There is an overwhelming feeling that 2013 was a “good year” and that the world of extreme and progressive music (the very areas of the musical spectrum that Ghost Cult revels in and focuses on) is in a state of rude health and the true core of what stimulates this publication; the experimental, the boundary pushing, the truly progressive, the interesting, the dynamic, the atmospheric and above all the out-of-or-above-the-ordinary, has risen like the proverbial cream.
The year started with Cult of Luna’s ‘Vertikal’ taking our first Album of the Month award, setting the tone for the year, before things really started to get going in February with veterans Darkthrone, a particularly visceral Suffocation, and Voivod, in their 31st year and on their 11th album, impressing, the Canadian thrasers being our flagship release. March was a busy month. Though the award went to the prog-opus of Steven Wilson, it also saw excellent releases from Killswitch Engage, Wardruna, Clutch, Soilwork and Rotting Christ, while Portal took Death metal to new levels. The quarter ended with Steak Number 8 being our most acclaimed release, edging out Ghost, Cathedral’s farewell, The Ocean and Altar of Plagues.
Spring moved on, and The Dillinger Escape Plan took the coveted Album of the Month plaudits for May, in a month that also saw KEN Mode, Spiritual Beggars and Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats catch the ears of our writers. The summer brought us festival season, the new Black Sabbath, Alice In Chains and Amon Amarth albums. While Chthonic, Leprous, Phil Anselmo and Orphaned Land took home the plaudits, Deafheaven and Kylesa didn’t fare so well at the hands of our judges. Chimaera, Haken and Shining were our summer Album of the Month winners.
Heading into Autumn and top quality albums were flying around thick and fast. Post-metal protagonists A Storm Of Light claimed September’s honours from Carcass and Gorguts, with Ulcerate, Vista Chino and Skeletonwitch releasing strong albums in a month where Trent Reznor brought Nine Inch Nails out of retirement. The following month belonged to Ihsahn, who took the monthly award and the front cover, too, while notable releases included Alter Bridge, Trivium, Korn and Monster Magnet from the “big boys” as well surprise package of the year Beastmilk and a great year was brought to a close with Corrections House adorning the cover, and as our album of the month. 2013, was a year whereby both old and new acts helped make it a diverse, extremely progressive and enjoyable one.
And so to the Ghost Cult Staff Albums of Year for 2013 – our staff team have slaved over their personal Top 20’s, with over 220 albums were voted for covering an extremely diverse base. After a very hard fought contest, and a year overflowing with great albums, the final list has been pulled together and a deserving overall winner was decided upon.
Part I; 50- 21
50. GWAR – Battle Maximus (Metal Blade)
49. Motörhead – Aftershock (UDR)
48. Russian Circles – Memorial (Sargeant House)
47. Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest (Warp)
46. Rotting Christ – Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy (Season of Mist)
45. Pyres – Year of Sleep (self-released)
44. Protest The Hero – Volition (self-released/Razor & Tie)
43. Black Sabbath – 13 (Vertigo/Universal)
42. Battlecross – War of Will (Metal Blade)
41. Trivium – Vengeance Falls (Roadrunner)
40. Riverside – Shrine of New Generation Slaves (Inside Out/Century Media)
39. Helen Money – Arriving Angels (Profound Lore)
38. Darkthrone – The Underground Resistance (Peaceville)
37. Ulcerate – Vermis (Relapse)
36. Watain – The Wild Hunt (Century Media)
35. Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here (Capitol)
34. Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks (Columbia)
33. Voivod – Target Earth (Century Media)
32. TesseracT – Altered State (Century Media)
31. Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork (Matador)
30. Kvelertak – Meir (Roadrunner)
29. Russkaja – Energia! (Napalm)
28. Amon Amarth – Deceiver of the Gods (Nuclear Blast)
27. Windhand – Soma (Relapse)
26. Shining – One One One (Indie Recordings)
25. Red Fang – Whales and Leeches (Relapse)
24. Intronaut – Habitual Levitations (Century Media)
23. Portal – Vexovoid (Profound Lore)
22. Alter Bridge – Fortress (Roadrunner)
21. Death Angel – The Dream Calls For Blood (Nuclear Blast)
List as voted on by the global staff of Ghost Cult.
Written and compiled by Steve Tovey