The Grim Princess: A Bloody Good Year
Well, 2018 was a raging fucknado on every level imaginable – political, ecological, personal, the whole lot. Your grim friend here found it necessary to habitually self-medicate through much of it, although happily there was plenty of excellent music to imbibe to fill the howling void ov despair with the vapours of illumination. Actually, more than my bleak dreams could have ever envisaged: so many potential AOTY were there in the first five or six months alone, it was tempting to write my list there and then and sit on my arse playing Fallout every evening for the rest of the year. But thank goodness I persisted, because November and December in particular were stellar. As I write this on 22 December, I cast my eye with annoyance over the previous week’s releases (damn it, Sulphur Aeon and Dødsferd), because frankly there just isn’t time anymore as we all begin the literal or metaphorical drive home for Christmas.
It goes without saying that my list is not graven in stone, that there were so many alternative endings, that I am nobody and it doesn’t matter what I think, but just for the sake of a sense of closure on what has been a highly overstimulating year in the world of metal, I’m gonna say it: this list rules them all. Every album on here is fucking epic. Listen, escape, worship, shut yourself in the bathroom and away from the family, get your fix, enjoy. You’ve earned this. You may leave my presence.
With loathe,
The Grim Princess
20. DRUNEMETON – Disciples of the Old Faith
(Pagan black metal, Russia)
Release date: 21 January
Label: Kristallblut Records
19. PARIUS – The Eldritch Realm
(Death/progressive metal, USA)
Release date: 20 July
Label: Independent
18. FILII NIGRANTIUM INFERNALIUM – Hóstia
(Black metal, Portugal)
Release date: 25 May
Label: Osmose Productions
17. PHANTOM – Death Epic
(Black/death/horror metal, Denmark)
Release date: 20 July
Label: I, Voidhanger
16. TRAITOR – Knee-Deep in the Dead
(Thrash metal, Germany)
Release date: 27 April
Label: Violent Creek Records
15. ALLFATHER – And All Will Be Desolation
(Sludge/groove/doom metal, UK)
Release date: 7 September
Label: Rotting Throne Records
14. NECROPANTHER – Eyes of Blue Light
(Blackened thrash/death, USA)
Release date: 23 February
Label: Independent
13. MANTICORA – To Kill To Live To Kill
(Power/progressive metal, Denmark)
Release date: 3 August
Label: ViciSolum Productions
12. MADDER MORTEM – Marrow
(Progressive metal, Norway)
Release date: 21 September
Label: Dark Essence Records
Stream via Bandcamp here | My review here
11. AKHENATEN – Golden Serpent God
(Blackened death metal, USA)
Release date: 31 May
Label: Cimmerian Shade Recordings
10. ET MORIEMUR – Epigrammata
(Black/death/doom metal, Czech Republic)
Release date: 20 March
Label: Transcending Obscurity Records
9. NECROPHOBIC – Mark of the Necrogram
(Death/black metal, Sweden)
Release date: 23 February
Label: Century Media
8. TRIBULATION – Down Below
(Gothic/black/heavy metal, Sweden)
Release date: 26 January
Label: Century Media
7. HEADS FOR THE DEAD – Serpent’s Curse
(Death metal, Germany)
Release date: 24 September
Label: Transcending Obscurity
6. DEWFALL – Hermeticus
(Epic black metal, Italy)
Release date: 13 October
Label: Naturmacht Productions
Stream via Bandcamp here | My review here
5. SHYLMAGOGHNAR – Transience
(Atmospheric black/death metal, Netherlands)
Release date: 29 June
Label: Napalm Records
4. DEATH KARMA – The History of Death and Burial Rituals Part II
(Black/death metal, Slovakia)
Release date: 24 November
Label: Beyond Eyes Productions
3. VISIGOTH – Conqueror’s Oath
(Epic/power/heavy metal, USA)
Release date: 9 February
Label: Metal Blade
2. WITHERFALL – A Prelude To Sorrow
(Progressive/power metal, USA)
Release date: 2 November
Label: Century Media
1. 1914 – The Blind Leading The Blind
(Blackened death/doom, Ukraine)
Release date: 11 November
Label: Redefining Darkness / Archaic Sound
Stream via Bandcamp here | My review here
– FIN –
The Grim Princess
**Please support the underground! It’s vital to the future of our genre.
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