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 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

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

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.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Dane Train, Susan, Ivor, Ag Fox, Nefarious

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

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.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Daniell, Promonex, Troy Killjoy, Darkside Momo, X-Ray Rod

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

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

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.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Darkside Momo, Doc G., Deadsoulman, Jeff, Promonex, White Winter Sun, BitterCOld, Dane Train, Milena, X-Ray Rod, ScreamingSteelUS

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

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.

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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.

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Endorsed by: Ag Fox

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.

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This is the continuation of Celtic Frost. In the similar style of "Monotheist", this album is essentially Celtic Frost with a different rhythm section. Dark, gloomy, reflective, yet also at a slightly more exciting pace than Tom Warrior's last output. This is as heavy as they come. A top quality release from the mind behind the frontman of one of the most influential extreme metal bands in history.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Thryce, X-Ray Rod

An old album from a band that has only just recently come into my attention. This is the band's second album and probably the most solid. This is thrash metal, but is also very melodic and speed metal-like in places with the clean vocals, as it is also somewhat progressive in places. If this sounds like something that might appeal to you, definitely go for it.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Deadsoulman, ylside, Marcel Hubregtse, Ag Fox