1.
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Disentomb - Misery - Far and away the best album of the year. This rivals Katalepsy's Autopsychosis for the most brutal, devastating riffage in the genre. It's creative, precise, and strongly fulfills the atmosphere set by the album cover. I feel like I'm wading in hell among throngs of tormenting entities as I'm pummeled relentlessly by elite riff sections, massive gutturals, and near-perfect production. The choices of chords often take the music to another level. It doesn't get much better than this. |
2.
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Infecting The Swarm - Pathogenesis - Probably not for everyone, but the intense and slicing guitar sections are simply amazing in the most subtle of ways. Not overly dynamic or inventive but hits the sweet spot in futuristic atmosphere meets massively ripping guitars. Vocals are good and songs are catchy and memorable. Only downside are the programmed drums, which normally would cause me to chuck this off the list but not in this case. It all blends seamlessly. Masterful work, at times, and I can't wait to hear what's next from this band. |
3.
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Cerebral Effusion - Idolatry Of The Unethical - Chunking, ripping, crushing smashing, pounding brutal death. You can feel the sickness. The overall sound is amazing. |
4.
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Septical Gorge - Scourge Of The Formless Breed - Inventive guitars, awesome technical musicianship and dynamism. Awesome production and elaborate song structures. |
5.
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Omnihility - Deathscapes Of The Subconsious - Some of the most interesting and intense guitars pervade this album but there will be no wankery here - it's all in blindingly fast, mind-numbing riffs. Very cool songs and ideas and this band has a tremendously high ceiling. Not much out there like this. Guitarist is known for his 'gravity-picking' technique, which allows many of the songs to break BPM sound-barriers. |
6.
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Epicardiectomy - Putreseminal Morphodysplastic Virulency - Straight-forward slamming slam-fest. I could do without all the samples but the music is truly sick. |
7.
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Ezophagothomia - Oratory From Burning Coffins [EP] - Amazing BDM. |
8.
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Abysmal Dawn - Obsolescence - Ups and downs on the album, but there is enough outstanding death metal material here I keep returning to it over and over. Particularly, Laborem Morte Liberat Te, Loathed In Life - Praised In Death, Devouring the Essence of God are absolutely top-tier work. Amazing songwriting, tone, musicianship. Took awhile to sink in for me but those tracks are stunning. |
9.
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Soreption - Engineering The Void - Short of something like Spawn Of Possession, the guitar work on this album is technically stunning. Just a maze of changes, diverse and super-technical riffs and insane arrangements they put it all together on this one, though it can be overwhelming at times due to its complexity (similar to how I feel about Spawn Of Possession's latest). |
10.
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Pathological Abomination - Insentient - Slamming goodness. They nail it. |
11.
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Gorgasm - Destined To Violate - Interesting and well-played brutal death. |
12.
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Sinister - The Post-Apocalyptic Servant - Death metal in some of the purest form this album is even better than The Carnage Ending. |
13.
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Dead Congregation: Promulgation Of The Fall - I'd put it higher but it's a bit muddled and takes some work to listen to. I really enjoy it and it's extremely well put together. Would be higher if I wasn't so much into more brutal forms of death metal. |
14.
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Puteraeon - The Crawling Chaos - Not quite the masterpiece that Cult Cthulhu was but a bit chunkier and refined. I miss the pure, raw HM-2 sound, though. |
15.
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Back Door To Asylum - Cerberus Millenia - Excellent Russian brutal death. Guitar tone, rich production, and interesting songs make for a great listen I keep coming back to. |
16.
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Acrania - Totalitarian Dystopia - Top-flight production, crushing riffs, and brilliant drum sections allow me to enjoy one of the very few bands with -core influence. |
17.
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Intended Execution - Abyss Of Humanity [EP] - Disgusting guitar tone, massive slams, and killer breakdown-styled mosh parts. A poor-mans Katalepsy in many ways. Same mid-paced head-trauma. |
18.
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Others worth mentioning: Desecravity - Orphic Signs, Cannibal Corpse - A Skeletal Domain, Artificial Brain - Labyrinth Constellation, Coprocephalic - The Oath Of Relinquishment, Decaying Purity - Malignant Resurrection Of The Fallen Souls, Abysmal Torment - Cultivate The Apostate, Hideous Divinity - Cobra Verde |