In a year with many strong prog releases, one of the outsiders is Oddland's Origin. A tinge of Pain Of Salvation's Daniel Gildenlöw on the vocals can only be a good thing, and the technical prowess adds to the melodic nuances of the music. Edgy, powerful and masterfully heavy, the Finns carve their own path with this new album. Seemingly accessible, Origin reveals exceptional layers throughout.

Full album on Bandcamp.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Nefarious

It's hard to find massive albums that really engulf you from the start and grab you until the very last note. But Névoa's Re Un is one of those albums. This stellar work from the Portuguese duo owes a lot to their name, Névoa (or "mist" in English). The immersive riffs just hoover around like a dim fog of hopelessness. The atmosphere is everything on this release and so is the unexpected. The music is anything but predicable with sludge, post, black and doom all mixed up into one big cauldron of hypnotic and hallucinatory musings. It's desolate, contemplative and slow. You might look for a beacon of light in Re Un's darkness but you will never find one, only mist.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Susan, Paz

"I don't feel quite myself..."

Riverside are one of the most talented progressive metal bands of their generation and guitarist Piotr Grudzinski was oftentimes the melody of the band. Their debut album was already a genius masterpiece and he shines brightly. Play it, live it.

In honor of Piotr Grudzinski. (Thank you for the music)

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Ivor, X-Ray Rod, Dream Taster, Daniell, Darkside Momo, Nefarious, Introspekrieg, D.T. Metal, ScreamingSteelUS, Milena

If you are familiar with Emma Ruth Rundle's solo work, you might have heard of Marriages as well. Even though the music is different, the genius work is the same only heavier. Caustic, experimental and painfully tormented at times, Salome gets dreamier and dreamier the deeper you reach. It merits repeated consumption and can be quite addictive.

Binge!

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Ivor, Ag Fox, Jason W., R'Vannith, X-Ray Rod, Auntie Sahar

Subsignal always seem to fly under the radar. But this new album shouldn't. The Marillion influence is strong on this one both musically and vocally. With top-notch songwriting and melodies, stunning vocal lines and well-placed bursts of aggression, The Beacons Of Somewhere Sometime shows how resourceful and creative this band is. This album is prog heaven. And the prog is good.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Ivor

Matt Wicklund and Van Williams make a winning team in Ghost Ship Octavius's debut album. Their talent to produce intricate, hard-hitting songs combined with the soaring performance of vocalist Adōn Fanion reaches epic proportions. Dark in atmosphere and themes, Ghost Ship Octavius borrows elements like groovy riffs à la Nevermore and Communic, and the melodic virtuosity of the likes of Darkwater. Add outstanding solos and a grandiose sound to the equation, and you have a very auspicious start for this band.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: corrupt, psykometal, Promonex, Ag Fox

Giant Squid continue to evolve. They are hard to put in a box because every song is a tantalizing experiment. Minoans reveals itself slowly with shorter songs, powerful blasts and instrumental finesse. There is refinement in the melodies and a perfect marriage between the voices of Jackie Perez Gratz and Aaron Gregory. The enticing cello and sorrowful atmosphere of the songs form layered waves of exotic sounds. Giant Squid gracefully offer us another treasure from the sea.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: R'Vannith, X-Ray Rod

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!

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: wormdrink414, Abattoir, Auntie Sahar

In A Mirror Darkly is as intense as a good conspiracy. The occasional Nevermore tones and Martin LeMar channeling Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain Of Salvation) are coupled with Mekong Delta's thrashy clever twists and instrumental eloquence. But the constant outpouring of technical catchy riffs is well-balanced by the slower melodic passages; this means the plot thickens with every song, which only enhances the experience.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: D.T. Metal, Ag Fox, Darkside Momo, wormdrink414, X-Ray Rod

Certain albums crush you and suddenly you become so small. Thou's Heathen does that. It is punishing with both slow marching riffs and beautiful harmonies which shine through the devastation. The brief acoustic passages allow you to breathe but the doom is always looming and never fades. There is a splendorous and limpid melodic side to Heathen but more than anything, this album is suffocatingly heavy.

Available at Bandcamp

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

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:
Endorsed by: Marcel Hubregtse, X-Ray Rod, Ag Fox, nikarg

At times overwhelming to the senses, Tacit will make you look inside yourself with dizzying melodies; it will make you convulse with the bursts of energy it unleashes and it will leave a mark, a scar if you will, that you will want to revisit frequently. It is a colossus of soothing ambiences to get lost in.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: R'Vannith, Ivor, X-Ray Rod

It's funny how little things can surprise you, how atmospheric metal can be so emotionally brutal. Enter the beautiful darkness that is Dawning. It is both inspired and inspiring.

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

The tomb-like silence of Akercocke might be painful to our little longing hearts but there is always Voices, the new project of Akercocke members David Gray, Peter Benjamin and Sam Loynes. This is ferocious and violent black metal, at times faster than your heartbeat, malicious, unsettling, with splashes of serene voices from the human forest which create a fugue of imaginary rain.

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

Skyharbor's Blinding White Noise: Illusion & Chaos shines on with a big wall of beautiful sounds, contemplation and chaotic complexity. Please return safely to the ground when you're done with it. It might take you to places logic can't explain.

Staff pick by:
Endorsed by: Susan, Ag Fox, Promonex, Introspekrieg, !J.O.O.E.!