Throughout my life, there have been so many bands that have transcended music and have become a part of my DNA. Music I can’t live without. Bands I can’t live without. That sounds insane on the surface, because no one physically needs music to survive. Mentally and emotionally? That’s a different story entirely, and I’d argue in this case, music is as big as anything.
I’ve had a lot of bands I’ve considered favorites from Iron Maiden to Helloween to Spirit Adrift to Metallica. The one thing they have in common is none ever has been my top record of the year since I’ve been recording these things on my site. Same with black metal institution Panopticon, the Austin Lunn-led band that has made such a difference in my life and created a massive impact, that their records are like documents that should be buried with me, as melodramatic as that sounds. Well, for Panopticon, that ends this year as “The Rime of Memory” is my favorite album of 2023, and the reason for that is the way it made me feel and believe, knowing I’m not a young man any longer but realizing that’s no reason to give up on new discoveries or new music in general. You will have to bury me before I stop. At six tracks and 75 minutes, it should be a much more challenging listen than it is. Instead, the album blows by, sweeping you up with it and taking you on a ride with one of black metal’s most expressive, vulnerable, and thunderous bands on the entire planet. Woven inside is the theme of aging, seeing your hair grow grayer, your face look more weathered, your bones ache a little more. It’s a human process to be celebrated, and this record does that with great glory.
The loon call at the beginning of instrumental opener “Erindringens Høstlige Dysterhet” greets you frostily, bringing a woodsy edge that pours into “Winter’s Ghost” that itself takes time to set its rustic stage before the black metal burst strikes. The playing tears with a rage, Lunn’s howls mixing perfectly with the harrowing riffs, the moody slide guitar, and the roaring strings from Charlie Anderson, who plays a transformative role on this record. “Cedar Skeletons” is a revelation, crushing and rampaging as the guitars catch fire, the intensity spiking as the rousing adventure spreads. Again, Anderson’s strings mix with the power ideally, creating a section deep into this song that rivals that primary riff from “In the North Woods” as one of Panopticon’s most breathtaking moments. The melodic euphoria combined with the remains of nature ravaged results in one of the best metal songs of the year.
“An Autumn Storm” brings a massive attack, swinging hard as tornadic guitars chew up the land, hulking as the punishing force swings. Chimes tingle, savage howls quake the ground, and the final moments makes your heart race. “Enduring the Snow Drought,” something that’s been very common were I live despite the brutal winters we used to have, is a spirited gush that feels like the type that could choke roadways for weeks. Howls and shrieks mix as the strings swarm, pouring elegant glaze and making melodies into a frosty beast. The playing combusts as the cello and strings take over, overwhelming with frozen majesty. “The Blue Against the White” is the ideal closer, awash in emotion and creativity, guest vocalist Johan Nilsson’s warm, evocative singing dressing the first part. The mood turns into volcanic heat, strings and horns layering new textures into black metal fury, bringing glorious and glistening power, ending with a wind that whips your breath away.
“The Rime of Memory” isn’t my favorite record of the year because of the way I feel about Panopticon. It is because it moved my heart and mind more than any other record this year. Maybe I aligned with the idea of embracing aging. Perhaps it’s still the admiration of nature, even in the face of destruction. Or it could be that this album just landed perfectly emotionally, sonically, and spiritually that it was undeniable. Actually, I think that’s it. I’ve always based my work on feel, and nothing made me feel the majesty of humanity, metal lore, and compassion that way this record did. And it’ll be with me forever. (Nov. 29)
“Inward to Gethsemane,” the insanely great fifth record from Vastum, revels in mental and physical torture, and while much of the death metal circle is fairly Christ hating, this album aligns with his suffering and death in a way you might not expect. They’re also not exactly lining up for communion, in case that freaked you out. If you were anticipating psychological sexual tortures and pain, yeah, that’s also here in spades as this band—vocalist Daniel Butler, vocalist/guitarist/synth player Leila Abdul Rauf, guitarist Shelby Lermo, bassist Colin Tarvin, drummer Chad Gailey—has made a practice out of exploring those terrifying corners of reality. But this record also leans into bodily torture one cannot just ask out of, not unlike Christ’s suffering in Gethsemane before his bloody journey to Golgotha, a sacrifice made for all humanity via a tortuous death.
Photo by Chris Johnson
“In Bed With Death” opens in a strange aura as the guitars get started, warped riffs tangling you with psychosis. The power stomps as the shrieks menace, Butler and Rauf trading off lines, leaving steaming bruising. “Free from maternal boundary violations, spilling seeds, burdened by ancient pain that gestate inside her,” carves into your brain as the playing comes unglued, the carnage leaving you nauseated. “Priapic Chasms” smears, the pace mashing, deep growls digging into your entrails. The guitars smoke and then deface, beastly howls crash down and leave permanent scarring, and then the playing blinds you, zapping and punishing, mangling flesh.
“Vomitous (in the Agony Garden)” chugs and lurches, the growling splattering, the call of, “Sprawled, my agony!” making psychological trauma that much deeper. The playing combusts as the bludgeoning gets meaner, the howl of, “Sprawling, can’t stop subjecting myself to your finger inside my eye, feeling emetic, in distress, can’t stop vomiting,” a sight you can’t unsee in your mind, the heat becoming unbearable. I think this is my favorite track here, perhaps because I can’t remove the cries of, “In agony!” from my vulnerable brain. “Corpus Fractum” is the eight-minute closer, a dose of pure fright, ferocious vocals, and immersive guitars combining to take you down. “I will be in agony until the end of the world, there must be no sleeping during this time, spiritual insomnia, my ego is blurred, I’m high on the cross, so high I’m blind,” digs into Christ-like psychosis, a hypnotic haze wrapping around the punishment, brutally striking back on multiple human levels. Vastum always have been an intense, mentally barbaric, musically twisted band, but this fifth record pushes them even further into madness, scraping away at psychological faculties that already were in question. It’s also the best death metal record of the year. (Nov. 10)
Taking vengeance upon someone typically means that person wronged you, hurt you mentally or physically, stole from you, or committed some other deed that did damage. Responding in kind to that person is to ensure they never do that again. That bloody act is the centerpiece of “Violent Creed of Vengeance,” the second record from metallic force Smoulder, making this their deadliest hour. Over these seven tracks, the band—vocalist Sarah Ann, guitarists S. Vincent and Collin Wolf, bassist Adam Blake, drummer Kevin Hester—used their razor-sharp speed and power metal to drive their means of payback, and the fact that it’s a female hero as our protagonist (check that cover art) helps even the warrior scales, fucking finally. Ann directed her rage toward rapists and abusers, as well as the support system that enables this behavior, and she imagines violence unspeakable and the desire to entirely extinguish evil forces for the betterment of the world.
The title track kicks in with riffs charging and Ann’s soaring singing, as she goes a register higher than she did on much of Smoulder’s debut “Times of Obscene Evil and Wild Daring.” The band is in total command, telling dark and fantastical tales, the fluid assault taking you to task and injecting energy into every ounce of this track. “The Talisman and the Blade” is speedy and jarring, the vocals pounding away, the energy palpable. “To fathom the witches riddle, power is nothing if given to you, let the forces of furies unite for justice, for light, and life,” Ann wails over the chorus as the guitars charge up and ignite the power, the drums pounding, and the bass slicing a thick path.
“Path of Witchery” explodes with jarring riffs and a stomping pace, the chorus once again shining brightly as one of the most alluring parts of the track. Punches land as the leads take on more fury, the soloing giving off blinding flashes, the singing feeling immersive and sinewy, everything sweeping through to a dramatic end. “Victims of Fate” runs 7:41, driving a knife through your chest, taking off with plodding strength. Glorious and humid, the track keeps building, the story evolves, and Ann calls out (in reference to the center city in Michael Moorcock’s multiverse), “Tanelorn, I wish for release, Tanelorn, will I find you in?” as the power drives into the sky and fades away. Closer “Dragonslayer’s Doom” runs 9:51 and lights up before hitting a tempered pace, getting more molten as things progress. The pace chugs as the guitars go off on a journey, Ann standing with blade in hand as she adds more muscle. This is a band that cannot be denied, and their second album is one that drives home the fact that they’re ascending to a throne no one can prevent them from taking. (April 21)
The disintegration of a relationship is one of the more unpleasing, frustrating, mentally annihilating experiences a person can endure. Great Fall’s cataclysmic record “Objects Without Pain” goes down that bloodied road, reliving the pain and anger of separating from someone or something you know and love. From the moment it gets under way, the pressure is palpable, the emotion pouring from the heart as if blood from a mortal wound. In fact, the band itself did go through the ending of a long relationship when vocalist/guitarist Demian Johnston and bassist Shane Mehling parted ways with drummer Phil Petrocelli and replaced him with Nickolis Parks, and that new trio fires on all cylinders on this record.
“Dragged Home Alive” slowly dawns and sets in its claws before wrenching howls gut you, turning on the intensity. The other Great ~ Falls (Australian band of the same name) singer Lillian Albazi makes her first appearance as she whispers, “Wait, there’s no escape,” a harbinger of the chaos to come as everything comes unglued. “There is no escape from this place!” Johnston wails as the walls come down, crushing with weight and power, smothering as the guitars ache, wails jolt, and the noise spills out. “Born As an Argument” has guitars engulfing out of a burst of noise, the cries scathing and scratching at wounded flesh, everything feeling frustrated and on fire. In fact, things turn even more volcanic before calm finally enters, cooling your pained nerves. Albazi’s voice calls out from the distance, layers thicken, and we bleed into “Old Words Worn Thin” that rivets with strange beats before it’s on top of you, chewing off your face.
“Spill Into the Aisle” opens with Albazi whispering, haunting your dreams, the bass emerging and chugging, savage howls rushing down a hill, barreling toward you. The bruising fury continues to gnaw at you, everything aggravates the pain that just won’t subside, vicious guitars aching and resting your head in its quivering lap. “Ceilings Inch Closer” eases in, letting the emotion take hold before everything comes unglued. Guitars race and slide into mud, the wiry panic eating at your mind, melting over circuit boards like an old candle flowing and hardening. Closer “Thrown Against the Waves” runs 12:40, and it drains every last bit of strength you have left inside of you. The assault is insanely heavy, going in and out of warmth and freezing, throbbing and thrashing with ill intent. The drums then mash as the playing lumbers, melting and stretching flesh, feeling like a rainy, saturating front that is just getting under way. Excuse me while I go scream into a pillow. (Sept. 15)
We already knew what LA-based black metal force Agriculture stored as far as potential from their great introductory EP “The Circle Chant,” but the arrival of their self-titled first full-length took that energy even further, spilling over in total exuberant chaos over these amazing seven tracks. The band—guitarist/vocalist Daniel Meyer-O’Keeffe, bassist/vocalist Leah B. Levinson, guitarist Richard Chowenhill, drummer/percussionist Kern Haug—calls their style “spiritual music” (hence the god references in their lyrics), but not in a religious sense. Instead, it’s a reverence to their surroundings, the comfort found in other people, and self-acceptance, which can be quite the hill to climb for some folks.
“The Glory of the Ocean, Pt. 1” begins with slide guitar soothing, sending calm through your veins, and then the distortion mounts, the playing slowly developing its character. The emotion begins to tidal wave, feeling like a storm cloud bursting and pouring generously as “The Glory of the Ocean, Pt. 2” rips open, shrieks stabbing into your mind. The playing dives and warps as the infectious energy becomes insurmountable, pounding away. “The Well” is a change of pace as the track feels like a Midwestern indie dirge, Meyer-O’Keeffe’s voice calling with raw emotion, “A mother reaching out with a tiny mouth, ‘I can’t just watch the boy die all alone, and both of us crying.’” It’s a gripping piece, short but effective, and it sets the stage for the rest of this journey.
“Look, Pt. 1” explodes out of the gates with many of the same words we heard on “The Well,” this time a ferocious rampage that is built on electric energy, manic shrieks, and eventually sax sprawling and twisting psyches. “Bright eyes opened up by mighty hands,” is a call that drives right into your chest, making you feel the adrenaline rush as we head toward “Look, Pt. 2” that continues the momentum and gets even hotter, blistering while the shrieks crush inhibitions, jarring with a start/stop thrashing that devastates. Guitars swelter as the band chugs heavily, slowly melting into cosmic winds, bending into “Look, Pt. 3” that’s an all-out black metal assault. The feelings rush and become the whole story, the wild cry of, “Reach in your chest and pull out your heart,” registering with force. This is an incredible album from a band that’s likely to have a major influence on where the sound evolves from here, which is a very exciting thing. (July 21)
10. THE KEENING, “Little Bird” (Relapse): Rebecca Vernon’s new solo project The Keening arrives with debut offering “Little Bird,” a six-track record that felt perfect amid oranges, yellows, and browns of autumn, as well as cold rains that chill the bones. Rising from the dissolution of SubRosa, Vernon goes in a slightly different direction, dressing the music with dark folk flourishes and American Gothic bones. These are dark tracks for trying times, enhanced by Vernon’s incredible lyrical content that takes you through stories about unsatiable wolves, witnessing a murder and being hunted by the suspect, and, of course, the fall, whose days are running short.
“Autumn” opens in acoustics with strings swelling, Vernon calling, “Every face that I see reminds me I’m just passing through,” as sober an admission as anything. The darkness keeps moving, even amid cooler breezes signaling the changing of seasons, the ache living in the guitars, her voice, everything, resting finally in the shadows. “Eden” soaks in organs, rainy strings, and a woodsy ambiance, the pace and volume growing, the singing coming along with it. “The Hunter I and II” work together, Vernon’s protagonist escaping in the night, her calling, “I just have one question–Are you in love with me?” There’s a reason for that question, which she follows with, “Because only lovers are so intimate in their destruction, only lovers are so intimate in their complete possession.” “The Truth” runs 17:30 and is one of the most gripping pieces Vernon ever created. Starting cold and inky, guitars gather energy, and Vernon tells awful tales of a family threatened by mobs, a woman murdered by her heartless husband, and people seeking heights that, once they reach it, don’t give off satisfaction, her always asking if truth set them free. A storyteller like Vernon doesn’t come around often, and we’re lucky she’s returned with this fascinating project. (Oct. 6)
9. BULL OF APIS BULL OF BRONZE, “The Fractal Ouroboros” (Fiadh Productions): Bull of Apis Bull of Bronze have been upfront from the start about their identity as an occult ritualistic black metal band that fights in the face of injustice and abhors the capitalistic society in which we’re entrenched. On their devastating second full-length (literally out today) “The Fractal Ouroboros,” the band—vocalist/synth player Achaierai, guitarist/bassist/synth player Athshean, drummer Yaeth—exposes the ugly roots of colonialism, the oppression of capitalism, the violence enacted against Indigenous people, and the hard truths we must face in order to make real changes in the world in which we live.
“Trophy” opens in a thick drone, spiritual drumming reverberating, then the track igniting as wild shrieks hammer like baseball-sized hail. The playing is tornadic, which is something that is a sonic blueprint that’s built into most of the songs on here. “Suffocate o Earthen Lungs; They Now Lungs of Ash” explodes with ripping guitars and shrieks ablaze, decimating the senses, lowering into wrenching hell. A storming tempo ignites as the howls scathe, turning madness into a freezing front, spitting electricity as the playing swirls around your head, robbing you of breath. “Liberation Ritual” echoes with crackling fires, drums vibrating in your brain, spoken chants adding a spiritual element. Throat calls send chills and get into your blood, increasing the hypnosis as Achaierai calls, “As light, our chains fall away.” The record ends with the longest cut, the 15:57-long “Ekstasis, Enstasis, and the Fractal Ouroboros” that scrapes with a giant gust of energy. The playing is sudden and forceful, wrecking with soaring chaos, the speaking making your flesh crawl. This is a stunning end-of-year record from one of black metal’s most intense justice-seeking warriors who refuse to give an inch to oppression. (Dec. 21)
8. GHOROT, “Wound” (King of the Monsters): Taking on blackened doom trio Ghorot’s music reminds me of enduring an oppressive, brutal heat, feeling like you’re being baked alive as their manic noise and gargantuan riffs weigh down on you, making breathing a competitive sport. On their crushing record “Wound,” their second, they manage to make things heavier, nastier, riffier. As soon as the five-track record opens, you’re mangled by sonic eruption with the band piling layer upon humid layer of desert-like heat, the punishing thrashing you’re taking feeling even more intimidating as your fear for survival consumes.
“Dredge” gets started with feedback scorching, growls boiling, and the doomy fire growing and raging in time. Shrieks cut through as the pressure builds, pummeling as noise peels off and takes chunks of flesh with it, eating away with acidic pummeling. “In Absentia” rips open with scathing riffs, a blistering force, and a rhythm section that pounds away, disassembling bodies bone by bone. The growls slither as the brutality accumulates and corrodes, lashing with a devastating force that’s impossible to avoid. “Neanderskull” guts with sound before sludgy madness digs into ribcages, slowly brutalizing with oppressive heat and banshee wails. The guitars bleed heavily and then coat with iron ore, the sounds wrench and combust, and everything ends in a panicked terror bathing in manic energy. The brutality and psychedelic firepower on this record are impossible to shake, and your bones will ache for days after the music ends. (Oct. 6)
7. KRIGSGRAV, “Fires in the Fall” (Wise Blood): “Fires in the Fall” might sound like an album title that has destruction at its heart, and in some ways it does (it comes from a Robert Louis Stevenson poem). But Texan black metal/doom trio Krigsgrav weave in the reminder that even at the worst of times, we can find ways to discover hope. The fact that this band enshrouds those ideas in music that sounds like a raging storm pouring ferocity onto the earth is what makes the record so profound. This is a band that needs to be in more people’s awareness, and hopefully this album, their seventh, is what gets them there and keeps them in focus.
“An Everflowing Vessel” opens the record with sweeping power, stomping and crushing, glorious black metal and doom melding and creating something mighty. “The World We Leave Behind” heats up as the playing swells, the growls menace, and the coldness becomes a greater factor, chilling bones. “For I have lost the humanity I had, and now I shall be one with the earth,” vocalist/guitarist/synth player J. Coleman howls, clobbering hell trudging and chewing, your senses flooded with chaotic blood. “Shadowlands” begins ominously before the fuel spills and aggravates a blaze, down-tuned mashing making your bruising feel more pronounced. Closer “Alone With the Setting Sun” dawns with acoustics, the solemnity increasing before the force chugs, and the band flexes. Everything continues to get more harrowing, the drums explode with delirium, and the wrenching growls pull your guts from your body. This is a triumph of an album, music that illuminates the skies and fills your heart with an energy not encountered before that stays in every one of your cells. (June 23)
6. MARTHE, “Further in Evil” (Southern Lord): Marthe is the solo black metal project from artist Marzia, who before this effort was active in the anachro punk and riot grrrl scenes, creating music that aligned with her politics. Marthe is something altogether different, and the band’s debut full-length “Further in Evil” is her sort of exposure therapy, sinking into darkness so she can get stronger and create a sort of armor from these things. The result is a storming six-track display that feels like it burns a torch for early 1990s black metal but also has some folk strains and glimmers of her work elsewhere.
“I Ride Alone” is the 11:14-long opener, and it’s a hell of a journey, guitars dripping like tar, the drums pacing, then everything engulfed and roaring with life, Marzia’s howls scarring with dangerous heat. Synth beds send a chill as the vocals go into primitive black metal territory, which is a rush and a thrill. The playing then goes cold, numbing your nerve endings, going into mystical winds as the shrieks rip out and dominate. “Dead to You” starts eerily before the drums kick in and loosen teeth, swallowing you whole with grisly intent. The howls are raw and direct, Marzia repeating, “Dead to you!” like she’s forcing that admission into your brain. “Victimized” runs 9:12, slowly building its force, chugging and bruising, launching an electrifying riff that storms shores. The playing is pulverizing, threatening with evil and terror, the howls smashing down on you. Siouxsie and the Banshees cover “Sin In My Heart” is the closer, and it’s a heater, hovering as keys drip, Marzia singing the title repeatedly in order to hammer home her point. It’s absolutely hypnotic. This is a thrilling, hammering album, one that can ignite the black metal spirit in your heart and also harden you so that nothing can harm you ever again. (Oct. 20)
15. CRYPTA, “Shades of Sorrow” (Napalm): Brazilian death metal destroyersCrypta paint a lot of pictures about those who battle with metal health struggles on their great new record “Shades of Sorrow,” their second. You can hear the snarled words, follow along with the lyrics, and just absorb the darkness in their music to know there are harrowing topics here, plights we all face, and in order to prevent them from taking over our lives, we must find ways to cope, heal, and eventually fight. Their creativity is evident as is the fire and blood they put into their music, and if you’re someone who’s also struggling, these songs can act as battle anthems to help you rise above the disarray.
“Dark Clouds” unleashes with a mix of growls and shrieks, acoustics helping cut into the chaos, and pummeling hell raining down. “The invisible enemy is creeping in, darkness steadily surrounding me,” bassist/vocalist Fernanda Lira howls as the leads blaze, and the final assault buries you in mental shrapnel. “The Outsider” feels doomy and hazy at the start, the leads acting as a muscular spine through the middle. The feel is thrashy and grimy, the basslines flex and increase the swaggering power, and everything is torched, ashes coating the ground. “Trial of Traitors” is a plastering force that leaves brush burns on the flesh while the soloing stings, the assault renews, and growls utterly destroy, crashing out with drums turning everything to soot. “Agents of Chaos” is humid as it dawns, and then it begins to grind pretty hard, the playing getting steamier, energetic bursts making your blood flow. This is an exciting record, one that tackles the darkest of tidings, the most morbid of emotions, and comes out swinging, defiant to conquer the odds and leave negative forces burnt to a crisp. (Aug. 4)
14. MAJESTIES, “Vast Reaches Unclaimed” (20 Buck Spin): DO YOU LIKE RIFFS? I assume you do since you’re reading this. Majesties’ debut record “Vast Reaches Unclaimed” revives and sets ablaze the spirits of classic Gothenburg-style death metal. Joining forces are Tanner Anderson (vocals, guitars, drums) from Obsequiae as well as guitarist Carl Skildum and bassist Matthew Kirkwold of Inexorum to create this incredible triumph that could travel back three decades and knock the sound’s creators on their asses. These three pull together what they do best and both pay homage to a sound that sparked the desire in them and have added to that vocabulary with these thunderous 10 tracks. And goddamn are there riffs.
“In Yearning, Alive” tears in with delirious riffs, and devastating shrieks rains down with force. Smearing and driving hard, the playing is as thick melodic storm that blows in, floods, and rampages away. “Our Gracious Captors” stomps and delivers punches, and then the shrieks strangle, everything else tramping you underfoot. “Across the Neverwhen” is exhilarating from the start, aggression bleeding and teaming with vicious shrieks to add to the bruising. “Seekers of the Ineffable” lands with stabbing guitars, the fiery terror coming at you with force, the shrieks utterly bludgeoning. Leads glow as the storming increases, the vocals tear at flesh, and colorful playing laps until an abrupt end. Closer “Journey’s End” lets waters bubble and humidity add steam as the pace keeps amplifying. Guitars jolt the system as the rapid-fire playing increases the intensity, and the vocals massacre any sense of calm. You want an energy boost? Go play this record. Now! (March 3)
13. AHAB, “The Coral Tombs” (Napalm): I am utterly terrified of water adventures, but I can live vicariously through Ahab, the long-running and self-described “nautik funeral doom” band that returned after eight long years with their excellent record “The Coral Tombs,” their fifth overall. Unabashed fans of tales that originate in large bodies of water, this record focuses on the classic Jules Verne novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, a story about Professor Pierre Aronnax and his shipmates who go on an excursion to find an elusive beast only to discover it’s actually a highly advanced submarine headed by Captain Nemo. It’s the best thing Ahab ever has done, which is a massive statement considering their resume.
“Prof. Arronax’ Descent Into the Vast Oceans” starts in the most misleading manner possible, with the band in total devastation mode, mashing, drums blasting, everything coming apart before we gradually slide into slower, more torturous doom like we expect from Ahab. “Mobilis in Mobili” starts with waters bubbling, a blistering pace greeting you as the waves subside. Growls wretch as the playing grows spacious, clean calling glistening as the mood turns dour. Dark and lonely melodies tighten their grip, marching ominously as the power creaks and drubs to an end. “A Coral Tomb” opens slowly, the growls buckling as the shadows envelop. Slurring guitars immerse the senses as clean singing numbs your wounds, giving off a feel of corporeal class. Closer “The Mælstrom” runs 10:02 and bursts open, the playing sounding wonderfully fluid but also devastating. Dark growls engorge, changing the pace from the hearty singing, and elegant leads transform the dark waters to streaks of gold. (Jan. 13)
12. DØDHEIMSGARD, “Black Medium Current” (Peaceville): Long-running Nordic black metal institution Dødheimsgard never seem content with where they stand currently, and over three decades as a band, they’ve spent their journey shapeshifting. “Black Medium Current,” their sixth album and first since 2015’s “A Umbra Omega,” is a journey into astronomical imagination, strange frozen realities that lull you into a fever dream, and an expansive collection of influences that could be a mess to put together but is constructed beautifully by these veterans. This record infected me from first listen, and this nine-track, nearly 70-minute opus is fascinating and devastating all at once.
“Et Smelter” opens cleanly and spacey, singing wafting, thrilling and tornadic melodies pulling you under and letting you see visions you never imagined before. The burst of dancey synth at the end is a strange, welcome icing on the cake. “Interstellar Nexus” brings driving riffs, moody singing, and weirdness that gets into your bones. “When you sleep, you enter the void of what you seek,” vocalist Vicotnik sings, following that with a dreamy call of, “Beneath your shadow, I am under your skin.” Prepare yourself for the frenetic beats that slice in toward the end. “Halow” is a strange one with icy keys, wrenching group singing, and metallic nerve damage that leaves your flesh swollen. “Abyss Perihelion Transit” brings cold pulses, soulful singing, and an atmospheric jolt. “There is no way out of here,” Vicotnik prods, “The abyss, I heard it speak in my mind,” as chilling a sentiment as the music you hear on this immersive track. This is a record that proves time can open your mind to greater ideas, and a crowning achievement can come later in your career when many people don’t expect it. (April 14)
11. TRESPASSER, “Αποκάλυψισ” (self-released/Red Nebula/Vault of Heaven): Swedish two-headed beast Trespasser have been fighting against fascism and right-wing ideologies since their formation in 2017, and their fire-breathing second record “ἈΠΟΚΆΛΥΨΙΣ” (translated means “Apokalypsis”) has arrived to disrupt and dismantle power structures. The band uses the Book of Revelation in an anarchist sense and its ideals as a base to let loose the idea that taking back control and living in a society where victory over tyrannical power is something that can be achieved.
“Forward Into the Light!” storms out of the gates with warning sirens swirling and blistering fury overcoming, the fires blazing for all to see. “The Great Debt-Strike I: A Pillar of Smoke” delivers an ominous riff that melts into chaos, pummeling and scorching as the damage is spread liberally. The chorus is a firestormer as vocalist Dräparn howls, “Burn the records of the creditor!” “Flakes of Ash” opens with guitars glimmering and the playing trudging, glorious emotions running over. The gutting continues as the riffs melt, the pace clobbers, and it’s hard to regain your senses once it’s over. “Hand in Hand Towards Har-Megiddo” ruptures and storms, bringing down the columns and dousing everything with riotous energy. Closer “The Great Debt-Strike II: יובל” enters in drums blasts and mauling force, Dräparn wailing, “What beautiful chaos it was! What delightful disarray! What majestic confusion! It was divine pandemonium.” This is a statement, a call to action, and a collection of songs that can ignite the fires inside you. (Feb. 3)
So many times when I write about records, I think that it would be incredible if the readers could experience the music along with me. This is as close as we can get as Columbus-based black metal crushers Yfel are releasing their debut record “Beneath the Mountain’s Vigil” this coming Friday. We told you about this awesome record Dec. 7, and their stance against tyranny and determination to find a better way is infectious. So is the music (brought to you by Fiadh Productions), so enjoy this and let it set your heart ablaze in the best possible way.
20. WITCHING “Incendium” (Translation Loss): “Incendium,” the thunderous second record from Philly’s Witching, is one that sheds the harmful ways of the past and tries to fight for a better future. The title is a Latin term for fire, heat, and passion, and the music and the words penned by vocalist Jacqui Powell look back on a life that was on the path to mental and physical self-destruction and aims to set that past ablaze in an effort to carve a brighter, healthier future. There’s a noticeable uptick in black metal tendencies on this album, but their penchant for doom certainly is front and present, Powell sounding like an even greater and stronger force than before.
“Last You, Fell From Divinity” drips in cleanly, teasing tranquility, before the center point explodes, shrieks raining down and tearing limbs from bodies. The playing is storming and vile, the pace twisting and contorting, delivering black metal-style energy that seeks to maim. The title track dawns amid a great riff, snarling shrieks, and aggression that takes you to the ground. “The inside out, I can feel this beckoning me, do what you want,” Powell wails as the guitars crush, getting fiery and brutal. “Prowling Oblivion” begins serenely, letting prettier sounds and patterns have their turn, but it’s temporary. The guitars heat up, and we’re face to face with the storm, the melodies blackening and warping, making your adventure even bumpier. Closer “So Young, So Useless” rampages with smoke and a channeled chaos, the savagery stabbing hard, black metal ore coating and consuming bodies. It’s a record that can help align listeners who have had the same struggles and want to fight for positive changes. (Oct. 27)
19. MUTOID MAN, “Mutants” (Sargent House): Mutoid Man, the frenetic metallic trio that’s spent the last decade indulging in sugary and bombastic riffs and pure firepower, might not supercharge as well as a coffee for some people but “Mutants” sure gave us a boost. How could it not? The band is so infectious and fiery, so exuberantly metal, how could you not have a good time? Here, the band—featuring Cave In’s Stephen Brodsky and Converge drummer Ben Koller—launches 10 new tracks that blaze, defy gravity, and make your muscles shake, but in a way that’ll make you feel alive.
“Call of the Void” opens with the guitars just smoking, which is hardly a surprise with Mutoid Man or anything involving Brodsky. The pace is frantic and gutting, the bass thickens and create a steel beam of a spinal cord, and the underneath gets nasty, blasting through and coming to a zany end. “Frozen Hearts” pulls back just a bit, but there’s still massive amounts of intensity. “Graveyard Love” is pleasingly creepy, longing for the one who puts you in the ground. The bass is sinewy, there is a mystical edge to the guitars, and Brodsky pokes, “Everyone can see she fucking buried me.” “Siphon” begins with an insane Tom and Jerry chase-style riff, making the room spin with ludicrous energy. Shrieks menace as the leads zap, and grim turns are carried on the shoulders of great melodies. “Setting Son” ends the album with a cooling agent before the guitars scorch your full face. There’s also a bluesy edge to this thing, the smog allowed to rise, the seriousness taking over from a record that spits at monsters. (July 28)
18. RAGANA, “Desolation’s Flower” (The Flenser): Art has been fast to respond to the rise of fascism and the plight of marginalized people who are just trying to fucking live, and metallic duo Ragana has not been shy on fighting back against injustice through their music. Their latest is “Desolation’s Flower,” and it’s an emotional, heartbreaking, infuriated, and empathetic record that’s thunderous both musically and philosophically. The band’s members Maria (she/her) and Coley (they/them) have a unique approach to the band as they trade off instruments and vocals, with neither having a concrete role. If you’re not already enraged and inspired to fight, this album should push you over the line.
The title track opens the record in dark dreariness, a doomy crawl striking as Coley’s shrieks wrench, the drumming coming unglued. Burly, wild howls drive you back, Coley wailing, “Holy are their names who found desolation’s flower, unending holy bloom that cannot be denied, we hold eternity, they cannot make us die.” “Woe” brings a doomy buzz, Maria’s reflective calls digging into you as she sings, “I am a mountain, with winds that blow colder and colder.” “DTA” is the heart stopper and brings quieter guitars and singing that aims to pierce your heart, Maria calling, “I am a mystery, even to myself, I look in the mirror, see someone else.” The power lathers, and suddenly mixed in, you hear sounds of rioting in Oakland. “Death to America and everything you’ve done, I can’t feel anything, I am numb,” Maria repeats, each time feeling more resolute in her declaration. This is a beautiful, storming, heartfelt record that is impossible to shake, as these songs will live in your brain, their messages informing every move you make as you navigate an unforgiving world. (Oct. 27)
17. KEN MODE, “Void” (Artoffact): Canadian metallic noise veterans KEN mode have been dealing with the results and effects of the pandemic over the course of their interconnected last two records, and we get the second serving of that with “Void.” A companion piece to last year’s stunning “Null,” this eight-track bruiser isn’t a retread of that album at all. It’s very different sonically and personality wise, and its songs are the result of the sadness and disappointment that resulted from dealing with the height of the worldwide struggle against disease.
“The Shrike” opens and slowly builds, but before you know it, the intensity has spiked. “There’s no escape from our mistakes,” vocalist/guitarist Jesse Matthewson seethes, the steam rising and aggravating wounds, a muddy haze suddenly developing, hanging over as the drumming mashes its body into the dirt. “These Wires” is an incredible piece, a 7:54 slow burner that’s the most different thing on either of their most recent two records. The guitars are moody, keys dripping, and Jesse speak singing, unloading the burden. His refrain of, “Why would anything feel right again?” is a sentiment that weighs down hard. “I Cannot” is sinewy and wastes no time doling out punishment, the shrieks blasting away, guitars catching fire and amplifying the heaviness. “Not Today, Old Friend” brings the record to an end by toying with your emotions, speak singing jabbing, the darkness thickening as Kathryn Kerr’s sax wafts like a ghoul. (Sept. 22)
16. TOMB MOLD, “The Enduring Spirit” (20 Buck Spin): Ever since their formation in 2015, Tomb Mold operated on a different level than most other death metal bands, proving to be a storming force in the studio and in the live setting, where they absolutely destroy. Their unbelievable latest record “The Enduring Spirit” landed in our grasp as an overnight surprise, and it’s undoubtedly the best thing they’ve ever released. Which is saying something since they have a resume that cannot be fucked with. The band adds softer parts, jazzier sequences, and dreamy transmissions that enhance the carnage. It makes their music more flexible and unpredictable, more exciting, and something that takes death metal to a new level of understanding.
“The Perfect Memory (Phantasm of Aura)” starts with the drums ripping off with power, the riffs stomping in their own right, everything spiraling and snapping alien-like. Raw growls tear in as the leads get more fluid, tricky melodies washing over everything. “Will of Whispers” is the first real sign of changes, and it’s exhilarating hearing this band take these chances. Gentler and cleaner guitars add a breeze, giving off Dream Unending vibes (guitarist Derrick Vella’s other band), and then things turn grisly. “Fate’s Tangled Thread” has a pulverizing and pleasingly perplexing start, letting the hammers fly as the growls retch, and the battering tones do a number on your senses. There’s a strange sci-fi vibe that infects your blood, then the guitars fire on all cylinders, churning through fires and horror vibes, blasting to an imaginative end. Closer “The Enduring Spirit of Calamity” runs 11:36, easily the longest Tomb Mold song to date, and it has a brainy, burly sense of adventure that scratches and claws its way into your brain. It’s a tired cliche, but this is next-level shit, the type of record that cements this band’s legend and makes them one of the standard bearers of death metal in 2023 and beyond. (Sept. 15)
30. SVALBARD, “The Weight of the Mask” (Nuclear Blast): UK post-hardcore/black metal-influenced force Svalbard haven’t exactly made wholesale changes on their new record “The Weight of the Mask.” There are new wrinkles and more approachable waves, but they’re still completely recognizable, still incredibly infectious and heavy. Vocalist/guitarist Serena Cherry steps back from her more political lyrics to make personal matters the focal point, leaning into depression, love, anxiety, and feeling like you’re hiding behind your true self. This record feels like a band getting a better idea of who they are and showing no fear for expanding their sounds. “Faking It,” “Eternal Spirits,” “Lights Out,” and “How to Swim Down,” with Cherry’s declaration of, “Go fight, I will heal you,” give melodic black metal and post-hardcore a beating heart. (Oct. 6)
29. CIRKELN, “The Primitive Covenant” (True Cult): Våndarr, the lone force behind Cirkeln, strikes back with “The Primitive Covenant,” a love letter to the likes of Celtic Frost, Bathory, Darkthrone, and so many others that contributed to black metal’s formative years. This is the third Cirkeln full-length and follow-up effort to last year’s tremendous “A Song to Sorrow,” though this album gets deeper into the weeds, grabbing onto that primitive sound that informed early black metal and made it the alluring force that attracted so many and led to danger and chaos. “The Witch Bell” might as well have been pulled from the Tom Warrior songbook; “Defiled and Satanized” blisters and boils; “The Death of Thy Father” opens with an electrified riff that has folkish tendencies, and the crunch added to the swarming melodies instantly arrests your imagination. (Nov. 3)
28. THANTIFAXATH, “Hive Mind Narcosis” (Dark Descent): Canadian monsters Thantifaxath never seemed interested in creating art that goes down easily, and their latest opus “Hive Mind Narcosis” is sure to leave people perplexed and lost. Which is fine, because not all music should strive to comfort or amass a larger audience. Black metal is the base, but there are psychedelic elements, noise, doom, and death, making this a fully realized piece sonically and one that thematically that plays with the conflict of being completely repulsed by something but also accepting its existence. It’s twisted, warped, and plays games with your mind, something this shrouded band has mastered completely. It’s not an easy assignment, but it’s a mountain you’ll climb in the dark against your will, trying to find a glimmer of light in a smothering blackness. (June 2)
27. WAYFARER, “American Gothic” (Profound Lore): Denver black metal dreamers Wayfarer were obsessed with the West way before any of us, and their style of black metal was forming and strengthening over their first four records, all of them more than worthy. But on fifth album “America Gothic,” the band hits it out of the proverbial park, maintaining their spacious heaviness but dashing it with more period-piece drama from two centuries ago to keep you coated in dust. You practically can hear spurs rattling and the cowboy drama spilling out of this album that is so infectiously listenable and sonically devastating, it’s hard to imagine them topping this. But who are we to doubt a band that puts out something as magnificent as this piece, peaking early and often on tracks such as “The Thousand Tombs of Western Promise” (the acoustic intro made me think of “Loser” at first); riveting and epic “The Cattle Thief”; dark and foreboding “Black Plumes Over God’s Country”; and sweeping closer “False Constellation.” This is Wayfarer in their finest hour. So far, at least. (Oct. 27)
26. BLOOD CEREMONY, “The Old Ways Remain” (Rise Above): Canadian doom power Blood Ceremony creates art that sounds like it was bled out five decades ago, locked in a safe, and released in calculating manner. Yet, that’s not the case, and it goes to show how much heart and mind Blood Ceremony have invested in not only playing magickal, witchy music that would be firmly at home in the deep past, but they do it with their own personality and charisma, which has made them their own entity. “Ipsissimus” is a powerhouse, jolting and letting Alia O’Brien’s flute flutter, the one-word chorus acting as a goddamn ear worm that refuses to vacate. “Eugenie” is about the 1970 sexploitation/horror film (full name is “Eugenie … The Story of Her Journey Into Perversion”), and it’s a riveting, sultry affair where O’Brien’s vocals truly come to life. “The Bonfires at Belloc Coombe” is dark and perfect for a communal flame, while “Song of the Morrow” cools your mind, moving slower and heading into a cosmic stretch, letting hypnosis take total control. (May 5)
25. KRALLICE, “Porous Resonance Abyss” (self-released): To call NYC black metal alchemists Krallice prolific would be an understatement. And not many bands make their most imaginative work in their career on album 12, but “Porous Resonance Abyss” is that through and through. If this was a horror movie, it would be “Jason X” where our hero goes to space, and these guys did that sonically on this four-track, 43-minute opus. Granted, they played with spacey synth on last year’s “Crystalline Exhaustion,” but on this album, they go even deeper into the stars, exposing you to freezing elements that would kill you if you to experience the real thing. The four movements here prove that these guys aren’t just cranking out content to do it; they have vivid and challenging imaginations that floweth over, and this record is one that’s ideal at night, perhaps high, staring into the endless void that only gravity is preventing you from being swept into the expanding universe. (May 5)
24. USNEA, “Bathed in Light” (Translation Loss): Usnea, the Pacific Northwest doom quartet that hadn’t surfaced with a new record for six years, finally found their way back to us on the thunderous “Bathed in Light.” Luckily, the band hasn’t lost a bit of their fire and, if anything, their focus never has been sharper as they pour vitriol and passion into these awesome six tracks. The title track dawns in noise before the playing flows amid a staticy transmission, the growls engorging, eventually turning both grim and spacey. “To The Deathless” brings murky synth that creates a thick fog, zaps making brain impulses fire as mournful leads spread their morbid wings. “Uncanny Valley” trickles amid ghostly singing and a nighttime swim in murky waters, explosions ripping sides from buildings. Wild shrieks penetrate as daring playing takes to the skies, the gargantuan pace carrying the weight of the universe (May 26)
23. EREMIT, “Wearer of Numerous Forms” (Fucking Kill): German doom crushers Eremit’s third long player “Wearer of Numerous Forms” is a beast of a different type, clocking in at a massive two hours, 13 minutes. That seems like a lot on the surface, but every one of those ticks is worth your time. “Conflicting Aspects of Reality” is the colossal 63:47 opener, and most bands would have cut it with just that song. Not Eremit, and for good reason. The band starts battering right away, not worrying about pacing themselves just yet and coming at you with barbaric strength. “Entombed in a Prism of Blindness” is the “mini” track of the bunch and opens the lid to hell with brutality. Closer “Passages of Poor Light” runs 47:17, with the playing feeling like it’s floating in darkness before the explosions happen, the growls making flesh crawl, sounds quivering with crushing weight. The record shockingly never feels as long as it is, and their spacious style is perfectly suited for these epics. (June 6)
22. BODY VOID, “Atrocity Machine” (Prosthetic): “Atrocity Machine,” the fourth full-length from Body Void, isn’t so much consumed with social media hell as it is our society that is crumbling under the weight of severe financial inequality, cops murdering people with little to no consequences, and the sloppiest grifter of all time creating a rabid fanbase through his multiple crimes and treason. The band’s noise-drenched doom and sludge always has been monstrously heavy, ridiculously so, and this time around the they add layers that feel ripped from deep in the cosmos to enhance their spite and rage. “Human Greenhouse” explodes with alien melodies and strange riffs that wreck your bones, and it’s been burned into my brain. “Cop Show” pours heat as the onslaught is on, the shrieks pounding away as the playing lathers with power. “Divine Violence” runs 10:41 and is devastating from the start, the roars scorching as a heat bolt from beyond burns everything to a crisp. (Oct. 13)
21. WOE, “Legacies of Frailty” (Vendetta): Long-running black metal force Woe never shied away from digging into the seamy underbelly of humanity, and they do it yet again on “Legacies of Frailty,” the first since 2008 debut “A Spell for the Death of Man” solely helmed by founder Chris Grigg. This record is raw and mean, and absolute dagger to the diseased chest of society, pulling no punches (and those fists are pocked with broken glass). “Fresh Chaos Greets the Dawn” starts chillingly, alien synth moving over your brain before the track tears open, Grigg’s death-like roars rippling down your spine. “The Justice of Gnashing Teeth” fires up with cyclone force, mean growls sounding like the cries of humanity desperate for relief. “Shores of Extinction” grills with black metal-style riffs that make way for sorrowful melodies that weigh down any positivity you’ve fooled yourself into feeling. “Far Beyond the Fracture of the Sky” is furious as the thrashy force increases, destroying the light, the guitars racing to flex their bloody muscles, ending everything in pain. (Sept. 29)
Meat Mead Metal 