A long time ago…in a galaxy far, far away…another cycle of the Terran Sun has completed and with it comes the rise of Riffcaster’s 2019 Top 11 List.The battle raged on with many challengers coming forth but in the end a familiar hero stands tall.
1) ZED - Volume
Rising on the black wings of a great Ebony rooster comes
ZED’s Volume. So powerful and so
focused, I was dumbfounded and left speechless by its’ brilliance, yet no other
album remained so firmly planted in my crosshairs in 2019. The only words I was in fact able to conjure
were “impossible to review...I mean, how many different ways are there to say
"ZED rules!"? Absolutely stunning in both simplicity and complexity,
ZED have taken the riff and groove cocktail that is their trademark and improved
upon the already perfect recipe. If you love ZED already, you'll love them even
more, and if you are new to them get this album and then go get their previous
releases, you won't be disappointed.”
2) Brume - Rabbits
Following closely on the heels of ZED, sees Brume orbiting
the planet with Rabbits, the follow-up to Riffcaster’s 2017 Top 11 title holder
Rooster. Rabbits sees the San
Francisco trio step further beyond their doom metal
heritage to create an even more genre breaking collection of heart rending,
soulful yet crushingly heavy and beautiful compositions, and they do it to
maximum effect.
3) Haunt –If Icarus Could Fly
Haunt continues their lightspeed ascent to the top of the
New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal with If Icarus Could Fly. Fueled by main man Trevor Church’s prolific
foundry of twin guitar harmonies forging precious metal at the rate of an
assembly line operating at peak efficiency.
It is my belief that if Icarus could fly he’d set his trajectory straight
to the local record shop or website to acquire a copy.
4) Cybernetic Witch Cult – Absurdum Ad Nauseum
Out of the depths of space Cybernetic Witch Cult returns
with Absurdum Ad Nauseum, their first full length release of new material since
2016’s Top 11 placeholder Spaceous Cretaceous.
This extraterrestrial visitation though is less about alien creatures and
dinosaurs out of time and more about the dangers Earth is facing currently from
the environment and from its’ human inhabitants. A darker, more contemplative collection,
Absurdum Ad Nauseum delivers the warning with thunderous aplomb.
5) Horseburner – The Thief
Coming in hot at number 5 is West Virginia’s Horseburner with The
Thief. Atmospheric and heavy as a star
destroyer, fans of Baroness, Khemmis and Elder will find much common ground
within.
6) Beastwars - IV
Returning from hiatus like Han Solo emerging from frozen
carbonite, New Zealand’s
Beastwars focused all their energies to create their most focused effort yet on
the chronologically titled IV.
7) Lo-Pan –Subtle
Cruising along and flying casually, Lo-Pan sneaks past the
defenses with their latest album Subtle, completely loaded with tasty riffs
chock full of groove.
8) KOOK - II
Boy, if you thought I was going heavy on the space
references, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet!
KOOK drops out of hyperspace to deliver the second chapter in their ongoing
spaced out saga of strangeness.
9) The Ghost Next Door–A Feast For The Sixth Sense
From the depths of the Outer Rim
territories (or San Francisco…)
comes The Ghost Next Door with one of the most genre bending albums of the
year. Blending elements of metal, doom
and 90’s alt metal, A Feast For The Sixth Sense is truly a feast for the musical
senses.
10) Gygax – High Fantasy
If translated from D&D lexicon into the SW universe,
Gygax would likely be the Jedi Council. Indeed their skills are complete and on
full display on High Fantasy.
11) Hellfire – Mania
Hellfire emerge hotter than the sands of Tatooine to bring
balance to the metal force on their third album Mania.Delivered with the ferocity of a Sith lord
yet executed with the precision of a Jedi master, Hellfire lay down the metal
with a zeal truly deserving of the coveted eleventh spot by going to 11 both
figuratively and literally.
Honorable Mentions As always, there are a lot of great albums that are worthy of recognition, here’s my short list:
Death Angel – Humanicide Devil To Pay – Forever, Never or Whenever Duel –Valley Of Shadows Lowcaster – Flames Arise Shotgun Sawyer – Bury The Hatchet Supernaut – Green War Cloud – State Of Shock
