Metal Riot

Pope Richard

Pope Richard of Blackened Death Records and numerous not so subtle projects (including the controversial and excellent Gaylord, the bleak Suicide Wraith and many more) put out our selection for best comp of the year with the vital Worldwide Organization Of Metalheads Against Nazis II.

Being as polarizing a figure as Richard is usually means you might be an edge lord, but in this case it is refreshingly because Richard is doing so much right. As if writing a song called “Varg Impaled” wasn’t enough of a gift to the scene, Pope Richard also has contributed a guest blogger year end list to us here at Metal Riot this year! Hails and thanks!

Peruse below Richard’s thoughts on 2018’s metal scene, putting out the comp and what the best albums were of the year in their estimation.

It’s mid November and the nights are long and chilly. The days are short and chilly. And I’m in London, so things are /extra/ grey. But as the SADness descends upon us like a wet and fleeting snow, we have heavy metal to warm our hearts and lift our spirits.

2018 was a huge year for metal and all of its subgenres. We have had great releases from death metal bands, black metal acts, doom metal groups, and the immense push of the new wave of anti-fascist heavy metal has /really/ ramped up. For more on that you can check out Blackened Death’s releases “WOMAN” and “WOMAN II” on our Bandcamp. We managed to raise over £2000 between both comps for Doctors Without Borders due to this massive anti-fascist metal community that is pulling together. 2019 is gonna be B I G.

But that’s enough self-aggrandizing – let’s talk about some damn ass heavy metal.

More BELOW.

A real boon for fans of Relapse Records is available now in the form of 180 songs FREE in an online sampler. Celebrating 25 years of contamination and with some of the best bands in the labels gory history featured from Mindrot to Alabama Thunderpussy (I just cranked some “Motor Ready”) to Exhumed to Voivod , Red Fang and Nasum… this is a great trip down memory lane for metal fans. The label is still going strong with new records in 2015 from Minsk, Torche, Royal Thunder and classic re-issues from Nile , Bongzilla, The Dillinger Escape Plan and more due this year as well.

Stream and download this most epic sampler now right HERE.