I lost faith in power metal many years ago. An exhausted genre that is going nowhere. But at least some veterans still know how to play it

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: wormdrink414, D.T. Metal

Combining djent grooves and progressive death metal with a great use of ambiance, Dubai's Benevolent have really raised the bar as to what we can expect from bands in this region. Despite many songs on The Covenant being around the 7-10 minute mark, it never overstays it's welcome due to the great musicianship showcased throughout as the albums flows back & forth between beauty & brutality.

Listen here.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Darkside Momo, BloodTears, Troy Killjoy

This was mixed by Kurt Ballou and has a track featuring reverend Neil Fallon of Clutch, and those aren't even the juicy parts of this thing. It's the huge number of huge riffs that makes this so fun.

Streaming here

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: R'Vannith, Auntie Sahar, Deadsoulman

This kind of powerful, Teutonic power metal might be hard to come by these days - but Iron Savior are still standing strong as the years pass. Three years after the previous album, Rise Of The Hero is another solid piece of work and a welcome reminder of how things should be done.

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More than two years ago I highlighted the second level and now I'm back trying to serve as a pointer for this underrated album. With the disappointing new Cynic effort I find myself constantly returning to here, filling the void. Bye bye breakdowns, it appears the band is trying to distance themselves from the "core" label and present a more mature, intention-driven output. The cheese may be gone, but the fun remains the same. Subdued synths are more poignant when compared to 2, with the end result being a more balanced sound.
Cynic != new Cynic;
If Cynic || Between The Buried And Me || Protest The Hero rings true to you, listen to this album.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: !J.O.O.E.!, X-Ray Rod, psykometal, Ag Fox

One of the most original and cryptic doom bands, no doubt. The new album, as hard as it is to get, is at least on a par with their previous releases.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Marcel Hubregtse, R'Vannith, BitterCOld, Nefarious, Ag Fox, Darkside Momo, X-Ray Rod

If you've been missing the golden days of Drudkh, are pining for the emotionally charged atmospherics of Fen's debut, or feel like Walknut's sophomore will never arrive, then this is truly the album for you. And what a blinder it is; dense and foreboding with a subtle, folky darkness that harkens back to Negură Bunget's 'n Crugu Bradului'.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod, Nefarious, Auntie Sahar, Daniell, Troy Killjoy

The guy who wrote the Blade Runner book once wrote in reference to Rome that "the empire never ended." So, if Rome can be equated with Thrash right now, and if these guys (Steve Souza and sons) are some of its centurions, kneel and listen, resistance would be stupid.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Marcel Hubregtse, psykometal

Four tracks, slightly over 40 minutes long. In this case, that means that we're dealing with some master crafters of pure, drony goodness. If you're familiar with Nadja and the ten thousand releases that make up their discography, you know the dilly by now: slow, monontonous doom, but also with a hidden sense of dreamlike melody that hints at many great things lurking beneath, and muddled vocals that create even more of an otherworldly vibe. More structured and heavier than their previous Flipper effort, but still unquestionably within their style.

LISTEN

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: !J.O.O.E.!, X-Ray Rod

If you know the band, you know what to expect. And you won't be disappointed. Chances are, you'll be amazed.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: BloodTears, Dream Taster

Morbus Chron appear to want a piece of the action that Tribulation got last year with their phenomenal The Formulas of Death album. Like them, they see themselves merging an old-school aesthetic with a modern twist. Death, thrash and progressive metal is blended harmoniously with mature songwriting and superbly organic production to create superlative atmosphere.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Daniell, Auntie Sahar, BloodTears, X-Ray Rod, R'Vannith, Nefarious, Marcel Hubregtse, wormdrink414

Cold and distant, depressive and haunting, desolate and gloomy. Very well done. If you remember the first Manes album, you'll more or less know what to expect, but with much better production and musicianship. A mandatory listen for fans of black metal that bets on atmosphere as opposed to speed.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Auntie Sahar

The sophomore release from this potent Belgian trio is a stimulating journey through four heaping slabs of funeral doom. However, this certainly isn't evil and soul-crushing in the traditional understanding of the style. With Wijlen Wij, clean vocals, suprisingly good melodies and grooves, and even a few audio samples combine to form some of the most upbeat and overall interesting funeral doom I've heard in quite awhile. Opener "Boreas" is nothing short of amazing.

Stream it on Bandcamp.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod, !J.O.O.E.!, BloodTears, Marcel Hubregtse, Abattoir

Grecian, space-themed blackened grindcore. As good as it sounds. Far more song-based than your average grind outfit; this record displays an impressive amount of technical mastery and songwriting variation, not to mention a rich and satisfyingly juicy sound.

"I can say with utter certainty that Dephosphorus are my favourite grindcore band" - Stephen Hawking

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod, Auntie Sahar, wormdrink414, psykometal, Darkside Momo

This French semi-trailer truck will hit you so hard in the face, you won't even realize what happened when it's all over.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Darkside Momo, wormdrink414, X-Ray Rod, Troy Killjoy, Abattoir, Promonex, psykometal, Ag Fox, ScreamingSteelUS