It’s December, which means that, for the most part, the year in music is over. Almost everything that’s going to come out has already, as the music industry focuses on the holiday shopping rush by pushing everything that’s come out in the first 11 months of the year. It’s also a good time to take stock of what has come out so far this year, and while you’ll be getting our picks in due time, we wanted to first turn things over to some of the people making that music. To that end, here are Cannibal Corpse’s Alex Webster, Reece Scruggs of Havok, Erik Olson of Lord Dying and Jacklyn Paulette of Requiem. Stay tuned throughout the week as we continue to bring you more artists’ picks for the year.
Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse
1) Marty Friedman, Inferno
2) Hideous Divinity, Cobra Verde
3) Animals As Leaders, Joy of Motion
4) Overkill, White Devil Armory
5) Stephan Forte, Enigma Opera Black
6) Abysmal Dawn, Obsolescence
7) Revocation, Deathless
8) Accept, Blind Rage
9) Goatwhore, Constricting Rage of the Merciless
10) Amberian Dawn, Magic Forest
Reece Scruggs of Havok
1) Revocation, Deathless
My favorite band going today, also good friends of ours. White hot licks and sick riffs!
2) Cannibal Corpse, A Skelatal Domain
The best death metal band ever PERIOD! Doing what they do best: DESTROYING.
3) Wretched, Cannibal
Great friends of ours and killer musicians. The track “Cannibal” is a trip to another world.
4) Savage Messiah, The Fearful Dark
Also good buddies of ours. These English chaps know how to shred.
5) Arch Enemy, War Eternal
Standard AE, but Nick Cordle fucking murdered the leads on this release. Someone of importance, hire him to SHRED!
6) Goatwhore, Constricting Rage of the Merciless
Sammy GODDAMN Duet knows how to write a riff goddamn it.
7) English Dogs, The Thing With Two Heads
Long awaited release from the crossover masters. I love the guys and their band! This album has all the metal riffs and punk angst with ripping solos to boot. Oi!
8) Opeth, Pale Communion
Michael is great, we all know that, but what about the monster that is Fredrick Åkesson?!?!
9) Exodus, Blood In, Blood Out
Dude, Gary Holt is the most metal person alive. I just wished he gave a little bit more of a shit about his lead writing and playing, like in the ‘Fabulous Disaster’ days. Anyways, Zetro is back and that just blows my tits off. Sick!
10) Job For A Cowboy, Sun Eater
A surprise release for me, something that really caught me off guard. Never have been a huge JFAC fan, but the tunes are undeniably good. Sick musicianship too, the lead guitarist and bassist are the true champions of this record.
Erik Olson of Lord Dying [In No Particular Order]
Orange Goblin, Back From The Abyss
Inter Arma, The Cavern
Bolzer, Soma
Mantar, Death by Burning
Tombs, Savage Gold
YOB, Clearing The Path to Ascend
Crowbar, Symmetry in Black
Eyehategod, Eyehategod
Lazer/Wulf, The Beast of Left and Right
Cannibal Corpse, A Skeletal Domain
Jacklyn Paulette of Requiem
1) Requiem, The Unexplainable Truth
2) Motionless in White, Reincarnate
3) Judas Priest, Redeemer of Souls
4) Lacuna Coil, Broken Crown Halo
5) Primus, Primus and the Chocolate Factory
6) Slipknot, .5: The Gray Chapter
7) Sixx AM, Modern Vintage
8) Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Pika Pika Fantajin
9) Combichrist, We Love You
10) The Birthday Massacre, Superstition
