Metal Storm logo
Staff picks
Album index | Top albums | Bottom albums | Album charts | Top lists | Staff picks


Show upcoming picks

Mushrooms
Weird stuff worth listening to.
Staff pick by: wormdrink414
Endorsed by: BloodTears
grinding death
rawrrawrRAWR! riffriffriff pound pound pound screech ROAR! thud thud thud RAWR!

Gallows is just under 30 minutes of good old asskicking deathgrind fury, raw(R!) enough to make old-timers like me tear up. And tear up the house.
Staff pick by: BitterCOld
Endorsed by: wormdrink414, Doc G., X-Ray Rod
Thrash
Living proof of how production can suck and yet still the album can rule. Great modern groove-thrash, highly recommended for fans of Rumpelstiltskin Grinder.
Staff pick by: Doc G.
Depressive black metal
Remember when I was all "yo go hang yourself"?

Well apparently this guy did.
Staff pick by: Troy Killjoy
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod
Industrial Black Metal
"The nauseating madness has been cast aside in favour of a slower, pounding industrial, typically Blut Aus Nord; absolutely not a novelty for this band, yet a strengthening of their experimental side, as well as a worthy second chapter of the trilogy... morbid and disquieting, rather than twisted and unpredictable. Always apocalyptic of course." - Kenos

A perfect descriptive testimony of the strengths of Blut Aus Nord.
Staff pick by: !J.O.O.E.!
Endorsed by: X-Ray Rod, KwonVerge, Introspekrieg, Ag Fox, White Winter Sun, Darkside Momo
Folk Metal With Balls
Enjoy stuff like Equilibrium & Ensiferum, but want a little more aggression? Enthring might just be what you need...
Staff pick by: Doc G.
Endorsed by: White Winter Sun
Symphonic Gothic metal
The timeless classic piece from Sirenia. This release possesses all the good qualities of its sister band Tristania and also has the well-defined features that make it different from Tristania. This album is a highlight of Sirenia's discography for it features the best characteristics Sirenia has ever managed to display. The edgy extreme side, the keyboards and strings, the choir and the unforgettable vocal performance of Henriette Bordvik make this album a true experience for all who like symphonic and Gothic style.
Staff pick by: Ernis
Endorsed by: Ag Fox, Jason W., BloodTears, Promonex, GT, KwonVerge, Darkside Momo
Female Vocal + Violin Driven Sludge Metal
In a sadly frequent number of cases the inclusion of the female vocal in the more extreme end of metal is typically employed for mere novelty effect (if not for the "crumpet" effect), occasionally adding another shade to the proceedings where it might. Not only do the three-fifths female outfit SubRosa manage, without effort, to waylay this unfortunate paradigm, they succeed in turning the sludge genre on its head and make the unconventional female vocal (think Bloody Panda rather than Nightwish) and the jarring violin (think A Forest Of Stars rather than Apocalyptica) its prime catalyst, creating a distinct and unusual approach to the sound. Both offbeat and dissonant whilst heavy and crushing (but not without a woman's touch) this is quite possibly the album of the year because of it.
Staff pick by: !J.O.O.E.!
Endorsed by: BloodTears, X-Ray Rod, Ag Fox, Susan, White Winter Sun, KwonVerge
Stoner Metal/Hard Rock
Stonerish tunes for drunk people, by drunk people. Those of greener intoxicant persuasions will probably need to stub out their spliffs and shotgun a PBR or five if they want to really get it.
Staff pick by: wormdrink414
Endorsed by: Doc G., !J.O.O.E.!, Marcel Hubregtse, X-Ray Rod, Dane Train, Ag Fox, Nefarious
Funeral Doom
If you know the band, you know what to expect. They deliver what you expect and then some. Less than 5% of metal population will appreciate this morose journey. It's better to be among the few than among many...
Avant-Garde? Post black? Something, something....
Being pleasant and happy is totally lame. Here's something completely miserable & haunting to help you be one of the cool kids.
Staff pick by: Doc G.
Endorsed by: KwonVerge, !J.O.O.E.!, Ag Fox, Troy Killjoy, X-Ray Rod, Darkside Momo
Doom metal
Melancholy and disenchanted sadness + low/mid-tempo riffing + one of the best voices in the genre + a really good production = Born From Shadows or how to release a pure gem of Doom metal.

Definitely, Born From Shadows is among noteworthy Doom metal albums of 2011. Please do not miss this piece of pure melancholy from Swedish metallers Isole. A must to have, really.
Death metal
Vallenfyre is a grimey and powerful embodiment of grief. Stretching from doom to death metal, this is a wonderfully morbid combination of soul shattering earthly tones, top quality vintage-style death metal, and emotion.
Psychedelic Black Metal
A bizarre, contorted journey through the multiple stomachs of an alien on the cosmic equivalent of Dimethyltryptamine. There's little more one can say about it than that.
"Vedic Metal" (in my opinion progressive black metal with a bit of death & thrash)
Quality Singaporean outfit showcases their 6th album of intelligent, riff-heavy metal soaked in exotic influences. For fans of Melechesh methinks.
Staff pick by: !J.O.O.E.!
Endorsed by: Ag Fox, Promonex, Marcel Hubregtse, Daniell, White Winter Sun, X-Ray Rod, wormdrink414