#1 - Top of 2019

 Grand Magus - Wolf God

And in number one, we could have none other than Grand Magus, the heavy metal Swedes who throughout the years have never ceased releasing albums which are instant classics while gradually evolving from their doom/stoner origins to a more and more EPIC sound (check out Top 2012, 2014, 2016 and the Best of Epic metal!!!). In another solid release, the Wolf God starts off with an amazing acoustic track accompanied by a folky cello,  while "Gold and Glory, sets the mood in an album that it gets really hard to pick a favourite song. From heavy and more slow-paced tracks like "To Live and to Die in Solitude" and "Glory to the Brave" to amazingly melodic and catchy songs like "Brother of the Storm" and " Dawn of Fire" the record doesn't slow down with the small exception of  filler track "Spear Thrower", which nevertheless is catchy as fuck. There are also tracks like the "Wolf God" and "He Sent Them All to Hell" that have that extra layer of HEAVINESS that has become a distinct feature of the band that flawlessly fit in creating the most enjoyable  2019 release! As always, the album is made unique and memorable thanks to the awesome JB, who provides both lead vocals and guitars (both on studio and in live shows)! The album and, the band in general, are perfectly summarised  in the final track "Untamed", where we can sing along with JB: 

From the north

Now hear us roar

From the north

Now hear our call 

98.5/100

Below are the official music videos for the songs "Untamed", "Wolf God" and "Brother of the Storm".

#2 - Top of 2019

Devin Townsend -  Empath (Inside Out)

Devin returned in 2019 with a deeply endoscopic release, reconciling a number of different aspects from his career while at the same time adding new elements to his music, rendering Empath an essential part of Devin's music catalogue. Choosing to do the release under his own name (and not under the DTP moniker) clearly allowed more creative freedom to DT, allowing him to collaborate with a different array of musicians than on DTP releases, while at the same time allow him to converse with the audience more intimately than ever before. The album opens with a small interlude breaking into the chaotic madness that is "Genesis" with multiple musical themes and aspects colliding into a maddening fest of prog. This is followed by the anthemic "Spirits Will Collide", a personal favourite of my co-author here at the blog and a great song to listen to live. The albums continues with Evermore, a very "DTP" song and continues with Sprite, mixing fable and prog into a strange amalgam of sounds. "Hear Me", once again treads on familiar DTP grounds before "Why?" gently pushes the viewer out of its comfort zone into an absurdity of emotional resonance. "Borderlands" which follows is an almost perfect song combining different facets of DT while at the same time providing great entertainment and a quite infectious main riff, while the album closes with the multi-part prog labyrinth of Singularity, where at times elements of DT's earlier releases fuse with influences and personal experiences, providing perhaps not the ending of the album we asked for, but definitely the one we deserve. 

Ultimately, this is  great release, albeit one that may be a tad too much to someone not acquainted with DT's music before, but a record that rewards multiple takes, allowing the audience to discover something different every time it's on. 

98/100

Below are the (numerous) music videos from the album.

#3 - Top of 2019

 Darkthrone - Old Star

Darkthrone really outdid themselves this time, that they did. As per their latest recipe, they mixed up equal bits of old metal and aggression and really came up with an excellent package of a release that puts the pedal on the metal and steps on it till there is no tomorrow. In previous albums like The Underground Resistance in 2013 (being a worthy addition to our EPIC Top), they showed some great heavy signs, which are not a surprise to anyone who has had a glimpse at  Fenriz's taste in music, but in 2019 they definitely pooled out their BEST and most EPIC riff, which is none other than the opening riff of the "The Hardship of the Scots! The whole thing really explodes once the first sounds of track are heard, getting better as the song progresses into an excellent mid-track tempo change, making you forget about the more mediocre (!) opening of the album ("I Muffle Your Inner Choir") and wanting to repeat the track until you hate it (a truly impossible possible task). From there onwards, the album keeps raising the stakes with awesome dark and gloomy tracks like the "Old Star" and "Alp Man", with some Candlemass-like vibes that add a doomy element. But do not fear, there are also more solid and classic Darkthrone tracks like "Duke of Gloat" which is a throwback to earlier Norse-forest-dwelling periods of the band and last but not least "The Key Is Inside the Wall" which is another blast from the past but with some awesome heavy riffs to wrap up the album (though you will probably listen to it in repeat-mode). The album's dark mood is summed up by the eerily great cover artwork by Chadwick Saint John which is the perfect fit for one of BEST 2019 releases and at the same time one of Darkthrone's best works!

97.5/100

Below is the music video for the song "The Hardship of the Scots".

#4 -Top of 2019

 Twisted Tower Dire - Wars in the Unknown (No Remorse Records)

It might have been a while since we last heard from the US heavy/power metallers Twisted Tower Dire but they have not lost their magic touch! With Jonny Aune taking over the lead vocals (since the 2011 Make It Dark) the album blasts its way in with "The Thundering" and its uplifting attitude. There are a lot of melodic additions including "True North" and the memorable "Tear You Apart" which are a great change from the more rough/heavy sounds. "Light the Swords on Fire" is without a doubt that one of the album's highlights and the catchiest track that make you think: "what can they do to top this up?", but the you listen to the "And the Sharks Came Then" which has some of the best guitar riffs in the mid-song interlude and you can hear that Twisted Tower Dire know what their doing when it comes to heavy metal! The album is full of surprises with different tones and styles, with examples like "A Howl in the Wind" which slows down the rhythm while succeeding in creating a more epic vibe with its awesome chorus! The final track "These Ghosts Can Never Leave" is the perfect heavy/power ending to a great release worthy of 2019's Top Tier Albums!

96.2/100

Below are the lyric videos for the songs "True North" and "Light the Swords on Fire".

#5 - Top of 2019

The Lord Weird Slough Feg -  New Organon (Cruz del Sur Music)

Every release from Heavy Metal underground heroes The Lord Weird Slough Feg is a celebration. This could not be more true for New Organon, arriving 5 years after their previous release (the longest the band has gone without new output since their early days).  The course of the band, from 1990 until today, has been lonely but on the other hand their sound hs been a unique old-school heavy metal, thanks to the amazing voice of Mike Scalzi. The restoration of "The Lord Weird" to the band's name signifies a small backtrack to a more heavy and esoteric music, but more hard rocking elements from the latest releases are also evident here, This is a highly addictive release, thanks to the proto-metal infusion with  interesting lyrical themes. Here, the theme of "New Organon" is a  beautifully crafted journey through the history of philosophical thought, ranging from ancient Greece to modernity. Scalzi was always inspired by philosophical quests in his concepts, but he usually clothed them with thinly veiled stories of space pirates. Here, the concepts stand bare and direct, cutting the middle man. The songs themselves, musically range from the more "blues rock feel" of "The Apology" to the metal thrashing of "Uncanny" and 70s rock trippiness of "Coming of Age in the Milky Way". This is an essential release for 2019 and possibly the best work of the band for more than a decade! 

96.2/100

Below is the audio for "Headhunter"