Staff picks
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Melodic Black/Death
Here's one of the few albums from this year that's actually deserving of all the hype it's been getting. The sophomore effort from this Swiss foursome is amazingly detailed and incredibly varied in its songwriting. At times takes a slow and trancelike black metal approach, with surprisingly beautiful solos to accompany. At others, pounds you into dust with a furious death metal crunch, and at other moments still is extremely relaxing in its attention to melody and atmosphere. A powerful blend of personalities, and a worthy addition to any extreme metal fan's musical library.
Epic Power Metal
Ancient Bards remains one of the most incredible and unique power metal bands. Strangely underrated, their sheer energy is a force of nature. With powerful vocals, soaring guitars, and punishing drums, they manage to be symphonic and "balls out" at the same time. Their 3rd album is darker than ever.
Listen
Listen
Staff pick by:
Susan
Post / avantgarde / experimental metal
Giant Squid continue to evolve. They are hard to put in a box because every song is a tantalizing experiment. Minoans reveals itself slowly with shorter songs, powerful blasts and instrumental finesse. There is refinement in the melodies and a perfect marriage between the voices of Jackie Perez Gratz and Aaron Gregory. The enticing cello and sorrowful atmosphere of the songs form layered waves of exotic sounds. Giant Squid gracefully offer us another treasure from the sea.
Progressive Groove Death Metal
Morost plays the grooviest, yet most beautiful death metal in Slovenia, or just about anywhere else on Earth.
Excellent vocals, a thundering bass, dynamic guitars, and blast beats in all the right places.
Excellent vocals, a thundering bass, dynamic guitars, and blast beats in all the right places.
Staff pick by:
Susan
Prog
A cheesy band name if there ever was one but, man, do these Australians make up for it music-wise. Of course this won't come as a surprise to those of you who know the now defunct Unitopia. To the rest of you I can only advise to trust my judgement. This here is one spectacular progressive rock album.
Try the teaser or listen to "Intersection."
Try the teaser or listen to "Intersection."
Ugly 70's Metal
In the vein of late-70's metal, when metal sounded, and looked, like Lemmy. Ugly. And fun.
sludge
Doomy, Sludgy Stonerrifferic hails to Sabbath. Sure, Phil's voice sounds a tad ravaged by time, but group has it's mojo on with second part of IV.
Frog funk party
You want a party? You've got a party! The French provide and everyone's invited! I believe somewhere there's probably a law of some kind or other against having so much fun on a record. Time to dust off that party sombrero of yours.
The Body/black metal
meloproggy post-death (and stuff)
Ever wondered how Ulcerate would sound if they were less extreme and more progressive? That's Nero Di Marte for you: a melodic take on the post-death sound, less suffocating but maybe more disquieting.
Staff pick by:
Darkside Momo
Endorsed by: R'Vannith, Nefarious, Susan, Ag Fox, BitterCOld, X-Ray Rod
Endorsed by: R'Vannith, Nefarious, Susan, Ag Fox, BitterCOld, X-Ray Rod
Jazz songwriting meets stoner rock guitar
Inside Samus Aran's brain
Coming off of a powerful debut with last year's U.M.A, this Italian BM duo decides to follow it up with a curveball, a nonmetal EP. Best be off with you if you're looking for the more aggressive side of the band's personality with this one. Asteroidi is for those listeners who delighted in the ringy ding ding electronics of the debut, and wished to see the band go deeper with them, an effort at which they certainly succeed here.
Swing Death Metal
Supersexy Swingin' Sounds? Hell yeah!
Trepalium have been searching since XIII for the perfect mix between the aggression in death metal and the swing and catchiness in jazz. Well, they nailed it perfectly with that awesome EP!
Check Moonshine Limbo's video if you haven't already!
Trepalium have been searching since XIII for the perfect mix between the aggression in death metal and the swing and catchiness in jazz. Well, they nailed it perfectly with that awesome EP!
Check Moonshine Limbo's video if you haven't already!
Heaviness incarnate
Four songs, one hour of pure heavy and pounding doomy stuff. Dynamic, entrancing, atmospheric, all at the same time.
Beware, this beast is HUGE!
Beware, this beast is HUGE!
Atmospheric Doom
The album that features acknowledged members of doom metal scene, coming from bands such as Eye Of Solitude, Shape Of Despair, Officium Triste, Pantheïst etc.