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1.
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Chapel Of Disease - The Mysterious Ways Of Repetitive Art
Nice thrash and heavy metal sections that blends in seamlessly, which make the death metal parts shine. |
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2.
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Naïve - Altra
Progressive metal that's atmospheric with even a bit of trip hop thrown in |
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3.
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Kontinuum - Kyrr
Remember when Post-metal / Post-rock used to be exciting? This album brings it back in spades |
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4.
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Thy Catafalque - Sgùrr
On par with the previous two albums. |
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5.
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Enslaved - In Times
it's probably on every 2015 list on this site lol, but I can't just ignore nice music just because it's popular, can I? |
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6.
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Abyssal - Antikatastaseis
I'm hopping on the hype-wagon? Erm... not really. As I've been listening to these guys since their debut =P |
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7.
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Misþyrming - Söngvar Elds Og Óreiðu
Nothing too original, but the guitar tones are produced in a really sharp way that just works in favour of the music and atmosphere |
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8.
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A Forest Of Stars - Beware The Sword You Cannot See
This band is one of those rare gems who have been consistently good without being repetitive |
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9.
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Akhlys - The Dreaming I
Sort of put off checking this out because of all the hype. Let's just say... hype well deserved |
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10.
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Mourning Mist - Mourning Mist
The violin is not just a gimmick here, and it's nice to hear some doom that knows when to speed up. |
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11.
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Dekadent - Veritas
I have a suspicion that if Devin Townsend played black metal, it would sound a bit like this |
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12.
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Pyramids - A Northern Meadow
I don't even know where to begin... or end for the matter. At least when I try to describe their sound. And avantgarde mix of post rock, shoegaze, drone and certain aspects of Blut Aus Nordian 777-esque black metal (?) |
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13.
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Sunset In The 12th House - Mozaic
You knew it's gonna be good with all that talent from Dordeduh, and it turns out to be really good. Best in the genre had Kontinuum didn't release anything this year |
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14.
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Moon - Render Of The Veils
it's all fuzzy and warm, but also kinda desolate... no logic here, just good black metal |
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15.
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Enshine - Singularity
Jari... is quite the genius |
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16.
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Sirenia - The Seventh Life Path
Possibly the best Sirenia album since the addition of Ailyn |
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17.
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Pyramaze - Disciples Of The Sun
Jacob Hansen brought a bit of Anubis Gate to Pyramaze |
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18.
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Sunpocrisy - Eyegasm, Hallelujah!
So it turns out that the well-received Samaroid Dioramas is no fluke. In fact, everything has been turned up a notch |
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19.
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Pyriphlegethon - Night Of Consecration
Less black, less chaotic than most of Mores's stuff like Gnaw Their Tongues. Instead, it almost rolls and dips into southern territory. |
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20.
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Amorphis - Under The Red Cloud
Same old formula, but they don't get boring. In fact, this sounds particularly inspired. What's their secret?? |
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21.
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Ghost Bath - Moonlover
Juxtaposition of despair and serenity. It's been a while since depressive black metal sounded fresh. |
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22.
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Triste L'Hiver - Faire un geste
Finally, innovation in the blackgaze scene... in the form of New Wave synths! |
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23.
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Nightwish - Endless Forms Most Beautiful
Its presence here must have docked off all the imaginary kvlt points I've accumulated, but welcome back, Nightwish. |
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24.
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Parallel Minds - Headlong Disaster
non-whiny vocals, power cloaked in progressions and plenty of energy; finally a classy power metal album for 2015 |
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25.
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Whyzdom - Symphony For A Hopeless God
Vocals could be a little more polished, but the music in general is pretty heavy for this genre, and the melodies don't feel run-off-the-mill |
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26.
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Autokrator - Autokrator
Death metal that's not OSDM / Technical / Brutal / Progressive / Post? I'm in! A bit monotonous towards the end, but I want to listen to it again the next day |
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27.
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Waltari - You Are Waltari
Nothing exceptionally new from these guys, i.e. crazy seamless mix of genres that sounds fluid and natural |
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28.
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Angellore - La Litanie Des Cendres
Pretty album |
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29.
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Errorgeist - Agendas Elite
who wants some violence? |
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30.
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Callisto - Secret Youth
Plenty of clean vocals in a post metal album, but it works wonders without being cheesy. |
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31.
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Acid King - Middle Of Nowhere, Center Of Everywhere
Chilled and trippy sounding stoner doom with retro-sounding female vocals. Sounds familiar? Because other have been copying what these guys have been doing over 20 years! |
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32.
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Shattered Skies - The World We Used To Know
Nice non-extreme progressive metal album that's still heavy (where have all these types of albums gone, seriously??) with quite a lot of djent infused. The djent disrupts its flow sometimes, but mostly works in its favour |
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33.
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Karyn Crisis' Gospel Of The Witches - Salem's Wounds
Dunno who came up with the term "Occult Death Metal". While inaccurate on the "death" part, it's pretty effective marketing, and the haunting vocals work surprisingly well with the unconventional melodies |
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34.
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Sulphur Aeon - Gateway To The Antisphere
Like the tentacles of the Kraken, this albums is of great proportions and sprawls everywhere on a solid Black Death metal foundation |
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35.
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E-Force - Demonikhol
Eric Forrest <3 |
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36.
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Ouroboros - Emanations
Before, the band could churn out riff after riff. Now they've grown and managed to add some proper atmosphere without sacrificing the intensity |
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37.
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Barren Earth - On Lonely Towers
Barren Earth has finally come to their own in terms of identity and sound. Rather than just be an average super-group doing things that they've done before under a new shiny name, this really manage to shine through individually for its musical value rather than just the names of the artists |
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38.
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Byzantine - To Release Is To Resolve
Perhaps it's my low expectations? But this is some well written non-retro thrash |
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39.
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Disturbed - Immortalized
Guilty pleasure? Nostalgia? Or is it actually good? It doesn't matter because I love what I'm hearing |
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40.
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Tome Of The Unreplenished - Innerstanding
Artwork by Brian Smith, the music can't be bad, can it? |
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41.
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Violet Cold - Desperate Dreams
when it's euphoric and dreamy, you know it's blackgaze done right |
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42.
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Tau Cross - Tau Cross
What a sleeper of an album. It just didn't click at all initially, so maybe some time is needed for this to sink it |
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43.
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Church - Unanswered Hymns
3 track Sludge Doom album with female vocals, the shortest one being over 11 minutes long, but they manage to be get me hooked throughout. Perfect for late evening wind-downs |
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44.
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Third Ion - 13/8 Bit
Technical and soothing at the same time, a rare combination for sure |
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45.
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Minority Sound - Drowner's Dance
Talk about under the radar releases... |
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46.
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Sorcerer - In The Shadow Of The Inverted Cross
Candlemass fans can rejoice |
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47.
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Desecresy - Stoic Death
Slightly doomy mid-paced death metal. Nothing too taxing |
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48.
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Trna - Pattern Of Infinity
Instrumental Black Metalgaze, and never did I feel like vocals are missing during playtime. What's their secret? |
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49.
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Phantom Winter - Cvlt
features two members of the now defunct Omega Massif |
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50.
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Tribulation - The Children Of The Night
Seems to get better with each listen. It's position may climb further up |
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51.
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Children Of Bodom - I Worship Chaos
Was it once considered cool to dismiss CoB? They seem to have rediscovered some of their old magic here |
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52.
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Avatarium - The Girl With The Raven Mask
the tracks may be inconsistent in terms of quality, but when they get it rolling, they're money |
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53.
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Ghost Ship Octavius - Ghost Ship Octavius
New sonic revelations with each repeated listen - signs of a quality progressive album |
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54.
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Psychonaut 4 - Dipsomania
Depressive BM from Georgia. |
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55.
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Trial - Vessel
Retro-esque heavy metal without sounding tired |
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56.
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Mechina - Acheron
Pretty much same old Mechina, but I'm not complaining |
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57.
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Arena - The Unquiet Sky
No stylistic changes as expected, but it's not like it's a bad thing, especially when they do Neo Progressive Rock so well |
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58.
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Leah - Kings & Queens
A damn fine album of symphonic metal. No screaming about uses of real orchestras and choirs or how many layers of sound they've got. It's just good accessible melodic metal that doesn't feel forced |
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59.
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Outre - Ghost Chants
Not original, but it's hard to do that anyway. Either way, it's an engaging ride, and the short length works in its favour |
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60.
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Midnight Odyssey - Shards Of Silver Fade
even it's a two hour album, it doesn't drag; music that works well in the background and the foreground |
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61.
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Monolithe - Epsilon Aurigae
seems to have been forgotten by many... I just don't see why |
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62.
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The Man-Eating Tree - In The Absence Of Light
Mood |
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63.
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6:33 - Deadly Scenes
It's like Unexpected with... KY Jelly |
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64.
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Royal Thunder - Crooked Doors
If you've never heard of them, be sure to hop on the bandwagon even if it's not really metal. A slight dip from the debut, but still a must for 2015 |
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65.
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Path Of Might - Path Of Might
Hard to find some stoner that has character as the genre is increasingly watered down, but this one delivers |
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66.
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Exgenesis - Aphotic Veil
Nice death doom EP brought to you by Jari of Atoma and Enshine :D |
