Well, folks, we are finally getting there. This week is the last week of just new album reviews. Next week will have a few, but we’ll be starting our end of the year list fun then. For now, though, we have a couple of fresh new albums, a couple from the previous weeks we glossed over, and we even hit the G+ Spot for a few minutes to keep you up to date on some of the big happenings in the Metal world.
Reviews: Evergreen Terrace – Dead Horses (Rise); I Exist – From Darkness (Prosthetic); Indoctrine – Unto the Fall EP (Inverse); Obliteration – Black Death Horizon (Relapse)
I Exist – From Darkness
Evergreen Terrace – Dead Horses
Indoctrine – Unto The Fall
Obliteration – Black Death Horizon
The Sideshow Podcast 
Here’ my top albums of 2013. This was such a good year that I had to expand the list to include 20 albums:
20. TesseracT – Altered State
A real grower that took many months for me to really like. The number of high points (Retrospect, Nocturne) outweigh the fact that it starts to sound the same towards the end of the album.
19. Clutch – Earth Rocker
Solid, down-home rock from these guys who seem to get better with age. I good mix of stuff on here to keep it interesting.
18. Deadlock – The Arsonist
Surprisingly good “beauty and the beast” stylings, with the female vocalist being the standout. Many good, catchy, varied tracks on The Arsonist.
17. Born of Osiris – Tomorrow We Die Alive
Great “progressive deathcore” (I had to ask Brian what to classify them as) featuring one of the best singles of the year in the song “Machine.” Heavy, catchy, and really gets you pumped up.
16. Inquisition – Obscure Verses for the Multiverse
Bad vocals, poor production, but the guitar riffs are AWESOME! The riffs are so good that they more than make up for any other shortcomings.
15. Killswitch Engage – Disarm The Descent
A nice return from Jesse Leach. Songs are just as catchy as ever. Quite enjoyable even if this doesn’t bring much new to the fold.
14. Kadavar – Abra Kadavar
Great Black Sabbath inspired songs and sound. These guys just flat out rock.
13. Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork
Great return to form for QOTSA. Easily their best album since 2002’s Songs for the Deaf. An eclectic, poppy mix of tunes.
12. Holy Grail – Ride the Void
A good mix of old school and new school, combining several influences into a memorable album. It was made sweeter for me because I won this album from a contest on the podcast!
11. Black Sabbath – 13
When a band reforms after a long time apart, I have learned to temper my expectations when they release a new album. So I had no expectations about 13. How can Black Sabbath return to any sort of form after not being together for 35 years? Well, they did. 13 is very enjoyable and the band still sounds great. Whatever production tricks Rick Rubin did to pull these guys out of their graves worked.
10. Unhuman – Unhuman
This album is unbelievable! Listening to it demands every ounce of your attention. And those vocals. I think this one album covers every known style of extreme metal vocals – and then some. The vocals sound like a pig that can purr like a cat.
9. Carcass – Surgical Steel
This is what death metal can and should be. Great riffs throughout the entire album. This will certainly be on tons of year end lists.
8. Scale the Summit – The Migration
An instrumental album that ranks up there with the best of them. The guitar and songs at times remind me of Surfing with the Alien by Joe Satriani, which is a good thing because Surfing with the Alien may be the greatest guitar instrumental album of all time.
7. Dillinger Escape Plan – One of Us is the Killer
This is the album that made me like Dillinger. There are moments of brilliance amidst the chaos in this music. The title track is one of the catchiest and most surprising hits of the year.
6. Audrey Horne – Youngblood
A band named after a Twin Peaks character that makes music in the style of the best 70s and early 80s hard rock. What’s not to like? Some good anthems on here, highlighted by “This Ends Here”.
5. Kvelertak – Meir
Expectations certainly have a lot to do with the reception of any highly anticipated album and Meir is no exception. Their first album came out of nowhere and was a surprise hit. If Meir had been their first album it would still be a surprise hit. The band still brings their brand of fun to the music. It also shows growth as indicated by the longer drawn out instrumental passages at the end of the songs on the second half of the album. And the song “Kvelertak” has the potential to be their signature song not just because of the name but because it is so damn good. It sounds like the best AC/DC song in the last 20 years.
4. Scorpion Child
The song “A Polygon of Eyes” is one of the most immediately good songs of the year. The whole album is solid hard rock with quality songs from start to finish. If you like Led Zeppelin and you like catchy songs, you will like Scorpion Child. And who doesn’t like Led Zeppelin?
3. Byzantine
When I first listened to this album, I thought it was nothing special. But it grew. And grew. Now I think how could I have not liked this right away? Is it just because I can’t easily classify the music and compare it to other stuff I know? But Byzantine’s music isn’t wildly different from anything else, it’s just that there is no direct comparison. But once those riffs sink in, they stick with you.
2. Nails – Abandon All Life
17 minutes of some of the heaviest music I’ve ever heard. A little bit of grindcore, some hardcore, and some brutal guitars. And that guitar tone is quite possibly perfect.
1. The Ocean – Pelagial
The Ocean plunges the depths of metal, prog, and doom with Pelagial and takes you on a musical journey along the way. I struggle to articulate just how stunning this album is. Put on your headphones and press play.
Great list Bob! You really covered a lot of ground and different sub genres with this one. While my personal taste may not agree with all of them, I think we’ll certainly see a fair amount of overlap on our lists. Also, I am super pumped that Byzantine not only made your list, but cracked the Top 3! They have long been one of my favorite bands, and it pleases me to no end to see them get the recognition they so rightly deserve.
Cool, thanks for the feedback. I look forward to hearing/seeing your guys lists in the next couple of weeks. As for Byzantine, if you hadn’t seen it they are number 7 on Metal Insider’s combined list (which can be found at: http://www.metalinsider.net/top-10/metal-insiders-combined-top-10-albums-of-2013).
As for personal tastes being different, I’m guessing I’m not going to be seeing Deadlock on your list, and I know that the 70s retro stuff isn’t quite your bag either. I threw in the rhetorical question of “who doesn’t like Led Zeppelin” knowing full well who doesn’t really dig Led Zep 😉