Year-End Thoughts – 2006

I’m not one for year-end “Top XX” lists. Who actually reads them? Music critics compile them so they can feel important. And, really, they’re meaningless post-1986. Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood, Peace Sells…, and Somewhere in Time all came out that year, not to mention Pleasure to Kill and The Age of Quarrel. Fuck!

That said, I’ve been conned into writing Top 10 lists for Stylus and Metal Injection. In the fourth installment of Stylus’ “Left Hand Path” column, I present my macro-level take on 2006, my year-end Top 10 list, and reviews of The Autumn Project, The Concubine, The Hope Conspiracy, and other bands that don’t begin with “the.” At Metal Injection, I talk more in depth about each of my Top 10 records. To further beat this dead horse, here are my Top 10 in haiku form.

10. Dolorian – Voidwards

Philip Anselmo
Stole my stash of heroin
Lucky I have this.

9. Converge – No Heroes

Converge means best merch
Regardless if you like them
You have a hoodie.

8. Cannibal Corpse – Kill

Bald guy leaves, oh no!
Band brings in long hair, Rutan
Now they rock again.

7. Year of No Light – Nord

Put down that Isis
Hear these Frenchmen do it right
Long songs, small-big-small.

6. Agalloch – Ashes Against the Grain

Portland, Oregon
What the fuck is there to do
But be cold, rock out.

5. Deicide – The Stench of Redemption

Two new guitarists
So what if one’s Catholic?
Satan pays the bills.

4. Jesu – Silver

It’s the Godflesh dude
He sings more, adds melody
Now hipsters love him.

3. Katatonia – The Great Cold Distance

Viva Emptiness
Quite a hard act to follow
More rock, just as cold.

2. Enslaved – Ruun

You’re so “grim” and “tr00″
Enslaved must make you angry
That makes me happy.

1. Ludicra – Fex Urbis Lex Orbis

San Francisco sucks
Well, some of the time, at least
Ludicra ist Krieg!