The Batlord

I don't know what anybody else posted, but you brought up a totally obscure band without even mentioning what kind of music they play. **** doesn't fly, man. You need to fix it.

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Trollheart

Fixed
And Doomsword aren't obscure. Your very words when I posted about them in Metal Month were along the lines of "Awww yeah! Doomsword!" So you know who they are, and are therefore just ****ing with my head. Nonetheless, I have posted a link to the review, as I will do tomorrow with all the other albums I posted which I have reviewed.

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Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

The Batlord

No, they're totally obscure. If I hadn't been obsessed with finding bands that sounded like Hammerheart-era Bathory I'd never have heard of them.

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Mondo Bungle

37. Thergothon - Stream From the Heavens (1994)



Thergothon and Skepticism were early bands to take death/doom and slow it down further and melancholy it up to funeral proportions. So many bands who came later, while great, make such long, dragging albums. Sorry Evoken, I can really only take in one disc of The Pernicious Enigma at a time. I guess that's one of the points, but I love this album for being easily digestible in a 40 minute listen while maintaining every ounce of awesomeness that the bands that expounded on the sound had.

But really, this remained totally unique even as waves of funeral doom bands were releasing albums. The guitar tone was thin and flangey unlike traditional doom and death metal, the album is riddled with alien sounding synths, the vocals are deep, and the atmosphere evokes images of pre-civilization structures, and remains unmatched. Another 10/10.

And while the other songs are crushing and drawn out with thick repetitive riffing, this will always be the highlight of the album for me.

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The Batlord

*pst!* Mondo! You made a typo in the album title!

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Mondo Bungle

38. Thergothon - Fhtagn-nagh Yog-Sothoth (1991)



A 25 minute minute demonstration of raw death metalled doom metal, that single handedly spawned the extreme subgenre known as "funeral doom". Everything said above remains, yet this, I think, is better. It was here first, the atmosphere is even thicker on this demo, much more otherworldy than the full length. The full length made brought to mind complex natural towers and moss covered ruins, but the imagery of this one is something else entirely, not even able to be described.

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Mondo Bungle

I think their growls sounded kind like **** though

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Mondo Bungle

39. Repugnant - Epitome of Darkness (2006)



Another case of an album not being anything truly unique and extraordinary, but rather being so well done that you can't ignore it. This album made Repugnant icons in the new school old school death metal style, along with bands like Tribulation and Morbus Chron. Making death metal popular again. This is a fantastic album filled with blazing riffs and nonstop energy, bordering on chaos at times. Raw, thrashing, dark and horrific, and 100% analog, this album nails it.

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mythsofmetal

An excellent release for the genre of Folk/Black Metal or more specifically, Viking Metal. This album does so many things right that most other Folk Metal bands forget to do at least one of on any of their albums. This may not be a perfect release, but it's very close to perfection. There are great riffs, and there's clearly been attention paid to each of the instruments, the rhythm section always has an interesting part in the songs that aren't interludes/acoustic ballads. Speaking of which, the interludes on this album are performed with success and provide a good atmosphere to the album instead of what one would fear as being just an attempt to pad out the album's length and provide variety, here they're really successful in actually making them work. The acoustic ballad at the end of the album also doesn't feel cliche or cheesy, and works as a good ending to the album. There's also female vocals and violin/other folk instruments on this album and I'll gladly tell you all are performed and executed tactfully, and likewise never come off as cheesy/gimmicky. There's also many epic parts, and many of the songs are quite energetic, but there's also a fair level of variation on this album and a good number of slower songs. The songs also are produced perfectly and the melodies create a great atmosphere that draws you into listen to each song, one after another, and despite the songs having a fair amount of diversity they all mesh well into the excellent package this album is.

Metal Connoisseur

41. Enslaved - Below the Lights - (2003)



While Enslaved began incorporating heavy experimentation into their sound on 2001's Monumension, Below the Lights is, for me, when the band would truly refine the sound that has garnered them such notoriety and respect in the years after its release. The scope and composing ability of Ivar Bjørnson is a highlight as synths and acoustic guitars abound without ever coming across as cheesy or distracting, especially when paired with black metal genre staples.

What sets Below the Lights apart though, is that it traverses a broad sonic/emotional spectrum. It is both savage and dissonant, yet still atmospheric and breathtakingly beautiful.

Enslaved has a well-earned reputation for consistently putting out great records, but in my opinion this is their best and remains as a modern classic for the genre.

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Metal Connoisseur's Last.fm