Yearlist 1998 - Lost Stats Domain

Yearlist 1998:

[1998]


①		Cradle Of Filth - Cruelty and the Beast Score: 10/10 Finally the waiting is rewarded: The new Cradle of Filth! It looks great, it sounds great, and there only seems to be one version of it. (Crap! Four different versions already!!!) I don't think it's quite as good as "Dusk...", but actually I didn't expect it could be. The songs on this album have a little less variation, and the production is a bit vaguer (especially the drums), but despite this it's still one hell of an album, and the best I heard so far in this lame 1998! Go get this one!!

The Elysian Fields - We... the Enlightened Score: 10/10 I first heard them on the "Wicked World" sampler with the song "Shall they come forth unto us" where they geniously combined fast black/death and beautiful violin. The rest of the album also has this varied style. Mainly it is fast melodic black/death, but some songs even remind me of Amorphis and Paradise Lost. I don't think the slower songs really suit them, but the fast songs are so fucking brilliant that The Elysian Fields deserve a lot more attention than they get.			②

③		Sear Bliss - The Haunting Score: 10/10 After the Phantoms album this is the second real New Sear Bliss album. It still has the typical Sear Bliss sound, black / doom metal with trumpet and keyboard, but also a lot has changed I think. The songs have gotten more complicated, more difficult. This cd really had to grow on me since I kept discovering new things in it. At first I thought "nice, but nowhere near Phantoms" and now I think it's at least as good, maybe better. Sear Bliss developed in a good way, they discovered more of an own sound and it's quickly become one of my all-time favourite bands...

...And Oceans - The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts Score: 10/10 The popularity of Black Metal had caused tons of crappy bands to start releasing crappy BM cds. But every once in a while there's a new band that really has talent. ...And Oceans shows this with this cd. The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts is an original bm album, it has very melodic parts which sometimes remind me a bit of Dimmu Borgir, but luckily it stays interesting with lots of very fast parts. I think it's one of the highlights of 1998...			④

⑤		Opeth - My Arms, Your Hearse Score: 10/10 I didn't really expect a lot of this album, to be honest. Morningrise was pretty cool, but not really convenient black metal, and most bands tend to step away even further from the black metal after an album like that. How mistaken I was, because My Arms Your Hearse only is faster and blacker than their previous albums. The songs are now more structured, they don't just go on and on, and personally I think this is the best album Opeth has yet made.

My Dying Bride - 34.788.. Complete Score: 10/10 I wasn't sure if I should buy this new My Dying Bride, because I've never before heard such bad critics of one of their albums. But I got it anyways, and I don't regret it. I also think it's not as good as their others, but it's still a good cd. My Dying Bride changed their sound again a bit, most importantly the songs are their usual long-length again. They're also a bit less melodic and a bit more depressive now, and on the first song the vocals are even a bit grunt-like. So overall I think the first song alone is worth buying the album for, and the rest ain't bad either...			⑥

⑦		Godkiller - The End of the World Score: 10/10 Every once in a while I get to listen to a cd I never heard of by a band I never heard of, and it turns out to be great. Godkiller definitely is one of those. It's a very unique style of metal, and for the people who heard the Godkiller song on the "In Decay we Trust" collection cd, it's also very different from that. This is a kind of Industrial black death metal, maybe a bit like a mix of Samael and Fear Factory. Very nice to hear something so different from this one-member band.

Opera IX - Sacro Culto Score: 10/10 It's nice to hear that Opera IX has released a new album. I liked the previous one very much, and the music hasn't changed much. It's still the strange black with the female grunt. The only thing that has changed is that the production is much clearer. But I'm not sure this is a good thing. It takes away some of the mysterious touch to the music. Nevertheless, still very cool and very different black.			⑧

⑨		Mactätus - Provenance of Cruelty Score: 10/10 Since a few years a lot of black metal bands have arisen, some of them plain bad and some quite good. And very few really kick ass. Mactätus is one of those. As far as I know this is a debut cd, but they sound like they've got years of experience. Mactätus play melodic black metal, a bit in the style of early emperor, but with their own sound. Looking at the info I saw three well-known names, Noctuno Culto from Darkthrone has written some lyrics, Samoth from Emperor has co-produced the album, and of course my friend Tom Kvålsvoll from Paradigma has mastered it. So I guess with such help Mactätus are destined to belong to the black metal top.

Fear Factory - Obsolete Score: 10/10 We've had to wait a long time for this. There's three years between this and their previous metal album, Demanufacture. It seems they used most of this time working on the remix album Remanufacture, because the musical style of Obsolete is very similar to that of Demanufacture. Not that I don't like it, it's very good. It just sounds very familiar. On the bright site, the cd looks fantastic. The artwork is great, and the complete storyline in the lyrics is brilliant I think. So Obsolete sounds good and looks great, but I hope their next cd will be more original musically.			⑩

⑪	Ancient Rites Fatherland Score: 10/10

Limbonic Art - Epitome of Illusions Score: 10/10 Apparently Limbonic Art already made two cds, and this is a redone version of their demo tapes or something. But I'd never heard them before, I just got to hear this album and I think it's cool. It's fast and melodic black metal, very well played and the production is also very good, so I guess they just rerecorded their demo tracks in a studio or something. Though they sound great, and the start of the first song is fantastic, they just need a little more to distinguish themselves from the rest.			⑫

⑬	Darkwoods My Betrothed Witch-Hunts Score: 10/10

Agathodaimon Blacken the Angel Score: 10/10			⑭

⑮	Hecate Enthroned - Dark Requiems and Unsilent Massacre Score: 10/10 Hecate Enthroned deliver the same great style melodic black metal as on their previous album The Slaughter of Innocence. There's just one irritating difference, and that's the vocals. Sounds like he pitched them up even higher, so it's now absolute inaudible high squeeking grunts. Luckily agian combined with some low grunts. But once you get used to the new vocals there are some brilliant songs on it...

Sad Legend Sad Legend Score: 10/10			⑯

⑰	Vordven Towards the Frozen Stream Score: 10/10

Graveworm Underneath The Crescent Moon Score: 10/10			⑱

⑲	...And Oceans / Bloodthorn - War vol. I (vs. Bloodthorn) Score: 10/10 This is quite an interesting concept I think. The first four songs from '...And Oceans' are about the same style as on 'The Dynamic Gallery of Thoughts'. Good melodic black metal, though not as good as on the previous album. Bloodthorn I'd personally never heard of, but they also play very good melodic black metal. Their sound is a little more bassy than And Oceans, and they also have a female singer. I should hear a full album of Bloodthorn before I could say which of the two bands is better, but I guess if this was a war between the two bands, Bloodthorn would have won in my opinion.

Necromicon Sightveiler Score: 9.5/10			⑳

21	Unholy Rapture Score: 9.5/10

Oxiplegatz Sidereal Journey Score: 9.5/10			22

23	Eucharist Mirrorworlds Score: 9.5/10

Vintersorg Till Fjälls Score: 9.5/10			24

25	Diabolical Masquerade - Nightwork Score: 9.5/10 This latest album by Diabolical Masquerade is a bit better than the previous ones, but other than that quite similar I think. The music isn't very original, but the songs don't bore quickly and the production is great. Especially considering this melodic black metal band is a one-man project by Katatonia's Blackheim. The only thing that irritatez me are all the z's in the zongtitlez...

Odium The Sad Realm of the Stars Score: 9.5/10			26

27	Riger Der Wanderer Score: 9.5/10

Anathema - Alternative 4 Score: 9.5/10 To be honest, after "Eternity" I expected Alternative 4 to be even softer and less interesting, and this was true, so it wasn't such a disappointment to me. But still, after listening to it a few times, it's still an interesting album, it is very soft with only clear vocals and relaxed music, but some songs still remind me of the earlier albums. The artwork is a bit dissapointing too. It's all very simple and black/white. So allthough it's not a bad album, I still think it's the worst they ever made, and I fear from here on it will only get worse... The rerelease contains some Pink Floyd covers, even one that hasn't been on any other cd yet!			28

29	Amortis Memories of an Ancient Time... (demo) Score: 9.5/10

Primordial A Journey's End Score: 9.5/10			30

31	Gardens Of Gehenna Mortem Saluta Score: 9.5/10

The Sins Of Thy Beloved Lake of Sorrow Score: 9.5/10			32

33	Fear Factory Resurrection Score: 9.5/10

Antestor The Return Of The Black Death Score: 9.5/10			34

35	Desire Pentacrow... Misanthropic Tragedy Score: 9.5/10

Bolt Thrower Mercenary Score: 9.5/10			36

37	Nazxul Black Seed Score: 9.5/10

Twin Obscenity For Blood, Honour and Soil Score: 9.5/10			38

39	Perished Kark Score: 9/10

Vast Visual Audio Sensory Theater Score: 9/10			40

41	Whispering Forest Of Shadows and Pale Light Score: 9/10

Azmodan Evil Obscurity Score: 9/10			42

43	Embraced Amorous Anathema Score: 9/10

Nefarius The deterrence and renounce of faith (demo) Score: 9/10			44

45	Christ Agony Trilogy Score: 9/10

Darklands Darklands Score: 9/10			46

47	Ashes You Leave The Passage Back to Life Score: 9/10

Amon Amarth Once Sent from the Golden Hall Score: 9/10			48

49	Raventhrone Malice in Wonderland Score: 9/10

Khazad Dhum Blackest Score: 9/10			50

51	Traumatic Voyage Cogito Ergo Sum Score: 9/10

Seth Les Blessures de l'Ame Score: 9/10			52

53	Penetralia Tribute to the Moon (demo) Score: 9/10

Morbid Angel Formulas Fatal to the Flesh Score: 9/10			54

55	Immemorial (POL) Ius Primae Noctis (demo) Score: 9/10

Crimson Midwinter Random Chaos Score: 9/10			56

57	Erector Spinae Dopaminium (demo) Score: 9/10

Obituary Dead Score: 8.5/10			58

59	Bal-Sagoth Battle Magic Score: 8.5/10

Autumn Verses Tunes Of Disconsolation Score: 8.5/10			60

61	Himinbjorg Where Ravens Fly Score: 8.5/10

Artrosis W Imię Nocy (In the Name of the Night) Score: 8.5/10			62

63	Darkside Evolution Score: 8.5/10

Forlorn The Crystal Palace Score: 8.5/10			64

65	Dagorlad Incantations Score: 8.5/10

Obtained Enslavement Soulblight Score: 8.5/10			66

67	Dysanchely Tears Score: 8.5/10

Lux Occulta Maior Arcana (The Words that Turns Flesh into Light) Score: 8.5/10			68

69	Oathean The Eyes of Tremendous Sorrow Score: 8.5/10

Various As We Die For - Tribute to Paradise Lost Score: 8.5/10			70

71	Salem A Moment Of Silence Score: 8.5/10

Mindrot Soul Score: 8.5/10			72

73	Barathrum Legions of Perkele Score: 8.5/10

Tristania Widow's Weeds Score: 8.5/10			74

75	Alastis Revenge Score: 8.5/10

Catamenia Halls of Frozen North Score: 8/10			76

77	Placebo Without You I'm Nothing Score: 8/10

Mithotyn King of the Distant Forest Score: 8/10			78

79	Infernal Beauty Drakensquar Score: 8/10

Adorned Brood Wigand Score: 8/10			80

81	Evereve Stormbirds Score: 8/10

Yyrkoon Oniric Transition Score: 8/10			82

83	Cryptic Carnage Rozelowe Score: 8/10

Fangorn Non-Rhapsodian Score: 8/10			84

85	Morgul Parody of the Mass Score: 8/10

Daemonarch Hermeticum Score: 8/10			86

87	Dark Fortress Tales From Eternal Dusk Score: 8/10

Thyrfing Thyrfing Score: 8/10			88

89	Thalarion Tales of the Woods... Thus was Written Score: 8/10

Arcane Sun Arcane Sun Score: 8/10			90

91	Legenda Eclipse Score: 8/10

Månegarm Nordstjårnans Tidsålder Score: 8/10			92

93	Love Lies Bleeding The Lady Who Didn't Want to Be (demo) Score: 8/10

Cemetery Of Scream Deeppression Score: 8/10			94

95	Mortum The Druid Ceremony Score: 8/10

Syrach Twilight Enigma (demo) Score: 8/10			96

97	Blazing Eternity Der Hviler En Nat Under Sorte Vinterbøge (demo) Score: 8/10

MacBeth Romantic Tragedy's Crescendo Score: 7.5/10			98

99	Iscariot Horror Vacui Score: 7.5/10

Therion Eye of Shiva Score: 7.5/10			100

Stats generated at: 09/03/24