A landslide of a week where death and black metal goes toe to toe with prog, fielding some worthy contenders that easily stand out of the masses.
Anachronism – Meanders
Genre: Progressive/technical death metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Dissonance all the way on this one. It brings to mind some sort of artificial life blindly and randomly striking out. Even though there has been set aside a little room for contemplative atmosphere, there is little to no melody to go with it, and so this insistent feeling of wrongness prevails. The precision is fantastic, although the approach will probably get repetitive fairly quickly for those less interested in this level of technicality.
…And Oceans – As In Gardens, So In Tombs
Genre: Symphonic black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
A mighty symphonic black metal record that moves simultaneously with the speed of a glacier and an avalanche, with the rhythm section racing away while the overarching melodies glide patiently forward. This is not your average tongue-in-cheek, dark fantasy-themed theatrical approach, rather taking the mood of the atmospheric niche of the subgenre and upping the grandeur to mountainous levels. It lends the experience an air of legitimacy that allows you to fully lean into and embrace the cold, sweeping, folk-tinged themes. An excellently balanced influx of aggression keeps the energy levels up as well.
Highlights: “The Collector and His Construct” and “Cloud Heads”.
Anzillu – Ex Nihilo
Genre: Thrash metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
A dark-ish thrash record with traces of Kreator, as well as some death metal tone and a hardcore bark to the vocals. Speaking of which, the vocals don’t always harmonize all that well with the instrumentation, and overall this feels a bit unimaginative.
Ashen Horde – Antimony
Genre: Progressive black/gothic metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is black metal that exists in a kind of limbo in between progressive death and dissonant gothic rock. The instrumentation is absolutely competent, but the sonic image feels ever so slightly confused, never landing fully in one camp or another. That in itself is of course fine, but some times it can feel like a slightly directionless exploration of what works collectively for the musicians.
Bizarrekult – Den Tapte Krigen
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A pale, unfriendly deep dive into a wandering, yet limited tonal territory, where abrasive black metal competes with subtle, bleak atmosphere. There is sorrow and aggression, but also sections where you are allowed to just enjoy some uncomplicated, cold riffing. The intensity level varies greatly, although there’s a lack of standout moments to fully realize the band as something unique and distinct.
Cancervo – II
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Slow, doomy tones to create a soft, unholy atmosphere that feels mostly warm and inviting, as long as you are fine enjoying them in the dark.
Cerbere – Cendre
Genre: Doom/sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A dark and hostile experience that feels like crawling through a claustrophobic cave system on your hands and knees while the shadows snarl softly at you. The riffs allow for a touch of stoner groove when they decide to hit, so it’s not all abrasive blackness, but considering the tempo it’s certainly not for the impatient.
Conjureth – The Parasitic Chambers
Genre: Death metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
An intense death metal landslide that doesn’t shy away from the chaotic, overwhelming approach. But if you can survive past the pummeling, you’re rewarded with some monster thrash-inspired riffs and quite a bit of doom melody. The intensity lever really lets up until the very last song, which is more of a slow creeper, so for the most part this is a wild onslaught with a bit of a blackened, old-school tone.
Dust Prophet – One Last Look Upon The Sky
Genre: Stoner metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A dry, exploratory kind of stoner record with quite a bit of atmosphere and a slightly stunted, low-fi sound. As expected, there is tons of fuzz and a good bit of mid-tempo groove. Even though a lot of the familiar elements are there, it doesn’t feel run of the mill, opting for slightly odd melodies and experimenting with different rhythms.
Flidais – Pathogen
Genre: Progressive metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
A slice of a slightly different kind of progressive metal, in that it’s not trying to overwhelm you with its technical accomplishments. It sounds traditional, but a bit darker and more industrial than your run of the mill classic prog.
Grief Symposium – …In The Absence Of Light
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A gritty, mid-tempo album where the groove-influenced death metal takes the driver’s seat over the slow, earthy doom. It’s like it’s a bit too impatient to slow all the way down, instead opting for chugging, medium heavy riffs with a touch of sinister disharmony. There’s not all that much melody or atmosphere, apart from the last , 18 min + song , which is mostly ambiance.
Iron Void – IV
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is doom with a traditional metal backbone. It strikes a good balance between graveyard tone and old school feelgood, and while the rhythms can be a little unengaging at times, this is definitely enjoyable, with laid back, crunchy guitar work and tasteful vocal work.
Liv Sin – KaliYuga
Genre: Heavy/melodic metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Highly headbang-able, melody-focused stuff with some alt metal anger and catchy, hard rock groove. There’s enough kick and attitude to attract those outside the melodic metal sphere, but don’t expect too much in terms of imaginative songwriting or innovative playing.
Malice Divine – Everlasting Ascendancy
Genre: Thrash/death/black metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Here’s some tasty aggro-thrash with a black metal-ish tone and just the right amount of death metal heft to keep it light on it’s feet, yet delivering savage blows. The tempo is high and the enthusiasm behind it measurable. At one point it does get a little predictable, but if you like pairing of playfulness, aggression and a touch of theater, all the while staying true to the core subgenres, then you’ll enjoy this.
Malleus – The Fires Of Heaven
Genre: Black/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is the sound of focus. There is nothing superfluous or extravagant about this sound at all. Neither is it clean or understated. Just chopping block ruthless efficiency and an expertly honed fusion of black metal chill and thrash metal zeal. The tone is dry and slightly flat, which allows the sharp guitar wails and snarling vocals pierce through the mix with ease. Not the most adventurous stuff you’ll ever hear, but it’s quality, and feels pretty timeless.
Highlights: “Beyond the Pale” and “Prophetess”.
Mask of Prospero – Hiraeth
Genre: Progressive metalcore
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 4/5
A barebones kind of progressive metalcore setup, where each separate contribution manages a very expansive sound. The drums and bass thunder and the guitars reach all the way to the floor. The vocals are extremely well defined and does a pleasing mix of clean and harsh that isn’t excessively far apart. The intensity varies greatly, and the calm that settles after a section of screams and instrumental outbursts feels serene. There isn’t all too much to the progressive element other than some unorthodox rhythms, but the pacing and timing of the performances are all quite pleasing in their flawlessness.
Methane – Kill It With Fire
Genre: Groove/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Like a controlled stampede, this thing keeps kicking at you in a predictably aggressive manner from start to finish, fueled by rowdy groove and some thrash attitude. The sound is a bit simple, and there are no real surprises, but it’s a good energy boost.
Nephilim’s Noose – Blood Chants Of Impiety
Genre: Death/doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
This is earth encrusted, boulder heavy and all-lights-out death doom that’s part chaotic and part oppressive atmosphere, with limited sections of thundering, coordinated riffs. There’s a lot of dissonance that comes along with the wilder parts, and you feel like they’re an attempt at creating a distinct soundspace, but it will take some active willingness from the listener to be transported there.
Obelyskkh – Ultimate Grace Of God
Genre: Experimental doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
This is one of those that you could easily imagine being the soundtrack to madness. Not wild, spinning, uncontrollable lunacy, but a slow descent into a dark delirium. The dark, fuzzy riffs make out the bottom of the sound, creating this threatening base that casts the elements on top in an unsettling light. There’s no clear direction, and so it’s easy to feel lost, or even stuck depending on your inclination.
Ominous Scriptures – Rituals Of Mass Self-Ignition
Genre: Brutal death metal
Subjective rating: 2.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Noise. Incessant, unfriendly and devoid of melody. The chugging riffs, clicking drums and rolling bass pushes you forward rather than drags you along. There’s a demonic tinge to the tone, but for the most part it gets a bit lost in the mix.
Oozing Wound – We Cater To Cowards
Genre: Experimental hardcore/thrash metal
Subjective rating:3/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
A grab-you-by-the-cuff, gleefully unhinged noise project that will appeal to your devil-may-care, destructive side. There are grounding rhythms throughout, which will trick you with a sense of stability while your perception of the world is being fucked with by the lyrical content and the harsh wrongness of the tone.
Raum Kingdom – Monarch
Genre: Progressive sludge metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
If you feel like the depressive tone of grunge, the jaggedness of sludge and unorthodoxy of prog would make a killer combo, then this is for you. This is cerebral, gloomy and at times quite hostile. It feels refined and purposeful, with a unifying tone that makes it both stylistically confident and a bit monotone.
Ronnie Romero – Raised On Heavy Radio
Genre: Heavy metal
Subjective rating: 2/5
Objective rating: 2.5/5
Sleaze-tinged, chrome-flaunting heavy metal that sounds like a mix (or ripoff) of all the greatest hits of the 80s.
Schavot – Kronieken Uit De Nevel
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
The sonic equivalent of an ice pick in the night, this is arctic black metal with a dark medieval flair. It’s a thin, direct sound with little to no embellishment, and a spot-on guitar tone that takes you to lands of gothic castles on jagged, snow covered mountains, where the light of burning torches are smothered by deathly mist. The intent of the musicians is crystal clear throughout, with a tight rhythm and razor sharp tremolo leading the way and covering the path in frost as you go. While the general feel is quite similar from song to song, you never get bogged down in unnecessary atmosphere, and so the overall impression is one of efficiency.
Highlights: “Zwart Water” and “De Laatste Dans Gedanst”.
Seer Of The Void – Mantra Monolith
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Dark, cult-y doom with plenty of crisp stoner groove. This leads you into a black, candle lit cellar and makes you enjoy your stay with alluring guitar work and a pleasing, warm bass tone. The rhythm can get a bit staccato at times, and there’s not amazing progression, but as a non-binding dip into the doom ool this does the job quite well.
Sorrowful Land – Faded Anchors Of The Past
Genre: Doom metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3.5/5
Sullen, momentous doom that’s on the way to funeral tempo, but doesn’t quite go there. This feels like haunting sorrow all the way, wallowing in a thick mist of abyssal melancholy, even in the parts where the riffs swell. While the slowness is competently managed by nuanced rhythm work, the melodic parts can feel kind of nondescript, and doesn’t add too much other than a feeling of misery.
Superterrestrial – The Fathomless Decay
Genre: Black metal
Subjective rating: 3/5
Objective rating: 3/5
Cosmic black metal that, in line with its theme, is on the hostile, unfeeling side. There are moments of melancholy and even fiery anger, but they have a tendency to get sucked into the void of bleakness.
The World Is Quiet Here – Zon
Genre: Progressive/technical death metal
Subjective rating: 4/5
Objective rating: 4/5
A wide-reaching progressive album that at first listen checks off a lot of the classic prog boxes, then introduces you to its dark twin personality without ever really slipping completely out of the first. In here is quite a bit of tech death, that will play the part of Hyde on and off for longer and shorter sections. It never really overwhelms with its technicality, instead adding an aggressive and forceful peak to the underlying beat and melody work. The vocals range demonstrated on here is expansive to say the least, with a large palate of harsh and clean to suit the prevailing mood.
Highlights: “Heliacal Vessels Part 1: The Mothers of No Kin” and “Moonlighter”.
Zombie Riot – World Epitaph
Genre: Death/thrash metal
Subjective rating: 3.5/5
Objective rating: 3/5
No-nonsense death metal with the urgency and naked riff love of thrash. It’s not the most refined stuff you’ll ever hear, nor is it actively trying to sound any rougher than it really is. It’s a raw, guitar-led, evil-toned scorcher, that only just misses out on the big, catchy hooks that could have made it a true headbanging gem.
As always, if you think I’m completely off on an observation, unfairly dissed your favorite band or need to give an album another shot, do feel free to express yourself in the comments section below.
The Metal Dispatch 