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1.
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Qualeaceans - Capture Of Ziz
[9.8] Experimental death metal with a little bit of kraut midway for taste. Thanks to mz for bringing this album to my attention! |
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2.
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Amogh Symphony - Vectorscan
[9.7] Easily the best avant-garde metal I have heard since uneXpect's Fables of the Sleepless Empire in 2011. This is an absolutely stunning piece of avant-garde jazz fusion metal, remarkable simply because it remains cohesive without skimping out on experimentation/technical guitar work (an enormous challenge that very few of their contemporaries have overcome). This stands light years away from The Quantum Hack Code, and if you didn't already know the name, you wouldn't suspect Vishal made both of these records. A definite album of the year candidate, and my personal favourite Amogh Symphony album. |
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3.
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Schammasch - Contradiction
[9.3] An extreme metal tour de force, with some creepy nuances and an astonishing vocal performance all around. This album is actually better than Emptiness's Nothing But the Whole, mainly because it injects some much needed personality to make the album cross the other side. |
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4.
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Kayo Dot - Coffins On Io
[9.3] Prog with avant-garde tendencies- probably the closest thing we'll get to the progressive rock album of the year. Toby Driver's impressive vocal performance conjures memories of Peter Gabriel's Genesis days, but his ability to finely control his falsetto is the real icing on the cake. Add the "Future Noir" Blade Runner styled atmosphere, and you've got a winner all around. Fantastic. |
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5.
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Stoic Dissention - Autochthon
[9.3] Dissonant black/doom |
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6.
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Gazpacho - Demon
[9.3] Progressive rock |
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7.
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Los Random - Pidanoma
[9.3] Progressive metal/avant-garde |
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8.
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Taurus - No/Thing
[9.0] Alternative/avant-garde |
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9.
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Zaum - Oracles
[9.0] Middle-Eastern styled doom from Moncton, NB |
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10.
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Space Witch - Space Witch
[9.0] Instrumental psychadelic sludge metal |
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11.
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Persisting Absolution - MMXIV
[8.9] A really exciting technical thrash/death metal band that's producing some of the best local music I've heard in a long time. This demo is absolutely enormous. This is fun and technical, like a thrashier version of Gorod without the jazz-based additions. Be sure to check out Barra Xul as well. http://persistingabsolution.bandcamp.com/album/mmxiv |
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12.
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Ride for Revenge - Enter the Gauntlet
[8.9] Death metal |
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13.
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Execration - Morbid Dimensions
[8.9] Experimental death metal |
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14.
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Vanhelgd - Relics Of Sulphur Salvation
[8.9] Death metal |
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15.
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Impetuous Ritual - Unholy Congregation Of Hypocritical Ambivalence
[8.8] Death metal |
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16.
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Benighted - Carnivore Sublime
[8.8] Brutal death metal |
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17.
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Trepalium - Voodoo Moonshine
[8.8] Jazz/groovy death metal |
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18.
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Plebeian Grandstand - Lowgazers
[8.8] Dissonant black metal with hardcore touches |
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19.
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Omnerod - Ivory Dune
[8.8] Avant-garde djent |
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20.
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Major Parkinson - Twilight Cinema
[8.8] Progressive rock |
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21.
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Crib45 - Marching Through The Borderlines
[8.7] Post metal/sludge metal |
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22.
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Nasheim - Solens Vemod
[8.7] Atmospheric black metal |
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23.
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Nero Di Marte - Derivae
[8.7] Ulcerate-styled progressive melodeath |
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24.
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Alkerdeel - Dyodyo Asema [Collaboration]
[8.7] Sludge metal |
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25.
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Rude - Soul Recall
[8.5] Traditional death metal |
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26.
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Wo Fat - The Conjuring
[8.5] Stoner/doom metal |
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27.
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Gloomy Sunday - Introduction to the Apocalypse
[8.5] Hardcore |
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28.
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Rosetta - Flies To Flame
[8.5] |
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29.
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Moanaa - Descent
[8.5] |
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30.
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King Bong - Pinng- Or The Underwater Adventures of a Young Cthlulu
[8.4] Psychadelic/stoner metal |
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31.
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Amniac - Infinite
[8.4] Post-sludge metal |
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32.
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Pallbearer - Foundations Of Burden
[8.4] Traditional doom metal |
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33.
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Smallman - Envision
[8.4] Alternative metal |
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34.
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Thessa - Exile
[8.3] Instrumental djent/progressive |
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35.
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Serdce - Timelessness
[8.3] Progressive metal/technical metal |
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36.
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White Suns - Totem
[8.3] |
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37.
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Lethe - When Dreams Become Nightmares
[8.3] |
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38.
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Eden Circus - Marula
[8.3] Post-metal/alternative metal for fans of Karnivool and Soundgarden |
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39.
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Hark - Crystalline
[8.3] Stoner doom/sludge rock |
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40.
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The Helix Nebula - Meridian [EP]
[8.3] Djent instrumental |
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41.
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7 for 4 - Splash
[8.3] Progressive jazz fusion with a bit of funk, featuring a former member of Sieges Even. |
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42.
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AsZension - Biosphere
[8.3] Progressive metal/fusion |
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43.
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Fallujah - The Flesh Prevails
[8.3] Melodic death metal |
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44.
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Soen - Tellurian
[8.3] Alternative metal |
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45.
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Lazuli - Tant Que L'herbe Est Grasse
[8.3] Progressive rock |
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46.
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Dirge - Hyperion
[8.3] Post metal/sludge metal |
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47.
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Shattered Hope - Waters Of Lethe
[8.3] Doom |
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48.
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Mammoth Storm - Rite of Ascension [EP]
[8.3] |
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49.
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As We Draw - Mirages
[8.3] Hardcore post-metal |
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50.
|
Rishloo - Living As Ghosts With Buildings As Teeth
[8.2] The renuited band has released a stunning comeback that paves a new pathway between Eidolon and Feathergun, on the one hand, while straying into even more unique territory. The most unpredictable record in their discography- there are some really unsettling moments and also some tantalizing psychadelic noodlings, along with some downright stunning vocal performances by Drew. Will not disappoint. |
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51.
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Deumuseth - Deumuseth
[8.2] |
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52.
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The Bellerophon Project - Mental Abscess [EP]
[8.2] |
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53.
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Limb - Limb
[8.2] Stoner metal |
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54.
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Nibiru - Netrayoni
[8.1] |
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55.
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Emptiness - Nothing But The Whole
[8.1] Black/death metal |
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56.
|
Noneuclid - Metatheosis
[8.1] |
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57.
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Lurk - Kaldera
[8.1] Sludge metal |
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58.
|
Darkspace - Dark Space III I
[8.1] Ambient black |
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59.
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Memories Of A Dead Man - Ashes Of Joy
[8.0] Alternative metal |
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60.
|
Conquering Dystopia - Conquering Dystopia
[8.0] Technical/instrumental progressive metal |
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61.
|
Perturbator - Dangerous Days
[8.0] Horror-themed electronic; thanks to Fat & Sassy! |
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62.
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Atlas Machine - Elysium
[8.0] Ambient |
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63.
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Mindplotter - Depths
[7.9] Djent |
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64.
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Giant Squid - Minoans
[7.9] Post metal |
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65.
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Perfect Beings - Perfect_Beings
[7.9] Progressive rock |
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66.
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Cynic - Kindly Bent To Free Us
[7.8] Progressive metal/fusion |
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67.
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Devius - The Absents Presence
[7.7] |
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68.
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Ifing - Against This Weald
[7.7] |
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69.
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Doom Machine - Doomnation
[7.7] Groove metal |
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70.
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Merkabah [POL] - Moloch
[7.7] |
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71.
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Fen - Carrion Skies
[7.5] |
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72.
|
Ævangelist - Writhes In The Murk
[7.5] Some excellent moments here, but from one listen I seem to prefer the approach of OeS. |
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73.
|
Distorted Harmony - Chain Reaction
[7.5] Progressive metal |
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74.
|
Ethersens - Your Wandering Ghost
[7.5] |
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75.
|
Ethereal Riffian - Aeonian
[7.4] |
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76.
|
Hexis - Abalam
[7.4] |
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77.
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Hirsute - Still Waiting
[7.4] |
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78.
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Sydonia - Reality Kicks
[7.3] Progressive rock/metal |
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79.
|
Thou - Heathen
[7.2] Sludge metal |
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80.
|
Hail Spirit Noir - Oi Magoi
[7.2] Avant-garde progressive/black metal |
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81.
|
Altar Of Betelgeuze - Darkness Sustains The Silence
[7.2] Doom metal |
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82.
|
Warknife - Amorphous
[7.0] |
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83.
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Seven [US] - End of the Circle
[7.0] Djent |
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84.
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Monsterworks - Universe
[6.3] Progressive |
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85.
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Dog Fashion Disco - Sweet Nothings
[6.3] Avant-garde |
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86.
|
Alcest - Shelter
[6.2] Atmospheric rock/shoegaze |
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87.
|
Desolation - V
[5.6] |
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88.
|
Teramaze - Esoteric Symbolism
[4.5] |
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89.
|
We All Die (Laughing) - Thoughtscanning
[3.4] |
