Count Vlad TOP 50 Albums of 2018
5 min read
Another year has passed. Another wrinkle, pain, happiness, good, bad…We lived, we laughed, we cried, we grew older. Made another step forward…And on this road, on this “path to the cemetary gates”, we supported the Underground as much as possible.
It’s been stunning years for our beloved music, as we have stated all the time here. For maybe around 30 years we haven’t had that strong, diverse, abundant time of releases from below the mainstream, underground and the mines under the underground. And it is that time of the year again when I try to to list down all the music which resonated solidly with me, which I played and enjoyed the most during the past 12 months, which has been part of me… Not an easy task at all, especially having in mind the quantity of music I listened to through the whole year. On top, I kept track of all worthy by publishing my monthly Top 10s. That’s why the present list is a diverse list, a list of full-length albums only, a list made from my heart and soul, a list of records I know will stay with me in the future, keep on enjoying them.
Having said that, I have to make a small remark. I decided to exclude two records, which had huge rotation with me: GRIEVANCE – “Pilar, pedra e faca” and LURK – “Fringe”. Both are really fantastic records, clicked solidly with me, however they have been originally released in 2016, and re-released in 2018.
Over the past 12 months Blessed Altar Zine turned to be huge part of my life, letting me to explore more and more, to dig and find gems and treasures. I’m very grateful for being part of this unbelievable journey, for the amazing music and talented bands out there, but mostly I’m grateful to the amazing Blessed Altar Zine team and the United Metal Forces community (you know who you are) for keeping our beloved music alive!
Stay heavy, support the underground and let’s wish for another great metal year in 2019!
Count Vlad
50. SERGEANT THUNDERHOOF – Terra Solus
Independent
Release Date: 12 May 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my interview
49. GALVANIZER – Sanguine Vigil
Everlasting Spew Records
Release Date: 28 February 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
48. PESTILENCE – Hadeon
Hammerheart Records
Release date: 26 January 2018
47. SEAR BLISS – Letter From The Edge
Hammerheart Records
Release date: 6 July 2018
46. ARCHGOAT – Luciferian Crown
Debemur Morti Productions
Release date: 14 September
45. ECTOPLASMA – Cavern Of Foul Unbeings
Memento Mori
Release date: 22 January 2018
44. STRIKER – Play To Win
Record Breaking Records
Release date: 26 October 2018
43. OBSCURA – Diluvium
Relapse
Release date: 13 July 2018
42. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY – The Grimmest Hits
Spinefarm Records/eOne
Release date: 19 January 2018
41. MONSTROSITY – The Passage Of Existence
Metal Blade
Release date: 7 September 2018
40. ARECHELON – Tribe of Suns
Sludgelord
Release date: 4 May 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
39. HIGH ON FIRE – Electric Messiah
Label: eOne
Release Date: 5 October 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
38. HARAKIRI FOR THE SKY – Arson
Art of Propaganda
Release date: 16 February 2018
37. HUMAN SERPENT – For I – The Misanthropist
Ogmios Underground
Release date: 30 January 2018
36. FORLOR – Towards The End
Independent
Release date: 17 March 2018
35. HECATE – Une Voix Venue D’Alleurs
Mourning Light
Release date: 2 January 2018
34. CLOUDS – Dor
Independent
Release date: 12 November 2018
33. REVOCATION – The Outer Ones
Metal Blade
Release date: 28 September 2018
32. SORCIER DES GLACES – SDG
Independent
Release date: 15 September 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
31. DÉCEMBRE NOIR – Autumn Kings
Lifeforce Records
Release date: 9 November 2018
30. KOSMOGYR – Eviternity
Flowing Downward
Release date: 9 March 2018
Read my review | Read my interview
29. A FLOCK NAMED MURDER – An Appointed Time
Independent
Release date: 31 October 2018
28. ALKALOID – Liquid Anatomy
Season of Mist
Release date: 18 May 2018
27. ICHOR – God of Thunder God of War
Seance Records
Release date: 8 October 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
26. SPACESLUG – Eye the tide
Oak Island Records
Release date: 20 July 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
25. CHAPEL OF DISEASE – …And as we have seen the storm, we have embraced the eye
Ván Records
Release date: 23 November 2018
24. VREID – Lifehunger
Season of Mist
Release date: 28 September 2018
23. 1914 – The Blind Leading The Blind
Archaic Sound
Release date: 11 November 2018
22. DRUDKH – Ïм часто сниться капïж
Season of Mist
Release date: 9 March 2018
21. ALASTOR – …The Dark Tower…
War Prodcutions
Release date: 26 January 2018
Read my review | Read my Interview
20. THE ETERNAL – Waiting For The Endless Dawn
Inverse Records
Release date: 17 August 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
19. NIGHT DEMON – Live Darkness
Shadow Kingdom
Release date: 10 August 2018
18. BAST – Nanoångström
Black Bow Records
Release date: 23 November 2018
Read my review | Read my interview
17. HEADS FOR THE DEAD – Serpent’s Curse
Transcending Obscurity
Release date: 24 September 2018
16. DECEASED – Ghostly White
Hells Headbandgers
Release date: 16 November 2018
15. OWL – Nights in distortion
Label: Temple Of Torturous
Release Date: 7 September 2018
14. BEYOND CREATION – Agorythm
Season of Mist
Release date: 12 October 2018
13. RIVERS OF NIHIL – Where Owls Know My Name
Metal Blade
Release date: 16 March 2018
12. MESARTHIM – The Density Parameter
Independent / Avantgarde
Release Date: 3 April 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
11. WHIPSTRIKER – Merciless Artillery
Hells Headbangers
Release date: 9 March 2018
10. TRIBULATION – Down Below
Century Media
Release date: 26 January 2018
9. BURNING WITCHES – Hexenhammer
Nuclear Blast
Release date: 9 November 2018
8. THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA – Sometimes the World Ain’t Enough
Nuclear Blast
Release date: 29 June 2018
7. SULPHUR AEON – The Scythe OF Cosmic Chaos
Ván Records
Release date: 21 December 2018
6. UNREQVITED – Stars Wept To The Sea
Avantgarde Music
Release Date: 16 April 2018
Read my review | Read my interview
5. UADA – Cult of a Dying Sun
Label: Eisenwald
Release Date: 25 May 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
4. HAUNT – Burst Into Flame
Label: Shadow Kingdom Records
Release Date: 10 August 2018
Listen on Bandcamp | Read my review
3. THE MOOR – Jupiter’s Immigrants
Lion Music
Release date: 30 July 2018
2. WOLFHEART – Constellation of the Black Light
Napalm Records
Release date: 28 September
1. JUDAS PRIEST – Firepower
Columbia
Release date: 9 March 2018
“…everyone, everyday, everything has to end”*
Count Vlad
*line taken from the lyrics of “Amongst the Worms” out of Groza’s “Unified in Void” 2018 record
**Please support the underground! It’s vital to the future of our genre.
#WeAreBlessedAltarZine
#TheZineSupportingTheUnderground
