Best of Metal: 2009 & the decade

by HellHammer • 2 Jan 2009, 15:32 • Journals
This has become tradition since I've been doing journals like these for 3 years or so, and many people here are interested in them so what the hell.

I have to say that 2009 has been an amazing year for metal, with literally hundreds of releases that are worthy of appearing on my list, but only the 30 best get the glory. So here I have pared my list down to the very best albums in metal for the year.


Germany The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
Australia Be'lakor - Stone's Reach
Poland Riverside - Anno Domini High Definition
4: United States of America Mastodon - Crack the Skye
5: Serbia The Stone - Umro
6: United States of America Isis - Wavering Radiant
7: France Blut Aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta II: Dialogue with the Stars
8: Mexico The Chasm - Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm
9: United Kingdom Anaal Nathrakh - In the Constellation of the Black Widow
10: United States of America Redemption - Snowfall on Judgment Day
11: United States of America While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose
12: United States of America Shadow Gallery - Digital Ghosts
13: United States of America Nile - Those Whom the Gods Detest
14: United States of America Cobalt - Gin
15: Sweden Isole - Silent Ruins
16: Sweden Wolf - Ravenous
17: Finland Swallow the Sun - New Moon
18: Ukraine Drudkh - Microcosmos
19: Faroe Islands Tyr - By the Light of the Northern Star
20: Denmark Anubis Gate - The Detached
21: United States of America Absu - Absu
22: United States of America Wolves in the Throne Room - Malevolent Grain
23: Poland Graveland - Spears of Heaven
24: Australia Destroyer 666 - Defiance
25: Spain Teitanblood - Seven Chalices
26: Norway Immortal - All Shall Fall
27: United States of America Wolves in the Throne Room - Black Cascade
28: United Kingdom Paradise Lost - Faith Divides Us - Death Unites Us
29: Germany Suidakra - Crogacht
30: United Kingdom Heaven and Hell - The Devil You Know

DVD of the year

United Kingdom Iron Maiden - Flight 666

Song of the year

I can't pick between those 2 so I will just go with both of them :)

Australia Be'lakor - Countless skies
Finland Swallow the Sun - New Moon

Also, a decade has passed and it's good to see what albums people may have missed so I made a (smaller) list of the best metal albums released from 2000 to 2009, together with why I personally put them there.
So here goes:


Ireland Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness
You can't argue with this. This is the best metal can do. I have listened to it more than a million times, and still every time I do it blows my fucking mind. Other albums seem tiny compared to the raw and mesmerizing power of this monster. Nemtheanga does not sing these songs, he lives them. Without a doubt the best metal album of all time. Also a worthy mention, Primordial dedicated it to Quorthon and Bathory.
Ireland Primordial - To the Nameless Dead
Many people have thought that trying to reach the awesomeness of The Gathering Wilderness is impossible, but these guys did it. Again. Primordial is one of those very few bands that reach beyond genre to create defining and iconoclastic art.
United States of America Isis - Panopticon
If outer space aliens invaded and asked to listen to only one album before deciding to wipe out our race, this would be it. This CD is proof that humans are worthy of life, because some of them were able to make an album like this. Hail the bible of sludge.
4: Finland Moonsorrow - V: Havitetty
Total shock and awe. Probably the most epic metal album of all time. Sorry Quorthon.
5: Austria Summoning - Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame
You have to listen to this because words can't describe what trip you are about to take. If you think Tolkien is cheesy and for kids, think again.
6: Norway Communic - Waves of Visual Decay
Together with Conspiracy in Mind, this album delivers so much strength, uniqueness and potential that it makes me standing proud to have experienced it, although first I have to fix my broken neck from all that headbanging \m/.
7: United States of America Wolves in the Throne Room - Diadem of Twelve Stars
The first time I was finished listening to it I needed quite alot of time to pick up the pieces of whats left of my soul. When I did, I listened to it again. And again. And again. And again. And again. For months. The whole process was repeated when Two Hunters was released.
8: Sweden Lost Horizon - A Flame to the Ground Beneath
Many people have said that if there is one band that should not have split up in the history of metal, these guys would be it, and I would concur. I am not a big fan of power metal as most bands sound extremely gay, but these guys, holy fucking shit, they prove the exact opposite.
9: Sweden Pain of Salvation - Be
The best progressive metal album of all time. Nothing else needs to be said. Only maybe that people should buy it instead of downloading it, because without the concept art and the lyrics, they will be confused, as it is a very demanding album.
10: Norway Pagan's Mind - Celestial Entrance
Pagan's Fucking Mind! What more can I say about this band that has not already been said? When it comes to genius musical talent these guys are at the top of the list. I have listened to this masterpiece a million times, and every time I listen it gets better, and I hear something new.
11: Germany The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
I can't believe I almost forgot about this diamond. A total mindfuck of an album, if this was the direction black metal is heading to in the new decade, then my reaction would be FUCK YEAH.Normally containing repetitive or hypnotic song writing and having a heavy focus on atmosphere, these albums are not for the casual listen – they require immediate and constant attention as they take you on an epic journey into the mind and soul of the artist. I don't think any other album this year will be as gratifying time after time after time. If you want to experience what black metal is capable of doing as a real art form, then you must hear this. Buy it, listen to it, absorb it, be absorbed by it. Masterful.
12: Romania Negura Bunget - Om
Noctiferia would kill me if he didnt see this one here :D
Comments
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Sigur 2 Jan 2009, 15:34
Yeah mastodon and isis are gold imo. Isis concert this summer was one of best ive seen
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alhric 2 Jan 2009, 15:36
dont know any of those bands :D
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crook 2 Jan 2009, 15:37
I love these journals, great taste mate! <3

(well, usually I agree with your lists, but now i need to check most names :D)
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pala 2 Jan 2009, 15:37
im a metal fan but ive never heard of any of these artists :( shame shame
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mini 2 Jan 2009, 15:38
what is this Iron Maiden??!?!?!11
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Techniker 2 Jan 2009, 15:39
An overrated "metal band.
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mini 2 Jan 2009, 15:40
Quotenever heard of any of these artists
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Techniker 2 Jan 2009, 15:42
Just answered your question.
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mini 2 Jan 2009, 15:50
my question was rhetorical
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pala 2 Jan 2009, 15:56
i know iron maiden, now get the fuck out you stupid nerd and don't reply to me
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pebe 2 Jan 2009, 15:37
you kidding me right?
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pupupup 2 Jan 2009, 15:38
Going to check Primordial and Moonsorrow. :-)
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crook 2 Jan 2009, 15:59
Primordial is one of my favourite bands aswell, I would advise To the Nameless Dead instead of Gathering Wilderness to get into them though.
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LD 2 Jan 2009, 17:02
The Moonsorrow album he mentioned has only 2 songs on it :)

Oh and they are aweome.
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 15:41
does the decade start at 2010 or 2011?
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duumed 2 Jan 2009, 15:42
2010
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 15:43
did the century start at 2000 or 2001?
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duumed 2 Jan 2009, 15:43
2000
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 15:45
do the dates/years start at 0 or 1?
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duumed 2 Jan 2009, 15:51
:l
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 15:53
was there a year 0?
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duumed 2 Jan 2009, 15:58
The year system is based on the birth of jesus, meaning the years before that are BC if you think of them as pure numbers then the years before jesus would be negative and the years after that would be positive. So yeah, there is year 0.
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:00
that "system" is called anno domini and it has no year 0

np, love to educate
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duumed 2 Jan 2009, 16:05
that's rather retarded
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:07
same as the people that don't know their shit
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 15:53
just tell him, he rly is too stupid
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 15:54
you tell me then, what was the first anno domini year?
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:02
year jesus was born
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:02
ok, and what's the designation of that year?
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:11
i dont know what you askin here, but year we got is according to jesus birth in year 0,
his birth was in reality 4-7 bc afaik
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:13
reading hurts huh

what is the designation of the first year in anno domini "system"?
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:16
cant concentrate atm, playin poker
but h/e, just imagine i dont know
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:17
who's too stupid now?
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:18
u
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:21
actually I think that would be you

now

and always
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:26
read that-> "do the dates/years start at 0 or 1?" as decade's start at 0 or 1 + the questions before where just plain stupid+i still dont get the question, if you didnt mean decade
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:37
millennium/century/decade all start with the 1st year so this decade ain't over, it will be over on 31.12.2010. and that's what a lot of people don't get

the questions weren't stupid at all, not my fault stupid people don't get them, they were there to point out the stupidity of people that think that the new decade started yesterday
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:39
no, decade starts at 01.01.X0
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:42
so a decade has 9 years?
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:45
think again
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:49
alrighty then, just for you

1st year - start of the first decade
10th year - start of a new decade (according to you)

considering a decade usually has 10 years, what year does the first decade end, according to you?
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:54
oki, for you

00 till 01 = 1yr
>02 = 2yrs
>03 =3 yrs
.
.
.
>31.12.09 = 10 yrs

& 01.01.10 = new decade

got it? if not dicuss with hellhammer, he got more time
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:55
how can you start with 00 if the very first decade started at the same time as the very first century and very first millennium, which is year 1? really you people...
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 17:08
rly...sleep some hours and try to think about that another time, bye
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 16:45
Count the fingers in your hands starting from 0. Scary huh?
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 16:47
how could I count them starting with 0 if I don't have 0th finger?
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crook 2 Jan 2009, 16:22
That was the first year, still in progress. Just as last year was the 2009th year. There is no year 0, just a "point 0" if you will, which is jesus his acclaimed birthdate. I recon it could have been different if the starting point for our calendar was an unpreceded event like e.g the big bang.
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nicon 2 Jan 2009, 16:23
jesus was born before point 0 tho!!!1
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crook 2 Jan 2009, 16:27
That's besides the point baccalaureus was making. :)
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toogi 2 Jan 2009, 16:36
starts at 2001 cause 2000 its last year of 1th century
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nakato 2 Jan 2009, 18:11
depends how you count. Decade = 10 years. Starting point should be defined. Everything else you say is just to confuse people.

AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH PEOPLE SAYING THE NEW DECADE STARTED ON 01/01/2010 because the decade before started at 01/01/2000 and ended at 31/12/2009 (GENUINE decade)


nuff said ...
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 19:07
then I can define that a decade started in 2004, so next one starts at 2014

I think we all (should) understand which decades I'm talking about
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nakato 2 Jan 2009, 21:20
no, since decades are arbitrary and none are wrong.

you failed

EDIT: time is on the interval-level of measurements because there is no absolute zero to be defined. Hence your argument has only face value and should be disregarded!
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danL 2 Jan 2009, 22:27
how can it be arbitrary if it starts with 1? there is no 0 year

and the last paragraph you wrote is a bit off, if time falls under interval scale of measurement levels then it would be wrong, since time has a zero point and in interval scales you do not have a zero point

however time, as a physical value, would be measured with a ratio scale, when you want to measure the duration of an event and correlation between similar events you use ratios which have a distinct zero point
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nakato 3 Jan 2009, 13:28
wrong, time in the sense of years is interval, no ABSOLUTE zero point, only arbitrary, because you can start it when Jesus Christ was born, or let it start at the French Revolution, or even the Big Bang. (yes, year 1 and not 0)

In other words you can linear transformation on the data (aX + b) and still be able to tell something about it. If it were on the ratio level you can only do transformations of (y= aX).

For example, lets take 1789 (French Revolution) as our arbitrary zero point. So the transformation would be Y= X - 1789

Then I would be born in 198 and now would be 221. I would still become 23 during this year and I can compare this to other people. Get my drift?
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danL 3 Jan 2009, 13:35
since we've been talking about the AD all along I think there's a distinct zero point and you've clearly messed something up because you started talking about measurement scales and then claimed that time is measured by interval scales which is not

didn't read pass the first paragraph since you've had a misconclusion in it so rest is probably wrong aswell
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nakato 3 Jan 2009, 13:41
QuoteThe "zero point" on an interval scale is arbitrary; and negative values can be used.


From Wikipedia about interval levels. negative values -> AD = negative!

expected more of a debate there danL, a simple "you're first statement is wrong so I won't read the rest" seems ... disappointing ...
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danL 3 Jan 2009, 13:55
well I don't have anything more to debate about since you also seem to drift away from the original matter starting with your original post, we've gone into a pointless debate which has nothing to do with the point I'm making, but ok, I'll try to explain it in another way;

let's say that the time between the zero point(Christ's birth which has been taken as a starting point for AD) and now is an interval of 2009 years with the first year being labeled as Year 1, and as any interval, you can divide it into a set of numbers
now, for our purposes we will divide it into decades and not centuries or years, if we agree that the first decade started at the same time that our time measuring started we would get that the first decade started at Year 1 and ended with Year 10, meaning the second decade started at Year 11 and ended with Year 20
now, simple calculation would tell us that in these 2009 years that we've had so far we had 200.9 decades(dividing by 10) saying that we don't have full 201 decades and the first decade in this century(or millennium if you please) started at Year 2001 and ends with Year 2010

I think nothing more needs to be said here
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nakato 3 Jan 2009, 14:09
well, neither of us is actually wrong. Except you for saying time is not on the interval level of measurement as well. Only point I tried to make is that time is an arbitrary thing and it's easy to confuse people because it's set on basis of convention. I see your way of thinking and there is absolutely nothing[/b] wrong with it, but there are other ways of thinking.

Great to see Crossfire has some thinking potential running around between the brainless morons :o) <3
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Fizmo 3 Jan 2009, 18:58
is 2000 part of the 90's?
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danL 3 Jan 2009, 19:10
that's completely irrelevant here

as the 199th decade yes, but if you're talking about the 90s as the decade of years that start with 9x then no
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unblind 2 Jan 2009, 15:46
09:

Haven't listened to ~Death unites us much yet but I'd say Katatonia / Ava inferi / My dying bride have all released better this year!!


suckiest album of 2010 award may well go to fear factory :D(
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spiROZE 2 Jan 2009, 15:48
blink-182
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huumeantti 2 Jan 2009, 15:50
What is this "metal" you're talking about?
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 17:21
I totally forgot about Negura Bunget till i saw your comment :D
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huumeantti 2 Jan 2009, 17:55
you also left out drudkh in the best of the decade -_-
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 17:59
Yeah and Shining and Deathspell omega and fanisk and windir and graveland and countless other bands :(
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snip0 2 Jan 2009, 16:09
Wtf, never heard of any of these bands.
Besides Iron Maiden, but they're fucking gay tbh.
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 16:15
I take it you are either a fan of 'N FLAMEZ or other emocore bands
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stownage 2 Jan 2009, 16:23
old in flames stuff rocks like hell tbh!
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 16:34
true, but there are millions of gothenburg/melodeath bands out there that follow the sound of old in flames and make it so much better.
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snip0 2 Jan 2009, 16:45
Probably it's rather because I haven't really ever followed the scene and I'm interested in other music besides Metal, too.
Actually there is Týr in the list which is one of my favourite bands, but I didn't see their name before. :-)
Can you recommend me good Pagan-/Vikingstyle bands?
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 16:52
So you like Tyr and think Iron Maiden who basically created metal and was probably the biggest influence on Tyr are gay? Kinda weird.

Anyway http://i45.tinypic.com/20r1mw8.jpg
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snip0 2 Jan 2009, 17:14
After relistening to some Iron Maiden stuff I think I've mistaken them for some other band. Dunno which tbh, was a similar name tho.
Anyway, thanks for the list.
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Techniker 2 Jan 2009, 18:14
"who basically created metal"

No,just no.
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 18:17
I simply advise you to delete your comment.
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Techniker 2 Jan 2009, 19:05
I simply advise you to get to know some more oldschool metal bands.
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HellHammer 3 Jan 2009, 13:09
Maybe bands like Sabbath thought of the riffs, but it was Maiden who globalized them. Think of what metal would be without Maiden. Probably genres such as prog, power or simply heavy metal wouldnt have been discovered.
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snip0 2 Jan 2009, 19:49
Remembered the band's name now, was talking about Children of Bodom. (Ok not similar at all but...)
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stownage 2 Jan 2009, 16:22
this is not best of metal 09 this is best of doom / death / black metal! metal has over 50 different kinds of "sound" ^^

nice album 2009 for Power Metal was Pyramaze - Immortal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8N458q2CqQ
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 16:29
Well to be honest my "list" has almost every kind of genre in metal, maybe the only one genre thats not there is power metal, but if i would put one of them there, I'd go for the new Pyramaze this year. As I've said, im not a very big fan of power metal (or grind for that matter) so you wont see me listing alot of power metal albums there. Also, I had to leave alot of really good albums out or the list would get too long.
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danL 3 Jan 2009, 14:03
can I ask, if you were to recommend a single album from your list to someone to introduce him to metal, and it isn't death or black, which one would it be?
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HellHammer 3 Jan 2009, 14:36
iron maiden - brave new world
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danL 3 Jan 2009, 14:39
noes, some album from that list there
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HellHammer 3 Jan 2009, 14:42
Primordial - to the nameless dead

if you mean the 2009 list, get the mastodon one.

or just any album from best of the decade, only wittr, moonsorrow, summoning and ruins of beverast are black/death that you dont want
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crook 2 Jan 2009, 16:30
Obviously some black metal groups are higher up his list, but this list isnt limited to the "sounds" you listed. He can't make a list for every metal genre. God knows there are already to many of those (genres i mean)

Most of the groups in this list brought something new to the scene, imo when it comes to power metal we have heard it all before.
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lahq 2 Jan 2009, 16:32
Old In Flames songs > *
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toogi 2 Jan 2009, 16:37
maiden ftw! it cant be overrated :O
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cattledecapitation 2 Jan 2009, 16:43
maiden isis and mastodon rule... cant do anything with the rest : (

best band of the decade :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs1Ubm2R4kk

also best ET player and etQW player ever
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teente 2 Jan 2009, 16:50
my top 2009 albums, no specific order

top 3

isole - silent ruins
mastodon - crack the skye
swallow the sun - new moon

other good albums

samael - above
kalisia - cybion
isis - wavering radiant
god dethroned - passiondale
candlemass - death magic doom
amorphis - skyforger

fail albums

agathodaimon - phoenix (dunno, it was simply bad)
callisto - providence (step the wrong way after awesome albums)
eluveitie - evocation I (why did they do that?)
my dying bride - for lies i sire (has anything by mdb not been a fail lately?)
the project hate - lustrate process (compared to previous..., ok on its own)


edit: didnt really listen to many new albums this year, just by the bands ive already known n liked n stuff :). And im not a power/speed/trash metal fan so it also somewhat limits the number of potential albums id listen to :D
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 16:53
Yep all those albums you mention are really fucking good.
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LD 2 Jan 2009, 17:00
Too much United States of America for my liking :)

I would put some Norway Vreid and France Benighted on my best of decade list.
But hey, that's why everyone has a different taste :P
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 17:02
Yeah im a very big fan of USBM :)
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LD 2 Jan 2009, 17:15
If I would make a list of top albums of the decade it would look something like this:
In no particular order

Belphegor – Bondage Goat Zombie
Immortal – Sons of Northern Darkness
I – Between Two Worlds (!!!)
Watain – Sworn To The Dark
Vreid – Milorg
Slayer – God Hates Us All (yes I included a newer Slayer album)
Benighted – Icon (!!!)
Gorgoroth – Incipit Satan
Taake - Over Bjoergvin Graater Himmerik
Taake - Taake
Benighted – Identisick
Satyricon - Now, Diabolical
Every Legion of the Damned album

Or just look over here lol http://www.last.fm/user/Antidude/charts?subtype=albums
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HellHammer 2 Jan 2009, 17:25
what the hell is slayer doing in that awesome list of yours? :D
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LD 2 Jan 2009, 17:28
Was the first metal band I listened to :o)
I guess it always stays with you for a bit. Rarely listen to it though.
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DemHerbs 2 Jan 2009, 18:47
thrash > *
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fuckthegovernment 12 Feb 2010, 19:18
Worst Metal compilation ever, shit albums, shit bands, except Immortal, Tyr & Moonsorrow
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HellHammer 12 Feb 2010, 20:43
Get out of your cave, troll.
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fuckthegovernment 12 Feb 2010, 21:25
I'm not trolling, your taste is awful.
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HellHammer 12 Feb 2010, 22:47
What is your taste then?
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fuckthegovernment 13 Feb 2010, 00:55
I was so negative in behalf of the hour I've lost this afternoon looking for links of the best albums according to metalstorm.ee of the bands you've posted. After downloading about 4Gb nearly nothing would fit in my taste. Just let it be ;
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