Global Domination

Top 30 albums from 2000-2009: Khlysty

16/07/10  ||  Khlysty

1. Neurosis: Given to the rising (2007)

Neurosis’ past work has been pillaged by so many bands during the early ‘00s, you’d think that them hardcore hippies from the Bay Area would have nothing left to work with. Also, their previous records seemed to a softer and more introspective direction, making us feel that, at long last, age has started to show on them guys. What fools were we! “Given To The Rising” is one behemoth of a record, that simply obliterates everything in its path –detractors, progeny, limits. The pure heavosity of this album is just unimaginable, while the band’s trademarked dynamics are given new and improved highs and lows. As a culmination of Neurosis’ previous works, “Given To The Rising” is flawless. As an indication of the band’s new-found energy and aggression, it’s unfuckwithable. As one of the heaviest –physically and spiritually- records of the fist 2k-decade, it just has no competition. Bow down, or be annihilated!!!

2. Deathspell Omega: Si monumentum requires, circumspice (2004)

Experimental black metal, with a deep philosophical twist and incredibly dense songwriting and performance.

3. Isis: Oceanic (2002)

Taking the “post-metal” tag, single-handedly, to unbelievable heights of beauty and despair.

4. Insect Warfare: World extermination (2007)

Grindcore for a new, nastier generation: fast, punishing, politically-charged, creative and agonizingly heavy.

5. Electric Wizard: Dopethrone (2000)

If early Black Sabbath took a combination of smack, brown acid and ‘shrooms, were given bigger amps and were told to turn their trips/nightmares into music, this is what they would sound like.

6. Cobalt: Gin (2009)

Black metal as cleansing ritual; be careful of the blood…

7. The Ocean: Precambrian (2007)

A combination of post-hardcore, progressive tendencies and a geological-era-sized ambition results into a brilliant, sprawling, ultimately engaging record.

8. Shrinebuilder: Shrinebuilder (2009)

Wino, Scott Kelly, Al Cisneros and Dale Crover working together – need I say more…?

9. Coffins: Buried death (2008)

A Japanese trio that exhumes early death/doom, gives it the once-over and unleashes it to the unsuspecting public; you need rabies and tetanus shots to even listen to this beast.

10. Deathspell Omega: Fas – ite, maledicti, in ignem aeternum (2007)

Expanding upon the previous records, this album finds DsO going for the jugular, with a record that writhes, bites, spits, screams, spasms and generally does what brilliant black metal is supposed to do.

11. Jesu: Silver (2003)

Combining Godflesh’s suffocating heaviness with Ride’s pop sensibilities, J. K. Broadrick creates a head-scratching, heart-rendingly beautiful E.P.

12. Nachtmystium: Assassins: Black meddle, part 1 (2008)

Fuck troo, fuck kvlt, fuck nekro: Nachtmystium’s psychedelic blackened metal is the shit for a new, dark millennium.

13. Dead Congregation: Graves of the archangels (2008)

Death metal, done the right way: no frills, no polish, no wankery, just brutality combined with improbable smarts.

14. Meshuggah: Nothing (2002)

This is the musical equivalent of quantum physics: incredibly complex and dense, awe-inspiring, structurally and texturally sound and fucking deep in every which way you look at it.

15. Mastodon: Remission (2002)

Before going all Rush, Mastodon used to be a blood, gristle and bones metal band that never let its prog tendencies overwhelm strong songwriting and pathos-drenched performances – “Remission” is the band’s high point.

16. Sigh: Imaginary sonicscape (2001)

By recombining blackened thrash with symphonic music, these totally insane Japanese create a singularity in metal universe and show some other guys how this shit is properly done.

17. Pig Destroyer: Prowler in the yard (2001)

A serial-killer concept grind album with razor-sharp riffing, creative, powerful drumming and a vocalist who sounds clearly demented – hey, count me in!

18. Agalloch: Ashes against the grain (2006)

Never before had ambition sounded so good: blackened rock music, majestic, awe-inspiring and hair-raisingly powerful.

19. High On Fire: Death is this communion (2007)

Riffs, riffs, riffs and more riffs by riff-meister Matt Pike. Burly, devil-may-care, raise-yer-fist metal and then some.

20. Gojira: From Mars to Sirius (2005)

Environmentally-conscious death metal, played with verve, creativity and passion by those Frenchmen.

21. Converge: No heroes (2006)

How on earth can a band, so late in its career, be able to concoct such an angular brew of adrenaline, anger, pathos, venom and creativity, is really beyond my comprehension.

22. Behemoth: Zos kia cultus (2002)

Satanic blackened death metal from Poland’s best, that’s staggeringly vicious, incredibly chaotic and terrifyingly concise.

23. Anaal Nathrakh: Codex necro (2001)

Totally succeeds in capturing what Hell might sound like…

24. Giant Squid: Metridium fields (2006)

Updating the early ‘70s proto doom sound is nothing new; doing it in a way that sounds fresh and exciting, though, is something new.

25. Dødheimsgard: Supervillain outcast (2007)

The perfect combination of black metal fury and cold industrial anger.

26. Bloodbath: The fathomless mastery (2008)

The best record from this quasi-super group of Scandinavian death metal luminaries.

27. Yob: The unreal never lived (2005)

Sometimes you just need to relax and Yob’s psychedelocrushing doom does just that.

28. Cult Of Luna: Eternal kingdom (2008)

Very few bands have been able to stand out in the NeurIsis field of music and Cult Of Luna is one of them.

29. Marduk: Wormwood (2009)

Super-fast, super-anti-Christian black metal from Sweden by veterans of the genre who seem to still have lotsa hatred to burn.

30. Swallow The Sun: The Morning never came (2003)

Superbly executed funereal doom from Finland.