Release Lists
Here's my newly created Top Ten Metal Releases of 1993 list which clearly shows the impact that the now thriving doom/death subgenre was having on me at the time:
01. diSEMBOWELMENT - "Transcending Into The Peripheral"
02. My Dying Bride - "Turn Loose The Swans"
03. My Dying Bride - "The Thrash of Naked Limbs" E.P.
04. Anathema - "Serenades"
05. Death - "Individual Thought Patterns"
06. Dream Theater - "Live at the Marquee" E.P.
07. Morbid Angel - "Covenant"
08. Cynic - "Focus"
09. Burzum - "Det som engag var"
10. Gorguts - "The Erosion of Sanity"
Here's my newly created Top Ten Metal Releases of 1993 list which clearly shows the impact that the now thriving doom/death subgenre was having on me at the time:
01. diSEMBOWELMENT - "Transcending Into The Peripheral"
02. My Dying Bride - "Turn Loose The Swans"
03. My Dying Bride - "The Thrash of Naked Limbs" E.P.
04. Anathema - "Serenades"
05. Death - "Individual Thought Patterns"
06. Dream Theater - "Live at the Marquee" E.P.
07. Morbid Angel - "Covenant"
08. Cynic - "Focus"
09. Burzum - "Det som engag var"
10. Gorguts - "The Erosion of Sanity"
I think I need to spend a bit of quality time with "Transcending Into The Peripheral" because I have never thought that highly of it. Whether this is due to the fact I had no contemporary experience of it and only came to it long after the fact, or I just don't get it, I'm not sure. Either way it has been quite some time since I last listened to it, so it's probably long overdue a revisit.
Funnily enough, my #2 is something you reviewed very recently, Daniel:
1. Earth - Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Version
2. Emperor / Enslaved - Emperor / Hordanes Land
3. Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon
4. Rippikoulu - Musta seremonia
5. Demilich - Nespithe
6. Death - Individual Thought Patterns
7. Beherit - Drawing Down the Moon
8. Gorguts - The Erosion of Sanity
9. Blasphemy - Gods of War
10. Sinister - Diabolical Summoning
I once talked about 1993 being a special year for some expanding metal genres besides the classic ones, but I talked about that a few years ago when I was still interested in some bands from those genres. There are still a lot of fantastic releases from that year from bands I listen to though, so here's my top 10:
1. Earth Crisis - Firestorm
2. Rorschach - Protestant
3. Conception - Parallel Minds
4. Brainchild / Living Sacrifice / Circle of Dust - Metamorphosis
5. Comecon - Converging Conspiracies
6. Believer - Dimensions
7. Anacrusis - Screams and Whispers
8. Cynic - Focus
9. Alchemist - Jar of Kingdom
10. Morgoth - Odium
That is a truly unique top ten Andi. I love the honesty & individualism.
Thanks, Daniel.
I consider 1993 to be one of the truly golden years for metal & some of my all-time favorites were released that year. Although, judging by your submissions, I still have a lot of exploring ahead of me!
01. Katatonia - Dance of December Souls
02. Brutality - Screams of Anguish
03. Rotting Christ - Thy Mighty Contract
04. Burzum - Det som engang var
05. Marduk - Those of the Unlight
06. Carcass - Heartwork
07. Death - Individual Thought Patterns
08. Eucharist - A Velvet Creation
09. Dark Tranquillity - Skydancer
10. Malevolent Creation - Stillborn
Most honorable mentions for: Sentenced, Suffocation, Immortal & Emperor
I haven't settled on the order just yet, but I reckon mine would look something like this...
1. My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans
2. diSEMBOWELMENT - Transcendence Into the Peripheral
3. Cynic - Focus
4. Satyricon - Dark Medieval Times
5. Pestilence - Spheres
6. Darkthrone - Under a Funeral Moon
7. Death - Individual Thought Patterns
8. Morbid Angel - Covenant
9. Coroner - Grin
10. Carcass - Heartwork
I have been doing some work on my personal release-by-year lists and thought I would start sharing some of them here:
Sonny's Top Ten Releases of 1980
1. Angel Witch - Angel Witch
2. Diamond Head - Lightning To The Nations
3. Iron Maiden - Iron Maiden
4. Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Ozz
5. Black Sabbath - Heaven and Hell
6. Motorhead - Ace of Spades
7. Witchfynde - Give 'Em Hell
8. Saxon - Strong Arm of the Law
9. Saxon - Wheels of Steel
10. Budgie - Power Supply
After revisiting all of the local demos of the 1980's that I used to have in my tape trading collection over the last few months, I've managed to put together a very accurate Top Ten Australian Extreme Metal Releases of the 1980's list that I feel might expose some people to a number of hidden gems because most of this stuff has flown completely under the radar of most international metal freaks. You'll notice that there's not a Mortal Sin record amongst them too which should tell you that there's some high-quality shit here:
01. Persecution - "Tortured Existence" demo (1989) [Death/thrash from Seaford, Victoria]
02. Nomenclature Diablerie - "888" demo (1988) [Sydney death metal]
03. Hobbs Angel of Death - "Angel of Death" demo (1987) [Melbourne thrash metal]
04. Bezerker - "Laugh at the Light" demo (1988) [Adelaide thrash metal]
05. Hobbs Angel of Death - "Virgin Metal Invasion from Down Under" demo (1988) [Melbourne thrash metal]
06. Depression - "Thrash Till Death: Studio Tapes" (1988) [Melbourne crossover thrash]
07. Addictive - "Pity of Man" (1989) [Sydney thrash metal]
08. Depression - "Australia, Australia" E.P. (1985) [Melbourne crossover thrash]
09. Depression - "Ultra Hard Core Mega Heavy Punk Metal Thrash" (1987) [Melbourne crossover thrash/hardcore punk]
10. Hobbs Angel of Death - "Hobbs Angel of Death" (1988) [Melbourne thrash metal]
Here's my newly created Top Ten Australian Extreme Metal Releases of 1990 list:
01. Spectral Birth - "Raze" demo [Melbourne thrash metal]
02. Bezerker - "Lost" [Adelaide thrash metal]
03. Martire - "Demo 1990" demo [Adelaide blackened doom/death]
04. Sanctum - "To Dust" demo [Melbourne brutal thrash metal]
05. Iron Sheiks - "Do You Fancy Me?" [Adelaide crossover thrash]
06. Inflictor - "Jesus Wept" demo [Adelaide thrash metal]
07. Acheron - "Eternal Suffering" demo [Melbourne death metal]
08. Redeemer - "The Light is Struck..." [Sydney power/thrash metal]
09. Necrotomy - "Cranial Dismemberment" demo [Melbourne death metal]
10. Armoured Angel - "Communion" demo [Canberra thrash metal]
Here's my newly created Top Ten Metal Releases of 1994 list:
01. Mournful Congregation - "Weeping" demo
02. Darkthrone - "Transilvanian Hunger"
03. The 3rd & the Mortal - "Sorrow" E.P.
04. Burzum - "Hvis lyset tar oss"
05. The 3rd & the Mortal - "Tears Laid in Earth"
06. Mayhem - "De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas"
07. Godflesh - "Selfless"
08. Emperor - "In the Nightside Eclipse"
09. Grief - "Come to Grief"
10. Tiamat - "Wildhoney"
That was a good year for black metal. Here's my ten:
1. Darkthrone - "Transilvanian Hunger"
2. Emperor - "In the Nightside Eclipse"
3. Mayhem - "De mysteriis dom Sathanas"
4. Enslaved - "Vikingligr Veldi"
5. Cianide - "A Descent into Hell"
6. Burzum - "Hvis lyset tar oss"
7. Bestial Warlust - "Vengeance War 'Till Death"
8. Fimbulwinter - "Servants of Sorcery"
9. Thergothon - "Stream from the Heavens"
10. Gorement - "The Ending Quest"
Here my top 10 of 1994:
1. Circle of Dust - Brainchild
2. Unbroken - Life. Love. Regret.
3. The 3rd & the Mortal - Sorrow
4. PainKiller - Execution Ground
5. The 3rd & the Mortal - Tears Laid in Earth
6. Grave - Soulless
7. Godflesh - Selfless
8. Godflesh - Merciless
9. Demolition Hammer - Time Bomb
10. Living Sacrifice - Inhabit
I can have a shot at a top 10 for 1994...
1. Burzum - Hvis lyset tar oss
2. Mayhem - De mysteriis Dom Sathanas
3. Emperor - In the Nightside Eclipse
4. Amorphis - Tales From the Thousand Lakes
5. Incantation - Mortal Throne of Nazarene
6. Tiamat - Wildhoney
7. Darkthrone - Transilvanian Hunger
8. Solitude Aeturnus - Through the Darkest Hour
9. Enslaved - Vikingligr veldi
10. Godflesh - Selfless
(Haven't listened to Samael's Ceremony of Opposites for a while, but that's prob the only album I can think of that might push its way onto the list).
2025 will soon reach its end, so I think now's a good time for a top 10 of this year:
1. Lorna Shore - I Feel the Everblack Festering Within Me
2. An Abstract Illusion - The Sleeping City
3. Dayseeker - Creature in the Black Night
4. Orbit Culture - Death Above Life
5. Jinjer - Duel
6. Shadow of Intent - Imperium Delirium
7. All That Remains - Antifragile
8. Warbringer - Wrath and Ruin
9. The Halo Effect - March of the Unheard
10. Warmen - Band of Brothers
Honorable mentions: Drown in Sulphur - Vengeance, Dawn of Solace - Affliction Vortex, Volumes - Mirror Touch, The Haunted - Songs of Last Resort, Onslaught - Origins of Aggression, Eighteen Visions - Until the Ink Runs Out (re-recorded version), Attack Attack! - Attack Attack! II