[ferday]

since it's that time of year, and i'm a list fanatic...here is my top metal for 2012.  i've chosen only albums that i own...so there are a bunch that would've made the list except i don't have my own copy yet.  no pretense intended...just a boring list from an anonymous internet metal fan.  i listen extensively to a lot of other genres, so this music probably isn't as "extreme" as some

ash borer - cold of ages
this is probably my album of the year, in any genre, i can't get enough of this.  post rock influenced USBM, equally beautiful, devastating, and....dare i say hopeful?  music for the post apocalypse.  

preterite - pillar of winds
hypnotic, ritualistic, beautifully realized folksy drone.  this is not for everyone, but those who like it will love it dearly.  difficult but hauntingly rewarding.

menace ruine - alight in ashes 
adding BM influenced wall of sound and a darker touch to preterite style drone.  i've always been a fan, and this is their most fully realized (and formless) work.  best listened to as a complete work...in the dark late at night under the influence.

deftones - koi no yokan
we all know them, and this is one of their strongest efforts, combining the aggressiveness of their 90's work with the experiments of their last two.  gorgeous.

christian mistress - possession
my personal favorite entry into the currently popular 70's retro metal thing.  baroness are going to get all the accolades this year (despite being weak IMO) but this album is getting heavy play for me and the vocals are simply stellar.

lamb of god - resolution
it's not even close to their best, and for me maybe even my least favorite...but if half the metal bands out there were as clean, tight and had half the songcraft of these guys....plus this is the only thrash-y full length this year IMO that actually thrashes (ok gojira gets a nod too) and i'm such a huge fan that LoG will always make the list no matter what crap they put out

spawn of possession - incurso
this is what deathcore/brutal tech death should sound like...for me at least.  they're from sweden...so all you amercian -core punks take note of how to do this right

haarp - husks
southern blackened sludge doom awesomeness.  produced by the king of southern metal himself, phil anselmo...how could it be anything but great?

gojira - l'enfant sauvage
this disc is just plain fun.  showing maturity in all aspects of songwriting and some devastating riffage, i've never been a huge fan but this album rocks, flat out, from start to finish.

down - iv the purple ep
the best most anthemic phil anselmo since great southern trendkill.  i'm actually going to tie this one with metallica - beyond magnetic....both are solid EP offerings from old school favorites.


there was a lot of solid releases this year, but i'll stick to ten just because.

Edit: I'd like to throw in finding this forum, and especially metal-fi, helping me learn about great music. Merry screwing Chrismas metalheads!

 

[samsquanch]

My vote, Om - Advaitic Songs. 
 

 

[Redcarmoose]

Quote:

anybody here likes Jane Doe by Converge? It's mostly called a masterpiece, one of the highest rated albums un sputnikmusic. I've heard it a couple times but I'm still not able to fully get it...
 
 

 
 
You will always hear people talking about that record. It is really hard to get into and understand. It is very hard to get used to. I have listened to it a lot but don't love it like many do. It seems many don't like it at first listen. You have to conform to their music first.

 

[Trogdor]

My vote, Om - Advaitic Songs. 

Mr Samsquanch, good form, I say, good form...not my favorite but a stellar release none the less.

 

[Trogdor]

since it's that time of year, and i'm a list fanatic...here is my top metal for 2012.  i've chosen only albums that i own...so there are a
Edit: I'd like to throw in finding this forum, and especially metal-fi, helping me learn about great music. Merry screwing Chrismas metalheads!

Happy holidays and thank you!

Metal-Fi plans to have their best of lists on the 24th, I hope you all tune in and check it out.

 

[Trogdor]

You will always hear people talking about that record. It is really hard to get into and understand. It is very hard to get used to. I have listened to it a lot but don't love it like many do. It seems many don't like it at first listen. You have to conform to their music first.

You got to like Converge. But as another poster stated, their latest is to some extent more accessible than previous releases.

 

[Redcarmoose]

Quote:

You got to like Converge. But as another poster stated, their latest is to some extent more accessible than previous releases.

They are really amazing. I have the Jane Doe CD as well as No Heroes both on CD and red/white/black spatter vinyl. I listen to em as still trying to get into the sound?
 
Purchased No Heroes when it came out in 06! Having a hard time with the new album. For me this music takes a ton of effort. After playing Jane Doe like ten times I guess I started to understand what it was about. Quite a mental work-out. And that comes from someone listening to some of the most intense black and death. It is almost like with math-core and punk/hardcore they made a metal hybrid which some just love! I'm still really waiting for the sound to hit home, if it ever does? I should maybe see em live?

 

[Leveler]

Quote:

 
 
You will always hear people talking about that record. It is really hard to get into and understand. It is very hard to get used to. I have listened to it a lot but don't love it like many do. It seems many don't like it at first listen. You have to conform to their music first.

You are right, Iv'e had it as BG music 2 or 3 times today, I'll try to give it a full listen while reading the lyrics. I do not find it unlistenable, actually very good for what it is, the only thing is that it hasn't "clicked" yet with me

 

[Redcarmoose]

Quote:

You are right, Iv'e had it as BG music 2 or 3 times today, I'll try to give it a full listen while reading the lyrics. I do not find it unlistenable, actually very good for what it is, the only thing is that it hasn't "clicked" yet with me

I think it clicked once then went away...HAHA
 
The vinyl reissue as well as the No Heroes reissues are some of the nicest records ever. There was a post by me once it this thread that showed all the colors they made it in. The jackets are gate fold and totally art-like. It was one of the few records I have ever seen that you just wanted to own just for how beautiful it is!
 
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=converge+jane+doe
 
 
I don't own Jane Doe on vinyl but I held it in my hand in a record store( when those places existed).
 

 
 
Here is No Heroes in b/w splatter!
 
 
 

 
 
This came out Aug 1st 2012.
Converge/Napalm Death split.

 

[Leveler]

Those LPs look so beautiful, I wouldn't mind buying one just for the sake of having the artwork on that size haha, even though I don't have a record player nor probably will in the near future, it's just so god damn awesome. Actually I have 1 music store here in Panama that sells almost exclusively rock and metal records, I have found some neat stuff in there. I cycle between been in Panama and Costa Rica (I'm moving to Costa Rica at the end of january) and my absolute favorite store is a chain of music/video stores that are in about every corner, the sell a lot of metal there (Costa Rican's are huge fans of Black and Death Metal) and they sell a respectable amount of vinyl, the only problem is that their prices are ASTRONOMICAL, $20 bucks is considered really cheap for a cd there, average is about $26 and the most they go up to around $40  and such (they have a special edition of Blackwater Park there that I WANT, but it's like $46) I do order from amazon time to time, but if I just want 1 cd it's always around $20

 

[Redcarmoose]

Quote:

Those LPs look so beautiful, I wouldn't mind buying one just for the sake of having the artwork on that size haha, even though I don't have a record player nor probably will in the near future, it's just so god damn awesome. Actually I have 1 music store here in Panama that sells almost exclusively rock and metal records, I have found some neat stuff in there. I cycle between been in Panama and Costa Rica (I'm moving to Costa Rica at the end of january) and my absolute favorite store is a chain of music/video stores that are in about every corner, the sell a lot of metal there (Costa Rican's are huge fans of Black and Death Metal) and they sell a respectable amount of vinyl, the only problem is that their prices are ASTRONOMICAL, $20 bucks is considered really cheap for a cd there, average is about $26 and the most they go up to around $40  and such (they have a special edition of Blackwater Park there that I WANT, but it's like $46) I do order from amazon time to time, but if I just want 1 cd it's always around $20

http://www.amazon.com/Blackwater-Park-Legacy-Edition-Opeth/dp/B00377V6IS/ref=pd_sim_m_10
 
 
Not to brag but I only have a few metal LPs Blackwater Park is one, great on vinyl.
 
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/430124/what-are-your-favorite-top-five-opeth-albums
 

1..........STILL LIFE
2..........MORNINGRISE
3..........ORCHID
4..........WATERSHED  ( no one really likes Watershed ) ??
5..........BLACKWATER PARK
6..........DELIVERANCE
7..........MY ARMS, YOUR HEARSE
8..........DAMNATION
9..........GHOST REVERIES
 
I refuse to own their last release. I will never listen to that abomination ever again!
 
 

Even though I have never heard the original pressing, the Back On Black vinyl release sounds much better than the box set cd. The album has a super condensed guitar sound that is fuller on record. imo. Sometimes Orchard is my favorite Opeth. They really did all they needed to on the first record! In many ways Orchid is the definitive Opeth statement in my eyes. More stripped down, more heavy, really their very own sound before they left the trends of the era.

 

[Leveler]

yeah, that's the Blackwater Park I have for almost $50 lol
 
anyways I was going to post on the thread but I don't want to bump it 3 years later so I'll leave my top 5 here
 
 
 
1.Deliverance (yeah)
 
2. My Arms, Your Hearse
 
3.Blackwater Park
 
4.Watershed
 
5.Ghost Reveries 
 
I only own Deliverance, but plan to get them, little by little, I'd rather get them in C.R than wait shipping lol.
 
I haven't listened to Heritage, but it really doesn't call my attention at all
 
I write this as I listen to Hours of Wealth, the first time I heard it I kinda got chills when Mikael started singing

 

[Redcarmoose]

http://www.amazon.com/Watershed-Vinyl-Opeth/dp/B0017R5UIW
 
 
I don't know how they say this is a remaster. It came out in 08. Maybe the vinyl is remastered from what went onto the CD. You get a record and a CD in this set. The record is fantastic!
 
I was sick of Ghost Reveries only because it was in my car forever. Then I played it again and loved it. Ghost Reveries is another recent album that old-school Opeth fans have issues with. It's great though.
 
 
Do you like the Damnation release?
 

 

[Trogdor]

http://www.amazon.com/Blackwater-Park-Legacy-Edition-Opeth/dp/B00377V6IS/ref=pd_sim_m_10

Even though I have never heard the original pressing, the Back On Black vinyl release sounds much better than the box set cd. The album has a super condensed guitar sound that is fuller on record. imo. Sometimes Orchard is my favorite Opeth. They really did all they needed to on the first record! In many ways Orchid is the definitive Opeth statement in my eyes. More stripped down, more heavy, really their very own sound before they left the trends of the era.

I am going to break your heart but I hate to tell you 99% chance the BoB vinyl is the same master as the CD so if anything, the vinyl is worse! BoB vinyl is really a sham and I am sure Dave has a lot more to day about it.

The absolute best edition of BWP from when Dave and I were talking about is this:

MFN 264 Black Water Park

Typically brandy new in shrink warp is about ~$150-200. Ouch. YMMV.

In fact, I will let Dave brag about his new Opeth acquisition which is quite awesome! HINT: HE will be reviewing it soon.

 

[Leveler]

Quote:

http://www.amazon.com/Watershed-Vinyl-Opeth/dp/B0017R5UIW
 
 
I don't know how they say this is a remaster. It came out in 08. Maybe the vinyl is remastered from what went onto the CD. You get a record and a CD in this set. The record is fantastic!
 
I was sick of Ghost Reveries only because it was in my car forever. Then I played it again and loved it. Ghost Reveries is another recent album that old-school Opeth fans have issues with. It's great though.
 
 
Do you like the Damnation release?
 
 

Yes, I really like Damnation for what it is, a really good Progressive rock album, but I just dig their agressive (combined?) sound more, although I love to listen to Damnation when I'm with my dad in the car, it would top in my prog Rock list, though I don't listen to much prog rock .
 
of course many people will argue that Damnation is the best halve of Deliverance/Damnation but I like the overall style of Deliverance more
 
Just listened to their cover of Remember Tomorrow by Maiden and it made me remember how much I like Di'anno's Maiden, Maiden is really the band that made me start to appreciate metal. and their first two have a real special place in my heart. Again I'm fairly young so I haven't been listening to music nearly as much as most people here (I'm 15, really started getting into music in around 04)