Top 10 Sludge/Doom/Industrial Albums of 2015 Dec. 29, 2015

One of the many great things about this album are the minimalist lyrics. Author Punisher has developed a mastery of shocking with a few very visual words, not unlike the work of Lord Mantis. "The Barge" repeats the cryptic mantra of "No peace, no faith." Messages like this leave you in a cesspool o...

Top 10 Progressive Metal Albums of 2015 Dec. 29, 2015

Let me begin by saying that the cleaner prog-rock sections here are masterful. And to any detractors (I myself was worried) regarding the decrease in pure metal, breathe a sigh of relief. For it is precisely the improved builds of Rush-influenced rock that makes the explosion of harsh vocals and dis...

Top 10 Death Metal Albums of 2015 Dec. 28, 2015

"I Am The Alpha and the Omega" may be one of the most appropriately named tracks this year. From Revelation 22:13: I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Abyssal ain't Jesus, but when it comes to death metal, this is some end of days-sounding stuff. "The Co...

Nostalgic Organ-Driven Doom Dec. 28, 2015

The Deer Woman
by Funeral Marmoori

Time to throw a little more doom into the mix. Funeral Marmoori came about in 2008 from an idea formed during work as another Stoner/Sludge project "GUM". The group's aesthetic is heavily inspired by bands like Saint Vitus, Paul Chain, and Cathedral. Rounding out their sound is an ever-present ba...

Mors Principium Ensiferum Dec. 25, 2015

To Deliverance
by Sound of Memories

Sound of Memories was formed by guitarists Alain and Lucho and bassist Fabien in Paris in 2010. While their sound is described as a "symbiosis of thrash and death metal merged with heavy metal," a more simplistic summary would be extreme folk. Songs vary in style, but the vast majority fit the bil...

Not a Review: Storytime Dec. 24, 2015

Alpha & Omega
by Periphery

So here's the thing, I already did a review for this album on Metal Storm. It was one of the last negative reviews I did before turning a new leaf with this site and vowing to leave the dark side. It serves as a good example of why I think positive reviews and recommendations are the way to go: t...

11 Albums To Watch for in 2016 Dec. 23, 2015

I'm not exactly sure how long this project has been in the works, but I've personally been checking back on it periodically since sometime in 2014. There seems to have been some progress according to the Facebook page updates, but really this is all you need to know: Asgeir Mickelson, Guitar-Trym, D...

Fan Says it's "Ulceratey" Dec. 23, 2015

Nihil Quam Vacuitas Ordinatum Est
by Ad Nauseam

From the bandcamp page: Ad Nauseam have put an enormous effort into creating a record without compromises. The material itself has been in the making for at least 5 years and mirrors all the hardship for complex artistic growth and perfection in an impressive, lively collage of 8 songs. The final o...

Creepy Dec. 21, 2015

-Home-
by NYX

NYX is a female-fronted black metal duo from Germany. The band began in 2011, but Home is their debut album, recorded and produced in Blackout Studio (Enthroned, Corpus Christii, Emptiness, Lvcifyre) with Enthroned's bassist Phorgath. I must say, my first reaction is best defined as "confusion." ...

Black Metal Monastery Dec. 18, 2015

Litourgiya
by Batushka

"Batushka are a Polish band whose members have not been disclosed, but they are reputed to be from well-known bands." I made an honest attempt to find out more about these mysterious musicians, but even their Facebook page keeps it to that one-sentence description. Again, when it comes to the more e...

The Fire of Moloch Dec. 18, 2015

Verwüstung
by Moloch

We have been shilling out quite a bit of modern black metal this year, but it seemed like time for something from the kvlt and tr00 rulebook. Moloch is a Ukranian black metal band and shares its name with an ancient god associated with child sacrifice (unless they are refering to the aging villain ...

Hell Hath No Fury Like Hath Dec. 17, 2015

Hive
by Hath

Hath is a New Jersey blackened death metal band. I was initially introduced to them a few months back on MetalSuck's "Unsigned and Unholy" article. Shared at the same time as our friends, Odetosun, they were also pitched under the "Opethian metal" moniker that has been floating around. While ther...

Victory Music Dec. 16, 2015

Fractals
by Orient Fall

Welcome Orient Fall from Budapest, Hungary. They play more of that djenty, progressive metalcore the kids love these days. And in this case, I love it too. From the very first few notes of Fractals, I was checking off all of the necessary boxes: Technical musicianship? Check, Solid production? Check...

Don't Ever Slow Down Dec. 16, 2015

The Book of Suffering- Tome 1
by Cryptopsy

Cryptopsy is a technical death metal band from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Apparently these guys have been around for over 20 years, and I've just been twiddling my thumbs in blisshul ignorance. So for those of you who are aware of the sheer metric velocity at which these guys shred, imagine my surp...

An Atomic Album Dec. 15, 2015

An Atomic Decision
by Pronostic

Kind of a bummer when albums seem to get lost in the shuffle. Such seems to be the case with melodic death metal band Pronostic's An Atomic Decision. It's been quite the year for metal in 2015, and with the decades of over-saturation of this genre, I guess it's not entirely surpising that sometimes ...

Bluuuuuuuuuurgh Dec. 15, 2015

Home is Where the Hatred Is
by Primitive Man

Ah, welcome back famed blackened sludge act, Primitive Man. These aptly named troubedours of tribulation from Denver Colorado have been a big name in this raging bile duct of a genre since they hit the scene hard with Scorn. Continuing a string of EP's, earlier this year they released Home is Wher...

Bass Drone Dec. 14, 2015

Mirre
by Innerwoud

Mirre is the debut full length album of Innerwoud, a one man drone project from Belgium. What makes the drone here stand out from other groups is the focus on double bass guitar. His practice is reportedly rooted in contemporary classical music, but the end result is much more of a haunting soundsca...

The Loud and the Aggressive Dec. 14, 2015

For the Loud and the Aggressive
by Mortal Strike

More thrash for you today. The title track begins, and we step into an alternate universe where Slayer are from Vienna, Austria. The vocal approach is similar. This man states what's on his mind. There are no frills, he simply spits it out into the music. He's the type of guy who has no problem...

This One's For the Ladies Dec. 11, 2015

Pussy Jamz
by Grind of the Dead

Pussy Jamz represents the comeback of Grind Of The Dead after a ten year hiatus. The album was written entirely by King Grindfuck, 40 songs in total, making this by far the longest grindcore album I have ever listened to. The album features more than a dozen guest vocalists and musicians from the lo...

Bro Hug It Out Dec. 11, 2015

The Malkuth Grimoire
by Alkaloid

Alkaloid is an extreme progressive supergroup out of Germany. Featuring members of Necrophagist, Obscura, Spawn of Possession, Aborted, Dark Fortress, God Dethroned, Blotted Science and Noneuclid; it is no wonder the amount of press this album recieved despite being entirely funded, recorded, and re...
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