Teeth of the Divine Staff Picks for 2016
Well, here we are at the start of a fresh new year. And while New Years is usually a time for bright-eyed, wishful optimism and wistful reminiscence, the global political and social climates have the world at unease. Yet despite a near blastbeat-pace of bummers and deaths, 2016 gave us another year of stellar extreme music.
Teethofthedivine soldiered on in 2016 as well, with some new faces on the team (though our distaste for digital promos hasn’t changed a bit). We also experienced a growth spurt on social media, so if you’re not following us yet, why the hell not? ‘Cause while other sites seem content to feed you with celebrity blogs, lists of ‘top 10 albums from 1993 which which had llamas on the cover’ or so-called humor pieces, TOTD just did what we do best: reviews, reviews, and reviews. One review every week day for the whole year. That’s 300+ reviews, folks.
We hope to add more interviews, features, and contests in 2017, and we do it all for you guys – our loyal readers, sharers, likers, and listeners. So keep on keeping it real in 2017, as it might be the last year the earth continues to spin. We’ll do our part to make sure metal stays as relevant in 2017 as it has been in the decades before.
So with much ado, here are the hand-picked releases that the TOTD staff enjoyed in 2016. Given the thousands of releases that assaulted our collective senses last year, hopefully we’ll introduce you to a few new favorites. And as always, stay tuned for our Fillings and Cavities feature, where we’ll shovel even more death, destruction, blackened weirdness, and melodic wonders into your willing ears.
Kristofor Allred
Ranking albums in a numerical fashion has always been difficult for me. Sure, I can easily list some of the albums that I enjoyed, for whatever reasons, throughout the year, but putting one over the other always seemed unfair. If we’re talking about specific styles and ranking albums within their specified genre, then no problem, but otherwise it seems like the old apples and oranges cliché. This year though I can say that one release definitely did stand above all the rest for me, and that was the new EP from Mephistopheles.
MEPHISTOPHELES – In Reverence of Forever (Willowtip)
Sometimes an album makes that special connection to its listener that literally fuels the passion for the love of music, and makes the endless journey of being a music fan/collector/connoisseur a worthy and justified cause. This album is such.
Top 20 of 2016 (in no particular order)
Front & Center
ABBATH – Abbath (Season of Mist)
Fun! Frigid! Fantastic! Fucking A!!! This solo debut from the ex-Immortal frontman is exactly what the frost giants ordered.
DISCHORDIA – Thanatopsis (Rogue Records America)
This release takes the progressive and technical death metal genres places that so many seem hesitant to traverse.
BLOOD INCANTATION – Starspawn (Dark Descent)
Proof that death metal is far from being boring or uninnovative.
ECHELON – The Brimstone Aggrandizement (Trending Obscurity Records)
The closet thing you’re gonna get to a new Benediction album. Grooves that recall Transcend the Rubicon and Grind Bastard mixed into a fun, rollicking listen.
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES – World Gone Mad (Suicidal)
A good time listen that harkens back to the glory days, of S.T., circa ’88-’94…plus you get Lombardo on drums!
ABORTED – RetroGore (Century Media)
The band just gets better with age. This is some seriously good, intense, and super tight death metal.
NUCLEUS – Sentient (Unspeakable Axe)
Weird, yet classic sounding death metal dripping with cosmic dissonance. This band is one to keep an eye on.
CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED – Creatures Watching Over the Dead (Metal Blade)
A true supergroup, if there ever truly was one. Lots of sing-a-long moments to be found here.
HEMOTOXIN – Biological Enslavement (Unspeakable Axe)
Like latter day Death mixed with the thrash sensibilities of Exodus. Awesome stuff!
RIPPER – Experiments of Existence (Unspeakable Axe)
If you love intense death-thrash, then you need this album, plain and simple…
Back Row
MEGADETH – Dystopia (Universal/Traderaft)
OBSCURA – Akroasis (Relapse)
SODOM – Decision Day (SPV/Steamhammer)
DARK FUNERAL – Where Shadows Forever Reign (Century Media)
BRUJERIA – Pocho Aztlan (Nuclear Blast)
WARFATHER – The Grey Eminence (Greyhaze)
TESTAMENT – Brotherhood of the Snake (Nuclear Blast)
ASPHYX – Incoming Death (Century Media)
ANTHRAX – For All Kings (Nuclear Blast)
VADER – The Empire (Nuclear Blast)
Best/Favorite EP’s
GORGUTS – Pleiades Dust
SKELETONWITCH – The Apothic Gloom
MANIC SCUM – Acidic Remains
GRUESOME – Dimensions of Horror
Album I liked but most didn’t
ABNORMALITY – Mechanisms of Omniscience
Album I dis-liked, but most liked
MOONSORROW – Jumalten Aika
Album that I wanted to love, but failed to grab me
REVOCATION – Great is Our Sin
Best Reissues
DEATH – Scream Bloody Gore
DECEASED – Fearless Undead Machines
Best Live Tour/Concert
ABBATH, HIGH ON FIRE, & SKELETONWITCH
Label that got most of my money this year
Unspeakable Axe Records
Find more articles with: 2016, Staff Picks
Jordan, I was literally just listening to that Perturbator record. so good.
on Jan 3rd, 2017 at 19:51Dead Register! Might be my fave album of 2016.
on Jan 5th, 2017 at 02:41Hail Humiliation!!!
on Jan 5th, 2017 at 03:15The Metallica doesn’t have a decent melody or vocal delivery anywhere. It sounds like Hetfield shouting atonally over some mediocre thrash and Hamster sprayed Wah-Wah nonsense. Weak.
on Jan 6th, 2017 at 16:56Yeah that Dead Register disc made my list too.
on Jan 7th, 2017 at 12:35http://www.abismoblogzine.com/2017/01/lo-mejor-del-2016-sebas.html
on Jan 25th, 2017 at 11:19