I've decided not to do a best-of-2013 list, as there's too much stuff to write about. Instead I'm looking at my year as a whole with This Noise Is Ours. Below you'll find my personal highlights (which there are loads) and the underneath that, I've broken my year down month-by-month in terms of reviews, in case there's any you've missed. Some of the releases I discuss here will probably have been released prior to 2013, deal with it!
So, what can I say. 2013 is gonna be hard to live up to. So many new, awesome British bands were featured including Corrupt Moral Altar, Opium Lord, Outrage CC, Wraiths and Torpor. I somehow managed to review every single release from Manchester label Church of Fuck! I dug deeper into black metal with reviews featuring Ash Borer, Fell Voices, Ulfarr, Hranblod and tonnes more. I featured several new releases by Yorkshire black metal label Glorious North Productions, whose output just gets stronger and stronger.
In terms of other International bands, I was lucky enough to feature Total Fucking Destruction, Baroness, Howl and my 2013 favourites Seven Sisters of Sleep. I slowed things down with a week dedicated to doom, featuring the likes of Rorcal, Moloch, Open Tomb, Meth Drinker and more.
I stumbled upon a doom band called Pendulous who I really liked. I recommended them as new listening to Andrew from UK label Dry Cough Records, who subsequently released their demo on tape, which shows this blogging lark really works. I also witnessed blog faves Totem Skin work with and release an LP via Dog Knights Productions and more recently, Napalm Christ singing to the might A389 Records.
I featured a fair few labels in special label features including Broken Limbs Productions, Listen To Aylin Records, Enjoyment Records, Headless Guru Records, Baneful Genesis Records and Speedowax Records. I also got my Bandcamp page up and running, streaming tracks by up and coming extreme metal bands including Eshtadur, Bukowski Family, Dead Awaken, Nocturne, Septekh and Fear Theories.
I invited my friend Christer (Owner of Listen To Aylin Records) to write about some of his favourite emo/screamo records in a short series called Great Northern Screamo. He wrote about Dip Leg, Gas Up Yr Hearse and Autarkeia. In October, I released my first free digital download compilation, featuring bands from Yorkshire and the surrounding area. It featured Lazarus Blackstar, We'll Die Smiling, Masochist and tonnes more from all corners of metal and hardcore. Here's the link in case you missed it - http://thisnoiseisours.bandcamp.com
Finally, in December I reached a huge milestone and achieved a readership of 100,000 people from across the globe. I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone, whether it's bands, labels or fans for checking out my blog and making it what it is today. There will be even more coming in 2014!
January
Corrupt Moral Altar - Needle Drug Demo
Rotting Palms - S/T 7"
Stuck In A Rut - No Future
Siberian Meat Grinder - Hail To The Tsar
Despite Exile - Scarlet Reverie
Convulse - Inner Evil EP
Grievances/Quiet Hands - Split
Nunslaughter - Chistmassacre
Reparation - Guidance & Hallucinations
The Plot In You - Could You Watch Your Children Burn
Moloch (Ukr) - Stiller Schrei des Winters (2002-2012)
Old Wounds - II
Knife Crimes - Complete Discography
Unsacred - Three Sisters Tape
Iron Witch - Hangover Suicide 7"
Corrupt Moral Altar - Luciferian Deathcult
Heksed - Plague Embrace Tape
Opium Lord - The Calendrical Cycle: Prologue - The Healer EP
Before Their Eyes - Redemption
Rise After Defeat - Pragmatica EP
Jar'd Loose - Goes To Purgatory
Revilers - S/T
Borg 64 - Anywhere But Here EP
Vigour - No Gods To Praise
February
Vera Grace - The Lucifer Effect
Moghul - Dead Empires EP
Total Fucking Destruction - Monsters EP
Obolus - Lament
Vagiant - Gospel According To Vagiant
Sohns - Ripe/Rot 7"
Hammers - Vardogr Tape
Failsafe - Routines
Cultfinder - Black Thrashing Terror 7"
Ash Borer - Bloodlands 12"
Kazan - Maslow O
Skin Father - Succession/Possession 7"
LockerSludge - Falling On Our Faces EP
March
After Taste - Motifs & Ornements: Partie 1
The Sinking Feeling EP
Aguirre - S/T
Esoteric Youth/Prelude To The Hunt - Split Tape
Death Tripper/Meatpacker - Split 7"
Cosmonauts Day - Paths of The Restless
Bong - Mana-Yood-Sushai
Hic Iacet - Prophecy of Doom 7"
Zombiefication - Reaper's Consecration
Outrage CC - Demo 2013
Krieg/Gravecode Nebula - Split 7"
Abstracter - Tomb of Feathers Tape
Decrepitaph/Humiliation - Split 7"
Seven Sisters of Sleep - Opium Morals
April
Children of Technology - Mayhemic Speed Anarchy 7"
Black Veins - The Cycle Will Cease To End 7"
Seagraves - Weight Of The World EP
Hacktivist - Hacktivist EP
Burden of A Noose - The Forgotten Plague EP
Disfracture - Disfracture EP
Anchors & Roses - Distance EP
End Reign - Suicide Collection Tape
Arktau Eos - Ioh - Maera
Thenn - Threshing The Golden Fields EP
Howl - Bloodlines
Acolyte - Alta
Bong - S/T
Corrupt Moral Altar - Whisky Sierra 7"
May
Mists of Poveglia - Ambient Winter Tape
Razoreater/Iced Out - Split 7"
Darkall Slaves - Abysses of Seclusion EP
Redwood Hill - Descender
Sutter Cane - Sous La Pierre Et L'asphodele
Moving Mountains - New Light EP
We Are The Sons Of Faow Vernay - Grimreapers On Unicorns: Book 1
Oak Pantheon - From A Whisper
Cara Neir/Ramlord - Split Tape
Deafest - Through Wood And Fog EP
Hunter's Ground - No God But The Wild
Monolithian - One/Zero 12"
Fell Voices - Regnum Saturni 2xlp
Moths - Moths EP
Eshtadur - Stay Away From Evil And Get Close To Me
Bukowski Family - Unpleasantries Abundant EP
Arktau Eos - Unworeldes
Ulfarr/Hrafnblod - Split
System Annihilated - Furor
Dead Awaken - Where Hope Turns Dripping Red
June
Hexen - Being And Nothingness
Nocturne - Ave Noctem
Septekh - Apollonian Eyes
Her Breath On Glass - S/T 6"
Quiet Steps - Think Aloud LP
Tristan Tzara - Omorina Nad Evropom Tape
Aske/Hap - Split Tape
Atragon - Volume 1
As Albion Sleep - The Prayer For Arthur Gauntlet
Art of Burning Water - Love You Dead
Jagernaut/Terlarang - Split 7"
Witchtrap - Vengeance Is My Name
Laser Flames On The Great Big News - Lambs
Psuedogod - Deathwomb Catechesis
Not My Hero - S/T EP
Jellywatch - Demo 2011
Dead Church/Suffering Mind - Split 5"
Analogue Of The Sun - Eardstapa
Zom - Multiversal Holocaust 7"
Trials - In The Shadows of Swords
Let It Die/Monolithian - Because The World Is Perfidious, I Am Going Into Mourning 7"
Saint Coltrane/Weird Wives - Split 7"
Indian Taker/Shortcuts - Split 7"
Nathan Detroit - S/T 7"
Axes - S/T 12"
July
Written In Torment - Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes
Swinelord - Life Is Empty/I Feel Fucked 10"
Castellan - Feeding Tube EP
Koresh - Chump
Stay The Course - Innocence/These Walls Demo
Wraiths - EP 2012
Horrors That You've Seen - Smokin, Skatin, Satan
Mors Voluntaria - A Pathway Through Forgotten Woods
Plague Survivors - Discography Tape
Oblivionized/Human Cull - This Septic Isle 7"
Nunslaughter/Antiseen - Split 7"
On Pain Of Death - Year Naught Doom Tape
Superchrist - Holy Shit
Lifes - Demo
Sun Worship - Surpass Eclipse 12"
Barge - No Gain 7"
Baroness - Live At Maida Vale 12"
War Wolf - Riding With Demons 10"
Sea Bastard - Sea Bastard 2XLP
Minors - Demo
Dull Eyes - War Anthems
Stone Magnum - From Time...To Eternity
August
Uvikra - Bi
King Carnage - Ounce Of Mercy, Pound Of Flesh
River Jumpers - Chapters
Temple Of Void - Demo MMXIII
Daytrader - Twelve Years
Boss Keloid - The Calming Influence Of Teeth
Kraanium - Post Mortal Coital Fixation
Torpor - Bled Dry Tape
BornBroken - The Healing Powers Of Hate
Trial - Malicious Arts 7"
American Heritage - Sedentary
Esoteric Youth - The Burden Of Living 7"
Nordland - The True Cult Of The Earth
The Infernal Sea - The Crypt Sessions EP
Lychgate - Lychgate
Gmork/Astarium/In Tenebriz - Misterious Winds From Ancient Past
Twilight Fauna - Grief
Ancst - The Humane Condition Tape
Ash Borer - Cold Of Ages 12"
September
Spiculum Iratus - Summa Anti-Thelogica
Icon of Phobos - Icon of Phobos
Legions of Astaroth - Rites of Somatic Death
Pendulous - Mirrored Confessions
Sexcrement - Sloppy Seconds
Dead Church/Faction Disaster - Split 7"
Demon Lung - Pareidolia EP
Totem Skin - These Ghosts Are Haunting Our Halls EP
Cnoc An Tursa- Giants Of Auld
Foul Body Autopsy - The Epidemic Sickening The World
Archagathus/Jeffrey Dahmer - Mincrusher 7"
Brave Bird - Ready Or Not EP
Napalm Christ - 2013 Demo
Exhaustion - Demo
October
Mage - Black Sands
Mirror Eyes - Through The Gates of Ivory And Horn
November
Coilguns - Commuters
Coffinworm - Great Bringer of The Night
Dementia Senex - Heartworm EP
Humangled - Odd Ethics EP
Old Skin - Maere 7"
Vesterian - Anthems For The Coming War Age
Kingpin - Demo
Full of Hell - Music From The Dial Tape
Brutal Truth/Bastard Noise - The Axiom of Post Inhumanity Split
December
Profond Barathre/Rorcal/Malvoisie - Split
Open Tomb - Servents of Slow Tape
Moloch/Meth Drinker - Split 12"
Ensorcelor/Moloch - Split 12"
Bad Habits - Parting Words 7"
Kato - Buried With The Rain 7"
Machinist - Black List 7"
Will To Die - Mass Grave 7"
Man Gremmes Kan - On A Pulpit Of Souls Tape
Dehuman - Black Throne of All Creation
Cardiac Arrest/Mutant Supremacy - Split 7"
Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire
Cloud Rat - Moksha
So, what can I say. 2013 is gonna be hard to live up to. So many new, awesome British bands were featured including Corrupt Moral Altar, Opium Lord, Outrage CC, Wraiths and Torpor. I somehow managed to review every single release from Manchester label Church of Fuck! I dug deeper into black metal with reviews featuring Ash Borer, Fell Voices, Ulfarr, Hranblod and tonnes more. I featured several new releases by Yorkshire black metal label Glorious North Productions, whose output just gets stronger and stronger.
In terms of other International bands, I was lucky enough to feature Total Fucking Destruction, Baroness, Howl and my 2013 favourites Seven Sisters of Sleep. I slowed things down with a week dedicated to doom, featuring the likes of Rorcal, Moloch, Open Tomb, Meth Drinker and more.
I stumbled upon a doom band called Pendulous who I really liked. I recommended them as new listening to Andrew from UK label Dry Cough Records, who subsequently released their demo on tape, which shows this blogging lark really works. I also witnessed blog faves Totem Skin work with and release an LP via Dog Knights Productions and more recently, Napalm Christ singing to the might A389 Records.
I featured a fair few labels in special label features including Broken Limbs Productions, Listen To Aylin Records, Enjoyment Records, Headless Guru Records, Baneful Genesis Records and Speedowax Records. I also got my Bandcamp page up and running, streaming tracks by up and coming extreme metal bands including Eshtadur, Bukowski Family, Dead Awaken, Nocturne, Septekh and Fear Theories.
I invited my friend Christer (Owner of Listen To Aylin Records) to write about some of his favourite emo/screamo records in a short series called Great Northern Screamo. He wrote about Dip Leg, Gas Up Yr Hearse and Autarkeia. In October, I released my first free digital download compilation, featuring bands from Yorkshire and the surrounding area. It featured Lazarus Blackstar, We'll Die Smiling, Masochist and tonnes more from all corners of metal and hardcore. Here's the link in case you missed it - http://thisnoiseisours.bandcamp.com
Finally, in December I reached a huge milestone and achieved a readership of 100,000 people from across the globe. I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone, whether it's bands, labels or fans for checking out my blog and making it what it is today. There will be even more coming in 2014!
January
Corrupt Moral Altar - Needle Drug Demo
Rotting Palms - S/T 7"
Stuck In A Rut - No Future
Siberian Meat Grinder - Hail To The Tsar
Despite Exile - Scarlet Reverie
Convulse - Inner Evil EP
Grievances/Quiet Hands - Split
Nunslaughter - Chistmassacre
Reparation - Guidance & Hallucinations
The Plot In You - Could You Watch Your Children Burn
Moloch (Ukr) - Stiller Schrei des Winters (2002-2012)
Old Wounds - II
Knife Crimes - Complete Discography
Unsacred - Three Sisters Tape
Iron Witch - Hangover Suicide 7"
Corrupt Moral Altar - Luciferian Deathcult
Heksed - Plague Embrace Tape
Opium Lord - The Calendrical Cycle: Prologue - The Healer EP
Before Their Eyes - Redemption
Rise After Defeat - Pragmatica EP
Jar'd Loose - Goes To Purgatory
Revilers - S/T
Borg 64 - Anywhere But Here EP
Vigour - No Gods To Praise
February
Vera Grace - The Lucifer Effect
Moghul - Dead Empires EP
Total Fucking Destruction - Monsters EP
Obolus - Lament
Vagiant - Gospel According To Vagiant
Sohns - Ripe/Rot 7"
Hammers - Vardogr Tape
Failsafe - Routines
Cultfinder - Black Thrashing Terror 7"
Ash Borer - Bloodlands 12"
Kazan - Maslow O
Skin Father - Succession/Possession 7"
LockerSludge - Falling On Our Faces EP
March
After Taste - Motifs & Ornements: Partie 1
The Sinking Feeling EP
Aguirre - S/T
Esoteric Youth/Prelude To The Hunt - Split Tape
Death Tripper/Meatpacker - Split 7"
Cosmonauts Day - Paths of The Restless
Bong - Mana-Yood-Sushai
Hic Iacet - Prophecy of Doom 7"
Zombiefication - Reaper's Consecration
Outrage CC - Demo 2013
Krieg/Gravecode Nebula - Split 7"
Abstracter - Tomb of Feathers Tape
Decrepitaph/Humiliation - Split 7"
Seven Sisters of Sleep - Opium Morals
April
Children of Technology - Mayhemic Speed Anarchy 7"
Black Veins - The Cycle Will Cease To End 7"
Seagraves - Weight Of The World EP
Hacktivist - Hacktivist EP
Burden of A Noose - The Forgotten Plague EP
Disfracture - Disfracture EP
Anchors & Roses - Distance EP
End Reign - Suicide Collection Tape
Arktau Eos - Ioh - Maera
Thenn - Threshing The Golden Fields EP
Howl - Bloodlines
Acolyte - Alta
Bong - S/T
Corrupt Moral Altar - Whisky Sierra 7"
May
Mists of Poveglia - Ambient Winter Tape
Razoreater/Iced Out - Split 7"
Darkall Slaves - Abysses of Seclusion EP
Redwood Hill - Descender
Sutter Cane - Sous La Pierre Et L'asphodele
Moving Mountains - New Light EP
We Are The Sons Of Faow Vernay - Grimreapers On Unicorns: Book 1
Oak Pantheon - From A Whisper
Cara Neir/Ramlord - Split Tape
Deafest - Through Wood And Fog EP
Hunter's Ground - No God But The Wild
Monolithian - One/Zero 12"
Fell Voices - Regnum Saturni 2xlp
Moths - Moths EP
Eshtadur - Stay Away From Evil And Get Close To Me
Bukowski Family - Unpleasantries Abundant EP
Arktau Eos - Unworeldes
Ulfarr/Hrafnblod - Split
System Annihilated - Furor
Dead Awaken - Where Hope Turns Dripping Red
June
Hexen - Being And Nothingness
Nocturne - Ave Noctem
Septekh - Apollonian Eyes
Her Breath On Glass - S/T 6"
Quiet Steps - Think Aloud LP
Tristan Tzara - Omorina Nad Evropom Tape
Aske/Hap - Split Tape
Atragon - Volume 1
As Albion Sleep - The Prayer For Arthur Gauntlet
Art of Burning Water - Love You Dead
Jagernaut/Terlarang - Split 7"
Witchtrap - Vengeance Is My Name
Laser Flames On The Great Big News - Lambs
Psuedogod - Deathwomb Catechesis
Not My Hero - S/T EP
Jellywatch - Demo 2011
Dead Church/Suffering Mind - Split 5"
Analogue Of The Sun - Eardstapa
Zom - Multiversal Holocaust 7"
Trials - In The Shadows of Swords
Let It Die/Monolithian - Because The World Is Perfidious, I Am Going Into Mourning 7"
Saint Coltrane/Weird Wives - Split 7"
Indian Taker/Shortcuts - Split 7"
Nathan Detroit - S/T 7"
Axes - S/T 12"
July
Written In Torment - Bellum Omnium Contra Omnes
Swinelord - Life Is Empty/I Feel Fucked 10"
Castellan - Feeding Tube EP
Koresh - Chump
Stay The Course - Innocence/These Walls Demo
Wraiths - EP 2012
Horrors That You've Seen - Smokin, Skatin, Satan
Mors Voluntaria - A Pathway Through Forgotten Woods
Plague Survivors - Discography Tape
Oblivionized/Human Cull - This Septic Isle 7"
Nunslaughter/Antiseen - Split 7"
On Pain Of Death - Year Naught Doom Tape
Superchrist - Holy Shit
Lifes - Demo
Sun Worship - Surpass Eclipse 12"
Barge - No Gain 7"
Baroness - Live At Maida Vale 12"
War Wolf - Riding With Demons 10"
Sea Bastard - Sea Bastard 2XLP
Minors - Demo
Dull Eyes - War Anthems
Stone Magnum - From Time...To Eternity
August
Uvikra - Bi
King Carnage - Ounce Of Mercy, Pound Of Flesh
River Jumpers - Chapters
Temple Of Void - Demo MMXIII
Daytrader - Twelve Years
Boss Keloid - The Calming Influence Of Teeth
Kraanium - Post Mortal Coital Fixation
Torpor - Bled Dry Tape
BornBroken - The Healing Powers Of Hate
Trial - Malicious Arts 7"
American Heritage - Sedentary
Esoteric Youth - The Burden Of Living 7"
Nordland - The True Cult Of The Earth
The Infernal Sea - The Crypt Sessions EP
Lychgate - Lychgate
Gmork/Astarium/In Tenebriz - Misterious Winds From Ancient Past
Twilight Fauna - Grief
Ancst - The Humane Condition Tape
Ash Borer - Cold Of Ages 12"
September
Spiculum Iratus - Summa Anti-Thelogica
Icon of Phobos - Icon of Phobos
Legions of Astaroth - Rites of Somatic Death
Pendulous - Mirrored Confessions
Sexcrement - Sloppy Seconds
Dead Church/Faction Disaster - Split 7"
Demon Lung - Pareidolia EP
Totem Skin - These Ghosts Are Haunting Our Halls EP
Cnoc An Tursa- Giants Of Auld
Foul Body Autopsy - The Epidemic Sickening The World
Archagathus/Jeffrey Dahmer - Mincrusher 7"
Brave Bird - Ready Or Not EP
Napalm Christ - 2013 Demo
Exhaustion - Demo
October
Mage - Black Sands
Mirror Eyes - Through The Gates of Ivory And Horn
November
Coilguns - Commuters
Coffinworm - Great Bringer of The Night
Dementia Senex - Heartworm EP
Humangled - Odd Ethics EP
Old Skin - Maere 7"
Vesterian - Anthems For The Coming War Age
Kingpin - Demo
Full of Hell - Music From The Dial Tape
Brutal Truth/Bastard Noise - The Axiom of Post Inhumanity Split
December
Profond Barathre/Rorcal/Malvoisie - Split
Open Tomb - Servents of Slow Tape
Moloch/Meth Drinker - Split 12"
Ensorcelor/Moloch - Split 12"
Bad Habits - Parting Words 7"
Kato - Buried With The Rain 7"
Machinist - Black List 7"
Will To Die - Mass Grave 7"
Man Gremmes Kan - On A Pulpit Of Souls Tape
Dehuman - Black Throne of All Creation
Cardiac Arrest/Mutant Supremacy - Split 7"
Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire
Cloud Rat - Moksha