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1.
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Vulture Industries - The Tower
(9) Avantgarde/Progressive: This peculiar enterprise specialises in an approachable avantgarde metal made specifically for your inner eccentric. Indulge in instrumentally unique and vocally engaging curiosities. |
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2.
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The Moth Gatherer - A Bright Celestial Light
(9) Post/Sludge: A debut designed to stagger with powerful melodies which defy genre classification. The great mix of sludge, post and avantgarde metal absolutely blew me away and makes for a streamlined listen; everything flows effectively and the experimentation with contrasting cacophonous and tranquil sounds makes it a must hear. |
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3.
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Walrus - Walrus
[EP] (9) Progressive/Kraut Rock: With the cover looking like something Blue Oyster Cult would use I was naturally drawn into this one. I've since been frozen solid by this Swedish twist on the German prog rock sound. Icy fresh psychadelia. |
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4.
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Clutch - Earth Rocker
(9) Hard Rock: It's not often that an album so completely blasts it's way through all my reservations. This is so thoroughly addictive and a well captured energy is at Clutch's disposal in a very consistent set of hard rock greats. |
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5.
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Oranssi Pazuzu - Valonielu
(9) Psychedelic Black/Avantgarde: Third times the charm and Oranssi Pazuzu have found themselves a core solidarity removed from their black metal origins. Without this dependency the album is less of a collation of bizarro black and more of a rhythmically focused and avantgarde rock driven voyage into space. |
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6.
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Leprous - Coal
(9) Progressive/Avantgarde: Rhythmically playful and energized this is no rough cut piece of coal, it's refined and polished and represents a new venture for a very creative band. |
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7.
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Fughu - Human: The Facts
(9) Progressive Rock/Metal: You know you have an interesting album when a guest performance from vocalist Damien Wilson doesn't become the album's most notable feature. This distinctive set of songs features an incredibly varied performance from Santiago Bürgi with his accented rendition of Fish-like lyrical turns and Patton-like eclecticism with an operatic strength. Appropriately the music is thick with a synthy prog atmosphere on a symphonic stage. It works on an excellently blurred line between progressive metal and progressive rock. |
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8.
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Kongh - Sole Creation
(9) Sludge/Doom: Under a heavy moon emanating a progressive lunar light a heavy and doomed sludge awakes to make it's presence felt. With a beating. Prepare to be savaged. |
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9.
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Haken - The Mountain
(8.5) Progressive: |
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10.
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Kingcrow - In Crescendo
(8.5) Progressive: Much like the lyre bird Kingcrow are adept at mimicry of distinctive sounds. Pain Of Salvation remains a major influence in their sound but less so in terms of compositional style for this album. An alluring collection of some of the easiest listening available from progressive metal, thanks to an unparalleled aptitude for songwriting. |
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11.
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The Ocean - Pelagial
(8.5) Post/Sludge: You can literally feel the pressures change within this incredibly focused record as you sink deeper and deeper into its depths. |
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12.
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In Solitude - Sister
(8.5) Heavy: Don't get too carried away with the sudden change in style as this is the same band in a new gothic guise. Firmly rooted in heavy metal traditions Sister channels a dark heritage from the genre's most sinister crevices. |
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13.
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Progenie Terrestre Pura - U.M.A.
(8.5) Progressive Black: Each song is it's own rendition of the same world, a world far distant and removed from our own by time and space. A tricky one to categorise as it is a dazzling array of a progressive atmospheric black and industrialized effects which slowly evolve from a primordial ambience. It's certainly progressive in the sense that it extends black metal into unfrequented atmospheric centres by way of a style of songwriting compliant with the atmospheric black genre but with so much more built in to render such a style anew. |
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14.
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Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)
(8.5) Progressive Rock: An album organised neatly into six tales which alternate from longer and thoroughly progressive tracks (1,3,5) to those captivating easy listeners (2,4,6). All of it oozes charm and character in a more accomplished way than Wilson's previous solo efforts. |
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15.
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New Keepers Of The Water Towers - The Cosmic Child
(8.5) Stoner/Progressive: Taking a progressive approach to stoner metal this band creates lengthy and compelling songs with purposeful rhythm and the guitar works in melodies which easily keep me revisiting. |
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16.
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Castevet - Obsian
(8.5) Progressive Blackened Post-Hardcore: |
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17.
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Enshine - Origin
(8.5) Atmospheric/Melodic Doom: The promise of something along the lines of Slumber had me in high anticipation of this record. I find it closer to the sound of Atoma than Slumber as it is quite light on the doom aspect, bearing a gothic tinge, and is largely another atmospherically focused effort. Its melodies are constructed in metal rather than Atoma's post-rock association. |
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18.
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In Vain - Ænigma
(8.5) Progressive Melodic Death: Enigmatically creative as it capably combines a melodic black and death in a progressive and original fashion. |
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19.
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Cult Of Luna - Vertikal
(8.5) Atmospheric Sludge/Post: Sometimes I find that "atmospheric sludge" is a bit of misconception so I consider its usage somewhat sceptically as it largely used synonymously with any kind of post-metal with strong sludge elements. That is not the case here, as this is both a sludge and a particularly atmospheric recording from one of post-metal's finest. |
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20.
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Obscure Sphinx - Void Mother
(8.5) Post/Sludge |
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21.
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Ihsahn - Das Seelenbrechen
(8.5) Avantgarde |
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22.
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Satan - Life Sentence
(8.5) Heavy: Evidently reclaiming an old sound is a simple process with the aid of decades of experience. This particular sound hasn't been revisited for some time yet there is just as much quality heavy metal here as in their debut from '83. |
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23.
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Armory - Empyrean Realms
(8.5) Power |
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24.
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The Vision Bleak - Witching Hour
(8.5) Heavy/Gothic |
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25.
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Procession - To Reap Heavens Apart
(8.5) Doom: Doom metal tried and true. The Procession may move in a traditional and expected direction but they do so with obvious conviction and a uniquely charismatic vocalist. |
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26.
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Terra Tenebrosa - The Purging
(8.5) Avantgarde: Having left behind the confines of the tunnels which were sure to ostracize the claustrophobic in you the open plains of this new record are challenging to traverse yet something to behold. |
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27.
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Obsidian Tongue - A Nest Of Ravens In The Throat Of Time
(8.5) Melodic Black: Absolutely stunning melodies of a long sweeping black metal with varied pacing. Things get hectic then slow down for an atmospheric approach. Rarely does it fail to grip and when things seem to slip it works in some psychedelic or folky touches to consistently diversify their sound. |
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28.
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Scale The Summit - The Migration
(8.5) Instrumental/Progressive: It can be difficult working in a progressive habitat without a guiding voice. This band proves once again that they don't fall short of crafting truly natural and memorable songs. Vibrant and fascinating. |
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29.
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Witherscape - The Inheritance
(8.5) Progressive Death: As you would expect Swano makes his mark on progressive metal with another extension of his death metal fed style, moving things under a gothic shade. |
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30.
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Nocte Obducta - Umbriel (Das Schweigen Zwischen Den Sternen)
(8.5) Avantgarde Black: Surprisingly soothing as it fixates on unusual atmospheres within most tracks. You get more the obvious instances where it retains the cold recesses of black metal but for the most part it is one really absorbing listen. Can feel a little stretched at points. |
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31.
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Amorphis - Circle
(8.5) Melodic/Heavy: The clear focus on this album makes repeated visits rewarding. There is less here to uncover than on previous albums, owing in part to the shorter playing time as well as the less inclusive approach to songwriting yet the stunning conviction speaks for itself. Well balanced. |
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32.
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Argus - Beyond The Martyrs
(8.5) Heavy/Doom |
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33.
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Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire
(8.5) Sludge/Stoner |
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34.
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Tribulation - The Formulas Of Death
(8.5) Death/Black: You know that label "Death 'n' Roll"? I'd apply it to the general melodic style of this only it doesn't just borrow its elements from a good old fashioned bout of rock 'n' roll but works in an abundance of psychedelic components. Some of these are applied to a diverse mix of death and black metal driven tracks. It's "Psychedelic 'n' Black 'n' Death 'n' Roll 'n' stuff" |
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35.
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Blindead - Absence
(8.5) Alternative |
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36.
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Ayreon - The Theory Of Everything
(8.5) Progressive |
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37.
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Caligula's Horse - The Tide, The Thief & River's End
(8.5) Progressive/Alternative |
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38.
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Fughu - Human: Tales
(8.5) Progressive Rock/Metal: Of the two albums this one is the more cohesive and substantial yet less varied. More time is put into each track to acclimatise listeners and the album as a whole is not quite as vocally centred as Human: The Facts. |
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39.
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October Tide - Tunnel Of No Light
(8.5) Melodic Death/Doom: Conjuring images of hallowed halls and light devoid passages this is another excellent offering from this Katatonian rebirth. |
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40.
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The Flaming Lips - The Terror
(8.5) Electronic/Psychedelic: Somehow this album radiates a cold feeling yet, at the same time, it sounds so warm and affectionate. What does that mean? I dunno, listen for yourself. |
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41.
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Riverside - Shrine Of New Generation Slaves
(8.5) Progressive Rock/Metal: Having undertaken a refurbishment of their sound this band demonstrate once again how to make a richly atmospheric progressive rock relevant to modern metal. |
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42.
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Rosetta - The Anaesthete
(8.5) Post/Sludge |
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43.
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Russian Circles - Memorial
(8) Post |
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44.
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Extol - Extol
(8) Progressive |
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45.
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Ulver - Messe I.X-VI.X
(8) Ambient |
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46.
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Sky Architect - A Billion Years Of Solitude
(8) Heavy Prog |
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47.
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Darkestrah - Manas
(8) Pagan Black |
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48.
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Dreadnought - Lifewoven
(8) Progressive/Post Rock |
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49.
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Lunarsea - Hundred Light Years
(8) Melodic Death |
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50.
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The Black Heart Rebellion - Har Nevo
(8) Post |
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51.
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Blood Ceremony - The Eldritch Dark
(8) Heavy/Psychedelic Rock |
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52.
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Stratovarius - Nemesis
(8) Power |
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53.
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Hammerforce - Access Denied
(8) Progressive Power |
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54.
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The Prophecy - Salvation
(8) Death/Doom |
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55.
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Àrsaidh - Roots
(8) Celtic Folk/Atmospheric Black |
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56.
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Kylesa - Ultraviolet
(8) Psychedelic Sludge |
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57.
|
Tad Morose - Revenant
(8) US Power |
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58.
|
Fright Pig - Out Of The Barnyard
(8) Progressive |
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59.
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Evoke Thy Lords - Drunken Tales
(8) Stoner Doom |
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60.
|
Angizia - Des Winters Finsterer Gesell
(8) Gothic/Avantgarde: This album has a very chilly gothic atmosphere embedded in avantgarde structure. Metal elements are sparse with the use of instrumentation such as the cello or accordion fulfilling as much of a role. Many tracks have great rythymn with the piano and vocals in particular being emphasised within the mix, forming an intimate if unsettling presence which follows you throughout the album to it's bitter trudging end. |
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61.
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DGM - Momentum
(8) Progressive/Power |
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62.
|
Thyrfing - De Ödeslösa
(8) Viking/Black |
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63.
|
Képzelt Város - Anatolij
(8) Post Rock |
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64.
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Age Of Taurus - Desperate Souls Of Tortured Times
(8) Doom |
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65.
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SubRosa - More Constant Than The Gods
(8) Psychedelic Sludge |
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66.
|
Intronaut - Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)
(8) Progressive |
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67.
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Omb - SwineSong
(8) Avantgarde |
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68.
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Orphaned Land - All Is One
(8) Progressive Folk |
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69.
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Monster Magnet - Last Patrol
(8) Stoner |
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70.
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Almah - Unfold
(8) Heavy/Power |
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71.
|
Hateform - Sanctuary In Abyss
(8) Melodic Death/Thrash |
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72.
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Blood Bright Star - Solar Infinite
(8) Psychedelic/Drone: A Horseback derivative if I've ever heard one, but a good one. Subjugating in its repetition in the best way possible and broken up by warped spoken interludes. |
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73.
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Keldian - Outbound
(8) Power |
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74.
|
Clagg - Gather Your Beasts
(8) Sludge |
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75.
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Omnium Gatherum - Beyond
(8) Melodic Death |
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76.
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Warlord - The Holy Empire
(8) Heavy |
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77.
|
Ghost B.C. - Infestissumam
(8) Heavy |
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78.
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Medda - Oceanus
(8) Instrumental/Melodic/Progressive |
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79.
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Grayceon - Pearl And The End Of Days
[EP] (8) Progressive |
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80.
|
Aosoth - IV: An Arrow In Heart
(8) Black: Other than the artwork there is something about this wall of black metal that makes me pay attention. Black metal of the more traditional sort is rarely something that I feel like listening to in preference to other genres. Yet in this case there is something of a melodic structure which reaches through at times. It occurs often enough to pull things together for me in this album with a thick and almost deathlike aesthetic. Pure evil. |
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81.
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Stonehenge - Bunch Of Bisons
(8) Heavy Psychedelic Rock: The sound of Potsdam's Stonehenge is psychedelic/stoner rock with a prog flavour. I love this mostly instrumental album for its healthy appetite for memorable riffs and organ key fixation. Fairly longwinded but I don't mind. |
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82.
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Regarde Les Hommes Tomber - Regarde Les Hommes Tomber
(8) Sludge/Black |
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83.
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Crown - Psychurgy
(8) Sludge/Post |
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84.
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Serenity - War Of Ages
(8) Symphonic Power |
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85.
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The Ox - Obsidian
(7.5) Progressive Death |
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86.
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Evile - Skull
(7.5) Thrash |
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87.
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Combat Astronomy - Kundalini Apocalypse
(7.5) Djent/Industrial |
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88.
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The Cosmic Dead - Orbiting Salvation
(7.5) Ambient/Drone |
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89.
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Long Distance Calling - The Flood Inside
(7.5) Post Rock |
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90.
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Attacker - Giants Of Canaan
(7.5) US Power |
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91.
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Dead Shape Figure - Opus Victoria
(7.5) Thrash/Melodic |
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92.
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Lalu - Atomic Ark
(7.5) Progressive |
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93.
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Månegarm - Legions Of The North
(7.5) Viking/Black |
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94.
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The Flight Of Sleipnir - Saga
(7.5) Folk/Stoner/Doom |
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95.
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Anciients - Heart Of Oak
(7.5) Stoner/Progressive |
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96.
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Acolyte - Alta
(7.5) Progressive Black: Acolyte are devotees of a straightforward melodic black metal with progressive persuasions. Despite effective riffing, Alta operates along a single dimensional and would be tiresome if not for the cogency of its melodies. |
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97.
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Mourning Beloveth - Formless
(7.5) Death/Doom |
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98.
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Amplifier - Echo Street
(7.5) Progressive Rock |
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99.
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Týr - Valkyrja
(7.5) Melodic |
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100.
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Trials - In The Shadow Of Swords
(7.5) Thrash |
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101.
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October Falls - The Plague Of A Coming Age
(7.5) Folk/Black |
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102.
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Consciousness Removal Project - Tacit
(7.5) Post |
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103.
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Nightfall - Cassiopeia
(7.5) Melodic Death |
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104.
|
Avantasia - The Mystery Of Time
(7.5) Heavy/Symphonic Power: A bit more of a rock opera feel this time around brought to the table (or clockface) by the excellent yet less diverse vocal lineup and memorable guitar work. Something comparatively different to previous records with an operatic tendency closer to the original two part Metal Opera. A nice change. |
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105.
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Athelstan - The Ride
(7.5) Pagan/Folk |
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106.
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Void Of Sleep - Tales Between Reality And Madness
(7.5) Stoner |
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107.
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Helloween - Straight Out Of Hell
(7.5) Power |
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108.
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Persefone - Spiritual Migration
(7.5) Progressive |
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109.
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Autumnblaze - Every Sun Is Fragile
(7.5) Gothic |
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110.
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Feared - Furor Incarnatus
(7.5) Progressive/Melodic Death |
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111.
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Summoning - Old Mornings Dawn
(7.5) Atmospheric Black |
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112.
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Fjoergyn - Monument Ende
(7.5) Symphonic Black |
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113.
|
Entropia - Vesper
(7.5) Post/Blackgaze: One of those albums which takes up the shoegazing thing in a post metal context. It is by no means light and airy in sound as the post metal elements grant it a core solidarity and the interplay with atmospheric black passages gives it much substance. The elements which bring about the reference to shoegaze are tastefully used and not overtly shoved in front of you. |
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114.
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Hacride - Back To Where You've Never Been
(7.5) Progressive |
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115.
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Officium Triste - Mors Viri
(7.5) Death/Doom |
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116.
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Abstract Spirit - Theomorphic Defectiveness
(7.5) Funeral Doom |
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117.
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Kvelertak - Meir
(7.5) Punk/Black |
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118.
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Pelican - Forever Becoming
(7.5) Instrumental/Post |
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119.
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Adora Vivos - Toward The Empyrean
(7.5) [EP] Gothic Doom: A promising EP which features three sets of lungs, each of the guitarists and bassist lending some vocal work. Collectively their voice is quite strong, and the instrumentation isn't too far behind. They refer to their sound as "progressive doom" but I prefer to think of it as diverse mix of doom styles with a penchant for melody. |
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120.
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Funeral Speech - Experimental World
(7.5) Progressive Death |
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121.
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The Albion Codex - Summon The Ancients
(7.5) Progressive/Doom |
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122.
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God Is An Astronaut - Origins
(7.5) Post Rock |
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123.
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Cold Insight - Further Nowhere
(7.5) Instrumental/Melodic Doom |
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124.
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Sons Of Aeon - Sons Of Aeon
(7.5) Melodic Death |
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125.
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Steak Number Eight - The Hutch
(7.5) Post/Sludge |
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126.
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Shade Empire - Omega Arcane
(7.5) Symphonic Black |
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127.
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Funeral Circle - Funeral Circle
(7.5) Epic Doom |
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128.
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Hypocrisy - End Of Disclosure
(7.5) Melodic Death |
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129.
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Universe217 - Never
(7.5) Experimental Doom |
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130.
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Olde Growth - Owl
(7.5) [EP] Stoner/Sludge/Doom |
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131.
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Eschatos - Hierophanies
(7.5) Progressive Black |
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132.
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Dormant Ordeal - It Rains, It Pours
(7.5) Death |
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133.
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Sadgiqacea - False Prism
(7.5) Psychedelic Sludge |
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134.
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Tomahawk - Oddfellows
(7) Alternative |
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135.
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Amon Amarth - Deceiver Of The Gods
(7) Melodic Death |
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136.
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Enforcer - Death By Fire
(7) Heavy |
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137.
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Abysmal Grief - Feretri
(7) Gothic Doom |
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138.
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Gloryhammer - Tales From The Kingdom Of Fife
(7) Power |
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139.
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Chthonic - Bú-Tik
(7) Melodic Death |
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140.
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Sacred Steel - The Bloodshed Summoning
(7) US Power |
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141.
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Dyscordia - Twin Symbiosis
(7) Melodic/Progressive |
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142.
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Starving Daughters - We Were Eggs
(7) Psychedelic Rock |
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143.
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Semantic Saturation - Solipsistic
Instrumental/Progressive |
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144.
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Volbeat - Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies
(7) Heavy |
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145.
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Moth - Endlessly In Motion
(7) Progressive Death |
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146.
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Pomegranate Tiger - Entities
(7) Instrumental/Progressive |
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147.
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Jex Thoth - Blood Moon Rise
(7) Psychedelic Rock/Doom |
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148.
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Dunbarrow - The Crows Ain't Far Behind
(7) [EP] Blues Rock/Heavy |
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149.
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Magic Circle - Magic Circle
(7) Doom/NWOBHM |
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150.
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Havok - Unnatural Selection
(7) Thrash |
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151.
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Caladan Brood - Echoes Of Battle
(7) Atmospheric/Epic Black |
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152.
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Necrowretch - Putrid Death Sorcery
(7) Death |
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153.
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Dreamtale - World Changed Forever
(7) Power |
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154.
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Light Bearer - Silver Tongue
(7) Post |
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155.
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Spock's Beard - Brief Nocturnes And Dreamless Sleep
(7) Progressive Rock |
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156.
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Sodom - Epitome Of Torture
(7) Thrash |
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157.
|
Deus Ex - Corrosive Genesis
(7) Industrial: One guy from the US playing some industrial metal which is melded with black and thrash at various points. He knows how to work in the atmospheric effects very well. |
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158.
|
Wolfchant - Embraced By Fire
(7) Melodic Death/Folk |
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159.
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Eldkraft - Shaman
(7) Pagan/Folk |
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160.
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Red Rebel Patriots - Dominion
(7) [EP] Progressive/Technical |
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161.
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Æther Realm - One Chosen By The Gods
(7) Melodic Death/Folk |
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162.
|
Cosmoskelet - Retreat
(7) [EP] Alternative/Progressive |
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163.
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Agrypnie - Aetas Cineris
(7) Melodic Black |
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164.
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Amber - Lovesaken
(7) Post |
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165.
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Essence - Last Night Of Solace
(7) Thrash |
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166.
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Lodz - Something In Us Died
(7) Post/Hardcore |
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167.
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Usnea - Usnea
(7) Doom/Sludge |
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168.
|
The Fall Of Every Season - Amends
(7) Doom |
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169.
|
Andy Winter - Incomprehensible
(7) Avantgarde: The thing about this album is that the instrumentation is not of the captivating sort and seems like it's there merely to serve as somewhere to frame the broad range of vocal talent. Not to mention the lack of flow between tracks, though each are identifiable as each presents a new voice. I had hoped for more from Andy. |
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170.
|
The Amenta - Flesh Is Heir
(7) Industrial Death |
I'm optimistic 2014 might be a little bit better; I have a love affair with Headspace's debut and Dissona's debut, so I'm highly anticipating those albums. Maybe To-Mera might release a new album as well...who knows? To be honest, though, I've been finding my tastes shifting to sludge and post more and more nowadays; I find those genres pretty consistent year to year (at least as far as I can remember as a metal fan).
