Global Domination

GD's verdicts - Best of 2013: gk

28/12/13  ||  gk

1. Clutch: Earth Rocker

This is a collection of high quality songs with a few surprises in store as well as just being consistently fun and kick ass. Clutch sound absolutely vital on “Earth rocker” and this is essential listening for fans of the band but also well worth checking out if you’ve never heard them before.
The Face, Earth Rocker, Crucial Velocity

2: Goatess: Goatess

2 years after Lord Vicar’s masterful “Signs of osiris” album, Christian Linderson returned with the band Goatess and this is some classic Swedish doom metal. If you’re into doom at all, then you need to hunt this band down. Goatess has grown on me with every listen and after spending a good part of the year with it, this is in my top 5 for 2013. Essential stuff.
Oracle pt.2

3: Ulcerate: Vermis

Vermis is just huge. All dissonant riffs, crushing power and a claustrophobic intensity that pretty much melts my brain. Ulcerate crossed traditional death metal boundaries on the last album and “Vermis” is just a refinement of their sound.
Confronting Entropy

4: Voivod: Target Earth

“Target earth” is better than I ever thought it would be. I’d even say this is the best album the band’s done since 1993’s “The outer limits”. It may not be an exact musical match to the older albums but one spin of this and you know the spirit is the same and this is the same Voivod.
Target Earth

5: Wolvserpent: Perigea Antahkarana

This band was pretty good when they were doing ambient blackened drones but their 2012 demo saw them changing their sound and adding more dynamics. 2013 saw the band release the full length album “Perigea Antahkarana” which is basically a reworking of their demo and this is some beautiful music. The duo still use drones to create atmosphere but add elements of black metal, sludge and folk in making an album that is dark, haunting and completely captivating.
Wolvserpent: Perigea Antahkarana

Close… but no cigar

Dragonauta: Omega Pentagram

There’s an atmosphere at work here that takes its time in unraveling but then effortlessly sucks you in. “Omega pentagram” gets better with every listen and fans of doom or even straight up heavy metal should really dig this one out.
Omega pentagram

Krypts: Unending Degradation

“Unending degradation” is a great debut. The band has managed to live up to the expectations set by the demo and the 7” and this album is essential listening for fans of death-doom.
Unending Degradation

Avatarium: Avatarium

This is quite possibly the best thing Edling has done since that second Krux album. “Avatarium” should appeal to a wide variety of metal fans and not just the doom metal crowd.
Moonhorse

Oranssi Pazuzu: Valonielu

This Finnish band has just nailed their sound third time around. Psychedelic, slightly sludgy black metal with groove, great songs and a superb atmosphere. Third time’s the charm and Oranssi Pazuzu prove that on “Valonielu”.
Valonielu

Fister: Gemini

Fister ‘s brand of dark, misanthropic sludge sounds great on their second full length “Gemini”. This is some miserable stuff in the best sense of the word.
Gemini

EPs, Splits and Demos

T.O.A.D.: Endless Night

“Endless Night” is the excellent second release from this American band. T.O.A.D. or Take Over And Destroy play a sort of sludgy death n roll that takes from doom, black metal and classic rock and builds something that is entirely the bands own.
Endless night

Sepulchral Temple: Sepulchral Temple

Something of an international death metal project, this debut 12” is a very promising start. The 2 songs come across as a sort of more atmospheric Bolt Thrower. Pity this is just 2 songs but shows plenty of promise for the future.
Sepulchral Temple

Harm’s Way: Blinded

“Blinded” is sludgy hardcore with big grooves and great songs. Harm’s Way released a deadly slice of music this year and I’ve been spinning this one non-stop.
Blinded

Napalm Christ: 2013 Demo

This band mixes death, black and grindcore with a hardcore vibe and a sludgy atmosphere. Worth checking out for some heavy grooves that are just slightly off the beaten path.
2013 Demo

Coffins/ Noothgrush: Split

Coffins released a pretty dull full length album this year and then they turned around and did this split with Noothgrush which is pretty fucken awesome. Someone said on the board that Coffins should just stick to making splits and 2013 had plenty of evidence to support that opinion.
Split