My Favorite Metal Music of 2016 (Top 10)

I'm a little late on this one. 2016 is the first year where it feels like music sort of slipped away from me. Heavy and fast music has been a part of my life for so long now that I almost take it for granted. Many times this past year I thought to myself "I'm not actively listening to many albums" which is a really strange feeling - and it was another great year for the metal scene!

While music took somewhat of a backseat, there were still plenty of albums I spent some time with. I was surprised that I had managed to still hear enough to have trouble narrowing it down to 10. Like last year, there's no real order.

First, some shout-outs:

Winterfylleth - The Dark Hereafter

Their previous album was my 2014 album of the year. Something about Dark Hereafter just didn't grab me. There's some good stuff here but I'm wondering if they maybe peaked (personally) with Divination. Either way, another competent, atmospheric folk black metal record.

Destroyer 666 - Wildfire

I love this band - but don't listen to them much. There was a period where I listened to them a ton and then suddenly stopped. I'm so glad Wildfire rekindled my appreciation of their anthems to our inner animal. Unforgiving while light-hearted black thrash that makes you pump your fist.

Grave Miasma - Endless Pilgrimage EP

I really liked their debut album, Odori Sepulcrorum, and Endless is another great experience in 'cavernous' death metal. Death metal in general had a pretty standout 2016 which is why this isn't in my top 10.

Bölzer - Hero

I was anxiously waiting for a full length from these guys after 3 highly enjoyable EP's. They're a weird band - blending death/black/psychedelic rock into something pretty special. Hero is quite different from their EP's, and I love when bands experiment and grow, but some parts just don't work for me. Still worth checking out.

Abbath - Self Titled

It saddens me there was some strife within Immortal that led to the main man, Abbath, departing. Immortal is one of the oldest - going all the way back to the beginning of Black Metal as it's known today. Abbath put together basically the next Immortal album under his own name and it's a good one.

Inquisition - Bloodshed Across the Empyrean Altar Beyond the Celestial Zenith

Inquisition returns with another mouth-full title exploring the realm of cosmic black metal that exists beyond the veil of our pitiful mortal existence. A two-piece that has been consistently improving on an aging genre, Inquisition delivers possibly their heaviest record yet. I have a hard time wrapping my head around some of the sounds a single guitarist can produce (I can't wait to see him do it live this year with Mayhem) and the drumming is so thunderous that Bloodshed is a really standout release in an extensive discography. I think Dagon really found the right tone for his vocals on this one, too.

Sumac - What One Becomes

Sumac took my breath away with their debut, The Deal, in 2015. The Deal was easily one of my most-listened-to albums last year - a blast of sludgy riffs and heart stopping drums that wasn't afraid to revel in long droning passages. What One Becomes is an outstanding follow-up. Where The Deal felt like Sumac was trying to prove themselves, What One Becomes feels like a self-reflection on where they might be going. It makes me anxious and calm at the same time. It allows me to explore the things that make me uncomfortable. I can't wait to see what this band does next.

Deathspell Omega - The Synarchy of Molten Bones

Deathspell Omega is a band that requires study and many listens before any sort of understanding can be gained. Their style is discordant black metal - experimental, swirling and abrasive. We haven't heard a peep from them for 4 years since their last EP, Drought, which came after they completed their trilogy of albums studying the fall of Lucifer from heaven. DSO takes their work quite seriously and it's apparent in the music. Synarchy is a continuation of the more technical and aggressive stuff seen on Drought. They have a unique energy that I adore but requires a specific mood for listening.

Blood Incantation - Starspawn

Here's a gem I missed until I saw it on tons of lists this year. I won't pretend to know anything about this band - except this album deserves the recognition I've seen. It quickly became a daily listen leading up to this list. Starspawn bounces back and forth between traditional death metal and progressive sensibilities. It's diverse, engaging and just fucking rocks. At times it reminds me of Death, one of my favorite metal bands of all time. Starspawn is dreamy, terrifying and uplifting. It's short and to the point - there isn't a second wasted.

Chthe'ilist - Le Dernier Crepuscule

This is a weird one, I'll admit, and no I don't know how to pronounce the name. Plenty of bands go for the cosmic horror/Lovecraft influence but this is one that actually sounds like it hails from one of those unfathomable dimensions. I listened to Le Derneir Crepuscule a lot this year, and I'm not totally sure why. For the most part it's pretty traditional, murky death metal. But there's just something odd happening on this record that is extremely appealing to my ears. The riffs are oppressive, the vocals other-worldly at times and just overall dark as hell. But sort of bouncy and fun too? And gross.

Krallice - Hyperion/Prelapsarian

Krallice is another band that requires study. Their songs are dense, layered and chaotic. I had their 2015 album, Ygg Huur, on my list last year. While I enjoyed that album, it was rather different than their typical style of long-form, technical black metal. They began 2016 with Hyperion and ended with Prelapsarian, both of which are a return to what I typically expect and I like both so much that I couldn't just choose one.

Everyone involved in Krallice is an absurd musician, juggling multiple projects at once, while still managing to produce these self-contained examples of sonic assault. I still can't really explain this band. I'm not musically trained and most of what's happening is probably lost on me. That sounds like weird praise - but the way they build atmosphere without ever letting their foot off the gas is consistently appealing. It feels like a triumph when I find myself in tune with a rhythm.

Urgehal - Aeons in Sodom

How about a breath of fresh (stifling?) air after all these technical bands? Urgehal's main man passed away a few years ago and it left me wondering if they'd retire the band. Instead, they did one final tribute to him by collecting some of his unreleased tunes and gathering tons of black metal legends to provide guest vocals. Aeons in Sodom is just pure, black-thrash fun. Urgehal has always come off as tongue-in-cheek while still producing some of the most rocking black metal - and Aeons is more of that. A fitting farewell.

Vektor - Terminal Redux

The end of 2016 brought a sudden change in Vektor's lineup - all but the vocalist/guitarist have moved on from the band. Which seems strange seeing as Terminal Redux is an incredible album that appeared to be launching them into the spotlight. Internal strife aside, Vektor's third release is a thrash metal journey into science-fiction and space. Easily their most ambitious outing - it tells a story of transcending the human form and what perils that may bring. And it seems that Vektor experienced some form of transcendence themselves. Playing with clean vocals, slower passages and occasionally some black metal, Terminal Redux is a triumph and shows considerable maturity compared to their first two albums.

Gorguts - Pleiades' Dust EP

Ok so it's an EP and not a full length, but it's still 30 minutes long and just as impressive as a full album. Gorguts returned to the scene after a long hiatus in 2013 with Colored Sands - an album that floored me. I didn't do a long form written list back then but it could have easily been my album of the year. Pleiades' Dust is the long-form continuation of what we saw on Colored Sands: precise, dynamic and absolutely crushing death metal. I think Gorguts is one of the most exciting bands in this realm. Luc Lemay gathered up some of the best talent (including a guitarist from Krallice!) and put together something really special. I cannot wait to hear the next full length.

So I said I wasn't numbering this list, but there is a clear #1 for me:

Album of the Year:
Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder

Darkthrone means a lot of different things to many people that appreciate extreme metal. Influential doesn't even begin to do them justice. If you haven't heard of them, you have some catching up to do. But a good starting point is surprisingly their newest album, Arctic Thunder. For the past 10 years, Darkthrone had struck some vein of crust-punk influenced heavy metal that I seriously love. It turned off some 'true kvlt' fans but fuck them. Darkthrone does metal in the best of ways: with utter devotion and adoration of the form. Their entire discography is a love letter to heavy music. I'm gushing.

Arctic Thunder is a return to the era when Darkthrone was doing, what I feel, some of their heaviest work (Ravishing Grimness through Sardonic Wrath) while still keeping a foot in the door of the past 5 albums. Arctic Thunder just fucking rocks with some solid riffs that beg for you to bang your head. Every song is something special, with a driving rhythm that never gets old. I've listened to this album a disgusting amount of times this year and it's one of my favorites from Darkthrone ever. If the underground scene has never done anything for you - this is the one to give a second chance.

Nice list. I really dig that new Vektor album too. I gotta check out that Abbath album. I've been behind the times on what's happening in music. Didn't know he left Immortal.

Another good album to check out if you're looking for some old-school thrash is the new Testament album, The Brotherhood of the Snake. It's up there on my list of albums this year. The song "The Pale King" rips hard as does the title track and the track "Stronghold" seems like it could have been off of their first two albums.

Thanks for reading! Here's an article about it...it wasn't pretty. And Testament is one of those bands that I'm nervous to admit I've never listened to. For whatever reason just never gave them time. I'll have to finally do that.

Darkthrone, the black metal band lead by a school teacher and a politician.

I love it, add on the awesomeness of Nocturno's name and Fenriz being hilarious you just have to love them.

Side topic: What happened to metal logo designers?

When did "least original concept" become the new thing? Or is the whole thing some sort of anti-logo movement I'm not aware of?

So much good metal these days it's impossible to keep up. I love it.

@wynnduffy: they just seem like all around good dudes.

@professoress: you mean the nigh-illegible stuff? Yeah that's been a thing for forever. Probably an anti-logo thing haha

I've been looking for some new music to listen to at work and this seems like a great start since the only band I recognize is Vektor haha

Look forward to checking out the others, thanks for list =)

Vektor and Gorguts were quite good. As were Ulcerate, Anciients, Gojira, and Meshuggah. Some good instrumental music came out (Plini, Animals as Leaders, Russian Circles), and I fucking loved the new Babymetal. New Devin Townsend was also better than I expected, since the last few have felt kind of empty to me. Haken and Thank You Scientist, while not purely metal, were also really get listens. Opeth's new album was pretty interesting but I need to give it more time to sink in.

I'm surprised by how much I liked the classic band outputs, specifically by Megadeth and Testament (bought the new Metallica as I liked Death Magnetic a lot, but I'm nervous about listening to it.) Great year for music overall, turns out.

@blannir: hope you find something you enjoy!

@csl316: Metallica has essentially been dead to me for a very long time, but I've heard good things about the new one. I'm also nervous and have been putting it off. James Hetfield was recently on Joe Rogan's podcast and it was super interesting.

Vektor is on this list, and that's all that honestly matters.

With that said, how'd you feel about the Agoraphobic Nosebleed EP?

Also, you should definitely check out the new Metallica. You have to like all eras of Metallica (Load especially), but it's a great album front to back. Also, there's "Spit Out The Bone," which is simply one of the best Metallica songs ever written, period, full stop.

Metal Album covers are the best, man!

@jakob187: Agoraphobic Nosebleed is a name I recognize but am not familiar with. Guess I should check it out?

@jasonmasters: indeed they are! That's definitely part of my enjoyment of the genre! There are some crazy talented artists who I'd never hear of if it weren't for album covers.

I recall that poster being on the side of the Metro for months and Party Cannon wasn't colored in then. It always amused me that the 'poster' went viral long after that show happened. I'm sure the bands were overjoyed.

Also man was that a Unique Leader heavy show.

It's a side project from Scott Hull, the guy from Pig Destroyer. They did nothing but doom on the EP, and it's fucking phenomenal.

Cool I'll have to give it a shot - they're typically a grindcore band right?

I know Prog Metal isn't a thing for everyone, but I really enjoyed Devin Townsend's most recent album even if it's a bit samey to Epicloud. I missed my chance to see Vektor in November and it will bug me forever that I didn't get to see that lineup.

Yeah I got to see them once - they recreate how they sound on the album. Very impressive. The most important thing is that the guy still keeping the band going was the main man so I don't expect it to impact too much? But who knows, we'll see. Probably won't hear any new stuff any time soon.

For the 26th year in a row, "Rust in Peace" is my metal album of the year.

Honorable mentions to:

The Jester Race

Heartwork

Slaughter of the Soul

@sikdude: those are all good ones indeed!

Nice list. I was surprised with how much I enjoyed Arctic Thunder after not really caring for Darkthrone's last few albums. I loved what Urgehal did with Aeons in Sodom. Felt like a real celebration of black metal and a great way to honor Trondr Nefas' memory. That and hearing Nattefrost on a recording again was great.

My personal favorite for the year was probably Azaxul - The Fleshly Tomb because I'm a massive Moonblood fanboy. Most listened to was probably Bestial Raids - Master Satan's Witchery. 2016 was an incredible year for metal overall.

Been hearing a lot of buzz about Blood Incantation and took a listen. Damn very psychedelic but sounding like something out of Morbid Angel's Domination.

My favorite is more on the hardcore side of things. While I do understand the overratedness of this album, I still love Nails' You Will Never be One of Us. Those riffs and the guitar sound are too damn good. Also love that most of the songs are super fast.

Yeah like what is Nattefrost up to these days? Has he walked away from music for the most part? I'd love to hear a modern Carpathian Forest album haha.

I know Moonblood goes back to the old days but it's not a band I ever really gave any time too. I'll check out Azaxul. Don't know Bestial Raids either!

So, is there such a thing as metal that doesn't follow the cookie monster vocal style these days? I've loved slow, grindy doom metal for years but it's hard for me to find anything new that isn't some dude gargling incomprehensible nonsense.

Note that purely instrumental albums are very much an acceptable answer.

@frytup: Of course, but the cookie monster vocal style is more prevalent than ever for sure. I personally had to force myself to get used to it, but bands like Opeth and Between the Buried & Me are just too good; I was really missing out on some outstanding material. As for clean vocals, one of my favorites has always been Symphony X; I recommend this, this, or this. I personally don't listen to a ton of doom, but have you ever looked into Ghost? They may be a bit more 'commercial' for some, but it's still some quality doom metal if you ask me; try this and this.

Allegaeon, Aborted, Every Time I Die, Revocation , Meshuggah... Gojira honorable mention.

Yeah there's plenty of bands that are heavy but don't do harsh vocals. Hell Opeth has completely moved away from it (which I don't really like :P) and I believe Between the Buried & Me have as well? I only liked Colors from them.

Some doom I can think of off the top of my head, with no growling: Pallbearer, Occultation (dreamy female vocals), and not doom but following up on Occultation: the guitarist's personal project, Negative Plane, is more black metal but with a unique style of vocals. Rarely raspy growling and more like, chanting/talking and in the background of some excellent music.

BTBAM's last album had significantly less, but every song still had them. So, when something like Colors was 90-95% harsh, Coma Ecliptic (their latest release) is about 33% harsh.

@jaypb08: Two things I'm so happy to see someone mention Ghost. Are they more commercial? Yes. But they're one of the single most entertaining live acts I've ever seen. They put on an excellent live show. Also, the most recent BTBAM album is fantastic; they performed the whole album live on their recent tour with Fallujah and Devin Townsend Project.

This list is solid, but missing a few of my personal favorites from the past year.

Black Crown Initiate's Selves We Cannot Forgive is their most solid release, stem to stern. The clean vocals seem to be a bit divisive, but the closing track, Vicious Lives, is one of my favorite album closers of all time.

Fallujah's Dreamless proves that no one does atmospheric death metal like these guys. Super tight riffs and rhythms on top of spacey, ethereal synths is tough to pull off, but Fallujah have been pulling it off for years now.

Rebel Wizard's Triumph of Gloomis the result of shoving black, thrash, and traditional heavy metal into a blender and turning it up to 11 without a lid on. "Heavy negative wizard metal" is my new favorite stupid sub-genre.

Alcest's Kodamais a return to form for the blackgaze pioneers. After their last album, a lot of metal heads wrote them off, but they've come... not exactly "storming" back onto the scene; it's more of a depressing shuffle, but still. Great tunes.

Two honorable mentions thanks to the beauty of end-of-year lists (thanks, MetalSucks): Toothgrinder's Nocturnal Masquerade and Cult of Luna/Julie Christmas' Mariner. The former is a really strong debut LP from a promising band. The latter is a veteran post-metal group getting together with a veteran hardcore vocalist to create a concept album about outer space. They're both incredible.

Here's an incomplete write up I did of stuff I liked that came out in 2016:

Mark Korven - The VVitch (LP)

Truly sinister soundtrack. Beautiful and unsettling. Pitch perfect for the movie, and for haunting yourself at night.

Azaxul - The Fleshly Tomb (LP)

Black metal built like a brick house that lasts forever. Totally dependable black metal. Solid foundation of riffs and atmosphere.

Blood Incantation - Starspawn (LP/CS)

Cthulhu in space, a modern twist on the sci-fi death metal that started with Nocturnus. In these times it doesn't sound half as original as Nocturnus, but hot damn it's a near perfect record when it comes to sound, energy and just about everything else.

Ritual Death - Ritual Death (7")

I wanna mainline anything that comes out of this scene, straight into my veins. Where's that One Tail, One Head record?? In the meantime, this satisfies in every single way. Evil, sinister black metal the way it's meant to be played.

Candelabrum - Necrotelepathy (LP)

Once you submerge yourself into the distortion, the musick gently pushes and pulls at your body in some truly wonderful ways. It almost clips its way into disaster, but teeters right on the edge. Very satisfying.

Mystik - Kapitel I & II (LP)

Sophisticated, perfectly produced black metal. These guys seem to play loose and fast with the definition of improvised, but if it leads to gems like this who gives a shit.

Hellhammer - Blood Insanity (7")

Holy shit, an official Hellhammer release in 2016.

Hatespirit - Blood & Poetry (LP)

Finland has all the best black metal bands. The angriest too, from the sounds of it. Deliciously piercing and violent black metal, but with solid and exciting song writing.

Baptism - V: The Devil's Fire (LP/CS)

Some adult, satanic black metal. Sophisticated in all the right places but never forgetful about the basics, ie. the riffs.

Hostium - The Bloodwine of Satan

A weird mis-mash of different, classic bands and releases. An entertaining black metal record of old sounds made anew.

Grave Miasma - Endless Pilrimage

A further refinement of style for one of the current classics in death metal. Leaving the tombs behind, this time the sound is expansive, like a barren field full of (anti)cosmic nightmares.

Temple Nightside - the Hecatomb

Heck, what a tomb. The most cavernous of them all. Aussie excellence.

Celestial Grave - Burial Ground Trance

Black metal for modern dudes. Almost a little cheesy, but wonderfully emotive.

Ghoulgotha - To Starve the Cross

A modern throw-back to some classy death/doom sounds of the 90s. Sounds positively European. Good job Americans.

Dughpa - Dughpa

SPACE!

Blood Chalice - Demo 2016

Disgusting! If all of my favorite black metal bands wanted to put out cool little eps like this, I'd be okay with that. What a little black metal treasure.

Void Meditation Cult - Utter the Tongue of the Dead

The most evil sounding record put out this year. Truly menacing and disturbing, but in a good, sexy way. Totally unique production. Can't stop playing this ritual.

Bestial Raids - Master Satan's Witchery

Goddamn, Revenge and Archgoat fvcked and had a demon baby named Master Satan's Witchery. Catchy yet evil. Like Revenge, the strength of this record lies in its awesome drumming and the captivating song writing.

Panphage - Drengskapr

Not quite as many amazing riffs and hooks as I was craving for from Panphage, but amazingly crafted, unique black metal just the same. Sounds like nothing else out there.

Spectral Voice / Phrenelith - Split EP

Super exciting to finally hear some new Spectral Voice. Solid packaging, too. Now gimme that full length and I'll stay death.

Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder

Haters can fvck off and die. Darkthrone sounds like Darkthrone and no one else. Raise-your-fist-in-pleasure heavy metal.

Blood Red Fog - On Death's Wings

One of my favorite bands out of Finland. They have a very specific, authentic sense of melody and melancholy. Black metal for late nights and a lot of drinking. Drowning your sorrows while contemplating the nature of being alive and being dead.

Vanhelgd - Temple of Phobos

Solid, a-typical European death metal.

Recluse - Stillbirth In Bethlehem

Gross. Excellent. Cool French points.

Bekëth Nexëhmü - De Glömdas Ursjälar

Ahhhh, so good. Wintery black metal that hits all the right highs and manages to avoid all the obvious lows.

Inquisition - Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith

Wholly unique sounding black metal from these veterans. Consistency is the key, but they're not afraid to stray from the beaten path. You're definitely getting your money's worth with this release.

@thehanna:Ghost is indeed amazing live. Will check out some of these others too - still need to get around to Alcest's.

@satiros: woah lots of stuff here I didn't hear! That Hellhammer...that can't really be with Tom G. Warrior right? If so how did I miss that?? Void Meditation Cult was good too, I actually forgot about that one.

I really liked a bunch of those albums last year....and then I got to your #1......and I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW DARKTHRONE RELEASED ONE!!!!!!11

Thank you!

@nickhead: yeah, apparently the story is that he really wanted to release the track as a nwobhm-style single after the 3rd demo, but they couldn't get the finances going for it.

In his own words: "The result is this single, produced in full coordination with the HELLHAMMER members who played on these songs and designed as faithfully as possible in accordance with the original concept we devised 32 years ago. It features the Prowling Death Records number we originally assigned to it: PDR 007."

@symbyosys: you are so welcome!

@satiros: wow interesting definitely gotta listen

Oh man, I can't believe I forgot about the new Mithras album, On Strange Loops. Brutal. Complex. Kinda weird. Right up my alley.

EDIT: And Virvum's Illuminance!