AMORPHIS: ELEGYThe Finnish band released this album, my personal favorite Amorphis album and the best combination of death metal and folk influences they have released in 1996. Featuring an amazing range of vocal dynamics, humppa-influenced riffing in spots, and some terrific solos, this is a great album. It also includes some of Amorphis's strongest songs to date.
CRISIS: DEATHSHED EXTERMINATIONIt's not so much the music that makes this album so memorable. It's the manic vocal style of frontwoman Karyn Crisis. The music is fairly simple post-thrash/groove metal, but the vocals make this an over-the-top, frantic listening experience. Karyn Crisis can go from a whisper to a death growl to a high-pitched shriek all in the same vocal line. And she does this, frequently. Her tortured vocals definitely carry this album, which would be forgotten quickly otherwise.
CRYPTOPSY: NONE SO VILECryptopsy took the Suffocation sound and made it even more brutal. Not an easy task, but one in which Cryptopsy excelled at. They continued to push the boundaries of brutality in this landmark album. Forget the recent Cryptopsy releases, this is the one to pick up. It is unmatched in power and will leave your ears bleeding. The lyrics are actually fairly impressive as Lord Worm is an English teacher for his real life career, but you can't tell from the vocal style.
EDGE OF SANITY: CRIMSONA unique album, in that there is only one song on the entire album. The song "Crimson" is a 40 minute masterpiece divided into several movements and telling the story of the end of humanity in the distant future. Edge of Sanity was a Swedish death metal/avant garde project of the great Dan Swano, who performed most of the music and supplied the vocals. With just one song, one would think it would start to drag or people would lose interest, however Swano does a magnificent job at keeping the attention of the listener. This is an incredible musical experience.
EYEHATEGOD: DOPESICKAn early example of sludge metal. The hardcore and doom metal roots of the genre are clearly evident in this album. I did not care much for it at first, the vocals are very extreme and difficult to get used to, but this is an incredible album once it sinks in. Eyehategod are masters of making their bleak worldview known to the listener.
Honorable Mentions: Behemoth: Grom, Cannibal Corpse: Vile, Cradle of Filth: Darkness and Her Embrace, Dimmu Borgir: Stormblast, In Flames: The Jester Race, Opeth: Morningrise, Sepultura: Roots.
Bands that formed in 1996: Arch Enemy, Decapitated, God Forbid, Gojira, Hibria, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica, The Haunted, Within Temptation.
Amorphis and Cryptopsy were perfect choices. Nice!
ReplyDeleteI can never shake the feeling when listening to Cryptopsy that Flo Mounier is carrying the whole band. Still, that's their one album to own for sure.
ReplyDeleteI get the same impression. Flo is definitely the leader of the band. I like the albums with Lord Worm on vocals, haven't cared for much of their other stuff. None So Vile and Blasphemy Made Flesh are the only ones I would consider must haves though, unless you're fanatical about technical death metal, then I would recommend Once Was Not.
ReplyDeleteI didn't care for Once Was Not. Personally, I thought it felt kind of sloppy. Incidentally, have you listened to The Unspoken King? Hearing that for the first time was sure a shock.
ReplyDeleteYes it was, quite the unwelcome shock too.
ReplyDeleteIndeed.
ReplyDeletefrom Mbody:
ReplyDeleteCrimson from kings of north I regard for one of the best death albums all times...They were in great form that time, Crimson part II was for me big dissapointment
Oh dear god, golden 90 ´s are irreversible gone ...