So another year is about to go by and as usual the metal family keeps getting bigger and the music comes in more and more variants of styles, but what has stuck out this year in particular, and in particular for you?
I will think about my top and post it here, but while I think feel free to add your list here, and maybe if we get enough lists we could make a top 10 all round for TS!
There is a Few Albums I've got ahold of this year. but i'm having a hard time deciding which should go in order. i'll list and give a short description of why i think it's great.
Behemoth - The Satanist - This record had a STRONG resemblance to their older Black Metal records. even though this is majorly a Blackened Death Metal record. it shows a bright future in Behemoth that may hint a return to the Black Metal Influences they've once had. [Don't know what i'm talking about? Listen to "Grom", and alittle bit of "Sventevith: Storming Near the Baltic" it has a melodicness that it shown again on this album especially on the "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel" Track]
Cradle of Filth - Total Fucking Darkness [2014 Remaster] - Even though the original demo came out with in 93, and Even if you dislike the new modern sound of cradle of filth, you can see in this demo, the animosity that cradle once had as a band, which left their mark as being being an unprecedented Black Metal Band / Extreme Metal Band, whether you hate their new music today or not.
Psyclon Nine - Order of the Shadow Act: I - Psyclon Nine, Disbanded with a Bang. and this album is that bang. Nero Bellum mentioned this being their final album as a band and he may continue this album in a form of "Acts" but Psyclon Nine is Over. and This Album shows an Unparalleled Heavy Industrial Metal Sound and is very melodic and heavy at the same time and depressing if you need something to medicine your emotions a bit.
Falls of Rauros - Believe in No Coming Shore - This album, i don't know how to describe it, it has a strong folk-ish metal/black metal sound. that personally i don't think I've heard in a long time. the beautiful melodies, to the all out Black Metal ferociousness, this band has studied Norwegian black metal music and paved a way for American Black Metal Bands to Shine and Contribute to the Genre.
Panopticon - Roads to the North - Another Folk Metal/Black Metal Masterpiece, this album has strong melodies and amazing balance of Heavy that is almost criminal. something some bands don't get enough credit for, In Black Metal We ignore vocals and tend to just listen to Guitar Melodies, Drums and Keyboard Parts (If there is any). this album also has a thrash metal influence you can see in some tracks but the Folk Metal is very strong here and its amazing.
Insomium - Shadows of the Dying Sun - this Melodic Death Metal album has strong guitar solo's and a good "Beauty and the Beast" type of Sound from the balance of Death Metal Vocals to the Clean vocals. personally this album has a TINY resemblance to the band "In Flames" but "Insomium" does their sound better and this album is proof enough.
Vallenfyre - Splinters - Who doesn't love when band members of other bands come together and form a super-group? Members of Paradise Lost, My Dying Bride, and Ex-Cradle of Filth, come together and produced an album that has an Old-School Death Metal sound to it, with "Hints" of some Gothic Metal Influences as well. that album has a "Holy Shit Factor" and with tracks like "Splinters" and "Aghast"
Arch Enemy - War Eternal - Everyone believed Arch Enemy would go down-hill after Vocalist "Angela Gossow" announced her departure from the group. I myself thought so as well, Till I heard that vocalist "Alissa White-Gluz was stepping in, then i thought to myself, this woman does clean vocals as well as death metal vocals how the fuck is she going to hold up an Arch Enemy? I was proven wrong cause Alissa managed to Fill Angela Gossows shoes, and nailed it wonderfully. and personally in a blind test i don't think you'd be able to tell Angela Gossow's Vocals from Alissa White-Gluz Vocals.
Slipknot - .5: The Gray Chapter - Say what you will about slipknot, that they are metal for kiddies, and for those scene douche-bags you see in the malls that spend more money on their hair than their wardrobe. but chances are when you were first getting into metal, you PROBABLY had Slipknot's music in your iPod or MP3 Player. [Specifically the "Iowa" album] Bassist "Paul Gray" effected the band's progress a bit after he died, and Departure of Joey Jordison just put fans of the band in doubt of Slipknot of ever returning. which honestly i hoped for too, but god damn this album is a little bit hard to ignore. it's actually pretty good.
This is a Blank spot. since the year is not over yet. and there is a few bands I'm looking forward to to take this spot.
Dark Funeral - Who just released a new single today called "Nail them to the Cross" and announced an album coming fairly soon
URILIA - who dropped a demo of their track "I am Nephilim" with an EP entitled "The Adverserial Light" coming soon
Mors Principium Est - just dropped "Dawn of the 5th Era" i haven't heard it yet sadly
some of these albums are in order and some aren't. 6-9 aren't in order. the first 5 are. and this truly was a difficult question to answer, and honestly this list is subject to change.
I'm not sure, I haven't been thrilled with many releases this year. The release I wanted most was Ziltoid 2, and for me it turned it be a huge disappointment. I may have to check out some of these albums.
I didn't even know about the new Insomnium album until it was mentioned in this thread. I am really behind on my metal. That said, my #1 is definitely Citadel. Ne Obliviscaris is my favorite band, so that is definitely going to be #1 regardless of anything. The Satanist is also definitely up there, and I am expecting that the new Insomnium album will be too (once I get a hold of it at least).