Top 34 Albums of 2008 (updated)

I finally combed through everything I listened to that was released in 2008. It was an exhausting process and I think it took me over 2 months. Seriously. I based my list mostly on amount of spins, but a big part of it is how much I want to listen to it. Do I have to be "in the mood" for it? How does it make me feel? Do I crave more when it's over? How often does it get stuck in my head? Stuff like that. So it's really an amalgam of all those aspects.
As with previous years, I let personal bias get in the way. That being said, again this year there are two albums ranked 0. I can't listen to them objectively enough to properly rank them and honestly, they could put out anything and I would think it was pure gold.

0. Soulfly - Conquer (Less tribal, more metal. Max and Co. bring da shit!)
0. b) Cavalera Conspiracy - Inflikted (The Cavaleras are back together. Add in Rizzo and Joe Duplantier (GOJIRA!!) and you can't go wrong.)

I love Max Cavalera (as a musician) so much that anything he is involved in beats everything else but Clutch.

Here is the rest of the list. The Top 10 are pretty much in order (anyone could be my fave depending on the day) but after that, don't pay too much attention to the order. It's pretty close but it's very fluid. I've included the record label and the country of origin. Prosthetic, Hydra Head, Relapse and Metal Blade are most represented labels and the US, Canada and Sweden top the countries. I will try and add short comments or descriptions for each one at some time. Whenever I have the time, so keep checking back.

1. Amon Amarth – Twilight of the Thunder God (Metal Blade, Sweden)This is the first Amon Amarth I have ever listened to. I always shied away from viking metal. I thought they were like power metal. Then I listened to it. Again and again and again.....
2. Bison b.c. - Quiet Earth (Metal Blade, Canada) "These are my dress clothes!!"
3. The Sword – Gods Of The Earth (Kemado, US) What I love best about this album is the imagery the music creates. I visualized the theme for the video for "Fire Lances..." before I saw it.
4. Torche – Meanderthal (Robotic Empire/Rock Action/Hydra Head, US)I read about people bitching about this album. That it's too poppy, the singer sucks, etc. Well, yeah, it's catchy as shit and his voice is natural. Not over-polished. Right on!
5. Gojira – The Way Of All Flesh (Listenable/Prosthetic, France)I didn't like From Mars to Sirius. I tried. But this one is awesome! Maybe I just "get it" now.
6. Origin – Antithesis (Relapse, US)This album knocked me on my ass. Who knew a bunch of guys from Kansas could be so pissed off! Fast, heavy as fuck, and pure awesome.
7. ASRA – The Way Of All Flesh (Black Box/Relapse, US)RIP ASRA (which stands for Alleged Satanic Ritual Abuse). Like Destroyer Destroyer from last year, this is the music in my head. The screaming on this is incredible. The angriest album I heard this year.
8. Metallica – Death Magnetic (Warner, US)I don't know what everyone's problem with this is? Yeah, it's not MOP, but it's good!
9. Blacklisted – Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God (Deathwish, US) There is just something about this one that keeps me coming back to it. It's really personal and you can hear the emotion in it. Not in an emo way.
10. Ufomammut – Idolum (Supernatural Cat, Italy)One of my favourite bands that no-one other than me has heard of. Incredible toned doom. Light one up and enjoy. My Ufomammut t-shirt is my fave shirt ever.

11. Lair of the Minotaur – War Metal Battle Master (Southern Lord, US)Have you seen the video for the title track?!!!
12. Into Eternity – The Incurable Tragedy (Century Media, Canada)Another really personal album. Tim Roth left the band, but now he's back. Yes!!
13. Burst – Lazarus Bird (Relapse, Sweden) The vocals on this remind me alot of someone I can't think of right now. Someone good. Burst never disappoint.
14. Cancer Bats – Hail Destroyer (Distort/Black Market Activities, Canada)Cancer Bats have played a half hour away at least twice in the last year and I have missed them every time. I think the title track was my "most screamed along with" track of 2008.
15. Gridlink – Amber Grey (Hydra Head, US)I usually don't like grind but this is awesome. Jon Chang rules. I need to check out some Discordance Axis. 14 songs in under 12 minutes. I think every song on the Ufomammut is longer than the entirety of Amber Grey.
16. Deicide – Till Death Do Us Part (Earache, US)It's fuckin' Deicide.
17. Withered – Folie Circulaire (Prosthetic, US) Name a metal sub-genre, and Withered uses it in some capacity. I kind of have to be in the mood for Withered but it's a killer album.
18. The Gates of Slumber – Conquerer (Profound Lore, US)Anyone who knows me know I love stoner rock. I don't listen to it as much as I used to but that's because there aren't as many bands as good as The Gates of Slumber anymore.
19. Javelina – Javelina (Translation Loss, US) "Pronounced "hä-va-'lE-na" Killer tone, awesome bellows!
20. Pitch Black Forecast – Absentee (Fractured Transmitter, US)Gene Hoglan is on drums. Positive hardcore. Catchy too.
21. Century – Black Ocean (Prosthetic, US)The first of a trilogy. Heck yeah!
22. Deadbird – Twilight Ritual (At A Loss, US)Kind of in that southern doom/stoner vein.
23. The Acacia Strain – Continent (Prosthetic, US)I'm glad I listened to this before I saw pix of the band. They look like poser douchebags. I would totally dismiss them if the music wasn't awesome.
24. Dismember – Dismember (Regain, Sweden)Death metal lives!!
25. Feast Eternal – With Fire (none, US)I didn't even know they were a christian band til I went looking to see what label they were on.
26. The Haunted – Versus (Century Media, Sweden)You can't dispute quality. As much as you can tire of a genre, The Haunted still kick ass.
27. Jucifer – L'Autrichienne (Relapse, US)Very eclectic. English and French lyrics. Amazing live. Not for everyone.
28. Hail of Bullets – Of Frost And War (Metal Blade, Netherlands)Took me a couple listens to really get into this. It was the vocals that had to grow on me. But that buzzsaw guitar!!!
29. Kataklysm – Prevail (Nuclear Blast, Canada) Proof Montreal is the current metal capital of the world.
30. Black Ships – Omens (New Romance For Kids, Canada)Montreal again. I love this brand of hardcore.
31. Hemlock – No Time For Sorrow (Continental, US) I don't know why I like this so much. It's very accessible and catchy as hell.
32. Jex Thoth – Jex Thoth ( I Hate, US) What a freakin' voice!! Amazingly retro sounding psych/doom. Almost hypnotic.
33. Zozobra – Bird Of Prey ( Hydra Head, US)Caleb Scofield of Cave In and Old Man Gloom (english for Zozobra) and Isis' Aaron Harris on drums. This album is a monster post-metal experience.
34. Blood Ceremony – Blood Ceremony (Rise Above, Canada) Toronto's Blood Ceremony deliver the goods. From lyrics about witches, magic and drugs to FUCKING FLUTE SOLOS!! Amazing. Perfect music to totally trip out too. (if you're into that)

Live Album of the year: Clutch - Full Fathom Five: Audio Field Recordings. It's the only one I listened to but it would win anyway. I have yet to watch the DVD version. (repeatedly kicks self in ass)

Live Performance of the year: Jucifer. I didn't get to many shows in the past year, but this was by far the best one.

Looking forward to in 2009:

Cannibal Corpse - Evisceration Plague. (listening to it right now. It destroys!!)
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
Titan - Colossus EP (awesome!)
Kylesa - Static Tensions
The Bakerton Group - El Rojo
Wino - Punctured Equilibrium
God Forbid - Earthsblood
Lamb of God - Wrath
Sepultura - A-lex (really not as good as I had hoped)
Architect - Ghost of the Saltwater Machines ( heard it twice so far and it's amazing. Mark McGee (ex- I Hate Sally, ex- The Chariot, Jesus Mullet) just joined on drums)

Top EPs of 2008

I was going to wait and include this with my Top Albums of 2008 but since there isn't many I thought I would just do it now anyway.

In no particular order:

The Company Band - Sign Here, Here and Here: A supergroup consisting of Clutch's Neil Fallon (vocals), Fireball Ministry's James Rota (guitar), Jess Margera of CKY (drums), Fu Manchu's Brad Davis (bass) and guitarist Dave Bone. Considering the pedigree of the members you can guess at what they sound like. It really has a Clutch vibe so I automatically dig it. You should too.

Hayaino Daisuki - Headbanger's Karaoke Club Dangerous Fire: Superfast, vicious and really lo-fi. The production on this is just terrible (or maybe just my copy) but it gives a warmth and a really live feel. They claim to be from Japan, but the understanding is they are from NJ. Mother of hellfire, this shit is fast. Totally indechiperable vocals. "Haiiro Ikotsu Gakidou" is one hell of a song. I should mention that Jon Chang from Discordance Axis is on vocals. He is also on vocals for Gridlink (which you will see on my LP list) So, yeah, speed of light metal tinged grind. Hold on tight.

Black Ships - Low: Black Ships will have the esteemed honour of not only making my EPs list but my LPs list aswell. These boys from Montreal (metal capital of the world?) deliver some pretty serious, angry, dirty hardcore. Massive sound. The vocals really bring into the tortured soul of the band. Their myspace is pretty scarce as far is info goes, and at this time, Encyclopedia Metallum is down for maintenance so I can't tell you ABOUT the band really. If you like your hardcore raw, downtuned, without breakdowns, and really pissed off...you should like Black Ships. I'll have more when I post my LP list. (Their full length is called Omens, btw)

Mammoth Volume - Loved by Few, Hated by Dolphins: RIP Mammoth Volume. This was the last studio release from these titans of psychedelic stoner (ish) rock. Man, I love Mammoth Volume. This album was available for free download from their website last year and consists of 6 awesome tunes. This was supposed to be Volume 1 but they announced they were hanging it up on Christmas Day. Looks like they will have a Best Of available on their website soon. I am actually really sad about this. I have loved everything they ever released. Such a unique band. Some may think otherwise but there is something there that is beyond words. I'd really like to know why they chose to disband. They don't sound like a band that struggles at all. Their music is so deep sounding that the chemistry of the band would have to be tight in order to pull it off. My guess is that it was a time issue. I do believe these Swedes lead normal lives outside the band and maybe they had to put the band on the back burner for those reasons. Well, "My Pet is Burning" is one of my favourite (if not FAVE) song of the year. I certainly hope this isn't the end of MV.

Black Ships - Low (EP)

Right out of the hole I am going to give this a 9/10. It only loses a point because it's an EP. At the end of the 4 songs, I really wanted more. I will be ALL OVER a full-length.

The vocals are full on, man. I lost my breath just listening to it. I can't imagine there is much left for the vocalist. Intense, anger-fueled screams. It reminds me of Destroyer, Destroyer's vocals but the difference is, on Low, I can actually make out some lyrics. The bass is dirty enough that I can't tell if there is two guitars or not. (I really need to do my research before reviewing, or at least make sure I have internet access) It's a really full, distorted sound that would translate to a live setting really, really well. It would be an intense fuckin' show, I'll tell ya that! I can just picture the vocalist throwing himself around with reckless abandon. On the drumming side of things, I am gonna use the word dynamic. More than just keeping the beat, they fill the spaces where they need to and leaves other places open where you think there would be something. It really gives me the feeling that the band is inside eachothers heads, that they can play off eachother and feed off eachother.

This baby's gonna fight for the top EP of 2008 in my books, if it hasn't won already.