I don’t care how predictable this might seem but Moonsorrow’s latest opus is album of the year and nothing in the remaining five months has a chance of dethroning it. There. Done. Well, that’s all good, but surely there’s something good left in the world, isn’t there? There always is, some more promising than others. Why not pause to recap what’s the best so far and then see what’s coming up.
2016’s Best So Far
- Moonsorrow: Jumalten Aika
- Amon Amarth: Jomsviking
- JK Flesh: Rise Above
- Abbath: Abbath
- Final: Live Reprocessed | Birmingham 2009
- October Tide: Winged Waltz
Not sure how good the remaining stuff will be. Will that be my top 6 of the year? WEAK!
2016’s OK…
- Katatonia: The Fall Of Hearts
- Borknagar: Winter Thrice
- Megadeth: Dystopia
There are some bad fucking albums I just couldn’t even muster the energy to list (Anthrax). Some I couldn’t even muster the strength to listen to yet. (Ihsahn)
2016’s To Come!
- Skeletonwitch: The Apothic Gloom
- Insomnium: Winter’s Gate
- Council Estate Electronics: Arktika
- Alcest: Kodama
- Opeth: Sorceress
- Soilwork: Death Resonance
- Testament: Brotherhood Of The Snake
It’s weird. Skeletonwitch is a four-song EP. I’ve heard two songs already. One is fantastic. One not so much. Hard to get jived for two songs. Insomnium’s last wasn’t great. Same goes for CEE and Alcest as well (they were the friggin’ best). Opeth? Don’t know why I even hope any more. Their first three records are masterpieces. Finally, Soilwork is just a collection. Two new songs, a few Japanese extras and a bunch of stuff I already have. Man…Moonsorrow will have to carry 2016 on its broad shoulders. See what the mighty Testament can conjure up!
We all know that Cammy broke free of Vega’s grasp and he later commissioned a dozen similar fighters from around the world. These were only truly expanded upon in SFZ3 with Juri & Juni, both of Germany. In USFIV, Decapre appeared. However, in the new story mode of SFV, all nine other dolls were represented. While the story has been critiqued by many, I embraced the single-player experience and fully enjoyed the absurdity of the tale and the gravity of the Guile/Nash battle. The appearance of all the dolls, each with unique moves, made me smile. Therefore I tossed up a section highlighting them and comparing their appearances with the small cameo many of them had in SFZ3. It’s the usual unnecessary stuff I put up on my sites. Click the images for the full gallery!
