#sonataarctica — Public Fediverse posts

I've been wanting an autograph collage for about two years, finally it's done! Museum glass, of course

#autograph #autogrammen #Amorphis #BlindChannel #Apocalyptica #SonataArctica #nailedtoobscurity #heavymetal #metalmusic

So Sonata Arctica's 2003 song Victoria's Secret might be as prophetic as Sonata Arctica's 1999 song Blank File.

#SonataArctica

SONATA ARCTICA (Finlàndia) presenta nou single: "Freedom Concept" #SonataArctica #PowerMetal #Febrer2026 #Finlàndia #NouSingle #Metall #Metal #MúsicaMetal #MetalMusic

Returning with their over-the-top, moar is moar philosophy of fun and shred, on Outstanding Power Lovebites cooks up a sugarbomb so explosive it’ll blow your teeth out your earholes. Minted in 2016, Lovebites has been slinging their brand of power metal for a decade, dropping five full-lengths over that time.1 Outstanding Power marks the band’s fifth full-length release and the first since 2023’s Judgement Day, and these women from Tokyo used the intervening three years to cast a platter that shatters any illusion of restraint. With kicks and licks galore, does Lovebites cram in too much of a good thing, or can their latest LP stand the power?

Anyone unfamiliar with Lovebites can approximate their sound as an all-female version of Galneryus,2 although Lovebites is much more than a clone of a great band. Their full-length debut Awakening from Abyss dropped in 2017, with subsequent albums Clockwork Immortality and Electric Pentagram released in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Both follow-ups impressed, but nothing quite reached the heights of their debut until fourth album Judgement Day hit shelves in 2023. Introducing new bassist Fami,3 Judgement Day honed Lovebites’ attack to a lethal edge, and with even more time spent sharpening their craft, Outstanding Power cuts deeper than ever.

Outstanding Power by Lovebites

Lovebites’ stable lineup exudes an electrifying chemistry throughout Outstanding Power. Each component of the band’s auditory milieu complements the others, whether it’s the blazing guitar tandem of Midori and Miyako, Haruna’s meticulously mechanical drumming, or Fami’s low-end purr and incredibly hooky countermelodies. Musically, Lovebites has never been this exacting. From the calculated rhythms in “Silence the Void” to the galloping rolls in “Blazing Halo,” Haruna’s drumming goads songs with an unflappable urgency that’s simultaneously composed and tempestuous. Meanwhile, Fami’s bass flexes mondo swagger that recalls Geddy Lee’s aggressive plucks and twangs (“The Castaway”) as well as Flea-bitten flourishes (the intro to “Blazing Halo”). In fact, the bass’s expanded role on Outstanding Power defines what elevates the album above the rest of Lovebites’ already first-rate output. Besides trading vicious solos and captivating riffs with fellow axe-bearer Midori, Miyako supplies the keys, channeling duel-lead, arpeggiated runs à la Children of Bodom (“The Castaway”) as nimbly as she blankets moods with Sonata Arctica-informed synth and piano (“Eternally,” “One Will Remain”). Atop it all, singer Asami coos, belts, and wails with a voice that some may find an acquired taste with her heavy use of vibrato, but is powerful and unique. Overall, the songwriting on Outstanding Power synchronizes into lock-step bombast, where each track dazzles with its own fully-fleshed identity and laser-honed melodies.

Though not without fault, Outstanding Power unequivocally claims the top spot in Lovebites’ catalog (so far). No small part of this is thanks to Fami and Haruna, who bring the rhythm section to the fore with undeniable performances that match the high-flying axe-work besieging previous releases. The biggest strike against Outstanding Power is the album’s sixty-four-minute runtime, which the sharp songwriting mitigates with infectious melodies and perfectly executed instrumentation. Even Outstanding Power’s weakest cut, seven-minute ballad “Eternally,” contains good moments despite fumbling Lovebites’ momentum down the home stretch. Add in the surprisingly spacious mix4 that gives the band ample space to pop and you’ve got yourself a bona fide power metal classic on your hands.

Power metal presents a challenge to rate, as its natural optimism and oft-cheesy tropes can be at odds with what typically engenders high scores and opinions, and makes Outstanding Power the most difficult score I’ve assessed up to this point. Throughout, Lovebites exemplifies power metal ethos, unleashing high-octane shredded cheese with a flagrant nonchalance that is shamelessly irresistible. With Outstanding Power, Lovebites not only delivers their greatest achievement so far, but the best power metal release I’ve heard in over a year. Relentless riffs, grooves, and fills assail listeners with flamboyant moxie and technical ecstasy, defining an album I haven’t been able to put down since I got my grubby mitts on the damned thing. If fun won’t kill you, give Lovebites’ opus a spin. Or maybe give it a listen anyway, because what’s life without a little Love?

Rating: Great
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 18th, 2026

Maddog

Much to her chagrin, Thus Spoke and I share many things in common. Chief among them is our anaphylactic allergy to major scales; being the two resident vegans, we struggle with cheesy music.5 While this has made power metal a difficult subgenre, Lovebites is an exception. Our coverage of this Japanese juggernaut has been scarce, but I gave 2023’s Judgement Day a tempered positive filter review. Outstanding Power has the same foundation as Lovebites’ prior work, but with a beefier rhythm section, more variety, better riffs, hookier hooks, and more cohesive songwriting. It’s a fantastic record.

Outstanding Power is textbook power metal, in the same sense that Rust in Peace is textbook thrash. The centerpiece is Asami’s vocal performance, which is appropriately over-the-top but steps back to let the instruments shine. Lovebites’ most visible weapon is their dual-guitar assault. Across theatrical leads, deathy riffs, and unrestrained solos, guitarists Midori and Miyako display a mastery of melody. Even with such stiff competition, Lovebites’ rhythm section stands out. Fami’s bass plays every part it can, with blistering riffs, playful lines that recall a young Steve Harris, and explosive additions to choruses. Haruna’s drumming is a gem, especially when her lavish fills and opening salvos help stitch the album together. Both the bass and the drums peak when their respective musicians take the songwriting reins; Fami’s collaborative composition “Blazing Halo” features irresistible dueling bass and guitar solos, while Haruna’s “Forbidden Thirst” highlights her grooviest drum work. No member of Lovebites ever fades into obscurity.

Outstanding Power holds me rapt throughout. Across their hyperactive leads, 1980s virtuoso shredfests (“One Will Remain”), and fanciful Mark Knopfler-style (Dire Straits) joyrides (“Wheels on Fire”), guitarists Midori and Miyako don’t miss a beat. Their dominance becomes clearest when they join forces. Lovebites’ harmonies recall Iron Maiden, and the guitarists’ knack for separating and rejoining makes “The Castaway” an early contender for Song o’ the Year. Asami’s vocals aren’t bulletproof, particularly in her higher register. Still, the vocals and the guitars forge an ironclad alliance that raises Outstanding Power to new heights. The guitars’ imitation of the vocal shouts on “[Grin] Reaper’s Lullaby” makes me grin every time, while the orgiastic leads that accompany the final chorus of “Out of Control” remind me of Madonna’s classic “Burning Up.” Even the ballad “Eternally” is a triumph. While its vocal melodies are memorable, “Eternally” takes a cue from Gamma Ray’s “Lake of Tears” in delegating much of the heavy lifting to the weepy guitars. These ingredients make Outstanding Power a wellspring of enormous climaxes. The guitar solos are at once emotive and explosive (“The Eve of Change”), and each song ends with pizzazz (“Silence the Void”). In short, Outstanding Power is a goddamn pleasure.

Outstanding Power is such a spectacle that I can’t even begrudge its excess. I hear Sunburst in the chugging riffs of “Blazing Halo.” I hear Riot in the downright rowdy “Silence the Void.” I hear 1980s electronica interspersed with chest-thumping power metal in “The Eve of Change.” I hear Symphony X in the vocal melodies and the atmosphere of “Forbidden Thirst.” I hear Kryptos’ heavy metal revival in the rockin’ ruffian riffs of “Out of Control.” I hear blackened melodeath in the vicious “Reaper’s Lullaby,” contrasting with the heart-rending ballad “Eternally.” Most importantly, I hear Lovebites in every moment. All five band members sustain the album’s shifts while sticking to their signature styles. With its balance of variety and continuity, Outstanding Power feels half as long as its 64-minute runtime. Due to the album’s wide emotional range, I even grew to love its more upbeat tracks. Criticizing Lovebites for sounding cheerful seems akin to criticizing Monet because you don’t like yellow water lilies; sometimes flowers are yellow, you twit! Outstanding Power tries to do a lot, and it nails every piece.

As I struggle to process this album, I’m reminded of Eldritch Elitist’s review of Imperial Circus Dead Decadence. Yes, Outstanding Power is self-indulgent; what’s your point? Lovebites paints their variegated image of power metal with five brushes and five million colors, and the result is astounding. It isn’t perfect, and the crushed master makes it harder to appreciate the album’s finer features. But Outstanding Power easily won over my shriveled heart. While major scales make me gag, these ones just feel like the crest of a wave. While I tend to balk at hour-long albums, this one goes by in a heartbeat. Power metal isn’t my usual fare, but Lovebites has created a masterwork.



Rating: 4.5/5.0

Returning with their over-the-top, moar is moar philosophy of fun and shred, on Outstanding Power Lovebites cooks up a sugarbomb so explosive it’ll blow your teeth out your earholes. Minted in 2016, Lovebites has been slinging their brand of power metal for a decade, dropping five full-lengths over that time.1 Outstanding Power marks the band’s fifth full-length release and the first since 2023’s Judgement Day, and these women from Tokyo used the intervening three years to cast a platter that shatters any illusion of restraint. With kicks and licks galore, does Lovebites cram in too much of a good thing, or can their latest LP stand the power?

Anyone unfamiliar with Lovebites can approximate their sound as an all-female version of Galneryus,2 although Lovebites is much more than a clone of a great band. Their full-length debut Awakening from Abyss dropped in 2017, with subsequent albums Clockwork Immortality and Electric Pentagram released in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Both follow-ups impressed, but nothing quite reached the heights of their debut until fourth album Judgement Day hit shelves in 2023. Introducing new bassist Fami,3 Judgement Day honed Lovebites’ attack to a lethal edge, and with even more time spent sharpening their craft, Outstanding Power cuts deeper than ever.

Outstanding Power by Lovebites

Lovebites’ stable lineup exudes an electrifying chemistry throughout Outstanding Power. Each component of the band’s auditory milieu complements the others, whether it’s the blazing guitar tandem of Midori and Miyako, Haruna’s meticulously mechanical drumming, or Fami’s low-end purr and incredibly hooky countermelodies. Musically, Lovebites has never been this exacting. From the calculated rhythms in “Silence the Void” to the galloping rolls in “Blazing Halo,” Haruna’s drumming goads songs with an unflappable urgency that’s simultaneously composed and tempestuous. Meanwhile, Fami’s bass flexes mondo swagger that recalls Geddy Lee’s aggressive plucks and twangs (“The Castaway”) as well as Flea-bitten flourishes (the intro to “Blazing Halo”). In fact, the bass’s expanded role on Outstanding Power defines what elevates the album above the rest of Lovebites’ already first-rate output. Besides trading vicious solos and captivating riffs with fellow axe-bearer Midori, Miyako supplies the keys, channeling duel-lead, arpeggiated runs à la Children of Bodom (“The Castaway”) as nimbly as she blankets moods with Sonata Arctica-informed synth and piano (“Eternally,” “One Will Remain”). Atop it all, singer Asami coos, belts, and wails with a voice that some may find an acquired taste with her heavy use of vibrato, but is powerful and unique. Overall, the songwriting on Outstanding Power synchronizes into lock-step bombast, where each track dazzles with its own fully-fleshed identity and laser-honed melodies.

Though not without fault, Outstanding Power unequivocally claims the top spot in Lovebites’ catalog (so far). No small part of this is thanks to Fami and Haruna, who bring the rhythm section to the fore with undeniable performances that match the high-flying axe-work besieging previous releases. The biggest strike against Outstanding Power is the album’s sixty-four-minute runtime, which the sharp songwriting mitigates with infectious melodies and perfectly executed instrumentation. Even Outstanding Power’s weakest cut, seven-minute ballad “Eternally,” contains good moments despite fumbling Lovebites’ momentum down the home stretch. Add in the surprisingly spacious mix4 that gives the band ample space to pop and you’ve got yourself a bona fide power metal classic on your hands.

Power metal presents a challenge to rate, as its natural optimism and oft-cheesy tropes can be at odds with what typically engenders high scores and opinions, and makes Outstanding Power the most difficult score I’ve assessed up to this point. Throughout, Lovebites exemplifies power metal ethos, unleashing high-octane shredded cheese with a flagrant nonchalance that is shamelessly irresistible. With Outstanding Power, Lovebites not only delivers their greatest achievement so far, but the best power metal release I’ve heard in over a year. Relentless riffs, grooves, and fills assail listeners with flamboyant moxie and technical ecstasy, defining an album I haven’t been able to put down since I got my grubby mitts on the damned thing. If fun won’t kill you, give Lovebites’ opus a spin. Or maybe give it a listen anyway, because what’s life without a little Love?

Rating: Great
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 18th, 2026

Maddog

Much to her chagrin, Thus Spoke and I share many things in common. Chief among them is our anaphylactic allergy to major scales; being the two resident vegans, we struggle with cheesy music.5 While this has made power metal a difficult subgenre, Lovebites is an exception. Our coverage of this Japanese juggernaut has been scarce, but I gave 2023’s Judgement Day a tempered positive filter review. Outstanding Power has the same foundation as Lovebites’ prior work, but with a beefier rhythm section, more variety, better riffs, hookier hooks, and more cohesive songwriting. It’s a fantastic record.

Outstanding Power is textbook power metal, in the same sense that Rust in Peace is textbook thrash. The centerpiece is Asami’s vocal performance, which is appropriately over-the-top but steps back to let the instruments shine. Lovebites’ most visible weapon is their dual-guitar assault. Across theatrical leads, deathy riffs, and unrestrained solos, guitarists Midori and Miyako display a mastery of melody. Even with such stiff competition, Lovebites’ rhythm section stands out. Fami’s bass plays every part it can, with blistering riffs, playful lines that recall a young Steve Harris, and explosive additions to choruses. Haruna’s drumming is a gem, especially when her lavish fills and opening salvos help stitch the album together. Both the bass and the drums peak when their respective musicians take the songwriting reins; Fami’s collaborative composition “Blazing Halo” features irresistible dueling bass and guitar solos, while Haruna’s “Forbidden Thirst” highlights her grooviest drum work. No member of Lovebites ever fades into obscurity.

Outstanding Power holds me rapt throughout. Across their hyperactive leads, 1980s virtuoso shredfests (“One Will Remain”), and fanciful Mark Knopfler-style (Dire Straits) joyrides (“Wheels on Fire”), guitarists Midori and Miyako don’t miss a beat. Their dominance becomes clearest when they join forces. Lovebites’ harmonies recall Iron Maiden, and the guitarists’ knack for separating and rejoining makes “The Castaway” an early contender for Song o’ the Year. Asami’s vocals aren’t bulletproof, particularly in her higher register. Still, the vocals and the guitars forge an ironclad alliance that raises Outstanding Power to new heights. The guitars’ imitation of the vocal shouts on “[Grin] Reaper’s Lullaby” makes me grin every time, while the orgiastic leads that accompany the final chorus of “Out of Control” remind me of Madonna’s classic “Burning Up.” Even the ballad “Eternally” is a triumph. While its vocal melodies are memorable, “Eternally” takes a cue from Gamma Ray’s “Lake of Tears” in delegating much of the heavy lifting to the weepy guitars. These ingredients make Outstanding Power a wellspring of enormous climaxes. The guitar solos are at once emotive and explosive (“The Eve of Change”), and each song ends with pizzazz (“Silence the Void”). In short, Outstanding Power is a goddamn pleasure.

Outstanding Power is such a spectacle that I can’t even begrudge its excess. I hear Sunburst in the chugging riffs of “Blazing Halo.” I hear Riot in the downright rowdy “Silence the Void.” I hear 1980s electronica interspersed with chest-thumping power metal in “The Eve of Change.” I hear Symphony X in the vocal melodies and the atmosphere of “Forbidden Thirst.” I hear Kryptos’ heavy metal revival in the rockin’ ruffian riffs of “Out of Control.” I hear blackened melodeath in the vicious “Reaper’s Lullaby,” contrasting with the heart-rending ballad “Eternally.” Most importantly, I hear Lovebites in every moment. All five band members sustain the album’s shifts while sticking to their signature styles. With its balance of variety and continuity, Outstanding Power feels half as long as its 64-minute runtime. Due to the album’s wide emotional range, I even grew to love its more upbeat tracks. Criticizing Lovebites for sounding cheerful seems akin to criticizing Monet because you don’t like yellow water lilies; sometimes flowers are yellow, you twit! Outstanding Power tries to do a lot, and it nails every piece.

As I struggle to process this album, I’m reminded of Eldritch Elitist’s review of Imperial Circus Dead Decadence. Yes, Outstanding Power is self-indulgent; what’s your point? Lovebites paints their variegated image of power metal with five brushes and five million colors, and the result is astounding. It isn’t perfect, and the crushed master makes it harder to appreciate the album’s finer features. But Outstanding Power easily won over my shriveled heart. While major scales make me gag, these ones just feel like the crest of a wave. While I tend to balk at hour-long albums, this one goes by in a heartbeat. Power metal isn’t my usual fare, but Lovebites has created a masterwork.



Rating: 4.5/5.0

Returning with their over-the-top, moar is moar philosophy of fun and shred, on Outstanding Power Lovebites cooks up a sugarbomb so explosive it’ll blow your teeth out your earholes. Minted in 2016, Lovebites has been slinging their brand of power metal for a decade, dropping five full-lengths over that time.1 Outstanding Power marks the band’s fifth full-length release and the first since 2023’s Judgement Day, and these women from Tokyo used the intervening three years to cast a platter that shatters any illusion of restraint. With kicks and licks galore, does Lovebites cram in too much of a good thing, or can their latest LP stand the power?

Anyone unfamiliar with Lovebites can approximate their sound as an all-female version of Galneryus,2 although Lovebites is much more than a clone of a great band. Their full-length debut Awakening from Abyss dropped in 2017, with subsequent albums Clockwork Immortality and Electric Pentagram released in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Both follow-ups impressed, but nothing quite reached the heights of their debut until fourth album Judgement Day hit shelves in 2023. Introducing new bassist Fami,3 Judgement Day honed Lovebites’ attack to a lethal edge, and with even more time spent sharpening their craft, Outstanding Power cuts deeper than ever.

Outstanding Power by Lovebites

Lovebites’ stable lineup exudes an electrifying chemistry throughout Outstanding Power. Each component of the band’s auditory milieu complements the others, whether it’s the blazing guitar tandem of Midori and Miyako, Haruna’s meticulously mechanical drumming, or Fami’s low-end purr and incredibly hooky countermelodies. Musically, Lovebites has never been this exacting. From the calculated rhythms in “Silence the Void” to the galloping rolls in “Blazing Halo,” Haruna’s drumming goads songs with an unflappable urgency that’s simultaneously composed and tempestuous. Meanwhile, Fami’s bass flexes mondo swagger that recalls Geddy Lee’s aggressive plucks and twangs (“The Castaway”) as well as Flea-bitten flourishes (the intro to “Blazing Halo”). In fact, the bass’s expanded role on Outstanding Power defines what elevates the album above the rest of Lovebites’ already first-rate output. Besides trading vicious solos and captivating riffs with fellow axe-bearer Midori, Miyako supplies the keys, channeling duel-lead, arpeggiated runs à la Children of Bodom (“The Castaway”) as nimbly as she blankets moods with Sonata Arctica-informed synth and piano (“Eternally,” “One Will Remain”). Atop it all, singer Asami coos, belts, and wails with a voice that some may find an acquired taste with her heavy use of vibrato, but is powerful and unique. Overall, the songwriting on Outstanding Power synchronizes into lock-step bombast, where each track dazzles with its own fully-fleshed identity and laser-honed melodies.

Though not without fault, Outstanding Power unequivocally claims the top spot in Lovebites’ catalog (so far). No small part of this is thanks to Fami and Haruna, who bring the rhythm section to the fore with undeniable performances that match the high-flying axe-work besieging previous releases. The biggest strike against Outstanding Power is the album’s sixty-four-minute runtime, which the sharp songwriting mitigates with infectious melodies and perfectly executed instrumentation. Even Outstanding Power’s weakest cut, seven-minute ballad “Eternally,” contains good moments despite fumbling Lovebites’ momentum down the home stretch. Add in the surprisingly spacious mix4 that gives the band ample space to pop and you’ve got yourself a bona fide power metal classic on your hands.

Power metal presents a challenge to rate, as its natural optimism and oft-cheesy tropes can be at odds with what typically engenders high scores and opinions, and makes Outstanding Power the most difficult score I’ve assessed up to this point. Throughout, Lovebites exemplifies power metal ethos, unleashing high-octane shredded cheese with a flagrant nonchalance that is shamelessly irresistible. With Outstanding Power, Lovebites not only delivers their greatest achievement so far, but the best power metal release I’ve heard in over a year. Relentless riffs, grooves, and fills assail listeners with flamboyant moxie and technical ecstasy, defining an album I haven’t been able to put down since I got my grubby mitts on the damned thing. If fun won’t kill you, give Lovebites’ opus a spin. Or maybe give it a listen anyway, because what’s life without a little Love?

Rating: Great
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 18th, 2026

Maddog

Much to her chagrin, Thus Spoke and I share many things in common. Chief among them is our anaphylactic allergy to major scales; being the two resident vegans, we struggle with cheesy music.5 While this has made power metal a difficult subgenre, Lovebites is an exception. Our coverage of this Japanese juggernaut has been scarce, but I gave 2023’s Judgement Day a tempered positive filter review. Outstanding Power has the same foundation as Lovebites’ prior work, but with a beefier rhythm section, more variety, better riffs, hookier hooks, and more cohesive songwriting. It’s a fantastic record.

Outstanding Power is textbook power metal, in the same sense that Rust in Peace is textbook thrash. The centerpiece is Asami’s vocal performance, which is appropriately over-the-top but steps back to let the instruments shine. Lovebites’ most visible weapon is their dual-guitar assault. Across theatrical leads, deathy riffs, and unrestrained solos, guitarists Midori and Miyako display a mastery of melody. Even with such stiff competition, Lovebites’ rhythm section stands out. Fami’s bass plays every part it can, with blistering riffs, playful lines that recall a young Steve Harris, and explosive additions to choruses. Haruna’s drumming is a gem, especially when her lavish fills and opening salvos help stitch the album together. Both the bass and the drums peak when their respective musicians take the songwriting reins; Fami’s collaborative composition “Blazing Halo” features irresistible dueling bass and guitar solos, while Haruna’s “Forbidden Thirst” highlights her grooviest drum work. No member of Lovebites ever fades into obscurity.

Outstanding Power holds me rapt throughout. Across their hyperactive leads, 1980s virtuoso shredfests (“One Will Remain”), and fanciful Mark Knopfler-style (Dire Straits) joyrides (“Wheels on Fire”), guitarists Midori and Miyako don’t miss a beat. Their dominance becomes clearest when they join forces. Lovebites’ harmonies recall Iron Maiden, and the guitarists’ knack for separating and rejoining makes “The Castaway” an early contender for Song o’ the Year. Asami’s vocals aren’t bulletproof, particularly in her higher register. Still, the vocals and the guitars forge an ironclad alliance that raises Outstanding Power to new heights. The guitars’ imitation of the vocal shouts on “[Grin] Reaper’s Lullaby” makes me grin every time, while the orgiastic leads that accompany the final chorus of “Out of Control” remind me of Madonna’s classic “Burning Up.” Even the ballad “Eternally” is a triumph. While its vocal melodies are memorable, “Eternally” takes a cue from Gamma Ray’s “Lake of Tears” in delegating much of the heavy lifting to the weepy guitars. These ingredients make Outstanding Power a wellspring of enormous climaxes. The guitar solos are at once emotive and explosive (“The Eve of Change”), and each song ends with pizzazz (“Silence the Void”). In short, Outstanding Power is a goddamn pleasure.

Outstanding Power is such a spectacle that I can’t even begrudge its excess. I hear Sunburst in the chugging riffs of “Blazing Halo.” I hear Riot in the downright rowdy “Silence the Void.” I hear 1980s electronica interspersed with chest-thumping power metal in “The Eve of Change.” I hear Symphony X in the vocal melodies and the atmosphere of “Forbidden Thirst.” I hear Kryptos’ heavy metal revival in the rockin’ ruffian riffs of “Out of Control.” I hear blackened melodeath in the vicious “Reaper’s Lullaby,” contrasting with the heart-rending ballad “Eternally.” Most importantly, I hear Lovebites in every moment. All five band members sustain the album’s shifts while sticking to their signature styles. With its balance of variety and continuity, Outstanding Power feels half as long as its 64-minute runtime. Due to the album’s wide emotional range, I even grew to love its more upbeat tracks. Criticizing Lovebites for sounding cheerful seems akin to criticizing Monet because you don’t like yellow water lilies; sometimes flowers are yellow, you twit! Outstanding Power tries to do a lot, and it nails every piece.

As I struggle to process this album, I’m reminded of Eldritch Elitist’s review of Imperial Circus Dead Decadence. Yes, Outstanding Power is self-indulgent; what’s your point? Lovebites paints their variegated image of power metal with five brushes and five million colors, and the result is astounding. It isn’t perfect, and the crushed master makes it harder to appreciate the album’s finer features. But Outstanding Power easily won over my shriveled heart. While major scales make me gag, these ones just feel like the crest of a wave. While I tend to balk at hour-long albums, this one goes by in a heartbeat. Power metal isn’t my usual fare, but Lovebites has created a masterwork.



Rating: 4.5/5.0

Returning with their over-the-top, moar is moar philosophy of fun and shred, on Outstanding Power Lovebites cooks up a sugarbomb so explosive it’ll blow your teeth out your earholes. Minted in 2016, Lovebites has been slinging their brand of power metal for a decade, dropping five full-lengths over that time.1 Outstanding Power marks the band’s fifth full-length release and the first since 2023’s Judgement Day, and these women from Tokyo used the intervening three years to cast a platter that shatters any illusion of restraint. With kicks and licks galore, does Lovebites cram in too much of a good thing, or can their latest LP stand the power?

Anyone unfamiliar with Lovebites can approximate their sound as an all-female version of Galneryus,2 although Lovebites is much more than a clone of a great band. Their full-length debut Awakening from Abyss dropped in 2017, with subsequent albums Clockwork Immortality and Electric Pentagram released in 2018 and 2020, respectively. Both follow-ups impressed, but nothing quite reached the heights of their debut until fourth album Judgement Day hit shelves in 2023. Introducing new bassist Fami,3 Judgement Day honed Lovebites’ attack to a lethal edge, and with even more time spent sharpening their craft, Outstanding Power cuts deeper than ever.

Outstanding Power by Lovebites

Lovebites’ stable lineup exudes an electrifying chemistry throughout Outstanding Power. Each component of the band’s auditory milieu complements the others, whether it’s the blazing guitar tandem of Midori and Miyako, Haruna’s meticulously mechanical drumming, or Fami’s low-end purr and incredibly hooky countermelodies. Musically, Lovebites has never been this exacting. From the calculated rhythms in “Silence the Void” to the galloping rolls in “Blazing Halo,” Haruna’s drumming goads songs with an unflappable urgency that’s simultaneously composed and tempestuous. Meanwhile, Fami’s bass flexes mondo swagger that recalls Geddy Lee’s aggressive plucks and twangs (“The Castaway”) as well as Flea-bitten flourishes (the intro to “Blazing Halo”). In fact, the bass’s expanded role on Outstanding Power defines what elevates the album above the rest of Lovebites’ already first-rate output. Besides trading vicious solos and captivating riffs with fellow axe-bearer Midori, Miyako supplies the keys, channeling duel-lead, arpeggiated runs à la Children of Bodom (“The Castaway”) as nimbly as she blankets moods with Sonata Arctica-informed synth and piano (“Eternally,” “One Will Remain”). Atop it all, singer Asami coos, belts, and wails with a voice that some may find an acquired taste with her heavy use of vibrato, but is powerful and unique. Overall, the songwriting on Outstanding Power synchronizes into lock-step bombast, where each track dazzles with its own fully-fleshed identity and laser-honed melodies.

Though not without fault, Outstanding Power unequivocally claims the top spot in Lovebites’ catalog (so far). No small part of this is thanks to Fami and Haruna, who bring the rhythm section to the fore with undeniable performances that match the high-flying axe-work besieging previous releases. The biggest strike against Outstanding Power is the album’s sixty-four-minute runtime, which the sharp songwriting mitigates with infectious melodies and perfectly executed instrumentation. Even Outstanding Power’s weakest cut, seven-minute ballad “Eternally,” contains good moments despite fumbling Lovebites’ momentum down the home stretch. Add in the surprisingly spacious mix4 that gives the band ample space to pop and you’ve got yourself a bona fide power metal classic on your hands.

Power metal presents a challenge to rate, as its natural optimism and oft-cheesy tropes can be at odds with what typically engenders high scores and opinions, and makes Outstanding Power the most difficult score I’ve assessed up to this point. Throughout, Lovebites exemplifies power metal ethos, unleashing high-octane shredded cheese with a flagrant nonchalance that is shamelessly irresistible. With Outstanding Power, Lovebites not only delivers their greatest achievement so far, but the best power metal release I’ve heard in over a year. Relentless riffs, grooves, and fills assail listeners with flamboyant moxie and technical ecstasy, defining an album I haven’t been able to put down since I got my grubby mitts on the damned thing. If fun won’t kill you, give Lovebites’ opus a spin. Or maybe give it a listen anyway, because what’s life without a little Love?

Rating: Great
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 256 kbps mp3
Label: Napalm Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: February 18th, 2026

Maddog

Much to her chagrin, Thus Spoke and I share many things in common. Chief among them is our anaphylactic allergy to major scales; being the two resident vegans, we struggle with cheesy music.5 While this has made power metal a difficult subgenre, Lovebites is an exception. Our coverage of this Japanese juggernaut has been scarce, but I gave 2023’s Judgement Day a tempered positive filter review. Outstanding Power has the same foundation as Lovebites’ prior work, but with a beefier rhythm section, more variety, better riffs, hookier hooks, and more cohesive songwriting. It’s a fantastic record.

Outstanding Power is textbook power metal, in the same sense that Rust in Peace is textbook thrash. The centerpiece is Asami’s vocal performance, which is appropriately over-the-top but steps back to let the instruments shine. Lovebites’ most visible weapon is their dual-guitar assault. Across theatrical leads, deathy riffs, and unrestrained solos, guitarists Midori and Miyako display a mastery of melody. Even with such stiff competition, Lovebites’ rhythm section stands out. Fami’s bass plays every part it can, with blistering riffs, playful lines that recall a young Steve Harris, and explosive additions to choruses. Haruna’s drumming is a gem, especially when her lavish fills and opening salvos help stitch the album together. Both the bass and the drums peak when their respective musicians take the songwriting reins; Fami’s collaborative composition “Blazing Halo” features irresistible dueling bass and guitar solos, while Haruna’s “Forbidden Thirst” highlights her grooviest drum work. No member of Lovebites ever fades into obscurity.

Outstanding Power holds me rapt throughout. Across their hyperactive leads, 1980s virtuoso shredfests (“One Will Remain”), and fanciful Mark Knopfler-style (Dire Straits) joyrides (“Wheels on Fire”), guitarists Midori and Miyako don’t miss a beat. Their dominance becomes clearest when they join forces. Lovebites’ harmonies recall Iron Maiden, and the guitarists’ knack for separating and rejoining makes “The Castaway” an early contender for Song o’ the Year. Asami’s vocals aren’t bulletproof, particularly in her higher register. Still, the vocals and the guitars forge an ironclad alliance that raises Outstanding Power to new heights. The guitars’ imitation of the vocal shouts on “[Grin] Reaper’s Lullaby” makes me grin every time, while the orgiastic leads that accompany the final chorus of “Out of Control” remind me of Madonna’s classic “Burning Up.” Even the ballad “Eternally” is a triumph. While its vocal melodies are memorable, “Eternally” takes a cue from Gamma Ray’s “Lake of Tears” in delegating much of the heavy lifting to the weepy guitars. These ingredients make Outstanding Power a wellspring of enormous climaxes. The guitar solos are at once emotive and explosive (“The Eve of Change”), and each song ends with pizzazz (“Silence the Void”). In short, Outstanding Power is a goddamn pleasure.

Outstanding Power is such a spectacle that I can’t even begrudge its excess. I hear Sunburst in the chugging riffs of “Blazing Halo.” I hear Riot in the downright rowdy “Silence the Void.” I hear 1980s electronica interspersed with chest-thumping power metal in “The Eve of Change.” I hear Symphony X in the vocal melodies and the atmosphere of “Forbidden Thirst.” I hear Kryptos’ heavy metal revival in the rockin’ ruffian riffs of “Out of Control.” I hear blackened melodeath in the vicious “Reaper’s Lullaby,” contrasting with the heart-rending ballad “Eternally.” Most importantly, I hear Lovebites in every moment. All five band members sustain the album’s shifts while sticking to their signature styles. With its balance of variety and continuity, Outstanding Power feels half as long as its 64-minute runtime. Due to the album’s wide emotional range, I even grew to love its more upbeat tracks. Criticizing Lovebites for sounding cheerful seems akin to criticizing Monet because you don’t like yellow water lilies; sometimes flowers are yellow, you twit! Outstanding Power tries to do a lot, and it nails every piece.

As I struggle to process this album, I’m reminded of Eldritch Elitist’s review of Imperial Circus Dead Decadence. Yes, Outstanding Power is self-indulgent; what’s your point? Lovebites paints their variegated image of power metal with five brushes and five million colors, and the result is astounding. It isn’t perfect, and the crushed master makes it harder to appreciate the album’s finer features. But Outstanding Power easily won over my shriveled heart. While major scales make me gag, these ones just feel like the crest of a wave. While I tend to balk at hour-long albums, this one goes by in a heartbeat. Power metal isn’t my usual fare, but Lovebites has created a masterwork.



Rating: 4.5/5.0

Sonata Arctica en Chile 2026: fecha, lugar y venta de entradas para el concierto | vía #FuturoCL

https://www.futuro.cl/2026/02/sonata-arctica-en-chile-2026-fecha-lugar-y-venta-de-entradas-para-el-concierto/

#conciertosenchile #sonataarctica

Sonata Arctica confirma su regreso a Chile celebrando su 30° aniversario | vía #ZumbidoCL

https://zumbido.cl/sonata-arctica-confirma-su-regreso-a-chile-celebrando-su-30-aniversario/

#conciertos #powermetal #sonataarctica #thefanlab

Sonata Arctica regresa a Chile para celebrar sus 30 años | vía #NaciónRock

https://www.nacionrock.com/sonata-arctica-regresa-a-chile-para-celebrar-sus-30-anos/

#agenda #sonataarctica

MAKUASIA mutta levy jossa Liimatainen soitti viimeisiä kertoja oli #sonataarctica kulta-ajan viimeinen hyvä levy. Ja tämä on toinen niistä kahdesta loistavasta mitä levyltä löytyy

https://open.spotify.com/track/2bVAwVS2DatQRDERanpe6W?si=vsUEtUgURhiSIFd6utU2TQ

MAKUASIA mutta levy jossa Liimatainen soitti viimeisiä kertoja oli #sonataarctica kulta-ajan viimeinen hyvä levy. Ja tämä on toinen niistä kahdesta loistavasta mitä levyltä löytyy

https://open.spotify.com/track/2bVAwVS2DatQRDERanpe6W?si=vsUEtUgURhiSIFd6utU2TQ

Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight Sonata Arctica:

#SonataArctica #ArtistSpotlight #70000tons #70000tonsOfMetal

Link: https://metalinsider.net/columns/artist-spotlight/charting-the-course-to-2026-reflecting-on-70000tons-of-metal-2025-artist-spotlight-sonata-arctica

Frozen Land – Icemelter Review

By Twelve

I have such a soft spot in my heart for Frozen Land. After writing my first-ever review for Angry Metal Guy, I remember feeling shaky. It went through quite a few revisions. My second, Frozen Land’s eponymous debut, was, comparatively, simple. Their 1999 Euro power metal meets 2001 Euro power metal vision made for a catchy, delightfully fun album, and my enjoyment for it showed in my writing—still my favorite intro to any review I’ve written. So it is to my great astonishment that these Finns are now on album number three with Icemelter. Time, it just keeps going, but has it changed anything for these vivacious Vikings?

Of course not! Frozen Land is just as I remember them, or at least they are for the most part—Icemelter has a more aggressive edge to it, but is easily and recognizably the same Frozen Land I met in 2018. Opener “The Carrier,” for example, features a riff that could easily be found on a Tarot album, a notable sign of a heavier direction. But the rapid-fire vocals bridging their way to a bombastic, catchy chorus? That’s familiar Frozen Land, borrowing from the ancient playbook of Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica (who were themselves borrowing from the aforementioned playbook at the time). Their unique personality emerges in Thomas Hirvonen’s sardonic riffing in “Dream Away,” in Lauri Nylund’s subtle but effective keyboards in “Losing My Mind,” in the infectious energy of bassist Eero Pakkanen and drummer Matias Rokio throughout, but especially in “Chosen, Corrupt, and Cancerous,” and in Tony Meloni’s singing all the time.

As is typical in power metal, it’s the vocalist who takes up most of the spotlight, and Meloni’s unique style is little exception. I could see his higher register feeling awkward or out of place with the wrong group, but Frozen Land’s songs are very much written for his voice. The bombastic choruses commonly pair him with Nylund’s keys—barely noticeable, but lending him that extra bit of presence to make them shine. He also adds an important element of dynamism to Icemelter, on songs like “Haunted,” which take him from aggressive cleans to a smoother, impassioned chorus that gets stuck in the head, and wouldn’t work nearly so well with a less invested delivery.

The reason I highlight Meloni’s performance isn’t to take away from the rest of Frozen Land at all—as I’ve mentioned, the five work extremely well together to form their modern-yet-nostalgic sound. But if there’s one weakness to Icemelter, it’s that, musically at least, it’s a touch formulaic, due in part to the dated (seeming) inspiration for their material and the style with which they take to it. And, to be clear, none of their material is boring or even the slightest bit un-fun. Hirvonen’s and leads are electric, and “Black Domina” is a great example, but by the time we get there, it’s just starting to feel a bit tired. The good news is that Icemelter is only thirty-six minutes long and so never has a chance to overstay its welcome. On the other hand, when I do dislike a song, as is only the case for the title track (which comes across disjointed in its songwriting and doesn’t quite land for me), it feels like a disproportionately big deal.

Icemelter is a very fun listen. If it’s only flaw is that all the energetic, fun power metal blurs together a bit, I can live with it. Frozen Land being a quintessentially Finnish touch to a classic style, modernizes both it and themselves enough to make a strong impression. As I look back on this review, it occurs to me that it’s a bit short compared to my usual writing here, but that’s kind of the point—Frozen Land’s straightforward, easy approach to a classic style is exactly what makes them so endearing to listen to.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: facebook.com/frozenlandband
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#2025 #35 #finnishMetal #frozenLand #icemelter #massacreRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sonataArctica #stratovarius #tarot

Frozen Land – Icemelter Review

By Twelve

I have such a soft spot in my heart for Frozen Land. After writing my first-ever review for Angry Metal Guy, I remember feeling shaky. It went through quite a few revisions. My second, Frozen Land’s eponymous debut, was, comparatively, simple. Their 1999 Euro power metal meets 2001 Euro power metal vision made for a catchy, delightfully fun album, and my enjoyment for it showed in my writing—still my favorite intro to any review I’ve written. So it is to my great astonishment that these Finns are now on album number three with Icemelter. Time, it just keeps going, but has it changed anything for these vivacious Vikings?

Of course not! Frozen Land is just as I remember them, or at least they are for the most part—Icemelter has a more aggressive edge to it, but is easily and recognizably the same Frozen Land I met in 2018. Opener “The Carrier,” for example, features a riff that could easily be found on a Tarot album, a notable sign of a heavier direction. But the rapid-fire vocals bridging their way to a bombastic, catchy chorus? That’s familiar Frozen Land, borrowing from the ancient playbook of Stratovarius and Sonata Arctica (who were themselves borrowing from the aforementioned playbook at the time). Their unique personality emerges in Thomas Hirvonen’s sardonic riffing in “Dream Away,” in Lauri Nylund’s subtle but effective keyboards in “Losing My Mind,” in the infectious energy of bassist Eero Pakkanen and drummer Matias Rokio throughout, but especially in “Chosen, Corrupt, and Cancerous,” and in Tony Meloni’s singing all the time.

As is typical in power metal, it’s the vocalist who takes up most of the spotlight, and Meloni’s unique style is little exception. I could see his higher register feeling awkward or out of place with the wrong group, but Frozen Land’s songs are very much written for his voice. The bombastic choruses commonly pair him with Nylund’s keys—barely noticeable, but lending him that extra bit of presence to make them shine. He also adds an important element of dynamism to Icemelter, on songs like “Haunted,” which take him from aggressive cleans to a smoother, impassioned chorus that gets stuck in the head, and wouldn’t work nearly so well with a less invested delivery.

The reason I highlight Meloni’s performance isn’t to take away from the rest of Frozen Land at all—as I’ve mentioned, the five work extremely well together to form their modern-yet-nostalgic sound. But if there’s one weakness to Icemelter, it’s that, musically at least, it’s a touch formulaic, due in part to the dated (seeming) inspiration for their material and the style with which they take to it. And, to be clear, none of their material is boring or even the slightest bit un-fun. Hirvonen’s and leads are electric, and “Black Domina” is a great example, but by the time we get there, it’s just starting to feel a bit tired. The good news is that Icemelter is only thirty-six minutes long and so never has a chance to overstay its welcome. On the other hand, when I do dislike a song, as is only the case for the title track (which comes across disjointed in its songwriting and doesn’t quite land for me), it feels like a disproportionately big deal.

Icemelter is a very fun listen. If it’s only flaw is that all the energetic, fun power metal blurs together a bit, I can live with it. Frozen Land being a quintessentially Finnish touch to a classic style, modernizes both it and themselves enough to make a strong impression. As I look back on this review, it occurs to me that it’s a bit short compared to my usual writing here, but that’s kind of the point—Frozen Land’s straightforward, easy approach to a classic style is exactly what makes them so endearing to listen to.

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Massacre Records
Websites: facebook.com/frozenlandband
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#2025 #35 #finnishMetal #frozenLand #icemelter #massacreRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sonataArctica #stratovarius #tarot

I nearly forgot about this song. It's so darn good!
🤘

https://song.link/s/55A7bnFRarsuj4axy0EGm1

#SonataArctica #PowerMetal #Metal #NowPlaying

I haven't thought about early Sonata Arctica in long while. I forgot how much I love this song ❤️

https://song.link/s/33F4l7xj1cEeiqyUCfHlvw

#Metal #PowerMetal #SonataArctica

Here's another band I didn't give much thought to. But after listening a few times, this album is very good. The vocals are amazing, comparable to early Sonata Arctica.

https://song.link/s/4UUwVMYUQz3ifwE0wLphIp

#PowerMetal #Metal #Fellowship #SonataArctica #NowPlaying

These lines must be among the worst that i have ever read in any song dealing with love and breakup (and probably right on top) ... yet i love the song, whip me. I am guilty.

"I see you walking hand in hand with long-haired drummer of the band
In love with her, or so it seems, he's dancing with my beauty queen
Don't even dare to say your "hi", still swallowing the goodbye
But I know the feeling's still alive, still alive"

#SonataArctica - #Tallulah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbQZkqzh9p8

#metal #powerMetal

These lines must be among the worst that i have ever read in any song dealing with love and breakup (and probably right on top) ... yet i love the song, whip me. I am guilty.

"I see you walking hand in hand with long-haired drummer of the band
In love with her, or so it seems, he's dancing with my beauty queen
Don't even dare to say your "hi", still swallowing the goodbye
But I know the feeling's still alive, still alive"

#SonataArctica - #Tallulah

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbQZkqzh9p8

#metal #powerMetal

Symphony X announce 2025 North American Tour with Sonata Arctica:

#SymphonyX #SonataArctica #NorthAmericanTour #SeptemberTour

Link: https://metalinsider.net/touring/symphony-x-announce-2025-north-american-tour-with-sonata-arctica

Did somebody say banjo?? I LOVE the banjo, especially in metal!! Two songs instantly came to mind, so here we goooo!!

#TuneTuesday #BanjoDay #BanjoYay #Metal #SonataArctica #PowerMetal

https://song.link/s/362Y7xEOTf5UpH8scKPcV8

Did somebody say banjo?? I LOVE the banjo, especially in metal!! Two songs instantly came to mind, so here we goooo!!

#TuneTuesday #BanjoDay #BanjoYay #Metal #SonataArctica #PowerMetal

https://song.link/s/362Y7xEOTf5UpH8scKPcV8

Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Angry Metal Guy

Starting 2025 with a bang was always important, and I elected the “being 26 days late with your Record o’ the Year post” as the best possible way to give everyone that patented Angry Metal Guy feeling of waiting and waiting only to be smacked in the face with 5000 words that you disagree with entirely. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Executive Dysfunction! Let’s make a list!1

Fifteen years of Angry Metal Guy and year 15 will be remembered as a genuinely good year for metal. There were several excellent releases I was genuinely excited about and as the year went on, things got even better. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had a glut of options and felt guilty about what was and wasn’t making the list. In terms of total performance, year 15 at AMG stayed roughly on par with 2023. We wrote 691 posts (mostly reviews), which, in terms of raw numbers, dropped to lower than 2023 and was once again the lowest since 2015. We made up for it in girth, however, with the average post sporting a whopping 955 words! This might be a case of the self-fulfilling prophecy biting me in the ass for consistently yelling at everyone for being overwriters at which point they see themselves as overwriters and begin to overwrite. Or, maybe it’s because we had fewer reviews to balance out the longer posts. Regardless, we finished with a “big-boned” 660,024 total words in 2024. We averaged 38,617 views a day, leading us to our second-highest annual readership numbers ever at 14,129,320 total page views; a tick down from last year, but that’s not surprising when we’re writing fewer posts.

The readership of AMG is as global as ever, but the USA, UK, and Canada retained their spots as 1, 2, and 3 on our Top 10(ish) Biggest Readerships. Germans continued to flock here in droves, maintaining their position at number 4 on our list with Australia coming in at healthy 5. I’m a bit surprised at Australia for not taking umbrage at getting beat by the Germans last year, but when you live in constant fear of your absolutely frightening environs, I guess that’s the least of your worries.2 Spots 6-9 are the same as last year with Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Spain. But coming in at number 10 was Finland! Our strategy of lauding Finnish bands is finally paying off. “How” you ask? Well, if I can get to celebrity status in Finland, I intend to go there so I can be awkwardly ignored in social situations by an entirely new population of Scandinavians. I was happy to see Poland sneak up to the coveted “ish” spot on the list, but that means Brazil dropped out of the Top 10(ish) and that sucks.3 We were once again visited a single time by a mysterious robed reader from the Vatican City and I want to extend a warm Angry Metal Guy welcome to the lone citizen of Micronesia who found their way to our sacred halls.

The biggest, coolest thing that happened in 2024 (following one of the shittiest things to happen in 2024) was, of course, helping Kenstrosity deal with the catastrophe that was his life following Hurricane Helene. It was so cool and gratifying to see just how generous and amazing the fans of AMG were and we’ll never forget your generosity. We also added n00bs—welcoming Alekhines Gun, Tyme, and Killjoy as new blood for the Bloodgod (with more coming, we promise)—and saw the return of the illustrious Mark Z. We lost—at least for the time being—Ferox at the end of the year and that sucks for all of us. But losing him to a burgeoning career as a showrunner and movie director seems like the kind of thing that isn’t such a bitter pill to swallow. Personally, alas, 2024 was pretty much the worst year of my life. The reason I equivocate is because every time I think something like that I can only think of Homer Simpson saying: “So far! The worst year of your life so far!” But 2024 was marred by a breakup I did not want and struggles with both my physical health and the obvious consequences thereof. I re-read my Top 10(ish) of 2023 and was amused in that “oh, sweet summer child” kind of way when I read:

On a personal note, this year [2023] was supposed to be one of the best of my life. It has been an unmitigated pile of shit, with only a few bright spots. As usual, I’ll try to make 2024 a better year, where I am Angry Metal Guy in practice, not just in spirit. A new year always brings unreasonable and unrealistic goals that get broken in shame by April, doesn’t it? Well, that’s mine.

Alas, that ended up being quite a bit more prescient than I could’ve anticipated given that it was the 31st of March when the Behind the Music voiceover guy had to step in: “Then tragedy struck…”

So, 2024 turned out to be significantly worse for me than 2023. That said, I did, in fact, work a lot more on AMG than I have in previous years and it’s helped me to create a map of how that’s possible for the future. Furthermore, I’m finally starting to understand the things at the root of my BS—beyond unfortunate and frustrating life circumstances or the fact that I’m a big worthless loser4—and I hope that results in some real progress. Because, when all is said and done, Angry Metal Guy has stood the test of time for a reason and I’m proud of it and want to be involved in it. I like the music, I like most of the people, I like hazing n00bs, and I like arguing incessantly about opinions. Even if I feel a little out of lockstep with metal trends in recent years, I still think that my voice is important here and I want to have it here. And it’s thanks to everyone here, particularly Steel Druhm, Dr. Grier, and the other helpers, as well as the writers and of course, the readers, who have kept this all afloat while I am trying to solve the mystery that is my brain.

To moderate expectations for 2025! Here’s the Top 10(ish) of 2024.

#ish 2: Dawn Treader // Bloom & Decay [August 24th | Liminal Dread Productions | Bandcamp] — I’m relatively certain that if you had polled the writers and readers of AngryMetalGuy.com and asked them to predict this list, Dawn Treader’s Bloom & Decay would not have come even remotely close to placing on my Top 10(ish). And it makes sense. Dawn Treader traffics in a genre of black metal that I rail on at every chance. At this point, my personality is basically constructed of jokes about how calling something atmospheric just means they use a lot of reverb. And yeah, Bloom & Decay uses inordinate amounts of reverb, I can’t deny it. But better, Ross Connell subverts the ‘one-man black metal project’ tropes by being good, actually. The record is emotionally poignant, musically rich, and laden with pathos—causing that aching bloom in my chest while listening to what feels at times like sad songs playing in major keys. If there’s one reason I haven’t been back to this album as much as other things, it’s because it’s hard to listen to at times. The messages contained here and the way they are delivered can be challenging at times; long discursive samples that are hard to have repeated back at you time and again in a time of a lot of despair. Still, that’s hardly a knock against Dawn Treader’s work, there are a lot of people who would suggest that it’s exactly that which makes Bloom & Decay art. And there’s no question in my mind that Bloom & Decay is a work of art.

#ish 1: Verikalpa // Tuomio [April 19th, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — But then again, who needs serious emotionally poignant works of art when you can listen to Finnish guys writing amazing blackened melodeath that heavily features faux accordion and lyrics, presumably, about drinking? I feel a bit guilty that these guys have yet to make a number on the list—having previously been relegated to an -ish—but they are getting better and better and Tuomio has been a joy to listen to in a year where almost nothing else brought me joy. In a way, Verikalpa’s sound is a form of nostalgiacore for me—with its 2004 production, its 2004 riffs, and my 2004 urge to drink beer and headbang. But, as Steel Druhm would argue out of pure self-interest, some things are timeless and change is bad, so this isn’t a critique. And while the metal-listening public lost its taste for folk metal after the glut that was released in the late 2000s, I find Verikalpa avoids the pitfalls of the sound, delivering only the highest quality riffs and blasts. Loaded with groove and chunky riffs, Verikalpa knows how to write solid, speedy, fun, and brutal metal that will make you want to drink a beer and lift some weights. And again, what more can we truly ask of any metal band? If you aren’t listening to and loving Verikalpa by now, you’re missing out. Of all the Finnish releases with dated sounds this year, Tuomio is the best.

#10: Grendel’s Sÿster // Katabasis into the Abaton [August 30th, 2024 | Sur Del Cruz Music | Bandcamp] — If there was a major “I did not see that coming” moment in 2024, it was that Grendel’s Sÿster never left my playlist once I heard it for the first time. An addictive record, I summed it up best when I wrote that “this German four-piece drops metal that reeks of patchouli and ‘Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!‘ to surprising effect. The core of Grendel’s Sÿster’s sound is the combination of fuzzy guitars, bubbly p-bass, and boxy drums into something that will undoubtedly call to mind the ’70s hard rock of your choice: Wishbone Ash, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy or nostalgia merchants like Gygax.” And that sound—not a sound that I spend my free time chasing down—could be directly shot into my veins and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something pure and honest and beautiful about this music. It is both poppy and niche, both pretentious and utterly not; it breaks down binaries and exists in the interstices. And goddammit, it’s what one roadie for Porcupine Tree once said of Blaze’s first three records, “it’s good, honest heavy metal.” And that’s it. The cream rises to the top; good songwriting always wins. And Katabasis into the Abaton is loaded with great songs, fun ideas, and idiosyncratic vocals. It’s surprising in all the right ways.

#9: Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — Some experiences are unforgettable, and getting to see Oceans of Slumber in the summer of 2024 and really hear Cammie Beverly live was one such experience. There are few people in the world who truly have a Voice with a capital V and Cammie is one of them. The band’s performance was entrancing and her presence was commanding. It was literal goosebumps. I had been enjoying Where Gods Fear to Speak for a few weeks at that point, but seeing Oceans of Slumber live transformed my entire understanding of the unique strengths contained herein. Between her voice, genuinely progressive—and at times challenging—songwriting, and the fantastic performances, Where Gods Fear to Speak sounds like the culmination of the band’s career. Having learned from the past and meshed it all, listeners are left with something transcendent, beautiful, and the perfect balance of heavy and delicate. If there’s one knock on this record, it’s that people may struggle with a flowing relationship to song structure and hooks. But for the sophisticated listener, each song on Where Gods Fear to Speak is a beautiful step on an unforgettable journey.

#8: Iotunn // Kinship [October 25th, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — Hard truth time: I was never super enamored in Access All Worlds. While the blog and the commentariat were busy heaping praise upon the best band to come out of Denmark since Mercyful Fate, I held my tongue and gave them the spotlight they deserved because I was in a definite minority. But the record never inspired me. So, I approached Kinship with skepticism. I love Jón’s voice—this is no secret—but at 68 minutes long with 10-minute songs and one record in the bag I hadn’t felt… you know how it goes. I was happily surprised when Kinship hooked me hard. Jón’s voice brings everything together, but the blackened undercurrent spicing up the melodeath riffing (pretty sure Amon Amarth called their lawyers about a couple of the riffs in “The Anguished Ethereal”) matched with an epic scope that could be carried only by someone with the brass timbre and Grondesque vocal power of Aldará. I have been back to this again and again since I broke down and dropped it on the proverbial turntable. It is deep enough to keep me coming back, it’s hooky enough to kick that dopamine into high gear, and it’s beautiful and well-crafted with that aching Scandy melancholy that I crave. Bravo, Iotunn, this is a real first step towards me forgiving your spelling of ‘jotun’ and the Stockholm Bloodbath.

#7: Fellowship // The Skies above Eternity [November 22nd, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — I am hardly the first person to note that it’s difficult to follow a beloved record. I think it’s even harder to follow a beloved debut. And I doubt there’s an album that’s been released in recent years that is as beloved as Fellowship’s debut, The Saberlight Chronicles. Putting the hopes and fate of the Europower scene in the hands of these tiny pastoral persons and sending them off to Mordor was never a good idea. But surprise, surprise, they survived!5 And they’re back with an album that has inspired the kind of dedication that only the rare band ever gets close to, landing super high on people’s lists despite being a late November release. And you can hear why. The Skies above Eternity is yet another 45ish minutes of fantastic, guitar-driven melodic power metal that simultaneously rules and takes itself seriously enough to have good, interesting, relatable, and at times inspiring lyrics while also embracing the fun and natural, inherent silliness of power metal. That’s a hard balance to strike and Fellowship nails it with aplomb. They say you don’t want to be the guy who follows The Guy, you want to be the guy who follows the guy who follows The Guy. I suspect The Skies above Eternity will always be slightly underrated because it isn’t The Saberlight Chronicles. But fuck me if it isn’t excellent.

#6: Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair [October 4th | Transcending Obscurity Records | Bandcamp] — I knew that these kids from Finland were alright when I jokingly called them “Morbid Angelcore” on Instagram and they took it with grace.6 Honestly, of all the stuff that the “No Fun, Only Reverb and Feels!” flank of AMG has dredged up and dumped hyperbolic praise on, Devenial Verdict is one of the bands to which I feel the most grateful to have been exposed. Often sold as either “dissodeath” or “atmospheric death metal,” because they’re both wildly popular subgenres of death metal, both feel like misnomers. Rather, Blessing of Despair is an album loaded with memorable moments and melodies, and while it does, indeed, employ a lot of “atmosphere,”7 I was not prepared for the elite-level Azagthoth-on-LSD riffs that litter Blessing of Despair. I wouldn’t say that Blessing of Despair is OSDM, but the riffing evokes the masters in ways both direct and subtle and it gives the record an impeccable vibe. Devenial Verdict has wrought a brilliant death metal album where riffs abound, the atmosphere is set on the “Cathedral” setting, and every song is better than the last. Maybe the best word to use to describe their x factor is gravitas. But whatever it is, Devenial Verdict’s got it in spades.

#5: Octoploid // Beyond the Aeons [July 5th, 2024 | Reigning Phoenix Music | Bandcamp] — The amount of love that Beyond the Aeons isn’t receiving is one of the scandals of 2024, in my opinion. This started with our own positive—but tepid, if I’m honest—review of Beyond the Aeons and has continued through Listurnalia. As a passive, but legitimate, autocrat of Angry Metal Guy, I have half a mind to shut this place down over this deep disrespect for Amorphiscore. Honestly, it pains me not to make Beyond the Aeons the #1 album,8 because I have listened to these 33 minutes of extreme metal—occasionally tremmy and black, but mostly just solid melodeath—more than almost anything else this year. Tracks like “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” feed my need for new Amorphis and my secret wish that they were heavier. And that’s one thing I’ll give Octoploid, unlike Barren Earth, Beyond the Aeons doesn’t dwell too long on anything. It kicks off and speeds along, hitting you with catchy leads in the key of Moomin and doubled with synth—as one does. Don’t sleep on Octoploid. Beyond the Aeons is energetic, fun, catchy, and worth at least a couple of spins a week six months after it was released.

#4: Opeth // The Last Will and Testament [November 22nd, 2024 | Moderbolaget] — What Opeth has accomplished on The Last Will and Testament is remarkable. Unlike so many bands, Opeth’s reimaginations of its sound still speak to me. The Last Will and Testament is a smart, coherent, and melodramatic record that does Mikael Åkerfeldt and crew credit. The reason that this record elevates itself above the ceiling that most Newpeth lived under, however, is that they are finally able to turn the music up to 11 again compositionally. After more than a decade without the emotional and compositional peak (and release) of a guttural growl released from the diaphragm over a particularly chunky riff or heavy drums, The Last Will and Testament continues the band’s development but gives them a release valve—”§4″ being the highlight for me, where they transition from Opethro Tull—a jazz flute solo—to Deathro Tull with some operatic, but dour, death metal. And it simply feels good to hear them doing both of these things simultaneously. Having gone through and relistened to the discography at length, it is striking how Opeth circa 2024 sounds very little like the band I fell in love with in the late-’90s/early aughts. To be able to both be markedly different and feel like the same band is a deeply underrated trait. This could have been higher if I’d had longer with it.

#3: Fleshgod Apocalypse // Opera [August 23rd, 2024 | Nuclear Blast Records | Bandcamp] — I knew almost immediately that Opera was going to be a controversial record. I was not prepared for the hyperbolic pushback that Opera garnered from fans of Italy’s death metal answer to [Luca (Turilli / Lione)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] for being, as I wrote myself, “undeniably poppy.” Sometimes I think that we fans of the extreme metal scene have lost sight of what pop music really is. The fact that people have been heaping scorn on Fleshgod Apocalypse for writing operatic death metal because Veronica Bordacchini doesn’t only sing using proper operatic technique and the band simplified some of its compositional tendencies is, to put it lightly, patently absurd. Opera is fun! It’s energetic and well-crafted, and it has a better excuse for writing more palatable and less grandiose music that uses more traditional pop and rock compositional structures than Nightwish ever had,9 and it literally has dramatic choirs arpeggiating in Latin behind grinding blast beats and death metal growls as I’m writing this blurb! Fucking get over yourselves. Go enjoy the shit out of Opera. No one sounds like Fleshgod Apocalypse and when they hit, they fucking hit. And Opera hits! It is thematically interesting, deeply personal, and cohesive in the way that the best albums are while featuring a diverse and excellent performance from Bordacchini. Easily one of the best records of 2024.

#2: Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe [September 20th, 2024 | Century Media | Bandcamp] — One of the things that makes the work at Angry Metal Guy interesting after 15 years is editing other writers’ work. It’s a pleasure to get to talk to, work with, and help guide the brilliant writers that we have working here. And because I want to hear what I’m reading about at the same time, I listen to a lot of music I would not necessarily have chosen to listen to myself. Noise’s work—such as 2023’s #5 record Leiþa—has come to my attention because of the work that Carcharodon has done in covering his projects. So, when I went to edit Die Urkatastrophe, well aware of the impending 5.0, I was edified to read a well-argued analysis that highlighted for me exactly what it was that appealed to me so much about Kanonenfieber’s critically acclaimed10 platter. Die Urkatastrophe is a powerful album that walks the line between black and death metal, with surprisingly polished and smooth production and artfully crafted songs. Like so many of the best albums, it is both thematically coherent and full of standout moments. Arresting moments like the gunshot at the end of “Der Maulwurf,” the best-placed samples since Velvet Darkness They Fear, and a superb flow make Die Urkatastrophe a triumph that we’ll return to for years.

#1: Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk [March 22nd, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — The best album of 2024 was an undeniably easy choice this year. Released the day after my life started falling to pieces, Hamferð’s third masterpiece is a tale of tragedy (with a smidgen of hope), driven by strong songwriting and stronger performances. There are plenty of things that one can point to that help to differentiate Men Guðs hond er sterk from the field this year: the band’s sound is expertly crafted, and with pristine production, and the band—who apparently records without a click track?!—carries the emotional weight of their music perfectly despite the largely opaque language in which it’s presented.11 Furthermore, enough cannot be said about the powerhouse of a vocalist that Hamferð is fortunate enough to have. Jón Aldará’s vocals carry the day with a brassy baritone that evokes the mourning that all doom peddlers are chasing but so few nail. Men Guðs hond er sterk is tight, it’s heavy—though not as heavy as its predecessor, which I missed—but more importantly it’s complete and brilliant and my Record o’ the Year for 2024.

Honorable Mentions:

In Vain // Solemn [April 19th, 2024 | Indie Recordings | Bandcamp] — Having been released when I was in the moment of absolute denial and despair as my life fell apart, you’ll forgive me for not having heard this album until the last couple months of 2024. And I suspect that if I had been able to spend more time with it, it would have worked its way onto the list proper (though, man, it’s hard to know what would go). Once again, In Vain does such an outstanding job of balancing all the different sounds and influences, and I will never get sick of any clean vocals from the brothers Nedland (RIP Solefald). These guys are great and Solemn keeps them batting 1.000.

Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God [June 14th | Debemur Morti Productions | Bandcamp] — Another album that should’ve been higher on my list (but where would I have put Verikalpa then, guys!?). Ulcerate has been awesome and it’s almost unremarkable that they continue to be awesome in new and different ways. The thing that I keep coming back to Cutting the Throat of God for is the fact that these are probably the band’s most addictive and hypnotic riffs. Their sound has always had a fluidity that made them unique, but there are times when I feel like a snake being charmed as I’m listening to Ulcerate pump out fascinating, liquid riffs that seem to morph in scope and feel without ever breaking stride. Another record that is getting the shaft on this list.

Sonata Arctica // Clear Cold Beyond [March 8th, 2024 | Atomic Fire Records] — I started out skeptical about Clear Cold Beyond, and then I ended up loving it. The problem is that this was another record caught up in the Great Dumping o’ 2024 and got lost in the mix. This album has the benefit of having some really fun “we’re sorry we wrote Talviyö and then released two fucking acoustic cover records in a row” moments, but it’s not just an apology tour.12 The strength of Clear Cold Beyond is watching Kakko do the things he’s best at: write about creepy dudes with seriously bad boundaries (“Dark Empath”); write awkward lyrics about social topics that are kind of funny but also maybe not (“California”); and most importantly is his transformation into Dad Rocker (“The Best Things”). This record didn’t ever threaten to be Top 10, but it also deserves a nod for bringing me a ton of joy, even if I can’t listen to “The Best Things” without getting choked up.

Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun [August 30th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — I have been a little back and forth with Anciients, but Beyond the Reach of the Sun was an absolute banger that got snubbed for a Record o’ the Month spot, despite receiving an excellently written, laudatory review from Saunders. And perpetual self-editing complaints aside, Anciients is one of those bands whose ability to craft Riffs is unmatched. Every single song on this album has one of those Riffs—not just riffs, gotta capitalize that R so everyone knows that we’re talking about iconic stuff here—and I am, frankly, jealous of the feel and groove that these guys seem to have as second nature. This album clicked for me when I put it in the cans on a flight and just sat and listened to it and man, we are spoiled with an absolute embarrassment of riches in metal. These guys are an honorable mention? It’s unfair.

Caligula’s Horse // Charcoal Grace [January 26th, 2024 | InsideOut Records | Bandcamp] — After it was summarily 3.0’d by the guy who brought you the Angra list everyone thought was absolute crap, I feel like everyone just forgot about Charcoal Grace. But I’m going to be honest with you, this record deserved a lot better than it got at the hands of the traitorous reviewer who poo-poohed it and then, allegedly, went on to kick his dog and demand his wife make him a sandwich. This is a more subtle Caligula’s Horse, I admit. How they seem to be swapping places with Haken becomes more manifest with every release. But this record is a true headphones album that deserves a hi-def version of the release, serious cans, and a dark room. It’s loaded with great riffs and fantastic songs and has a particularly poignant and powerful closing. Also, the level of detail here is unreal. Appreciate what you have while they are still putting out amazing albums.

Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System [June 28th, 2024 | Rotted Life Records | Bandcamp] — One of the surprises of the year is an album named after one of the funniest jabs at the anarchosyndicalists in our lives. Noxis’ brand of frantic, technical death metal—complete with my favorite snare of the year—has swept through the Angry Metal Guy staff for a reason. The reason? It’s fucking great. At 45 minutes, Violence Inherent in the System is a record with the energy and addictiveness of Gorod, even if the songwriting chops aren’t quite on that level yet. But you don’t have to be Gorod-good to be good and Noxis is good. I’m looking forward to their sophomore release Scimitars Thrown in Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies, due Q4 2025/Q1 2026.

Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart [January 26th, 2024 | Dark Essence Records | Bandcamp] — In my Record o’ the Month blurb for Old Eyes, New Heart, I wrote “What Old Eyes, New Heart does is show Madder Mortem as alive and creative as ever, showcasing a more vulnerable, introspective side of themselves. Tracks like ‘Here and Now’ and ‘Cold Hard Rain’ weep with power and raw emotion, giving fans all the feelz they yearn for, and there’s simmering anger girding the material as well. As GardensTale noted, regarding the very personal, intense feeling of the new music: ‘Old Eyes, New Heart will stand as one of the most intimate and therapeutic albums we’re bound to get this year.’ And who isn’t going to need a little bit of therapy in 2024?” Yeah, I found myself listening to this album a lot this year because it expresses what I couldn’t. Again, prescient.

Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere [October 4th, 2024 | Century Media Records | Bandcamp] — Yeah, it’s fine I guess. A little overhyped in the comment section, though. Remember that time when it got released and everyone who hadn’t heard it yet was like “RECORD OF THE YEAR!!!!!!1!” five minutes later? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

Top 10(ish) Songs o’ the Year:

#ish: Karol G // “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” — Fuck you.

#10: Sonata Arctica // “The Best Things” — Fans of the band and this album are going to laugh, but this song kills me. Dad rock. I love it.

#9: Wintersun // “Storm” — When I saw everyone sporting “Silver Leaves” as the highlight of Time II, I had to do a double-take. As I covered at length in my review, the one song that I felt lived up to Jaari’s potential as a player and composer was “Storm,” and this track is a fucking doozy. This track perfectly executes both the blend of blackened death metal and power metal that makes Wintersun’s inability to produce something truly epic frustrating. If I had only heard “Ominous Clouds” and “Storm,” Time II would’ve gotten a 4.5. This is the only memorable thing he wrote on the entire album.

#8: Oceans of Slumber // “Wish” — It’s weird the tracks that call to you on an album. I love this whole record for a bunch of different reasons, but on “Wish” there are little melodic things that Cammie does here that make my heart ache. The lyrics, too. I feel ’em. Deeply underrated record.

#7: Fellowship // “Victim” — “I swear, I won’t always feel like a victim! I won’t always fight on my own! So, forgive me these transgressions as I live a life of lessons and I grow to overshadow darker thrones! This king is king alone!”

#6: Opeth // “§4” — No more perfect encapsulation of why Opeth is impressive than how hard they nailed this song. Love the porn beat with the Ian Anderson flute solo (Deathro Tull, lol) that gives way to stadium rock that gives way to grindy death metal. Just inject that fucking shit straight into my fucking veins. Unff.

#5: Grendel’s Sÿster // “Cosmogony” — This song is metal as fuck. I love the fun little extra beat they drop in to make it feel like a slightly lopsided wheel rolling along. But there’s nothing about this that doesn’t live up to what I wrote above: good, honest heavy metal. Catchy, riffy, and fun to listen to. Top it off with a bass-heavy section and a gallop carried on the guitar and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an epic, addictive track. More of this, plz.

#4: Fleshgod Apocalypse // “Morphine Waltz” — This song fucking rules. From the opening strains with the horn section in the orchestra to the 3/4 time signature (y’know, ’cause it’s actually a waltz), to the raw, punky performance from Bordacchini. Extra points for the fucking balls to the wall bridge with the huge choirs before the guitar solo. Like, how do you fucking people not think this is one of the best albums of the year? JFC.

#3: Caligula’s Horse // “Mute” — One of Caligula’s Horse’s strongest traits is their ability to write epic conclusions to their albums. “Mute” is up there with “Graves” in terms of the sheer weightiness of the whole thing—though this time it’s more delicate. Beautiful.

#2: Anciients // “Despoiled” — Riff of the year at 3:57. Gives me involuntary metal face. Love the vocal melodies, too. Great stuff.

#1: Madder Mortem // “Things I’ll Never Do” — This song fucking kills me. Has anyone checked on their lyricist recently?

Show 12 footnotes

1. This joke is fucking hilarious but only a few of you are going to get it. ↩
2. I kid because I’m scared shitless of your country and will never visit it. – AMG ↩
3. Wondering where you are? 11. Poland; 12. Brazil; 13. Norway; 14. Belgium; 15. Italy; 16. Greece; 17. Denmark; 18. Czechia; 19. Austria; 20. Russia; 21: Mexico; 22. Portugal; 23. Switzerland; 24. Romania; 25. Hungary. ↩
4. Not that I’m *not* a big worthless loser, just that there’s more to it. ↩
5. They suffered unduly and cast a lot of longing stares at each other, but they survived! ↩
6. Because fucking Morbid Angel is the best, obviously. ↩
7. Read: reverb. ↩
8. Tell you what, guys, how ’bout Jón Aldará joins Octoploid and y’all start writing 15-minute songs? Then you can both be #1! ↩
9. And don’t get me started Steven Wilson. “Ooh, I should be famous, why haven’t I had a number one record when Nick Beggs has had one?!” 🙄 ↩
10. This is true because I am busy acclaiming it. ↩
11. Obviously, largely opaque for most of us. People from the Faroe Islands do, indeed, speak the language in which this album is sung. My AI translator does not. ↩
12. And if it is, it is obviously their best-executed one to date. ↩

#2024 #Anciients #AngryMetalGuy #AngryMetalGuySRecordSOTheYear #AngryMetalGuySTop10Ish_ #BeyondTheAeons #BlessingOfDespair #BloodIncantation #BloomDecay #CaligulaSHorse #DawnTreader #DevenialVerdict #DieUrkatastrophe #Fellowship #FleshgodApocalypse #GrendelSSÿster #Hamferð #InVain #Iotunn #Kanonenfieber #KarolG #KatabasisIntoTheAbaton #Kinship #Listurnalia2024 #MadderMortem #MenGuðsHondErSterk #Noxis #OceansOfSlumber #Octoploid #Opera #Opeth #SonataArctica #TheLastWillAndTestament #TheSkiesAboveEternity #TimeII #Tuomio #Ulcerate #Verikalpa #WhereGodsFearToSpeak #Wintersun

Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Angry Metal Guy

Starting 2025 with a bang was always important, and I elected the “being 26 days late with your Record o’ the Year post” as the best possible way to give everyone that patented Angry Metal Guy feeling of waiting and waiting only to be smacked in the face with 5000 words that you disagree with entirely. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Executive Dysfunction! Let’s make a list!1

Fifteen years of Angry Metal Guy and year 15 will be remembered as a genuinely good year for metal. There were several excellent releases I was genuinely excited about and as the year went on, things got even better. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had a glut of options and felt guilty about what was and wasn’t making the list. In terms of total performance, year 15 at AMG stayed roughly on par with 2023. We wrote 691 posts (mostly reviews), which, in terms of raw numbers, dropped to lower than 2023 and was once again the lowest since 2015. We made up for it in girth, however, with the average post sporting a whopping 955 words! This might be a case of the self-fulfilling prophecy biting me in the ass for consistently yelling at everyone for being overwriters at which point they see themselves as overwriters and begin to overwrite. Or, maybe it’s because we had fewer reviews to balance out the longer posts. Regardless, we finished with a “big-boned” 660,024 total words in 2024. We averaged 38,617 views a day, leading us to our second-highest annual readership numbers ever at 14,129,320 total page views; a tick down from last year, but that’s not surprising when we’re writing fewer posts.

The readership of AMG is as global as ever, but the USA, UK, and Canada retained their spots as 1, 2, and 3 on our Top 10(ish) Biggest Readerships. Germans continued to flock here in droves, maintaining their position at number 4 on our list with Australia coming in at healthy 5. I’m a bit surprised at Australia for not taking umbrage at getting beat by the Germans last year, but when you live in constant fear of your absolutely frightening environs, I guess that’s the least of your worries.2 Spots 6-9 are the same as last year with Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Spain. But coming in at number 10 was Finland! Our strategy of lauding Finnish bands is finally paying off. “How” you ask? Well, if I can get to celebrity status in Finland, I intend to go there so I can be awkwardly ignored in social situations by an entirely new population of Scandinavians. I was happy to see Poland sneak up to the coveted “ish” spot on the list, but that means Brazil dropped out of the Top 10(ish) and that sucks.3 We were once again visited a single time by a mysterious robed reader from the Vatican City and I want to extend a warm Angry Metal Guy welcome to the lone citizen of Micronesia who found their way to our sacred halls.

The biggest, coolest thing that happened in 2024 (following one of the shittiest things to happen in 2024) was, of course, helping Kenstrosity deal with the catastrophe that was his life following Hurricane Helene. It was so cool and gratifying to see just how generous and amazing the fans of AMG were and we’ll never forget your generosity. We also added n00bs—welcoming Alekhines Gun, Tyme, and Killjoy as new blood for the Bloodgod (with more coming, we promise)—and saw the return of the illustrious Mark Z. We lost—at least for the time being—Ferox at the end of the year and that sucks for all of us. But losing him to a burgeoning career as a showrunner and movie director seems like the kind of thing that isn’t such a bitter pill to swallow. Personally, alas, 2024 was pretty much the worst year of my life. The reason I equivocate is because every time I think something like that I can only think of Homer Simpson saying: “So far! The worst year of your life so far!” But 2024 was marred by a breakup I did not want and struggles with both my physical health and the obvious consequences thereof. I re-read my Top 10(ish) of 2023 and was amused in that “oh, sweet summer child” kind of way when I read:

On a personal note, this year [2023] was supposed to be one of the best of my life. It has been an unmitigated pile of shit, with only a few bright spots. As usual, I’ll try to make 2024 a better year, where I am Angry Metal Guy in practice, not just in spirit. A new year always brings unreasonable and unrealistic goals that get broken in shame by April, doesn’t it? Well, that’s mine.

Alas, that ended up being quite a bit more prescient than I could’ve anticipated given that it was the 31st of March when the Behind the Music voiceover guy had to step in: “Then tragedy struck…”

So, 2024 turned out to be significantly worse for me than 2023. That said, I did, in fact, work a lot more on AMG than I have in previous years and it’s helped me to create a map of how that’s possible for the future. Furthermore, I’m finally starting to understand the things at the root of my BS—beyond unfortunate and frustrating life circumstances or the fact that I’m a big worthless loser4—and I hope that results in some real progress. Because, when all is said and done, Angry Metal Guy has stood the test of time for a reason and I’m proud of it and want to be involved in it. I like the music, I like most of the people, I like hazing n00bs, and I like arguing incessantly about opinions. Even if I feel a little out of lockstep with metal trends in recent years, I still think that my voice is important here and I want to have it here. And it’s thanks to everyone here, particularly Steel Druhm, Dr. Grier, and the other helpers, as well as the writers and of course, the readers, who have kept this all afloat while I am trying to solve the mystery that is my brain.

To moderate expectations for 2025! Here’s the Top 10(ish) of 2024.

#ish 2: Dawn Treader // Bloom & Decay [August 24th | Liminal Dread Productions | Bandcamp] — I’m relatively certain that if you had polled the writers and readers of AngryMetalGuy.com and asked them to predict this list, Dawn Treader’s Bloom & Decay would not have come even remotely close to placing on my Top 10(ish). And it makes sense. Dawn Treader traffics in a genre of black metal that I rail on at every chance. At this point, my personality is basically constructed of jokes about how calling something atmospheric just means they use a lot of reverb. And yeah, Bloom & Decay uses inordinate amounts of reverb, I can’t deny it. But better, Ross Connell subverts the ‘one-man black metal project’ tropes by being good, actually. The record is emotionally poignant, musically rich, and laden with pathos—causing that aching bloom in my chest while listening to what feels at times like sad songs playing in major keys. If there’s one reason I haven’t been back to this album as much as other things, it’s because it’s hard to listen to at times. The messages contained here and the way they are delivered can be challenging at times; long discursive samples that are hard to have repeated back at you time and again in a time of a lot of despair. Still, that’s hardly a knock against Dawn Treader’s work, there are a lot of people who would suggest that it’s exactly that which makes Bloom & Decay art. And there’s no question in my mind that Bloom & Decay is a work of art.

#ish 1: Verikalpa // Tuomio [April 19th, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — But then again, who needs serious emotionally poignant works of art when you can listen to Finnish guys writing amazing blackened melodeath that heavily features faux accordion and lyrics, presumably, about drinking? I feel a bit guilty that these guys have yet to make a number on the list—having previously been relegated to an -ish—but they are getting better and better and Tuomio has been a joy to listen to in a year where almost nothing else brought me joy. In a way, Verikalpa’s sound is a form of nostalgiacore for me—with its 2004 production, its 2004 riffs, and my 2004 urge to drink beer and headbang. But, as Steel Druhm would argue out of pure self-interest, some things are timeless and change is bad, so this isn’t a critique. And while the metal-listening public lost its taste for folk metal after the glut that was released in the late 2000s, I find Verikalpa avoids the pitfalls of the sound, delivering only the highest quality riffs and blasts. Loaded with groove and chunky riffs, Verikalpa knows how to write solid, speedy, fun, and brutal metal that will make you want to drink a beer and lift some weights. And again, what more can we truly ask of any metal band? If you aren’t listening to and loving Verikalpa by now, you’re missing out. Of all the Finnish releases with dated sounds this year, Tuomio is the best.

#10: Grendel’s Sÿster // Katabasis into the Abaton [August 30th, 2024 | Sur Del Cruz Music | Bandcamp] — If there was a major “I did not see that coming” moment in 2024, it was that Grendel’s Sÿster never left my playlist once I heard it for the first time. An addictive record, I summed it up best when I wrote that “this German four-piece drops metal that reeks of patchouli and ‘Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!‘ to surprising effect. The core of Grendel’s Sÿster’s sound is the combination of fuzzy guitars, bubbly p-bass, and boxy drums into something that will undoubtedly call to mind the ’70s hard rock of your choice: Wishbone Ash, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy or nostalgia merchants like Gygax.” And that sound—not a sound that I spend my free time chasing down—could be directly shot into my veins and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something pure and honest and beautiful about this music. It is both poppy and niche, both pretentious and utterly not; it breaks down binaries and exists in the interstices. And goddammit, it’s what one roadie for Porcupine Tree once said of Blaze’s first three records, “it’s good, honest heavy metal.” And that’s it. The cream rises to the top; good songwriting always wins. And Katabasis into the Abaton is loaded with great songs, fun ideas, and idiosyncratic vocals. It’s surprising in all the right ways.

#9: Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — Some experiences are unforgettable, and getting to see Oceans of Slumber in the summer of 2024 and really hear Cammie Beverly live was one such experience. There are few people in the world who truly have a Voice with a capital V and Cammie is one of them. The band’s performance was entrancing and her presence was commanding. It was literal goosebumps. I had been enjoying Where Gods Fear to Speak for a few weeks at that point, but seeing Oceans of Slumber live transformed my entire understanding of the unique strengths contained herein. Between her voice, genuinely progressive—and at times challenging—songwriting, and the fantastic performances, Where Gods Fear to Speak sounds like the culmination of the band’s career. Having learned from the past and meshed it all, listeners are left with something transcendent, beautiful, and the perfect balance of heavy and delicate. If there’s one knock on this record, it’s that people may struggle with a flowing relationship to song structure and hooks. But for the sophisticated listener, each song on Where Gods Fear to Speak is a beautiful step on an unforgettable journey.

#8: Iotunn // Kinship [October 25th, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — Hard truth time: I was never super enamored in Access All Worlds. While the blog and the commentariat were busy heaping praise upon the best band to come out of Denmark since Mercyful Fate, I held my tongue and gave them the spotlight they deserved because I was in a definite minority. But the record never inspired me. So, I approached Kinship with skepticism. I love Jón’s voice—this is no secret—but at 68 minutes long with 10-minute songs and one record in the bag I hadn’t felt… you know how it goes. I was happily surprised when Kinship hooked me hard. Jón’s voice brings everything together, but the blackened undercurrent spicing up the melodeath riffing (pretty sure Amon Amarth called their lawyers about a couple of the riffs in “The Anguished Ethereal”) matched with an epic scope that could be carried only by someone with the brass timbre and Grondesque vocal power of Aldará. I have been back to this again and again since I broke down and dropped it on the proverbial turntable. It is deep enough to keep me coming back, it’s hooky enough to kick that dopamine into high gear, and it’s beautiful and well-crafted with that aching Scandy melancholy that I crave. Bravo, Iotunn, this is a real first step towards me forgiving your spelling of ‘jotun’ and the Stockholm Bloodbath.

#7: Fellowship // The Skies above Eternity [November 22nd, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — I am hardly the first person to note that it’s difficult to follow a beloved record. I think it’s even harder to follow a beloved debut. And I doubt there’s an album that’s been released in recent years that is as beloved as Fellowship’s debut, The Saberlight Chronicles. Putting the hopes and fate of the Europower scene in the hands of these tiny pastoral persons and sending them off to Mordor was never a good idea. But surprise, surprise, they survived!5 And they’re back with an album that has inspired the kind of dedication that only the rare band ever gets close to, landing super high on people’s lists despite being a late November release. And you can hear why. The Skies above Eternity is yet another 45ish minutes of fantastic, guitar-driven melodic power metal that simultaneously rules and takes itself seriously enough to have good, interesting, relatable, and at times inspiring lyrics while also embracing the fun and natural, inherent silliness of power metal. That’s a hard balance to strike and Fellowship nails it with aplomb. They say you don’t want to be the guy who follows The Guy, you want to be the guy who follows the guy who follows The Guy. I suspect The Skies above Eternity will always be slightly underrated because it isn’t The Saberlight Chronicles. But fuck me if it isn’t excellent.

#6: Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair [October 4th | Transcending Obscurity Records | Bandcamp] — I knew that these kids from Finland were alright when I jokingly called them “Morbid Angelcore” on Instagram and they took it with grace.6 Honestly, of all the stuff that the “No Fun, Only Reverb and Feels!” flank of AMG has dredged up and dumped hyperbolic praise on, Devenial Verdict is one of the bands to which I feel the most grateful to have been exposed. Often sold as either “dissodeath” or “atmospheric death metal,” because they’re both wildly popular subgenres of death metal, both feel like misnomers. Rather, Blessing of Despair is an album loaded with memorable moments and melodies, and while it does, indeed, employ a lot of “atmosphere,”7 I was not prepared for the elite-level Azagthoth-on-LSD riffs that litter Blessing of Despair. I wouldn’t say that Blessing of Despair is OSDM, but the riffing evokes the masters in ways both direct and subtle and it gives the record an impeccable vibe. Devenial Verdict has wrought a brilliant death metal album where riffs abound, the atmosphere is set on the “Cathedral” setting, and every song is better than the last. Maybe the best word to use to describe their x factor is gravitas. But whatever it is, Devenial Verdict’s got it in spades.

#5: Octoploid // Beyond the Aeons [July 5th, 2024 | Reigning Phoenix Music | Bandcamp] — The amount of love that Beyond the Aeons isn’t receiving is one of the scandals of 2024, in my opinion. This started with our own positive—but tepid, if I’m honest—review of Beyond the Aeons and has continued through Listurnalia. As a passive, but legitimate, autocrat of Angry Metal Guy, I have half a mind to shut this place down over this deep disrespect for Amorphiscore. Honestly, it pains me not to make Beyond the Aeons the #1 album,8 because I have listened to these 33 minutes of extreme metal—occasionally tremmy and black, but mostly just solid melodeath—more than almost anything else this year. Tracks like “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” feed my need for new Amorphis and my secret wish that they were heavier. And that’s one thing I’ll give Octoploid, unlike Barren Earth, Beyond the Aeons doesn’t dwell too long on anything. It kicks off and speeds along, hitting you with catchy leads in the key of Moomin and doubled with synth—as one does. Don’t sleep on Octoploid. Beyond the Aeons is energetic, fun, catchy, and worth at least a couple of spins a week six months after it was released.

#4: Opeth // The Last Will and Testament [November 22nd, 2024 | Moderbolaget] — What Opeth has accomplished on The Last Will and Testament is remarkable. Unlike so many bands, Opeth’s reimaginations of its sound still speak to me. The Last Will and Testament is a smart, coherent, and melodramatic record that does Mikael Åkerfeldt and crew credit. The reason that this record elevates itself above the ceiling that most Newpeth lived under, however, is that they are finally able to turn the music up to 11 again compositionally. After more than a decade without the emotional and compositional peak (and release) of a guttural growl released from the diaphragm over a particularly chunky riff or heavy drums, The Last Will and Testament continues the band’s development but gives them a release valve—”§4″ being the highlight for me, where they transition from Opethro Tull—a jazz flute solo—to Deathro Tull with some operatic, but dour, death metal. And it simply feels good to hear them doing both of these things simultaneously. Having gone through and relistened to the discography at length, it is striking how Opeth circa 2024 sounds very little like the band I fell in love with in the late-’90s/early aughts. To be able to both be markedly different and feel like the same band is a deeply underrated trait. This could have been higher if I’d had longer with it.

#3: Fleshgod Apocalypse // Opera [August 23rd, 2024 | Nuclear Blast Records | Bandcamp] — I knew almost immediately that Opera was going to be a controversial record. I was not prepared for the hyperbolic pushback that Opera garnered from fans of Italy’s death metal answer to [Luca (Turilli / Lione)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] for being, as I wrote myself, “undeniably poppy.” Sometimes I think that we fans of the extreme metal scene have lost sight of what pop music really is. The fact that people have been heaping scorn on Fleshgod Apocalypse for writing operatic death metal because Veronica Bordacchini doesn’t only sing using proper operatic technique and the band simplified some of its compositional tendencies is, to put it lightly, patently absurd. Opera is fun! It’s energetic and well-crafted, and it has a better excuse for writing more palatable and less grandiose music that uses more traditional pop and rock compositional structures than Nightwish ever had,9 and it literally has dramatic choirs arpeggiating in Latin behind grinding blast beats and death metal growls as I’m writing this blurb! Fucking get over yourselves. Go enjoy the shit out of Opera. No one sounds like Fleshgod Apocalypse and when they hit, they fucking hit. And Opera hits! It is thematically interesting, deeply personal, and cohesive in the way that the best albums are while featuring a diverse and excellent performance from Bordacchini. Easily one of the best records of 2024.

#2: Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe [September 20th, 2024 | Century Media | Bandcamp] — One of the things that makes the work at Angry Metal Guy interesting after 15 years is editing other writers’ work. It’s a pleasure to get to talk to, work with, and help guide the brilliant writers that we have working here. And because I want to hear what I’m reading about at the same time, I listen to a lot of music I would not necessarily have chosen to listen to myself. Noise’s work—such as 2023’s #5 record Leiþa—has come to my attention because of the work that Carcharodon has done in covering his projects. So, when I went to edit Die Urkatastrophe, well aware of the impending 5.0, I was edified to read a well-argued analysis that highlighted for me exactly what it was that appealed to me so much about Kanonenfieber’s critically acclaimed10 platter. Die Urkatastrophe is a powerful album that walks the line between black and death metal, with surprisingly polished and smooth production and artfully crafted songs. Like so many of the best albums, it is both thematically coherent and full of standout moments. Arresting moments like the gunshot at the end of “Der Maulwurf,” the best-placed samples since Velvet Darkness They Fear, and a superb flow make Die Urkatastrophe a triumph that we’ll return to for years.

#1: Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk [March 22nd, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — The best album of 2024 was an undeniably easy choice this year. Released the day after my life started falling to pieces, Hamferð’s third masterpiece is a tale of tragedy (with a smidgen of hope), driven by strong songwriting and stronger performances. There are plenty of things that one can point to that help to differentiate Men Guðs hond er sterk from the field this year: the band’s sound is expertly crafted, and with pristine production, and the band—who apparently records without a click track?!—carries the emotional weight of their music perfectly despite the largely opaque language in which it’s presented.11 Furthermore, enough cannot be said about the powerhouse of a vocalist that Hamferð is fortunate enough to have. Jón Aldará’s vocals carry the day with a brassy baritone that evokes the mourning that all doom peddlers are chasing but so few nail. Men Guðs hond er sterk is tight, it’s heavy—though not as heavy as its predecessor, which I missed—but more importantly it’s complete and brilliant and my Record o’ the Year for 2024.

Honorable Mentions:

In Vain // Solemn [April 19th, 2024 | Indie Recordings | Bandcamp] — Having been released when I was in the moment of absolute denial and despair as my life fell apart, you’ll forgive me for not having heard this album until the last couple months of 2024. And I suspect that if I had been able to spend more time with it, it would have worked its way onto the list proper (though, man, it’s hard to know what would go). Once again, In Vain does such an outstanding job of balancing all the different sounds and influences, and I will never get sick of any clean vocals from the brothers Nedland (RIP Solefald). These guys are great and Solemn keeps them batting 1.000.

Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God [June 14th | Debemur Morti Productions | Bandcamp] — Another album that should’ve been higher on my list (but where would I have put Verikalpa then, guys!?). Ulcerate has been awesome and it’s almost unremarkable that they continue to be awesome in new and different ways. The thing that I keep coming back to Cutting the Throat of God for is the fact that these are probably the band’s most addictive and hypnotic riffs. Their sound has always had a fluidity that made them unique, but there are times when I feel like a snake being charmed as I’m listening to Ulcerate pump out fascinating, liquid riffs that seem to morph in scope and feel without ever breaking stride. Another record that is getting the shaft on this list.

Sonata Arctica // Clear Cold Beyond [March 8th, 2024 | Atomic Fire Records] — I started out skeptical about Clear Cold Beyond, and then I ended up loving it. The problem is that this was another record caught up in the Great Dumping o’ 2024 and got lost in the mix. This album has the benefit of having some really fun “we’re sorry we wrote Talviyö and then released two fucking acoustic cover records in a row” moments, but it’s not just an apology tour.12 The strength of Clear Cold Beyond is watching Kakko do the things he’s best at: write about creepy dudes with seriously bad boundaries (“Dark Empath”); write awkward lyrics about social topics that are kind of funny but also maybe not (“California”); and most importantly is his transformation into Dad Rocker (“The Best Things”). This record didn’t ever threaten to be Top 10, but it also deserves a nod for bringing me a ton of joy, even if I can’t listen to “The Best Things” without getting choked up.

Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun [August 30th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — I have been a little back and forth with Anciients, but Beyond the Reach of the Sun was an absolute banger that got snubbed for a Record o’ the Month spot, despite receiving an excellently written, laudatory review from Saunders. And perpetual self-editing complaints aside, Anciients is one of those bands whose ability to craft Riffs is unmatched. Every single song on this album has one of those Riffs—not just riffs, gotta capitalize that R so everyone knows that we’re talking about iconic stuff here—and I am, frankly, jealous of the feel and groove that these guys seem to have as second nature. This album clicked for me when I put it in the cans on a flight and just sat and listened to it and man, we are spoiled with an absolute embarrassment of riches in metal. These guys are an honorable mention? It’s unfair.

Caligula’s Horse // Charcoal Grace [January 26th, 2024 | InsideOut Records | Bandcamp] — After it was summarily 3.0’d by the guy who brought you the Angra list everyone thought was absolute crap, I feel like everyone just forgot about Charcoal Grace. But I’m going to be honest with you, this record deserved a lot better than it got at the hands of the traitorous reviewer who poo-poohed it and then, allegedly, went on to kick his dog and demand his wife make him a sandwich. This is a more subtle Caligula’s Horse, I admit. How they seem to be swapping places with Haken becomes more manifest with every release. But this record is a true headphones album that deserves a hi-def version of the release, serious cans, and a dark room. It’s loaded with great riffs and fantastic songs and has a particularly poignant and powerful closing. Also, the level of detail here is unreal. Appreciate what you have while they are still putting out amazing albums.

Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System [June 28th, 2024 | Rotted Life Records | Bandcamp] — One of the surprises of the year is an album named after one of the funniest jabs at the anarchosyndicalists in our lives. Noxis’ brand of frantic, technical death metal—complete with my favorite snare of the year—has swept through the Angry Metal Guy staff for a reason. The reason? It’s fucking great. At 45 minutes, Violence Inherent in the System is a record with the energy and addictiveness of Gorod, even if the songwriting chops aren’t quite on that level yet. But you don’t have to be Gorod-good to be good and Noxis is good. I’m looking forward to their sophomore release Scimitars Lobbed in Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies, due Q4 2025/Q1 2026.

Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart [January 26th, 2024 | Dark Essence Records | Bandcamp] — In my Record o’ the Month blurb for Old Eyes, New Heart, I wrote “What Old Eyes, New Heart does is show Madder Mortem as alive and creative as ever, showcasing a more vulnerable, introspective side of themselves. Tracks like ‘Here and Now’ and ‘Cold Hard Rain’ weep with power and raw emotion, giving fans all the feelz they yearn for, and there’s simmering anger girding the material as well. As GardensTale noted, regarding the very personal, intense feeling of the new music: ‘Old Eyes, New Heart will stand as one of the most intimate and therapeutic albums we’re bound to get this year.’ And who isn’t going to need a little bit of therapy in 2024?” Yeah, I found myself listening to this album a lot this year because it expresses what I couldn’t. Again, prescient.

Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere [October 4th, 2024 | Century Media Records | Bandcamp] — Yeah, it’s fine I guess. A little overhyped in the comment section, though. Remember that time when it got released and everyone who hadn’t heard it yet was like “RECORD OF THE YEAR!!!!!!1!” five minutes later? Pepperidge Farms remembers. In all seriousness, this record is great and I enjoyed it which is why it’s here. But while it threatened to hit the list as an #ish, it never really felt like RotY material to me. Still, give these guys their due. They are unique and cool and you love to see the enthusiasm about weirdo progdeath.

Top 10(ish) Songs o’ the Year:

#ish: Karol G // “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” — Fuck you.

#10: Sonata Arctica // “The Best Things” — Fans of the band and this album are going to laugh, but this song kills me. Dad rock. I love it.

#9: Wintersun // “Storm” — When I saw everyone sporting “Silver Leaves” as the highlight of Time II, I had to do a double-take. As I covered at length in my review, the one song that I felt lived up to Jaari’s potential as a player and composer was “Storm,” and this track is a fucking doozy. This track perfectly executes both the blend of blackened death metal and power metal that makes Wintersun’s inability to produce something truly epic frustrating. If I had only heard “Ominous Clouds” and “Storm,” Time II would’ve gotten a 4.5. This is the only memorable thing he wrote on the entire album.

#8: Oceans of Slumber // “Wish” — It’s weird the tracks that call to you on an album. I love this whole record for a bunch of different reasons, but on “Wish” there are little melodic things that Cammie does here that make my heart ache. The lyrics, too. I feel ’em. Deeply underrated record.

#7: Fellowship // “Victim” — “I swear, I won’t always feel like a victim! I won’t always fight on my own! So, forgive me these transgressions as I live a life of lessons and I grow to overshadow darker thrones! This king is king alone!”

#6: Opeth // “§4” — No more perfect encapsulation of why Opeth is impressive than how hard they nailed this song. Love the porn beat with the Ian Anderson flute solo (Deathro Tull, lol) that gives way to stadium rock that gives way to grindy death metal. Just inject that fucking shit straight into my fucking veins. Unff.

#5: Grendel’s Sÿster // “Cosmogony” — This song is metal as fuck. I love the fun little extra beat they drop in to make it feel like a slightly lopsided wheel rolling along. But there’s nothing about this that doesn’t live up to what I wrote above: good, honest heavy metal. Catchy, riffy, and fun to listen to. Top it off with a bass-heavy section and a gallop carried on the guitar and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an epic, addictive track. More of this, plz.

#4: Fleshgod Apocalypse // “Morphine Waltz” — This song fucking rules. From the opening strains with the horn section in the orchestra to the 3/4 time signature (y’know, ’cause it’s actually a waltz), to the raw, punky performance from Bordacchini. Extra points for the fucking balls to the wall bridge with the huge choirs before the guitar solo. Like, how do you fucking people not think this is one of the best albums of the year? JFC.

#3: Caligula’s Horse // “Mute” — One of Caligula’s Horse’s strongest traits is their ability to write epic conclusions to their albums. “Mute” is up there with “Graves” in terms of the sheer weightiness of the whole thing—though this time it’s more delicate. Beautiful.

#2: Anciients // “Despoiled” — Riff of the year at 3:57. Gives me involuntary metal face. Love the vocal melodies, too. Great stuff.

#1: Madder Mortem // “Things I’ll Never Do” — This song fucking kills me. Has anyone checked on their lyricist recently?

Show 12 footnotes

1. This joke is fucking hilarious but only a few of you are going to get it. ↩
2. I kid because I’m scared shitless of your country and will never visit it. – AMG ↩
3. Wondering where you are? 11. Poland; 12. Brazil; 13. Norway; 14. Belgium; 15. Italy; 16. Greece; 17. Denmark; 18. Czechia; 19. Austria; 20. Russia; 21: Mexico; 22. Portugal; 23. Switzerland; 24. Romania; 25. Hungary. ↩
4. Not that I’m *not* a big worthless loser, just that there’s more to it. ↩
5. They suffered unduly and cast a lot of longing stares at each other, but they survived! ↩
6. Because fucking Morbid Angel is the best, obviously. ↩
7. Read: reverb. ↩
8. Tell you what, guys, how ’bout Jón Aldará joins Octoploid and y’all start writing 15-minute songs? Then you can both be #1! ↩
9. And don’t get me started Steven Wilson. “Ooh, I should be famous, why haven’t I had a number one record when Nick Beggs has had one?!” 🙄 ↩
10. This is true because I am busy acclaiming it. ↩
11. Obviously, largely opaque for most of us. People from the Faroe Islands do, indeed, speak the language in which this album is sung. My AI translator does not. ↩
12. And if it is, it is obviously their best-executed one to date. ↩

#2024 #Anciients #AngryMetalGuy #AngryMetalGuySRecordSOTheYear #AngryMetalGuySTop10Ish_ #BeyondTheAeons #BlessingOfDespair #BloodIncantation #BloomDecay #CaligulaSHorse #DawnTreader #DevenialVerdict #DieUrkatastrophe #Fellowship #FleshgodApocalypse #GrendelSSÿster #Hamferð #InVain #Iotunn #Kanonenfieber #KarolG #KatabasisIntoTheAbaton #Kinship #Listurnalia2024 #MadderMortem #MenGuðsHondErSterk #Noxis #OceansOfSlumber #Octoploid #Opera #Opeth #SonataArctica #TheLastWillAndTestament #TheSkiesAboveEternity #TimeII #Tuomio #Ulcerate #Verikalpa #WhereGodsFearToSpeak #Wintersun

Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Angry Metal Guy

Starting 2025 with a bang was always important, and I elected the “being 26 days late with your Record o’ the Year post” as the best possible way to give everyone that patented Angry Metal Guy feeling of waiting and waiting only to be smacked in the face with 5000 words that you disagree with entirely. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Executive Dysfunction! Let’s make a list!1

Fifteen years of Angry Metal Guy and year 15 will be remembered as a genuinely good year for metal. There were several excellent releases I was genuinely excited about and as the year went on, things got even better. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had a glut of options and felt guilty about what was and wasn’t making the list. In terms of total performance, year 15 at AMG stayed roughly on par with 2023. We wrote 691 posts (mostly reviews), which, in terms of raw numbers, dropped to lower than 2023 and was once again the lowest since 2015. We made up for it in girth, however, with the average post sporting a whopping 955 words! This might be a case of the self-fulfilling prophecy biting me in the ass for consistently yelling at everyone for being overwriters at which point they see themselves as overwriters and begin to overwrite. Or, maybe it’s because we had fewer reviews to balance out the longer posts. Regardless, we finished with a “big-boned” 660,024 total words in 2024. We averaged 38,617 views a day, leading us to our second-highest annual readership numbers ever at 14,129,320 total page views; a tick down from last year, but that’s not surprising when we’re writing fewer posts.

The readership of AMG is as global as ever, but the USA, UK, and Canada retained their spots as 1, 2, and 3 on our Top 10(ish) Biggest Readerships. Germans continued to flock here in droves, maintaining their position at number 4 on our list with Australia coming in at healthy 5. I’m a bit surprised at Australia for not taking umbrage at getting beat by the Germans last year, but when you live in constant fear of your absolutely frightening environs, I guess that’s the least of your worries.2 Spots 6-9 are the same as last year with Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Spain. But coming in at number 10 was Finland! Our strategy of lauding Finnish bands is finally paying off. “How” you ask? Well, if I can get to celebrity status in Finland, I intend to go there so I can be awkwardly ignored in social situations by an entirely new population of Scandinavians. I was happy to see Poland sneak up to the coveted “ish” spot on the list, but that means Brazil dropped out of the Top 10(ish) and that sucks.3 We were once again visited a single time by a mysterious robed reader from the Vatican City and I want to extend a warm Angry Metal Guy welcome to the lone citizen of Micronesia who found their way to our sacred halls.

The biggest, coolest thing that happened in 2024 (following one of the shittiest things to happen in 2024) was, of course, helping Kenstrosity deal with the catastrophe that was his life following Hurricane Helene. It was so cool and gratifying to see just how generous and amazing the fans of AMG were and we’ll never forget your generosity. We also added n00bs—welcoming Alekhines Gun, Tyme, and Killjoy as new blood for the Bloodgod (with more coming, we promise)—and saw the return of the illustrious Mark Z. We lost—at least for the time being—Ferox at the end of the year and that sucks for all of us. But losing him to a burgeoning career as a showrunner and movie director seems like the kind of thing that isn’t such a bitter pill to swallow. Personally, alas, 2024 was pretty much the worst year of my life. The reason I equivocate is because every time I think something like that I can only think of Homer Simpson saying: “So far! The worst year of your life so far!” But 2024 was marred by a breakup I did not want and struggles with both my physical health and the obvious consequences thereof. I re-read my Top 10(ish) of 2023 and was amused in that “oh, sweet summer child” kind of way when I read:

On a personal note, this year [2023] was supposed to be one of the best of my life. It has been an unmitigated pile of shit, with only a few bright spots. As usual, I’ll try to make 2024 a better year, where I am Angry Metal Guy in practice, not just in spirit. A new year always brings unreasonable and unrealistic goals that get broken in shame by April, doesn’t it? Well, that’s mine.

Alas, that ended up being quite a bit more prescient than I could’ve anticipated given that it was the 31st of March when the Behind the Music voiceover guy had to step in: “Then tragedy struck…”

So, 2024 turned out to be significantly worse for me than 2023. That said, I did, in fact, work a lot more on AMG than I have in previous years and it’s helped me to create a map of how that’s possible for the future. Furthermore, I’m finally starting to understand the things at the root of my BS—beyond unfortunate and frustrating life circumstances or the fact that I’m a big worthless loser4—and I hope that results in some real progress. Because, when all is said and done, Angry Metal Guy has stood the test of time for a reason and I’m proud of it and want to be involved in it. I like the music, I like most of the people, I like hazing n00bs, and I like arguing incessantly about opinions. Even if I feel a little out of lockstep with metal trends in recent years, I still think that my voice is important here and I want to have it here. And it’s thanks to everyone here, particularly Steel Druhm, Dr. Grier, and the other helpers, as well as the writers and of course, the readers, who have kept this all afloat while I am trying to solve the mystery that is my brain.

To moderate expectations for 2025! Here’s the Top 10(ish) of 2024.

#ish 2: Dawn Treader // Bloom & Decay [August 24th | Liminal Dread Productions | Bandcamp] — I’m relatively certain that if you had polled the writers and readers of AngryMetalGuy.com and asked them to predict this list, Dawn Treader’s Bloom & Decay would not have come even remotely close to placing on my Top 10(ish). And it makes sense. Dawn Treader traffics in a genre of black metal that I rail on at every chance. At this point, my personality is basically constructed of jokes about how calling something atmospheric just means they use a lot of reverb. And yeah, Bloom & Decay uses inordinate amounts of reverb, I can’t deny it. But better, Ross Connell subverts the ‘one-man black metal project’ tropes by being good, actually. The record is emotionally poignant, musically rich, and laden with pathos—causing that aching bloom in my chest while listening to what feels at times like sad songs playing in major keys. If there’s one reason I haven’t been back to this album as much as other things, it’s because it’s hard to listen to at times. The messages contained here and the way they are delivered can be challenging at times; long discursive samples that are hard to have repeated back at you time and again in a time of a lot of despair. Still, that’s hardly a knock against Dawn Treader’s work, there are a lot of people who would suggest that it’s exactly that which makes Bloom & Decay art. And there’s no question in my mind that Bloom & Decay is a work of art.

#ish 1: Verikalpa // Tuomio [April 19th, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — But then again, who needs serious emotionally poignant works of art when you can listen to Finnish guys writing amazing blackened melodeath that heavily features faux accordion and lyrics, presumably, about drinking? I feel a bit guilty that these guys have yet to make a number on the list—having previously been relegated to an -ish—but they are getting better and better and Tuomio has been a joy to listen to in a year where almost nothing else brought me joy. In a way, Verikalpa’s sound is a form of nostalgiacore for me—with its 2004 production, its 2004 riffs, and my 2004 urge to drink beer and headbang. But, as Steel Druhm would argue out of pure self-interest, some things are timeless and change is bad, so this isn’t a critique. And while the metal-listening public lost its taste for folk metal after the glut that was released in the late 2000s, I find Verikalpa avoids the pitfalls of the sound, delivering only the highest quality riffs and blasts. Loaded with groove and chunky riffs, Verikalpa knows how to write solid, speedy, fun, and brutal metal that will make you want to drink a beer and lift some weights. And again, what more can we truly ask of any metal band? If you aren’t listening to and loving Verikalpa by now, you’re missing out. Of all the Finnish releases with dated sounds this year, Tuomio is the best.

#10: Grendel’s Sÿster // Katabasis into the Abaton [August 30th, 2024 | Sur Del Cruz Music | Bandcamp] — If there was a major “I did not see that coming” moment in 2024, it was that Grendel’s Sÿster never left my playlist once I heard it for the first time. An addictive record, I summed it up best when I wrote that “this German four-piece drops metal that reeks of patchouli and ‘Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!‘ to surprising effect. The core of Grendel’s Sÿster’s sound is the combination of fuzzy guitars, bubbly p-bass, and boxy drums into something that will undoubtedly call to mind the ’70s hard rock of your choice: Wishbone Ash, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy or nostalgia merchants like Gygax.” And that sound—not a sound that I spend my free time chasing down—could be directly shot into my veins and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something pure and honest and beautiful about this music. It is both poppy and niche, both pretentious and utterly not; it breaks down binaries and exists in the interstices. And goddammit, it’s what one roadie for Porcupine Tree once said of Blaze’s first three records, “it’s good, honest heavy metal.” And that’s it. The cream rises to the top; good songwriting always wins. And Katabasis into the Abaton is loaded with great songs, fun ideas, and idiosyncratic vocals. It’s surprising in all the right ways.

#9: Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — Some experiences are unforgettable, and getting to see Oceans of Slumber in the summer of 2024 and really hear Cammie Beverly live was one such experience. There are few people in the world who truly have a Voice with a capital V and Cammie is one of them. The band’s performance was entrancing and her presence was commanding. It was literal goosebumps. I had been enjoying Where Gods Fear to Speak for a few weeks at that point, but seeing Oceans of Slumber live transformed my entire understanding of the unique strengths contained herein. Between her voice, genuinely progressive—and at times challenging—songwriting, and the fantastic performances, Where Gods Fear to Speak sounds like the culmination of the band’s career. Having learned from the past and meshed it all, listeners are left with something transcendent, beautiful, and the perfect balance of heavy and delicate. If there’s one knock on this record, it’s that people may struggle with a flowing relationship to song structure and hooks. But for the sophisticated listener, each song on Where Gods Fear to Speak is a beautiful step on an unforgettable journey.

#8: Iotunn // Kinship [October 25th, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — Hard truth time: I was never super enamored in Access All Worlds. While the blog and the commentariat were busy heaping praise upon the best band to come out of Denmark since Mercyful Fate, I held my tongue and gave them the spotlight they deserved because I was in a definite minority. But the record never inspired me. So, I approached Kinship with skepticism. I love Jón’s voice—this is no secret—but at 68 minutes long with 10-minute songs and one record in the bag I hadn’t felt… you know how it goes. I was happily surprised when Kinship hooked me hard. Jón’s voice brings everything together, but the blackened undercurrent spicing up the melodeath riffing (pretty sure Amon Amarth called their lawyers about a couple of the riffs in “The Anguished Ethereal”) matched with an epic scope that could be carried only by someone with the brass timbre and Grondesque vocal power of Aldará. I have been back to this again and again since I broke down and dropped it on the proverbial turntable. It is deep enough to keep me coming back, it’s hooky enough to kick that dopamine into high gear, and it’s beautiful and well-crafted with that aching Scandy melancholy that I crave. Bravo, Iotunn, this is a real first step towards me forgiving your spelling of ‘jotun’ and the Stockholm Bloodbath.

#7: Fellowship // The Skies above Eternity [November 22nd, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — I am hardly the first person to note that it’s difficult to follow a beloved record. I think it’s even harder to follow a beloved debut. And I doubt there’s an album that’s been released in recent years that is as beloved as Fellowship’s debut, The Saberlight Chronicles. Putting the hopes and fate of the Europower scene in the hands of these tiny pastoral persons and sending them off to Mordor was never a good idea. But surprise, surprise, they survived!5 And they’re back with an album that has inspired the kind of dedication that only the rare band ever gets close to, landing super high on people’s lists despite being a late November release. And you can hear why. The Skies above Eternity is yet another 45ish minutes of fantastic, guitar-driven melodic power metal that simultaneously rules and takes itself seriously enough to have good, interesting, relatable, and at times inspiring lyrics while also embracing the fun and natural, inherent silliness of power metal. That’s a hard balance to strike and Fellowship nails it with aplomb. They say you don’t want to be the guy who follows The Guy, you want to be the guy who follows the guy who follows The Guy. I suspect The Skies above Eternity will always be slightly underrated because it isn’t The Saberlight Chronicles. But fuck me if it isn’t excellent.

#6: Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair [October 4th | Transcending Obscurity Records | Bandcamp] — I knew that these kids from Finland were alright when I jokingly called them “Morbid Angelcore” on Instagram and they took it with grace.6 Honestly, of all the stuff that the “No Fun, Only Reverb and Feels!” flank of AMG has dredged up and dumped hyperbolic praise on, Devenial Verdict is one of the bands to which I feel the most grateful to have been exposed. Often sold as either “dissodeath” or “atmospheric death metal,” because they’re both wildly popular subgenres of death metal, both feel like misnomers. Rather, Blessing of Despair is an album loaded with memorable moments and melodies, and while it does, indeed, employ a lot of “atmosphere,”7 I was not prepared for the elite-level Azagthoth-on-LSD riffs that litter Blessing of Despair. I wouldn’t say that Blessing of Despair is OSDM, but the riffing evokes the masters in ways both direct and subtle and it gives the record an impeccable vibe. Devenial Verdict has wrought a brilliant death metal album where riffs abound, the atmosphere is set on the “Cathedral” setting, and every song is better than the last. Maybe the best word to use to describe their x factor is gravitas. But whatever it is, Devenial Verdict’s got it in spades.

#5: Octoploid // Beyond the Aeons [July 5th, 2024 | Reigning Phoenix Music | Bandcamp] — The amount of love that Beyond the Aeons isn’t receiving is one of the scandals of 2024, in my opinion. This started with our own positive—but tepid, if I’m honest—review of Beyond the Aeons and has continued through Listurnalia. As a passive, but legitimate, autocrat of Angry Metal Guy, I have half a mind to shut this place down over this deep disrespect for Amorphiscore. Honestly, it pains me not to make Beyond the Aeons the #1 album,8 because I have listened to these 33 minutes of extreme metal—occasionally tremmy and black, but mostly just solid melodeath—more than almost anything else this year. Tracks like “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” feed my need for new Amorphis and my secret wish that they were heavier. And that’s one thing I’ll give Octoploid, unlike Barren Earth, Beyond the Aeons doesn’t dwell too long on anything. It kicks off and speeds along, hitting you with catchy leads in the key of Moomin and doubled with synth—as one does. Don’t sleep on Octoploid. Beyond the Aeons is energetic, fun, catchy, and worth at least a couple of spins a week six months after it was released.

#4: Opeth // The Last Will and Testament [November 22nd, 2024 | Moderbolaget] — What Opeth has accomplished on The Last Will and Testament is remarkable. Unlike so many bands, Opeth’s reimaginations of its sound still speak to me. The Last Will and Testament is a smart, coherent, and melodramatic record that does Mikael Åkerfeldt and crew credit. The reason that this record elevates itself above the ceiling that most Newpeth lived under, however, is that they are finally able to turn the music up to 11 again compositionally. After more than a decade without the emotional and compositional peak (and release) of a guttural growl released from the diaphragm over a particularly chunky riff or heavy drums, The Last Will and Testament continues the band’s development but gives them a release valve—”§4″ being the highlight for me, where they transition from Opethro Tull—a jazz flute solo—to Deathro Tull with some operatic, but dour, death metal. And it simply feels good to hear them doing both of these things simultaneously. Having gone through and relistened to the discography at length, it is striking how Opeth circa 2024 sounds very little like the band I fell in love with in the late-’90s/early aughts. To be able to both be markedly different and feel like the same band is a deeply underrated trait. This could have been higher if I’d had longer with it.

#3: Fleshgod Apocalypse // Opera [August 23rd, 2024 | Nuclear Blast Records | Bandcamp] — I knew almost immediately that Opera was going to be a controversial record. I was not prepared for the hyperbolic pushback that Opera garnered from fans of Italy’s death metal answer to [Luca (Turilli / Lione)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] for being, as I wrote myself, “undeniably poppy.” Sometimes I think that we fans of the extreme metal scene have lost sight of what pop music really is. The fact that people have been heaping scorn on Fleshgod Apocalypse for writing operatic death metal because Veronica Bordacchini doesn’t only sing using proper operatic technique and the band simplified some of its compositional tendencies is, to put it lightly, patently absurd. Opera is fun! It’s energetic and well-crafted, and it has a better excuse for writing more palatable and less grandiose music that uses more traditional pop and rock compositional structures than Nightwish ever had,9 and it literally has dramatic choirs arpeggiating in Latin behind grinding blast beats and death metal growls as I’m writing this blurb! Fucking get over yourselves. Go enjoy the shit out of Opera. No one sounds like Fleshgod Apocalypse and when they hit, they fucking hit. And Opera hits! It is thematically interesting, deeply personal, and cohesive in the way that the best albums are while featuring a diverse and excellent performance from Bordacchini. Easily one of the best records of 2024.

#2: Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe [September 20th, 2024 | Century Media | Bandcamp] — One of the things that makes the work at Angry Metal Guy interesting after 15 years is editing other writers’ work. It’s a pleasure to get to talk to, work with, and help guide the brilliant writers that we have working here. And because I want to hear what I’m reading about at the same time, I listen to a lot of music I would not necessarily have chosen to listen to myself. Noise’s work—such as 2023’s #5 record Leiþa—has come to my attention because of the work that Carcharodon has done in covering his projects. So, when I went to edit Die Urkatastrophe, well aware of the impending 5.0, I was edified to read a well-argued analysis that highlighted for me exactly what it was that appealed to me so much about Kanonenfieber’s critically acclaimed10 platter. Die Urkatastrophe is a powerful album that walks the line between black and death metal, with surprisingly polished and smooth production and artfully crafted songs. Like so many of the best albums, it is both thematically coherent and full of standout moments. Arresting moments like the gunshot at the end of “Der Maulwurf,” the best-placed samples since Velvet Darkness They Fear, and a superb flow make Die Urkatastrophe a triumph that we’ll return to for years.

#1: Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk [March 22nd, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — The best album of 2024 was an undeniably easy choice this year. Released the day after my life started falling to pieces, Hamferð’s third masterpiece is a tale of tragedy (with a smidgen of hope), driven by strong songwriting and stronger performances. There are plenty of things that one can point to that help to differentiate Men Guðs hond er sterk from the field this year: the band’s sound is expertly crafted, and with pristine production, and the band—who apparently records without a click track?!—carries the emotional weight of their music perfectly despite the largely opaque language in which it’s presented.11 Furthermore, enough cannot be said about the powerhouse of a vocalist that Hamferð is fortunate enough to have. Jón Aldará’s vocals carry the day with a brassy baritone that evokes the mourning that all doom peddlers are chasing but so few nail. Men Guðs hond er sterk is tight, it’s heavy—though not as heavy as its predecessor, which I missed—but more importantly it’s complete and brilliant and my Record o’ the Year for 2024.

Honorable Mentions:

In Vain // Solemn [April 19th, 2024 | Indie Recordings | Bandcamp] — Having been released when I was in the moment of absolute denial and despair as my life fell apart, you’ll forgive me for not having heard this album until the last couple months of 2024. And I suspect that if I had been able to spend more time with it, it would have worked its way onto the list proper (though, man, it’s hard to know what would go). Once again, In Vain does such an outstanding job of balancing all the different sounds and influences, and I will never get sick of any clean vocals from the brothers Nedland (RIP Solefald). These guys are great and Solemn keeps them batting 1.000.

Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God [June 14th | Debemur Morti Productions | Bandcamp] — Another album that should’ve been higher on my list (but where would I have put Verikalpa then, guys!?). Ulcerate has been awesome and it’s almost unremarkable that they continue to be awesome in new and different ways. The thing that I keep coming back to Cutting the Throat of God for is the fact that these are probably the band’s most addictive and hypnotic riffs. Their sound has always had a fluidity that made them unique, but there are times when I feel like a snake being charmed as I’m listening to Ulcerate pump out fascinating, liquid riffs that seem to morph in scope and feel without ever breaking stride. Another record that is getting the shaft on this list.

Sonata Arctica // Clear Cold Beyond [March 8th, 2024 | Atomic Fire Records] — I started out skeptical about Clear Cold Beyond, and then I ended up loving it. The problem is that this was another record caught up in the Great Dumping o’ 2024 and got lost in the mix. This album has the benefit of having some really fun “we’re sorry we wrote Talviyö and then released two fucking acoustic cover records in a row” moments, but it’s not just an apology tour.12 The strength of Clear Cold Beyond is watching Kakko do the things he’s best at: write about creepy dudes with seriously bad boundaries (“Dark Empath”); write awkward lyrics about social topics that are kind of funny but also maybe not (“California”); and most importantly is his transformation into Dad Rocker (“The Best Things”). This record didn’t ever threaten to be Top 10, but it also deserves a nod for bringing me a ton of joy, even if I can’t listen to “The Best Things” without getting choked up.

Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun [August 30th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — I have been a little back and forth with Anciients, but Beyond the Reach of the Sun was an absolute banger that got snubbed for a Record o’ the Month spot, despite receiving an excellently written, laudatory review from Saunders. And perpetual self-editing complaints aside, Anciients is one of those bands whose ability to craft Riffs is unmatched. Every single song on this album has one of those Riffs—not just riffs, gotta capitalize that R so everyone knows that we’re talking about iconic stuff here—and I am, frankly, jealous of the feel and groove that these guys seem to have as second nature. This album clicked for me when I put it in the cans on a flight and just sat and listened to it and man, we are spoiled with an absolute embarrassment of riches in metal. These guys are an honorable mention? It’s unfair.

Caligula’s Horse // Charcoal Grace [January 26th, 2024 | InsideOut Records | Bandcamp] — After it was summarily 3.0’d by the guy who brought you the Angra list everyone thought was absolute crap, I feel like everyone just forgot about Charcoal Grace. But I’m going to be honest with you, this record deserved a lot better than it got at the hands of the traitorous reviewer who poo-poohed it and then, allegedly, went on to kick his dog and demand his wife make him a sandwich. This is a more subtle Caligula’s Horse, I admit. How they seem to be swapping places with Haken becomes more manifest with every release. But this record is a true headphones album that deserves a hi-def version of the release, serious cans, and a dark room. It’s loaded with great riffs and fantastic songs and has a particularly poignant and powerful closing. Also, the level of detail here is unreal. Appreciate what you have while they are still putting out amazing albums.

Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System [June 28th, 2024 | Rotted Life Records | Bandcamp] — One of the surprises of the year is an album named after one of the funniest jabs at the anarchosyndicalists in our lives. Noxis’ brand of frantic, technical death metal—complete with my favorite snare of the year—has swept through the Angry Metal Guy staff for a reason. The reason? It’s fucking great. At 45 minutes, Violence Inherent in the System is a record with the energy and addictiveness of Gorod, even if the songwriting chops aren’t quite on that level yet. But you don’t have to be Gorod-good to be good and Noxis is good. I’m looking forward to their sophomore release Scimitars Thrown in Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies, due Q4 2025/Q1 2026.

Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart [January 26th, 2024 | Dark Essence Records | Bandcamp] — In my Record o’ the Month blurb for Old Eyes, New Heart, I wrote “What Old Eyes, New Heart does is show Madder Mortem as alive and creative as ever, showcasing a more vulnerable, introspective side of themselves. Tracks like ‘Here and Now’ and ‘Cold Hard Rain’ weep with power and raw emotion, giving fans all the feelz they yearn for, and there’s simmering anger girding the material as well. As GardensTale noted, regarding the very personal, intense feeling of the new music: ‘Old Eyes, New Heart will stand as one of the most intimate and therapeutic albums we’re bound to get this year.’ And who isn’t going to need a little bit of therapy in 2024?” Yeah, I found myself listening to this album a lot this year because it expresses what I couldn’t. Again, prescient.

Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere [October 4th, 2024 | Century Media Records | Bandcamp] — Yeah, it’s fine I guess. A little overhyped in the comment section, though. Remember that time when it got released and everyone who hadn’t heard it yet was like “RECORD OF THE YEAR!!!!!!1!” five minutes later? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

Top 10(ish) Songs o’ the Year:

#ish: Karol G // “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” — Fuck you.

#10: Sonata Arctica // “The Best Things” — Fans of the band and this album are going to laugh, but this song kills me. Dad rock. I love it.

#9: Wintersun // “Storm” — When I saw everyone sporting “Silver Leaves” as the highlight of Time II, I had to do a double-take. As I covered at length in my review, the one song that I felt lived up to Jaari’s potential as a player and composer was “Storm,” and this track is a fucking doozy. This track perfectly executes both the blend of blackened death metal and power metal that makes Wintersun’s inability to produce something truly epic frustrating. If I had only heard “Ominous Clouds” and “Storm,” Time II would’ve gotten a 4.5. This is the only memorable thing he wrote on the entire album.

#8: Oceans of Slumber // “Wish” — It’s weird the tracks that call to you on an album. I love this whole record for a bunch of different reasons, but on “Wish” there are little melodic things that Cammie does here that make my heart ache. The lyrics, too. I feel ’em. Deeply underrated record.

#7: Fellowship // “Victim” — “I swear, I won’t always feel like a victim! I won’t always fight on my own! So, forgive me these transgressions as I live a life of lessons and I grow to overshadow darker thrones! This king is king alone!”

#6: Opeth // “§4” — No more perfect encapsulation of why Opeth is impressive than how hard they nailed this song. Love the porn beat with the Ian Anderson flute solo (Deathro Tull, lol) that gives way to stadium rock that gives way to grindy death metal. Just inject that fucking shit straight into my fucking veins. Unff.

#5: Grendel’s Sÿster // “Cosmogony” — This song is metal as fuck. I love the fun little extra beat they drop in to make it feel like a slightly lopsided wheel rolling along. But there’s nothing about this that doesn’t live up to what I wrote above: good, honest heavy metal. Catchy, riffy, and fun to listen to. Top it off with a bass-heavy section and a gallop carried on the guitar and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an epic, addictive track. More of this, plz.

#4: Fleshgod Apocalypse // “Morphine Waltz” — This song fucking rules. From the opening strains with the horn section in the orchestra to the 3/4 time signature (y’know, ’cause it’s actually a waltz), to the raw, punky performance from Bordacchini. Extra points for the fucking balls to the wall bridge with the huge choirs before the guitar solo. Like, how do you fucking people not think this is one of the best albums of the year? JFC.

#3: Caligula’s Horse // “Mute” — One of Caligula’s Horse’s strongest traits is their ability to write epic conclusions to their albums. “Mute” is up there with “Graves” in terms of the sheer weightiness of the whole thing—though this time it’s more delicate. Beautiful.

#2: Anciients // “Despoiled” — Riff of the year at 3:57. Gives me involuntary metal face. Love the vocal melodies, too. Great stuff.

#1: Madder Mortem // “Things I’ll Never Do” — This song fucking kills me. Has anyone checked on their lyricist recently?

#2024 #Anciients #AngryMetalGuy #AngryMetalGuySRecordSOTheYear #AngryMetalGuySTop10Ish_ #BeyondTheAeons #BlessingOfDespair #BloodIncantation #BloomDecay #CaligulaSHorse #DawnTreader #DevenialVerdict #DieUrkatastrophe #Fellowship #FleshgodApocalypse #GrendelSSÿster #Hamferð #InVain #Iotunn #Kanonenfieber #KarolG #KatabasisIntoTheAbaton #Kinship #Listurnalia2024 #MadderMortem #MenGuðsHondErSterk #Noxis #OceansOfSlumber #Octoploid #Opera #Opeth #SonataArctica #TheLastWillAndTestament #TheSkiesAboveEternity #TimeII #Tuomio #Ulcerate #Verikalpa #WhereGodsFearToSpeak #Wintersun

Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Angry Metal Guy

Starting 2025 with a bang was always important, and I elected the “being 26 days late with your Record o’ the Year post” as the best possible way to give everyone that patented Angry Metal Guy feeling of waiting and waiting only to be smacked in the face with 5000 words that you disagree with entirely. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Executive Dysfunction! Let’s make a list!1

Fifteen years of Angry Metal Guy and year 15 will be remembered as a genuinely good year for metal. There were several excellent releases I was genuinely excited about and as the year went on, things got even better. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had a glut of options and felt guilty about what was and wasn’t making the list. In terms of total performance, year 15 at AMG stayed roughly on par with 2023. We wrote 691 posts (mostly reviews), which, in terms of raw numbers, dropped to lower than 2023 and was once again the lowest since 2015. We made up for it in girth, however, with the average post sporting a whopping 955 words! This might be a case of the self-fulfilling prophecy biting me in the ass for consistently yelling at everyone for being overwriters at which point they see themselves as overwriters and begin to overwrite. Or, maybe it’s because we had fewer reviews to balance out the longer posts. Regardless, we finished with a “big-boned” 660,024 total words in 2024. We averaged 38,617 views a day, leading us to our second-highest annual readership numbers ever at 14,129,320 total page views; a tick down from last year, but that’s not surprising when we’re writing fewer posts.

The readership of AMG is as global as ever, but the USA, UK, and Canada retained their spots as 1, 2, and 3 on our Top 10(ish) Biggest Readerships. Germans continued to flock here in droves, maintaining their position at number 4 on our list with Australia coming in at healthy 5. I’m a bit surprised at Australia for not taking umbrage at getting beat by the Germans last year, but when you live in constant fear of your absolutely frightening environs, I guess that’s the least of your worries.2 Spots 6-9 are the same as last year with Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Spain. But coming in at number 10 was Finland! Our strategy of lauding Finnish bands is finally paying off. “How” you ask? Well, if I can get to celebrity status in Finland, I intend to go there so I can be awkwardly ignored in social situations by an entirely new population of Scandinavians. I was happy to see Poland sneak up to the coveted “ish” spot on the list, but that means Brazil dropped out of the Top 10(ish) and that sucks.3 We were once again visited a single time by a mysterious robed reader from the Vatican City and I want to extend a warm Angry Metal Guy welcome to the lone citizen of Micronesia who found their way to our sacred halls.

The biggest, coolest thing that happened in 2024 (following one of the shittiest things to happen in 2024) was, of course, helping Kenstrosity deal with the catastrophe that was his life following Hurricane Helene. It was so cool and gratifying to see just how generous and amazing the fans of AMG were and we’ll never forget your generosity. We also added n00bs—welcoming Alekhines Gun, Tyme, and Killjoy as new blood for the Bloodgod (with more coming, we promise)—and saw the return of the illustrious Mark Z. We lost—at least for the time being—Ferox at the end of the year and that sucks for all of us. But losing him to a burgeoning career as a showrunner and movie director seems like the kind of thing that isn’t such a bitter pill to swallow. Personally, alas, 2024 was pretty much the worst year of my life. The reason I equivocate is because every time I think something like that I can only think of Homer Simpson saying: “So far! The worst year of your life so far!” But 2024 was marred by a breakup I did not want and struggles with both my physical health and the obvious consequences thereof. I re-read my Top 10(ish) of 2023 and was amused in that “oh, sweet summer child” kind of way when I read:

On a personal note, this year [2023] was supposed to be one of the best of my life. It has been an unmitigated pile of shit, with only a few bright spots. As usual, I’ll try to make 2024 a better year, where I am Angry Metal Guy in practice, not just in spirit. A new year always brings unreasonable and unrealistic goals that get broken in shame by April, doesn’t it? Well, that’s mine.

Alas, that ended up being quite a bit more prescient than I could’ve anticipated given that it was the 31st of March when the Behind the Music voiceover guy had to step in: “Then tragedy struck…”

So, 2024 turned out to be significantly worse for me than 2023. That said, I did, in fact, work a lot more on AMG than I have in previous years and it’s helped me to create a map of how that’s possible for the future. Furthermore, I’m finally starting to understand the things at the root of my BS—beyond unfortunate and frustrating life circumstances or the fact that I’m a big worthless loser4—and I hope that results in some real progress. Because, when all is said and done, Angry Metal Guy has stood the test of time for a reason and I’m proud of it and want to be involved in it. I like the music, I like most of the people, I like hazing n00bs, and I like arguing incessantly about opinions. Even if I feel a little out of lockstep with metal trends in recent years, I still think that my voice is important here and I want to have it here. And it’s thanks to everyone here, particularly Steel Druhm, Dr. Grier, and the other helpers, as well as the writers and of course, the readers, who have kept this all afloat while I am trying to solve the mystery that is my brain.

To moderate expectations for 2025! Here’s the Top 10(ish) of 2024.

#ish 2: Dawn Treader // Bloom & Decay [August 24th | Liminal Dread Productions | Bandcamp] — I’m relatively certain that if you had polled the writers and readers of AngryMetalGuy.com and asked them to predict this list, Dawn Treader’s Bloom & Decay would not have come even remotely close to placing on my Top 10(ish). And it makes sense. Dawn Treader traffics in a genre of black metal that I rail on at every chance. At this point, my personality is basically constructed of jokes about how calling something atmospheric just means they use a lot of reverb. And yeah, Bloom & Decay uses inordinate amounts of reverb, I can’t deny it. But better, Ross Connell subverts the ‘one-man black metal project’ tropes by being good, actually. The record is emotionally poignant, musically rich, and laden with pathos—causing that aching bloom in my chest while listening to what feels at times like sad songs playing in major keys. If there’s one reason I haven’t been back to this album as much as other things, it’s because it’s hard to listen to at times. The messages contained here and the way they are delivered can be challenging at times; long discursive samples that are hard to have repeated back at you time and again in a time of a lot of despair. Still, that’s hardly a knock against Dawn Treader’s work, there are a lot of people who would suggest that it’s exactly that which makes Bloom & Decay art. And there’s no question in my mind that Bloom & Decay is a work of art.

#ish 1: Verikalpa // Tuomio [April 19th, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — But then again, who needs serious emotionally poignant works of art when you can listen to Finnish guys writing amazing blackened melodeath that heavily features faux accordion and lyrics, presumably, about drinking? I feel a bit guilty that these guys have yet to make a number on the list—having previously been relegated to an -ish—but they are getting better and better and Tuomio has been a joy to listen to in a year where almost nothing else brought me joy. In a way, Verikalpa’s sound is a form of nostalgiacore for me—with its 2004 production, its 2004 riffs, and my 2004 urge to drink beer and headbang. But, as Steel Druhm would argue out of pure self-interest, some things are timeless and change is bad, so this isn’t a critique. And while the metal-listening public lost its taste for folk metal after the glut that was released in the late 2000s, I find Verikalpa avoids the pitfalls of the sound, delivering only the highest quality riffs and blasts. Loaded with groove and chunky riffs, Verikalpa knows how to write solid, speedy, fun, and brutal metal that will make you want to drink a beer and lift some weights. And again, what more can we truly ask of any metal band? If you aren’t listening to and loving Verikalpa by now, you’re missing out. Of all the Finnish releases with dated sounds this year, Tuomio is the best.

#10: Grendel’s Sÿster // Katabasis into the Abaton [August 30th, 2024 | Sur Del Cruz Music | Bandcamp] — If there was a major “I did not see that coming” moment in 2024, it was that Grendel’s Sÿster never left my playlist once I heard it for the first time. An addictive record, I summed it up best when I wrote that “this German four-piece drops metal that reeks of patchouli and ‘Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!‘ to surprising effect. The core of Grendel’s Sÿster’s sound is the combination of fuzzy guitars, bubbly p-bass, and boxy drums into something that will undoubtedly call to mind the ’70s hard rock of your choice: Wishbone Ash, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy or nostalgia merchants like Gygax.” And that sound—not a sound that I spend my free time chasing down—could be directly shot into my veins and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something pure and honest and beautiful about this music. It is both poppy and niche, both pretentious and utterly not; it breaks down binaries and exists in the interstices. And goddammit, it’s what one roadie for Porcupine Tree once said of Blaze’s first three records, “it’s good, honest heavy metal.” And that’s it. The cream rises to the top; good songwriting always wins. And Katabasis into the Abaton is loaded with great songs, fun ideas, and idiosyncratic vocals. It’s surprising in all the right ways.

#9: Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — Some experiences are unforgettable, and getting to see Oceans of Slumber in the summer of 2024 and really hear Cammie Beverly live was one such experience. There are few people in the world who truly have a Voice with a capital V and Cammie is one of them. The band’s performance was entrancing and her presence was commanding. It was literal goosebumps. I had been enjoying Where Gods Fear to Speak for a few weeks at that point, but seeing Oceans of Slumber live transformed my entire understanding of the unique strengths contained herein. Between her voice, genuinely progressive—and at times challenging—songwriting, and the fantastic performances, Where Gods Fear to Speak sounds like the culmination of the band’s career. Having learned from the past and meshed it all, listeners are left with something transcendent, beautiful, and the perfect balance of heavy and delicate. If there’s one knock on this record, it’s that people may struggle with a flowing relationship to song structure and hooks. But for the sophisticated listener, each song on Where Gods Fear to Speak is a beautiful step on an unforgettable journey.

#8: Iotunn // Kinship [October 25th, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — Hard truth time: I was never super enamored in Access All Worlds. While the blog and the commentariat were busy heaping praise upon the best band to come out of Denmark since Mercyful Fate, I held my tongue and gave them the spotlight they deserved because I was in a definite minority. But the record never inspired me. So, I approached Kinship with skepticism. I love Jón’s voice—this is no secret—but at 68 minutes long with 10-minute songs and one record in the bag I hadn’t felt… you know how it goes. I was happily surprised when Kinship hooked me hard. Jón’s voice brings everything together, but the blackened undercurrent spicing up the melodeath riffing (pretty sure Amon Amarth called their lawyers about a couple of the riffs in “The Anguished Ethereal”) matched with an epic scope that could be carried only by someone with the brass timbre and Grondesque vocal power of Aldará. I have been back to this again and again since I broke down and dropped it on the proverbial turntable. It is deep enough to keep me coming back, it’s hooky enough to kick that dopamine into high gear, and it’s beautiful and well-crafted with that aching Scandy melancholy that I crave. Bravo, Iotunn, this is a real first step towards me forgiving your spelling of ‘jotun’ and the Stockholm Bloodbath.

#7: Fellowship // The Skies above Eternity [November 22nd, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — I am hardly the first person to note that it’s difficult to follow a beloved record. I think it’s even harder to follow a beloved debut. And I doubt there’s an album that’s been released in recent years that is as beloved as Fellowship’s debut, The Saberlight Chronicles. Putting the hopes and fate of the Europower scene in the hands of these tiny pastoral persons and sending them off to Mordor was never a good idea. But surprise, surprise, they survived!5 And they’re back with an album that has inspired the kind of dedication that only the rare band ever gets close to, landing super high on people’s lists despite being a late November release. And you can hear why. The Skies above Eternity is yet another 45ish minutes of fantastic, guitar-driven melodic power metal that simultaneously rules and takes itself seriously enough to have good, interesting, relatable, and at times inspiring lyrics while also embracing the fun and natural, inherent silliness of power metal. That’s a hard balance to strike and Fellowship nails it with aplomb. They say you don’t want to be the guy who follows The Guy, you want to be the guy who follows the guy who follows The Guy. I suspect The Skies above Eternity will always be slightly underrated because it isn’t The Saberlight Chronicles. But fuck me if it isn’t excellent.

#6: Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair [October 4th | Transcending Obscurity Records | Bandcamp] — I knew that these kids from Finland were alright when I jokingly called them “Morbid Angelcore” on Instagram and they took it with grace.6 Honestly, of all the stuff that the “No Fun, Only Reverb and Feels!” flank of AMG has dredged up and dumped hyperbolic praise on, Devenial Verdict is one of the bands to which I feel the most grateful to have been exposed. Often sold as either “dissodeath” or “atmospheric death metal,” because they’re both wildly popular subgenres of death metal, both feel like misnomers. Rather, Blessing of Despair is an album loaded with memorable moments and melodies, and while it does, indeed, employ a lot of “atmosphere,”7 I was not prepared for the elite-level Azagthoth-on-LSD riffs that litter Blessing of Despair. I wouldn’t say that Blessing of Despair is OSDM, but the riffing evokes the masters in ways both direct and subtle and it gives the record an impeccable vibe. Devenial Verdict has wrought a brilliant death metal album where riffs abound, the atmosphere is set on the “Cathedral” setting, and every song is better than the last. Maybe the best word to use to describe their x factor is gravitas. But whatever it is, Devenial Verdict’s got it in spades.

#5: Octoploid // Beyond the Aeons [July 5th, 2024 | Reigning Phoenix Music | Bandcamp] — The amount of love that Beyond the Aeons isn’t receiving is one of the scandals of 2024, in my opinion. This started with our own positive—but tepid, if I’m honest—review of Beyond the Aeons and has continued through Listurnalia. As a passive, but legitimate, autocrat of Angry Metal Guy, I have half a mind to shut this place down over this deep disrespect for Amorphiscore. Honestly, it pains me not to make Beyond the Aeons the #1 album,8 because I have listened to these 33 minutes of extreme metal—occasionally tremmy and black, but mostly just solid melodeath—more than almost anything else this year. Tracks like “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” feed my need for new Amorphis and my secret wish that they were heavier. And that’s one thing I’ll give Octoploid, unlike Barren Earth, Beyond the Aeons doesn’t dwell too long on anything. It kicks off and speeds along, hitting you with catchy leads in the key of Moomin and doubled with synth—as one does. Don’t sleep on Octoploid. Beyond the Aeons is energetic, fun, catchy, and worth at least a couple of spins a week six months after it was released.

#4: Opeth // The Last Will and Testament [November 22nd, 2024 | Moderbolaget] — What Opeth has accomplished on The Last Will and Testament is remarkable. Unlike so many bands, Opeth’s reimaginations of its sound still speak to me. The Last Will and Testament is a smart, coherent, and melodramatic record that does Mikael Åkerfeldt and crew credit. The reason that this record elevates itself above the ceiling that most Newpeth lived under, however, is that they are finally able to turn the music up to 11 again compositionally. After more than a decade without the emotional and compositional peak (and release) of a guttural growl released from the diaphragm over a particularly chunky riff or heavy drums, The Last Will and Testament continues the band’s development but gives them a release valve—”§4″ being the highlight for me, where they transition from Opethro Tull—a jazz flute solo—to Deathro Tull with some operatic, but dour, death metal. And it simply feels good to hear them doing both of these things simultaneously. Having gone through and relistened to the discography at length, it is striking how Opeth circa 2024 sounds very little like the band I fell in love with in the late-’90s/early aughts. To be able to both be markedly different and feel like the same band is a deeply underrated trait. This could have been higher if I’d had longer with it.

#3: Fleshgod Apocalypse // Opera [August 23rd, 2024 | Nuclear Blast Records | Bandcamp] — I knew almost immediately that Opera was going to be a controversial record. I was not prepared for the hyperbolic pushback that Opera garnered from fans of Italy’s death metal answer to [Luca (Turilli / Lione)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] for being, as I wrote myself, “undeniably poppy.” Sometimes I think that we fans of the extreme metal scene have lost sight of what pop music really is. The fact that people have been heaping scorn on Fleshgod Apocalypse for writing operatic death metal because Veronica Bordacchini doesn’t only sing using proper operatic technique and the band simplified some of its compositional tendencies is, to put it lightly, patently absurd. Opera is fun! It’s energetic and well-crafted, and it has a better excuse for writing more palatable and less grandiose music that uses more traditional pop and rock compositional structures than Nightwish ever had,9 and it literally has dramatic choirs arpeggiating in Latin behind grinding blast beats and death metal growls as I’m writing this blurb! Fucking get over yourselves. Go enjoy the shit out of Opera. No one sounds like Fleshgod Apocalypse and when they hit, they fucking hit. And Opera hits! It is thematically interesting, deeply personal, and cohesive in the way that the best albums are while featuring a diverse and excellent performance from Bordacchini. Easily one of the best records of 2024.

#2: Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe [September 20th, 2024 | Century Media | Bandcamp] — One of the things that makes the work at Angry Metal Guy interesting after 15 years is editing other writers’ work. It’s a pleasure to get to talk to, work with, and help guide the brilliant writers that we have working here. And because I want to hear what I’m reading about at the same time, I listen to a lot of music I would not necessarily have chosen to listen to myself. Noise’s work—such as 2023’s #5 record Leiþa—has come to my attention because of the work that Carcharodon has done in covering his projects. So, when I went to edit Die Urkatastrophe, well aware of the impending 5.0, I was edified to read a well-argued analysis that highlighted for me exactly what it was that appealed to me so much about Kanonenfieber’s critically acclaimed10 platter. Die Urkatastrophe is a powerful album that walks the line between black and death metal, with surprisingly polished and smooth production and artfully crafted songs. Like so many of the best albums, it is both thematically coherent and full of standout moments. Arresting moments like the gunshot at the end of “Der Maulwurf,” the best-placed samples since Velvet Darkness They Fear, and a superb flow make Die Urkatastrophe a triumph that we’ll return to for years.

#1: Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk [March 22nd, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — The best album of 2024 was an undeniably easy choice this year. Released the day after my life started falling to pieces, Hamferð’s third masterpiece is a tale of tragedy (with a smidgen of hope), driven by strong songwriting and stronger performances. There are plenty of things that one can point to that help to differentiate Men Guðs hond er sterk from the field this year: the band’s sound is expertly crafted, and with pristine production, and the band—who apparently records without a click track?!—carries the emotional weight of their music perfectly despite the largely opaque language in which it’s presented.11 Furthermore, enough cannot be said about the powerhouse of a vocalist that Hamferð is fortunate enough to have. Jón Aldará’s vocals carry the day with a brassy baritone that evokes the mourning that all doom peddlers are chasing but so few nail. Men Guðs hond er sterk is tight, it’s heavy—though not as heavy as its predecessor, which I missed—but more importantly it’s complete and brilliant and my Record o’ the Year for 2024.

Honorable Mentions:

In Vain // Solemn [April 19th, 2024 | Indie Recordings | Bandcamp] — Having been released when I was in the moment of absolute denial and despair as my life fell apart, you’ll forgive me for not having heard this album until the last couple months of 2024. And I suspect that if I had been able to spend more time with it, it would have worked its way onto the list proper (though, man, it’s hard to know what would go). Once again, In Vain does such an outstanding job of balancing all the different sounds and influences, and I will never get sick of any clean vocals from the brothers Nedland (RIP Solefald). These guys are great and Solemn keeps them batting 1.000.

Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God [June 14th | Debemur Morti Productions | Bandcamp] — Another album that should’ve been higher on my list (but where would I have put Verikalpa then, guys!?). Ulcerate has been awesome and it’s almost unremarkable that they continue to be awesome in new and different ways. The thing that I keep coming back to Cutting the Throat of God for is the fact that these are probably the band’s most addictive and hypnotic riffs. Their sound has always had a fluidity that made them unique, but there are times when I feel like a snake being charmed as I’m listening to Ulcerate pump out fascinating, liquid riffs that seem to morph in scope and feel without ever breaking stride. Another record that is getting the shaft on this list.

Sonata Arctica // Clear Cold Beyond [March 8th, 2024 | Atomic Fire Records] — I started out skeptical about Clear Cold Beyond, and then I ended up loving it. The problem is that this was another record caught up in the Great Dumping o’ 2024 and got lost in the mix. This album has the benefit of having some really fun “we’re sorry we wrote Talviyö and then released two fucking acoustic cover records in a row” moments, but it’s not just an apology tour.12 The strength of Clear Cold Beyond is watching Kakko do the things he’s best at: write about creepy dudes with seriously bad boundaries (“Dark Empath”); write awkward lyrics about social topics that are kind of funny but also maybe not (“California”); and most importantly is his transformation into Dad Rocker (“The Best Things”). This record didn’t ever threaten to be Top 10, but it also deserves a nod for bringing me a ton of joy, even if I can’t listen to “The Best Things” without getting choked up.

Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun [August 30th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — I have been a little back and forth with Anciients, but Beyond the Reach of the Sun was an absolute banger that got snubbed for a Record o’ the Month spot, despite receiving an excellently written, laudatory review from Saunders. And perpetual self-editing complaints aside, Anciients is one of those bands whose ability to craft Riffs is unmatched. Every single song on this album has one of those Riffs—not just riffs, gotta capitalize that R so everyone knows that we’re talking about iconic stuff here—and I am, frankly, jealous of the feel and groove that these guys seem to have as second nature. This album clicked for me when I put it in the cans on a flight and just sat and listened to it and man, we are spoiled with an absolute embarrassment of riches in metal. These guys are an honorable mention? It’s unfair.

Caligula’s Horse // Charcoal Grace [January 26th, 2024 | InsideOut Records | Bandcamp] — After it was summarily 3.0’d by the guy who brought you the Angra list everyone thought was absolute crap, I feel like everyone just forgot about Charcoal Grace. But I’m going to be honest with you, this record deserved a lot better than it got at the hands of the traitorous reviewer who poo-poohed it and then, allegedly, went on to kick his dog and demand his wife make him a sandwich. This is a more subtle Caligula’s Horse, I admit. How they seem to be swapping places with Haken becomes more manifest with every release. But this record is a true headphones album that deserves a hi-def version of the release, serious cans, and a dark room. It’s loaded with great riffs and fantastic songs and has a particularly poignant and powerful closing. Also, the level of detail here is unreal. Appreciate what you have while they are still putting out amazing albums.

Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System [June 28th, 2024 | Rotted Life Records | Bandcamp] — One of the surprises of the year is an album named after one of the funniest jabs at the anarchosyndicalists in our lives. Noxis’ brand of frantic, technical death metal—complete with my favorite snare of the year—has swept through the Angry Metal Guy staff for a reason. The reason? It’s fucking great. At 45 minutes, Violence Inherent in the System is a record with the energy and addictiveness of Gorod, even if the songwriting chops aren’t quite on that level yet. But you don’t have to be Gorod-good to be good and Noxis is good. I’m looking forward to their sophomore release Scimitars Thrown in Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies, due Q4 2025/Q1 2026.

Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart [January 26th, 2024 | Dark Essence Records | Bandcamp] — In my Record o’ the Month blurb for Old Eyes, New Heart, I wrote “What Old Eyes, New Heart does is show Madder Mortem as alive and creative as ever, showcasing a more vulnerable, introspective side of themselves. Tracks like ‘Here and Now’ and ‘Cold Hard Rain’ weep with power and raw emotion, giving fans all the feelz they yearn for, and there’s simmering anger girding the material as well. As GardensTale noted, regarding the very personal, intense feeling of the new music: ‘Old Eyes, New Heart will stand as one of the most intimate and therapeutic albums we’re bound to get this year.’ And who isn’t going to need a little bit of therapy in 2024?” Yeah, I found myself listening to this album a lot this year because it expresses what I couldn’t. Again, prescient.

Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere [October 4th, 2024 | Century Media Records | Bandcamp] — Yeah, it’s fine I guess. A little overhyped in the comment section, though. Remember that time when it got released and everyone who hadn’t heard it yet was like “RECORD OF THE YEAR!!!!!!1!” five minutes later? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

Top 10(ish) Songs o’ the Year:

#ish: Karol G // “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” — Fuck you.

#10: Sonata Arctica // “The Best Things” — Fans of the band and this album are going to laugh, but this song kills me. Dad rock. I love it.

#9: Wintersun // “Storm” — When I saw everyone sporting “Silver Leaves” as the highlight of Time II, I had to do a double-take. As I covered at length in my review, the one song that I felt lived up to Jaari’s potential as a player and composer was “Storm,” and this track is a fucking doozy. This track perfectly executes both the blend of blackened death metal and power metal that makes Wintersun’s inability to produce something truly epic frustrating. If I had only heard “Ominous Clouds” and “Storm,” Time II would’ve gotten a 4.5. This is the only memorable thing he wrote on the entire album.

#8: Oceans of Slumber // “Wish” — It’s weird the tracks that call to you on an album. I love this whole record for a bunch of different reasons, but on “Wish” there are little melodic things that Cammie does here that make my heart ache. The lyrics, too. I feel ’em. Deeply underrated record.

#7: Fellowship // “Victim” — “I swear, I won’t always feel like a victim! I won’t always fight on my own! So, forgive me these transgressions as I live a life of lessons and I grow to overshadow darker thrones! This king is king alone!”

#6: Opeth // “§4” — No more perfect encapsulation of why Opeth is impressive than how hard they nailed this song. Love the porn beat with the Ian Anderson flute solo (Deathro Tull, lol) that gives way to stadium rock that gives way to grindy death metal. Just inject that fucking shit straight into my fucking veins. Unff.

#5: Grendel’s Sÿster // “Cosmogony” — This song is metal as fuck. I love the fun little extra beat they drop in to make it feel like a slightly lopsided wheel rolling along. But there’s nothing about this that doesn’t live up to what I wrote above: good, honest heavy metal. Catchy, riffy, and fun to listen to. Top it off with a bass-heavy section and a gallop carried on the guitar and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an epic, addictive track. More of this, plz.

#4: Fleshgod Apocalypse // “Morphine Waltz” — This song fucking rules. From the opening strains with the horn section in the orchestra to the 3/4 time signature (y’know, ’cause it’s actually a waltz), to the raw, punky performance from Bordacchini. Extra points for the fucking balls to the wall bridge with the huge choirs before the guitar solo. Like, how do you fucking people not think this is one of the best albums of the year? JFC.

#3: Caligula’s Horse // “Mute” — One of Caligula’s Horse’s strongest traits is their ability to write epic conclusions to their albums. “Mute” is up there with “Graves” in terms of the sheer weightiness of the whole thing—though this time it’s more delicate. Beautiful.

#2: Anciients // “Despoiled” — Riff of the year at 3:57. Gives me involuntary metal face. Love the vocal melodies, too. Great stuff.

#1: Madder Mortem // “Things I’ll Never Do” — This song fucking kills me. Has anyone checked on their lyricist recently?

#2024 #Anciients #AngryMetalGuy #AngryMetalGuySRecordSOTheYear #AngryMetalGuySTop10Ish_ #BeyondTheAeons #BlessingOfDespair #BloodIncantation #BloomDecay #CaligulaSHorse #DawnTreader #DevenialVerdict #DieUrkatastrophe #Fellowship #FleshgodApocalypse #GrendelSSÿster #Hamferð #InVain #Iotunn #Kanonenfieber #KarolG #KatabasisIntoTheAbaton #Kinship #Listurnalia2024 #MadderMortem #MenGuðsHondErSterk #Noxis #OceansOfSlumber #Octoploid #Opera #Opeth #SonataArctica #TheLastWillAndTestament #TheSkiesAboveEternity #TimeII #Tuomio #Ulcerate #Verikalpa #WhereGodsFearToSpeak #Wintersun

Angry Metal Guy’s Top Ten(ish) of 2024

By Angry Metal Guy

Starting 2025 with a bang was always important, and I elected the “being 26 days late with your Record o’ the Year post” as the best possible way to give everyone that patented Angry Metal Guy feeling of waiting and waiting only to be smacked in the face with 5000 words that you disagree with entirely. Welcome to the Wonderful World of Executive Dysfunction! Let’s make a list!1

Fifteen years of Angry Metal Guy and year 15 will be remembered as a genuinely good year for metal. There were several excellent releases I was genuinely excited about and as the year went on, things got even better. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had a glut of options and felt guilty about what was and wasn’t making the list. In terms of total performance, year 15 at AMG stayed roughly on par with 2023. We wrote 691 posts (mostly reviews), which, in terms of raw numbers, dropped to lower than 2023 and was once again the lowest since 2015. We made up for it in girth, however, with the average post sporting a whopping 955 words! This might be a case of the self-fulfilling prophecy biting me in the ass for consistently yelling at everyone for being overwriters at which point they see themselves as overwriters and begin to overwrite. Or, maybe it’s because we had fewer reviews to balance out the longer posts. Regardless, we finished with a “big-boned” 660,024 total words in 2024. We averaged 38,617 views a day, leading us to our second-highest annual readership numbers ever at 14,129,320 total page views; a tick down from last year, but that’s not surprising when we’re writing fewer posts.

The readership of AMG is as global as ever, but the USA, UK, and Canada retained their spots as 1, 2, and 3 on our Top 10(ish) Biggest Readerships. Germans continued to flock here in droves, maintaining their position at number 4 on our list with Australia coming in at healthy 5. I’m a bit surprised at Australia for not taking umbrage at getting beat by the Germans last year, but when you live in constant fear of your absolutely frightening environs, I guess that’s the least of your worries.2 Spots 6-9 are the same as last year with Netherlands, Sweden, France, and Spain. But coming in at number 10 was Finland! Our strategy of lauding Finnish bands is finally paying off. “How” you ask? Well, if I can get to celebrity status in Finland, I intend to go there so I can be awkwardly ignored in social situations by an entirely new population of Scandinavians. I was happy to see Poland sneak up to the coveted “ish” spot on the list, but that means Brazil dropped out of the Top 10(ish) and that sucks.3 We were once again visited a single time by a mysterious robed reader from the Vatican City and I want to extend a warm Angry Metal Guy welcome to the lone citizen of Micronesia who found their way to our sacred halls.

The biggest, coolest thing that happened in 2024 (following one of the shittiest things to happen in 2024) was, of course, helping Kenstrosity deal with the catastrophe that was his life following Hurricane Helene. It was so cool and gratifying to see just how generous and amazing the fans of AMG were and we’ll never forget your generosity. We also added n00bs—welcoming Alekhines Gun, Tyme, and Killjoy as new blood for the Bloodgod (with more coming, we promise)—and saw the return of the illustrious Mark Z. We lost—at least for the time being—Ferox at the end of the year and that sucks for all of us. But losing him to a burgeoning career as a showrunner and movie director seems like the kind of thing that isn’t such a bitter pill to swallow. Personally, alas, 2024 was pretty much the worst year of my life. The reason I equivocate is because every time I think something like that I can only think of Homer Simpson saying: “So far! The worst year of your life so far!” But 2024 was marred by a breakup I did not want and struggles with both my physical health and the obvious consequences thereof. I re-read my Top 10(ish) of 2023 and was amused in that “oh, sweet summer child” kind of way when I read:

On a personal note, this year [2023] was supposed to be one of the best of my life. It has been an unmitigated pile of shit, with only a few bright spots. As usual, I’ll try to make 2024 a better year, where I am Angry Metal Guy in practice, not just in spirit. A new year always brings unreasonable and unrealistic goals that get broken in shame by April, doesn’t it? Well, that’s mine.

Alas, that ended up being quite a bit more prescient than I could’ve anticipated given that it was the 31st of March when the Behind the Music voiceover guy had to step in: “Then tragedy struck…”

So, 2024 turned out to be significantly worse for me than 2023. That said, I did, in fact, work a lot more on AMG than I have in previous years and it’s helped me to create a map of how that’s possible for the future. Furthermore, I’m finally starting to understand the things at the root of my BS—beyond unfortunate and frustrating life circumstances or the fact that I’m a big worthless loser4—and I hope that results in some real progress. Because, when all is said and done, Angry Metal Guy has stood the test of time for a reason and I’m proud of it and want to be involved in it. I like the music, I like most of the people, I like hazing n00bs, and I like arguing incessantly about opinions. Even if I feel a little out of lockstep with metal trends in recent years, I still think that my voice is important here and I want to have it here. And it’s thanks to everyone here, particularly Steel Druhm, Dr. Grier, and the other helpers, as well as the writers and of course, the readers, who have kept this all afloat while I am trying to solve the mystery that is my brain.

To moderate expectations for 2025! Here’s the Top 10(ish) of 2024.

#ish 2: Dawn Treader // Bloom & Decay [August 24th | Liminal Dread Productions | Bandcamp] — I’m relatively certain that if you had polled the writers and readers of AngryMetalGuy.com and asked them to predict this list, Dawn Treader’s Bloom & Decay would not have come even remotely close to placing on my Top 10(ish). And it makes sense. Dawn Treader traffics in a genre of black metal that I rail on at every chance. At this point, my personality is basically constructed of jokes about how calling something atmospheric just means they use a lot of reverb. And yeah, Bloom & Decay uses inordinate amounts of reverb, I can’t deny it. But better, Ross Connell subverts the ‘one-man black metal project’ tropes by being good, actually. The record is emotionally poignant, musically rich, and laden with pathos—causing that aching bloom in my chest while listening to what feels at times like sad songs playing in major keys. If there’s one reason I haven’t been back to this album as much as other things, it’s because it’s hard to listen to at times. The messages contained here and the way they are delivered can be challenging at times; long discursive samples that are hard to have repeated back at you time and again in a time of a lot of despair. Still, that’s hardly a knock against Dawn Treader’s work, there are a lot of people who would suggest that it’s exactly that which makes Bloom & Decay art. And there’s no question in my mind that Bloom & Decay is a work of art.

#ish 1: Verikalpa // Tuomio [April 19th, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — But then again, who needs serious emotionally poignant works of art when you can listen to Finnish guys writing amazing blackened melodeath that heavily features faux accordion and lyrics, presumably, about drinking? I feel a bit guilty that these guys have yet to make a number on the list—having previously been relegated to an -ish—but they are getting better and better and Tuomio has been a joy to listen to in a year where almost nothing else brought me joy. In a way, Verikalpa’s sound is a form of nostalgiacore for me—with its 2004 production, its 2004 riffs, and my 2004 urge to drink beer and headbang. But, as Steel Druhm would argue out of pure self-interest, some things are timeless and change is bad, so this isn’t a critique. And while the metal-listening public lost its taste for folk metal after the glut that was released in the late 2000s, I find Verikalpa avoids the pitfalls of the sound, delivering only the highest quality riffs and blasts. Loaded with groove and chunky riffs, Verikalpa knows how to write solid, speedy, fun, and brutal metal that will make you want to drink a beer and lift some weights. And again, what more can we truly ask of any metal band? If you aren’t listening to and loving Verikalpa by now, you’re missing out. Of all the Finnish releases with dated sounds this year, Tuomio is the best.

#10: Grendel’s Sÿster // Katabasis into the Abaton [August 30th, 2024 | Sur Del Cruz Music | Bandcamp] — If there was a major “I did not see that coming” moment in 2024, it was that Grendel’s Sÿster never left my playlist once I heard it for the first time. An addictive record, I summed it up best when I wrote that “this German four-piece drops metal that reeks of patchouli and ‘Atomkraft? Nein, Danke!‘ to surprising effect. The core of Grendel’s Sÿster’s sound is the combination of fuzzy guitars, bubbly p-bass, and boxy drums into something that will undoubtedly call to mind the ’70s hard rock of your choice: Wishbone Ash, Jethro Tull, Thin Lizzy or nostalgia merchants like Gygax.” And that sound—not a sound that I spend my free time chasing down—could be directly shot into my veins and I couldn’t be happier. There’s something pure and honest and beautiful about this music. It is both poppy and niche, both pretentious and utterly not; it breaks down binaries and exists in the interstices. And goddammit, it’s what one roadie for Porcupine Tree once said of Blaze’s first three records, “it’s good, honest heavy metal.” And that’s it. The cream rises to the top; good songwriting always wins. And Katabasis into the Abaton is loaded with great songs, fun ideas, and idiosyncratic vocals. It’s surprising in all the right ways.

#9: Oceans of Slumber // Where Gods Fear to Speak [September 13th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — Some experiences are unforgettable, and getting to see Oceans of Slumber in the summer of 2024 and really hear Cammie Beverly live was one such experience. There are few people in the world who truly have a Voice with a capital V and Cammie is one of them. The band’s performance was entrancing and her presence was commanding. It was literal goosebumps. I had been enjoying Where Gods Fear to Speak for a few weeks at that point, but seeing Oceans of Slumber live transformed my entire understanding of the unique strengths contained herein. Between her voice, genuinely progressive—and at times challenging—songwriting, and the fantastic performances, Where Gods Fear to Speak sounds like the culmination of the band’s career. Having learned from the past and meshed it all, listeners are left with something transcendent, beautiful, and the perfect balance of heavy and delicate. If there’s one knock on this record, it’s that people may struggle with a flowing relationship to song structure and hooks. But for the sophisticated listener, each song on Where Gods Fear to Speak is a beautiful step on an unforgettable journey.

#8: Iotunn // Kinship [October 25th, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — Hard truth time: I was never super enamored in Access All Worlds. While the blog and the commentariat were busy heaping praise upon the best band to come out of Denmark since Mercyful Fate, I held my tongue and gave them the spotlight they deserved because I was in a definite minority. But the record never inspired me. So, I approached Kinship with skepticism. I love Jón’s voice—this is no secret—but at 68 minutes long with 10-minute songs and one record in the bag I hadn’t felt… you know how it goes. I was happily surprised when Kinship hooked me hard. Jón’s voice brings everything together, but the blackened undercurrent spicing up the melodeath riffing (pretty sure Amon Amarth called their lawyers about a couple of the riffs in “The Anguished Ethereal”) matched with an epic scope that could be carried only by someone with the brass timbre and Grondesque vocal power of Aldará. I have been back to this again and again since I broke down and dropped it on the proverbial turntable. It is deep enough to keep me coming back, it’s hooky enough to kick that dopamine into high gear, and it’s beautiful and well-crafted with that aching Scandy melancholy that I crave. Bravo, Iotunn, this is a real first step towards me forgiving your spelling of ‘jotun’ and the Stockholm Bloodbath.

#7: Fellowship // The Skies above Eternity [November 22nd, 2024 | Scarlet Records | Bandcamp] — I am hardly the first person to note that it’s difficult to follow a beloved record. I think it’s even harder to follow a beloved debut. And I doubt there’s an album that’s been released in recent years that is as beloved as Fellowship’s debut, The Saberlight Chronicles. Putting the hopes and fate of the Europower scene in the hands of these tiny pastoral persons and sending them off to Mordor was never a good idea. But surprise, surprise, they survived!5 And they’re back with an album that has inspired the kind of dedication that only the rare band ever gets close to, landing super high on people’s lists despite being a late November release. And you can hear why. The Skies above Eternity is yet another 45ish minutes of fantastic, guitar-driven melodic power metal that simultaneously rules and takes itself seriously enough to have good, interesting, relatable, and at times inspiring lyrics while also embracing the fun and natural, inherent silliness of power metal. That’s a hard balance to strike and Fellowship nails it with aplomb. They say you don’t want to be the guy who follows The Guy, you want to be the guy who follows the guy who follows The Guy. I suspect The Skies above Eternity will always be slightly underrated because it isn’t The Saberlight Chronicles. But fuck me if it isn’t excellent.

#6: Devenial Verdict // Blessing of Despair [October 4th | Transcending Obscurity Records | Bandcamp] — I knew that these kids from Finland were alright when I jokingly called them “Morbid Angelcore” on Instagram and they took it with grace.6 Honestly, of all the stuff that the “No Fun, Only Reverb and Feels!” flank of AMG has dredged up and dumped hyperbolic praise on, Devenial Verdict is one of the bands to which I feel the most grateful to have been exposed. Often sold as either “dissodeath” or “atmospheric death metal,” because they’re both wildly popular subgenres of death metal, both feel like misnomers. Rather, Blessing of Despair is an album loaded with memorable moments and melodies, and while it does, indeed, employ a lot of “atmosphere,”7 I was not prepared for the elite-level Azagthoth-on-LSD riffs that litter Blessing of Despair. I wouldn’t say that Blessing of Despair is OSDM, but the riffing evokes the masters in ways both direct and subtle and it gives the record an impeccable vibe. Devenial Verdict has wrought a brilliant death metal album where riffs abound, the atmosphere is set on the “Cathedral” setting, and every song is better than the last. Maybe the best word to use to describe their x factor is gravitas. But whatever it is, Devenial Verdict’s got it in spades.

#5: Octoploid // Beyond the Aeons [July 5th, 2024 | Reigning Phoenix Music | Bandcamp] — The amount of love that Beyond the Aeons isn’t receiving is one of the scandals of 2024, in my opinion. This started with our own positive—but tepid, if I’m honest—review of Beyond the Aeons and has continued through Listurnalia. As a passive, but legitimate, autocrat of Angry Metal Guy, I have half a mind to shut this place down over this deep disrespect for Amorphiscore. Honestly, it pains me not to make Beyond the Aeons the #1 album,8 because I have listened to these 33 minutes of extreme metal—occasionally tremmy and black, but mostly just solid melodeath—more than almost anything else this year. Tracks like “Coast of the Drowned Sailors” feed my need for new Amorphis and my secret wish that they were heavier. And that’s one thing I’ll give Octoploid, unlike Barren Earth, Beyond the Aeons doesn’t dwell too long on anything. It kicks off and speeds along, hitting you with catchy leads in the key of Moomin and doubled with synth—as one does. Don’t sleep on Octoploid. Beyond the Aeons is energetic, fun, catchy, and worth at least a couple of spins a week six months after it was released.

#4: Opeth // The Last Will and Testament [November 22nd, 2024 | Moderbolaget] — What Opeth has accomplished on The Last Will and Testament is remarkable. Unlike so many bands, Opeth’s reimaginations of its sound still speak to me. The Last Will and Testament is a smart, coherent, and melodramatic record that does Mikael Åkerfeldt and crew credit. The reason that this record elevates itself above the ceiling that most Newpeth lived under, however, is that they are finally able to turn the music up to 11 again compositionally. After more than a decade without the emotional and compositional peak (and release) of a guttural growl released from the diaphragm over a particularly chunky riff or heavy drums, The Last Will and Testament continues the band’s development but gives them a release valve—”§4″ being the highlight for me, where they transition from Opethro Tull—a jazz flute solo—to Deathro Tull with some operatic, but dour, death metal. And it simply feels good to hear them doing both of these things simultaneously. Having gone through and relistened to the discography at length, it is striking how Opeth circa 2024 sounds very little like the band I fell in love with in the late-’90s/early aughts. To be able to both be markedly different and feel like the same band is a deeply underrated trait. This could have been higher if I’d had longer with it.

#3: Fleshgod Apocalypse // Opera [August 23rd, 2024 | Nuclear Blast Records | Bandcamp] — I knew almost immediately that Opera was going to be a controversial record. I was not prepared for the hyperbolic pushback that Opera garnered from fans of Italy’s death metal answer to [Luca (Turilli / Lione)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] for being, as I wrote myself, “undeniably poppy.” Sometimes I think that we fans of the extreme metal scene have lost sight of what pop music really is. The fact that people have been heaping scorn on Fleshgod Apocalypse for writing operatic death metal because Veronica Bordacchini doesn’t only sing using proper operatic technique and the band simplified some of its compositional tendencies is, to put it lightly, patently absurd. Opera is fun! It’s energetic and well-crafted, and it has a better excuse for writing more palatable and less grandiose music that uses more traditional pop and rock compositional structures than Nightwish ever had,9 and it literally has dramatic choirs arpeggiating in Latin behind grinding blast beats and death metal growls as I’m writing this blurb! Fucking get over yourselves. Go enjoy the shit out of Opera. No one sounds like Fleshgod Apocalypse and when they hit, they fucking hit. And Opera hits! It is thematically interesting, deeply personal, and cohesive in the way that the best albums are while featuring a diverse and excellent performance from Bordacchini. Easily one of the best records of 2024.

#2: Kanonenfieber // Die Urkatastrophe [September 20th, 2024 | Century Media | Bandcamp] — One of the things that makes the work at Angry Metal Guy interesting after 15 years is editing other writers’ work. It’s a pleasure to get to talk to, work with, and help guide the brilliant writers that we have working here. And because I want to hear what I’m reading about at the same time, I listen to a lot of music I would not necessarily have chosen to listen to myself. Noise’s work—such as 2023’s #5 record Leiþa—has come to my attention because of the work that Carcharodon has done in covering his projects. So, when I went to edit Die Urkatastrophe, well aware of the impending 5.0, I was edified to read a well-argued analysis that highlighted for me exactly what it was that appealed to me so much about Kanonenfieber’s critically acclaimed10 platter. Die Urkatastrophe is a powerful album that walks the line between black and death metal, with surprisingly polished and smooth production and artfully crafted songs. Like so many of the best albums, it is both thematically coherent and full of standout moments. Arresting moments like the gunshot at the end of “Der Maulwurf,” the best-placed samples since Velvet Darkness They Fear, and a superb flow make Die Urkatastrophe a triumph that we’ll return to for years.

#1: Hamferð // Men Guðs hond er sterk [March 22nd, 2024 | Metal Blade Records | Bandcamp] — The best album of 2024 was an undeniably easy choice this year. Released the day after my life started falling to pieces, Hamferð’s third masterpiece is a tale of tragedy (with a smidgen of hope), driven by strong songwriting and stronger performances. There are plenty of things that one can point to that help to differentiate Men Guðs hond er sterk from the field this year: the band’s sound is expertly crafted, and with pristine production, and the band—who apparently records without a click track?!—carries the emotional weight of their music perfectly despite the largely opaque language in which it’s presented.11 Furthermore, enough cannot be said about the powerhouse of a vocalist that Hamferð is fortunate enough to have. Jón Aldará’s vocals carry the day with a brassy baritone that evokes the mourning that all doom peddlers are chasing but so few nail. Men Guðs hond er sterk is tight, it’s heavy—though not as heavy as its predecessor, which I missed—but more importantly it’s complete and brilliant and my Record o’ the Year for 2024.

Honorable Mentions:

In Vain // Solemn [April 19th, 2024 | Indie Recordings | Bandcamp] — Having been released when I was in the moment of absolute denial and despair as my life fell apart, you’ll forgive me for not having heard this album until the last couple months of 2024. And I suspect that if I had been able to spend more time with it, it would have worked its way onto the list proper (though, man, it’s hard to know what would go). Once again, In Vain does such an outstanding job of balancing all the different sounds and influences, and I will never get sick of any clean vocals from the brothers Nedland (RIP Solefald). These guys are great and Solemn keeps them batting 1.000.

Ulcerate // Cutting the Throat of God [June 14th | Debemur Morti Productions | Bandcamp] — Another album that should’ve been higher on my list (but where would I have put Verikalpa then, guys!?). Ulcerate has been awesome and it’s almost unremarkable that they continue to be awesome in new and different ways. The thing that I keep coming back to Cutting the Throat of God for is the fact that these are probably the band’s most addictive and hypnotic riffs. Their sound has always had a fluidity that made them unique, but there are times when I feel like a snake being charmed as I’m listening to Ulcerate pump out fascinating, liquid riffs that seem to morph in scope and feel without ever breaking stride. Another record that is getting the shaft on this list.

Sonata Arctica // Clear Cold Beyond [March 8th, 2024 | Atomic Fire Records] — I started out skeptical about Clear Cold Beyond, and then I ended up loving it. The problem is that this was another record caught up in the Great Dumping o’ 2024 and got lost in the mix. This album has the benefit of having some really fun “we’re sorry we wrote Talviyö and then released two fucking acoustic cover records in a row” moments, but it’s not just an apology tour.12 The strength of Clear Cold Beyond is watching Kakko do the things he’s best at: write about creepy dudes with seriously bad boundaries (“Dark Empath”); write awkward lyrics about social topics that are kind of funny but also maybe not (“California”); and most importantly is his transformation into Dad Rocker (“The Best Things”). This record didn’t ever threaten to be Top 10, but it also deserves a nod for bringing me a ton of joy, even if I can’t listen to “The Best Things” without getting choked up.

Anciients // Beyond the Reach of the Sun [August 30th, 2024 | Season of Mist | Bandcamp] — I have been a little back and forth with Anciients, but Beyond the Reach of the Sun was an absolute banger that got snubbed for a Record o’ the Month spot, despite receiving an excellently written, laudatory review from Saunders. And perpetual self-editing complaints aside, Anciients is one of those bands whose ability to craft Riffs is unmatched. Every single song on this album has one of those Riffs—not just riffs, gotta capitalize that R so everyone knows that we’re talking about iconic stuff here—and I am, frankly, jealous of the feel and groove that these guys seem to have as second nature. This album clicked for me when I put it in the cans on a flight and just sat and listened to it and man, we are spoiled with an absolute embarrassment of riches in metal. These guys are an honorable mention? It’s unfair.

Caligula’s Horse // Charcoal Grace [January 26th, 2024 | InsideOut Records | Bandcamp] — After it was summarily 3.0’d by the guy who brought you the Angra list everyone thought was absolute crap, I feel like everyone just forgot about Charcoal Grace. But I’m going to be honest with you, this record deserved a lot better than it got at the hands of the traitorous reviewer who poo-poohed it and then, allegedly, went on to kick his dog and demand his wife make him a sandwich. This is a more subtle Caligula’s Horse, I admit. How they seem to be swapping places with Haken becomes more manifest with every release. But this record is a true headphones album that deserves a hi-def version of the release, serious cans, and a dark room. It’s loaded with great riffs and fantastic songs and has a particularly poignant and powerful closing. Also, the level of detail here is unreal. Appreciate what you have while they are still putting out amazing albums.

Noxis // Violence Inherent in the System [June 28th, 2024 | Rotted Life Records | Bandcamp] — One of the surprises of the year is an album named after one of the funniest jabs at the anarchosyndicalists in our lives. Noxis’ brand of frantic, technical death metal—complete with my favorite snare of the year—has swept through the Angry Metal Guy staff for a reason. The reason? It’s fucking great. At 45 minutes, Violence Inherent in the System is a record with the energy and addictiveness of Gorod, even if the songwriting chops aren’t quite on that level yet. But you don’t have to be Gorod-good to be good and Noxis is good. I’m looking forward to their sophomore release Scimitars Thrown in Farcical Aquatic Ceremonies, due Q4 2025/Q1 2026.

Madder Mortem // Old Eyes, New Heart [January 26th, 2024 | Dark Essence Records | Bandcamp] — In my Record o’ the Month blurb for Old Eyes, New Heart, I wrote “What Old Eyes, New Heart does is show Madder Mortem as alive and creative as ever, showcasing a more vulnerable, introspective side of themselves. Tracks like ‘Here and Now’ and ‘Cold Hard Rain’ weep with power and raw emotion, giving fans all the feelz they yearn for, and there’s simmering anger girding the material as well. As GardensTale noted, regarding the very personal, intense feeling of the new music: ‘Old Eyes, New Heart will stand as one of the most intimate and therapeutic albums we’re bound to get this year.’ And who isn’t going to need a little bit of therapy in 2024?” Yeah, I found myself listening to this album a lot this year because it expresses what I couldn’t. Again, prescient.

Blood Incantation // Absolute Elsewhere [October 4th, 2024 | Century Media Records | Bandcamp] — Yeah, it’s fine I guess. A little overhyped in the comment section, though. Remember that time when it got released and everyone who hadn’t heard it yet was like “RECORD OF THE YEAR!!!!!!1!” five minutes later? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

Top 10(ish) Songs o’ the Year:

#ish: Karol G // “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido” — Fuck you.

#10: Sonata Arctica // “The Best Things” — Fans of the band and this album are going to laugh, but this song kills me. Dad rock. I love it.

#9: Wintersun // “Storm” — When I saw everyone sporting “Silver Leaves” as the highlight of Time II, I had to do a double-take. As I covered at length in my review, the one song that I felt lived up to Jaari’s potential as a player and composer was “Storm,” and this track is a fucking doozy. This track perfectly executes both the blend of blackened death metal and power metal that makes Wintersun’s inability to produce something truly epic frustrating. If I had only heard “Ominous Clouds” and “Storm,” Time II would’ve gotten a 4.5. This is the only memorable thing he wrote on the entire album.

#8: Oceans of Slumber // “Wish” — It’s weird the tracks that call to you on an album. I love this whole record for a bunch of different reasons, but on “Wish” there are little melodic things that Cammie does here that make my heart ache. The lyrics, too. I feel ’em. Deeply underrated record.

#7: Fellowship // “Victim” — “I swear, I won’t always feel like a victim! I won’t always fight on my own! So, forgive me these transgressions as I live a life of lessons and I grow to overshadow darker thrones! This king is king alone!”

#6: Opeth // “§4” — No more perfect encapsulation of why Opeth is impressive than how hard they nailed this song. Love the porn beat with the Ian Anderson flute solo (Deathro Tull, lol) that gives way to stadium rock that gives way to grindy death metal. Just inject that fucking shit straight into my fucking veins. Unff.

#5: Grendel’s Sÿster // “Cosmogony” — This song is metal as fuck. I love the fun little extra beat they drop in to make it feel like a slightly lopsided wheel rolling along. But there’s nothing about this that doesn’t live up to what I wrote above: good, honest heavy metal. Catchy, riffy, and fun to listen to. Top it off with a bass-heavy section and a gallop carried on the guitar and you’ve got yourself a recipe for an epic, addictive track. More of this, plz.

#4: Fleshgod Apocalypse // “Morphine Waltz” — This song fucking rules. From the opening strains with the horn section in the orchestra to the 3/4 time signature (y’know, ’cause it’s actually a waltz), to the raw, punky performance from Bordacchini. Extra points for the fucking balls to the wall bridge with the huge choirs before the guitar solo. Like, how do you fucking people not think this is one of the best albums of the year? JFC.

#3: Caligula’s Horse // “Mute” — One of Caligula’s Horse’s strongest traits is their ability to write epic conclusions to their albums. “Mute” is up there with “Graves” in terms of the sheer weightiness of the whole thing—though this time it’s more delicate. Beautiful.

#2: Anciients // “Despoiled” — Riff of the year at 3:57. Gives me involuntary metal face. Love the vocal melodies, too. Great stuff.

#1: Madder Mortem // “Things I’ll Never Do” — This song fucking kills me. Has anyone checked on their lyricist recently?

#2024 #Anciients #AngryMetalGuy #AngryMetalGuySRecordSOTheYear #AngryMetalGuySTop10Ish_ #BeyondTheAeons #BlessingOfDespair #BloodIncantation #BloomDecay #CaligulaSHorse #DawnTreader #DevenialVerdict #DieUrkatastrophe #Fellowship #FleshgodApocalypse #GrendelSSÿster #Hamferð #InVain #Iotunn #Kanonenfieber #KarolG #KatabasisIntoTheAbaton #Kinship #Listurnalia2024 #MadderMortem #MenGuðsHondErSterk #Noxis #OceansOfSlumber #Octoploid #Opera #Opeth #SonataArctica #TheLastWillAndTestament #TheSkiesAboveEternity #TimeII #Tuomio #Ulcerate #Verikalpa #WhereGodsFearToSpeak #Wintersun

Soittakaa ja laulakaa
#musiikki #darktranquillity #inflames #hammerfall #amorphis #sentended #sonataarctica #eternaltearsofsorrow #nighwish

https://arkipaivainen.wordpress.com/2024/12/19/soittakaa-ja-laulakaa/

TIL that the choreography and movement director on Alan Wake 2, Sophia Ruija, was also the star and choreographer of this Sonata Arctica video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxwKBpdin0Y&feature=youtu.be

Source
https://bestudio.fi/sofia-ruija-the-dancing-butterfly/

#AlanWake #AlanWake2 #SonataArctica

TIL that the choreography and movement director on Alan Wake 2, Sophia Ruija, was also the star and choreographer of this Sonata Arctica video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxwKBpdin0Y&feature=youtu.be

Source
https://bestudio.fi/sofia-ruija-the-dancing-butterfly/

#AlanWake #AlanWake2 #SonataArctica

Estamos listos para ver a Sonata Arctica en La Serena!

#SonataArctica #Metal #PoweMetal

Hey anybody here listened to Sonata Arctica's latest album from this year can tell me if it's a continuation of the (imo) boring style of their previous few albums or did they go back to a heavier sound?

#SonataArctica

Mood of the day

https://youtu.be/JkhC-l3Eoc0?si=EkijQCZWhzGujbnE

#MoodOfTheDay #Mood #Music #SonataArctica

1/2 A short impression of #sonataarctica their SOLD OUT show at 📍 #tivolivredenburg

📽️ Video by me: #Sethpicturesmusic - #SethAbrikoos
🗓️ 24-9-2024

Clear Cold Beyond European Tour upcoming dates:
28.09.2024 CH - Pratteln, Z7
29.09.2024 DE – Munich, Backstage Werk
01.10.2024 FR - Paris, La Machine
02.10.2024 FR - Lyon, La Rayonne
03.10.2024 ES - Barcelona, Sala Razzmatazz 2
04.10.2024 ES - Madrid, Wizink Center (La Sala)

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 September 22nd, 2024🤘
PILEDRIVER, RIOT, DAVID COVERDALE, JOAN JETT, BULLETBOYS, ALICE COOPER, EXTREME, KISS

https://bravewords.com/news/today-in-metal-history-september-22nd-2024-piledriver-riot-david-coverdale-joan-jett-bulletboys-alice-cooper-extreme-kiss

May include AI-generated content.

#Piledriver #Riot #DavidCoverdale #JoanJett #AliceCooper #Extreme #KISS #Whitesnake #Yes #SonataArctica #AmonAmarth #ChildrenOfBodom #DespisedIcon #EchoesOfEternity #FiveFingerDeathPunch #Skindred #Archspire #ChelseaWolfe #Counterparts #CradleOfFilth

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
Today In Metal History 🤘 September 22nd, 2024🤘
PILEDRIVER, RIOT, DAVID COVERDALE, JOAN JETT, BULLETBOYS, ALICE COOPER, EXTREME, KISS

https://bravewords.com/news/today-in-metal-history-september-22nd-2024-piledriver-riot-david-coverdale-joan-jett-bulletboys-alice-cooper-extreme-kiss

May include AI-generated content.

#Piledriver #Riot #DavidCoverdale #JoanJett #AliceCooper #Extreme #KISS #Whitesnake #Yes #SonataArctica #AmonAmarth #ChildrenOfBodom #DespisedIcon #EchoesOfEternity #FiveFingerDeathPunch #Skindred #Archspire #ChelseaWolfe #Counterparts #CradleOfFilth

Krilloan – Return of the Heralds Review

By Steel Druhm

As I began my listening sessions with Sweden’s Krilloan and their second album Return of the Heralds, I reflected on how rarely I review power metal.1 That’s partly because we don’t get much of it in the promo sump these days apart from grizzled olde dawgs like Hammerfall and Powerwolf. It seems to be a genre in decline with fewer bands stepping forward to hoist the yellow banner of Cheese Whizardy. That’s a shame too, because as much as we mock power metal for its frilly, sugary excesses, it can be among the most embiggening metal styles when executed properly. Now comes Krilloan with badass Castlevania-esque cover art and a style blending classic Euro-power with traditional and trve/epic elements. At times you’ll hear traces of the early Euro-power stalwarts, late wavers like Lost Horizon, and even grandiose operators like Blind Guardian. Ambitions may be king-sized, but a lot can go wrong when you reach for the stars. What fate awaits the starry-eyed Krill-Monger?

With a shocking lack of over-the-top intro nonsense, Return of the Heralds leaps directly into the fray with “Atlantean Sword,” which is the most standard-issue Euro-power tracks on offer here. It smacks of the bombast of Italian cheddar warriors Domine and also bears a strong similarity to the early days of Sonata Arctica, in no small part due to Alex VanTrue’s Tony Kakko-adjacent delivery. It’s a lively song full of galloping, sword-swinging energy with a Conan the Barbarian theme, though it suffers from sounding like a million other power metal nuggets. After that, Krilloan start to play with outside influences. “Kings of The Iron Hill” dials up the traditional metal influence for a more muscular sound, and “Blood & Fire (Born on a Battlefield)” goes even further, bringing trve metal aesthetics into play for a rougher, meaner approach that suits the Conan storyline. Heavy riffs drive the attack forward as war chants punctuate the storytelling in a Manocentric way. I especially appreciate how Krilloan borrows from the immortal soundtrack of Conan the Barbarian for maximum glory riding.

As Heralds unspools, Krilloan get heavier and more aggressive and this is when they’re at their best. “Hammer of Wrath” is like Domine mixing DNA with Paragon, making for a more impactful sound and the chorus is righteous. “Avenging Sun” goes even harder, channeling trve acts like Ancient Empire and Ironflame for added machismo. The Blind Guardian worship gets real on the folksy “The Kingkillers Tale” as VanTrue pulls off a scary accurate Hansi Kürsch impression, and late album cut “We Burn” seasons Amorphis-like guitar bits throughout a wild battle anthem full of piss and vinegar. While the writing is a bit uneven, no song is bad or disposable. The performances are impressive and the band wisely keep the songs short and tight with only one reaching the 5-minute mark. This along with a tight 40-minute runtime makes Return of the Heralds an easy spin with some high points.

Talent abounds in Krilloan and I’m especially impressed by Alex VanTrue’s vocals. The man is a chameleon with a big range, channeling any number of notable power metal luminaries. He can hit the high notes but does so sparingly and has a good ear for hooky vocal lines and patterns. He sells the material well and keeps the listener involved. Steve Brockmann and Klas Holmgren are talented guitarists capable of driving a song with solid riffs and soaring when solo time is nigh. Marco Ignacio Toba’s bass is present and involved, and Christoph Brandes powers the music with booming double-base runs and thundering kit work. Krilloan possess the ability needed to rock the power genre and when their writing is at its peak, good things happen.

Return of the Heralds is a good power metal album that sometimes threatens to become more. With more consistent writing and a drift away from the generic elements of the Euro-power sound, Krilloan have real potential. I’ll be watching to see what they do next since good Euro-power is pretty scarce these days. Worth a loud spin with sword held high.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet
Websites: facebook.com/krilloanofficial | instagram.com/krilloan_official
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlindGuardian #Domine #HeavyMetal #Krilloan #LostHorizon #PowerMetal #ReturnOfTheHeralds #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #Sep24 #SonataArctica

Krilloan – Return of the Heralds Review

By Steel Druhm

As I began my listening sessions with Sweden’s Krilloan and their second album Return of the Heralds, I reflected on how rarely I review power metal.1 That’s partly because we don’t get much of it in the promo sump these days apart from grizzled olde dawgs like Hammerfall and Powerwolf. It seems to be a genre in decline with fewer bands stepping forward to hoist the yellow banner of Cheese Whizardy. That’s a shame too, because as much as we mock power metal for its frilly, sugary excesses, it can be among the most embiggening metal styles when executed properly. Now comes Krilloan with badass Castlevania-esque cover art and a style blending classic Euro-power with traditional and trve/epic elements. At times you’ll hear traces of the early Euro-power stalwarts, late wavers like Lost Horizon, and even grandiose operators like Blind Guardian. Ambitions may be king-sized, but a lot can go wrong when you reach for the stars. What fate awaits the starry-eyed Krill-Monger?

With a shocking lack of over-the-top intro nonsense, Return of the Heralds leaps directly into the fray with “Atlantean Sword,” which is the most standard-issue Euro-power tracks on offer here. It smacks of the bombast of Italian cheddar warriors Domine and also bears a strong similarity to the early days of Sonata Arctica, in no small part due to Alex VanTrue’s Tony Kakko-adjacent delivery. It’s a lively song full of galloping, sword-swinging energy with a Conan the Barbarian theme, though it suffers from sounding like a million other power metal nuggets. After that, Krilloan start to play with outside influences. “Kings of The Iron Hill” dials up the traditional metal influence for a more muscular sound, and “Blood & Fire (Born on a Battlefield)” goes even further, bringing trve metal aesthetics into play for a rougher, meaner approach that suits the Conan storyline. Heavy riffs drive the attack forward as war chants punctuate the storytelling in a Manocentric way. I especially appreciate how Krilloan borrows from the immortal soundtrack of Conan the Barbarian for maximum glory riding.

As Heralds unspools, Krilloan get heavier and more aggressive and this is when they’re at their best. “Hammer of Wrath” is like Domine mixing DNA with Paragon, making for a more impactful sound and the chorus is righteous. “Avenging Sun” goes even harder, channeling trve acts like Ancient Empire and Ironflame for added machismo. The Blind Guardian worship gets real on the folksy “The Kingkillers Tale” as VanTrue pulls off a scary accurate Hansi Kürsch impression, and late album cut “We Burn” seasons Amorphis-like guitar bits throughout a wild battle anthem full of piss and vinegar. While the writing is a bit uneven, no song is bad or disposable. The performances are impressive and the band wisely keep the songs short and tight with only one reaching the 5-minute mark. This along with a tight 40-minute runtime makes Return of the Heralds an easy spin with some high points.

Talent abounds in Krilloan and I’m especially impressed by Alex VanTrue’s vocals. The man is a chameleon with a big range, channeling any number of notable power metal luminaries. He can hit the high notes but does so sparingly and has a good ear for hooky vocal lines and patterns. He sells the material well and keeps the listener involved. Steve Brockmann and Klas Holmgren are talented guitarists capable of driving a song with solid riffs and soaring when solo time is nigh. Marco Ignacio Toba’s bass is present and involved, and Christoph Brandes powers the music with booming double-base runs and thundering kit work. Krilloan possess the ability needed to rock the power genre and when their writing is at its peak, good things happen.

Return of the Heralds is a good power metal album that sometimes threatens to become more. With more consistent writing and a drift away from the generic elements of the Euro-power sound, Krilloan have real potential. I’ll be watching to see what they do next since good Euro-power is pretty scarce these days. Worth a loud spin with sword held high.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet
Websites: facebook.com/krilloanofficial | instagram.com/krilloan_official
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlindGuardian #Domine #HeavyMetal #Krilloan #LostHorizon #PowerMetal #ReturnOfTheHeralds #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #Sep24 #SonataArctica

Krilloan – Return of the Heralds Review

By Steel Druhm

As I began my listening sessions with Sweden’s Krilloan and their second album Return of the Heralds, I reflected on how rarely I review power metal.1 That’s partly because we don’t get much of it in the promo sump these days apart from grizzled olde dawgs like Hammerfall and Powerwolf. It seems to be a genre in decline with fewer bands stepping forward to hoist the yellow banner of Cheese Whizardy. That’s a shame too, because as much as we mock power metal for its frilly, sugary excesses, it can be among the most embiggening metal styles when executed properly. Now comes Krilloan with badass Castlevania-esque cover art and a style blending classic Euro-power with traditional and trve/epic elements. At times you’ll hear traces of the early Euro-power stalwarts, late wavers like Lost Horizon, and even grandiose operators like Blind Guardian. Ambitions may be king-sized, but a lot can go wrong when you reach for the stars. What fate awaits the starry-eyed Krill-Monger?

With a shocking lack of over-the-top intro nonsense, Return of the Heralds leaps directly into the fray with “Atlantean Sword,” which is the most standard-issue Euro-power tracks on offer here. It smacks of the bombast of Italian cheddar warriors Domine and also bears a strong similarity to the early days of Sonata Arctica, in no small part due to Alex VanTrue’s Tony Kakko-adjacent delivery. It’s a lively song full of galloping, sword-swinging energy with a Conan the Barbarian theme, though it suffers from sounding like a million other power metal nuggets. After that, Krilloan start to play with outside influences. “Kings of The Iron Hill” dials up the traditional metal influence for a more muscular sound, and “Blood & Fire (Born on a Battlefield)” goes even further, bringing trve metal aesthetics into play for a rougher, meaner approach that suits the Conan storyline. Heavy riffs drive the attack forward as war chants punctuate the storytelling in a Manocentric way. I especially appreciate how Krilloan borrows from the immortal soundtrack of Conan the Barbarian for maximum glory riding.

As Heralds unspools, Krilloan get heavier and more aggressive and this is when they’re at their best. “Hammer of Wrath” is like Domine mixing DNA with Paragon, making for a more impactful sound and the chorus is righteous. “Avenging Sun” goes even harder, channeling trve acts like Ancient Empire and Ironflame for added machismo. The Blind Guardian worship gets real on the folksy “The Kingkillers Tale” as VanTrue pulls off a scary accurate Hansi Kürsch impression, and late album cut “We Burn” seasons Amorphis-like guitar bits throughout a wild battle anthem full of piss and vinegar. While the writing is a bit uneven, no song is bad or disposable. The performances are impressive and the band wisely keep the songs short and tight with only one reaching the 5-minute mark. This along with a tight 40-minute runtime makes Return of the Heralds an easy spin with some high points.

Talent abounds in Krilloan and I’m especially impressed by Alex VanTrue’s vocals. The man is a chameleon with a big range, channeling any number of notable power metal luminaries. He can hit the high notes but does so sparingly and has a good ear for hooky vocal lines and patterns. He sells the material well and keeps the listener involved. Steve Brockmann and Klas Holmgren are talented guitarists capable of driving a song with solid riffs and soaring when solo time is nigh. Marco Ignacio Toba’s bass is present and involved, and Christoph Brandes powers the music with booming double-base runs and thundering kit work. Krilloan possess the ability needed to rock the power genre and when their writing is at its peak, good things happen.

Return of the Heralds is a good power metal album that sometimes threatens to become more. With more consistent writing and a drift away from the generic elements of the Euro-power sound, Krilloan have real potential. I’ll be watching to see what they do next since good Euro-power is pretty scarce these days. Worth a loud spin with sword held high.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Scarlet
Websites: facebook.com/krilloanofficial | instagram.com/krilloan_official
Releases Worldwide: September 20th, 2024

#2024 #30 #BlindGuardian #Domine #HeavyMetal #Krilloan #LostHorizon #PowerMetal #ReturnOfTheHeralds #Review #Reviews #ScarletRecords #Sep24 #SonataArctica

#TheMetalDogArticleList
#BraveWords
SONATA ARCTICA Premier "Angel Defiled" Music Video

https://bravewords.com/news/sonata-arctica-premier-angel-defiled-music-video

#SonataArctica

Gibt's hier Melodic Metal / Power-Metal-Fans? SONATA ARCTICA kommen im Herbst 2024 mit ihrem aktuellen Album "Clear Cold Beyond" auf Europatour; FIREWIND, TUNGSTEN und SERIOUS BLACK komplettieren das Line-Up.

#sonataarctica #firewind #seriousblack

https://www.burnyourears.de/news/54304-sonata-arctica-%E2%80%93%20im-herbst-auf-tour-mit-firewind.html

35/n

That was a wild ride with Sonata Arctica!

High highs, really low lows.

Clear Cold Beyond almost made the top spot. But only almost.

So, here is my final #SonataArctica #Metaljourney album ranking:

1. Unia 3.5
2. Clear Cold Beyond 3.5
3. Days of Grays 3
4. Talviyö 3
5. Reckoning Night 2.5
6. Winterheart's Guild 2.5
7. Silence 2.5
8. Ecliptica 2.5
9. The 9th Hour 2
10. Pariah's Child 2
11. Stones Grow Her Name 1

And here is my Best Of playlist:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxxhndMTmJ3M0Ljhbz8sONoYDGIk5Q2cl&feature=shared

#TomsMusic

AMG Goes Ranking: Sonata Arctica

By Angry Metal Guy

The life of the unpaid, overworked metal reviewer is not an easy one. The reviewing collective at AMG lurches from one new release to the next, errors and nOObs strewn in our wake. But what if, once in a while, the collective paused to take stock and consider the discography of those bands that shaped many a taste? What if two three ONE aspects of the AMG collective personality shared with the slavering masses their personal rankings of that discography and what if the rest of the personality used a Google sheet some kind of dark magic to produce SAT BY IN AWE OF an official guide to, and all-around definitive aggregated ranking of, that band’s entire discography? Well, if that happened, we imagine it would look something like this…

I’m relatively certain that Sonata Arctica not only knows who I am, but that they have requested I never be allowed anywhere near them. Despite them being objectively one of my favorite bands, everything I write about them just sounds mean. For example, I made a list of some of my favorite Sonata Arctica songs and I framed it as their “Unintentional Successes.” I imagine, at this point, that Mr. Kakko and co. personally dislike me, even though we’ve never met. That kind of sucks, because I love them, even if it’s a tense relationship at times.

It’s amazing to think that when I first heard of Finland’s much-better-Stratovarius, I was just a kid. I went out to order Ecliptica because I heard “Letter to Dana” on a web radio station and became completely obsessed with it.1 And yes, there was something slightly pretentious in my initial listens, like watching Eurovision to laugh at it, rather than partake in earnest. I was young and very proud of myself for liking edgy music that normies didn’t like. And Sonata Arctica embodied an unabashed poppiness, Tony’s English often lacked prepositions, but—as I would come to realize—they wrote addictive and creative songs that often defied expectations.

Over the years, I think I’ve come to understand Mr. Kakko and friends, and that has turned into genuine respect. I gladly admit that Sonata Arctica is one of my favorite bands because it’s true. I’ve listened to them a ton and they’ve done a lot more good than bad. I’ve reviewed every one of their records released since I launched AMG in 2009 and will review 2024’s Clear Cold Beyond soon.2 And with time, what I have come to admire the most about Sonata Arctica is their need to evolve. And the results of that aren’t always what I want to hear. But I simply admire musicians who take their shot rather than being scared of failure and grow repetitive as a result.

And for the guy who loves to write a list—like me and my colleagues Twelve and Eldritch Elitist here at the website—that also means that Sonata Arctica has an eminently rankable discography of 10 full length (without ranking the re-recordings and acoustic records). And motherfucker if we aren’t going to rank the shit out of that discography right here.

From Worst to First. You know the drill. – Angry Metal Guy

The “But Seriously, Why?” Tier

#10: Talviyö (2019) — Talviyö is the band’s worst album, bar none. The problem with Talviyö is that it is utterly forgettable. For the first time in their career, they released an album that didn’t seem like Tony was straining against anything other than his will to be recording an album. It would not surprise me to hear that after an intensive career, the man who once wrote about wishing to leave the show behind was suffering from a touch of burnout. As I wrote in my review, Talviyö is “an album that has no tension, no real experimentation, and the dynamic range of a brick wall.” It is the only Sonata Arctica album from which I do not like a single song. They’ve got nine other records worth spending time with. You can comfortably skip Talviyö unless you’ve got a trauma in the Anal Stage.3

#9: Stones Grow Her Name (2012) — Not to keep quoting myself, but I think I succinctly summed up Stones Grow Her Name when I wrote, “Stones Grow Her Name is like the combination of the band’s worst instincts and new sound coalescing into a record that is simultaneously uneventful but provocative in its mediocrity.”4 I’ve softened some since then, and there are definitely some standouts here that make it better than Talviyö. “Losing My Insanity” and “Somewhere Close to You” pack a punch, with the latter featuring genuinely interesting counter melodies and flourishes. And despite laughing at it back in 2012, “Don’t Be Mean” has really grown on me.5 But the weird banjo-infused Americana thing will forever ruin Stones for me. I can follow Tony to a lot of places, but cultural appropriation was a bridge too far.

The “Good But Flawed” Tier

#8: Pariah’s Child (2014) — Is Pariah’s Child the first example of the Sonata Arctica apology tour? After 2012’s foray into banjo-fueled demonic nightmares (see above), Pariah’s Child sported the classic Sonata Arctica logo and had a wolf on the front.6 And there are some good things on Pariah’s Child. “What Did You Do in the War, Dad?” achieves Peak Kakko, balancing awkward and cheesy with emotional and brilliant. “Half a Marathon Man” is an energetic and catchy track that complements other high points like “Cloud Factory.” But the lows here are low: “X Marks the Spot” is cringe af; “Love” is among the worst things the band has ever written; and there’s a feeling that I can’t escape here that Pariah’s Child was an album made under the duress of harsh criticisms from Stones Grow Her Name. And I think that undermines its staying power for me.

#7: Unia (2007) — AngryMetalGuy.com did not exist in 2007, so we have been spared the rambling, linear, and—if I’m totally honest with myself—ultimately whiny review that I would have written about Unia at the time. And while definitely not my favorite Sonata Arctica album, one can hear the blueprint for their better material from the late era. And you know what? Unlike Pariah’s Child, it feels like they were just doing what they wanted to do at the time. It’s too damned long and not everything works, but it was a far more vital albums than I think any of us were willing to admit at the time. Unia opens particularly strongly with “In Black and White” and “Paid in Full,” the record rips it up on “The Harvest,” while “It Won’t Fade” features one of my favorite Sonata Arctica choruses.7 Say what you want, Unia is pretty well-produced and features seriously lush orchestral arrangements. And sure, it’s brought down by “Caleb” and snoozy tracks like “For the Sake of Revenge,” but it laid the groundwork for a successful second act.

#6: Silence (2001) — Silence was my first Sonata Arctica album. After hearing “Letter to Dana” on a web radio station, I went to order Ecliptica straight away. Weirdly, two or three days later I received promos from my then-boss and now AMG-alum Al Kikuras with the promo for Silence. To my dismay, I didn’t love it. Basically, I think Silence is Sonata Arctica‘s answer to Fear of the Dark. In many ways, it’s an iconic record because of its high points: “Wolf & Raven,” “Weballergy,” “San Sebastian” and “Black Sheep” are all excellent songs that I want to hear live. But at an hour long, it also included shitshows like “The End of This Chapter,” “Last Drop Falls,” and the worst followup to Ecliptica’s Best. Power. Ballad. Ever…: “Tallulah.” All-in-all, this record is both great and flawed. See, it’s Fear of the Dark!

#5: Ecliptica (1999) — My sense is that Ecliptica is where many fans’ relationship both started and ended and I think that’s a shame.8 While loaded with absolutely top tier, undeniable classics like “UnOpened,” “Letter to Dana,” “FullMoon” and “Blank File,” I’ve always felt like the songwriting here was just immature compared to a lot of what the band would go on to do. They proved that they could produce great, catchy power metal and they could do it really well here. And they wrote some of my favorite metal songs ever—and the best power ballad since the ’80s—but the band has gone on to heights that they weren’t even close to reaching here. This may, in fact, be the band’s most overrated record, even if I still love it.

#4: The Ninth Hour (2016) — “As a whole, The Ninth Hour is interesting, surprising, and thankfully free of banjo” is how I summarized the nice things I had to say about the album when it dropped. And I stand by it. The Ninth Hour is an example of how when Kakko hits, he really hits. Gripes about the production aside, The Ninth Hour is full of adventurous songs and ideas—even some older-fashioned ones—but doesn’t feel like an Apology Tour record, but rather just finds Tony doing Tony. The record’s crowning glory may in fact be “We Are What We Are,” a song that so bleakly encapsulates the problems facing the world because of humanity that it caused me to remark to my fellow writers “fatalistic Kakko may be the best Kakko” in Slack. But “We Are What We Are” isn’t an exception, The Ninth Hour is an album chock full of songs, riffs, and lyrics worth hearing.9 Still, it’s not without its flaws, and the fact that it sounds bad makes it hard to rank higher.

The “Wait, Is Sonata Arctica Actually Finland’s Best Export?” Tier

#3: Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is where Sonata Arctica truly clicked over from good to great for me. While their first two albums are considered Europower royalty by so many fans of the genre, Winterheart’s Guild found them adding brilliant new wrinkles. As is often the case, it’s the higher quality slower and more progressive tracks that make Winterheart’s Guild better than its predecessor. In particular, “Broken” is a highlight, improving on what didn’t work on “Sing of Silence.” And while closer “Draw Me” drips like badly made queso, it really shows off Kakko’s lungs and is the perfect way to round out the album. And aside from these songs, the rest of the album is straight bangers. My particular favorite is probably “The Cage,” which easily could have been on either of the first two records, but there isn’t a bad song on here.

#2: The Days of Grays (2009) — I didn’t used to love The Days of Grays as much as I do today. In fact, I had a bit of a U-shaped trajectory with the album. When it was released in 2009, following Unia, I wanted some of that intensity from earlier albums back. But the band didn’t break out the old logo, even if they did rework an old demo for “Flag in the Ground.” Instead, they just kept writing in a vein that really cemented their vision. Like so many first albums with a new sound, Unia hadn’t quite solved their new sound yet. And, for me, it’s The Days of Grays where the late-Sonata Arctica sound really began to clarify. Weird and progressive? “The Dead Skin” does that so well. Big, complex and orchestral? Try on “Deathaura” for size! Surprising, absurd and macabre? “Juliet” is absolutely brilliant.10 We even get fatalistic Kakko being fatalistic on “As if the World Wasn’t Ending.” This album doesn’t have a flaw and anyone who tells you it does is leading you astray. Even as long as it is, The Days of Grays is a brilliant record.

#1: Reckoning Night (2004) — I remember getting my hands on Reckoning Night and dang, it was good. At 20 years olde this year, I can still remember those first listens like it was yesterday. What’s brilliant about this album is the way in which you can witness their sound starting to really solidify. While they were getting better as songwriters on Winterhheart’s Guild, Reckoning Night is where the combination of their old sound and the basis of their new sound met and created perfection. The highs on the album are really high. Again, even the mid-paced stuff that tends to be the band’s weakest moments—like the rocky “Blinded No More”—makes me want to grill burgers and drink shitty lager rather than skip it. “Ain’t Your Fairytale” and “Don’t Say a Word” are classics, and almost every song on here is encore-worthy on a setlist. The one black eye is “My Selene,” which would be a welcome replacement on several of their albums, but is a bit too safe in the context of Reckoning Night. Still, if you want to hear the Platonic ideal of the Sonata Arctica sound? It’s contained in these 55 minutes of brilliant, olde power metal.

Eldritch Elitist

Upon first discovering power metal via the majesty of DragonForce—at precisely the correct age for such majesty to take full effect (13 and change)—I began hunting for more. My search quickly led me to PureVolume, where I encountered Sonata Arctica‘s “Victoria’s Secret,” and I was immediately hooked. Sonata Arctica didn’t just have the speed and melodic prowess of DragonForce; they had angst. I was drawn in by the perpetually lovelorn lyrics of one Tony “No Bitches” Kakko,11 which resonated more strongly with my intensely hormonal adolescent self than I care to admit. I became a Sonata Arctica obsessive in short order, just in time for Unia to rear its head, along with the band’s proclamation that they were “bored as fuck” with playing the type of music I’d come to love so dearly. They have backpedaled to their power metal roots on multiple occasions since then, always in seemingly obligatory fashion, but their greatest post-heyday successes are often found in their most experimental works. Such experimentation makes a ranking as this one a viable endeavor. Prepare for a whole bunch of weirdness and cringe, which will gradually wane (yet never entirely fade, not really) as we make our way to the number one spot.

#10. Talviyö (2019) — I’m enough of a fan of Sonata Arctica that I generally assume a solid sense of what the band is setting out to do with each new album. I have no fucking clue what they were doing with Talviyö. Part of that is because not so much as a single note manages to stick with me. Its melodies, riffs (wait – are there any??), and writing are so unassuming that I can’t process the album because it refuses to exist in my memory. The production shares the remainder—and perhaps the lion’s share—of the blame. Detractors often compare Sonata Arctica unfavorably to Christmas music, but most classic holiday fare has edgier and more impactful production than this muddled, soft rock-adjacent mess. The death knell comes from a career-worst showing from Tony Kakko, whose muted, nasal performances give the impression that he caught a cold just before tracking vocals, and no one could be bothered to re-book his studio time. I sort of like the chorus of “Message from the Sun,” so I’ll give that a shout-out so that I have something from Talviyö to offer the ranking playlist. Now, please excuse me as I never listen to it again.

#9. The Days of Grays (2009) — It hurts to rank The Days of Grays so low when its first three tracks (excluding the intro) are so good. “Deathaura” is a creepy, yet ultimately somber and lovely epic, and both “The Last Amazing Grays” and “Flag in the Ground” are straightforward power metal romps that could have slotted comfortably into Reckoning Night’s tracklist. Every single song that follows, with the exception of the dramatic “Juliet,” is an absolute slog. The then-recent departure of guitarist Jani Liimatainen is nearly tangible, evidenced in the plodding guitar work comprising stale power chord progressions and mindless, metalcore-esque chugs. Tony Kakko’s vocal melodies, meanwhile, represent more of an approximation of Sonata Arctica’s once-prized romanticism than the genuine article. Beyond its scarce highlights, this album is by and large a chore to get through in one sitting, and on most days I’d sooner pick the dogged competence of Unia than trudge through the full hour of The Days of Grays.12

#8. Unia (2007) — You had to have been there to understand how reviled Unia was at release. It arrived hot on the heels of several “experimental” departures from established power metal titans such as Stratovarius, Blind Guardian, and Edguy; it felt like traditional power metal was dying, and with Unia, Sonata Arctica threw more fuel on an already furious fire. In retrospect, while its renewed stake in prog and de-emphasized melodies certainly signaled the end of Sonata Arctica’s heyday, Unia is basically the consummate AMG 2.5. Its material is competent, and the band performs it with respectable conviction. Yet the material isn’t just forgettable; it’s un-memorable. I’ve returned to Unia many times over the years, yet outside of the decently catchy “Paid in Full,” I could never possibly recall a single note from it without having been recently exposed. If nothing else, it’s worth a listen for its unintentionally hilarious lyrics, especially this zinger from “Caleb”: “The words were not meant to hurt, only destroy you, my stupid son.”

#7. Pariah’s Child (2014) — Sonata Arctica went hard in emphasizing Pariah’s Child as a return to power metal form, going as far as to revert to their old logo, plastered on an album cover that nowadays would be the result of entering “Generic Sonata Arctica Album Art” as a prompt into your non-ethical AI art generator of choice. Pariah’s Child certainly did not reprise the band’s glory days, but it’s definitely fun, if frontloaded. In a sort of reverse Days of Grays scenario, the final three tracks can’t live up to the seven which precede it; “X Marks the Spot” is just embarrassing, “Love” might be the band’s worst ballad, and “Larger Than Life” is easily the most forgettable of Sonata Arctica’s long-form tracks. On the flipside, “Running Lights,” “Blood,” and “What Did You Do in the War, Dad?” are all late-career highlights that have lured me back to Pariah’s Child on occasion. It might just be the least consistent album of this band’s career,13 but really, when it comes to Sonata Arctica’s discography, doesn’t that make it kinda poetic?

#6. Stones Grow Her Name (2012) — The initial reception to Stones Grow Her Name from fans and journalists was so negative that I gave it one skeptical half-listen listen back when it released, and never returned until buckling down for this ranking. In what is easily the biggest surprise of this ranking process, I found that I actually like it quite well. It pays dividends to divorce Stones Grow Her Name from the context of Sonata Arctica’s history. A collection of catchy, rock-oriented power metal songs, its solid hooks and energy level feel mightily refreshing coming off the heels of the sluggish The Days of Grays. There are songs here that could have been fan favorites in any other context (especially “Losing My Insanity”), but its quirky novelties are generally a blast (“Alone in Heaven,” “Cinderblox”), and I’ve even learned to embrace the cringe of the infamous “Shitload of Money” (What she got??). The sequels to “Wildfire” remain totally perplexing in concept, but are pretty entertaining in execution. And really, a simply fun time is a best-case scenario when dealing with post-Reckoning Night Sonata Arctica, and there really isn’t an album from this era that’s more fun than this one.

#5. The Ninth Hour (2016) — Holy shit, Tony Kakko, wake up. The Ninth Hour finds Sonata Arctica’s frontman in a borderline narcoleptic state for much of its runtime, with sleepy vocals seemingly attuned to fit the record’s melancholic mood. While I’m not a huge fan of Tony’s voice on this record, I am a fan of the album itself. It’s generally quite catchy in that cheesy, romantically bittersweet way that made me fall in love with Sonata Arctica in the first place, while packing in some genuine jams (“Fairytale,” “Rise a Night”), moodier pieces (“We Are What We Are,” “Among the Shooting Stars”), and one of my favorite ballads the band has ever written (“Candle Lawns”). “White Pearl, Black Oceans, Pt. II” sweetens the deal, a surprisingly compelling extended epilogue to the original that I find much more engaging than the “Wildfire” sequels. If speed is all you value in Sonata Arctica then you likely won’t get much out of The Ninth Hour, but I personally find it to be one of the only modern records where Kakko and Co. are making the music they want without compromises, and the only one that is bereft of any notable weak points.

#4. Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is the most richly atmospheric and darkly romantic record in Sonata Arctica canon. Yet as much as I love it, I’ve never felt comfortable putting it in league with the other three records of the band’s progenitive quadrilogy. It feels at odds with itself, with tracks like the downright morose “Gravenimage” and “Broken” clashing with the bouncy, relatively silly “Champagne Bath” and “Silver Tongue.” This conflict comes to a head with “The Ruins of My Life,” one the most frustrating song in Sonata Arctica history, which begins life as a monumental power metal battle anthem only to kill its own momentum with an utterly perplexing anti-climax14. Still, there are great power metal jams to be found in “Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited,” “The Cage,” and “Victoria’s Secret.” Winterheart’s Guild’s dreamy aesthetic helps these tracks (and the record as a whole) stand out in the band’s discography, as does the bass-heavy production featuring guitars so heavy, they’d feel right at home on a doom metal record.

#3. Ecliptica (1999). Ecliptica opens with what might be the best three-song run in all of power metal. There are some other songs on the album as well!

Okay, that’s ludicrously harsh; Ecliptica is a fantastic power metal record, but I would be lying if I said it was perfectly paced. “Replica” and “Letter to Dana” are great ballads that should have been separated to opposite ends of the record. The same goes for the back-to-back noodle attack of “UnOpened” and “Picturing the Past,” especially as these songs are Ecliptica’s weakest cuts.15 Otherwise, I struggle to think of a power metal debut that boasts as many iconic tracks as Ecliptica, or one that establishes its artist’s aesthetic so soundly and immediately. Sure, Sonata Arctica was largely aping Stratovarius in those early days, but their distinctly frost-glazed and romantic earnestness was fully intact from the opening measures of “Blank File.” Right out the gate, Ecliptica didn’t just match the quality of Sonata Arctica’s primary influence; it surpassed them.

#2. Silence (2001) — Silence is a bit longwinded. “Last Drop Falls” should have been left on the cutting room floor (there’s a reason why “Tallulah” is the Silence ballad that gets live play), and “The Power of One,” for all its brilliance, could stand to lose a few minutes. Editing qualms aside, Silence represents one of the best collections of power metal one is likely to find. “…of Silence” leading into “Weballergy” makes for one of power metal’s most exhilarating album introductions. “Black Sheep” and “Wolf and Raven” are neoclassical shredfests on par with anything [Luca Turilli(/Leone)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] ever wrote,16 and four other songs besides (especially “San Sebastian”) provide exemplary cases of double bass-driven power metal. The fact that Silence lightly experiments with the prog elements that would more greatly define Sonata Arctica’s two following albums only makes it that much more engaging and replayable. Though it may be a smidge unwieldy, I absolutely adore Silence.

#1. Reckoning Night (2004) — I fucking hate “Blinded No More.” It’s an awful, plodding mess, devoid of hooks and energy, and a glaring blight on what is otherwise a perfect record. Reckoning Night, stinky second track aside, is the culmination of Sonata Arctica’s efforts at the height of their glory days. Its expected speed-driven numbers universally excel, yet it somehow shines even brighter when the band gets experimental. With theatrically progressive power metal tracks ranging in theme from body horror Pinocchio (“The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Real Puppet”) to societal vengeance via mass arson (“Wildfire”), Reckoning Night is downright weird, and it masterfully interplays that weirdness with the band’s established strengths. There’s also the lengthy and compelling “White Pearl, Black Oceans,” which, while almost hysterically melodramatic, might just be my favorite song in the band’s history. In short, Reckoning Night is a complete realization of everything Sonata Arctica aimed to achieve from the start, and one of my favorite albums of all time.

Twelve

I love Sonata Arctica nearly as much as I am frustrated by Sonata Arctica. Rarely has a band vexed me so, but then, rarely does a band try out seemingly every new idea that comes into their heads the way these guys do, consequences be damned. I joined the ranks of the band’s fans around 2009, shortly after the release of The Days of Grays, and so was able to enjoy the full Sonata Arctica experience in reverse—”meeting” the band as a symphonic prog-esque sort of creation and moving backwards to realize that they had the power metal inside them all along. You might also say that I became a fan at exactly the wrong moment, at a time when the band’s greatest hits were already well behind them. I have mixed feelings on that—that’s what the list below is for. There are Sonata Arctica albums I absolutely love and ones I’d rather hadn’t existed at all, and, now that I think about it, that’s a pretty rare thing to say about a band you like. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to the imminent release of Clear Cold Beyond and will continue to stick by these guys no matter what they come up with next… which, given their history, is a pretty trusting statement.

The Ranking:

#10. Talviyö (2019) — This will be a short entry, mainly because I don’t remember most of Talviyö—when I think on it, I remember an obscenely compressed-sounding thing with guitars that sound like… not guitars. Nothing on this album, whether in the songwriting, the production, or the approach, resonated with me, and so this is a very easy album to simply rank last without putting too much thought into it. This is the only Sonata Arctica album I simply never came back to.

#9. Silence (2001) — I am very excited to torpedo my credibility here: I just don’t like Silence. A lot of the songs blur together, making the hour-long runtime seem long, and the hooks don’t quite land for me. In later years, Sonata Arctica’s talent for making quiet, emotional power ballads feel deeply meaningful, but even “The End of This Chapter” and “Sing in Silence” don’t work for me. The whole album is just too much, and it would take the slowing down that happened on Winterheart’s Guild and Reckoning Night to produce a sound that could convert me into a fan—this zingy weirdness just didn’t do it.

#8. The Ninth Hour (2016) — I found that The Ninth Hour had very little staying power for me, but I did like what I heard from it. Songs like “Life” and “Till Death’s Done Us Apart” feel like an earnest shot at a genuine return to form, and it was invigorating to hear genuinely catchy, moving, and fun melodies from Sonata Arctica in 2016. But when I walked away from the album, I never felt any desire to return to it. It pops up here and there, but even now I’m struggling to just remember how the songs I liked on this album go. When I listen to them they’re good, but across an uneven album, a lack of memorability was the unfortunate death knell that keeps this one low on my list, promising though it may have been.

#7. Pariah’s Child (2014) — Speaking of returning to form, Pariah’s Child was meant to be exactly that, a breath of fresh air after the ultra-weirdness that was Stones Grow Her Name. And it was a breath of fresh air, filled for the most part with strong songs and clever ideas. I’ve heard bad things said about “X Marks the Spot” but it’s an album highlight for me17 (I wouldn’t attempt to justify “Love,” however). Really, I don’t have much bad to say about Pariah’s Child—just nothing overwhelmingly positive either. It’s a solid album with a solid theme and a handful of really good songs, which should give you an idea of how much I like the rest of the Sonata Arctica discography.

#6. Stones Grow Her Name (2012)18 — Without question, Stones Grow Her Name was a grower. As a general rule, I love it when bands go earnestly goofy stuff (X Marks the Spot! X Marks the Spot!), but this one took some time to get used to. Even now, I’m debating if I let it climb too high on this list,19 and I still think of it as “that” album, the one where Sonata Arctica just kind of dove off the deep end to see what happened and published the result anyway. By the time this came out, I was firmly familiar with the rest of the band’s discography, so I was completely thrown by it. But after a while, the earnest corniness of “I Have a Right,” the familiarity of “Losing My Insanity” and “The Day,” and the scope of the “Wildfire” duo won me over. I understand why people don’t like this Stones Grow Her Name, but I can’t agree anymore. It’s not a knockout by any stretch, but its heavier, often-angrier, and more experimental nature works for me, and I love that the band was willing to release it despite the incredible shift from The Days of Grays. Angry Metal Guy’s Law of Diminishing Recordings™ indeed.20

#5. Ecliptica (1999) — It’s amazing that Ecliptica holds up as well as it does, but there’s just something about this enthusiastic “everything and the kitchen sink” approach to power metal that warms my heart to this day. It’s just so fun! “Kingdom for a Heart” is, of course, a classic, and I can randomly get the chorus of “Destruction Preventer” stuck in my head just from seeing the word “preventer” in print. I didn’t love “FullMoon” as much as everyone else seems to have, but it’s another great example of the young Sonata Arctica throwing themselves on the CD and striking gold high-quality silver. A lot of good debuts in this style have that x factor, that clear sense of passion and excitement and love for what they’re doing and for that, Ecliptica can always put a smile on my face.

#4. Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is a beautiful album. It is such a leap from Ecliptica and Silence, but it’s the album I associate most with modern-day Sonata Arctica; when I think about that sound, I think about this album. What Winteheart’s Guild does well is that it balances light and dark themes expertly, while finally, finally allowing the keyboard to shine as the band’s secret weapon. Songs like “Victoria’s Secret” are embedded in the band’s legacy for good reason. I love the speedy touches—”The Ruins of My Life” still sounds like a young power metal band finding their feet—but with touches of maturity that would dominate the following albums. Really, that’s what I like so much about Sonata Arctica on Winterheart’s Guild, you can hear them begin to mature as a band, but that early enthusiasm is still there in a way that they don’t quite repeat again.

#3. Unia (2007) — I’ve never understood why so many people dislike this album. Maybe it’s a question of expectation, and I was lucky enough to discover the band after Reckoning Night? Either way—Unia is awesome. From the first few seconds of “In Black and White” you know what you’re getting here—dark, heavy, angry Sonata Arctica, and none of their albums since have been quite so dark. I love the guitar tone, Kakko’s impassioned singing, and even the lyrics. It’s not often you say that about a Sonata Arctica album, but the thought is evident in songs like “Caleb” and “The Vice,” both in composition and storytelling. It’s hard to adequately explain what it is about Unia’s aesthetic that appeals to me so strongly, but I’ve always found it to be a solid, compelling, heavy album from start to finish.

#2. The Days of Grays (2009) — The Days of Grays made a real run for #1 on this list, and the fact that it was my introduction to Sonata Arctica certainly helped its case. By dialing back on the heaviness from Unia and focusing more on melody, this album forged a memorable identity at a time when the band’s own must have felt a little uncertain. Its real triumph, however, is the spotlight it shines on what has always been, to me, Sonata Arctica’s greatest strength: Tony Kakko’s singing. Songs like “The Dead Skin” and “Juliet” would be almost typical played by most bands writing symphonic power or progressive metal, but the way Kakko’s voice takes you through these songs is almost magical. There are nods to the band’s power metal roots in “Flag in the Ground,” to the band’s innate weirdness in “The Truth Is out There,” and it’s all tied together by an exceptional use of darker themes, vocal melody, and orchestration. Every new album I hope will be a call back to this one, and every time The Days of Grays continues to stand—nearly—alone.

#1. Reckoning Night (2004) — I feel like I’ve written a few controversial opinions since I sat down to put this section together. I also feel I am finally returning to the fold when I say that Reckoning Night is a triumph of an album, and Sonata Arctica’s best. Looking back, it really should be no surprise that this was the predecessor to Unia, but it was also a logical progression from Winterheart’s Guild, upping the heaviness and symphonies while staying reasonably rooted in the band’s power metal… roots. The result is songs like “Ain’t Your Fairtyale,” a terrific power metal tune, “Don’t Say a Word,” a phenomenal experiment in more progressive power metal, and “White Pearl, Black Oceans…”, an emotional behemoth that looms over the album, and, to some extent, the rest of the band’s career. Kakko is again the star; his choral work is seldom better than in this album, and the complement of keys, solos, and riffs that know when to prop him up and when to excel on their own. It’s not a perfect album—none of Sonata Arctica’s are—but it’s the closest they’ve come and has always been a reliable collection, regardless of occasion or mood.

#1999 #2001 #2003 #2004 #2007 #2009 #2012 #2014 #2016 #2019 #Ecliptica #Europower #FinnishMetal #PariahSChild #ProgPower #ProgressiveMetal #ReckoningNight #Silence #SonataArctica #StonesGrowHerName #Talviyö #TheDaysOfGrays #TheNinthHour #Unia #WinterheartSGuild

AMG Goes Ranking: Sonata Arctica

By Angry Metal Guy

The life of the unpaid, overworked metal reviewer is not an easy one. The reviewing collective at AMG lurches from one new release to the next, errors and nOObs strewn in our wake. But what if, once in a while, the collective paused to take stock and consider the discography of those bands that shaped many a taste? What if two three ONE aspects of the AMG collective personality shared with the slavering masses their personal rankings of that discography and what if the rest of the personality used a Google sheet some kind of dark magic to produce SAT BY IN AWE OF an official guide to, and all-around definitive aggregated ranking of, that band’s entire discography? Well, if that happened, we imagine it would look something like this…

I’m relatively certain that Sonata Arctica not only knows who I am, but that they have requested I never be allowed anywhere near them. Despite them being objectively one of my favorite bands, everything I write about them just sounds mean. For example, I made a list of some of my favorite Sonata Arctica songs and I framed it as their “Unintentional Successes.” I imagine, at this point, that Mr. Kakko and co. personally dislike me, even though we’ve never met. That kind of sucks, because I love them, even if it’s a tense relationship at times.

It’s amazing to think that when I first heard of Finland’s much-better-Stratovarius, I was just a kid. I went out to order Ecliptica because I heard “Letter to Dana” on a web radio station and became completely obsessed with it.1 And yes, there was something slightly pretentious in my initial listens, like watching Eurovision to laugh at it, rather than partake in earnest. I was young and very proud of myself for liking edgy music that normies didn’t like. And Sonata Arctica embodied an unabashed poppiness, Tony’s English often lacked prepositions, but—as I would come to realize—they wrote addictive and creative songs that often defied expectations.

Over the years, I think I’ve come to understand Mr. Kakko and friends, and that has turned into genuine respect. I gladly admit that Sonata Arctica is one of my favorite bands because it’s true. I’ve listened to them a ton and they’ve done a lot more good than bad. I’ve reviewed every one of their records released since I launched AMG in 2009 and will review 2024’s Clear Cold Beyond soon.2 And with time, what I have come to admire the most about Sonata Arctica is their need to evolve. And the results of that aren’t always what I want to hear. But I simply admire musicians who take their shot rather than being scared of failure and grow repetitive as a result.

And for the guy who loves to write a list—like me and my colleagues Twelve and Eldritch Elitist here at the website—that also means that Sonata Arctica has an eminently rankable discography of 10 full length (without ranking the re-recordings and acoustic records). And motherfucker if we aren’t going to rank the shit out of that discography right here.

From Worst to First. You know the drill. – Angry Metal Guy

The “But Seriously, Why?” Tier

#10: Talviyö (2019) — Talviyö is the band’s worst album, bar none. The problem with Talviyö is that it is utterly forgettable. For the first time in their career, they released an album that didn’t seem like Tony was straining against anything other than his will to be recording an album. It would not surprise me to hear that after an intensive career, the man who once wrote about wishing to leave the show behind was suffering from a touch of burnout. As I wrote in my review, Talviyö is “an album that has no tension, no real experimentation, and the dynamic range of a brick wall.” It is the only Sonata Arctica album from which I do not like a single song. They’ve got nine other records worth spending time with. You can comfortably skip Talviyö unless you’ve got a trauma in the Anal Stage.3

#9: Stones Grow Her Name (2012) — Not to keep quoting myself, but I think I succinctly summed up Stones Grow Her Name when I wrote, “Stones Grow Her Name is like the combination of the band’s worst instincts and new sound coalescing into a record that is simultaneously uneventful but provocative in its mediocrity.”4 I’ve softened some since then, and there are definitely some standouts here that make it better than Talviyö. “Losing My Insanity” and “Somewhere Close to You” pack a punch, with the latter featuring genuinely interesting counter melodies and flourishes. And despite laughing at it back in 2012, “Don’t Be Mean” has really grown on me.5 But the weird banjo-infused Americana thing will forever ruin Stones for me. I can follow Tony to a lot of places, but cultural appropriation was a bridge too far.

The “Good But Flawed” Tier

#8: Pariah’s Child (2014) — Is Pariah’s Child the first example of the Sonata Arctica apology tour? After 2012’s foray into banjo-fueled demonic nightmares (see above), Pariah’s Child sported the classic Sonata Arctica logo and had a wolf on the front.6 And there are some good things on Pariah’s Child. “What Did You Do in the War, Dad?” achieves Peak Kakko, balancing awkward and cheesy with emotional and brilliant. “Half a Marathon Man” is an energetic and catchy track that complements other high points like “Cloud Factory.” But the lows here are low: “X Marks the Spot” is cringe af; “Love” is among the worst things the band has ever written; and there’s a feeling that I can’t escape here that Pariah’s Child was an album made under the duress of harsh criticisms from Stones Grow Her Name. And I think that undermines its staying power for me.

#7: Unia (2007) — AngryMetalGuy.com did not exist in 2007, so we have been spared the rambling, linear, and—if I’m totally honest with myself—ultimately whiny review that I would have written about Unia at the time. And while definitely not my favorite Sonata Arctica album, one can hear the blueprint for their better material from the late era. And you know what? Unlike Pariah’s Child, it feels like they were just doing what they wanted to do at the time. It’s too damned long and not everything works, but it was a far more vital albums than I think any of us were willing to admit at the time. Unia opens particularly strongly with “In Black and White” and “Paid in Full,” the record rips it up on “The Harvest,” while “It Won’t Fade” features one of my favorite Sonata Arctica choruses.7 Say what you want, Unia is pretty well-produced and features seriously lush orchestral arrangements. And sure, it’s brought down by “Caleb” and snoozy tracks like “For the Sake of Revenge,” but it laid the groundwork for a successful second act.

#6: Silence (2001) — Silence was my first Sonata Arctica album. After hearing “Letter to Dana” on a web radio station, I went to order Ecliptica straight away. Weirdly, two or three days later I received promos from my then-boss and now AMG-alum Al Kikuras with the promo for Silence. To my dismay, I didn’t love it. Basically, I think Silence is Sonata Arctica‘s answer to Fear of the Dark. In many ways, it’s an iconic record because of its high points: “Wolf & Raven,” “Weballergy,” “San Sebastian” and “Black Sheep” are all excellent songs that I want to hear live. But at an hour long, it also included shitshows like “The End of This Chapter,” “Last Drop Falls,” and the worst followup to Ecliptica’s Best. Power. Ballad. Ever…: “Tallulah.” All-in-all, this record is both great and flawed. See, it’s Fear of the Dark!

#5: Ecliptica (1999) — My sense is that Ecliptica is where many fans’ relationship both started and ended and I think that’s a shame.8 While loaded with absolutely top tier, undeniable classics like “UnOpened,” “Letter to Dana,” “FullMoon” and “Blank File,” I’ve always felt like the songwriting here was just immature compared to a lot of what the band would go on to do. They proved that they could produce great, catchy power metal and they could do it really well here. And they wrote some of my favorite metal songs ever—and the best power ballad since the ’80s—but the band has gone on to heights that they weren’t even close to reaching here. This may, in fact, be the band’s most overrated record, even if I still love it.

#4: The Ninth Hour (2016) — “As a whole, The Ninth Hour is interesting, surprising, and thankfully free of banjo” is how I summarized the nice things I had to say about the album when it dropped. And I stand by it. The Ninth Hour is an example of how when Kakko hits, he really hits. Gripes about the production aside, The Ninth Hour is full of adventurous songs and ideas—even some older-fashioned ones—but doesn’t feel like an Apology Tour record, but rather just finds Tony doing Tony. The record’s crowning glory may in fact be “We Are What We Are,” a song that so bleakly encapsulates the problems facing the world because of humanity that it caused me to remark to my fellow writers “fatalistic Kakko may be the best Kakko” in Slack. But “We Are What We Are” isn’t an exception, The Ninth Hour is an album chock full of songs, riffs, and lyrics worth hearing.9 Still, it’s not without its flaws, and the fact that it sounds bad makes it hard to rank higher.

The “Wait, Is Sonata Arctica Actually Finland’s Best Export?” Tier

#3: Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is where Sonata Arctica truly clicked over from good to great for me. While their first two albums are considered Europower royalty by so many fans of the genre, Winterheart’s Guild found them adding brilliant new wrinkles. As is often the case, it’s the higher quality slower and more progressive tracks that make Winterheart’s Guild better than its predecessor. In particular, “Broken” is a highlight, improving on what didn’t work on “Sing of Silence.” And while closer “Draw Me” drips like badly made queso, it really shows off Kakko’s lungs and is the perfect way to round out the album. And aside from these songs, the rest of the album is straight bangers. My particular favorite is probably “The Cage,” which easily could have been on either of the first two records, but there isn’t a bad song on here.

#2: The Days of Grays (2009) — I didn’t used to love The Days of Grays as much as I do today. In fact, I had a bit of a U-shaped trajectory with the album. When it was released in 2009, following Unia, I wanted some of that intensity from earlier albums back. But the band didn’t break out the old logo, even if they did rework an old demo for “Flag in the Ground.” Instead, they just kept writing in a vein that really cemented their vision. Like so many first albums with a new sound, Unia hadn’t quite solved their new sound yet. And, for me, it’s The Days of Grays where the late-Sonata Arctica sound really began to clarify. Weird and progressive? “The Dead Skin” does that so well. Big, complex and orchestral? Try on “Deathaura” for size! Surprising, absurd and macabre? “Juliet” is absolutely brilliant.10 We even get fatalistic Kakko being fatalistic on “As if the World Wasn’t Ending.” This album doesn’t have a flaw and anyone who tells you it does is leading you astray. Even as long as it is, The Days of Grays is a brilliant record.

#1: Reckoning Night (2004) — I remember getting my hands on Reckoning Night and dang, it was good. At 20 years olde this year, I can still remember those first listens like it was yesterday. What’s brilliant about this album is the way in which you can witness their sound starting to really solidify. While they were getting better as songwriters on Winterhheart’s Guild, Reckoning Night is where the combination of their old sound and the basis of their new sound met and created perfection. The highs on the album are really high. Again, even the mid-paced stuff that tends to be the band’s weakest moments—like the rocky “Blinded No More”—makes me want to grill burgers and drink shitty lager rather than skip it. “Ain’t Your Fairytale” and “Don’t Say a Word” are classics, and almost every song on here is encore-worthy on a setlist. The one black eye is “My Selene,” which would be a welcome replacement on several of their albums, but is a bit too safe in the context of Reckoning Night. Still, if you want to hear the Platonic ideal of the Sonata Arctica sound? It’s contained in these 55 minutes of brilliant, olde power metal.

Eldritch Elitist

Upon first discovering power metal via the majesty of DragonForce—at precisely the correct age for such majesty to take full effect (13 and change)—I began hunting for more. My search quickly led me to PureVolume, where I encountered Sonata Arctica‘s “Victoria’s Secret,” and I was immediately hooked. Sonata Arctica didn’t just have the speed and melodic prowess of DragonForce; they had angst. I was drawn in by the perpetually lovelorn lyrics of one Tony “No Bitches” Kakko,11 which resonated more strongly with my intensely hormonal adolescent self than I care to admit. I became a Sonata Arctica obsessive in short order, just in time for Unia to rear its head, along with the band’s proclamation that they were “bored as fuck” with playing the type of music I’d come to love so dearly. They have backpedaled to their power metal roots on multiple occasions since then, always in seemingly obligatory fashion, but their greatest post-heyday successes are often found in their most experimental works. Such experimentation makes a ranking as this one a viable endeavor. Prepare for a whole bunch of weirdness and cringe, which will gradually wane (yet never entirely fade, not really) as we make our way to the number one spot.

#10. Talviyö (2019) — I’m enough of a fan of Sonata Arctica that I generally assume a solid sense of what the band is setting out to do with each new album. I have no fucking clue what they were doing with Talviyö. Part of that is because not so much as a single note manages to stick with me. Its melodies, riffs (wait – are there any??), and writing are so unassuming that I can’t process the album because it refuses to exist in my memory. The production shares the remainder—and perhaps the lion’s share—of the blame. Detractors often compare Sonata Arctica unfavorably to Christmas music, but most classic holiday fare has edgier and more impactful production than this muddled, soft rock-adjacent mess. The death knell comes from a career-worst showing from Tony Kakko, whose muted, nasal performances give the impression that he caught a cold just before tracking vocals, and no one could be bothered to re-book his studio time. I sort of like the chorus of “Message from the Sun,” so I’ll give that a shout-out so that I have something from Talviyö to offer the ranking playlist. Now, please excuse me as I never listen to it again.

#9. The Days of Grays (2009) — It hurts to rank The Days of Grays so low when its first three tracks (excluding the intro) are so good. “Deathaura” is a creepy, yet ultimately somber and lovely epic, and both “The Last Amazing Grays” and “Flag in the Ground” are straightforward power metal romps that could have slotted comfortably into Reckoning Night’s tracklist. Every single song that follows, with the exception of the dramatic “Juliet,” is an absolute slog. The then-recent departure of guitarist Jani Liimatainen is nearly tangible, evidenced in the plodding guitar work comprising stale power chord progressions and mindless, metalcore-esque chugs. Tony Kakko’s vocal melodies, meanwhile, represent more of an approximation of Sonata Arctica’s once-prized romanticism than the genuine article. Beyond its scarce highlights, this album is by and large a chore to get through in one sitting, and on most days I’d sooner pick the dogged competence of Unia than trudge through the full hour of The Days of Grays.12

#8. Unia (2007) — You had to have been there to understand how reviled Unia was at release. It arrived hot on the heels of several “experimental” departures from established power metal titans such as Stratovarius, Blind Guardian, and Edguy; it felt like traditional power metal was dying, and with Unia, Sonata Arctica threw more fuel on an already furious fire. In retrospect, while its renewed stake in prog and de-emphasized melodies certainly signaled the end of Sonata Arctica’s heyday, Unia is basically the consummate AMG 2.5. Its material is competent, and the band performs it with respectable conviction. Yet the material isn’t just forgettable; it’s un-memorable. I’ve returned to Unia many times over the years, yet outside of the decently catchy “Paid in Full,” I could never possibly recall a single note from it without having been recently exposed. If nothing else, it’s worth a listen for its unintentionally hilarious lyrics, especially this zinger from “Caleb”: “The words were not meant to hurt, only destroy you, my stupid son.”

#7. Pariah’s Child (2014) — Sonata Arctica went hard in emphasizing Pariah’s Child as a return to power metal form, going as far as to revert to their old logo, plastered on an album cover that nowadays would be the result of entering “Generic Sonata Arctica Album Art” as a prompt into your non-ethical AI art generator of choice. Pariah’s Child certainly did not reprise the band’s glory days, but it’s definitely fun, if frontloaded. In a sort of reverse Days of Grays scenario, the final three tracks can’t live up to the seven which precede it; “X Marks the Spot” is just embarrassing, “Love” might be the band’s worst ballad, and “Larger Than Life” is easily the most forgettable of Sonata Arctica’s long-form tracks. On the flipside, “Running Lights,” “Blood,” and “What Did You Do in the War, Dad?” are all late-career highlights that have lured me back to Pariah’s Child on occasion. It might just be the least consistent album of this band’s career,13 but really, when it comes to Sonata Arctica’s discography, doesn’t that make it kinda poetic?

#6. Stones Grow Her Name (2012) — The initial reception to Stones Grow Her Name from fans and journalists was so negative that I gave it one skeptical half-listen listen back when it released, and never returned until buckling down for this ranking. In what is easily the biggest surprise of this ranking process, I found that I actually like it quite well. It pays dividends to divorce Stones Grow Her Name from the context of Sonata Arctica’s history. A collection of catchy, rock-oriented power metal songs, its solid hooks and energy level feel mightily refreshing coming off the heels of the sluggish The Days of Grays. There are songs here that could have been fan favorites in any other context (especially “Losing My Insanity”), but its quirky novelties are generally a blast (“Alone in Heaven,” “Cinderblox”), and I’ve even learned to embrace the cringe of the infamous “Shitload of Money” (What she got??). The sequels to “Wildfire” remain totally perplexing in concept, but are pretty entertaining in execution. And really, a simply fun time is a best-case scenario when dealing with post-Reckoning Night Sonata Arctica, and there really isn’t an album from this era that’s more fun than this one.

#5. The Ninth Hour (2016) — Holy shit, Tony Kakko, wake up. The Ninth Hour finds Sonata Arctica’s frontman in a borderline narcoleptic state for much of its runtime, with sleepy vocals seemingly attuned to fit the record’s melancholic mood. While I’m not a huge fan of Tony’s voice on this record, I am a fan of the album itself. It’s generally quite catchy in that cheesy, romantically bittersweet way that made me fall in love with Sonata Arctica in the first place, while packing in some genuine jams (“Fairytale,” “Rise a Night”), moodier pieces (“We Are What We Are,” “Among the Shooting Stars”), and one of my favorite ballads the band has ever written (“Candle Lawns”). “White Pearl, Black Oceans, Pt. II” sweetens the deal, a surprisingly compelling extended epilogue to the original that I find much more engaging than the “Wildfire” sequels. If speed is all you value in Sonata Arctica then you likely won’t get much out of The Ninth Hour, but I personally find it to be one of the only modern records where Kakko and Co. are making the music they want without compromises, and the only one that is bereft of any notable weak points.

#4. Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is the most richly atmospheric and darkly romantic record in Sonata Arctica canon. Yet as much as I love it, I’ve never felt comfortable putting it in league with the other three records of the band’s progenitive quadrilogy. It feels at odds with itself, with tracks like the downright morose “Gravenimage” and “Broken” clashing with the bouncy, relatively silly “Champagne Bath” and “Silver Tongue.” This conflict comes to a head with “The Ruins of My Life,” one the most frustrating song in Sonata Arctica history, which begins life as a monumental power metal battle anthem only to kill its own momentum with an utterly perplexing anti-climax14. Still, there are great power metal jams to be found in “Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited,” “The Cage,” and “Victoria’s Secret.” Winterheart’s Guild’s dreamy aesthetic helps these tracks (and the record as a whole) stand out in the band’s discography, as does the bass-heavy production featuring guitars so heavy, they’d feel right at home on a doom metal record.

#3. Ecliptica (1999). Ecliptica opens with what might be the best three-song run in all of power metal. There are some other songs on the album as well!

Okay, that’s ludicrously harsh; Ecliptica is a fantastic power metal record, but I would be lying if I said it was perfectly paced. “Replica” and “Letter to Dana” are great ballads that should have been separated to opposite ends of the record. The same goes for the back-to-back noodle attack of “UnOpened” and “Picturing the Past,” especially as these songs are Ecliptica’s weakest cuts.15 Otherwise, I struggle to think of a power metal debut that boasts as many iconic tracks as Ecliptica, or one that establishes its artist’s aesthetic so soundly and immediately. Sure, Sonata Arctica was largely aping Stratovarius in those early days, but their distinctly frost-glazed and romantic earnestness was fully intact from the opening measures of “Blank File.” Right out the gate, Ecliptica didn’t just match the quality of Sonata Arctica’s primary influence; it surpassed them.

#2. Silence (2001) — Silence is a bit longwinded. “Last Drop Falls” should have been left on the cutting room floor (there’s a reason why “Tallulah” is the Silence ballad that gets live play), and “The Power of One,” for all its brilliance, could stand to lose a few minutes. Editing qualms aside, Silence represents one of the best collections of power metal one is likely to find. “…of Silence” leading into “Weballergy” makes for one of power metal’s most exhilarating album introductions. “Black Sheep” and “Wolf and Raven” are neoclassical shredfests on par with anything [Luca Turilli(/Leone)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] ever wrote,16 and four other songs besides (especially “San Sebastian”) provide exemplary cases of double bass-driven power metal. The fact that Silence lightly experiments with the prog elements that would more greatly define Sonata Arctica’s two following albums only makes it that much more engaging and replayable. Though it may be a smidge unwieldy, I absolutely adore Silence.

#1. Reckoning Night (2004) — I fucking hate “Blinded No More.” It’s an awful, plodding mess, devoid of hooks and energy, and a glaring blight on what is otherwise a perfect record. Reckoning Night, stinky second track aside, is the culmination of Sonata Arctica’s efforts at the height of their glory days. Its expected speed-driven numbers universally excel, yet it somehow shines even brighter when the band gets experimental. With theatrically progressive power metal tracks ranging in theme from body horror Pinocchio (“The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Real Puppet”) to societal vengeance via mass arson (“Wildfire”), Reckoning Night is downright weird, and it masterfully interplays that weirdness with the band’s established strengths. There’s also the lengthy and compelling “White Pearl, Black Oceans,” which, while almost hysterically melodramatic, might just be my favorite song in the band’s history. In short, Reckoning Night is a complete realization of everything Sonata Arctica aimed to achieve from the start, and one of my favorite albums of all time.

Twelve

I love Sonata Arctica nearly as much as I am frustrated by Sonata Arctica. Rarely has a band vexed me so, but then, rarely does a band try out seemingly every new idea that comes into their heads the way these guys do, consequences be damned. I joined the ranks of the band’s fans around 2009, shortly after the release of The Days of Grays, and so was able to enjoy the full Sonata Arctica experience in reverse—”meeting” the band as a symphonic prog-esque sort of creation and moving backwards to realize that they had the power metal inside them all along. You might also say that I became a fan at exactly the wrong moment, at a time when the band’s greatest hits were already well behind them. I have mixed feelings on that—that’s what the list below is for. There are Sonata Arctica albums I absolutely love and ones I’d rather hadn’t existed at all, and, now that I think about it, that’s a pretty rare thing to say about a band you like. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to the imminent release of Clear Cold Beyond and will continue to stick by these guys no matter what they come up with next… which, given their history, is a pretty trusting statement.

The Ranking:

#10. Talviyö (2019) — This will be a short entry, mainly because I don’t remember most of Talviyö—when I think on it, I remember an obscenely compressed-sounding thing with guitars that sound like… not guitars. Nothing on this album, whether in the songwriting, the production, or the approach, resonated with me, and so this is a very easy album to simply rank last without putting too much thought into it. This is the only Sonata Arctica album I simply never came back to.

#9. Silence (2001) — I am very excited to torpedo my credibility here: I just don’t like Silence. A lot of the songs blur together, making the hour-long runtime seem long, and the hooks don’t quite land for me. In later years, Sonata Arctica’s talent for making quiet, emotional power ballads feel deeply meaningful, but even “The End of This Chapter” and “Sing in Silence” don’t work for me. The whole album is just too much, and it would take the slowing down that happened on Winterheart’s Guild and Reckoning Night to produce a sound that could convert me into a fan—this zingy weirdness just didn’t do it.

#8. The Ninth Hour (2016) — I found that The Ninth Hour had very little staying power for me, but I did like what I heard from it. Songs like “Life” and “Till Death’s Done Us Apart” feel like an earnest shot at a genuine return to form, and it was invigorating to hear genuinely catchy, moving, and fun melodies from Sonata Arctica in 2016. But when I walked away from the album, I never felt any desire to return to it. It pops up here and there, but even now I’m struggling to just remember how the songs I liked on this album go. When I listen to them they’re good, but across an uneven album, a lack of memorability was the unfortunate death knell that keeps this one low on my list, promising though it may have been.

#7. Pariah’s Child (2014) — Speaking of returning to form, Pariah’s Child was meant to be exactly that, a breath of fresh air after the ultra-weirdness that was Stones Grow Her Name. And it was a breath of fresh air, filled for the most part with strong songs and clever ideas. I’ve heard bad things said about “X Marks the Spot” but it’s an album highlight for me17 (I wouldn’t attempt to justify “Love,” however). Really, I don’t have much bad to say about Pariah’s Child—just nothing overwhelmingly positive either. It’s a solid album with a solid theme and a handful of really good songs, which should give you an idea of how much I like the rest of the Sonata Arctica discography.

#6. Stones Grow Her Name (2012)18 — Without question, Stones Grow Her Name was a grower. As a general rule, I love it when bands go earnestly goofy stuff (X Marks the Spot! X Marks the Spot!), but this one took some time to get used to. Even now, I’m debating if I let it climb too high on this list,19 and I still think of it as “that” album, the one where Sonata Arctica just kind of dove off the deep end to see what happened and published the result anyway. By the time this came out, I was firmly familiar with the rest of the band’s discography, so I was completely thrown by it. But after a while, the earnest corniness of “I Have a Right,” the familiarity of “Losing My Insanity” and “The Day,” and the scope of the “Wildfire” duo won me over. I understand why people don’t like this Stones Grow Her Name, but I can’t agree anymore. It’s not a knockout by any stretch, but its heavier, often-angrier, and more experimental nature works for me, and I love that the band was willing to release it despite the incredible shift from The Days of Grays. Angry Metal Guy’s Law of Diminishing Recordings™ indeed.20

#5. Ecliptica (1999) — It’s amazing that Ecliptica holds up as well as it does, but there’s just something about this enthusiastic “everything and the kitchen sink” approach to power metal that warms my heart to this day. It’s just so fun! “Kingdom for a Heart” is, of course, a classic, and I can randomly get the chorus of “Destruction Preventer” stuck in my head just from seeing the word “preventer” in print. I didn’t love “FullMoon” as much as everyone else seems to have, but it’s another great example of the young Sonata Arctica throwing themselves on the CD and striking gold high-quality silver. A lot of good debuts in this style have that x factor, that clear sense of passion and excitement and love for what they’re doing and for that, Ecliptica can always put a smile on my face.

#4. Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is a beautiful album. It is such a leap from Ecliptica and Silence, but it’s the album I associate most with modern-day Sonata Arctica; when I think about that sound, I think about this album. What Winteheart’s Guild does well is that it balances light and dark themes expertly, while finally, finally allowing the keyboard to shine as the band’s secret weapon. Songs like “Victoria’s Secret” are embedded in the band’s legacy for good reason. I love the speedy touches—”The Ruins of My Life” still sounds like a young power metal band finding their feet—but with touches of maturity that would dominate the following albums. Really, that’s what I like so much about Sonata Arctica on Winterheart’s Guild, you can hear them begin to mature as a band, but that early enthusiasm is still there in a way that they don’t quite repeat again.

#3. Unia (2007) — I’ve never understood why so many people dislike this album. Maybe it’s a question of expectation, and I was lucky enough to discover the band after Reckoning Night? Either way—Unia is awesome. From the first few seconds of “In Black and White” you know what you’re getting here—dark, heavy, angry Sonata Arctica, and none of their albums since have been quite so dark. I love the guitar tone, Kakko’s impassioned singing, and even the lyrics. It’s not often you say that about a Sonata Arctica album, but the thought is evident in songs like “Caleb” and “The Vice,” both in composition and storytelling. It’s hard to adequately explain what it is about Unia’s aesthetic that appeals to me so strongly, but I’ve always found it to be a solid, compelling, heavy album from start to finish.

#2. The Days of Grays (2009) — The Days of Grays made a real run for #1 on this list, and the fact that it was my introduction to Sonata Arctica certainly helped its case. By dialing back on the heaviness from Unia and focusing more on melody, this album forged a memorable identity at a time when the band’s own must have felt a little uncertain. Its real triumph, however, is the spotlight it shines on what has always been, to me, Sonata Arctica’s greatest strength: Tony Kakko’s singing. Songs like “The Dead Skin” and “Juliet” would be almost typical played by most bands writing symphonic power or progressive metal, but the way Kakko’s voice takes you through these songs is almost magical. There are nods to the band’s power metal roots in “Flag in the Ground,” to the band’s innate weirdness in “The Truth Is out There,” and it’s all tied together by an exceptional use of darker themes, vocal melody, and orchestration. Every new album I hope will be a call back to this one, and every time The Days of Grays continues to stand—nearly—alone.

#1. Reckoning Night (2004) — I feel like I’ve written a few controversial opinions since I sat down to put this section together. I also feel I am finally returning to the fold when I say that Reckoning Night is a triumph of an album, and Sonata Arctica’s best. Looking back, it really should be no surprise that this was the predecessor to Unia, but it was also a logical progression from Winterheart’s Guild, upping the heaviness and symphonies while staying reasonably rooted in the band’s power metal… roots. The result is songs like “Ain’t Your Fairtyale,” a terrific power metal tune, “Don’t Say a Word,” a phenomenal experiment in more progressive power metal, and “White Pearl, Black Oceans…”, an emotional behemoth that looms over the album, and, to some extent, the rest of the band’s career. Kakko is again the star; his choral work is seldom better than in this album, and the complement of keys, solos, and riffs that know when to prop him up and when to excel on their own. It’s not a perfect album—none of Sonata Arctica’s are—but it’s the closest they’ve come and has always been a reliable collection, regardless of occasion or mood.

#1999 #2001 #2003 #2004 #2007 #2009 #2012 #2014 #2016 #2019 #Ecliptica #Europower #FinnishMetal #PariahSChild #ProgPower #ProgressiveMetal #ReckoningNight #Silence #SonataArctica #StonesGrowHerName #Talviyö #TheDaysOfGrays #TheNinthHour #Unia #WinterheartSGuild

AMG Goes Ranking: Sonata Arctica

By Angry Metal Guy

The life of the unpaid, overworked metal reviewer is not an easy one. The reviewing collective at AMG lurches from one new release to the next, errors and nOObs strewn in our wake. But what if, once in a while, the collective paused to take stock and consider the discography of those bands that shaped many a taste? What if two three ONE aspects of the AMG collective personality shared with the slavering masses their personal rankings of that discography and what if the rest of the personality used a Google sheet some kind of dark magic to produce SAT BY IN AWE OF an official guide to, and all-around definitive aggregated ranking of, that band’s entire discography? Well, if that happened, we imagine it would look something like this…

I’m relatively certain that Sonata Arctica not only knows who I am, but that they have requested I never be allowed anywhere near them. Despite them being objectively one of my favorite bands, everything I write about them just sounds mean. For example, I made a list of some of my favorite Sonata Arctica songs and I framed it as their “Unintentional Successes.” I imagine, at this point, that Mr. Kakko and co. personally dislike me, even though we’ve never met. That kind of sucks, because I love them, even if it’s a tense relationship at times.

It’s amazing to think that when I first heard of Finland’s much-better-Stratovarius, I was just a kid. I went out to order Ecliptica because I heard “Letter to Dana” on a web radio station and became completely obsessed with it.1 And yes, there was something slightly pretentious in my initial listens, like watching Eurovision to laugh at it, rather than partake in earnest. I was young and very proud of myself for liking edgy music that normies didn’t like. And Sonata Arctica embodied an unabashed poppiness, Tony’s English often lacked prepositions, but—as I would come to realize—they wrote addictive and creative songs that often defied expectations.

Over the years, I think I’ve come to understand Mr. Kakko and friends, and that has turned into genuine respect. I gladly admit that Sonata Arctica is one of my favorite bands because it’s true. I’ve listened to them a ton and they’ve done a lot more good than bad. I’ve reviewed every one of their records released since I launched AMG in 2009 and will review 2024’s Clear Cold Beyond soon.2 And with time, what I have come to admire the most about Sonata Arctica is their need to evolve. And the results of that aren’t always what I want to hear. But I simply admire musicians who take their shot rather than being scared of failure and grow repetitive as a result.

And for the guy who loves to write a list—like me and my colleagues Twelve and Eldritch Elitist here at the website—that also means that Sonata Arctica has an eminently rankable discography of 10 full length (without ranking the re-recordings and acoustic records). And motherfucker if we aren’t going to rank the shit out of that discography right here.

From Worst to First. You know the drill. – Angry Metal Guy

The “But Seriously, Why?” Tier

#10: Talviyö (2019) — Talviyö is the band’s worst album, bar none. The problem with Talviyö is that it is utterly forgettable. For the first time in their career, they released an album that didn’t seem like Tony was straining against anything other than his will to be recording an album. It would not surprise me to hear that after an intensive career, the man who once wrote about wishing to leave the show behind was suffering from a touch of burnout. As I wrote in my review, Talviyö is “an album that has no tension, no real experimentation, and the dynamic range of a brick wall.” It is the only Sonata Arctica album from which I do not like a single song. They’ve got nine other records worth spending time with. You can comfortably skip Talviyö unless you’ve got a trauma in the Anal Stage.3

#9: Stones Grow Her Name (2012) — Not to keep quoting myself, but I think I succinctly summed up Stones Grow Her Name when I wrote, “Stones Grow Her Name is like the combination of the band’s worst instincts and new sound coalescing into a record that is simultaneously uneventful but provocative in its mediocrity.”4 I’ve softened some since then, and there are definitely some standouts here that make it better than Talviyö. “Losing My Insanity” and “Somewhere Close to You” pack a punch, with the latter featuring genuinely interesting counter melodies and flourishes. And despite laughing at it back in 2012, “Don’t Be Mean” has really grown on me.5 But the weird banjo-infused Americana thing will forever ruin Stones for me. I can follow Tony to a lot of places, but cultural appropriation was a bridge too far.

The “Good But Flawed” Tier

#8: Pariah’s Child (2014) — Is Pariah’s Child the first example of the Sonata Arctica apology tour? After 2012’s foray into banjo-fueled demonic nightmares (see above), Pariah’s Child sported the classic Sonata Arctica logo and had a wolf on the front.6 And there are some good things on Pariah’s Child. “What Did You Do in the War, Dad?” achieves Peak Kakko, balancing awkward and cheesy with emotional and brilliant. “Half a Marathon Man” is an energetic and catchy track that complements other high points like “Cloud Factory.” But the lows here are low: “X Marks the Spot” is cringe af; “Love” is among the worst things the band has ever written; and there’s a feeling that I can’t escape here that Pariah’s Child was an album made under the duress of harsh criticisms from Stones Grow Her Name. And I think that undermines its staying power for me.

#7: Unia (2007) — AngryMetalGuy.com did not exist in 2007, so we have been spared the rambling, linear, and—if I’m totally honest with myself—ultimately whiny review that I would have written about Unia at the time. And while definitely not my favorite Sonata Arctica album, one can hear the blueprint for their better material from the late era. And you know what? Unlike Pariah’s Child, it feels like they were just doing what they wanted to do at the time. It’s too damned long and not everything works, but it was a far more vital albums than I think any of us were willing to admit at the time. Unia opens particularly strongly with “In Black and White” and “Paid in Full,” the record rips it up on “The Harvest,” while “It Won’t Fade” features one of my favorite Sonata Arctica choruses.7 Say what you want, Unia is pretty well-produced and features seriously lush orchestral arrangements. And sure, it’s brought down by “Caleb” and snoozy tracks like “For the Sake of Revenge,” but it laid the groundwork for a successful second act.

#6: Silence (2001) — Silence was my first Sonata Arctica album. After hearing “Letter to Dana” on a web radio station, I went to order Ecliptica straight away. Weirdly, two or three days later I received promos from my then-boss and now AMG-alum Al Kikuras with the promo for Silence. To my dismay, I didn’t love it. Basically, I think Silence is Sonata Arctica‘s answer to Fear of the Dark. In many ways, it’s an iconic record because of its high points: “Wolf & Raven,” “Weballergy,” “San Sebastian” and “Black Sheep” are all excellent songs that I want to hear live. But at an hour long, it also included shitshows like “The End of This Chapter,” “Last Drop Falls,” and the worst followup to Ecliptica’s Best. Power. Ballad. Ever…: “Tallulah.” All-in-all, this record is both great and flawed. See, it’s Fear of the Dark!

#5: Ecliptica (1999) — My sense is that Ecliptica is where many fans’ relationship both started and ended and I think that’s a shame.8 While loaded with absolutely top tier, undeniable classics like “UnOpened,” “Letter to Dana,” “FullMoon” and “Blank File,” I’ve always felt like the songwriting here was just immature compared to a lot of what the band would go on to do. They proved that they could produce great, catchy power metal and they could do it really well here. And they wrote some of my favorite metal songs ever—and the best power ballad since the ’80s—but the band has gone on to heights that they weren’t even close to reaching here. This may, in fact, be the band’s most overrated record, even if I still love it.

#4: The Ninth Hour (2016) — “As a whole, The Ninth Hour is interesting, surprising, and thankfully free of banjo” is how I summarized the nice things I had to say about the album when it dropped. And I stand by it. The Ninth Hour is an example of how when Kakko hits, he really hits. Gripes about the production aside, The Ninth Hour is full of adventurous songs and ideas—even some older-fashioned ones—but doesn’t feel like an Apology Tour record, but rather just finds Tony doing Tony. The record’s crowning glory may in fact be “We Are What We Are,” a song that so bleakly encapsulates the problems facing the world because of humanity that it caused me to remark to my fellow writers “fatalistic Kakko may be the best Kakko” in Slack. But “We Are What We Are” isn’t an exception, The Ninth Hour is an album chock full of songs, riffs, and lyrics worth hearing.9 Still, it’s not without its flaws, and the fact that it sounds bad makes it hard to rank higher.

The “Wait, Is Sonata Arctica Actually Finland’s Best Export?” Tier

#3: Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is where Sonata Arctica truly clicked over from good to great for me. While their first two albums are considered Europower royalty by so many fans of the genre, Winterheart’s Guild found them adding brilliant new wrinkles. As is often the case, it’s the higher quality slower and more progressive tracks that make Winterheart’s Guild better than its predecessor. In particular, “Broken” is a highlight, improving on what didn’t work on “Sing of Silence.” And while closer “Draw Me” drips like badly made queso, it really shows off Kakko’s lungs and is the perfect way to round out the album. And aside from these songs, the rest of the album is straight bangers. My particular favorite is probably “The Cage,” which easily could have been on either of the first two records, but there isn’t a bad song on here.

#2: The Days of Grays (2009) — I didn’t used to love The Days of Grays as much as I do today. In fact, I had a bit of a U-shaped trajectory with the album. When it was released in 2009, following Unia, I wanted some of that intensity from earlier albums back. But the band didn’t break out the old logo, even if they did rework an old demo for “Flag in the Ground.” Instead, they just kept writing in a vein that really cemented their vision. Like so many first albums with a new sound, Unia hadn’t quite solved their new sound yet. And, for me, it’s The Days of Grays where the late-Sonata Arctica sound really began to clarify. Weird and progressive? “The Dead Skin” does that so well. Big, complex and orchestral? Try on “Deathaura” for size! Surprising, absurd and macabre? “Juliet” is absolutely brilliant.10 We even get fatalistic Kakko being fatalistic on “As if the World Wasn’t Ending.” This album doesn’t have a flaw and anyone who tells you it does is leading you astray. Even as long as it is, The Days of Grays is a brilliant record.

#1: Reckoning Night (2004) — I remember getting my hands on Reckoning Night and dang, it was good. At 20 years olde this year, I can still remember those first listens like it was yesterday. What’s brilliant about this album is the way in which you can witness their sound starting to really solidify. While they were getting better as songwriters on Winterhheart’s Guild, Reckoning Night is where the combination of their old sound and the basis of their new sound met and created perfection. The highs on the album are really high. Again, even the mid-paced stuff that tends to be the band’s weakest moments—like the rocky “Blinded No More”—makes me want to grill burgers and drink shitty lager rather than skip it. “Ain’t Your Fairytale” and “Don’t Say a Word” are classics, and almost every song on here is encore-worthy on a setlist. The one black eye is “My Selene,” which would be a welcome replacement on several of their albums, but is a bit too safe in the context of Reckoning Night. Still, if you want to hear the Platonic ideal of the Sonata Arctica sound? It’s contained in these 55 minutes of brilliant, olde power metal.

Eldritch Elitist

Upon first discovering power metal via the majesty of DragonForce—at precisely the correct age for such majesty to take full effect (13 and change)—I began hunting for more. My search quickly led me to PureVolume, where I encountered Sonata Arctica‘s “Victoria’s Secret,” and I was immediately hooked. Sonata Arctica didn’t just have the speed and melodic prowess of DragonForce; they had angst. I was drawn in by the perpetually lovelorn lyrics of one Tony “No Bitches” Kakko,11 which resonated more strongly with my intensely hormonal adolescent self than I care to admit. I became a Sonata Arctica obsessive in short order, just in time for Unia to rear its head, along with the band’s proclamation that they were “bored as fuck” with playing the type of music I’d come to love so dearly. They have backpedaled to their power metal roots on multiple occasions since then, always in seemingly obligatory fashion, but their greatest post-heyday successes are often found in their most experimental works. Such experimentation makes a ranking as this one a viable endeavor. Prepare for a whole bunch of weirdness and cringe, which will gradually wane (yet never entirely fade, not really) as we make our way to the number one spot.

#10. Talviyö (2019) — I’m enough of a fan of Sonata Arctica that I generally assume a solid sense of what the band is setting out to do with each new album. I have no fucking clue what they were doing with Talviyö. Part of that is because not so much as a single note manages to stick with me. Its melodies, riffs (wait – are there any??), and writing are so unassuming that I can’t process the album because it refuses to exist in my memory. The production shares the remainder—and perhaps the lion’s share—of the blame. Detractors often compare Sonata Arctica unfavorably to Christmas music, but most classic holiday fare has edgier and more impactful production than this muddled, soft rock-adjacent mess. The death knell comes from a career-worst showing from Tony Kakko, whose muted, nasal performances give the impression that he caught a cold just before tracking vocals, and no one could be bothered to re-book his studio time. I sort of like the chorus of “Message from the Sun,” so I’ll give that a shout-out so that I have something from Talviyö to offer the ranking playlist. Now, please excuse me as I never listen to it again.

#9. The Days of Grays (2009) — It hurts to rank The Days of Grays so low when its first three tracks (excluding the intro) are so good. “Deathaura” is a creepy, yet ultimately somber and lovely epic, and both “The Last Amazing Grays” and “Flag in the Ground” are straightforward power metal romps that could have slotted comfortably into Reckoning Night’s tracklist. Every single song that follows, with the exception of the dramatic “Juliet,” is an absolute slog. The then-recent departure of guitarist Jani Liimatainen is nearly tangible, evidenced in the plodding guitar work comprising stale power chord progressions and mindless, metalcore-esque chugs. Tony Kakko’s vocal melodies, meanwhile, represent more of an approximation of Sonata Arctica’s once-prized romanticism than the genuine article. Beyond its scarce highlights, this album is by and large a chore to get through in one sitting, and on most days I’d sooner pick the dogged competence of Unia than trudge through the full hour of The Days of Grays.12

#8. Unia (2007) — You had to have been there to understand how reviled Unia was at release. It arrived hot on the heels of several “experimental” departures from established power metal titans such as Stratovarius, Blind Guardian, and Edguy; it felt like traditional power metal was dying, and with Unia, Sonata Arctica threw more fuel on an already furious fire. In retrospect, while its renewed stake in prog and de-emphasized melodies certainly signaled the end of Sonata Arctica’s heyday, Unia is basically the consummate AMG 2.5. Its material is competent, and the band performs it with respectable conviction. Yet the material isn’t just forgettable; it’s un-memorable. I’ve returned to Unia many times over the years, yet outside of the decently catchy “Paid in Full,” I could never possibly recall a single note from it without having been recently exposed. If nothing else, it’s worth a listen for its unintentionally hilarious lyrics, especially this zinger from “Caleb”: “The words were not meant to hurt, only destroy you, my stupid son.”

#7. Pariah’s Child (2014) — Sonata Arctica went hard in emphasizing Pariah’s Child as a return to power metal form, going as far as to revert to their old logo, plastered on an album cover that nowadays would be the result of entering “Generic Sonata Arctica Album Art” as a prompt into your non-ethical AI art generator of choice. Pariah’s Child certainly did not reprise the band’s glory days, but it’s definitely fun, if frontloaded. In a sort of reverse Days of Grays scenario, the final three tracks can’t live up to the seven which precede it; “X Marks the Spot” is just embarrassing, “Love” might be the band’s worst ballad, and “Larger Than Life” is easily the most forgettable of Sonata Arctica’s long-form tracks. On the flipside, “Running Lights,” “Blood,” and “What Did You Do in the War, Dad?” are all late-career highlights that have lured me back to Pariah’s Child on occasion. It might just be the least consistent album of this band’s career,13 but really, when it comes to Sonata Arctica’s discography, doesn’t that make it kinda poetic?

#6. Stones Grow Her Name (2012) — The initial reception to Stones Grow Her Name from fans and journalists was so negative that I gave it one skeptical half-listen listen back when it released, and never returned until buckling down for this ranking. In what is easily the biggest surprise of this ranking process, I found that I actually like it quite well. It pays dividends to divorce Stones Grow Her Name from the context of Sonata Arctica’s history. A collection of catchy, rock-oriented power metal songs, its solid hooks and energy level feel mightily refreshing coming off the heels of the sluggish The Days of Grays. There are songs here that could have been fan favorites in any other context (especially “Losing My Insanity”), but its quirky novelties are generally a blast (“Alone in Heaven,” “Cinderblox”), and I’ve even learned to embrace the cringe of the infamous “Shitload of Money” (What she got??). The sequels to “Wildfire” remain totally perplexing in concept, but are pretty entertaining in execution. And really, a simply fun time is a best-case scenario when dealing with post-Reckoning Night Sonata Arctica, and there really isn’t an album from this era that’s more fun than this one.

#5. The Ninth Hour (2016) — Holy shit, Tony Kakko, wake up. The Ninth Hour finds Sonata Arctica’s frontman in a borderline narcoleptic state for much of its runtime, with sleepy vocals seemingly attuned to fit the record’s melancholic mood. While I’m not a huge fan of Tony’s voice on this record, I am a fan of the album itself. It’s generally quite catchy in that cheesy, romantically bittersweet way that made me fall in love with Sonata Arctica in the first place, while packing in some genuine jams (“Fairytale,” “Rise a Night”), moodier pieces (“We Are What We Are,” “Among the Shooting Stars”), and one of my favorite ballads the band has ever written (“Candle Lawns”). “White Pearl, Black Oceans, Pt. II” sweetens the deal, a surprisingly compelling extended epilogue to the original that I find much more engaging than the “Wildfire” sequels. If speed is all you value in Sonata Arctica then you likely won’t get much out of The Ninth Hour, but I personally find it to be one of the only modern records where Kakko and Co. are making the music they want without compromises, and the only one that is bereft of any notable weak points.

#4. Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is the most richly atmospheric and darkly romantic record in Sonata Arctica canon. Yet as much as I love it, I’ve never felt comfortable putting it in league with the other three records of the band’s progenitive quadrilogy. It feels at odds with itself, with tracks like the downright morose “Gravenimage” and “Broken” clashing with the bouncy, relatively silly “Champagne Bath” and “Silver Tongue.” This conflict comes to a head with “The Ruins of My Life,” one the most frustrating song in Sonata Arctica history, which begins life as a monumental power metal battle anthem only to kill its own momentum with an utterly perplexing anti-climax14. Still, there are great power metal jams to be found in “Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited,” “The Cage,” and “Victoria’s Secret.” Winterheart’s Guild’s dreamy aesthetic helps these tracks (and the record as a whole) stand out in the band’s discography, as does the bass-heavy production featuring guitars so heavy, they’d feel right at home on a doom metal record.

#3. Ecliptica (1999). Ecliptica opens with what might be the best three-song run in all of power metal. There are some other songs on the album as well!

Okay, that’s ludicrously harsh; Ecliptica is a fantastic power metal record, but I would be lying if I said it was perfectly paced. “Replica” and “Letter to Dana” are great ballads that should have been separated to opposite ends of the record. The same goes for the back-to-back noodle attack of “UnOpened” and “Picturing the Past,” especially as these songs are Ecliptica’s weakest cuts.15 Otherwise, I struggle to think of a power metal debut that boasts as many iconic tracks as Ecliptica, or one that establishes its artist’s aesthetic so soundly and immediately. Sure, Sonata Arctica was largely aping Stratovarius in those early days, but their distinctly frost-glazed and romantic earnestness was fully intact from the opening measures of “Blank File.” Right out the gate, Ecliptica didn’t just match the quality of Sonata Arctica’s primary influence; it surpassed them.

#2. Silence (2001) — Silence is a bit longwinded. “Last Drop Falls” should have been left on the cutting room floor (there’s a reason why “Tallulah” is the Silence ballad that gets live play), and “The Power of One,” for all its brilliance, could stand to lose a few minutes. Editing qualms aside, Silence represents one of the best collections of power metal one is likely to find. “…of Silence” leading into “Weballergy” makes for one of power metal’s most exhilarating album introductions. “Black Sheep” and “Wolf and Raven” are neoclassical shredfests on par with anything [Luca Turilli(/Leone)’s] Rhapsody [of Fire] ever wrote,16 and four other songs besides (especially “San Sebastian”) provide exemplary cases of double bass-driven power metal. The fact that Silence lightly experiments with the prog elements that would more greatly define Sonata Arctica’s two following albums only makes it that much more engaging and replayable. Though it may be a smidge unwieldy, I absolutely adore Silence.

#1. Reckoning Night (2004) — I fucking hate “Blinded No More.” It’s an awful, plodding mess, devoid of hooks and energy, and a glaring blight on what is otherwise a perfect record. Reckoning Night, stinky second track aside, is the culmination of Sonata Arctica’s efforts at the height of their glory days. Its expected speed-driven numbers universally excel, yet it somehow shines even brighter when the band gets experimental. With theatrically progressive power metal tracks ranging in theme from body horror Pinocchio (“The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Real Puppet”) to societal vengeance via mass arson (“Wildfire”), Reckoning Night is downright weird, and it masterfully interplays that weirdness with the band’s established strengths. There’s also the lengthy and compelling “White Pearl, Black Oceans,” which, while almost hysterically melodramatic, might just be my favorite song in the band’s history. In short, Reckoning Night is a complete realization of everything Sonata Arctica aimed to achieve from the start, and one of my favorite albums of all time.

Twelve

I love Sonata Arctica nearly as much as I am frustrated by Sonata Arctica. Rarely has a band vexed me so, but then, rarely does a band try out seemingly every new idea that comes into their heads the way these guys do, consequences be damned. I joined the ranks of the band’s fans around 2009, shortly after the release of The Days of Grays, and so was able to enjoy the full Sonata Arctica experience in reverse—”meeting” the band as a symphonic prog-esque sort of creation and moving backwards to realize that they had the power metal inside them all along. You might also say that I became a fan at exactly the wrong moment, at a time when the band’s greatest hits were already well behind them. I have mixed feelings on that—that’s what the list below is for. There are Sonata Arctica albums I absolutely love and ones I’d rather hadn’t existed at all, and, now that I think about it, that’s a pretty rare thing to say about a band you like. Nevertheless, I am looking forward to the imminent release of Clear Cold Beyond and will continue to stick by these guys no matter what they come up with next… which, given their history, is a pretty trusting statement.

The Ranking:

#10. Talviyö (2019) — This will be a short entry, mainly because I don’t remember most of Talviyö—when I think on it, I remember an obscenely compressed-sounding thing with guitars that sound like… not guitars. Nothing on this album, whether in the songwriting, the production, or the approach, resonated with me, and so this is a very easy album to simply rank last without putting too much thought into it. This is the only Sonata Arctica album I simply never came back to.

#9. Silence (2001) — I am very excited to torpedo my credibility here: I just don’t like Silence. A lot of the songs blur together, making the hour-long runtime seem long, and the hooks don’t quite land for me. In later years, Sonata Arctica’s talent for making quiet, emotional power ballads feel deeply meaningful, but even “The End of This Chapter” and “Sing in Silence” don’t work for me. The whole album is just too much, and it would take the slowing down that happened on Winterheart’s Guild and Reckoning Night to produce a sound that could convert me into a fan—this zingy weirdness just didn’t do it.

#8. The Ninth Hour (2016) — I found that The Ninth Hour had very little staying power for me, but I did like what I heard from it. Songs like “Life” and “Till Death’s Done Us Apart” feel like an earnest shot at a genuine return to form, and it was invigorating to hear genuinely catchy, moving, and fun melodies from Sonata Arctica in 2016. But when I walked away from the album, I never felt any desire to return to it. It pops up here and there, but even now I’m struggling to just remember how the songs I liked on this album go. When I listen to them they’re good, but across an uneven album, a lack of memorability was the unfortunate death knell that keeps this one low on my list, promising though it may have been.

#7. Pariah’s Child (2014) — Speaking of returning to form, Pariah’s Child was meant to be exactly that, a breath of fresh air after the ultra-weirdness that was Stones Grow Her Name. And it was a breath of fresh air, filled for the most part with strong songs and clever ideas. I’ve heard bad things said about “X Marks the Spot” but it’s an album highlight for me17 (I wouldn’t attempt to justify “Love,” however). Really, I don’t have much bad to say about Pariah’s Child—just nothing overwhelmingly positive either. It’s a solid album with a solid theme and a handful of really good songs, which should give you an idea of how much I like the rest of the Sonata Arctica discography.

#6. Stones Grow Her Name (2012)18 — Without question, Stones Grow Her Name was a grower. As a general rule, I love it when bands go earnestly goofy stuff (X Marks the Spot! X Marks the Spot!), but this one took some time to get used to. Even now, I’m debating if I let it climb too high on this list,19 and I still think of it as “that” album, the one where Sonata Arctica just kind of dove off the deep end to see what happened and published the result anyway. By the time this came out, I was firmly familiar with the rest of the band’s discography, so I was completely thrown by it. But after a while, the earnest corniness of “I Have a Right,” the familiarity of “Losing My Insanity” and “The Day,” and the scope of the “Wildfire” duo won me over. I understand why people don’t like this Stones Grow Her Name, but I can’t agree anymore. It’s not a knockout by any stretch, but its heavier, often-angrier, and more experimental nature works for me, and I love that the band was willing to release it despite the incredible shift from The Days of Grays. Angry Metal Guy’s Law of Diminishing Recordings™ indeed.20

#5. Ecliptica (1999) — It’s amazing that Ecliptica holds up as well as it does, but there’s just something about this enthusiastic “everything and the kitchen sink” approach to power metal that warms my heart to this day. It’s just so fun! “Kingdom for a Heart” is, of course, a classic, and I can randomly get the chorus of “Destruction Preventer” stuck in my head just from seeing the word “preventer” in print. I didn’t love “FullMoon” as much as everyone else seems to have, but it’s another great example of the young Sonata Arctica throwing themselves on the CD and striking gold high-quality silver. A lot of good debuts in this style have that x factor, that clear sense of passion and excitement and love for what they’re doing and for that, Ecliptica can always put a smile on my face.

#4. Winterheart’s Guild (2003) — Winterheart’s Guild is a beautiful album. It is such a leap from Ecliptica and Silence, but it’s the album I associate most with modern-day Sonata Arctica; when I think about that sound, I think about this album. What Winteheart’s Guild does well is that it balances light and dark themes expertly, while finally, finally allowing the keyboard to shine as the band’s secret weapon. Songs like “Victoria’s Secret” are embedded in the band’s legacy for good reason. I love the speedy touches—”The Ruins of My Life” still sounds like a young power metal band finding their feet—but with touches of maturity that would dominate the following albums. Really, that’s what I like so much about Sonata Arctica on Winterheart’s Guild, you can hear them begin to mature as a band, but that early enthusiasm is still there in a way that they don’t quite repeat again.

#3. Unia (2007) — I’ve never understood why so many people dislike this album. Maybe it’s a question of expectation, and I was lucky enough to discover the band after Reckoning Night? Either way—Unia is awesome. From the first few seconds of “In Black and White” you know what you’re getting here—dark, heavy, angry Sonata Arctica, and none of their albums since have been quite so dark. I love the guitar tone, Kakko’s impassioned singing, and even the lyrics. It’s not often you say that about a Sonata Arctica album, but the thought is evident in songs like “Caleb” and “The Vice,” both in composition and storytelling. It’s hard to adequately explain what it is about Unia’s aesthetic that appeals to me so strongly, but I’ve always found it to be a solid, compelling, heavy album from start to finish.

#2. The Days of Grays (2009) — The Days of Grays made a real run for #1 on this list, and the fact that it was my introduction to Sonata Arctica certainly helped its case. By dialing back on the heaviness from Unia and focusing more on melody, this album forged a memorable identity at a time when the band’s own must have felt a little uncertain. Its real triumph, however, is the spotlight it shines on what has always been, to me, Sonata Arctica’s greatest strength: Tony Kakko’s singing. Songs like “The Dead Skin” and “Juliet” would be almost typical played by most bands writing symphonic power or progressive metal, but the way Kakko’s voice takes you through these songs is almost magical. There are nods to the band’s power metal roots in “Flag in the Ground,” to the band’s innate weirdness in “The Truth Is out There,” and it’s all tied together by an exceptional use of darker themes, vocal melody, and orchestration. Every new album I hope will be a call back to this one, and every time The Days of Grays continues to stand—nearly—alone.

#1. Reckoning Night (2004) — I feel like I’ve written a few controversial opinions since I sat down to put this section together. I also feel I am finally returning to the fold when I say that Reckoning Night is a triumph of an album, and Sonata Arctica’s best. Looking back, it really should be no surprise that this was the predecessor to Unia, but it was also a logical progression from Winterheart’s Guild, upping the heaviness and symphonies while staying reasonably rooted in the band’s power metal… roots. The result is songs like “Ain’t Your Fairtyale,” a terrific power metal tune, “Don’t Say a Word,” a phenomenal experiment in more progressive power metal, and “White Pearl, Black Oceans…”, an emotional behemoth that looms over the album, and, to some extent, the rest of the band’s career. Kakko is again the star; his choral work is seldom better than in this album, and the complement of keys, solos, and riffs that know when to prop him up and when to excel on their own. It’s not a perfect album—none of Sonata Arctica’s are—but it’s the closest they’ve come and has always been a reliable collection, regardless of occasion or mood.

#1999 #2001 #2003 #2004 #2007 #2009 #2012 #2014 #2016 #2019 #Ecliptica #Europower #FinnishMetal #PariahSChild #ProgPower #ProgressiveMetal #ReckoningNight #Silence #SonataArctica #StonesGrowHerName #Talviyö #TheDaysOfGrays #TheNinthHour #Unia #WinterheartSGuild