CVLT Nation’s Top Six Death Metal Albums of 2011

2011 was a huge year for death metal.  With the return of some classics, and the debut of some bound to be legendary acts, anyone who says the genre is dying is simply isn’t paying attention to the underground.  Hard as it may be, we have pared down the releases of this year to our top six.  Check it out after the jump.

1. Disma-Towards the Megalith (Profound Lore Records)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disma’s debut, Towards the Megalith is a monolithic record.  Crushingly heavy, remarkably catchy, and full of memorable moments, it somehow surpassed any and all expectations created by their demo.  A veritable supergroup composed of members from Incantation, Citizen’s Arrest, Funebrarum, and Methadrone, the bar was set high for this record, and it fully delivered.  Pitch perfect production that capitalizes on every members pedigree, Towards the Megalith set a new standard for heaviness.

2. Antediluvian-Through the Cervix of Hawwah (Profound Lore Records)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antediluvian have had quite a bit of buzz surrounding them after several splits, demos, and EP’s.  When their full length, Through the Cervix of Hawwah, was released any anxiety about their ability to keep pace across an album was relieved. Utterly chaotic and psychedelic, Through the Cervix of Hawwah is one of the most exciting death metal albums in a long time.  Treading new, alien territory, Antediluvian have produced a work invoking an utterly unhinged reality.

3. Necros Christos-Doom of the Occult (The Ajna Offensive)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Necros Christos’ Doom of the Occult is a daunting record. Twenty three tracks, heavy on atmospheric instrumentals, but equally heavy on blasphemous anthems, the amount of craft that went into this release is mind boggling.   While the low key instrumentals may put some off, they contribute a ritual atmosphere to this record that simply begs for an end to end listen.  Necros Christos have crafted a record of palpable evil, something which all death metal bands should be striving for.
4. Ulcerate-The Destroyers of All (Willowtip Records)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Invoking images of dead seas devoid of life and blackened horizons of smoldering ruins, Ulcerate’s The Destroyers of All couldn’t be more aptly titled.  Combining death metal with the moody heaviness of acts like Neurosis and Isis, Ulcerate have come up with a sound all their own.  Few albums provoke such a strong emotional reaction, but after listening to The Destroyers of All,  the apocalyptic atmosphere crafted here seems so real you can almost smell the smoke.
5. Autopsy-Macabre Eternal (Peaceville Records)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A putrid slab of utterly classic American death metal, Macabre Eternal is a complete return to form for Autopsy.  Macabre Eternal is a heartening release, not simply for the overall quality, but also because it shows that you don’t have to completely reinvent the wheel with every record.  Standing shoulder to shoulder with the legendary Mental Funeral, Macabre Eternal proves that even though these guys have some years on them they can still create an atmosphere of utter putrescence.  Who knows, maybe being closer to the grave has done them some good?
6. Reclusa-The Anticonscience (Crucial Blast)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixing the death industrial heaviness of Godflesh with the demonic noise of acts like Wolf Eyes, Reclusa’s debut The Anticonscience is the musical equivalent of bearing witness to a mutilating industrial accident.  While this record certainly skirts the edges of what could be considered death metal, the core of this beast is it’s tremendous riffs.  One of the most experimental and daring records of the year, The Anticonscience takes the gore obsession of death metal and transmutes it into a twisted heap of burning scrap metal.