MetalSucks

So in case you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, or this is simply your first visit to Metal=eh, we’ve been sharing our views on the 21 “best” metal albums of this millennium (according to an esteemed panel of metal industry yahoos), and lo and behold — an amazing album by an amazing band topped the list.

Commencing with arguably the “best” (or at least “most metal”) opening lyrics of any album this century (”I think that someone is trying to kill me….it’s infecting my blood and destroying my mind…”), Mastodon’s epic yet grounded Leviathan ascends above the crop of proto-prog-thrashsters throughout every song, and the range of jamz feels both balanced and diverse, all the while sounding like the same album from start to finish — not an easy feat.

For me, it was always the first and last tunes off this album that exhibit the most, ahehhahem, heart (and of course “Iron Tusk” totally rips……..ROAR).

MASTODON — “Hearts Alive”, from ["best" 21st century album] Leviathan (2004)

-KW

I heard Assassins, the new album from Nachtmystium, over the weekend, and its even better than I thought (or hoped) it would be. I’ll get around to doing a full review before the album drops in June, but let me just say that these dudes take black metal to psychedelic new heights (Actually, I think they’ve already done that, but they really have outdone themselves this time. Again.)

So I was stoked to get this press release, which announces that 2008 will offer even more new Nachtmystium goodness than previously expected:

“First, the new Worldfall MCD will be released as a precursor to their upcoming full-length, and will only be available direct from Century Media as well as iTunes…

“The Worldfall tracks were originally intended for a split with Leviathan that has now been delayed due to legal issues with Leviathan’s record label. Nachtmystium will be recording new tracks later this year and releasing the split at a later date.”

Does that mean we might get THREE new Nachtmystium albums this year?!?! The thought makes me so happy I might have to go jerk off just so I can get my hard-on down and go out in public again.

-AR

Okay, no surprise — we fucking love Mastodon and Lamb of God ’round here…you wanna fight about it? Therefore it should be no shock when I nominate the opening lines of Leviathan and Ashes of the Wake (both released in 2004) as the two best opening lines of that year, perhaps even ever.

Mastodon, “Blood And Thunder”, from Leviathan –
“I think that someone is trying to kill me; it’s infecting my blood and destroying my mind…” — I just got chills even typing it out; what a direct vision of madness, and a seriously vivid start to a truly sensational album.

Lamb of God, “Laid To Rest”, from Ashes of the Wake –
“The blood’s on the wall, so you might as well just admit it…” — Why hide from the painfully obvious truths of the reality of war? LoG simply puts it all on the table from moment one.

These albums made 2004 a landmark year for metal, and I am happy to report that both band’s follow-ups (Mastodon/Blood Mountain and Lamb of God/Sacrament, both released in 2006) are amazing, despite any gripes that the nitpickers may have.

However, I personally think that LoG stepped up their opening line chops with “Walk With Me In Hell” a notch above what Mastodon did on “The Wolf Is Loose”.

Compare for yourself after the jjjjump…

Click to read more…