Anciients employ an extremely varied and eclectic mix of styles, from blues rock to black metal, that combine together so effortlessly to form what is surely one of the best debut albums of 2013 so far. Heart Of Oak is as unique & ambitious as it is memorable, and will undoubtedly be a hit with any fan's of progressive, expansive music.

Listen here.

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Nefarious psykometal, R'Vannith, Susan, jupitreas, Ag Fox, Doc Godin, Mr. Doctor

These dudes (and chick) hail from Latvia and play a rather atmospheric variety of progressive black metal. They just barely started out in December 2012 and already they have recorded a video, released this beauty in late January, and started playing shows. That should give you an idea of the talent in this band and their music (not to mention the killer artwork).

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psykometal !J.O.O.E.!, Mr. Doctor, R'Vannith, BloodTears

Almost a decade since the debut album, these Spanish lunatics finally unleash their second slab of utter brutality. Exodromos is half an hour of some of the craziest brutal death metal you could possibly wish to hear. Sit back and enjoy!

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Baz Anderson psykometal

Yes, "French Black Metal" might as well become its own subgenre because, damn, it's usually that good, and this is no exception. Way To End's 50 Shades of... I mean Various Shades of Black is a complex and proggy album and one of an initially perplexing nature but it certainly yields great rewards for the persistent. To clarify, this isn't super-ultra-mega dissonant, rather it's the snaking and morphing progressive structures and avant-garde affectations that make this a bit of a challenge to start with. It's worth sticking with though as those trying moments frequently give way to a rich, mystical tapestry of sights and sounds, often melodic and atmospheric, always intriguing and surprising.



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!J.O.O.E.! psykometal, BitterCOld, Fat & Sassy!, Mr. Doctor

The experience of French romance in its own way. Ferocius, crushing, devastating, relentless sound. The album, that shall not be overlooked.

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Abattoir !J.O.O.E.!, Marcel Hubregtse, Mr. Doctor, Daniell, Nefarious, Darkside Momo

Featuring all the surviving members of Woods Of Ypres, these North Americans (1 is Canadian, the other 2 are American) have recorded an outstanding blend of black and folk metals with a good bit of melody.

I never really listened to Woods Of Ypres but from comments I've seen here and there this album is more akin to their black metal era than their later work. Musically, it also reminds me of Panopticon's Kentucky but not quite as "country-ish" and better.



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psykometal Susan, !J.O.O.E.!, Mr. Doctor, Promonex

The tomb-like silence of Akercocke might be painful to our little longing hearts but there is always Voices, the new project of Akercocke members David Gray, Peter Benjamin and Sam Loynes. This is ferocious and violent black metal, at times faster than your heartbeat, malicious, unsettling, with splashes of serene voices from the human forest which create a fugue of imaginary rain.

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BloodTears !J.O.O.E.!, psykometal, Mr. Doctor, Abattoir

This is where you get sent when you've been too evil for Hell.


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!J.O.O.E.! Mr. Doctor, Marcel Hubregtse, Apothecary

I don't always hang around snakes, but when I do they're accompanied by some excellent filthy music from early 2012 that's gone overlooked.

Listen here.

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wormdrink414 Mr. Doctor

So, what's a mere 26 years between your esteemed, one-and-only album and your come-back-cum-sophomore follow up to it? Not a thing according to Dream Death. Celtic Frost riffing-aplenty, doom and sludge-smudged punk and heavy driven thrashing, not to mention the gravel choked vocals of Brian Lawrence still feeling like having your face scraped against the road after hurtling off a bike at 80mph. This is how to make a return to music in every possible way.

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!J.O.O.E.! Marcel Hubregtse, Mr. Doctor, Nefarious, wormdrink414

Maryland's finest go once more unto the breach with their 7,494th studio album. Earth Rocker is a DC Sound Attack, featuring a bunch of songs heavy on crucial velocity. The Wolfman and I both kindly request you check this one out. MWHAAHHAHAHAHhAHAAHHAAHGFHGH!

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BitterCOld wormdrink414, Marcel Hubregtse, Introspekrieg, Mr. Doctor, !J.O.O.E.!, D.T. Metal, Ivor, R'Vannith, BloodTears

"With members from Nifelheim, Swordmaster, Runemagick, Sacramentum, etc and set in a traditional ancient Heavy Metal spirit, "Grip Of The Dead" is a convocation of ominous Deathchaos and Blackened Thrash destruction. Together with a slab of anthemic devil-horn theatrical antics, the end result is a perfect assimilation of the legitimate NECROCURSE sound-stamp!" - Pulverised Records

Yea, I know, more Swedish death metal, big whoop...BUT!...this is really fucking good Swedish death metal. Really catchy, that good old school-style production (if you dig that sort of thing) and kick ass leads and solos to boot.

Check it out!

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psykometal !J.O.O.E.!, Marcel Hubregtse, Mr. Doctor, wormdrink414

Anyone familiar with Tribulation's excellent The Horror record may as well delete their brain-cache as the new album is almost nothing like it. Whilst The Horror was a crusty, energy driven death metal number with a few black metal bells and whistles, The Formulas of Death has mutated into a highly dynamic and diverse mix of black and death metal that's quite progressive in nature, made even more eclectic by lengthy psychedelic soloing and clean passages and some surprising melodic harmonies. In fact the entire affair is so clever and intoxicating that the 75 minute duration will positively fly by and still leave you craving more. If you have any interest in black or death metal, or any kind of quality music, then you need this in your life as it's simply a brilliant piece of metal engineering. AOTY material.

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!J.O.O.E.! Mr. Doctor, Nefarious, wormdrink414, Marcel Hubregtse, R'Vannith, Darkside Momo, Apothecary

Who are these incredible Jolly people with such a Jolly name supporting Riverside on a tour kicking off in 2 days? And what is this brand new Jolly album that just saw the light of day? That is one awesome album, I tell you, that got crowd funded with such love by the fans when the band got dealt the business end of the hurricane Sandy. A funding that now also sees the band coming over to Europe to tour with none other than the mighty Riverside. You miss them this March, I'm having a feeling you'll regret it for a while. I have made my travel arrangements. Have you?

Just listen to the new song "Dust Nation Bleak".

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Ivor Susan, BloodTears, Milena, psykometal, Ag Fox, Mr. Doctor

It's like reverting to a Cro-Magnon and brawling Neanderthals in Satan's bowels.

Grab your blunt objects and listen here.

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wormdrink414 psykometal