This list is a veritable beauty parade of the Great and the downright evil of Norwegian Black Metal. Here is former Gorgorth and Godseed vocalist Gaahl with his latest (re)incarnation. Now Gaahl is Black Metal’s Morrissey: highly controversial, capable of utter genius, gives great soundbite and is gay (though Gaahl is so out of the closet if you get the hint Stephen…). “Gastir – Ghosts Invited” sees him take the music he had a hand in creating and completely introvert it. This is Black Metal but it has multiple shades and lots of hidden depth. He also sings, in fact there are points where he croons like a corpse paint adorned Frank Sinatra. Gaahl is a man not afraid to grasp hold of his legacy but also capable of moving it forward. Utterly excellent!

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Sultry and understated, this is a dark minimalistic masterpiece. It is slight and highly atmospheric. The power here is what it doesn’t do. It feels like at any given moment it is going to explode into life, but it doesn’t. It remains restrained and majestic. There is such a light touch here, her performance is ethereal and ghostly. However it is also deeply emotional and it manages to raise the hairs on the back of my neck on each and every listen. Haunting, lingering and brilliant.

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Over the years this list has featured veteran acts producing the best albums of their carrier and also a number of “bloody hell didn’t expect to see another album from them” moments. This entry gets its own category, namely the “Really……” award. The Darkness have all the credibility of a “why my son forgot his kit” note from Boris Johnson. There will be scoffs over their inclusion and there will be eyebrows raised over their very existence. The fact of the matter is that the Darkness were a band in the right place at the wrong time. Their brand of playful heavy rock seemed so alien and so post-modern in 2002, when now it is common place. They fit 2019 far more than they did in the early noughties. They are no longer a novelty means that we can actually revel in what a great rock band they are. This is a brilliant, energetic collection of sugary sweet Queen-esque rock tracks. It’s great! Throwaway and full of saccharine but such such good fun. So put your presumptions aside and just enjoy.

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Metal loves anonymous mask wearing entities. It is the first genre to dive into the dressing up box and slip on a facial features obscuring garment. From Slipknot to Ghost there is a whole host of acts that have decided that jeans and band shirt is so passé’. Sleep Token’s identities are still shrouded in secrecy but the interesting thing is that they sound nothing like you expect. This is slow burning electronica as opposed to in your face Metal. And slow is very much the word. This album creeps. Musically it is a dense atmospheric cloud that inches its way through the duration of the record. The heaviness is there but it is just on the edges of hearing. What really stands out (aside from how intricately constructed it is) is ‘Vessel’s’ voice. It is stunning. Full of pathos, emotion and soaring beauty, there is something really interesting here. There are angular riffs but there are also passages that’s sound like Boys 2 Men (seriously). It just all shouldn’t work. But it does. In the end, you come away intrigued and there is no better way to leave a record.

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I love the way that these Italian’s combine Classical and Death Metal. This is not Symphonic Metal in the way they are combined, this is an actual shunt job of authentic classic passages welded on to the face of melting Death Metal. They have been at this twelve years and in “Veleno” have produced by far their best piece of work. It is big, bold, heavy and full of lush orchestral breakdowns. What makes it so exciting is the way that the classical element is as important as the Death Metal. It is not there just to provide additional ambience, it is an integral part of their side. Brilliant and highly invigorating album.

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This is probably the best Queensrÿche album since 1994’s astonishing “Promised Land”. The years in-between certainly haven’t been kind for the band. The 90’s were particular cruel, seeing them plunge from arena stars to veritable nobodies. The noughties saw them release shite album after shite album as they desperately tried to recapture past glories and the last decade started with a highly acrimonious split with vocalist Geoff Tate and a bitter fight over the name which saw two Queensrÿche touring the world. Competing lawsuits were finally settled in 2015 leaving founding members Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and Scott Rockenfield with the name. “The Verdict” is actually the third Todd La Terre fronted post-Tate record, but is the first where the band have seemed to be have truly clicked. This album reminds me why I fell for Queensrÿche in the first place. It is intelligent, intricately structured Metal that knows exactly how you mix commerciality with complex. There is astounding musicianship on display here but at no point does it get full of itself. It knows exactly when to soar and when to scale back. Fantastic return to form.

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I promised you records that are pushing forward the boundaries of what is possible with Black Metal and this is certainly one of them. “Hearts of Lights” never turns out like you expect. This is not straight forward heavy and nasty Black Metal. It twists and turns, full of numerous abrupt changes in style and pace. There is so many textured layers at play here. Harsh guitar rubs up against melodic keys, each vying for your attention. It seems determined not to stick to a formula and therefore each track spirals off in a unique direction. The vocals are both stunning and haunting. Again, the traditional usual path is abandoned, instead we get a spoken word approach that turns conventions on its head. There is Goth, Avant-garde and lot of other influences here. This is not just pushing the envelope, but just ripping the whole thing apart. Astoundingly good!

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I love The National, but on record they haven’t pricked my attention since 2010’s sublime “High Violet” (which topped my list that year). “I am Easy to Find” is (pun intended) easily their best album since that masterpiece. It ramps up the maudlin and the introspective, is rich in cinematic atmosphere (there is an actual Mike Mills directed short film of the same name). Its USP is that it introduces a host of guest female vocalists who juxtapose with Matt Berninger’s deadpan delivery on every tracks. Lisa Hannigan, Sharon Van Etten, Mina Tindle, Gail Ann Dorsey, Kate Stables, and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus all feature and it is that additional vocal dimension that makes the album so interesting. These are not technically duets as we understand them in that the respective female guest and Mike don’t actually seem to be communicating with each other. Instead the additional vocalists bring a whole new layer to the band’s sound. On some tracks they soften it but on other they provide additional texture. The National feel rejuvenated on this record and once again not content to rest on their laurels.

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Another French act that are pushing Black Metal forward by challenging its more conservative tendencies. Blut Aus Nord have always existed on the more experimental and Avant-garde end of the Black spectrum, however “Hallucinogen” sees them make another seismic shift in style. This time, they have moved towards psychedelia with “Hallucinogen” which at times comes across as a darker and more cerebral Hawkwind. Where it does feel distinctly unique though is its ability to mix shades and textures. There are passages that feel positive and utterly life affirming but they suddenly metamorphosis into jagged gnarly sections full of hopelessness and self-loathing. Then, it is out again into the riotous optimism. Journey is an overused word but this album is a journey of self-discovery in musical form. There are parts that will sing to your soul and other times it will echo your deepest buried feelings of despair. In that ability to be both things it is an utter wonder.

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With a veritable takeover of this list by the Black Metal brigade there has been very little room for doom. But here comes one of the greatest doom acts of all time with the band that can be credited for creating drone. Now it has been a long time since Earth’s output had drone aspects to it. Instead they have wandered off into pastures of folk and jazz. “Full Upon Her Burning Lips” is a doom album but it is a warm and comfortable one that devours you in waves of soothing music. There aren’t huge coarse slabs of cold relentless riffs. Instead it is measured and intricate. Like any good piece of doom it is slowness. But here the lack of pace allows each and every tracks to blossom. This is an album that is happy to meander until it slowly unveil its treasures. It has an exquisite beauty at its heart with an aura of contempt and affirmation. Doom but doom that is at one with itself.

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Right, the last few entries have been meditative and contemplative (i.e. slow). So let’s pick up the pace considerably with some high octane foot to the floor thrash metal. Like their peers, Overkill have enjoyed an unexpected renaissance over the last ten years. Thrash has undergone a remarkable critical revaluation and is now regarded as a highly important part of Metal’s evolution (rather than a fly by night movement). It is in a healthy state now, more than it ever was in its supposed eighties heyday with a whole new generation of exciting bands (Power Trip, Gamma Bomb, Evile) joining a rejuvenated old guard in producing excellent material.

Overkill have certainly found their mojo over the last decade. Unlike other acts, they never actually split but they did experience a veritable merry go round of band members and a massive drop in quality. However since 2010, they have grown again in popularity and also in creative integrity. 2014’s “White Devil Armoury” was excellent and they have found again that swift swagger. “The Wings of War” is great. Classic thrash but it has enough originality not to sound like an Anthrax or Metallica copy. It’s fast, confident and full of excellent songs. Another triumphant return to form for Overkill.

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Given a bit of space and perspective I think we can all agree that 2014’s “The Grey Chapter” was a bit of a miss-step for the seemingly unstoppable Slipknot. Thankfully they have dusted themselves down and gone back to what they do best, namely pushing boundaries and being very pissed off about everything. They left behind the contemplation and soul searching of the “The Grey Chapter” and returned to angry, gnarly, loud, in your face scream-alongs. Yes, there is experimentation here but mostly it is Slipknot in their prime. Fast, aggressive, disruptive and confrontational. They maybe a mainstream proposition nowadays (they have been an answer on University Challenge and Corey was on QI) but they have not compromised an inch. This is ugly, anti-establishment and non-conformist. What else do you want from an album that topped both the British and American charts?

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Sludge metallers Torche admit that their sixth album is influenced by none other than Gary Numan. Ok, they haven’t gone full tilt electronic but “Admission” is full of soaring melodies that would not feel out of place in a eighties anthem. What makes this album really interesting is that they are tethered to massive sludgy riffs. Torche have kept their bowel shaking blast of primal noise but wedded it to melodic song writing. “Admission” therefore manages to be uplifting doom. Heavy but also distinctively positive and stirring.

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Venom Prison play uncompromising Death Metal. They are also highly political and Larissa screams about the injustices that she sees around her. Usually Death Metal’s power and brutality is used to shock for shock’s sake. However in “Samsara” it is channelled into being a force for change. Venom Prison make extreme music that is extraordinary in its directness and its power. Every track bursts out of your speakers (or headphones) and demands attention. Yes, it is coarse and ferocious but there is also enough deviation and experimentation to capture the imagination. Hugely impressive.

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Yep, sound the indie klaxon as we have a rare non-metal entry within the upper levels of this list. The Twilight Sad are Robert Smith’ of The Cure’s favourite band and they seem to have become their perpetual support act. Subverted pop is the best I can do to describe it. The songs on here initially seem to be harmless melodic and accessible indie pop. But then you listen closely and the distortion and fluctuating guitar tones appear. None of the tracks are as simple as they seem, this is actually a dense melting pot of looping melodies and pitch black lyrical content. The Goth, post punk and shoe gaze touches emerge the more you listen to it and by the time you reach the end you realise you have listened to a completely different album than you expected.

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The true definition of cult act, Candlemass have been going (off and on) since 1984 and are probably the most important band that you have never heard off. They have been the blueprint for modern Doom Metal and coined the phrase with their wonderful and hugely influential debut “Epicus Doomicus Metallicus”. They have split twice and have gone through thirteen separate iterations of the band. However, here in 2019 they have served certainly their best record since the eighties and a bonafide Doom Metal masterpiece. “The Door to Doom” is rich, textured and sounds utterly gorgeous. Moderation is actually the secret here. Returning vocalist Johan Längqvist (back after a 23 year absence) has deep, bellowing voice but he doesn’t over fluent it. It soars when it needs to but also is restrained and thrift of foot when needed. The musicianship is also gloriously balanced. Everything is in the right proportion. It sounds big but not oppressive. It knows where the line for being over the top is and firmly stays on the right side. Just an utter masterclass in how you make sumptuous sounding record.

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Sometimes this list swims with the rest of the herd and you will find records on here that also reside in the upper echelons of the lists that come from more cerebral publications. However, there are times we go seriously left field as this list is solely based on my own personnel tastes and what I have enjoyed listening to this year. So you won’t find the next record on any other end of year list, not even the National Finnish department of Goth and Glam’s annual round of the Finnish Goth Glam records. That is a real shame as I absolutely loved it. Not sure how I ended up listening to it and never really given The 69 Eyes much of a look in the past (even though they have been going for thirty years and have released thirteen albums). This is bubble gum Goth. The silly playfulness of Cheap Trick combined with mournful atmospherics of The Sisters Of Mercy. Jyrki 69 has the voice that Andrew Eldritch wished he still had, his deep soulful vocals mean that this essentially feels like the record that would have been created if Andrew had replaced Ian Astbury in an Electric era of The Cult. As an example, ‘Cheyanne’ is ‘Fire Woman‘ with the vocals from ‘Lucretia My Reflection’. The whole thing just sat so right with me and had me happily singing along on the ride home. It isn’t going to win nobodies album of the year but is still great great fun.

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Ok! So it is not the length that we had to wait for a new Acid Reign album but it is still twenty three years in gestation for this Xentrix. For a bunch of fifty years old recording their first record in quarter of a century it isn’t half good. In fact, this is probably the best album that Metallica never made. This is intelligent songs based thrash and it is stunningly good. The riffs are crisp, crunchy and driving, underpinned by an equal sprinkling of aggression and melody. I can’t stress enough how mature the song-writing is. Rather than try to be everything to everyone, they have concentrated on creating songs that capture the imagination. This is thrash in that it is heavy and frantic but there is a reflective side too. Jesus! If they had released albums this good in their heyday they would have been household names.

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This album effortlessly combines complexity and commercialism. It is full of catchy songs that are full of intricate time and tempo shifts. It is prog but without the length. Instead of writing sprawling epic, Baroness have distilled their genius in tight and targeted five minute chunks. Nothing outstays its welcome. Instead, we get sixteen songs (six are instrumental interludes) that prove that you can make intelligent Metal that appeals to a mass audience. Utterly utterly excellent.

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This has been a long time coming. Puppy first started making waves way back in 2015 with their hybrid of bubble gum pop and grunge. Cheap Trick meets Nirvana is how they were portrayed. Whilst it may seem that they have been a support slot and early afternoon festival slot stable for a goof long while, this is still their debut release. The harmonies are divine and frequent. There is a sugary overcoat but it hides a distinctly brittle Metal heart. This is pop with a venomous bite and I love the way it seduces you with sweet melodic whispers and then smacks you with a fearsome punch. Highly unique and highly infectious.

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