01) Omnium Gatherum, The Burning Cold (Century Media)
Before I listened to both Omnium Gatherum’s The Burning Cold and Amorphis’ The Queen of Time, I thought Amorphis would be further up on the list. Obviously, I was wrong. I didn’t understand how guitarist Markus Vanhala had time to construct such a flawless album between touring with both Insomnium and OG as well as after releasing 2016’s Winter’s Gate and OG’s Grey Heavens. I want to know what his secret is! Moving forward, I have a film background and The Burning Cold did what I love most: it began just as it ended. Track one is “The Burning” as the final song is “Cold.” As simple as this is, I thought it was brilliant. And sometimes, keeping things simple has the best outcome.
Key Track(s): “The Burning” “Refining Fire” “Be the Sky” “The Frontline” “Cold”
Honorable Mentions (Alphabetical Order):
All That Remains, Victim of the New Disease (Fearless Records) – “Fuck Love”
Arkona, Khram (Napalm) – “Tseluya zhizn’”
At the Gates, To Drink From the Night Itself (Century Media) – “To Drink from the Night Itself”
Black Fast, Spectre of Ruin (EOne) – “Mist of Ruin”
Cauldron, New Gods (The End Records) – “Prisoner of the Past”
Dimmu Borgir, Eonian (Nuclear Blast) – “Archaic Correspondence”
Doro, Forever Warriors, Forever United (Nuclear Blast) – “All For Metal”
Exmortus, The Sound of Steel (Prosthetic) – “To the Ends of the Earth”
God Is An Astronaut, Epitaph (Napalm) – “Medea”
Hate Eternal, Upon Desolate Sands (Season of Mist) – “Vengeance Striketh”
Helion Prime, Terror of the Cybernetic Space Monster (AFM) – “The Human Condition”
High on Fire, Electric Messiah (EOne) – “Steps of the Ziggurat/House of Enlil”
Hyro the Hero, Flagged Channel (RED Music) – “Live Your Fuckin Life”
Jonathan Davis, Black Labyrinth (Sumerian) – “Please Tell Me”
Judas Priest, Firepower (Columbia) – “Never The Heroes”
Kamelot, The Shadow Theory (Napalm) – “Burns To Embrace”
Khemmis, Desolation (20 Buck Spin) – “From Ruin”
Lizzy Borden, My Midnight Things (Metal Blade) – “Obsessed with You”
Mantar, The Modern Art of Setting Ablaze (Nuclear Blast) – “Midgard Serpent (Seasons of Failure)”
Marduk, Viktoria (Century Media) – “Silent Night”
Night Verses, From the Gallery of Sleep (Equal Vision) – “Vice Wave”
Nita Strauss, Controlled Chaos (Sumerian) – “Mariana Trench”
Nonpoint, X (Spinefarm) – “Dodge Your Destiny”
Obscura, Diluvium (Relapse) – “An Epilogue to Infinity”
Pig Destroyer, Head Cage (Relapse) – “The Torture Fields”
Revocation, The Outer Ones (Metal Blade) – “Fathomless Catacombs”
Satan, Cruel Magic (Metal Blade) – “Legions Hellbound”
Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway, Dictator (Scarred for Life) – “Never Forget”
Sevendust, All I See Is War (Rise Records) – “Life Deceives You”
Shining, X – Varg Utan Flock (Season of Mist) – “Jag Ar Din Fiende”
Striker, Play to Win – “Summoner”
The Sword, Used Future (Razor & Tie) – “The Wild Sky”
Tribulation, Down Below (Century Media) – “Here Be Dragons”
Voivod, The Wake (Century Media) – “Always Moving”
Vreid, Lifehunger (Season of Mist) – “One Hundred Years”
Warrel Dane, Shadow Work (Century Media) – “Rain”
Listen to Zenae’s highlights in the playlist below:
