Lovers Lane
In The Flesh

Caught In A Mosh: January 2010

| January 2, 2010

On To 2010

Below are Top Five Heavy Albums Of ’09 lists compiled from all walks of the Chicago heavy-music scene. It’s self-explanatory, so why waste intro space?

I’d rather commit the words to the memory of Sweet Cobra guitarist Mat Arluck, who succumbed to cancer November 26th at 39-years old. Sweet Cobra is a favorite of mine, but I don’t mourn his death for that reason. No, his death hurts so fucking much because he was a great dude — plain and simple. I first met Arluck in June ’08 during an IE-assembled roundtable discussion, but got to know him much better in the months leading to his passing. During that time we somehow became heavy-metal e-pals of sorts. (I have threads 35-replies long filled with geeky shit about Mastodon, Slayer, Flotsam And Jetsam, Amon Amarth . . . even Defiance!) I always found it odd — touching, really — when, if we’d been out of touch a few days, he’d apologize. Dude was going through radiation treatment, yet was remorseful for not maintaining correspondence.

Like so many, I’ll miss Mat. Obviously I’ll miss his musical contributions, but I’ll really miss that daily e-mail. I’ll miss talking King Diamond (whom he saw live something like 10 times!) with him. I’ll miss his sense of humor, and I’ll even miss being called douchelord (the man’s arsenal of derogatory names was staggering). My sincerest condolences go out to Mat’s friends, family, and bandmates.

Trevor Fisher, Illinois Entertainer
1. Mastodon Crack The Skye (Reprise)
2. Harbinger Doom On You (Planet Metal)
3. Slayer World Painted Blood (American)
4. Novembers Doom Into Night’s Requiem Infernal (The End)
5. Funeral Mist Maranatha (Ajna Offensive)
So close: Kylesa Static Tensions (Prosthetic) and Czar Czar EP (Cracknation)
So disappointing: Megadeth Endgame (Roadrunner) and Lamb Of God Wrath (Sony)

Mark Weglarz, Metal Haven
1. Blood Tsunami Grand Feast For Vultures (Candlelight)
2. Obscura Cosmogenesis (Relapse)
3. Funeral Mist Maranatha (Ajna Offensive)
4. Arghoslent Hornets Of The Pogrom (Drakkar)
5. Target Mission Executed (Stormspell)

Jim Bresnahan, Kommandant
1. Portal Swarth (Profound Lore)
2. Blut Aus Nord Memoria Vetusta II — Dialogue With The Stars (Candlelight)
3. Arditi Omne Ensis Impera (Equilibrium)
4. Xasthur All Reflections Drained (Hydra Head)
5. Mayhem Life Eternal EP (Saturnas/ Seasons Of Mist)

Mark Miller and Justin Essenpreis, Reviewsresist.com
1. Baroness Blue Record (Relapse)
2. Skeletonwitch Breathing The Fire (Pros-thetic)
3. Scale The Summit Carving Desert Can-yons (Prosthetic)
4. Mastodon Crack The Skye (Reprise)
5. Slayer World Painted Blood (American)

Tom Knizner, Cardiac Arrest/Severed
1. Post Mortem Message From The Dead (Taboo Productions)
2. Asphyx Death . . . The Brutal Way (Century Media/Ibex Moon)
3. Gravehill Rites Of The Pentagram (Enucleation)
4. HOD Serpent (Ibex Moon)
5. Autopsy Severed Survival 20th Anniv-ersary Reissue (Peaceville)

Steve Rathbone, Lair Of The Minotaur
1. Satyricon The Age Of Nero (E1)
2. Goatwhore Carving Out The Eyes Of God (Metal Blade)
3. Beherit Engram (Fontana)
4. Obituary Darkest Day (Candlelight)
5. Destroyer 666 Defiance (Seasons Of Mist)

Bruce Lamont, Yakuza
1. Keelhaul Triumphant Return To Obscurity (Hydra Head)
2. Helen Money In Tune (Radium)
3. Nachtmystium Doomsday Derelicts EP (Battle Kommand)
4. Minsk With Echoes In Movement Of Stone (Relapse)
5. Mastodon Crack The Skye (Reprise)

Steve Forstneger, Illinois Entertainer
1. Baroness Blue Record (Relapse)
2. Novembers Doom Into Night’s Requiem Infernal (The End)
3. Grief Of War Worship (Prosthetic)
4. Mastodon Crack The Skye (Reprise)
5. Sunn Monoliths & Dimensions (Southern Lord)

Scott Davidson, Rebel Radio/Earthen Grave
1. Slayer World Painted Blood (Reprise)
2. Hatebreed Hatebreed (E1)
3. Lamb Of God Wrath (Sony)
4. Mastodon Crack The Skye (Reprise)
5. Megadeth Endgame (Roadrunner)

Renato, D.I.Y. & Conquer Promotions
1. The Gates Of Slumber Hymns Of Blood And Thunder (Rise Above/Metal Blade)
2. Asphyx Death . . . The Brutal Way (Ibex Moon/Century Media)
3. Archgoat Light Devouring Darkness (Blasphemous Underground)
4. Church Of Misery Houses Of The Unholy (Metal Blade)
5. Karl Sanders Saurian Exorcisms (The End)

Rodney Pawlak, Chicago Metal Factory
1. Municipal Waste Massive Aggressive (Earache)
2. Between The Buried And Me The Great Misdirect (Victory)
3. At War Infidel (Heavy Artillery)
4. Sleepy Sun Embrace (ATP)
5. Devin Townsend Ki (Inside Out)

Jason Novak, Czar
1. Mastodon Crack The Skye (Reprise)
2. Baroness Blue Record (Relapse)
3. Tombs Winterhours (Relapse)
4. Nile Those Whom The Gods Detest (Nuclear Blast)
5. Isis Wavering Radiant (Ipecac)

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