Natrlhi's 2012 Year-End List Extravagasm

[Natrlhi]

Sooooooo, since the world didn't end yesterday after all...

A mere week or so after shamefully finishing last year's thread (LLZ), I suppose it's time I start my new one.

I'll be changing up my format this year a bit, in the hopes of actually finishing this in some reasonable amount of time (i.e., before 2014). I'll still do a lot of the random lists I did last year to help speed things along (see below), but this time I think I'm only going to post mini-reviews for the top twenty-five or so. Maybe I'll wait a bit for feedback before I decide how many.

At any rate, as busy as 2012 was, I still managed to listen to around 100 albums - or at least that's how many I intended to check out. A few of them I never got around to checking out fully, and like last year, there'll be a place for those. I think the general layout will look something like this:

• Fifteen Albums That I Just Didn't Get Around to Listening To This Year (But Wanted to)
• Five Albums That Straight Up Sucked / Pissed Me Off
• Five Albums That Were Good, But Just Aren't My Thing, Man
• Fifteen Albums That Were Just OK
• Ten Albums That I Probably Would Have Loved, Given More Time
• Top Ten Live Shows
• Top Ten Live Performances

...and then there'll be the Nifty Fifty, which are albums that I did spend enough time with to warrant ranking them. Like I said, I probably won't write reviews for them all, but I'll take the time to rank them just the same.

...and for what it's worth, I'm actually not that far away from having all of the categories and rankings done already.

So lower your expectations just slightly and get ready, bitches - because here we go again...

[mastodon421]

I'm excited to see the top 10 next Christmas

[illuminatus917]

Ah, Natrlhi's never-ending ball game.

[Natrlhi]

Originally Posted by mastodon421

I'm excited to see the top 10 next Christmas

You're hilarious. Where did you get such a rapist wit?

Originally Posted by Natrlhi

I'll be changing up my format this year a bit, in the hopes of actually finishing this in some reasonable amount of time (i.e., before 2014). I'll still do a lot of the random lists I did last year to help speed things along (see below), but this time I think I'm only going to post mini-reviews for the top twenty-five or so. Maybe I'll wait a bit for feedback before I decide how many.

Never mind. I see where all your interesting ideas come from.

Originally Posted by Natrlhi

I'll be changing up my format this year a bit, in the hopes of actually finishing this in some reasonable amount of time (i.e., before 2014). I'll still do a lot of the random lists I did last year to help speed things along (see below), but this time I think I'm only going to post mini-reviews for the top twenty-five or so. Maybe I'll wait a bit for feedback before I decide how many.

In the meantime, for the rest of those interested...any feedback here? Twenty reviews? Twenty-five?

[slapguitarer]

All the reviews!

[illninoese]

Originally Posted by slapguitarer

All the reviews!

I second this. You have no choice.

[DethMaiden]

I'd take 25, Nat.

[Natrlhi]

Thanks for the feedback - both facetious and serious.

I think what I ought to do is post all my other mini-lists (because it's easy - no reviews , just a list for those), and then do a list for numbers fifty through twenty-six, and then do short blurbs for the top twenty-five. That'll get me into the good stuff sooner, so it's hopefully still relevant at the time I'm discussing it. Then I can go back and do blurbs for the other ones if I get time / if there's still interest.

It was just ridiculous that the best albums on my list for last year never got any love in my thread until almost a year after the fact. That really pissed me off.

[SomewhereInTime72]

Twenty is probably fine, but mostly you should just do whatever you have the time for instead of accidentally signing on for such a difficult endeavor as last year.

[Natrlhi]

Drum roll please...

As Pink once said, let's get this party started. In keeping with the pattern established in last year's thread, my first list is comprised of stuff I just didn't get a chance to listen to (but would have liked to do so). Also, rather than hold up the start of this thread, I knew I probably wouldn't get around to listening to them enough to give them a fair day in court, so I just thought I would mention them here so folks would know why these albums don't appear elsewhere in the thread.


Fifteen Albums That I Just Didn't Get Around to Listening To This Year (But Wanted To)

• Abigail Williams - Becoming
• Alcest - Les Voyages de l'Ame
• Arsis - Leper's Caress (EP)
• Black Sheep Wall - No Matter Where It Ends
• Botanist - III - Doom in Bloom
• Cattle Decapitation - Monolith of Inhumanity
• Deathspell Omega - Drought (EP)
• The Gathering - Disclosure
• Hooded Menace - Effigies of Evil
• Krallice - Years Past Matter
• Kreator - Phantom Antichrist
• Locrian & Mamiffer - Bless Them That Curse You
• Sigur Ros - Valtari
• Shining (Swe) - Redefining Darkness
• Winterfylleth - The Threnody of Triumph

()x3

(Caveat: I actually did listen to a few of these, but not enough that I could render any sort of informed opinion.)

EDIT: I listened to bits and pieces of Arsis, DsO, Hooded Menace, Krallice and Winterfylleth and they all sounded pretty good...

EDIT2: Coming next...Five Albums That Straight Up Sucked / Pissed Me Off