Staff picks by Baz Anderson

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Repugnant - Epitome Of Darkness

Death Thrash metal
Feb 23, 2011
You have to hear this. I recently discovered this gem of an album, dripping in old-school death/thrash metal with an equally old-school production. This is what metal should be like.

Windir - 1184

Viking Black metal
Jan 16, 2011
Marking seven years since the incredibly unfortunate death of Valfar. This album is perhaps his best work, with the chilling and unsettlingly real "Journey To The End" to mark the end.

The Meads Of Asphodel - The Murder Of Jesus The Jew

Medieval Black metal
Dec 29, 2010
Well this is a strange one. Predominantly black metal, these Englishmen have delivered a perplexing album that seemingly knows little in the way of boundaries. It isn't a very polished or musically tight album, but it is very interesting in the journey it provides, with maybe just a glimpse of greatness in there hiding.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: !J.O.O.E.!, X-Ray Rod

Blaze Bayley - Promise And Terror

Heavy metal
Dec 10, 2010
Blaze might not have had the easiest of times either through his career or especially as of late. This guy has battled through all odds to release his most successful album to date. Promise And Terror is a great heavy metal album that touches on speed metal, but also towards the end touches on some very dark issues too. Give him another go; you might be surprised.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Music4TheSpirit

Cradle Of Filth - Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa

Extreme metal
Dec 02, 2010
Love them or hate them, Cradle Of Filth are back with their most extreme album since Cruelty And The Beast. The band are still the modern force you have come to terms with of recent years, but the band have gone up yet another gear with this release.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Daniell

Star One - Victims Of The Modern Age

Progressive Space metal
Nov 25, 2010
Arjen is back with his band of merry men for the follow-up to 2002's Space Metal. Following that album wasn't an easy task, but now eight years on and we have yet another fantastic album with all the Arjen and Star One hallmarks.

Helloween - 7 Sinners

Power metal
Nov 11, 2010
Helloween are back with their best album definitely at least since The Dark Ride. This is heavier stuff, modern, and certainly catchy without being cheesy. This will be one of the albums of the year for all those concerned.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: GT, Ag Fox

Immolation - Majesty And Decay

Death metal
Sep 29, 2010
Released earlier this year, this album is still destroying speakers in its wake. Majesty And Decay has to be Immolation's best album to date. Absolutely crushing, intense death metal.

Defeated Sanity - Psalms Of The Moribund

Brutal Death metal
Sep 14, 2010
This year isn't being kind to the living, as we say goodbye to founding member of Defeated Sanity, Wolfgang.

So let's bring our thoughts back to, without any doubt, the band's best work. Psalms Of The Moribund is an absolute explosion of brutal death metal, exactly the way it should be.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Promonex, Troy Killjoy

Soulitude - Wonderfool World

Power metal
Sep 01, 2010
Download this album for FREE from here.

Jevo is back with a new album of cutting edge power metal with some slightly spacey undertones, all for your taking.

For those unfamiliar with Soulitude, this is the third album under the name. All three albums are available to download off Jevo's official website for no charge at all.

So what are you waiting for? It's free, it's great stuff, you have nothing to lose.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: wrathchild, Deadsoulman

Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell

For Ronnie James Dio...
May 17, 2010
The album, the name, and the last band Ronnie toured with. This album turned 30 years old last month, which is surely testament to the timeless quality of this true heavy metal classic. There's no better time than now to blast it out one more time.

1349 - Demonoir

Black metal
May 02, 2010
1349 return in spectacular form with their fifth album. "Demonoir" is back to blastbeats in the territory that 1349 executed so well with their first three albums. This album doesn't only enjoy the more extreme side of black metal, it makes the band's first three releases seem stiff and rigid in comparison. Dynamic and extreme, "Demonoir" will surely be one of the best of the year.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod

The Monolith Deathcult - The White Crematorium 2.0

Death metal
Apr 25, 2010
This is the band's completely new recording of their 2005 album "The White Crematorium", and the five years have shown a big difference in terms of pulling music like this off. Faster, harder, heaver - it is better than the original from one of the top Dutch death metal bands. This is crushingly heavy and highly enjoyable stuff.

Tartaros - The Red Jewel

Black metal
Apr 17, 2010
Were you sad when Emperor split? Still craving for more black metal in that distinctive Emperor sound? Well here's something you might have missed. Released the same year as "IX Equilibrium", "The Red Jewel" is the album from Charmand Grimloch, Emperor's keyboard player at the time. Not only that, but Emperor's Trym is also sat behind the drum kit here. This Tartaros album sounds almost identical to "IX Equilibrium" with the addition of some crazy, spacey and psychedelic keyboards added for good measure. Top stuff. Get it.
Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Ag Fox

Burning In Hell - Believe

Power metal
Apr 10, 2010
This is a Brazilian album/band that will have probably slipped by a lot of people. Released in the second half of the last decade, "Believe" is an album of super cheesy power metal that has some really catchy moments. For a little-known band, this is a top class album.