Lots of good old Alternative/Industrial/Nu-metal and the rise of old gothic metal legends as well as some new underground stuff. Was the year 2015 the year of musical comebacks and Black Metal? I found it great anyways. Here you have the final chapter of my personal list of The Best Albums of 2015 1.–10.
– J.L.
Ok, if talking purely about the music only, maybe this wouldn’t be the absolute best album of 2015, but it was a long-waited comeback album which I had pretty high expectations for and it did deliver. Not as great as my personal favourite Dark Days but strong album nevertheless. Glad they did it and looking forward what comes next.
2. DHG (Dödheimsgard) – A Umbra Omega
Weird Norwegian Industrial Avantgarde Black Metal. 8 years passed since their latest album, so A Umbra Omega is a long-waited album too. Great!
3. Moonspell – Extinct
In someways I feel I found Moonspell again with this album. I don’t know if it’s me or the album, but I’ve listened this repeatedly and it just keeps on getting better and better.
4. VI – De Praestigiis Angelorum
Great Black Metal from the members from Antaeus and Aosoth, which both are my favourite French bands among Deathspell Omega. Released by Agonia Records. There’s something unique and awesome about this scene.
5. Fear Factory – Genexus
Heavy guitars! This album includes some of the best FF songs in many many years, which is a thing many of the records on my list share. If only more tracks on the album were as cool as for example Soulhacker, it might have been the album of 2015.
6. Shining – International Blackjazz Society
Norwegian Blackjazz. A lot better than the Swedish självmord metallers. For me this band gets better with every album. Nice video by the way!
7. Clandestine Blaze – New Golgotha Rising
Perhaps the best Finnish Black Metal band. Raw “second wave” stuff at its best. A must-buy for Darkthrone fans like myself.
8. Outre – Ghost Chants
What the fuck do they put in the drinking water in Poland? Nergal’s piss? Really, Mgła, Kriegsmaschine (maybe the best BM album of 2014), Blaze of Perdition and now Outre? An awesome album! A brand new band for me and I’m glad I found it.
9. Mgła – Exercises in Futility
Really, what the fuck Poland? You should put these bands on Eurovision.
10. Paradise Lost – The Plague Within
Paradise Lost has always been good, and I really like even their Depeche Mode era stuff – a lot! But, like Moonspell’s album, I’ve listened this one way more I thought I would or should. Great melodies.
Too much great stuff this year, so I had to make a Top 21 list. Why twentyone? Simple formula should answer that question: 21 * 32 – 6 = 666. Not only do you get the Number of the Beast with it, number 21 also is the name of Adele’s second album and the atomic number of Scandium! Got the point? Anyways, these lists will include lots of cool Black Metal, both second wave stuff and so called post or avantgarde black metal as well as some good old Alternative US Metal and what not! Here you go, The Best Albums of 2015 11. – 21. (1. – 10. coming later!)
11. Ghost – Meliora
You all know these Swedish ghouls fronted by the pope Papa Emeritus himself. For many this is propably a Top 10 album. Well, it is en bra skiva.
12. Cradle Of Filth – Hammer Of The Witches
One of my favourite bands since the teenage years. They can do almost anything and anyways it’s a must-buy record for me.
13. Faith No More – Sol Invictus
Not the best FNM can do, but it did grow on me.
14. Decline Of The I – Rebellion
This is not the only French Black Metal album on the whole Top 21 list and this is exactly what I like about them: the music is sick, dark, very weird and avantgarde. Surprise, surprise, released by Agonia Records.
15. Horna – Hengen Tulet
One of the best Finnish Black Metal bands. Awesome vocals on this one. A must-buy World Terror Committee release.
16. Marilyn Manson – The Pale Emperor
This album was definitely not a disappointment, but I’m still waiting something stronger from this dude. Not enough variety maybe this time, dunno…
17. Agos – Irkalla Transcendence [EP]
Brand new band with their debut EP. Greek Death Metal with some BM influences. Could be higher on the list, if only had I got the time to properly listen to it. As a fan of Arkhon Infaustus this one hits the twisted DM nerve for me.
18. The Death Of Gagarin – No. 8
Countdown for the launch(?) continues after the great No. 9. But this album is even better. Best Finnish Rock in 2015. Check them out!
19. Vision Of Disorder – Razed to The Ground
Nice Hardcore influenced Metal (or something) with lots of cool grunge-like melodies. Not their best album but good enough. This one might be even for some of you V fans out there!
20. Year Of The Goat – The Unspeakable
Swedish Occult Rock again! This is good. Might be higher on the list, but somehow I haven’t yet got the time to dwell into it. Their last one, Angel’s Necropolis would’ve been on Top 10.
21. Napalm Death – Apex Predator – Easy Meat
Grrrrindcooorrrre!!
Here’s some cool new or relatively new songs from the bands and individuals who were part of the making of the new Violence.
Anzi
Anzi Destruction – who recorded our upcoming album at his Chemistry Studios – released recently his own new album. Here’s one of my favourites from the “Black Dog Bias” album, the track called “Big Enemy”.
And here’s a stylish music video for the single “I Let You Dive”. Check it out and for more info www.anzi.co.uk
WOTZC
Former keyboardist of Wankers Of The Zoo Crew (WOTZC) Tommi Salomaa played a big part in arranging keyboards and strings as well as programming samples to our new album. His ex-band just released cool track “Overrated” which features the motherfucking Jari “Siltsu” Sillanpää! How cool is that?! Give it a listen below!
Here is a band V FOR VIOLENCE has done a lot together with! We’ve shared the same stage on many occations, had a Turpashokki MMXI mini tour together and what not, so of course we had to invite them to our recording sessions of the new record! Unfortunately, they decided to quit recently, still looking forward to their comeback. Here’s one of my personal favourites tracks “Things Fall Apart” from the band’s last album “Lies About Ourselves”. Give it a listen below.
For more info: www.coldcoldground.com
