The Metal Scholar's Albums Of The Year & Decade

Yes, The Annual Question That Causes Internet Arguments On Another Level.

2019 has been a phenomenal year for rock and metal. Countless great releases that have ended up firmly in peoples rotations for years to come and showing no signs of moving. I think this partly echoes with the times as there have been monumental shifts in attitudes and creativity across the world. I have had the luxury to explore many countries through the music their artists release and it has been true eye opening with some of the albums and songs I've heard. There will be no easy way to select these albums, and some of you will no doubt disagree with some of my selections.

I think it is important to remember that when people create these lists it is a subjective opinion, so in other words, you may not like it but I do, so sod off. I have pondered these lists for the last two months, considering all areas of rock and metal that I've listened to and how they've impacted me through the year. Some I've had a more emotional connection with than others (it's art so in essence that's what it's meant to do) and some I use as my rugby and gym session hype ups. I will also feature  albums from the underground as well, as I know many of you have slept on these bands!

As far as the decade is concerned, where the hell do I start?! My music taste has changed drastically over the past 10 years and I'm thankful for it, as it has exposed me to music I'd never have once believed that I would be listening let alone enjoy it and love it as much as I do. So, it has been with much deliberation that I present to you my albums of the year and decade.

Albums Of The Year

I. Alcest (🇫🇷) - Spiritual Instinct (Nuclear Blast), Blackgaze
II. Rammstein (🇩🇪) - Rammstein (Universal Music), Industrial Metal
III. Mayhem (🇳🇴) - Daemon (Century Media), Black Metal
IV. Darkthrone (🇳🇴) - Old Star (Peaceville Records), Black Metal
V. Opeth (🇸🇪) - In Cauda Venenum (Moderbolaget Records), Progressive Metal
VI. Sabaton (🇸🇪) - The Great War (Nuclear Blast), Power Metal
VII. Northlane (🇦🇺) - Alien (UNFD), Metalcore
VIII. Whitechapel (🇺🇸) - The Valley (Metal Blade Records), Deathcore
IX. Slipknot (🇺🇸) - We Are Not Your Kind (Roadrunner Records), Metal
X. Amon Amarth (🇸🇪) - Berserker (Metal Blade Records), Melodic Death Metal

Honourable Mentions

Bring Me The Horizon (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - amo (Sony Music), Alternative Metal
Lindemann (🇩🇪/🇸🇪) - F&M (Vertigo Berlin), Industrial Metal
Abbath (🇳🇴) - Outstrider (Season Of Mist), Black Metal
Stray From The Path (🇺🇸) - Internal Atomics (UNFD), Hardcore

Underground Albums Of The Year

I. Necronautical  (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Apotheosis (Candlelight Records), Black Metal
II. Mgła (🇵🇱) - Age Of Excuse (Independent), Black Metal
III. 1349 (🇳🇴) - The Infernal Pathway (Season Of Mist), Black Metal
IV. Obsequiae (🇺🇸) - The Palms of Sorrowed Kings (20 Buck Spin), Atmospheric Black Metal
V. Misþyrming (🇮🇸) - Algleymi (NoEvIda), Black Metal
VI. Saor (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿) - Forgotten Paths (Fortriu Productions), Atmospheric Black Metal
VII. Venom Prison (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Samsara (Prosthetic Records), Death Metal/Hardcore
VIII. Vanum (🇺🇸) - Ageless Fire (Profound Lore Records), Black Metal
IX. Enthroned (🇧🇪) - Cold Black Suns (Season Of Mist), Black Metal
X. Imperium Dekadenz (🇩🇪) - When We Are Forgotten (Napalm Records), Black Metal
XI. Djevel (🇳🇴) - Ormer til armer, maane til hode (Aftermath Music), Black Metal
XII. Tomb Mold (🇨🇦) - Planetary Clairvoyance (20 Buck Spin), Death Metal
XIII. Vitriol (🇺🇸) - To Bathe From The Throat Of Cowardice (Century Media), Death Metal
XIV. Fleshgod Apocalypse (🇮🇹) - Veleno (Nuclear Blast), Symphonic/Technical Death Metal
XV. Brand Of Sacrifice ( 🇨🇦/🇺🇸) - God Hand (Unique Leader Records), Brutal Death Metal
XVI. Borknagar (🇳🇴) - True North (Century Media Records), Melodic Black Metal
XIX. Cattle Decapitation (🇺🇸) - Death Atlas (Metal Blade Records), Progressive Death Metal/Grindcore
XX. Disentomb (🇦🇺) - The Decaying Light (Unique Leader Records), Brutal Death Metal

Honourable Mentions

Schammasch (🇨🇭) - Hearts of No Light (Prosthetic Records), Avant-garde Black Metal
Second To Sun (🇷🇺) - Legacy (Independent), Post-Black/Groove Metal
Svatan (🇧🇷) - Blazing Winds Of Transcendence (Independent/Tratore), Black Metal
Teitanblood (🇪🇸) - The Baneful Choir (NoEvDia), Blackened Death Metal
Halphas (🇩🇪) - The Infernal Path Into Oblivion (Foiter Records), Black Metal
Satanic (🇨🇦) - ...From Hell (Independent), Thrash/Death Metal

Albums Of The Decade

I. Architects (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us (Epitaph), Progressive Metalcore
II. Architects (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Lost Forever // Lost Together (Epitaph), Progressive Metalcore
III. Black Stone Cherry (🇺🇸) - Family Tree (Mascot Label Group), Southern Rock
IV. Black Stone Cherry (🇺🇸) - Kentucky (Mascot Label Group), Southern Rock
V. Behemoth (🇵🇱) - The Satanist (Nuclear Blast), Blackened Death Metal
VI. Wardruna (🇳🇴) - Ragnarok (Indie Recordings), Nordic Folk/Dark Folk
VII. Black Stone Cherry (🇺🇸) - Magic Mountain (Mascot Label Group), Southern Rock
VIII. Clutch (🇺🇸) - Psychic Warfare (Weathermaker Music), Stoner Rock
IX. Myrkur (🇩🇰) - Mareridt (Relapse Records)
X. Amon Amarth (🇸🇪) - Jomsviking (Metal Blade Records), Melodic Death Metal
XI. Animals As Leaders (🇺🇸) - The Joy Of Motion (Sumerian Records), Progressive Metal
XII. Behemoth (🇵🇱) - I Loved You At Your Darkest (Nuclear Blast), Blackened Death Metal
XIII. Lamb Of God (🇺🇸) - Resolution (Sony Music), Groove Metal/Metalcore
XIV. Northlane  (🇦🇺) - Singularity (UNFD), Progressive Metalcore
XV. Batushka (🇵🇱) - Litourgiya (Badmusic.Pl), Black Metal
XVI. Opeth (🇸🇪)  - Pale Communion (Roadrunner Records), Progressive Metal
XIX. Meshuggah (🇸🇪) - The Violent Sleep Of Reason (Nuclear Blast), Progressive Metal/Djent
XX. TesseracT  (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Altered State (Century Media Records), Progressive Metal/Djent

Honourable Mentions

Malevolence (🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿) - Reign Of Suffering (Siege Of Amida Records), Hardcore
The Contortionist (🇺🇸) - Language (eOne Music), Progressive Metal
Alien Weaponry (🇳🇿) - TŪ (Napalm Records), Thrash/Māori Metal
Deftones (🇺🇸) - Diamond Eyes (Reprise Records), "Nu-metal"/Alternative

What A Decade

There will no doubt be some interesting surprises for some of you, but for me this proves how much my music taste has grown and evolved into this conglomerate monster that it is today. My favourite part is looking at all the flags and seeing the range of countries that these bands come from, it is proof to me that music is truly global now. With that in mind, some of the more obscure and niche bands on this list I would have never have dreamed of having access to if it wasn't for Spotify and my own thirst for musical exploration. In the New Year, I think I should probably reach out to Latin America more and some more obscure countries to expand my horizons further, but I am by no means discrediting he hypothetical miles I have travelled to hear these bands. I also think that the fact I've had to include lengthy honourable mentions lists means that this really was a hard task for me, and although you may disagree with some of my selections, these albums have meant something to me at some point or another and that is the thought process that had lead to the decisions I have made. Either way, you cannot deny that this year and this decade has been an epic year for metal and rock music.

🍾🎉🎊Happy New Year! From Fjordhammer🎉🎊🍾