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1.
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Ὁπλίτης - Ψευδομένη
7.5/10 An amazing start in the new year, for a debut black metal record, this left a mark on me! |
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2.
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Rye - Всё
6.5/10 Unsurprisung but still hard hitting black metal, I feel the same thing as I did for the debut. |
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3.
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Esoctrilihum - Funeral
5.5/10 Bloated and just uneventful album and nothing justifies the runtime. The sound is still very unique and definitely my style, BUT after the wave of releases by this one-man band there is nothing that makes me want to listen to this again. Should´ve stuck to the runtime of the WAY superior first effort of last year. |
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4.
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Great Cold Emptiness - Immaculate Hearts Will Triumph
7.5/10 Interesting sound and I am surprised by the low rating. Everybody that likes atmospheric post black metal should not sleep on this. |
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5.
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Walg - III
8/10 The first highlight of the year for me, every song sounds different and I like the melodys and rather short runtime. This was impressive! |
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6.
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Obituary - Dying Of Everything
7/10 I for myself always had a soft spot for Obituary´s form of death metal. After 6 years they released another soild album with groovy midtempo stompers. While nothing groundbreaking or innovative is happening, the band seems in top form and I especially have to point out the songs "The Wrong Time" and the excellent closer "Be Warned". |
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7.
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Høstsol - Länge Leve Döden |
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8.
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Haxprocess - The Caverns Of Duat
7.5/10 Very melodic and impressive guitarwork and very thought-out song structures that kept me entertained throughout. The only gripes I have with this release are the vocals, which sound too powerless for the instrumentals. |
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9.
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Eisregen - Grenzgänger
7/10 After a hot streak that began with 2015´s Marschmusik the ever so loved and equally hated Eisregen have made another compelling effort. It is crazy how prolific and still innovative these guys are, when it comes to lyrics. The songs in general didn´t have the same impact on me as the last two albums, however "Gegengift is a masterpiece. |
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10.
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Drowning The Light - Haunter Of The Deep
5.5/10 The 18th studio album by the Australian one-man force Azgorh (who isn´t alone in this band but accompanied by guitarist Balam, didn´t know that) is nothing extraordinary. Sadly the atmosphere of albums like "Varcolaci Rising" or "An Aligment of Dead Stars" is not here anymore and even though the waiting time for a new album is way longer than in the 2000s, it just sounds so uneventful, that I can say I´ve heard this 10 times before from DTL but better. |
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11.
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Ahab - The Coral Tombs
6/10 I waited the whole year in hope that after many relistening sessions it would finally click with me. But sadly, this is by far my least favorite album in their discograpgy. The daring new sound does nothing for me and there are to few outstanding moments. Ahab are still a very good band this did not meet my (probably way to high) expectations. |
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12.
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Twilight Force - At The Heart Of Wintervale
7/10 Powerful but also really cheesy Power Metal that doesn´t overstay it´s welcome and offers some great melodies that become stuck in your head. All in all a really good album for it´s purpose but for me a little but too accessible. |
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13.
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Tribunal - The Weight Of Remembrance
8/10 The first AOTY candidate for me. The melodies and build ups in the songs are just spellbinding. The gothic atmosphere is something I´ve missed for a long time. |
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14.
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Riverside - ID.Entity
7/10 A bit to soft for me in comparison to their previous efforts but nonetheless a collection of well crafted songs in the prog category. Sadly this is my least favorite by them after the masterpiece "Wastelands" but not bad in any means. |
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15.
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Katatonia - Sky Void Of Stars
7.5/10 Haunting atmosphere and dark melodies with this new work of the swedish duo. I have to say however, that I enjoyed the previous effort more because it had the diversity in the songs that seems lacking here. Overall they are still playing in a high league here. |
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16.
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Conjureth - The Parasitic Chambers
6/10 Enjoyable, though sometimes dragging performances on the instrumental side of things. Amazing unique vocals but after a few spins I cannot say that it was very memorable but still a very intense experience for everyone that likes a healthy dose of OSDM. |
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17.
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Uriah Heep - Chaos & Colour
7/10 For these first wave legends this is a great representation of their current form and MY GOD I want to kick that much ass too when I´m this old. Very solid songs, heartfelt vocal performance and just a great time. |
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18.
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Firienholt - White Frost And Elder Blood
8/10 I've come to love dungeon synth as a standalone genre over the years but it always catches me more when there are black metal bands that sprinkle elements into their sound vica versa. This is beautiful slow music that really puts you in the right mood to light up some candles and imagine a beautiful fantasy world that holds great adventures. The only downside this album has for me are the really artificial drums. I think a real drummer could elevate the sound into something even bigger but I guess that is part of the dungeon synth asthetic. |
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19.
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Bizarrekult - Den Tapte Krigen
6/10 Interesting mix of post and black metal that doesn't quite work for me. The vocals are not to my liking and the songs overall are rather boring but I have to give credit for the unique blend. |
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20.
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...And Oceans - As In Gardens, So In Tombs
9/10 In preparation for this album I listened to every record this band put out and I gotta say. This is a very creative and diverse body of work. But the eerie experimental black metal sound fits them definitely the best. An amazing record that doesn't come as "trying so hard to be experimental" but still gives it a sound of it's own. Impressive stuff that kept me speechless. |
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21.
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Happy Days - En Enfer, J'ai Régné |
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22.
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Sanguisugabogg - Homicidal Ecstasy
6/10 Not as lacking as their debut effort for me but I just don´t get the hype surrounding this band. Average brutal OSDM with some nice riffs sprinkled throughout but the vocals are just your below average cookie monster stuff. |
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23.
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Memoriam - Rise To Power
7.5/10 Way better than their last effort but same problem I have sensed on all Memoriam records except on "Requiem for Mankind": The second half of the album is a considerable dip in quality. What a shame, but still a kick ass OSDM Album from these veterans! |
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24.
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Fvnerals - Let The Earth Be Silent
9/10 The most dominant part here is the incredibly dark atmosphere that drenches the whole album in a mystic, almost ritualistic darkness. Listen to this at night without any distractions and it will sure leave you speechless. |
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25.
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Coffin Nail - The Hanged Man
7/10 Gritty, and relentless grindcore album that works perfectly as a stress reducer. Nothing perticulary new or special about this release, but I listened to it at a right time and the raw production and short songs worked for me. |
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26.
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Oak - Disintegrate |
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27.
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In Flames - Foregone
6/10 Even though there are glimpses of past glories on this album, some tracks sound completely uninspired while others like the Single "Sounds of Slow Decay" left me speechless. This is hard for me but this album is such a mishmash of stellar and boring output. |
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28.
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Frozen Dawn - The Decline Of The Enlightened Gods
7.5/10 I expected a totally diffrent sound while I was looking at the cover art. Instead of the standard atmospheric black metal I was bombarded with melodic black metal reminiscent of the 90s. These guys wear their influences on their sleeves but manage to make everything they do sound so honest and captivating. |
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29.
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Tryglav - The Ritual
8.5/10 The Riffs are strong on this one! Short runtime and great production makes this one of my favourite melo-death albums of the year so far. |
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30.
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Ulthar - Helionomicon
7/10 This band is one of the forerunners of the recent OSDM wave and after two outstanding albums in my opinion, they decided to release a double record...as two records. In my opinion, this was a great decision, since both albums are very diffrent in songwriting approach. Here we have the two colossuse of tracks, that never really drag on to much for me, but are in my opinion not quite worthy for their respective runtime. Big sound but sadly a bit underwhelming in regards of their standard. |
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31.
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Ulthar - Anthronomicon 8/10 This is what I am talking about! Great OSDM with a progressive side to it, amazing song structures and even though sometimes a bit too daring for me, still highly recommended! |
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32.
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Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
9/10 This is pure blackened speed metal savagery but not boring like the massive flood of one-man projects in the same vein. Very though-out and pleasing songwriting, the melodies are to die (in hell) for. Biggest highlight so far. |
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33.
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Lovebites - Judgement Day
7/10 I was pleasently surprised by this. Even though japanese metal bands never make it clear from hearing if they are singing in their native language or if the strong accent hinders the listener from understanding the english lyrics, this was grat soundwise. Female-fronted power metal in a very convincing mood. |
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34.
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Steel Panther - On The Prowl
6/10 I have to admit, these guys are my guilty pleasure. They are outstanding in a live setting and most of their albums are great fun. The last one was definetly a big step downwards and even though "On the Prowl" doesn´t return to their class of the first two records, it is fun and nostalgic heavy metal. |
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35.
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Megaton Sword - Might & Power
7.5/10 Really entertaining old school heavy metal worship. The singer is an aquired taste in my opinion, but after a few songs I got used to him and the overall strange production. It has a certain charm to it but overall there was something missing in the songwriting to elevate this album to real greatness. |
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36.
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Insomnium - Anno 1696
7/10 Sadly I think this is the worst album by the finnish legends. I have the feeling that I´ve heard everything before but in more memorable ways and the whole album just dragged a bit for me. With "Heart Like A Grave" I saw some flaws but still it was a great experience. For a band that has so high standards in my books, this is just underwhelming. The performances are still tight and I just love the feeling that no other band manages to replicate, but all in all after many spins this is just not that memorable. |
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37.
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Host - IX |
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38.
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Bodyfarm - Ultimate Abomination
8/10 Holy sweet mother of satan, I wasn´t expecting this. This is one of the moments where you think to yourself: "Why have I never listened to this band before?". |
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39.
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Big Brave - Nature Morte
5/10 Man I really tried to like this since I´m all here for weird doom or post-punk bands but this is just momentum after momentum with very little going on instrumentally. I don´t have a problem with a focus on voals but this is just to uneventful for me. Maybe I wasn´t in the right mood for this but sadly not recommended. |
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40.
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Air Raid - Fatal Encounter
8/10 Classic 80´s heavy metal that goes straight to the point with incredible hooks and very headbanging guitarwork. This might be one of the strongest traditional Heavy Metal Album of the year! |
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41.
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Galneryus - Between Dread And Valor
6/10 Sadly a big dissapointment from the great japanese masters of power metal. The production is pretty bad and the songs are far from their best. The neoclassical guitar work is there as always and of course there are some brilliant moments, but less energetic than"Under the Force of Courage". |
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42.
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Ocean Of Grief - Pale Existence
9/10 While I agree that the vocals are unusually low and brutal for this kind of melodic sound, I absolutely adore the contrast that is created between the haunting endless guitar solos and the deep voice, which reminds me of classic funeral doom vocals. This an amazing record that conveyed a lot of emotions for me. Greece is always overlooked with their bands but there are some outstanding artists living in this country. Very high on the year´s list for me. |
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43.
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Majesties - Vast Reaches Unclaimed
8.5/10 Those riffs! When I saw the cover art I did not expect this kind of melodic experience. The vocals and songs themselves are amazing and the runtime is perfect. I have to say, that shortly before the end I got a little worried, that it would be a bit uneventful throught the whole album but the closer knocked me out. Just a really great, unexpected find! |
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44.
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Enslaved - Heimdal
8/10 Do they ever miss with one of their albums, I sure don´t think so. While this might not be a masterpiece like "Below The Lights" or more recently "In Times", the songs themselves stand out very good form each other. The current clean vocalist has an amazing voice and fits perfectly with the band even though I will always miss Herbrand Larsen. One hell of a experimental black metal journey. |
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45.
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Minenwerfer - Feuerwalze
6/10 Just your average WW-themed black metal with little surprises. Nice raw production with songs that kept me entertained but nothing stood out as great to me. |
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46.
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Frozen Crown - Call Of The North
5.5/10 Sadly this album gets boring really quick. The energy and melodies reminiscent of 90s power metal are great in the first few songs but the clichees and same song structures drag this down massively. |
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47.
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Fange - Privation
8/10 Nice sludge metal that hits hard but unlike most albums in the genre I am absolutely floored with the impact it had on me. I did not expect this and I have to check out the rest of their discography. |
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48.
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K.F.R - Pain/Ter
6/10 I don´t know if I grew tired of the without any doubt very unique sound that Maxime Taccardi has on all of his albums, but this just didn´t quite catch me like "O" and "Nihilist" did. |
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49.
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Afsky - Om Hundrede År |
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50.
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Úlfúð - Of Existential Distortion
7.5/10 Very nice groovy melodeath with a blackened edge. I like the guitar work very much, the vocals are not my perticular taste but overall a really strong debut. |
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51.
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Suotana - Ounas I
8.5/10 The atmosphere, the fast paced sections and beautiful melodies, it´s all here. I´m a newcomer to this band and it´s one of the best discoveries for some this, just outstanding melo-death with black metal elements. By the way, the summoning cover just fits perfectly in here and is masterfully done. |
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52.
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Night Demon - Outsider |
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53.
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Kruelty - Untopia |
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54.
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Triumpher - Storming The Walls
7/10 Once again a really solid old school metal album that features a very charismatic vocalist and nice songs throughout. If the runtime had been cut down to 35-40 minutes I would give this a much higher rating. It feels a bit overblown to me, but as a genre fan worth checking out! |
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55.
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Shores Of Null - The Loss Of Beauty |
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56.
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Ne Obliviscaris - Exul
8/10 There is a very high league in all genres that only a handful of artists and bands can reach. Ne Obliviscaris are a fundemental piece of the extreme prog metal throne. In my eyes this is their weakest effort to date, since nothing can ever reach the monument that is "Citadel" for me. I have to say however that the standards are so high here that this is by now means an average album. Do yourself a favour, if you like experimental metal give this a listen. |
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57.
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Marianas Rest - Auer
9.5/10 Wow...I´m actually speechless after giving this a listen. The whole album is packed with emotions and suffering and the songs themselves are just outstanding. The best doom/death metal album I´ve heard in years, once again a band I wish I knew longer. Album of the year for me by now. |
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58.
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Labyrinthus Stellarum - Tales Of The Void |
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59.
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Hanging Garden - The Garden |
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60.
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Gatekeeper - From Western Shores |
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61.
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August Burns Red - Death Below
5/10 This is one of the cases where a band constantly tries to top their best albums but ends up losing what made them so stellar. When I think of records like Constellations or Found In Far Away Places, there are so many memorable melodies, breakdowns and just hard hitting songs in general. Since the latter record, they have gone downhill with focusing on technicality but overall this new one really lacks something. |
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62.
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Slytherin - The Path We Choose
6/10 I thought this might be really bad atmospheric black metal that just wants attention because of it´s lyrical themes but this is actually decent. It might not be anything goundbreaking but this classic mix of atmo-black and dungeon synth works very well in the context of this beloved fantasy story. |
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63.
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Lamp Of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstorm
8/10 Many people called this out to be a platent Immortal-worship. While I sure hear what you are talking about, the songs fucking RIP!!! The overall craft of musicianship here is in my opinion worlds better than what this guy has done previously, for my part this is very engaging. |
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64.
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Vredensdal - Sonic Devotion To Darkness
5.5/10 Sadly not much happening here, standard Atmo-black band with songs that just drag along the runtime of this album. While not badly crafted, there is just nothing that stands out for me here. |
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65.
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Thron - Dust
8/10 Well, here we go. A classic sound we all know and love from the masters of melodic black metal but used in a way that left absolutely speechless. THIS is a young band knowing their inspirations but they are able to create an atmosphere completely their own with powerful songs that don´t feel dragged out. This is a diamond I was very happy to find this year. |
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66.
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Sermon - Of Golden Verse |
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67.
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Rotten Sound - Apocalypse
7/10 Standard grindcore-bulldozering with a thick production that captures the raw essence of the band. While this is not reinventing something it´s a "no bullshit" record that hammers faster through it´s tracklist than you can realize. |
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68.
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Kommand - Death Age |
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69.
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Forgotten Silence - Vemork Konstrukt |
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70.
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Bury Tomorrow - The Seventh Sun
7/10 Yes, I like this. As tragic the departure of frontman Jason Cameron may seem, I must say (as one of a few it seems) that I like the new clean vocalist. There is definetly less heaviness compared to "Cannibal" but the melodies and grooves are really addicting. In my opinion aan overlooked effort in the metalcore scene this year. |
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71.
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Aara - Triade III: Nyx
8.5/10 They changed their sound for this one, phew! And I am a really big fan of this style of mix, especially the vocal performance is something different. Do I dare to say this, but it reminds me of the black metal tracks of Birzim´s "Filosofem" vocal wise. Powerful riffs in a very icy soundscape with an emotional climax at the end of the record. This band of unknowns just keeps surprising me! |
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72.
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Colosso - Zero |
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73.
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Wolf Spider - VI |
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74.
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Cursebinder - Drifting |
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75.
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Bonjour Tristesse - Against Leviathan |
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76.
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Ὁπλίτης - Τρωθησομένη |
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77.
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Hercules - Waiting For The King
2/10 I did not expect this to sound THAT band when I read this review but seriously? Is this guy joking? Apart from sound quality and the laughable drum machine, I don´t see any kind of musicality in some of these audio tracks. The vocals are like singing drunk in the shower to some manowar tracks. The only redeeming "quality" for listening to this are the sometimes passable guitar solos but apart from that...oh boy. |
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78.
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VoidCeremony - Threads Of Unknowing
8.5/10 Standing out amongst the oversaturated metal music market is really hard to do. But in the tech-death segment Void Ceremony managed to carve themselves a hole with their groovy and also like other commentators said already, they have a jazz-like sound to them with I find really fascinating. The song structures are unconventional and surprised me a lot. Bundle that with the exceptional musicianship these guys lay down and there you have a unique, but still brutal record that definitely deserves multiple listens. |
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79.
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Overkill - Scorched
8/10 This was released the same day as the following album on this list and judging from the title track you can hear what these guys still have: the fire and power. They take the lengthier song structures from The Grinding Wheel and melt it together with their punk-ish trash of "Wings of War" and throw in some impeccable guitar and bass work and there you have the band´s best effort since "The Electric Age". Bobby Blitz´s voice may be an aquired taste but I always loved this mans raw "Udo Dirkschneider on speed" vocals. This is how it´s done! |
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80.
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Metallica - 72 Seasons
5.5/10 Ehm...yes this was underwhelming. Compared to Overkill I am very sad to say that despite Metallica´s new found success in pop culture through "Stranger Things", the band has not found new creativity. The same problems I had with "Hardwired...", that being the over long songs that have been a chore since "Load", are even more grave here. While some tracks are fun and have some solid moments (Lux Aeterna, You Must Burn! and Chasing Light), the song structures are all the same and feel simple. One thing I must point out though: James still sounds really great. Overall a very mediocre album that could´ve been way better being trimmed of 1/3 the running time. But hey, Iron Maiden won´t listen too. |
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81.
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Mesmur - Chthonic |
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82.
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Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current |
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83.
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Blazon Rite - Wild Rites And Ancient Songs
6/10 I understand why this album is regarded so highly by some, but I personally didn´t feel happy about the vocals compared to the rest of the music. Not bad but it lacked something for me that would make it worth a re-listen. |
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84.
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Vorna - Aamunkoi |
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85.
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Tanith - Voyage |
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86.
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Smoulder - Violent Creed Of Vengeance |
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87.
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Neurotech - Ave Neptune |
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88.
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Bell Witch - Future's Shadow Part 1: The Clandestine Gate |
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89.
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Atavistia - Cosmic Warfare |
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90.
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Runemagick - Beyond The Cenotaph Of Mankind |
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91.
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Lucifuge - Monoliths Of Wrath |
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92.
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Fires In The Distance - Air Not Meant For Us
8/10 This is made by masters of their craft. While it didn´t leave that much of an impact as I anticipated, the material is still very strong. Maybe I have to give this more listens to fully grasp it, but right now it stands a very promosing work. |
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93.
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Enforced - War Remains
9/10 Ripps hard as fuck. Enough said. No but really this band just keeps delivering the goods and by keeping their songs shorter again, the energy is just consuming your whole body. One of the rolemodels for the newer wave of thrash bands that just keeps getting better. |
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94.
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Elvenking - Reader Of The Runes - Rapture |
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95.
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Chrome Waves - Earth Will Shed Its Skin |
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96.
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Austere - Corrosion Of Hearts |
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97.
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Ildfar - Nattemørkets Kall |
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98.
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Winger - Seven |
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99.
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Jeromes Dream - The Gray In Between |
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100.
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Haunt - Golden Arm
7.5/10 Wait, isn´t this just an EP? No, but with not even 30 minutes of runtime this is the sign of a band listening to their fans. This doesn´t overstay it´s welcome and makes the listener want 2-3 songs more but in my opinion it is good this way. Haunt may not be everyones cup of tea but I have to admire them for their talent of front man Trevor William Church´s ability to write good riffs and headbanging choruses. Even the vocals have a cult-factor already. |
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101.
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Currents - The Death We Seek |
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102.
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Burning Witches - The Dark Tower
6/10 Nah, still don´t dig this band. I have to point out that this seems way better to me than the other album I´ve listened to from 2021 but I think there is still something missing to get me hooked. Maybe it´s the overproduced mix or just the rather unexciting melodies, but they seem to be on an upwards trend. |
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103.
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Blood Ceremony - The Old Ways Remain |
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104.
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The Amity Affliction - Not Without My Ghosts
6/10 Will they slipped. I have the confession to make that this australian band has carried me through so many tough times in my life that I can´t thank them enough. Aside that, this record is their heaviest since 2014´s "Let the Ocean Take Me" but sadly it´s not up to their standard. I admired them for changing up their sound with "Misery", which still is my second favorite of theirs besides the aforementioned album but I was excited to hear that they want to return to their post-hardcore sound. The album starts of really great with the first four songs, that are definetly the strongest. After that however, the quality takes a massive dip until the last two songs hit again. This massive middle section-fatigue really left me dissapointed since no song really seemed to stand out. While the heaviness is definitely there, it´s all so generic for the band and sadly that didn´t change after mulitple listens. So even though I respect them for not fooling around with the "heavy"-statement, I just think they compromised on overall memorability and that sadly makes their latest effort their weakest one so far. |
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105.
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Pronostic - Chaotic Upheaval |
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106.
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Non Est Deus - Legacy
7/10 Nice melodic black metal with a few standout moments. Almost sounded like a more melodic Mgla. Even though it wasn´t outstanding, the atmosphere created is powerful. |
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107.
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Esoctrilihum - Astraal Constellations Of The Majickal Zodiac
5/10 I always liked the sound of this one-man-band and I think the peak was reached with 2020´s "Eternity Of Shaog". Since then the records this man released became more and more bloated and that made the short time spans between new material almost nonexistent. Listening back to all the albums before "EOS" I still think of them as strong works, but THIS? How can you be in your right mind to release an almost three-long black metal album and think it will be received great. There are two main problems here: The amount of filler and the amount of music in general. It´s just to much and that makes great bits and pieces very hard to stick out. Just an overall flooring experience, but not in a good way. |
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108.
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Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite
9/10 Disgusting. Brutal. Transcendant. Just another dose of Cattle Decap´s very unique brutal death grind sound that always hits the right spot for me. I can find almost nothing to critique here, at this point I can see them do no wrong. One AOTY Contender for sure. |
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109.
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Ascended Dead - Evenfall Of The Apocalypse |
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110.
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Wings Of Steel - Gates Of Twilight |
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111.
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Thulcandra - Hail The Abyss
7/10 It is always certain that Thulcandra will deliver a solid melodic black/death album and this time it´s no different. Nothing outstanding but a good time! |
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112.
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The Ocean - Holocene |
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113.
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Shadows - Out For Blood |
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114.
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Sacred Outcry - Towers Of Gold
8/10 While listening to this I had the prejudgement in my head, that nothing can top one of my favorite debuts of all time. But damn is it good. While not quite on par with the songwriting of the first album, and in my opinion one or two songs longer than needed. this is an epic journey. Daniel Haiman is a more than worthy successor to the almighty Yannis Papadopoulos and all the instrumental work is great although a bit to much at some points. |
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115.
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Pa Vesh En - Martyrs
8.5/10 I can only agree with the reviewer of this abomination. Pa Vesh En takes you on a journey down the darkest soundscapes that nightmares are made of and I´m all here for it. If you like your metal as black as possible, here you go. |
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116.
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Mystic Prophecy - Hellriot
5.5/10 Meh. What once was a force in Power Metal has turned into an average band that you can expect to have 2-3 great songs on their albums but not much more. Seems like they joined the Hammerfall camp. The production isn´t nearly as good as on their previous effort and that only adds to the averageness. |
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117.
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Khanate - To Be Cruel |
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118.
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Alcatrazz - Take No Prisoners |
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119.
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Vomitory - All Heads Are Gonna Roll
8.5/10 One of the greatest comeback records in recent years. It is like they never left, brutal, raw and uncompromising death metal with good production. I did not expect to enjoy it THAT much, but hell this just shows that the old guys still have it! |
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120.
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Nattverd - I Helvetes Forakt |
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121.
|
Mesarthim - Arrival |
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122.
|
Kalmah - Kalmah
8/10 Great return to the throne of melodic death. Not the best material from them but they still keep me stunned throughout how much grat riffs is still in them. I don´t know why but I expected this to be underwhelming, but in the end it was very good, I spinned it more since it´s release than I anticipated. |
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123.
|
Immortal - War Against All
5.5/10 GOD what happened here?! The comeback of the name (that and not the band as a whole) was a huge event in the metal world in 2018. "Nothern Chaos Gods" blew my expectations out of the water as a relatively new metalhead and here we are five years later and I think as these songs as the ones that didn´t make the cut back then. It´s just nothing eventful, even though Demonaz still sounds great, we essentially have a one-man-band here that doesn´t live up to the bandname anymore. This may be the weakest in the catalog except for fucking "Blizzard Beasts". |
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124.
|
Cloak - Black Flame Eternal
9/10 Sometimes changing can lead to amazing results. A band I completely forgot about after their previous, really strong material. "Cloak" prove that there is still some amazing material left to write in traditional, fast, black metal with gothic elements, a stile that was mostly used in the late 90s. This is a great throwback but also some very inspiring songwriting. |
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125.
|
Bríi - Último Ancestral Comum |
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126.
|
Pupil Slicer - Blossom
5.5/10 I´m not the biggest fan of mathcore to begin with but this sounds like one clustered mess. Sure the vocals are pretty unique and good but the songs don´t really differenciate from each other and I really had a hard time listening to it front to back. I have to give credit though since the whole band sounds talented in their own style, but I just can´t see myself coming back to it. |
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127.
|
Gloryhammer - Return To The Kingdom Of Fife
6/10 The vocalist is not the problem here...even though I find him less charismatic than the eternal "Angus McFive". It seems like all the creativity and lightweight feeling of the songs went with him. While still playing in their own league of power metal, this is far below the standard of the first three records. |
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128.
|
Avenged Sevenfold - Life Is But A Dream...
5/10 Yeeeeah...this happened. A7X were never a favorite of mine but for many people they were also one of the bands that introduced me to metal in general. I have a soft spot for "Nightmare" and "The Stage" is a masterpiece of an album, but everything besides that...I never became a fan of. Now the singles started out to become more and more weird but kept me waiting curiously since it seemed that the timespan between 2016 and now changed their sound. And oh boy, it did. However apart from the horrendous song titles, many tracks just don´t sound like the band at all or them not even trying. And what the hell happened to M.Shadows vocals? I know he had vocal surgery and all that but compare this to "Nightmare" or even recent videos of live performances, I mean is he even trying? But apart from a vocalist who recorded his tracks while still batteling with the headaches and hangover from last night, I also think that the instrumental side is very dissapointing. Just not what I expected at all despite some good moments here and there. |
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129.
|
Crucifixion Bell - Mirages In Izar |
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130.
|
Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph) |
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131.
|
Crossed Hearts - Forced Perspective |
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132.
|
Thy Catafalque - Alföld |
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133.
|
Saturnus - The Storm Within |
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134.
|
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - 8/10 PetroDragonic Apocalypse; Or, Dawn Of Eternal Night: An Annihilation Of Planet Earth And The Beginning Of Merciless Damnation
8.5/10 Damn they just don´t stop do they? Since 2019´s "Infest The Rats Nest" I was hoping they would eventually return to this sound because since I spent the entire last summer going through their whole discography TWICE I admire them even more. Even though the record is very heavy on long songs I find the length justified for the most part. It´s not as memorable as their first thrash affair but in some parts a little less "purely metal". Great riffs and chanting choruses, what do you want else? |
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135.
|
Helleruin - Devils, Death And Dark Arts |
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136.
|
Sworn - A Journey Told Through Fire
7/10 I do not quite understand the hype for this one. It is a good record in the melodeath field but not the strongest work in the genre this year. I find the singer lacking a bit and the overall duration of the songs is a bit too much for me since they don´t offer the complexity I hoped for. Nonetheless a good album, just not one of my favorites. |
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137.
|
Mental Cruelty - Zwielicht |
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138.
|
Jag Panzer - The Hallowed |
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139.
|
Virgin Steele - The Passion Of Dionysus |
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140.
|
Raven - All Hell's Breaking Loose
5/10 This seems like a copy and paste album, really average, not even catchy. While I don´t hate the vocals of their frontman like some people seem to, it is not a powerful voice. But not even that could´ve saved this from mediocrity, which is sad, because I actually liked their 2015 album but since it seemed to go downhill for them. |
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141.
|
Grafvitnir - Into The Outer Wilderness
7.5/10 Sweden´s highly prolific black metal duo is back and this is another collection of beautiful melodic songs. The constant guitar riffage can become a bit stale but overall I think this band deserves way more attention. |
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142.
|
Before The Dawn - Stormbringers |
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143.
|
Feuerschwanz - Fegefeuer |
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144.
|
Fen - Monuments To Absence |
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145.
|
Blackbraid - Blackbraid II |
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146.
|
Winterstorm - Everfrost |
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147.
|
Vendetta (GER) - Black As Coal |
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148.
|
Evile - The Unknown |
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149.
|
Bloodbound - Tales From The North
6.5/10 This does not have the right to be this good! I always viewed Bloodbound as a standard "no highs no lows" power metal band but since diving into their catalog last year and came to a different conclusion. Yeah they write over the top cheesy songs with themes that are dead in the water by now, however they are really good songwriters to keep the listener entertained and I would say that they even have one or two 7-8 rating albums. This was enjoyable, a good listen for fans of the genre. |
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150.
|
Mizmor - Prosaic |
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151.
|
Cadaver - The Age Of The Offended |
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152.
|
Signs Of The Swarm - Amongst The Low & Empty |
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153.
|
Fleshvessel - Yearning: Promethean Fates Sealed |
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154.
|
Chris Boltendahl's Steelhammer - Reborn In Flames |
 |
155.
|
Humanity's Last Breath - Ashen |
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156.
|
An Autumn For Crippled Children - Closure
7/10 In comparison to the creative resurgence AAFCC have faced since 2020´s "All fell silent..." this is undoubtably their weakest effort in that period. I will always be a advocate for this band since the atmosphere is just special, this mixture of dreamy and depressive sounds is what they´ve mastered since the early 2010´s. Most people would say that the band hasn´t really progressed musically, with each album they fine-tuned their sound in a diffrent direction, somtimes for better or worse. The songs here seem to once again blend very much into each other, which may be boring for some and an experience for others. I fall in the second category but I found their shorter albums in this decade better in terms of songwriting and variety. |
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157.
|
Werewolves - My Enemies Look And Sound Like Me |
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158.
|
Urne - A Feast On Sorrow |
 |
159.
|
Spirit Adrift - Ghost At The Gallows |
 |
160.
|
Skálmöld - Ýdalir |
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161.
|
Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium |
 |
162.
|
Dethklok - Dethalbum IV |
 |
163.
|
U.D.O. - Touchdown |
 |
164.
|
Knife - Heaven Into Dust |
 |
165.
|
Incantation - Unholy Deification |
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166.
|
Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Nahab |
 |
167.
|
Alice Cooper - Road |
 |
168.
|
Svartkonst - May The Night Fall |
 |
169.
|
Cruel Force - Dawn Of The Axe |
 |
170.
|
Taake - Et Hav Av Avstand |
 |
171.
|
Soen - Memorial |
 |
172.
|
Primal Fear - Code Red |
 |
173.
|
Marduk - Memento Mori |
 |
174.
|
Uada - Crepuscule Natura |
 |
175.
|
Sylosis - A Sign Of Things To Come |
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176.
|
Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg For Death |
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177.
|
Cryptopsy - As Gomorrah Burns |
|
178.
|
ASP - Horrors - A Collection Of Gothic Novellas |
 |
179.
|
Thorn - Evergloom |
 |
180.
|
Shining - Shining |
 |
181.
|
Shade Empire - Sunholy |
 |
182.
|
Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night: Part 1 |
 |
183.
|
Altarage - Worst Case Scenario |
 |
184.
|
Alkaloid - Numen |
|
185.
|
Winterstorm - Everfrost |
 |
186.
|
Subsignal - A Poetry Of Rain |
 |
187.
|
Profanatica - Crux Simplex |
 |
188.
|
My Lament - The Season Came Undone |
 |
189.
|
Mercenary - Soundtrack For The End Times |
 |
190.
|
Grift - Dolt Land |
 |
191.
|
Deadspace - Unveiling The Palest Truth |
 |
192.
|
Cannibal Corpse - Chaos Horrific |
 |
193.
|
Desecresy - Deserted Realms |
 |
194.
|
Steven Wilson - The Harmony Codex |
 |
195.
|
Ruin Lust - Dissimulant |
 |
196.
|
Primordial - How It Ends |
 |
197.
|
Night In Gales - The Black Stream |
 |
198.
|
Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle |
 |
199.
|
KK's Priest - The Sinner Rides Again |
 |
200.
|
Kadaverficker - Superkiller (A Musical Journey Between Life And Death) |
 |
201.
|
Iskandr - Spiritus Sylvestris |
 |
202.
|
Dark The Suns - Raven And The Nightsky |
 |
203.
|
Code Orange - The Above |
 |
204.
|
Revenant Marquis - All The Pleasures Of Heaven |
 |
205.
|
October Tide - The Cancer Pledge |
 |
206.
|
Heretoir - Nightsphere |
 |
207.
|
Hegeroth - Disintegration |
 |
208.
|
Akitsa - Devenir Le Diable |
 |
209.
|
Theocracy - Mosaic |
 |
210.
|
Sulphur Aeon - Seven Crowns And Seven Seals |
 |
211.
|
Stortregn - Finitude |
 |
212.
|
On Thorns I Lay - On Thorns I Lay |
 |
213.
|
Décembre Noir - Your Sunset
My Sunrise |
 |
214.
|
Body Void - Atrocity Machine |
 |
215.
|
Sorry... - Self Inflicted Razor Cutting |
|
216.
|
Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade |
 |
217.
|
Bloodred Hourglass - How's The Heart? |
 |
218.
|
Asagraum - Veil Of Death, Ruptured |
 |
219.
|
Angelus Apatrida - Aftermath |
 |
220.
|
Afterbirth - In But Not Of |
 |
221.
|
Wayfarer - American Gothic |
|
222.
|
Sorcerer - Reign Of The Reaper |
 |
223.
|
Poppy - Zig |
 |
224.
|
Legendry - Time Immortal Wept |
 |
225.
|
Ghosts Of Atlantis - Riddles Of The Sycophants |
 |
226.
|
Doro - Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud |
 |
227.
|
Dokken - Heaven Comes Down |
 |
228.
|
Berzerker Legion - Chaos Will Reign |
 |
229.
|
Autopsy - Ashes, Organs, Blood And Crypts |
 |
230.
|
Primordial Serpent - Enlightenment Through Impurity |
 |
231.
|
Aeonian Sorrow - Katara |
 |
232.
|
Vesperian Sorrow - Awaken The Greylight |
 |
233.
|
Suffocation - Hymns From The Apocrypha |
 |
234.
|
Silent Planet - Superbloom |
 |
235.
|
Satan's Fall - Destination Destruction |
 |
236.
|
Mortuary Drape - Black Mirror |
 |
237.
|
Green Lung - This Heathen Land |
 |
238.
|
Faidra - Militant, Peninent, Triumphant |
 |
239.
|
Angra - Cycles Of Pain |
 |
240.
|
Heavy Load - Riders Of The Ancient Storm |
 |
241.
|
Pa Vesh En - Catacombs |
 |
242.
|
Æolian - Echoes Of The Future |
 |
243.
|
Shylmagoghnar - Convergence |
 |
244.
|
Night Crowned - Tales |
 |
245.
|
Panopticon - The Rime Of Memory |
 |
246.
|
Sadus - The Shadow Inside |
 |
247.
|
Earthside - Let The Truth Speak |
 |
248.
|
Korgonthurus - Jumalhaaska |
 |
249.
|
Cruciamentum - Obsidian Refractions |
 |
250.
|
Convocation - No Dawn For The Caliginous Night |
 |
251.
|
Varathron - The Crimson Temple |
 |
252.
|
Paradise Lost - Icon 30 |
 |
253.
|
Inculter - Morbid Origin |
|
254.
|
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