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Features - Column
 Dethroned Emperor #5 Ten Amazing Metal Albums of 2008 so far Column by Josh Haun | June 12th, 2008
Well, we're right at the halfway point of 2008 and it has already been a hell of a year for my beloved heavy metal. A surprising number of killer releases have come across my desk over the course of the past six months, and I've already spent a lot time pondering how difficult it's going to be to round up my favorite releases for my annual top ten “best-of” list. Itching as I am to heap praise upon the numerous albums that have already made me want to headbang until my head detaches from my neck, I've decided the only logical solution is to present a top ten list of some of my of my favorite recordings of 2008 so far. From the filthy black chaos created by Revenge to the finesse-laden tech-death smart-bombs crafted by Origin, this list represents a pretty good cross section of all the things that have made me love metal for the past 15 years. Although this top ten is truly in no particular order and all the albums listed have their own unique charms, I just couldn't help but kick things off with one of my all-time favorite bands, New Orleans' indestructible Soilent Green.
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 1. Soilent Green - Inevitable Collapse in the Presence of Conviction (Metal Blade)
I've seen these guys described as all sorts of things (like "sludgy swamp grind," for instance), but to me Soilent Green has always been a death metal band. Or more accurately, a death metal blender where grind, hardcore and sludge get ripped to shreds and re-configured as an unstoppable, rampaging Frankenstein's monster. Of course, the Frankenstein analogy seems all the more fitting when you consider that these guys have continually weathered setbacks that would've killed a lesser band dead one hundred times over. Rather than cracking under the strain of everything from car crashes to natural disasters, Soilent Green continues to refine their sound, becoming an even more lethal patchwork beast with each and every release.
 2. Revenge - Infiltration. Downfall. Death. (Osmose)
This album came out back in February but somehow managed to slip under my radar until just recently. Featuring members of Axis of Advance and Angelcorpse, Revenge create a mindwarping, abrasive racket that somehow subverts the pummeling blackened death metal idiom and becomes strangely psychedelic upon repeated listens. Just like all prior Revenge releases, the production on this thing is beyond raw, coating the songs in an appropriately thick layer of grime. There are points where this psychotic blastfest of a record feels like it could fall apart at the seams, but Revenge somehow manage to rein in the musical dementia they create long enough to keep the songs semi-coherent. Thirty five minutes of the blackest, filthiest, most chaotic noise I've heard all year—storming its way out Canada of all places.
 3. Arghoslent - Hornets of the Pogrom (Drakkar Productions)
Screw the nay-sayers who claim that this album is only garnering attention for its "controversial" lyrical content—this is some the finest melodic death metal you're going to hear all year. Now, I'm not talking melodic in an overly saccharine Gothenburg way, I'm talking triumphant, Maiden-esque, galloping into battle with a big freaking axe melodies, swathed in old school death metal gnarliness. It's a shame that many metalheads will flat out refuse to listen to even one note of Arghoslent's musical genius based solely on the band's sociopolitical ideology, for they are truly missing out one of the genre's best kept secrets. With excellent songwriting and topnotch musicianship, Hornets of the Pogrom plays like a clinic on how to write compelling death metal.
 4. Leviathan - Massive Conspiracy Against All Life (Moribund)
Rumor has it that this is the final Leviathan release, as mainman Wrest intends to put the project to sleep in order to focus on his other musical pursuit, Lurker of Chalice. If this is so, then Leviathan is definitely leaving this plane of existence on a high note, as Massive Conspiracy Against All Life is a slab of grim psychedelia that oozes out of your stereo's speakers like the black cancer from X-Files. Wrest has always shown a knack for balancing scathing black metal with moments of unsettling ambience, and that dichotomy is brought to the forefront here. More than just a collection of songs, Massive Conspiracy Against All Life is a snapshot of Leviathan at the height of it's immersive powers, creating a disturbing yet completely addictive aural landscape.
 5. Lair of the Minotaur - War Metal Battle Master (Southern Lord)
The members of Lair of the Minotaur might worship at the black altar of metal's elder gods such as Venom and Celtic Frost, but on War Metal Battle Master the trio create a barbaric sound that's far from mere mimicry. Barbarian riffage and tales of woe on the blood-soaked battlefield are the order of the day, making for a batch of songs that are skull-crushing and catchy in equal measure. Whenever I listen to this band I can't help but let my mind drift off into the realms of Conan-style fantasy, my cranial cavity filled with visions of slain frost giants and scantily clad warrior women as I headbang uncontrollably.
 6. Testament - The Formation of Damnation (Nuclear Blast)
Testament's comeback album is so good, ninety-nine percent of the new-jack thrash bands that are suddenly popping up out of the woodwork might as well sell their instruments and call it a day. While many younger groups try to recapture the spirit of the 1980s, Testament forge ahead with a distinctly modern take on the genre, incorporating all the best parts of their prior works and sheathing them in a state-of-the-art production scheme. The dazzling axework of returning lead shredder Alex Skolnick after a ten-plus year absence from the band (not counting 2001's First Strike Still Deadly, a collection of re-recordings) is merely icing the cake.
 7. Origin - Antithesis (Relapse)
Origin has always been one of the speediest, most technical and uncompromisingly brutal death metal bands going, but something that's always seemed to hold them back is a lack of appropriate production. While some bands actually benefit from lo-fi rawness (as evidenced by several of the selections on this list) a group of musicians as skillful and intense as Origin demand a recording that allows the listener to hear everything that's going on. With Antithesis, Origin have finally managed to strike the right balance between speed, complexity and production values, creating the finest album of their careers in the process. Not only has the band matured as songwriters, they have also somehow managed to kick the already ridiculously high level of musicianship up several notches. Rarely is brutal death metal so thoughtfully crafted.
 8. Ihsahn - angL (Candlelight)
Fusing the symphonic black metal stylings of his former band Emperor with a dark progressive approach, Ihsahn once again demonstrates why he is considered a visionary within the metal community. Aided and abetted by members of Opeth and Spiral Architect, Ihsahn creates a multifaceted, forward-thinking work of instrumental dexterity and masterful songcraft that transcends the confines of both black metal and prog. While many black metal artists willfully choose to keep their music primitive, Ihsahn's oeuvre continues to expand and develop with each and every release he is involved in, adding new textures and dimensions to his already impressive repertoire.
 9. Desaster - 666 Satan's Soldiers Syndicate (Metal Blade)
Easily the most fun record I've heard all year, Desaster play alcohol-drenched, blackened thrash with just the right mix of over-the-top blasphemy and F-you attitude. The simplistic, catchy approach the band utilizes throughout the album keeps things enjoyable throughout its thirty-odd minutes, creating a nearly uncontrolable urge to don bullet belts and drink excessive amounts of Warsteiner. Guest appearances by members of Primordial, Absu and Melechesh lend further creedence to the notion that at the end of the night, 666 Satan's Soldiers Syndicate is a beer 'n' blood drenched thrash metal party where Lucifer is the undisputed guest of honor. If it's too loud, you're already dead.
 10. Dismember - s/t (Regain)
With that instantly recognizable guitar tone that sounds like an ensemble of power tools messily ripping through dead flesh, Sweden's Dismember are as sick and twisted as they've ever been on their eighth album. This elder band shows no signs of slowing down, and to be honest puts many younger bands to shame with grizzled intensity and an almost punk rock sense of reckless abandon that's generally lost on many of today's more-technical-than-thou death metal toddlers. Sure, some bands (such as the aforementioned Origin) pull off the tech death schtick with devastating aplomb, but at the end of the day, death metal is about bruising songs soaked in blood, guts and vomit, which is what Dismember delivers in spades with tracks like "Europa Burns" and "Tide of Blood".
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So there you have it, my top ten of 2008 so far. It'll be interesting to see which albums are still left standing when I go to write my year-end list. There are already some releases on the horizon that will undoubtedly shake things up. One such recording is the new Nachtmystium album Assasssins: Black Meddle Pt. 1, out now on Century Media. As of this writing I've only had the promo for two days, but it's already shaping up to be one of the most impressive metal releases I've heard in quite some time. Expect more extensive coverage of this one as I continue to explore it further. In the meantime, you can check out a number of new Nachtmystium tracks at the band's Official MySpace.
Another record by a veteran band that's looking to decimate the metallic competition this year is Unleashed's Hammer Battalion. Much like their fellow Swedish elder statesmen Dismember and Grave, Unleashed have once again stepped up their game and released a raging album of thrashy, old school death metal with a pagan lyrical bent that further sets them apart from the gore-obsessed masses. You can here a number of full songs and clips from Hammer Battalion on the band's Official Website.
Finally, it looks like former Celtic Frost mainman Tom G. Fischer has resurfaced in a new project called Triptykon, which also appears to feature long-lost former Celtic Frost drummer Reed St. Mark as well as guitarist V. Santura of German black metallers Dark Fortress. No actual songs yet, but there is a nifty ambient/noise track up for your listening pleasure on the band's MySpace page.
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