Holy moly what a year! When I started this list a few weeks ago I had over 150 albums written down on albums that I really enjoyed, more than any other year since I started this blog. Which is why I am doing a top 50 this time (and years onwards). Even with a limit on 50 it was bloody hard to cut the list down! That speaks volumes on how good year 2019 has been for metal, in my opinion the best in many years with every genre putting out killer albums. 2019 was a quite wild ride for me personally too as I became a father of a beautiful daughter we’ve named Hilde in December. With that it also means The Metal Gamer will slow down some in productivity for a while, as you might have already noticed. The Metal Gamer Community also got created in 2019 and has reached over 400 members in only a few months. Started doing interviews seem to have been a hit too as most of them got a lot of interaction where I got to interview bands such as Visceral Bleeding, Deranged, Enthroned and The Great Old Ones to name a few. Last but not least the first ever The Metal Gamer fanzine got published digitally (hopefully will manage to do one more this year), which was read by over 200 people within the first 48h! Major thanks for the support metal gamers and I hope to bring you more content for many years to come!
The Metal Gamer best of 2019
One of my favorite bands of all time Moonsorrow hasn’t released an album since 2016 but what does that even matter when Finsterforst release their best album to date and in all honesty one of the best albums in the genre ever! Became a clear album of the year for me, no doubt about it. Released August 2nd via Napalm Records.
Wow what beast this turned out to be! I wasn’t all in on Wormwood before but with Nattarvet they really knocked it out of the park and has released the best black metal album of the year. They even topped it off with a great live performance at Månegarm Open Air in August which solidified my love for this band. Very big surprise to me. Released July 26th via Black Lodge Records.
Wow what a journey Vale of Pnath has had! They’ve always been of my favorite techdeath bands, much do to their black metal influences, but they really knocked this one out of the park! A perfect five in my book and a crown jewel in their already great, and growing, discography. Released May 17th via Willowtip Records.
The best album I heard first quarter of the year was Demiurgus by Equipoise. They’ve done everything right, it’s technical death metal at its peak and it’s not only good but also fun! I mean who just adds in a acoustic flamenco track for the sake of it? Equipoise does and it pays off! The first 5/5 of the year went to Demiurgus. Released March 8th via The Artisan Era.
The Great Old Ones are back with yet another stunning Lovecraftian atmospheric black metal album. They seem to be able to do no wrong and the band has only strengthen what is already a very strong discography. Grown on me throughout the year to eventually land in the top 5! Released October 22nd via Season of Mist.
- Finsterforst – Zerfall
- Wormwood – Nattarvet
- Vale of Pnath – Accursed
- Equipoise – Demiurgus
- The Great Old Ones – Cosmicism
- Unfathomable Ruination – Enraged and Unbound
- Warforged – I: Voice
- In Mourning – Garden of Storms
- Misþyrming – Algleymi
- Shadow of Intent – Melancholy
- Insomnium – Heart Like a Grave
- A Wake in Providence – The Blvck Sun || The Blood Moon
- Mgła – Age of Excuse
- AngelMaker – AngelMaker
- Vukari – Aevum
- Saor – Forgotten Paths
- Månegarm – Fornaldarsagor
- Organectomy – Existential Disconnect
- Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition I: War, Horrid War
- Sempiternal Dusk – Cenotaph of Defectuous Creation
- Tomb Mold – Planetary Clairvoyance
- Enterprise Earth – Luciferous
- Numenorean – Adore
- Rendered Helpless – Suffer, Seraphim
- Nile – Vile Nilotic Rites
- Sinmara – Hvísl Stjarnanna
- Sargeist – Death Veneration
- Necronomicon – Unus
- Eternal Storm – Come the Tide
- Sentient Horror – Morbid Realms
- Ragnarok – Non Debellicata
- Misery Index – Rituals of Power
- Truth Corroded – Bloodlands
- Thy Art is Murder – Human Target
- Wretched Fate – Fleshletting
- Schammasch – Hearts of No Light
- Malist – In the Catacombs of Time
- Netherbird – Into the Vast Uncharted
- Devourment – Obscene Majesty
- Murdryck – Födelsen
- Ereb Altor – Järtecken
- Shadecrown – Riven
- Blood Red Throne – Fit to Kill
- Gods Forsaken – Smells of Death
- Disentomb – The Decaying Light
- Blood Incantation – Hidden History of the Human Race
- Cattle Decapitation – Death Atlas
- Amon Amarth – Berserker
- Abigail Williams – Walk Beyond the Dark
- Hammerfall – Dominion
Album of the year:
Finsterforst – Zerfall
Deathcore album of the year:
Shadow of Intent – Melancholy
Technical death metal album of the year:
Vale of Pnath – Accursed
Death metal album of the year:
Insomnium – Heart Like a Grave
Brutal death metal album of the year:
Unfathomable Ruination – Enraged and Unbound
Atmospheric black metal album of the year:
The Great Old Ones – Cosmicism
Black metal album of the year:
Wormwood – Nattarvet
Folk metal album of the year:
Finsterforst – Zerfall
Debut full-length album of the year:
Equipoise – Demiurgus
Song of the year:
Finsterforst – Ecce Homo
Best concert I went to in 2019:
Svartidauði, Sinmara and Grand Harvest (Plan B, Malmö, September 27th)
Biggest disappointment:
Carnifex – World War X
Most anticipated album of 2020:
Beneath the Massacre – Fearmonger
The Metal Gamer Community Best of 2019
1. Tomb Mold – Planetary Clairvoyance
2. Wormwood – Nattarvet
3. Mgła – Age of Excuse
4. Blood Incantation – Hidden History of the Human Race
5. Equipoise – Demiurgus
6. In Mourning – Garden of Storms
7. Månegarm – Fornaldarsagor
8. Saor – Forgotten Paths
9. Killswitch Engage – Atonement
10. Possessed – Revelations of Oblivion