30. CHAT PILE, “Cool World” (The Flenser): Oklahoma City-based bruisers Chat Pile already have made a name for themselves for their down-tuned, sludgy sound, and on their second record “Cool World” (yes, it shares a name with the 1992 film starring human shit pile Brad Pitt), they add more filth and grit to the mix on these 10 tracks. You won’t be surprised to learn things have not gotten rosier since their great debut “God’s Country” as the band digs into the increasing nightmare that has enveloped this country and the world from our environment actively sold for parts and fascist assholes being a little too horny for power. It’s horror that we’ve seen before our eyes, the band violently reminding us that the dark skies are permanent, and trying to find silver linings is a fool’s mission. “I Am Dog Now” bathes in synth, and then things turn chunky and blunt, Busch wailing the title over and over before yelling, “And you see nothing!” “Funny Man” bruises, and the guitars get warped though remain strangely melodic; “Tape” bathes in clean guitars before howls and dreary singing mix, an overcast feeling creating unease; and closer “No Way Out” has the bass thumping, unhinged cries loosening joints, the guitars glazing and blurring eyes. “Feed them lies!” Busch demands before warning, “No escape.” (Oct. 11)
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/chatpileband
To buy the album, go here: https://nowflensing.com/collections/chat-pile
For more on the label, go here: https://nowflensing.com/
29. VÖLVA, “Desires Profane” (Fiadh Productions): There’s a fundamental misunderstanding by some brainless men that they’re the dominant sex when, meanwhile, the forces of absolute evil and the female spirits are carving their blades and fully preparing to fight back with blood and fire. This brings us to Swedish black metal force Völva, who offered up their debut full-length “Desires Profane” on an increasingly sickened public. The band expresses their satanic feminism and support for freedom for women’s body, actions, and dark spiritual connections, promising only their metallic blade. “The Tower” is sooty, bass unfurling as vicious howls snarl over infernal melodies. The chaos continues to fester, speed and blood uniting and spattering, the playing folding into black. “Walk With Me” storms as the guitars dizzy, throaty howls having impact, a vivid blaze making breathing a chore. “The Serpent” begins with guitars torpedoing, the vibe feeling both violent and catchy, gushing with maximum power. “Salvation” hangs in the air, stinging the senses before racing recklessly, the howls blowtorching as the pace explodes further. The playing turns bodies to dust, heated leads convert metal to liquid, and monstrous roars fold spines. (Nov. 28)
For more on the band, go here: https://volva-bm.bandcamp.com/album/desires-profane
To buy the album or for more on the label, go here: https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/music
28. BEDSORE, “Dreaming the Strife for Love” (20 Buck Spin): Italian death metal dreamers Bedsore brought the typically untouched subject of love into the mix artfully and brutally on their second full-length record “Dreaming the Strife for Love.” This follow-up to 2020’s “Hypnagogic Hallucinations” is a departure, but if you really explored their debut, it kind of isn’t. They take a hard turn toward 1970s-style greens and browns, even more progressive ambition, and psychedelic death that take you under immediately. The band takes inspiration from the Renaissance novel Hypnerotomachia Poliphil that recounts desperate love, layers of dreams, and ultimate devastation, not typically fodder for the most extreme form of art. “Minerva’s Obelisque” unfurls with dark guitars and organs gliding, the ambiance feeling velvety and ’70s, maroons and golds spilling over the carpet; “A Colossus, an Elephant, a Winged Horse; the Dragon Rendezvous” is the longest track, running 11:46, rattling into existence in an eerie cloud. Punches land as the playing gets faster, sax melting into a golden river, the synth and organs taking off and settling into a groove; and Closer “Fountain of Venus” runs 9:57, icy keys dripping into a slick puddle, a thaw finally arriving as the synth sends beams of light, wild howls breaking through the surface. Synth strings pulse as sounds zap, the guitars beginning to work into the inches of freezing terrain. (Nov. 29)
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/bedsoredeath
To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/collections/bedsore
For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/
27. HEAVY TEMPLE, “Garden of Heathens” (Magnetic Eye): Doom crushers Heavy Temple see the chaos and misery surround us on a daily basis as we navigate through health scares, political turmoil, and society at large being comprised of just enough assholes to make interacting with people not that worth it. People are trying to make ends meet, marginalized people want a chance to be able to live in comfort, and we balance relationships that often can be impacted by all of the above circumstances. “Garden of Heathens,” a firebreather of a record, leans heavily toward the struggles that impact us and do so with their already heavy shadow growing more fiery and psychedelic. “Extreme Indifference to Life” rips open with guitars reigning, sweltering, High Priestess Nighthawk’s sultry howl rippling down your spine as she jabs, “I’m wasting my precious time.” The playing is gnarly and smoking, the guitars getting burlier, the soloing scorching and leaving your flesh charred. “Divine Indiscretion” brings heavy swagger that bubbles with attitude, the guitars taking off and making your blood boil, sprawling into a dry heat; “Snake Oil (and Other Remedies)” slowly drips, the temperature rising in calculated fashion, slinking through the steam as the keys mesmerize; and closer “Psychomanteum” is a thunderous instrumental, a song that would be great as a set opener for the rest of their run, that’s how volcanic it is. (April 12)
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/HeavyTemple/
To buy the album, go here: http://lnk.spkr.media/heavy-temple-garden
For more on the label, go here: https://us.merhq.net/
26. SPECTRAL WOUND, “Songs of Blood and Mire” (Profound Lore): Spectral Wound’s fire-breathing fourth full-length “Songs of Blood and Mire” is the sign of a band boldly stepping forward, sharpening their sound, adding heaps of black melodies, and creating a black metal statement that can reach deep underground but still impact those living above the earth’s crust. Over seven songs and an ideally paced 44 minutes, the band goes for broke, laying out all of their bloodied tools to see who they can capture along the way. “Fevers and Suffering” is the perfect opener, a track that pulls you deep into the furnace and makes your blood boil; “At Wine-Dark Midnight in the Mouldering Halls” is one of the most impactful metal tracks of the year, a tornado of melody and brutality that takes you by storm. “The Horn Marauding” has more rock n roll elements buried in with their sinister recipe; and “Twelve Moons in Hell” is a total force, a track that will keep you ravaged yet oddly satisfied once the record comes to an end. This is a beast that won’t stop. (Aug. 23)
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/spectralwoundcontramundi/
To buy the album, go here: https://spectralwound.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-blood-and-mire
25. SPECTRAL VOICE, “Sparagmos” (Dark Descent): “Sparagmos,” the powerful second full-length from death/doom warriors Spectral Voice, examines the issues of the constant struggles of existence, the futility of relief, and levels with the painful realization that lack of existence might be the only way for one to be truly free. The title of the record is a Greek term that means physically being torn apart, and that ritualistic turn is what colors these barbaric four tracks. This is deeply scarring, often cosmic torture, a span of creativity that sounds mentally warped but also is stimulating and devastating in a manner that leaves you morbidly fulfilled. “Be Cadaver” begins eerily and spacey, the doom stretching into deep, mysterious darkness, settling in just as the growls begin to bubble. The tone is mesmerizing as the guitars begin to agitate, ripping out and ushering in a punishing pace with warped cries and a darkened crunch. “Sinew Censer” drips cleanly, making your flesh crawl before everything detonates, the ground rumbles, and the growls smear the senses. The guitars begin to slur as the ambiance gets more hypnotic, the fog thickening amid the growls engorging. Closer “Death’s Knell Rings in Eternity” opens as a muddy assault, blackness seeping and confounding, the terror devastating and fronting a flattening pace. Growls tear through guts as a glacial pace grinds your face into the dirt, pummeling and slowly adding heat, echoed cries reverberating in your mind. (Feb. 9)
For more on the band, go here: https://spectralvoice.bandcamp.com/album/necrotic-demos
To buy the album, go here: https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/
For more on the label, go here: https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/?s=spectral+voice&post_type=product
24. UNHOLY ALTAR, “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite” (Liminal Dread Productions): Philly’s Unholy Altar remain committed to the raw, harsh power of black metal, and they deliver just that on their scathing first full-length “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite.” Examining the dualities of the natural world, they add some new textures and tones from what we heard on their 2022 demo. But the unforgiving darkness remains, and while they intend to smear some light into the music, this is pitch black, infernal, and so goddamn mighty. “Intro” leads you into the carnage with plucked strings and a dark angelic haze, sounds swirling in the air toward “Abaddon,” which I wish was about the pro wrestler of the same name. Vile shrieks explode from the start, the playing destroying with fiery pressure, the viciousness and sense of evil flooding to the surface. “Infernal Flesh” explodes with blistering riffs, the assault trampling and destroying, the scars burned into your bones. “Sin Eater” totally destroys, the shrieks scalding as the guitars jam the gas pedal through the floor. Pestilence” dawns in the midst of insanity, ripping guts, forcing poison into your veins as the shrieks mangle. The leads take off as the assault grinds you under their wheels, attacking and leading trails of blood and flesh behind. This record more than paid off the promise of their demo. (July 5)
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Unholy-Altar-100091394706562/
To buy the album, go here: https://unholyaltar666.bandcamp.com/album/veil-of-death-shroud-of-nite
For more on the label, go here: https://www.liminaldreadproductions.com/
23. SOLBRUD, “IIII” (Vendetta): Sadly, Danish black metal force called it quits during 2024, but not until releasing their thunderous and atmospheric fourth record “IIII,” an ambitious 11-track, 94-minute opus that is a force of nature to withstand. For the uninitiated, imagine smashing together Wolves in the Throne’s foggy majesty with Panopticon’s rugged folk-influenced black metal, and you can get a pretty good idea of what to expect. It’s enthralling, and it doesn’t feel half as long as its runtime, filling your heart and mind with adventure and the fiery gust of nature. Ole Luk’s vocals are scorching and punishing, enhancing what this band did so well, and there are abundant highlights including spellbinding “Tåge”; the four “Når solen brydes Del” tracks that take up the bulk of the first LP; moody and echoey “Sjæleskrig”; and ground-quaking “Aske.” Yes, it’s a sound that’s been done a lot lately, but very few bands pulled it off as well as Solbrud. Sad to see them go.(Feb. 2)
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Solbrud
To buy the album, go here: https://vendetta-records.bandcamp.com/album/iiii
For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/vendettacult
22. DÖDSRIT, “Nocturnal Will” (Wolf of Hades/Shape of Storms): “Nocturnal Will” is the fourth record from Swedish crushers Dödsrit, and as good as their music was before, this collection takes them into a new place altogether. This six-track effort explodes with life even in its bleakest moments, and for a record that ends with the line, “Will death still bring me relief, even when it’s by my own hand?” it leaves you feeling surprisingly energized. “Irjala” rips open with hyper-melodic riffs, rushing as shrieks crush, vocalist/guitarist Christoffer Oster howling, “Dangling on a knife’s blade, blinded by hope, dreams disappearing down a pitch black hole.” “Nocturnal Fire” also dawns with amazing riffs, the playing splattering as the howls pierce, the pace igniting and taking on a bit of a hardcore edge. “As Death Comes Reaping” blasts out of guitars dawning and hanging, atmospheric energy cascading. “Written by my sorrows, carved into my flesh, tales of lost battles, this eulogy to the end,” Oster barks as the pace pulsates. Closer “Celestial Will” hammers with riffs, shrieks raining down as a melodic fury takes hold. Guitars light up as the pace ignites, speedy riffs toppling, the fluid and colorful pace consuming everything, the final moments acting like a blast to your ribcage. (March 22)
For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/DODSRIT
To buy the album, go here: https://wolvesofhades.myshopify.com/collections/dodsrit
Or here (U.S.): https://shapeofstormsrecords.bandcamp.com/merch
For more on the label, go here: https://wolvesofhades.myshopify.com/
21. BLACK CURSE, “Burning With Celestial Poison” (Sepulchral Voice): Fun story: The first time I ever heard Black Curse I was on my way to a root canal appointment way out of town at the beginning of the lockdown because it was the only dentist office that would see me. I absorbed their 2020 debut “Endless Wound” on that trip and during the procedure, and it fried my brains. No nitrous oxide either! The band returned this year with “Burning With Celestial Poison,” a five-track, 45-minute destroyer that is heavier and hungrier than their debut and overflowing with torturous madness that will eat away at your brain. Seriously. “Spleen Girt With Serpent” opens the record and runs a healthy 10:51, firing up and ripping right through your mid-section. Molten chaos unfurls as a cacophony of chaos emerges, making it feel like your brain is oozing black goo. “Trodden Flesh” is the longest track, weighing in at 11:47, and it’s eerie at first before guts are stomped, shrieks scarring as the pace pulls back just a bit to let the bruising sink in. “Ruinous Paths…” stampedes, the drums rampaging, guitars racing and keeping pace expertly. That all combusts into violence, glorious savagery having its way with your psyche, howls battering along the way. “Flowers of Gethsemane” closes this monster, an 11:09-long demon that ramps up the anxiety before a blazing front devours serenity whole, bursting and brutalizing with no hopes of a breath. The vocals engorge as the tempo swallows you whole, gutting as the gas pedal is jammed through the floor. (Oct. 25)
For more on the band, go here: https://blackcurse-svr.bandcamp.com/
To buy the album, go here: http://www.sepulchralvoice.de/shop/
For more on the label, go here: http://www.sepulchralvoice.de/
Meat Mead Metal 