Heavy Metal Yeti's Best Metal Albums of 2019!

*Favourite Album Art*
Mizmor - Cairn

    Well here we are again. Our lizard brains stuck inside our primate bodies have circled the nearest star as our metal hearts keep beating and craving more delicious depravity. I think there will be no argument that 2019 was a landmark year for both mainstream and underground metal music. While the last few years have been blazing with awesome material, the stars aligned this year and we got a flurry of new and exciting bands and a heavy dose of annihilation from old favourites and legends to shake things up. Possessed, Nocturnus, Nile, Devin Townsend, Amon Amarth, Candlemass, Dream Theater, Darkthrone, Baroness, and Bodom all put out albums. We even got a bloody TOOL album!

    A lot happened this year in the realm of metalheads. 2019 was the year of 100 Batushka's, as a seeming endless stream of drama climaxed with Bartushka cancelling the Hospodi tour and Team Panihida landing some heavy blows in response. The excitement didn't end here. Arch Enemy made a bunch of photographers mad,  Dee Snider fought some Australian political asshats, black metal became even more of a cartoon thanks to Belzebubs, Slipknot fired their drummer and got new masks, Tool upset pop fans, Metallica got kinky again, and Chris Barnes is probably still angry about something as you read this. All the while over we are one step closer to the singularity with an AI dubbed Relentless Doppelganger currently streaming self generated technical death metal on youtube that makes Archspire sound like Baby Metal.

The Toronto metal landscape has changed forever with the local gems Coalition and Stained Class closing their doors for good. The global metal landscape will also never be the same with Slayer playing their "final" live show and bringing an entire era to an end. Fuckin' Slayer weren't the only bands to call it quits with Brain Drill also hanging up their instruments, but all in all we gained more bands than we lost this time around the sun. I also want to extend a massive cheers to the metalheads we lost along the way; RIP Timi Hansen, Bruce Corbitt, Karl Bareham, Larry Wallis, Shane Bisnett, and all the rest off to Valhalla. Cheers to the metalheads still fighting the good fight and especially to the ones who need the support of their fans and friends!

    I went to a lot of live shows this year! Every show that caught my attention I made an effort to make it out. Sleep is for the dead. I took my son to his first Iron Maiden concert, I moshed with an alien to Blood Incantation and two thonged menaces at Rivers of Nihil / Nekrogoblikon, and I saw Between the Buried and Me TWICE! There are too many memories to list here but a few of my favourites shows of the year belong to Cryptopsy, Alien Weaponry, Tool, Chainbreaker, & Tomb Mold! It's been a wild ride full of amazing music and some gnarly mosh pits with good friends!

    You will see that most of my list is death metal peppered with a few other genres. It was a tough choice for top spot, but my favourte album of 2019 goes to SMOULDER! Not only do they have some of the most kick ass cover art of the year, the riff from Sword Woman has been stuck in my head for over a year. Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring is not to be missed by any self respecting metalhead! Tomb Mold takes the silver as my favourite death metal release and 1349 the bronze for slowly managing to turn me to the even darker side. Check out all of my favourite releases of the year below and make sure to check out the ones you haven't heard yet! Thank you to anyone that takes the time to read this and I hope you have a metal as hell 2020! Metal Yeti /../;,,;/../

1. Smoulder - Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring

Epic Doom Metal - Cruz del Sur Music

https://smoulder.bandcamp.com/

2. Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance

Death Metal - 20 Buck Spin

https://www.facebook.com/tombmold/

3. 1349 - The Infernal Pathway

Black Metal - Season of Mist

https://1349som.bandcamp.com/

4. Blood Incantation - The Hidden History of the Human Race

Atmospheric Death Metal - Dark Descent Records 

https://www.facebook.com/astralnecrosis/

5. Equipoise - Demiurgus

Technical Death Metal - The Artisan Era 

https://equipoiseofficial.bandcamp.com/

6. Kaleikr - Heart of Lead

Progressive Death Metal - Debemur Morti Productions

https://kaleikr.bandcamp.com/

7. Witch Vomit - Buried Deep in a Bottomless Grave

Death Metal - 20 Buck Spin

https://www.facebook.com/WebsOfHorror

8. Flub - Flub

Technical Death Metal - The Artisan Era

https://flub.bandcamp.com/

9. Gatecreeper - Deserted

Death Metal - Relapse Records

https://gatecreeper.bandcamp.com/

10. Chainbreaker - Lethal Desire

Speed Metal - Hells Headbangers Records

https://chainbreaker-canada.bandcamp.com/

11. Iapetus - The Body Cosmic

Progressive Metal - Independent

https://iapetusband.com/

12. Blut aus Nord - Hallucinogen  

Atmospheric Black Metal - Debemur Morti Productions

https://blutausnord.bandcamp.com/album/hallucinogen

13. Desecravity - Anathema

Technical / Brutal Death Metal - Willowtip Records

https://desecravity.bandcamp.com/

14. Cloak - The Burning Dawn 
Black Metal - Season of Mist
https://cloakatlanta.bandcamp.com/

15. Spirit Adrift - Divided by Darkness

Doom Metal - 20 Buck Spin

https://spiritadrift.bandcamp.com/releases

16. Nile - Vile Nilotic Rites

Technical Death Metal - Nuclear Blast

https://www.facebook.com/nilecatacombs

17. Plaugebringer - Diabolos

Technical Death Metal - Independent

https://plaguebringercanada.bandcamp.com/

18. Xoth - Interdimensional Invocations

Death/Black Metal - Independent

https://xoth.bandcamp.com/

19, Revel in Flesh - The Hour of The Avenger

Death Metal - War Anthem Records

https://www.revelinflesh.com/

20. Duskwalker - All They Know Is Fear

Heavy/Death Metal - Independent

https://www.facebook.com/DuskwalkerOfficial

21. Hath - Of Rot and Ruin

Progressive Blackened Death Metal - Willowtip Records

https://hathnj.bandcamp.com/

22. Possessed - Revelations of Oblivion

Death Metal - Nuclear Blast

https://possessedofficial.com/

23. VLTIMAS - Something Wicked Marches In

Blackened Death Metal - Season of Mist

https://www.facebook.com/VLTIMAS/

24. Allegaeon - Apoptosis

Technical Death Metal - Metal Blade Records

https://allegaeon.bandcamp.com/

25. Traveler - Traveler

Heavy Metal - Gates of Hell Records

https://travelermetal.bandcamp.com/album/traveler

26. Musmahhu - Reign of the Odius

Blackened Death Metal - Iron Bonehead Productions

https://ironboneheadproductions.bandcamp.com/album/musmahhu-reign-of-the-odious

27. Memoriam - Requiem For Mankind

Death Metal - Nuclear Blast

http://www.memoriam.uk.com/

28. Demiurgon - The Oblivious Lure

Death Metal - Everlasting Spew Records

https://demiurgon.bandcamp.com/

29. Ossuarium - Living Tomb
Death Metal - 20 Buck Spin
https://ossuarium.bandcamp.com/

30. Devin Townsend - Empath

Progressive Metal - HevyDevy Records

https://www.hevydevy.com/

Honourable Mentions:  Cerebral Rot, Venom Prison, Alcest, Tribe of Pazuzu, Shadow of Intent, Veilburner, Runespell. Hannes Grossman, Hammerfall, Entheos, Amon Amarth, Mystifier, Barnoness, Children of Bodom, Mayhem, Idle Hands, Devourment, Cult of Luna, Diabolic Night, Hellripper, Jinjer, Mgla, Haunt, Woorms, Numenorean, Bask, Mgla, Oosing Wound, Fetid, Mizmor, Bewitcher, Death Angel, Cattle Decap, Insomnium, Fuming Mouth, Vastum, False,

If you're looking for even more new music to check out, here are my AOTY lists from previous years!
2018 - https://heavymetalsasquatch.blogspot.com/2018/12/heavy-metal-yetis-best-metal-albums-of_9.html
2017 - https://heavymetalsasquatch.blogspot.com/2018/03/heavy-metal-yetis-best-metal-albums-of.html
2015/2016 - https://heavymetalsasquatch.blogspot.com/2016/12/metal-yetis-best-metal-albums-of-2015.html
2014 - https://heavymetalsasquatch.blogspot.com/2014/12/heavy-metal-sasquatchs-top-fourteen.html

- Metal Yeti /../;,,;/../

Between the Buried and Me, Chon, & Intervals @ The Phoenix (Nov 24, 2019)

     Between the Buried and Me is a band that caters to a diverse crowd of metalheads. Early fans of the band expect a heavy, raw, and visceral experience,  while other fans expect the heavy progressive elements to drive things along. They've been busy touring lately but their latest run has them paired up in a progressive metal powerhouse with Intervals to get things started and Chon as a co-headliner. Stopping in my neck of the woods in the middle of their tour run is an opportunity I can not resist.

     Anytime Between the Buried and Me makes a stop in southern Ontario I make an effort to see them! Intervals is another band I've been a huge fan of for years, especially with their home base in Toronto. I first heard Aaron Marshall's guitar talk at a live show with Northlane in 2013, and their early EP's "In Time" and "The Space Between" completely blew my mind. Since then, I've been loving the wild and more joyful progressive metal tangents they've been exploring on their latest few releases. Chon is a band I have not explored in much depth before this tour, but I can see why they are driving the ship this time around.

     Intervals opened the night to an eager hometown crowd. These guys are top notch instrumentalist and they proved it again last night. Opening with some amazing material off their latest and last few releases, they turned up the dial with the final few songs coming off their beloved "In Time" EP from the early 2010's. They woke the pit up with Alchemy and Mata Hari, amping the crowd to acceptable proportions for such a night.

     Every BTBAM show is a god damn experience but last night was something special with the band able to take some liberties with their set list, free of album release stipulations and with very prog focused tour mates. I deliberately avoided looking at the set list before the show to keep it a surprise and I wasn't disappointed. Opening with ALASKA, they sent The Phoenix into an absolute stupor. They followed up in style with Ants of the Sky bleeding directly into Prequel to the Sequel with a some guest vocals from the Chon crew. Not having Dustie present for the Colors 10 year anniversary tour hurt, so this was a treat. Playing into the proggy atmosphere of the tour, we went on an Ecotopic Stroll before blasting off into Parallax territory with Autumn and Extremophile Elite. They closed the set with Blot, Glide, and Voice of Trespass which again sent the pit into overdrive.

     Chon took the stage next and put on one hell of a show. This was my first time experiencing this band and I liked what I heard. Intricate guitars and percussion, uplifting melodies, and some mind altering moments are what these guys do best. The crowd was 100% on board with the band, singing the instrumentals as if they were vocal tracks and moshing as a juxtaposition of tone. I didn't know the material, but I had a wicked time none the less. Cheers to all the bands who played and a shout out to the animals in the pit as per usual! Check out some photos and video from the night below!!

Between the Buried and Me

Between the Buried and Me never leave me disappointed! 🤘🤩🔥 #Alaska pic.twitter.com/Aq3mI65sdo

— Heavy Metal Yeti (@HeavyMetalYetii) November 25, 2019

Chon

Intervals

-Heavy Metal Yeti /../;,,;/../

Immolation, Blood Incantation & Human Compost @ Lee's Palace (October 24, 2019)

    There have been some killer tours blasting through Toronto the last few weeks. The Last Atonement Tour with Immolation and Blood Incantation keep the trend going, absolutely annihilating Lee's Palace last night. Immolation are a death metal staple, but Blood Incantation offer something a bit different.

    Immolation are veterans of death metal. They released their first demos in the end of the 80's and have put out 10 full length albums of pure old school death metal since then. Blood Incantation on the other hand started up around 2013 and take a more modern stance, injecting heavy atmospheric pieces into a mix of technical as hell and old school styles. Crushing the senses with thick soul melting progressions before blasting into light speed riffage and drumming that drags your mind through brutal alien worlds; a highly enjoyable experience!

    Local beauties' Human Compost started off the night and definitely made a few more fans in the process. Lee's Palace was filling in steadily as they blasted the crowd with their brutal blend of death grind. I took the opportunity the stand in the growing merch lines with eyes on a new Blood Incantation shirt and patch! It was nice to see such a heavy turnout for the local opener.

    I've been waiting to see Blood Incantation since 2016's Starspawn graced my ears. Their trippy blend of doom elements and ferocious death metal makes for some thick devastating atmospheres only breathable by the metalhead species. They started off the set with "Slave Species of the Gods", and "The Giza Power Plant" off their soon to be released album and followed it up with some gems in "Hidden Species" and "Hovering Lifeless". Their extraterrestrial brutality beamed an alien directly into the pit, starting off the evening mosh. I'm not joking. Moshing with an alien as they closed the set with "Awakening From the Dream of Existence to the Multidimensional Nature of Reality (Mirror of the Soul)" is why I do what I do!

Blood Incantation doing their thing at Lee’s Palace in Toronto! 🤘👽 pic.twitter.com/vUsFj42RJC

— Heavy Metal Yeti (@HeavyMetalYetii) October 25, 2019

    I was chatting with some friends out front of Lee's when I heard Immolation take the stage. With a quick sprint to the pit, Immolation were already into their destructive currents. They played an absolutely dialed set with a great array of material. The pit wasn't packed but it was full a some good friends and a few spirited bastards. While the moshing was erratic for a few moments here and there, tracks like "Immolation", "Dawn of Possession", "Burn With Jesus", and "Swarm of Terror" got the crowd moving sufficiently. They played a lot of material off their latest album Atonement and announced to the crowd there will be a new album next year!

    The LAST Atonement Tour makes a bit more sense as hopefully next time I see them will be with some new brutal material. Other than the alien mosh, another highlight of the night was shaking the hand of Blood Incantation's Paul Riedl. He is in some amazing bands and packs a hell of punch on guitar and vocals!  Cheers to all the bands and all the crazy animals who helped keep the pit going for such a godly showing of death metal. Check out some videos and photos from the night below! /../;,,;/../

Immolation

Blood Incantation

Human Compost

-Metal Yeti /../;,,;/../