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1.
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Above Aurora - The Shrine Of Deterioration
A roaring polish BM, slow-paced and menacing |
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2.
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Acherontas - Psychic Death - The Shattering Of Perceptions
Occult BM less aleatory than their previous works, much more focused and acrimonious |
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3.
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Akhlys - Melinoë
It is difficult to picture something more evil, malevolent and occult than this |
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4.
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Ars Magna Umbrae - Apotheosis
Intricate labyrinths of black matter, masterfully managed |
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5.
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Blaze Of Perdition - The Harrowing Of Hearts
One of the brightest stars of Polish BM gives a gothic tinge to its music and shines |
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6.
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Death. Void. Terror. - To The Great Monolith II
Chaotic and otherworldly hymns for a lost planet |
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7.
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Fange - Pudeur
Nihilistic sludge with some acid flavour and industrial clangor |
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8.
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Icare - Khaos
Grinding rage that somewhere opens up to something different, some kind of melancholic desperation |
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9.
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Kall - Brand
Sounds like an indie rock group victim of its own despair |
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10.
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Kevel - Mutatis Mutandis
A surprise made of portentous, but still sophisticated post-sludge |
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11.
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Kły - Wyrzyny
Reminding the great Furia, an intelligent, calculated, marvellous BM never obvious in its twists and turns |
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12.
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Lares - Towards Nothingness
A precious blend of black, post and psychedelic metal, with great songwriting |
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13.
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Medico Peste - ב :The Black Bile
Ferocious black rock, a sort of alternative black metal that doesn't lose a bit of aggressiveness |
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14.
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M.S.W. - Obliviosus
Metal music is rarely so intense and intimate as this stuff is (and you forgot its imperfections) |
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15.
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Necropolitan - Thee Ignoble Radiance
Malicious, cacophonic lullabies for deranged parricides (from the evil guys of An Axis of Perdition) |
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16.
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Odraza - Rzeczom
Innovative and yet solid BM, with hallucinated folk and dark rock elements |
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17.
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Oranssi Pazuzu - Mestarin Kynsi
The masters of psychedelic BM go on with their triumphant experimentations |
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18.
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Ossaert - Bedehuis
One of many interesting works from the Dutch scene, with unpredictable melodic glimpses |
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19.
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Panzerfaust - The Suns Of Perdition - Chapter II: Render Unto Eden
The devastating force of death and black focused on a dreadful war chant |
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20.
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Primitive Man - Immersion
Nothing moves, everything just crushes you (and your ears) to the ground. Let's suffer! |
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21.
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Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Ascension
It hurts and screams and fights against the darkness, in a very intense post-sludge opus |
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22.
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Relic Point - Self Punishment
One of the heaviest albums of the year: prolonged grimness without hope |
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23.
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Serpent Column - Kathodos
A rushing hike into the darkest chaos, with some secret orientation upon even darker stars |
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24.
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Skáphe - Skáphe³
To sink into the abyss and get out victorious and bloodthirsty |
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25.
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Sweven - The Eternal Resonance
Progressive DM, extraordinarily rich and articulate in its texture |
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26.
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Temple Nightside - Pillars Of Damnation
A plumbeous nightmare, with no melody and no light |
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27.
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The Ocean - Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic / Cenozoic
Elaborate songwriting, great sound textures, punchy vocal lines. As always. |
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28.
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Ulcerate - Stare Into Death And Be Still
It was one of the most hyped album of the year and didn't disappoint. Pure metallic heaviness |
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29.
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Wake - Devouring Ruin
Controlled violence with a subtle progressive vein |
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30.
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Wayfarer - A Romance With Violence
Refined, polished BM, with that western aftertaste which is perfectly balanced with the heaviness |
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31.
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BEST SPLIT |
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32.
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Almyrkvi - Almyrkvi / The Ruins Of Beverast [Split]
Just the best split, with two amazing bands in great shape (waiating for 2021) |
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33.
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BEST EPs |
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34.
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Cosmovore - Into The Necrosphere
A dry, concese, brutal death metal master class |
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35.
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Omination - The Pale Horseman
Just one chant of occult ritual doom, immediatly catchy |
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36.
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Throane - Une Balle Dans Le Pied
Just one song but, man, what a song! This is BaN and DSO in a metallic coitus |
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37.
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HONOURABLE MENTIONS (Not in the top 30, but for some reason notable) |
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38.
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Napalm Death - Throes Of Joy In The Jaws Of Defeatism
They are old and still fighting, some dinosaurs can still be frightening |
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39.
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Sightless Pit - Grave Of A Dog
While trap-metal flares up, here you find some experimentation that is worth your patience |
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40.
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Neptunian Maximalism - Éons
Metal music can be many different things and be played in many different ways (and with many different instruments) (1) |
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41.
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Ottone Pesante - DoomooD
Metal music can be many different things and be played in many different ways (and with many different instruments) (2) |
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42.
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OLDER STUFF RELEASED OR RE-RELEASED IN 2020 |
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43.
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Psychonaut - Unfold The God Man |
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44.
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Chained To The Bottom Of The Ocean - The Vestige |
