Top 20 Albums Of 2008

10. Hooded Menace - Fulfill The Curse

" This is basically a doom album with death metal vocals. So good that it sounds like Candlemass with Deathly vokills. These guys are evil, cavernous, and downright nasty. Hooded Menace plays the finest bonecrushing doom metal out there with a great sense of melody. Really, a review of this album can't describe how great this album is. Just buy this masterpiece of Horror Death/Doom Metal right now!

9. Darkane - Demonic Art

" As far as I’m concerned, “Demonic Art” is definitely a step forward for Darkane. They’re clearly improving on their particular neo-thrash formula, and having a new, more energetic vocalist will help them realize their undoubted potential to the fullest in the near future. Their songs continue to be dynamic, technical and catchy, and that’s just the necessary mix required in order to get my attention. Good work here, by all fucken means! "

8. Evocation - Dead Calm Chaos

" Evocation have been around since 1991 and in 2008 they are still swedish killers ! Dead Calm Chaos is a riff monster and every riff is crushing ! Add some new-found melody and it makes for a album with heaviness and that good old Swedish rotten groove. In a year of super death releases, I’d put "Dead Calm Chaos" as one of my favorites of this genre for 2008 "

7. Deny The Urge - Blackbox Of Human Sorrow

" Deny The Urge from Lower Saxony must be a well kept secret, because the four Germans unleash a brutal death metal onslaught on their second album that leaves me more than once speechless. Fast and technical death metal of the highest order is on tap here. Blackbox Of Human Sorrow is not only a very good record, but also better than most what the hip metal labels are signing these days. Fans of technical death metal are in for a treat!

6. Guillotine - Blood Money

" Guillotine storms back to the thrash folds with this quick paced, catchy-as-all-fucking-Hell album. Blood Money isn’t necessarily retro or old school as it certainly has influences from old and new bands, but the overall sound is a bit more contemporary. Not only does Blood Money rarely let up with the pummeling onslaught, but it adds some seriously infectious grooves and melodies into it’s thrash mix. I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a catchier thrash album released this year "

5. Septic Flesh - Communion

" Every song on this disc is a ferocious battering of pure metal mayhem...Backed by a full orchestra that makes the entire album worthy of any metal fan’s personal collection of prized masterpieces. Whether it would fall under the category of death metal or modern black metal, as it has strong symphonic elements and uses multiple vocal styles..It matters not !....“Communion” has ranked itself among the best albums of the year easily "

4. Bloodbath - The Fathomless Mastery

" I have definitely went back and forth on this one ? But the more I listened to it I came up with this...This album is a superb display of death metal perfection that isn’t blast beats and breakdowns, just pure, honest riffs and memorable moments-just like it was in the early 90s. Eleven head-crushing tracks that will surely rip you a new one. Led by Mike Åkerfeldt’s vocals that are as evil and thick as ever and Martin Axenrot’s impressive percussion. It’s amazing how most death metal bands spend their entire careers looking for that right sound and Bloodbath manage to kick out this record like its nothing "

3. Outcast - Self-Injected Reality

" I really hope that people will understand that they must check this band as soon as possible because they're great really. If you like technical Thrash/Death Metal, be sure that "Self-Injected Reality" will be for you! Outcast plays a really technical modern Thrash Metal mixed with Death Metal elements and above all with really complex deep parts which come from the lands of Progressive music. This is excellent really and the songs are so complex and go in a ton of different directions that it's really addictive.."Self-Injected Reality" is a great release highly recommended ! "

2. In Mourning - Shrouded Divine

" Forget Opeth !......You will find no progressive 70s jazz noodling on this record. "Shrouded Divine" is a high quality release full of dark, moody, death-influenced metal, interspersed with melancholy acoustic detours and instrumental sections, all infused with a general 'progressive' vibe. In Mourning is a stunning newcomer we welcome in the future gallery of giants. Some of these guys are also in Volturyon I might add...Absolutely Essential !

God Damn boiling this down to 1 is hard.....But Here is my personal favorite from 2008...................

1. Revocation - Empire Of The Obscene

" Revocation pull off a huge up-set with this album...I would have never guessed a Technical Death/Thrash Metal band from the US would be anywhere in my list..But Revocation slayed me from minute one...Their brand of infectiously ruthless Tech/Thrash/Death is truly monumental. David Davidson is definitely one of the top up and coming guitarists in metal. I shit you not !...This guy is unreal !...With his technical riffery to the blazing solos on every track. And although his vocals took a bit to get used to..They are actually refreshing in a world of soundalikes. This record never ceases to amaze me..Every Time I hear it..I get something else out of it.... Empire Of The Awesome is about right !


Well There you go...My faves for 2008....Now onto 2009......Hope you enjoyed this nonsense....Look forward to seeing yours !

D.D.