16. Vildhjarta – Thousands Of Evils
Genre: Progressive Deathcore/Djent
Preview: “Thousands Of Evils (Full
EP)”
For
fans of: Meshuggah, Dissipate,
Monuments, Periphery
Kinda meh, but it’s
still Vildhjarta. I could do with more
technical flourishes like I know they’re capable of on the next album…it’d
definitely get them listed a little higher than 16.
15. Delusions Of Grandeur – Efficacy
Genre: Progressive Deathcore
For fans of: The Contortionist, Aristeia, Iconoclast,
Neberu, Entities, Shades Of Black, Shokran
I feel really guilty
about having these guys outside of the top 10, because god damn was this album
awesome. The combination of riffs,
atmosphere, composition, and production was really unique this year.
14. Sidious – Ascension
To The Throne Ov Self
Genre: Symphonic/Blackened Death Metal
Preview: “Sentient Race”
For fans of: Behemoth, Carcass, Make Them Suffer, Nexilva,
Fleshgod Apocalypse, Septic Flesh
One of those albums
that came out of absolutely NOWHERE to completely destroy my ears. Criminally underappreciated.
13. Still Falling – Three Suns
Genre: Atmospheric/Progressive Death Metal
Preview: “Myrrh of
Identity”
For fans of: Ne Obliviscaris, I Am Atlas, To The Grave,
The Faceless
Some of the highest
replay value of any album in 2013…at least in my view!
12. Aronious – Demo
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Preview: “Truth In
Perception”
For fans of: Fallujah, The Faceless, The Black Dahlia
Murder
Technically this
wasn’t an EP, per se (hence having 16 “top EPs”, since I couldn’t rightfully
leave this one out without a mention of some sort), but if it was, this is
right where it’d go. Fans of prog/tech
death like Fallujah or “Planetary Duality”-era The Faceless will love
this. Oh, and their logo.
11. Kardashev – Excipio
Genre: Progressive/Atmospheric Deathcore/Death Metal
Preview: “The Chilliagon”
For fans of: Fallujah, Aegaeon, Born Of Osiris, Veil Of
Maya
The vibes, the
grooves, the crushing breakdowns, the reflective atmosphere, the vocals,
just…EVERYTHING.
10. Boreworm – Black Path
Genre: Atmospheric/Technical Death Metal
Preview: “Black Path”
For fans of: Fallujah, Abiotic, Xenobiotic, Burning The
Masses
Dense, heavy, and
technical. Nobody else wrote an EP that
really nailed those qualities this year quite like Boreworm.
9. Dethrone The Sovereign – Autocracy Dismantled
Genre: Symphonic Metalcore?
Preview: “Oblivious
To Consequence”
For fans of: The Human Abstract, The Raven Autarchy,
Knights Of The Abyss, Picture It In Ruins
These guys
incorporated just the right amount of The Human Abstract influence into kind of
a symphonic/electronic deathcore/metalcore format. When you’re doing something nobody else in
the scene is doing, you’re going to get my attention.
8. Auras – Panacea
Genre: Progressive Metalcore/Groove
Preview: “Cascade”
For fans of: Entities, Aristeia, The Contortionist
Ethereal grooves of
the year.
7. Delta – Voyage
Genre: Progressive/Atmospheric Deathcore
Preview: “Reaper”
For fans of: Shadow Of The Colossus, Born Of Osiris,
Delusions Of Grandeur
The only deathcore
album to come out this year that blew me away COMPLETELY by surprise. If Auras had the ethereal grooves of the year, Delta had by far some of the hardest-hitting.
6. Behold The Desecration – Omnipresent Putrefaction
Genre: Technical/Brutal Death Metal
Preview: “Rejecting
The Brood”
For fans of: Unhuman, Suffocation, Deeds Of Flesh, Thy
Devourer, Decrepit Birth, Abysmal Torment
Their Bandcamp bio
says this: “we want to fuck shit
up”. Well, they do. The intro riff to that preview song is one of
my favorite things all year.
5. The Zenith Passage – Cosmic Dissonance
Genre: Progressive/Technical Death Metal
Preview: “Cosmic
Dissonance”
For fans of: The Faceless, Archspire, Fallujah, Warforged
These guys got signed
by Unique Leader not too long after putting out this EP, so you know that they’re
pretty much at the forefront of the tech death scene right now.
4. Polyphia – Inspire
Genre: Progressive Metal/Instrumental
Preview: “Transcend”
For fans of: Plini, Sithu Aye, Intervals, Periphery,
Modern Day Babylon, Angel Vivaldi
These guys have to be
four of the most talented up-and-coming musicians in the entire metal
community. When you’re an instrumental
band and you make #4 on my EP of the year list, you’re doing something
right. I had more plays on this album
than almost any other this year.
Out-fucking-standing.
3. Black Crown Initiate – Song Of The Crippled Bull
Genre: Progressive Death Metal
Preview: “Stench
Of The Iron Age”
For fans of: Ovid’s Withering, Slice The Cake, Fallujah,
Opeth, Between The Buried And Me
Even though this is
only an EP, it’s been making top 10 lists all over the place – one of the
writers over at Metalsucks even had it as his #4 album of the year. I don’t know if I’d have it THAT high, but it
is pretty incredible.
2. Cognizance – Inquisitor
Genre: Technical Death Metal/Deathcore
Preview: “Perennial Struggle”
For fans of: The Black Dahlia Murder, Arsis, The Faceless,
Fallujah
Alex Rudinger of The
Faceless did drums for this album, Scott Corstairs of Fallujah had a guest
solo, Aaron Matts of Betraying The Martyrs did guest vox, and the dark lord
himself shredded himself silly. OH YEAH,
AND NEW FUCKING COGNIZANCE ON NEW YEARS DAY.
This would easily be the best, most exciting EP of the year, except……..
1. Fallujah – Nomadic
Genre: Progressive/Atmospheric/Technical Death Metal
Preview: “Venom Upon The
Blade”
The most
well-composed technical death metal I have EVER (repeat EVER) heard. There is so much depth here…how could this be
anything BUT number 1?
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