I met Matt quite a few years back at a Roadburn festival. Considering how many bands we both like and the sheer number of gigs we both attend it was pretty odd we’d never met at a gig in London. Matt somehow manages to fit time around being a father, a loving husband, and a fulltime job, to attend more gigs than you’ve had hot dinners. He gets labelled a grumpy old git (by me included) as he moans alot about modern metal, but get him talking about anythind slow or dark (and usually Finnish) and you’ll see his eyes light up as he starts reeling off a ton of bands you need to go and check out. Whilst I’m busy editing photos Matt and Gary (Lukes) manage to keep me well informed on the cream of the underground. Massive thanks to Matt for sending over his list.
Matt will be curating the Seven Churches stage at the 2013 edition of Desertfest along with his partner in crime Josh Retallick (from the Black Heart pub in Camden). Tickets for Desertfest are on sale now priced at £87.50 available from www.leedstickets.com
Without further ado, Matthew “Witchfinder” Hopkins Top 30 albums and Top 5 demos of 2012:
30. My Dying Bride – A Map Of All Our Failures
29. Horse Latitudes – Awakening
28. Desolate Shrine – The Sanctum Of Human Darkness/Maveth – Coils Of The Black Earth
27. Worship – Terranean Wake
26. Winterfylleth – The Threnody Of Triumph
25. Horseback – Half Blood
24. Mgla – With Hearts Towards None
23. Enslaved – RIITIIR
22. Process Of Guilt – Faemin
21. Steve Von Till, Wino, Scott Kelly – Songs Of Townes Van Zandt
20. Bong – Mana-Yood-Sushai
19. Binah – Hallucinating Resurrecture
18. Black Breath – Sentenced To Life
17. Hexvessel – No Holier Temple
16. Occultation – Three & Seven
15. Dragged Into Sunlight – Widowmaker
14. Anhedonist – Netherwords
13. Camel Of Doom – Psychodramas: Breaking The Knots Of Twisted Synapse
12. Conan – Monnos
11. Faustcoven – Hellfire And Funeral Bells
Matt’s Top 10 for 2012
10. Aluk Todolo – Occult Rock
Buy direct from the band here
9. Indesinence – Vessels of light and decay
Available from Profound Lore here
8. The Great Old Ones – Al Azif
7. Black Magician – Nature Is The Devil’s Church
6. Pallbearer – Sorrow And Extinction
Get it from Profound Lore here
5. Neurosis – Honor Found In Decay
Get it from Neurot recordings here
4. Wodensthrone – Curse
3. Elysian Blaze – Blood Geometry
Available from the bands Bigcartel on triple vinyl!
2. Evoken – Atra Mors
Buy from Profound Lore records
1. Swans – The Seer
Just missed the cut:
Eye Of Solitude, Orange Goblin, Ignivomous, Dekerta, Desecresy, Nihill, Svartidauði, Vassifor, Father Befouled, Atriarch, Pig Destroyer, Revenge, Hooded Menace, Inverloch, Lord Mantis, Astra, Aldebaron, Pseudogod, Diskord, A Forest Of Stars, Menace Ruine, Make, Necrovation, Nekromantheon, Proclamation, Satan’s Wrath, Storm Corrosion, Undersmile, Ahab.
Top 5 Demos
5. Vampire – Vampire
4. Tardigrada – Widrstand
3. Monomakh – MMXII
2. Chthe’ilist – Amechth’ntaas’m’rriachth
1. Muknal – Muknal
avilable from http://crepusculonegro.blogspot.co.uk/
Check out writer James Hibbert’s Top 20 list for 2012 here.
Check out photographer/writer Rich Price’s top 10 list for 2012 here.
Check our writer Colum Bell’s top 15 list here.
Check out writer Gary Luke’s top 60 list here.
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