The Metal Gamer Top 20 Albums of 2016

Just in time for Christmas I’ve made my choice of 2016’s best albums. The only rule I have to be in this list is that the album has to have been reviewed this year by me. Meaning, even if I love the album, no Jomsviking by Amon Amarth, Magma by Gojira or no King by Fleshgod Apocalypse for example. Reason I started this blog was initially because I wanted to use my English more and I have friends asking me for new bands quite often, hence I stick to the lesser known bands out there and will continue to do so. They are by no means any worse though, as a matter of fact all these bands should be known by every metalhead out there! Anyways without further ado here you have my top 20 albums for 2016 (in no order).

Krepitus – The Eyes of the Soulless
Wastewalker – Funeral Winds
Nordjevel – Nordjevel
Gatecreeper – Sonoran Depravation
Fimbultyr – Niddikter
I Shall Devour – The Misanthropist
Wayfarer – Old Souls
Netherbird – The Grander Voyage
Saor – Guardians
Uada – Devoid of Light
Ereb Altor – Blot – Ilt – Taut
Volturyon – Cleansed by Carnage
Centinex – Doomsday Rituals
Shokran – Exodus
Dawn of Demise – The Suffering
Hyperion – Seraphical Euphony
Illdisposed – Grey Sky over Black Town
October Tide – Winged Waltz
Be’lakor – Vessels
Whispered – Songs of the Void

Last of all I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you next year and stay metal!

Volturyon – Cleansed by Carnage (Death Metal)

Volturyon comes from Sweden and plays not what I would like to call your generic Swedish death metal sound. If you think you will get an Entombed or Dismember experience you are quite far from the truth as this is a more brutal technical death metal experience than you might be used to from Sweden, while still keeping that grooviness. These guys got more in common with bands like Cannibal Corpse, Deicide and Decapitated than any generic old school Swedish death metal band. Closest you can come in Sweden I would think is my local favorites Deranged (more on their latest release in an upcoming blog post) and the now split-up Vomitory.

The band features one of my favorite vocalists Alexander Högbom (Centinex, October Tide) and I might even go as far as saying this is his best performance yet! He just seems even more on point than usually with the more fast brutal sound seeming to fit him like a glove. Adding the long-time members Christian Netzell (ex-In Mourning) on blasting drums, Johan Gustafsson (Fimbultyr) together with Andreas Olander bringing the relentless guitar solos and their latest member Oskar Pålsson putting the bass grove all of a sudden you got the formula of a great brutal death metal band.

Volturyon has evolved loads since their debut album from 2008 Blood Cure with their new lineup and sound. It’s an development that’s been fun to follow and this headbang friendly album Cleansed by Carnage is a most have for every death metal fanatic out there.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Volturyon
For fans of: Deicide and Decapitated
Favorite song: To Starve You

Fimbultyr – Niddikter (Black Metal)

The name might sound weird to many but ‘Fimbultyr’ is one of Odin’s many by-names and translates to “Mighty God”. As a Swede and one who loves Norse mythology I find that intriguing. The band is, as you might guess, from Sweden and their lyrics is solely in Swedish. They play black metal with a lot of focus on viking lore. Think Thyrfing, Mithotyn and old Månegarm and you’re on the right track but they do have their own unique sound.

One thing I noticed quickly is that their songs isn’t the same type of sound through the whole album. In a good way that is, as I think the sound changes just enough to make it sound like their own but not too much to make it sound like they just tried too much for them to stand out as it still has a flow. Fimbultyr got some very talented musicians within their ranks that’s for sure. Almost like the jomsvikings went and created a metal band.

Every song tells their own story and seeing how good the music is that goes with the story this album is something you do not want to miss out on! Behold Hel’s army that is Fimbultyr!

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fimbultyrswe
For fans of: Thyrfing and Månegarm
Favorite song: Lindisfarne