Staff picks
death
Post
Instrumental post rock / metal done right. It's been growing on me throughout the year, and I like it more with each spin. It's way better than God Is An Astronaut. It beats even Tacoma Narrows Bridge Disaster's third album which in my case says a lot. The Kraken is good stuff.
Listen at Bandcamp.
Listen at Bandcamp.
Alternative
If you are familiar with Emma Ruth Rundle's solo work, you might have heard of Marriages as well. Even though the music is different, the genius work is the same only heavier. Caustic, experimental and painfully tormented at times, Salome gets dreamier and dreamier the deeper you reach. It merits repeated consumption and can be quite addictive.
Binge!
Binge!
Staff pick by:
BloodTears
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Ivor, Ag Fox, Jason W., R'Vannith, X-Ray Rod, Auntie Sahar
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Ivor, Ag Fox, Jason W., R'Vannith, X-Ray Rod, Auntie Sahar
Happy Hobbit Dance Party Metal
Garden-fresh, clean as a whistle, immoderately melodic, and soaked to the very strings with the uncomplicated happiness of a halfling who's just found himself in the possession of a wagon full of mince pies. This album is the perfect mash-up of power and folk metal - bright, dramatic, loud, pure, energetic, life-affirming, and boasting especially incredible performances on the parts of the vocalist and folk instrumentalist. Every song is a celebration in itself, and there are a lot of songs.
First-era CoB
They're not quite as neoclassical as Children Of Bodom was, but slightly more dynamic. Certainly a good fix for the old-school CoB fanboys/girls looking for a worthy successor to that sound/style.
Bandcamp
Bandcamp
Doomcore
Apparently there's a new "thing" out there now - 'Doomcore'
Deathcore played slower, or down-tempo. Name's actually kinda catchy, and it's certainly less to say than "downtempo deathcore" (if it catches on anyway).
Chugga chugga, mothafuggas!
Deathcore played slower, or down-tempo. Name's actually kinda catchy, and it's certainly less to say than "downtempo deathcore" (if it catches on anyway).
Chugga chugga, mothafuggas!
Prog
The Mars Volta runs strong in this one. All in all it's a pretty intense record.
Listen at Bandcamp.
Listen at Bandcamp.
'Oriental black death metal' from Egypt
Prog rock/metal
Subsignal always seem to fly under the radar. But this new album shouldn't. The Marillion influence is strong on this one both musically and vocally. With top-notch songwriting and melodies, stunning vocal lines and well-placed bursts of aggression, The Beacons Of Somewhere Sometime shows how resourceful and creative this band is. This album is prog heaven. And the prog is good.
Staff pick by:
psykometal
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Auntie Sahar, ScreamingSteelUS, Fat & Sassy!, wormdrink414
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Auntie Sahar, ScreamingSteelUS, Fat & Sassy!, wormdrink414
stoner doom
Extended, reverb-laden stoner doom jams that just blissfully go on and on. Really enjoyable album late at night.
Stoner doom
Spelljammer was featured in our Clandestine Cuts in 2012 and now they're all grown up and signed. Check out their debut full-length Ancient Of Days for its fuzzy, spacey, heavy, stonery, doomy goodness.
LISTEN, then buy the gorgeous red vinyl.
LISTEN, then buy the gorgeous red vinyl.
Indecipherable
Chaos Ech?s are a prime example of why French metal has gained such a solid reputation for being very forward-thinking and experimentally inclined in the past decade. Typically labeled as death metal or death doom, this album doesn't stop there, with the band also adding in elements of black metal, drone, jazz, psychedelia, and more to their sound. At some points fast and incredibly heavy, at others meditative and transcendent, Transient is a bizarre, polymorphous beast that defies classification, and seems to be nothing more than a full embrace of the power of human ingenuity.
Go have a listen and ponder over the nature of improvisation.
Go have a listen and ponder over the nature of improvisation.
Staff pick by:
Auntie Sahar
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Deadsoulman, Marcel Hubregtse, X-Ray Rod, wormdrink414, BloodTears, BitterCOld, Darkside Momo, ScreamingSteelUS
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Deadsoulman, Marcel Hubregtse, X-Ray Rod, wormdrink414, BloodTears, BitterCOld, Darkside Momo, ScreamingSteelUS
Prog gone cabaret gone live
With Twilight Cinema being one of the best and imaginative albums of 2014 (in my opinion of course), there is just no way you would not want to see this manic band perform this album almost in its entirety live and then do some more. That's right, not just hear but also see it live. Drop whatever series you were planning on watching and have a go at this one instead. This is just so much pure fun!
Watch on YouTube or listen at Bandcamp.
Watch on YouTube or listen at Bandcamp.