Top 10 NWOTM Albums Revised...

For those of you have read this blog in the past and stayed up to date, then you'll know that I did a rundown of my 10 favorite NWOTM albums a couple months ago. However I've recently pondered the subject again and there was some revising that needed to be done. On my new list I've added a few albums, moved around some old ones, and a few have been removed (Hazardous Mutation, State of Insurgency, World Gone Dead, and Ritual Sacrifice). Anyway let's run these down shall we?

#10. Vektor - Black Future
Despite this album dropping 2 spots since the last list, I actually like this album more now than I did then. It's one of the most original works in the NWOTM, but that's not what makes the album itself great. The music is extremely captivating and almost takes the listener somewhere else with it's brilliance. There is plenty of variety on the album for the listener to be happy, but all of the songs retain a signature sound that screams, "We are Vektor!" The best songs to be found here are definitely "Black Future" and the epic "Accelerating Universe."

#9. Insinnerator - Stalagmite of Ice
Coming in at #9 is Insinnerator's Stalagmite of Ice. If you've read the blog recently, you may have read my review of this album, and you'll know I'm quite fond of it. This album is just a marathon of riffs that will leave you wanting more... No it will leave you begging for more. Everything on this album is great from top to bottom. The best songs here are "Rites of Execution" and "Children of the Cult."

#8. Violator - Chemical Assault
Coming in at #8 is Violator's Chemical Assault. This album just like Black Future has fallen down in the list, but it still remains an excellent record. This album is pure old school thrash done right. There is absolutely nothing revolutionary or new here, yet Violator doesn't come off as some generic retro band, but as a band that will leave your neck sore from the headbanging that will ensue when you listen to this album. The best songs here are definitely "Atomic Nightmare" and "Addicted to Mosh."

#7. Warbringer - War Without End
The first album from my old list that moved up, and that is Warbringer's debut, War Without End. This album has grown on me more and more since the last list. The best part about this album is the sheer intensity that you can feel from every song. The songs aren't only intense but plenty catchy and near impossible to sing along with. The best tracks here are "Shoot to Kill" and "Combat Shock."

#6. Guillotine - Blood Money
Coming in at #6 we have Guillotine's Blood Money. I had not heard this album when I made the original list but had heard the buzz about it. The best parts about this record are definitely the way that the riffs, vocals and melodies all come together perfectly. The riffs are very solid, the melodies mixed with the riffs go brilliantly, and the "Schmier-like" vocals that command it all make for a GREAT sound. The best tracks here are "My Insanity" and "Dying World."

#5. Hypnosia - Extreme Hatred
This album was left off of the first list due to me not remembering that this album came out around the same time as Dekapitator's first record, but that itself is a testament to this record's greatness. When other bands at the time were playing Alternative/Groove, Hypnosia was doing the complete opposite and releasing what could have easily been an album that could have been confused for a Kreator album from the 80's. This album is extremely intense and is guaranteed to rip your face off. The best tracks here are "Extreme Hatred" and "Circle of the Flesh."

#4. Dekapitator - We Will Destroy... You Will Obey
This album dropped one spot since the last list, but nothing has changed with this record. Dekapitator managed to release an album that nobody would have thought came from the late 90's. Everything about this album crushes, from the riffs to the solos to the vocals and everything in between. The best tracks here are "Possessed by Damnation" and "One Shot, One Kill."

#3. Toxic Holocaust - Conjure and Command
Coming in at #3 is an album that was just recently released, but I have not been able to leave it alone. I always find myself coming back to it and I'm never disappointed with the results. This album may be one of the newest around, but it has a very old school and evil feeling to it, that is reminiscent of Sodom's In the Sign of Evil. The best tracks here are "Agony of the Damned" and "Bitch."

#2. Havok - Time is Up
Havok's Time is Up managed to retain it's #2 spot and it is certainly a spot well-earned. This album hasn't lost any of it's flare since I first listened to it... I would say it might be better than I remember it being. There isn't much I can say about this record, it's just something that you have to hear. The best songs here are "No Amnesty" and "The Cleric."

And coming in at #1.......

#1. Warbringer - Waking Into Nightmares
Warbringer's modern masterpiece Waking Into Nightmares. This album, just like Time is Up, hasn't lost any of it's greatness. This album stands in a different league than any thrash album since Demolition Hammer's Epidemic of Violence. The best tracks here are "Shadow From the Tomb" and "Prey for Death."

There you have it, these are my current top 10, but there are still plenty of albums coming this year that could rival any of these and usurp their spot. Warbringer, Vektor, Skeletonwitch, Evile, Invection, and Lich King are the most likely contenders, but there could always be a surprise. Feel free to tell me what I left out or what you would have done.