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1.
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Svrm - Розпад
6/10 Decent first album of the year. |
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2.
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K.F.R - Shayṭān 2.0
5.5/10 New occult black ambient album from Maxime Taccardi,though underwhelming compared to Nihilist. |
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3.
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Frozen Soul - Crypt Of Ice
7/10 Bolt Thrower Worship done right, first good album of the year. |
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4.
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Grima - Rotten Garden
8/10 Never gave this band a listen before but holy fuck, this is amazing ABM! |
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5.
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Asphyx - Necroceros
8.5/10 This year starts of with some real bangers. Did not expect this to be so good. |
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6.
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Tribulation - Where The Gloom Becomes Sound
7/10 Hautingly beautiful guitar melodies, but not as good as the last one. |
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7.
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Steven Wilson - The Future Bites
6/10 There are some great tracks on here, not as bad as some make it out to be, but still not incredible like his previous work. |
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8.
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Demon Head - Viscera
6.5/10 I generally liked it, but the last album was more memorable. |
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9.
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Crystal Viper - The Cult
7,5/10 Fun Heavy/Power Metal Album, didn´t expect anything good from them again! |
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10.
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Human Serpent - Heirlooms Eternal
6/10 As some people already pointed out, this production is raw and weird but not in a good way. Besides that, I like the song structures and slight change in the vocals. Mixed feelings by now. |
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11.
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Angelus Apatrida - Angelus Apatrida
5.5/10 In all honesty, it takes alot to impress me with a new thrash metal album nowadays but I just found this to be boring and generic except for "Disposable Liberty" and "Into the Well". |
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12.
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Suffering Hour - The Cyclic Reckoning
7/10 Not as perfect as the debut but still a heavy offering by this underground band. |
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13.
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Wizard - Metal In My Head
5/10 Sadly a generic offering by one of the best underground power metal bands of the 2000s. |
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14.
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Harakiri For The Sky - Mӕre
8,5/10 I´m just speechless. This monsterous album is just packed with beautiful melodies and they topped themselves once again after Arson, still 10-15 minutes too long for my liking. |
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15.
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Empyrium - Über Den Sternen
6.5/10 I really like the atmosphere created but I don't feel the same excitement as many people here. |
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16.
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Alice Cooper - Detroit Stories
5.5/10 Alice hasn´t lost his amazing raspy voice and I find some nice tracks here but who had the great idea to make this have 15 tracks?! |
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17.
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Architects - For Those That Wish To Exist
6/10 I expected this to be different and I really welcome the change, a great balance of heavy tracks and softer experimantal tracks, however it does not click with me completely. |
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18.
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Evergrey - Escape Of The Phoenix
9/10 Wow, it did not see this to touch me that much as it did. AOTY for me by now. |
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19.
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Abominable Putridity - Parasitic Metamorphosis Manifestation
3/10 Boring uninspired slam death metal, sad what this band has become. |
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20.
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Baest - Necro Sapiens
8/10 This album shows once again there a still great newer old-school DM band . |
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21.
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Brand Of Sacrifice - Lifeblood
7/10 This is pure filth, disgusting and technical but a bit repetitive. |
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22.
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Enforced - Kill Grid
8/10 I talked about how hard it is to impress me with a thrash album but THIS reminds me of the 80s golden bands! |
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23.
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Orden Ogan - Final Days
6.5/10 Not as bad as I thought it would be. Some great tracks but the production is boring. |
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24.
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Saxon - Inspirations
5.5/10 Meh, it's a cover album with predictable song choices but the band still sounds tight. |
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25.
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Fuath - II
6/10 Atmospheric black metal with great production. Does this work? Hell yes, but in this case it just sounds like so many other bands. |
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26.
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Memoriam - To The End
6/10 Sadly this does not hold up to their last record. The first 4 songs are amazing but it gets boring very fast after that. |
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27.
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Sanguisugabogg - Tortured Whole
4/10 I never understood the hype for this band. Caveman riffs that try to sound nostalgic but end up making the album boring. At least the longest track and the music videos are entertaining. |
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28.
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Haunt - Beautiful Distraction
5/10 Everything I praised about the first two records is gone by this point. I cannot deny Church´s instrumental capabilities, but I just can´t stand his voice anymore. The songwriting is also nothing new and has been done way better before. |
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29.
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Kauan - Ice Fleet
9.5/10 This should be seen as a whole experience, it demands your full attention but it is so worthwhile. Kauan are on a level of their own. |
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30.
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While She Sleeps - Sleeps Society
8/10 Holy cow, the guitar work and choruses are just masterful. Really enjoyable, this may be the best core album of the year. |
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31.
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Spectral Wound - A Diabolic Thirst
9/10 On some rare occasions, a band still manages to create a 2nd wave BM album-alike album that sounds so fresh and nostalgic that I just can´t let this slip by. Pure evil. |
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32.
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Bewitcher - Cursed Be Thy Kingdom
6/10 Maybe I´m satured of blackened heavy metal by this point, but this sounds just average. But at least we got the "Welcome the Hell - Riff". |
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33.
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Cannibal Corpse - Violence Unimagined
7.5/10 The band has it´s energy back and creates their best effort since Torture. |
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34.
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Paysage d'Hiver - Geister
4.5/10 The most uninspired they ever sounded. Bland riffs repeating over and over again, except for a few tracks. |
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35.
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Crypts Of Despair - All Light Swallowed
7/10 I don´t see this becoming a favorite but man this was a fun listen. |
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36.
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Nekromantheon - Visions Of Trismegistos
8/10 Now THIS a lucky find. Just wanted to know what the high rating was about but these guys deserve it. |
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37.
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Evile - Hell Unleashed
6/10 I don´t see a problem with the vocalist, I don´t think it is as great as their earlier stuff but I´ll give it some time. |
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38.
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An Autumn For Crippled Children - As The Morning Dawns We Close Our Eyes
8/10 This seems like a better follow-up to last years record. I think they are getting creative again with their sound, best record since TLG. |
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39.
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Esoctrilihum - Dy'th Requiem For The Serpent Telepath
6.5/10 I don´t know, I´ve tried to get into this album so hard because I read really good things about it, it is for the most part pretty good but a tad too long for my taste. |
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40.
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Mental Cruelty - A Hill To Die Upøn
9/10 I am not the biggest deathcore fan, these guys from germany however put out a massive blackened-deathcore opus. Cannot wait to experience these songs live! |
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41.
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Kalmankantaja - Nostalgia III: Surun Syntysija
7.5/10 I don´t know what it is with this band, but despite their prolific output, the finnish duo still impresses me over and over again. Depressive and beautiful atmosphere. |
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42.
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Hellryder - The Devil Is A Gambler
5/10 Take some average GD Songs and mash them together to a cheesy 80s band. Axel and Chris seemed to have fun with this one but it´s just boring and forgettable for the most part. |
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43.
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Dödsrit - Mortal Coil
7/10 Did not know they had a new album coming out, but it surprised me positively. Crusty black metal in a innovative way. |
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44.
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Bloodbound - Creatures Of The Dark Realm
5.5/10 Once a great band but sadly now a C-Tier Power Metal Band that lost it´s unique sound. Still great musicians and I think live entertaining after a couple of beers. |
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45.
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Hammer King - Hammer King
6/10 Average heavy power metal with some standout tracks. |
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46.
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Helloween - Helloween
8/10 Naming your 16th Studio Album like your band can be really hit or miss. Helloween released the most anticapated PM Album since a decade and for me they did not dissapoint. The three singers and guitarists work really well and have room for their own, I think they really achieved the almost impossible here, making one of the best material of their carrere with every frontman at the same time. Hats off. |
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47.
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Alustrium - A Monument To Silence
8.5/10 Proggy-technical melodeath, fuck yes I´m in. Writing so many long songs without getting boring is really hard, these guys are masters of their own sound. |
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48.
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Thy Catafalque - Vadak
7/10 I really bashed "Naiv" last year, and it turned I was really naiv not giving this band the chance it deserves, though not entertaining completely troughout for me, this really has some outstandable and unexpectedly heavy tracks. |
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49.
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Darkthrone - Eternal Hails......
8/10 I already established myself as a Darkthrone fanboy on this site, but their newest offering really did not click with me after the riff fest and somehow comeback to BM that was "Old Star". After many spins I came to the conclusion that "Eternal Hails" is different and not what I expected but the full potential lies in the dragging doomy riffs and the rumbling sound that create what Darkthrone are all about: A unique and incredible atmosphere. |
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50.
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Cerebral Rot - Excretion Of Mortality
7.5/10 Raw as fuck old school DM but with amazing writing, not done right often but this album owns it. |
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51.
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Nanowar Of Steel - Italian Folk Metal
3/10 Why did I listen to this? I like me some parody metal, Steel Panther are a great example of this but this album was a chore to listen to. |
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52.
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Drawn And Quartered - Congregation Pestilence
6/10 One of the 90s underground legends are back with what seems to be one of their weaker offerings, pretty bland but still a distinct sound to them. |
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53.
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Xasthur - Victims Of The Times
4/10 I always listen to the albums in this list at least once, but this really hurt. Maybe I´m just the wrong audience, but the cringy lyrics and boring song structures leave a lot to be desired. |
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54.
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K.F.R - Pure Evil
7/10 THIS is what I need from Maxime, just my personal views but I feel a certain rawness and chaos is back in this one, somehow it has never left but "Pure Evil" reminds me more of the earlier days. |
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55.
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Powerwolf - Call Of The Wild
6/10 Haven´t spend much time with it yet, but how I feared, this does not come close to the sheer perfection of TSOS. |
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56.
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Netherbird - Arete
7/10 I discovered this melodic BM outfit just a week ago and this was a surprisingly good listen. Cold riffs and an Enslaved-esque atmosphere. |
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57.
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Lantlôs - Wildhund
6.5/10 Comeback albums like this are always the most heartbreaking. It seems to have all the ingredients for a triumphant return but somehow, the fire is lost for me. |
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58.
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Fawn Limbs - Darwin Limbs
7.5/10 I found this through some midnight search on youtube for new underground music and seeing this getting a review on MS was really great to see. Different to their previous work, but in my opinion a even more crushing experience. Recommended for the darkest of minds. |
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59.
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Wolves In The Throne Room - Primordial Arcana
7.5/10 Really good progression since their last album, strong atmosphere and the tracks don´t seem to get boring. Solid album but not as excellent as their first 3. |
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60.
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Between The Buried And Me - Colors II
9.5/10 Wow...this might be their best one yet. Longer albums are just amazing this year, never expected them to reach these heights again. |
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61.
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Wormwitch - Wolf Hex
8.5/10 Clocking in under 30 minutes, record nr.3 is just relentless black metal with some nice crust-punk attitudes. They always had a unique atmosphere. |
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62.
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Nocturnal (GER) - Serpent Death
6/10 Their other albums are some speed/black gems, but first of all, the new vocalist is not good and secondly the production is really bad and not in a good way. Ruins this pretty much for me, even though the riffs and solos sound tasty. |
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63.
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Leprous - Aphelion
5/10 I don´t how these guys could become so incredibly boring, I´m very sorry since I loved everything up to "The Congregatin". I am not critical about their loss of heaviness, their songs have just become too dragging and uneventful. |
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64.
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Kalmankantaja - Waeltaja
7/10 I don´t see how this was rated so badly, it is not their best effort but still better than most AtmoBlack Bands. |
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65.
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Iron Maiden - Senjutsu
6/10 Well I hate to be that person who talks bad stuff about THE most anticapated releases of the year but...yeah there are some stellar moments on here but all in all the songs are sometimes way to long or just a complete bore for how long they drag on. I was a huge fan and defender of "Book Of Souls" but this album just does not justify it´s length. I miss the days of single lp Maiden Albums. |
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66.
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Carnifex - Graveside Confessions
6/10 It is certainly heavier than it´s predecessor but all in all to bloated even though there are some bangers on here. I have to say, I am not the biggest Carnifex fan to begin with, but this album doesn´t turn me into one. |
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67.
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Pa Vesh En - Manic Manifest
8/10 Ultra raw black metal that hits the right spot for me, only for the most dismal souls. |
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68.
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Inferi - Vile Genesis
9/10 I am shocked that I did not hear of this band before. Fast deadly slaughtering with compelling lyrics and amazing vocal delivery with impressive instrumentation. |
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69.
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Chrome Waves - The Rain Will Cleanse
6/10 They did not dissapoint, they are on a roll with their melancholic records. Highly recommended. |
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70.
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Aborted - ManiaCult
6/10 Moan...this must be the most dissapointing stuff I have heard this year, which is a dissapointment. Their last few albums were really nice but this is not for me. |
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71.
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Blazon Stone - Damnation
6.5/10 More exciting and powerful than the new Running Wild album for certain but still...it is nothing new. |
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72.
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Occulsed - Crepitation Of Phlegethon
5/10 Boring to the core. Nice cover art though. |
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73.
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Rage - Resurrection Day
8.5/10 Never expected them to reach these hights again. The new guitarists are amazing and all the songs sound way more motivated than anything since "21". |
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74.
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Brainstorm - Wall Of Skulls
7/10 Not the masterpiece I had hoped for after 2018´s "Midnight Ghost" but this shows a well routined band that knows their craft, sadly a bit to safely played. |
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75.
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Wraith - Undo The Chains
6.5/10 This did a bit dissapoint. Loved their last record, they are one of the greatest thrash newcomers but this time it really sounds a like a rehash of classic thrash songs. Still a tight and fun album. |
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76.
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Signs Of The Swarm - Absolvere
9/10 Fucking brutal, pure slaughter and their strongest effort to date. I am not a fan of much deathcore but this impressed me. |
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77.
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Paradox - Heresy II - End Of A Legend
6/10 Sadly not what I expected, well it is not horrible but like Maiden´s "Sensutju" way to long and not on the same level as the classics. |
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78.
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Full Of Hell - Garden Of Burning Apparitions
8/10 Even more extreme than "Weeping Choir" but equally as crushing. It is waaay to short but I see no problem with spinning it multiple times, since this is the best grindcore record of the year. |
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79.
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Clouds - Despărțire
8/10 It seems that this funeral doom has gone a bit more on the gothic side. Way more clean vocals than the last record, but the melodies and the atmosphere created here is really nice. A tad too long on some occasions but hey, it´s still funeral (gothic) doom. |
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80.
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Lords Of Black - Alchemy Of Souls - Part 2
6/10 Not bad, but not outstanding either. I think their first two albums is where they peaked. |
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81.
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Bloodred Hourglass - Your Highness
6/10 Average Melo-death, I don´t get the great reviews here but maybe it´s just because the amount of amazing records is just unbelievable at the moment. |
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82.
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1914 - Where Fear And Weapons Meet |
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83.
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Whitechapel - Kin |
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84.
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Funeralium - Decrepit |
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85.
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Beast In Black - Dark Connection |
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86.
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Be'lakor - Coherence |
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87.
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Outre-Tombe - Abysse Mortifère |
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88.
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Sarke - Allsighr |
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89.
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Mortiferum - Preserved In Torment |
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90.
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SeeYouSpaceCowboy - The Romance Of Affliction |
