Metalheads Podcast Episode #164: Top 25 Metal Albums of 2025

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Metalheads Podcast is a metal-themed podcast featuring George, Jay, Will, John, Matt and Markisan. The guys discuss metal news and new releases, perform in-depth interviews with great metal bands, and just generally have a blast arguing about that greatest of musical styles: Metal!

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Hello, and welcome to Metal Heads Podcast. My name is George.

This is Jay.

This is Will.

This is John.

This is the Matt Situation.

This is Markisan.

Welcome to our 2025 year-end episode.

We made it. Yes. One more in the books. So today we will be doing our top 25 albums of 2025. But before we do that, we do have to take care of a little bit of business anyway. And that is the T-shirt and beer check. T-shirt and beer check. T-shirt and beer check. Well, I'm first.

called Decoy Black and White Coffee from...where is this place? I don't even know. Fanta Flora. So it's a bourbon barrel aged imperial stout conditioned on brain cherry co-ferment coffee roasted by black and white. So black and white must be the coffee shop. So I like these Fanta Flora beers.

And I've been picking them up from Tavor. So, ooh, it's bold. And then I'm wearing my Women of Doom t-shirt. I don't see any women. There's a sword and leaves and shit on it. But it was a really good year for Doom, so I thought, oh, that's a pretty good shirt to wear. And this was a, I think it was a compilation record of different female-fronted Doom bands that I had picked up.

up a few years ago. Cool. Nice. For me, I had just grabbed a new bottle of rye, so I made a Manhattan to start with, and I'm wearing my crawless long sleeve shirts. I picked it up on their tour with Blood Incantation. Nice. Nice. All right, I'll go shirt first. I think I wore this a couple of times ago. I'm going with Squatch Christmas. Stay positive when even no one believes in you. Sure.

This little beer, it's a pretty good IPA.

Ah, you bastard.

Where'd you get that?

Pliny.

Drinking some Pliny.

I picked up a few in California.

Oh, nice.

Yeah.

And they, I'm lucky I'm even getting this because that's the first thing that came

out of the bag.

She's like, where's the Pliny's?

I'm like, hello, I'm home.

I expect our packages will be arriving any day now.

Yeah.

I'm going to tell you right now, you'll get any other beer in the world but that one.

John will be there in 10 minutes. Yeah, right. He's like, he's not here. We'll go home. I remember the last time I've seen a bottle of it. Well, I am wearing my Philadelphia Eagles shirt, but the Philadelphia is Philadelphia and it's in the band death font. Made by an artist named Grim Jim.

I'm up in Philly and I'm drinking a monster energy drink pretty badass well and I have my big cooler of liquid IV energy and ice in my cup that has my obituary sticker on one side and my smiley a veteran on the other no that's what I got

and went with Deep Purple today. I got this at the show a few years back and found it in the bottom of the drawer and put it on. So there you go. Not the most metal shirt in the world, but hey, it's Deep Purple. Deep Purple's metal, man. In their own way. Oh, me. Okay. I'm drinking an Idiom Brewing Daydream Triple IPA and I am wearing my Dead Milkman

Shirt with the cow with the X'd out eyes. Hmm. An interesting choice, George. Yes. It's new. Gotcha. But it's old, but it's new. Alrighty. Um, any George, do you like big lizards in your backyard? I do. Okay. So I thought, okay, I'm impressed that you know that.

Oh, whatever the album was with the bitching Camaro. Yeah. Big lizard in my backyard. Was that the, that's the name of the album? I'm pretty sure that's the name of the album. Yeah. I had that bitching Camaro, bitching Camaro, bitching Camaro. Take the retards to the zoo and all that stuff. Yeah. Look at me. Do you see? Yeah. Yeah. First two albums are pretty awesome. All right. Uh, anything else we want to get into before we get rolling?

I just wanted to see what you guys thought of the year in general because I know when we did the mid-year we felt like we couldn't get to 25 so we only did 20 and we don't often do that so the back half was pretty exciting I was wondering what you guys thought overall it had a little bubble of awesome and like September October area a bubble of awesome yeah but

But other than that, eh, it was okay. It was okay. I agree. I did add a fair amount of titles. So I guess that speaks to the second half of the year. I mean, I want to say it's as much as 40% at least is maybe different, maybe that much. And things moved around a lot. I question my own wisdom because I was like, why is this so low? And then I'd be like, why is this so high? You know what I mean?

And when I looked at my old list, it was such a strange thing to revisit a couple things and sort of hear them completely differently. So my list changed around a lot. I'm probably in the same boat. I'm probably 50-50. I feel like there are some years where I maybe completely obliterate my mid-year. It doesn't even, nothing shows up. And this year I was surprised by how much of it lasted. I also just wonder if I'm lazy. I don't know. Yeah. It's a situation. All of the above. Could be a part of it.

Yeah, I feel like this year was actually weirdly a harder year to put together my year-end list, but only because there was a lot of great stuff, but I still didn't have that one that blew me away. I don't have, I have, like, I have 25 albums that on any given day I could shake them up and one of them could be number one. Yeah. Which was a mid-year thing too. I feel the same way.

Well, I don't really have anything where I was just like, well, there it is. It's obvious. Let's build around that. Which gives me, I think one year I may just put them all in a hat and just draw them as we go. Just see what, you know, that's a good idea. These are my 25. I'm going to go at random. Learn a bunch of made up bands as well and just see what comes out. I'd have to intersperse. Yeah. I don't know. I think my top five is pretty solid. Me too. But then after that, maybe, I mean, even up to 10. After that,

Yeah, it's certainly, you know, just what did I listen to late most recently and things like that. I had a clear number one, which doesn't always happen for me. But I feel like I it was a really good year, especially for for doom metal. I was able to make a pretty long list. Like, I think I made a list of 60 that I really like. So yeah, I thought it was a pretty, pretty good year.

some albums from bands that I thought were the best that they've done.

And I like seeing that.

So, yeah, I'm curious to see, you know, what you guys picked in the second half and how it's changed your list.

Because I think I'm 50-50 on mine as well.

You know, I'll say this.

There was a couple of things that one or two of you was not sure about it the mid-year and a couple of you raved about kind of thing.

I was heavily influenced by really making myself listen to the ones that some of the

people you guys were passionate about and some of them really hit home with me too so up to an

including one that is really going to please a couple of you interesting well I mean those uh a band that

there are certain bands we're all like I don't know why you don't like those guys dude and

so I've got one of those this year that somebody made it under the list pretty high tune

Plot thickens. I do think we need somebody to come in and shake it up, though. Some band needs to come out and shake it up. We need a new Mastodon or a new Gojira or somebody who we're all just like, fuck, dude, where do these guys come from? Yeah. When you talk about that, you're talking about old Mastodon and old Gojira. Yes, of course. Yeah. Yeah, I do feel like things are a little stagnant. You know, not to say that there aren't good albums and good bands putting stuff out, but

Generally speaking, it needs a kick in the nards to wake it up a little. Yeah, something. I don't know what, but just some kick-ass band or something that we're not. Or maybe we just need a new enslaved record. I don't know. Or maybe we're just damn old. I don't know. There's that too. I'm going to go outside and tell kids to get off my lawn and yell at my clowns. Yeah. Let's do this. All right. Let's go. Number 25. All right. Getting into it, I guess.

All right. So my number two.

Twa.

Twa.

Didn't even start drinking that much yet.

Number 25 for me is Unrequited, A Pathway to the Moon on Prophecy Productions.

So for this list, I tried to do one sentence descriptions for all of my stuff, except for the last one.

So this is lush, cinematic, progressive black metal and cosmic post rock with a symphonic soul

that flows with mood and emotion like the waves of a moonlit nitrogen ocean on a remote planet. Sounds like a run-on sentence. Thanks, editor George. Just giving you some poop. Cool. All right, Matt, number 25. Sorry, you said one line, Markson. I'm usually, I'm used to like a good paragraph how to use, so I wasn't ready. There'll be long lines. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We're going to save like four hours on this podcast. Yeah. And we're going to save a lot of wills complaining every five seconds. Cheers to that. All right. Number 25 for me. It was my number 16 in mid-year on mid-year came out March 7th on Prosthetic Records. This is the third album from a U.S. atmospherical black metal band. I described it as spacey, the spacey and emotional characteristics have haunted me all year.

and provide such a beautiful contrast. I'm talking about Dawn of Ouroboros and the album Bioluminescence. Does it glow in the dark? It does a bit. Sweet. So what I didn't get a chance to say was is that my list is split 50-50 evenly. I didn't think this was a super year, although there are a few albums that I really like a lot, which are

obviously my top albums but other than that could uh put my albums in matt's hat and i

probably would get all his make-believe albums that make my list still too so then you'd be

excited to learn what those albums were well and then you'd be disappointed when you found out

they weren't real they're not real yeah i think matt's hat should be a segment on the metalheads

podcast going forward sure yeah so i love it i made a number of changes at the last minute

because I had to change a heart on my list. When we did the

Stairway to 11

year-end episode, I had made a comment

on there that none of the albums that were on

that list would be on this list.

But I changed my mind.

So I strike that now.

So people might be confused

if they even listen, which

I'm not worried about that because I don't... And I'm already confused

and I listen to it. Yeah. What are you doing

to me, John? So I changed my list

up and I added

back a few albums that I did not have on here. And this one I'm at, it was not on my mid-year list, but I went back and listened. And I got to tell you, it's just as heavy as some albums that are on Decibles list. And I'm talking about you, Mesa, and I'm talking about you, Castle Rat. So... I mean, Mesa did great this year. I mean, on lists. And they're not exactly very heavy. No. At all. They were everywhere. But those two bands are shown up everywhere.

And I'm seeing both on tons of lists. Then I'm putting this on my list. And it wasn't on my list at the mid-year. And I'm going with a band that nobody knows who they are or where they come from. But they're pretty cool. And I'm going with Jesse Stiletto with their debut album, Jesse Stiletto. It's an independent release of proto-metal, stoner rock, stoner metal, whatever you want to call it. It's got

Tons of heavy groovy riffs. It could be heavy at times and sometimes it's not. And you know what? I really don't care. It's my list and I'll do what I want. J-Rolls. It's my list. Do whatever you want. J-Rolls. You know? And it's still heavier than some albums that have been put on lists in the past. I love that album. I think it's super fun. I just wouldn't. If I can't put Clutch on my list, I'm not putting that on. You can put Clutch on there. No, I can't. Nobody says you can't put Clutch on your list, all right? You just will make fun of me if I do. Exactly.

I've ever made fun of anything I've ever put on my list before. You got made fun of one time and you're still playing. No, I got made fun of a lot, but that's okay. I like it. I like being dominated. The salt is already coming out. I mean, yeah, it's your list. You put whatever you want. I like that you put it on the rock list because that's where I would put it, but I mean, it is heavier than a lot of these albums like you were saying, John, that are other people's lists. Yeah. Like I kept hearing about how great Castle Rat was and I listened and I was like, this sounds like a doom band, but it's not that

It's not really heavy. Yeah. Whatever. It's cool. I'm glad people like it and I'm glad they're doing that stuff. But it was so interesting, John. I mean, one of the weird things there is I agree with you. Those two were on so many lists. Tons. And I don't, I can't understand in either case why they captured everybody's imagination that much. Now, again, taste is taste. I was just surprised that they kind of ran the table. It was one of the two I like a lot. You know, so. I almost added Mesa. Did you?

That was the one that tried to like, it was like knocking out the door on the door this morning. It was like, please, sir, let me in. And I was like, bitch, no, get out of here. They are cool. I mean, I like it. I put their first record on my list, actually, but the first one that came out a few years ago. I just couldn't first one a lot better. I just couldn't think of anything I wanted to remove for it. So, yeah. But I think it kind of kind of solidifies how the year went, to be honest with you. Yeah. It's just like you said earlier, Jay, when you, I don't know,

I think you wrote it up first there are no barn burners this year well there's one in my opinion but that's just me though but for everyone doesn't have a consensus on that so I think that's that's it that stands out I love the Jesse Stiletto it's great yeah yeah well it's it's fun it does not suck and they have the balls to cover Boyster Cult that's enough for me right there there's a band that's been called metal for years and you're like I don't know yeah maybe well I also like

Sometimes. Sometimes? I like that you said you were going to lock your list early because you had things to do, John. But it's cool that you're like, you know what? I got to go back to this and revise a little. Well, I'll be honest, just real quick. I was sick the whole time I was in California, literally. And I listened to, I think, one album. So that was the plan was all my free time that I had, I was going to just listen. And I had to cram both podcasts on three days. It sucked.

Yeah. Anyway, I've talked enough about my 25. Well, what's your 25? Well, it's running empty, so. My power meter's starting to shrink a little. I'm down to like 87% now. I was in the pool. I was just thinking that the other day. Sorry, hot tub. Yeah. Should be better than it is. Anyway. Well.

All right, my number 25, I'm going to pronounce this wrong, because I don't know if anybody knows how to pronounce this. And I kind of went back and forth on this, but there's some really awesome elements in this album that I really like, and it's Sanguisia Gabog, Hideous Aftermath from Columbus, Ohio on Century Media. Century Media. Sanguisia Gabog. Sanguisia Gabog. Yeah. Yeah, it's like the guy's last name and shitting on a toilet all at the same time.

Nice. Something like that. I read. Anyway. Yeah. It's like this. Yeah. It's, it's, it's, it's, it's awesome death metal with a lot of guest vocalists and guest players on it. The guy from Dylan from full of hell is on there and a couple of other people. So it's, it's varied. And that's what I think that's kind of what I like about it. It's like, sometimes you put on these albums, like especially death metal albums. And it's like, okay, the songs don't really differentiate themselves, but this one kind of did with mostly because of all the kids.

the guest vocals and the guest players and so yeah i really dig it that's my number 25 right on

yeah we talked about that last episode and uh it was a cool record to discuss

my 25 is a mid-year survivor but obviously just barely since here we are down at the bottom

uh brutal technical death metal retroamorphosis slumus mortis uh season of missed records um

I think I just described it enough just in the genre sense there you go let's leave it there

Jay does that have Christian Munster on there you know I was for some reason when Will was saying that there were

that there was you know some guests on his choice which I'm not going to try to who which one John what's his name

the guy I was thinking I better I better an alkaloid the guitarist yeah yeah yeah dude from

Yeah, okay. I thought he was on that. Yeah. He's a killer guitar player. Good memory. I knew this. Good interview, too. He was fun. Sorry, George. Go ahead. No, I was just saying nice pick, Jay. Thank you, son. My number 25 is some high-octane modern thrash packed with speed, aggression, and razor-sharp riffing.

Keevil and Friends, Warbringer, Wrath, and Ruin. Dude, George, Razor Ship Washburn. Razor Ship, man. That's like, John, that's just like a perihelion. I was about to say that, perihelion ship. Razor Ship. Razor Ship. But because of the Finnish accents became a ship. Actually, you're leaving out Dork Fartress, too. Dork Fartress. All aboard the Razor Ship, we're heading for...

The Dork Fartress. One of the greatest bloopers of all time. And you're all invited. On the good ship. Lollipop. Oh my god, I feel like we should all fart in unison right now. If we could do that, we could destroy the world. That Spanish rice ain't sitting so well with me right now, so we might not want to. Spanish rice and blinding, not the best recipe.

That was this Bryce was yesterday. Oh my gosh. John painted his shorts. Oh my gosh. All right. So we're on to number 24 and my pick for that is Krigsgrove. I had to look up how to say it because I've always been saying it wrong. It's Krigsgrove. Stormcaller on Willow Tip Records. This is ferocious atmospheric black metal combined with melancholic death doom that features winding tracks.

full of dark smoke tones, venomous hooks, demon possessed vocals and flurries of fire swept shredding. Excellent. Sweet. All right. My number 24 came out October 24th. So it was not a part of my mid-year. It came out on Shinsedning Obscurity Records. This is the second album from a Canadian sludge metal band. I wrote,

It is thick, doomish sludge with a ton of underlying grunge influence and haunting at times. The band is Draf Nusura, and the album is The Ritual of Split Tongues. Probably the latest addition to my list of a band that I would say I was unfamiliar with beforehand. And yeah, number 24. Wait, what was the name again, Matt? Sounds like it came out of the hat. Draf Nusura. That's his hat early. Gesundheit. My bad. That is a hat selection. I should have clarified.

Yeah.

D-R-O-F-S-N-O-S-U-R-A.

Or something similar like that.

You can intermix them as they aren't real.

So whatever you can get the right syllables.

A couple of silent letters in there.

Okay, then.

I haven't heard that one.

Man, I think Icelandic is more able to understand than Canadian.

I mean, what the fuck is that language?

Yeah, man.

Remember Arstadir Leifson's?

Black Metal Band, Arstadier Leifson. It took me forever to say that one. It's still probably not right, but Arstadier Leifson. Anyway. Matt, I feel like you're going to be like pulling, you'll be like swishing the balls, like getting ready to pull like the first, you know, team from the World Cup for, you know, from the first pot, eh, and you'll be pulling,

it open and like you'll say that name that's how you'll be doing your hat and then i'll work my way up to the like the lottery where the balls pop up oh drop sanura from canada you know something george said reminded me of from this movie um um i think it's something cruelty unusual cruelty or something like that george cluney is a divorce lawyer in it and it gets it's a comedy it's a coen brothers thing but there's these gold digger

who always want to marry some guy and take all his money.

There's like a group of them.

And anyway, one of them is looking for a guy to marry.

This woman says, I have the perfect guy for you.

Thorstensen Gieslinson.

You know, it's just like the best made up name I've ever heard in my life.

Any, some ritual, whatever.

I just still, to this day, Thorstensen Gieslinson.

Sounds like you're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

Yes.

Thurals Ravenscroft. I think that was his name. Mr. Grinch? Yeah. Thurals Ravenscroft. I think that was his name. Really? Your mean one. All right. John. All right. My number 24 is my first volleyball. And I didn't think I was going to have this on my list. And I spun it again the other day. I was like, yeah, I still like this a lot. And so, but it comes in at the back end. It was my,

My July Album of the Month, and that is Philosophobia, The Constant Void on Sensory Records. It's prog metal in the vein of the 90s prog metal of like Dream Theater. And while I've kind of lost touch with a lot of those bands, because they end up just being clone bands, kind of like all the clone Van Halen bands in the 80s were kind of like, all right, enough already. It all sounds the same. I kind of got that way with some of this style, but this one really stuck with me. It's on Sensory Records, which is from the Lasers.

which I've been a loyal customer for like since 98, 99, you know, and this is one of his bands. At least he released this for him and it stuck with me. So generally I wouldn't probably give as much credence to this style anymore outside of just a couple bands, but it worked. So it's good, solid stuff. There's nothing new here. It's just the musicianship's great. And there's songs that I remember. You know, we all hear stuff.

But this is one of those ones where I actually, for this style, I actually remember a lot. So anyway, that's my 24. That's a really good record. Well, I'm about to serve up a volleyball. I'm pretty sure my number 24 is Blood Monolith, a eclectic, chaotic death metal band, mostly out of people from D.C. It's kind of like a super group of guys from Undeath.

Tommy Wall from Death and Nolan from Genocide Pact on bass. Just amazing, awesome death metal. And yes, I'm probably a little bit biased because I know some of these guys from all their other bands and playing at Atlas and stuff. But again, it's awesome. And they're on Profound Lore. So check it out. Nice. I like that record. I feel like it's a little bit short, which is like it's an EP length. I can't remember. Oh, shit.

I didn't even check that wait wait wait let me check let me check but uh well I mean it's still my pick so whatever

you can pick whatever you want I'm just saying for me I think it was a little short uh but that's why I didn't consider it but it is a really good record yeah I think we need to start our own local band well we'll call it bloody taint cantation

Or Razor Ship.

Bloody Tantation of Razor Ship.

Yeah, it'd be the first album.

I love Razor Ship.

It could be a Mandalorian, like the Razor Crest from The Mandalorian.

Oh, yeah, that's right.

Some new Mandalorian thing coming.

They're going to do a movie.

It's called The Mandalorian.

Grogu.

And Grogu and it's a movie. I guess it's going to finish it? I've got to watch that last season still. I'm way behind. It wasn't as good as the other one, I thought, personally. My 24 is a survivor, which occurs to me, John was just mentioning. I don't know if that was on your mid-year, John. Which one? The last one you just mentioned? No, it was not, because it came out in July. Well, adding an extra five to our

I had my previous top 20 from the mid-year created five with the exception of one survival slots from my previous so everything in my top my bottom 25 was on my mid-year minus one which wasn't released yet but that includes this one it's strangely epic melodic black metal and I'm sure I knew this at mid-year and then I forgot it and I remember it now and all of the music on this is based on

or a tribute to or a soundtrack for whatever Elden Ring. The video game. Which I didn't play personally, but. I did. It's amazing. Bloody Valkyria. In our home across the fog. And it's fine without that lore behind it. I mean, meaning it's just kind of epic on its own. But that's an interesting twist that they were so inspired by that game to do that. It was a very good game. That's a fucking awesome outlet.

I didn't tell them though. That was really close to making my list, but I just discovered it in like the last week, like started listening to it. Yeah, it's good. It got pushed down pretty hard. I could look at mid-year, but it was a lot higher than that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's got that good like dungeon synth on it. Just a really good merge of that medieval style dungeon synth with a black metal on it. It's just got a really epic scope to it. And for some reason, I think I have one of those every year. And I probably don't need

Five of them, but my list usually has something akin to this on it. So this is the occupant of that particular zone this year.

This super creative record.

For the record, Blood Monolith is shorter than Rain and Blood.

So, yeah, I remember that right. Yeah, that and like DePhosphorus is another band I really like and their album clocked in lower than that. So I didn't put it on my list. But, you know, you do what you want to do.

What are you gonna do?

What are you gonna do?

All right, my number 24, Woad, Uncrossing the Keys. Wow, okay. Nice. Yeah, it's like black metal with kind of, it's like if a black metal album was recorded by a heavy metal band. Metal band. Exactly. I think that's perfect, George. I think you nailed it. Yeah. You know, that's one that I spoke of previously when I said you guys kind of influenced me, and Marcus Sun was like, nah, this is better than you think it is, and I went back and listened to it, and it

I agree I agree the first pass through I was like whatever and then I was like yeah but and then you know listen a couple more times I'm like all right it's it's cool it just didn't grab me out the gate yeah me too well and I think we talked about it last episode but the thing with it with that band is they keep changing their sound it's every album hard to pin them down yeah yeah so you what you're expecting is not what you're getting so it takes a minute to process what they're doing but

Every time they put out something, it's exceptionally good. Yeah. You just have to readjust your perspective. Exactly. Yeah. I think the comment last time was there, the King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard of Metal right now with a much smaller output. Yeah. Yeah. I have to say the King Gizzard guys, like I was so into that one album. I had the Lizard on the front and then everything else after that is just like, what is this? Like, it's not the same band. Which is what's so strange about that, Willis, how well they did it.

How well they did a metal record. Well, they have two metal records, but yeah. They have extreme blued out north blued out Nordism. Oh, it's not one. It's that one band that you like that you had on your list. They have like 30 albums. It was a couple of years ago. I can't remember what the name of the band was from Sweden. I think. Was it Circle? Yes. That was a great fucking record, but it's the same. It's the same thing. I checked them out every time they released a record since then. I was like, no, not really doing anything. Yeah. And they have, they're like the King Gizzard.

It's just they are relentlessly putting out albums. Yeah. Of varying walks down odd genre road. So you never know what you're going to get. It's cool that they're mostly rock, but hey, you know what? We're going to go into metal territory for this album. And do it well. Right. It's a bright spot for our podcast. And then they go back to doing something different. I like that. I like that they vary it. I wonder sometimes if the drummer's like, please, guys, can we just do one?

I don't know how many people are.

I'm not feeling very sporty. Mark's on. 23. Yeah, you actually just mentioned this in your comments, and I'm sure this can probably go higher on other people's lists, but it's Blut aus Nord ethereal horizons and Db Muir Morty Productions. This album is a mystic black metal journey across the cosmos, blending sinister guitars and harsh rasps with other words

and ethereal choruses all layered with star bright synths reverb and immense

melodic hooks that echo across nebulas you know i think it had um a pretty big effect on this

podcast i'm not giving huge spoilers when i say this was one of the ones too that i was like i better

be smarter about this and go listen to that and but has it been hitting lists around i'm not oh yeah

Yeah, it was on Decibel's list too. But it's on other people's lists. Yeah. It's really good. It just didn't hit me as much. But we talked about this too on the last episode. Man, we talked about a lot of albums on the last episode. But Blue House Nord, because they're all over the place. And this one had the melodic hooks to it, but it's still super dense. And I love, love the cosmic aspect of the record. It just has a feel unlike anything else they've done.

or he's done. So I expect to see it again. I didn't even get through it. You couldn't get through it, George. No, I got a couple songs in. I gave up. I probably didn't give it justice, but you can't have clean vocals and bury them. You know, it's one thing to bury harsh vocals. Clean vocals completely buried. Fuck you. Sorry. So no, I didn't even didn't even finish it. It adds a haunting aspect to the record and what they're trying.

So I think it just depends from record to record. It made sense on the last one. It completely did. And I gave him a pass on that. This one makes no sense. No pass. Thou shall not pass. No blute for you. Yeah. What is your favorite color? And I'm sad by that because I really love that band. But you know, you can't like them all. So the good thing is they'll have another album in a month that you'll really like. Exactly. You know, I'm not not putting a lot of weight on it.

I said good day sir exactly

Matty

my number 23 was formally my number 12 came out February 28th on transcending obscurity records

don't you know this is don't you know this is the first album from a Canadian

kind of I would call them kind of a tech death band also a husband and wife

I described it as tech death but with a layer of atmosphere

And in some ways I might even call them ulcerate light. It is crown of madness and the album is memories fragmented. I am not familiar. That's because they're not real. Okay. Matt's making a play. Piction core. My old friend. Hello Matty my old friend. Come feed me your bullshit again. That would be Wilson.

I'll touch your balls so gently as you melt my mind completely sorry okay I'm done

my number 23 maybe a volleyball and my shortest album on the list at 29 minutes and 48 seconds

Void Ceremony, Epditum, whatever you pronounce it, from 20 Buck Spin, Technical Death Metal. In the U.S., it's more of the same from them, frenetic, crazy, technical, progressive death metal. If you're a fan of sin or atheist, you'll probably dig this stuff. I like them a lot. They're hard to grasp sometimes because I don't know what they're doing because they change pace so quickly. But I like that this album was,

on the shorter end and not on the longer end because in the longer end I would have gotten fatigued pretty quick so at 30 minutes in and out works are you still talking about music john

that's a fun thing i've ever seen one i remember you will i remember what things you say

The Void Ceremony reminded me a lot of older incantation. Not even older incantation, just incantation in general. They kind of remind me of that a little bit. I bought the album. I like it. And I debated putting it on my list. And it was close, but it did not make it. But I listened to that a lot. I'm still talking about metal. Okay. I was too.

Okay, new rule for the episode. Don't fuck with John. That's just the one episode, to be clear. Yeah, next episode, all bets are off. Apparently when it's my turn to talk, it's time to stomp. You're just so, I don't know, lovable.

Let's see what happens by pick 17 and then it might not be so lovable anymore.

Oh dear.

That was pretty good.

All right. Well, I guess we're moving on to Will then.

John, please keep quiet while Will gives his pick.

Mic off.

I'm kidding.

Your mic's off, Will.

You should light him up.

Sorry. It's my were you talking about metal or something else on your mic was off? Decryptal. Sumulac a Sumulacr. That's the name of the album Decryptal. I thought you're having a stroke for a minute. They're from Quebec from Rotted Life Records. That's it. Quebec. I didn't catch any of that but I guess we'll get it in the in the. Sorry I don't have my glasses. Decryptal. Please let it be some whole other word.

No, no, no, no, it's Decryptal is the name of the band. Okay. Okay. And the name of the album is, it's, it's pain French. It's Sumulacre. Sumulacre. S-I-M-U-L-A-C-R-E. Creme Fraiche. Yeah, that seems close. Yeah. All right. Fair. That's a good record. I like that record. All right. That was quick and painless-ish. Let's do, uh, my 23 is, uh, San Francisco.

Wait, did I just sit on somebody's toes? No. Ouch. Yeah. No. Will goes before Jay, I remember. San Francisco band, kind of Black and Thrash, along maybe Morbid Tales type of stuff. Survivor from Midyear, Night, N-I-T-E, Cult of the Serpent's Sun. Seen to the most records. Yes. It's a fun record.

something like that will catch my ear and it just makes me feel so good about 1984 again you know and it's fun for that reason so and it's super listenable it's cool it's cool great all right my number 23 is some dark dissonant extreme metal that feels claustrophobic urban and emotionally abrasive and mikey

He likes it. This is Tombs, Feral Darkness. Oh, yeah. There was some divided thoughts on this one at mid-year. Yeah. Or was it? I don't think it was out there. Well, I mean, I think there was some... I think you mean last month. Another album we talked about last month. You're right. You're right. And you know, but at least let that time thing, like why I'm having apparently trouble with time right now, is that I was looking and this didn't...

and I was like that record came out this fucking year it was very early though I think was it okay that that makes me feel a little better because it really feels like last year to me so yeah and it took me a while to listen to it and I think it's two is best record I mean full disclosure it did not make my list but it would be number 26 on my list I you know I didn't have a whole lot good to say about it last time because of the buried vocals

But I persevered. I listened some more. And it helped putting all of these albums on a playlist and randomizing it and having it just surprise me when it would come up. And I'd be like, oh, what is that? That's kind of cool. I was like, oh, it's Tombs. Okay, fair. I love the vocals. I think they achieved an atmosphere, just a really kind of gloomy, dark atmosphere they've never had on records before. And I think it just elevates the band to another level.

for me. That's why I like the vocals on it. The vocals need to come up, Mike. They need to come up. I went back to make sure I wasn't crazy. I went back and listened to Savage Gold, and the vocals are perfect on that album. Why they had to keep sinking lower and lower doesn't matter. Vocals belong where the vocals belong. They do not belong in the basement. No, no. If you're trying to achieve something different sonically, you have to change it. I don't agree. But regardless,

is at least number 23 good could have been higher though you know if it was savage gold it would have been top 10 you guys are debating the vocals on this album and everyone skipped over the part where jay said about missing time and i'm a little concerned with him living in the desert he's got missing time you raise an interesting point suddenly john no i'm a little concerned because i'm afraid that jay's like well i was heading into

And now for some reason I'm in a hot tub. And I don't know how that happened. And where's my kidney? Yeah, this is troubling. I don't understand why it hurts when I bend over. We're old. No, no, good point. I have to choose my words more carefully. Well, subconsciously, that's why he sent that picture of Will the other day in the Eagles gear. He's like... By the way, that showed up in my iPhone. You know, they make those little...

It'll make you a little thing like, hey, check this out.

Yeah.

Wait a minute.

That one was actually called Metal and Beer Fest.

You know, these things are getting smarter.

So it knew what date, where I was, what the date was.

And it made a nice, that was the carcass one, by the way.

Yeah, we had fun and Will looked hilarious in that photo.

Yeah, I got one the other day of me and John and Will from a couple of, I don't know, it was a year or two or three ago, but it was fairly recently.

a couple years ago on November 15th or whatever. Yeah, I don't watch it much, but when it's something like that, I'll be like, oh, okay, yeah, I'll go through that. What's Will doing? Is he blowing himself? What's happening over there? Hey, if you can, do it. Sorry, I'm in the office. I'm filing papers. That's what we're calling it now? Disappointed. I'm filing papers. Yeah. He's like, fuck you guys. Sorry, Will. Multitasking.

Well, I love, I know it's my pick now, but I love, George, that we were arguing about the vocals and you have tombs on your list and I don't. Yeah, right. And I'm like trying to make a case for it. It's really funny. That's wonktabulous. All right. So number 22 for me is I believe it's the only power metal slash traditional metal record on my list. It's Seven Sisters, Shadow of a Fallen Stone.

Part 2. And this is a gorgeously crafted twin lead power metal starship on the far side of the universe that makes a triumphant hyper light jump into the heart of an exploding star. I really like this record a lot. Like, I just, when you play this one with Part 1, what an epic that they've created with this. So, and I know John, the singer that's on this album, he did,

It has like another band, another. Bantam Spell. Bantam Spell, right. And that was on the rock podcast that you just recorded. So. Yeah, that album's awesome. I like that too, but I really like Seven Sisters. It's probably, they're probably one of my favorite like traditional metal bands now. One of the newer ones, so. Yeah, they're the kind of power metal that isn't gang singing, which is what I like. Right, yep. Exactly.

All right, my number 22 was actually my number 17 as I came out May 9th on Nuclear Blast Records. This is the fifth album from a U.S. black metal band. I wrote this as an angrier, heavier album from this band while also extremely dynamic. And for someone who has recently gotten into or at least familiarized myself with Vaporwave, you can definitely feel that influence in here. I'm talking about Ghostbath,

Rose Thorn Necklace. Nice. Very cool. Yes, very good album. And a good dude, as we know. Oh, yeah. Great guest. Been on twice. All right. My number 22. My first survivor from the mid-year was my number 13. Sadis, Something to Pierce from Agony. Agonia Records.

progressive death metal from italy they're one of the early 90s bands that ventured in this world like cynic and deaf and atheists and pestilence during that period they've been around since then and i like their stuff but i haven't listened to them that much and this came out and it kind of brought me back to the fold a little bit so just good technical death metal with progressive and some jazzy elements to it but not much so no sax so you guys might be able to listen to it if you wanted to

All sack, no sacks. Yeah. It might be a volleyball, too. So I might be looking at three volleyballs already. So maybe four. I don't know. It's got a lot of balls. Let me rub Wilson for you. You know what? Has there been a lot of sacks this year? There's definitely some, but I feel like there's less than last year. I don't know. There's so much of it now. Now violin's becoming really big. I mean, violin's always good.

Will, 22.

My number 22 from Brazil on Everlasting Spew, a band's name is Eskarnium, and the name of the album is Exorable Entropy.

Gotta love that entropy.

Yeah.

Wait, it's shocking.

It's death metal?

I know, it's shocking.

Huh.

Okay.

Changing it up a bit.

I like it.

Way to go out of your wheelhouse, Will. Good job. Yeah, that's awesome. I always feel like Will could threaten for the volleyball because he has so much death metal on there that we might not have on our lists. But another good death metal record. I'm pretty sure every single one I've mentioned so far is a volleyball. And it will continue. I think I feel like Will would have a basketball documentary called Nothing But Death. Yeah, no more volleyballs. It's way too much work for me.

All right.

Jay.

All right.

Swain away largely or steering away largely from controversy for the last couple of years.

This may be the least metal thing this guy has done in a while, but he still sort of lives in the metal genre.

Alice Cooper, the revenge of Alice Cooper.

And this is a re-reuniting with the original band members.

And, and therefore it sounds kind of like the original band.

I mean quite a bit actually so it's more of a rock record but you know if nothing else Alice's you know image brings him a little further over into the metal category and he has been working in the metal thing for years you know what they didn't shame themselves on this and that pleases me it was a great album I loved it yeah and just for the record is you know the line has been breached anything is now available for your list so

The Alice Cooper rule has been invoked. That would be the only questionable thing I would have. No, you can't knock Alice Cooper. I mean, yeah, even if he does a friggin' pop album, he's still Alice Cooper, which is metal as fuck. So, you know. Yeah, he still brings that to the table, whatever he's doing. But how cool that they all got back together. They had gotten together previously for a record store release record.

that's probably not why they did it but it was released on that day and it was a live thing they did and it sounded so much like they used to sound so i had hope for this and that hope was not not let down they didn't go in there and muck it up or anything but he's a machine the guy just doesn't stop yeah and you know this last few have been really good they have he kind of just like knows who he is you know what i mean meaning he doesn't

Like trying to hop on a new trend or a trend that's hot right now. Other than that, he's always been in the weird margins of what he really wants to do. So yeah, I dig it. Did you guys talk about that one on stairway to 11 where it would be more appropriately featured? We did not come up on our list. It might've been on my mid-year. I think so. It sounds like it was. Yeah. But it also might've been on this mid-year. I didn't remember. I came out after mid-year.

We both added his album the month that following month. Yeah, I don't. Okay, well, that's where I had it. Did you just forget it, Church? I just did forget it. Yeah, I should have mentioned that the other day. Okay. At the very least. I'm sorry to cut you off, Matt. I think you had something to say. Came out in July. Jay had mentioned Hope. I was curious. Is that a new Hope? Episode four, yes. Yes. Okay. Yes. Hope Eternal Springs. Fresh.

All right. Nice. It's me again, isn't it? It is. Damn it. Okay. This one is for you, my lovely William. Because I know you're the only other person that likes this album. And that is Hate Bellum Regis. Aggressive black and death metal with militaristic precision and an unrelenting forward drive. It's also a razor ship.

What point does it become razor shit? When the vocals drop below a certain level, it becomes razor shit. Depends on the production. Oh, boy. All right. Nice. Yes. Oh, man. All right. So number 21 for me is Breaths, Death Can Wait, Independent Release, Cascading Black Metal, and Seas.

"Sinuous Doom" that melts perfectly into the band's shoegaze caramel center, filled with sincere lyrics that long for a sweeter future in a collapsing world." And shout out to Jason, as I've talked to him on multiple podcasts and just a really fun guy to talk to and talk about music with. So really like this record. Excellent. My number 21 was also my number 11 as it came out March 14th.

Willow Tip Records. This is the fifth album from a progressive death metal band. And when I say band, it's really just a one-person project. He's also an atheist. I know that. I would describe this band as unbitchy. And also, these would be the happy trees that Bob Ross painted. The band is Desiderium, and the album is Keys to the Palace. It's just really well-crafted metal, and it makes me happy, like trees. Matt, you have the keys to my palace. Thank you.

I actually know this one, Matt, from you. Yes, it's a good one. This is from The Other Pot, The Other Hat. The Other Hat. The real one. You probably didn't listen to that, Matt, but I did pull an album from you on my stairway list. Oh, it's in my queue to listen to. Yeah, yeah. I'm excited. The Basque album. Okay. I got that. Yeah, no, I love that. Oh, no. I loved that. That was on your other podcast. Yeah, it's the other one.

Gosh, hope it doesn't show up on this one. No, that was just me that said that, and I already broke that rule. Yeah, John said he wasn't going to repeat, and then he broke it. But I still haven't repeated that. Well, it's very metal. Oh, I did. Yeah, I did. I did. You're right. It's very metal to break the rules. Yes. Yeah, yeah. We make rules just to break them. Yeah. All right. All right, my number 21. Maybe a volleyball.

One Person Might Have This On Their List, maybe. It was my January Album of the Month, which, by the way, had I listened to everything in January, would not have been my January Album of the Month. But it is. And that is The Great Old Ones, Caddeth, Scenes of the Mist, Atmospheric Black Metal, kind of venturing a little more in the post-metal, prog-metal world. I like their stuff. They're probably one of the better low-craftian-influenced bands out there. Every album. I have the last three albums in

And each one gets better than the previous one. For me. So good stuff. Survived. It was my, I don't know if I said my number nine on my mid-year. Oh, wow. Yeah. So dropped a bit, but. Yeah. Literally anything, I think George said this earlier, anything after 10, it's, it could be anywhere on my list. I like my top 10. I feel like that's everything that should be there. But everything after that is just put it in Matt's little hat blender, turn it on.

Shake it up. Yeah, add a little salt and pepper, paprika. Seasonings. A little bit of Worcestershire. Yeah, exactly. A little Pliny marinade. Two sticks of butter, you know, grease it up. All right. Will. My number 21.

But obscured into nebulous dusk. They're from England on translation loss records. It's kind of like a very doomy, sludgy, deathy kind of mixture. I like it. So it's not as death as previous picks. I mean, it's still death. It just has a mixture of like sludge and Englishness to it. It's more doom than anything, but yeah. It likes its tea. Yeah. I mean, it'll come up again.

I love that record.

Drinking slowly.

This is the one Marcus will love to hear me say these words.

I learned about this from Marcus.

I appreciate it.

Yes.

I'm glad you like it.

Yeah.

It's a little too low.

You just can't make them happy.

Can you?

No volleyball for you.

Yeah.

My 21 is a survivor.

I'm sure nobody else picked this up or cared.

and you need to have. But this is a band that kind of reminds me of a little bit of a blackened version of like Trap Them. But it's more, it's got a much more black metal vocal, Too Buried for George. I'm almost sure of that. I'm out. Yeah. Later, ladies. But from Finland and with a such a, they're kind of a hardcore band, but it's definitely metal at the same time. A band is called Svarta Have It.

maybe i don't know how you pronounce it mon and ska lisa dinva is the name of the record you can do with that what you can but i dug it this was uh the trap film thing is probably the best i can describe it heavy like that crushingly heavy it's a much more black metal vocal then so it's not like that shouted hardcore vocal which makes it very interesting interesting indeed except for that whole buried vocal thing wait how do you spell that jay s-v-a-r-t-a

First word, second word, H-A-V-E-T.

Oh, okay.

Probably Hobbit.

I don't know.

Okay, I've heard that.

That's pretty cool.

Yeah.

I don't know how to pronounce it either.

Yeah, nor did I make any attempt to find out.

You know, what would be funny is to get my sister to take all these band names and just pronounce them all.

And then I'll just play the thing with my sister doing it because she lives in Norway and she speaks in origin and she knows how to pronounce Scandinavian words. And it would be funny to just be like, and my sister says, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. George, what you need to do is Jay just said that, right? Have your sister record that and just put it in place of Jay. Exactly. It's like, wow, you're sounding very feminine, Jay, but that's, you know, you be you. Find a way to like creatively put that as an

Yeah, you just hit me up before the episode and be like, hey, I got this band name. There's the six bands I can't. And I'm like, all right, cool. I'll get them pre-made and then we'll cue them up. Yeah, just be like, Jay butchered this. Here's how you actually say it. Yeah, for sure. That'd be perfect. Yeah. I might have been in the zip code there, but I doubt it. I think we're probably 98% of the time completely wrong. Yeah.

But at least we care enough to try. The only really way to know is if they do an interview and, you know, the interviewer mentions it or you hear the band actually mention the name. Because a lot of times the interviews don't know. And they ask them and then the band will repeat or just say what the name is. And that's how I usually find out about stuff. But yeah, I'll go on YouTube and look up bands and be like, OK, you know, such and such band. Let me look for interviews for them. And the interviewers,

percent of the time what's out and don't even say it they're like when we're here talking to mike they don't want to be wrong yeah and they don't even want to try and i'm like you suck it's not what isn't that what the pre-interview is supposed to be about hey how do you say this so i don't butcher it yeah yeah do your homework come on not everybody does you think you would do that geez if they're coming on here we would not be like and this is uh yeah uh

Whatever that was. I-O-Ton.

No, we never would have known it was Yotun.

Yeah, I watched the interview beforehand.

Most times we would do our homework.

Exactly.

I actually did for that one because I was like, wait, this doesn't sound right.

Yeah.

Anyway.

That was Jay, so it must be me.

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

My number 21 is Fetooth and Labyrinthine. Ethereal Doom Metal blending crushing low end with dreamlike shoegaze influenced textures. Channeling my inner magazon. Dude, I love that album. And you know, they were really cool live because I saw them live a few months ago. Yeah, that'd be cool. Yeah. Yeah, it didn't. And it's different. This album is different than the previous one. Yeah, well, they've got a different four piece lineup. Yeah. They only are a three piece now. Yeah.

But I think they did a really good job of being able to play to their strengths with 3. It just has a different sound to it. It's a lot simpler, but expressive, very expressive record. Yeah, you know, this is a good headphones album. It really is. You know, I put this on and it's like, it's heavy, yeah, but it's also extremely emotional and just, I don't know, good.

I don't know how else to say it. The vocal harmonies between the bassist and the guitarist are really good too. Yeah. So absolutely. All right. Back to you for 20. It's me. Yes. Number 20 for me. I don't know. I know George sort of likes this band. So you'd probably be the only one who would have it on your list if you do. But it's a pupil slicer. Flesh. I meant to do that. I meant to do that.

Pretty much the same, George. Give me the finger or give me the devil horns, whatever. You gotta take this hand with a grain of salt. It doesn't know what it's doing. I feel so bad for your hand, man. Still wearing that brace. Yeah, I got a steroid shot beginning of the month. And the wrist part is much better. However, my thumb is still numb and I think there's like some additional carpal tunnel going on that was masked by the tendonitis.

So I gotta go back and see the doc again next month. Jesus. Was it, um, did they name it carpal tunnel? No, it's Dequare veins tendonitis. Okay. Is, is the main diagnosis, but because, so that, that happens, you can't see if you're listening, but it's like right at the base of the thumb and the wrist. And there's a, there's a sheath that like the tendon and nerves and stuff goes through and that gets swollen.

from too much PlayStation, guitar, mousing, things like that. Yeah. And he gave me a shot right in that sucker. And like a day or two later, it was amazing. It was like the pain was mostly entirely gone. But my thumb is still numb. And there's there's pain like down in the thumb, like at the very base of the thumb where the thumb meets the rest of the hand that still kind of hurts. And I think that is carpal tunnel. That stuff's a pain in the ass, man. That does suck.

I'm empathetic. I had an impinged shoulder recently and oh my god it was so brutal and I don't even know how I got it and thank god it's gone but when your basic motor function stuff starts to kind of get a hit you know those hitches in it is brutal. It's tough. I mean my thumb has been numb for over a month now and you can't like scratch your nose you're like well that's weird. You can't like eat food with it because you can't feel what you're doing. It's just messed up. Luckily I'm left-handed.

All right, well, so anyways, for Pupil Slicer, for people who don't know, it's blistering math core with a pulse of industrial chaos mixed with progressive post-metal atmospherics, blackened textured fury and catchy meteoric rifts that leave irradiated craters in their wake. Mm-hmm. I, you know, I didn't give this enough of a spin as I should have. And... I thought you would. I think we talked about it and you were gonna spin it. Yeah, and, you know,

I know I gave it a brief like spin but not like a full spin and in retro George it's more aggressive than the last one that's I think what I said on the last cast yeah no this is just an absolute flub you know I just I forgot to go back and check it out so it's it's a mess it's all right but you know what even though it's on the list you can still go back to it give it a spin maybe you'll enjoy it exactly all right Matt

Me. My number 20 was previously my number 9. It came out April 25th on Season of Mist. It is the first album from a German progressive death metal band. Almost a super group of sorts. I would call this technical progressive death metal with a bass forward punch at times. I'm talking about the album Changeling and their self-titled album. Ah, yes. Not a bad album. And this one, I can confirm, actually exists. They are real. They do exist.

Yeah, I would expect John to have that on his list. We'll see. Never know. You never know. All right. Well, then we'll just see what John has to say otherwise. Yeah. So big surprise. My number 20, Changeling. Album title is my number six from last year. Let's just move on. That's great. Because is that Matt? That's the same pick as Matt, right? All right. A daily double.

Cha-ching.

All right, Will, number 20.

My number 20, Dormant Ordeal, Tooth & Nail from Poland on...

Willow Tip.

Yep, girl, Willow Tip.

Yeah, Death Metal, straight up.

I don't know.

I feel like these guys have been around for a million years.

I never heard of them before, but maybe they're new.

I don't know, but it's fucking awesome.

Yeah, it is.

They kind of have an ulcerate vibe, but they also have their own thing going on. And much better production. I love ulcerate. I will ulcerate all day, every day, and I will snuggie with the situation and ulcerate even more. Wow. My number 20 is Mastodon-esque.

Mastodon sometime between, let's say, between Remission and Leviathan. If I made a record between that, this might have been it. But not entirely. Pyres. I'm not looking at the list right now. You're not looking at it, you're just from memorizing? Yeah. I think that's my number 20. I don't know. YUN. The album name is YUN. YUN. Thank you, Will. Pyres YUN.

Canadian band on one of the record labels that's not the spreadsheet so hyper ethereal.

It sounds like we might also have this one.

Mass sludgy do it sludgy sludge rock sludge metal big mastodon riffs heavy cool the shoutier parts of mastodon.

Yeah I I love the older um pyres I do not love the new one.

Don't love it. I mean I like it I bought it but just I don't know it just seems

Like they chilled in their old age or something. I don't know. It's just not. I don't know. It just didn't capture me the way the last one did. Well, they're Canadian, so. Yeah, I mean, yeah. They're just way too nice. They're too nice to be pissed off at Death Metal. And honestly, that should be our mantra. It just didn't capture me as much as the last one, you know. Just didn't do it as much as the last one. That's like our mating call. Uh-uh! Didn't do it as much as the last one! Uh-uh!

And I'm not making fun of you, Will. I'm not making fun of you at all. No, it should be more of like, uh-oh. Uh-oh. Uh-oh. Not, good call! Good call! I mean... But we say that so much that it's almost funny. It should just be in a death metal voice. Yeah. Yeah. Just didn't do it for me.

Oh, it's me now again, right? I keep saying that. All right, my number 20. This is the first of at least, I'm thinking three, from Willow Tip Records. An album that an episode ago you would not have thought might be on my list. I'm not sleeping on it anymore, though. The Sleeping City, an abstract illusion.

Oh, that's nice. Very nice. Yes, I went back to it as I said I would. Very surprising. And I was like, yeah, okay. Yeah, it's at least a number 20. Okay. Okay. That is a surprising pick, I've got to say. Grant, and you know, it's only been a week, so 20 is about as high as I could go with that. But, you know, could have gone higher, perhaps. It could, but you know what?

It's on your list. Yep. So, and it's a surprising pick because when we discussed it, I wasn't sure that anyone else would have it. I thought it would please you. It just pleases me immensely, George. I like to please you around the nethers. My nether world is trembling. All right. Well, since we're talking about progressive metal, I'm going to go with my number 19.

It's Psychonaut, world maker on Pelagic Records. This is a sophisticated, progressive post-metal with kaleidoscopic textures, rhythmic bass currents, and explosive guitar work that perfectly dissolves into tranquil, introspective drifts, like taking a romantic gondola ride through a Venetian waterway. If I had a 26, it was Psychonaut for sure.

So good. I wasn't sure it was going to make my list and I kept listening to it and I couldn't stop listening to it. Kept playing. I was like, this has to be on my list somewhere because I really enjoy this record. I love the last record and this is completely different than the last record, but still filled with just amazing energy and emotion and just really, really good riffs on it.

I think the record before their last record I had on my year-end list. And fortunately, John, we had done the podcast. John was doing lists. And then he emailed me. He's like, hey, this album came out last year. I was like, son of a bitch. And I learned about what a re-release was, right? Like where you sign a deal with a label. And then they took your album from last year and they put it out this year, but it still came out last year. Oh, yeah. They've done that. Valuable. It was a valuable lesson learned. And still good stuff. There's bands I've had that have like, they put out

an album in one year, then they re-release it, and then he gets re-released in another year. And I was like, man, I feel like I've heard this before and I have to go back. And sometimes I get it wrong. Convulsing is an album I really like. And that's been re-released, I think, at least two times. But it really came out last year. We've all been burned with that one. So frustrating. It hurts. We should have an award for it. Yeah, I went to Target the other day and I saw a Metallica album mixed in with the Stranger Things. I'm like, oh my God, Metallica.

They released a new album. I started listening. Oh my God, this is amazing. Wait, it's familiar. And it was like, master, master. Like, oh, it's master of puppets. Oh, I'm such a duck. Oh, I thought it was going to be the anniversary edition of load. Said no one ever. You know that it's funny. Well, because you sent us that picture and it that was for the stranger things D&D.

set. And I play D&D because I'm a nerd. Nerd alert. Yeah. And I looked at that. I was like, man, this is really cool. I like looked it up. I was like, that's a really cool Stranger Things D&D thing. And I didn't buy it or anything. But, you know, D&D is cool. It's kind of a no brainer to do. Yeah, absolutely. Good for them. I have no freaking idea where we are. My number 19. Before I go on to that, based on Will's

of your name, George. I have to mention for a prior conversation, Jay, I am watching Welcome to Dairy. It's just wrapped on HBO. I dug it. I don't know how everybody else feels about it. Anyway, you're talking about- My son and I just finished the last episode today. Okay. I just started hearing good things. So even though I know it's been on for a while. Okay. I'll tip my toes in that. I mean, me, I totally dug it. I had zero expectations when I went in and I totally dug it. Okay. You know, when you- I was never like a big It fan,

or the it one or it two or every but like when my son gets into something i'm going to get into it

unless it's youtube shorts and yeah i mean i i yeah i liked it it was um i should say i like it i really

liked it uh it was fun and but it was fun because i was watching it with my son yeah is it appropriate for him

nope got me completely not okay okay just checking as good as k-pop demon hunter

I haven't watched Welcome to Dairy. In fact, when you said that, Matt, I was thinking of Dairy Girls. Oh, sure. Yeah. Oh, that was so good. Yeah, that was a great show. Oh, that was a great porn. Dairy Girls? No, it's like a British comedy thing. I have no idea what you're talking about. Well, I love the book, It, when I was a kid. Me too. But I did not, I was not into the Welcome to Dairy because they just did them two movies. I was like, you're going to do more of this?

But if you guys say it's good, maybe I'll get it. So it's a prequel. So it's like a 1950s era prequel. So it's not written by Steve at all. Right. It is not. And then so now they're going to do a prequel. They're going to do two more prequels. Like so one is like in the 1920s and one's like 1908 or something like that. Like they're going to keep going back and back and back. I'm interested. But like I said, like I. I did not.

I'm not like the hugest thingy Stephen King fan I'm not the biggest like it fan or whatever you're just the biggest dick in the room yes but but it was it was more of hey my son's really into this we're gonna watch it together and it was it was entertaining I liked it yeah I mean you know and I think he's gravitated to because it's it the main characters are a whole bunch of kids his age sure right right right so that's

That's one thing to keep in mind. So if you're not into that, but like, it's a whole bunch of 12 year old, 13 year old kids. Kind of like all the, like the next, the next. Yeah. I mean, it sounds really annoying, but maybe I'll give it a shot. I mean, it's not super. Well, I mean, that's what it would change your things. That's what it was. You know, it was a bunch of kids and the book was amazing. There was a first long novel that I read. Yeah. Yeah. Me too, probably. And I loved it.

And I know a while back they did a movie miniseries of it or whatever that was, I don't know. And then more recently they did the two movies. Gotcha. The films, yeah. But I watched the first one. I did not watch the second one. Not because I didn't want to. I just didn't get to it. Yeah. First one was better. Yeah, I will say this. I'm not sure if in the It One or Two movies that you actually know what It is. But in Welcome to Dairy, they explain.

what it is.

Okay.

Well, no.

Okay.

Interesting.

So it's like a supernatural, literally extraterrestrial thing.

Yeah.

I think if you read the book, it's probably.

You know that.

Yeah.

I mean, I can't read.

So.

Yeah.

Fair.

Yeah.

I can barely read your shirt.

Yeah.

It's in the book.

Milk me, baby.

Milk just keeps coming up with you.

And you're wearing the dead milkman shirt.

Yeah.

His cross eyes are right on his boobies. I like milk. I like milk. Welcome to milk, man. Good boy. He lives in his heart. They're just going to call you udders. Please don't. I like your milk, man, udders.

My number 19 was not in my mid-year. It came out August 8th. It is independent released. It is the third album from this U.S. atmospherical black metal band slash person. I went in hard on the first album and, you know, just slept, bled this album. And the second album came out and I was there, but probably, you know, more like 75%.

And then this third album came out. And I was like, oh, okay, cool. And I listened to it and I was like, okay, cool. Sounds the same. And then I went back and listened to it. And I realized like, it reminded me of when, I don't remember what album Wada had put out, but it just felt evolved. It felt mature. It felt like someone who is- Don't say mature, John, he's mature. Oh yeah, John, he's had that. And while they, he did not, not feel comfortable in their own skin, they just felt like, hey, we just kicked

out two albums we got all that out and now

the real stuff is coming out of us

I'm talking about Black Braid

and the album 3

yeah baby

completely

an offshoot having nothing to do with what you just

said except that you said this and that is

that when is the next new album they kind of

they kind of put them out with

regularity there for a while and then they haven't

done anything for a while

no that's a good question well you

would probably put on your album

Yeah. Yeah. You want to know. So Matt, I will, I will, um, my two cents is that I never really got BlackBraid one and two, just like, eh, whatever. But BlackBraid three, I bought it. I really enjoyed it. And it got extremely close to being on my list. And if I actually paid more attention to it and listened to it more, it may have been. But to me, BlackBraid three, BlackBraid three was,

Way more, I don't know, maybe accessible is not the right word, but for a guy like me who's not into all the extreme black metal, but I really liked it. And I bought it, and I loved it. Yeah. Yeah, I think, I don't know how you equate or put a metric to saying, like, it just feels like a more mature record. It feels like a band that is, you know, like, they are moving and they're grooving. Like, they kind of got all that intermediate stuff off their chest, and now they're into, like,

the meat and potatoes of what their sound is. Now, if we could only get Imperial Triumphant and a few other bands to do that, too, that would be great. What's weird is Imperial Triumphant's new album is total garbage, I know, but... No! Compared to the other ones, like, I think the first one was okay, and then there was a whole bunch of weird shit, and this last one was like, hey, this is okay. No, no, but I understand that people are going to say that in later

they're out on the episode but no oh i mean it's not about this

taking a stance oh no i hate those guys fuck them yeah blackberry bow is an interesting band because i mean i

like their records i just i just i feel like they're way overrated for what they do but they're still a

good band i think i've talked about this before like they still put out really good records that i like that i buy

that i'm that i'm into but i just feel like the hype around them is like way beyond where they

Yeah. Yeah. And I agree with that in terms of pre-order triumphant as well. Let me just say that I'm joking about them and I understand that other people like them and I respect them as an artist. I just don't get what they're doing. Right. So you don't respect them. No, I do. I do. I think they're great musicians. I just don't. I just can't wrap my brain about what they're doing.

Well, everybody likes something different. That's the way it is, yeah. All right. John, back to you again. So I'm going to test my audio. Can you hear me any better or any different? Yeah, you're good. I mean, you sound sexy. You sound like you should be sitting right next to me right now. Because I'm using now, before it was my laptop mic, now I'm using my camera mic. It is sufficient.

Maybe just a little more analog, John, but it's fine. It totally works. It's not at all odd sounding. We pivot in the moment. We do what we can. This will work. So my number 19, it's a band that I've been a fan of since 2000, 2001, and been sticking with them ever since. They don't venture too much out of their lane, but I like all their stuff.

So my number 19 is November's Doom, Major Arcana, Prophecy Productions. There's no real introduction to them. They've been around a long time. They do the same kind of thing, Death Doom. This album's got a little more gothic metal to it. And I think there's a few more hooks on this album than their previous albums, which is kind of weird to say with the Death Doom band. But some of the songs are a little more memorable when it comes to the chorus areas, I guess, because Paul Kerr does some more clean singing with his harsh vocals.

Yeah, it's a solid album. Probably the one I like the most since Ephodic that came out in 2011. I kind of say I'm surprised how low it is, and that's not with any sort of jabs. And you'll find out why later. It's just, like I said, everything from 11 on is you could throw it up in the air and let it all fall and it just put them in order that way. Yeah, of course.

Yeah, they're a super consistent band, but it's like, it's rare that they elevate to another spot. John did have them number one, I think one year, right? I don't remember which album that was, John, but you did have them number one one year. Did you have them number one one year? No, I've never had them. Okay. I must be thinking of something else. Not unless we did this in 2005. Oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah, no, they're consistent, right? I mean, they always do good albums. So that's another good one from them.

Who's up? Will? Will, yeah. My number 19, Cancer, Inverted World. They're from England and they're on Peaceville Records. And I loved the band Cancer. I don't like Cancer. Fuck your cancer. Suck it. I had cancer. But the band Cancer, I like. And they're... I don't know.

I don't even remember the name of the album it was like from the early 90s or late 80s. Death Shall Rise. Yes Death Shall Rise I love that album and so when they came out with this one this is I mean I I'll admit I have a few just like fanboy oh like old school fanboy picks on my list and this is one of them. Well Death Shall Rise had James Murphy. It did. And James was only on that one album and they've had stuff since that was not as good.

I have no idea what they did between Death Shall Rise and this album. And I know they had other albums. It's just, I don't care. Yeah, that's fine. Yeah. I shouldn't say I don't care. I just haven't paid attention to it. But you know, it's weird. You read the obituary book. James Murphy was not well liked. Great guitar player. I'm an asshole.

I said at MDF.

Yeah, I want to go, but chances are it's going to be the same thing I do.

So decibel and MDF is going to be like, I can do one day.

My kids have baseball tournaments.

And now that my daughter is also in three different travel team leagues.

Just to address the James Murphy thing, in my dealings with James Murphy, he's always been a gentleman and a scholar.

So.

There you go.

Yeah.

So this is just based off.

Not to say that he is not an asshole to deal with on a musical level.

I know.

Yeah.

This is literally just based on the obituary book that I read.

Yeah.

Of course.

Turn Inside Out.

They did not say nice things about him.

Yeah.

You know.

And perhaps he's matured.

Who knows.

But.

Don't say that.

John Hayside.

Sorry.

Perhaps he.

Weird.

They say that about Greg Mustaine.

Anyway, Jay, go. 19. There's a part of me that thinks if you're going to make a self-titled album, several albums into your career, it better be a watershed moment for you. And whether or not these guys did or did not do that is beyond me to answer such a lofty question. But I do like this record, and they're well-known in the pod and probably by anybody who might be listening. Rivers of Nile, self-titled.

titled Metal Blade Records, United States. Progressive, you know. You know. Blah, blah, blah. Sax Queens. Progressive, you know. Sax Queens. Sax Queens, that's right. Sax Offenders. It's really strange how this is the one band that has gotten criticized for using a self-titled album, five albums in. Like, bands do this all the time. Oh, no, no, they do it all the time. It's not like Metallica did it.

I don't understand why people are so bent out of shape about that.

You know, and I'm not at all, except to say that.

I'm not either.

Yeah, but except to say that, broadly speaking, in those instances in which bands have done that, they were sort of saying, here's our definitive statement, you know, as of this moment.

I guess, yeah.

And I don't think I'm prepared to say where this stands in their ovara.

I think it's interesting.

I think it's a little bit of the fact that it's just it's their new lineup right they kind of had a transition within the

that it was self-titled. And so when I was going back to look at my list, I was like, oh, that's interesting. So I had, and I had no notion that people were making shit about it. So that's very interesting to hear all this right now, because I was just, it just reminded me of Led Zeppelin 4, Will's favorite Metallica album, so on and so forth.

Well, isn't the new...

Peter Greenville's first four albums.

Yeah.

Isn't the final Megadeth album self-titled, which is kind of funny?

Yeah.

That makes sense to me. Like, hey, we're going out and it's just Megadeth.

I like that I actually really like that yeah so all right of course it's another way of just saying fuck it yep that also could be the name of that record Megadeth dot dot dot yeah early excuses when we started the podcast about being lazy and all this well you know Megadeth has had a lot of dot dot dot albums so it's true and so it would be kind of funny to just call it dot dot dot but I um I don't

I don't want to open a can of worms but so I'll just briefly has anybody listened to the tracks they released and want to give a thumbs up? Yeah yeah no I liked the first one didn't like the second one. Okay good that's that's good enough for me. Yeah the newest one the newest one just entitled like I think it's Shred or something like that yeah like it just it does harken back to something like Peace Cells which is like hey I'm going to talk about thrash metal and playing guitar and shredding and yeah yeah it was like skateboarding or in the video or something.

So what I heard about the new album is going to be a little bit about a little bit of everything throughout the career. Okay. Well, that's cool. The first track was way better than that new track. Okay. I mean, I'll give them some time, maybe even tonight, because I just read something about the new one that was released. Yeah. Have you ever, have you been interested in their albums in the last, like, few albums, though, Jay? The last one I liked was United Abominations. Yeah, me too. Okay. Yeah. And that was a while ago.

I think that was the second we're back record. Yeah. I like the one after that. I can't remember what it was called. Endgame. Endgame I like. 13, whatever was 13 was garbage. Yeah. Endgame was good. I mean, they had some good ones. Yeah, it's hit or miss, but you know. It is hit or miss. It's good to know that he's still got it in him. I like his vocals way better now than when he first started, but the music I don't like.

I wish I could combine those two. Yeah. I agree. He sings a lot better now. Well, he's got that huskier, like mature voice. Yeah. Well, we'll see when it comes out. Strap on your granimals and get the husky. Nobody has that into it, but I'm talking about it. No. You said granule. Granimals. Oh. Is that a kid thing? I don't know what that is. Sorry. It was a clothing. Just cut this all off.

Nah, man. You're going to have to own that. You have to explain Granimals. Granimals was a clothing line for young kids in the early, late 70s, early 80s. That sounds familiar. You can match like your pants and your shirt and there was like a certain animal print. Really? Well, I saw the farm at Tusk the other day. Sounds familiar. I remember. Well, I was too busy wearing tough skins. So it was like, it was like Tusk, but it was Granimals. It was like, but it was like,

If you weren't ready for tough skins yet, you work for animals. Tough skin's the only pair of pants that a laser can't cut through. In the 70s, all I wore were like Sears football jerseys. Like they weren't teams. They were just different colors, combinations with numbers on them. That is what I wore. Oh yeah, I kind of remember those. If you go back to my old like school photos back in the 70s, yeah, it's like, is that like the,

Eagle Bears? What is that? The Lionhawks? What? I don't know what that is. You know, but yeah, it was what I wore. It's like football jerseys, metal shirts. It was like a transition. All right. My number 19. Will, I hope you'll back me up on this one because nobody else will. Biohazard, Divided We Fall. Whoa.

Surprising to me as well. I've not cared about them in a very long time, but when this album came out, hell yeah. All right. So I will admit that I had no idea that Biohazard even came out with a new album until I saw on Decibel's list. Yep. I listened to it and I loved it. Yes. And it reminded me of like whatever 10th grade art class in high school. It's even kind of slayer-ish in a way. It's pretty heavy.

No, when it was on my playlist this morning, a song came on and I was like, whoa, put any Slayer on here. I was like, oh, it's Biohazard. I would not make that connection. However, I would make the connection that reminded me of being a Slayer fan in high school and hearing Biohazard. I love Biohazard when like urban discipline and all that stuff that came out. State of the world address. Right. Yeah. So when all that stuff came out,

I loved it. Yeah. And I love the new one. Yeah. And I have to say that I'm like, oh, wow, I really love this. And I cannot get it on Bandcamp or anything. But I just felt like if I picked this, the ridicule would be unrelentantly. Not for me, brother. Not for me. I do love it. It's not on my list. But it's great. All right. Well, give me the volleyball. They came back. I just felt like it's a comeback.

come back album but it is it is well you got time to change your list we'll be here for a few hours no it's a sorry yeah

he'll let me sit in my no i love it i love i love the pic george great pic thank you all right number 18 mark us on

number 18 for me i believe this is the first of my doom picks because i have quite a few on my list and i'm happy to see

It's starting to pop up on some lists because I think it's just an amazing record. And its structure, heritage, and Ardua music. Its forlorn doom with kaiju-sized guitar work and a heart-rending atmosphere of dark sorcery that evokes the weight of legacy and mourns the absence of loved ones like a tormented specter caught in between worlds.

And I just hit my sippy cup and it didn't fall. And I, that is, that is a win. Yes. Good job. You could not have said a better sentence after that description of that. And with that, let me get my sippy cup. Yeah. Tracy got, we have a, we're in this wine club and they had sippy cups there. And Tracy's like, she just points at it and she's like, I think maybe you need this. She knows.

Oh, by the way, not that this is how you're supposed to do this after you get something, but meaning I think you just keep your mouth shut about Christmas cards. But I got your Christmas card today, Marcus. Thank you very much. You got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Matt, you showed up. I got one as well. Literally, that's the last day I can go to the post office before I go. Awesome. I got Matt's. Matt is amazing. Like, I don't know if he sent about. No, that would be. Well, I mailed them, but my wife, like my wife had those things done in September. You guys always get it done.

early December, I can always count on Matt's Christmas card to show up first for anybody else's. That was our card for next year. I just want to be a year ahead. Matt on point. Okay, so me. My number 18 was my number 7 at mid-year as it came out on Valentine's Day on Agonia Records. It is the fifth album from a French post-black metal band.

could almost feel the energy of primordial being channeled with a smidge of goth. As far as post-metal goes, it's definitely on the smoother side. The band is Decline of the Eye, and the album is called Wilhelm. Yes. Carryover from Matt's. Good record. Good record. I think you had that in the mid-year, right? Yeah. It was my number seven, and I've had their albums probably on my list every year. They've had one out. Yeah. You're pretty, yeah. I think after mid-year, I listened to it because it was a lot of fun.

I was like, man, I haven't really listened to this band. And it was really good. Johannes is one. I can't think of the others off the top of my head. But. Okay, nice. John. Nice. My number 18 is a holdover from the mid-year. Was my number 12. It will be a volleyball. So I'm moving up that list. And my album is Lunar, Tempora Mutantu, Alpha Sabot.

Rain Records, they're a progressive death metal band out of Sacramento that has some kind of strange little Zappa-esque moments to it. So yeah, it's one of my holdovers. I didn't have it on my list, and then I listened to it the other day, and I was like, yeah, I still like this a lot. Something's got to go. So I added it. It's got to go. It's got to go. Yeah, you were good, but not that good. You had me at Tempura.

You're just hungry

I want everything battered

I just busted open my jersey

mic's wrap and

bastards didn't even cut it in half for me

so it's a big sloppy mess

Thank you

Just rip it with your paws

Well actually your thumb doesn't work

so you can't really do anything

Right?

Yeah, I'm handicapped here

It's ridiculous

Yeah, you should complain

Damn you jersey mic's

Just get a knife

Yeah, that would require

leaving here

There's something in the sandwich

that turned your cheeks

rosy white

or rosy pink too

Oh, it's called alcohol

Oh, okay. That's the Jim Blossoms. Can I just say I'm so proud of the Wilson Award? I don't know why I keep adding to it, but it's pretty nice now. Yeah. The base and the volleyball, and I feel like... Maybe we could build it a little body. A little robot body? We just put it on one of the creatures that live in your fucking environment. Yeah. You need like a little sandbox for it there, Marcuson. Do I? Yeah, that's right.

I actually hope that somebody takes it from me so I can mail it to you just so you can enjoy how splendid it is. Well, John's your best bet. I know. I think everybody's got a chance here. There's not a lot of repeats yet, and there's a lot of, I think, different weird albums that are not going to be on other people's lists. Yeah, this is a weird year. Our top 25 is going to suck. It's going to be a lot of work for you, John. John's going to be like, all right, it's May.

We're ready for our December stats now. I have number one and number two. That's it. I got three picks. We're good. Next 22 is going to be tough. What was number 18? Yes. My number 18 is innumerable forms. The album is Pain Effulgence. Effulgence? Effulgence?

They're from Boston.

Well, it's effulgence.

Whatever. Yeah, effulgence.

Effulgence.

Yes.

Effulgence.

Shocking, it's death metal.

Okay.

Move along.

What?

Dude, that's a really great record.

That's not a death metal thing you're looking for.

Move along.

I have that on vinyl.

It didn't make my list, but it's in my like,

I don't know top 35 top 40 or whatever so it's really good record my routine is with that will mid-year sort of vaguely rationalized slightly apologized his way through this for no good reason gruesome silent echoes which is what I mean to say was was like I know they're like a kind of a tribute band and so on and so forth but it's legit and they did a good job changing era

which I really was kind of that. Once it was clear they were going to keep doing this, I was really excited to see how they were going to handle Changing Errors, and they did a fine job with it. They sure did. You may not get death, but you can get a little death fix from it. I'm pretty sure I never apologized for that album because it was my number one at the mid-year. It was my number one at the mid-year, too. You were somewhere along the lines of, I fucking know, it's just a tribute, but it's awesome. I think I was the one that was like naysaying it. You were great.

shit on it. He literally dropped the trowel and said grumpy. I just shit right through my pants on it. I wouldn't take my pants off for it. No, listen. It's like it is death cosplay, but that fucking record is really good. So I've come around to it. Right? Because they clearly they said right away and I respect that they're just channeling death that they wanted to do that and I didn't like that at first because it's like, well, I already have death. Why do I

I need this.

Yeah.

Cause they know my death.

You guys had it number one.

And you know what?

Because I respect you guys.

I was like,

I got to listen to this a little bit more because maybe it's more than I think.

And I do think that it is a really good record.

Like I,

I got past that part of it.

So it,

it literally is.

If death put out another,

if Chuck Schoeninger was still alive and I,

and I just started reading his book,

uh,

the,

the biography from,

um,

whatever the name,

his name is.

But,

um,

Chuck Swinger's biography. Born Human. Yes, that one. That one. Yep. I'm curious who the author is. It's... It's not like Adam Tappadilly. Greg Lee or whatever his name is. I forget his name. Gelke. David Gelke. Yeah, Gelke. You like that guy. Yeah, he's great. I mean, he's great. Is that like bazillion points or something? Because that's a really nice look. Look how thick this is. Dude, it is too.

It's thick.

Jay, it's thick.

You may not be able to handle the thickness of that book.

Anyway, blah, blah, blah.

Gruesome is awesome.

I think Gruesome, I know it's a tribute band, but holy fuck, like the amount that they nail it and they differentiate just a little bit, it's amazing.

It's not easy.

I know.

That would not have been an easy task.

Well, and they own that, you know, and I think that goes a long way.

towards it because if a band just put that out and it completely sounds like death and they didn't say that yeah didn't say a fucking word right that'd be different so even though i had reservations about it um you know i've come around to it because it's a fucking great record it's a real record it's awesome yeah you know so so i mean how much do all of us love death the band death so much and how much should we all miss chuck schoeninger and death sure how much is this new all these albums that gruesome has been

doing sound exactly like death like it is weird how much matt harvey nails it yeah it is weird it's weak like

and there's something about that where it's like they're gone but we can continue the legacy of it even

right same band and and i got i have to respect that a little bit more and than i have in the past and what else you should respect is that it is matt harvey he has his own amazing band exhumed yeah exhumed you know

It's not like he's doing this just to try and rip it off. He has his own thing. He's doing it because he loves death. Exactly. And so that's the thing that I had to come around here. And it was a little bit hard for me, I have to say. This is probably because I just love death so much. There you go. That's where it's coming from. At the mid-year, that's where it was coming from. So I've come around. You guys convinced me. Round, round. He comes around. Can you imagine if some guy came around?

and made like cool Metallica for the first four albums.

But how...

After they all...

After like...

I don't know.

Who would it be?

Hetfield guy?

Especially if they're still going.

Like, hey, we're more Metallica than Metallica is.

Right.

Actually, you know who could get away with that is that dude, Matt Hefe.

He sounds like him.

He did sound like him on a couple of records.

Trivium.

Trivium.

He could do that.

I mean, if the writing aside, he can actually pull that voice off pretty good. He could. He could, yeah. I mean, they've come a long way. The last Trivium record was really good. They released an EP this year that I have not listened to, but I really like the last record. It's a lot more metal than they had been in years. I'm dying to hear George's 18 so I can take a leak. All right, well. I'm making you wait. Oh.

Hold, hold, wait for it. All right. That was an actual cough. Was that a milkshake, George? Might have been. My number 18 down greatly from mid-year is Ancient Death, Ego, Disillusion.

That's a plummet. I'm a little surprised by that. Well, you know, it just didn't get as much play. That makes sense. You can play other things, but. Yep. I'm not. I think that was overhyped and it was just weird. I bought it, but just. That's right, because Will jaded on Midyear. I'm like, what the fuck? That's a great record. I mean, it is. It's fine, but it's just weird.

And I listened to it several times. And like, it never went back to it. I'm like, just not, I was not interested in it. Fake death. Shocking. Yeah. It was, yeah. I don't know. It was something about like, it was trying to be death metal, but not. And I think they were, I'm pretty sure I saw, I heard some saxophone flutes or something in there. I was like, nope, I'm done. There's no saxophone flutes in it. Maybe just clarinets. What is a saxophone?

There's occasional female vocals in it, but I don't think there's anything. There's nothing else in it.

There was something about it. He's like, nope, I'm done. Anyway, don't worry about my opinion.

We're going to find out you've been listening to a different album the whole time.

I mean, that's quite possible.

I got to be honest. I'm shocked you don't like that record.

I tried, and I bought it early. It came out early in the year, and I bought it.

You look at my Bandcamp profile. I bought it. It's all my... Anyway.

All right, Markisan number 17. What's me? Well, first I will tell you that I am drinking the Holiday Train. From Hot Butcher. This is crazy. This is Simcoe and Cascade Hopped IPA brewed with rooibos tea, ginger, cinnamon, almonds, pistachios, and orange peel. 7%. And it's fucking really good.

I had to have a little come down from the other beer because that was really high in alcohol. Cheers. All right. So, uh, collapse self-titled on these hands melt records. This is a ferocious post-metal sludge infused with hardcore crust punk and doom punctuated by thunderous pulsing drums and these floaty ambient sense that

Add a real contrast and elegance to the albums like massive mining truck heavy riffs. It's a really great record in this collapse a self-titled record. We were just talking about this. They had our stuff before this. But yeah, these guys are cool. I actually just interviewed them on the endless metal podcast. So I have to really have to edit that and then I'm going to put it up. But but yeah, love this.

record and I'm looking forward to seeing what this band does in the future because I feel like they keep adding other elements to their music that makes it just more interesting and intricate. Excellent. Matty. Okie doke. My number 17 was my number 6 at mid-year. Came out May 20th on Metal Blade Records. It is the fifth album from this progressive technical death metal band.

I already mentioned,

Rivers of Nile,

self-titled album.

Oh,

there it is.

Um,

I,

I put,

they are,

they are full steam ahead with their new lineup.

There might be a smidge of complacency for me just because I think the prior album was a bit more of a step outside their,

their,

um,

their normal sound.

And,

and for me,

it was kind of like a,

whoa,

what's this?

Um,

only to realize like,

oh,

this is awesome.

And,

um,

I,

I think they've kind of followed suit with that,

with the new singer.

Um,

I feel like this kind of gets back a little bit more to the you know kind of the punch and the aggressiveness of their prior albums blending it with that newer sound with the work and uh so yeah my number 17. Right on. I knew that would be on your list. I thought it would be a little higher too actually. Well it took a bit of a dip took a bit of a dip from number six. He did that last year though too um they haven't charted as high with Matt since the earlier. Matt is a tough judge.

Yeah, I am. I'm very critical. We're always know my name is really, that was my number one, whatever year that came out. And so it just makes every other year seem like you're putting them really low. Everything is kind of. It's at a high bar. Yeah. It's like a band you love, but that's the high bar. Like if you can't achieve that, it's kind of hard to put them high. Yeah. I get it. That said, I mean, just question whether or not you want to put out an album. I am that critical. I will tear it apart. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding.

Right on. Johnny boy. Right. So I didn't mention my, since Marcus, I mentioned a beer, I mentioned I broke out the seasonal Mad Elf. Mad Elf. All right, John. Nice. Jen bought them. She's like, I bought these today at the store. And I was like, all right, now I got something to drink tonight. Yeah. We got holiday beers. This is nice. Mad Elf is just, I love it. So anyway, so my number 17 is,

An Abstract Illusion, The Sleeping City from Willow Tip.

Nice.

As we mentioned, I like this album a lot.

I think I still like Willow more, and it's not a complaint at all.

I feel like for me, when I listen, there's not enough space, because there's a lot they pack in on this album.

There's a lot of stuff I like that they did.

I like that they, and Marcus and I talked about this last time, I like that they brought the 80s synth sound to it.

It kind of gives it a little bit of a new dynamic to their sound. I just wish it breathed a little better for me. That's all. I still like the album a lot. And I spun it late yesterday again. I was like, okay, can I get this any higher? And I just couldn't. But I still love it. I think it's great. And I don't know. I mean, their last two albums have done really well. I remember when George and I were talking about them when the debut came out back in like 2016 when they were kids.

because I think they're only in their early 30s right now.

It's just kind of wild.

And they were more melodic death metal.

I like the direction they've gone in the last two albums.

But it's a heavy listen.

They pack a lot in.

And the albums are long, too.

But it's good.

I like it.

I figured it would be on a few lists.

And I imagine it's still going to get mentioned again at number one.

It's going to be mentioned again for sure.

I'm glad you had it on your list.

It was cool to have that discussion before because, you know,

I just don't feel that. I feel that a lot with progressive metal records where they're just like, there's too much going on. This one I don't because I feel like it just flows so effortlessly to me. But everybody's different in their listening habits. And I think, like I said, it's going to come up again, but I think it's their best record for me. And I like all their records. That's saying something. And all their records are a little different, which I also really dig. But the 80s synth part of it, just people aren't doing that. It's mostly synths.

70 synth when you talk about progressive metal um so that part is really compelling to me yeah nice that's two it's two will um muted or no i mean uh number what are we on 17 17 17. sprenolith ashen wound from copenhagen denmark dark descent records records

That's it. That's it. Come on. I mean, what do you want from me? It's that doom. You know what I'm going to say. I want you to sex it up a little, Will. Come on. That's it. Jay, go ahead. Yeah, sure. Melodic Deaths, or excuse me, Black Metal. Skaldur. Somebody renounced it for me. Avant-garde music. Most, you know, Hedy's name.

record label ever. This is, I don't know, I always get a fix out of a band like this every year and Scalder's not going to steer you wrong. Nope. I'm going to describe it, you guys know it. Scalder, say it again, Somser, Samser? Somser. Thank you. Also pronounced, Carrie's nipples. Oh, did I say that out loud? Did I say that out loud? Also, also the one band I keep bumping into at every show I go to. Indeed. The DC area. They're the new,

Skeleton Witch.

I mean, it also works with the real concept without seeing Skeleton Witch.

Or soon you're actually bumping into the actual guys.

The actual guys, yes.

Yeah, it's always great to see them at every show, so.

All right, Jay.

I just went.

Scalder.

Oh, duh.

Me.

Wow, George.

Me.

What are you drinking, buddy?

Me, George.

All right. So we've got some fuzzy rift driven stoner metal with a sense of adventure and a surprisingly epic scope. Howling Giant, Crucible. Oh, wow. You did put it on your list. Wow. You mean ghost? I mean, ghost. That was your, I'm not saying that for me. No, no. Despite the fact that the singer sounds extremely like the dude from Ghost.

I would put it on the list. It is on the edge there. Yeah, that's more rock to me. Yeah. But I don't, you know, I can see going on a metal list. Basque is very similar. Yeah. To me.

And so I put Basque on one, and Howling Giant on the other. Yeah. I like that record. Yeah, I like that record. All right, number 16 then. Number 16 for me is Cave Sermon, Fragile Wings, an independent release. It's a progressive and playful post-metal rippling with clever distorted guitar sounds, energetic shifting tempos, and a shimmering

of blackened stalactites filled with delicate emotion and melody.

And melody.

Has anybody heard that record?

Some of these records that I put in.

Yeah, I have. I listened to it.

Okay, okay.

Yeah, it's pretty good.

Man, it's so good.

Yeah, it's one dude, right? Or one main guy?

It's one guy, yeah, yeah.

And I've liked all the records, but this one I think is another level up.

Yeah, I figured it'd be on your list.

Yeah.

Matt. Okay. Uh, my number 16, George came out on the 22nd of August on season of mist. It is the fourth album from a band from the United States. I would describe their genre as psychedelic folk metal. I wrote ban banjo is the new sax slide guitar being a close second stoner metal and folk metal becomes psychedelic folk. I'm talking about basque.

And if anybody has a problem with that, I have my calendar up and you give me a date and a time in a parking lot and we can figure this out. I don't have a problem with it, but I still want to meet you in that parking lot. You remember what I did to Will in the parking lot, right? Sure. You had to bring that up. Right there. In fact, I think I'm pretty sure Will had his cancer t-shirt on. Yeah.

I have a park app, Matt, so I can meet you at a certain numbered spot. Appreciate that. Let's do this. You're poking the bear at Markisan. And that... All right. My number 16. So my number 16... Go ahead, John. Go ahead, John. Sorry, John. Go ahead. This band name's a double entendre, so you can go with whatever you want to know for the name.

But my number 16 is Hooded Menace. Blacker Most Monuments of Obscuration. Seasons of Mist, Death Doom slash really almost heavy metal now. Yeah. I mean, they've kind of transcended from their early days of full-on Death Doom. From Finland, it's their seventh album release. I like them. I like the last few albums a lot, actually. I kind of dig that they're doing the kind of Death Doomy slash heavy metal sound. And they do. And you know me.

I complain about covers half the time, but I actually like their cover, Duran Duran's Save a Prayer. I swear I think it could have been Paradise Lost doing that cover. So. Yeah. Which that means Jay and Matt will hate it. But I like it. Great album. It could be one of the first two songs we hear before we hit the bar. It's not. You might not get to it because it's too late in the album. Sorry.

Good pick. Thank you. Will, what do you got? My number 16. We're on 16, right? Yep. Schalter, Sampser. Nova, Northern Virginia, avant-garde music. We know them. They've interviewed with us. They're awesome. Black metal. Traditional Norwegian black metal.

a little like melodic tinge to it let's just say a little a lot of melodic tinge to it i love it

that's it and nipples and really good lyrics is something that will brought up when we did the

interview so yeah yeah i mean the lyrics are amazing

yeah i make light of the nipples thing but carrie is very good

uh my 16 was already eloquently spoken of and it's nice that we're starting to go to some uh

repeats here. Namely, it's Galdar that just happened. And now, spoken again eloquently by Matt BlackBraid3.

BlackBraid3.

Yeah. I feel like all the BlackBraid records, and I agree with Matt, I feel like they're coming into their own right now. Or he is coming into his own right now. Or is it they? I don't even know.

It's he.

Okay. He is coming into his own right now.

Him.

He's pretty prolific, too. So it'll be interesting to see. It'd be nice if he took a breath and then... Well, you did for this record. It took longer than the other records. There you go. And if he does it again, maybe we'll get something really, really special next time. So not that this isn't. Yeah. They haven't let me down yet. He hasn't let me down yet. Next album would be Black Braid. Self-titled again. Self-titled. That's right. That I don't like. Where does he get off?

I know.

What the hell?

Who the hell does he think he is?

Call up something interesting.

So we keep saying he, which makes me think of him.

Has anybody watched him?

Oh, the sports horror movie?

Oh.

It's on HBO or something now, though.

Yeah, we watched it last night.

I think it's worth the watch.

It's worth it?

I mean, we're watching Christmas movies now, so.

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, save it for the second. But I will. I'll watch it if you recommend it, Matt. Yeah. I wasn't sure. I saw the trial. Maybe. It's bizarre. It looked interesting, yeah. Like, lower your bar, but yeah. Once that bar is lowered, so like a five becomes a ten. Yeah, yeah. It's no owls. Let's get it down. Correct. All right, my number 16, we're not going to belabor since we already went deep into the weeds.

on this gruesome silent echoes or is it's written in my spreadsheet silent

encos

silent encos the first album from razor ship yes i assure you i love you and all and i'm paying

attention to you i get up often right after george's pick but it's because that means i have the most time to get to mine

but i'm in the middle i think it means that you don't care what i have to say it definitely doesn't mean

that. But I'm in the middle of making my dinner. And so I'll be back and appreciate it. Bon appetit, my friend. Meanwhile, what is your number 15? That's so funny that Jay does that every time I'm ready to go on. But, you know, this is going to be a repeat. Will didn't say much about it, and he should have because it's a really good record. But it's Frenolith, Ash and Womb on Dark Descent Records. And for me, this album is the sound of a howling,

Muck-crusted ogre in an ancient city sewer, crunching snake-riddled skulls beneath its feet as it tears through a wet membrane to a netherworld of unending despair. Okay, then. So that's what you should have said, Will. Yeah. Obviously. He's like, I don't care. I'm listening, but I'm eating. Yeah, I see that. This is the Time on Metalhead's podcast when we

Frenulath is an interesting band because I feel like they don't get enough credit for being one of the best death metal bands around so I don't know if that's ever going to change but for me they're probably always going to make my list because I just think they're one of the top death metal new death metal bands out there too close to frenulum to me frenulum the spelling yeah I just made that up

Yeah.

I think that's from Matt Sack.

Oh, sorry.

That's not right.

Everything.

Everything.

The world comes from Matt Sack.

Everything.

We will evaluate and get back to you on that.

Yeah.

Speaking of Matt Sack, what are you opening up for us now?

So my Sack says for number 15, an album that came out March 7th, yet wasn't on my mid-year.

Released independently by a man from Sweden. It is their second album. But a close friend named Markasson said, hey, this. And I said, oh, crap. Their first album was on my list, whatever it came out. But I'm talking about a post-metal band. And much like I described Decline of the Eye as a smooth post-metal band, I would describe this as a gritty post-metal band.

Who Sometimes Goes By K-L-P-S or Collapse. Yes. Nice. Self-titled. I do remember that when I put it up, you're like, oh shit, I forgot about that one. Not this time. I listened to it and then completely forgot about it. And then I came back to it and was like, no, no, no, no, no. You are with me. So, yep. I love it that you, I put it on my list at mid-year. You forgot about it. And then we come back for year end and you have it one spot higher than me. I do. Just a titch. Just a titch.

A scoach. Perfect. A smegma. Cheers. Okay then. John. All right. My number 15. George kind of crapped all over this album. Sorry. About a half an hour ago. It's okay. He doesn't like it. It was at my mid-year. Number 10. Imperial Triumphant. Gold Star. Century Media.

I don't really have much to say because I think we already said enough about it. That I crept on it? You know what, John? I will say this. The new Imperial Triumphant is way better than... I could not agree more. I mean, I will give you... It's less weird, I guess. More straightforward. Yeah. There's songs. Yes. Yes, exactly. There's songs. Yes. Thank you. Exactly right. So I actually...

I like this a lot and I should have paid more attention to it. It's nice to think somebody one of them walked into band practice and one day was like guys I got an idea songs and this is like you know midway through their career. I don't know Jim. What? I don't know how I like how Will's like you know I kind of like this but I don't like ancient death. I don't get I don't understand something's lost in translation there for me. I understand. I can see

So for me, Imperial Triumphant was like, I think the first album was like, okay, maybe, maybe I can do this. And like the second and third one was like, no way. Just too weird, not doing it. The brass instrument, not doing it. And the last one was like, oh, okay. You know, like, let me give this a shot. And there's another band that, I'm trying to think of what it is. There's another band kind of like it where,

It's like, ah, this year is better, but like it just, it's just not my thing. Yeah. And you know, if it's not my thing, it's not my thing. Yeah. I, I, I, Imperial Trumpet this year got closer to my thing than previous years. Yeah. Does that make any sense? I think we all, I feel the same way. I understand the, the appeal of this over previous ones. I absolutely do. And I understand why people like it.

It just didn't yet hit what I need. That's all. Well, I think it's still dissonant. I mean, there's no doubt about that. Yeah, it's just I feel like there's songs here finally and they're shorter. I think I speak for everyone when I say, well, we're all just trying to get a little closer to your thing. Get away. It's my thing. I mean, I've ruined with a guy. I don't want to get hurt. Don't hurt him, Hammer.

Please. I still have bruises. Will. All right. What number are we on? Fifteen. Fifteen? All right. I'm just going to write it off a whole bunch until someone tells me exactly what number we're on. Fifteen. Fifteen? Yes, sir. Behemoth. I know you. Behemoth, the shit of God from Poland and all on Mystic Productions.

I mentioned this in the mid-year you guys shit on me as if like oh my god like you just mentioned Metallica no we didn't you're crazy no actually yeah we did yeah you did and what's weird is like when did Behemoth become like Metallica when did this album like you know what there's no kids you're full of shit on you in my this is just in my opinion like there's no kids singing there's there is three songs

There's no kids singing. It's not that bad. It's not. It's not. It just didn't. This is actually a good album. It's not the Satanist, which you probably guys all hated too. No. I don't know. No. But it's a good album. And you know what? I liked it. And I listened to it a lot. And there's no fucking like preschool choir kids fucking singing. Other than the album title. And not the singing. And who gives a shit about the album title? It's just so.

Really? It jumped the shark, I thought. I mean, who gives a shit? I listened to it. He does, apparently. The music was better. That was the perfect use of the phrase, jumped the shark. And I agree with you all. I think it's a fine record. It's okay. It just was a little cheesy. The title is true. Yes, I know they're fast food Satanism, but you know what? It's still great. Yeah. And compared to whatever else I listened to, I could have put this a lot higher. I'm not going to

I did not want to put a higher because I already get enough shit on this podcast so I'm not gonna put a higher than that so anyway that's my number 15. You're gonna get shit for saying that now. Well yeah of course I'm not. That's no clutch. I mean it is no clutch. I mean fuck. Yeah. Nothing's as clutch as Opeth. So my number 15 will um I'm glad you acknowledged that finally. I have one that will please some people. It's not unintended

I promise. So my number 15, Matt, let's go get a drink. It's Paradise Lost. You know, you guys really convinced me to go and listen to it. I'll take it. I think maybe what I haven't understood about this band. And I've heard, I haven't even listened to that much of their stuff. But so how many songs do you listen to from this album? How many songs? Two? Yeah. Oh, yeah, right. Well, two.

But it's, they're old, like me, and they kind of understand how to navigate music the way it works in my head. So I guess I didn't really kind of understand totally that that's part of what they, they're a little bit. They're a little bit like, don't upset the minimum muscle at 9pm. Let's just like chill out right around 7.30. I like it. I don't really, I don't care for the music.

but I recognize that your experience on this earth is similar to my own and so. No, no, no, it's not that. No, I think their presentation is a little bit more for people in my age group. I don't mean they're like an old, old sounding metal band, but I didn't wonder. I don't know what I expected to find when I really sat down and listened to one of their records, but it was a lot different than I thought. I think that's actually a poignant point.

Go ahead, Marcus. I don't have anything interesting to say. I'm sure you do, Will. But I think that's a poignant point because you do like stuff that is kind of steeped in the past. And they have that while they're still bringing in the present. Yeah. And they have cool, interesting riffs and et cetera, et cetera stuff. So I'm writing a bit of it wrong. Yes, you are. Let's go get a drink. I will say this. That was a legitimate pick. I didn't do that.

What were you gonna say, Will? I'm sure you had something good to say. I mean, not really, but it was just more, I'm more surprised that Jay, as a metalhead, is not more steeped into the Paradise Lost backlog. I agree. It seemed like he was like listening to them for the first time. Yeah, I think that's where I mean, if this is Alice Cooper, he'd be like, Oh, yeah, I know every single song, every single catalog, Hollywood vampires, whatever. There's a lot of bands there.

There aren't many left that have this kind of a catalog

that I haven't dug into.

And this is one of them.

I mean, I haven't dug into their entire catalog either.

No, I'm not going to.

But Jay doesn't like...

I'm familiar enough with them that it doesn't sound like

this is the first time I ever heard them.

Right.

No, Jay likes stuff that's steeped in the roots of metal and rock.

And so that's what was surprising that he didn't really gravitate

toward that band.

So it is interesting that now his eyes are open a little bit more

with this record, which does hearken to the past, but it still feels like it has a... Jay has done this on several occasions where he's like, oh, Cannibal Corpse? Oh, that's a great band. I'm going to go back and listen to them. Or Overkill. I can name a bunch of bands where Jay's like, oh, I'm going to go back and listen to them, which is great. But I'm just more surprised by Paralyzed. Jay, how close is the closest brewery to your home?

I'm still cooking my food. So I still gotta go get that. Yeah. You wanna meet me there, Matt? Couple hours? Yeah. It's not like in Vegas where we could just get in a lift and five minutes we're there. It's nothing like that. It's sad. So that's why you had time to listen to this album. That's right. Gotta go. All right. My food is burning. All right. Oh, boy. Well, my number 15 is probably the base to pick

that I could get for 15.

And that's based.

Colossal.

Oh, so you are doubling up with the stereo to 11.

No, that was Basque.

Oh, sorry.

This is based.

Or beast as people sometimes pronounce it.

But it's based.

Oh, right.

Okay.

Sorry, George.

Denmark death-ish metal.

Sword of Death. I would think Will would like it. It's death metal enough that Will would like it. Yes. Message me the name. Certainly. Maybe a picture. You know them. No, just send me a picture. That's all I need. All right, I'll do it. I'm watching you. Are you sending me a picture? I'm working on it. You watch it right now, dude. I'm doing it. I can see your hands, so clearly you're not sending me the picture I want. That's very funny.

Sorry, let me point this down. Thank you. You're welcome. And sent. All right. Well, I guess it's time to move back to Mark's sound for 14. Okay. I don't want to say in here. I'm going to order food. All right. Let me see here. 14. Wow. Where are we at? Six o'clock? Okay.

That's respectable. Well, yeah, seven o'clock, but six o'clock where you are. Right, right. Number 14 for me, probably another volleyball. I know I've mentioned it a few times, but not everybody pays attention to what I say. So it's the Urgeon. What? All Under Heaven on profound lore records. And this is a melancholic, goth-infused doom death with a whole Himalayan mouth.

of riffs and passionate vocals that switch from harrowing growls to Danzig-esque power croons.

Heroin growls.

Harrowing.

I know.

I'm making a joke.

Creating an album of expressive gloom thunder.

It's really good.

I think George actually would like this one because it's definitely because of the goth part of it.

I did. I liked it. Uh, it's one of my favorites in the doom category this year. So that's my number 14. Nice. Mate. Love it. My number 14 was not on my main year list as it came out October 3rd of this year on season of mist. It is the seventh album from a Finnish band who specializes in death doom. I have two words in my description.

I think John summed it up quite well. I'm talking about Hooded Menace, Lacrimose Monuments of Obscuration.

I too love Will.

Yes. Sorry, John. My bad.

There's something about Hooded Menace where I can always put it on and I can always enjoy it.

There's just nothing not likable. They have good melodies.

They're deathy. They're doom-y. It's just everything I love.

Agree.

That's, is that two? Yes, two so far. Okay, okay. John? It was two for what? Hooded Menace. Okay. John, your double entendre joke was really funny about that. Yeah, thank you. Good pick, Matt. I didn't realize I was a meet and I kept saying good pick.

Number 14 is probably going to be a volleyball. Species with their album Changelings. Off a 20-buck spin, they're a technical thrash band from Poland. If you kind of like that corner Voivod Watchtower sound from the late 80s, early 90s, then this band is definitely for you. They definitely bring that technical thrash with Prague mixed in. My only gripe is I'm not so bad.

on the vocals, but they're not enough of a hindrance for me not to enjoy the album. So that's my number 14. Right on. It's a good record. I like that one. I assume that was going to be on your list. Actually, John, it's like, yeah, I just didn't know where. Yeah. Yeah. It's pretty good spot. Yeah. It's fair. It's fair. We're getting close to the top 10. So. Will.

My number 14. Corpus Ofo. Corpus Ofo. Subtitle album from Austin, Texas. 20 bucks spin. Just filthy death metal. Just filthy. Like your grandmother should be ashamed for listening to this in the background. If that was here, he would say dirty, dirty death. Dirty, dirty death.

That's it. Go.

All right.

Jay.

I'll probably pronounce it wrong, but it's...

I'll read you their own description of themselves, which I like.

And it's Progressive Blackened Triumph.

I don't know what they were going with that.

I'm going to pronounce it Tamarum.

Oh, yeah.

Beyond Obsidian Euphoria.

Nice.

Let's survive from the mid-year.

Just big epic black and stuff. Very pleasing to the ear. Yeah, that was on my list at one point. Was it? Maybe you were the person who turned me on to it then. Maybe. It's possible. I could be bluffing. Perhaps I lacked the strength to stand. Anyway. That's pretty good, George. Sorry, that was my Princess Bride, you know, Wesley laying in bed.

Well, I'm not saying I'd like to build a summer home here, but the trees are actually quite lovely. Exactly. All right. My number 14 has already been mentioned twice. Scaldor, Samsar. Oh. Yes. Around the same level, too. Yeah. Mid-list level black metal. There you go.

Devin Townsend has a shirt like that mid-tier prog metal it says on the back of it yeah nice all right moving on to number 13 13 all right let me see here all right yeah okay this is a album I actually found a little bit later when I was surprised that I had not heard of it because it's on relapse record

And it's idle airs. Life is violence. And this is a very creative and balanced earworm of disquieting post-metal featuring coalesce vocalist Sean Ingram. And I just saw coalesce this year because, you know, I'm a big post-hardcore kid. So he delivers these vicious rasps just like he did in coalesce, but also these unexpected

that bleed, intense, lyrical storytelling and vulnerability like a mortal wound seeping through a field dressing. I was very surprised to find this record, and it rose up my list pretty quickly. Just because I'm a huge fan of Coalesce, I did not expect it because Sean Ingram has not recorded anything in over a decade.

Coalesce is on tour performing their songs, but he hasn't recorded anything in, yeah, like over 10 years. And I don't know if Coalesce is going to do more stuff. This is great and completely different than that band, so. Okay. Volleyball, yeah. Yeah.

Matt. Now that I'm back, Dirty Dirty Death. There you go. My number 13 came out November 28th on Dibby Muir Morty Productions. It is the 16th album from a French atmospheric black metal album? It is Ethereal Horizons by Blueda Snored. I wrote, at this point, this band is more like a black metal orchestra with deeply haunting vocals and vocal melodies.

Nice. I like it. Two? Because I had it. Yeah. I mean, I could go on, but I won't. Yeah. But you can hear more on my OnlyFans page. John. All right. My number 13 is one of those albums I mentioned when we started that it's a pullover from the Stairway 11.

year-end episode. This is my number 11 album at mid-year for us here. That's A through Z. And the album is A to Z Squared. The Mark Zonder from Warlord and X-Fates Warning Band that features members of Fates Warning and Warlord, Steve Vai, Redemption, and a whole host of other bands. It's the next closest album to hard rock, but there's a lot of

of metal on this album. I think it's heavier than the first album. I wasn't going to include it, but when I went back and listened to it again the other day, I just was like, there's no way I can't include this. I love this album. I've listened to it a lot this year, so I wasn't going to not include it. I'm a huge Mark Zonder fan on drums, and Ray Alder on the vocals, who's with Face Warning, just sounds amazing at this point in his career. So, A through Z.

Breaking another stairway to 11 promise John yeah yeah I mean I consider it more hard rock but I like that record a lot so I'm not surprised that you decided to put it on your list yeah even though you said you weren't gonna do it there's a lot of it sounds a lot a lot like fate's warning on this one more so than the first one so I think I actually prefer the first record to the second one but um I don't know I feel like I have to go listen to it a little bit more

Okay. Will?

My number 13, Phobocosm, Gateway.

From Montreal, Quebec.

From Dark Descent Records.

Just brutal.

I shouldn't say brutal.

It's not brutal.

It's just death, doom.

I love it.

Phobocosm.

Is that the first time we're here today?

Yeah.

That's what I thought.

I assume 99% of everything that's on my list is a volleyball.

So maybe not. Maybe not.

I mean, I, I like that football cause I'm a lot. I like the last one too. I think the last one came out like right at the end of the year. Um, and I didn't have it on my list because, uh, I just didn't hear it in time. So, um, but yeah, it's a good record.

All right. I think John mentioned this one, and it wasn't his last show, previous one, not previous to the A to Z album. He had something with the title of The Changeling, but I think he also mentioned this record, which is Changeling, self-titled. Pretty far down on John's list. Progressive, death, big, messy, cool, fun, experimental, but also with hooks.

Interesting. Interesting. Interesting. That's number three for that. Yeah. Yeah. It's a third time. Matt. Yeah, Matt and I had the same number. Oh, Matt had it. Yep. Yeah. Cool. Nice pick. Yeah. My number 13, I have trouble saying because my tongue is made of obsidian. And that is obsidian.

and tongue eclipsing worlds of scorn. That was special, George. That was very special. It was almost a Kramer moment there. Don't hate me because I'm dumb. That is probably my favorite scene in all of Seinfeld. Where he's got the noun tongue and what's-his-name sings to him. Jesus, that's funny. Mel Torme. Mel Torme.

God damn it. That's funny. I'm guessing that might be a volleyball, but we'll see. Probably. And based on that, yes, it's a volleyball. Table talk. I feel like we all like that, Ben. I don't know. That one kind of escaped me. Well, is what it is. Is what it is. I think we're going to have a lot of volleyballs between.

the six of us. This is the 2025 Metalheads Volleyball Fest. All right. So we're on to number 12. Yes, sir. This one survived from the mid-year. I believe it was a bit higher on my list, but still pretty high. Another volleyball. Alder Glade Holocene Extinction from Oracle.

It's a glimmering atmospheric black metal enchanted by a spell of haunting dark forest magic that swirls above a canopy of surging guitars, chugging bass lines, and glistening wavelets of whispered keys. I love this record so much. You know, like a lot of my records, I think, on my list, it falls way under

the radar. And I wish it didn't because I feel like, especially with black metal, some of these records that I have on my list are phenomenal and should be recognized as such. But I'm doing it. So I guess that's something. Yep. All right, Matt. Yeah, my number 12.

It was my number 14 in my midyear. Came out March 7th on Season of Mist. This is the fourth album from a Swedish black metal band. I wrote Intense Black Metal, where the punk roots of the genre bleed through. The dynamic AF, which I don't think anybody says AF anymore. I say AF all the AF time. Okay, good. I appreciate that, Church. The band is Air, H-E-I-R, and the album is This Gift is a Curse.

Oh, yeah. Man, I listened to this one again because it was so close to, like, making my list, but it's just so long. It's so long. I just, I wish it would have been cut down a little bit, but it is a really good record. A lot of good ideas in there. John?

Muted, John.

So, this is a holdover from my mid-year. It was my number five. It's been mentioned a couple times. There's not much to say. Rivers and Nile with their album, Rivers and Nile. That's it. Nothing else to say.

Alrighty.

Moving on.

My number 12, Grave Ripper from Welkin to Tundra.

They're from Indianapolis, and they're on Wise Blood Records. This is just straight up like thrash death metal. It's fun. I like this a lot. I got to wonder, though. I feel like this is something Jay would enjoy. What is it called again? Because it might have been in my mid-year, believe it or not. I know it. It's called Butt Plug Enjoyment. Yeah, no, that's me. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, Grave Ripper. Grave Ripper. One word.

Yeah. I think they were either on my mid-year or they were. No, they weren't on my mid-year. But it's not their first record, is it? I do not think so. Okay. Because I think they had it once. But in any case, yes. It's fun. I feel like this would be one of those things that you would enjoy. Okay. I'll make sure I double check. I feel like a grave ripper is like they're lowering the body down into the hole and it's like.

Nice. They're like, oh. Anyway. Yeah. Oh, that means me. Number 11. 12. Good old, it's 12? That's weird. No, 12, I had changed. So I'm going to break in a song. Cooper DeGene at my door. Are you watching this, George? No. Oh, 12 on the, whatever.

Sodom, the arsonist, a good old-fashioned German thrash that doesn't care about anything else but German thrash. Nice. Sorry, now I have to look at the score. Hey, go Eagles. Rupert de Jeans at my door. I'm guessing that's your score. Yeah, well, not unexpected at all.

It's clearly going to be a volleyball based on previous disses. Castle Rat, The Bestiary. Oh, no. Love this album. Love this band. Is what it is, you know, kind of old school 80s metal doomish stuff. It's good. I like it. I have it in vinyl, but the first half is good. The second half is just kind of meanders into.

It's a little long. I wish it was. Yeah. The second half is just not as good as the first half. So, but I do really like it. Like I have the, they have a good idea. I don't think they've quite hit their stride yet. I think the next, um, is going to fucking nail it though. Could be their master. I feel that. Cause I, the first half of this record is fucking awesome. We'll see. We'll see. But you like it. I mean, you got it pretty high George. Yeah. Yeah. It was down a few spots earlier today.

and it moved up a little while I was listening today. All right, take us to 11. Take us to 11. Number 11 is definitely a volleyball. I don't even know if you guys have heard of this record, which is probably like a lot of my records, but it's Bianca and it's self-titled and it's a dark and brutal black metal with musical turns down delicate phantom corridors, doom-wrecked tunnelways,

and alluring operatic vocal doorways that can suddenly swivel into wicked, breath-stealing shrieks. I just found this record maybe a couple weeks ago, I guess. It's on Avant-Garde Music, and I do follow them, but I had not heard it. But wow, this is a really great debut. Bianca means white in Italian. I thought that was Blanco.

That's I think that's a completely different language. Blanco is the masculine form of Blanca. They're both mean white. One is masculine, one is feminine. Adjectives change between masculine and feminine in most romantic languages. Okay. I mean, I mean, well, as Hispanic girlfriends, I know. But yeah, yeah, yeah. But anyways, this is a great record. You guys should.

Definitely listen to it. I had not really heard it before a couple weeks ago, and I was really enchanted by it. And, you know, it's the first record that they've done. So something different, something kind of unique. Kind of reminds me, the vocals kind of remind me of Julie Christmas when she goes into the shrieks. Do you know how Julie Christmas has, she can go from that kind of whispery crooning and then all of a sudden the shrieks? It's like that. It's different.

But it's kind of like that. So it reminds me a little bit of that. So if you like that kind of a style, but with a doom metal that has a lot of other things going on, you might take this record. Crickets. Sweet. All right. My number 11 was not on my major list as it came out October 17th. Well, that was a fail. You shut it down.

My number 11 came out October 17th on Redefining Darkness Records. It is the sixth album from a U.S. black metal band. I wrote a bit grittier and, dare I say, doomier than past albums I remember. This one has a bit more space and atmosphere as well. I'm talking about Feral Darkness from Tombs. Nice. A repeat. Nice. Pretty high.

I know Matt likes that one. Matt, where do you rank this in their discography? Because I'm on the record saying it's their best record, but what do you think about that? Honestly, it's a great question, and I would have to go back, but I would say it's definitely a contender for the best album, for sure. I do feel like Savage Gold could be up there, but this album is so dynamic and is so just, you know,

something else. So, um, actually over, to be honest, my favorite time of year is after we're done with this episode. Cause then I can just go and listen to whatever. And I feel like maybe I need to do a good team's deep dive and that'll be for our January episode where I report back. Right. Cause we're like under pressure to get our list. Yeah, totally. Yeah, totally. Totally hear that. John. All right. My number 11 is a holdover also from the mid

year was my number seven nobody's mentioned yet as a pick but they have come up a couple times in conversation my number 11 is mesa the spin from metal boy records nice kind of gothic doom kind of occult rock all that stuff mixed in um yeah i guess the occult rock kind of makes sense that they're from italy and they had that's kind of a thing from some bands in the past so and i

I know Jay you mentioned them I think with their first album when it came out and I never really listened to them and I dug this one so I'm gonna I never got back to their catalog and I need to at some point you know it's just so much to listen to they've really grown as they've gone to John so it's gonna be like going back work backwards and like the witchcraft you know kind of thing like it's they get a little more simplistic as you go back but they're cool because then it's just like almost a

there was always a little bit of something else they bring to the table so yeah yeah good stuff cool

all right well what is your number 11 death metal album

sorry i've had to put my earphones in

Evokin.

Wow.

So.

Mendacium.

Mendacium.

Been waiting for that.

Mendacium.

Yep.

Whatever.

Yeah.

They're from New Jersey.

Profound Lore.

I have to say, like, this, like, I'm a huge fan of Evokin.

And normally anything Evokin puts out, it's going to be, like, my number one or two.

This just was not, it was a little slower, I think.

A little bit more funeral than doom this time. And so it didn't captivate me the way it usually does, but goddamn, it's still good. So that's my number 11, Evoking. You know what the world needs? A new skepticism album. Yes. The ordeal when they did it live. Yeah. That was just, I felt like it was revolutionary in my opinion, but anyway. No, I agree.

And I agree with Will on Evokin. It's just not as dynamic as previous albums. And so it just did not rank as high for me because I love Evokin normally. To me, it's still Evokin. It's still amazing, but it just wasn't, like I said, normally they'd be one or two, but it just wasn't there. Phebnagogia was better. Yeah. Anyway.

It's still pretty high for you though. It is. Mine is, what number are we on now? 11. I'm showing it as 10. So you're being like willed in previous episodes. Yeah. But I've got 25 records. I did my 11, so that means you have to do your 11. 18, 17, 6,

15, 14, 13, 12.

I'm old.

You know what?

It's probably.

Oh, yeah.

No, I don't know.

I don't understand what's going on.

What was your 12?

Let's go through from the beginning.

What was your number 25?

No, let's not do that.

No.

Yeah, Retro Marthesis is 25.

Bloody Valkyria is 24.

Night is 23.

Elskip for 22.

Sparta Hobbit, 21.

7. Pyres, 20. Rivers of Neal, 19.

18 was gruesome. 17, Scalders.

16, Black Braid.

15, Paradise Lost.

14, oh, I skipped that.

Oh, shit.

So this is really my 14, but we're going to call it, well, I'll go back and do 14.

Son of the Dying of Throne of Ashes.

Oh, hey, that's a good one.

Okay.

Yeah, I screwed that up.

So that's what happened.

Okay, so now just.

Huh.

Wait, wait, wait.

So that's your 14. What's your 13 then? What would have been your 13? I skipped up to Tamarum, Changeling, Sodom, and Sodom was really my number 11. So number 11, Sodom, the Arsonist. Okay. George, and now I'm back on track. Your actual 14 should have been on my list. It was my album of the month. Yeah. George, what are you doing over there? It's not on your list? It's not. What are you doing? You've had this

I fell down on the job I clearly really have George hi my number my number 11 and a half is wow yeah I don't know how I missed that that just let's just let's just say it's my 11 and a half all right that's what it is but my 11 has already been mentioned by mr. not currently seated

And that is DeSocia to lift the veil. Oh. It was on my mid-year. It carried over. Right, Matt? Mm-hmm. I know he can hear me, but he can't say anything. Is that higher than your mid-year, George? What? No. There he is. I know he's like off in the other room going, shit, shit, shit.

Sorry, it actually cut out as soon as you said it. What was your pick, George? Disocia. I believe it was. You believe it was a pick of yours? Oh, in my mid-year, yeah. No, it was. I don't know what it was. I just don't remember what number it was. Oh, right, right, right. It might have been higher, because most stuff fell. A little bit of a dip. Yeah. I really like that album. I remember,

They do the listening parties on Bandcamp. And I've done a number of those this year and they've been pretty fun. And I was on that one. I quite like that record. People had a lot of good things to say about it. It's fun. It has a lot of shifts in style that I like. Yeah. Definitely one of the best progressive metal records this year. Yeah.

All right. It's time to get real. Like really real. It's top 10 time. How real are you talking, George? Top 10 time. Real. All right, then. So my number 10 is a carryover from Midyear. Also Volleyball. And it's Autumn's Dawn. We lost our hope along the way from Avant-Garde Music, which I think Avant-Garde Music did Bianca, which was my last pick. So they're doing pretty well.

and this is a striking ebb and flow alchemy of atmospheric black metal and 90s emo wanderlust with heavy heartbroken guitar cries that revive memories of my rebellious youth and the anguish of old romances while making me yearn for serenity in the unstable void of this modern world.

He said while chewing.

Yeah, I mean, less than a lot of mine are going to be just obscure kind of

eyeballs, but, you know, maybe you guys will give it a listen after this.

Might be, Rabbit might be.

All right, Matty.

My number 10 was number 10 on my mid-year list. Consistency. That for consistency came out January 24th. Sexy. On Season of Mist, it is the fifth album from a French post-black metal band. I would describe this as luscious post-black metal, and John has already mentioned this, Panda, and I would agree with every word he said. It is The Great Old Ones and the album Kadav. Nice.

Not to be confused with the old great ones. Or also just the old ones or the great ones. Yeah. It happens a lot. The crappy young ones. Yeah. Not as popular, but yeah. All right. And he just got up and like walked away again. Yeah, he did. And which means that he cannot respond to my comments now.

So, uh, ha ha. All right. Sorry, John, please carry on. Uh, my number 10 is a holdover from the mid-year. It was my June album of the month. And it was a band that I never got into until this album. And now I, I kind of like them more so than I thought I would. And that is Fallujah with Zenitaf from nuclear blast technical death slash prog metal. Yeah. I mean, I don't know what it was.

just get me more so than their stuff in the past. I always thought they were just a straight metalcore band, but I guess I, or deathcore band, but I guess I was wrong because they don't sound anything like that, at least on, on this album. So you were wrong. And no, I felt the same way. Uh, at mid year, they were on my list and I was like, what? Yeah. And then I went back and listen. I was like, okay, the early stuff is deathcore, but all the last few albums are not. So it's just good tech death. I hate to, I hate to call tech.

That is so cliche now on the internet. But no, it's cool. I like it. Yeah, good stuff. Cool. Are we on number 10? C. Number 10. I am surprised, but not surprised. It's not been mentioned whatsoever. I feel like people say this is a cheesy pick, but Testament Parabellum.

Yeah. I'm an old school, absolutely love Testament. I, my, my biggest criticism of this album is the lyrics are cheesy. Yeah. The lyrics have been cheesy for a while. They have been for a while. Yeah. Yeah. He's not the best lyricist. Um, but you know, it's still, if you just listen to the music and you, you, and you block out all the cheesy lyrics about gambling,

in Vegas. I was just going to say. It's a theme. All you got to say is high noon. Yes. I feel like it's a theme. He ripped off, what is it, Ted Nugent's or somebody's lyrics or something a couple albums ago. Yeah. The lyrics are kind of cheesy and they've always been socially conscious, but now I just feel like the socially conscious lyrics are a bit cheesier. I don't know. I don't know. But the music is still phenomenal.

I mean, you still have Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson and... The other people that might be playing the album. Alex Goldnick, yeah, yeah. I don't know, Gene Hoagland, and I think... Is he not drumming for them anymore? No, everybody else is new people. DiGiorgio is the bassist now. I don't think so. Anyway, it's still good. It's amazing. I block out the lyrics. Anyway, that's my 10. Yeah, no, it's not a bad pick.

Yeah, but that's what does come with them is blocking out the lyrics. Three or four records ago, he gave up and started using AI or something. Yeah. My number 10 is a big atmospheric, folky, black metal. I'm sure we've said it on this cast a million times, so correct my pronunciation. Sour? Sore? Amidst the Ruins? Sore. Nice. Sore? Okay. Yeah.

Your ass is sore. Okay. There you go. See that? Put it in context for me. That helps. Yeah. Okay. My number 10 is the reason that I picked up Maryland Death Fest tickets yesterday. Oh, okay. Because I was listening to this and I was like, fuck, I can't miss this band. They're coming all the way from Finland. And no, it's not Arantia Pazuzu.

So that was also a deciding factor. This is Havukrunu and Tavisland. Epic pagan black metal with triumphant melodies, martial rhythms, and a strong historical vibe. Triumph. Triumph, yes. But no, seriously, these dudes are just crazy good. And like I said, I was like, I cannot miss these guys. I'm going to see them.

Is this the first mention tonight? Yes. Of them? Probably the last. Maybe. Hopefully not. Markisan, what you got? What did you mention? Havokrunu. Oh, yeah, that's a good record. Man, I listened to that today. I was like, man, is this going to make my list? Because I really like this record. Didn't make it. But it was very good, George. Yep. All right, let me see here.

What are we on? Nine? All right. Oh, yeah. This is another under-the-radar record, but to me, it's one of the top two death metal records this year, and it's heteropsy and bombing on Caligari Records. It's a volatile, olden death doom with cavernous hooks and soiled cave troll bellows, but with luminous bursts down the

these melonic highways, placid moments of fear and reflection, and these rocket-fueled solos that conjure the live exhilaration of a classic metal band on fire. This is a phenomenal death metal record. So I don't expect it to see on a lot of lists just because it's so under the radar, but one of my favorites. To me, it's up there with Ancient Death, which is a

on my list it's coming up very close very close for me cool

all right matt nice my number nine was previously my number three that mid-year it came out april 11th on debbie mirror

debbie mirror morning productions it is the second album from a band from a country called unknown

I would describe them as Uwata meets Ghostbath meets Yellow Eyes. The band is Blood Absition and the album is Two. Check it out. Gonna have to. We shall, Matt. Please do. All right, John. All right, my number nine.

Number nine. Definitely a volleyball. I don't see anyone having this on their list. That is Green Carnation. The album is a dark poem. Part one, the shores of melancholia. You know, I had it down as something that I was like, oh, dude, I am so going to listen to this because I bet this will be on my list and John's going to be so happy. And I forgot. But it was on there. Yeah. Yeah. I love this album.

I got a chance to see them play the whole album at Prog Power and it was great. Despite all the technical difficulties they had getting started. But yeah, it's the first part of a trilogy albums. I guess the next two are coming out this year. 2026. So awesome. Anyway. All right. So good. Very good, man. Well, you get to see some live too, right? Yeah, I've seen like four times. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I remember when

Was that the what was the first album they did that was like one song? That's the second one. No, the first one that was like back in the day. It's like they did. That's their second album, I think, though. Yeah, yeah, I think so. I just can't remember what it's called. Yeah, it's something about a day. It's a light of day. The light of day of darkness. Yeah, that's the one. Yeah, I remember when that came out. That was good. We saw them play that live, didn't we?

Was I there for that? Pretty sure. Huh. Yeah, maybe. I feel a little bit cooler all of a sudden. Nice. That's nice for you. Yeah, all right, Will. My number nine, 1914. There you go. Verbeous, Unitus. Maximus. Huh? Maximus, it was just. Anyway,

Yeah, they're from Ukraine. They're on Napalm Records. Everything about them is about World War I. And ironically, my son was over here today. William was playing a, I think it was Roblox, some form of Roblox. Roblox is like an overarching sort of whatever umbrella of other video games. And one of them he was playing was Trenches. And he was playing a game that was replicated

the trench of prementalists or something like that which is like one of the songs on the new 1914 record anyway 1914 now it's a black and death and thrashy world war war metal yeah world war one metal that's all you need to know yep bitchin it's cool jason brace yourselves imperial triumphant gold star

All right. Let's just let that rest there by itself and move on to George. Let it simmer a little, Jay. Let it ferment. Nice. I think it's fine. It's actually a pretty good album compared to the last one. Oh, I agree. I agree. All right.

My number nine is the latest album from Will's Genitalia. That's Hooded Menace, Lacrimose Monuments of Obscuration. Save a prayer for me now. Save Will for me later. I thought you would have won him immediately. Oh, no, I'm not greedy. I'll take him when I can get him.

All right. So we're on number eight. Yes. Wow. Just getting even more real. More real than real. Yes. My number eight is cranial structures on moment of collapse records. This is a devastating crash of ultra heavy atmospheric sludge doom and brooding post metal that lulls you in.

Traps your body in ghost sand, then pulls your skeleton down through your meat casing with earth-sinking shatter cords. Enjoy. Will's hooded menace is my best meat casing. No, baby. All right. My number eight was my number eight at Meniere.

Nuclear Blast Records. The consistency, Matt. Or the laziness. I don't know what's up. Didn't plan that, but you know, hey. Lazy, yes. So next album, this is a U.S. progressive tech death band. I wrote the soundtrack to the Nintendo Entertainment Silver, excuse me, Nintendo Entertainment Systems Silver Surfer. It is spacey and proggy and techy. Oh my. Fallujah, Zenitaph.

What was the Nintendo thing? What was it? To me it's the Fallujah sound is the soundtrack to the game Silver Surfer. Which is a fucking hard game dude. So hard to play that game. Yes. Wipeout. What platform is that? Nintendo. The original Nintendo. Oh so this is like a way back game. Yeah yeah yeah. 80s dude. So isn't it?

Is Fallujah still getting crap about their name from people? I know years ago they were. I haven't heard anything. I haven't heard anything either. At the time, was it just because of? Because Fallujah was a major battle. It's a city in Iraq. It was a major battle with the Marine Corps. But was it during the war? Was it after the war that they named those? No, it was during the war. I think it was soon after the battle of Fallujah they named their band.

Yeah. So a lot of people were giving them crap about it. And they were sort of like, dude, like, can you, like, name a gazillion other bands who named their things, whatever. Well, and also pick a single. I just didn't know if they were still getting a shit from the name. It happened so much. Fucking ISIS, one of my all-time favorite post-metal bands. Or Anthrax, went Anthrax. Yeah. After 9-11, yeah. 1914. But no, I don't think so at all. Well, I think, especially in metal circles, they're just, we don't need

I've been to Fallujah. It sucked. By the way. Haiku by Will. I've been to Fallujah. I've been to Fallujah. Do you think they did that every time too back when they came up with every guy who was ever writing haiku is doing it on his fingers? I do it all the time because I my D&D character who's a really dumb giant also does haiku.

So I do it like every time I play. I'm like... Yeah, if I get stuck, I'm just like, die, die, die, die, die. Because, you know, it fits. All right. I think we are possibly... My turn. Yeah. Yeah, correct. Yeah. My number eight is a holdover from...

The Midyear was my number four. And they dropped a few spots. And I'm still liking this album. I didn't know if I would as the year went on. But it is Dream Theater Parasomnia off of Inside Out Music. Nice. There's a huge gap in their thisography where I'm just kind of like, eh. Sure. But the last few I've liked. But this one I like the most. And it's not even because Mike Portnoy is back in the band. This one seems to resonate with me.

got 16 albums 17 albums so i mean you're not gonna like everything but this one i like a lot so yeah wow yeah not surprised to hear that i mean i know you love that that band i i'm actually a little surprised actually that it's that this high but i mean you haven't mentioned it before so it makes sense well and you dropped four spots so and he didn't mention it the other day so i knew it was coming oh yeah that's true yeah

TR mentioned it. Yes, he did. Quite low too, bastard. Oh, I'm sorry. I mean, I love TR. Metalheads, butler. All right, Will. Number eight. This is definitely going to be a volleyball. I feel like one, two, three. That's what I'm saying. Will has a shot at this. I have five more in the top eight that are going to be volleyballs.

Cool. Because anyway, um, genre. Yeah. That's our death, too. That's my genre. It is. It's true. It is. Branch out, you motherfucker. Jesus. Um, number eight, uh, decrepacy. Defect mourning from Portland, Oregon. Seeds of Doom Records. Um, I'm not going to describe much about, I, I never describe much. I'm, I'm not, uh,

the situation or Markisan. But I would just say this. When you listen to decrepacy, it's death metal. It's death, like doomy. But it just feels like the pace of it. And it's mostly the drumming and the riffs. It just seems like they start off like someone stalking you. And then it just ends up like someone is flat out fucking chasing you. And it is amazing how they do it.

I just listen to this album whether you have it on your list or not. Nobody's going to have this on the list but it literally just sounds like the perfect horror movie record where you're like slowly chasing you and then just flat out like you're going to die. It's the pacing of it. It's awesome. Anyway, that's it. That's the most verbose I'm going to be. That's pretty good. I like that. I feel scared.

I heard the heteropsy record that I mentioned at number nine. Would you call me? Yeah. You should listen to heteropsy and bombing because I think you would really like that. That's... Heteropsy is the name of the album? Yeah. I'll send you a link. Yeah, just to send it to me. Yeah, I'll do that. Okay. So, Jay. I was literally deciding if I was going to change something real quick, but I'm not going to. Oh, shit.

J. Well, I just, there's this one record that keeps sticking in my head. It's up in my one, two, threes. And I mean, I wasn't going to put something new on. Are you sure you just didn't lose count? Yeah. That's exactly possible. My number eight was previously vaguely referred to. Markisan talked me into going back and not specifically, but was talking at all of us and convinced me to go back and give this a harder try than I did in the first place. And I ended up loving it. Woed, Uncrossing the Keys. Nice.

Which, you know, it's interesting too, because I have a picture of Woad that I love in my head. And this is, as I already mentioned multiple times, they change quite a bit. But once I kind of got the groove of this record, I was totally into it. Nice. Yeah, it's a good one. You know what's crazy? I spent all that time in the last episode, like, talking it up, and I don't have it on my list. You son of a bitch. Yeah, I like the album a lot. I think it's great. But I think it's cool that you went back and listened to it and decided that it's going to be

in your top ten. Well, I think I'm going to... Powerful. I'm now like almost really excited about their next record too because I think they really haven't... They have not failed to do anything interesting. You know what I mean? So we'll see. We'll see. But I ended up loving it. Yeah, I think the discussion we had on the last podcast is really good because I think moving forward, whenever we see a woad album coming out, we're going to be like,

Okay, we had this discussion. We know every single time out they're going to do something new. We need to approach it from a fresh perspective. We can't expect to hear something that we did in the last album. And I think that's going to make a difference, to be honest with you, just because we have this community. I want to expect. I mean, they're so different. It's almost like it's different guys. That's how different they are, really. But yeah, I dig this record. Good stuff. Footstoops. So we have left the volleyball phase of my life.

Oh my gosh, George. Six of my last eight have already been mentioned, and I expect two of those other two will get mentioned as well at some point. So my number eight, without too much fanfare, is Black Braid Razor Ship 3.

I kind of speak.

Name's Razor Ship Washburn.

Number three.

All aboard the Razor Ship.

Nah, but, you know, as I think Jay might have mentioned when he was talking about this, this was a band that took a little growing for me, you know.

First album, I was a little, eh, second album, I was a little more, hmm.

And third album, I'm like, yeah.

Definitely in my wheelhouse now. And I dig it. Yeah. What, you want more? What is it? Is that three or four? That's what it is. In your wheelhouse. I'm a little surprised, to be honest with you. Yeah, I'm a little surprised, but that's cool. What surprises you? Let's unpack that. What surprises you here? It was your album of the month, was it not, Churchill? It was. Was it? Yeah.

I don't know maybe I'm surprised I just I just really feel they're a little bit overhyped I just don't think that

people say that and that's because that's because they have evened out and you know found a um when you say they you mean he I mean he

Yes, thank you, Will, for calling me on my bullshit. I guess I'm surprised it's so high on your list, I guess. Where Matt had it, I kind of expected maybe we'd see more of that. I didn't expect BlackBrain to be as high. Yes, but as big of a poser as I am, you know, as big of a poser as I am, this is exactly where it needs to be on my list. You want to hear something even crazier? I really consider putting this high on my list. You should have.

You could have been cool like me, but you know. Just to blow everyone's mind. That's all I got. But not Ancient Death. Ancient Death, like I don't understand. Ancient Lame. I'm so confused. Ancient Death did nothing for me. I bought it and I like, this is weird. There's too much weird shit going on. I think there were saxophones and harps and there was farting noises and I was like, no, I'm not doing that. Farting noise. That was amazing.

I bought it. I bought it. I'm like, this is going to be awesome. I clapped my hands. I get tarred. I was like, it's interesting. It's interesting to me, Will, because you jaded on the mid-year and we all thought you just didn't think of it. Like you just forgot about it. No, I bought it. Look at my band camp. It was one of the first albums I bought this year. And I'm like, okay, this sounds cool.

And I got like, it was kind of like fractal universe. I was like, Oh, like part of it, like I bought this. I'm like, this is gonna be awesome. And then like, no, but I, I honestly, I love that though, because you are the death metal Lord. Yeah. Right. But there's something about that, that just does not resonate with you, even though people love it as a death metal record this year. And I think that's cool. Like you have a specific, you know, set of parameters that you require.

There's too much other shit going on where it's like

every song sounded like it was a different artist doing it.

And I don't like, and I do not like the albums where it's like every song sounds the same.

But like this sounded like it was like, it was a couple.

It sounded like a compilation album to me.

That's what it was.

So the takeaway here is ancient death sucks.

And my pick is awesome.

Black Braid, number eight. All right. I don't know how he had that topic, but yeah. Yeah, that's cool. That's cool, George, that elevated that high for you. Thank you. Number seven. Number seven for me. This is kind of a surprise because I just did not like the first record at all, but I love this follow-up and it's Stygian Bow, volume two. This second album by

and aerial ruin it I think it just truly fulfills their collaborative potential with obsidian sharp songwriting it captures this soul-stirring doom of a bellwitches longing which is by far my favorite bellwitch record and it also evokes the very personal despair of the band warning which is another band I really like with these liquid mercury solos and

these tender, melancholic vocals from Eric Mogridge of Alien, or Alien, Aerial Ruin.

And yeah, I think they just put it all together on this record in a way they didn't.

The first one was kind of just a meandering, really like a mess to me.

But this one, I think they nailed the groove on it.

So I've been loving it.

I got it on cassette because I tend to listen to cassettes at night. I spin vinyl during the day, but at night I like to throw on cassettes because I have the dual cassette deck so I can put two in there and just let it play through. Chew the tape up, spit it out. Yeah. And so I've been really grooving out to this one. So I'm really curious to see if they're going to do more with this collaboration, but I think it's terrific. Can I let you know a little secret?

I think he's been he's collaborated on every record they've ever done it just wasn't done under that guys I think I literally he sings on everyone right I mean yeah obviously you know they're friends and me doing stuff the whole time but this is a more of a pure oh no for sure but just what the reason I say it is that you can probably count on them continuing that yeah relationship at the level that they brought it to I hope so I hope so because I really I just did not like that first record at all I

I thought it sounded great but then when I listened to it like this is not I have to admit

Marcus and I didn't listen to this one because I didn't like that first one at all so I'm gonna feel a little shame faced yeah give it give it a shot because I almost didn't listen to it we may have gotten the promo on it and that's why I listened to it but I'll take a stab at it I mean it's great I I love those guys I you know four ghosts or whatever it was was my album a year the year it came out so it's called four ghosts

I think this captures the best of both. Okay, I'll revisit it then. I mean, not even revisit. I'll visit for the first time. Yeah, let me know what you think. Yeah, well, I'm curious now. Little secret. I don't listen to albums that are this band and that band. Because fuck them. Give me an album by you. Okay? It's too much work. I'm like, I'm not putting this in my catalog.

I don't know what to do with it is it you is it you I don't know go fuck yourself and I'm not listening to it and that is that is my that is my ridiculous simplistic way that I deal with albums that have this band and that band no fuck you I felt like in the first record it was like that you in order to do that you have to be able to hit like a cohesive middle ground and they didn't do that in the first record but this one I feel like

You do this thing and then you'll go over there and do your thing.

Yeah.

No, I don't like it.

It's like a singular band.

Yeah.

You know what I mean?

Like, I'm not just like, oh, it's parts of this and this and that.

It feels like, you know, this is the band.

This is Stygian Bob.

Yeah.

They found their footing.

Yeah.

The only band that I have accepted this from is Penopticon.

Fair enough.

You have so many rules.

Yes, I do.

And you better live by them because god damn it. Anyway. I'm just fucking around. Please carry on. I love it. I love it. Okay. My number seven was my number four. Came out much 21st on Willowtip Records. It is the first album from a death metal band from Spain. Death metal using the term loosely. At first glance, this band has a strong,

with their technical punchiness, but with a bit of a, with a quite a bit more intensity. But they also have elements of the Stranger Things soundtrack. I'm talking about Disocia and their album, The Veil. Yeah. Wait, if you didn't say it earlier, who did? Who was it? Was it John? I don't know. Somebody said it. I thought you did, George. I did, but I swear somebody

I think it only came up once. Just the two of us. Wow. What am I smoking? I swear it came up earlier. We ask that every cast, dude. Wow. We can make it if we try. I guess so. Well, come here, Matt. You and I. I swear you already said this. Look at your list. Make sure. I think you mean to ask Jay that.

I need to that too.

Yeah, no.

Is that your number 14?

It could be a problem.

All right, well.

Yeah.

You okay, George?

Yeah, yeah.

I just, I swear somebody said this earlier.

Yeah.

I'm going to edit this thing, so I will know if somebody did and you're lying.

I mean, I think the only people who might have that on their list is John and me.

And I have not talked about it and John hasn't either. So it's not on my list. I think Jay's lying. I think Jay. Oh, no, no, it's definitely not. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But I swear I heard it earlier. That doesn't mean that's reality. It just means smoking the ashes of wills fermented semen. I guess. I guess. I mean, I don't want to stop doing that. But it was like, where the fuck did that go? I thought it was not for men.

That was still in the basement. God. Jesus. Yeah. All right. Jesus. Fighting Wolverines. God. Oh, my God. I want to watch Red Dawn now. Thanks a lot, buddy. Wolverines. The original, not the horrible remake. Oh, yeah. I didn't see that. No, we're talking Patrick Swayze. Absolutely.

All right. So that was Matt doing lies and slander. So that means it's John's turn. All right. My number seven, I'm thinking maybe a volleyball. We'll see. Probably. It's a band that, since I've been on the podcast, every one of their albums has made my top 25. And that is In Mourning the Immortal from Sacred Pounds Records.

F.S.

about how the year was only okay. You guys are mentioning a lot of records that are not on my list. I'm like, that's a fucking good record too. So that's why I feel like the year is so good. And just going through this countdown, I think we have a lot of very singular records. Of course, we're going to cross over, especially now that we're in the top 10, but I think we have a lot of singular records that I definitely appreciate as good metal offerings in 2025.

Sí. Bueno. Claro que sí. Ajá, ajá. Mi número siete. Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, seis. Siete, ocho, nueve, dos. Qué bueno. Ah, bueno. Muy bueno. Qué rico. Jorge. Jorge. That's me.

All right, my number seven, Eternal Darkness, self-titled, out of Sweden, Pulverized Records. This is extremely phenomenal, Death Doom. James Lewis would be proud. Sounds more blackened than death, so that's interesting. It may be. It's good record, too. Even though Will, almost every record he's got in here is death metal. Yes, it's all.

They're all good. I've listened to all these records. Yep. Yep. Okey-dokey, then. Jay, what you got for your number seven there? Nope, nope, nope, nope. My number seven, I'm a believer. Blute Os Nord, Ethereal Horizons. Ooh, there it is again. Well, it's one that I had to kind of get dragged into this band via you guys, and I get it. Fine. Fuck you. How about that? Hey, fuck you. You're welcome.

Nice. Is that what, three times? Oh, is it that many? Is it? I think so. All right, my number seven for the second and only time is Ghostbath Rose Thorn Necklace. Oh. Oh, wow. What's up, Matty G? Wow, that's pretty high, George. It was higher at mid-year, I think. It was like three, wasn't it?

up there. But you know, things happen. It's got to drop a little, but it's maintaining. Dennis. Dennis love. Change. Absolutely. Great album. I mean, listen, I like all the Ghostbath albums. There's something about this one that takes it to a different space than what we've heard before. So I'm not surprised that it resonated with you. I'm not either. George. Already.

Oh shit. Where are we? Six? Oh my gosh. All right. It's getting crazy. Well, I've been talking about this one a lot because I just don't understand Will, but it's ancient death, ego, dissolution. I think this is my highest death metal record. Yeah, definitely this one. And heteropsy are my two top death metal records, but this is transport.

a progressive death metal that's equal parts technicality and introspection laced with a verdant atmosphere of infectious guitar solos occasional beguiling female vocals and a battery of low-end destruction that brittles your bones and adrenalizes your blood i think we all turned into a mere cat yeah i was gonna say he looks like my cat

And you don't know what to say. That's funny. Nice. Yeah. Well, we knew we were going to hear that again at some point. It's so good. It hurts me. I just don't understand why Will doesn't like it. I want him to like it. I just want to shake him. Will, why don't you want me? I didn't like it. I never said I didn't like it. I bought it. What? I own it. You look at my band camp profile. I own it. But it just seemed like it was so all

over the place that each song was each song was like a different artist and it just it didn't

there was elements of it like this is the most amazing shit and this is fractal universe is a great

example this where it's like i listen to shitting on two bads at once yes i listen to some portion of

this i'm like oh my god this is amazing bye bye take my money band camp just take it fractal universe

Just take my money and then I listen to the whole thing. I'm like

You bastard

Probably a saxophone or some fucking horse shit. There's no saxophone dude. I don't know what you're talking about

There's no saxophone. There's no other instrumentation except for death metal and some female

It's not only on like two tracks and it's barely all right, but that's enough for me. That's where I'm like, I'm done

What? I'm done. No. You cannot have women in death metal. You just can't. No, you can because the castrator is one of the most amazing female vocals. Except for castrator. They're creating it, too. And they're barely in it. Kitty. I don't get it. Kitty's amazing. Yeah, no, I'm joking about that. Women are always welcome in death metal. Oh, my God. Or any metal. Or any metal or anywhere. Yes, I was just joking.

Pander, Pander, Pander. I'm just giving you the shit, Will. I know. I just didn't. I loved it until I didn't. Yeah. Okay. Right. Okay, Matty. Let's bring it back home. My number six did not appear on my bid year list because it came out October 17th on Century Media Records. This is the sixth album from a Swiss

Technical Thrash Metal Band? My first real-time album experience for this band is now. I saw them live at MDF a few years back with, I believe, George and John. And Justin. And Justin. A modern thrash album with some seamlessly integrated old-school elements. I'm talking about Coroner and the album Dissonance Theory. Oh, yeah. And who was that? That was the roadie guy.

I think his name is Galen. Jazz hands. Yeah. Our boy Galen. Coroner. Guitar tech. Might have seen him at a show or two. Might have. Here and there. All right. Nice pick, Matt. Thank you. All right. My number six has been mentioned three times already. George, get ready to have your skin crawl. My number six is Blue Doll Snored.

I have a problem with that. Not much more to say other than George does not like the buried vocals. It doesn't mean I dislike them. I still respect the band. I would never claim to be a huge fan because I only own their last four albums. And I need to spend more time with their extensive catalog. But I really do like the last four albums a lot. So. I do. I love the 777.

I gotta go back to that everyone keeps telling me to listen to those and I've only listened to them once so I gotta go back

okay will now my number six another viable imperishable this is a whole bunch of dudes from Nile

or the name of the album is revelation and purity so just think of Nile how awesome Nile is

but just a little bit like slower and intentional cool and their own everlasting spew so imperishable check it out it's actually it's it's really awesome think of niall but just a little bit slower intentional that's it um i'll have matt what matt's having corner dissonance theory wow i'll have what she's having

I'm done. Wait, that's all you're going to say, right? Yeah, I think, you know. That's all Jay's got to say about that. All right. Except that this was one of the ones, I know about Corner, but this was one of the ones that you guys were so talking this up when you were talking it up that I was like, okay, I bet.

to get on the fucking ball here. And I loved it. But it was not, if there's no reason, it wasn't on my radar, Percy, but I just, you guys pushed me like, go push play, dude. And it worked. What band are you talking about? Corner. Corner. Corner. Not foreigner, but corner. Oh, is that the, they're like the, I want to know what death is. Sorry. I'm thinking of Thomas Gabriel Fisher.

Not him. Celtic, yeah. They're like Celtic Frost. They're from Switzerland, right? They are from Switzerland. Yeah. Ignore me. Don't worry about me. Ignore me. All right. So my number six, well, she's watching him with those eyes and he's holding her in his arms. And you know what? I wish I had Jesse Stiletto.

It's got no volleyball for there. No volleyball there, but I am pleased with the lack of sporting equipment. And nobody else has anything to say. So I guess. I already said it. You did. I know. So we will move on to what is now.

Bum, Bum, Bum, Bum, the top five. Just all of top six? Jesus. Okay. John, is it getting real? Shit's getting real now. Okay. Catch me up, though. Smoking. Matt, what did you have for number six? Coroner. Will? The Nile band. Slow Nile.

Oh, yeah, it's a good record, too. You have a lot of death metal. Oh, my God. That's weird. Did you expect me to have something different? I didn't know you. Yeah. Jay, what did you have? Corner, too. John? Bluedouse Nord. Another Bluedouse Nord. Wow, that's going to rip. And a high Bluedouse Nord, so. Oh, shit. George, what did you have? Jesse Stiletto.

That high, okay. Absolutely.

You know, I have to say, I love Jesse Stiletto. I'm surprised you didn't completely bitch about the production.

Why would I? It's awesome.

Okay.

Enough said.

Well, you know, the very first track is a little like... It's a little muddy at the beginning, but then it's intentional. And they're like, ha-ha, we're kidding. It's awesome after that. So, well, yeah. Well, I mean, I know you love that record, so not surprised, but... I think we got the approval to move forward. We're moving forward. Number five. This is, as John says, fucking real! Oh. About five.

Let's see. This one is another carryover from Midyear. Actually, it was my number one at Midyear. And I expect I'm the only one who's going to have it on a list. And the thing with this band is I haven't really even been interested in this band in a long time. But I think this record is an amazing combination.

for them, and that's Deaf Heaven, Lonely People with Power on Roadrunner Records. There it is. Gorgeously crafted, cohesive synthesis of Deaf Heaven's entire catalog, combining the black metal ferocity, intimate shoegaze, and scorching atmospheric post-rock with a synth-kissed sheen to create what I consider an essential black gaze classic. And they already have a couple.

as far as I'm concerned.

What kind of classic?

Black Gaze.

Will's favorite.

The shoulders go up.

Here comes a little giddy kid out.

It's funny because, I mean, this album is more savage than a lot of the records on your list.

So you just don't listen to it.

Will's going to have to send his list to Matt now for the rest of the episode.

It's so funny.

Will is losing his mind laughing over there.

He is.

And the guy has like one gear. So I take it with a complete grain of salt. But yeah, I mean, and again, like I said, I haven't cared for this band in a while. So it's me and Bermuda, which I thought was just a fucking killer record. And they came back and it's savage and it's just full of just new ideas and brutality that I didn't expect from this band.

When we talked earlier in the episode right before we got to the top 25 about new ideas, I think Def Edmund's doing that. So, especially on this record. I've always enjoyed their music. I just don't like their vocals. Yeah, that's fair. I remember seeing my Decibel Fest in Philly and I was like, nope. I remember a very prominent person telling me, like,

Just watch them. You'll get it when you watch them. And I've had that experience where it's like a bands where I'm like lukewarm to. And then I watch them like, I get it now. This is amazing. And it was the opposite for Deaf Heaven. As soon as I saw them play, I'm like, nope, I hate them even more. And I have to say, like, I did listen to the new record, Marcassonne. And I thought it was, for me, much more palatable to my taste.

But it still just wasn't there for me. Just me personally. Well, it's not your style of music. It isn't. Right. That's where I'm like, I'm not going to shit on it because it's just not my style. But I will also say that it is way better than New Bermuda and all the other things that I listen to where I'm like, I liked New Bermuda. New Bermuda is amazing. It had huge Slayer riffs on it. But it's just like, there's so much about this. It's like, nope, not. It just wasn't for me.

I'm not saying it's bad, it just wasn't for me. No, and I totally understand that. And, you know, their records have not been for me either until this record came back. And that's, it's been a while. So, but I just think what they're doing with black metal, like nobody else is really doing. And that's exciting to me. And they're still, and this time they're bringing back a lot of sinister, brutal metal. Cause the last one was not even metal at all. It was just,

Shoegaze. That's it. Which is fine, but I think it informed this record. All the records that I haven't liked have informed this record, and I think there's something important about that. When you try to do side projects, a lot of bands do this. You do side projects, you try something new, and maybe it doesn't hit for you, but you can incorporate it into your future work. And this isn't a case where I think it was beneficial to the band. So that's all I gotta say.

I'm definitely getting George a t-shirt that says I've been a fan of their music for years I just don't like the vocals yes and I think people will walk around at shows people will relate to that I'm definitely yeah you got to get one of those for TR absolutely I'm a I'm a little annoyed you didn't mention the production which is glorious on that record so I didn't have a problem with that I just don't like the vocals I know but you should talk about how glorious it is it's glorious

That's my number five. I can't believe we're at number five already. It's crazy. Only four hours in. Shit. Matt, what do you got for number five? I oftentimes refer to black metal as BM, and that is the most black metal thing ever. And I make a black metal every morning. Yes. Warm, toasty one. My number five was my mid-year number five. Came out March 7th, 2020.

5 via Agonia Records. It is the 10th album from an Italian technical death metal band. Already mentioned. The melodies of this album have also subconsciously haunted me all year. Solid technical death metal through and through. Sadist. Something to Pierce. Oh. Nice. Matt, so consistent. I'm a consistent person. Oh, man, you're reliable. Yes.

You're like a morning PM. I am. Yeah. After coffee. Yeah. Coffee. Coffee makes it work. All right. John, what do you got for us? All right. So my number five is hold over for my mid-year. It was my number two. I don't hear saxophone. Maybe some sax of boom in there, but no saxophone. Ancient death. Ego.

Not much more to say other than Will thinks it's weird. It's a compilation. It's got sax and winds and congas. I know. What's Will talking about? I think there was like some harmonica and like anjo. Susaphone. Washboard. Arabian chants. Some judge stuff going on. What was he talking about? I thought some May Motown put it out. There was like a hurdy-gurdy. Hurdy-gurdy, yeah. Hurdy-gurdy, man.

I love you Donovan you know maybe my number five will impress you guys or satisfy you guys for my lack of ancient death and my number five is Paradise Lost yes yes me like me like and this was this was I have to admit this is a weird one for me because I love Paradise Lost but you know I feel like I can literally

Give or Take This Band, every other album. And the last one I loved was Medusa, I think. Two albums ago. And this one, I didn't, there was a lot of songs in this one. I feel like there was like 17 songs in this one. Maybe like 12. But anyway. But some of them, even the slower ones, just, it caught me. I liked it. Absolutely. Paradise Lost, my number five. Not a bad choice at all. Not a bad.

I mean I kind of predicted that would be the number one for overall for the podcast I don't think so we'll see what's gonna happen all right nice a day right decibel uh my number five will hasn't said it yet I wonder if he's gonna say it it's entirely possible he said it at mid-year so did I um super heavy black and death metal uh dormant ordeal tooth and nail he did he already said once okay I must have been peeing or something

Nice. Yeah. Yeah. They are European. It was my number 20. 21. Okay. Yeah. So you were peeing. I was. There's got to be a Polish joke in there somewhere too. But yeah. I'm pulling but. Truth in Polak now. Yeah. Yes. Maybe. I heard a good joke. Don't don't don't say on this podcast because we'll get canceled. Oh no. I don't think.

I don't know this guy gets in a terrible car accident and he's in a coma for a while and everything and he wakes up and the doctor's coming to see him and everything and they say welcome back and everything and the guy's in a panic and he says I can't feel my legs and the doctor says yeah I'm sorry we had to amputate your arms.

Ouch. Jay where do you hear these jokes?

I don't remember old man that lives here told me that one and old man always have jokes for you so yeah you old man you have jokes for us my number five has been mentioned but not enough November's doom major arcana oh wow I mean hello

How many years? 20, 30 years. Probably 30 years at least. Yeah, I mean, like early 90s, so over 30 years, I'm sure. Yeah. Which is the same for them. Yeah. We won't hold that against them, but you know. Yeah. But yeah. Some of those bands will be able to hold it together that long. Oh, yeah. Because those guys ain't making big dollars, you know? No.

But this was... Nice that they stuck around so long. Yeah, this came out at the same time as another album, and it definitely holds its own. Not gonna lie. But if not for John, I would be holding a volleyball on this one, so... Wow. No volleyball for you. That brings up pretty high, I think, on the overall list. I should hope. We'll see. Let's see what else we got.

All right. Well, it's been a while, I think, since I've had an album in common with somebody else on the list, and it's Will, and he had it way fucking too low, but it's Colt's Blood, obscured into nebulous dusk on translation loss records. This is a fucking pizza burp. Glacial.

That's not how I would have categorized it. It's a pizza burp of an album. A glacial ritualistic blackened sludge doom that conjures nightmarish images of a world slowly devoured by a spiraling black hole where all the broken architecture and shattered bodies collected from previous collapsed dimensions swirl lifeless in the dark. After a pizza burp.

With pepperoni and extra cheese. I love this record. It is a great record. Yeah. And you were the one. I know. I love your ego is going to go boom. Yes, I learned about Bolt's blood from you and I loved it. It was great. Cool. Boom. You're going to love that heteropsy record that I sent you.

I just wanted to say it again yeah it's fun to say Matt number four my number four was previously my number two came out April 11th via ripple music it is the second album from a Norwegian stoner metal band that I may or may not have made up description I had at Mindyar was warm fuzzy stoner sludge that makes me want to party

What I added was Party More Than Andrew W.K. Whoa, son. The band Hangamang, the album Satanic Panic Attack. Probably not made up, though, because I can come up with a title that good. Please enjoy. I'm sorry. I bought this after you mentioned it at midyear, and I love this album. It's fun. It's a good one. I will admit, this is one of those albums where I love it.

I listen to this album a lot. I just was afraid to put it on the list because it was more rock than metal. And the cover is a bit. Naked guys. Yeah. Hey. Oh, hey. Hugging. Wow. I was going to say gay just to be funny, but it was naked guys. I've never seen the cover. And I know I shouldn't use gay in that sense. Sorry. Like since when have you stopped using the word gay? No, you're right. Absolutely.

It was just that there was a joke written into that

and that I didn't get to use.

They look super

hetero comfortable.

Cozy. Cozy.

I'm interested.

I'm interested.

I love how Will keeps

admitting his fear

and hesitancy

to put albums on his list.

All I know is that

That's on us, I guess, because we've ridiculed

them in the past, and now I feel bad. We've bullied Will into submission, which is kind of cool. I'm just battered. You're bad, but Matt doesn't give a fuck. Honey Badger Matt don't give a fuck. He doesn't give a fuck. Oh, he does if you room with him. Whatever he wants. Yeah, you need to be more like Matt, Will. No, trust me. After he mentioned that album, and I bought it on Bandcamp, and I listened to this

shit out of that. Like, there's songs like

Evil Knievel on the album.

Like, it is amazingly

fun. It reminds me of

the Swedish band Graveyard.

I feel like it's the same members.

They're just doing the same thing.

I love it. I like members.

And they're huge.

It's gigantically huge.

Huge members.

Huge.

All I know is that while Matt was

describing it. I just wanted to do this. Yeah, for sure. I feel like I hijacked it. Don't hide who you are, Will. It's okay. It's a safe space. I'm just jealous because I was not naked in that photo on the album. We can take another photo. Thank you, Matt. I guess I'll Photoshop it. John, get us out of this horror.

I'll do what I can. All right. My number four. Not gonna spend too much time with it. Might be the only time you hear it. Maybe not. But I think so. Between the Buried and Me, the Blue Nowhere from Inside Out Music. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So apparently I'm a fan now. And I wasn't for 20 years. Now I am. So. Well, good for you. I've heard good things from that band.

Check Emot. Sounds like another band George forgot. Cash pump Check Emot. Cash pump Check Emot. Never heard of them. Okay, Will. All right, my number four, Jade, Mysteries of a Flowery Dream. Oh, yeah. They're from Spain and Germany on Pulverized Records. I am a little bit surprised if I was not paying attention to one mention this. I'm kind of surprised too. It's pretty amazing.

Death, Slow Death, Doom Black, I don't know, whatever. Throw all the adjectives at him. It's amazing. I love it. Slow Death. I thought it was a little weird with horns and shit in it. I'm like, I don't know. I just couldn't really get into that. Yeah, I mean, it's way fucking weird. But anyway, Jade. Also, what is known as what happens to albums that Jade doesn't pick. The last record was on my list, but this one, I just didn't

It hit me like the previous record for some reason. So good. Of all of my picks this year, this is probably the most out there one with the most experimental approach, kitchen sink, kind of everything goes in. Nothing's too weird to try. I am, of course, talking about Ego Dissolution by Ancient Death. Nice. So good. There you say.

ordeal, but it's still a dormant ordeal.

Wow. All right.

Tooth and nail.

Oh, wow.

Wow.

That's one of the big heavy releases.

You shouldn't even be surprised.

It was this high last time.

Was it, George?

It was pretty high.

Okay.

I don't know if it was four.

It was like probably within the top five.

So, so, yeah.

Yeah.

Is it me?

I think we are at number three.

Let's do it.

Okay.

Well, I've talked about this a lot and it has come up on a list and it is definitely my favorite progressive metal album of the year, maybe in the last few years, to be honest with you. And it's an abstract illusion, the sleeping city on Willowtip Records.

This gorgeous, dynamic, progressive death that weaves layers of heaviness with an engrossing sound palette of soaring melodies, geysers of atmosphere, and icy Blade Runner synth into a concise and elegant sci-fi metal masterpiece. And I do consider this a masterpiece of progressive metal. I like progressive metal, but then I do consider this a masterpiece of progressive metal.

There's albums that go a bit beyond that for me. And this is one I'll be listening to forever till I die. It's that good to be. It is good. Nice. That's what three times. Nice. Very good. Excellent. Matt, what you got to say? My number three was previously my number one came out April 18th on Profound Lauren Records. It has not been mentioned tonight.

First album from a U.S. death metal band. I described it as straight up meat and potatoes death metal, but with layer upon layer of nasty, sludgy spice. I don't know if you've heard of these guys. I think they're called Anxient Death. The album is Eggo Disillusion. Let go, my Eggo. Yeah, nice. I hear they're weird with flutes and stuff.

Is Jethro Toll or like the lead guy? I heard they did the soundtrack of Lost Boys. Will is rising to the occasion here. That's great. I really, I honestly like, I don't get it. I don't get it. No, clearly. We so love you no matter what, Will. Well, somebody does.

But we do. We do. Wow. Ancient death having a good showing. I don't know what George is doing over there. I'm working well. Oh, gotcha. Sorry, I got a... It was so big I couldn't even see what you're doing. It was a large grip. I appreciated it. Yeah, of course. I don't want it too loose because then you won't feel nothing, but... But, you know, you want it to take some time.

And really good thing you got that thumb brace because holy shit. Yeah, a little extra grit there, you know, for you. Like the tongue piercing. Nice thing done, Joyce. Yeah, exactly. John. All right. My number threes are mentioned. Not going to say much about it. It was my September album of the month. Paradise Lost Ascension. Nice. Yeah, don't need to say anything else about it. It's a pretty good album.

Not bad. Yeah.

It's going to be high.

So am I. It's in the air tonight.

Oh, sorry, Ted Nugent.

And Chuck Billy.

Coming in the air tonight.

Oh, no.

Was that Phil Collins or Genesis?

Phil Collins.

I know it's the same singer.

No, no, no, I know.

But George just said, sorry, Ted Nugent, a second ago. And I think I'm going to study using that instead of God damn it. Sorry, Ted Nugent. Wang Tang, sweet something. Anyway, my number three, Ordos, fire. I'm Sweden. Oh, yeah. Oh, shit. You know, I didn't, I was probably, I thought, like, you know, maybe George, by way of John, somebody would mention. I mentioned

at first. Y'all can go. Not today, no. Generally speaking, I go fuck myself. You know, that's funny because. Now fuck yourself. Not with my hand. I had them stuck in my head as a Polish band for some reason, but yeah. Now they're Swedish. Okay, yeah. I don't know how I got there. This, I feel as though like the first album was the best one. Sure. Because they had

they had to rehearse all those songs that they had forever and they they they jumped together and then the the second album was awesome and this one is not as good but god like the more i listened to it i i liked it anyway i forgot about this actually i did too to be perfect yeah so um mine is i'm worried that there's gonna be like dude they're weak um on this one because i'm i don't

I haven't heard anybody talk about them. I don't think. No one cares about Johnny Depp anymore. Okay. Just accept it. The sad truth is I don't know how to pronounce this either which is a frequent problem with me but it's spelled R-W-A-K-E. Rake. R-Wake. Nice. R-Wake. That's a good fucking record dude. Return of Magic. Loud. Aggressive. Progressive. Sludgy. Super fun. I think Matt might have that in his

Top 2. He likes that record a lot. I had it on my mid-year, but it did not make my... It didn't. Maybe that's why it got on my radar. I can't, because I don't remember where it came from, but... Yeah, it's our walkie. Huge fan. I take back all those comments about consistency, Matt. I am a letdown. Only so I can lift you back up. Only in the Radiohead sense. But yeah, that's gotten a lot of play, and that's another band, I think, that made a huge comeback.

Yeah, I wasn't aware of them previously, but yes, it was referred to as a comeback. So I don't know. Was that time-based or they just had shitty records for a while? No, time-based. Yeah. Time-based, like Corner. Yeah. They're from Little Rock, too, which is kind of a nice, fun, weird place to come out of for a band like this. I heard Bill Clinton was in the band for a while. It was? Did you have that in your mid-year, Jay? No, sir. No, Matt did. I discovered it.

So it must have been that that turned me on. Because I always go down through your lists after the mid-year just to look at stuff and that one. Right. Wow. So real high. If you've gone down on my list, how come you never accepted anything when you went down on my list? I already fell down trying to get closer to your thing. All right. I appreciate it. Thank you. George. My number three. Coroner. Dissonance theory.

Not a surprise. So fun. So much fun. Good showing for Coroner. Good showing for Coroner. Yep. Two. Number dos. Two. Oh my gosh. The final two. All right. Now that we're down to it, I don't think anybody's going to have this one. But more Doom for me. And my top Doom.

album in its oromet, the sinking isle on Transylvanian recordings. This is a cataclysmic eruption of molten funeral doom that flows in emotional and melodic currents like lava sheets sliding down a hillside toward a quiet seaside village of sleeping townsfolk who dream of sun-drenched morning waves and handheld walks on the shore just moments before they're incinerated.

I just got the vinyl in the mail yesterday and wow you're a sick bastard man thank you I'll make sure I don't I don't I don't walk hand in hand with any you guys on any beach anywhere near market time listen we can just stay in the hotel room that's fine well that hmm who was it was George was that you that said hmm yes because that sort of sounded like that sounded like a 911 call

to a very confused operator. Yes. Sometimes I do descriptions that are like, you know, just describing music. Sometimes when I listen to an album, it makes me feel a certain way. That's what happens. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Have you guys listened to Oramed at all? No. Holy fuck. No, but I probably better. Jesus. So good. And some of the best artwork on an album this year, too. We haven't done album artwork in a while, but.

But this would definitely be in my probably top three for sure. Okay. Okay. Matt. So my number two was not on my major list. It came out July 18th of this year on Road to Masochist Records. It is the second album from a UK post-sludge atmospherical black metal band. I wrote this album is lush yet rawly intense sludgy atmosphere.

I'm talking about a band called uh pardon me for my pronunciation I would say Baal and the album is the fine line between heaven and here yes that's a good one Baal that's how I pronounce it but yeah nice that that was a great one because that was an album of the month and Matt put it up there and I was like holy shit I haven't listened to this and I like this band so much and I I had to switch my album of the month after I listened to it so good call from Matt

Good call. I'm very consistent with good things. Yes. John. All right. My number two was my number one at the midyear. Subterranean Lava Dragon. And the album is called The Great Architect. A couple of members from Black Crown Initiate Makeup the Band, which I was never really

I love that what they're doing is technical but it's also a lot progier so I got hooked on it early on the name when I saw it I was like who the hell calls themselves Subterranean Lava Dragon seriously and it's it's stuck with me I listen to it all the time so it just got eked out at the end so there it is yeah that's

Kind of close to my new band, Totally Above Ground Lava Dragon. I smell a turk. Terrestrial Lava Dragon? Yeah, that one. It's Mountain Lava Dragon, actually. A little higher than that. Well, it's not as good as mine is Aerial Lava Dragon, so whatever. My band's called Altitude Sickness Lava Dragon. Space Lava Dragon.

I've never heard of these names. Yeah. It's true. Stratospheric Dragon. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Dragon across your chin. Galactic Lava Dragon. You can't have lava in space, so there's no oxygen, so there's no fire, so it would just be Space Dragon. Oh, thanks for that. Shaxx, Will. Space rocks. Sorry. Yeah. Yeah, well, that's just like, you're- You can have it on a ship.

I'm not European, I'm just that's my opinion. Can you just say like Fireless Lava Dragon? Does that work? It's a really good record. Ben from Endless Metal likes that one a lot. You may have given it to him actually, John, to be honest. I mentioned it to him, yeah. Yeah, yeah. John gives it to everybody. He does. I got it last Tuesday, it was great.

You're willing, I'm driving. And Will is up. All right, my number two. This was a band that I never was into in my high school years. And I'm not sure why. It's just one of those things just didn't. Dude, was there metal bands in the 1950s? I know, and it's weird, isn't there? You know, it's like I had Chuck Berry and all that. It was like, what is this stuff? And then, so I had this

on my list, I'm like, oh, this is really good.

And I listened to it again yesterday.

I'm like, this needs to go way up my list.

Corner.

Yeah, baby.

Dissident Theory.

Nice.

This album, in a lot of ways, not just because they're both from Switzerland, but it reminds me a lot of Megatherion.

And they sound similar.

And maybe because they feed off each other.

Corner and Celtic.

I was thinking Hellhammer, but the other time I escaped, Jeet, the Warrior band. But anyway. Well, yeah. But it was just like. Not death metal. Oh, my God. But it's kind of like black and death-ish thrash. But yeah, this is wow. Wow. Just wow. Wow. Like they haven't put out an album like 20 some years. 30. Fucking wow, dude. That's awesome. And they put some modern twists in there too. Everyone saw a little.

and yeah it's super fun to listen to and that's a good one yeah that's the name of my new podcast super fun so that brings us to my number two which is gonna be a complete surprise to anybody who cares but if i wanted riffs this year this is where i went for riffs i didn't see this necessarily coming that it was going to be so resonant with me but it was it was kind of the thing i put on when i didn't have anything else to listen to at the given moment

A Little Strange, never not a fan of the band, never a huge fan of the band, but I liked them. Pelican, Flickering Resonance. Oh, shit. Wow. Where'd that come from? Whoa. Out of nowhere, dude. It's a good backgrounder, but a good foregrounder. They just, they write those kinds of riffs that I love. Big, bouncy, drop-y, in-your-face stuff. I love it when they're big and bouncy in my face. I mean, I can't say. That's amazing.

He's got big balls, but apparently Jay's got the biggest balls of them all. That's well true. No longer just a rumor. Yeah. Yeah. So anyway, I know that's a little out of left field, but there it is. Yeah, it is out of left field, but I mean, I love that record. It doesn't make my list, but I mean, it's pretty close to the top 25. You know, if we do the top 40, it's in there. So it might be, it might be. If only by accident, the record,

I listened to the most this year. Wow. That's awesome. Wow. That's a good surprise. Nice. I like surprises like that. So I have to assume that John knows my number two. It's a progressive metal at its most exploratory. Shifting styles and moods while staying dense, technical, and emotionally driven. Bam! Or should I say BT Bam.

Between the Buried and Me, the Blue Nowhere. Wow. This album is just, you know, my brain just explodes when I listen to this album. It is insanely complicated and complex and beautiful and amazing and metal. Wow. Well, you're a fan of them from the past, though.

Oh yeah, since parallax two was when I really got on board. Yeah. Okay. That's cool. Wow. Two over in the top four. And the only two. Yes. Two and the only two. Two is the number and two it shall be. Corner's going to be big. Yes, of course. Almost everybody has that on our list. Unless number one throws out some real weird loops. Let's do it.

Yeah. All right.

I mean, Paradise Lost, I guess.

Number one.

Number one.

Here we go.

All right.

Well, I was happy to hear that Matt had this at his number two, which means that

me putting it at number one is a good showing for this record, which is, was easily

my favorite record of the, of the year.

and that's Baal, the fine line between heaven and here, road to masochist records. Colossal black and post-metal with some of the most beautiful and effortless emotional shifts in orchestration I've heard in metal. From bombastic world-ending ruin to feather-light sentimental landslides, there's an intense feeling of vulnerability and this raw, heart-rending disclosure.

to the album that makes me feel the moments in my life that hurt me or challenged me or made me feel like the world was at once smaller or bigger than I imagined. The music is grand and lush and brutal and the vocal delivery by Joe Stamps, which moves from screams to death roars to quivering 90s emo talk singing exquisitely enhances the

the sensitivity and the might of every song in a way that feels incredibly honest to me. I think it's an exceptional record. And I've liked their stuff in the past, but this is definitely the best thing they've ever done. So I think this album is a bit under the radar. I have seen some people talk about how much they like it and be on some lists, but I still feel like it's one of those on their radar.

So I'm happy because it's going to be on our list because I got number one and Matt's got number two. So it's going to be a top five probably. Going to have to revisit that I think. Yeah it's got everything I like in metal you know. Yeah I don't know what else to say other than that like it basically encompasses everything I love about metal music and that doesn't happen every year. All right.

Matt, what you got to say? For my number one, I want to recite a poem real quick. It's, um, I've been meaning to tell you I've got this feeling that won't subside. I look at you and I fantasize. You're mine tonight. Now I've got you in my sights with these yellow eyes. One look at you and I can't disguise.

My number one is by a band.

Well, the album came out on October 31st of this year, so it was not on my mid-year.

It is the seventh album from this U.S. black metal band.

They are called Yellow Eyes.

Not Hungry Eyes, but Yellow Eyes.

There's no confusion about this gate.

Confusion gate.

It's very clear.

Strangely enough, if I may have a moment, last year I chose Blood Incantations Absolutely Elsewhere. And prior to that album, they released Time Wave Zero, which to me was a bit of a departure. I thought it was a little bit radical. And then I dug in a little bit and I realized that Time Wave Zero was just kind of a natural progression for that band. And I feel like the prior album to Confusion Gate for Yellow Eyes was the same thing. It was kind of a natural progression, while not necessarily

It just kind of really eloquently led up to this album. And that's all I have to say. Figure it out, bitches. That's Zane, right? I'm actually surprised it didn't make my list. It's pretty close. Yeah. But it's great. The melodicism on that record was something I did not expect. That's another band that incorporated, you know, the thing that they did right before it, which is completely different.

into their sound. And I think it worked for them. There's so much going on and it's like, it's unbelievable how they were able to merge all that stuff together. There's definitely been like an Eastern influence showing up in some of their past albums and you really feel it pretty hard on this one, as with Mester's murmur. And I think it really kind of integrates quite well and naturally, organically. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. Cool.

All right, my number one. It's been mentioned many times. It will probably be our number one for the podcast. My October album of the month, Corner, This and It's Theory. I said to George, I said I knew it would be good, but I didn't know it would be this good. And it's that good.

I love it. That's like an 80s movie theme. Like, I knew it would be good. Didn't know it would be that good. That's true. Yeah. At least for me. I know that there's some people who aren't into it as much, but I think it's great. I think they, it's pretty rare to see a band after 30, 30 plus years return with an album like that. Absolutely. You know, and you know, they could have went down the green path a little more, which I'm not actually a big fan of.

as much. But they kind of took the template from the last two or three albums and just took it out of the stratosphere. So I love it. I think it's great. I listen to it all the time. That's cool. I saw them live this year too. And the first single they played in Chicago first before it even came out. And it was like, oh, this is great because I get to hear the new stuff before anybody else. And they put on a great show. So that was really pleasing to me because I'm such a fan of

them since the beginning yeah what's crazy is they're they're a power trio you know and they get that big sound there's not two guitars there so no you would never guess it from listening to their music that they're just three of them and that's amazing so all right let's wrap up these ones uh my number one gruesome silent echoes is my number one on the mid-year um and i know it's kind of controversial because they're a tribute band but what man just

Roll with it baby. You put out stuff like that that just sounds like death and when I just listen to it I almost have this disbelief that I'm not listening to Chuck Scholdinger. I just started reading his biography Born Human. I love the band Death. I suck because I think I've only seen them twice live. Definitely once on Symbolic Tour but down in Wilmington.

North Carolina.

But anyway, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I think what Matt Harvey is doing and his band of his merry men and women is just, it's fucking amazing.

And to me, it's almost, dare I say, revolutionary.

Like, how the fuck can you nail this so well?

And I know it's a tribute band.

I know it's not original.

But the way that they are able to just nail this, and it sounds exactly like how he just sounds like death. Anyway, how he sounds like Chuck. Blah, blah, blah, blah. It's not like a one-to-one cover. It's like they're taking what Chuck did and filtering that through brand new songs. It is, and that's what I love about it. That is amazing.

I say this like this is a new death album it is amazing if Chuck put out a new album that was in the human era this is what it would sound like and it's amazing and I love it and I just I just for me I'm just a fan boy like if some other band came around and said like hey we're gonna do a we're gonna do an album that sound like Master of Puppets and then it's suck like new Metallica like fuck yeah I want to listen to that anyway gruesome that's my number one

Sorry. No, it's good. I did not mention that other album, by the way. This whole episode. Go ahead. You mean the black one? Number one is probably going to be just as out of left field as my number two. This was one that I think Matt had on his list. Matt is a big apparently influence on me. I think he had it mid-year or maybe we just talked about it on the last pod because apparently I mixed up those two events over and over and over. But this to me, this band

There's a little Mastodon going on, a little old school Mastodon. There's a weird, strange pinch of Jane's addiction in there. And then a whole bunch of other weird elements that they throw in with some really good singing, so on and so forth. Like I said, you're probably going to be a little surprised. Basque, the turning. I love this record, dude. That was really good. Dude, that's not a metal album. That's on the Stairway to Eleven one. Did it? It's on brand for Jane. Somebody brought it up.

I think you talked about it earlier today. I did, but Matt also had it. But yes. Yeah. No, it was a great album. Yeah, I really enjoyed it. I have high hopes for that band. Boy, they're going to do some cool stuff. Strangely enough, Jay, I thought I confused it with Mosque, which I know you and I have talked about. And you know what? And I think I remember that exact conversation. Yeah, I thought the same thing. And I was like, wait, this isn't that. I got them confused with Trandachan. Yeah, as one does.

Yeah.

That's a way nerdy Star Wars joke if anyone knows that. Clearly. Bosk, the bounty hunter, was a trend of Sean's species.

Yes, but I knew who Bosk was, but I didn't know his species because I'm not that nerdy.

That's what I said. It's super nerdy. Anyway, George, what's your number?

All right, so.

My number one

is not going to be a surprise.

It's been mentioned before.

It ascends to the level that it deserves

because it is Paradise Lost's ascension.

Wow. Okay.

Yes.

Wait, did you not have gruesome on your list anywhere?

No, I did.

You went from number one to number zero?

Number 16.

Oh, okay.

It was there.

Yeah, I suck.

No, this is the only album this year that gave me Goozies. And, you know, most albums, if I'm listening to an album for the first time, I make sure to listen to it on headphones. I'm not like in the car, for example, where I heard this album for the first time. Because I was not expecting what I received for this album.

I was in the car for work all day. And I was like, ah, let me just put this on and get it out of the way. And then what? This album plays. And I was like, what are you talking about? What is this? What is this? Because I like rewind it and I started again. And I'm like, oh my God. Wow.

You know, I understand that not everybody gets this album the same way I do. And, you know, that's fine. But holy shit, did this resonate with me? I think a lot of people did, though, George. It hit some lists, and it hit some lists pretty high. It did, and I get it. I understand why. It's number one at Metal Storm. Sure. Which is an user, you know, decided leaderboard, so that should tell you something right there.

You know, it has a lot of Draconian Times here, which is by many accounts a very classic album, and I agree with that. You know, when Draconian Times came out in the 90s, it blew my mind and, you know, made me a fan for life. And we've not had anything quite like that since. So 25 to 30 years later, to finally get something that sounds like that again?

was mind-blowing and it just meant a lot you know maybe you had to be a Paradise Lost fan in the 90s to to feel it the way that I did I don't know but regardless this meant a lot to me hearing this and that's why it's my number one it's not what I what I found really interesting about the album is it was some of the slower songs you know you know me

I'm the death metal guy. Yeah. But that song, Lay a Wreath Around the World, Lay a Wreath Upon the World. That's really good. And it's like a slower song, but man, it is, it's emotional and impactful. Yes. I was like, fuck. And when I, when I listened to this album, sometimes I just fast forward just to that song. Like this should have been the album that came after Draconian Times. You know, well, when I was listening to the record, when I first was like, okay, I'm going to give this a real,

I was connecting with the risk and connecting with the way things were put together and then when I got to lay the reef on the world then I was like okay I'm totally all the way in now I get it yeah yeah so that was the one that kind of did it for me too even though it's it's you know um it's not necessarily the point of the record yeah it's good stuff you know I get that some people it's just like ah it's just another kind of album I get it you know but it may be if draconian times resonated with you

that large that long ago that it makes sense now. And it's just like, well, yes, this is what we should have had. I mean, it's a great point because I was a big fan of the band, but I think I just, I'm not as big a fan of that kind of gothic sound anymore. So it doesn't resonate with me as much. But if you've longed for that, like this is the record that you definitely wanted after that.

So, you know, I still consider those older albums classics. I just don't listen to them as much. So just my tastes have changed. But, you know, I definitely recognize how good that record is. I mean, you know, even though like the gothic and stuff from that era is classic and amazing and an icon as well. The Icon 30 that they where they re-recorded it was freaking brilliant.

and should have been a clue as to the coming of this. But yeah, it's, it's old dude metal, you know, it's for old dudes. Okay, I get it. You know, and if you're younger and you get it, great. That's freaking awesome. But it's a return to form, but I would say it also has a fire lit underneath it too. So it's not just a nostalgic act, you know, it's, it's like they've been trying to find their

way home, honestly. The last few albums leading up to this have had that spark. And it was just like they got a little bit closer and a little bit closer. Closer! Closer! And then boom, there they are. Yeah, fucks you, Hobbricks. Exactly. Exactly. It's on a lot of top lists this year, so. It was, yeah. It seems like it might be number one for us. And God knows where they're going to be.

I'm saying I think corner will be corner corner yeah oh yeah in terms of our list yeah perfectly I'm perfectly comfortable with that yeah me too did everybody have it no you weren't you didn't no it's close it's close to the top 25 but didn't make it well I'm just super happy that I'm not the one who like usually it's enslaved or some shit and all you guys have it at number one I'm like

So I'm just finally glad that I'm not the one who's not J-ing the number one. I feel like I had the J- Awards last year. You may well have done. So now, okay, so I'm going to say top five corner will be in there. So I do think Paradise Lost will be in there. Anybody? I mean, I think Bile is going to be up there because Matt and I.

I don't know where, but it will be up there. Ancient Death got a lot of shouts. Definitely Abstract Illusion at three, so I think that's going to be... What the hell? You guys not listen to Hava Kroonu? Come on! I like it. It's just... Definitely a good album. Jesus. Sorry, George. No, that's fine. It's a really good record, though. It is a really good record. It's all right. I get to shine on that one. But I think we have a lot of singular records, so... We do.

So I got one, two, three. It's going to be a tense competition for this guy. I think Will might even take it just because everything he has is like a death metal album that most people don't have. Did anybody else have Howling Giant? No. No. All right. So one. I mean, I like Howling Giant and I know those guys. I see that like clutches more metal. Six.

7, 8, 9, I would put Holland Jowon in the raw category. It does sort of straddle a line. I got at least 9. Which seems like not enough. That's nowhere near enough, dude. Hey, but I got 9, come on. But yeah, I think we covered a really wide range of metal here, like we always do. And that's what's always fun about doing this top 25.

because we have these very different tastes. We come together on some albums, but

there's always something somebody puts in the top

that I have to revisit because you talk about it so passionately.

And I'm like, man, why didn't I have that on my list?

So I look forward to doing that yet again this year.

We bond over the ones that we like

and we get to be like, fuck y'all on the ones that nobody else picked.

And we get to feel special about those because we're like, you suck, I'm the best. Yeah. Yeah. And so it's win-win really. Yeah. And also, Will, like you did get a J award probably for Ancient Death. So. Yeah. I listened to that so much and I bought it early on. I may have bought it before any of you guys. I was like, oh, this sounds cool. And then I listened to the whole thing. I'm like, just too weird. Too like, it sounds like a compilation album to me.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're not going to lie. That's why it fell on my list. Okay. Yeah. Go. All right. We did it. We did another one, guys. Yeah. We are a little over five hours at this point. Nobody fell out of their chair. Nobody saw any rainbows. I feel pretty ripped. I got to tell you. But no falling.

No falling, yeah. I've probably been ripped for the last four hours, but you know. Well, I would just say that I am barely on here anymore, but it is good to see all you guys. Of course, brother. All right, on that note, I'm done. All right, I'll see you guys. I love you all. It's great to see you. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas. Happy holidays. To hell Satan. Adios. Bye.

FUN!

Making the glow of a new and a moon

The eyes and burn up a wolf and drag me to fade away