Dethroned Emperor – Best of 2009 Edition

Well, what can I say? ‘Tis the season for year-end best-of lists, why should Sonic Frontiers be immune? In an attempt to keep to the spirit with which Dethroned Emperor was founded, I decided that this list must be constrained by two key parameters. First, no major label releases and second, only black and death metal albums allowed (although I decided to play it a little more fast and loose with the individual awards). I could go on a spiel about what a great year it was for metal in general, but no doubt if you’re bothering to read this monstrosity, you’re already a fan of the genre and don’t need me to tell you about it. Besides, every true ‘head out there knows that every year is a great year for metal. And so, without further ado…

Top 10 Black/Death Metal Albums of 2009

ALBUM OF THE YEAR: Cobalt – Gin (Profound Lore)

With Gin, Cobalt unleashed a harrowing maelstrom of innovative black metal that took the US-bred strain of the genre to new heights of creativity in 2009. Heavily influenced by American Literature (specifically Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson), alcohol and a nihilistic worldview, this caustic yet engrossing work is a snapshot of our country’s grimy underbelly, harnessed into sonic ultraviolence and graphically exposed for all to see. By mixing elements of post-metal, sludge and punk with Gin’s rotten black metal core, Cobalt have created an album that positions them as undisputed scene leaders and masters of their filthy craft. (read the full review)

2. The Chasm – Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm (Lux Inframundis)

For all intents and purposes, The Chasm dropped off the face of the Earth after releasing the excellent The Spell of Retribution in 2004. Little did any of us know that the masters of epic death metal were plotting the release of their penultimate album. Indeed, Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm is everything you could want from The Chasm; intricate, intelligent songwriting, skillful musicianship and insidious atmosphere. Compelling in its darkly progressive approach which at times hints at psychedelia, one can’t help but think that this is what death metal might have sounded like if it had been invented in the late 1970’s.

3. Marduk – Wormwood (Regain)

Ever since Marduk enlisted Funeral Mist mainman Mortuus (aka Arioch) on vocals, the band’s work has become increasingly more esoteric and interesting, yet still retaining the sheer unadulterated fury that has long been their calling card. Wormwood is the culmination of this match made in hell, a terrifying descent into black metal orthodoxy. While pre-Mortuus Marduk was a relentlessly blasting beast, the band that has unleashed Wormwood upon the masses is far more calculating in its attack, and as a result far more disturbing and sinister.

4. Impetuous Ritual – Relentless Execution of Ceremonial Excrescence (Profound Lore)
Hands down the year’s deepest, darkest death metal album, Impetuous Ritual have tapped into the genre’s cancerous, pitch-black essence and focused that terrible energy into something that sounds like no other band out there. Devastatingly heavy yet also strangely obscure and abstract, Relentless Execution… is the musical equivalent of summoning some elder being up from the fathomless bowels of the Earth, only to be driven mad by it’s utterly abominant appearance. (read the full review)

5. Wodensthrone – Loss (Bindrune)
In an era where epic black metal tends to reek of over-production and keyboard work that unfortunately can only be described as “fruity”, it was great to hear Wodensthrone release this stellar album of earthy yet atmospheric BM. Hailing from the UK and mining the country’s rich ancestral heritage for inspiration, Wodensthrone have asserted themselves as scene leaders with their progressive yet naturalistic take on the genre. Easily the year’s finest black metal debut, you can expect even bigger things from these practitioners of the heathen arts in the future. (read the full review)

6. Master’s Hammer – Mantras (self released)
Easily the year’s most bizarre and innovative black metal release, the first album in roughly 14 years from Czech black metal weirdos Master’s Hammer will undoubtedly leave many BM traditionalists scratching their heads, and that’s a good thing. On this recording, the band combines black metal with prog, electronica, folk and gothic rock to create something that simply has to be heard to be believed. Mantras is the musical equivalent of a cocaine, acid and peyote-fuelled death-trip into the twisted depths of black metal hell… pretty much beyond accurate description and therefore highly recommended. (full review coming soon)

7. Gorgoroth – Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt (Regain)
After the lengthy (and well-publicized) legal battle between members, it was great to see Gorgoroth founder Infernus come out on top and unleash a killer album of True Norwegian Black Metal. Assembling a veritable extreme metal super group that includes Obituary’s Frank Watkins, former Dissection drummer Tomas Asklund and classic-era Gorgoroth former members Pest and Tormentor, Infernus has successfully crafted an album that re-asserts his position as one of the dark lords of elder black metal. Far removed from the almost mechanized blasting of the King/Gaahl era with a more varied and catchy approach to songwriting, Quantos Possunt… is an insidious piece of Satanic art that simply cannot be denied. “Rebirth of Gorgoroth!” indeed.

8. Goatwhore – Carving Out the Eyes of God (Metal Blade)
Carving Out the Eyes of God sees Goatwhore really coming into their own as purveyors of a gnarly black/thrash hybrid mired in filthy Louisiana swamp sludge. I’ve been a fan of this band since their first album (2000’s The Eclipse of Ages into Black), and watching them evolve from oldschool black metal primitivists into the razor-sharp, well-oiled war machine they are today has been a true pleasure. The increased emphasis on catchy and varied songcraft, the addition of some downright deadly lead guitar-work from Sammy Duet and the always amazing lyrics and vocals of Ben Falgoust make Carving Out the Eyes of God Goatwhore’s best album yet. (read the full review)

9. Beherit – Engram (Spinefarm)
Beherit are arguably the originators of filthy Finnish black metal and their comback album is no exception. Swirling buzzsaw guitars, queasy synths that could have been lifted from a vintage John Carpenter flick and highly Satanic lyrical content makes for an album that is both violently bludgeoning and eerily hypnotic, a tough balance to strike, but one that all great black metal recordings should strive for. From the opening assault of “Axiom Heroine” to the final quasi-psychedelic creepy-crawl of “Demon Advance”, Engram is everything that black metal should be and more in 2009 and beyond. “All in Satan!”

10. Fatalist – The Depths of Inhumanity (Ibex Moon)
Fatalist’s debut album is a melting pot of rumbling oldschool death metal influences from Entombed to Bolt Thrower. From the crusty buzzsaw distortion to the album artwork, everything about this band screams a strict adherence to tradition, and quite frankly there isn’t a damn thing wrong with that. They might not be reinventing the wheel with The Depths of Inhumanity, but armed with catchier-than-herpes songwriting chops and a sh**load of reckless abandon, they did make one of the year’s most refreshingly enjoyable death metal albums. (read the full review)

And the next 10… (these stellar albums were just a hair short of making the top 10, which only goes to show what an impressive year 2009 was for metal)

11. Portal – Swarth (Profound Lore)
Mind-bending whirlwind death metal from the depths of the land down under, Portal’s latest ritual is simply beyond everything both musically and conceptually. A terrifyingly surreal exploration of cosmic horror through music. (read the full review)

12. Skeletonwitch – Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)
Skeletonwitch are simply an excellent mash-up of black metal, thrash and NWOBHM hailing from the grim and frostbitten wastelands of Ohio. Regardless of any hype surrounding them, this quintet delivered the oldschool metal goods with a rough ‘n’ ready album that can throw down the leather and spikes with the best of ‘em.

13. Absu – s/t (Candelight)
Call them thrash, call them black metal, call them Mythological Occult Metal, or just simply call them awesome. Absu are considered elder-statesmen of USBM and this record reminds us why they’re so deserving of high regard. (read the full review)

14. Helcaraxe – Broadsword (Regimental Records)
Coming off like the bloody aftermath of a barroom brawl between early Amon Amarth and Arghoslent, Helcaraxe are US death metal’s best kept secret. Armed with an approach that is both epic and melodic yet rough and violent as hell, there is absolutely no reason why this band shouldn’t be ruling US death metal.  Prepare for battle.

15. Destroyer 666 – Defiance (Season of Mist)
After a lengthy hiatus the undisputed lords of thrash-infused black metal return with an incredibly vicious and well-written album.  Although the band may no longer reside in their home country of Australia, they have still managed to retain that raw, rampaging quality that seems to define the continent’s metal scene.  Indeed, this is what true war metal is supposed to sound like. (read the full review)

16. 1349 – Revelations of the Black Flame (Candelight)
Who knew these Norwegians had such a wildly experimental album within them? Under the guidance of the original Dethroned Emperor, Tom G. Warrior (Hellhammer/Celtic Frost/Triptykon), 1349 have eschewed the monotonous blasting of their past to create a noisy, polarizing album of truly esoteric black death. (read the full review)

17. Embrace of Thorns – Atonement Ritual (Nuclear War Now!)
Vile and bestial blackened death metal from Greece. This band is so underrated its painful, and fans of bands like Teitanblood, Necros Christos and Beherit need to start paying attention, otherwise Embrace of Thorns just might sacrifice you in your sleep. (read the full review)

18. Drudkh – Microcosmos (Season of Mist)
The Ukrainian masters of atmospheric black metal never disappoint. Rife with infectious melodies and stellar guitarwork, this prolific band demonstrates how heartfelt, emotional metal is supposed to sound time and again. But don’t let that description fool you, because Drudkh is still as malevolently mesmerizing as it gets.

19. Peste Noire – Ballade Cuntre Lo Anemi Francor (Transcendental Creations)
Ultra lo-fi, heavily nationalistic french hooligan black metal. One can’t help but wonder if mainman Famine deliberately created this record to piss off all the fairweather black metal fans that latched onto the band due its association with Neige (Alcest, Amesoeurs), and quite frankly that’s not a bad thing. Another truly bizarre BM release that sounds like nothing else out there.

20. Ulcerate – Everything is Fire (Willowtip)
In a year awash in mindless tech-death releases, New Zealand’s Ulcerate brought an abstract, atmospheric touch to the genre that none could match. Everything is Fire is a truly dizzying piece of perverse calculous that owes as much to the cold, hypnotic work of black metal acts like Deathspell Omega as it does to the tech-death forefathers. (read the full review)

Honorable mentions: Krallice – Dimensional Bleedthrough (Profound Lore), Liturgy – Renihilation (20 Buck Spin), Crucifist – Demon Haunted World (Profound Lore), Temple of Baal – Lightslaying Rituals (Agonia), Burial Hordes – Devotion to Unholy Creed (Pulverised), Impiety – Terrorreign (Agonia), Axis Powers – Marching Towards Destruction (Pulverised), Whiplash – Unborn Again (Pulverised), Die Hard – Nihilistic Vision (Agonia), Séance – Awakening of the Gods (Pulverised), Infernal Stronghold – Godless Noise (KVN), Behemoth – Evangelion (Metal Blade), Dying Fetus – Descend into Depravity (Relapse), Agoraphobic Nosebleed – Agorapocalypse (Relapse), The Black Dahlia Murder – Deflorate (Metal Blade), Fleshgod Apocalypse – Oracle (Willowtip), Wolves in the Throne Room – Black Cascade (Southern Lord), Bone Gnawer – Feast of Flesh (Pulverised), De Magia Veterum – Migdal Bavel (Transcendental Creations), Augury – Fragmentary Evidence (Nuclear Blast), Squash Bowels – Grindvirus (Willowtip), Revocation – Existence is Futile (Relapse), Blut Aus Nord – Memoria Vetusta II (Candlelight), Machetazo – Mundo Cripta (No Escape)…

I’m sure there are tons more I’m forgetting, but quite frankly this year saw such an utter bombardment of quality metal releases that there was simply no way I could get to all of them (not to mention give them the attention they deserved) within a year’s time unless I quit my job, stopped spending time with my lovely fiance, friends and family and did nothing but sit in my room with headphones on for the rest of my days. Hey, I love metal, but even obsessives have to take breaks every now and then. There are tons of 2009 albums I still either need to hear or explore further (Teitanblood, Weapon, Funeral Mist, Katharsis, Nile, Vader, Razor of Occam… I could go on for days) and there were tons of great, more “mainstream” heavy albums vying for my attention (Mastodon, Rammstein, Alice in Chains, Slayer, etc…). The above albums represent just a small cross-section of all the metallic greatness 2009 graced me with.

And finally some individual awards just for the heck of it…

Best Traditional Metal Album: Slough Feg – Ape Uprising (Cruz del Sur)
Runner Up: Three Inches of Blood – Here Waits Thy Doom (Century Media)

Best Doom Album: YOB – The Great Cessation (Profound Lore)

Best Reissue: VON – Satanic Blood Angel (Nuclear War Now!)
Runner Up: Overmars – Born Again (Crucial Blast)

Best Thrash Album – Kreator – Hordes of Chaos (SPV)

Best Experimental Album: SunnO))) – Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord)
Runner Up: Gnaw Their Tongues – All the Dread Magnificence of Perversity (Crucial Blast)

Best Debut Album: Saros – Acrid Plains (Profound Lore)

Best Comeback Album: Immortal – All Shall Fall (Nuclear Blast)
Runner Up: Megadeth – Endgame (Roadrunner)
Second Runner Up – Whiplash – Unborn Again (Pulverised)

Best Label: Profound Lore

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone that has helped make DE what it is today. Sean Butze, Dave & Liz at Earsplit PR, Chris and Profound Lore Records, Scott at Clawhammer PR, Dave at No Escape Records, Vinny at Willowtip, Vince & Kelly at Metal Blade, Michelle at Black Market Activities, Jim at Paragon Records, Betsey at Relapse, YOB, Averse Sefira, Nuit Noire, Maruta, The Day Everything Became Nothing, Saros, Falls of Rauros, Bone Gnawer, Burial Hordes, Séance, Anael, Grave, WOLD, The Rotted, Aanal Beehemoth, Lair of the Mintotaur, The Funeral Pyre, all the various labels and bands who’ve been kind enough to send promos or help with interviews, and everyone who takes a moment to read the nonsense I write on a regular basis. Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Oh, and as much as I hate shameless self promotion, please check out my blog That’s How Kids Die in about a week or so for more thoughts on the best 2009 had to offer!

Any labels/bands/artists interested in working with Dethroned Emperor for interviews/reviews/misc coverage in 2010 and beyond please get in touch, jjhaun@gmail.com

Thank again for a great 2009 and take care!