Blood Capsule #178

THE INVISIBLE MAN APPEARS (1949)

Some films only exist today as historical curiosities.  Take The Invisible Man Appears, for example.  It was never released stateside until Arrow Video saved it from certain obscurity by issuing a posh Blu-ray in 2021.  Considered the first science fiction film made in Japan, Invisible Man deftly utilizes tokusatsu effects engendered, in part, by Eiji Tsuburaya.  Kaiju fans will recognize that name.  Tsuburaya helped pioneer special techniques that would later be employed to stage elephantine battles between Godzilla and other giant monsters.  Speaking of which, this little conversation piece was produced by Daiei Film, the studio responsible for the Gamera series.  Okay, so I've given you plenty of background information.  Is Invisible Man worth tracking down?

The bulk of the picture operates around a knotty, near-Gordion jewel heist.  A batch of indistinguishable thugs kidnap a scientist in the hope of furtively using his untested invisibility agent to plunder a diamond necklace.  I guess it's interesting if you really enjoyed Ocean's Thirteen, but I yawned through a lot of the procedural build-up.  Admittedly, the visuals are eerie.  It's easy to spot where director Nobuo Adachi was influenced by American genre trappings, most notably Universal's own translucent monster.  At the end of the day, The Invisible Man Appears isn't terribly compelling.  There is a sequel - 1957's The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly.  I doubt that I'll watch it, but you're more than welcome to give it a try.

A Bloodstained Update

Corny jokes aside, I do have an update for you regarding Blood Capsules (the book).  I'm a little past halfway done with the manuscript...!  As I approach the home stretch, I am primed to enter "review mode."  Once this mode is activated, watch out.  For the most part, Blood Capsules will be the only thing you see on this website for awhile.  For every review I post here, I will write one that is exclusive to the book.  I would ignore the site altogether, but I do want to keep interest up.

I'll give you another update when I'm closer to the finish line.  Until then, it's "review mode" for me.  This could get bloody.

Now Playing #10

Windthrow - Katabasis

Released in the sterility of early December, this record came and went last year with zero fanfare.  I can understand why this Swedish one-man project is obscure, but that doesn't mean it should be.  I'll do my part in singing its praises.  So what are we dealing with here?  Windthrow peddles black metal that borrows liberally from traditional heavy metal.  Expect to hear a wealth of guitar harmonies and solos that polish off each composition.  The well-endowed production ensures that your ears can isolate each instrument.  I'm picky as hell when it comes to black metal (okay, I'm a fastidious fool with all subgenres), so the fact that I've given Katabasis several spins should clue you in on something.

I'm using the word "spins" informally, as this record doesn't seem to be available on CD.  If you have a turntable, this is an easy recommendation.  Sample "Stygian Halls" or "New Light."

Solitude Aeturnus - Downfall

When I was hospitalized at the midpoint of 2022 (I call it the "deep torso of doom"), Solitude Aeturnus is one of the bands I can remember jamming on my headphones in an effort to obviate currents of anxiety.  I distinctly recall listening to 1994's Through the Darkest Hour, which I rate as my favorite SA album.  And even though Downfall has to settle for second place, I've been enjoying it quite a bit lately.  Can someone please explain to me in plain, elementary English why it's considered to be the worst of the bunch?  I don't get it.  Okay, it doesn't replicate the epic, haughty atmosphere of Into the Depths of Sorrow or Beyond the Crimson Horizon, but the songs are there.

The chorus of "Chapel of Burning" simply cannot be denied.  What about the moody hooks of "Only This (and Nothing More)" or the driving riffs of "Deathwish"?  The latter tune is a Christian Death cover, but I couldn't tell.  It doesn't intercede on the natural flow of the music despite its whereabouts in the tracklist.  I reject the notion that Downfall entertains alternative rock.  That's just bogus, man.  Listen to "Concern" and tell me it's not irrationally infectious.  Bogus!

Album Cover of the Whatever

How about some obscure death/thrash?  I would buy a comic book with that cover.  The band in question is Tyrant Trooper.  Insane Sickness was their only LP, and while I'm not super familiar with it, I've heard it enough to recommend it.

Rassle Inn #48

So what's going on with the Young Bucks?

Four years ago, I was on their side.  In fact, I even bought their merch at Hot Topic.  And y'know, a lot of people were on their side.  Fans (and journalists, if they're not ashamed to admit it) were excited about the prospect of a new major wrestling promotion.  Finally, Vinnie Mac was going to have direct competition.  But that was four years ago.  So many things can - and did - happen in four years.  It could be said that the Bucks gradually dropped all gimmicks in that span of time, riding a wave of grim reality that reached a crescendo on last night's Dynamite.

In what can only be described as a turgid interview segment, Matt and Nick Jackson essentially played themselves.  All bets are off, as Matt delivered a wordy, yet ultimately ineffectual promo that made reference to certain "cancerous" individuals in the wrestling business.  I guess I can't call it ineffectual.  He came across as a douchebag, which was the whole point of the scene.  The problem is that it's becoming clear to both doomsters and apologists alike that as much as AEW's roster would love to get credit from the Academy for theatrical performances, the dude wasn't acting.  It appears that the Young Bucks are douchebags.

"Do you know them personally, Dom?"  No, and I'm sure that they are great tippers.  But here's what I do know...they are responsible, in part, for driving out the biggest star in the history of their little company.  They may not be quite as responsible as Jack Perry or Tony Khan, but something tells me that they approve of AEW'S overall trajectory.  If by some chance they aren't douchebags, they're stupid.  I fear they may be both.  I'm still not 100% clear on the kayfabe reason for singling out Darby Allin and Sting.  Boredom maybe?  What could have been a marquee money match will probably just be another Young Bucks match.

Look, I've been guilty of defending them.  I have a high threshold for their "style" of wrestling, and in seasons past, one could argue that their most serious offenses were merely ridiculous high spots.  That was before they held sway as executive vice presidents.  Now, if they go down superkicking, they're taking an entire promotion with them.  But hey, look at all the stars they have made.  Like Private Party.  And...those other guys.

Be All, End All

Just a small update...I've made definite progress on the book.  It's taking longer to put together than I would like, but the end result is going to be sweet.  As for the site, I have new editions of Now Playing and Rassle Inn comin' atcha soon.  That should happen within a week or so.  As for right this very second, I'm listening to Anthrax's State of Euphoria on cassette tape.  I've always maintained that thrash saucers sound best on tape, and this one is no exception to the rule.  And Euphoria is probably my least favorite Belladonna-era Anthrax outing, but it has more meat on its bones than I remembered.

In other news, I recently became an admin of an online golf tournament.  How geeky is that?  Alright, back to work on the manuscript.  Keep those eyes juicy and peeled!

Blood Capsule #177

LORDS OF THE DEEP (1989)

The best thing about this film is its VHS artwork.  If I wasn't low-key obsessed with the aquamarine slipcase (she's a beauty), I wouldn't have forked over ten bucks to own it.  And yet, I'm glad it's in my possession.  I dig this sub-subgenre.  What kind of micro-niche are we dealing with here?  Well, as I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, Lords of the Deep falls under the category of "undersea sci-fi/horror."  Movie studios must have been under the impression that ticket buyers simply craved briny, thalassic entertainment.  Either that, or they were staffed by would-be oceanographers because there were no less than six (!) of these brackish b-doodles made between 1989 and 1990.  My favorite of the lot?  DeepStar Six, which benefits from Miguel Ferrer and a cool monster.

I'll have you know that Ferrer doesn't star in Lords, and the monster?  It's a benevolent manta ray.  Doesn't exactly live up to the title, does it?  I suppose that the effects are shipshape (pun intended), but we don't see them enough for it to matter.  The script could have been ghostwritten by AI.  There is a submerged laboratory, a mining operation, and several submersibles that...ugh, even the synopsis is bland.  I wanted to like this flick.  Priscilla Barnes overexerts herself as a goo scientist.  Roger Corman appears in extended cameo capacity, and I'm sure that he considered Lords of the Deep a success.  I'll let you in on a little secret; I disagree.  Recommended to fans of smallbox VHS, reruns of Three's Company (post-Chrissy Snow), and saltwater.

Blood Capsules: The Book

I said I had a mega announcement, and well, I'd say this counts as "mega."  For years, people have told me that I should release a book of some sort.  I thought about it, and I have enough material for a compendium.  The idea is to take all of my Blood Capsules, print them onto adorable pages (inked in blood, natch), and maybe write a few new reviews that are exclusive to the book.  Does that sound like a plan?  I know that horror film review collections are a dime a dozen, but that's partly why I want in on the action.  Everyone else is getting published.  I figure, why not me?

Ideally, I would release this thing tomorrow, but good God, that's not feasible.  If I want to do it right, it's going to take time.  Early projections?  The first quarter of 2025, at the very latest.  Hopefully, you can hold a copy in your hands to read by Halloween 2024.  We'll see.  Obviously, I'll keep you - my dear readership - in the loop as this project progresses.

So what does this mean for the website?  The book is going to drain quite a bit of my spare time.  Sure, most of it is already written, but I have to toss it into a manuscript and make sure it's all presentable.  Here's my new rule...until the book is released, the only movie reviews that I'll be writing will be Blood Capsules.  Plus, there's the fact that some of those reviews will be bypassing the Internet and going straight to the book.  I will still update the site, however.  You can expect to read my usual dissertations on metal and pro-wrestling.  If anything, I'll try to bump up the metal/wrestling content to compensate for the lack of film content.

Bare with me!  Patreon support will be critical in the coming months.  I want to figure out a way to link the book to my Patreon, but...um, I haven't decided how to do that yet.  When I know, you'll know.  Thanks for the continued support that does exist, and of course, thanks for reading.  This should prove to be a most interesting year!

Onward

Random A.J. Lee picture is random.

Well, 2023 was...a year.  Actually, it was a pretty good year, but I don't want to jinx anything.  Nothing is guaranteed about 2024.  The only thing I know about the next twelve months is that I'm going to be one busy fool.  The short term?  I have a huge announcement to make.  But give me a few days.  I have a lot planned, and as such, I need to organize the contents of my brain.

Blood Capsule #176

SANTA'S SLAY (2005)

Happy Halloween!  That joke won't land as well in the future as it does now, but I could say the same thing about Santa's Slay.  Actually, this boisterous slasher didn't make much sense in 2005.  "Dead teenager" flicks were antiquated relics by this point.  An iniquity of antiquity?  If it had been released just five years earlier, I guess I could rationalize its existence.  It matters not.  Bill Goldberg stars as Santa.  In this film's universe, the righteous roly-poly is a demon.  You see, he lost a bet (in a game of curling, of all things), and as such, he must give presents to children on the 25th of December every year.  Apparently, this bet is subject to a statute of limitations, which has expired.  Paragraph break!

Santa reverts back to his impish ways.  For the record, that includes impaling idiots with fireplace pokers and stealing kisses from strippers.  I will say, the basic premise is novel.  The minutiae of the backstory is relayed in a darling little stop-motion sequence.  It's most fetching.  The rest of Santa's Slay?  Comme ci, comme ca.  That's French for "not so good," and it's the only French I remember from high school.  I knew it would come in handy someday.  On the bright-ish side, the body count is high, the fake boob count is higher, and everything is resolved in a tidy 78 minutes.  You can't ask for much more, really, though I would have liked to see Santaberg hit a jackhammer on Chris Kattan.  That's a wrestling move, for those of you scratching your head right now.

Recommended to fans of WCW Thunder and the third act of Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2.

Blood Capsule #175

TROG (1970)

Coincidentally, this feature was co-written by Peter Bryan, the scribe responsible for The Blood Beast Terror.  I didn't know that going in, and I usually try to select titles from different eras in filmmaking, but this was a happy accident.  Trog is wonky.  I dig wonky.  A mortified Joan Crawford stars as a scientist who stumbles into the discovery of a barbaric cave dweller (seen above being forced to watch Mildred Pierce).  The anthropoid protohuman is named Trog - shorthand for troglodyte.  It seems responsive to domestication, but gradually, it becomes impossible to tame.  As you might have guessed, a number of innocent lives are lost.  Trog abducts a child at one point in a scene that evokes James Whale's Frankenstein.

Fret not; the child is spared, although several interchangeable characters do meet an abrupt, sanguinary demise.  I was impressed with Trog's mean streak.  It's rooted in esoteric science fiction, so the script is always in danger of slipping into "blah" territory.  Crawford hits her marks.  Of course, she would later claim to be embarrassed by the role.  I doubt very seriously that her bank account blushed.  Director Freddie Francis keeps the pace cracking.  He was a busy man in the 60's and 70's, having helmed such genre treasures as The Skull, Torture Garden, and Legend of the Werewolf.  Trog is a jolly, agreeable addition to his resume.  The climax is disappointing, but for the most part, I enjoyed my time with it.  FACTOID: According to IMDb, this was the top film at the box office in its first week of release.

Blood Capsule #174

THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR (1969)

Only serious film buffs know about this Tigon cheapie.  I say that because as of a few weeks ago, I had never heard of it.  How is that possible???  It stars Peter Cushing, my second favorite actor of all time (behind Vincent Price).  This cult curiosity is in my wheelhouse for other reasons.  As I mentioned above, it was churned out by Tigon, long considered to be the gooseberry of British horror production houses.  It was no Hammer, or even Amicus, but the diminutive studio managed to amass an impressive catalog.  Does Witchfinder General ring any bells?  This picture could have been called The Mothwoman Prophecies.  I'll restrain myself from unloading my bottomless haversack of Richard Gere jokes.  You can thank me later.

Cushing appears as a Scotland Yard detective investigating a rash of deaths in the bucolic countryside near London.  The culprit?  Ignoring the red herrings, we are confronted with the killer head-on.  A scientist has spawned a genetic mutation posing as his daughter.  She turns into a bipedal moth creature seemingly at will.  A were-moth, if you will.  As far as drive-in cheese goes, the nuts and bolts of this scenario are lovingly bonkers.  The suspense is regrettably low, as we know what's happening well before the characters get a clue.  Still, I was entertained throughout.  I wish we had seen more of the monster suit, which looks better than you might expect.  Cushing reportedly considered The Blood Beast Terror to be one of his worst gigs.  I beg to differ.

Blood Capsule #173

THE MUNSTERS' SCARY LITTLE CHRISTMAS (1996)

I'm not a fan of Christmas (I know, big surprise), but I was looking forward to this jingle-jangle jestcapade.  It's one of the very, very few Random Review subjects that my mom would like.  And so, I watched it with my mom.  We both love The Munsters, but I think I can speak for her when I say that we approached this made-for-TV lark with a healthy providence.  To be specific, we weren't sure about the casting choices.  Here Come the Munsters was made the year before, and apparently, the main players from that movie were set to reprise their roles here.  Alas, contractual negotiations broke down, so we are left with an ostensibly inadequate lot of thespians.  I wouldn't know, as I've only seen Scary Little Christmas.

The story is weak.  The family spends 90 minutes trying to cheer Eddie up, which would barely function as a 30-minute sitcom premise.  One thing is for certain; no one...and I mean, no one will ever top Fred Gwynne.  Perennial "that guy" actor Sam McMurray gives it the old college try, but his voice just doesn't sound right.  On the other end of the spectrum, Ann Magnuson nails her portrayal of Lily Munster.  Everything from her mannerisms to her dulcet tones are letter-perfect.  There are some lively gags.  Strangely, the comedy suffers when it tries to appeal to adults.  For instance, I don't know why Santa's elves needed to be libertines.  But The Munsters' Scary Little Christmas could be worse.  It could be directed by Rob Zombie.  Zing!

Blood Capsule #172

THE GUYVER 2: DARK HERO (1994)

I have a clause written into my "7 in 7" contract* that states my holiday-fueled spate of reviews must include a sequel of some sort.  Otherwise, I probably would have covered the first Guyver film, which I prefer.  This sleek follow-up is by no means substandard, but it's marred by a lack of tokusatsu action (relative to the original, that is) and David Gale.  In fact, I can barely remember the villains in Dark Hero.  Picking up where The Guyver left off, Sean (our biomech-infused superhero) investigates an archeological dig that has resulted in the discovery of cave drawings.  These primeval images might be related to the things he keeps seeing in his dreams.  Meanwhile, there are new Zoanoid sightings in the mountains of Utah.  What are Zoanoids?

You really need to see The Guyver, but basically, it has something to do with a spaceship and the development of droid armor that is to be used in intergalactic warfare.  If the premise sounds like a loopy comic book, that's because it was based on a manga of the same name.  Seemingly, Dark Hero is the fan favorite, but again, I champion its 1991 predecessor.  It has more personality, and yes, (slightly) more monsters.  It goes without saying that the special effects are still extraordinary.  I've been running on low batteries as of late, so I admit to succumbing to the 127-minute running time on one or two occasions.  If the bloat doesn't bother you, definitely give this flick a watch.

*Signed in stage blood.

Blood Capsule #171

DAUGHTER OF DR. JEKYLL (1957)

In a pulpy prologue, a snaggletooth fiend (pictured above) regales us with the story of Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  It's a bizarre meta-moment, as we are told that it was a work of fiction.  Stranger still, the heinous Hyde is referred to as a "human werewolf."  Daughter of Dr. Jekyll works as a Universal horror greatest hits compilation, and I'm chalking it up as a pleasant surprise.  Here, the monster can only be killed with a stake to the heart.  Yeah, wires are crossed, but that's okay.  I'm in love with all of the barmy tropes that get tossed around.  The actual storyline is fairly straightforward.  A woman inherits a Gothic estate and discovers that her father was Count Chocula.

This flick has the fearful villagers of Frankenstein, the omnipresent full moon of The Wolf Man, and the penetrating social commentary of Bordello of Blood.  That was a joke.  Director Edgar G. Ulmer has fun playing with shadows.  I had fun watching John Agar do his thing.  For your information, "his thing" involved sleepwalking as the straight man in dozens of kaleidoscopic b-pictures.  You may recognize him from Invisible Invaders, Attack of the Puppet People, Revenge of the Creature, and/or Bordello of Blood.  That was a joke.  On the whole, Daughter of Dr. Jekyll is all kinds of awesome.  I can't believe that I've never heard anyone mention it, but then again, I don't hang with the cool kids.

Blood Capsule #170

DON'T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS (1984)

Horror hounds neglect to mention this remedial slasher when listing off Christmas-themed titles, which I should have seen as a stern warning.  Perhaps I deserved this movie.  Oh, I'm being melodramatic, but it's actually not too dusty.  Don't feels like a British interpretation of a giallo, right down to its whodunit angle and its black-gloved killer.  Director Edward Purdom also nails the sleazy, disreputable atmosphere that smacks of second-tier Argento.  As for the holiday-pitched plot, an unseen screwjob is bumping off a wide variety of men dressed as Santa Claus in urban London.  On second thought, the victims aren't exactly diversified.  Most of them are whiskey-whiffed cretins looking to wallow in the mire, so to speak.

What I'm trying to say is that prostitutes are involved.  Aren't they always?  Sometimes, the prostitutes are cute and spunky, as in the case of Sherry (Kelly Baker credited as an "experience girl").  She's the only character that I could tolerate, so of course, we don't meet her until the halfway point.  Everyone else is either an insipid detective or a flavorless suspect.  On the upside, the kills are prohibitively nasty.  If I didn't know any better, I'd wager that the gruesome effects shots were concocted by Tom Savini.  Don't Open Till Christmas gets a passing grade, though it doesn't aim very high.  And what's with the goofy ending?  I'm tempted to spoil it, but mere words wouldn't do it justice.  Ho-humbug.

Now Playing #9

Manitou - Entrance

This column is supposed to consist of music that I've been indulging in lately, but to be honest, I've been listening to lots of stuff over the past couple of months.  I can't tell you why I decided to write about this album in particular.  All I know is that it rules.  So Manitou was a progressive heavy metal band that formed in the mid-80's.  They were extremely Norwegian.  And I suppose they still are, but in any event, the line-up on this record boasted the talents of vocalist Oyvind Haegeland.  Power-prog scholars may recognize that name, as he contributed vocals to the sole release by crackerjack tech-mages Spiral Architect.  For your information, he also spends time in Terra Odium.  Both killer acts, in this writer's opinion.

Just like Spiral Architect, Manitou recorded one full-length before dissolving into nerd vapor.  The year was 1995, and man, it took entirely too long for me to discover this thing.  It won't sway anyone who doesn't listen to prog on a semi-regular basis.  The songs are as proggy as prog can be, what with the shortest composition clocking in at just under six minutes.  Standouts?  I'm loving the crestfallen leads of "The Forlorn" and the diagonal hooks of "Shadowhunt."  Mind you, I could use those very same adjectives to describe each track.  It's best to listen to everything on offer.

Entrance is begging for a re-release.  I want to own a physical copy, but the cheapest CD on Discogs will drain anywhere from thirty to forty bucks from my bank account, including shipping.  Normally, I wouldn't pay that much for tunes, but I might have to break down at some point.

Revenge - Strike.Smother.Dehumanize

War metal is an acquired taste.  In fact, I don't care for most of it, so I'm dipping outside my purview.  If Manitou is the soundtrack for a quiet night of reading (and it has been, in my case), Revenge is the soundtrack for a not-so-quiet night of raping and pillaging.  If you need a frame of reference, try to imagine bestial, crust-adjacent blackened thrash being played by werewolves.  Oh, and the werewolves are full-blown heroin addicts.  I can't say that songs such as "Oath Violator" and "Lightning Mythos" have much replay value.  However, they scratch the itch when I'm in the mood for something feral.  At the very least, I can hear the riffs, which is impressive for this subgenre.  It's a small victory, but I'll take it.

Happy Merry

So wait, Monday is a big day?  Oh, right.  How could I forget?  My "7 in 7" review series for Christmas starts on the 25th.  It may be a federal holiday of some sort, but that would be irresponsible conjecture on my part.  In other news, I think I'll post a new edition of Now Playing on Saturday.  When the new year kicks in, I'll be ready to take a break.  But not for too long!  2024 will prove to be an epic year for the site.  Just you wait!

And the Dommy goes to...

I typed "Academy Award in a hospital bed hooked up to an IV" into an AI image generator and this is the insanity I was given.  I've threatened the universe with the possibility of the Dommy Awards before, but since everyone is in the mood to recap 2023, I thought I'd hand out the most prestigious Dommy award I could dream up...best film of the year!  That I've reviewed!  I tallied them up, and apparently, I wrote 52 film reviews this year, including Blood Capsules.  The movie that left the deepest impression would be...

...When Evil Lurks!  Godzilla Minus One did come awfully close, but in the end, demonic possession won out over kaiju carnage.  It was an honor to be nominated, I'm sure.  Click HERE to read my review of this year's winner.  And give me ideas for more categories!

Best Metal Albums of 2023

Isn't that a cute little image?  Here are some 2023 releases that didn't spring to mind until after I created my cute little image.  We'll call them honorable mentions...

Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium) Knotty death metal with a progressive edge.  If my list was ranked by number of listens, this probably would have cracked the top 10.

Fires in the Distance - Air Not Meant For Us) I already wrote about this one.  Click HERE.

Vinsta - Freiweitn) Folk metal that could pass for vintage Opeth.  Based out of Austria.

Wolves in the Throne Room - Crypt of Ancestral Knowledge) An utterly fantastic EP.  These guys can do no wrong, in my book.

Dream Unending/Worm - Starpath) Easily my favorite split of the year, though I concede I haven't explored as many as I would have liked.  This is immense death/doom.  The DU tracks have a jazzy bent, whereas the Worm tracks are cloaked in blackened shades.

And now the top 10...

1. Alkaloid - Numen) Click HERE.

2. Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg for Death) I know this album doesn't contain any innovation on the part of this veteran brutal death metal unit, but there's nothing wrong with that.  The songs are killer.  John Gallagher knows his strengths, which is more than I can say for other indentured musicians.

3. Mournful Congregation - The Exuviae of Gods Part II) I'm actually listening to this EP as I type.  And normally, I wouldn't include EPs, but it's almost 40 minutes long.  Here again, we have a band that can do no wrong.  They make funeral doom so toothsome, so heartrendingly beautiful, it appeals to people who don't dig on funeral doom.  While I'm on the subject, I'll mention that Ahab also put out a strong contender.

4. Blackbraid - Blackbraid II) Not a terribly popular pick, but I don't care.  It's one of the finest atmospheric black metal offerings I've encountered in several harvest moons.

5. Shores of Null - The Loss of Beauty) Click HERE.

6. Drowning the Light - Haunter of the Deep) Unique lo-fi black metal from a dude who is prolific as all hell.  I think he cut another record since I started writing this piece.

7. Lamp of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstorm) This may be a case of Immortal worship, but that doesn't change the fact that I keep coming back to it.  "Conqueror Beyond the Frenzied Fog" might be my song of the year.

8. Katatonia - Sky Void of Stars) In the past twelve months, Katatonia has become one of my most cherished bands.  I'm partial to their entire discography.  I wasn't crazy about this one at first, but it's grown on me quite a bit.  "Author," for instance, is just too cool.

9. Outer Heaven - Infinite Psychic Depths) Gross, hawkish death metal dyed with a tincture of hardcore.  The riffs are dead serious.

10. Enslaved - Heimdal) In retrospect, I have reservations about this entry.  It's excellent, but pretend I switched it out with Starpath.