Post-2000 albums

[Umbrage]

I wasn't talking about photogenics. I was talking about defining your philosophy through your image (which I believe the Xasthur and Graveland pics did very well)

Your picture is of Tjuder and is also representative of their philosophy I suppose; it's "rock on dude!" with a superficial layer of Northern grimness.

[we hope you die]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VBdAY8eA9w

OK, its not an album cover or press shoot, but I thought Immortal needed to be mentioned here. We can all agree that there has been more than one occasion where Immortal just look ridiculous, but we over look it because the music is so good, and as a whole package, image and all, it works. The difference between the Xasthur and Graveland pictures is not the message in the image, its the musical strength to back up the image. Cleverly writing overly biased interpretations of the message in their press shoots is convincing initially, but it will only take you so far. I think the reason Rob Darken's picture is more impressive, is because his musical career is so much more impressive.

1.music
2.lyrics
3.cover art
4.actual views and personality of musician
5.press shoots/band image

Whilst you can take all these as one artistic product, it is possible to rank them in order of importance.

[Niko]

Immolation definitely belongs on the list, for both Unholy Cult and Shadows in the Light.

[death metal black metal]

As always, our goal is to find the excellent whenever it came out, and promote the heck out of it.

[Dedrater]

You can get by on music alone, if you have a blank cover. If you choose to do a cover design, and it's stupid, that says something (often).

I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be a smartass but if you have a blank cover then that's still going to be part of your image. Examples: Beatles - The White Album or Metallica - The Black Album. If I came across a metal album with a blank cover I'd suspect pretentiousness from the band. If a band says "we've got no image, we're all just ourselves" then their image is that they've got no image and are all just themselves.

Image comes natural, it can't be forced - that's why poser bands fail so hard.

I'd rather see a stupid album cover than no album cover at all. At least the band with the stupid cover had nothing to hide.

You're right, but I think there's a distinction to be made between deliberately crafting a blank cover for the sake of conveying the "Image isn't important" message on the one hand, and using, say, a standard CD-R cover with its lines and generic logo on the other. Think of the intent behind using an all-white image as your avatar on a forum versus simply not having an avatar at all; in the former case, there's probably some pretentiousness at work, but in the latter case, the urgency of the message genuinely takes precedence over image.

I think the reason Rob Darken's picture is more impressive, is because his musical career is so much more impressive.

...And here's a picture of Brian Eno, whose career, I think, happens to be more impressive than both:

[Humanicide]

My point is illustrated perfectly by Dedrater's post. Eno made excellent ambient music, but at first glance what does he look like? Sort of like a hipster.

One should be wary of hipster-looking bands, but really one can never be sure until they check out the band in question's music.

[Umbrage]

For those interested I started a separate thread about the importance of image in music here.

[wEEman33]

There's actually been some good stuff coming out in the last couple of months:

jesu - "Infinity"

Probably their best release since the self-titled and "Heart Ache."

Portal - "Swarth"

This band just keeps getting better with each release. Picks up where the 2007 winner "Outre" left off.

The Chasm - "Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm"

Looked like this band was going down the shitter after their last album in 2004, but five years off seem to have rejuvenated The Chasm ala Summoning with "Oath Bound."

Add these three to Beherit's "Engram" and I think that's more albums in 2009 than from any year this decade that can match up to the old standards.

[Humanicide]

Oh, wow, I didn't know Portal had a new release out. Thanks for the heads up, I'll look into it ASAP.

[istaros]

Avzhia's The Key of Throne is one of very few post-2000 albums I'd describe as necessary.

[nothingnowhere]

Avzhia's The Key of Throne is one of very few post-2000 albums I'd describe as necessary.

Agreed, it should really be better explored around here.

[bovine]

The Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite is pretty excellent, the guy has certainly found somewhat of his own way of doing black metal. It drags a bit in spots, but it's forgivable because of the overall originality and persistently sinister vibe of the album.

[Conservationist]

Compiled list:

* Ildjarn-Nidhogg - Ildjarn-Nidhogg
* Avzhia - The Key of Throne
* Averse Sefira - Tetragrammatical Astygmata, Battle's Clarion, Advent Parallax
* Beherit - Engram
* Blaspherian - Allegiance to the Will of Damnation
* Graveland - Memory and Destiny, The Fire of Awakening
* Asphyx - Death... The Brutal Way
* Skepticism - Alloy
* Summoning - Oath Bound, Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame
* Immolation - Unholy Cult
* Absu - Tara
* Krieg - Destruction Ritual
* Deeds Of Flesh - Mark Of The Legion, Reduced to Ashes
* Summoning - Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame
* Gorguts - From Wisdom To Hate
* Martyr - Warp Zone
* Weltmacht - The Call To Battle
* Vile - Depopulate
* Ildjarn - Son of the northstar
* Profanatica - Profanatitas de Domonatia
* Legion Of Doom - The Horned Made Flesh
* The Chasm - "Farseeing the Paranormal Abysm"

http://www.reddit.com/r/Metal/comments/9toyt/the_decade_is_almost_over_what_have_been_your/c0ehbzm

[War]

Beherit - Engram [2009]
Cosmic Atrophy - Codex Incubo [2008]
Blaspherian - Allegiance to the Will of Damnation [2007]
Lord Wind - Atlantean Monument [2006]
Summoning - Oath Bound [2006], Let Mortal Heroes Sing Your Fame - [2001]
Sorcier Des Glaces - Moonrise In Total Darkness [2006]
Averse Sefira - Advent Parallax [2008], Tetragrammatical Astygmata [2005], Battle's Clarion [2001]
Legion of Doom - God is Dead [2005]
Basilisk - A Joyless March Through the Cold-Lands [2004]
Dark Tribe - In Jeraspunta - Die Rückkehr der Tollwütigen Bestie [2004]
Graveland - Dawn Of Iron Blades [2004]
Septic Flesh - Sumerian Daemons [2003]
Megiddo - The Atavism of Evil [2002], The Devil and the Whore [2000]
Gorguts - From Wisdom To Hate [2001]

I'd be more than happy if I could only listen to these post-2000 albums.

[wood]

Portal - "Swarth"

This band just keeps getting better with each release. Picks up where the 2007 winner "Outre" left off.

For those interested in checking this album out, it's in the Audiofile forums now.  I'll echo wEEman33, it's worth a listen and in my opinion is an improvement over "Outre".