by
Bill Vogel III
Prelude...
Greetings from the ferocious aeons, and the new Dark Age... It was a
terrific terror of a year for Metal. The fan base increased as more
listeners entered the horde. Here's some of the year's news.
We lost some of the greats. Chuck Schulinder [Death/Control Denied] and Joey
Ramone [Ramones] passed as the result of cancer. They will be missed.
Some great bands dissolved. Straight-Edge greats Earth Crisis called it a
day. Smashing Pumpkins also disbanded. A.C. also ended their reign of
Grindcore terror. Stuck Mojo also parted ways.
Some spectacular bands made their debuts. Some of these include Scar
Culture, Aeon, Flaw, Endo, Serpent Obscene, Nonpoint, Lifer, Dry Kill Logic,
OneSideZero, Otep, and Unloco.
Greats acts returned with monumental releases. There were incredible new
slabs by Skinless, Slipknot, Staind, System Of A Down, Black Label Society,
Circle Of Dead Children, Phobia, Slayer, Pantera, Pressure 4-5, My Ruin,
Rammstein, and many others. It was a truly epic year.
Metallica sued Napster, as they continued on their downward spiral.
Wes Borland left Limp Bizkit. And Fred Durst became even more egocentric
over the past year. (Surprise, surprise...)
It BIG styles this year were Aggro Metal, Melodic Hard Rock, Punk, and Black
Metal. Aggro showed the greatest growth, with releases by Slipknot,
Mudvayne, System Of A Down, Mushroomhead, Nonpoint, Static-X, Spineshank, Ill
Nino, Darwin's Waiting Room, Skrape, Chimiara, Dry Kill Logic, Simon Says,
American Headcharge, Visions Of Disorder, Nothingface, etc. (And many of
these were on larger labels.)
The catch-word of the year was "Melodic." It was melodic-this, and melodic-
that on everything. Take it for what it's worth. In the end, it's all just
opinion and angles.
It was a good year all-the-same. Here's the breakdown in procession...
***Yearly Rankings***
///Best New Bands
1. Scar Culture [Killer Hardcore/Death Metal from New York.]
2. Hoods [Brutal Hardcore/Metalcore.]
3. Aeon [Powerful Brutal/Black Thrash Metal.]
4. Unloco [Aggro/Moodcore Metal.]
5. Nonpoint [Superb Melodic Aggro Metal.]
6. Chimiara [Grinding Aggro brutality.]
7. God Forbid [Brutal Metalcore.]
8. Dry Kill Logic [Industrial Aggro.]
9. Withered Earth [Killer Death Metal.]
10. Vulgar Pigeons [Grind...]
11. Darwin's Waiting Room [Rapcore/Melodic Aggro Metal.]
12. Blood Stained Dusk [Old School Black Thrash Metal.]
13. Drowning Pool [Moodcore Metal.]
14. OneSideZero [Melodic Hardcore.]
15. Cadaver Inc. [Grindcore.]
16. Deride [Metalcore.]
17. Hate [Brutal Death Metal.]
18. Shadow [Japanese Swedish Style Death.]
19. Leechmilk [Crustcore.]
20. Headhunter D.C. [Killer Death Metal.]
21. Homo Iratus [Brutal Grind.]
22. Rabies Caste [Noisecore.]
23. Insolence [Rapcore Metal.]
24. Failed Humanity [Death Metal.]
25. Goliath [Doom/Metalcore.]
26. Lifer [Aggro Metal.]
27. Otep [Hardcore/Aggro.]
28. Default [Melodic Hard Rock.]
29. Impious [Death/Thrash.]
30. Capital Eye [Rapcore Metal.]
31. Lucky Boys Confusion [Reggae Punk.]
32. Adema [Moodcore.]
33. 40 Below Summer [Moodcore/Aggro.]
34. Linkin Park [Rap/Moodcore.]
35. Skrape [Techno Aggro.]
36. Flaw [Moodcore/Aggro.]
///Best Death Metal
1. "Inscribe" by Scar Culture [Crushing hybrid of Hardcore and
Death Metal. One of the year's BEST releases. (Has a
whacked-out cover instrumental piece of Ted Nugent's "Cat
Scratch Fever.)]
2. "And The Sky Turns To Black" by Headhunter D.C. [Brutal Death
from South America.]
3. "10 Years Of Chaos And Confusion" by Hypocrisy [A 'best-of'
release by these Swedish masters.]
4. "Phoenix Rising" by Destroyer 666 [Shredding Death.]
5. "Holy Dead Trinity" by Hate [Brutal Death-N-Roll.]
6. "Alien Breed" by Internal Bleeding [Explosive mix of Hardcore and
Death Metal. Uses growled and clean vocals.]
7. "Dead And Buried" by Jungle Rot [Brutal yet catchy Death Metal.]
8. "The Key" by Nocturnus (Reissue) [Keyboardized, atmospheric Death.]
9. "Solstice Of Oppression" by Oppressor (Reissue) [Brutal Death
Metal.]
10. "Who We Are" by Pissing Razors [Intense Death Metal with Industrial
and Tribal inflections. Excellent.]
11. "Apparition" by Burning Inside [Second release-solid Death Metal.]
12. "Brujerismo" by Brujeria [Brutal, catchy Death.]
13. "Organasm" by Alchemist [Epic, brilliantly played Death Metal from
Australia.]
///Best Death Thrash
1. "Subterraneal Magnitude" by Diabolic [Old school brilliance...truly
cool.]
2. "Ugliness Revealed" by Defiled [Japanese Blackened Death Thrash-killer
stuff.]
3. "Vengeance Ascending" by Diabolic [More of that old-fashioned
aggression.]
4. "First Strike, Still Deadly" by Testament [Re-recorded classics.]
///Best Grindcore Metal
1. "Genocide Machine" by Circle Of Dead Children [Powerful, crushing
Grind with slower, massive tempos. One of 2001's BEST
releases.]
2. "Cunt" by Blood Duster [Southcore-Southern flavored Grindcore
genius. Killer.]
3. "Serenity Through Pain" by Phobia [Brilliant Crusty Grindcore.]
4. "Summary Execution" by Vulgar Pigeons [Snarling Death/Grind.]
5. "Discipline" by Cadaver Inc. [Blackened Grind from Norway.]
6. "Foreshadowing Our Demise" by Skinless [Crushing Crust/Grind.]
7. "Prowler In The Yard" by Pig Destroyer [Fierce Grindcore.]
8. "Enemy Of The Music Business" by Napalm Death [The Fathers of Grind
return with this serious slab of greatness.]
9. "Being And Nothing" by Extreme Noise Terror [Bombastic Grind.]
///Best Metalcore
1. "Repetition" by Maharajh [Roaring Grind/Metalcore. One of the
BEST of 2001.]
2. "Determination" by God Forbid [Death/Metalcore. Another one of
this year's best.]
3. "When Reason Sleeps" by Haste [Death tinged Metalcore. Yet another
one of 2001's best.]
4. DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN (Reissue) [Killer Metalcore.]
5. "Archetype" by All Else Failed [Industrial/Discordant Metalcore.]
6. CHAOS THEORY [Raw edged Metalcore slugfest.]
7. "Day Of Reckoning" by Diecast [Ferocious Metalcore savagery.]
8. "Scars Of Time" by Deride [Aggro/Metalcore.]
///Best Death/Thrash Metal
1. "Terror Succeeds" by Impious [Classic Thrash fused into Death Metal.]
2. "Sound Of Razors Through Flesh" by Failed Humanity [Old School Death
Metal.]
3. "Union" by Puya [Tribal Death/Thrash mixed with Latino influences.]
///Best Goregrind Metal
1. "Domain Of Death" by Mortician [Like a chainsaw through the guts...]
2. "Stabwound Orgasm" by Avulsed [Brutal Deathgore Metal.]
///Best Deathcore Metal
1. "Human Consumes Human" by Homo Iratus [Brutal Greek Deathcore Metal
with crushing violent aggression. One of the best releases of
2001.]
///Best Black Metal
1. "Dark Order" by Aeon [Crunchy, brutal Black Thrash...one of the
year's best. Spectacular!]
2. "Lunar Poetry" by Nokturnal Mortum [Ukrainian Folk Black Metal
chaos.]
3. "Dirge Of Death's Silence" by Blood Stained Dusk [Ferocious...]
4. "Past & Present Sins" by In Aeternum [Technical, yet catchy Black
Metal.]
5. "U.S. Legions" by Mayhem [Raw blackened fury.]
6. "Through The Eyes Of Night" by Fog [Frenzied Black Metal.]
7. "Under Iskall Troll Mane" by Thy Primordial [Blistering Black Metal
psychosis.]
8. "Dawn Of Darkness" by Satanic Slaughter [Totally insane.]
9. "Thelema.6" by Behemoth [Cosmic Black Metal.]
10. "Fire Walk With Us" by Aborym [Industrial Black Metal.]
11. "Blood For Satan" by Black Dawn [Furious Black Metal mayhem.]
///Best Avant-Garde Metal
1. "Anasazi" by Love History [Romantic Doomdeath.]
2. "Rapture" by Dragonlord [Classical/Death Metal.]
///Best Live Releases
1. "Alcohol Fueled Brewtality" by Black Label Society [Psychedelic
Powercore...live and rare cuts. One of the BEST of 2001.]
2. "Live In L.A." by Death [Pretty raw, but good.]
///Best Black/Death Metal
1. "Ageless Venomless" by Krisiun [Fierce, intricate mayhem with an
epic grandeur.]
2. "Cut Your Flesh And Worship Satan" by Antaeus [French insanity with
no mercy.]
3. "Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia" by Dimmu Borgir [Melodic Black
Metal with keyboards.]
///Best Hardcore
1. "Time...The Destroyer" by Hoods [Brutal Hardcore/Metalcore with a
visceral savvy. One of 2001's BEST releases.]
2. "Still Dedicated" by Backfire [Riotous hardcore from Germany.]
3. "Birth Is Pain" by Ringworm [Apocalyptic Hardcore brutality.]
4. "So Sedated, So Secure" by Darkest Hour [Swedish Death crossed with
Hardcore-excellent. One of 2001's BEST releases.]
5. "Last Rites" by Buried Alive [Crust/Death/Hardcore genius. One of
2001's BEST releases.]
///Best Straight Edge Metal
1. "1991-2001" by Earth Crisis [Death/Brutal Straight Edge Hardcore
from one of the greatest bands ever. One of the BEST of 2001?
Absolutely.]
2. "Last Of The Sane" by Earth Crisis [Covers and rarities. Again, one
of 2001's finest slabs.]
///Best Swedish Death Metal
1. "Synergy" by Diabolical [Frenetic Swedish Style.]
2. SHADOW [Japanese Melodic Death Metal.]
3. "Swamplord" by Kalmah [Intricate, insane Swedish Death.]
4. "Remotecontrolled Scythe" by Enter My Silence [Melodic intensity.]
5. "Predator's Portrait" by Soilwork [Mechanically precise, vicious
Swedish Death.]
6. "Manifest" by Forsaken [Shredding Swedish Style.]
7. "Insanity" by Darkane [Fiery Swedish Death.]
///Best Hyperblast Death Metal
1. "Epic" by Kataklysm [Devastating Hyperblast.]
///Best Melodic Death Metal
1. "Darkwater Park" by Opeth [Dark, melodic Death Metal.]
2. "Sindustries" by Gardenian [Doom/Melodic Death Metal.]
3. "Way Beyond" by Godgory [Ultra Melodic Death.]
4. "Tokyo Showdown (Live)" by In Flames [Excellent live opus.]
///Best Sludge/Noisecore Metal
1. "Let The Soul Out And Cut The Vein" by Rabies Caste [Sludgy
Noisecore with raspy vocals.]
2. "Crusty Mother F*ckn Roll And Roll"/"Guilty Of Sloth" (Split)
by Sofa King Killer/Leechmilk [Sludge and Crustcore Metal.]
3. "Sonic Excess In It's Purest Form" by Crowbar [The kings of
Sludgecore.]
///Best Retro Metal
1. "Dealer" by Raging Slab [Southern Retro Metal.]
2. "Free & Easy" by Bad Wizard [Lynard Skynard meets Motorhead.]
3. "Les Sables Magiques" by Tricky Woo [Retro Metal.]
///Best Doom Metal
1. "As Heaven Turns To Ash" by Warhorse [Ultra heavy Death/Doomsludge
Metal.]
2. KHANATE [Massive Doom Metal.]
3. "Karma's Grave" by Earthbound Smokeghost [Brutal Psychedelic
Doomsludge.]
4. "The Gate" by Goliath [Psychedelic Doom Metal.]
///Best Psychedelic Metal
1. "Atomic Church" by Roachpowder [Psychedelic Acid/Metalcore.]
2. "Songs Of Worship" by Sons Of Otis [Psychedelic Doomsludge Metal.]
///Best Industrial Death Metal
1. "Digimortal" by Fear Factory [Industrial Death Metal...their best
in years.]
2. "Hymns" by Godflesh [Industrial Doomgrind Metal. Excellent.]
3. "In All Languages" by Godflesh [2 disc compilation.]
///Best Doomdeath Metal
1. "Oracle Moon" by Garden Of Shadows [Melodic Doomdeath.]
2. "Atlantis Ascendant" by Bal-Sagoth [Avant-garde Doomdeath Metal.]
3. "Regret" by Ever Eve [Gothic/Doomdeath.]
///Gothic Metal
1. "Gone" by Entwine [Powerful Gothic Metal.]
2. "Remind" by Crematory [2 disc retrospective.]
3. "Dreadful Hours" by My Dying Bride [Dismally beautiful.]
4. "Meisterwerk 1" by My Dying Bride [Rarities and more.]
5. "Meisterwerk 2" by My Dying Bride [Rarities and more.]
///Best Moodcore Metal
1. "Break The Cycle" by Staind [Powerful, Moodcore Metal. One of the best
releases of 2001.]
2. "Healing" by Unloco [Killer Aggro/Moodcore Metal. Another of the best
releases of 2001. Really cool.]
3. ADEMA [Amazingly cool. Better that Korn.]
4. "Hybrid Theory" by Linkin Park [Rapcore/Industrial/Moodcore Metal.]
5. "Sinner" by Drowning Pool [Powerful Moodcore Metal. One of the best
releases of 2001.]
///Best Rapcore Metal
1. "(The) New Release" by Primer 55 [Aggressive Rapcore Metal. It's a
little bit reminiscent of Snot. One of the best of 2001.]
2. "Revolution" by Insolence [Trippy, heavy Rapcore Metal.]
3. "Mood Swingz" by Capitol Eye [Whacked-out Rapcore Metal.]
4. "3" by Thumb [Rap/Hardcore.]
///Best Melodic Hardcore
1. "Is The Room Getting Smaller" by OneSideZero [Rampaging and
melodious.]
2. "Destination Unknown" by Mest [Pop tinged Hardcore.]
3. "Burning The Process" by Pressure 4-5 [Aggressive, yet melodic.]
4. "Morning View" by Incubus [Jazzy, Melodic Hardcore.]
///Best Thrashcore Metal
1. "Animosity" by Sevendust [Melodic Thrashcore.]
2. "Sinister Urge" by Rob Zombie [Industrial/Thrashcore Metal.]
///Best Aggro Metal
1. "Iowa" by Slipknot [Deathly, Aggro brilliance. One of the year's
BEST.]
2. "Toxicity" by System Of A Down [Hardcore, Death, and Aggro genius.]
3. "From Bliss To Devastation" by Vision Of Disorder [Moody, melodic
Aggro with a dark, powerful edge. One of the best releases of
2001.]
4. "Oracle" by Kittie [Death tinged Aggro excellence.]
5. "Machine" by Static-X [Industrial Aggro.]
6. "Violence" by Nothingface [Hardcore/Aggro hybrid.]
7. "XX" by Mushroomhead [Avant-garde Keyboardized Aggro. Superb.]
8. "Through The Eyes" by Flaw [Moodcore/Aggro Metal.]
9. "Scars" by Soil [Heavy Rock/Aggro. Brilliant...another one of the
best releases of 2001.]
10. LIFER [Melodic Hardcore/Aggro.]
11. "Invitation To The Dance" by 40 Below Summer [Powerful Moodcore/Aggro
fusion. Really good.]
12. "Shut Your Breath" by Simon Says [Melodic Hardcore/Aggro.]
13. NO ONE [Funk/Aggro Metal.]
14. "Pass Out Of Existence" by Chimiara [Excellent Grind/Aggro.]
15. "The Darker Side Of Nonsense" by Dry Kill Logic [Industrial Aggro
Metal. One of the best releases of 2001.]
16. "New Killer America" by Skrape [Techno/Aggro Metal.]
17. "Synthetic Division" by Crossbreed [Industrial/Techno Aggro.]
///Best Melodic Aggro Metal
1. "Statement" by Nonpoint [Super Melodic Aggro...one of the best releases
of 2001.]
2. "Orphan" by Darwin's Waiting Room [Rapcore/Melodic Aggro.]
3. "Revolution/Revolucion" by Ill Nino [Melodic Hardcore with blasting
Aggro.]
///Best Heavy Rock
1. "Weathered" by Creed [Dark, Heavy Rock. Definitely one of the
BEST of 2001. Another masterpiece.]
///Best Emocore Metal
1. BOY HITS CAR [Aggro/Emocore Metal. Brilliant-one of 2001's best
releases.]
2. "Full Collapse" by Thursday [Excellent Aggro/Emocore Metal. One of
2001's best releases.]
///Best Thrash Metal
1. "God Hates Us All" by Slayer [Masterpiece of Armageddon Thrash.]
2. "Sound Of White Noise" by Anthrax [Classic reissue with 4 bonus
tracks.]
///Best Grunge Metal
1. "Rotten Apple: Greatest Hits" by Smashing Pumpkins [2 disc set of
hits and rarities."
2. "Greatest Hits" by Alice In Chains [Good set of hits.]
///Best Industrial Metal
1. "Life" by Dope [Sleazy Industrial Metal with a Punk edge.]
2. "Mutter" by Rammstein [Gothic/Industrial Metal sung entirely in
German."
///Best Pop/Punk
1. "Lechuza" by Fenix TX [Heavy Pop/Punk.]
2. OFFSPRING [Reissue of their debut.]
3. "End Is Forever" by Ataris [Fuzzed-out Pop/Punk.]
4. "International Superhits" by Green Day [Good compilation.]
5. "United By Fate" by Rival Schools.
6. "Take Off Your Pants & Jacket" by Blink 182 [Whiney Pop/Punk,
but cool.]
///Best Hard Rock
1. "Silver Side Up" by Nickelback [Melodic Hard Rock. Their best
yet.]
2. "The Fallout" by Default [Very melodic.]
3. TANTRIC [Melodic Hard Rock.]
4. "Coming Of Age" by Breaking Point.
///Best DVD Release
1. "1991-2001" by Earth Crisis [Centers around their last show.]
///Worst Release
1. "New Old Ones" by Limp Bizkit [Pathetic Dance/Rap remixes. Truly
horrid.]
///Best Labels
1. Necropolis
2. Victory
3. World War III
4. Century Media
5. Olympic
6. Roadrunner
7. Spitfire
8. Nuclear Blast
9. Renegade
10. Wind-Up
11. The End
12. Earache
13. Now Or Never
14. Music Cartel
15. Tee Pee
16. Southern Lord
17. Arctic
18. Unique Leader
19. Relapse
20. Crash Inc.
///Best Mailorder
1. Dark Symphonies
*** Full Access ***
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*** Rogue's Gallery ***
I still claim all rights to the names "Angst Industry" and "Hate Box," and
to the concept. Old issues of it can be downloaded, and distributed under
the same rules as Stranger Aeons.
Writers: B. "William the Bloody" Vogel III
Editors: Bill Vogel III (Managing Editor)
Layout Design by B. Vogel III
Coverpage Design by B. Vogel III
Published by Bill Vogel III
Produced by Anarchy Productions (TM.), in cooperation with Death Jam (TM.),
Night-Creatures, and The D.E.A.D. Ones (TM.).
Legal Junk: This is copyrighted material. It may be distributed freely, as
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Note*** If you have a magazine and would like to use portions of Stranger
Aeons, contact me.
All scrivener's errors (typos) are the sole responsibility of me, B. Vogel
III. Any flak directed at other writers should be sent to me...I do not want
my friends besieged by silly crap. My views do not necessarily reflect those
of Rocknet, Compuserve, Prodigy, America Online, the World Wide Web,
Internet, the other writers, my friends, my church, my family, Jimi Hendrix,
James Hetfield, Glenn Danzig, or anyone else. So there. :)
Note to Pro-Censorship types: Bite me.
Beware of people who can do nothing but gripe, whine, and moan...by writing
or speaking trite, naive, and idiotic crap (i.e. certain members of the U.S.
Congress, and most of the White House).
Finished January 18, 2002 A.D.
STRANGER AEONS//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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| | Bill Vogel III
| * | Of
* | | * Stranger Aeons Magazine
------------------- Death/Grind Metal List
| * WBV * | Rapcore Metal List
------------------- Spitting Blood [Death/Doom/
* | | * Black/Grind Compilations
| * | List]
| | Coming Soon: Industrial
|III| Metal List
| |
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