IN ROTATION: Our most played albums in July 2019

COUNT VLAD’S DOMINIONS

July wasn’t my month. Honestly. I was sick, had a birthday and lost interest in the music in the second half of the month. Besides, I really don’t find it so strong for new releases, and I couldn’t understand the hype towards new Abbath and Tomb Mold for example. While in the first half of the month I listened to the new releases mostly, in the second half I went to albums I love… I guess many will dislike me a lot about this list. Well, this is my list and the music is a very personal experience.

CRADLE OF FILTH – Vempire EP
April 1996, Cacophonous Records

The perfect soundtrack while being in the mountains. Dark, mystic, carring eternity. Well, i consider 96-98 the best period by the band and Dusk And Her Embrace along with Vempire EP are the masterpieces by Danny and Co. Anthems like The Forest Whispers My Name and Queen of Winter, Throned have always been part of me since 1996 when I re-recorded the album on tape. So many memories, so many emotions, so much is lost.

SCORPIONS – Savage Amusement
April 1988, Harvest

Savage amusement is my favorite album by the band and “Passion Rules The Game” is my favorite Scorpions track. I know that many prefer earlier stuff by Scorpions. On the contrary, I like their mid 80s and early 90s work. I had great memories with this record, and it is great for driving during a vacation. “Rhythm of Love”, “Media Overkill”, “Walking on the Edge”, “Love on the Run” are fantastic tracks, clearly demonstrating the end of the 80s – a hard rock decade full of so specific rhythm, shinny colors and love ballads.

HORRENDOUS – Anareta
October 2015, Dark Descend Records

Fantastic album and great death metal from 2015. In my opinion, this is the band’s finest album to date. Just on the edge of typical death metal and progressive death metal, without drowning in the progressiveness. Of course, it carries some motifs from the classic thrash/death metal bands. However Horrendous are in their own lane now. Ok – with couple others, of course. Anareta contains 8 songs, great riffs, great solos, great tempo. A masterpiece in the contemporary death metal.

AХАТ – Походът
February 1989, Balkanton

This is an emblematic album for the Bulgarian Rock. АХАТ (AHAT in English) put this on vinyl in 1989, when the iron curtain wasn’t lifted! The album contains one of the most emblematic hard rock/heavy metal tracks in Bulgarian metal history – “Черната Овца” (Black Sheep), a favorite one to one whole generation of metalheads living in a totalitarian era, rules and forbidden music. However, my most favorite tracks are “Нашият път” (Our Road) and “Огнени души” (Fiery Souls). Despite I don’t like the musicians as persons, “Походът” (The March) is really among the most important albums for Bulgarian heavy metal. I do recommend to all of you to check it out, even though you might be in the heavier styles…

METALLICA – …And Justice For All
September 1988, Elektra Records

In the second half of July, I lost interest and inspiration for the music and all the tons of releases happening every day now. That’s why I turned to my most favorite bands in order to bring the light back and sparkle the spark again. There is nothing like METALLICA for me. They are my band of all bands. I love every album they have put out. …And Justice For All is their most progressive one to date, and we all know it contains some of the biggest metal tracks ever written and recorded.

Bonus:

GHOST – Prequelle
June 2018, Loma Vista Recordings

I follow GHOST since early 2011, and “Opus Eponymus” is a monster album. “Infestissimam” is good, while with “Meliora” they lost me. When they released “Prequelle” last year I was really surprised because the album is quite good. Very catchy, but darker and riffier, than “Meliora”, not so…pop?! With every next listen, “Prequelle” gets under the skin, and I really paid the most attention at all to the album in July, since it was released. Meaning, I rotated it a lot.