Rise Of Avernus - L'Appel Du Vide

While you wait for the MS Awards to start, here's something fresh to occupy your ears for a week. This album here beats most of what I heard from the past year in gothic. And beats them by a long mile. What makes it good is the variety, ranging from the very heavy to the very atmospheric, from doom to gothic, and beyond, orchestrated and not. It even has a sax thrown in for a good measure at one point and sounding so damn good.

Just try "A Triptych Journey."

Staff pick by: Ivor
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), R'Vannith, psykometal

Ea - A Etilla

Returning in full force with the band's distinct signature, A Etilla is a massive journey through a single slab of sorrowful doom landscapes. Builds up great in its pacing, and strikes an excellent balance between dark melodies and an entrancing ambient touch.

Listen on Bandcamp

Staff pick by: Auntie Sahar
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Abattoir, Troy Killjoy

Alkerdeel - Dyodyo Asema [Collaboration]

What do you get when you combine two of the darkest, most delicious bile spewing musical entities that are Gnaw Their Tongues and Alkerdeel? Something sinister that's for sure. Subtle blends of insidious doom, drone, black metal and dark ambient create an aural landscape dripping with death and disease. Even some melancholic melody seeps through. Start 2014 the right way; listen to this.

Staff pick by: Unknown user
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Auntie Sahar, X-Ray Rod, Marcel Hubregtse, wormdrink414

Black Fast - Starving Out The Light

A really interesting and engaging blend of Progressive Black and Thrash Metal. Imagine Vektor with a little bit of Death & Enslaved mixed in. Sounds good right?

Go give them a listen.

Staff pick by: Nefarious
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), wormdrink414, psykometal, Unknown user, X-Ray Rod, R'Vannith

Altar Of Betelgeuze - Darkness Sustains The Silence

Start your year off on a good note with the debut from this interesting Finnish group. Harsh and death doom-ish at points, but also has a surprisingly groovy edge to it, with clean vocals that sound as if they could easily fit in your typical desert stoner band.

Check out a few tracks on their Bandcamp, "The Spiral Of Decay" in particular.

Staff pick by: Auntie Sahar
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Nefarious, BloodTears, X-Ray Rod, BitterCOld, psykometal

Ovid's Withering - Scryers Of The Ibis

^Yes, it's really that much of a mouthful. Lol!

Staff pick by: psykometal
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), X-Ray Rod

Ephemeros - All Hail Corrosion

In this case any kind of distraction is out of question. These heavily pounding sounds will nailed you to the infertile ground. Being debut album, this is more than a proper introduction. It's a fucking beast!

LISTEN !

Staff pick by: Abattoir
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), X-Ray Rod

Condor - Condor

Listening to Condor is like eating a whole meat-lover's pizza.

Click here

Staff pick by: wormdrink414
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), X-Ray Rod, psykometal

Atlantean Kodex - The White Goddess

This album is like going to heavy metal heaven. The songs are anthems and the lyrics are compelling stories of the epic kind. With its solo bravado, truly majestic vocals, roaring melodies and beautifully crafted acoustic work, The White Goddess is too good to be ignored. There is never a dull moment in the kingdom of Atlantean Kodex.

Staff pick by: BloodTears
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Marcel Hubregtse, X-Ray Rod, Ag Fox, nikarg

Kaihoro - Ancient Jams

In need of good hard rocking stoner? Look no further. With ups and downs, these Finns nevertheless know how to rock your boat.

Can you say no to "Troubled Son"? Right...

Staff pick by: Ivor
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x)

Hatred Surge - Human Overdose

Guys from or formerly in or who have played with groups including Power Trip, Trap Them and Insect Warfare are in this band.

And that's just prestige points stuff, because this thing here is a neck wrecker from start to finish.
Not to be missed stuff.

Staff pick by: wormdrink414
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Deadsoulman, X-Ray Rod

Domovoyd - Oh Sensibility

Catchy grooves and trippy landscapes galore, the first full release from this Finnish four piece is definitely one of the better stoner efforts of 2013, as well as one of the best debuts. Has a very "lazy floating" type of feeling at many points, creating an atmosphere that's quite easy to fall back and get lost in. If that and the fantastic album art don't win you over, I don't know what will.

Turn on, tune in, drop out.

Staff pick by: Auntie Sahar
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Unknown user, R'Vannith, Deadsoulman, BloodTears, X-Ray Rod

Slugdge - Born Of Slime

What would get if you made Dragged Into Sunlight a bit less serious, a tad more melodic and had them sing about slugs? You'd get Slugdge of course. Worship the slime!

Staff pick by: Unknown user
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), psykometal, Abattoir, wormdrink414, Nefarious, Deadsoulman, BloodTears

P.L.F. - Devious Persecution And Wholesale Slaughter

Good grind is like a good Burgundy--philistines will, and quite regrettably, never quite understand it; they will always be jealous of those of us to whom are discerning enough to; what with all it's nuance and history and soul-elevating quality.

Click here for the Romanée-Conti of grind albums from 2013.

Staff pick by: wormdrink414
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), psykometal, X-Ray Rod, Deadsoulman

Eye Of Solitude - Canto III

Simply put, this is a great follow-up to last years album Sui Caedere that further solidifies Eye Of Solitude as one of the elite UK death/doom metal acts.

Listen here.

Staff pick by: Nefarious
Endorsed by: Unknown user (x), Marcel Hubregtse, Abattoir, psykometal, Doc G., Auntie Sahar, X-Ray Rod, Deadsoulman, Troy Killjoy