The 55 Best Releases Of 2013

As has been the case for the past couple of years now my "Year End Best Of" list is a bit different from most you will likely read. If this is your first visit here then here's the deal. Instead of writing about 2013's "Best Of" album's in a general sense I choose instead  to cover only releases that I've reviewed myself. This doesn't mean that there are no albums out there that I consider to be better options then these particular ones. There are some other albums that I personally added to my own private collection that absolutely floored me! But, if I didn't cover them with a write up then they didn't make this list. It's as simple as that. What wasn't simple though was trying to shift through and sort out the best of the best! There was simply put FAR TOO MUCH good music released in 2013 for me to try to cover it all! In no way is that a bad thing. If anything that just goes to show that 2013 was a good year to be a fan of "heavy metal" as there was awesome releases from the field of N.W.O.B.H.M. (what with comeback albums like "Life Sentence" by Satan as well as "Forgotten Dreams" by Salem!) all the way up to and including black metal (Stellar Master Elite anyone?)! Obviously it would be a huge undertaking then to even attempt to cover each and every release that impressed me so I  dug through the ranks and will highlight just a "few". These are not ranked though so they just appear in random order. I simply numbered them in an attempt to keep the list from getting too far out of hand! If I missed any albums then please forgive such transgressions as I am all too human. With that said, sit back and enjoy this list friends and be sure to keep an eye out for albums that you might might have missed the first time around. I've provided links to each and very review in an effort to make it all a little more interesting for you the reader and so that you can go back (at your leisure of course!) and read why I found said albums to be so good to begin with! Also, each album will include a brief description of the genre (ie: Satan being N.W.O.B.H.M, A Sound Of Thunder being power metal, etc.) and, should I feel so inspired, possibly even more as to why it made my list. Oh, one last thing (and I almost forgot this part!). There were a TON of re-releases that were epic (Nitro anyone? How about Mox Nix?), but I choose not to include those as they were technically not "new albums". The same went for live albums that happened to be released in 2013. Deep Purple, who I still love!, release a live album ("Live in Paris 1975") back in 2013 that was simply killer. But, A) It was a live album which I'm not keen on counting here and B) More importantly it was from WAY BACK in the day. My list covers just 2013 "studio" releases with just one exception (read on for that bit). Whether they are on major labels or demo recordings doesn't matter so much as they are studio recordings. OK, with that I'm finally done so read on and, as always, comments are welcome (including your favorite albums of 2013!).

1)Asomvel-"Knuckle Duster". Pictured above, "Knuckle Duster" is the sound of a British hard rock/heavy metal band tearing through Lemmy-approved, dirty and dusty, everyman rock with more then enough whiskey and cheap beer involved to wash away the working-man blues we all feel from time to time!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/11/asomvel-knuckle-duster.html

2)Salem-"Forgotten Dreams". Possible my favorite comeback story of the year, this is great N.W.O.B.H.M./traditional heavy metal from a band that was sadly passed over the first time around.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/10/salem-forgotten-dreams.html,

3)Nomad Son-"The Darkening". Forget Black Sabbath as Nomad Son are the real leaders of the doom rock/doom metal scene!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/08/nomad-son-darkening.html

4)A Sound Of Thunder-"Time's Arrow". This power metal band, which is fronted by the amazing Nina Osegueda, get's better and better with each new release! With a new LP scheduled for 2014 will this finally be the year that the world wakes up to how epic this band is? Lord knows they deserve every bit of accolade they receive and then some!
 http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-sound-of-thunder-times-arrow.html

5)Lady Beast-"Lady Beast". Great female-fronted heavy metal from a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based act.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/04/lady-beast-lady-beast.html

6)AC Angry-"Dirty Denim". Pretty cool hard rock/rock and roll!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/09/ac-angry-black-denim.html 

 7)Gypsy Chief Goliath-"New Machines Of The Night". Thin Lizzy meets traditional heavy metal.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/09/gypsy-chief-goliath-new-machines-of.html

8)Intöxicated – "Rock 'N Roll Hellpatröl". Dirty and mean rock and roll!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/03/intoxicated-rock-n-roll-hellpatrol.html 

9)The Sterling Sisters-"Hale". Excellent Dark Americana!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-sterling-sisters-hale.html

10)Nightglow-"We Rise". Sensational heavy metal. Enough said!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/04/nightglow-we-rise.html

11)Shock-"Once Denied". Another comeback story of sorts from a Canadian power/thrash band.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/05/shock-once-denied.html

12)BornBroken-"The Healing Powers of Hate". Death/thrash that's meant to be played LOUD!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/05/bornbroken-healing-powers-of-hate.html

13)The Ragged Saints-"The Sound of Breaking Free". This one was actually the sound of a Finnish band proving that rock music is alive and well!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-ragged-saints-sound-of-breaking-free.html,

14)Hell-"Curse & Chapter". British metal with N.W.O.B.H.M. influences.
 http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/11/hell-curse-chapter.html

15)Tales Of Pain-"Into The Labyrinth". Heavy metal/melodic power metal band from Mexico that someone needs to sign ASAP!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/10/tales-of-pain-into-labyrinth.html 

16)Brutus-"Behind the Mountains". This is how you show love for seventies hard rock and heavy metal!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/05/brutus-behind-mountains.html

17)Stone Cold Kill-"Out For Blood". A young metal band that draws from Asomvel and Motörhead!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/12/stone-cold-kill-out-for-blood.html 

18)The Brink-"Would You Love Her". Rock and roll...
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/02/chosen-resolution.html 

19)Lucid Dreams-"Lucid Dreams". And this is how you show love for all things AOR, hard rock and heavy metal!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/11/lucid-dreams-lucid-dreams.html

20)Promiscuity-"Basic Instinct". This digital EP offered some of the best sleazy, blackened speed metal of the year! Another band that should be snapped up and singed!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/10/promiscuity-basic-instinct.html

21)Stellar Master Elite-"II: Destructive Interference Generator". Black metal, rock and roll and heavy metal all done up with class and style.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/09/stellar-master-elite-ii-destructive.html

22)Kryptos-"Coils Of Apollyon". Technically this was first released in 2012 before being re-released in 2013, but I'm making an exception as the combo of doom, thrash and traditional heavy metal/N.W.O.B.H.M. is just flat out wicked!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/07/kryptos-coils-of-apollyon.html
23)Eron-"Never Enough". Thrash rock with groove and a serious amount of attitude!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/11/eron-never-enough.html

24)Queen V-"The Best of Queen V". Hard rock/heavy metal with wondering female lead vocals!
 http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/06/queen-v-decade-of-queen-v.html

25)Ancients-"Heart Of Oak". Progressive metal influenced by Celtic Frost .
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Anciients-Heart+Of+Oak

26)Witch Cross-"Ax to Grind". A classic album from a classic heavy metal act.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/05/witch-cross-axe-to-grind.html

27)Satan-"Life Sentence". One of two release that Brian Ross was involved with that made this list! N.W.O.B.H.M for the uninitiated.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/05/satan-life-sentence.html

28)Blitzkrieg-"Back From Hell". And this is the other release from Brian Ross and, as with Satan, it's all about N.W.O.B.H.M. done right!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/12/blitzkrieg-back-from-hell.html

29)Against The Grain-"Surrounded By Snakes". Heavy metal/raw rock and roll that draws as much from Motörhead as it does from bands as diverse as C.O.C. and Metallica!
 http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/12/against-grain-surrounded-by-snakes_15.html

30)October 31-"Gone to the Devil". This 7" single showed that there was still plenty of life left in this great traditional heavy metal act!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/11/october-31-gone-to-devil-7-ep.html 

31)Lumbar-"The First and Last Days of Unwelcome". Phenomenal doom.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/11/lumbar-first-and-last-days-of-unwelcome.html

32)Chosen-"Resolution". This self-release would be a wonderful addition to the collections of Atheist and Cynic fans! 
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/02/chosen-resolution.html 

33)Blood Of Kings-"Starvation". A Seattle band providing proof-positive that killer speed/thrash can still be found if you just know where to look.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/08/blood-of-kings-starvation.html

34)Storm Warning-"Storm Warning". Never mind the fact that I got burned on ordering a copy of this cassette demo (no thanks to Heavy Merch who stiffed me for a tape and pin!) as this is still cool metal in the vein of Gotham City!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/05/storm-warning-storm-warning-demo.html

35)Beasto Blanco-"Live Fast Die Loud". Hard and heavy rock featuring current Alice Cooper bassist Chuck Garric. Endorsed by Johnny Depp of all people!
 http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/09/beasto-blanco-live-fast-die-loud.html

36)Naga-"Naga". A 2-track demo of incredibly slow doom.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/01/naga-naga.html

37)The Deep End-"Cop This". AC/DC love at it's best!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/02/the-deep-end-cop-this.html

38)Badmotorfinger-"It's Not The End". Hard rock? Rock and roll? Heavy metal? A little of everything really.
 http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/08/badmotorfinger-its-not-end.html

39)Free Fall-"Power & Volume". Swedish hard rock.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/06/free-fall-power-volume.html 

40)Serpent Crown-"Serpent Crown". Heavy power metal/thrash with insane female vocals!
 http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/07/serpent-crown-serpent-crown.html

41)To The Pain-"To The Pain". Bits of thrash and doom!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/07/to-pain-to-pain.html

42)Implosion Circle-"The Angry and Enraged". Groove heavy thrash.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/10/implosion-circle-angry-and-enraged.html

43)Palms-"Palms". Post-rock.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/06/palms-palms.html

44)Romero-"Take The Potion". Stoner rock goodness...
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/03/romero-take-potion.html

45)Legend-"The Dark Place". More N.W.O.B.H.M....
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/07/nwobhm-wednesday-legend-dark-place.html 

46)Norselaw-"Serpent In The Circling Sea". Punk heavy metal meets the N.W.O.B.H.M. movement?
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/08/norselaw-serpent-in-circling-sea.html 

47)Ghost Avenue-"Ghost Avenue". Melodic rock/hard rock, traditional metal and N.W.O.B.H.M. influences.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/09/ghost-avenue-ghost-avenue.html

48)Turbo Lovers-"Hopelessly Addicted". I was hopelessly addicted to this Ohio heavy metal band and their cool blend of AC/DC, Motörhead, Green Day and The Dead Boys!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/12/turbo-lovers-hopelessly-addicted.html 

49)Dogs Of Delphi-"Irons In The Fire". Kansas City stoner rock/heavy metal with a mad case of the blues!  http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/10/dogs-of-delphi-irons-in-fire.html

50) Lucid Skies-"Hounds". Classic hardcore meets a more metallic version of Pantera.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/11/lucid-skies-hounds.html

51) Stiletto Farm-"Bad Reception/Strawberry Sundae Red". A 2-track release from a sleazy UK hard rock/heavy metal band that isn't afraid to acknowledge their punk rock outlook on life while simultaneously doing their best to re-imagine Twister Sister  as a modern day garage rock band!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/12/stiletto-farm-bad-receptionstrawberry.html
52) Seremonia-"Ihminen". Seventies rock/acid rock with flutes!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/09/seremonia-ihminen.html

53)End Of Green-"The Painstream". Dark rock, goth rock, etc.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/08/end-of-green-painstream.html

54)Fear Theories-"So It Begins". Traditional heavy metal, power metal and thrash metal that also draws from the likes of Clutch, Helmet and Prong.
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/08/fear-theories-so-it-begins.html 

55)Ambush-"Demo Tape". A Stellar traditional heavy metal/N.W.O.B.H.M.-influenced band from Sweden. Should be signed to a major label right now otherwise something is very wrong with the state of modern record labels these days!
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2013/08/ambush-demo-tape.html