Best of 2013

5) Magic Circle – Magic Circle

Just like with food, occasionally I'll get a craving for certain music. One of those cravings is for old occult doom, Black Sabbath, Pentagram, Saint Vitus, etc. When I feel it I'll pull out one of their albums and spin it until the craving is satisfied. I know there are a lot of bands out there that try to pull off that occult doom style even to this day, but none of them do it nearly as good as those three bands. None of them except Magic Circle apparently.

This album effectively quashed my urge for Black Sabbath this year. It won't replace them as the years go by. I'll still listen to Black Sabbath, but Magic Circle have managed to design an image and delivery that sounds authentically 70's-80's occult doom. The thick, groovy power chord riffs with that sweet spot of power amp saturation, the soaring leads and solos, the charismatic vocal yelling lyrics of warning and repentance. And, with each spin the album charismatically grows in your memory as something special, something epic. Even the production sounds authentic with a little noise and reverb that makes it sound like it's from one of the dustier shelves of the collection. This might be a turn off for some, but at a good volume with a little wattage behind it, the album sounds so warm and organic. From now on my occult doom binges will be mostly stuff from the 70's-80's and one very special album from 2013.