THE ENTMOOT: END YEAR RECOMMENDATIONS – PART III
Here is the third part to our list. You could view the first part here and the second part here.
Note: The list is in no particular order and the numbering does ‘NOT’ signify ranking. Also as is subject to individual tastes, all of these albums need not fit the definition of ‘metal’.
ENTMOOT – PART III
1. Spectral Lore – III (I,Voidhanger Records)
This beautiful atmospheric black metal double album is a rewarding listen if you have the patience to sit through its mammoth length of 90 minutes. Compared to most atmospheric black metal, this is very “clear” and dynamic in nature, with sorrowful melodies hitting you from every angle. Think of Vinterland without the obvious Nordic vibe and a much greater focus on “epic” songwriting and a lot of dark folk influences. Benjamin Vierling’s ever-brilliant artwork is befitting this album.
– Rohit Chaoji
2. Nothing – Guilty of Everything (Relapse Records)
Didn’t expect to see this here now did you? A really great album which mixes some really dreamy shoegaze with hard fuzzy Smashing Pumpkins like rock, adding to this immensely are the abstract yet powerful lyrics.
– Mohammad Kabeer
3. Ringworm – Hammer of the Witch (Relapse Records)
40+ minutes of balls-out, unforgiving, in your face metallic hardcore without any semblance of pretension whatsoever.
– Anoop Bhat
4. Alunah – Awakening the Forest (Napalm Records)
With a pagan lyrical ambit that reminds me of classic British folk rock, Alunah has emerged as a reliably beguiling doom act. Their warm sound and mystical vocals go perfectly with folkloric topics they deal in. This album isn’t really an advance on White Hoarhound, but in this case it’s a question of not needing to fix what isn’t broken.
– Jayaprakash Satyamurthy
5. Obscurity – Vintar (Trollzorn Records)
For me, folk/pagan metal has faded. Gone is the charm that they once held. But all hope is not lost, at least not the style that once was indeed worth your time. Obscurity’s Vintar might have well taken up the mantle in that regard.
– Nishanth
6. Godhunter – City of Dust (Battleground Records)
From Tucson, Arizona come Godhunter, a sludgy, doomy grinding monster that piles on one killer riff after another. This album is a rare beast that doesn’t sound like anything else out there. From spoken word pieces by Chris Hedges to unusual melodies to the quality riffage this is an album that has made me a Godhunter fan for life.
– Dinesh Raghavendra
7. Wrong – Doomed from the Start (Independent Release)
Some really raw bass and drum powerviolence, not for the faint of heart!
– Mohammad Kabeer
8. Darkspace – Darkspace III I (Avantgarde Music)
Darkspace continues where it left off with Dark Space III and delivers another dense, trance-inducing miasma of black metal/dark ambient. The songs are of a much longer length this time and are surprisingly much more melodic. A must-listen if you have the patience to sit through it.
– Rohit Chaoji
9. Tortorum – Katabasis (World Terror Committee)
Makes for a really good listen when compared to similar sounding releases dominating the landscape of 2014. Has a ring of great atmosphere to it and doesn’t shy away from melody, which in fact gives it an edge.
– Dipankar Mohanty
10. Woods of Desolation – As the Stars (Northern Silence Productions)
I rate the releases from Saor and Nasheim, both on the same roster, lower than this opus. ‘D’ has outdone himself again. Atmospheric black metal at its finest.
– Nishanth
11. Horrendous – Ecdysis (Dark Descent Records)
Confident, dynamic and downright mind-blowing. This is death metal with pizzazz.
– Anoop Bhat
This is just a well made death metal record. Ok, it has a copious amount of melody but in no way its saccharine.
– Dipankar Mohanty
12. Wwhirr – Modern Hypocrisy (Independent Release)
A bass and drum powerviolence band that just goes to show how pivotal the instrument is to the genre. Here is a band that explores the roots of this genre in punk rock, rather than hardcore, the result of which is some really laid back, bouncy powerviolence.
– Mohammad Kabeer
13. Sorcier des Glaces – Ritual of the End (Obscure Abhorrence Productions)
This is atmospheric black metal at its best and exactly what a listener should expect from the genre. Its melodies have that hypnotizing effect.
– Dipankar Mohanty
14. Swallowed – Lunarterial (Dark Descent Records)
I always tend to dismiss newer “old school” death metal bands as derivative crap, unless something catches my attention. The artwork is usually a good indicator. If it looks like it would fit on a 1980s thrash metal album, it most probably sucks. Lunarterial’s album cover reminded me of the album cover of “Nothing But the Whole” by Emptiness, also released this year. While that album is good (almost made it to the list), this album pretty much sounds like the cover artwork in audio form. This is some really twisted death/doom with a good sense of songwriting that keeps it from sounding too directionless or random and probably the best death/doom in recent years.
– Rohit Chaoji
15. Ogre – The Last Neanderthal (Minotauro Records)
“The Last Neanderthal” is a kickass comeback from Ogre. It still has 6 really good songs and while their music is very derivative and they are heavily influenced by Black Sabbath, Pentagram and 70s hard rock, but few bands can mimic their inspirations as well as Ogre do and for that I am grateful.
– Dinesh Raghavendra
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