RYM Top 40 Death Metal Releases - a personal ranking analysis
As I recently did with Black Metal, I'm finally ready to analyze how my views of Death Metal compare to the general RYM community. This involves seeing how my own rankings compare to the RYM Top 40 Death Metal releases as it stands today.
For the purpose, I've replicated the RYM list here at Metal Academy...
https://metal.academy/lists/single/319
...and here's my ratings / rankings for it...
https://metal.academy/lists/single/341?releasesFilters=1&userFilter=3
As always, I want to state that music will always be a personal experience. The below analysis is just a bit of fun, and everyone has the right to disagree with me. I encourage you to tell me when you do, with the respect we generally have here at the Academy. I also acknowledge that this sort of analysis will hold more value as the list increases, which I'll do as I complete each RYM page for each genre.
MY TOP 10 (the releases from the RYM top 40 that I've ranked the highest)
- Morbid Angel - Altars of Madness
- Death - Human
- Death - Symbolic
- Carcass - Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious
- Immolation - Close to a World Below
- Edge of Sanity - Crimson
- Gorguts - Colored Sands
- Suffocation - Pierced From Within
- Death - Individual Thoughts Patterns
- Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere
Comments: Similar to my black metal list, I could have guessed my top 6 here, but Colored Sands and Absolute Elsewhere are releases I've only recently spent enough time with to fully grasp. I look forward to discovering further gems as I continue to check out more critically acclaimed releases from the last decade or so.
MY BOTTOM 10 (the releases from the RYM top 40 that I've ranked the lowest)
- Morgue - Bonecrunch
- Cryptopsy - Blasphemy Made Flesh
- Scattered Remains - Inherent Perversion
- Autopsy - Severed Survival
- Dismember - Like an Ever Flowing Stream
- Gorguts - Obscura
- Autopsy - Mental Funeral
- Suffocation - Human Waste
- Entombed - Left Hand Path
- Death - The Sound of Perseverance
Comments: I have to say that the RYM top 40 really highlights how much my tastes differ from other death metal fans. I can't fathom how Morgue's Bonecrunch can be ranked so damn high. Sure, it's brutal, but is that enough? I gave it plenty of listens, but simply couldn't hear anything original or deserving of praise. I've always struggled with Obscura, so no surprises there, and The Sound of Perseverance took Death's sound outside my comfort zone (is it even death metal?). It might pain some Academy attendees to see Autopsy on the list, but I've just had to accept over time that I struggle with down and dirty death metal, which I know is much loved by others (Hi Sonny!). As for Cryptopsy, well I personally find them to be one of the more overrated death metal bands, especially their debut.
TOP 10 WHERE MY RANKING IS CLOSEST TO THE GENERAL CONSENSUS
Exactly the same position
- Death - Human (both 2)
- Suffocation - Human Waste (both 33)
Difference of 2 positions
- Death - Symbolic (me - 3, RYM - 1)
- Immolation - Close to a World Below (me - 5, RYM - 7)
- Suffocation - Pierced from Within (me - 8, RYM - 10)
- Inanna - Converging Ages (me - 27, RYM - 29)
Difference of 3 positions
- Immolation - Unholy Cult (me - 16, RYM - 19)
- Death - Individual Thought Patterns (me - 9, RYM - 6)
TOP 10 WHERE MY RANKING DIFFERS MOST TO THE GENERAL CONSENSUS
- Carcass - Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious - 33 difference (me - 4, RYM - 37)
- Gorguts - Obscura - 30 difference (me - 35, RYM - 5)
- Nile - Annihilation of the Wicked - 27 difference (me - 12, RYM - 39)
- Death - The Sound of Perseverance - 27 difference (me - 31, RYM - 4)
- Cryptopsy - None So Vile - 26 difference (me - 29, RYM - 3)
- Dismember - Like an Everflowing Stream - 24 difference (me - 36, RYM - 12)
- Scattered Remains - Inherent Perversion - 24 difference (me - 38, RYM - 14)
- Morgue - Bonecrunch - 24 difference (me - 40, RYM - 16)
- Ulcerate - Everything is Fire - 23 difference (me - 17, RYM - 40)
- Morbid Angel - Covenant - 17 difference (me - 11, RYM - 28)
An interesting analysis Ben. I completely concur on "Obscura" as it is beyond my fathoming I have had to come to accept. Also "Annihilation of the Wicked" is definitely a top 10 death metal album for me and I agree that Cryptopsy are overrated. That Autopsy sound, though, is the best thing in death metal as far as I am concerned.