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1.
|
Dvne - Voidkind
[9.0] - Perhaps not quite as magnificent in its scope as Etenem Aenka, but a further consolidation of the band's place at the top of the modern metal totem pole. |
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2.
|
Persefone - Lingua Ignota: Part I
[8.5] - Persefone once again on form, new vocalist slotting in nicely. |
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3.
|
Eternal Storm - A Giant Bound To Fall
[8.5] - Lacks a 'Through The Wall Of Light'-tier song, but an accomplished sophomore release. |
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4.
|
Cave Sermon - Divine Laughter
[8.5] - Punishing, unpleasant blackened dissodeath with post- touches. |
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5.
|
Dark Oath - Ages Of Man
[8.0] - Delightfully bombastic symphy melodeath. |
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6.
|
Horndal - Head Hammer Man
[8.0] - Really great swaggering sludge, tasty riffs and leads. |
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7.
|
Bipolar Architecture - Metaphysicize
[8.0] - Excellent evolution of their style, still recognizably post-metal but with a distinctive and emotional flavour. |
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8.
|
LVME - Of Sinful Nature
[8.0] - Great ominous atmosphere to this ferocious black metal. |
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9.
|
In Vain - Solemn
[8.0] - Some more vibrant melodicism here compared with e.g. Aenigma, scratches a slightly different itch but still very impressive. |
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10.
|
Caligula's Horse - Charcoal Grace
[8.0] - From first listen, possibly second to In Contact in their discography; has less of the macho BS riffs and more heart to it. |
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11.
|
Resin Tomb - Cerebral Purgatory
[8.0] - Belligerent sludgy grindy dissodeath. |
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12.
|
Selbst - Despondency Chord Progressions
[8.0] - Really solid modern black metal album with post-, melo- and disso-black elements. |
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13.
|
Vitriol - Suffer & Become
[8.0] - Relentless brutal-ish death metal carnage. |
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14.
|
Sgàile - Traverse The Bealach
[8.0] - Great proggy/posty epic folk metal sound. |
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15.
|
Urzah - The Scorching Gaze
[8.0] - Very accomplished and diverse debut, shines especially in its more expansive and progressive moments. |
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16.
|
Notochord - Aegis
[8.0] - Really intriguing mix of dissonance and progginess in loose post-metal framework; packs a lot into 22 minutes. |
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17.
|
Monkey3 - Welcome To The Machine
[8.0] - Very solid, at times borderline metallic, instrumental psych rock, with some quite passionate-sounding moments. |
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18.
|
Royal Graves - Amen
[8.0] - Very strong post-metal EP. |
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19.
|
Slift - Ilion
[8.0] - Super-long but very cool and well-written heavy psych record. |
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20.
|
Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night: Part 2
[8.0] - Strong second half to the double album. |
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21.
|
Griffon - De Republica
[8.0] - Solid keys-tinged historical-inspired meloblack. |
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22.
|
Cathubodua - Interbellum
[8.0] - Symphonic power metal, but not necessarily in the usual way, with very prominent violin/strings; also, solid songs and vocals - upper-tier symphonic and/or power metal. |
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23.
|
Verwoed - The Mother
[8.0] - Peculiar, at-times melodic, at-times a bit proggy, but consistently intriguing black metal. |
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24.
|
Job For A Cowboy - Moon Healer
[8.0] |
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25.
|
Inter Arma - New Heaven
[8.0] - A further expansion of their odd, uncompromising and unique take on metal. |
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26.
|
Lotus Thief - Lotus Thief / Forlesen
[8.0] - Very solid and haunting 2-song EP. |
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27.
|
Suldusk - Anthesis
[8.0] - Very evocative and rich-sounding blackgaze-y stuff. |
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28.
|
Cloven - Chance Encounter Of Flesh And Nail
[8.0] - Solid indus-tinged dissonant black metal, more on the slow, measured, atmospheric side. |
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29.
|
Final Coil - The World We Inherited
[8.0] - In The Silence-y emotional proggy/posty alt metal. |
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30.
|
Unaussprechlichen Kulten - Häxan Sabaoth
[8.0] - Really solid janky death metal with great riffs, strong solos, and interesting additional elements (e.g. occasional symphonics). |
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31.
|
Yīn Yīn - Mount Matsu
[8.0] - Another fun playful album from these guys. |
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32.
|
Knoll - As Spoken
[8.0] - Monstruous mathy dissodeath grindcore. |
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33.
|
Far Beyond - The End Of My Road
[8.0] - Very enjoyable symphonic melodeath. |
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34.
|
Malsten - The Haunting Of Silvåkra Mill - Rites Of Passage
[8.0] - Stoner doom that's heavy on the doom, has a bit of quirkiness and personality to it to distinguish itself from a lot of stoner doom. |
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35.
|
Praise The Plague - Suffocating In The Current Of Time
[8.0] - Satisfying post-tinged black metal. |
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36.
|
Cataclasite - Heavy Lies The Weight Of The World Upon Us
[8.0] - Some roughness in the production aside, I really enjoy this dreamy, post-y take on funeral doom. |
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37.
|
Ihsahn - Ihsahn
[8.0] |
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38.
|
Glass Beach - Plastic Death
[8.0] - Solid modern prog rock/indie/emo stuff that occasionally goes a bit heavier, to Dear Hunter or even more post-hardcore levels. |
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39.
|
A/Oratos - Ecclesia Gnostica
[8.0] - Strong LADLO black metal with melodic and religious elements. |
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40.
|
Hideous Divinity - Unextinct
[8.0] - Ballistic dissonant tech-death. |
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41.
|
Vægtløs - Aftryk
[8.0] - Evocative screamo-linked post-black. |
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42.
|
Farsot - Life Promised Death
[8.0] - Solid black metal with some nice acoustic/soft bits. |
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43.
|
Fragment Soul - Galois Paradox
[8.0] |
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44.
|
Borknagar - Fall
[8.0] |
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45.
|
Myrath - Karma
[8.0] - Nice, catchy return from the band with rich sonic mix. |
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46.
|
Eventide - Waterline
[8.0] - Electronic nu jazz spin-off from Epitaphe, remarkably different sound to that band but they nail it. |
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47.
|
Homecoming - Those We Knew
[8.0] - Well-made stoner prog album with some other styles also incorporated (post-rock, grunge). |
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48.
|
Verberis - The Apophatic Wilderness
[8.0] - Really cool dissonant black/death style. |
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49.
|
Ufomammut - Crookhead
[8.0] - Another suitably trippy stoner doom effort. |
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50.
|
Chapel Perilous - The Tower Of Silence
[8.0] - Solid black metal debut with the kind of Schammasch-y atmosphere I reliably enjoy. |
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51.
|
Etoile Filante - Mare Tranquillitatis
[8.0] - Very cool psychedelic space/ambient atmo-black. |
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52.
|
Malphas (USA) - Portal
[8.0] - Cool exciting symphonic arrangements that complement the occasionally buried but mostly solid quasi-extreme metal; the 12-minute closer is excellent. |
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53.
|
Infestus - Entzweiung
[8.0] - A solid return after a long while away. |
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54.
|
Nemedian Chronicles - The Savage Sword
[8.0] - Top-tier early Blind Guardian worship. |
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55.
|
Weston Super Maim - See You Tomorrow Baby
[8.0] - Feisty math metal with Meshuggah, Frontierer and Car Bomb elements. |
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56.
|
Frail Body - Artificial Bouquet
[8.0] - Infant Island-esque blackened screamo/post-hardcore; has some uplifting melodic parts but also fairly ballistic in its intensity. |
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57.
|
Saevus Finis - Facilis Descensus Averno
[8.0] - Vile, evil dissonant blackened death metal. |
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58.
|
Hamferð - Men Guðs Hond Er Sterk
[8.0] - Good Nordic doom with great vocals. |
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59.
|
Fierce Deity - A Terrible Fate
[8.0] - A solid condensing/refinement of their unique prog/stoner/power/+ sound. |
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60.
|
Animårum - Machina
[8.0] - Solid prog-death follow-up to 2022's debut album. |
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61.
|
Grind - Grace And Misery
[8.0] - Genre-bending mesh of grind, post-metal and other styles. |
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62.
|
Infant Island - Obsidian Wreath
[8.0] - Post-rock and screamo have a lot of overlap these days, but not many bands are this vicious while still having the room for the lighter sounds. |
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63.
|
Counting Hours - The Wishing Tomb
[8.0] - Evocative and rich-sounding gothic melodeath/doom debut from Shape Of Despair members. |
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64.
|
Slimelord - Chytridiomycosis Relinquished
[8.0] - Quintessential 20 Buck Spin death/doom. |
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65.
|
Sacrificial Vein - Black Terror Genesis
[8.0] - Suitably hellish dissonant black release. |
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66.
|
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - Of The Last Human Being
[8.0] - Impressively creative and zany release, can occasionally spill over into being irksome though. |
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67.
|
Chapel Of Disease - Echoes Of Light
[8.0] - Intriguing combo of deathly prog and hard rock. |
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68.
|
Mastiff - Deprecipice
[8.0] - Destructive hardcore-tinged sludge. |
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69.
|
Manticora - Mycelium
[8.0] - One of the strongest power metal bands around produces another great record. |
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70.
|
Glassing - From the Other Side Of The Mirror
[8.0] - Another solid combination of post-hardcore, post-metal and occasional blackgaze touches; perhaps not as immediately impressive as the last one. |
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71.
|
Schubmodel - Lost In Kelp Forest
[7.5] - The first properly engaging stoner release this year. |
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72.
|
Nocturna - Of Sorcery And Darkness
[7.5] - More matured and accomplished symphonic power sound, albeit lacks the uber-memorable standout songs of the debut. |
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73.
|
Dool - The Shape Of Fluidity
[7.5] - Nice mix of rock and doomy metal sounds, perhaps lacks a killer song like the last album had. |
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74.
|
Dödsrit - Nocturnal Will
[7.5] - Any punk that may once have been here is definitely absent; this is melo/atmo-black bordering on blackgaze. It's very good though. |
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75.
|
Stellar Remains - Wastelands
[7.5] - Very enjoyable prog sludge debut EP. |
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76.
|
Bongripper - Empty
[7.5] - Another crushing wall of sound from the instrumental doomy sludge/stoner outfit, albeit with some surprising post-rock cues also woven in. |
|
77.
|
Edhochuli - Higherlander
[7.5] - Tasty proggy stoner-sludge release with some post-hardcore leanings too, has satisfying convoluted songs with strong riffs. |
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78.
|
Martikor - Acedia
[7.5] - Solid Amenra worship with hints from other bands and styles (particularly blackened tinges). |
|
79.
|
Henrik Palm - Nerd Icon
[7.5] - Cool hard rock album with flirtations with heavier sounds - apparently features guests from Horndal, I can hear this as a lighter version of their sound. |
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80.
|
Kollapse - AR
[7.5] - Feisty post-y sludge. |
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81.
|
Deafening - Have Courage, My Love.
[7.5] - Gazey post-y screamo, enjoy it a bit more in the dreamier moments. |
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82.
|
Defying - Wadera
[7.5] - Solid blackened post-metal, found it starts a tad stronger than it continues. |
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83.
|
Evoking Winds - Your Rivers
[7.5] - Firmly above-average folk/black stuff, very enjoyable. |
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84.
|
Shallow Waters - All Colours Blur To One
[7.5] - Solid follow-up album with features from melodeath, doom, black and post-metal, a bit reminiscent of Ghost Brigade. |
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85.
|
Skraeckoedlan - Vermillion Sky
[7.5] - Fairly conventional stoner rock/metal but quite a lot of fun, a bit of Truckfighters feel. |
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86.
|
Syncatto - Fiction
[7.5] - Slick, bubbly instrudjent with some very tasteful playing, particularly the more Spanish guitar bits. |
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87.
|
Meth. - Shame
[7.5] - Noisy, malevolent, mid-tempo noisy, dissonant sludge with mathcore tendencies. |
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88.
|
Sunnata - Chasing Shadows
[7.5] - Bit closer to Outlands stylistically, doesn't always hit for me but a solid enough release. |
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89.
|
Tenebrific - Labyrinth Of Anguish
[7.5] - Quality doomy death metal with some nice atmospherics. |
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90.
|
Alkhemia - Abraxas
[7.5] - Solid semi-melodic French black metal debut. |
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91.
|
Shadow Limb - Reclaim
[7.5] - Solid proggy sludge with fiery tone when heavy. |
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92.
|
Carrion Vael - Cannibals Anonymous
[7.5] - Solid tech-y Black Dahlia Murder worship. |
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93.
|
Hand Of Kalliach - Corryvreckan
[7.5] - Folky melodeathy stuff with striking soft ethereal clean vocals. |
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94.
|
Love Sex Machine - Trve
[7.5] - For such a heavy album, it's got a surprisingly light and melody-tinged vibe to it. |
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95.
|
High On Fire - Cometh The Storm
[7.5] |
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96.
|
Above Aurora - Myriad Woes
[7.5] - Evocative blackened doom sound with some post- elements. |
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97.
|
Eyriahrk Nunshkar - Eyriahrk Nunshkar
[7.5] - Fascinating mix of genres in avantgarde but not chaotic manner. |
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98.
|
Quantum - Down The Mountainside
[7.5] - Cool modern prog album, has some math and post-hardcore influences alongside the metal, nice clean sound - just needs a bit more in the way of memorability to get to the next level. |
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99.
|
Keygen Church - Nel Nome Del Codice
[7.5] - Very entertaining organ/choir-heavy electronic metal. |
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100.
|
Ulterror - Transcendent Origins
[7.5] - Above-average proggy tech-death. |
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101.
|
Ecr.Linf - Belluaires
[7.5] - Cool black metally stuff with some occasional horror symphonic flourishes. |
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102.
|
Adon - Adon
[7.5] - Solid black/death sound, can be bludgeoning and vicious, but also incorporates some atmosphere and melody. |
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103.
|
Valerinne - Ver Sacrum
[7.5] - Very accomplished instrumental post-rock/metal. |
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104.
|
Necrophobic - In The Twilight Grey
[7.5] - A good album, but a bit less impressive than the last couple. |
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105.
|
Owl - Ghosts Of Summer
[7.5] - Intense, harrowing disso-death. |
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106.
|
Sleepmakeswaves - It's Here, But I Have No Names For It
[7.5] - Relative return to form for them after a couple of forgettable releases. |
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107.
|
Judas Priest - Invincible Shield
[7.5] - A very impressive album for a 55-year-old band. |
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108.
|
Hands Of Goro - Hands Of Goro
[7.5] - Very above-average for NWOBHM/hard rock stuff - great solos, good swagger to riffs. |
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109.
|
Theatrum - Tableau Vivant
[7.5] - Theatrical avant-garde/prog; has an oddness to it but isn't complete wackiness. |
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110.
|
House Of Atreus - Orations
[7.5] - Strong rendition of this particular dirty melodeath-y style, albeit with song-by-song fluctuations in quality. |
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111.
|
Obsidian Tongue - The Stone Heart
[7.5] - Rather enjoyable folk-tinged melodic black metal EP. |
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112.
|
Askel - Cycles Of Ruin
[7.5] - Bleak, angry sludge debut. |
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113.
|
Vnder A Crumbling Moon - II: Aging & Formless
[7.5] - Fairly typical post-rock/metal sound (Cult Of Luna, Moanaa), but a satisfying one. |
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114.
|
Aberration - Refracture
[7.5] - Dissonant death metal of the hellish and world-crushing variety akin to Portal; contains Void Rot and Suffering Hour members. |
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115.
|
Towers Of Jupiter - Echus Chasma
[7.5] - A bit heavier than the last one, and with less vocal emphasis, but still very nice and evocative. |
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116.
|
Tetsuo - Dots
[7.5] - Tight, tasty, brooding sludgy post-metal. |
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117.
|
Lascaille's Shroud - Wyrmfire And Starlight
[7.5] - First time checking Lascaille's Shroud out in a while, an accomplished mesh of extreme and more melodic progressive sounds. |
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118.
|
Lord Dying - Clandestine Transcendence
[7.5] - Up-and-down swanky proggy sludge album with some great moments (and some more forgettable ones). |
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119.
|
Kvadrat - The Horrible Dissonance Of Oblivion
[7.5] - Fairly strong dissonant blackened death, bit too janky to get properly into. |
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120.
|
InnerSphere - In The Shadows Of The Sun
[7.5] - Doomy prog melodeath with a relatively distinctive voice for the genre. |
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121.
|
Gost - Prophecy
[7.5] - Pretty cool synthwave-y stuff with a couple of metallish songs at the beginning. |
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122.
|
Vemod - The Deepening
[7.5] - Nice quasi-black atmospheric stuff. |
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123.
|
Svdestada - Candela
[7.5] - The guitar tone is a bit post-black, it works really well in adding some extra depth and character to this metallic hardcore, which also has some nice post-hardcore dynamics. |
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124.
|
Arms And Sleepers - What Tomorrow Brings
[7.5] - Intriguing mix of indietronica/trip-hop and post-rock. |
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125.
|
Guenna - Peak Of Jin'Arrah
[7.5] - Solid proggy stoner metal, nice melodicism. |
|
126.
|
Throwing Bricks & Ontaard - Oud Zeer
[7.5] - Amenra-ish spiritualistic post-black sound. |
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127.
|
Guiltless - Thorns
[7.5] - Promising debut EP from sludge/post- quasi-supergroup; production's not amazing. |
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128.
|
Wandering Oak - Resilience
[7.5] - Enjoyable but flawed folky proggy meloblack. |
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129.
|
Einvigi - Monokroma
[7.5] - Blackgaze to a tee, but nice listening, and with some great lead guitar melodies. |
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130.
|
Waidelotte - Celestial Shrine
[7.5] - Distinctive and intriguing prog-death from White Ward, Soen and other members. |
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131.
|
Acathexis - Immerse
[7.5] - Very respectable atmo-black. |
|
132.
|
Silent Weapon - Demonology
[7.5] - Dark, brooding dub industrial electronica with harsh vox. |
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133.
|
Asterean - Sovereign
[7.5] - Solid melodeath/black EP, enjoy the tones used on it. |
|
134.
|
Ornamental - Verwandlung Im Schlaf
[7.5] - Very cool swirling psych rock. |
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135.
|
Hour Of Penance - Devotion
[7.5] - Ballistic, relentless onslaught of 00s Behemoth-esque blasting death metal. |
|
136.
|
Martin Gonzalez - Suspiro
[7.5] - Use of guest vocalist Elizabeth Hull on a couple of traacks elevates this above most instru-djent releases in enjoyability/memorability. |
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137.
|
Kyros - Mannequin
[7.5] - Quite cool prog rock that has Haken-y bits, but also draws from synthpop and other styles, and has a bright sound to it. |
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138.
|
Angmodnes - Rot Of The Soul
[7.5] - Above-average funeral doom with nice use of clean vocals and occasional surges of faster, more intense material. |
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139.
|
Cistvaen - At Light's Demise
[7.5] - Gazey atmo-black with some doomier moments. |
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140.
|
Khirki - Κυκεώνας
[7.5] - Fluctuates a bit in quality, but overall perhaps more enjoyable than the debut; when it's on form (e.g. on Συμπληγάδες), it's very interesting. |
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141.
|
Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project
[7.5] - Bruce still has a knack for a good song. |
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142.
|
Keres - Homo Homini Lupus
[7.5] - Ferocious, tasty blackened death. |
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143.
|
Convulsing - Perdurance
[7.5] - Jagged blackened death venom that has offshoots into quiet prog meandering. |
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144.
|
Merrimack - Of Grace And Gravity
[7.5] - Conventional but solid black metal. |
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145.
|
Spectral Voice - Sparagmos
[7.5] - Grisly, cavernous death/doom. |
|
146.
|
Vennart - Forgiveness & The Grain
[7.5] - Big-sounding heavy alt rock bordering on alt metal. |
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147.
|
Darkspace - Dark Space -II
[7.5] - Could grow a bit more, but a fairly enchanting ambient industrial journey. |
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148.
|
Stuporous - Asylums Lament
[7.5] - Novel-sounding mesh of black metal, doom, 'jazz' and dreamier sounds. |
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149.
|
Madder Mortem - Old Eyes, New Heart
[7.5] - Similar bluesy vibe to recent Vulture Industries. |
 |
150.
|
Guhts - Regeneration
[7.5] - Generally strong and distinctive post/sludge sound akin to Helms Alee, albeit with some irksome quirks. |
 |
151.
|
Zombi - Direct Inject
[7.5] - More nice synth-rock. |
|
152.
|
The Dredge - Torches
[7.5] - Interesting soft modern prog rock kinda sound. |
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153.
|
Molten - Malicide
[7.5] - Perhaps more death-oriented than thrash this time around, but solid sound. |
|
154.
|
Asphalt Grieving - Lack Of Certainty
[7.5] |
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155.
|
Exocrine - Legend
[7.5] - Ballistic percussion and frenetic guitar runs on this proggy, at-times djenty, tech-death extravaganza. |
|
156.
|
Iota - Pentasomnia
[7.5] - Cool psych/stoner rock. |
 |
157.
|
Words Of Farewell - Stories To Forget
[7.5] - Solid melodeath EP, picks up as it progresses with some strong songs later on. |
 |
158.
|
Srd - Vragvmesiton
[7.5] - Cool black metal album, melodic-leaning but with some harsher moments, has some Primordial-ish spiritualness and occasional other quirks. |
 |
159.
|
Darkestrah - Nomad
[7.5] - Decent enough pagan sound. |
 |
160.
|
Narzissus - Akt III: Erlösung
[7.5] - Solid meloblack-y stuff, has good riffs and guitar lead hooks. |
 |
161.
|
They Came From Visions - The Twilight Robes
[7.5] - Rawish medieval-y black metal, cool enough, and occasionally has a touch of Wayfarer to it. |
 |
162.
|
Throne Of Thorns - Converging Parallel Worlds
[7.5] - Pleasantly melodic and somewhat evocative prog-power with epic symphonic ending. |
 |
163.
|
Skeletal Remains - Fragments Of The Ageless
[7.5] - Solid OSDM revival-style death. |
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164.
|
Pelican - Adrift / Tending The Embers
[7.5] - Pretty cool, a bit stonerish. |
 |
165.
|
Roswell Deathsquad - Welcome Home
[7.5] - Tech-deathcore, the bruising breakdowns (which are well above par) and occasional symph moments are a nice contrast to the techy riffing. |
 |
166.
|
Austere - Beneath The Threshold
[7.5] - Decent depressive/atmo-black with some nice acoustic bits. |
 |
167.
|
The Body - Orchards Of A Futile Heaven [Collaboration]
[7.5] - Solid dark industrial electronic collab with Dis Fig. |
|
168.
|
Dan Terminus - Gothic Engine
[7.5] - Cool synthwave release. |
 |
169.
|
Attic - Return Of The Witchfinder
[7.5] - Vocalist is a replica of King Diamond; music is not as good as early Mercyful Fate, better than later MF. |
|
170.
|
Saint Heaven - I
[7.5] - Solid post-black/gaze debut EP. |
 |
171.
|
Blazing Eternity - A Certain End Of Everything
[7.5] |
 |
172.
|
Aborted - Vault Of Horrors
[7.5] - If you're going to listen to brutal death, might as well be these guys, even if it feels closer to deathcore arguably. |
 |
173.
|
At The Plates - Omnivore
[7.5] - Decent melodeath-tinged death metal with comedic lyrical content. |
 |
174.
|
Mourning Dawn - The Foam Of Despair
[7.5] - Fairly strong post-y blackened doom. |
 |
175.
|
The Funeral Procession - In Still Silence
[7.5] - Intriguing mix of proggy black/death metal with softer passages that bear a resemblance to post-2000 Katatonia. |
 |
176.
|
Dzhatinga - Forgotten And Lost
[7.5] - Hard-to-pin-down meloblack/doom sound, enjoyable enough. |
 |
177.
|
Tvinna - Two – Wings Of Ember
[7.5] - Nice-listening metal-tinged moody art pop/prog rock-style sound with involvement of Eluveitie/Faun members. |
 |
178.
|
Thornbridge - Daydream Illusion
[7.5] - Catchy power metal, nice melodies, bit of a Cain's Offering vibe but also some USPM-style crunch at times, not an overload of cheese. |
 |
179.
|
Lilla Veneda - Primordial Movements
[7.5] - Unorthodox and fairly solid proggy black/death effort. |
 |
180.
|
Fange - Perdition
[7.5] - Fange are now firmly within the realm of industrial metal, and are all the better for it. |
 |
181.
|
Veriteras - The Dark Horizon
[7.5] - Nice, brief at-times folksy melodeath album, decent fun if not at all original. |
 |
182.
|
Sfeerverzieker - Disciple Of The Damned
[7.5] - Tasty black-tinged post/sludge EP. |
 |
183.
|
Lost In Grey - Odyssey Into The Grey
[7.5] - Pleasant symphonic metal with nice songwriting, occasionally underwhelming vocals. |
|
184.
|
Crippling Alcoholism - With Love From A Padded Room
[7.5] - Intriguing goth/noise rock sound, cool atmosphere. |
 |
185.
|
Volcandra - The Way Of Ancients
[7.5] - Nice melodic lead guitar work on this meloblack record. |
 |
186.
|
Lutharo - Chasing Euphoria
[7.5] - Folk-tinged, power-ish, core-y melodeath, pretty catchy. |
 |
187.
|
Horresque - Chasms Pt. II - The Devouring Exorbitance
[7.5] - Cool deathy meloblack. |
 |
188.
|
Woomera - Hemochrome
[7.5] - Decent return for these guys, but not quite as good as the debut album. |
|
189.
|
Traum - Traum
[7.5] - Cool droning psych rock. |
 |
190.
|
Riitasointu - Pedon Leikki
[7.5] - Easy-going, likeable black-tinged folk metal with nice lead guitar parts. |
 |
191.
|
Olhava - Sacrifice
[7.5] |
 |
192.
|
Cognizance - Phantazein
[7.5] - Slight tier above Abyssius as far as tech/melo/deathcore goes. |
 |
193.
|
Santacreu - Cançons d'Amor, Dol I Enyorança
[7.5] - Good alt/sludgy/prog sound, didn't click with the songwriting quite like I would have hoped. |
 |
194.
|
Hauntologist - Hollow
[7.5] - Mgla-linked project, the post-rock songs such as the title track are nice, the black metal less remarkable. |
 |
195.
|
Tomorrow's Rain - Ovdan
[7.5] - Gothic death/doom a bit more to my tastes than MDB. |
 |
196.
|
Prisoner - Putrid / Obsolete
[7.5] - Pretty extreme industrial metal with death, black and sludge elements. |
|
197.
|
Kinoteki - Faith And The Vessel
[7.5] - Could dial down the glitchiness, but overall very soothing IDM/jungle. |
 |
198.
|
Midnight Odyssey - Closer To The Sky
[7.5] - Nice to hear a more compact iteration of their atmo-black sound. |
 |
199.
|
Ponte Del Diavolo - Fire Blades From The Tomb
[7.5] - Black-tinged gothic-y doom with a Wolvennest vibe to it, not to the same level but still decent. |
 |
200.
|
Solbrud - IIII
[7.5] - A bit of an uneven listen, but when it's on, it has nice vibes and solid guitarwork, including some enjoyable solos. |
 |
201.
|
My Dying Bride - A Mortal Binding
[7.5] - Gloomy gothic death/doom, better than their last album. |
 |
202.
|
Shock Withdrawal - The Dismal Advance
[7.5] - Tasty death-tinged grindcore. |
 |
203.
|
Crowskin - Verstummt / Monocelestial Chords
[7.5] - Good grim sludgy split. |
 |
204.
|
Clouds Taste Satanic - 79 A.E.
[7.5] - Fun long-form psych/stoner rock/metal songs. |
 |
205.
|
Defect Designer - Chitin
[7.5] - Oddball grindcore with some proggier moments with clean singing. |
|
206.
|
Divided - Light Will Shine
[7.5] - A bit Abraham-y in the sludge mix with more noise rock sounds; don't love the vocals, but otherwise it's pretty solid. |
 |
207.
|
Silent Stream Of Godless Elegy - Jiná
[7.5] - Very pleasant acoustic folk. |
 |
208.
|
Ὁπλίτης - Παραμαινομένη
[7.5] - Creative and unpredictable black metal, with some wild chaotic stuff and some more straightforward accessible parts. |
 |
209.
|
Fractal Gates - One With Dawn
[7.0] - Enjoyable rendition of a Scar Symmetry-ish sound. |
 |
210.
|
Arbitrator - Nephilim
[7.0] - Very conventional but still tasty symph-blackened deathcore. |
|
211.
|
Silvasolum - Silvasolum
[7.0] - Good prog-tinged post-metal debut EP. |
 |
212.
|
Heavy Temple - Garden Of Heathens
[7.0] - Fun heavy/psych rock, occasionally veers more towards doom metal or stoner rock (latter particularly on Jesus Wept). |
 |
213.
|
Autumnblaze - Auf Zerfetzten Schwingen
[7.0] - Pleasant gothicky stuff. |
 |
214.
|
Monovoth - Pleroma Mortem Est
[7.0] - (Mostly) instrumental drone doom, pretty solid. |
|
215.
|
The Cosmic Dead - Infinite Peaks
[7.0] - Cool psych rock jam. |
 |
216.
|
Majak - Restless Wicked
[7.0] - Nifty black metal/occult rock fusion let down slightly by the vocals. |
|
217.
|
The Sawtooth Grin - Jabberwocky
[7.0] - Cool mathcore EP, would happily have more of the same sound for longer. |
|
218.
|
Nonexister - Demons
[7.0] - Above-average enjoyment of this alt rock. |
 |
219.
|
The Moor - Ombra
[7.0] - Quite nice accessible prog that feels like a midpoint between Evergrey and modern Katatonia, but with some growls in there too. |
|
220.
|
Caeli Concept - Lunaison
[7.0] - Djenty stuff, mixture of straight Meshuggah worship and some oddball parts, with saxophone or clean vocals, some of it works pretty cool, some of it not so well. |
 |
221.
|
Saturday Night Satan - All Things Black
[7.0] - Cool hard rock with good lead vocalist and nice guitarwork. |
 |
222.
|
Labyrinthus Stellarum - Vortex Of The Worlds
[7.0] - Following in the vein of Mesarthim, this feels like a similar case of an interesting sound that doesn't sustain my interest for a whole album's length. |
|
223.
|
Aastarah - Reflections I
[7.0] - Nice ambient black-ish stuff, bit Midnight Odyssey/Summoning-esque. |
 |
224.
|
Suicidal Angels - Profane Prayer
[7.0] - Neat melodic thrash. |
 |
225.
|
Observers - The Age Of The Machine Entities
[7.0] - Neat proggy, doomy instrumental stuff. |
 |
226.
|
Eternal Autumn - Below The Lightless Heavens
[7.0] - Intriguing mix of blackened thrash, folk/viking and other styles; don't really hear melodeath. |
|
227.
|
Cosmic Reef Temple - Cosmic Reef Temple / Death Monk
[7.0] - Odd doom split. |
 |
228.
|
Traveler - Prequel To Madness
[7.0] - Lively, driving trad metal with an infectious energy for the style. |
 |
229.
|
VLTIMAS - EPIC
[7.0] - Less death, more doom with death elements (but not death-doom), it's quite interesting. |
|
230.
|
Hilltops Are For Dreamers - The Tragedy Of Being Human
[7.0] - Nice gloomy melodeath-tinged doom sound. |
|
231.
|
Full Earth - Cloud Sculptors
[7.0] - Overlong but cool instrumental heavy psych rock record. |
 |
232.
|
Corpus Diavolis - Elixiria Ekstasis
[7.0] - Good black metal with a slight ritualistic vibe due to some chanting vocals, otherwise not much in the way of clearly distinguishing features. |
 |
233.
|
Vazio - Saxonian Deathbed
[7.0] - Longer, more extreme split than the one BLROW did with Crowskin. |
 |
234.
|
Witchorious - Witchorious
[7.0] - Tad overlong, but decent stoner-tinged doom. |
 |
235.
|
Chelsea Wolfe - She Reaches Out To She Reaches Out To She
[7.0] - Electronic with rock parts, generally very nice but with some soporific parts. |
 |
236.
|
Rites Of Regress - Dust
[7.0] - Gnarly Bile Caster-style churning sludge doom. |
|
237.
|
Curse All Kings - Feral Earth
[7.0] - Eerie ambient black metal. |
 |
238.
|
Achelous - Tower Of High Sorcery
[7.0] - Pretty decent heavy/power sound, nice epic but not cheesy touch. |
 |
239.
|
Full Of Hell - Coagulated Bliss
[7.0] - A decent amount of diversity across the album, some electronic and drone stuff amidst the grindcore. |
 |
240.
|
Enterprise Earth - Death: An Anthology
[7.0] - Has a few iffy bits (really not keen on the excessive technicality in parts of Face Of Fear), but still above par as far as the non-symphonic deathcore scene goes. |
 |
241.
|
Abyssius - Abyssius
[7.0] - Fallujah-ish tech-melo-deathcore sound, pretty decent but nowhere near Fallujah's level. |
 |
242.
|
Dwarrowdelf - The Fallen Leaves
[7.0] - It's quite an interesting (if very cheesy) power meloblack sound, sadly not quite connecting with the songs as I would like. |
 |
243.
|
Dissimulator - Lower Form Resistance
[7.0] - Fairly solid tech-thrash with death leanings; can be dry in parts, but sections like the second half of Outer Phase are impressive. |
 |
244.
|
Horrorgraphy - A Knight's Tale
[7.0] - Intriguing horror-influenced doomy extreme symphonic metal. |
 |
245.
|
Belore - Eastern Tales
[7.0] - More competent yet slightly forgettable Summoning-meets-Saor 'epic' folky atmo-black. |
 |
246.
|
The Vision Bleak - Weird Tales
[7.0] - Fairly enjoyable light gothic sound. |
 |
247.
|
Mathilde - 32 Décembre
[7.0] - Intriguing mesh of extreme and progressive styles, spans a range of sounds including prog black and Mesarthim-like soundscapes; a bit unrefined structurally, but a good listen. |
 |
248.
|
Folterkammer - Weibermacht
[7.0] - Fairly unusual operatic black metal sound, but perhaps riding the concept a bit too much without the level of songwriting to completely back it up. |
 |
249.
|
Alpha Lyræ - Alpha Lyræ
[7.0] - Melodic death doom with some stoner and other elements; has some cool peaks, but occasionally drags. |
 |
250.
|
Hypoxia - Defiance
[7.0] - Decent, high-octane death metal that straddles older and newer sounds. |
|
251.
|
Roscian - The First Disgrace
[7.0] - Nicely moody synthy industrial stuff. |
 |
252.
|
Among The Lights - Sphere Of Solitude
[7.0] - Nice blackgaze that does a good job of capturing the more hushed nature of shoegaze in its softer moments in a way a lot of blackgaze doesn't. |
 |
253.
|
Wormwitch - Wormwitch / Sadistic Ritual
[7.0] - Fine black metal split, some cool hooks/melodies on Wormwitch side, not as keen on the thrashy Sadistic Ritual. |
 |
254.
|
Ego Depths - Prognimous Ekk Solthi
[7.0] - Curious pivot from world music-infused funeral doom to world music-infused drone; works fairly well. |
 |
255.
|
Benighted - Ekbom
[7.0] - More interesting when in frantic grindy mode than beatdown brutal death mode, but a fun enough album. |
 |
256.
|
Rhino - Human Farm
[7.0] - Nothing original, but nicely fuzzy and rocking. |
|
257.
|
Charles Leclerc & Sofiane Pamart - [7.0] - Nice Einaudi-esque instrumental piano music. |
 |
258.
|
Hannes Grossmann - Echoes Of Eternity
[7.0] - Grossmann-core prog/tech-death, par for the course but obviously competently assembled. |
 |
259.
|
Upon Stone - Dead Mother Moon
[7.0] - Brief, gnarly, churning melodeath with an OSDM guitar tone and style, but also neat melodies in riffs and guitar leads. |
 |
260.
|
Cosmic Void - Subterranean Rivers
[7.0] - Interested post-y blackened doom with some cool dark jazz detours. |
 |
261.
|
Burn Down Eden - Dismal
[7.0] - Pretty solid techy melodeath EP. |
 |
262.
|
LLNN - The Horror / Sleep Paralysis Demon
[7.0] |
 |
263.
|
Drown In Sulphur - Dark Secrets Of The Soul
[7.0] - Enjoyable blackened deathcore, not necessarily a standout but a good listen for the most part. |
 |
264.
|
Vanir - Epitome
[7.0] - Slightly bland but mostly enjoyable 'folky' (light on folk) melodeath. |
|
265.
|
The Oldest House - A Worm Through Time
[7.0] - Sludge EP from Aversio Humanitatis frontman; fairly par for the course. |
 |
266.
|
Hiraes - Dormant
[7.0] - Generally satisfying Gothenburg sound. |
 |
267.
|
Ryujin - Ryujin
[7.0] - Fun folky ex power album with Matt Heafy vocal cameos. |
 |
268.
|
Asarhaddon - Besenken
[7.0] - Nice atmo-black opening song, decent ambient second song. |
 |
269.
|
Ecclesia - Ecclesia Militans
[7.0] - Slightly doomy, slightly power metally, good soaring vocals with a Kiske edge. |
|
270.
|
Sulphur And Mercury - Alchemia Prophetica
[7.0] - Intriguing black-tinged occult rock/heavy metal sound. |
 |
271.
|
The Lightbringer - Seven Thrones
[7.0] - Quite tasty symph-meloblack with dual harsh/operatic vocals. |
 |
272.
|
Venomous Echoes - Split Formations And Infinite Mania
[7.0] - Another oddball Voidhanger-core fusion of extreme and dissonant styles, but this time I'm less convinced by it - parts of it just feel unimpactful and jarring for jarring's sake. |
|
273.
|
Kult Iron - Black Iron Prison
[7.0] - Decent instrumental post-rock/post-metal. |
 |
274.
|
O Zorn! - Vermillion Haze
[7.0] - Doomy, rocking sludge-lite-lite. |
 |
275.
|
The Wizards - The Exit Garden
[7.0] - Cool retro-style rock with doomy guitar tone and perhaps slight stoner edge, but hard rock first and foremost. |
 |
276.
|
Apogean - Cyberstrictive
[7.0] - Fairly good but unremarkable tech-death. |
|
277.
|
Amigo The Devil - Yours Until The War Is Over
[7.0] |
 |
278.
|
Brodequin - Harbinger Of Woe
[7.0] - Brutal deathgrind - relentless, but for full-pelt deathgrind, fairly good. |
 |
279.
|
Blaze Of Perdition - Upharsin
[7.0] - Straightforward, enjoyable but unexceptional black metal. |
 |
280.
|
Locrian - End Terrain
[7.0] - Droning post-/experimental rock with occasional metallic moments, bit more interesting than their other recent ones. |
 |
281.
|
Aeonist - Votum Silentii
[7.0] - Synth-heavy melo/atmo-black with some blackgaze-y parts, has a bit of an epic heavy vibe to moments too. |
 |
282.
|
Cloven - Twilight's Heart
[7.0] - Not easy to categorize; initially starts off a bit plinky-plonky ominous horror, but becomes more mellow and hushed minimalist country later - not metal, but pretty cool. |
|
283.
|
Hammok - Look How Long Lasting Everything Is Moving Forward For Once
[7.0] - Annoying title aside, pretty good (post-)hardcore/noise rock. |
 |
284.
|
Toadliquor - Back In The Hole
[7.0] - Dirty sludge, has a general satisfying gnarly swagger to it, but a bit characterless. |
 |
285.
|
Mountain Caller - Chronicle II: Hypergenesis
[7.0] - Pleasant, if slightly unmemorable, heavy post-rock. |
 |
286.
|
Cold In Berlin - The Body Is The Wound
[7.0] - Nice fem-fronted gothic doom EP. |
 |
287.
|
Panzerchrist - All Witches Shall Burn
[7.0] - Fairly relentless black metal, but has melodic touches in some riffs and some nice melodic guitar leads. |
 |
288.
|
Romuvos - Spirits
[7.0] - Somewhat enjoyable neofolky metal, moderately tempo'd, has some nice Amorphis-ish guitar melodies. |
 |
289.
|
Doodseskader - Year Two
[7.0] - Their sludge/industrial hip-hop blend works better for me this time. |
 |
290.
|
Dawn Of Ashes - Reopening The Scars
[7.0] - Decent mix of industrial metal and ominous ambient electronica. |
 |
291.
|
Castle Rat - Into The Realm
[7.0] - Decent retro-style doom/hard rock. |
 |
292.
|
Atrexial - The Serpent Abomination
[7.0] - Unexceptional but decent black metal. |
 |
293.
|
Orecus - Dreadnought
[7.0] - Death metal with a modern metal slant to the riffing and production. |
 |
294.
|
Sagenbringer - Zeit Der Geschichten
[7.0] - Cheesy but fun extreme power/folk. |
 |
295.
|
Mòr - Hear The Hour Nearing!
[7.0] - Black-by-numbers, but sounds good enough. |
 |
296.
|
Brat - Social Grace
[7.0] - On the grindcore/hardcore threshold, I enjoy it when it slows down for some chonky riffs. |
 |
297.
|
Grin - Hush
[7.0] |
 |
298.
|
Stormhunter - Best Before: Death
[7.0] - Decent heavy metal with speed/power elements, slightly variable song quality. |
 |
299.
|
Morbonoct - The Highest Purpose
[7.0] - Fairly good celestial-y black metal, albeit I found myself losing attention as it went on. |
 |
300.
|
Abandon All - Strong
[7.0] - Short but enjoyable fem-fronted trad-style metal. |
 |
301.
|
Alluvial - Death Is But A Door
[7.0] - Decent, but wasn't taken with it like I was the previous album. |
 |
302.
|
Midnight - Hellish Expectations
[7.0] - More fairly enjoyable thrashy black n roll. |
 |
303.
|
Malist - Of Scorched Earth
[7.0] - Has some very nice parts, overall doesn't make a huge impact. |
 |
304.
|
Vipassi - Lightless
[7.0] - Bit more extreme and bit more characterful than a lot of instrudjent, still not too compelling. |
 |
305.
|
Couch Slut - You Could Do It Tonight
[7.0] - Semi-abrasive noise rock/sludge, cool in parts. |
 |
306.
|
Vorga - Beyond The Palest Star
[7.0] - Like the last one, meloblack that is fine but unmemorable. |
 |
307.
|
Vanden Plas - The Empyrean Equation Of The Long Lost Things
[7.0] - Competent power-tinged prog in Teramaze/Seventh Wonder vein - has some rather nice moments, but didn't engage me as a complete package. |
 |
308.
|
Týr - Battle Ballads
[7.0] |
 |
309.
|
Turbulence - Binary Dream
[7.0] - Classic-sounding prog metal with modern aspects too, decent enough. |
 |
310.
|
Grey Skies Fallen - Molded By Broken Hands
[7.0] - Fairly good doom with mixed clean/growled vocals. |
 |
311.
|
Profane Burial - My Plateau
[7.0] - Symph-black with elaborate piano/symphs and non-melodic black metal. |
 |
312.
|
Hulder - Verses In Oath
[7.0] - Melodish black metal with folky aspects and synths; fine but forgettable. |
|
313.
|
ZOMBIESHARK! - Die Laughing.
[7.0] - Wild cybergrind, pretty cool in quite a few moments, but also can be grating at other times. |
 |
314.
|
Walk Through Fire - Till Aska
[7.0] - Rather unremarkable as funeral doom, but turns more interesting when it gets sludgier. |
 |
315.
|
Early Moods - A Sinners Past
[7.0] - Decent retro doom. |
 |
316.
|
Sujin - Save Our Souls
[7.0] - Metalcore/melodeath that's frequently enjoyable, but also occasionally underwhelming. |
|
317.
|
Echo Splinter - The Last Stand
[7.0] - Enjoyable melodic mix of alt-metal, hard rock and post-hardcore. |
 |
318.
|
Krvna - The Rhythmus Of Death Eternal
[7.0] |
 |
319.
|
Kanseil - Vaia
[7.0] - Pretty good folk, mostly enjoyable with some nice melodies. |
 |
320.
|
Theraphosa - Inferno
[7.0] - Pleasantly melodic proggy alt-metal, a bit lacking in impact. |
 |
321.
|
Acerus - The Caliginous Serenade
[7.0] - Vocals could be better, but hefty heavy/USPM with darker hints. |
 |
322.
|
Exit Eden - Femmes Fatales
[7.0] - Above-average femme-fronted symphonic with good vocals and nice instrumentation, and relatively memorable songs. |
 |
323.
|
Northern Genocide - The Point Of No Return
[7.0] - Mildly enjoyable symph-y melodeath with some flaws. |
|
324.
|
Becoming The Lion - Turning Point
[7.0] - Easy-listening melodic alt metal EP. |
|
325.
|
Kontravoid - Detachment
[7.0] - Decent 80s electronic throwback, some goth stuff, some new wave synthpop, some tasty techno. |
 |
326.
|
Greyhaven - Stereo Grief
[7.0] - Mathy djentcore EP, enjoyable enough. |
 |
327.
|
Whores. - War.
[7.0] - Decent, but not my favourite take on a sludge/noise rock fusion. |
 |
328.
|
Unsouling - Vampiric Spiritual Drain
[7.0] - Oddball extreme metal with death and black elements; it's good, but weird more than enjoyable. |
 |
329.
|
Leah - The Glory And The Fallen
[7.0] - Perhaps overlong, but quite pleasant metal-lite dainty symphonic stuff. |
 |
330.
|
Savage Oath - Divine Battle
[7.0] - Decent USPM supergroup. |
 |
331.
|
Lesath - Under The Moon
[7.0] - Decent yet perhaps inconsistent acoustic-heavy dreamy blackgaze/atmo-black, goes a bit Porcupine Tree at times. |
 |
332.
|
Motherwood - A Fading Elegy
[7.0] - Atmo-ish black of fluctuating quality. |
 |
333.
|
Sonata Arctica - Clear Cold Beyond
[7.0] - Bit too much cheese, bit too little memorability, but it's alright. |
 |
334.
|
Suffer (USA) - Grand Canvas Of The Aesthete
[7.0] - OSDM with a bit of a Carcass semi-melodic edge. |
 |
335.
|
Necrot - Lifeless Birth
[7.0] - Very typical-sounding OSDM, but just about accomplished enough to be above average; lesser than the Skeletal Remains album though. |
 |
336.
|
Amaranthe - The Catalyst
[7.0] - Better than their last few. |
 |
337.
|
Protosequence - Bestiary
[7.0] - Proggy, deathcore-y tech-death, it's alright but a bit dry. |
 |
338.
|
Cancer Christ - God Is Violence
[7.0] - Frantic, entertaining thrashy hardcore. |
|
339.
|
Chaldea - The Edge Of Perdition
[7.0] - Decent symph-deathcore. |
|
340.
|
Fall Of Leviathan - Waves
[7.0] - Pleasant but twee post-rock. |
 |
341.
|
Fugit - Bury Me Here
[7.0] - Tranquil Alcest-core with some unexpected detours into Mesarthim-ish synthy doom. |
 |
342.
|
Neurotech - Memory Eternal
[7.0] - Bit low on memorability compared with the last one. |
 |
343.
|
Child - Shitegeist
[7.0] - Fairly meaty grindcore with some surprises up its sleeve, chiefly the Pailhead punk cover. |
 |
344.
|
Dionysiaque - Diogonos
[7.0] - Interesting take on doom that borrows from classic sounds while also incorporating hints of more modern and extreme styles, but damn the vocals get irritating at times. |
|
345.
|
Leaves Eyes - Myths Of Fate
[7.0] - Starts off pretty good, does veer towards slightly unremarkable Nightwish worship as it progresses. |
 |
346.
|
Abhoria - Depths
[7.0] - Black metal, good enough to listen to but won't have you coming back. |
 |
347.
|
Witherfall - Where Do I Begin?
[7.0] - Promising EP for the full-length coming later this year. |
 |
348.
|
Big Brave - A Chaos Of Flowers
[6.5] - Takes a bit too long to get going really, but I like the final track or two. |
 |
349.
|
Melvins - Tarantula Heart
[6,5] - First song is good; otherwise, like it more than some Melvins stuff but still not a big fan. |
 |
350.
|
Tårfödd - Mörker
[6.5] - Fine but unremarkable gaze-y atmoblack. |
 |
351.
|
Temple Of The Fuzz Witch - Apotheosis
[6.5] - Slightly above-average, but bar some growls, fairly ordinary stoner stuff. |
 |
352.
|
Sylvaine - Eg Er Framand
[6.5] - Tad threadbare as far as acoustic neofolk pivots go. |
 |
353.
|
Pantheon Omega - Harmonizing The Death Essence
[6.5] - Meloblack/power-y/folky side project from SIG:AR:TYR guy, decent enough. |
 |
354.
|
La Torture Des Ténèbres - V
[6.5] - Incredibly harsh and cacophonic ambient black metal that borders on noise; it's pretty unique, but very unenjoyable to listen to, and the higher-pitched note lines just offer nothing for me. |
|
355.
|
Besotten - Abyssal Synodality [Split]
[6.5] - Decent death doom side and less remarkable OSDM side. |
|
356.
|
Clarion Voidd - Failure In Repetition
[6.5] - Satisfactory but slightly by-the-by sludge. |
|
357.
|
Disastroid - Garden Creatures
[6.5] - Grungy stoner-ish rock, vocalist has quite a powerful voice, but don't super love the sound. |
 |
358.
|
DragonForce - Warp Speed Warriors
[6.5] |
 |
359.
|
Elettra Storm - Powerlords
[6.5] - Fairly satisfying Europower that occasionally dips its toes into slightly higher intensities; doesn't quite grip me though. |
 |
360.
|
Universe Effects - The Distance
[6.5] - Very competent but generic prog sound that I just find a bit dry and forgettable. |
 |
361.
|
Darkest Hour - Perpetual / Terminal
[6.5] - A good album, but with some uninspiring songs. |
 |
362.
|
Arthouse Fatso - Sycophantic Seizures: A Double Feature
[6.5] - Fairly straight-nosed grindcore, but has some oddball weirdness to some tracks, and also the cinematic snippets give it a bit more personality. |
 |
363.
|
Bokassa - All Out Of Dreams
[6.5] - B-rate Kvelertak, still decent but don't love it, and has a few slightly pants songs. |
 |
364.
|
Obscura Qalma - Veils Of Transcendence
[6.5] - Symphonic death EP, comes and goes without much impact. |
 |
365.
|
Iron Monkey - Spleen & Goad
[6.5] - This sludge is suitably swaggering and dirty-sounding, but I just find it a tad dry. |
 |
366.
|
Dysthymia (USA) - Dysthymia / Saeva
[6.5] - DSBM split, fine but unmemorable, apart from the irksome vocals on the Dysthymia song. |
 |
367.
|
Rage - Afterlifelines
[6.5] - Pretty competent thrashy heavy metal with Trivium touches that are quite tasty, followed by intriguing symphonic-influenced heavy stuff with some nifty leads; bit overlong as a double album. |
 |
368.
|
Acid Mammoth - Supersonic Megafauna Collision
[6.5] - As per usual, it's fine but very generic. |
 |
369.
|
Dead Head - Shadow Soul
[6.5] - I seem to remember moderately enjoying the previous album, but I find this one to be very dry and unengaging death-thrash. |
 |
370.
|
Unshine - Karn Of Burnings
[6.5] - Pleasant but not overly compelling folk metal. |
 |
371.
|
Morbid Saint - Swallowed By Hell
[6.5] - Thrash completely in the thrash mould, but fairly lively for such a generic sound. |
 |
372.
|
Stygian Crown - Funeral For A King
[6.5] - Somewhat dull yet competently made trad doom - found some of the vocal melodies to be the biggest turnoff. |
 |
373.
|
Metalite - Expedition One
[6.5] - Very catchy but overlong Amaranthe-y power metal - probably a 7 with a bit of self-editing. |
 |
374.
|
Korpiklaani - Rankarumpu
[6.5] - Never been fond of these guys, this album is fine but does have plenty of cheese. |
 |
375.
|
Illumishade - Another Side Of You
[6.5] - Somewhere between Amaranthe and prog, with the most tenuous connection to symphonic metal. |
 |
376.
|
Isenordal - Requiem For Eirênê
[6.5] - Folky, doomy stuff, just a bit lightweight soundwise. |
|
377.
|
Masser - The Forlorn Path
[6.5] - Slightly cheesy melodeath/metalcore sound. |
 |
378.
|
Engulf - The Dying Planet Weeps
[6.5] - Brutal dissonant tech-death; has cool parts, but a bit too hectic for its own good, and the more brutal death/deathcore parts are a bit meh. |
|
379.
|
X's For Eyes - In Horrid Waves
[6.5] - Oddball but interesting polyrhythmic noisy industrial-y stuff. |
 |
380.
|
Aura Ignis - Marcando Tu Destino
[6.5] - Alright Spanish power metal, decent vocalist. |
 |
381.
|
Kala Azar - Kala Azar
[6.5] - It's just stoner doom, but it's aite; has occasional sick moments like the end of the title track. |
|
382.
|
Kazak / Ritual Earth - Turned To Stone: Chapter 9
[6.5] - Stoner/psych rock split; prefer Kazak's stoner. |
 |
383.
|
Kólga - Black Tides
[6.5] - The blackened surf rock sound is intriguing, but doesn't feel fully explored. |
 |
384.
|
Dom Zły - Ku Pogrzebaniu Serc
[6.5] - Adequate meloblack, fine for a listen but doesn't stick in the memory. |
 |
385.
|
The Meads Of Asphodel - Tomb Songs From A Dying Bedlamite
[6.5] - Just a bit eh. |
 |
386.
|
Beyrevra - Echoes: Vanished Lore Of Fire
[6.5] - Pretty generic melodeath, passingly enjoyable. |
 |
387.
|
Ministry - HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES
[6.5] - Straightforward and unspectacular, but a decent rendition of their sound. |
 |
388.
|
Ingested - The Tide Of Death And Fractured Dreams
[6.5] - Fairly unremarkable but reasonably groovy brutal death(core). |
 |
389.
|
The Obsessed - Gilded Sorrow
[6.5] - Kinda cool doomy stoner, not a big fan of Wino's vocals or lyrics tho. |
 |
390.
|
Firewind - Fallen Angel
[6.5] - Fairly competent, and good pipes still on Herbie Langhans. |
 |
391.
|
Firewind - Stand United
[6.5] - Same as above, but for longer. |
 |
392.
|
Spiritual Deception - Semitae Mentis
[6.5] - Occasionally irksome, sometimes engaging, symphy tech-death-core. |
 |
393.
|
Aaru - S.W.N.P.L
[6.5] - Very competent instrumental djent with plenty of crunch and technicality, but sadly lacking in the memorability department. |
 |
394.
|
Artificial Language - Distant Glow
[6.0] - Kinda decent but also somewhat aggravating djent/prog EP. |
 |
395.
|
Celtian - Secretos De Amor Y Muerte
[6.0] - 'I Want My Tears Back'-style soft folk metal, pleasant but lightweight. |
 |
396.
|
Alterium - Of War And Flames
[6.0] - Somewhat bland power metal. |
 |
397.
|
ACxDC - G.O.A.T.
[6.0] - Very direct, generic grind sound. |
 |
398.
|
Deaf Club - Deaf Club / The HIRS Collective / Fuck Money
[6.0] - Bit irritating grind/punk split mash-up. |
 |
399.
|
Mägo De Oz - Alicia En El Metalverso
[6.0] - Not really listened to this band before; as far as folky powery heavy stuff goes, it's perfectly listenable. |
 |
400.
|
Any Given Day - Limitless
[6.0] - Unremarkable but passingly enjoyable Killswitch worship, albeit with a few cringe songs. |
 |
401.
|
Striker - Ultrapower
[6.0] - Decent heavy metal/hard rock sound, better when it's not going a more glam/arena direction |
 |
402.
|
Rituals Of The Dead Hand - The Wretched And The Vile
[6.0] - Not particularly interesting black/doom sound. |
 |
403.
|
Kontact - Full Contact
[6.0] - Odd vocals, instrumentally it's pretty solid heavy/speed metal (at least in the first half). |
 |
404.
|
Blaze Bayley - Circle Of Stone
[6.0] - It's fine - perfectly OK heavy. |
 |
405.
|
Meridion - Caverns
[6.0] |
 |
406.
|
Announce The Apocalypse - Experience Machine
[6.0] |
 |
407.
|
The Grandmaster - Black Sun
[6.0] - Easy-listening heavy/power with good vocals, but does get stuck in a mid-tempo rut after an exciting stop. |
 |
408.
|
Saturnalia Temple - Paradigm Call
[5.5] - Quite a mundane take on stoner doom, with dubious croaky vocals. |
 |
409.
|
Theophonos - Ashes In The Huron River
[5.5] - Perhaps mathier than the previous release; more irritating though. |
 |
410.
|
Saxon - Hell, Fire And Damnation
[5.5] - As expected, competent but quite dull. |
 |
411.
|
Scanner - The Cosmic Race
[5.5] - Proficient power-leaning trad heavy that unfortunately isn't enjoyable to listen to, the vocals evoke no emotion. |
 |
412.
|
Erra - Cure
[5.5] - A further tedious commercialisation and sapification of their sound. |
 |
413.
|
Escuela Grind - DDEEAATTHHMMEETTAALL
[5.5] |
 |
414.
|
Wothrosch - Odium Magno
[5.0] - At times earlier on it had potentially, but it just lacks too much direction or substance to be anyway engaging. |
 |
415.
|
Gravewürm - Poisonous Kingdom
[5.0] - Rough-around-the-edges plodding mid-tempo BM. |
