Carcass with Surgical Steel (Nuclear Blast) in 2013, Behemoth and The Satanist (Metal Blade) in 2014, Ghost in 2015 and 2018 with Meliora and Prequelle (both Loma Vista), Magma (Roadrunner) by Gojira in 2016, and 2017’s Emperor of Sand (Mastodon – Reprise) is our legacy. Those incredible, scene-enhancing, ear-destroying releases are the standard-bearers by which Ghost Cult‘s albums of the year are to be judged. These are the albums of our times; and following another sensation year of great alternative, rock, and metal, the pantheon cries out for more, for another slab of wax, another Album of the Year to join them… the very best of 2019.
With a fully democratic poll of the views and votes of the length and breadth of Team Ghost Cult (including our photographers, reviewers, newshounds, podcast and YouTube contributors) taken, with no editorial steer or amendment, we present to you Part 1 (75-41) of the Official Ghost Cult Albums of the Year for 2019, for your vulgar delectation…
75. Traveler Traveler (Bandcamp) Review
74. Pijn & Conjurer Curse These Metal Hands (Holy Roar)
73. Swallow The Sun When A Shadow Is Forced Into Light (Century Media) Review
72. Torche Admission (Relapse) Review
71. Venom Prison Samsara (Prosthetic) Review
70. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds Ghosteen (Ghosteen / Bad Seed)
69. Lacuna Coil Black Anima (Century Media)
68. The Tallest Man On Earth I Love You, It’s A Fever Dream (Rivers / Birds)
67. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard Infest The Rats Nest (Flightless / ATO)
66. Brutus Nest (Hassle) Review
65. Thy Art Is Murder Human Target (Nuclear Blast) Review
64. Fleshgod Apocalypse Veleno (Nuclear Blast) Review
63. Dawn Ray’d Behold Sedition Plainsong (Prosthetic)
62. The Great Old Ones Cosmicism (Season of Mist) Review
61. Sabaton The Great War (Nuclear Blast) Review
60. Overkill The Wings of War (Nuclear Blast) Review
59. Lingua Ignota Caligula (Profound Lore) Review
58. Avantasia Moonglow (Nuclear Blast) Review
57. Yellow Eyes Rare Field Ceiling (Gilead Media) Review
56. Allegaeon Apoptosis (Metal Blade) Review
55. Have A Nice Life Sea of Worry (The Flenser)
54. Ithaca The Language of Injury (Holy Roar) Review
53. Wilderun Veil of Imagination (self-released)
52. Moon Tooth Crux (Pure Noise)
51. The Darkness Easter Is Cancelled (Canary Dwarf / Cooking Vinyl)
50. Soen Lotus (Silver Lining) “Tool atmospherics… Opeth’s staccato shredding and clean moments…with their fourth album, the band have crafted their most enjoyable record yet” Review
49. Motionless In White Disguise (Roadrunner) “Chris Motionless and his bandmates have tapped into the elusive fountain of creativity, and they show no signs of changing their formula for success” Review
48. Horseburner The Thief (Ripple Music) “Their music, however, gives no quarter at all: punishing the ears and the soul… these guys get their Stoner Rock and Trad influences on without being derivative or sacrificing that base instinct to rock.” Review
47. Big|Brave A Gaze Among Them (Southern Lord) “Big|Brave’s raison d’ être is to create a tension, a build-up of anxiety and anticipation in the listener which replicates a resigned hurt in the band’s delivery: a bit like trying to gain the trust of a mistreated child.” Review
46. Beast In Black From Hell With Love (Nuclear Blast) “Lightweight, bouncy as hell, and ridiculously catchy, if Finland ever needed another Metal representative for Eurovision then the exuberant euphoria of ‘Sweet True Lies’ would be a perfect candidate”. Review
45. Mayhem Daemon (Century Media) “Steeped in arson and murder, the legend of De Mysteriis… will never be surpassed, but with new album Daemon, the band have arguably crafted their finest collection of songs since that tumultuous time.” Review
44. Rival Sons Feral Roots (Low Country Sound / Elektra) The sixth album from the US retro rockers is a slow-burner that is worth the effort to uncover it’s Zeppelin-esque charms and bluesy, rootsy, charms.
43. Russian Circles Blood Year (Sargent House) “This is Russian Circles seventh full-length release and its strengths are obvious and immediate. Shorn of pretense, packed full of ideas and vigour, this is the most direct record Russian Circles have ever produced.” Review
42. Tomb Mold Planetary Clairvoyance (20 Buck Spin) “Toronto’s Death Metal legion Tomb Mold relentlessly unleash their third album Planetary Clairvoyance, fulfilling a newly refined sound of core driving riffs that is nothing short of ear candy”. Review
41. Borknagar True North (Century Media) Soaring, sweeping and evocative, Norwegian progressive blackened metallers Borknagar continue the creative second wind that began gusting with 2016’s Winter Thrice with a collection of powerful, dynamic offerings, all topped by the soaring vocals of Vintersorg and Simen Hastnaes.
Check out Part II of our countdown! https://www.ghostcultmag.com/ghost-cult-album-of-the-year-2019-part-2-40-21/