite frankly, I think large portions of this record are flat-out lazy and hackish.  But there's a weird brilliance at play here; one that I can't quite put my finger on.  That, friends, is the mark of a cool album.  When description eludes, bullshit drops away (funny, 'cause this album is packed with a lot of it).  Fuck.  See what I mean?  

My ears love this album, but my brain doesn't.  "It's on another plane, mannnnn."

"...Blake Judd and Co. have taken the full-on turn toward reinvention here, fully capitalizing on the influences and quirks that they've been cultivating for the past few years. Assassins is their long-brewing cashcrop, a violently potent bathtub gin made of ingredients that, on paper, seemingly go together like machetes and infants. Fortunately for all of us, it works astonishingly well....(read more)"

...and The Rest of the Best:

11.  Daylight Dies - Lost to the Living

12.  Ayat - Six Years of Dormant Hatred

13.  Blaze Bayley - The Man Who Would Not Die

14.  Krisiun - Southern Storm

15.  Krallice - s/t

16.  Volbeat - Guitar Gangsters and Cadillac Blood

17.  Coffins - Buried Death

18.  Darkthrone - Dark Thrones and Black Flags

19.  Torche - Meanderthal

20.  Equilibrium - Sagas

Half Killer, Half Filler:

• Metallica - Death Magnetic
• Septic Flesh - Communion
• Satyricon - The Age of Nero

2008's Biggest Disappointments:

• Kataklysm - Prevail
• Neuraxis - The Thin Line Between
• Poisonblack - A Dead Heavy Day