Best Metal Albums of 2013

2013 wasn't a great year, for me or for metal.  At some point around May or June, I wasn't even sure I would have a top ten worth trumpeting to anyone.  It was that bad the first six months.  Then, surprisingly, things started picking up.

But I have to emphasize that 2013 was not a good year for metal.  Not only were there disappointments, but there was a lot of overrated crap too.  I won't name-check them, for obvious reasons.

I'll just say that my list probably doesn't look much like any other that's been posted so far.  There may be a couple albums shared between mine and the rest of the metal critics out there.

Now, to the list.  First, a short explanation of the criteria I used to pick these specific albums: riffs and enjoyment.  As a guitarist, the only thing I really listen for (or notice, in some cases) is the amount of riffs the bands in question are throwing into my ears.  Some that other people like, I don't get. I can shrug my shoulders at them and move on to something that I'd rather listen to.  I think enjoyment is also key.  These ten albums are what I really enjoyed listening to most.

But there's also a bit of intuition involved.  For example, the top five were albums that I was damn certain would be there.  This is especially true for the album that ended up being my #1.  More on that below.

That's enough of the generalized rambling.  Let's get a little more specific, shall we?

How's Your 2013? Plus, What I'm Looking Forward to for the Remainder

Maybe it's just me, but 2013 hasn't seemed like a good year yet.

I know, I'm a little late on this.  Or way early.  Usually, a post like this would be better if it were written around the halfway point, or at the end of the year.  My 2013 has been so filled with disappointment and such that I couldn't help but want to talk about it somewhat.

Of course, this is the kind of thing I've avoided since starting the blog last month.  I doubt people want to hear my bellyaching.  So if anyone else has a story about 2013 so far, positive or negative, let's hear about it in the comment section.

Two things I'm looking forward to: receiving my new PC, and going to Las Vegas for a week in October.  Both of those things should be good for relieving the malaise.

Also, there are a number of bands whose releases I'm anticipating for the next couple of months.  So far, these are just for September and October; I don't have any advance info on albums to be released in November and December just yet.  Either nobody I really like is releasing albums then, or they haven't told someone on the internet that they're doing so.  That's okay, I kinda like those types of surprises.  So here's what I'm looking forward to:

September:
Gorguts - Colored Sands
SubRosa - More Constant Than the Gods
Sarke - Aruagint

October:
Ævangelist - Omen ex Simulacra

Castevet - Obsian

Pelican - Forever Becoming

Corrections House - Last City Zero

With any luck, all of these will be awesome.  If they are, expect reviews of them to occur at some point.  And if not, let's never speak of them again.

I kid, of course.  Mostly.