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Kai vs. RYM metal charts: 1997

     1997 was the year trad metal/power metal should have taken America back by storm.  But thanks to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, corporate fuckery and a desire to keep America stupid and intolerant towards Europeans, that never happened and bred the way for something far, far worse.  Strangely enough, despite nu-metal's revival we've gone through three years of it's period and not a single album from that field has popped up in rateyourmusic's top 10.  I have an unfortunate feeling one of them is gonna pop up, but perhaps no more.  Let's go holy diving.... 1. Emperor- Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk     Oh!  Ok. I mean, I don't agree that this is the best metal album of 1997, but it's better than what I thought would show up here.   Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk  is also definitely a drop off compared to In The Nightside Eclipse (the super cluttered production doesn't help), but it's still something of quality.  I s...
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Kai vs RYM metal charts: 1996

      1996: the year boomer-minded Gen X'ers thought metal died because Kerry King, Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Rob Halford and Bruce Dickinson cut their hair.  It was also the year grunge ran out of gas, if not the year before, and everyone was scrambling around trying to figure out what to do next.  Of course, the answer was making German power metal the new popular metal style, as it would bring world peace, and permanent economic prosperity, but Lemmy forbid we have that.     In any case, I have no faint clue what the Kanye-Ketamine minded users of Rateyourmusic.com are gonna think constitutes the best of metal for this year.  There's only one way to find out.  Let's go holy diving..... 1. Cryptopsy- None So Vile      So, cards on the table, I peaked ahead a couple days or so ago, and I realized I've never actually heard None So Vile.   Well, I don't like looking things up for free but I'll make an exception here and t...
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Kai vs RYM metal charts: 1995

     1995: the year where Gen-X Boomers either graduated college/popped out a kid and henceforth metal died.  Mind you metal wasn't in a great commercial state, but it was still producing quality works.  The question is do RYM know their ass from their elbow when it comes to metal from '95?  Let's go holy diving... 1. Death- Symbolic      So this isn't just #1 for the metal chart, this is #1 on the 1995 charts period.   See for yourself.   I...just can't agree with that.  #2 is legendary Wu-Tang Clan solo effort Liquid Swords , and I think I would rank that higher than I would Symbolic.   It's darker, bloodier, grimier, and if a hip-hop album is bloodier and grimier than a death metal album, something's wrong.  I was very much a "only the first two Death albums are good, but Symbolic is still a guilty pleasure" kinda guy.  But now?  Internet overpraise has kinda ruined this album for me.  Don't get me w...
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Kai vs RYM metal charts: 1994

     1994.  Another year that Vh1/Vh1 Classic tried to brainwash a country into think metal was dead in the mainstream and underground.  Or at least it was dead to people that hated black metal.  I incorrectly predicted second wave black metal would dominate the 1993 charts.  1994 was to black metal what 1991 was to death metal and 1988 was to thrash.  Will church burnings and hate-crimes rule the roost in the year of Illmatic ?  Let's go holy diving.... 1. Kyuss- Kyuss (a.k.a. Welcome to Sky Valley)     Huh....once again I am caught off guard by what was selected for #1.  Stoner/doom is more accessible than black metal after all. Looks like the early prediction for my question is going to be an immediate no, but for all I know the next 9 entries might very well be black metal.          I actually don't own this album.  I know the album is consisting of only 3 tracks with 3 songs in one track ...
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Kai vs RYM metal charts: 1993

      1993, another year where a whole bunch of asshat boomer minded Gen Xers think heavy metal died.  While culturally and commercially it began to be under fire due to social "diverse" engineering, musically it's still pretty strong.  How strong?  And do these Fantano brained users actually have good taste in metal?  Let's go holy diving..... 1. Death- Individual Thought Patterns     I used to love this album, but a lot of Death just doesn't age well for me.  Yeah, it might be difficult to believe that such an all-star lineup could put out such a milquetoast faux-prog death metal album.  And the musicianship here is elite.  That's undeniable.   Human  through The Sound of Perseverance  contain some of the greatest musical abilities ever committed to tape.  But it's just proof pudding that it's the songs that matter, not the ability.   Scream Bloody Gore  is AC/DC compared to this and it's a ...
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