No funny stuff. Just black metal with a face-vs-brick-wall type impact. Unbelievably loud & crushing.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Troy Killjoy, !J.O.O.E.!, Ag Fox, wormdrink414, X-Ray Rod, Nefarious

To steal a line from my forthcoming review:

"When is epic fail epic win?"

When it's Faal's epic "The Clouds Are Burning".

Four tracks of unforgiving doom punishment that shifts up tempos from glacial to epic swagger to full on headbanging, all while the members of the band assault you, your family and the girl you took to prom with tons of sonic cold fuzzies.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Ag Fox, !J.O.O.E.!, X-Ray Rod, Daniell, Marcel Hubregtse, Troy Killjoy, Nefarious, KwonVerge, White Winter Sun, Darkside Momo, psykometal

Modern progressive Swedish Black Metal packed full of great riffs with a cold, bleak atmosphere. What is there not to love?

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Promonex

Honestly? Just go fucking nuts and break shit. But be quick - you've only got about a half-an-hour to tear it all down before this thing ends.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: wormdrink414, Nefarious, Baz Anderson, Ag Fox, Daniell

So you think drone is all about oppressive atmospheres, crushing banality and putting )))'s on the end of your name? Well Bong may change your little minds on that. Taking a bit of a cue from Barn Owl (the band, not the animal) and their more chilled out and relaxed approach to the genre, Bong have shifted their sound into deeper, rather than denser surroundings. Extremely well produced, expansively psychedelic and mysterious but ultimately very listenable drone music.

Sitars are frigging awesome.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod, Daniell, Introspekrieg, Ag Fox, wormdrink414

After getting crushed during their set at Roadburn. It is more than appropriate to let you know about the disgusting beast of a band that is Alkerdeel and their sophomore record.
An ever-present and pulsing bass, rocking wall of sound, hypnotic and chaotic drums, sick vocals.
It is doom, sludge and black blended beyond distinction.

This is not for the faint of heart.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: !J.O.O.E.!, Marcel Hubregtse, Nefarious, wormdrink414, Promonex

Awesome hardcore.
Get it?
Got it?
Good.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Ag Fox, X-Ray Rod, wormdrink414

Finally, Reverence have delivered the album they always had in them. A richly veiled exercise of varied, deeply textured, winding and intelligent modern black metal, deriving influence from contemporaries Deathspell Omega and Blut Aus Nord but ultimately creating something all their own.

At this moment in time Reverence truly embody and exemplify the sound of French black metal.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, Daniell, KwonVerge, Nefarious, Ag Fox

A proper recommendation of conceptual prog rock/metal is in order. A début album years in the making, beautiful and technically complex melodies, orchestrations, male and female vocals, often layered and following different leads, excellent musicianship - this is Beyond The Bridge. If you want a reference, bit of Haken's Visions might give you some footing you seek, though, don't build your expectations on that.

Hear a sample here, or a full track "The Apparition" at the homepage here.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Dane Train, Ag Fox, Milena, Nefarious

Nothing fancy here. The band that put the POWAH! in power trio, High On Fire, are back with another pummeling album featuring dalekian vocals, pounding drums, pummeling guitar and bass riffs, and Matt Pike's frenetic solos. Tracks like "Spiritual Rites" and "Serums Of Liao" are the sonic equivalent of a bar room brawl. Enjoy.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Daniell, Ag Fox, X-Ray Rod, wormdrink414, Troy Killjoy, Doc G., BudDa

Well whaddayaknow. Another good Overkill release.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Daniell, Ag Fox, Promonex

Totally unashamed Candlemass worship, right down to the guitar tone, only with a Cronos-alike on vocals. Just shield your eyes when looking at that album artwork *shivers*

LISTEN

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Daniell, Doc G., X-Ray Rod, Marcel Hubregtse, wormdrink414, GT

You like female fronted gothic metal but don't want to look like a pussy? You kind of like death metal but, then again, you kind of don't? You like some experimentation in your music but want it to remain within sensible boundaries? A bit of saxophone sounds hip to you? How about a couple of jazz interludes? If it's all yes, then this might be an album for you.

Hear a sample here!

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: BloodTears, Ag Fox, X-Ray Rod

There's not a lot of "funky" metal out there these days that doesn't sound like crap. Here's a great prog album that is as much jazz as it is metal.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod, Introspekrieg, wormdrink414, Fat & Sassy!

This is every fleeting dream you have ever had about alien worlds, every alternate dimension where 2 + 2 = 3 and where colours exist that cannot be comprehended within the limited scope of the human brain. This is something you haven't heard before.

Listen

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, Doc G., KwonVerge, Introspekrieg, Ag Fox, Nefarious