My Soundtrack to the Apocalypse

So we all tend to have those albums that we hold dear to us for whatever reason; those albums that we can throw in the disc tray and listen to it from start to finish without a problem, without skipping over any of the songs, and being able to tap, hum, nod, or full-on headbang every note because we love it so much. Those albums we’ve played to the point of overkill, but we still never tire of them. They could be the first album you heard, the last album a band has ever put out, or just a really, really killer album that you love so much for many reasons, one reason, or no particular reason at all. It could be to others a band’s worst album, or to a majority their very best album. It could be underrated, overrated, well known, or an album from a period where the band was the same but with a different name so nobody knows of the album at all. Whatever it is, we all have a myriad of these albums.

They’re known as our favorites.

Favorites can be extremely hard to pick, but once you finally settle on one, if ever you do, that album, to you, is the best thing since the genesis of heavy metal in its entirety. 

…Maybe that’s a bit of an overstatement, but it's certainly true for some people, I’m sure.

Anyway, the title of this blog entry was of course “My Soundtrack to the Apocalypse”, so I’m going to share ten of my favorite albums. They’ll be in no particular order, I’m just going to pick any ten of my overall favorite albums (needless to say, only one from any band) and list them with a short explanation of why. They could be from any genre of metal (as they’ll all be metal albums, I guarantee), from any band, from any decade, from any of the bands’ eras, etc. 

So, without any further adieu, I present my Soundtrack to the Apocalypse:

1.) HATE-Morphosis (2008) 

Running Time: 38:50

Released On: Listenable Records

Favorite Tracks Include: (2) "Threnody", (4) "Catharsis", (7) "Omega"

Often hailed as one of Hate's best albums, Morphosis is definitely my favorite of theirs. "Threnody" is the second song I heard from the band (with "Intransigence of Evil" being the first and still a favorite of mine), and have been 100% hooked on them ever since. It is a modern death metal masterpiece, and host to my favorite variant of ATF Sinner's ever-great vocals. It possesses some of my favorite overall lyrics, which are catchy, intelligent, and brutal all at the same time. None of the compositions are overly complex, and the album is not overrun by blast beats (though of course they are present). It's just overall a great album that I can count on to punch me in the face if ever I need something to, and it always delivers. For me, this album is timeless, and will be hard to beat with any of Hate's future efforts. (A more extensive Hate post will come eventually.)

HATE-Omega

 2.) AMON AMARTH-Twilight of the Thunder God (2008)

Running Time: 43:31

Released On: Metal Blade Records

Favorite Tracks Include: (1) "Twilight of the Thunder God", (5) "Varyags of Miklagaard", (10) "Embrace of the Endless Ocean"

Arguably Amon Amarth's most known album, Twilight of the Thunder God is my favorite from them. The main reason being that it was the first death metal album I had ever heard. Amon Amarth (specifically this album) is the band responsible for my moving away from listening to little else than Metallica (primarily the Kill-Justice era, don't worry) and got me listening to death metal. Albeit melodic death metal, it still counts, and is this is the album that ushered me into my now favorite extreme genres. This album holds a special place in my heart for that, and is overall a superb, kickass album that will always be one of my favorites for that.

AMON AMARTH-Varyags of Miklagaard

 

3.) GOJIRA-From Mars to Sirius (2005)

Running Time: 01:06:52

Released On: Listenable Records

Favorite Tracks Include: (6) "The Heaviest Matter of the Universe", (7) "Flying Whales", (10/11) "From Mars/To Sirius"

A lot of my favorite albums are the ones that have the first song I heard from the band that created it. This holds true for Gojira, as my first (and favorite) Gojira song is "The Heaviest Matter of the Universe". A friend showed it to me some years ago, telling me it was the perfect song for his aggression and made him want to slaughter someone, and I was blown away by how incredible it was. I have since seen them live (and man are they incredible live!) where they played "Heaviest", at which point it's safe to say I completely lost my mind. Their riffs are fantastic, the drumming is wonderful, the vocals are simply killer, and they have a really positive message in their lyrics that makes for a good break from constantly hearing songs that proclaim death to mankind and/or religion. Let's go green with Gojira!

GOJIRA-The Heaviest Matter of the Universe

 

4.) DEATH-The Sound of Perseverance (1998)

Running time: 56:13

Released On: Nuclear Blast

Favorite Tracks Include: (1) "Scavenger of Human Sorrow", (3) "Spirit Crusher", (5) "Flesh and the Power It Holds"

Hate me for saying this, but I didn't immediately like Death. At first, I looked up Individual Thought Patterns and thought it was "okay", but not much more than that. The main reason is because I am perhaps one of the pickiest people ever when it comes to vocals, and, upon first hearing ITP, I was not all too fond of Schuldiner's vocals. It wasn't until I went back sometime later and decided to give SoP a chance with "Spirit Crusher". And I cannot tell you how immediately in-love with it I was. Saying I was floored by "Spirit Crusher" is an insulting understatement. Everything about it, and the rest of the album, is practically perfect. From Chuck's high vocals, to the audible bass, to the all 'round incredible cover of "Painkiller", The Sound of Perseverance is a masterpiece, not just of metal, but of pure musicianship. After SoP got plenty of playtime, I decided to go back and give ITP another chance and struck gold with "The Philosopher" and "Overactive Imagination". Then came Human, Symbolic, Leprosy, Scream Bloody Gore, and finally Spiritual Healing, in that order. That is why SoP is my favorite Death album -- it started the domino effect for me.

DEATH-Spirit Crusher

 

 5.) CARACH ANGREN-Death Came Through a Phantom Ship (2010)

Running Time: 43:47

Released On: Maddening Media

Favorite Tracks Include: (2) "The Sighting Is a Portent of Doom", (4) "Van Der Decken's Triumph", (7) "Departure Towards a Nautical Curse"

Carach Angren. Easily, easily one of my favorite bands, but this decision was no easy one. All three of their albums so far are insanely good and just as addicting as going to concerts and buying band shirts. Their orchestrations are beautiful, their vocals are incredibly unique, their lyrics and stories are phenomenal...everything about them is just undeniably good. What this decision really came down to for me was the fact that I love to write, and a lot of my inspiration comes from the music I listen to, and I happen to frequent Death Came Through a Phantom Ship for inspiration for one of my current projects. It possesses the perfect elixir to get the creative juices flowing for me, and I owe Carach Angren a huge thank-you for that by creating this beautiful album! 

CARACH ANGREN-Van Der Decken's Triumph

6.) BELPHEGOR-Blood Magick Necromance (2011)

Running Time: 40:42

Released On: Nuclear Blast

Favorite Tracks Include: (2) "Rise to Fall and Fall to Rise", (3) "Blood Magick Necromance", (4) "Discipline Through Punishment"

I can't exactly recall the first Belphegor song I heard (it may have been "Swarm of Rats" from Goatreich - Fleshcult) but "Blood Magick Necromance" was one of the first, and my first favorite. It was the one that got me really into the band, and resulted in this album becoming my favorite of Belphegor's. Strangely, I find this entire album to be quite soothing. Yes, soothing. This dark, demonic, "satanic" album actually soothes me quite a bit. And I don't mean that it's a sort of vent for aggression, not that kind of "soothing". I mean the kind of soothing where I find it to be generally relaxing, the kind that makes my nerves go numb and me feel like my heart is slowing down. I'm not exactly sure what it is that makes me feel this way when I listen to it (though this doesn't just happen with BMN material; it's not an uncommon feeling during "Stigma Diabolicum" either, for example), perhaps it's Helmuth's vocals, or perhaps I'm just a bit nuts. Either way, I guess we all have that one album/band...

BELPHEGOR-Blood Magick Necromance

 

7.) TÝR-Ragnarok (2006)

Running Time: 1:00:45

Released On: Napalm Records

Favorite Tracks Include: (2) "The Hammer of Thor", (11) "The Hunt", (18*) "Valhalla"

This list needed something somewhat folky and something with clean vocals. And what better to choose from my favorites than Týr? "Valhalla", though one of the bonus tracks*, is my favorite Týr song, and is the one that poked at my interest. When I first discovered them, I was stuck on the aforementioned Amon Amarth, Children of Bodom, Immortal, Dark Funeral, etc, so these guys were completely different for me. I hadn't even known there was a whole world of Pagan/Folk metal out there at that point (and now, of course, mostly thanks to Týr, I love it)! I believe it was Heri's wonderful voice that drew me in to this band, and now it's that, plus everything else that keeps me...I really can't choose one thing above all others. They're a great, talented group of musicians, and I am definitely looking forward to their next album that will have George Kollias, whom I am quite fond of, as a session drummer!

TÝR-The Hammer of Thor

 

8.) VESANIA-Distractive Killusions (2007)

Running Time: 43:05

Released On: Napalm Records

Favorite Tracks Include: (1) "Narrenschyff", (2) "The Dawnfall (Hamartia and Hybris)", (4) "Rage of Reason"

There are so many things about this album that make it my favorite from Vesania's small but ultimately incredible discography (a discography that makes me wish Orion and Daray had the time to work on expanding it a bit more), but perhaps the most important one is those vocals!! Orion has SUCH a powerful, daunting voice that is impressively versatile. He's opted to growl more often as opposed to shriek with each album, with the most obvious comparison being between the above record and their first, Firefrost Arcanum, though his growling is utterly fantastic. The spoken parts in "Silence Makes Noise (Eternity - The Mood)" give me chills every time, as does the psychotic laughter in "Narrenschyff". The lyrics are pure works of art, and the "symphonic" half of the music provides a great atmosphere that makes you feel as though you are going mad. This album is the personification of insanity, and the creepy jester on the cover makes you think demented carnival. And that really isn't too far off. (A full review of this album can be expected at some point.)

VESANIA-Rage of Reason

 

9.) KAMELOT-The Black Halo

Running Time: 57:15

Released On: Steamhammer

Favorite Tracks Include: (1) "March of Mephisto", (8) "Moonlight", (12) "Memento Mori"

I was extremely hesitant with this band at first. Roy Khan's vocals took some time for me to be able to enjoy, but, after I finally got used to them after listening to "March of Mephisto" quite a few times, I couldn't get enough of them. I started listening to them because I found out Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir did guest vocals on "March of Mephisto", and it was around that time that I was completely addicted to Dimmu (I've since moved on from them, of course, as is customary). "March" became my favorite song, and I had only respect for this band after I learned that this album and the one that preceded it, Epica, are based off the story of Faust. Goethe's Faust is one of my favorite works of literature, and I plan on reading Marlowe's Dr. Faustus very soon. Kamelot's rendition of the classic story of Faust is marvelous alone, and made all the better by the fact that it was put to music.

KAMELOT (ft. Shagrath)-March of Mephisto

 

10.) DECAPITATED-Nihility (2002)

Running Time: 35:01

Released On: Earache Records

Favorite Tracks Include: (4) "Nihility (Anti-Human Manifesto)", (6) "Spheres of Madness", (7) "Babylon's Pride"

OH YES. The third group on this list from Poland, arguably my favorite source of death metal of any kind. Nihility is my favorite album from tech. death band Decapitated. What makes this album my favorite is the song that got me hooked on the band, "Babylon's Pride". It also features Sauron, my favorite Decapitated vocalist, as well as Vitek's simply amazing drumming on "Spheres of Madness", also one of my favorite songs from the band. I could listen to this album over and over again, and still love each and every song as much as when I first heard them. Decapitated is unlike some other bands on this list, in that I did not have to take any extra time to fully enjoy them. The minute I heard "Babylon's Pride", I was finished. 

DECAPITATED-Babylon's Pride

 

So that's it!

That's a list of 10 of my favorite albums. These are not my top ten albums of all time, nor are they in any particular order. This is just a random group of ten of my favorite albums from certain bands. I tried to post bands I hadn't mentioned yet, hence why Behemoth and Vader and such had been left off the list. I hope you enjoyed my list! It had some variety, at least...

UPCOMING BLOG TOPICS (in no order):

-Wintersun

-Hate

-Vesania-Distractive Killusions review (and then some)

-"Two Minutes to Midnight: Short Songs That Pack a Punch"

-"Irreligious" (a rant on obnoxious practitioners of their religions/lack thereof)

-Older album reviews I've done

-My "Top 10" of last year

-Whatever else I feel like