15. JULIE CHRISTMAS, “Ridiculous and Full of Blood” (Red Crk): There’s a maniacal charm to everything Julie Christmas does, whether she’s working alongside Cult of Luna or plying us with the wildness she conjures in her own brain. “Ridiculous and Full of Blood” not only is one of the great record titles of the year, but it also nicely sums up what’s going on with these stunning 10 tracks. This was her first solo record since 2010’s “The Bad Wife,” and the long layoff hasn’t robbed her of an ounce of her charisma or fire. Every moment of this record keeps you on high alert, blood pumping through your veins as the chaos grows deeper into your cells.

Opener “Not Enough” is the ideal reintroduction piece, music prodding, Christmas’ manic, sometimes childlike wail warning, “I’ll shut down your streets, no rest for the wicked,” as if she’s warning the future state of what the consequences might be. “Supernatural” basks in more mid-tempo melodies as her singing rains down, chilling at first before the chorus explodes around you, spitting colors and sparks; “End of the World” feels psychedelic and warm, Christmas’ singing pulling you into the center, calling, “I just wanted to see you again, like a kid in a candy store, seeing the end of it all, in a big, bad caterwaul,” before Johannes Persson (Cult of Luna) lands with throat-ripping howls; “Kids” is weird and dreamy, an electrified fever dream; and “Seven Days” ends it all, soft but foreboding, the playing numbing, Christmas insisting, “There’s just no man upstairs, there’s no god or heaven.” Grim tidings as we settler into an uncertain future.(June 14)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/julie.christmas.12/

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://usa.red-crk.com/

Or here (Europe): https://juliechristmas.bandcamp.com/album/ridiculous-and-full-of-blood

For more on the label, go here: https://red-crk.com/

14. AMAROK, “Resilience” (Vendetta): “Resilience” is the second full-length from California-based doom metal power Amarok, and it’s a concept piece that revels in the agony of violently changing climates, loss, and existential dread, all of which can be rolled into one ongoing overserving of anxiety. Over five tracks and almost 65 minutes, the band digs deep into the ground from where they’ve mined before and have refined their sound and made their songs even more gut wrenching. This is a passionate, darkly mournful record that also packs a burst of anger and resentment that is palpable and perfectly served. 

“Charred (X)” is the 17:51-long opener that enters in flames, battering as howls scathe, and a funereal pace sets the duor mood. The playing corrodes as fires crackle, the guitars going cold and entering into moody territory. The track picks up the pace as emotional guitars whip up a lather, the howls boil harder, and the playing buckles, sending off thunderous aftershocks. “Ascension (XI)” is the longest track at 18:10, and it’s dark and mournful at the start, howls scraping as the synth glows, the playing storming and creating a flood of power. Closer “Legacy (XIII)” starts with soft acoustics and a burgeoning atmosphere, the leads feeling gazey and warm, a heartfelt push making the blood pump through your veins. Howls scar as the gutting sadness increases its hold, feeling overwhelming as the screams batter, pushing your heart to the limit. All hope is not yet lost, and there’s still time to fight, but we’re running out of space, and the funeral for our species is bound to be something we have earned outright. (June 28)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/amarokdoom

To buy the album, go here: https://amarokdoom.bigcartel.com/product/preorder-amarok-resilience-black-180-gram-double-lp

Or here (Europe): https://vendettarecords.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://vendetta-records.com/

13. ORANSSI PAZUZU, “Muuntautuja” (Nuclear Blast): Oranssi Pazuzu, the Finnish experimental black metal band, is one that barely fits into the subgenre designation assigned to them. It’s sometimes hard to conceive that they’re from the same world as we are. Every album, it feels like a new form of the band and the artists involved bubbles to the surface, and it seems like they assembled their masterful sixth record “Muuntautuja” (translates to shapeshifter, which is a perfect title for these songs and this unit) from galactic materials mere mortals could not handle without life-altering effects. This collection of tracks veers deeper toward electronics, bathing you in digital chaos, threading in krautrock and black metal to make for one immersive adventure beyond.

“Bioalkemisti” dawns amid electronic pulses that threaten to flood, a haze spreading as  Vanhanen’s howls become intertwined with psychological impulses. The pace gets more aggressive as the keys blend, the shrieks tearing from crevices, a strange aura filling your senses and solidifying into ice. “Voitelu” is burly and like an extraterrestrial signal, pounding away while remaining thought provoking, a fiery gust striking and making the earth move. “Hautatuuli” whirs as the drums pace, breezy keys make your hair shuffle, and whispers surround and push messaging through your mind. “Ikikäärme” leaks into the room, moody strangeness causing psychological detachment, cosmic rays swimming in a sea of stars. The track unfurls into a surreal dream, mechanical waves lapping, howls crying out from a frozen reality and then turning into something late night and urban. This record is ideal for stargazing, for it feels like that’s what willed these songs into existence. (Oct. 11)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/oranssipazuzuband/

To buy the album, go here: https://oranssipazuzu.bandcamp.com/album/muuntautuja

12. COUCH SLUT, “You Could Do It Tonight” (Brutal Panda):  Far be it for anyone to doubt the authenticity of vocalist Megan Osztrosits’ stories, because this is real shit, stuff she’s seen, experienced, survived, and that somehow made her one of the most engaging vocalists in all of heavy music. Couch Slut’s soul-bruising fourth record “You Could Do It Tonight” is another chapter in psychosis, substance-fueled madness, and stories that could make your skin crawl. The music has grown a bit more experimental and daring, the vocals still grabbing you by the throat, inviting you to digest a series of stories and events that could break most people. At the same time, it’s fun as fuck, a record that’ll terrify 9 out of 10 people completely. 

“Couch Slut Lewis” screams with feedback as the bass drives, Osztrosits’ snarling howls feeling like jagged glass across your chest. The vibe feels ominous and dark, which judging by the track’s story is fitting. “Ode to Jimbo,” a tribute to Brooklyn bar Jimbo Slim’s, swirls and dizzies, the sinister, yet joyful intent delivered on the menace of Osztrosits’ singing. The playing pounds and gasps, guitars turning on added heat, smoking and obscuring, Osztrosits howling, “Buried! Goodnight, spilled my beer in the backseat of the car,” as the track comes to a scathing end. ” The Donkey” opens with sounds whirring, Osztrosits narrating a story about her and her friends getting fired from a haunted waterpark. Would you believe blood was involved? “Energy Crystals for Healing” goes hard, the bass clobbering, the guitars making you grasp the wall for balance. The howls gut as the trudging leans into scathing heat, the guitars burning like a tire fire. Closer  “The Weaversville Home for Boys” is another record-ending gem, one where  Osztrosits howls most of the story, a tale of three boys who escaped said home for boys and went on a violent reign of terror throughout the area. The ending will warp you and your sanity forever. So will every moment of this album. (April 19)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/couchslut

To buy the album, go here: https://www.brutalpandarecords.com/collections/couch-slut

For more on the label, go here: https://www.brutalpandarecords.com/

11. VICIOUS BLADE, “Relentless Force” (Redefining Darkness): Thrash metal lives, motherfuckers, and that’s proven in violent doses on Vicious Blade’s debut LP “Relentless Force.” The Pittsburgh-based crushers teamed up with Relentless Force for a greater audience reach and responded with nine tracks and 28 minutes of power that could have lived alongside the more noteworthy classics from the 1980s and not seemed out of place. The band is razor sharp and channeled, while vocalist  Clarissa Badini (also of Castrator) takes command out front with an iron fist.

The title track opens and burns its way in, the band setting up shop early with Badini’s wild howls ripping down your spine. The playing bruises hard, the guitars charging, a commanding storm collecting and blasting with defiance. “Lunacy” cuts open and moves forward with commanding speed and beasty calls, Badini wailing, “Lunacy is in control!” “Forged Steel” fires up with yelled vocals and guitars matching that venom, shrieks later adding a sharp edge to the proceedings. There’s a bit of a punk feel injected into the mix, scathing and melting as Badini declares, “We are forged steel.”  “Nocturnal Slaughter” explodes out of the gates, throaty howls from Badini driving through your chest, fluid playing combining with audio violence that promises no mercy. Closer “Death Blow” actually opens with cleaner guitars, letting the humidity become a factor, eventually ripping through guts as the madness comes to life. Throaty howls blacken eyes, airy melodies add new texture to the thrash brutality, darkness enveloping as everything comes to a morbid end. (Sept. 27)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/viciousbladepgh

To buy the album, go here: https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.us/

Or here (rest of the world): https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/redefiningdarkness