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Hello and welcome to the Metal Heads Podcast.

My name is George.

This is Jay.

This is Will.

This is John.

This is Matt.

This is Markisan.

And we are joined today by James Lewis from Decibel Magazine.

Hello, James.

Hi, thank you for having me. Not only is he joining us, but he is in the studio with me and John and Will. In the flesh. Good luck. Before we get started, I want to give a shout out to my friend, Steve McDowell. Just wanted to say, I love you, brother. All right, so before we get into what you may or may not know is our 2022 year end list, because I haven't gotten to saying that yet. I want to jump back to last episode real quick to point out last episode.

We had the top five complaints about the decibel year and list. And I just wanted to give James a minute to respond to that if he has any comments on our lists. I feel like you guys covered it pretty clearly. I don't know what else to say about it because the major points on that were made that like, yes, there will be some albums, of course, that we don't hear, you know, some surprise drops or things that didn't come out until later in the year. You know, you don't know everything that's going to happen.

But we also have the caveat that if something comes out in December, we can tack that onto the next year list. And I think also that it comes down a lot to timing. I think this was mentioned. But for that issue to be on newsstands in January, or in December, rather, we have to do it that early because otherwise it would be too late. I mean, you don't want to be reading about the top 40 records of 2022 in February 2023, but then you don't care. So we do have to have it.

a little bit ahead.

And the reason it breaks early on the internet is because some

entrepreneuring individual always will get their early subscriber copy and then put it on a list somewhere.

And, you know, if it's going to show up somewhere, we'd rather have it on our site so we could at least give a little bit of context and caveat to it that, like, this is why, you know, it's this early because it has to be.

And I think people are used to now that with site lists, of course, you can get that live so fast.

So you can put that up on December 22nd and it's not a problem.

Whereas if we were trying to do something with records all the way out, records that are released all the way up until the end of the year, then the issue wouldn't be on newsstands until like March or something. So, yeah. That was a very mature response. I was looking for more something like, fuck you guys. Screw you guys. I'm good. That's what we're here for. Yeah. You know, I find it amazing, James, that you explain all that. And it's all for the most part. No, in the introduction. But people have time to read a list of 40 albums.

but they can't read an introduction of like six lines that just blows my mind it's like it's

there in print ass clown i mean if if somebody's really upset about it too you know i mean like

it's it's the list is compiled from a couple dozen at least i think different voices coming in

and if somebody's unhappy about it and wants to post their own list like well yes that's not we're not the police on this like go ahead and do that well that's why we do when we we post ours we've got our pod list and then everybody's

So it's like everybody gets their say and then there's the community list. I like reading the comments on it too and I check out the records that people recommend. Like somebody will be really excited about such and such album and sometimes it's ones that I missed. Like there is one that somebody comments at a record called Dark Meditation is the name of the band. The album is just phenomenal and I'd miss that during the course of the year and I really like the label that it's on too and I just had missed the record at that point in the year.

So, you know, for people who are complaining about what we do, like, you know, go ahead and chuck your entries in there. And, you know, cool. I can tell you that there is an item on my list this year that came from finding it on Decibles list. So. Oh. Yep. Oh. Yep. You knew something I didn't. Well, that's, and that's kind of the point, you know. Yeah. That's why I love less. That's, you know, that's the best time of the year. Cause it's like, what did I miss? Yeah. People always want to complain about, you know, what's on the list, but.

Maybe you're going to find something great. That's the whole point. There's so much metal out there that you're going to miss something. You know what song's been stuck in my head for the last two days? What? We made a list! We all made a list! For ours too, with all these different voices coming in, some of the records that might be the favorite of our editor-in-chief or something won't make the list because if it's his number one pick but nobody else was that into it,

Well, then it doesn't end up as number one. It's not just like this is Albert's list. It's what the writers vote on. We end up with things that maybe some of us are really excited about not on the list that people say, oh, well, you didn't include this. And it's like, well, a lot of us like that one. I always laugh at the obscure Bandcamp album with three people that bought it over the course of the whole year. Like, dude, this is the fucking best album. Your list is shit. It's like, okay, cool. I mean, we all have that too, because we all have

have our number ones are really albums that are really high on the list that might not make our combined list it happens every year yeah because you guys do a like a hard point system right yeah it's essentially like counting backwards like the number one record gets yeah 25 points yeah when i decided because i just threw it out there years ago and i was like i'll do it and i just think why am i going to try to waste my time making arbitrary decisions let's just go something simple and if your album doesn't make it oh well it's

It's on your list at least. You know, you got to talk about it, but it's an arbitrary thing. It's all subjective, you know. So, I mean, I guess I could say, well, you know, I'm making the list. So if it's an opeth album, it'll be number one. I don't know anyone else who does that with their lists, you know, in any magazines or anything, but I could do that. Wait, James, how do you guys calculate yours? I don't think there's a hard point systems or anything. I know that Albert gets the list from all of these, you know, all the different writers and then some other people who are maybe not writers or anything,

but you know people connected to the magazine or we work with in different capacities well how come you didn't ask me um you can send it and i'll send it over to him and be like this is the metalheads podcast votes uh here you go right in the trash yeah no he didn't i think he'd eat but look it over i'm sure um but um i think that at least in past two years i know that then he would print out the list and go through and and more of just instead of having like a hard point system or something it'd be like oh a whole bunch of writers had paradise lost at number one okay this is the number one you know

or like for this year we had undeath obviously at number one and i think he saw a whole bunch of people with undeath as their number one he's like okay well we had numerous people saying that so this is the topic see when we do the hard points that would be accounted for because if it's number one on three lists chances are it's gonna be number one for us the only thing we don't account for which we could but it seems at least in my opinion just seems kind of i don't know arbitrary instead of like five of us have an album on our list but it's showing up at like 20

four on everyone's list. Is that really a number one album? Even though it's showing up a lot? It's a tough call. We use science where decibels just haphazard. Yeah, you guys are just like, ah, fuck it. That's too much thinking. No, I mean, it begs a good question to ask. Well, if everyone's got it, shouldn't it be higher up? Probably. It probably should. Yeah, you could give an extra point or something, maybe for each extra one or whatever. Yeah, I mean, just try to keep...

If it's on everybody's list but one, should it lose a point? No. We will not get rid of Jade. Also, by the way, that means Decibel is pre-SoundScanera, and we are a SoundScanera list. That's right. I'm sure you guys, I know most of the people here know, but the pre-SoundScanera really was Billboard calling a bunch of record stores and going, what are you selling a lot of?

Yeah, really. The whole reason Dark Side of the Moon was on the charts forever was because a lot of what they called were places they called were college places. And college record stores, and they're like, yeah, man, everybody's buying Dark Side of the Moon, bro. Exactly, which means like three people bought it that week. Yeah, but that's also when people start smoking pot and discovering Bob Marley, you know what I mean? So of course it was on the list. Yeah. Yeah. That explains some of those shitty albums that have stayed so long on this billboard list.

All right, so I'm just going to give you a quick preview of what you can expect today. And drinking the Thunder Oak. And I just want to note that was the last time James was on, so. Oh, that's right. I forgot. So, yeah, I drank a little extra because James is here. As did I. I spent like three hours on the bathroom floor after that episode. I felt pretty good afterwards, actually. That's pretty impressive.

But James, what made you compelled to come back on and share your list this time? Peer pressure? Yep. I think George was making a motion for somebody punched me. I think that's what happened. Somebody hit me. No, being a listener of the podcast for years, hearing the shenanigans that happened at the in-person recording always sounded so cool.

And now I'm in the area rather than being hours away. So I was like, okay, yeah, if I can be there in person, I'm going to go. And at Will's recent birthday party, James was there and John and I did peer pressure him a little bit. But all in fun, he made the choice of his own free will. And I'm putting that out there just so everybody that's on public record. So why is he tied up then? Because I wanted to be. He asked. Why does his list resemble my list also? Why is there a ball gag?

That's not a gag. Bring out the James. That's for later? You don't want to know where that ball gag's been. Wake him up. It doubles as a Benoit ball. I don't know what that means. It goes in the box. In which order? All right. So now before we officially kick it off.

O que eu sou?

All right, let's do this thing. Top 25 albums of 2022. Guest goes first. Oh, shit. Really? Yeah, man. Yeah, you're number 25. I don't know if you're writing your list for the first time or you're changing that many things. There is one. It probably is the case many times. I was trying to sneak one more thing on there. All right, hold on. You got like tied for 25 to like eight spots. Oh, man, I have like 90 records on this list. I had to really cut it down for this.

Oh, yeah. I got 50, I think. Yeah, sorry. I had to... Sorry. I was trying to get... This is going well. Yeah, it's super great. I know. Sorry. I'm going to have problems, too, because usually I have mine up on the screen, but I can't do that. George, take the Benwell ball out of his butt. All right. Slow down. Yeah, hurry up. Not even drunk yet. I need the Jeopardy theme music here. Okay, sorry.

on this list here and I guess I did not include it earlier but the name of the record is Earthbound it's by a band called Black Royal oh nice some fans of that this isn't yeah I like it okay yes sir cool all right the crickets are reserved for me and I'm blanking on what label that is on because I can't know M3 audio that's right it is right that's right thanks for the shout out on that I think I occupied my

I'm moving on it's a great record if you're not familiar with band check it out

that's all awesome mark us on my number 25 is abduction black blood on candlelight records this is a late

edition for me because I didn't spin it when it dropped in October but I'm glad I got to it because it's a it's progressive black metal it's a it's a bombshell it's a riff heavy it's eccentric it has these acid blood vocals

and touches of death metal and ambient music mixed in. So if you haven't heard that one, give it a spin. It's great. Well done! Our good friend Tom Hanks just stopped by. He's floating around the room right now. Indeed. He's not the only thing. Yes, first crickets. I was reaching for crickets and I was like, nah, let's go Wilson. Oh no, that's a good record. I don't have it on list, but

It's a great record. All right. Thank you. Matty. All right. My number 25. The first thing I'll say is we didn't really talk a whole lot about the anatomy of our list or the process at the front. And I don't want to do that because then we'll be here for like three more hours than we normally would. The other thing I'll say is I'm surprised by how much of, you know, like, well, I'm not going to say that because that'll give away my list. But I'm like, some of the structure of my list surprised me. I will get back to that at a later point. My number 25 was actually my number

8 at Midyear. It is a band that one member is in the band War Horse. A couple of them are, it's kind of a resurrection of a band called Grief. And the band has come to grief. The album is When the World Dies. Sludgy Doom. There are times where if I close my eyes, I feel like I'm listening to Thou. But at times where Thou gets a little bit more artistic, I would say these guys are just still kind of just more punishing sludge. And if you haven't checked it out, check it out.

Yeah, they were really good. They were gone for a long time, too. They were. They were. Good one. All right, John. I gotta say, Matt, I really love your stash. Hey, thank you. Sexy. I'm bringing it to D.C. All right, my number 25 is an album that snuck in at the end of the year. It was just released a couple days ago, and it will definitely get crickets. It'll get a volleyball and all that, but I like it. The album is from

The band Dystopia AD and the album is Doomsday Psalm. Progressive death metal band from New Jersey. I think Jay may have listened to an EP they put out either last year or the year before and thought it was okay. It's a solid album. You gotta remember, of course. Yeah. Yeah. I like that album a lot, actually, John. Oh, it's awesome. By the way, just so you know, since you said that, Will, what do I have next to the name? Wilson.

He printed his list out and there's a volleyball next to it. No, I'm glad you heard it, Marcus. It's a good album. My only knock on the album, it's a knock on any album when people do this, is that they have drum production and no drummer. But they actually did a nice job in putting it together. Cool album. I definitely considered that one and it was late in the game. It just came out, I think, eight days ago. I thought

Didn't I put the promo up for us? I can't remember if I did it. It does sound familiar. Yeah, we've had it for a while, but I really just didn't start spinning it until about two weeks ago, and I was like, fuck, this is really good. Cool. All right, Will. I just want to, my first mea culpa is, I own that Come to Grief album, completely forgot about it. I like it, and now I'm in remorse. You've come to grief, overcome to grief. I'm in grief. I'm grieving. Feel free to touch the chicken.

and make sure people feel better. I will agree with you. That was kind of a limp-wristed chicken there. I just want... He's that depressed. As Will is stroking my cock, I would like to note that I have named said chicken, and in honor of Will even, different story, but he is Cocky Ballblower. The official mascot of the Metal Hades podcast. The official mascot, Cocky Ballblower. I'm honored. Is that going to be the new image when it shows

up on your podcast app. You know, it's just going to be the chicken. Yeah. It's going to be the image for everything. Except it's copyright because this is the chicken from Moana. So we need somebody. Hey, hey. Hey, hey. Yeah, I think it is. Is it plastic, George? What is it made out of? It's like hard plastic rubber, whatever. It's hard. It's a hard cock. Yeah. So we need to commission someone to draw a cock for us. I could probably get some AI out of this. I know. I know.

I like playing with it, but I understand that it will destroy the world. Yeah. All right. What are you describing? Because that could describe a few things. Yeah. Well, AI in general. I mean, nukes. Yeah. You know, I was toying with the idea of writing music and putting lyrics to it that have been AI generated because some of them are pretty fucking funny. So. Sound like anvil lyrics. Hey, I've got handwritten anvil lyrics right there. I know.

That's why I said it. Fucking lips. Wrote those out on a piece of paper for me. I like how George says it's funny and then he's the only one who laughs. That's the story of my life, Markisan. It's like when somebody is commenting, oh, that's really, really funny. And they don't laugh at all. It's just, oh, that's really funny. Yeah, it's really funny. And just stone face. Yeah, again, story of my life. That's my favorite Arnold moment ever. I love that. Fuck you, asshole. Fuck you, asshole.

I like how he can respond to himself like that. The tone is everything. Yes. Will, what is your number 25? Real quick, my list. I'll admit I kind of threw this together at the last minute. Just a lot going on lately. And I thought when I was home all summer dealing with all this cancer crap that I would have tons of time to listen to music. And then lo and behold, having cancer was a full-time job between treatments and hospitals and feeling like shit.

Go figure. So, but with that said, this is a list of just stuff I like. I'm not a critic. So, if you don't like my list, go fuck yourself. Fuck you, asshole. My number 25, all the way from Tunisia, Brood of Hatred, The Golden Age on Gruesome Records. Some good, it's a one-man band. Wow, God! Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's a one-man band out of Tunisia. Man, I have mad respect for,

Any artist band that comes from... Tatooine? No, no. Well, yeah. Tatooine. But sometimes the Muslim countries have some governments and leadership that suppress music like this. Tunisia actually has some big bands, though. Yeah, I heard a really good Iranian band the other day. I don't remember who it was now. Tunisia is way more progressive than some of the other ones. Tunisia has... Myrith, I think, is from Tunisia. They're pretty big in Europe. Yeah, and there's Death of Doom.

That was really, really good. Also, I think a one-person project. Is it called Brood of Hatred? I don't think so. All right. Jay. All right. Next year, I'm going to break the rules however I see fit. I chose not to break them in any real way this year. Wow. So even though... Wait, wait. Every year you break every list. It's like you have a live album or you have something that's not metal at all. I'm breaking the rules because I figured you'd break the rules.

I thought Jay was putting Live Rush 81 on his list this year. Damn it. No, no, that's not the one I'm talking about. The one I'm talking about is not on my list, but it was, if it was, it would be either at 25 because of breaking the rules or at number one. Because really breaking the rules. Wait, so it's 25 or what? Is that a Chicago song? I think it shouldn't be on my list. So I'll put it down at the bottom.

at the top. And anyway, it's the Holy Diver, Joe Barresi. Oh, yeah. But it's not on my list. But I had to say it because we're talking about lists. Which, by the way. I noticed. Yeah. One of the cool things. I'm wearing the shirt. Now, Adjacent, Barely, Slightly, is my number 25 album, partially because this gentleman sang in a band that Dio was in himself, and it is the Graham Bonnet Band, Day Out in Nowhere.

It's a lot higher on my mid-year, but I just love Grant Bonnet. I'm glad he's still putting out records. And this is a good one. And it's got cool people on it, like, what's this fuck from Nevermore? Jeff. Jeff Lemons. Yeah, a couple other people, too. So it's got some real heavy songs on it. Anyway, I'm the only one who's going to have it, but hats off to Grant Bonnet. He can still sing at 70-plus years old. Well done! I mean, you've talked about this one before. It's not a surprise, but it's cool. It's a cool album, man. Is it metal? Yeah, I like it. It is actually pretty cool. It is metal.

I think it's safely metal. I don't have to over explain it. You listen to it, you be like, yeah, it's metal. That's Jay's way of saying it's metal adjacent. Jay loves the metal adjacent albums. It's true. One of them ranked pretty high with me. Hollywood vampires. Never forget that one. Jay, I'll just say that I can predict what your top three would be if it was actually your list to do whatever you wanted. Number three would be Beast Over Hammersmith. There you go. Your number two would be the Barisian

mix of Holy Diver. And your number one, the greatest live album ever released, Rush, Live, and YYZ. I listen to all three of those a lot this year. You're not wrong, John. No, I'm not, because they're all fucking awesome releases. That would also be John's list. Yes, that is correct. Actually, we'll move on to George. Let's hope they do the same thing to the last

They're talking about doing it. I hope so. That'd be awesome. Secret heart. We were talking about this on the car ride. But yes, last in line as well. I hope it gets to book treatment too, like the Holy Diver got. Yeah, and then Born Again. You know, not that that's Dio. I just want to remix that song. Yeah. All right, my number 25. I can't believe this is my number 25, but God damn what a year. And this is somebody that was on my mid-year list, and they've been slipping and sliding

And they are hanging on by their fucking fingernails. And I hate to put them here, but Temple of Void, summoning the Slayer. I was like, damn! And I had to leave somebody off because I refused to take them off. So you're pulling a decibel. George is pulling a decibel. That record is great. That's why I was like, I'm not removing this from my list. And so I had to leave off something I really like a lot to keep it in there. Respect.

It's still 25 in a year where you could easily list like 100 albums. Yeah, I mean, my whole list are number one. 25? Fuck yeah, I know. Glad that happened at 25. It is a really strong year, isn't it? I hadn't really thought about it until just now. There's a ton of great records this year. And I feel like people say that every year, but I know that in the, I don't know if it was last year or the year before, I remember thinking, this one isn't as strong as some other years, but this one does seem like it was pretty

And it's tough for us because we do the top 25. We have done the top 40, but we don't usually. It takes three days. It takes so long on the cast. With James here, we already added at least two more hours. I'm trying not to talk too much. To all the faithful Metalheads podcast listeners, sorry. If they're faithful, then they love it. If they're faithful, they know they're listening to this thing over eight days. Five commutes.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's not.

You don't have to take the whole thing.

You can take as needed for pain.

Yeah.

Plus that bumps our numbers up too.

Yeah.

All right.

Back to James for number 24.

Shit is getting real.

Castrator.

Defiled and Oblivion.

Oh.

You know who I just saw last week?

The week before.

Robin.

Oh yeah?

Yeah.

Yeah.

She was doing merch for obituary when I saw obituary in Philadelphia.

like a week and a half ago. I was chit-chatting with her. She's great. Yeah, and Castrator was playing the next day in Philly. Or no, later that week in Philly. But someone's filling in for her because she's still with obituary. I've seen her do... She does a lot of merch for people. Because I think I saw her doing merch for Overkill one time. If I'm not mistaken, I think she does some TM-ing too. Yeah. I believe. You know, she may actually be the tour manager. It's just every time I see her, she's doing merch.

Yeah, the record's great. It rips. I'll keep it real short. It's fast, heavy. It's a cool pitch to begin with, and then the record really, really just rips. It's great. I think it's funny that you're using rips, short, and castrator all in the same sentence. George, you know you have a beer sitting here, by the way. I do? Yeah. I didn't know that, no. Hey, we never talked about the beers we're drinking, so why don't we do it for pick 23? We can then throw them in real quick. Damn it, what is that? Don't say anything. We'll see it. Right, okay.

It's funny because I was just going to talk about my beer, but I'll wait. I want to hear those. Beer of whites. Nice. Yeah, so this is the first repeat. And it's a repeat of Jane. Sorry, Jane. No. It's Black Royal Earthbound on M3 Audio.

Sludge and Roll Metal, Heavy Grooves. It's especially good to listen to it when you're cruising down the highway, I think. I love Black Royal. Their last album made my top 25, so they're becoming a very reliable list band for me. Yeah, they're tremendously underrated. I don't think people talk about them a ton, but every time you check into the record, you're like, oh, this is great. You know, when you guys said Black Royal, I'm like, I'm pretty sure I know that. And I have their last album, Fire Bride from 2020.

And I think that made my list. I didn't know they came out with something new. Yeah, the new one's really good. Now I'm just mad. Well, so since we're talking about it, that is the album that I could not get in there because of Temple of Light. Oh, wow. Yeah. I really wanted it on there, but cover and it's like a Kaiju bear on it. Yeah. Like a horror Kaiju bear. Yeah. It's pretty awesome. He's like a dead person in his mouth. Yeah. Yeah. It's awesome. Also for any video game nerds, like you see an album titled Earthbound and you're like, oh, this is awesome. Oh, yeah. Yeah.

So, so, so good. This is a band where I always, I want to put them higher, and they usually end up lower on my list, but they still make the list, so I'm not sure why that is, but I really like that. I just put it in my band camp. I didn't even know it came out, so. It's really good. You won't be disappointed. All right. Where are we, Matt? Yes, sir. My number 24 is actually my number 24 from mid-year, strangely enough. Matt repeating his mid-year list. Yes,

I basically am copying pasting this son of a bitch. Just exactly the same thing. I'll probably say what I said then in the sense of like it took me a little bit to get into this album. Add a TH at the end and you'll get it. Yes. Because I'm not a huge funeral doom person but once it hit me it hit me and I put it on the other day and I was like this is just haunting coziness. I'm going to mispronounce the name so I'm sorry Mark but it is Arth. Noice. You got it.

Mark, what a great guest he was. So much fun to have on the cast. Great guy. And I heard a little bird on Facebook named Mark say that there will be more art music to come. More music from Northumbria. I don't know if that was right, George. No, because he corrected one of us when we said Northumbria. Yeah, it's Northumbria.

Northumbria. Right. Northumbria. It's Northumbria. No, it's all thumbs. Yeah. Pull that word together and make it one. Exactly. Anyway, can't wait for that, Mark. Yeah. Sounds like the show or shows that he did went well. Yeah. That's awesome. I wish I could have seen that. Fuck. And he made a mead. Well, he had a company made a mead for his dad, which is really awesome. Yeah. What was the company? Do you remember? Nope. It was, it was.

Something like the... Something local to that. Yeah, I can't... So, I don't know. Honestly, it might even have been like North Umbria Brewing or something. Something like that, yeah. Good for him. That's awesome. Yeah, very cool. Yeah, it was Lindisfarne Mead. Yeah, that's what it was. It's cool because, you know, I had a mead for my comics. We shared that in common. Oh, that's really cool. Yeah. All right. Brimminghorn did my mead, though. Yeah.

Speaking of which, I have a couple in the fridge if anybody wants any. I just grabbed a couple and threw them in there. I don't remember what they are. Ooh, you gotta have that. Yeah, I thought about starting with that as I usually do, but I forgot. Because, you know, people are here. I got excited. All right, John, I think. I'm gonna get this wrong so y'all have to keep me. My number 24. So I'm going to copy my 24th pick from the mid-year, which is copying Matt.

Copying Matt's 24th pick of the year, and that is Barth, Take Up My Bones. Nice. I did not know if this would make my year end. I like this album a lot because I sliced and diced on mine. I ginsued knifed mine hard, my list, but I went back and listened to this, and it is really hard not to like this album if you are a fan of Atmosphere.

Doom without the kind of just sludginess of Doom.

There's a classiness to his sound.

Yeah.

And it's well thought out.

The compositions are well done.

And it's got the whole kind of the vocals.

I'm trying to think of the.

Why are you shaking your head, George?

Because Will was yawning.

Oh, no.

Already?

All right.

So that's.

I'll forget everything I have to say.

Get on to the next. Will, your pick. But it was cool though, John, because the way you were talking, I didn't think you would have anything from mid-year on your list. I got a few. All right. It's cool there's a couple of repeats in here already, Tim. Indeed. All right, Will. My number 24, all the way from New York, New Jersey on profound lore, Reeking Aura. Nice. It's great. Blood and bone meal. Very nice.

me about this album. I can't remember. It might have been me. It was my album of the month. Yeah, maybe. Yeah. Yeah. I know I didn't come up with this. A couple months ago. And I know Justin from. Unless I changed it. Justin, my metal muse, sends me some stuff every now and again. Yeah, actually, I heard about it from him. Yeah. So it must have been Justin anyway. Thanks, Justin. Yeah. Great. Straight up. Like really great death metal.

Yeah. Hey, George, when you see Will Young, let me know and I'll just squeeze his knee again like I did when we started. All right. That'll jumpstart him. Oh, yeah. Or head a little further west. A little closer. Closer. Closer. Closer. Fuck you, Hans Bricks. With arid extra dry. That's what was in my head. Jay. That's why we're friends, Matt. Indeed. Okay, so the next repeat on the list. Grandpa.

It's going to be one of those lists from Jay. Apparently, this was the 24th best record of the year. Take up my bones. Nice. Wow. That's a three for. All right. I think Mark's going to have to send us some mead now. Please send us some mead. You realize that it would be if it was decimal picking, it would be number one. Well, yeah. Well, now it could be our number one. Well, they didn't even pick it. So.

I'm saying though if three people had put it on the decimal right according to their non-scientific

calculations it must be number one I feel a little bad I feel like it could have been higher and at 24 almost makes it look like I was trying real hard and I managed to get it on here but it's a great record so I'm you know 24 is no shame but I guess I'm in good company with you guys so yep all right my number 24 company on transcending obscurity records is

Vailburner and their sort of self-titled album, Vailburner, but without any vowels. Just like V-L-B-R-N-R, I think. Berber? Yeah. But yeah. Vailburner. They're an American band, I think Pennsylvania. Didn't that just drop? I think, actually I think it was a month or two ago. Oh, is that? Wow. Well, I could be wrong. I mean, I've looked at so many things and when they came out in the last couple of weeks. It's recent, but I don't think it's, it's not as recent as the album John had.

I wasn't sure. Cool. All right. So I feel like we wanted to talk about this, but then didn't about what everybody's drinking. So we're on number 23. We're on time. Yeah. I mean, but let's slide it in before 23. Right to the top. So I suppose John can say what the three of them are drinking real quick. Oh, we just started real quick. We started out with the barrel age Christmas ale.

Great Lakes Brewing Brewing, which was very nice. Not too bad on the ABV 7.5, but it's nice barreling. And then George has not had this yet, but it's been somewhat of a tradition for us to drink a Hardywood seasonal beer at this time of year. Nice. We did not go with the gingerbread stout yet. We went with the gingerbread porter. Yeah, I fucked up and grabbed a Sierra Nevada celebration while we were, because I didn't realize that they had opened an

I've been there a couple times and the last time I was there

believe it or not was the day they released Christmas Ale

which was an absolute shitstorm. So, you know, in Cleveland, when you turn on the, you know, tap in your sink around Christmas, Christmas ale just comes out of it. They just take over the city water. No, but it's something that people get very excited about. So it's really cool that you were there for that. We didn't realize that at the time. Oh, yeah. People go nuts. It's like they announce it. They announce it like months in advance and people mark their calendars and stuff.

It's a big deal. It's fine. Wow. All right. All right. Marcus, how are we drinking? Well, I finished it about five minutes ago, which is probably bad. James is a horrible influence on me. But it is the dark sorceress that I was talking on precast from River North. Matt's a big fan. It's 15.9%. Oh, good Lord. Wow. I feel the shit already. I got to get another beer, but I might have to wait a little bit or else I'm going to have to strap my shit.

Stabilize that chair, man. Told you that shit's coming. Dude, strap it on. This beer is delicious, though. It's deceptive because it just went down like that. Just like Will. It's deceptive. They put this all together. It was big, it was deceptive, and it went down just like that. It's not like Will, though, because you kind of choke on that a little bit. But yeah, it's really good beer. I'm definitely going to have to seek out somewhere river north.

On the way to catch the bus to meet up with them, I had ran into one of my neighbors and she asked what I was doing. And I was like, oh, I'm gonna go record on this podcast. And then I was really, really scared that she'd be like, oh, what's the name of this podcast? Wait, you're embarrassed about us. No, because I just moved into this building. So I could imagine her listening to it being like, whoa. That sounds like you're embarrassed of us. You're not the first person.

We're embarrassed of each other. Not embarrassment at all. It's a very specific pitch. If you walk into this without knowing what's going to happen, you're kind of like... You're going to get sledgehammered hard. I don't know about what's going on here. I get people at work. I can't say she's not listening to it anyways because it's a metal podcast. I get people at work asking me about it. They're like, where can I listen to this? I'm like...

No, no. We're going to get DDP'd on that thing. Nowhere and everywhere. So, I get it. Who else is drinking? Jay's not drinking. What are you drinking later, Jay? Matt. Oh, Matt, sorry. So, Markson, I will say, anytime River North comes up into war, I grab it, and I feel like everything they do is like 15% or higher. It's really good stuff. I started with, coincidentally, a beer from a brewery called Old Irving in Chicago, which we spoke of earlier on our pre-gaming. That's where I live. I live in Old Irving Park.

Right around the corner from me. That's the blood something, right? Life's Blood, which is also an EP by Mastodon, but it is a dark bulk lager. Leviathan can't save you this episode. I have that beer too. It's already been mentioned, George. You got to come out here, Matt, and just so we can hang at that brewery because like their beers are freaking delicious. Yeah. I got to get you the Krampus. I've seen them at some stores and I bet Old Irving still has a few, but that's what I'm going to hit up next, I think.

And I'm assuming that Jay just went to go get more coffee. Yeah, Jay doesn't drink now. Does he really not drink now? He doesn't drink beer. He doesn't even drink beer on our cast, which is at night. He waits until after. He's a closet after the podcast drinker. Because he's West Coast. Was it because he spilled a can of beer on top of a stack of magazines? I wish he was here for that. He makes up for it when we go to festivals.

For sure. I was just telling that story to somebody how as soon as he showed up, put the can down, just knocked it straight on a stack of magazines. I was like, come on, man. What the hell? This is going to be great. He's not here. He's not here even here to fucking defend himself. Yeah. Ah, well. That's great. All right. I guess we're just going to have to go on to 23 then. 23. James. I'm more organized now. Sorry, but I'm ready to go. This was one that you guys talked about on literally the last episode and I messaged George that I was so excited that somebody else was excited about this record.

This is Disillusion. The record is called, I think it's pronounced Ayam? Ayam? I'm not sure how to pronounce it. Because anyone listening has probably heard the last episode and heard a lot about the record. I'll keep it real short. I think of it more on the prog side, but it's kind of melodic. It's kind of death metal. It's kind of got some heavy metal, like more traditional parts. It's kind of got some more, I don't know, classical bits, I guess you would say. But I've been a fan since the first record. I bought it randomly.

Back when you couldn't hear everything on the internet, I saw the CD and thought, oh, this is cool. Okay, I'll buy this. And I've been a fan ever since. I got the promo for it. Back to Times of Splendor. And I was like, what the fuck is this? This was back when they still sent out a sleeve with a CD and the artwork and a little plastic sleeve. I've got a ton of them in the other room. But yeah. I guarantee you that's on John's list. Guaranteed. Guaranteed. All their records are great. I know you weren't as excited about one of the previous ones.

Gloria, I think it's called, which is the weirder. It's not weirder. It's more like Avant, but I think that all their material is great. That's it. Cool. Markazan. Yeah, man. You know, you're looking at these lists and you're like, man, I can't believe I put this here. But that's just how good the year is. Number 23 for me is Guy Rhea, Mirage on Season of Mist Records. This band has just become exemplary

at writing aggressive black metal that also haunts you with icy atmospheric intensity. So this album has more delicate passages, more melody on it than their previous efforts, but I think that just adds to the nuance and the depth of their work. I think they get better every single album. And I think maybe the last one was probably on my list too, but I'm a big fan of this band.

Excellent. Matt? James, I apologize. What was your number 23? Disillusion. Beautiful. Oh, yeah. Right on. So for me, my number 23, this was probably the newest record that made it onto my list, which is really weird for me because I tend to shut things down really early because I just want to put my blinders up and focus on what I have. But this is my album of the month. I believe it's pronounced Disagnostic.

Kind of really killer death metal. More on kind of the brutal techie side out of Denmark. And they are on Transcending Obscurity. Right on. That's an interesting one. Very dissonant death metal. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. It's Matt's jam. Yeah, right. All right, John. All right, so my first two picks were part of the Metalheads podcast. Now the rest of my list is part of the Metalheads prog.

Cast. Excellent. The gates are opening and this shit won't stop. And Will started nodding off over there. The crickets. Although I don't know. This might show up on the list. But anyway. My number 23. Straight out of Philadelphia. Parias. The signal heard throughout space. Noise. Off of Willow Tip. We have the good fortune of knowing these guys are at least meeting them from their last album.

What is it? The Eldritch Realm, I think it was called. Yes. And I think they played Atlas. Did they not? They played Atlas and then we ran into George Fenton at the Decimal Fest. And he like gave me this hug that I thought he was going to just crush me. Of course, he's like half my age. I was like, oh, dude, I'm a little fan. And half your size. There can only be one George other than Crocs Cripe. Honestly, I think he's about a 30-year age, John, in all honesty. Yeah, they are young, but I feel like this album is, I don't know how far they would have gone.

I don't know. Maybe they'll go back to their last release, but it seems like they have released a kind of mature. They took a risk going this whole direction that there's all clean vocals on the whole album. The singing, I thought, was, he sounded great. But Glenn from Prog Power put it on his top 50. He's the promoter of Prog Power, and he said he just feels like they're one album away from being like that it band in the prog. They're very close. I can believe that. There's a lot of influences from bands. I mean, you can hear there's one song that starts out like,

There's some Voivod. A little bit of Voivod in the vocals. But it's all their sound though. Yeah, they're interesting because I think their early stuff was, I want to say more like metalcore kind of. And then their last album was like progressive death metal and this one's just straight out Prague. I haven't heard the other ones. I heard the newer one. The Elkidrome's really good. It's short, but I like it a lot. It's almost an EP, but it's...

It's fucking awesome. I made up several lists. Some of our lists. Very talented. And I'm hoping that they do well. Yeah, I think that's one of the big takeaways. These dudes are talented. For sure. So. Hey, Will. My number 23. Repeat. Castrator. Defiled in Oblivion. New York City on Dark Descent. James is losing all his volleyballs fast.

Man, there's just gonna be fucking handjobs around the table by the end of this episode. I know. Or under the table. Under the table. Going on right now. I sat between these two studs so I can go skiing. They're gonna be on one pole soon, so don't worry. Yeah, Castrator is interesting because it's an, if you can think about the, if you could think about the name, it's an all-female death metal band. Yeah.

What is going on? I'm just trying to lift it up. They sound a little angry with that. Yeah. Wow. Ouch. Anyway, yeah. It's great. It's like I spit on your grave metal. Yeah, exactly. That's nice. I like it. All right. Nice. Jay. Mine is Carryover. Well, gosh, all my records so far have been Carryover from mid-year. So all of them have moved down quite a bit.

I didn't like their last record as much, but this new one I like a lot, moving in some new directions, but also including some of what I liked about them in the past. Slate Goddess. Kind of a, not black and roll, but they're somewhere in that neighborhood. I mean, I don't know how to even explain them if you don't know, but totally worth checking out. Pretty big fan of these guys. That's S-L-A-E-G-T. Nailed it. Yeah. I'm not going to overdescribe it, but it's a good record.

I listened to quite a bit this year. Jay, was that a reference to the baking show on Netflix Nailed It? No, I don't know. But we watched some baking shows at this house, unfortunately. Oh, you should watch on Netflix is a show called Nailed It. It's with Nicole Byer, the black comedian, the big black woman comedian. She is fucking hysterical. It is the best baking show I've ever seen. I'm thinking maybe it's people who've never cooked before. Yes, it's people who are terrible cooks.

make these outrageously complex decorative cakes and stuff and cookies. Welcome to the Metal Chefs Podcast. Anyway, that's all I got. That's worth selling things. I'm going to say it out loud once because I told you guys about it, but I'm not all the way through it. But fucking watch the English on Prime, dude. Fuck, it's good. If you're a Wayfair fan, you need to be watching the English. Western. So fucking good. You don't like Wayfair? I don't, but I was doing the

Good, the Bed and the Ugly wah, wah, wah. You know. You really don't like Wayfair? No, their production is shit. Oh, you got to see them live. They, uh. Well, I liked, like, their first album or whatever. The production was great. I loved it. And then everything else, I just haven't cared for. When you're recording your records in the Old West, the production's going to suffer. Granted. I will give them that. Oh, no, you got to check them out live. They're great. I would not discount that. The opening intro track,

something Clementine or something. Clementine. Oh, my darling. Oh, my darling. It's my alarm. Every morning. Well, I'm telling you, man, every time I watch the English, I think Wayfair. So I hope that'll sell it to you. You guys got to watch this funny show. Yeah, that's what I said when you mentioned that. Oh, that's right. Have you watched? Do you watch the show? I don't watch it. You give me a new show. It's like 30th on my list. I have a spreadsheet of shows I have to get to. It's ridiculous how many shows there are there.

I'm halfway through Andor. Oh, it's so good. It might be the best Star Wars, you know, outside of the original trilogy thing. Yeah. Andor is next on my list. So good. All right. Well, what's next on my list? My number 23 is, uh, I can't believe this is 23. I thought this was going to be like a top tenner, but it's not. And that is Psy and Shiki. Good pick. Yeah. Record is excellent. Yeah. It's really good.

I've heard the production sucks. No, it's actually pretty good. But Will, just because, fuck you. I know you're just messing with me. And I'm messing with you. Is that a Decimal album this year? I thought so, yeah. Yeah, there is major support on that one from a few people. I was really into that, and our art director was super into it, and it was nice that there were some other votes, because I love all of their material. I'm always a major advocate of them,

And unfortunately,

not all of our writers are quite as excited about it.

So it doesn't make the list all the time.

But this one,

I was very happy to see it.

It got a strong place too.

So it was like,

Oh,

nice.

It's good.

It's good.

I liked,

I liked that that was on there.

All right.

Back to you for 22.

Nate.

Yeah,

you.

Morbicon of Mournful Twilight.

For anyone unfamiliar in the pitch on this one,

it's a black metal record with Phil Hall and Dave Witte from Waste,

Municipal Waste. Yeah, who apparently have just been sitting on this mountain of awesome black metal material, it seems, because it is a great record. Even if you're not a huge fan of Municipal Waste, it's definitely worth your time. It's really cool. Yeah, it's not bad. I like it. And it's on Taint Crimes. That's all I have to say about it. It's great. All I have to say about that. Yeah, that's all. All right, Mark it's on.

Well, first of all, I had to get another drink. So I got, because we were talking about Birmingham, I got the Chai Hard. I haven't seen that before. That's amazing. Sorry, I didn't see the bottle. Is that like a riff on Die Hard? Yeah, look at it. That's awesome. Was that one of the club ones? We're talking about Die Hard. Pure honey and aromatic chai spice notes of sweet honey.

Black Tea, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cardamom, Cloves, Nutmeg, and Black Pepper. Nice. Let me take a swig of this before I do my... Clearly Die Hard is the best Christmas movie, by the way. This was the discussion in the write-up. It's not Christmas until Hans Gruber falls from Nakatomi Tower. Yeah. Whoa, that's fucking delicious, but spicy as fuck. Soundbite. All right. 22.

I know John likes this band. Darkest Era, Wither on the Vine. I like them. I forgot about that. Records. Sorrowful, soaring mix of traditional heavy metal and doom. I especially love the vocals on this album. They're epic. They're gorgeous. But they're also layered with this gloom that just fills my chest with convincing dread. So when Crumb sings a song called Floodlands, I believe everyone is going to

Drown in two inches of water. Or three inches of blood. It'd be blood. Or something else. If your songs make me assume the worst is going to happen in one of them, then you've done your job as a dark metal band. So I really dig this record. I didn't think he was going to make my list, but I just kept spinning it. So here it is. Yeah, it's cool. I like them. I really like their last album a lot. I forget what it was called, but it was a few years ago.

Anywho, Matt. Right. What number is this? 22. I really loved the band that was the precursor to this band. I will say I'm so glad everybody kind of got back together, or at least most of them. I'm going to fuck up the pronunciation, but I would say it's the Atollith or the Autolith Folium Limina or Limina. Basically, four members of Subrosa.

Stuck together and made this album. And it's crazy good. I love it. I say Otolith, but I have no idea how you pronounce it. I thought it was Otolith. Oh, Toe. Lith? Great record. This is good. More repeats to follow. Spoilers. Spoilers. All right, John.

I'm going to go to the land of the rising sun for my number 22, Psy. Yes! Shiki. I'm not a big fan of this band. I don't have anything against them. I just hardly listen to them, but I listen to this and I was like, yeah. I'm down with this party. Down with the Shiki? I think from what I've read and the little bit I've heard, this album seems to have much better drum production. Is that correct? Than in previous albums? Because he's just...

about the way he plays that gives the music a lot of power for what they're doing. And they bring the fucking A-game on this album. It's kind of a proggy avant-garde. I don't like to use avant-garde anymore because it's like avant-garde is supposed to be like you're trailblazing. Now everyone's avant-garde. But it's experimental type stuff. Experimental is a better word. Yeah, I think so. And it's not as black metal-ish. There's hints of it. There's some of the riffing gets a little black-ish.

at times, but I think they cover all ground. Man, they're bad motherfuckers. Yeah, they are. They really are. So you should listen to it. Yes. All of you. Everyone listening right now. Everyone within the sound of my voice. Stop listening to this podcast right now and listen to the record. Listen to it. No, don't do that. Then come back to this podcast and do it all over with pick number 21. Will. My number 22 was my album of the month.

recently, Jade, The Pacification of Death from Germany and Spain on Pulverized Records. Again, this is, I think, Markisan. Maybe somebody put this in the chat. It was me. I put it in there because I knew you would dig it. It's a great record. I dig it. I dig him your album of the month, so I was like, my work here is done. You know, I like the death metal parts of it, but the clean vocals just, and I'm really surprised they didn't throw Will off, but the clean vocals just don't do it for me. I mean, there's not. You're wrong. The clean vocals make it. There's not that much of the clean vocals, though. It's not that much.

And they don't suck. Well, I got like two or three songs in and it's like, I'm out. No, it's not like some prepubescent boy choir on a behemoth album. No, but it is like a new metal kind of clean vocals. No, it's not. No, if I throw something. Stabbing me. Ow, he's stabbing me. No. What's cool about this is that they have these like, they're almost like semi-clean. It sounds like they're shouted from a cave. And it really adds to the atmosphere, the ambiance of the atmosphere.

That's what makes it so good that they have these dual vocals. Tomato, tomato. Demon growls and then they have that. When I first heard it, I was like, ah, this is different. It's really weird. It took me a couple of listens and then I really understood and appreciated what they were doing with those vocals. I'm on board with what you're saying there. It's not really even like a clean vocal. Like you said, it's like a shouted instead of a death growl and is the notorious not biggest fan of Death Doom. I thought that record was phenomenal.

Wait, James, you don't like Death Doom? I've never heard you complain about our love for Death Doom. Ever. Never once has this ever been a point of discussion. Hey, George, you'll get some love from me on this one. I'm the same way. I like this album, and every time the guy came in, I was like, it was cool, the first two songs, but it was every song, he just comes in yelling a little bit. It just didn't fit for me. But I like the album, but that kind of... I did really like the death parts.

I just didn't like that. I'd rather have some like emu guy singing. Emu? Just joking. Emu and a muumuu? You're an animal. I would love that. An emo emu. But I'm glad that you really dug it, Will. I did. Nice. Cool. Hey, Jay. That was an interesting conversation because it's really, we all have such a,

a little zone of, maybe a big zone, but of vocal types that we like or don't like and how they need to be done if they're in a certain genre. And that was interesting. I don't know that record, but you guys were all over the map. That was great. Because that's how it works. Mine, Will, I want to apologize to you that this isn't a little higher, but it had me on my list. And I like these guys. They just don't really make bad records. And strangely, it's like one of the more mainstream things at this point on my list. No, that's not true, but it's somewhere up there.

Creator. I thought you were going to say Creator. That does pain me a little bit. Yeah, that should be way higher. That's what I had to hire. I thought it well, and I wills the only one I think I have to apologize to on that. Maybe George, but I haven't made any bad records post-2000. They've all been great. I liked Gods of Violence a little better than this one, but this one was good too. I mean, yeah, Gods of Violence, Hordes of Chaos. Yes, I would agree that they are. Hordes of Chaos was like,

I think one of the best creator records ever written. It was just amazing. It's a great record. I like this one a lot. Yeah, and it is list-worthy in any case. George. My number, what is this, 23? 22. This was a recent edition, and this is High Command, Eclipse of the Dual Moons. Is this one of the ones you dropped on us there at the end? Yeah. All right, nice.

Just stormed my list in the last week. Get the hell out of my way. It's a great thrash album. It is. They create a whole world of fantasy and they sing about it, which is pretty fun too. So fantasy thrash. Yeah. Pretty interesting and unique. The way you said that, Marcus, you made me think of Aldo Nova. Life is just a fantasy. Life is just a fantasy. Glad somebody got the reference.

The plane. The plane. Hi, James. I have wide angle. It's not the only thing that's wide. Wide load. All right. That was me, so James 21. Artificial Brain, self-titled. It's on Profound Lore. If you're a fan of what they do, I feel like this is the best record they've done. It really takes what they've done previously.

and really focuses on what was great and improves on that. If you previously didn't like their stuff, I do think it's worth checking out. For anyone not familiar, it's really heavy death metal. It's technical, but it's not technical death metal, if that makes sense. There's a lot going on. It's not tech death. Right, exactly. It's a good album. It's good. Yeah, it's great. It's interesting to see some of the bands like Blood Incantation and stuff

doing really, really, really well. And I think that Artificial Brain also does kind of a spacey thing, but not like in a spacey spacey. No, I agree. Nice, Jay. But yeah, it's great. That's all. You know, I feel like I own this album and I just didn't spin it enough. Oh, it's great. Totally worth your time. Will from Artificial Brain does, he has a podcast. I forget what it's called. Everyone has a podcast. I know, but I sent them some Atlas beer. Oh, nice.

So they can drink on the podcast. I hope it's called Brainwaves. No, it's called Artificial Brain Podcast. I don't know what it's called. I'm joking. No, I'm just joking. It's not. I forget what it's called. Or just AI Podcast. No, just kidding. No, it's a good album. I like it. Mark us on. Right. Swig. This is going to end. All right. Okay.

This is definitely my most recent listen because I actually had to get it because it's not even out yet. It doesn't even come out until the 30th. And so I had to ask the label to send me the promo for it. But it's Troll Cave, Rotted Remnants Dripping from the Void on Gurgling Gore Records. I meant to listen to that and I forgot. Everything you just said sounds awesome. Yeah, that's what I was saying. I was like, this sounds great. Gurgling Gore Records. I love it.

He got me in gargling what? Heavy, devouring ooze of doom death that drips with dark, tormented energy. What's the name of that? It's like the sound of orcs. It's like the sound of orcs getting gunned by troll blades and dropped into a murky pit of despair. So, yeah, I actually bonded. I don't know the name of the guy who runs the label, but I sent him a message and we were talking about all kinds of things,

I wouldn't say they sound like a Vulcan, but they have elements of that in there. They're a pretty young band. I think they're from Spain. So it's their first album. And I really, the production is really murky and kind of cavernous, but I really like it. And I just, I've been spinning it a ton lately. Is it on Bandcamp? It's on Bandcamp. Yeah, but it's not out yet. So I put it, I put it in the box for everybody. Yeah. Oh, okay.

I had heard the demo and so I wanted to listen to the full album but it wasn't out and you know we didn't have it and they had put a post up on Instagram saying oh people shouldn't put their lists out because we have a banger of an album that's coming out and I was like I'll listen to it send me the promo before we do our lists and so I did and it actually it made my list so nice but I'm you know I'm a sucker for that kind of cavernous doom metal so yeah I really like it

I've been spinning it a ton. What's the name of the album again? It's called Rotted Remnants Dripping from the Void. Yeah, it's on Bandcamp. I think they have maybe one or two songs on there. But like I said, I put it in the box so you have the full album. And I think it's a flack file. Ooh, it's better. Oh, Troll Cave is one word. That's why I couldn't find it. Yeah, it's one word. Oh, and the songs are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So it's just the album title. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. One is interesting because there's not a lot of this style of music that had come out this year. And it's like one of my preferred styles. Is it that real like cavernous death metal? You used that word earlier. Georgia will hate the production on it for sure. Fucking hate it. I haven't listened to it yet, but I hate it already. It's terrible. But I think it really works for this album.

That kind of cavernous. I don't want to say echoey, but you know what I mean? I love that stuff. Yeah. Way too much reverb. I'm the audience for this. You are selling this directly to me. Well, I'll send it to you. I put it in the box for everybody, but they also sent me band camp codes to a few of them. So I'll send it to you, Jane. I'll just do it right now so I don't forget. Thank you. But yeah, it's cool. All right, Matt. Let's see. Number 21.

for me is a repeat.

Guaria,

I believe is how it's pronounced in Morocco.

I say guy Raya because that's how they pronounce it in interviews.

I looked it up.

Well,

I will listen to them.

Definitely.

Uh,

really killer Portugal,

black death metal.

Um,

I've loved these guys for years.

I feel like they get better with every release.

Condolences to Portugal today.

I have a tough day.

I have Morocco in this,

in the staff pool.

So,

you know,

at work.

So I'm happy with that. Not feeling bad about that one. You guys have a pool at work? That's pretty nice. Underwateraudio.com. How do you think he swims so much? All right. John? Yeah, I think so. My number 21. It's got a volleyball next to it. Because I'm thinking I'm the only one who's going to have this. From France, Epitaph 2 off of Aesthetic Death Records.

Death Doom, for you, James, prog metal band, they write long epics of Death Doom and prog. Solid stuff. They were higher up on my mid-year list. I think their first album was on my year-end list. I like them a lot. They just did Trim a Little. I think that would help them out, but they have some great stuff. Some of their passages that go from Brutal, Death Doom, go to these kind of gorgeous acoustic pieces, so good stuff.

Right on. Cool. Will. My number 21. Band's been around for a long time. Always put out solid stuff. Autopsy. Morbidity Triumphant from Oakland, California. Peaceville Records. 21. 21. Yeah, I was listening to this a little bit more this morning. And it was actually in my honorable mentions. I'm like, this thing's got riffs for days. It's like, this has to be on my list. And if I would have listened to it,

More. In fact, I think I had a promo for it or something. I think I bought it this morning. I don't think I even owned it. Really good. Right on. Right on, right on. Jason. Mine is a band that really just seems to be getting better and better. This record is no exception. Well, they only have

Maybe Two or Three, I don't know. Half. All That Was Promised. This record came up pretty early in the year, if I remember right, and has gone back into my headphones on a fairly regular basis. Really like these guys and expecting. This is another band I think is might be right before the one that knocks our fucking socks off. You know what I mean? Cool. As mentioned earlier about Paris or whoever it is. In any case, I love that half record. It's a good one. It's a good one.

Thou Hath Loved It. Real good. Alright. My number 21 is a band called Cancer Bats and Psychic Jailbreak. I don't expect I'll get anything but a volleyball for that one. Did you say like the Cancer Bats? Cancer Bats. I mean, I love Cancer Bats. I was going to say. I love Cancer. Yeah, I hate Fuck Cancer, but I like the Cancer Bats because the Cancer Bats eat the Cancer. Oh. And so then there's no more Cancer. Okay, good.

Yeah. So, yeah. In fact, these guys remind me of Clutch's angry cousin. Oh. The music is kind of like in the same rumbly kind of bluesy. Yeah. But the vocals are angrier, you know? So, I don't know. It's interesting because I wouldn't consider them for a metal list, but I don't know where else I would put them. Exactly. Exactly. They've been on and off, and I was like, dude, I fucking love it.

I don't give a care what anybody says. I'm sure Jay's got my back except for this year. Jay hates the cancer bats. Well, no, it was just sort of a, is it metal? Is it not metal? I don't know. I'm putting it on there. I don't care. Yeah, no, I got your back on that for sure. So, cancer bats. Not that title, but I've got something pretty high that is metal adjacent, but it's metal. Me too. Before we move on to the top 20, let us take a

We moment. And we need beer. I want to go bowling, so we're doing a wee moment. Yeah. BRB. You're listening to the... Aw! Aw! Seriously, couldn't you do that somewhere else? Sorry, dude. Hey, we are back for the top 20 where shit continues to get real. What is that voice, George? That was my sportscaster voice from the 1950s.

I am Howard Cosell and this is the Metal Heads podcast. This is lesser known brother George Cosell. All right, James. Number 20. I cheated today. I've been copying everybody's answers for the test. Another repeat here. The otolith. As was mentioned, most of Subrosa minus one.

Great Record. Doom isn't normally my thing, but this is one of those like... No. Surprise. This is one of those like hauntingly beautiful kind of things where I think you got to be in the right mindset for it. But if you're like going into it, you know, in the mood for that, it's just the best. You know, it's phenomenal. You know, James, you basically said Doom is not my thing and you've had like three Doom records so far. Have I had that many? No. No, I've only had one. What? No.

I was exaggerating, but I still like anybody who's like, I don't really like this, but it's on my list. And I don't like this one either, but it's on my list. The next thing is do me too. So it's hilarious that you say that. I'm like, yes, he's totally calling me out. Me, you did say you love Paradise Lost. Oh, we had like a 20 minute Paradise Lost discussion on the way up here. Anyway, don't say Paradise Lost because it just makes me think about Jay and Matt skipping out on the fucking Paradise Lost set. Oh, it's like a

I guess.

Pains my heart.

Pains my heart.

I have to voice this opinion too.

Whenever the topic of Paradox Loss comes up.

I love the middle era records that people love dogging on.

I said this in the car.

So these guys heard this already.

But I absolutely love those middle years records that people love dogging on.

They're wonderful.

You're talking about like host.

Yeah.

Oh, really?

So good.

Love them.

One second was the last one that I liked.

Stockholm Syndrome is real.

Yeah.

That's what I said to him earlier.

I heard these so many times.

while working at Albert's Place, like when we're working on issues or something, and then hearing those records over and over again at first, I was like, no, no. And now I'm like, yeah, I love this. It's great. Go watch the music videos, too. I encourage anyone to go watch the music videos, because they're hilarious to see Paradise Lost looking like a pop band for five minutes. It's great. Do you like stuff like One Second? Oh, yeah. I defend all of it. Yeah, okay. Yeah, I'm a supporter of every record in the catalog. You need to get on the Defend Your Shitty Taste if they still do that.

Oh, we haven't done that in a while. I should do that. Oh, yeah. I love those records. They're phenomenal. All right. Mark us on. Number 20. What time is it? Oh, we're doing well. On Vendetta Records, Anti-Inferno, Antediluvian Dreamscapes. This is my first carryover from mid-year. Just a really dark black metal lullaby of haunting emotion. Just really stormy.

I love the balance of menace and beauty on this record. I think they do it pretty much better than anybody, this style of music. So another, I think a band that's really underrated. The last album was really great too. Okay. What was the band name? Antediluvian? Anti-Inferno. Anti-Inferno. Sorry. Yeah. A-N-T-E-Gash Inferno.

There were a lot of words out there and I couldn't, I didn't discern the record level from the band from the album. So thank you. Hey, Matt. I did like the term balance of menace. That has a lot of weight to it. I like that. All right. My number 20, a band from Australia. They're called Alters. The album is Aesthetic Reflection. If you took equal parts, deity, deity, death, and mixed it with tech death, you'd have this band.

Check it out. That sounds cool. I love that record, actually. That's another kind of dissonant death record, but it's done so well. That's another band, too, that had been gone for a while and then came back. Really good. I have it on vinyl. Oh, excellent. John. All right. It appears there's a volleyball next to this one. So maybe this might be on one list. I don't know. But anyway, out of Colorado, Dreadnought, The Endless.

Yes. Nice. Chirp, chirp. Oh, they're great. Not crickets at all. I don't dislike them at all. I like them. I like them. I think this is the first one that has made my list because I think this is the most immediate of their albums. Their albums are long and they kind of are build-up songs, a lot of their stuff. And this album, I thought, was a little closer to not doing that every song. There's, I think, seven songs on this one. So it's a shorter album than all the other ones. But it's a very prog metal,

Post-Metal, Avant-Garde, a.k.a. now experimental stuff. And I believe they just played in the pre-show at the Denver Decibel Metal and Beer Fest. Thank you. Yeah, they were awesome. I think also there is a lot of doom heaviness in there, too. So it's not just like weird stuff for the whole time. There's a lot of crunchy parts. And yeah, they're phenomenal live. If they're running through your town, anyone, they're really good. Definitely worth your time. They don't get jazzy. What the fuck is going on in Colorado, man?

They drink good beer and then they make good metal? I don't know. You want to get high? All right, my number 20. This one probably should be higher if I listen to it more recently. Desolate Shrine. Fires of the Dying World. All the way from Finland on Dark Descent Records.

It's a good record. Yeah, it's phenomenal. I think I listened to it a lot when it first came out, and then I haven't listened to it in months, and I went back and listened to it again. I'm like, oh, this is awesome. And it probably should be way higher on my list. There's a lot of albums like that for me that were out front, and they got lost in the weeds because we got barraged after July. It seemed like just tons of albums came out. So, it's a good record. All right, Jay. This one survives my mid-year, which is actually

been true a lot of the lower part of my list here. And it kind of was met with crickets mostly because I don't think anybody else had heard it. But I was pleased to see it on the decibel list. And it's this kind of old school murky concept record that sometimes when people do like an old school death metal, black metal thing, it just sounds like a rip off. And this is totally legit all by itself. It doesn't seem like retro. It just seems like, oh, cool. You made a cool Sony record. Anyways, by a band called Negative Plane. And the record is called Back. So good. So good. I was so glad.

I didn't see it on your list. That really did my heart so good because I don't remember hearing a lot about this record this year, but maybe I'm just not listening to the right people. Not to cut in on your commentary on the record, but they do a really great job of making things that sound like eerie and creepy. Not the one before, but the one before that. A previous record is called Stained Glass Revelations, and likewise, it's just got this really haunting atmosphere to it. So cool. So glad to hear that somebody else was excited about that because I went nuts

about that record?

on a label called Prosthetic Records, a little band called Abhoria. Shout out to Trevor. Another one that was like, I must not leave. And it hung on. And looking forward to that Ash and Horde album in a couple of weeks, I believe. That's crazy. That's right. I really hope there's no clean singing. Half the album's out there, basically. Well, you know, it's funny.

I thought it was out like years ago and I maybe even heard it like two years ago because I have a sticker of the album cover that I was going to put on my guitar that I like made it myself because I you know there wasn't anything out there for it and I was like I want to represent Trevor and and then I saw the release date come up and I was like wait a minute this thing's been out for like two years already what are you talking about and it never came out and so yeah cool indeed all right

Back to James for 19. Real quick on that at Aporia. That was great. That came on. I had a smart playlist on my iPod that was released from this year. I was out running, so I wasn't really looking at the songs coming on. That came on. I was like, who is this band? They are great. I was like, okay, cool. Then it happened again 20 minutes later. I was like, who is this band? This is awesome. I was like, oh, same group. Okay. Nice. We're at 19, right? Yes.

Because I Hate Doom, Eight Bells, which is Doom. This record is just phenomenal. It's not my normal wavelength. Albert was real excited about it, and he had mentioned that he thought it was great, and I was like, okay, yeah, sure, I'll give this a spin. Yeah, it's awesome. It's really good. If you like things that are similar to Sabrosa or the Otolith, it's on a kind of a similar wavelength, not exactly the same, but a similar slice of the world of metal, and it's out on Profit.

That one was definitely in and out of my list throughout this year because I feel like it came out pretty early on. In and out of love. And it didn't, I think, it's one of those things that if you're into it, people are very excited about it, but it doesn't maybe get tons and tons of attention like a Cannibal Corpse record or something would. So unless you're on like that kind of wavelength, I mean, same thing with Sabrosa, you know, the fans of it went nuts, but it wasn't something that if you're not into that kind of thing, it would easily slip by. They're so similar with Eight Bells. And the record is called Legacy,

Ruin, which is a cool title. Nice. Yeah, I dig that one. All right, well, my number 19 is a Carrier Over Mid-Year, and it's Dark Millennium, Acid River and Massacre Records. This band's been around for a while, and I think this is by far their best record. So Acid River is progressive death doom, but it was recorded on analog using the band's original guitars, amps, and drums.

from the 90s. But the thing I like about this record is even though it captures that nostalgic sound, the songwriting on the album has a more modern approach. There's just a greater complexity, more turns on the album than what they delivered previously. So the way they managed to put those sounds together really elevates this record for me. Yeah, I love it. Excellent. Matt?

All right, my number 19 is another carryover. It was previously at my number 10. The band is Inophilion, and the album is called Morabound. Oh, I like that one. Yeah. I don't know. It's just really good black metal. And strangely enough, I mean, there's times where the singer does some stuff that's almost like talking, and I can swear it's from that Bond movie Skyfall. I can't think of who the villain is, but the guy also.

Yeah, I feel like I'm listening to him talk. Javier Bardem. I feel like I'm listening to him talk in that James Bond movie. But anyways, regardless, it's just really well crafted black metal. Definitely check it out. I don't want to mess with your style here, Matt, but I think that band actually exists. George, I have to have a couple that exist. All right. Complete bullshit. All right.

anchor it like no no no there are real bands in here look like you've heard of this one

oh yeah they have a page on metal archives

i expect all your honorable mentions to be completely made up

pure bullshit

all right uh john all right my number 19 also holdover from the mid-year cosmic putrefaction

Perpuscular Dirge for the Blessed Ones off of Profound Lore Records. Cosmic, Dank, Death Metal that you really need to put on. Get under the cans and listen because there's a lot of layered stuff going on. The cans. Get under the cans. Get under the cans. Jugs. Jugs. New name for headphones, the Jugs.

I feel like we've had we were in the car for over an hour and we talked about a lot of things which one of which was chugs you know that should be recorded as like a pre episode you know like a pre fest kind of thing and I just record the conversation in the car here your patreon explosives yeah exactly exactly it started out we talked a lot about clutch and then jugs paradise loss

So that's really quite the sphere. Die Hard being the best Christmas movie. Yeah, Die Hard. We talk about a lot. I mean, Die Hard being the best Christmas movie is just a given. Yeah. Yes. I mean, listen, the only thing close is Eben Otter's Jug Band Christmas. Oh, man. Watch that last year. So good. What? Never heard of it. You've never seen Eben Otter's Jug Band Christmas? Check it out. Is that the name of the movie?

Yeah, it's about 40 minutes long. It's Jim Henson. It's just all puppets. You know, it's all like Muppets, I guess, about this mother and her child whose father has died and they're really poor and they live on the river and they're trying to mark against me. Let me stop you right there. Sounds happy. Yeah, what? Not to add anything. Just let me stop you right there.

I also like that.

Tell me about your non-metal albums again.

It is definitely worth it.

I only know of it from my wife.

She brought it up to me and we watched it last year.

I mean, it's definitely worth checking out.

It's amazing.

You had me at Henson.

Yeah, I mean, Jimmy Henson was really a talented dude.

I mean, when you take aside the stuff that you know about and you look at some of his older things or even some of the darker stuff, you know, like, I don't know.

He was a talented dude.

And genius, yeah.

I would definitely use that word, Jack. Yeah. I watch it every year with my mother. So, because it's about a mother and son and they're musicians and they're trying to make ends meet and they're trying to follow their dreams, but just trying to survive too. And it's just, it's, it's really beautiful. I like the Grinch. That's all. So typical. I'm a mean one. What can I say?

I'm a daughter and then let me know what you think. I've completely forgotten where we are. Was it? I think it's my turn. Did you? Yeah, I don't know. Who went last? Matt? John, what was your 19? I did. Did you go? Cosmic Petrofax. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. My number 19, Conan, Evidence of Immortality, all the way from the United Kingdom, Napalm Records. I like me some Conan. Cape Man Battle Doom. What is not to like about that?

All about video games too. Is it? Yeah, a lot of Conan stuff is all about video games. I got Conan's father's sword right there. Yep. All right, now it's Jay. Because I know what's best in life. One that I forgot about. It's the Metalheads podcast. I felt bad for, well not felt bad for, I totally forgot about this in mid-year because it came out so early in the year and then Markisan reminded me and it really should have been on my list. So writing it wrong from the mid-year.

I'm looking forward to the next High on Fire record more than I was looking forward to this, but this is a really cool, varied record. I like Matt Pike. He does cool things. Am I the only one who had that on the mid-year? No, I think Mark Stein had it. Did you have Mark Stein? I don't remember. I don't think I did, actually, to be honest with you. I did. I remember I had it in the number one year or something. I like it. It's just Matt Pike just experimenting, so it doesn't have a cohesive flow to it, but if you

What else is new? If you want to see him do something different on basically every track. Well, actually half of it's like high on fire. The other half is just experimental. Yeah. That's about right. Yeah. So yeah, I like it. But you know, I when I listen to albums and I put them on list, I usually like something that kind of flows into each other, I guess. Yeah. I don't mind that experimentation, but yeah. Hey, my number 19 from Poland.

Behemoth Opus Contra Naturum. Did not expect to see that at 19, but there we are. There it is, George. Why do you like it? 19. I don't know. I don't know. You know there's no kids on it, right? I know. I mean, that's bumped up to at least 18. You would think. You would think, but it's been a good year. So. All right. Do you like Behemoth with kids or without kids, George?

I am child ambivalent. I can take them or leave them. We know how Will feels, but I'm just wondering about you. James, number 18. As the person who hates Doom, here's another Doom record. Jay totally called me out on that. Just like one after another Doom, Doom, Doom. The name of the van is Zompontli. The what?

Oh, just wait for me to try and pronounce his record title. He's having a stroke. Call 911. There we go. Either that or he's summoning demons. It's atmospheric doom death on 20 bucks spin. Wait, wait. Is it death doom? Yes, it's death doom.

got from the name. It's kind of a different slice of the middle world, if you will. And it comes across really well. It works really well. Where are they from? It's one guy, I think. Oh, man, I should know this off the top of my head. And I believe he's from California. Was it a name like that? It was like Finland? No, no, no, no. I think it's like a pre-Hispanic Mexican theme or pre-Hispanic world, I know. Was this one of those like black,

circle bands or whatever? No, no, no, no, no, it's not. It sounds like Death Doom with some expanded elements of non-standard stuff. It's really cool. It's very much in line with it. If you like 20 bucks spin Death Doom, you'll like this. And it's just kind of got like a slightly different twist on it. Apologies if anyone actually knows how to pronounce that correctly, and I just butchered it and made myself sound like an idiot. What was that name again? I'll just send it in the chat. It's not important. What's important is James just liked a Death Doom album. So here's my theory.

If you're on the Metalheads podcast, you are compelled to like Death Doom, whether you want to or not. It just seems to be your brain, just unconsciously. You're like, oh, I'm so excited. It's hilarious, though, because James made fun of us for that, and now almost all his picks. Yeah, I know, just one after another. You know what? It's interesting. As we were coming up here, he was changing picks, so I felt as we got closer and closer, at some point, James was like, Death Doom tractor beam. He was like, I have to be more of a Metalhead. I must change my picks.

That's not a moon. You know? Have you seen the meme that it's like the Death Star and a Borg thing and it says, that's not a moon, and then the other one says, I've got a bad feeling about this. And I appreciate James recognizing our influence on his picks. You got more doom than I do on my list. Peer pressure. I think that might be all the doom, though. That might still be more. Hey, just FYI, James. I hate Death Doom.

I hate soda. I said, really? I hate soda? He goes, yeah, I got a website about it. He goes, go look at it. I was like, what? I was like, what is it? It was like, I hate soda.com. I went to it and it just said, I hate soda. That was it. No buttons to push, no nothing. It was like, see? Simple, straightforward message. Talk about wasting 10 bucks a month maintaining that site. I know. It's so disappointing because he could explode cans of soda on there. There's so much you could do with it.

All right, Mark's on. Man, I love this album. Fuck. I keep looking at these albums like, fuck. I can't believe this is at 18. I know Will likes it. Deva threw sheer will and black magic on 20 bucks spin records, which I guess 20 bucks spin has been coming up a lot lately. Yeah. I just bought this on vinyl when I was at vinyl altar like a week ago. Oh, nice. Yeah, I have it in vinyl too. It's like Steve, right?

Yeah, Enrique. Yeah, Enrique's on that. That record's great. Neck-breaking, black and thrash, full of violent, volcano hot rifts, complex structures. Real sinister atmosphere to this record. It's just really relentless, terrifying. It's like a tidal wave of dark, violent lava that keeps crashing into you. It just not let up. And I love that about it. Best material they've done so far, yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah, the rest were like EPs and stuff. That EP, though.

It's awesome. Yeah, it was. It's a great EP. This is a step forward. It's not as good as this record. I do like all your Hawaiian influence in your descriptions right there. Lava. Lava. Lava. There are volcanoes. There are volcanoes in my Hawaiian adventure. But there are volcanoes also in the western United States, too. True that. He could be, you know, oh, I'm doing my... And in Italy. My northwest thing. Yeah. Because here on the Middleheads Podcast, we're about science. Thanks, John. Stand back. You're welcome. I'm going to try science.

You might want to think about that a little bit. Don't let him match. The gases that form the planet named Uranus. Is there something from a movie that I'm missing? No, I just made a bad fart joke. Just making jokes. Better than making an actual fart. Indeed. Indeed. There's been one to rule them all and we're done. One fart to rule them all.

Well, shit, if that's the case, then Jay's our master of the disaster. George, you guys should rank top five farts on the Metalhead podcast. Well, then, we need fart book, don't we? I'm convinced. I'm convinced. Letter Kenny, fart book. Vegans and vegetarians have the worst gas ever. It's like that methane decaying vegetable buildup in your gut. Do you guys remember TR's look? He just looked over and was like, what the fuck is that? All I gotta say is that.

Just don't give Will cancer again. I'm pretty sure Jay's ass gave me cancer. And I totally believe that. I mean, listen, Camp Lejeune water, no. Fire burning pits in Afghanistan, Iraq, no. You're going to want that Camp Lejeune water. Jay's anal methane vapor, yeah. Cancer ass is Jay's new band.

Last Man Breathing.

Last Breath.

It's like a cockroach fart.

All right, I have no idea where we are.

Did I just go?

Yeah, I think it's Matt.

Right.

Number 18.

Yep, another carryover.

This was formerly my number nine out of Ocean City, Maryland.

What?

The band is Yatra, Born Into Chaos.

This is really kind of black and sludge. I don't know. I don't know. I really dig this. The vocals are super sinister, which I always like. They kind of fall into that category that I talk about, kind of like that black metal or that 70s occult motorcycle gang sort of sound. And clearly I have to have one of those every year in my list. This would be it. Nice. I didn't know they were from Ocean City. I was kind of city dropping there. Yeah.

I can wake you guys up. I know they're local-ish to this area because they played Atlas a bunch of times. Really? Nice. Cool. Wait, is it time for the Hetfield again? Oh, boy. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we got to talk about that new Metallica song. We talked about that on the way up, too. Oh, I do have a new black album complaint story happened last night. Go ahead. All right, here we go. All right.

So the Maryland Death Fest Battle Wagon, my Jeep Cherokee, needed like $6,000 to pass inspection. So I'm like, you know what? I'm just going to buy a new car. So I was at the dealership last night buying my new car. And the guy, the sales rep, as I was test driving the car, he noticed I had a Mortiferum shirt. Well, he didn't know it was Mortiferum, but he had a heavy metal shirt. We started talking about heavy metal. And I was playing Ozzy's Boneyard.

while I was driving around.

And somebody came on there talking about the new Metallica song.

And I'm like, oh, God, it's garbage.

He's like, oh, I kind of like it.

And he's more into like pop punk.

I guess he's in a band and stuff.

And I said something along the lines.

Like, yeah, this has been kind of crap for years.

Like, yeah, you know, since the Black Album.

Or something along those lines.

And I'm like, wait a minute.

Do you like or dislike the Black Album?

I was like, oh, I love it. It's so good. I'm like, I literally want. Get out. Get the fuck out of this car. Yeah. So then I had, I told him my story about graduating from boot camp, throwing the tape out the window. And I, and I let him know in no uncertain terms, my disdain for the black album. But the guy still sold me a car, still dropped like five grand off the price of the car. Yeah. And I'm not paying for the undercarriage spray painting. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What kind of car is that?

I got a 2023 Kia Telluride. It was the number one rate. I never thought in a million years I'd buy a KIA, a KILD in action KIA. Which is weird because when I was in Iraq and every car there was a KIA. I was like, what? And this is back in 2003 where KIAs were not that popular in the United States. It's got like three TVs in it. Yeah, I'm like, is there like a MIA cars running around here too?

I need a third row seating.

No, they make good cars now.

Yeah, it's got to have cock room.

They're a real company.

Ten-year warranty on it.

It was either that or another Jeep Cherokee with third row seating.

Yeah, my kids with all their sports and carpool.

Third row seating.

Did something just happen?

Yeah, what was that yelling?

I feel like Markisan fell down. Oh, no. Not again. He's probably talking to his kitty. Yeah. Or something. Yeah. I was going to say something. You're going to say something. Oh, I was going to say I like the new Metallica song a lot. Yeah, we talked about this on the car ride. Yeah, Lux Eterna. It's pretty good. It's garbage. It's peppy and it's good. I like it. The guitar tones and the vocals are garbage. Yeah. I have no complaints. I think it's a great song. I don't like the production.

Yeah, production sucks, George. That is an incorrect statement. Thank you very much. Thanks for playing. Why does George suck? Because I like to. Because he can. Why do dogs lick their balls? Because they can. Whose turn is it now? It'll be mine. All right. I am not making any apologies for my number 18 pick. Metallica! The single. Yeah, the single.

How did you guys know? I'm doing it. We have a long way to go. You're doing it? What is it, 18? 18. Devin Townsend, Lightwork Deluxe Edition featuring the other album called Nightwork. Number 18? Yes, because it didn't have that extra Devin Townsend on it to get it a little higher. Well, all right then. But I think it's a very good album. I need it. This album actually means

a lot to me just because, and I'm not going to go on some COVID sob story here, like I keep hearing all the time. Not saying it hasn't been bad for people, it has. But I think some people are just using it as a crutch in other areas. A clutch, yeah. Yeah, yeah. This way they can take time off to spend with their kids and not work, and it's pissing me off. There's just too much bullshit on a lot of different levels and a lot of different places in my life. Truth. And I'm not saying I have a bad life, I have a great life.

And he seems to tap into the emotion very well. He just has a knack for it. People see him as goofy and eccentric and wild. I mean, the skull doesn't help, but he... He doesn't have it anymore, though. No. I think he's a master writer and composer and performer, and I think this is another killer album. For some people that don't think it's metal enough, I say just those three songs off of Nightwork, enough gives it to me. He's earned it.

But there is a heaviness that lays underneath the album if you listen carefully. Yeah. It's got a foundation of chunka-chunka-chunka with a lot of pretty stuff on top. Yes. But it's there. It's lingering. It's simmering. It's not the only thing lingering, but I get you. And like Markisan has already conjured up volcanoes from the Pacific Ocean. He's waiting to blow and old Debbie will be back. Yes. But yes. Can you still wait? Can you still wait? Can you still wait?

I'm still waiting for that penis symphony. I know. The penis symphony. Yeah. He's ready to blow. Yes, he is. Aren't we all? Except for James. He blew. Oh, I guess he's ready too. He didn't want to be left out. I'm here again. Anyway, there you go. There you have it. All right, Will. Let me get my glasses on. I can't see so well without my glasses.

Are you for class? I put my glasses on. I look like a confused lesbian, apparently. Number 18, Thundering Hooves. The album name is Radiance. They are not signed to a label, and I'm kind of surprised. Do I really like these guys? I think at some point they will be, because that's two albums in a row. Yeah, they're good. Unless they choose not to be. There are some bands who just don't want to be on our labels. Yeah, the new Hammers of Misfortune, I saw

was self-released initially, and then they're doing vinyl with Cruz Dilsor, but I just thought that was interesting with a band of that tier. Especially now. Yeah, a band of that tier and level of recognition. It's been, what, six years since the last one? That's a good one for you to bring up, James, too, because you were talking about how you guys craft your list, but you guys, you gave it a nine on your, in the magazine, but it didn't actually make the list, and that's just the way it goes sometimes. Yeah, it's just that, you know,

who did the review for it was very, very excited about it and thought it was a great record. And then maybe they, you know, put it as number one on the list and it just didn't get that kind of support from a lot of the other writers or something, you know? Right. I see stuff that I'm very, very excited about that are not like total random records that I think other people are probably into, but maybe they just don't get that high up there. So it doesn't end up on the top 40 then, unfortunately. All right. Nice. All right. What are we, Jayna? Yeah.

I just accidentally discovered something, George. If you play

your guitar above the nut here,

you can play the intro to King Diamond's Them.

Can't hear it.

You know, it comes in with a music box.

Yeah. Really? What do you do?

Just like strum through it?

Or just pluck it. Whatever. I don't know.

Oh, that's pretty neat.

Yeah. Did you hear it? Did it sound like it?

Couldn't hear it, but knowing it,

I can picture, or rather listen to what you're implying, yes. My 18 is Temple of Void, Summing of the Slayer. This doesn't need to be explained to people on this podcast, though I know some of you thought this was not one of their best releases thus far, whereas it's one that really worked for me. Friends of the cast, as we all know.

And a more appropriate placement. You know, good dudes. And what's that, George? I said that's a more appropriate placement than mine was. I love those guys. I'm not a big fan of this particular record, but I do like that they try different things. That they're not just doing the same thing over and over. I liked the clean vocals. I'll still stand on my assessment that the last track is just basically Planet Caravan, and I have no problem with that. If Sabbath can do it, they can do it. I love that.

I thought it was great. I do too. Yeah. Everybody does but Will. Yeah. It didn't work for Will. No. I'd rather just have another awesome Temple of Void song. Yeah. That's not that. That's not that. I don't mind when you put those tracks at the end, especially if you had a lot of great songs before that. I have no issue with it. But I don't love the track, you know. All right. That's two.

For Temple of Void. Yep. My number 18. From, I believe it's Australia. Werewolves from the cave to the grave. Oh, I knew that would be on your list, George. Yeah, it dropped a little bit, but god damn what an album. That is some brutal shit. Without being actual brutal death metal. It's just heavy as fuck. And without being shit too, right? Right, exactly. Yeah.

Sorry, it's like everything that I did. Everything that guy just said is bullshit. It's not what it is. Everything I just said, ignore that. It's something else. Yeah. Nice. The bullshit ain't just BS, right? I love how we haven't heard from Matt for a few minutes. He just comes in with that voice that we didn't expect. Yes. Just chime in. I'm a chimer.

Oh, he's rubbing the mustache on the microphone. I got tingles just thinking about that. I will never wash that microphone. All right. Number 17, James. The human torch was denied a big loan. Sorry. Again, I'm cheating on the test today. Autopsy. So good.

If you're checking in for an autopsy record, you probably know what it sounds like, or what to expect, and they really honed in on it and did a great job on this one. It's everything you would come to expect and sounding fresh and more alive slash dead than ever. It's awesome. It's a great record. Totally worth your time. If you're a death metal fan and you haven't heard it, you should go do that now. I like how I had it at number 21 and you looked at me like I was fucking crazy, like it was going to be number one on your list. I was like, oh, it's not 17.

I feel like it should be higher on mine too. I heard it right when it came out and then I didn't go back to it and then I was, you know, going through and, you know, making the last minute changes this morning and I was like, oh, that record's so good. That needs to be on here. It is really good. It did come up before or after MDF. I can't remember. Pretty sure after. Off the top of my head, I want to say after. If it came up before at MDF, you would have thought back to it. Yeah, I know that makes sense. I am a little disappointed. It's not a

Doom record? No. I thought about it for a second. I was like, no, I'd be lying then. I shouldn't make changes just for effect here. No. But I thought about it. I hate doom.com. It's a subsidiary of bitchymat.com. Which is a real URL. If you go there, you will get to our site. True that. Are you serious? Yes, I am. I'm a link. I'm a vanity URL. Yep. Go to bitchymat.com. You'll find us.

I pay $10 a year just for that joke. Why is he going to make his paypal? It might have been the first year I was with you guys and it's so stuck. So good. You should just have the front page be Matt's picture from our banner. Oh, you're in shit and that actually works. I told you. It's up to bitchymat.com and it takes you to the Metal Nets website. Have you thought about that? What?

I think just the main page be Matt's picture from the banner and then when you click on his face it takes you to wear metalheads. Well it's a lot more work to do that but I could. You can also go to metalheadspodcats.com and get to us. I forgot about that. Wait are there pictures of our cats on there? We never did that so it just goes to the homepage I think. Oh that's disappointing. But now we need Metalhead's Progcast because that's the one John. Yeah. John will have to pay for that one. Oh I'll give you the ten bucks a month? Progcast.

Fuck yeah. Who's got the alarm? Yeah, who needs to do that? That's me. I was cooking pizza. Oh. Okay. Is it my turn? I think so. Shit, I'll do mine quick. All right, so my number 17 is Prog Metal. Oh. Yeah. Psychonaut, Violet Consensus Reality, and Pelagic Records. This is a concept album. It's an uplifting mix of progressive and

and technical post-metal. Just really gorgeous melodies, epic swelling fretwork. The music on this record just feels massive to me. It feels cinematic. And I love the idea that it's built around an idea of humankind reimagined as a civilization rooted in a living, sacred universe. That's the concept of it.

So it's like you took humanity and put it into an AI generator.

No.

No.

Yeah, I love this record.

It's definitely one of my favorite progmental albums of the year.

So, again, I lament the fact that it's at 17, but that's just how good this year is.

You know, just sorry to break in here before, Matt.

I was just sitting here thinking about how the fact that James likes to listen to the podcast,

and he's probably not going to listen to this one.

And it's like the biggest one of the year because you're here and you don't have to listen to it. He's here. Yeah. He experienced it firsthand. Or will you listen to it? He's living it. I don't want to hear myself. Sorry to everyone listening. Yeah. Nobody else does either. Yeah. See, that's how I feel. See, now he gets it. This guy gets it. Sorry to ruin it for you, man. I very rarely actually listen to the podcast. I have to listen to it because I edit it. I'm the same. I'm the same. I mean, you're here for it. You don't necessarily need to hear it again. Right. I listen to every episode just in case there's mistakes in it.

I see. Don't call me out. Depends if you get drunk and pass out and knock shit over. Yeah. All right. Sorry, Matt. My voice is like George Michael on Arrested Development and I don't like to hear me sound like him even though I love Michael Cera as an actor and his character on Arrested Development. Matt, but you gotta have faith, the faith, the faith. Markson, I will say Psychonaut's last album was on my list except for the fact that John pointed out after he saved me the embarrassment but I was actually,

the wrong year. It had just been re-released by

Pelagic or Pelagic.

But really good stuff.

I did like the album.

But my number 17 is another appearance

from Cosmic Putrefaction

which was number 14 for me

at mid-year.

Crepuscular Dirge for the Blessed Ones.

This is one of those albums that

these riffs were in my head all year long.

Most of the time I didn't realize it was Cosmic Petrefaction, but then when I went to listen to the album, I was like, oh yeah, that's been in my head for nine months. That's been in my head for six months. That's been in my head for three months. And just really solid death. Yeah, I think I kind of fucked up on that one because it was on my list at mid-year and somehow it is not there anymore. You don't fuck up. I don't fuck up because that's a good one. There's a lot of albums that just fell through the cracks this year. That was a really good one.

So, yeah.

All right, John.

My turn.

Let's prog it up.

They are not number 14 on Decibel's list, but they're number 17 on my list.

And that's Voivod, Synchro Anarchy.

Nice.

I'll take it.

Yep.

Off of Central Media.

They're from Canada.

They are legends.

Nothing more needs to be said.

Although I do like the hearken back to the early 90s.

Mm-hmm.

Touch a late 80s sound, but still sound like them progressing.

through the new century. Definitely. Yeah. Good album. Very. Will. This one's for James. Death Doom album. Yeah. From Orlando, Florida on Hell's Headbanger Records. Druid Lord. Relics of the Dead. These guys, I think, were like number five or six on my mid-year. Drop down, but this shit is good. Yeah. Very good band. Mm-hmm.

Yay. There's John. What number are we on here? Oh, 17. Mine, 17 is Cosmic Putrefaction, Crepuscular Dirge from the Bulls. See? Yeah. Wow. Exactly. Matt can agree with me. It was the exact 17th best album of the year. It was. Nothing more, nothing less.

Looks like we got a penalty kick here. John is into it. That was a penalty kick. Which game is it? England. England-France. Yeah! All right! We're tied it up! One-one. There we go. I've been very calm this game, even though it's been stressful for me. Yeah. I pulled it up on the screen just for John so you could watch it in the corner. So I'm not like looking at you guys. I'm actually trying to get around the mic stand so I can see. I know. I thought you were saying hi, John. Do you want to switch spots so you can get a...

I'm good, thank you. I was like, wow, John is so interested in my 17th pick. I kept saying, why is his 17 and mine's 18 or 19? Oh, mine was 19. Thank you, Will, I appreciate that. Yes, back in the game, baby. That was Jay, yeah? Yeah. So that means my 17 is the chasm, the scar,

of a lost reflective shadow. Wow. That one dropped, but hung on. Because that is a good album. I haven't spent enough time with them. Yeah. They played Atlas once and they were amazing. Oh, I bet. Just fuck it. They were so good. And that, I have, I'll, spoiler alert, it's not on my list and I tried, I tried, I tried. This is one of the ones I listened to this morning after I made breakfast. I was like, I need to listen to this again. Yeah. It's good.

It is.

All right.

Well, what's number 16 good, James?

This might be Crickets.

Moinock.

Oh, that's cool.

Okay, cool.

Yeah, I'm never sure if that's one that I know some people get really excited about,

but it's not one that sees tons and tons of fanfare.

But yeah, I think they're great.

The new record is called A Place for Ash.

It's self-released.

If you're a fan of what they did previously,

Again, this is, I think, their best record they've done so far. It's a culmination of what they've been working on and building towards, and I think it's really good. If you're not familiar, it's black metal of the, not like super weird, but a little outside of just your standard, you know, kind of immortal worship kind of thing. It's a really interesting record. It's good. They always make me think of Star Wars. The Minox. Yeah. On the Millennium Falcon. I think there's actually a... Shit hanging off the ship. Yeah. It's a city, right?

There's a minor, North Carolina. I think it's like an area just below the Virginia border. But I may be wrong on that. But I'm pretty sure they played Atlas before. Yeah. Everybody's played Atlas. Disappointed I missed that. Everybody who's anybody has played Atlas. That is kind of true. We're going to have shows back again in the spring. Hi, John. Good job. The voice of John's name will be played by John. When you set it up, you should put John back.

in the back there. Because there seems like there's room back there. I don't know how the microphone is. Well, I mean, y'all could like shift around a little. Yeah, you guys should shift a little. Because he wants to watch the game, too. Yeah, why don't you? John, why don't you watch it? Yeah, come on, come on. Just relax. All right, fine. I'm not relaxed. Relax. Don't do it when you want to go to it. I want to see John. I don't want to move. I don't want to. What's all this whining? That's John. I'm getting testy.

Testies, one, two, three. I came to see if you guys could see me because John's microphone. No, I can see you very clearly. There, you can see my hands. I can see clearly now. I see John's bison. All right, okay. Number 16 for me is Autognosis. Will told me he was giving away the answers to the test. Sorry, try that again. Yeah, sorry. Number 16 for me is Autognosis.

Foul Magics. This is a high-energy Black Death with just blistering thrash-edged guitars and blackened shrieks to it. It has some occasional acoustic guitar on it, which I like a lot. But the star of the show for me in this album is the shredding, particularly the scorching solos. So it's number 16 on my list, but it's number one. It's the number one air guitar for me.

in 2022. Cool. Do you list albums that you air guitar to? I could. We should have a top five. Now that you say that, I totally have one coming up soon. I love this record. I think Decibel After reviewed it, and I think I give it like an eight or something like that, which is good. It's appropriate. Matt. I just want to step back to you, James's comment.

about his number 16 pick. They are not on my list, but they've bounced in and out. And much like many bands and much like everybody, like my list is totally a snapshot of how I felt like two days ago when I just locked it up and shut it down. Like I literally could have changed it about 26 times. You know, I mean, it could look completely different when I wake up tomorrow or yesterday if I hadn't locked things down. So really good album. To my list, number 16 was actually my number two pick at mid-year. It is Celeste.

This is a French kind of post black metal band. You know, it's definitely a genre, not for everybody, but I could list about three or four other bands that fell into it. But of that, Celeste to me was definitely the leader of that pack. It's a cool album. Of wolves. Not werewolves, but just wolves. Werewolves are better. That's true. Agreed. Yeah. Can you guys hear Herschel Walker's comments about vampires and werewolves?

I did, but I don't remember them. Anyway, it was funny. Crazy man. Hey, John. How's that highlight? Tasty. You know, I went in to the store to get this highlight yesterday. And the place that I go to here in Frederick, they have like several guys that run around. It's a small store. And they're just like, can I help you? Can I help you? Can I help you? And I was like, yeah, I had just started looking for it.

I didn't even really looked yet but I was like yeah I'm looking I want some high ally and he was like okay and he asked and he was trying to spell it to another guy and he was like H-I-G-H and how's the rest of it and I was like fuck off and I said dude high ally and the other guy was like oh yeah of course and he went and grabbed it for me I'm like man if you can't if you fuck off that's all anyway sorry that's pretty bad at a beer store you ought to know what high

que se llen.

What do you mean? Yeah. All right. Let's just stop this Cigar City talk right now. Is it my turn? Number 16? I think so. All right. This is a little lower than I expected. It's better than Decibel gave it, but it still made their list too, which is cool. I'm being positive. I'm just saying my pick was higher than Decibel's pick. Just pointing that out. Dream Unending Song of Salvation on 20 bucks spin. Very good atmospheric.

Doom slash Death Doom because they get very Doomy in parts with kind of harking back to a little bit of the Peaceville 3 era of the early 90s but sounding like a very new band. Tons of atmospherics. It's a gorgeous album but it's a brutal album on top of that. It's gorgeous. I love it. It will come up again. It was very high on my list. Was it high a lie?

It was J-laying up my list. I thought I had locked it down and I was like, fuck it, World Cup's on. I have nothing to do but watch World Cup. I was like, god damn, these albums keep coming around and moving up my list. It got bumped down considerably. It was in my top seven, I think, at one point. It just took a hit. I'm actually surprised it's here for you, John. That was a comment to hold on to forever. That was J-laying.

up my list. I think that could be like an industry term. If it's going down, it's J-Lo-ing. This band just being up my list. It's Ben Affleck. It's giggling or whatever that was called. Matt, are you wearing fingerless gloves? I noticed it. I love you. It's cold in my basement. I just expect to see Matt standing in front of like an oil drum on a street corner at midnight singing like beat du-op songs and everything. Oh, I'll be hanging out with him or not. Dude, he's doing that.

Right after this. He's got a mustache and fingerless gloves. Of course, he's going out on the street. Oh, yeah. I'm a man of the night. Streets of fire. The bitchy files. Look for like a 55-gallon barrel. John, why is your list multiple pages? Oh, because I make it bigger so I can see it. Oh, okay. That's good. That's a good reason. I put all information on mine so I don't forget anything. And I also needed space for the volleyballs. Right.

Because I'm cheating on the test, I can see that Will's List has the Metalheads podcast logo printed on the top of it, too, which is pretty cool. He was holding it a second ago, and I looked over, and I saw it. Wait, yours doesn't, James? I'm too old for that. I just have an old notebook that I bought from the dollar store. Who are you calling a fucking grandpa? Look at my trapper keeper. I miss trapper keepers, man. If I could have one of those to take into work or something, I'd totally do that.

Trapper keepers are fucking cool. Yeah. Get fun of my list. Motherfuckers. All right. Number 16. Yeah. Shay. No. Will. Half. All that was promised. Why wouldn't you? That hath been mentioned previously. Two halves equal one. Do not confuse it with Hoth either. Two halves equal one Hoth. Who is also cool.

I like half is a cool icy plane. It's cold. Half is a cool band. Maybe it's cold. Their logo looks like a TIE fighter. It does. I just wish the music was a little bit more to my liking. I wish it was just a little more putting out some. It's been a while. Yeah. All right. Nice pick. Yep. Jay. You got a nice pick too. Put a record on every five minutes and I don't

I don't consider myself to be a devotee of this band, though they're a really good band, but they seem to make my list every goddamn year. And so that means this year is no exception. Cult of Luna, The Long Road North. Yes. Yeah. I mean, it is great. They just they're just one of those kind of solid. They just kind of don't really fuck up bands. I would imagine this is probably a lot higher for John and maybe some others on the podcast, but it's a very worthy album. And I always everything they put out, I like. So.

Jay, have they, outside of maybe the last one, which was their EP that was close to 40 minutes long, which is longer than probably three grindcore albums put together. Okay. Since you've been on the podcast, have they made your top 25 each album? Yes. I think so. Me too. 90%. You know what, I'll research that while other people are talking, but yes. I mean, I feel like I say that name.

a lot. To the point where I wonder if they've been on my list more than any other band. Well, so spoiler alert, I'm thinking about doing that after this one, going back and looking at putting all our lists together and see which bands we seem to put on our lists all the time. I mean, we all have our favorites, I know that, but even with some of our favorite bands, we kind of stinker them out once in a while. Yeah. Yeah, I'd be curious to see that too, because there's bands like Amorphous and others that just consistently get mentioned, you know.

many other bands I can mention but Cult of Loom is definitely one of them they get mentioned a lot on this podcast I think Enslaved would be one of those up there that come five out of six people put up everybody but Will everybody except me we did an Enslaved cover story with the last record and we came to the realization that since Justable has been a magazine every time Enslaved puts out a record it's in our top 40 because every record they put out is awesome that was one of your best cover stories I thought it was so good I can say that because I don't write anything right but it was

What was the release on the new one? March 3rd. So your album of the year is coming out on March 3rd. Yeah. The three songs are... Two of them have already been released. I have not listened. Saving Myself for Marriage. It's good. You will sing. Yeah, I think they're great. I like the first one a lot. It goes back a little bit towards Below the Lights. It reminds me of that. Well, whatever. I'll shut up. But in any case, Enslaved gets mentioned a lot. I'm going to check

What you said about Cult of Lunen and CFI?

Count them every year.

Yours.

My number 16 is God's Country by Chat Pile.

Ah, you did.

This is the one that Decibel gave me.

Thank you.

This is just a fucking crazy album.

I've never heard anything like it.

It was, I mean, I have in the sense that I mentioned it was like corn and fucking.

I don't like corn.

I don't either.

You lost me already.

No, if corn was cool, it's just like very bass and drum heavy, like rhythmically, that's kind of cornish. It's probably not a good description. Would you say it's corny? A little bit. You have to take corn out of the description to make it cool. You realize this, George. You have to stop referring to corn. And cake was another one because there's some spoken stuff in there, like how the cake singer talks.

I don't know.

I don't know.

No.

You don't know.

It's a corn cake.

It's a corn cake.

It's corn muffins.

Instead of a carrot cake, it's a corn cake.

Corn muffins.

And yet it's heavy and fucking brutal.

And is it like a noise rock album too?

Well, they call it that?

I wanted to text you there because I was listening to the episode and you said, it's kind of noise rock.

I don't know what that means.

I don't know what that means.

I don't really consider it that because there is actual structure to these songs.

And noise tends to be just noise.

And I ask that because I know Markisan those is because we both are. I'm a huge dark ambient fan. That's one of my favorite genres. And when I hear noise rock, I'm like, what does that mean? Is it just ambient music? Or are they just like banging away on their instruments and just making noise? Noise rock is just basically a wall of sound. Right. Guitars going off. And that's not this. Like squealing and wailing kind of shit? And there's even like lyrics that I like really get into for this album. Why is it called Chat Pile?

What does it mean? Is the C-H like a sh? C-H. Yeah. Shat pile. Let's see. What is a chat pile? I'm sure we could ask them and find out. Was this on the decibel list? Okay, so they are massive hills of poison that tower over empty houses in a northeastern Oklahoma ghost town. What? A chat pile.

I don't know what that means what is that even what oh so maybe it is probably like a what are chat piles made of chat piles are mountains of crushed limestone dolomite and silica laden sedimentary rock it's a waste you talk like the comedian dole oh gosh so it does have a meaning which is better than what I thought it was yes but as a band and they're from Oklahoma so they obviously are making a statement about it oh yeah okay here uh was it high on the decimal list

Yeah, it was reasonably up there. It was probably like in 10, 15, somewhere. It was like 15, 17. Okay, okay. Is it a band you like? Just poking a little fun. Jeez. I didn't spend much time with it. I'm a little bit more of a death metal meathead. No, you're a Doom guy. I know, I'm a Doom guy now. No, I used to like death metal on Grindcore. Now I just listen to Doom all day, apparently. That's what happens when you step into the Metal Heads podcast studio. Yeah, right. You've sealed your doom.

I tried to listen to it and I couldn't get into it but I know a lot of people have it high on their list yeah a lot of people are real into it yeah I'm kind of high a lie on it you're giant just gonna lie ain't gonna lie it's high he had pitched this previously and he's like it's like corn and I was just like yeah I can't there was something else it was corn cake and something heavy oh I think it was why does cake keep coming up I called it corn cake and napalm death but it's not it's actually corn cake and

Full of Hell. Oh, okay. That's what it reminds me of. I don't really listen to either of those bands. Yeah. Anyway. Hard pass. Shit is getting real in the number 15. James. Number 15. Rip to Shreds. It's so good. Oh, nice. Nice. Yeah. I don't think there's much that needs to be said about that. It's really good. I feel like this is the third time I've said this on the podcast. I feel like it's a culmination.

of what they've done previously and getting better at what they've done before, which I've thought Rip to Shreds was great for years. And in my opinion, this is the best material they've done. It's a one-man band, right? He's got a band now, though, I think, doesn't he? Yes. Andrew, I think he writes most of it. Maybe other people play on the record. Oh, I should know this off the top of my head. I'm supposed to do an interview with him soon. But he... I know that he has a live band.

of course. I thought he had musicians on this one. He also has two setups for the band because he's got one local and I think he's in LA. And then I think they were... Is he? Yeah. I think so. And then he was before in, I want to say Taiwan. And he's got a lineup in Taiwan as well. So it's like, if you look up the Metal Archives page, at least the Metal Archives page says this, that there's like a lineup in two separate places. I thought he was out in San Jose or something. Oh, maybe he's...

I mean, it's somewhere in California. I thought it was LA, but maybe I'm totally wrong. Now, did you like his solo album? The Hokago Grind Time? Yes, it's awesome. I don't, so it's poking fun at anime. I don't really know anything about anime. I love the cover. But the record is really, really cool. It's a really fun grind record. So, I don't know. This could be a split number 15, Rip to Shreds and Hokago Grind Time. Nice. Days in San Jose. Okay, sorry. I was way off. Yeah. Okay, fine.

He's in San Jose. Okay. John, your hands look great. All right. Where are we? Mark's on now? Sorry. He swallowed. I had to eat because this beer is really strong. The fucking Coco Krampus is phenomenal. It's Heaven Hill, Four Roses, an old Elk Burberry,

Barrel Aged Imperial Milk Stout with Vanilla Coco Nibs Hex Coffee and Toasted Coconut. Is your name Markisan or TR? He loves all that stuff. Metal Heads Butler! Is Matt frozen or dead or... He's just happy. He's just happy. Or are you watching the World Cup game? It was good though because he was basically doing this. And then you said something and he just moved.

It's really good. This is the first time I've had it. I can totally get it. Matt was buffering. Yeah. Emotionally. Will has Atlas because he works there. But it's cool to have a brewery that's this good that's like right around the corner from me. I didn't expect that. And this is fucking so good. Old Irving Brewery is great. All right. So number 15 for me. That's the second mention for Old Irving. There we go.

That's the second goal for France. Yep, so they should be number one according to Tessable. You are just relentless. Kind of like Slayer. Oh wait, that's Repentless. My number 15 is, well, first of all, fuck George. On Pulverize Records. Where are they from? Jade, the pacification of death. So I talked about this already.

But it's really compelling style of black and atmospheric death. There's some evil synth on there. And they have the dual vocals that we talked a lot about earlier that I really like. And that works for me. I think it's just a killer debut. I haven't really heard anything quite like what they do with that vocal mix. I agree with that. I think it just really works for the atmosphere, what they're trying to do with the ambiance on the album. So I quite like it. And I'm glad that I gave it to Will, in his honesty.

Okay.

Will, are you awake?

Seizing or somebody slap his ass.

We need him to.

I don't think there's been a single ass slap that I'm aware of.

What the fuck?

What?

Will present.

I haven't heard one.

I haven't felt one.

There we go.

There we go.

So close to this glass of beer.

I was like, oh no, oh no.

Just going to knock that shit right over.

Seriously, though, you know, if people are listening to it and you want something a little bit different with death metal, I mean, it's a great death metal record that adds something a little bit different to it. You know, give Jade a shot because that's what I like in my death metal. I don't want straightforward things. I want something that, you know, takes it to a different place. And then Jade definitely does that. Yeah, it's a great record. Matt, Matty. Okie doke. My number 15. You may see a pattern.

of genre or bands that fall into a particular genre or sound. This next band from Finland, Divinio Verdict. The album. It's so good. I don't know. This kind of genre of really brutal death with some tech influence. I would also compare this loosely to ulcerate at times. I'll never forget the day I first heard ulcerate. It just blew my mind.

that fall into that genre definitely and i mean it's clearly a y genre but i feel like ulcerate has a very specific sound within that genre like brutal techie um that just is kind of my sweet spot right now is this on transcending obscurity yeah i believe so yeah because i got the free download then i never listened to it so i feel like it was about i've talked about it a ton on the cast and stuff um yeah it's so good it's kind of like yeah it's like ulcerated emulation like mixed damn oh so good that pitch

What's the name of the band? Davinial Verdict. Oh, somebody sent that into the... Yeah. Markson and I were chatting about it. Yeah. We were chatting about it in the chat. Well, I mentioned it because it was in the chat pile. It was in the chat pile. It came out on Transcending Obscurity, but it's kind of really under the radar, you know, as far as death metal goes. So I mentioned it to you guys just because I wanted you to listen to it because I thought it was...

It was that good. So cool. That's on Matt's list. John. Oh, you might have a, another penalty coming here in a second. So let me do my pick real quick. That's far more concerned about the world cup game. Oh my, uh, all right. So my number 15 breakout, the sax of boom, Matt, you'll enjoy this one. Whiteboard false light is my number 15. So, well, I apparently Marcus,

I got a real like that right there.

Geez.

Either that or he's passing gas.

Sorry, John.

No, I'm fine with Whitewood.

I'm not a huge fan of it, and I'm not a huge fan of sax, but, you know, I definitely

respect what they do on that album.

No.

Okay.

Absolutely.

All right.

So I'll give my bits on it now.

Thank you.

I'm just kidding.

Oh, you great.

You got to support it.

You guys got a chat all over it. Jeez, yeah. Shit chat piled all over my peck. You got a supporter over here. That band is phenomenal. They do really interesting stuff. John, you can talk about it more on our sister podcast, Sax in the City. Oh, I thought it was called Saxual Healing. Saxual. All right. So real quick, because I got to get to this penalty kick here. Fan from Ukraine. I was not a fan of their earlier stuff, but I felt like they.

They did something different with this album. This album seems to have a heavier approach, but it's got all the saxaboom. Now, this is not a band that's doing it to do it. I think they've had a sax player all along since the beginning. So this is legit with them and their sound. It's kind of like some of these bands that use violins from the very beginning as their alternative sound to keyboards and synths. They do that with the sax. Yeah, I like it. I'm not going to say I'm a super fan of the band, but I am a fan of this album.

and I'm looking forward to see if they continue with this. All right. So. Where was it on your mid-year, John? It was number five, actually. Oh, so it was pretty high. Yeah, and again, these albums coming up now, especially starting with the, George and I were going back and forth and like, who are these bastards taking over our list? I know the penalty kick's coming. Oh, it's that guy again. Yeah, Harry Kane. Fuck him. But he's got a score here. Anyway. You can do it.

fell by the wayside because a number of albums that came out. Okay. He's going ready to kick to tie the screen. He's getting ready to make the button. With literally a billion people watching right now in the world. Oh, probably more than that. He fucking kicked. He fucked it up. God bless it. His teammates are ripping him to shreds like one of James's picks. Because that record's awesome. I feel like I've heard that before. God.

Soccer Cast. The most hated man in the world right now. How did he miss? He's automatic usually. Oh. Anyway. When you guys looked away, there was a photo of a small child crying. Maybe not that small, but a kid crying. Oh, he didn't just miss it. He fucked it. He pooched it, yeah. Oh, well. Sorry, guys. Number 15. All the way from La La Land, California, on Ripple.

Music Behold! The Monolith. The name of the album is From the Fathomless Deep. Really? I fucking love this album. This is like a little bit of everything. It's got like dirty, not death vocals, but like just growly, dirty vocals. Dirty, dirty, dirty shower vocals. It's got a little bit of everything in there. Nice. Yeah.

It's great. It's like a box of chocolates. I was kind of surprised because Ripple music is mostly like stoner rock stuff. I was kind of surprised. I just picture Ripple music would be like just an offshoot of dead music or something like that. You know, like all different variants of the Grateful Dead. They do almost all stoner stuff. Yeah, that's why I was surprised. The interesting thing about the guy who runs Ripple is that he is a doctor. If I'm not mistaken, he's either got like a standard family practice or he's an eye doctor and has a practice.

But the label thing is just what he does on the side. Just kind of weird. It's all stoner rock and stuff. And he also is not into that sort of thing. I don't think he's a stoner at all. I don't think he smokes weed at all. But he runs a label that seems like it's just four stoners. It's just such a weird combination. Kind of like running a brewery but you're a wine guy? Yes. I knew you would appreciate that. I'm supposed to work on your left eye, right?

Am I making that? Oh wait, is it left or right? What's going on here? Did your mind just move from the left or the right? We're talking about dirty things. I want Matt to be in a band called Dirty Mustache. Well, no, that would be called Dirty Sanchez. Dirty Mustache Rides. Oh, really, really good. Devastated with that penalty kick still. Fuck. God. Got any more of that in there, Will? No, only one.

Well, that's all I had. I'm just joking. God. What if you ever heard me complain about beer? James, stop nursing that beer. What are you doing? I give any peer pressure. I know. That's why you're there. I haven't tried it, so I am. Also, your next pick will be doom. Oh, my God. Whoa. Chugga Lugga. Yes. I haven't seen anybody swallow like that since that one time at the glory hole. Yeah. Yeah. But seriously, I'm really excited that you're on the cast, James.

Definitely a last minute thing. Didn't know that you were going to be on it. It's really cool to have you back. I didn't near it. I had to pick him up. I did not expect it to be that easy to get him on here. The last time we had him on here, it was like pulling teeth at ripple music. It was like, he just was like, no, no, no. Nobody wants to hear me talk. No, no, no. I won't do it. Nobody wants to hear me. Who cares? Nobody wants to hear us either, but here we are. Yeah, but you got the cachet Despol. They're like, oh, there's a guy from Despol.

those other assholes.

Yeah.

But the point is, it was a lot easier to get you on this time, and hopefully next time it'll be even easier.

Yeah.

Yes.

Easy like Sunday morning.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

You know how to get to my house now, so yes.

You know how to get to my house now, too.

Yes.

Yeah, get more trains coming out to your house.

There's one right over there.

Yeah, but it only comes at like 4 o'clock.

Well.

Me.

It's my 15.

We're struggling with 15 today.

That Harry Kane missed that penalty. Can't get fucked everything up. Well, I'm going to get us through it. Or at least through me. Do it, Jay. Power us through, please. Do it, Jay. I like to, one of the things I like to do is, I mean, we all hear a lot of music from a lot of places, but really, you guys are one of my best sources, but I always like to wait and, like, I'll go through everybody's albums of the month, and I also go through your lists, of course, for the stuff I didn't listen to. Matt always hits me with a couple of things, and, but he's also disappointed.

because he thinks this is terrible.

I love you and I hate you, Matt.

And your taste is terrible.

Well, no, he thought this was the 16th best record of the year,

but it's clearly the 15th band in the program.

Celeste, a scenes.

That's a fucking cool record.

Matt finds a lot of X-Factor bands for me.

We're like, you know, they're just part of a genre, blah, blah, blah.

But there's a little something extra in there.

I really enjoyed listening to this record.

I love how you call out Matt, but I also had Celeste on my mid-year, but I don't get any credit. Oh, did you? My bad. What the fuck? You haven't mentioned it today. What have you done for him today? What did you guys do in Vegas again? We got married, bro. We watched Behold the Monolith. I know that. Well, we got married, but it's only recognized in certain states now, and I'm not sure about Minnesota. I'll tell you what they didn't do in Las Vegas. Dirty mustache rides are only good and legal in certain states. Did you say dirty muskrat ride?

Yes.

By the way, I saw this whole story, Matt, about how the next time you get an Uber in Vegas, it'll probably be an autonomous car.

Sweet.

You can make out.

Look forward to that.

Not me, man.

I don't know.

There's no one there to watch.

We've had a lot of good conversations with our drivers, so we'll just talk amongst ourselves.

Indeed.

That stated, I promised to push us forward, so George, what's your 15th?

Oh, right.

My number 15 is the signal heard throughout space, Parias.

Nice. That's two. I wasn't sure. Yeah, yeah. It was even higher up, surprisingly. Nice noise. Yes, that's true. But yeah, I thought quite a bit of it. And you know, it had to do with that Voivod touch. You were the one who called that. Yeah. You got that. Yeah, yeah. All right. Back to James. You've got that Voivod touch. I don't know what I'm singing. That love and feeling. Yeah. You've got that love and feeling. Yeah. Yeah.

For 14, Nitshachwin, Kanawha Black. I forgot about that one. It's a phenomenal record. It's good. Man, I just said this last time too, and I think the one before that, but I feel like this is where, what they've been doing for years, they brought to a culmination. This is, in my opinion, their best record. In my opinion, their music has just been on a straight uphill. In a good way, I mean. It's just been getting better every single release.

and they just continue to be better and better. It's great. I completely agree with that. And hopefully they'll get better and better and get good enough to be on my list. All right, let's get back to this now. Yeah, let's do this shit. Mark us on. My number 14, another carryover from mid-year and my favorite thrash metal album, Ancestor, White Terror on Les Actors.

Tour de L'Homme Productions. This album dropped way back in January and then ended up being my album of the month. So it's come a long way to get here at the end. Because as we know, you know, you get a lot of the newer stuff and that's forward in your mind. So you kind of have to go back and listen to the stuff that you really liked in the beginning of the year. But I like that when that happens, you know, that album that came out,

in January can still endure all this time. So like I said, it's my favorite thrash record. It's ultra dynamic, progressive speed metal haunted by Mexican ghosts. So they do stories in the album about Mexican myths, La La Rona, which is a myth about this weeping, wailing woman who tossed her children into her

and discovers her husband after she discovered her husband is cheating on her. Isn't that like a supernatural episode? It is. And they actually did a movie about it, George, that's called La Llorona. I think there's more than a couple of films. It's a commonly. La Llorona. I like that. They do that kind of like Mexican myth in there. But I like this album too, just because it's varied. It has female

I'll sung vocals on it. You know, it's thrash, but it injects other elements into it. And I just really respond to it. So it survives to 14, which is pretty cool because I don't have that many albums from mid-year on my list. Definitely more newer albums than mid-year albums. I think I do too. That's stuff that came out this year. Yep. Matt.

All right, Marcus, you mentioned you had the, an album you mentioned was kind of your air guitar pick for the year. And I said I had one coming up. And I don't know if it's actually air guitar, but it is like back in April when I was in Mexico, I just got this strong desire for, I just wanted riffs, which is why I got on such a huge high on fire kick. And Jay and I were fortunate enough to meet the riff master general, Matt Pike in Vegas, channeling his riff lord energy. But this band is so riff heavy.

I mean, it is just dank deluge of riffness. And their last album was on my list, probably a little bit higher up. This band is from the Netherlands. They are called Graceless. This is called Chance for Purgatory. I dare you not to fall in love with these riffs. Double-time fact. It's a great record. Yeah, I've heard a lot of good things about it. And I've listened to it myself, and I did not dislike it. I just haven't listened to it enough.

They're another band that just keeps getting better and better. This is definitely their best record. Yeah. I mean, this it's more catchy than the coronavirus. Oh, they are rough. Yeah. Thick. See that coming. Yeah. All right, Joe. All right. My number 24 or 24. My number 14 starts a long run of volleyballs.

Spike it. Mom said Spike. So, get ready. The name of the band is Epictas, and the album is Necrosis off of Frozen Records. You've probably never heard of them. They're a French kind of proggy black metal band. Hoity-toity? No, they're not hoity-toity at all. This just came out a couple weeks ago, maybe. Maybe middle November. I have their earlier album that came out, I don't know how many years ago, but I didn't expect it.

make my list and I just listened to it a few times. It's like, wow, this bitch is climbing high. And it just kept climbing. So not familiar with it. Yeah. Nobody heard that one either, John. Yeah. You know, so it's it's on my band camp if you want to look at it. But anyway, it's cool. I mean, I did. I think I I don't know. I think I did post it on New Music Friday. So it's apparent that everyone reads what I post. I read it. You know what I do? I always listen to it like a little bit of the album.

I know anybody that posts anything on New Music Friday. And if it's not something that grabs me in the way, then I kind of put it to the side. You go like that to it. So, yeah. But, you know, we always expect you to have some prog metal gems on here, John, that we haven't. They're a black metal band, but it's like a proggy black metal. So, okay. Okay. Yeah. But it's got a volleyball. Oh, yeah. Definitely. Definitely volleyball for you, buddy. Can we see your, your list that you've

How many volleyballs are on there? At this point, through 14 picks. Let's see. One, two, 14. Three. Just like turning pages over here too. Yeah, because I actually write notes, okay? I slightly prepare. I mean, I write notes too. You have to, I think, especially at this stage because I am like, hey bird.

I have new progressive glasses that I have to wear full time and I have not adjusted very well. They're very hard to adjust to. John, of course you have progressive glasses. Everything about you. You have prog glasses. Everything has to be prog. For people who are listening to this cast, he's pretty old. Prog nipples, prog glasses. And he's like, do you have prog glasses? Is that a thing? Do you have prog bread? Yes. With that said, Jay, I need your most progressive spectacles. I know what his car

Yeah. No, it's not. I don't like flow. Jay, I'll be honest. I'm getting a second pair and they're going to be bifocals because I'm done dealing with this shit. It's hard. It's very, I have a really hard time adjusting. So it's hard for reading. Well, no, it's interesting, John, because I think a lot of people who are into Prague eventually get by. So nice. Is that like a Living Color reference there to the third album? Geez. We've all known John is bi.

Come on. Yeah. Fuck you guys. Screw you guys. I'm going home after the podcast. Anyway. One more time. I'm giving you another volleyball. Screw you guys. Screw you guys. Will. Number 14. Wake. Thought from Descent from Calgary, Canada. Metal Blade Records. I forgot about that one. Really? Yeah. Well, I'm not trying to be insulting.

I'm not. I really am not. I just forgot about it because I didn't like it. Oh my god. Okay. I know that sounds insulting, but it didn't mean it to be. You're getting a death stare from a very confused lesbian right now. I know it just tells me you're deficient, George. That's all. Yeah. Hey. I'm jaded by Wake. What can I say? Oh, fuck. Thanks. On the other side, it's cool watching Wake because their career is just going straight up right now. It's like if somebody laid out a plan,

I want my band to improve by this and this and this. We'll do this tour and start playing these things and go to this place and we'll move this many units and have this and this and this. They're just following. It's just going straight up. It's great. Depends on your perspective if you're standing at the top or the bottom. I'm seeing Amara. Wake and Wayfair are playing at a festival tomorrow. So I'm gone. Oh, Wayfair is so good live. I love Wake. I've never seen Wayfair. So I'm excited about that. I've seen Wake maybe four or five times.

I've never seen Wayfarer and they're like one of my favorites. So I only, this year I've only gone to concerts where I haven't seen a band on the bill. That's cool. So Wayfarer is the one. Yep. I think George just hates bands. I start with W-A. Actually no, when Wake played Decibel I liked them there. So what's your fucking problem? They're phenomenal then. You know the word I'm going to say. Production. Yep. Oh God. It's fucking horrible. No, they,

You think the production is bad? I think the vocal production is bad. In your top 25 are not as well produced as The Wake Up. So I'm so curious about what constitutes good production and not good production. Shitty vocals versus good vocals. Oh, turning up the fire. And I'm not saying that his vocals themselves are shit. I'm saying that they're mixed improperly. But you like shitty clean vocals. If they're mixed properly.

style of production.

No, George, when I gave you those podfather assets, I did put a quote comparing something that Marlon Brando would have said in The Godfather 2 Muddy Production.

And I think you need to post that and change that.

Change your profile pic to be that one.

All right.

Or I'll resend it to you.

I'm sure I have it.

I don't.

Yeah.

But what can I say?

I mean, I've got old, fucked up, battered ears, and I'm sure I'm missing some frequencies that you guys aren't. There's a fine line between reasons and excuses. Let's get Brian Johnson on the podcast. Yeah, I mean, seriously. By the way, you can get really good battered ears at the Iowa State Fair. With some funnel cakes and some...

I have no idea. Hey, George, turn the game off. Not to keep it going. Sorry, Jay, but I first learned of Wake at Decibel Fest. They blew my mind. I don't remember what year it was, but I've been a devout fan since. Yeah, they were one of the best acts that day. FYI, LOL, TBD. They were, we just said at the time when we're recording this, we just had Denver last week and they were great in Denver.

We're very excited about it. It was really cool. They were great. Sweet. Great. So you turned the game off so we could see them. It was over. Yeah, but to see them. It's over, Johnny. To see them? There's some sexy beasts right there. I want to get up close and personal with that mustache. I don't know. I think James looks like Hannibal Lecter there with the, you know. Yeah. With the mic in front of him. It's like the face thing. Yeah, the face shield.

What pick is it? I have no idea. It's mine. Jay, do it. Again, you have to save us, Jay. I think George and I were the only ones who really even commented on this record this year. I don't know. Will liked it, too. It probably hasn't. But they made a good record this year, and they usually at least do something pretty good. Behemoth, Opus and Contra of the Interfrancoran. Yeah, that one. Could you run that on me again? I'm sorry. I didn't know the name of the record. Could you say it again? It's Optimus, Contra of the Interfrancoran.

Wow. Best pronunciation I've ever heard for that album. Well, I get to those V's instead of U's, and I'm like, what am I going to do here? And I panic. And then it's it all. And then it just makes sounds. I'm not going to make a lot of comments on it. I think George said a couple of things. Maybe no kids on it. No kids, yeah. It rang true with Will this year because they had no children. But you don't have to describe Behemoth. They're out there. Everybody knows. Yeah. Let's say this.

a couple of new things on this one, and that was interesting. Really? You think that they were a little more experimental in it? I thought they were a little more to the core, and that's why I liked it. Not experimental, but there's... I'll have to look and I'll find the name of the song. They tried not kids singing. They tried adult singing. Experimental, but there's at least two songs on there that are not stylistically matched up with some of the stuff they've done in the past. Hardly experimental, just a slightly different tempo or something. I'll have to look and see which one.

But it's good. I like it. It's a good record. Will doesn't like when the children cry. White Lion reference. Nice. That children's singing made me fucking cry. Why would anyone make a White Lion reference? That's that hair metal shit. I don't know. I like hair metal. I gotta be honest with you. I do like it quite a bit. Cinderella? Come on. Oh, gotta love Cinderella. Philly Boys. Gotta say, love it.

All right. You're so lucky, James. You didn't grow up with that shit. Oh, yeah. In comparison, I had Limp Bizkit. Yeah. Matt's in your corner. So you choose spandex or sweatpants. Were you talking about the tracksuits? Yeah. Yeah, and tracksuits are just baggy spandex if you think about it. It's true. It's not that different, really. Yeah, but Jay, I fear a dude showing up

I do cocaine.

I like there's one where he's like he says that and he's like doing a balloon or something he looks over at somebody goes seriously a lot of cocaine me number 14 this will be a volleyball this is a band called red rot and the album Mel de Vivre this is two dudes from a band formerly known as Ethel Duath

Yeah. Yeah. No volleyball. I know what that is. Okay. All right. And yeah, I was just, this was on my wish list for a long time. And then within the last week, I was like, I need to review this. And I was like, oh, fuck yeah. And then I couldn't buy it because y'all would know it. So I have like five things I need to buy tomorrow. It's a little more straightforward, I think, than FLDWF because FLDWF gets pretty out there at times. It does. The saxophone band as well. Yeah. But, you know, it's like deathy, but there's a lot of

There's like clean vocals and stuff. It's really good. I like it a lot. Yeah, it's fine. The production's not as good as Wake. Touché, Duché. It's got the subway production. Oh, boy. So, I got a wee. I don't know if anybody else needs to. Do we need to take a quick break? Take a stand-up. Sure. Might as well. If you gotta take a break, might as well do it. I need a beer. I need a pee.

That was 14. We're on 13 next. Yeah, so it's been like seven picks or more. Break time. You're listening to the Metalheads podcast. Self-important elitist asshats. Every one of them. All right. Here we are back again for James and his number 13. James, your number 13, please. Number 13. Again, I am cheating on the test.

The record is phenomenal. If you missed it, go listen to it now. But for different side records, sometimes they get a little more out there. This one I feel like is a little bit less crazy in terms of pulling from different places. And as a result, it's a very cohesive album. It's very, very good. Agreed. The record is titled Cheeky and it is on Peaceville. A couple of Peaceville albums on here. But yeah, great album. Definitely worth your time. That's three. That's all to say.

All right, then, Mike, it's on.

Yes.

Well, first of all, fuck Matt and Jay and their drunken Vegas marriage because they completely forgot about me and my love for this band.

Celeste, Assassin's Nuclear Blast Records.

Yeah, Celeste weaves a blackened post-sludge tapestry of misery behind a real heavy slab of guitars.

But it's the nuanced atmospheric layering on this album that makes it special to me. There's this real dark melodic quality to the songs. And it almost, I would say almost a shoegaze-esque beauty to it that makes it feel kind of ritualistic and hauntingly meditative. It's vicious and beautiful, often at the same time. I really like this record.

And it was on my mid-year. And, you know, it's pretty high on this list. 13. Lucky 13. Lucky 13. All right, Matt. Nice pick. My number 13 was actually my number 15 at mid-year. I would compare this band to, is it Wayfair? I confuse the brewery and the band. There's Wayfair and there's Wayfinder. I'm thinking Wayfair.

I find Wayfarer to me is a genre of their own and to me they are untouchable. I put Vital Spirit in this. Oh great band. But they are not as good as Wayfarer. They don't do it as good as Wayfarer but I feel like they have room to grow. The album is called Still is the Night, Cold is the Wind. It is your kind of western black metal. Vital Spirit. Okay. Definitely check it out. That's very good. They did an EP a few years ago too if you want a quick

If you don't want to commit to the full record, that EP is phenomenal. I gotta check that out. Oh, it's so good. Right on. John. I hear like just heavy ass breathing. We all stop to listen, so everybody's like holding their breath. Everybody held their breath. Continuing in that tradition of the volume.

But it's amazing that this is a volleyball considering how big this band is. I am not a power metal fan, but I am a fan of this band, and it's really good to hear them bring them back their earlier sounds. My number 13, Blind Guardian, The God Machine. I love this band. And I wouldn't call myself a super fan, but I like most of the stuff that Dave released. I enjoy Hansi's vocals. I think they,

are not the gang singing. What is this kind of Euro power metal singing like stuff like we're sailing on a sea of cheese with our sword. That's Primus. No, but they still sing the stupid cheesy lyrics. I know why no one has a big brown beaver. Yeah, she does. But they are an incredible band live on top of everything else. And this album, every time I listen to it, I like it more and more. And yes, give me some Blind Guardian.

on my list. Me too. I really love this album. It did not make my list, but I do really like it a lot. I've spun it quite a bit. Yeah. I will say, how many years am I doing this podcast for year-end list? Like five or six? Six or seven. Six or seven. 2015. Never had a power metal album. Yeah, I don't have many either. No, whatever. Yeah, I have. This might be one of the other ones. I like old power metal. I like power metal. My guardian's old power metal. Yeah, I know, but I guess, I guess, like,

I liked power metal when I was in high school, like Halloween and stuff like that. But if I listen to it now, I'm like, no. See, Blind Guardian's slightly different than that. They're more riff-driven without the melodic side. It hits a little more. Yeah, there's a little more oomph to it. But they got a little symphonic there for a while, which I wasn't as big on. But who didn't? Yeah, that's true. I got symphonic. They bring it, and they're awesome fucking live. We saw them do Twilight, and that was just unreal how good that was.

But you probably won't hear another power metal album from me for a long time. Yeah. All right, Will. Number 13, Deva from Philadelphia, 20 bucks spin. The name of the album is Through Sheer Will and Black Magic. We talked about it earlier. It's like black and thrash deliciousness. What a great record title, too. Yeah. That's two for that one. Yep. Do you have it Markisan or do you have it? I did.

I feel like I've heard it

I feel like there's three

is it three?

I thought there was

it's me and

Will I think

Jay

probably

I'm not going to be the only one with this but probably I am

band I really like

not as good as their last record but still super solid

this band should be bigger than they are

Sog, Boring Demon

This was on my list at some point, too. I did. It's just sort of like world-class band, and that's a weird term I use sometimes. But what I mean is that's just like the production is excellent. The guy's a fucking awesome singer. They write killer songs. But they just came around at the wrong time. If these guys had been around like the 80s, they probably would have been huge, you know? And now they're just playing in garages like everybody else. But they've never put out anything I didn't like, and this one holds up with everything else. Nice. That's a good album. Yeah, and I was glad.

And it's been a few years, so it's nice to get a new one. All right. My number 13, White Ward, False Light. Yeah. There you go. Yep. Jazz Corps. Is that the guys from Ukraine? Yep. Yes. All right. That's all I got to say about that. It's good. You know it. Let's move. Let's move it. Come on. All right, James, moving along.

I expected a little bit more excitement on this one from this crew. Satan, Earth Infernal on Metal Blade. Matt? Almost had it, dude. That was one that just barely fell off my list. I missed it right when it came out. Listened to it later and I was like, oh my god, this is phenomenal. I don't really spend a lot of time on more of like the trad corner. I appreciate the bands from yesteryear. I don't listen to a lot of the bands that are like the newer ones doing that, but Satan is just like,

The Absolute Top Tier of that. It's Trad, but then it's also kind of technical at times, which seems like a weird balance, but it's just wonderful. Such a great record. Probably their most technical record, to be honest with you. They've never really made one like this, even though you immediately can't identify it as Satan. There's a little something extra in this one. It was on my mid-year. It just didn't survive. It's a bummer. But I'm glad that you... Was it on the decibel list? Shit. I don't think so.

I definitely voted for it. I was really campaigning hard for it. I thought it was. Yeah, yeah, 21. We're all fans of Satan. We all love Satan in some form or another. Someone's joke from mid-year. I apologize. Hail Satan, worship my ass. That's a good shake. You must practice that. There's your 80s band. The mid-tier list of decibels. Kick that phone on over here. Thank you. I think it's going to be funny to watch you try and pick that up.

Oh, Jesus! Cry! Oh! Oh! Just say no to crack! No! Oh, my God. It was the Grand Canyon. We just had a lunar eclipse in here. I know Jay's trying to be serious to still talk, and we're like, we just saw George's ass crack. Dude. You guys need a minute? They need therapy. We're going to have to pick this up next week.

Moving on. I'm dead. Hey. I'm dead. It's your fault for doing that to me. I'm going to need another beer from that. Wow. Who's got one of those lights from Men in Black? Just erase my memory. I only gave you like an inch. Just the tip. It's just a touch too much. Oh, God, I love that.

Yeah, oh, so good. That's a good call. That's a great song. Let's all move on. Let's all move on. I think that also that sing has this lyric in it. You're a nobody's fool. That's a good lyric. You're a nobody's fool. Love

of baseball. It's like August right now. We just cannot get through these picks. I'm wearing a baseball jersey. Yeah. Whose turn is it? Oh, my turn. What are we on? 12? Yeah, 12. Yeah. Number 12 for me is Mountaineer giving up the ghost on Life Force Records. I love this little post-metal doom dream of a record. Just perfect.

of emotion, sweeping vocal harmonies. It just gets me in the heart every single time I listen to it. And there's a lot of heavy passages on it as well. It was on my mid-year, and I don't remember what it was, but it's probably a little bit higher than this, but love it. I like a nice little 30 minutes. There's no fat on that fucking thing. Just really good song all the way through, so I've listened to it a ton.

Nice.

No, I know you like this one a lot.

I do, yeah.

It's a good choice.

I'd say it's probably my favorite pure...

I mean, obviously, all these metal bands have a little bit of different influences,

but this is definitely mostly post-metal.

Yeah.

So it's my favorite.

I was going to say, it's not very metal.

I don't think it should be on here.

I'm just kidding.

I'm just kidding.

I like them too.

I'm just kidding.

Yeah, no, no, it's definitely metal.

There's no doubt about that.

But yeah, as far as post-metal goes, it's probably, if I was going to pick like a record that is mostly post-metal, it would be this one. All right. Sweet. Matty. My number 12 pick. This band, years ago, I jade them. The second I realized what a mistake I had made, I've made them a daily part of my life, much like coffee and clean underwear.

And that is Temple of Void summoning the Slayer. Wow. Wait, you wear underwear? It depends on which way of the week. It's clean. Yeah, man, I thought you free-balled it. That one day a week is clean. It's called Monday, Wednesday, Friday. You know, I think after today, Jade takes on a new meeting. It is I, Jade, Jade. Yeah, I know. There's all kinds of weird reverse J's and underwater J's at this point.

IJ summoning the slayer pretty hard. You got a J Wilson, a Wilson J. Balls Deep J. J a lying things. You got your Nelson, your half Nelson, your father Nelson. Your triple Lindy. There could be a full Nelson. Triple J. J you just made me think of this. You got your walnut, your cashew nut. Cashew nut. You got your all white natural pistachio nut. You got your walnut.

You're parnut. That's a fucking great movie. I just sit there naming nuts all day long. That sounds like... Harlan Pepper, you stopped naming nuts. What movie is that? Best in Show. Best in Show. I don't even... That's like... Is that the dog show? Kind of shrimp. Yeah. This movie is so good. We actually do that in my house sometimes, John. We'll be going somewhere and I'll be like, parnut. Yes, you nut. All ad-libbed on one scene.

Do you guys know the Spinal Tap crew? Of course. I was going to say, that was Christopher Guest. They did Mighty for Guffman, but the Best in Show is probably the second best one. And Mighty Wind. Mighty Wind. Yes. All right, my turn. Yep. I hear there's a few Mighty Winds going on in that fucking room. It's been pretty quiet lately. Oh, shit. Mighty fucking hurricane. Rock you like a hurricane. Chance of storms. All right, so keep the volleyballs going. This is not.

Ending Any Time Soon. This was my August album of the month. The band is Aprian Bound Multiplicity. Layered Reality Productions, which I've never heard of. They're an American stream progressive metal band. I'll say it again. Apparently I'm not close enough. Aprian Bound Multiplicity. Won't say any more because nobody else has this on their list. Yeah, that's definitely some crickets. Crickets. Yeah, well, you know, you keep pointing that out. But thank you.

Yeah. I'm just kidding. I'm too lazy to get the sounds out, so. Are you a little drunky woods there? Me? No, it's just difficult to go between my list and the sounds because it kind of fucks things up on my phone, so. Did you say drunky woods? I'm so drunk I'm lazy now. Just lazy. Got a little drunky poo poo going on? Drunky woods would be the best. Drunky woods. All right, well. Drunky woods.

So let's get shit. Might you be falling off the chair this time? No, I'm fine. Some pants might come off. They already did a little bit. Might come off a little more. George was just giving us the tip. Listen, just for now on, the full Monty, I don't need to see that ass crack anymore. It's so hairy. This is the hairway to heaven. Wow. Yikes. I threw up a little bit in my mouth.

Well, puke up your next pick. Number 12, Abhoria. Self-title. We all know Abhoria. I will lobby Trevor all day and every day, drop Ashton Horde, and just do Abhoria all day long. That blackened metal deliciousness. So good. Yummy. From the most handsome man in metal, Trevor Ports. Is he super handsome?

TP. TP. You out of TP? No, I got plenty of TP. I stuck up on the TP. You should totally just go with that. I was telling somebody the other day about my friend who hoarded every ounce of TP he could find during the day. Did he ashen hoard it? Yes. Yes. Apparently now I know why. That's a big hairy ass crack you got. Everything about me is big except for the

Parts.

Nothing about the amazing vocal performance. Just fucking heavy. Turn it on and watch out. Oh boy. And it's got a nice cover. It's an old man. It almost looks like William Blake to me. I feel like the Psychonaut album is like the part two version of that album cover. They both have kind of old men on it.

Yeah. That's what people keep saying about our podcast. Yeah. All right. George. Come on. My number 12, you're going to have to wait for it. Oh. Because it's wait. The end of noise. Who is it? Wait? Wait. Oh. We are in transit. Oh, yeah, yeah. I know what that is. Yeah, yeah. Sorry. It didn't click. I thought you said wake for a second. I was like, I thought you didn't like that. Nah, wait. You got to wait for it. No, no. No, wake is never going to be on my list. Nice.

Wait will never be honest. Well then. Maybe we. Maybe we. You sir. You sir. Maybe we need to ask Max Phelps to come on at some point. He's local. He's been in like a shit ton of bands like Cynic and Defeated Sanity. Oh yeah. And Exist and Wait. Yeah. What's funny is I think Wait was on George's list the last album. Yeah it was better. Last one yeah. It was better yeah. But the one before that was even better. No. See the like

Like James said, it's like this incline, but it's going the wrong way. Oh, brutal. Oh, my God. Anywho, that is my 12. I got a little giggly and shit. Yeah. I thought John would like that. James, 11. Moving on. My number 12 pick was Satan. This is Super Satan. It's like if you had Satan, but you made it super. No, it's totally different.

It showed up in the newly added bands. We talked about avant-garde being a catch-all term. It's like weird black metal, so it's avant-black metal. I'd send this over to George. You said that you thought it was okay. You didn't seem super excited about it. What was it again? Super Satan. Oh. So it really was the name. Super Satan. Yes, no, that is the name of the band. I thought you were going to say Satan Squared or something. No, no, no. The name of the band is Super Satan. Two words. The record is called

And it is on Toeful. Toefulzug? Teflzug? I'm not sure. But it's a weird black metal record. If you like weird black metal stuff, this is your wavelength. Toeful. Toeful in German means devil. Oh. Cool. Thank you. I didn't know that. Zoo means probably zoo. I might have to check that out. Yeah, it's weirdo black metal. It's real weird. It's like, it's like, I'm throwing black metal at it and then there's like heavy black metal parts, but

It's not like total black metal. It's a weird thing. And going into it, be ready for it to be strange. And if you're okay with that, then it's good. I remember you sending that, but I have no problems. I don't remember what it sounds like. Avant-garde, actually, AKA experimental weirdo. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's real strange. It's good. Cool. Won't be the last crickets. Moving on. It's more interesting than some black metal today. I'll tell you that when it gets a little weird, I'm more interested in that, to be honest. Just me. He likes it.

A little weird. I like a little strange. You like a little strange once in a while? Yeah. We all love a weird BM. I expect one of those tomorrow. Haven't heard Matt since the last time he spoke on his pick and he comes in with that strange voice and that mustache is just so invigorating. I think I'm going to start a black metal band like that only has songs about nature and literally name it Crickets.

every year. Then you can be like, okay, get ready for crickets. Yep. Yep. Sounds like a good idea. Yes. All right. Markisan, I think. My turn. Yeah. Number 11. We're almost to the top 10 here, boys. Number 11 for me is Goat Whore. Angels Hung from the Arches of Heaven. Savage.

Thresh-bladed Black Death, propelled by high-octane riffs like Goat Whore does. But the arrangements on this album are next level for the band, I think. The way they vary the extremes, the atmosphere, it just makes the band sound more epic and energized to me. So this album is right up there with Blood for the Master. So I have a hard time, if I was going to pick which one I like better, probably going to go with Blood for the Master.

the master, just because I've had more time with it, but I really like this record. I think for the name of the album alone, we should all have this on our list. I'm going to call it their, it is their COVID album for sure, and I think that's one of the reasons there's so much to it, because I think they really just were like, well, fuck it, let's do the next year making a great record. And also, without being bitchy bitchy, it is the one I was most surprised didn't get on the best of the list. I was really surprised. It was like number 41 tied or something. Oh, was it? If you read, like, the

They do those extra lists on the side. It was tied for number 41. Yeah, I think it got a 9 on the ratings or something. I think it was Dan Lake. I think it was Dan Lake was super excited about it. Well, at least he's smart. We know Dan. He's a good guy. I trust his judgment. That episode with... He really likes Converge, though. Oh, well, okay. I mean, I love Converge. If you haven't... Anyone listening, if you haven't heard the episode where he's interviewed, it's wonderful. It is so funny.

Nick was with him too. Yeah, it was such a great episode. That was a great episode. Nick's voice just so much reminds me of Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. If you hear it, you won't be able to unhear it. You know what Will would have made that episode? If he just yelled out wild card and just sprinted out really fast. That would have been awesome. Just sprint off the bike. I was like, where'd he go? He just jumped out the back of the van.

He lives in this area. I don't know. I think Nick doesn't. I think he used to. But Dan, I mean. Yeah, I think they're both in Maryland somewhere. Yeah, I think Dan is literally like not that far from here. We'll just go knock on a store after this. Yeah, I'd be like, that would be great. Hey, you got a top ten? Because we just did our picks. What are yours? You're probably like, get the fuck out of here. Yeah. Who are you guys again? We're here for the weird BN.

American BM.

Yeah.

Weird American BM.

USBM.

I know.

All right.

Where are we?

Matt?

Yeah, maybe.

Goat whore is my number 11.

I'm going to do that for the rest of my picks.

Just goat whore?

Goat whore.

Mustache whore.

Nobody at home will get that, but like...

Goat whore.

Angels hung from the arches of heaven.

And I agree with what everything Markson said.

I'm stuck in your mustache, by the way.

Yeah, I can't get that out. I've tried the Just For Men, but it's permanently in there. Just For Men. Just For Goat Horr? Just For Angels Hung From the Arches of Heaven. The title's a little bit long, but that's my only criticism of it. To me, Goat Horr is a band that is untouchable. As long as they don't change their sound, they just do what they do, and I love every note. I don't know that Eleven is a good spot for them. It should probably be higher, but because I'm bitchy, I don't care. Eleven?

11. It's the exact same spot as mine, so it makes sense. True that. True that. If you ever meet Ben, talk about monster trucks. He loves it. Yeah. Really? Yeah. I talked to him. When I saw the line, I high-fived Ben. Yeah. And, like, I could feel the good whorishness in his high-five, and it was great. I thought you were going to say that when you high-fived him, you could feel the monster truck. No, but that is what I would say next time. Like, go Grave Digger. Bigfoot!

Two for Goat Horror. Who's next? My turn. Goat Horror will not be number 11 on my list. Not with that fucking attitude. More Prague, John? I tell you what, they ain't going to be number 50 on my list. You take your whore goat and you get out of my farm. Yeah, I don't really care. Yeah, definitely more Prague.

Yeah. More volleyballs? I don't know if this is a volleyball. It's looking like it might be. I haven't heard it yet. Although I didn't think anyone else would have this for the year-end. I'm a super fan of this band, so I'm going with it. Wilderun, Epigon, Century Media. Love this band. Good choice. Can I get some more? Yeah. I like that album, John. Yeah, John, a friend of the podcast, Eric,

Gloves, we'll do run. Oh, yeah? Wait, wait, this Eric? Hey, buddy. Like, yeah. That Eric? Like Eric, Eric. Hey, buddy, come on in. Show and tell Eric. You guys are naked. It's cool, come on in, man. What? Wait a minute, I missed this one. You were there and you weren't. Yeah. It was Decibel, but you weren't there because you're too good hanging out with like Albert and bands and stuff.

You're doing your job and stuff. Working. Oh, yeah. You know, that time when I was busy, you know, working. Yeah, sure. Exactly. Exactly. Okay. James, I will say it's one of my greatest moments at Decibel is I just decided for some weird reason to knock on Matt and Eric's door. Like, what, one in the afternoon? Two in the afternoon? And Eric opens up? Yeah, we'd all broke to just rest. In his, just his fucking Speedos. And he says, hey, buddy, come on in.

And I walk in and Matt's like, yeah, come on in. He's in bed. He's like, you want a beer? Next thing I know, there's like 30 people in the room and he's walking around. I mean, it turned into that, like our group photos. And Markisan you and Poe's Jay on the TV. Like, that's what it became. I was just like, I love these guys, man. That's right. That's awesome. You cannot love, you cannot not love Eric. I mean, how do you not, how do you say no to a beer? It's like, come on in. It's like, all right, they're naked. I'm coming in for a beer. Hey, buddy.

I mean, I remember being at the festival and we found a little place to sit and he just passed out. He's right there. Yeah. Well, I do recall having to take Eric back from the fest a little early because he was a little over served. Wait. That happened. It was the same night that Mark's son had to go to the emergency room. Is that the night that I had to walk back to his room? There was a party. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

I think we maybe drank some more beers after that. Jeez. I love Eric. There's always more beers. Eric, we love you. Yeah. Lots. All right. My number 11. Stay on target. No. Damn. Soar Origins. Oh. Interesting. Or for you non-Scottish speaking, Sayor. S-A-O-R. All the way from Scott.

and a miss. Yeah. Had no clue. That was even out. Oh, you didn't know? Yeah, that came out a lot. What? Was it an early one? Was it early? No. What are you talking about? No, I just didn't know. Like fall? It's like the middle of the year. Huh. We've talked about it. Well, you know, I've been ignoring things for a while, so. Things slip through the cracks. It just happens. That's a big ass crack. A lot of things slip through that crack.

It's a two-way street. A lot of hot dogs down that hallway. Wow. Wow. Regretting attending in person now? You know what? We're regretting you were here, too, Mr. Stinky Pants. You know, James, it's only going to get worse. The best moment is... We haven't even had a top ten yet. But everybody's pants are still on. I'm disappointed all the pants are still on. All right, all right. Oh, no. Jeez.

I can't tell if the pants are on or not from this perspective. They're all on. See, I gotta tell you. George and James' voice. We need to revisit doing this. So George and I talked about doing something like this at Decibel. We gotta do the urine at a hotel. We gotta rent out one of the fucking conference rooms. Oh, jeez. And just make it a fucking disaster. And it'd be full nude urine. No, you don't have to do full nude. What? I don't know.

How much more extreme can it get? We have tacos while we're doing the podcast. That's extreme. It's just an idea. Get everyone in the same room. Tuesday on a Friday. Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. All right, Jay, number 11. All right, my number 12 was Carter DeVic, Carter Jev, Liminal Light. We're going from liminal light to false light. White Lord. Yeah.

I agree with those of you. And I also, this is a band I didn't really even know about before, to be honest with you. I listened to what's on their band camp page, didn't care that much. But this is a really fucking killer record, dude. And hey, you know, hats off and thumbs up to Ukraine, which is not at all why I like this. But this is great. Good stuff. I'll be looking forward to whatever they do next. Yep. Yeah. If they keep doing this, I'm definitely in. No doubt about that.

I my number 11 is a volleyball cricket this is bloody hammers and washed in the blood I love this band this is it's ironically it's you know they've been on napalm for a while and this is their first independent release and it's probably their best album so is someone from the band another band uh well I mean he has he does like uh like synthwave stuff on his own Anders but uh

I don't know that it's uh he's in any other major bands of like metal kind is this metal it is metal it's like gothic doom metal I thought bloody hammers more like 70s occult no it's this is a definitely well this is part of why I think it's their best album it's a definitely a one of their heavier albums I mean the vocals are still melodic it's like if it's like power metal doom okay

It's like gothic doom. So it's definitely metal. Maybe I'm thinking of a different band. I'm not surprised this is our best album. I mean, it has that 70s horror vibe for sure. What album are we talking about? Bloody Hammers. Nobody likes them. I know Bloody Ammas. Wait, they had an album out this year? Yeah. It's fucking awesome. But does Bloody Hammers have like 30 albums out?

That's like 29.

Yeah, it sounds like 27.

No, you can't have five.

Don't make me play this shit.

I felt like he's very prolific, that's all.

He is pretty prolific, but actually.

All right.

It's muddy.

Yeah.

You are in the top.

Jesus.

Is that metal enough for you?

I don't know.

That's pretty metal.

Sorry.

Do you have that on Bluetooth or something? Yeah. Oh, okay. What? That just sounds terrible. How do you do that? It's really muddy. That was not muddy. Well, that production sucks. That's your number 11? Shit. Yeah, it was supposed to be in my top 10, but I don't care what y'all say. Beacon of the top 10. We don't care what you say. Fuck you. Are we going to crack this? We're going to crack this bitch. We're going to crack this top 10. James is going to do it anyway. Sweet. Black bread.

What? Cricket? Oh, Black Braid. Black Braid. I thought you said Black Pride. I was like, what? Black Braid? Yeah. Heard of them. Is that like Black Games? Self-titled? No, no, no, no. Yeah, Black Braid. I think it's technically Black Braid 1. Self-released. Black Metal. It's really good. Self-released? I didn't know that. That's pretty big for a self-released. It's gotten a lot of attention. George self-releases every day.

I like that a lot I think it's

way overrated

yeah here's the thing about that

it's so overrated here's the thing about that

you're wrong yeah I was gonna say here the thing about that

fuck you

oh it's phenomenal

I mean you like what you like but to me

it's

it's heavy it's got catchy melodies

it's like a little bit of that like

you now climb over the mountain

kind of vibe in a sense that like

some of like the Uata material is like that

where you can put that on where you're bench pressing a car. It's wonderful. Yeah, but is it even metal? What? Is it metal? What? People just keep asking me that, so I don't know. I just thought I'd try it out. The answer is yes. Yes, it is very much a metal record. I know, I know, I'm joking. It's really good. It's just gotten so many accolades, I just don't think, I think there's just better black metal albums. That's funny, I have not seen, other than appearing in Decibel's list,

I have not seen anything about this album, but I don't get out much. Yeah, take that, Mark, son. Yeah. I live under a rock and roll. No, there's a lot of lists. Definitely a lot of lists. I like it a lot. I bought it on vinyl. I like it. I'm not saying I don't like it. I just think that it's gotten a lot of attention where I feel like other black metal albums that I feel are just better albums haven't gotten that attention. Oh, yeah. I don't know why. What's better? Yeah, what's better? People fix it on me.

That's all subjective. What's better? What's a better black? When we get to the top ten, you'll understand. You will understand. We'll see. We'll see. You will see the error of your ways, sir. Somebody who didn't like Doom and now cites like 15 Doom. You will fall in line just as you have before. Oh! I seem to remember there was a bit of shit talking last time, too.

There's always shit talking. Yeah, I seem to remember you talking a little bit of shit. I did. You did. You specifically. Let's watch the poop. I'm good at it. I am very good at it. Yeah, let's go to the play. I am the best. The replay on that. Do you have that, George? Not in front of me, no. No. Oh, okay. It's, you know, those commercials now, the insurance commercials. Well, tell you what, we've had James. But yeah, it's a really good record, though. We've had James' pick. Now let's find out what we're going to pick for number 10. My pick. Let's see. You think of it, James.

Oh God, please let it be Blackbrake. I was really, really hoping it would be. I have been known to do that where I talk shit and then the next pick is my pick. That's not the case. However, James has this on his list. He just had it too low because it's better than Blackbrake and it's Odoliths. Odoliths. Folium Limina. I absolutely adored Sub Rosa and when that band called it a day, I didn't think I'd hear

anything quite like them again. But thankfully, the otolith

has risen from

Subrosa's ashes and they delivered

a phenomenal

continuation of that

symphonic doom. Did they though?

Yes. They did.

Whatever you say, I don't understand.

I love Subrosa,

but I don't dislike this album.

I just don't like it as much.

I don't understand your picture, what you're saying.

In your head of words, they're coming out of my mouth.

Haunting strings.

It's just those ghostly vocals. It's Velveteen, avant-garde darkness, and I fucking love it. Number 10, Odolith. Matt. My number 10 is... Shaky. Nice. Very good, very good. I haven't heard of that, Matt. I'm trying to think of what... It was around 2010, whatever album came out around then.

like scenes from something. Yes. Um, I fell in love with this band because something like that. That sounds right. Like I love craziness. And then when you make black metal crazy, um, and granted that can be very hit or miss, but I think this album for them is definitely very hit. I was, I remember, uh, Georgie, we had a little bit of banter on Facebook cause I was kind of a late comer to this and it really wasn't because I didn't want to listen to it. I just hadn't had time. And once I listened to it, I was like, yes, this is amazing per usual. Yes, please. Um,

And this is where it belongs in my life. Excellent. Sigh Shiki. Sounds like something out of Star Wars. A little bit. You know, like something that Jawa would say. I used to work with a woman named Shiki. Bangladesh. That's a nice thing. Yeah. John. So, we're in that volleyball range right now. You've been playing volleyball for like an hour.

You've been saying that for like 10 picks at least. Yeah, I know. John is his own volleyball team. Who's winning the volleyball match? I think John's new name is Wilson. John Wilson. That's right. That's right. Because I just don't go along with the norm. I go with my own fucking volleyball. You can go your own way. Thank you, George. That's a little bit of a bummer hearing that today. Oh, I know. After Christine McVie, I know that. And I'm not even a Fleetwood

I'm a Mac fan, but still, kind of a bummer. No, I know Markisan mentioned this on the last podcast, and I, this is now I'm that climbed fast every time I give it a listen, and that is Lamentations, Passion of Depression on Willetip, kind of a, I think they started out in Singapore, and now they're based in the U.S., but it's a progressive death metal band. It's loaded with guest members from Cynic, ex-Cynic, Black Crown Initiate, Exist, Extol. It's just really good. Could be what's best in life.

Potentially.

I like that album a lot.

I will tell you it's not on my list, John.

It's on my honorable mentions, though.

It's in my top 40.

Okay.

Well, it's my number 10.

So there you go.

Let's go.

Keep it going, Will.

Let's roll this wagon.

Number 10.

Goat Whore.

Oh, again.

There's a second one.

I guess we've talked about that one enough.

Let's move on to Jay.

I was waiting for Will to say something. No, I mean, we've talked about Go Whore. I like goats. I like whores. It's the greatest of all time, whore. I feel like goats are getting a bad name in this podcast. I know, right? Or whores are getting a bad name. I don't know which one. They are promiscuous goats. Okay, my number 10, like it or lump it, these guys made a good record this year, and it's fine if it doesn't belong here in its weird sort of way. Scorpions, rock believer.

I like this record dude. A lot of cool songs on it. Not surprised. Yeah, it's good dude. It is a good album. I haven't even listened to it probably since mid-year but I still think of it as like somebody who put out a great record this year. Got a lot of mileage. I like it. And it's nice to hear Klaus Mein sing at 70 years old, whatever that is. 70, whoa. 70 something. Yeah, he's like 74 or 5 or something. Yeah. Still going. And you can comment more, George.

On Scorpions? No, no, I needn't comment more. Oh, no, you needn't. My number 10. Is that where we are, 10? Wait, Clouds minus 74. Yeah. Go ahead. So this one gets around a little bit, particularly on the farm. This whore is a goat. And it is a goat whore. Boom. Number 10, Twins Activate. Two number 11? Is it two number 10?

I had it at 11. And you guys have it at 10. That's four out of seven. That's so funny because I felt guilty about 11. So yeah, it's all around the same area here. Interesting. I heard that. Yeah, I'm surprised. You have anything else to say? You're surprised it's not higher? Yeah, I am. It was actually. I moved it. Today? I think James is still doing stuff. I did today. What are you doing, dude?

I don't have to stare at my phone and scroll around. Hey, pencil's down. No, he listened to our picks and he's like, fuck. My picks are not as good as the metalheads. I gotta change shit. But it's your turn for number nine. Number nine. Noin, noin, noin, noin, noin, noin. Marcus, you were talking about better black metal records. I feel like this has not got nearly enough attention. The Abbott record from this year, Dread Reaver. And Jay's not here to hear that. I thought that record was just phenomenal.

It's just exactly what you would like a bath to be doing. And it's wonderful. I don't know what else to say about it other than I think it should have got more attention and it kind of seemed like people noticed it and then it just kind of went away. It's so good. He's just been around so long, but Jay loves that record. I think it was his number one at mid-year, wasn't it? It was. I expect it to be on the list. I don't think you're going to be on an island here, James. Nice. It's heavy when it should be heavy. It's catchy when it should be heavy. Sorry. Catchy when it should be heavy.

be catchy, heavy when it should be heavy. You know, there's some parts that are a little different, some parts that are a little exactly what you would expect for somebody coming from Immortal. It's great. That's all. I'll be honest, it kind of bounced in and out for me. It landed out, but I don't disagree with anything you're saying, James, nor anything James will say. When it comes up on his list. When it comes up. It should, right? Number one at Midyear. Oh, I'm sure it will. If it's not number one again, I would be. He loves that record.

You guys have met.

It's funny how those things weigh in on how you feel about a record.

I don't want them to, but they completely do.

It didn't affect you because it's not on your list, but it does not.

The reality is I listen to it a lot more.

When Jay and I met him in Vegas, he gave us a copy of the album,

and it is sealed, unopened, sitting on the shelf upstairs.

I'm whispering so my wife can't hear but like she actually allowed me to put it on like our home shelf with the rubber ducky from the brewery from Vegas. So yeah, we're gonna let sleeping dogs lie. There's a display. I see. Yeah. Yeah. Yep. That's pretty awesome. That is cool. Yeah. All right. Markers on. Yes. My number nine. I believe John mentioned it earlier on 20 buck spin records. Dream unending song of salvation.

And just stunning, atmospheric, progressive, death, doom with an injection of psychedelic reverb to it. I really liked their first album, but for me, that first album kind of meandered a bit for my taste. This one, it still has long introspective songs, but for some reason, this one really hooked me because there's something just about the textures on this, this album.

that I really enjoy.

The guitar soloing is just gorgeous on it.

It's phenomenal playing.

So, yeah, I liked them before.

I feel like this one is just another step up.

And they cracked the top ten.

Dream on ending.

Speaking of crack.

Oh.

I thought George was going to continue with that.

Nope.

Speaking of crack.

The End. Exactly. All right, Matt. Like an S.O.D. song. My number nine is Set All by James with that beautiful long-sleeved death metal shirt that all death metal shirts should be long-sleeved, mortuous upon desolation. They fall into my Dirty, Dirty, Death category. And we have a hand, like, we have tons of bands that release albums every year that are Dirty, Dirty, Death. And they're all phenomenal. But honestly, mortuous is one that really rose to the top for me.

Mortuous is virtuous. And it was my album of the month whenever it came out. Oh, I don't remember that. It's been a while ago. Never forget. Gian. All right. So wouldn't be a list without a volleyball. Again. Yeah. Again. They just keep coming and coming because nobody listens to what I listen to. And that's cool.

The name of the band is, I'm going to definitely say this wrong because I don't speak Greek, Aneon. Oh. And the album is Menomissini. They are a kind of proggy, black, avant-garde, kind of weird, sexual, loving black metal band from Greece. Love it. This is, I'm looking at my list. Hold on. Wait for it. I think this is my favorite black metal album of the year. Pretty sure it is. They're very good. Yeah. It's the Aenon? Yeah. Menomissini. It's good.

The album cover is kind of weird, but... It kind of looks like the end of this episode. Yeah, it is pretty much. But, man, they just... I love their last album, but this one is just killer. They've been around for a few years. They have. Everything they put out is always good. Yeah, and it's that traditional kind of strange black metal from Greece. It really is. Kind of like the Hell Spirit Noir early on. They just got that... All these...

Yeah, that was one that I checked out a day or two. I mean, I know them, and I've listened to them, but I listened to it again like two days ago to just be like, hmm. And I like it a lot, but it just didn't want to budge anything. You know what I mean? Oh, yeah. You got to put a little time into it. Yeah, yeah. So, yeah. And I got the, I finally got the name right, Minimissini. I couldn't say it last time, but I practiced. Excellent. I guess so.

I'm up to about 14 or 15 volleyballs. Oh, yeah. You're definitely going to win the Western Award. I got myself a team. Your balls are always bouncing to the left and to the right. I think we need to change it to the John Award at this point. You're just missing out if you don't know it. That's how I feel. Will. My number nine. This is probably, at this point, it's going to be a volleyball. Fire Breather.

Dwell and Fog. Nice.

Sweden, Ride an Easy Record.

I don't know.

What is it like?

I feel like Justin liked that album, and so I checked it out.

Yeah.

I did too.

It's a stoner for sure.

Yeah, it's a stoner for Sludger Doom.

Yeah.

It's good.

It's very good.

Agreed.

I just lost my stoner doom flavor.

I don't know what it is.

I used to like it.

Get your groove back, Stella.

I don't know.

I just don't got it.

You're more prog than man now, John. I'm a huge Spiritual Bakers fan, and they're one of the better stoner metal bands. Absolutely. Just haven't really dug the scene that much. Well, there was that stoner rock album that you were a dick. Oh, that's good. The one with the cat and the snake on the cover. What was it called? God, I can't remember now. I can't remember either. You were talking about it, talking it up, and I listened to it, and it was good. It's good. I can't remember what it's called.

It's not metal, but not at all. I just don't like fuzz, I think is what it is. I like the fuzz. I love fuzz. Do you like the fuzz? I get a little bored with it sometimes. No, I like the fuzz. It's better to shave it. Just get over with it. Trimming's not bad either. Laser hair removal. Just saying. Brazilian. All right. Will, you did your pick, right? Mm-hmm. So that means shaving. Wait, why are we watching Will doing crotch swaying over there? What's going on? Because I'm tired. I'm standing up to stay away.

Weak.

I think I put this in a safe place. I think a reverse J is a John. No, a reverse J is where you put a record really super high and force everybody's lower picks to be the number one record. I think some comments have been made about this one, and I have some feelings that there's going to be some speeches given later, so I will give the mic back to the speaker, as it were. George, eight. Or nine. Eight or nine.

I like it reverse double J but

like a triple Lindy sounds like a gangbang

number nine

cult of Luna

long road north

that's two

yep I like it

it's pretty cool

that's what I got to say it's pretty cool

I like it

see that album scoring high on our top

Well, only if somebody else has it on their list. Come on. It's on the list. You know what it is. James, what's on your number eight? Number eight is Time for Crickets. I don't know them. I don't know that. Time for Crickets. Blood of Rowan. Mutations under a blood-drenched sun on Shadow Spectrum Records. This was another one of those weird metallurgic

It's real noisy black metal, kind of at the point of war metal kind of stuff. It's real, real nasty. If you like things that are really fast and really gross, this is a good find. I definitely have not heard of that one. That's the first one I haven't heard of. Kudos to you, James. Fast and gross, like the pool hall. Can you describe that again? Would you say fast and gross? Yeah, it's real fast.

It's like a fucking night at the hole on fucking a speedball or something. It's real gross. It's real heavy. It's real distorted. It's really noisy too. If you like noisy black metal kind of things. So it sounds like shit. No, it sounds good. I bet it is. There's a lot of distortion on it. Like it's it's real. It's really abrasive in a good way. It's just like a really fast raging record. I'll check it out.

This is a demon. You gotta check it out. Cool. Alright. Nice. Markisan. Number eight. Love this record. It is a Inanna. Void of Unending Depths. On Memento Mori Records. Super giant star destroyer of death metal man. This is a mammoth immolation style death mixed with progressive

technical space wizardry like a cynic. This is a band I found early on in the year. I think they were probably like number two on my list in mid-year. I don't really remember. But they've quickly become one of my favorite death metal acts. They've been around a long time, but they just hit the sweet spot for me because it's smart, evil death metal drenched in a galactic dust. And I love that kind of metal, especially for a band that's been around.

a long time to be able to incorporate other elements. I've talked about this a lot in the podcast where I like death metal, but you got to get me something a little bit different than what I've heard before because we get so much fucking death metal. And Anana does that, you know, and I just the vocals on there are just harrowing. There's some of the best death metal vocals, I think, in that genre. So Anana. Right then. I feel like I know that, but because.

I can't spell it immediately in my head. I'm not entirely sure, but I think I do. I mean, I've talked about a lot. I think John had it in his mid-year list as well. So, um, yeah, they're great bad. Cool. Matt. Sweet. My number eight already mentioned Deva through Sheerwill and Black Madness. Really, really, really well constructed. Black and Thrash. Dudes from Crip Sermon. Um, I can't say enough good things about this album.

que es lo que es lo que es.

I can't believe nobody else had High Command on there. No, I didn't listen to it yet. I saw it, but I didn't listen. It's good. That's a great record. That's good. So for my number eight, I'm going all the way down to Chile. Chilean? For a little band called Inanna Void of Unendured Deaths. Yes, John. That's hilarious because I just said you had it on your list. So it's so funny.

about this band from their second album. And I checked it out and I liked it, but I never went back to it. And then you reminded me of the Mark or someone you were talking about them. So I went, listen, the new one. And I remember you saying that you couldn't find this anywhere. Nobody had it. You had the only, you contacted the label, I think. And I just couldn't get this thing out. And now it's finally out there, but it's very good. Death metal album has got a lot of, so it's, if you're going to mention it as being progressive, it's progressive in the vein of the early nineties style of death metal.

So it's fast paced. It's heavy. It's brutal. But there's a lot of key changes and time changes. And the songs are long. But it's... Every time I listen to it, I listen to the first time. I'm like, you know, maybe I'm wrong about this. Then the second song comes on and it just kicks you so hard in the nuts. And it does a 180 on you. It gets better as it goes. That's the thing. I felt the same way. Because it had been a while since I listened to it and I knew I loved it.

But I'm like, wait a second. Where do I stand on it? You're right. And then you just get steamrolled the whole way after that. It's good. I love it that it's our same number eight pick. Very cool. Very good album. And I didn't think I would make my, I knew it would make my list, but I was like, ah, it's going to drop down. Nope. I felt, well, I mean, it did drop down for me because it was number two, but you know, with a year this good, that's not far. Awesome, John.

It's a long line of prog cast for me. And it ain't getting any less progier on the way out. Well, I thought when you were like, oh boy, here come the volleyballs. Here's one that you and I have the exact same pick. I feel a simpatico with you, John, that I haven't felt for the last few picks. I let you have a volleyball for about five seconds. And I just snatched it away. Well, it's nice to play with you for one pick, John. We were playing with our balls.

together. Will, do it.

My number eight.

100-year-old man.

Name of the album is Sleep in the Light from Leeds United Kingdom.

Independently released.

I remember when I mentioned it.

It was actually higher on my mid-year.

And everyone looked at me like, what?

I looked it up.

It's the same looks I'm getting written out.

I know the name, I just, I don't think I went back to it. Check it out. A little bit of, a little bit of everything for everyone in that, in that one. So, so like Everclear. The band or the booze? The band. When he said a hundred year old man, I immediately thought of the Condorchev and Psychonaut album covers. Yeah. Yeah. Wait, what? Not a hundred? No. Oh. You remind me of those people. More than halfway though.

Most of us are.

You know, Will, you remind me of people I see at work now.

They're like, oh, I want a standing desk.

And they stand all day and I'm like, nah.

That doesn't look good.

I'm trying to stay awake.

I know.

But we had this one woman at work.

She's always just standing.

I'm like, why?

Can't you sit for like a half an hour?

Well, it's like five o'clock there.

And?

And?

We've been going a long time.

All right, let's roll.

Okay, let's get going.

Come on.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

Hey, Jay.

All right, all right.

Number eight. Falls of Roro's Key to a Vanishing Future. The record's great. This because when something, it had a pretty heavy impact on the mid-year and I hadn't even listened to it and I was like, Jesus, everybody's playing this real high, better listen to this. And I was like, okay, yeah, I guess I understand what's going on here. And spent a lot of time with us in the second half of the year. So really fucking nice. I think only Matt and I had it on our mid-year. I'm sure Matt will have it. I had it pretty high though, didn't you? I had it number one. What about you, Matt?

Yeah, so there you go. That's one for Decibels list. I'm really shocked because they had their last album on the Decibel list for top 40. I don't know how they don't have it on the top 40 for the new one because the new one is better than the last. We'll put it in the comments section then. Phenomenal. It's a phenomenal record. That was the biggest disappointment for the Decibels. Obviously, they're going to have their own picks or whatever, and I love Decibel, but I was shocked that they didn't have that on there. Criminally underrated band. Criminally underrated.

Yeah, I was surprised I went to get more votes. I really like that record as well. They're great. Cool, James. Ladies love Cool, James. Hello, Cool, Jay. Hello. Is it me? Yeah, it's you. Hello, as in amorphous. Hello. Ooh, first amorphous. Yeah. I'll tell you, it fell off my list, to be honest with you. What? I know, I know. I'm shocked by that, Jay, actually. I am too. I totally get it.

That's stupid. That's stupid. Your microphone's on, John, just so you know. Oh, he's not visible. Hot mic. Hot mic. Oh, I respect your decision, Jay. That's stupid. He's stabbing a voodoo doll of you right now. It was a lame casualty. And it's funny, too, because it wasn't 25 when I took a

It was higher than that, but it was only casual. I'm really shocked by that. I have to say. Just based on the stuff that you really like, I would have expected Amorphous to make your list, Jay. But hey, it's your list. They were there mid-year. It just didn't survive. But Georgia gave us some points, so let's see where we get with this. Let's see. Back around to James. Finally, I agree with something that Georgia did. Wow. Good job, Georgia. Thanks, buddy. Seven.

Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's get this shit done. Shit. Phobophilic and developing absurdity prosthetic. It's kind of like if you took Demolick and then you made it a tiny bit less weird and a little more meat and potatoes in a good way. Like it's a little bit more head crunching and a little bit less like weird stuff out there for Demolick. And as a super huge Demolick fan, I, you know, that's no negative about that. But yeah. You know, the production on that album sucks.

I was going to say for Phobophilic, the production is amazing on it. No, no, I wasn't talking about Phobophilic. Yeah, you scared me for a second there, George. No, that one's all right. It's all right. Okay. No, no. I think the vocals are a little buried. No, I like that album. It's a really muddy production. I'm just busting. Never mind. Please continue, James. Done. Let James talk, for God's sake. Done. Speak. Record rules. Speak. That's it. Moving on. I totally agree. That is a phenomenal record. I wasn't shitting on this pick there.

I was shitting on his pick. I was shitting on the pick he was comparing it to. I'm shitting on his dick. I'm sorry. I love you, James. Sorry. Give him a beer, for God's sake. All right, all right. Everyone settle down. Let's do another pick. Hey, James, you want a smoked beer or a victory? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Me like a beer.

Here we go. Here we go. Is it you? It is. It is me. I'm just waiting for everybody to settle down here. Number seven. Okay. I never thought this day would come, but here it is. I have a grind album on my fucking list. This album is incredible. It is the best grind record I have ever heard in my whole entire life. And it is cloud rat threshold. Wow. Unexpected melodies, abstract,

ambiance, sludge shifting tempos. All of that just gives this album a sense of variation and skill that I did not think would be possible on a grind record. It all kind of works together from song to song. And the fucking record is over 30 minutes long. So they paid attention to that as well. I love this record. I've seen this band play live and that's why it's on my radar because I really enjoyed them live at the many shows that I go to.

I was going to say it's one of the first bands to ever play Atlas. This record Threshold is their last record was really good. Threshold is amazing. I am very, very impressed. So I have to rethink my whole stance on grind because they can do this. I haven't heard anything that's close to this album, but I have to keep an open mind going forward just because of what if Cloud Rat has done with this record. So yes, Cloud Rat Threshold.

on Artifact Records.

I don't think I've actually listened to this one because

they put stuff out pretty frequently and so

it's just one of those, yeah, yeah, okay, I'll get to it and then I didn't get to it.

But I do like the band.

I'm so disappointed, George, because you are a grind guy.

I know, I know.

And this is by far the best grind record this year.

Well, I can't comment on that because I haven't listened to it, so I guess I'll have to listen to it.

Yeah.

All right.

Do it.

Matt.

My number seven is also grind. As you were talking, I was like, is he going to say the same on my head? You did not. I did not. So it must be years for a new album from this band. They were going to play in Minneapolis. And I was so excited. And then this pandemic hit. Everything got canceled. And then they announced a new album. I think they actually kicked out a few songs. And then the singer's like, hey, I'm a little band.

And I was like, what? Right now? And the band is Warm Rot. The album is Hiss. To me, this is probably their best album ever. And I worry that it's going to kind of be their swan song. They had an audition for singers. I don't know what came of that. But I know they are playing shows with a different singer. And I guess TBD and all that. But Warm Rot, Hiss, killer album. It is. I know you like that band a lot. You've talked about them quite a bit, Matt. So that's cool.

It was one of my last list casualties. That record, they really embraced the punk side of stuff too, I thought. And I thought that really, really worked well. I was not even a huge fan of punk. I thought that really came through and it was really striking. There was even a little bit of clean vocals on one song. There was. I was like, what? It worked. It was like a Fear Factory kind of soul of a new machine, clean vocal kind of thing. It was cool. Absolutely. All right.

John.

All right.

If I can't get a Symphony X album, which seems like it's just never going to happen again,

or they're just too infrequent, I'm going to have to go to the next best thing,

and that is Michael Romeo, War of the Worlds Part 2.

Another volleyball.

Wherefore art thou, Romeo?

He's just a, I think he's a spectacular writer, and he's an even better player,

and he's not underrated.

He's just I don't think enough people know how good he is. So that's my number seven. I think it was in my top five or six for the mid-year. Yeah. I like that album quite a bit, John. Yeah. So at least I've heard of that one. Yeah. And I've listened to it quite a bit. We're not going to get another Symphony X album, which sucks, but I'll take the next best thing. And that's Michael Romeo, because he writes most of the music in Symphony X. Nice.

My number seven. I don't think anyone's mentioned this. And maybe James may have it. Undeath. It's time to rise from the grave. Who? Yeah. It was Decimal's number one. Decimal's number one album. A bunch of dudes from New York and D.C. Tommy Wall's in this band. A buddy of mine who is in like a million other bands and plays at Atlas quite a bit. And he's also a show promoter locally.

But yeah, man, this is like some, it is some great, it is great death metal. And I was, I was a little surprised it was decibels number one. And weirdly enough, I was listening to this album the day that they released electronic decibel released electronically. They're number one. And I was like, Oh shit. I was just listening to this album this morning. It is great. Great fucking album. Yeah, it is like old school death metal. And, and there's a vast, vast improvement from their last record to this record. I mean, it's, it's one of the best,

the biggest jumps I've seen in as far as like song structure, talent, whatever. Huge jump between the two albums. So, undeath. All right. Yeah. I do like that album. I mean, I have like maybe 15 more death metal albums that are before that one, but it is a good album. Yeah, but you'd be wrong. He's used to being wrong. It's okay. Oh my gosh. All right. My number seven.

It's nice once we get later in the list because

we can be a little more efficient

or at least I feel like I can because this

has been mentioned and

I agree with all the previous comments

made about it and I didn't really

discover this band until I started seeing

people reviews of it and things

I know they've been around for a while but I

love this record. Psy

Sheiky. Fuck.

So good dude. I dig the shit out of that

fucking record. Very nice.

It's kind of a good showing. I'm surprised by that

one, but kind of a good show. I'll admit, I don't think I'd listen to this. What kind of music? Black metal. It's black, okay. Well, you're doing... Not this one. This one's... Yeah, you haven't... Okay, fine. I'm generalizing them based on past experience, but... Yeah, yeah. This one's different, I think. So what is it? It's something you should listen to. That's what it is. I'd say between like black and there's a bit more of a heavy metal, but also a little bit more of an extreme side to it, too. Like it's...

When I say heavy metal, it's not like it's just like boring, clean singing for 40 minutes. It's like it's got a lot of bite to it. There's nothing boring about the singing on that. Or the arrangements or anything else. You just got to listen. It's probably not like anything you've heard. So it's hard to describe. So for no other reason, you might try for that. Yeah. Just give it a spin and make your own opinion on what you think it is. Alright, alright, alright.

Number 7. Is that one of those sigh jokes? No, I already did sigh. This is my number 7 where I show that y'all don't have any fucking taste whatsoever. Because this is volleyball. That's right. My mama said, if you don't like this album, you don't know heavy metal. First off, I like that you were like, you know where I'm going to teach them a lesson? Number 7. That's right.

This is a new edition, and I don't mean Bobby Brown. Every little step I take, you will be there. This was one that slipped under the radar because there's another band that's similarly named that got confused, which I also like that other band. This is the Antichrist Imperium, Volume 3,

Satan in his original glory.

And this is at least a number seven because not only are they the Antichrist Imperium,

they are members of Acker Cocker, Voices, and Werewolves.

I knew it was, when you said members of, I knew it was going to be Acker Cocker.

As soon as you said that, I was like, I mean, you can't fucking go wrong with those, any of those bands.

They're all fucking amazing bands.

And so I fucking love this album. I think the. Anything. Anything. Any love. It's. The final conversation of how much more satanic can be. Can it be. And I think the answer is none. None. Yeah. Yeah. They are pretty much like that. Yeah. James. Did you have a comment. When I said it you. I felt like you reacted. Oh. Oh yeah. They're great. I interviewed one of the Akakaki guys a while ago and he was really great to talk to. They're awesome. I love those guys.

Yeah, a firm supporter of all those voices. Their material is wonderful, too. Yeah. So that's all. Cool. Great stuff. A little bit of support over there. Thank you. Yeah, big fan. All right. I'm guessing nobody... No, no other comments. All right. Back to James for number six. Crickets. Thulsa Doom. Anyone? Oh. Not a Doom band, despite Doom being in the name. It sounds like... It's a Conan band. It sounds like... No, it sounds like just after early Morbid Angel, like not first record

I've heard Morbid Angel, but a little bit after that. So if you want something that sounds exactly like Old Morbid Angel. Pre-Blessed? Yeah. No, it's right around that. Maybe a little bit later than that time. Not quite into Covenant, so about that time, yeah. It's just phenomenal. I think it was a self-release. Sorry, I'm doing a terrible job telling you the... I have not heard of them in a long time. Morbid Angel? No, Tulsa Doom. What, you've heard of them? Of course I've heard of them. Oh, really? I'm the fucking podfather. Of course I've heard of them.

of Ordos before anybody on this podcast. Oh, yes. Let's do the Ordos thing right now. Oh, I want to so bad. But no, I have heard of them. The record is called The Fate Worse Than Death. It's on Invictus. It is wonderful. Definitely worth your time. All right. Mark is on. I don't know why you'd have Doom in your title, but not be Doom. That's kind of weird. Oh, you could be Eagles of Death Metal and not be Death Metal.

It's really, really confusing. The first time I saw that band's name, I was like, wait a minute. So it's not death metal? I don't understand. Football team formed a death metal band? Yeah, like DC Comics did a comic book called Death Metal. Well, I mean, it's the Conan reference. They put out an album and there was zero death metal bands on it. So I hated that. Somebody asked me about that and they were like, what's the good death metal bands on this? I was like, none.

They didn't even have any real metal bands on to be honest. There were bands that were metal that aren't metal anymore. I think was it like Mastodon was on that, right? Yeah, but I don't consider metal anymore really. So they're more like a progressive rock to me. Adult listening. They used to be metal. Sure. All right. So my number six also crickets. But fuck, I love this record. Liminal Shroud, All Virtues Ablaze on Willow Tip Records. Just a

Pitch Black Beast of Atmospheric Black Metal. Fire, just a pit of darkness mixed with melodic fury. The atmosphere on this record is so, so good. It's one of my most played records, I think, over this year. I know some of our listeners are really into this record, so they'll be happy to see it on the list. But other than that, I don't know if anybody else here has listened to it. It's freaking phenomenal.

Crickets.

Beep, beep, beep.

Yeah, I'm thinking you take that as a no.

I think I'm in the running with John for Crickets.

He's had a lot of prog stuff, but a lot of my picks on here, nobody's going to have.

I remember seeing the name.

I think I checked them out, and I thought it was good.

I'm sorry.

I'm not more familiar with that, but I remember having positive opinions on them because

the name is so interesting that I remember thinking like, oh, the name is interesting, and listening

to the record, and thinking like, oh, this is cool, and then I didn't spend more time on it.

Sorry.

Yeah, man.

Go back to it because it's really a phenomenal record.

I think it's a standout.

So maybe just listen to it again when you get some time. Cool. Bye. My number six was previously my number four. I would say in the realm of post-metal, these guys are pretty close to the top in terms of like all time Titans, Cult of Luna, The Long Road North.

I think I've heard of that one. Seems like that'll have a high standing with the Metalheads podcast. Seems like it will. It was number one at the mid-year. The smoke on the battlefield is starting to clear a little. John hasn't mentioned it yet, so you know it's in his top five. It might have fallen off. You know how John is. He's pretty... It's not a volleyball. It's not on my list.

John will drop shit though and I know it probably won't be called to Luna but John will have a number two and he's like yeah fuck you from the end of the year you know what I mean I've just done that before where he'll have something real high and then just fuck you beast of Hammersmith you're done well we're starting to head into my fuck you territory so yeah all right so my number six is not a stupid pick or a stupid decision my number six is amorphous halo that's not stupid at all stark contrast to some of the choices I've made

Lately, fair enough. You know, I get it, Jay. It's hard. I mean, I knocked stuff off my list, too. But, man, I really like that album a lot. And it's one of my favorite since Silent Waters. Because I'm really big on the first Tomey albums when he joined Amorphous in the mid-2000s. So, it's good. I like it. And if you like Amorphous, you know what you're getting. It ain't changing much, but this one's really good. It is. Yeah.

All right, well.

My number six, Bloodbath, Survival of the Sickest.

Nice.

I think we talked about this on the car ride up, but this is by far the best album with Nick Holmes as the singer.

I agree.

Yeah.

And I don't know if they'll ever get back to the glory days of, you know, the old school regime with Michael on vocals.

But, damn, I just think this one is just solid.

It grew on me. And it grew on me. And it's still Bloodbath. And yeah, I just I love this one. I need to go back and listen to it. You do. I mean, it is. It is fucking good. I like Bloodbath. And I love it at home. So I need to go back and listen more. Yeah, it just sounded so much fresher. It's great. Yeah. Very good. Okay, mine. The fact that I haven't heard this title yet means that either it's going to wipe out the top five here or

Or some people told it to go fuck itself. We shall see. But I doubt the second one is true. That's a stupid pick. I'm sorry, Jack. I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry. I apologize. It slipped out of my top five, but that's only because of some stuff that slipped into my top five. Immolation, Acts of God. These guys came out for our installment this year, dude. Such a solid record. Probably listened to this as much as anything else this year. Super addictive and listenable.

Is that the first one today? I'm expecting that to show up. Yeah, that's not the last of that. Come on. That's not the last of that. I think it was Matt's number one at mid-year, so I assume it's going to be in his top five. It dropped off mine. That was a tough one to lose. So good. George had it like mid-level. I think it was my number two, actually. Yeah, no, I mean, I think it's a great album. And Will had it way the fuck up. It's slippery, man. Slippery slope.

All right. Tough nut to cry. What are we, number six? Mm-hmm. I am going to tell you what my number six is, and that is I Am by Disillusion. Nice. That was good. I am smelling like a rose to you. I want to get close to you. That is like one of the greatest intros to this song ever. Which does. Denim bloated? Yeah, Denim bloated.

Smelling like a rose that somebody gave to me on my birthday. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Stuntiple Pilots. Yeah. The first album was so good. Actually, I like all their albums. For the first four. I like them, too. I remember back in the day, me and some guys were trying to put a band together. And this was like early to mid-90s. And I don't know how we put out an ad or something. And this guy came in to sing.

Bleach Hair and like a goatee. And he came and he's like, ah, and he's singing like, ah, and we were like, yeah, get the fuck out of here. You're not Scott Weiland, get out of here. Exactly. Nice. Nice pull. Yeah. Anyway, I feel like we're going to hear that a lot more. Top five. I think shit is about to get real, sirs. Fucking really real. I gotta get a beer. Yeah, that's two minutes to use that.

And by two you mean ten, right? Speaking of beers, man, that Port City is phenomenal. I know, I want some of that. You're listening to the Metalheads Podcast. Honestly, these guys are just a bunch of drunk assholes. All right. Exactly. Here we are. Top five albums of the year. I need to do it. And James has to kick it off. Mortuess. Mortuess. Yeah.

So great.

They.

Their previous record was wonderful.

And on this one, they brought in a little bit more of an incantation sound from earlier's incantation.

And it was really, really great.

If you're a death metal fan, this is definitely a record for you.

That is all.

That is all.

Yeah.

I don't know what else to say about it.

It's awesome.

If you like death metal, this record is for you.

Is it for you, Will?

I know you like death metal.

I listened to it a couple times. I think just on Bandcamp. I don't know if I ever bought it. I liked it. I just didn't spend enough time with it to let it sink in. Well, it might be for you, I hear. Just saying. Or it might not be. It might not be. I also hear that. That sucks. Is that pick stupid? Is that a stupid pick? Your pick is stupid? No. Picking it is not stupid. It's stupid not to pick it.

Oh, that's Zen. That's always Zen. It's a reverse stupid, you know? So smart. Wait a minute. Hold on. Wait, wait, wait. That's not what I meant. Damn you, Jay. All right, Mark is on. All right, up to me. Number five. Yeah, this is something James got right on his list.

He got a lot wrong. Shots fired again. Of course. Phobophilic enveloping absurdity on prosthetic records. This is the standout death metal record of the year for me. It hitches a rod on the old school dark and doomy death wheels of bands like Incantation. Actually, James just mentioned Incantation, which is my favorite death metal band of all time. But it also throws chains and spikes on that wheel and then drives over your face repeatedly. So it's gorgeously produced.

Crushing,

just a perfect dose of progressiveness in,

in the Fobophilic album.

Um,

I cannot get enough of it.

Um,

I spent it on vinyl quite a bit.

So number five,

all right.

Fobophilic,

which also I believe is my album of the month,

whatever month that was that month there.

Yeah.

One of the one in the past 11 months.

Yeah.

One of the last 11,

I think we have to come up with one for this month.

That's a little anticlimactic, don't you think? Oh, yeah. As far as I'm concerned, December's open to anything, because it's December. There's not much. I mean, I have an album from December on my list, so I guess that's the frontrunner. We'll have to see what else comes out. It does seem that way. Yeah. All right. Matt? My number five was formerly my number one Immolation, Acts of God. Oh, there it is again. There's two. So dumb.

God is now number five. Yes. Divine intervention. Maybe there was no act of God. God just doesn't hold the same sway as he did in mid-year. Indeed. Trouble. John? All right. Definitely another volleyball. I'm a little surprised that nobody else mentioned this, but whatever. My number five is An Abstract Illusion. The album is Woe on Willow Tip. They're a Swedish proggy death metal,

They haven't put out an album in six years. And you're like, wow, that's a long time. Then you realize they're late 20s still. Really? They're kids. Wow. That's hilarious. I like the first album and the first EP from six, seven years ago. But man, this is just a killer. Wow. Just good stuff. I don't know what to say. You have to listen to it because there's no left.

Let Up On The Album. There's no let up on the album. There's no breaks between songs. It's just one big long continuous song broken up. There's no let up. Good stuff. Cool. I really like that album, John. Yeah. It's funny because a lot of the albums that you really love would probably, you know, they fall in like my honorable mentions. I mean, there's a couple that sneak into my list, but I do really like a lot of these progressive metal albums that you've been mentioning. That's a very good record. Yeah. Cool. All right.

That was John so well, yeah. Yeah, I was noticing that they got like a bunch of beer cans that are still like half full on the table. There's no floaters, bitches. I'll take that. I'll take that challenge. This is an award-winning beer right here. Try that. Oh, no, I love this beer. It's great beer. Yeah, I'll drink this. Did James bring beer? What beers did you bring, James? Did you bring anything? I did not. I was trying to check in if I should bring beers because

I took a bus to the metro to meet up with these guys. And he said, don't do it. And I was like, oh, okay, fine. I mean, the boys always have plenty beers. Yeah, we're good. No, it's all good. It's all good. Okay. My number five, it's been mentioned before, Cosmic Putrefaction. Nice. Crepuscular dirge for the blessed ones. I feel like I jade this one. No, three. This was, I think, number three or something.

at the mid-year. And then the other day, I listened to it again. I'm like, oh yeah. It belongs there. It's good. I love it. I fumbled that one. It's okay. I mean, he's in like 47 bands. Good guy. He's probably on my list somewhere. He's another one who's like late 20s or early 30s, I think. That's an interesting one because you guys had it on mid-year. A lot of you had it. And I was like, it was not on my mid-year list. I had to go back and listen to it again.

I definitely appreciated it more when I went back to it just because you guys had it so high on your list. But like I'll say it again you got to get under the cans and listen to the then. Jokes. Yeah it's definitely you're right it's definitely a headphone listen that one. You're not going to pick up everything that they're doing unless you put it on headphones. Yeah good stuff. Awesome good pick well. All right Jay. Perpetually underrated in my book one of my top 20.

maybe top ten favorite metal bands of all time. Every once in a while they slip a little something extra, extra pepper and mustard into an album. And I feel they did it on this one. Saxon, Carpe Diem. Seize the five. Of the singers from Britain at that era, the big ones being Bruce, Biff in my book, and Rob. Biff has most of his voice left of all three of those guys. And they're still fucking dropping. Rock solid.

Metal Records, dude. This is a great fucking record. This is awesome. George and I saw them a few years back. It was with Priest, right? They were freaking awesome. I love Saxon. They don't get enough love, but they made great records. AJ Bazillion Books, I think they're called? Bazillion Points. They have a book out now on the whole New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Okay, cool. Yeah, you might want to check it out because I think it's right up your alley. Denim and Leather, it's called, right? I think so, yeah.

It brings us all together, really. Yeah. And it's funny because that period only lasted, what, five or six years max, I think? And then we look at it with such revere. The height, yeah. And just so many big names came out of it. And they were such a big part of it, and they're the most forgotten part of it in my book. They had like four albums there early on that would just bang, bang, bang, right up. Just killer albums. Yeah. George? My number five from the

Wastes of Canada.

Voivod, Synchro Anarchy.

Nice.

Had to happen.

Knew that would be on your list, church.

It's a really good album.

It's a fucking amazing album.

It's like number five amazing.

Yeah.

At least.

I think it's the closest sounding one with the new guitars.

The guy from Artem.

They just keep getting better with him.

Yeah.

He's so good.

Chewie is Piggy reincarnated. It really is. He shows full respect to it. Yeah, totally. Which is awesome. Number four. Soul Glow. Diaspora Problems. Okay, so I keep seeing this one come up, and I have not listened to it, and I've meant to, because it sounds like nu metal. Soul Glow. No, it's not. It sounds like nu metal meets, like, Mojo.

The music sounds nothing like that. Is it hardcore? It's hardcore punk with some metal parts. Some of the drumming, some of the riff sounds a little more on the metal side. It hits hard. I'm not the biggest fan of hardcore punk, and this record is just phenomenal. They've been kicking around for a few years. They're from Philly. They've got a lot of great material if you want to go back through the catalog, but this record is just phenomenal. Definitely worth your time.

I just forgot. It's really, really good. It's just a great album. It's fast. It's frantic. It's one of the things that I think it does really well to, again, that frantic part is that it's, when it's moving quickly, it doesn't sound just like a thrash album. It sounds like kind of unhinged, like things coming off the rails in a good way. And it's really great. So we were talking about Spirit World and how I was talking about how that's like ZZ Top meets Hatebreed. Is this anything at all like that? No.

Okay.

Wow.

That is quite a mix.

It is.

I love spirit world.

I think spirit world is great.

I'm not saying it's bad.

I'm just like,

wow,

that's so hate breed.

It's I think the shimmy when they break down.

Well,

they're all like dressed up and like ZZ top clothes with like beards.

No beards,

but you know,

it's very,

it,

I mean,

it's called the album's called death Western.

It's very like wayfair cowboy stuff,

but it's total hate breed.

It's I don't hear the hate breed.

You've mentioned this before.

It's death metal meets western and there's a bit of a thrash part to it but I wouldn't say that there's like hate breed breakdowns or anything. It doesn't sound like the vocals are Jamie Josta. No. No. It's another overrated band. Thank you. Oh thank you. No. No. Talking about hate breed or spirit world? Spirit world. Spirit world. Yeah. I was like oh shit man I fucking it made me think of Wayfair again we've talked about them which is by far the best western metal band and it didn't do much for me.

I thought they dress nice though. They do dress nice. I expected a lot more times. No, I mean, I don't dislike it. I'm just like, there's already a hate breed. They don't sound anything like hate breed. I totally disagree with this. Well, all right. That's fine. I respect that. It does sound kind of a little bro-y. Thank you. We're going to have words. We're going to have words. That's pointing at Markisan. You guys have already had words. You're going to have words. Listen, I don't care. If you like it, that's all that matters. Whatever album you've got,

you like is fine with me because if it does something to you if it moves you

then that's what matters it doesn't matter what i say so um but for me it just didn't do much for me i i've

heard a lot about it and i listened to it and i was like i like we're arguing about an album that didn't even come up

all right moving on done with the pick done with the pick moving on

this is james like number one but this is i hope not wait to this one god i hope not

If I just shut up. Okay, good. This is dumb. I didn't think of that. I should think before I speak. Who's next? I mean, we give each other shit, but you know, I don't, as long as you guys enjoy the albums, that's all that matters. Like, that's the whole point of making a list. It's what really moves you to put it on the list. That's all that pattern. Yeah. Who's picking? I think it's Markeson because we were just talking about Soul Glow. Oh, yeah. Yeah. God, that's a terrible name. Listen to the record.

I will listen to the record have listen to it and I'm a big hardcore because I grew up in Syracuse New York so I grew up on hardcore going into metal I'm just not I'm not a big fan but I'm gonna listen to it again because I'm gonna listen a couple times I sometimes I have to process a little bit more but it didn't grab me at all when I first listened to it okay so my number four is it was an album of the month for me pretty pretty recently probably October Chrome Ghosts

of Falling Ash on Seeing Red Records. As soon as I heard a couple notes on this album, I was hooked. House of Falling Ash is heavy, modern crash of gorgeous melody and just thunderbolt doom with some progressiveness thrown in there, some noise rock thrown in there, some post-metal thrown in there. And it features just beautifully sung vocals and vocal harmonies that just give it a really uniquely compelling

atmosphere to me. I just don't hear any bands like this. I love the last album they did, The Diving Bell. It didn't make my list because I found it after the year, but it would have been on my list if I had found it. So now I'm keyed into this band and it's definitely one of my most played records. I have it on vinyl now and I've been spinning it quite a bit. Cool. What you got, Matt? My number four was formerly

My number three has also already been mentioned today. Falls of Roars, the key to our feature. This is a lush, gorgeous album. That's all I can say about it. Kind of like your mustache. Lush and gorgeous. More lush and more gorgeous. Yeah, but also pretty vicious too at the same time. Totally underrated record. I haven't seen it on a lot of lists and I'm really shocked by it, to be honest. It will come up again.

John.

All right.

My number four.

It is not a volleyball.

As a matter of fact,

I don't have any volleyballs coming up for a while here.

Oh,

what the hell,

John?

I know.

Why are you being on this cast?

What are you doing?

This is weird.

This is strange.

Sellout.

False volleyball.

Poser volleyball.

Yeah.

Total bullshit.

It's like a tennis ball.

Yeah.

It's a little handball.

You're going from John Wilson to John Mainstream.

What the fuck,

John McEnroe?

I cannot be serious. If you know Jog Macro, you know what I'm saying. Johnny Mac. All right, so my number four is Wait. The End of Noise on Artisan Era. I'm a big fan of this band. Knew that was coming. Half the band is from the band Exist. They're from Baltimore. Aggressive Death with a lot of fusion jazz infused in it. I see a lot of people saying they're gent. They have some chord progression.

like it, but I wouldn't call them a gent band per se. They're not. Do they still make gent? I don't know. Oh yeah. Gent still sells tickets. Really? Definitely. Oh yeah. People still listen to Meshuggah? Yeah. Oh, Meshuggah will pack venues. They'll sell tons of tickets. They still do well. They're really good. They're phenomenal musicians. They really, I just never got into them. So yeah, the band Wait, which stands for We Are In Transit. They're a local band.

Oh, it's an acronym. I didn't realize that. It is. Yeah. Huh. I said that when I mentioned them. Yes, you did. Yeah. You just ignored me. Thanks. Yeah, I tend to drown. Where are they going? I don't know. From Baltimore to D.C. It's the usual commute. Oh. And I see those guys at shows all the time. One, we used to have shows all the time. Yeah. You know, I used to see them in Baltimore at shows. I'd walk right by them and they'd be standing right there. You could be my kid. And if you don't know who Max Phelps is, he was in Cynic as a

and he also was in Death to All. He was a lead singer and guitarist. The first time I saw him, not good. Second time was phenomenal. I didn't know this. He was also on an album with Defeated Sanity. They did a split album. Which is phenomenal. That is a great record. The first album is just some of their most brutal stuff ever. And in the second one, they did the whole Atheist Cynic thing. And it's just so good. It's wonderful.

And I know a lot of hardcore Defeated Sanity fans don't like the

cynic stuff, but I think both parts are great.

When they did interviews on that, they described it as it's like a split album with ourself,

that it's supposed to be like a different record almost.

And like the first half is like, you know, more Defeated Sanity.

And it's more of like an old school brutal death metal versus modern brutal death metal.

And then the other part is, like you said, like atheist, cynic, that kind of thing.

It's phenomenal.

And Max sounds awesome.

Can I just propose that Death to All should be Matt Harvey on vocals and guitars, Steve Giordi on bass, Richard Christie on drums, and James Murphy on guitar. I'm good with that. Fucking happy, man. So I would propose having to throw guitarists and throw Max here to give a little levity on this vocals. Just give Matt Harvey a break once in a while. I mean, Matt Harvey nails it, though. I've been talking about this for a while, but I would really like to get James Murphy on here for an interview.

He's been in so many fucking great bands, you know? And yeah, we need to make that happen. What's he currently in, if anything? He's just like, as far as I know, he's just like, you know, engineering and producing and stuff. Well, very cool. He's on a Prague album too. Explorers Club. Yeah, and he's got his own like solo stuff too. All right. Will, what is your number four? My number four, Temple of Void. There it is. Slayer.

It is not my favorite Temple of Void album by far, but I love this band so much that this is like probably my favorite Death Doom band. They just hit it in all the right feels for me. Yeah. And I just throw away that last song, which is a fine song. Just throw it away. You know, it's fine enough, but I'd rather have another real song.

A real song. But yeah. I'm curious to see what they do with the next. I really am curious. And I think they're already writing it, right? I think so. I'm sure. Yeah, I would think so. They don't waste time. Yeah. You guys need to get them at the fest. They don't fuck around. That'd be cool. Yeah. They haven't played yet, right? They what? I said you need to get them at the fest. I'm trying to think. I don't think they played Atlas. No, no. He means decibel. Decibel. I don't think so. I don't think so.

Something to think about. Make it so number one. Do it. You are number two. Because with all of the bands that I book. Yeah. I've never booked a band for anything. I book bands. Yeah, but you know. You know what you're talking about. I do know. But you're one of like what? Five people? Six people? On the staff. On the full time staff. So, yeah. So, you know, you have his ear. Yeah. Hello. From you to God's ear. So, if they slipped into the top 40, they could slip in on the best. I know, Albert.

I mean we did the Flexi that Flexi track that was a great track there you go I think James is trying to stay a full time right like you know what you should do oh no no no this Albert hears so much of this from all the different writers and different people that I'm sure he's just like yeah okay I'll think about it for a second and if he doesn't like he's like yeah whatever fine thanks for yeah I mean it's ridiculous I pitch ridiculous things all the time like oh we should do this and he's like yeah yeah I mean

No, he'll just say no. To me, he's just like, no, no. I'm not doing that. James, go back to work. Him being who he is, he probably hears shit from so many different sides that he's got to have that filter of just like instant yes or instant no. He doesn't even hear the band name anymore, probably. He just hears, you know what you should do? No. I got to go to the bathroom. Yeah, so I get that. All right. Jay, go. I mentioned that I was going to have a metal adjacent record very high on my list, and we have gotten

to that point in the podcast.

They're metal enough for me.

Well, they're a metal band in my mind.

No, Lizzo's not metal.

I don't know.

She's fucking cool, though.

I can't wait to judge this.

Oh, you're going to judge it.

You already judged it once.

Elder, innate passage.

Oh, not metal.

No, wait.

Disagree.

That's totally metal.

Thank you, James.

I thought it was metal.

Totally metal.

I don't even have that on the list, but totally metal.

Definitely metal.

I love that album, but yeah.

Well, actually, you're both right. I don't know if you've heard it, James. They're a totally metal band. Marcus is right. This is not totally a metal record, but it's got some heavy shit on it. But it's metal enough. It has metal elements, so call it metal. The thing with these bands, before Jay goes into it, is that where do you put them? Because it's not quite rock, you know? So I don't have any problem with Jay putting it there. Just for me, it just is more of a rock album. But, you know, where do you put them?

you put them when they have elements of metal. There is no place. I go back to the Bible. I go Black Sabbath number one. As heavy as or up to or exceeding than metal album. Yeah, I know. I mean, you're not wrong. Especially since this one has elements of Pink Floyd in it and they're not fucking metal. But they have heavy riffs. They have heavy riffs. You're absolutely right about that, George. And there are some heavy riffs on this record.

But there is such a high level of musicianship and talent and writing and arranging this record. And I like Elder, but this is far and away the best thing they've done, I think. And wow, just they really knocked it out of the park this year. And I think if it's not metal, I think metalheads will like it. So let's call that. If it's not metal, it's crap! Well, I love it. I think it's just a phenomenal record. Just like I said, just for me, I wouldn't put it on a metal list.

But, you know, it's subjective. So it's cool. Yeah. I'm sure it's not in the metal section at Amoeba. So there you go. But what are they fucking now? Yeah. So I'm kind of surprised that I haven't heard this one at all yet. I expected it to be on some lists, but probably lower down. But apparently not. And I'm not expecting it to be higher up on lists like this. But number four, Sweet Evil Sun, Candlemas.

Wow. Yeah. Yeah. You messaged me the other day. Like, you got to listen to this. I listened to it. I was like, nah, nah, nah, nah. Yeah. Huh. No. Wasn't feeling it. I was feeling it. I was feeling it enough for all of us. I can honestly say I haven't spent time with the George and I know it was your album of the month and I was like, oh, I better get on this. And I just didn't fucking have time. Yeah. I thought at the least you would have my back on this one, but. Well, I like, I'm glad that singer's back and that last one was fucking great. So. Yeah.

I just did not educate myself in time. Clearly. All right. Well, I like it. I'm a little surprised it's that high, George, but you know what? You love Candlemas. I love the candle. I like the candle. That's very high. I'm a little surprised, but I must have been high. You know what? They put out that fucking single and I was like, this does not sound that great to me. And I think Jay felt the same way. Like it was just kind of like, I feel like I get excited about it. I mean, honestly,

In the context of the album, it sounds way better. Got it. Right. And I can believe that. You know, it's funny. You hit the nail on the head. I was like, gosh, I don't know if this doesn't light my candle like that record did. And I fully believe that the record is probably badass, but it's just probably why I didn't get to it yet. Well, I mean, I've always been like a hardcore Messiah fan. And so while I enjoy the Robert Lowe era, and I love the first album as well, and the few throwaway albums,

I was just really like

you know did it I was like man the vocals are really cool

these riffs just are really great the production's really great

you know that's a prereq

and I was just like damn you know I was feeling it so there it is

was it your

album on the moth

it was

alright James

Top 3.

Oh my God.

If shit could get any more real, this is when it would be.

It doesn't get any more real.

Table flip.

Immolation.

So good.

Nice.

Yeah, I don't have anything else.

That's all you got to say about that, James?

That's all I got to say about that.

If you like immolation, this is what you're looking for.

If you don't like immolation, you should like immolation.

I don't know what else to say about that.

I mean they're one of the best death metal bands ever and this new record is right up there with their best material it's like an act of God yeah delivered straight to your record player or streaming app if you do that yeah it's awesome definitely go listen to that now if you haven't heard it like immediately now stop listening to this cast go listen to Immolation if you have not listen to the last hour later

Give us a bump up. Take a break. Yeah. All right. Go out, stretch, buy some groceries, you know, take a vacation. Come back. Listen to the rest. All right. Markisan your number three. John's trying to move us along. This album has been mentioned pretty highly too, except for James said that he jaded, which I'm shocked. And it is a phenomenal

record by a band that's been around a long time, and it is Amorphous. Halo. Nice. On Atomic Fire Records. I've talked about this on the cast before, but the last Amorphous album, who farted? George. Sorry, I thought you had it on mute. I thought that whole button over there was mute. Why are you farting when I'm talking about Amorphous? There's no farting in Amorphous. Wait, that's not a mute button? What is that? It is a mute button. Well, how come it didn't work? It's an air freshener, well. Oh, my God.

You can just see what's happening.

Shove that chicken in your ass. I don't want to hear any more farting.

You couldn't hear it.

Oh my God. I feel like I can smell it from here.

Anyways, I've talked about this before. The last Amorphous album, Queen of Time, it didn't make my top 25.

And Amorphous is one of my all-time favorite bands.

And so I was a little bit surprised by that. But Halo is the album that puts Amorphous back in premier beast mode. You know, over the course of the year, it was on my mid-year list. But over the course of the year, it just kept climbing. You know, it has all the unique progressive elements, the riffs, the choruses that just make the band so interesting and essential. But I think more than that, this album really delivers just incredibly amazing.

and it's really pushed halo into the top two or three of my all-time favorite amorphous albums so um just really strong effort i queen of time is fine um the record before that i really enjoyed there was a little bit of a law and now i feel like amorphous is back at a really high level so yeah number three amorphous halo hello

Hello.

Mrs. Dumpfire, how are you doing? All right. My number three was formerly my number seven. It has already been mentioned. It is half all that was promised. I confused it a lot with my number two pick, but in going back and relistening everything, I realized where the separation occurred. But it was definitely one of those albums where so many of these riffs and songs have been in my head for,

the majority of the year. Nice. I'm just not realizing that all the like facial expressions and things that I've been doing the whole time have not been on camera. Probably good. You farted and you had it on mute but they could tell what you were doing. Exactly. It was silent but deadly. Not as deadly as some though.

All right. So my number three. Some people know this band as Moon Congregation. I know this band as Cult of Luna. Long Road North. You knew it was coming. They were my number one. But they fell a little because there's two albums I liked more this year. They hit it out of the park. Like Jay said earlier, I won't go into

They just knock it out of the park with every album as far as I'm concerned. And they have gone all the way back to, God, somewhere along the highway in Salvation all the way that far back. So, super fan of this band. Nice. Killer album. Yeah. All right, Willem. I wish Matt was here, but my number three, Immolation. Here it comes. There it is. There it is. Another act of God. Yeah. The act of God. And Matt's not even here to show you.

share the number three glory. But James is. Mark's son is. Wait. What'd you have to ask? Huh? Same thing. How many is that for him? Oh, you had it as three. I thought Matt has three. No, Matt had... It was one, two, three, four. Oh, he had half. Yeah, he had half. I think George had it too. Did you have a George? I had it at like six or seven or something. Yeah, it's got the top spot right now. Does it? Really?

I think so. Oh, fuck yeah. Yeah, I think so. He's doing the math in his head as we go. He's like calculating. What was our number one at midyear? No, I know, but it's still going to be. Not telling you? It's still pretty high. Moon Congregation is second right now. I know, but what was our number one at midyear? Our number one at midyear. Cult of Luna. Cult of Luna is definitely number one. Yeah. Those will probably be the top two, I think. Potentially. All right. My number three.

Prepare to be upset. Markasson, be pleased, James. Black Braid. Yeah! I love it, dude. And I love the whole Old West thing that's going through black metal right now, and it only makes sense to bring some Native American stuff into the fray. And I really want Wayfair and Black Braid to do a tour together. Cowboys and Indians.

But isn't he from like New York? Can we get in the trotch for another guy? It's a really good album. I need to give more time to it. I was pleasantly surprised by it. I don't remember where I even heard about it. I'm sure it was probably mentioned in one of our text threads, but that's not where I heard about it. But I fucking dig it, dude. I spent a lot of time listening to that record. Phenomenal. It'll be great to see where the band goes after this, too, because it seems like they caught a lot of attention. He caught a lot of attention.

It's ridiculous how much attention they got. Oh, it's almost like the record's really good and worthy of attention. All right. Let me just toss up this volleyball before I spike it because this is my number one at mid-year. Number three now, Zeal and Ardor, self-titled.

It's a fucking amazing album. I know Will's over there shaking his head. He doesn't think it's metal, but he hasn't listened to enough of it to know that it's actually metal. It's got metal parts there, but it's not a metal album. I think. You know what? I'm just still butthurt by you guys saying Clutch is not metal, and I've heard a lot of shit here where Clutch is more fucking metal. How many fucking times do I have to tell you? It's just a joke. Yeah, you know. When I had it at my number one, I'd be really like, wow. This album's all over the place. Do you know how much shit I take for all my piss?

I don't know what I'm saying. I don't know.

I love metal. This is such an amazing, you know, to be able to take these two so very different things and to seamlessly bring them together is just boggles my mind how amazing this guy is. Doesn't it have some gospel vocal type? Yeah, it's very like blues gospel. It totally works. It's great. Yeah. You've seen them live? Oh, wow. I'd love to see that. They've been here live a few times.

James, you have good things to say? Yeah. Please validate me. Please validate me. That's what I'm looking for. So the more electronic songs, like I normally don't key on those electronic songs because there are some parts or some songs that I think are more of just like the straightforward electronics and I get what he's going for with that. I don't even know what you're talking about electronics, but okay. Oh yeah, definitely. I mean, I haven't spent as much time with the most recent record, but the, was it the previous EP? Fair, fair.

There were some more of the electronic bits. And I would skip over that part because I understand what he's going for and that's cool, but the metal mix with the different other genres was really great. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm on board. Thank you. Thank you for validating me. I can move on now. We can go to number two. That's why you brought James in, right? Yeah, exactly. That's the whole point. This was all a big setup just so I could have a lot of positive things to say about Zeland Arder. Even though I didn't know he liked them. Oh, yeah. Two picks.

There we go. Shit's getting real. Let's go, James. Number two, there should be more of this creator, Hedubri Ellis. It's so good. Just listen to it more if you're not a fan. And then if you're not a fan after that, go listen to Strongest of the Strong and go lift a car over your head. It's wonderful. It's so good. Creator's been steadily consistent for years and years.

I thought this one was the best of the more recent era. I just think that there's everything in there from ripping songs to more catchy songs to things that kind of slow down a little bit and could be more of a fist pumping Euro fest anthem kind of thing. It's great. It's their COVID album so you know they spent time on it for sure. Which is to say they sat down and were like let's just fucking make a great record. Wait wait didn't didn't didn't Arthur produce this one? I think so.

Yes, that's correct. He did. That's what I don't like about it. Yeah, because I remember in the cover story we did for that one that Mila had seen that Arthur followed him on Instagram or something, and he was like, huh, that's interesting. Like, okay. I like Arthur, and I like Creator. I just wasn't happy with the production. Interesting. That's weird.

sound as good as the last one. The songs are there. I just didn't think the production was as good. Okay. Yeah. And I like Arthur. I'm not trying to diss him. Here we go with production again. I know. Fucking grumpy old man on the porch with the production. It's a perfect lead into my next one. All right. That's you. I know. Number two. Gloriously produced. Despite what George says. Wake. Thought form. Descent.

Blade Records.

Yeah, listen, when a band puts out my album of the year like Wake did in 2020,

my anticipation for the next record is crazy high.

So it's pretty rare that a band lives up to the brilliance of that last record.

But I feel like Wake not only met those expectations,

but exceeded them with Thought, Form, Descent.

So I think they crushed it. It's just a phenomenal, vicious, progressive, and modern, post-blackened deathgasm of an album. And I'm actually a little surprised it's not my number one, because I just love this band so much. And it's just different than the last album, too, and I like that as well. So yeah, Wake, Thought, Form, Descent, which has been mentioned a couple times, which is,

That makes me happy.

Hey.

Matt.

My number two also has good production.

And it's from Canada.

And it's called Wake.

Wow.

Fuck me.

Wow.

I love you, Matty.

Right in my pooper.

Right back at you, baby.

Fuck George.

Wake's going to be way up there.

It's all right.

I can edit it when I post it.

I take it all out.

Check it all out.

They're top five, no doubt.

I know.

Hey, you know, like what you like.

I ain't messing with you guys if you're liking it.

You mess with us a little bit.

Okay, maybe a little bit, but not too much.

Just a little bit.

It's like a little fondle.

Yeah, just a little like...

At the counterattack, we're way better.

It's like not reportable or anything.

Oh, I love that.

I love that Matt and I both had a number two.

Just a tiny reach around.

Yeah.

It's like a poke around.

I hate that.

Takes us to John.

That's a magic weenie.

All right.

That's what she said.

I'm going to drag this one possibly into the top ten now with this.

Oh my gosh.

Disillusion.

Oh nice.

Oh.

I am.

Yeah.

It's just.

Wow.

Yeah.

I have.

I have.

I have you and Yanni to think about that one.

for telling me about this band because I didn't realize I had missed him early on. And then I got into him with The Liberation, which was back in 2019. So good. Yeah. So I'm a super fan now. No, I'm not. I'm a fan. I'm not a super fan. I was a super fan. I would have been around from the beginning. You know what I miss about Yanni? He doesn't send us messages. Jay is my bitch. Yeah. Have you heard from them? I talked to him not that long ago. I'm going to put out something else. Well, Yanni's not in the band anymore.

Andres is still doing stuff, but I talked to him, I don't know, within like a year ago or so. He sent me something online, but. Yeah. Yeah, I don't know. So. Yep. I'm dragging him in the top ten. Nice. This is Mike creeping. I might sneak out. I am smelling like a rose that somebody put in my top ten. All right. Let's get to that number one. That's funny, because James had that like very early on. I was like, John's got that on his list.

Who just went? John. I did. Okay, so number two. Yep, do it. James self-admitted that he was cheating on this test. I'm pretty sure he's been cheating because his number three and my number three were the same. And my number two is Creator, Hate, Uber, Alice. Wow. Or maybe that's just because these are some of the best records of the year. Yeah, that's true. That's too much of a coincidence, I think. I think it's the cheating. Creator is one of my favorite bands.

of all time. Of course. I almost wore the creator shirt that Jay sent me. But now since I've had cancer and I lost 30 pounds, it's really big on me. So instead I'm wearing my obituary. You can't see it because I'm wearing my bong ripper hate. Hellsint worship team, which was great when I showed up to the car dealership today wearing this. And I was like, you know, fuck, I'm just going to wear this. I can't really see it. Well, can you take off a little more? Take it off.

James is getting out of the way. Remember folks to tip your waitresses and your dancers. And he's dancing. He's shaking. Oh Jesus. He's going to knock everything off the table. He's on James. That was some good imps. That was the number two, three Sam G right there. Now I'm wearing my obituary tour shirt. I just saw him up in Philadelphia. Anyway, Jay, number two. Knocked all the way down from number one at mid-year. I'm on an island on this podcast.

but not in the world because some other people did have this on their list. It's everything that I think is fun and awesome and catchy and cool about Metal. Abath, Dread Reaver. There it is. Wow, number two? James had it on his list. Yeah, you were gone when he talked about it. James had it early on. You were gone. Sorry. My man. Cool. That does make me feel a little better. Oh, it's so good. So you have a chance to make it on the list. Number two? I hit it at nine. That's what you missed. Oh, it's so good. That's a fine choice.

It's so good, dude. It's so good. Fucking relentless and heavy, and there's a lot of cool hooks on it. I've definitely listened to it just as much as anything else this year. Definitely. Proud to have it on my list. Nice. And expected. Yeah. All right, George. All right, let me just take up my number two, which is Take Up My Bones. Oh, shit. Wow. Number two. Wow. It was number two at mid-year.

It clung tight. Yeah, I'm surprised. Hang on there. Zeeland Ard was like, I'm going down. Arth is like, uh-uh. Sticking right here. How many is that for Arth? Three or four? Three. Yeah. Hopefully that'll bring it up into the top. 25? Sure. I mean, it's your number two. That's 24 points. That's 28 points, yeah. That's going to be up there. I hope so. All right. Uh-oh. Wow. It doesn't get any more real than number one.

What? It doesn't. How can it get more real than number one? Number zero? Maybe. Holy shit. Maybe. We're finally here. How many hours have we done this? Five and a half. Five and a half hours. Let's end this shit. This is like early, man. What are you talking about? Early? This is pretty good. I mean, we've had seven, eight hour year ends. Come on. That's true. We've got to matter. Let's fucking do it. Yeah. Tear off the band-aid. Holy shit. Do it. Totally unexpected.

Undeath. What? When we were doing the voting for the magazine. Towing the company line. When we were doing the voting, when we were sending emails over for what it was, our art director had sent over his top list, and number one was Undeath, and right away, it was straight back to him, Undeath. It's just so good. It's ultra heavy. It's ultra catchy. It's this great new line of death metal. Undeath has been just charting straight up since they started, and I'm a super fan. I've been on board since they started.

I just feel like they keep getting better. And if you have a complaint about this record, go listen to Bone Rot and tell me that this does not deserve the spot because it is wonderful. I'm going to take that challenge up. Yeah, go listen to Bone Rot. Take up those bones. Wait, what's Bone Rot? When you guys put it number one, James. I'm going to do it. When you guys put it number one, I listened to it again because I really like Undeath. So I did listen to it again. And I was like, yeah, I hear a lot more stuff in this album that I remember.

when I first listened to it. So you definitely gave me that prompt to go back and really just kind of reconsider it. Good. Reconsider me. Well, I didn't want to talk too much because I thought you were still saying something. Yeah, it's a great record. All right. Markeson, number one. Yeah, it's been mentioned a couple times,

which pleases me.

And it was my number one at mid-year, and that has not dropped.

And I've been saying this pretty much throughout the cast.

Just really underrated record, I think.

Number one for me, Falls of Roro's Key to a Vanishing Future.

Yeah, it was on the mid-year list at number one, and nothing could really topple it for me.

I just felt like nobody really does this kind of majestic sweeping assault of post black metal. I really connected with it from the very beginning. Just a swirl of just dark emotions. Every song is around like six or seven minutes and they're just perfect. I wouldn't change anything on any of those songs. You know, sometimes you get records that are overly bloated. You know, sometimes you don't get enough.

I just felt like. Yeah, here we go. It's all Sun Temple Pilots all the time, isn't it, George? It is. But yeah, I just, I thought it was just perfect. And they kind of changed their sound a little bit from the last record. It's still recognizably Falls of Roros, but they changed it a little bit and for the better. And I just think it's just phenomenal effort from them. I've listened to it, I don't know, like 60 times probably since it came out. So Falls of Roros,

to a vanishing future. Hopefully with, I think we've gotten three votes for it, it'll make it on a list because it deserves it. Oh, it will. It will. Yeah. It's got two really high picks, so it's going to make the list. Cool. Matt. All right. My number one. Never been on my list before. I will never forget the new music Friday when I first spun this album and just realized like I keep going back to it, which I did. And I wrote,

This is Panopticon meets Uwata meets Windswept. Black Braid. Yeah. Wow. There it is. Shocking, but honestly, if you know me, this is not a shock to you. I know you, and this is not a shock to me. What? Number one! No shocks. Yeah, unless you rub your feet across the floor and touch. Yeah, it might. Static shocks.

Wow. All right. Yeah. Definitely gonna make the list. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I'm a little surprised. This ended up, I don't have a volleyball on this one, but I got to give it one now because I just don't see anyone else having this. And I'm, I thought it might be on one of the list, but my number one for 2022, Mother of Graves, Where the Shadows Adorned. It's a great record. Absolutely love it. They are one of the few bands that actually has the balls to attempt

Brave Murder Day type style music, but make it their own. And quite frankly, they sound a shit ton better. They really do. Because while I love and adore Brave Murder Day, they were just trying something new for the first time. And this is a band that actually ventured out there. They have a lot of Peaceville 3 to them also, but I love this album. I just can't stop listening to it. I need to listen to this. I mean, I listened to like maybe a song and a half.

And then, you know, like you do, right? You know, with everything. Yeah. And I'm going to ask a super dumb question. Peaceful three is paradise loss, my dying bride and what? Okay. And, and they have probably more of the catatonia and anathema in their sound and a little bit of paradise loss, not too much my dying bride in there. But with that said, I don't want to make them sound like they're kind of a tree band because they're not at all. They got their own thing.

And they actually made the decibel list, which I was very happy to see. That one I was happy to see at 27. I wasn't sure if it would make the list. It is super close to me. It's in my top 40. I always do a top 40 for my website. It's on there. I love that record. It definitely flirted with the top 25. It owes a lot to those albums that you mentioned in the past. I think that's what, not saying it goes against it, because I do think, I agree with you, John, they do their own thing, but it definitely owes a lot to other albums in the past. And I think that's,

It worked a little bit against it for me

going into the top 25, but it is on my

top 40 for sure. It is a great record.

Yeah, see for me, no one else has

attempted the Catatonia Brave

Murder Day sound. It's kind of like the band

King's X. There's literally one band

that's attempted that, Galactic Cowboys.

And I always do that. There's nobody

who's really tried to do the

Catatonia sound early on.

And so I'm like, if you've got the balls

to tackle that, because that album

is pretty highly revered.

Sí, sí, sí.

Yeah. No. John keeps his guessing. Like the time I dropped on one album to rule all. I haven't done that in a while. By the way, Jay, you are spoilering pretty hard. Don't care. Don't care. All right, Will. Hey, Jay, pro tip, like since you're wearing glasses, we can see the reflection of your computer in your glasses. Turn the porn off, dude. That's like a really big penis like we see Jay in our lives. That's Will. Why is it actually like Will? What's going on there?

How is Will and Jay's glasses? I send them pictures. Will, you're number one. You did those videos during the pandemic, Will? I didn't realize. You got to make money how you can. You got to pay for it, too. That was a second job. Hey, Jay pays top dollar. You just bought a new car. You got to pay for it somehow. All right, Will. Porn Vets Volume 7. Will.

There was one game during the World Series where the Phillies just beat the crap out of the Astros. And somebody sent around a meme. It was a Pornhub screen. The logo. Yeah. It was like if you went on the Pornhub website, I guess. And then the video picture was the Astros picture pitching to one of the Phillies. And the caption at the bottom was like,

I think I saw that. I think I sent it to the chat. It was great. Anyway. And that's your number one? Yes. Nine Beefy Boys. That's it. That's the name of the band. I'm kind of surprised this was not mentioned more. I'm surprised it was not on the decibel list. And I'm super glad there's no kids singing.

Oh, wow. Oh, wow. I fucking love this album. I knew you liked it. Damn. I just dragged that right into the top list. They take out the kids and it automatically elevates them everywhere. I think this is the best thing they've done since The Satanist. I agree with that. There's a lot of Behemoth fans in here. Hey, I was on my list. Was they one on the list? No, Jamie had it too.

Make the list. I don't know. It was probably top 15. Anyway. Jay, whatever could your number one be? Well, let me introduce you to my Victoria's friend here. This is my attempt at a reverse double J. I think if I could pull this album into the top 10 and probably the top 5 because it was mentioned a few times. Goat Whore made a record this year that is them times 5 in my mind and they're already a great fucking band.

It's got everything I love about Goat Whore on it and a couple extra things. Fuck, man. I just, he's, uh, the, um, Sammy, the guitar player really gets old school riffs but also works in the modern, also goes straight up black sometimes. Fuck, such a listenable record, dude. Fucking like it so much. And it fought with the Abath record for the number one spot but in the end I had to go with this. Uh, fuck yeah, Goat Whore. Angels. Sweet.

The Arches of Heaven, etc., etc. That'll make the list for sure. Also, you'll notice he's got a little gold medal. It's the horns metal is what he's got there. I literally Googled metal goat, and there he is. So it came out like that. You didn't have to make that. No, no. Perfect. I had to go all the way to the end of the internet to get it, but there it was. Wow. It was right before the dark net. It's like a couple pages before the dark net started. I'm glad it's not just a

Goat.

I wanted a Victoria's goat.

It's like a goat lingerie would be even better.

You dragged him to the top 10.

I think so, because it's been mentioned a couple times.

I mean, it was my number 11. That's pretty high.

It's gonna be pretty high.

That's two 11s to 10.

There's two 10s and two 11s.

Three 11s.

It's got a good chance of...

I have no idea. John's got to do the stats. I started doing them in his head. Nothing. Nothing's happening. Nothing's happening soon. I can guarantee that. It's just not. Why do you make us wait, John? I got to go back to work tomorrow. It's my first day off in a month. It's going to take me a little while. Get them sent to me because I can at least

at our top 10.

Right, right, right.

Yep, yep, yep.

Right, right, right, right, right.

Where are we?

Georgie.

This is it.

The final pick of the final list of the end of the year.

Everybody's wondering, do I leave my pants on?

Do I take my pants off?

I don't know.

Oh, you're leaving them on.

I think I'm leaving them on.

I think I'm super disappointed.

We've been there without that.

Yeah, Will will definitely be super disappointed, as will most people not sitting across from

me.

Oh, Cult of Luna. All right. I already did Cult of Luna. No, to be perfectly honest, I'm surprised. I feel like this might make the top 25 based on it being my number one and somebody else having it. But John knows. I'll make sure it makes the top 25. Prog nipples. Devin Townsend, Lightwork. Oh, yeah. Will's like, what?

What? I'm sorry. This is such an amazing album from an amazing human being. I couldn't not do it. Sorry, Will. Shit, now I should have made it my number one just to make it. I know. I was like, I can't believe you have it way down your list. It was like 18 or some shit. I'm still surprised. I told you. I told you. I hated my list. Shocking.

people didn't include it. Well, that's because there's a bunch of stupid people in the world, but none of them are here, luckily. I mean, I listened to it and I admired it, but yeah, I wasn't going to make my list. Yeah. Well, you know, I understand that. I have your list. That's exactly right. I do not. I mean, I knew it'd be on yours, John. I knew it'd be on yours, George. Yeah. Hey, you know, I get it that it's not for everybody, but it is for me. So it is what it is. I think this is one of those great list picks that makes you go list

to a record because I had missed it and I'm a huge Devin Townsend fan until I talked to you. And now you don't like him anymore? No. Until I talked to you. No, no, no. I hadn't listened to it until I talked to him at. John. Yeah, sorry, I'm pointing it. Sorry to talk to John. At Atlas. At Atlas. And I hadn't heard the record, although I was excited for it to come out and I listened to it and was like, oh, this is really good. I'm really into this. And this is one of those. And you were talking to me

like, do you care about this at all? I'm like, a little. Because I hadn't heard it previously, but I was excited for it, and it's great. And this is one of those cool things with lists that you check it out after, and you say, oh, yeah, people are really into this. And you're like, oh, wow, this is awesome. I'm really into this. Yep. So there we are. So normally we forget about this, but should we do some honorable mentions? Oh, yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we can do them real quick. We'll run through them real quick. Real quick. Like,

Band Title Done. That's it. All right. James, do you have any? Yeah, sure. I'll make it real fast. I'll just run through some names because a few of these were mentioned. I love that Spirit World, Strigoi, Esalt Trilohem, Negative Plane was awesome, Dark Meditation, if you haven't heard that. It's kind of almost like if you want more idle hands, but not as,

I have to shout out is Venom Inc. I thought the Venom Inc. record was phenomenal. And that's something that such a classic name that people quickly overlook sometimes. And if you haven't heard that record, go spend some time on it. It's wonderful. I'm sure Jay likes it. I haven't spent time with this. It's so good. I'm not normally more of like a trad metal fan. And it's, you know, Venom Inc. being, you know, trad and some black metal. And it's really great.

He's not a fan of something even though he has 45. Yeah, I know, right? Don't believe anything I say. Even really traditional though, but Abaddon is not on it. And I kind of looked away when Abaddon left, but I'll get it. There's no reason I don't have it. I'm friends with all those guys on Facebook. I should fucking have bought it. Check it out. That's probably the big takeaway I'll get today is I need to get that record. All right, mark us on real quick. Yeah, so I do top 40.

Number 26 was Hath, All That Was Promised. Number 27 was Kaven, Heavy Pendulum. That's what I was looking for. Yep. Number 28, Haran, Empires of Ash. Number 29, Graceless, Chance from Purgatory. Number 30, Immolation, Acts of God. Number 31. Yeah, I mean, I love Immolation. I just don't think this is as good as the other albums. Number 31, Altars, Ascetic,

Reflection. Number 32. A lot of these have been mentioned, actually. Davanio Verdict, Ashblind. Matt mentioned that one. Number 33. Nightfell, Never Comes the Storm. Number 34. Diminished Empires, Dawn of Failure. Number 35. Iron Flame, Where Madness Dwells. Number 36. Critical Defiance, No Life Forms. Number 37. Black Braid.

Blackberry 1. Number 38, Mother of Graves, Where the Shadows Adorn. Number 39, Cosmic Putrefaction, Cropescular Dirge for the Blessed Ones. And number 40, Kardashev, Liminal Rite. Nice. Matt, you got any? Yeah, I'll just go band name. Desolate Shrine, Telekinetic Yeti, Blutos Nord, Abhoria, Christian Conjurer, Phobophilic, Arafarolite,

White Ward, Esquela Grind, Ayer Wolves, Parias, Pirithi, Magnetar, Moinoc, Sentient Horror, Abath, Undeath, Dream Unending, Candlemas, Gears of the Chronicles, Summerlands, Chrome Gross, Chrome Ghost, Esau Trillium, Terror, Haunt, Sanhedrin, Amorphous, Vandom, Soar, Universally Estranged, Rip to Shreds, Haunter, dot dot dot, ETC. Gotcha. John? Right.

All the records from the rest of the year. Yeah, that's what I've got, like 30 of them. All right. These are all tied for 26. I'm not going to waste time trying to put them all in order. So, Abhoria, Abhoria, Alters, Aesthetic Reflection, Artificial Brain, Artificial Brain, Becker Quillish, The Throes from Death from the Dream Nihilism, Faceless Burial at the Foothills, Deloration, Maris Mele, I cannot pronounce the album name, but they're,

Pagan Black Metal from Finland. Otolith. I like that album a lot. Summerlands you mentioned. Dream Killer. Temple of Void. Summoning the Slayer. Yes, I did not include them in my top 25. Threshold Dividing Lines. Universally Estrange. Dimension of Deviant Clusters. I'm going to put this in my list because it's like 30 or 20 seconds shorter than the Becker Quillish. That's Warm Blue Nothing. That is a killer EP. It deserves to be up there. Yeah, yeah. It's my number one EP if we did EP.

Yeah, for sure. I just couldn't not include it because, like I said, the Becker Quillage is like 30 seconds longer, 20 seconds longer. And then Zero Hour, Agenda 21. All right. Will? In no particular order, band names only, Phobophilic, Graceless, Belphegor, Massacre, Shape of Despair, Artificial Brain, Jungle Rot, Werewolves, Ectoplasma.

Sun Voyager, which is kind of like in the stoner, doom kind of range there. Troglodyte. Pike versus the Animaton, which was on my mid-year and it dropped off. Pharmacist, the carcass worship band from Japan. Oh, that's so cool. The Chasm, Nighthag, Zab, the band from Pakistan. Yeah, that's the first mention of that. I'm surprised. They were on my mid-year. They were on my mid-year. Convent, Ataraxy, Creeping Flesh,

Midnight, Mutual Traded, Exhumed, Faux Hammer, Monumental, Monumental is the album, Local Guys, Conjure, Cult of Luna, and last but not least, Devin Townsend, Clutch. Clutch. Fuck all y'all. Nice. We need to give him a replay where he gets to put Clutch in and everybody claps and he feels better.

and he works through it.

I need James here with me.

Moral support.

Yeah, there's a clutch t-shirt going on over here.

It's underneath the mortuary.

Take it off.

How many t-shirts are you wearing?

Like 10?

No, just one sleeve and a short sleeve.

Because we're playing strip poker after this.

Yeah.

And I'm bad at poker, so.

Yeah.

So he's layered up.

J, go.

All right, I'll run through mine fast.

Conan, uh,

uh, Mesa,

close cave in heavy pendulum.

Satan earth.

Infernal was real.

Sorry.

I couldn't include that black fucking cancer.

Sour,

uh,

or sore,

whatever the fuck it is.

Night fell.

And the only other one I'm going to mention is.

Do Brassie mix of fucking holy diver,

dude.

Yeah.

Oh,

wait.

He resurrected a record because there was nothing wrong with it,

but somehow that guy fucking brought that record to even,

And like so fucking good. One of the highlights of the year. Might as well throw in Beast Overhammers. Absolutely. Yeah. All right. I'm just doing band names because I got a bunch. And YYZ, John. Yeah. And Beast Overhammers. All right. The one that almost made it Black Royal. Phobophilic. Wormrot. Predatory Light. Wilderun. Yeah. Ashes of Aries. Oh. Celeste. Abysses. Yes. Shadow of

Intent, Belphegor, Defiatory, Pharmacist, Septic Flesh, Disfuneral, Falls of Roros. That Disfuneral is excellent. Yes. In tomb worship, yeah? Kardashev, Deathspell Omega, IATT, formerly known as I Am the Trireme, Heads for the Dead, Jungle Rot, Final Light, Dark Throne, which really wanted to be on there, Immolation,

which also really wanted to be on there. Cycroptic which really wanted to be on there. Strogoi, Blind Guardian, Sog, Sabaton, and Acid Witch. Wow, you threw Sabaton on there. I did. They were like 25 for a while. You talked about them a lot recently. They bring it when they play. That pharmacist is awesome. Andrew Lee does the leads on that too and he just shreds on it. It's so good. Yeah. Wow. It's good stuff.

is Carcass Worship. I feel like that was an album of the month for me. So good. I think so. No one's ever tried to do almost like a Carcass cover band. And not the same as the cover band because it's their own stuff. But man, clearly they're trying to replicate Carcass. And it's so good. I don't mind it. It's so good. That's a pretty clever title too, Pharmacist. I like that. That really works to be Carcass Worship. They do such a great job of pulling together the different eras

of Carcass sound. Some of it will get kind of more melodic, and then some of it will get kind of a death and roll groove for a second, and then it'll go back to being grindy. It's great. That's another band that doesn't get emulated enough. Carcass is nice. Bands don't venture that way. Some do. Just a little bit. I've heard a few, but not much. I can't think of them right now, but there was another band that I was like, oh, it's so Carcass. Whereas, you know, it's like literally 50,000 bands that emulate death. Right. Of course.

This is the end of 2022. We're done. It's time to start looking forward to those January releases. Oh my god, this year's already kicking off. Obituary. Yeah, Obituary and a couple other ones. New Memoriam. Oh yeah. So we'll see you again in the new year. James, thanks for coming out. Thanks so much for having me along. Awesome to see you, James. Thanks for coming on and sharing your list.

Pleasure to be here. Sorry to the Metalheads podcast listeners for my rambling. Always happy to be here. Sorry to bore you. If you could just let James know that he is not boring, just write to Decibel Magazine, maybe go on their Facebook page and just be like, hey, James isn't boring, and just let him know. I mean, I love that James comes on because it's like, you know, we did the Decibel list, maybe not quite up to snuff.

I know the metalheads is better. I'm going to go on there and contribute that way. So thanks, James. No problem. His mouth is open. He hasn't spoken. He wants to speak, but he's not going to. You know what it was? He was like, wait a second. Is he about to insult me or something? Yes, you're right. It is better. Yeah, there you go. Yeah, it's better. We got him drunk enough. Yeah.

It's all subjective. There is no better. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. I see it every year. All right. Well, it's nice to see your ugly faces. Happy holidays, mothers. Yep. See you in January. Bye. Thanks again, guys. Later. Peace. Peace brothers.

The Ending Is the New, on the Moon

I've never done the war, that tricked me to be too weak

We're not done until Jay's butt hurts.