This year, we decided to ask musicians that we truly admire to pick their favorite albums of the year and name a band they’d like to get together and make a new record in 2014. Check out the choices of Fuck The Facts founder and guitarist Topon Das below.

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1. Biipiigwan – Something for Everyone; Nothing for Anyone
2. Daiquiri – Sequel
3. Exhumed – Necrocracy
4. Antigama – Meteor
5. Meek Is Murder – Everything is Awesome Nothing Matters
6. Jucifer – позади волги нет никакой земли
7. The Sun Through A Telescope – I Die Smiling
8. KEN Mode – Entrench
9. Insurrection – Prototype
10. Trench – Circle of Shit / Ruffalo

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
Antigama at Obscene Extreme

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Dystopia & Priestess
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This year, we decided to ask musicians that we truly admire to pick their favorite albums of the year and name a band they’d like to get together and make a new record in 2014. Check out the answers that we received from Todd Jones, vocalist and guitarist of California's raging quartet Nails.

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1. Innumerable Forms / Blessed Offal - Split-12"
2. Hatred Surge - Human Overdose
3. Gorguts - Colored Sands
4. Framtid - Defeat Of Civilization
5. Sepultura - The Mediator Between Head and Hands Must Be The Heart
6. Hoax - s/t
7. Sickoids - No Home 8. Disma - Unwept In Oblivion / And The Dawn Of Life Arises
9. Ooze - Dansing On The Edge Of The Times
10. Bone Sickness - Alone In The Grave

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
My favorite live performance from a band I saw in 2013 was Blind To Faith.

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
I can't think of any off the top of my head. Although I hope that if any band reunites and makes a record in 2014, it has as much fire as Gorguts did on "Colored Sands".
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Best Metal Albums of 2013, by Matt Hinch

1. Clutch - Earth Rocker (Weathermaker)

I'm unashamed of my total bias towards Clutch. Part of the reason for that is they never release the same album twice. Earth Rocker does just that by being one of Clutch's most energetic albums. Their continual evolution keeps listeners coming back for more. Bar none best band on the planet. Ever.

2. Anciients - Heart of Oak (Season of Mist)

Vancouver's Anciients have had a monster year. From the reception of debut Heart of Oak to a number of high profile tours, their name was everywhere. And with good reason. Heart of Oak takes progressive sludge to the next level with an unstoppable torrent of riffs erupting like geysers and incredible dynamics.

3. SubRosa - More Constant Than the Gods (Profound Lore)

This Salt Lake City group sound so unique with their use of electric violins to compliment their brand of emotionally taxing doom/sludge. I'm a tough bearded dude and this album brings me to tears every time. Heavy as a lead balloon musically and lyrically, Subrosa are only getting better with each release.

4. Vhol - Vhol (Profound Lore)

Aesop Dekker, Mike Scheidt, John Cobbett and Sigrid Sheie. Do I really need to say more? Fine. Severely punked up black metal with touches of classic rock and thrash. It's always pushing forward with determined passion and brilliant performances. I've got my fingers crossed this isn't a one-off.

5. Batillus - Concrete Sustain (Seventh Rule)

Batillus are so heavy it's almost not even fair. Concrete Sustain ups the electronic elements from previous album, Furnace. The album worms its way under your skin where it's nice and warm to escape the heartless chill of the urban landscape. It's been on my phone all year and I have no plans to take it off.

6. Jucifer - Beyond the Volga There is No Land (Nomadic Fortress)

Like Clutch, Jucifer never fall into redundancy. Beyond the Volga centers on WWII Russia and the city of Volgograd. Gazelle Amber Valentine and Edgar Livengood capture the pain and anguish of death as well as the pride and fighting spirit of a proud nation, and then flatten you with it.

7. Cloud Rat - Moksha (Halo of Flies)

I'm pretty sure I hurt myself kitchen-moshing to this one. Not a good idea when you're cooking. But it's hard not to do when something grinds this goddamn hard. Vocalist Madison delivers a performance for the ages (especially on "Vigil") and their cover of Neil Young's "Needle and the Damage Done" is beyond words.

8. Noisem - Agony Defined (A389)

Long live thrash! A bunch of kids barely old enough to shave are shaping the face of thrash to come. Agony Defined is 26 minutes of pure aggression and flat out fun. Ripping guitars, blasting drums and energetic vocals are wrapped around an infectious catchiness. The future of thrash is as bright as a brand new pair of white high-tops.

9. Woe - Withdrawal (Candlelight)

The highest ranking black metal release on my list. (VHOL really, defy categorization.) There's something about the level of personal emotion that comes across on Withdrawal that I just can't shake. Not to mention a raft of absolutely killer riffs. Put your troo or kvlt arguments away. This is great stuff.

10. Windhand - Soma (Relapse)

Female vocalists in doom bands has been a common theme on my listening list this year and there has been none better than Dorthia Cottrell. Regardless of gender, the vocals are just one part of this monstrous record. Insanely heavy stoner doom and haunting drone. I'm surprised the Appalachian Mountains are still standing.

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After spending the last 12 months reviewing some of the best releases of 2013 and sharing them with you, we decided to ask for your opinion and find out which records did you enjoyed the most this year. Below, you can view the results along with the list submitted by our reader Ken Kopija from Illinois, who was the lucky winner of the batch of records that we had to offer. Thanks to all readers that participated and thanks for reading as well.

1. Altar of Plagues – Teethed Glory & Injury

2. Windhand – Soma

3. SubRosa – More Constant than the Gods

4. Russian Circles – Memorial

5. Deafheaven – Sunbather

6. Oranssi Pazuzu – Valonielu

7. Locrian - Return to Annihilation

8. Lumbar - The First and Last Days of Unwelcome 

9. Nails – Abandon All Life

10. Corrections House - Last City Zero

Best Metal Albums of 2013, by Ken Kopija

1. The Captain's Daughter - Eight Bells

2. Lumbar - The First and Last Days of Unwelcome

3. Russian Circles - Memorial

4. Lesbian - Forestelevision

5. True Widow - Circumambulation

6. Secrets of the Sky - To Sail Black Waters

7. Melvins - Tres Cabrones

8. Lord Dying - Summon The Faithless

9. All Pigs Must Die - Nothing Violates This Nature

10. Dead Ranch - Antler Royal

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This year, we decided to ask musicians that we truly admire to pick their favorite albums of the year and name a band they’d like to get together and make a new record in 2014. Check out below the third batch of answers that we received from members of A Storm of Light, The Secret and Sofy Major.

Josh Graham (A Storm Of Light)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1-Nick Cave - Push the Sky Away
2-Subrosa - More Constant Than The Gods
3-Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu
4-Monochromacy - Cement Cathedrals
5-Chelsea Wolfe - Pain Is Beauty
6-Meshuggah - Pitch Black
7-Haunted Horses - Watcher
8-The Knife - Shaking the Habitual
9-Intronaut - Habitual Levitations
10-Dreadlords - Demo

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
Soundgarden at Hammerstein Ballroom

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Hair and Skin Trading Company

Michael Bertoldini (The Secret)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
It will be hard for me to do a top 10 of new releases since I haven't really listened to much new music this year.
1-Ensemble Pearl - s/t
2-My Bloody Valentine - MBV
3-Coffins - The Fleshlands
4-Bolzer - Aura
5-Grave Miasma - Odoris Sepolcrorum
6-Nails - Abandon All Life

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
Black Sabbath at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Coffins at Earthdom in Shin Okubo, Tokyo

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Cursed, the best hardcore band of the past 10 years.
Burning Witch, the heaviest band everrrrrr.

Mathieu Moulin (Sofy Major)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1-Big Business - Battlefields Forever
2-Blockheads - This World Is Dead
3-Future Of The Left - How To Stop Your Brain In An Accident
4-Hook Worms - Pearl Mystic
5-Whores - Clean
6-Great Falls - Accidents Grotesque
7-Nails - Abandon All Life
8-Death Engine - Amen
9-Melvins - Tres Cabrones
10-Lustmord - The Word As Poxer

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
Pigs at Cox18 in Milan, Italy
Hombre Malo at Raymond Bar in Clermont-Fd, France
Melvins at Trabendo in Paris, France
Pord at Parking in Vesoul, France
Lleroy at Freak Out Club in Bologna, Italy

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
They've not disbanded, but I'd like to hear a new Keelhaul record.
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There are so many albums to choose from; so many demo tapes, 7”s, splits, et al, and I’m allowing all of these to be in the best-of lists. With that said, here are my personal top jams from 2013.

1. Left for Dead - Devoid of Everything (A389 Recordings)

Kevin Bersten/Developing Nations remixed the entire ‘96-’97 output by the legendary Hamilton, Ontario hardcore/fastcore/angry-as-fuck act Left for Dead, and it was mastered by James Plotkin, to which I have to say: thank you. Most of Left for Dead’s releases were of awful quality, but with Devoid of Everything, the quality is absolutely perfect. It’s gritty, mean, and vicious; Left for Dead is quite possibly the angriest hardcore band I’ve ever listened to. Sure, you can make a case for fellow Hamilton destroyers Haymaker and another band appearing down this list, but the Chris Colohan fronted act are just fucking mean. Devoid of Everything is brilliant; it might be straightforward and to-the-point, but that’s what hardcore should be. No frills, no bullshit; just unrelenting anger. I’m forever ashamed of myself for missing them at the A389 Anniversary bash AND Chaos in Tejas, but I will be going apeshit during their set at Maryland Deathfest XII. Listen

2. Deafheaven - Sunbather (Deathwish, Inc.)

What can be said about this record that hasn’t already been said? Part redefinition of black metal and part post-rock soundscapes, Deafheaven’s seminal work goes down as one of those releases that touches absolute greatness. Amazingly layered and full of clarity, Sunbather is just one of those albums that you can never get enough of. Beautiful, organic, and textured brilliantly, the album is definitely worth all the praise it has ever been graced with, and then some. Listen

3. Column of Heaven - Holy Things are for the Holy (Iron Lung Records)

I can’t get enough of Canada, apparently. Toronto’s Column of Heaven released that masterwork known as Mission From God last year, and everyone ate it up. Holy Things are for the Holy is an extension of the wacky noise/experimental/drone that was heard last year, and on this 7”, it’s cranked up to new levels. Blast-beats, awkward drum patterns, and odd sounds/general weirdness pepper the two-track 7”, and it’s amazing. Column of Heaven continually pushes boundaries, experimenting wildly with cacophonous noise and layers. Listen

4. Vattnet Viskar - Sky Swallower (Century Media)

I’ve talked about this album too much. What is my top album of the year, it contains everything I desperately want from a black metal album. There’s so much dynamic going on. Textured layers of guitar work, drum tracks, atmospheric noise. Everything. Black metal changed over the years and with it came the change of musicianship. Taking notes from post-rock and post-metal, Vattnet Viskar’s Sky Swallower is a down-right fantastic display of black metal bliss. Listen

5. Weekend Nachos - Still (Relapse Records)

What would my end-of-the-year list be without mentioning Chicago’s own Weekend Nachos? It’d probably be stupid. Seriously. Still is a menacing album. I already wrote about it here. A furious but lovely blend of hardcore, powerviolence, sludge, and various other genres create a cathartic atmosphere. Another great effort by Weekend Nachos. Listen

 6. Nails - Abandon All Life (Southern Lord)

Let’s get one thing straight: I fucking love Nails. I own every variant of Unsilent Death on vinyl and I pre-ordered Abandon All Life the day the sale went up. Seeing them live for the first time at the Broad Street Ministry was a helluva an experience; they completely tore the place down. Nails are one of the most vicious, destructive hardcore bands and Abandon All Life just pulverizes, decimates, and other synonyms for destruction that I can’t think of and wouldn’t do the record justice anyway. Listen

7. Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu (Svart Records, 20 Buck Spin)

I’ve always held a soft spot for weird music, and Oranssi Pazuzu is no different. Combining elements of psychedelia and black metal to form wondrous soundscapes, Valonielu is one of those albums that doesn’t take a lot of time to sink its teeth in. Sure, there’s black metal riffage going on here but that’s not what makes the album special. What is special about it is that it branches off in wide directions seamlessly. How many times can you have a black metal release that combines New Wave and Krautrock with the heralded lo-fi, foreboding genre? Not many. Listen

8. Cülo - My Life Sucks and I Could Care Less (Deranged Records)

So who here has heard of Chicago’s Cülo? Anyone? The Chicago hardcore punk act put out a ton of EPs that were really awesome, and their first full length retains that energy and drive. It’s super punky with full speed thrashing attacks, and at times unrelentingly angry, but that’s what makes the band so awesome. Brutal honesty and catchy riffs make for an album that feels unique and inspired amidst all the same bullshit. Listen

9. Windhand - Soma (Relapse Records)

Virginia’s Windhand outdid themselves. They put together a doom/stoner metal masterpiece. While some of the tracks are long, and it takes some time to be fully immersive, the riffs themselves are wondrous beasts of doom metal glory. It’s a different animal of stoner doom altogether. These riffs are sickly sweet; infectious, if you will. Slow and churning metal, coupled with Dorthia Cotrell’s amazing vocals make for an album that is just the pinnacle of what stoner doom should be. Listen

10. Perfect Pussy - I Have Lost All Desire for Feeling (self-released)

Okay, this is totally not metal or hardcore or whatever, and I know everyone in “the underground” has talked about them already, but Syracuse’s Perfect Pussy released this demo tape some time in April and Christ, I’ve been hooked. They’re one of those bands I’ve heard through word-of-mouth, instead of scouring the Internet (read: tumblr) to find something completely out of left-field. They’ve blown up a little bit (with good reason); this demo tape is absolutely fantastic. It’s jangly, wild, and noisy -- definitely things that I find attractive in music. If you like your music raw and unfiltered, this one is definitely for you. Just don’t expect, like, death metal or something. Listen

Editor-in-Chief at Scratch the Surface, Bill Haff is a Philadelphia-based music critic who also contributes for Cvlt Nation, Metal Injection and Ghost Cult. You can follow him on Twitter at @bill_haff

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This year, we decided to ask musicians that we truly admire to pick their favorite albums of the year and name a band they’d like to get together and make a new record in 2014. Check out below the third batch of answers that we received from members of Pelican, Beaten to Death and Downfall of Gaia.

Trevor de Brauw (Pelican)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
This has been changing day-by-day as I've been actively trying to catch up on 2013 listening the past couple of weeks, but as it stands this is where I'm at.
1-My Bloody Valentine - MBV (Self-Released)
2-Deafheaven - Sunbather (Deathwish)
3-Black Boned Angel - The End (Handmade Birds)
4-Jesu - Everyday I Get Closer To The Light From Which I Came (Avalanche)
5-Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge - Twelve Reasons to Die (Soul Temple)
6-Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Push the Sky Away (Bad Seed Ltd.)
7-Mutoid Man - Helium Head (Magic Bullet)
8-Chance the Rapper - Acidrap (Self-Released)
9-Kayo Dot - Hubardo (Self-Released)
10-Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance (Peaceville)

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
The set I saw Lilacs and Champagne perform was perfection. It was great to see production-based beat music reimagined in a live context, and the fact that they transformed from instrumental psych-hip hop into a full blown jazz fusion band was impressive and inspirational.

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
I prefer living in the present, so I would like the endless spate of band reunions end next year. But it won't.

Martin Rygge (Beaten to Death)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1-Benea Reach - Possession
2-Cheatahs - Extended Plays
3-Ghost - Infestissumam
4-Weekend Nachos - Still
5-Wolves Like Us - Get Gone
6-Black Debbath - Nå får det faen meg være rock! Akademisk stoner-rock!
7-True Widow - Circumambulation
8-Russian Circles - Memorial
9-Shevils - Lost In Tartarus
10-Fuck The Facts - Amer

What's the best concert you have seen this year?
Rotten Sound

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Burnt by the Sun

Anton Lisovoj (Downfall of Gaia)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1-Ulcerate - Vermis
2-Year Of No Light - Tocsin
3-Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury
4-So Hideous - Last Poem - First Light
5-Oathbreaker - Eros – Anteros
6-The Body - Christs Redeemers
7-Russian Circles - Memorial
8-Windhand - Soma
9-Terra Tenebrosa - The Purging
10-Ash Borer - Bloodlands

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
OM at Hafenklang in Hamburg

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Altar of Plagues
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This year, we decided to ask musicians that we truly admire to pick their favorite albums of the year and name a band they’d like to get together and make a new record in 2014. Check out below the second batch of answers that we received from members of Woe, Celeste and Winterfylleth.

Chris Grigg (Woe)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
Unweighted for preference:
1-Beastmilk - Climax
2-Carcass - Surgical Steel
3-Chelsea Wolfe - Pain is Beauty
4-Fuck Buttons - Slow Focus
5-Gorguts - Colored Sands
6-Inter Arma - Sky Burial
7-Kanye West - Yeezus
8-My Bloody Valentine - MBV
9-Queens of the Stone Age - …Like Clockwork
10-A Wilhelm Scream - Party Crasher

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
That's hard to say. It's a tossup between Nine Inch Nails, Kanye West, and Inter Arma while we were on tour with them. NIN were absolutely perfect and mind-blowing; Kanye was really exciting; Inter Arma were consistently breathtaking and powerful.

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Failure. We're half-way there, what with them announcing reunion shows in 2014, but they haven't said anything about an album. It doesn't seem out of the question!

Johan (Celeste)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1-Deftones - Koi No Yokan
2-Rorcal - Villagvege
3-Russian Circle - Memorial
4-Ulcerate - Vermis
5-Bring me the Horizon - Sempiternal
6-Katy Perry - Prism
7-Toxic Avenger - Romance and cigarettes
8-Ataraxie - L'être et la nausée
9-Black Tongue - Falsifier
10-Terra Tenebrosa - The Purging

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
The Sea And Cake at L'épicerie Moderne, Feyzin

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Shora

Chris Naughton (Winterfylleth)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
Top 15 as I tried to include everyone's view.
1-Carcass - Surgical Steel
2-Grave Miasma – Odori Sepulcrorum
3-Hate Forest/Ildjarn - Those Once Mighty Fallen
4-Katatonia - Dethroned & Uncrowned
5-Palms - S/T
6-Black Sabbath - 13
7-Windhand - SOMA
8-Saor - Roots
9-Wardruna - Runaljod – Yggdrasil
10-Hail of Bullets - III: The Rommel Chronicles
11-In Solitude - Sister
12-Deafheaven - Sunbather
13-Atlantean Kodex - The White Goddess (A Grammar Of Poetic Myth)
14-Cult of Luna - Vertikal
15-Cathedral - The Last Spire

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
Iron Maiden - Maiden England at Graspop Metal Meeting, Belgium
I think this was one that was a true highlight for all the Winterfylleth members, a top day having played the festival and then seeing the Maiden bring the house down at the end was a real delight.

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
I think I’d personally like to hear what At The Gates could come up with if they did another album.


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This year, we decided to ask musicians that we truly admire to pick their favorite albums of the year and name a band they’d like to get together and make a new record in 2014. Check out below the first batch of answers that we received from members of Locrian, Shining (Nor) and American Heritage.

Jørgen Munkeby (Shining)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1-Kanye West - Yeezus
2-Jay-Z - Magna Carta Holy Grail
3-Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
4-Brad Paisley - Wheelhouse
5-Biffy Clyro - Opposites

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
Biffy Clyro at Slottsfjellfestivalen, Tønsberg, Norway, in July

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
I'd love to see what Miles Davis or John Coltrane would have come up with now, if they lived! It would probably be very different from their last albums!

André Foisy (Locrian)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1-Volcano Choir - Repave (Jagjagwar)
2-Stave - Reform (Flingco Sound System)
3-True Widow - Circumambulation (Relapse)
4-Insect Ark - Long Arms (Geweih Ritual Documents)
5-Agarttha - A Water Which Does Not Wet Hands (King of the Monsters)
6-Iggy and the Stooges - Ready to Die (Fat Possum)
7-Bloodyminded - Within The Walls (BloodLust!)
8-Aun - Alpha Heaven (Denovali)
9-Mount Moriah - Miracle Temple (Merge Records)
10-The Stargazer’s Assistant - Mirrors & Tides, Shivers & Voids (Utech Records)

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
It’s been a long year and I haven’t taken very good notes. I really liked seeing Inter Arma and Bloodyminded play at the Cobra Lounge last month.

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Genesis with The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway lineup obviously.

Scott Shellhamer (American Heritage)

What are your top 10 releases of 2013?
1-Gorguts - Colored Sands
2-Ulcerate - Vermis
3-Rotten Sound - Species at War
4-Lumbar - The First and Last Days of Unwelcome
5-Nails - Abandon All Life
6-Darkthrone - The Underground Resistance
7-Skinny Puppy - Weapon
8-Phantogram - Phantogram
9-Low - The Invisible Way
10-Motorhead - Aftershock

What’s the best concert you have seen this year?
Goblin

What band would you like to reunite and make a record in 2014?
Dismember
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