Staff picks
One man Atmo Black
If you're a serious follower of this style, you know the usual. The project of Jacob Buczarski, Mare Cognitum is raw and hard hitting black metal, but also interspersed with all those beautiful, melodic, and dreamy undercurrents that we all know and love and that've come to make this style so goddamn good when it's executed right. Highly recommended for fans of Chaos Moon, Spectral Lore, Sombres Forêts, etc. And shoutout to my buddy Fearmeister for turning me onto all the great stuff on I, Voidhanger's current roster, definitely a label worth investigating.
BANDCAMP.
BANDCAMP.
Prog
In the grand scheme of things this album has got one strength and one weakness. At the core of it the reason is one and the same. This album is so packed with different and great ideas, it's really becoming ridiculous. However, this also accounts for the length of the album and the lack of consistent direction in development of said ideas and thus it appears to be all over the place. High marks for the début effort and future promise, though.
Listen to the full album over at Bandcamp.
Listen to the full album over at Bandcamp.
Death/Black
Another poach from Fenriz's Band of the Week thing here. Totally raw, totally good album.
Click for tunes.
Click for tunes.
Stoner Doom
Old school style Sabbath/Pentagram worshippin' doom. Do I hear Jimi somewhere in the mix?
Derivative but awesome.
Derivative but awesome.
Speed, thrash metal
METAL up your arse !!!
And here I thought Striker couldn't top their 2012 release Armed To The Teeth. And then they record this one. Any fan of the genre, or those who like headbanging to the maxshould will enjoy City Of Gold.
And here I thought Striker couldn't top their 2012 release Armed To The Teeth. And then they record this one. Any fan of the genre, or those who like headbanging to the max
Sludge metal
Albums like Mortals' Cursed To See The Future make an instant impact and grip you. Its sludge is dense with black metal leanings. The songs are long and perfectly structured because the transitions are smart. While there are moments of trance, it's the piercing vocals which guide you through the hostility and gloom of the music. Melodious yet aggressive, Cursed To See The Future has filth in good measure. The slimy and cavernous riffs easily lull you into the abyss.
Take the plunge!
Take the plunge!
Death, grind, a dash of black with some -core
YA'LL LIKE Bolt Thrower AND Trap Them?!
Light progressive rock
The rhythm remains the same, as members change. IQ has always been one of those bands that fell into the medium of obscurity for me, strictly because they always played on the fringe of prog worship and never feigned actual progression. That was, until The Road of Bones.
Staff pick by:
Introspekrieg
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), R'Vannith, BloodTears, Ivor, Ag Fox, Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, ScreamingSteelUS
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), R'Vannith, BloodTears, Ivor, Ag Fox, Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, ScreamingSteelUS
Progressive stoner doom
A forward-thinking approach to the stoner doom genre that emphasizes complex song structures and hypnotic textural riffing. Lose yourself in the vivid landscapes of Aeonian right here.
Thrash
Here's an oldie that's just been reissued and that's guaranteed to wreck some shit and stuff.
Extreme Power Metal
An unpretentious mix of DragonForce, Amon Amarth and mid-career Ensiferum.
Extreme power metal done right.
Extreme power metal done right.
Folk Metal
It took me a few listens to let this album fully sink in, but Arkona wisely drops their light-hearted, catchy hooks to bring us an album with a much better flow and sense of focus. That doesn't mean they aren't as dynamic, progressive-minded and aggressive as ever though. These Russian folk metal giants are still on top of their game.
Sioux Drone
The one man project of Chet W. Scott, Blood Of The Black Owl is a hypnotizing journey through foreboding sounds and monolithic landscapes. Native American themes abound, with use of wind flute and some drony, chant-like vocals to help heighten the vibe and make you feel as though you're being banished by the ritual of the album's title. This album may be four years old, but screw it: if you're down with the whole drone/dark ambient nonsense, this is definitely one you need in your life.
Begin the daze.
Begin the daze.
Post
The New Zealand Duo craft some instrumental post-rock/metal goodness. Constructs and build-ups are well executed and enjoyable if standard format, but the crescendos really help make this a bi-polar bit of post-fun.