March was the strongest month of 2010 so far. There were several excellent releases, with three out of the top five receiving 4.5/5 ratings. Celtic Frost is no more, but Tom Warrior picked right up where they left off with Triptykon and they claim this month's top spot with their debut. There were CDs that would have made the top 5 in most other months, with Daughters, Gamma Ray, Armored Saint and others issuing strong albums that just missed the cut. Here's our list of the best metal CDs released in March, 2010.
1. Triptykon - 'Eparistera Daimones' (Century Media)
Century Media Records
Triptykon is the logical extention of Celtic Frost version 2.0. Monotheist's contemporary flare, commercially accessible and modern crunchy guitars, and doom laden passages remain in tow; however it's darker (though less gothic), more bleak and hateful.
Eparistera Daimones is also heavier and more aggressive, and while these elements are packaged as distinctly as everything else, they are relatively conventional compared to what Tom Fischer normally offers (though the thrashing death march of "A Thousand Lies" is simply unstoppable, somewhat akin to modern-day Sepultura). Musically and vocally, the argument can be made that Fischer has never sound this disturbed or twisted.
2. Immolation - 'Majesty and Decay' (Nuclear Blast)
Nuclear Blast Records
Immolation have always been a band to buck death metal conventions. Rather than resorting to all out blasts to convey a sense of brutality, Immolation rely upon totally unconventional song structures; that is, within what is usually classified as brutal death metal, to give their music a feeling of spiraling, uncontrolled chaos. Immolation have adopted this unique approach to death metal, and have honed their craft to near perfection on Majesty and Decay.
The unusual time changes, the different riffs that flow within a song, the precise vocals from Ross Dolan, all are written together seamlessly within Majesty and Decay, an album that would probably fall apart into an incoherent mess in the hands of those less capable.
3. The Dillinger Escape Plan - 'Option Paralysis' (Season Of Mist)
Season Of Mist
Option Paralysis will satisfy fans that have tracked Dillinger since the genre-bending Calculating Infinity, but could also be appreciated by those looking for an unpredictable listen. It’s an album that combines mathcore with a pop sensibility and never takes a bland turn.
Option Paralysis offers the best moments of songs like “43% Burnt” and “Black Bubblegum,” but more cogent songs. Dillinger’s earlier albums weren’t short on musical prowess but occasionally felt disjointed: Option Paralysis’ strength is that everything works together. But “Crystal Morning” shows that they haven’t dropped their math-nerd metal muse for pop.
4. Ludicra - 'The Tenant' (Profound Lore)
Profound Lore Records
Past releases from Ludicra toyed with the more traditional elements found in black metal, but, immediately, The Tenant stands out as a release that has moved far beyond any restrictions to one particular genre. In fact, about the only aspect of Ludicra that can still be considered black metal are the still-rasped vocal deliveries from Laurie Sue Shanaman and Christy Cather, and the odd blast beat or two.
Instead, Ludicra have adopted a progressive approach to their music that sounds, at times, like a mix of a few different styles. Traditional, moody heavy metal that leans towards the progressive, and the odd blast or two evocative of some of the eco-inspired black metal of the Pacific Northwest are present to some degree on The Tenant.
5. Dark Tranquillity - 'We Are The Void' (Century Media)
Century Media Records
We Are The Void delivers everything you'd expect from a Dark Tranquillity effort: catchy guitar riffs, a lot of melody and strong vocals from Mikael Stanne. Harsh vocals dominate the album, but Stanne's periodic baritone melodic vocals help add a gothic vibe to songs like “The Grandest Accusation” and “Her Silent Language.”
“Arkhangelsk” utilizes keyboards to provide a dark atmosphere to the heavy black metal influenced track. “I Am The Void” amps up the tempo and the thrashy guitar riffs, while Stanne varies his vocal delivery from deep and ominous spoken word vocals to regular death metal growls to more urgent higher pitched screams.
