Metal Yeti's Best Metal Albums of 2015 & 2016! /,,/

   It's easy to get caught up in the fast pace lifestyle of the Anthropocene. Time goes by and fantastic metal albums come and go. We are bombarded with new material on social media feeds and through 140 character sales pitches.  It is because of this reason that this year I wanted to do something a little bit different. Instead of restricting myself to 2016 I've decided to take a look at some of the unforgettable material that came out over the past couple years.

   A lot has happened in the world of metal in two years time. There has been a slew of new talented bands on the rise, and a number of veteran bands have come out of the metalworks with phenomenal new albums. The big four of thrash showed us why we call them that with all bands putting out fantastic new material. Chris Adler seemed to join every band he could get his feet on. Cory Taylor and Robb Flynn had a lot to say, to a lot of people, about a lot of things. While the whole time, Japan was having some interesting ideas of their own. Mad respect and rest in peace to Christopher Lee, Lemmy, Phil Taylor, Bowie, Nick Menza, Jimmy Bain, Shawn Chavez and every other metalhead we lose as the clock ticks on.

   Here are my top 50 albums of 2015 & 2016! \m/ These are my favourite and most listened to albums from the past few years so if you haven't checked any of them out, take some time out of your busy schedule and give them a goddamn listen!  Cheers everybody and here's hoping that the next few years offer up some more magnificent metal for our headbanging pleasure! /,,/


1. Vektor - Terminal Redux (2016)
     - Progressive Thrash Metal 

 
2. Gorod - A Maze of Recycled Creeds (2015)
    - Progressive/Technical Death Metal

3. Sylosis - Dormant Heart (2015)
    - Melodic Death Metal

4. Scarab - Serpents of the Nile (2015)
    -  Death Metal

5. The Offering - Codex Mystirium (2016)
    - Death/Thrash Metal

 6. Iron Maiden - The Book of Souls (2015)
     - Heavy Metal 

7.  MegaDeth - Dystopia (2016)
    - Thrash Metal

 8. Be'lakor - Vessels (2016)
    - Melodic Death Metal 

9. Skeletonwitch - The Apothic Gloom (2016)
    - Thrash/Black Metal

10. Obscura - Akróasis (2016)

    - Progressive/Technical Death Metal

11. Amon Amarth - Jomsviking (2016)
    - Melodic Death Metal 

12. Kataklysm - Of Ghosts and Gods (2015)
    - Melodic Death Metal

13. Gojira - Magma (2016)
    - Progressive Death Metal

14. Black Crown Initiate - Selves We Cannot Forgive (2016)
    - Progressive Death Metal

15. Cattle Decapitation - The Anthropocene Extinction (2015)
    -Deathgrind

16. Metallica - Hardwired... To Self Destruct (2016)
    - Thrash Metal

17. Devin Townsend Project - Transcendence (2016)
    - Progressive Metal

18. Lamb of God - Sturm Und Drang (2015)
    - Groove Metal 

19. Between the Buried and Me - Coma Ecliptic (2015)
    - Progressive Metal 

20. Tesseract - Polaris (2015)
    - Progressive Metal

21. Nile - What Should Not Be Unearthed (2015)
    - Technical Death Metal

22. Anthrax - For All Kings (2016)
    - Thrash Metal

23. Anaal Nathrakh - The Whole of the Law (2016)
    - Grindcore / Black Metal

24. Venom - From The Very Depths (2015)
    - Black/Speed Metal

25. Animals As Leaders - The Madness of Many (2016)
    - Progressive Metal

26. Dark Funeral - Where Shadows Forever Reign (2016)

    - Black Metal

27. Pyrrhon - Running out of Skin (2016)
    - Technical Death Metal

28. Carach Angren - This Is No Fairytale (2015)
    - Symphonic Black Metal

29. Slayer - Repentless (2015)
    - Thrash Metal 

30 . Testament - Brotherhood of the Snake (2016)
    - Thrash Metal 

31. Northlane - Node (2015)
    - Metalcore

32. Motorhead - Bad Magic (2015)
    - Heavy Metal

33. Gorguts - Pleiades' Dust (2016)
    - Technical Death Metal

34. Erimha - Thesis Ov Warfare (2015)
    - Black Metal

35. Insomnium - Winters Gate (2016)
    - Melodic Death Metal

36. Aborted - Termination Redux (2016)
    - Death Metal

37. Killswitch Engage - Incarnate (2016)
    - Metalcore

38. Jungle Rot - Order Shall Prevail (2015)
    - Death Metal

39. Black Tusk - Pillars of Ash (2016)
    - Sludge Metal

40. Katalepsy - Gravenous Hour (2016)
    - Brutal Death Metal

41. Gruesome - Savage Land (2015)
    - Death Metal

42. Gruesome - Dimensions of Horror (2016)
    - Death Metal

43. Virvum - Illuminance (2016)
    - Death Metal 

44. Children of Bodom - I Worship Chaos (2015)
    - Melodic Death Metal

45. Intronaut - The Direction of Last things (2015)
    - Progressive Metal

46. Black Fast - Terms of Surrender (2015)
    - Progressive Thrash Metal

47. Soulfly - Archangel (2015)
    - Groove Metal

48. Anvil - Anvil is Anvil (2016)
    - Thrash Metal 

49. Cryptopsy - Tomb of Suffering Tome 1 (2015)
    - Death Metal

50. Black Sabbath - The End (2016)
    - Heavy Metal

- Honourable Mentions: Khemmis, Meshuggah, Grave, Protest the Hero, Brujeria, Scale the Summit, Opeth, Dream Theater, Grand Magnus, Rotting Christ, DevilDriver, Allegaeon, Neurosis, and Dark Tranquility!

- Hope you enjoyed the list. I'm sure there's something on this here you will enjoy. m/
Have a happy thrashy new year! mXm/

Devin Townsend Project, Between the Buried and Me, & Fallujah @ Danforth Music Hall, Toronto (Sept 20, 2016).

     

      Every time Between the Buried and Me rolls through town I know that a killer night is on its way. But tonight proved to be extra special with Devin Townsend and the gang joining the tour to headline all the festivities. The night started with the always impressive Fallujah, who amped up the crowd and a few die hard fans with some wicked tracks. A few beers later Between the Buried and Me took the stage. With the crowd buzzing with anticipation, the lights dimmed and one single spot light focused on Tommy Rogers and his keyboard. Starting with Node and finishing with Life in Velvet, BTBAM performed a spectacular set, playing Coma Ecliptic from cover to cover. After a brief intermission (and a few more beers), the Devin Townsend Project took the stage and absolutely lit the Danforth Music Hall on fire. Playing a range of tracks from all their albums, DTP played a completely kick ass set while still managing to fit in their usual shenanigans and banter. It has been over 11 years since I last saw Townsend in action (Sounds of the Underground tour with Strapping Young Lad in 2005), and after all these years he with a doubt still puts on a brilliantly technical and wonderfully heavy masterpiece of a show! I will not be waiting so long to see them next time, as I find myself already craving another live dose of DTP. /,,/ Cheers to all the bands and a special shout out to the Ziltoid and squid man in the pit. Check out some pictures from the night below! 

Devin Townsend Project

Between the Buried and Me

Fallujah

New Metal Review: Duskwalker (The Offering) - Codex Mystirium

 
 **EDIT: Due to legal reasons this band has officially changed their name to DUSKWALKER!**

Something has been brewing in Niagara Falls, Ontario. While many people only know the region for its wine exports, the Yeti learned a long time ago the area is also rich with fine metal exports as well. The regions latest export is the debut album from  The Offering (now Duskwalker*) with Codex Mystirium,  released independently on August 12. Duskwalker comes with years of band history and talent behind its reigns, yet it doesn't sound quite like anything you've heard before; smashing genre boundaries and cranking the metal up to maximum proportions!

     One of the things I enjoy most about this band is their ability to channel influences across all metal spectrums, while never really sitting in one place for too long. Codex Mystirium starts off appropriately with The Calm Before The Swarm which builds strongly towards the track Duskwalker, delivering a brutal and heavy blackened masterpiece for death and black metal fans alike. As the album continues on the tracks take on more of a melodic focus with each song delivering a relentless barrage of killer drum progressions, powerful riffage, and face-melting solo work. Similar to the instrumentals, the vocals throughout the album range in style, offering up a mix of sinister screams and growls, experimental synths, and a few brief and perfectly executed clean moments.

     While this album is a blast from start to finish, my favourite moment comes from its final track, Echoes of Eternity, which paints me a perfect picture of an occult ritual for the unfathomably powerful. Do yourself a favour and give it a listen; Codex Mystirium is available for download directly from the band as well through a number of streaming services. Make sure to check out on facebook @  https://www.facebook.com/DuskwalkerOfficial/ to keep up to date with merch and tour information.




-Coming from someone who thoroughly enjoys a wide variety of metal genres and styles, it was refreshing to hear an album that flawlessly incorporated so many influences without ever feeling like its being shoved down my throat. Overall,  Duskwalker's Codex Mystirium presents an extremely heavy and hard hitting aggressive album while also managing to stand apart from the crowd with many successfully executed experimental and progressive aspects. The album rips from start to finish offering the listener interesting subject matter, and some unbelievably kick ass headbanging moments. This album is one hell of a debut and I personally can not wait to see what more is to come.
- My Verdict
\m/\m/\m/\m/\m/ out of \m/\m/\m/\m/\m/
5/5 - Codex Magnificent!

Black Sabbath @ The Molson Amphitheater, Toronto. (Aug 29, 2016)

History was made tonight, as for one final time Black Sabbath played their live show in Toronto as The End tour rolled through town. The amphitheater was packed with people of all ages. The old dudes and dudettes rocked out with the younger generations as everyone came together for this ritual experience. The show delivered everything to be expected, starting with their title track and progressing through hit after hit.

The set list was absolutely packed featuring masterpieces such as Fairies, Into the Void, Dirty Women, War Pigs, Hand of Doom, and Rat Salad! I was also delighted to hear Snowblind live with other highlights of the show including the 5 minute drum solo leading into Iron Man and the unbelievable bass solo by Geezer which melded perfectly into N.I.B. Iommi continued to prove that he is a walking God, and Ozzy was absolutely spot on all night. Again, what an unbelievable show. Cheers to the band for helping to show me the way of metal all those years ago! Black Sabbath rocks live just as hard today as they did for their first show around 47 years ago. Check out a few pictures from the night below! 

Ne Obliviscaris, Black Crown Initiate, and Starkill @ The Mod Club, Toronto (July 27, 2016)

The Sasquatch has been waiting years to see Ne Obliviscaris live. Ever since I heard Portal of I a few years back I knew what had to be done. After a bit of time and a whole album later my patience paid off as they set a Toronto date!! Seeing them with Black Crown Initiate was the icing on the cake though, as these powerhouses of modern metal almost completely levelled the Mod Club when they were through with us.

 The night started out with the melodic metal of Starkill. Channeling a real Bodom vibe, they did an absolutely fantastic job amping the place up. Although unfortunately the club playing Barbie Girl at full blast between bands did the exact opposite. However, all was not lost. After overcoming a few minor technical difficulties, Black Crown Initiate took the stage and blasted the audience with a fantastically executed dose of progressive death! BCI incited a mini riot, waking the crowd out of a daze all the way to crowd surfing in seconds playing lots of material off their brand new album. Next up was Ne Obliviscaris and they did not disappoint, bringing a godly amount of energy and passion to the stage with them. Ne Obliviscaris may perhaps be one of the most diverse and talented group of modern metal musicians. They proved that especially tonight, playing an absolutely dialled set full of a good mix of old and new material. Highlights for me definitely were catching Tim the violinist during a stage dive and also their encore of And Plague Flowers the Kaleidoscope

I will definitely be looking forward to seeing all of these bands again the next time they come through town! Cheers to the crazy few I clashed with in the pit! And as always an extra big cheers to the bands! /,,/ Check out a few pictures I took from the night below! 

Ne Obliviscaris 

Black Crown Initiate 

Starkill

- Again thanks to bands for such a killer show! See you all next time! /,,/