I’m starting to really hate surprises considering we wake up to so many bad ones each day. Yet, a few weeks before its Halloween release date, I found an unexpected one in my inbox, one that instantly made me pine for the day and get everything out of the way so I could absorb this album properly: in total seclusion. It was the new Yellow Eyes record, and from the moment I heard it, I knew it would be my record of the year.
“Confusion Gate” is a mesmerizing opus from black metal force Yellow Eyes. To say the album is moving, monstrous, breathtaking, and completely from this band’s artistic DNA would almost go without saying. But there’s more depth, different sounds, and a reinvigorated machine—vocalist/guitarist Will Skarstad, guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Sam Skarstad, bassist Alex DeMaria, drummer Michael Rekevics. Inspired heavily by their 2023 release “Master’s Murmur,” this record takes that spirit and electrifies it, making it a full on beast of the woods, stalking and opening strange doorways to realms not before considered. It’s a stunning display, and I still stop listening to it. It put it on in my car and almost instantly think I should give something else some time. Nah, I adore this, the second-to-last in Gilead Media’s storied history, by the way.
“Brush the Frozen Horse” opens with familiar chimes and the gentle arms of nature before everything erupts, keys blaring and guitars bending you into corners. Howls snarl as the steam rises, the guitars taking on a higher tone that noticeably ramps up, the tempo spiraling and crushing, disorienting as the leads soar. Speed strikes as the pace combusts, blasting into a synth scape that melds with the fog. “The Thought of Death” starts with airy sax you would expect from an adult contemporary song, but it’s a misdirect as riffs explode out of that, and the vocals maul. Emotional waves crash down as guitars sparkle and melt, and a strong, violent push jolts every bone. “I Fear the Master’s Murmur” opens with acoustics ringing out and voices swirling, and then everything goes off, fierce growls pounding the way, beastly sentiments making the pressure even more intense. The playing splatters into strange melodies, the guitar lines tingling your spine, confusion overwhelming as you try to find your balance. “The Scent of Black Mud” starts in mesmerizing form. The drums punish as the vocals strengthen their grip, wrenching as the playing plasters and undoes some brain wiring. The leads turn to icy tributaries, and then the spirit rampages forward, wrecking as everything scatters, impulses continuing to fire until the notes fade. This is a record that will live with me in perpetuity along with a bunch of other non-stop classics that made me who I am. A timeless release. (Oct. 31)
Any time you can put on a death metal record and instantly think it’s a declaration of war, that’s an experience you don’t forget. The power coming at you with a ferocity that explodes from deep in the guts can make your blood boil and motivate you want to pick up arms yourself to fight the good fight.
Canadian death metal horde Hedonist land in death metal’s pantheon with “Scapulimancy,” their flesh-pounding first record that could have slid into place in the early 1990s and been right at home. This record is a destroyer, 10 tracks of raw, feral death metal that can stare down any force in its path and never blink. The band—vocalist/bassist AJ, guitarists JP and AA, drummer CB—wastes no time unleashing hell and pouring it in generous amounts as they scorch flesh and dump napalm in alarming portions.
“Execution Wheel” absolutely obliterates the senses when it dawns, AJ’s howls strangling with a killer’s might, an element that is one of the band’s most arresting. Death ravages as the guitars spill into beastly tones, and everything barrels forward to reckless abandon. “Heresy” is blinding, growls decimating, sounding nearly inhuman, the guitars standing up as a battering force with no mercy. “Parasitic Realm” starts with trickier guitars that mesmerize before scorching earth, deadly growls grasping throats. There’s a total Bolt Thrower worship spot that absolutely destroys, and that pushes into explosive and gutting tension that cuts open bellies. “Engines of War” unloads guitars burning, growls slithering, and primitive pounding caving in rib cages. The playing jars loose as melodies wash over, snaking through and injecting venom before fading to dark. “Cremator” spews chugging bass and a thrashy attack that sends dust flying. The growls maim, the leads navigate through the chaos, and the end gurgles and spits out poison. Closer “Hidden Corpse” is mashing, aggravating flames and delivering abject heaviness. The pace is vicious as hell, riffs immersing themselves into liquified steel and coming out a new machine. A motherfucker of a great death metal album, and our new favorite band in this always morphing sub-genre. (Aug. 1)
There are those bands that once you indulge in their music, the way your brain processes that particular art form changes a little bit. Somehow, my TikTok algorithm led me a few years ago to Faetooth, a Los Angeles-based doom power that creates heavy, yet enchanting songs, stuff that crawls into your imagination and helps you see new colors. I hear things differently since introduced to them.
“Labyrinthine” is the band’s second record and first for The Flenser, and it’s a 10-track, 55-minute excursion that picks up where 2002’s “Remnants of the Vessel” (our No. 6 album that year) leaves off and then goes into new terrain. Thematically, the band—bassist/vocalist Jenna Garcia, guitarist/vocalist Ari May, drummer Rah Kanan—takes on inner turmoil, personal wounds, and loss, among others, with their heaviness intertwining breath-takingly with softer tones and psychedelic flourishes. This album is one that may take a few visits to truly set in, which was the case for their debut, but it’s easy to instantly be spellbound by the music.
“Iron Gate” bathes in feedback, solemnity and clean singing bubbling, and then the power punches in, adding to the thicker haze. The singing lures while the growls scrape passages beneath, and then voices harmonize. Hypnosis mixes as the energy burns off into the horizon. “Death of Day” has the bass sliding and the guitars trudging, dreamy singing icing over wounds. “White Noise” is muddy at first before cleaner guitars and tingling singing activate emotions, then screams belt, letting lava gust before the temps drop again. “October” is ceremonial and chilly before guitars blaze and churn, a strong chorus pumping blood from a pierced heart. Guitars buzz as the pain permeates the senses, the power surges, and the cosmos swallows everything whole. “Mater Dolorosa” digs in, the singing feeling like a dreamscape, the playing buckling while swimming through tar. Closer “Meet Your Maker” is the longest track at 8:28, and it dissolves into blood, the singing mesmerizing before the fires blast, sweeping with strange speaking and increasingly harrowing shadows. “Labyrinthine” is Faetooth at their most vulnerable, at least to this point, and their ethereal brand of doom remains the type that works best when absorbed in dark silence, with only you and the music there to connect. (Sept. 5)
What better time to bask in darkness, to snuff out the daylight and exist in the shadows where our sorrows exist and where some of us actually find a semblance of solace not having to face reality for a while? At the same time, having music that also can beckon and even soothe our wounds can be a game changer, knowing we’re not alone in the abyss.
The return of Vancouver’s orchestral doom power Tribunalwas a fitting one, even at the gates of spring and new life when it was unleashed. Their excellent second record “In Penitence and Ruin” is a tour-de-force, an example of a promising band blooming into full beast and exploding from every seam with gothic majesty. This time around, Tribunal are a full unit with original members Soren Mourne (vocals, bass, cello) and Etienne Flinn (vocals, guitar) joined by guitarist Jessica Yang, keyboard player Dallas Alice, and drummer Julia Geaman to form a mightier fist. This record is a concept piece that follows a guilty human who cannot escape the wrong they’ve done and must psychologically weigh the realities of punishment.
“Incarnadine” starts with elegant strings and Mourne’s calling, “I am drowning in tides of guilt,” before Flinn’s shrieks join and bloody faces. The singing and harsh wails intertwine here, as they do often throughout this record, and gothy fury is unleashed, the playing spreading and grows more dramatic, and massive emotion welling as the tides recedes. “A Wound Unhealing” starts similarly, Mourne’s voice gripping you fully before the guttural vocals set in, a spellbinding display that arrests you heart and mind. “Heal these wounds that time forgot,” Mourne pleads, the guitars electrifying their surroundings. “The Penitent” slowly forms, Mourne’s singing awakening as she reaches for the stars, guitars meandering into an ashen aura, growls settling sharply. Leads heat up and melt, Mourne demanding, “Bite my hand and curse my name,” as everything burns off. Closer “Between the Sea and Stars” has drums awakening, strings and keys glimmering, Mourne calling, “The distance cannot make this right,” a sentiment you feel in your bones. You could say that about the whole record, actually. (April 18)
In the final months of the year, I tend to harp on not letting the records from December vanish into the background because they likely are not going to be included in a lot of year-end lists. We’re lucky not to have a print deadline or anyone to whom we answer so that those records can end up getting the praise they deserve, if warranted.
Bindrune dropped Weft’s amazing debut “The Splintered Oar,” a couple weeks ago, and its power is such that it landed here at 5. This project is helmed by Charlie Anderson, a violinist most people in our audience would know best for his string work with Panopticon and Waldgeflüster, where he adds even more atmosphere and dramatics to those bands’ sprawling black metal. On this record he handles vocals, bass, guitar, strings, electric violin, synth, piano, and additional percussion. The album is a goddamn revelation, an inspiring, mind-swelling collection that is an incredibly bright star in black metal’s crowded sky. Accompanied by Panopticon’s Austin Lunn on drums and other guests, Anderson steps into a world in which previously he only had a smaller, albeit crucial, part.
“Leaves” opens awash in acoustics and strings, and on first listen not knowing what to expect, I figured a whole album of this would be quite stirring. Man, was I pleasantly surprised nonetheless. This one picks up, adding extra layers on top of emotions, sweeping and glazing, mournful melodies falling, piercing the night. Then, things change. “False Kingdoms” begins ominously, strings moving and drums encircling, setting up a Western vibe. Then the blade hits your abdomen, the whole thing opening in full bore, howls crushing, black metal fury enveloping every inch of this song. “The Hull” launches heartfully, violin scarring, the playing feeling like red streaks across an evening sky. The power storms as throaty wails flex, smashing harder as the guitars take off for the clouds, echoes swim in the storm, and acoustics land and add a breezy cool. Closer “Dream of Oaks” is a stunner, basking in folkish melodies as Jordan Day’s singing reminds of a mix of Sturgill Simpson and Lawrence Peters, violin aching in the spacey echo. Andrea Morgan’s voice enters the fray and brings ghostly beauty before the power ruptures, blasts ravaging, everything spiraling into a smoldering fire and back toward dusk. (Dec. 19)
10. LUST HAG, “Irrevocably Drubbed” (Fiadh): Eleanor Harper, the sole force behind black metal force Lust Hag, uses her second full-length “Irrevocably Drubbed” to lash back against an increasingly hostile society toward LGBTQIA+ folks. A trans woman herself, Harper has witnessed and absorbed the hatred and oppression lobbied by what we call a president and the entire right wing, and even a lot of spineless Democrats have shied away from supporting people just trying to live as who they are. Harper uses this record as a means to express the torment of having to contend with political and societal forces aiming to hurt trans people and trying to contend with the hopelessness that has to permeate that thinking.
The title track opens, and it wastes no time spreading carnage, stabbing and vile as guitars storm and Harper’s vocals feel like they washed in acid first. Synth whirs to give a disorienting base, and the virulent pace continues to ravage without mercy. The pace grinds as it takes on soot, the drums damage, and the synth feels wondrous amid the ferocity. “Rancid Manipulations” has the guitars carving and the keys creating a noxious cloud, vicious howls digging deep into your muscle structure. “Feed the Mother Monolith” brings guitars stomping before their intensity rises and falls, growls clutch, and it feels like ashes are being inhaled into your lungs. The pace thickens and things get stormier and speedier, flattening and wrenching before thrashing away. “Humiliation Ritual” is the 8:40-long closer, and it blasts immediately, going for broke as screams ripple, and transcendent melodies leave the windows fogged. The playing then becomes a battering ram, hulking through a haze, trudging as senses are smashed. (May 9)
9. MARES OF THRACE, “The Loss” (Artoffact): Canadian metal duo Mares of Thrace face the scourge and tumult of grief head on with “The Loss,” their nine-track, 50-minute opus that tackles the process of death and its aftermath as we try to cope. Vocalist/guitarist Thérèse Lanz and drummer Casey Rodgers follow up 2022’s “The Exile” with this piece that is unlike anything they’ve released in the past. Yes, their abject heaviness, sludgy power, and Lanz’s angular, knifing guitar riffs are all in place, but they branch out musically and emotionally on this charring collection. Along the way, Lanz’s words pierce the heart, even amid drowning anger, as anyone who has had to bury a loved one or is on that tortuous path, will recognize.
“Anticipatory Grief” tears the lid off this thing, an urgent, black metal-smashed attack that feels like one finally coming to a breaking point. Lanz’s unmistakable riffs wrench around the fury as she levels, “I can’t bear to send another friend off to another journey in the soil.” From there, it’s a battle to survive the trauma, and then we’re off to “The First Stage: Shock” that chugs and brawls right away. Lanz’s vocals are more a hardcore-style shout, the playing stomping and bruising, singing quivering amid the carnage. “The Third Stage: Anger” is less of an assault than expected from this phase, but it’s heavy as hell, and it’s blunt. Burly, muscular riffs thrash as Lanz howls, “I looked into your eyes the day you died, and I didn’t feel nothing.” “The Fifth Stage: Depression” runs 9:19, the longest track on here, and it begins moody and drizzling, piano notes dropping, Lanz speak-singing as the momentum picks up. Guitars get heated as the heaviness swells, smothering you completely under its weight, the screams piercing flesh before the pace grows colder. It’s sobering and titanically destructive at the same time. (May 16)
8. RWAKE, “The Return of Magik” (Relapse): Rwake had been gone a long time. It’s been 14 years since “Rest” roused our metallic souls, and if you put that album on today, it sounds as fresh and vital as the day it was born. The Arkansas-based band, that’s as much a close-knit family as they are a musical outfit, finally returned on sixth record “The Return of Magick,” a brute force dashed with psychedelic colors and an unbreakable bond with the cosmos and nature. This six-track, 54-minute excursion has the band sounding as full of life as ever before, and perhaps that break helped this group—vocalists C.T. and Brittany (also on keys), guitarists Austin and John, bassist Reid, and drummer Jeff.
“You Swore We’d Always Be Together” opens ominously with clean guitars flowing, accordion landing softly, and then the thing rips, growls and shrieks sounding wonderfully scorched, pedal steel adding a syrupy emotional heft, warm leads battling with the sludge. Screams penetrate again, guitars trucking as the playing spills, everything subsiding in an electric haze. The title track wastes no time, trucking with furious cries, the intensity hammering as the guitars wrap like a cord, compromising your blood flow, C.T delivering spoken messages, “To all the witches in the woods, and to the goblins that understood, there is a spirit that walks among us, and it is living proof.” “Distant Constellations and the Psychedelic Incarceration” is the longest track here at 13:56, the opening narrated by Jim “Dandy” Mangrum of the great Black Oak Arkansas. “In After Reverse” warps before it guts, animalistic howls digging in their heels, doomy vibes rippling through the earth. A much welcome and needed return. (Mach 14)
7. TERZIJ DE HORDE, “Our Breath Is Not Ours Alone” (Church Road/Fiadh/Tartarus): Dutch black metal firepower Terzij de Horde are living the same oligarch-powered reality as you and I, and on their thunderous “Our Breath Is Not Ours Alone” (a line drawn from German sociologist Hartmut Rosa), they break through the barriers trying to hold us back. The band—vocalist Joost Vervoort, guitarists Demian Snel and Jelle Agema, bassist Johan van Hattum, drummer Richard Japenga—is on fire from the start, blending black metal and even some hardcore strains, pouring their emotion and determination all over these seven tracks that burst with energy.
“Each Breath Is a Flame” sets the tone early, blazing out of nowhere as guitars fire up and simmer, feedback chokes, and righteous wails blend into “Raise Them Towards the Sun” that is raucous and punishing. Wails scar as black metal-style melodies let lava flow, a snarling force slashing into the side of the earth. Leads blaze and then glaze, bursting open at the seams, channeling a beastly attack that rampages to the end. “The All-Consuming Work of the Soul’s Foreclosing” has strings glazing and howls wrenching, melodic smoke darkening the air, the drums blistering and leaving marks. The pace picks up the speed as the howls destroy, everything coming to a blinding finish. “Justice Is Not Enough to Leave the House of Modernity” starts reflective before the emotion spurts, Vervoort calling, “We must leave this house!” “Discarding All Adornments” brings boiling guitars and a hefty pace, steaming and flattering, the guitars spiraling into oblivion. The pace calms as Amelia Baker of Cinder Well speaks over the fog, the pace then engulfing and spewing a volcano’s worth of ash. (Oct. 10)
6. DER WEG EINER FREIHEIT, “Innern” (Season of Mist): There’s little to quell our worries outside our doors, so perhaps turning inward to address that chaos and pain can begin to help a little bit. German black metal power Der Weg Einer Freiheit focus on those matters on their incredible “Innern,” which is German for “inward.” Here, the band—vocalist/guitarist Nikita Kamprad, guitarist Nicolas Rausch, bassist Alan Noruspur, drummer Tobias Schuler—turns their gears toward taking on what’s going on inside, trying to quiet the madness and finding reflection and renewal.
“Marter” is the 9:24-long opener and begins in a haze before ramping up, the drums bustling, howls tearing as a melodic fury engulfs everything. We then go from atmospheric right to the acidic belly of the beast, the pace shifting as guitars surge, the emotion calming for a brief respite as doom gusts into the picture. “Eos” is a real centerpiece gem, a song that starts off feeling progressive and wondrous, a hulking riff moving in and making the song its own, sticking in your brain. Vocals buzz as the playing mangles, beastly blistering leaving festering wounds, melodies swirling as clean singing arrives, increasing the drama and fading in calculated manner. “Fragment” wooshes in and brings more delicate strains, cleaner singing swirling in the surrounding air, the fires eventually erupting and aiming to consume. “Forlorn” has plucked guitars sting before eeriness spreads generously, clean singing bringing a pillowy nature, softer bass plodding as things feel oddly New Wave to a degree. Guitars then scuff as shrieks hammer, colorful playing heads into a pit of moodiness, and the calls of, “Please don’t let me go,” add to the introspection. (Sept. 12)
15. AGRICULTURE, “The Spiritual Sound” (The Flenser): It is completely impossible to hear a piece of music from LA-based black metal power Agriculture and not be moved in some way. Maybe it’s even aversion, but at least you’re reacting. They call their style ecstatic black metal, and their swarming, neck-jerking album “The Spiritual Sound” delivers that and so much more. The band—vocalist/guitarist Dan Meyer, vocalist/bassist Leah B. Levinson, guitarist Richard Chowenhill, drummer Kern Haug—sounds as channeled and confident as ever, and this 10-track, 44-minute excursion challenges you mind and body, dashing through boundaries, mixing your brain chemicals, and sometimes even leaning toward delicacy.
“My Garden” is an explosive opener, and it is all over the fucking map in the best possible way. Bass chugs before the pace incinerates, mauling as shrieks kill, and the band even leans into hardcore terrain that powders bone. The chorus is unexpectedly clean, but then a stir crazy burst re-opens, attacking until everything spirals out. “Flea” charges up, speaking murmuring over the first verse, shrieks peeling away flesh with glass. Singing lulls as the pace slows down, and then screams sit alone, in a vacuum, warping. “Bodhidharma” (which features the fucking riff of the year) centers on the founder of Zen Buddhism and his successor Huike, guitars mangling from the gate before things go instantly silent, desperate screaming ringing out in desolation. The nitro bursts out of quiet are jarring, even on subsequent listens, and the transformation from agony to peace lands firmly. Singing lulls before turning dreamy, and then electrified soloing causes your blood to boil, incredible energy surging as shrieks rip, blending into “Hallelujah.” Acoustics scrape as clean singing goes high, the call of, “My head is on fire,” reminding of Huike. There is no more human and emotionally naked experience than an Agriculture record. (Oct. 3)
14. ANCIENT DEATH, “Ego Dissolution” (Profound Lore): Those unaware of death metal’s true powers, the ones who think this is just noise and vocals that are devoid of any talent, have been laughed off for a while now. Anyone still in the camp can take on “Ego Dissolution,” the debut from death ghouls Ancient Death, and once again be put to shame. This force, helmed by vocalist/guitarist Jerry Witunsky (whose presence in Atheist bleeds over here), bassist/vocalist Jasmine Alexander, guitarist Ray Brouwer, drummer Derek Moniz, spills all of their ambitions into this record, one that should stand as a starting point for one of this sub-genre’s most important contributors the next decade and beyond.
The title track opens, rumbling and trudging, the leads exploring the outer regions, preparing for launch beyond this world. “Breaking the Barriers of Hope” ignites, the speed mashing, a haze hanging over the middle of this beast, the final movement exploding with guitar work that should rewire your brain. “Breathe (Transcend Into the Glowing Streams of Forever)” features Alexander’s ethereal singing, a complement to Witunsky’s animalistic growls, the song basking in a creativity that should destroy boundaries. “Echoing Chambers With the Dismal Mind” again features Alexander plying haunting vocals to a blistering display that dislodges joints. Closer “Violet Light Decays” is strange and spiraling, stretching the psychosis and punishment to extremes that are mentally stimulating. Great fucking band, and I can’t wait to see where this goes. (April 18)
13. BLUT AUS NORD, “Ethereal Horizons” (Debemur Morti): Blut Aus Nord’s music always seems to come from somewhere not of this plane or maybe even this universe, and their intergalactic ambitions never have been a secret. On their 16th record “Ethereal Horizons,” the band—vocalist/guitarist Vindsval, bassist GhÖst, drummer/keyboard player/electronics master W.D. Feld—continues to dip into the great unknown and create another adventure that can be absorbed mentally and psychologically. It’s an album that fits nicely alongside their last couple but also branches deeper into other elements, not all of them metallic in nature.
“Shadows Breathe First” starts rather gently, serenely almost, and it takes a few moments before the storm situates itself, the familiar detached snarls echoing in the background of a star system. Clean singing wafts, reminding a bit of Robert Smith, while the power zaps through with illuminated edges, the playing growing progressive, growls gurgling before the energy swoops away. “Seclusion” is dark and cold at the outset, a spellbinding display pulling you to the center of the vortex. “The Fall Opens the Sky” explodes with melodic gust, stomping through wiry guitars and elegant, angelic keys that dash constellations across the night canopy. The playing takes on a fantasy vibe, the guitars blasting new holes into reality, the whole animal gushing new blood, drums smashing as all the elements crash to the ground. Closer “The End Becomes Grace” runs 12:23 and instantly stirs, shrieks attacking, the playing dissolving into weird, rubbery noises that lend a deeper alien feel. How do they keep fucking doing this?! (Nov. 28)
12. CLAIRVOYANCE, “Chasm of Immurement” (Carbonized): Polish death crushers Clairvoyance’s debut full-length “Chasm of Immurement” doesn’t address the crumbling state of the world, but the dread and hell and misery that’s attached? Yeah, they serve that up in abundance with devastating, doom-infested death metal that feels like it collects all its disgust to hurl back at whatever target it choose. The band—vocalist Maciej Cesarczyk, guitarist/vocalist Denis Didenko, guitarist Kacper Pawluk, bassist Vlad Levchenko, drummer Adrian Szczepański—piles pressure and madness into six tracks and 34 minutes that ravage fully and make a case for them being hailed as one of the next new death metal bands to help carry the banner.
“Eternal Blaze” opens in buried growls and then begins to trudge with force, guitars punishing as the burly attack gets under way. The fury mounts as growls corrode, speeding up as the carnage ravages in full, leaving ash behind. “Hymn of the Befouled” has guitars tangling and battering, cavernous growls reaching into your guts, spacious leads taking off from there, infusing atmosphere. “Reign of Silence” is doomy as hell, growls turning things more vicious, the playing blistering and pulling you through the mud. Closer “Monument to Dread” enters amid violent drumming, mashing growls, and a monstrous push into daggers and cragged rocks. The bass drives as the pace mauls slower, the guitars tearing through flesh walls, sinking in their teeth. (July 18)
11. RANAGA/DROWSE, “Ash Souvenir” (The Flenser): “Ash Souvenir” is a collaborative album combining black metal power Ragana (Maria and Noel, who both handle vocals and all instrumentation, often switching roles) and drone artist Drowse (Kyle Bate). The piece originally was developed as a commission piece for Roadburn in 2024, and now we have a recorded version that is wrenching emotionally. It’s a dark, reflective, often explosive dive into the pain and torment that comes with helping suffering loved ones and mourning those who have left this plane.
“In Eternal Woods Pts. 1-3” is an immersive 13:45-long opener, a track that lets everything breathe from the clean guitars to the rustic edges to the easy-flowing strings that create a fog. Voices warble behind a wall of sound before guitars cut through, and shrieks finally jostle about six minutes in, peeling paint from walls. The pace jolts as the cries grow more desperate, gazey leads bask in energy pockets as feedback wails, battering before softer singing soothes wounds. “After Image” is chilly too, Bate’s vocals taking over, the only time he is on lead on the record. The playing and words lead you through the misty forests as the verses bring calm, the choruses delivering the tumult. The title track closes the record, images of the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens permeate as everything is coated in soot. Guitars are delicate as the soft singing pays the homage, the repeat calls of, “There is nothing to lose,” imprinting on your heart. This is an emotional wrecker. (Nov. 14)
20. TOWER, Let There Be Dark” (Cruz del Sur): I’m guessing that Tower fans, when they got through their great record “Let There Be Dark,” their third, felt like this is where things really got started for this power. This feels like the band—vocalist Sarabeth Linden, guitarists James Danzo and Zak Penley, bassist Philippe Arman, drummer Keith Mikus—truly hitting on all cylinders, adding more heaviness but also richer melody. From the first listen, I was hooked, and I’ve been a fan of the band since their 2016 self-titled debut and really enjoyed 2021’s “Shock to the System.”
“Under the Chapel” starts off the record and immediately thrusts you into a darker version of the band, guitars flowing as Linden’s call wraps everything in fire. Her voice is in full command, and the band gets more aggressive behind her, the guitars blazing, and the tempo daring you to step in its way. “Let There Be Dark” has guitars thickening, driving and drilling, gang voices helping give the chorus more thrust, Linden’s shriek of the word “dark” blackening eyes. “Book of the Hidden” crushes open, Linden’s voice taking control, burning into a strange haze. “So it is written, so it is sealed,” she wails, the guitars adding more menace, driving hard through flooding melodies and surging moodiness. Closer “The Hammer” gets your blood racing right away, a melodic chorus taking hold as Linden warns, “Here comes the hammer!” Consider our faces smashed. (March 21)
19. OROMET, “The Sinking Isle” (Hypaethal): Sacramento-based funeral doom duo Oromet stand in the middle of a crumbling and hopeful existence on their second record “The Sinking Isle,” an album that shows the darker side of their creativity that serves as a counterbalance to their 2023 self-titled debut. Again drawing inspiration from fantasy artist Ted Nasmith, whose breathtaking artwork again adorns their cover, the band—vocalist/guitarist Dan Aguilar, drummer/bassist/synth player/backing vocalist Patrick Hills—reaches deep into the surrounding darkness and create something darkly melodic and richly layered.
“Hollow Dominion” opens and is the longest track, running 20:49 and taking its time to unfurl the dreaded majesty. The first couple minutes are serene, calm even, a thread of sorrow pulled through the middle. The growls enter and corrode as the glacial pace drags its way across the surface. The playing is thunderous, guitars glimmering, the emotion gushing as bells chime, the lower end of the surface rumbling with power. “Marathon” crashes, growls scarring, a spacey atmosphere stretching over everything, howls smashing as boiling interference stretches its grasp. Closer “Forsaken Tarn” mashes, growls burning even as clean, elegant waters spill over cliffs. The leads weep as gargantuan pounding combines with snarling growls and a sound burst that feels like a storm exploding. (Nov. 7)
18. WEALD + WOE, “Far From the Light of Heaven” (Fiadh): Boise, Idaho, crushers Weald & Woe fascinate perfectly on their thunderous third record “Far From the Light of Heaven,” an eight-track, 37-minute opus that spills you into a devastating fantasy land. Dubbed “castle metal,” a tag that also applies to other like-minded artists such as Obsequiae or even Morke, the music on here takes you away to swords clashing, horses galloping, chainmail shredding. The band—vocalist/guitarist Jeff Young, vocalist/guitarist Brent Ruddy, bassist Zak Darbin—goes full bore, plying melodic black metal and a twinge of power to make for a rousing, devastating adventure.
“This Vale of Tears” opens warmly, strong melodies flowing, shrieks raining down and aggravating fires. The pace keeps you plugged in, wild wails punishing, drums blasting before the pace shifts, and the power wrenches its last drops. “Warchild” gallops like early Maiden, blistering as the vocals go for broke, cooling down as castle-storming riffs gain strength. The playing bursts and bleeds colors, the drums gut, and shrieks peel back flesh as the final elements deliver majestic force. “The Skyless World” is a little moodier to start, guitars spreading out, numbing your senses before all hell breaks loose, and raucous fire and NWOBHM-flavored strikes jar your brain. Closer “Stars That Guide the Slain” is elegant and mighty, screams scraping, fluid melodies making your heart race. (July 4)
17. PHOBOCOSM, “Gateway” (Dark Descent): The plight to extend life, no matter the means and cost to others, splashes all over “Gateway,” the latest album from Montreal death metal punishers Phobocosm. Building off themes from their last record “Foreordained,” the band—vocalist/bassist E.B., guitarists S.D. and R.M., drummer J.S.G.—digs into the rot of trying to topple expiration, especially those with desires beyond living forever. Those people only have the worst of ideas in mind, and even they will fall victim to the scythe eventually. This record, by the way, was recorded alongside “Foreordained,” thus giving it similar vibe.
“Deathless” opens in a surge, feeling whirry and weird, disorienting as the sounds hover over ominously. Then your digits are crushed, growls smearing and scraping over a din of smoke, ugly and sooty power corroding, the intensity spiking before whirring away. “Unbound” has the drums openly destroying, beastly growls slithering beneath the carnage, molten guitars boiling over and threatening. Growls gurgle as the morbid pace sweeps you under the floor, blackness permeating your senses and making a grim exit. “Sempiternal Penance” blasts through, growls crushing, an infernal force making the temperatures unmanageable. “Beyond the Threshold of Flesh” has guitars simmering and growls retching, a rhyme scheme feeling somewhat bouncy even as it digs in the blade. Skies darken as the playing decimates, calculated power combusting and sending shrapnel, growls lashing as the bass coils. (Nov. 28)
16. MESSA, “The Spin” (Metal Blade): I don’t want to necessarily suggest Italian doom dreamers Messa were not ready for the major leagues before their excellent fourth record “The Spin.” They were always ready, from their 2016 debut “Belfry” right up to 2022’s “Close.” They always proved they had what it takes, creating emotionally ripe, smoking power that they dubbed “scarlet doom.” But “The Spin” is their first for the legendary Metal Blade, and this move up to wider recognition is something long deserved by the band—vocalist Sara, guitarist/bassist Marco, guitarist Alberto, drummer Rocco. Here, they deliver a record that maintains their might but also trims down the run time on many of the tracks, with only two going past eight minutes.
“Void Meridian” starts with unexpected synth pulses (you won’t be shocked for long), and Sara lets loose her spellbinding voice. “All the bones you can find at crossroads, the ones that push you down, can you hear the call in the distance? How far can you go now?” she wails, the guitars blazing with color, the chorus flushing back and zapping away. “At Races” opens with surging guitars and plunging verses, Sara calling, “Waiting for me to run.” “The Dress” runs 8:15, one of the two tracks here with longer run times. The playing slowly flows and the synth glimmers, Sara singing, “I’m trapped inside a nice velvet, blue dress, don’t even love myself anymore.” “Thicker Blood” closes, a 8:45-minute saga that enters in a magical, cosmic synth storm, Sara’s sultry singing stinging with, “Decapitated sun on this forest bed, dismay’s returning so clear and so bright.” The tempo continues to increase, guitars flooding with emotion, Sara wailing, “Mother hear me, I’ll go further, I’m so ready to be my fate.” This band has arrived in their full form. (April 11)
30. STARER, “Ancient Monuments and Modern Sadness” (Fiadh/Snow Wolf): Josh Hines, the artist behind black metal beast Starer, choose to express his frustration in a productive way through his art. The project’s new full-length “Ancient Monuments and Modern Sadness” is one of his most obviously agitated to date on the surface and deep in its guts. “I Cry Your Mother’s Blood” rushes at you, leads gushing as Hines’ shrieks separate flesh from ribs, the storming force only gathering in strength. The title is shrieked over a verse, and its intent darkens you, the savagery crushing before a glimmering end. “So, You Traitor” starts with the bass coiling, darker guitars dripping ashy moisture, and then a black metal gust dislodging the foundation. The fury bellows as guitars sting, mangling relentlessness rushing before mesmerizing. Closer “Lie Around My Neck” runs 10:37 and makes good use of every moment, guitars echoing as the shrieks rain, drama accumulating and making your heart race. You can feel the tension in every moment. (Oct. 10)
29. MORKE, “To Carry On” (True Cult): Escapism is one of the strong points for Morke, a one-person project helmed by Eric Wing, and the latest album under that banner, “To Carry On,” keeps the castle metal focus strong as ever. Over nine tracks, Wing (joined by session drummer CJ Yacoub) blasts into Medieval times, making it feel like you should be leaping on a horse with a goddamn sword looking to defend the village folk. “Sublymed Respair” has guitars washing in, echoing as howls pierce, the speed taking control quickly. Shrieks fire as the guitars soar and float, the melodies flooding the senses, loons calling out at the end. “Ashes of Feudalism” has leads liquifying rock, vicious howls rippling, the drums picking up and carrying the swarm. The tension continues to spread, howls stinging as the leads glow, swimming in and out of a rushing stream. “Viola Odorata” rouses with guitars mangling, the drums rattling, and melodies gusting, devastating the ground. The energy jars as spirits rise and run amongst us, ending this instrumental piece on a jarring note. The closing title track fires up right away, the vocals wrestling you to the dirt, the riffs encircling and causing dizziness. (Oct. 10)
28. WRYMOON, “Wyrmoon II” (Fiadh): Maine-based black metal phantoms Wyrmoon wrap a ton of icy devastation into their initial full-length “Wyrmoon II” that rouses you from the start. They’re not trying to be Immortal or anything, though there are some connections, but they find ways to overpower with an intensity that is absolutely frigid and dynamic. You hear it right away on opener “I Saw Her Face,” where the drums crash right through the gates, and the speed and electricity bury you in total ferocity. “Sickle Knife Devotion” keeps things storming, blazing melodically and with a bloodlust that grabs you and refuses to let go. “Chrysalis” punishes, Guinevere Sylvain’s howls feeling feral, the bass plodding and snapping, your flesh bruised and torn. “Chasm of the Reaping Moon” is the perfect wrecker to end this record, piling on from the start with a pace that rampages, wails and distant clean calls channeling fire, and guitars work melting through inches of ice. Fucking fantastic debut album that lands in the heart of an unforgiving winter. (Dec. 5)
27. GRAYCEON, “Then the Darkness” (Translation Loss): Grayceon’s amazing sixth record “Then the Darkness” feels like you’re diving right into the middle of a sea of madness, trying to figure out a way to carry on in the midst of a life-changing event that shakes you to your core. Over 11 tracks and nearly 70 minutes, the band pours its progressive darkness in generous amounts, leaving hearts exposed, blood flowing from ravaged veins. “Thousand Year Storm” opens warbling and spacey before things detonate, Jackie Perez Gratz’s shrieks peeling back bone, her singing floating along with the carnage. The cello ices as the playing grows more progressive, Perez Gratz wailing, “Tell them I am not well at all.” “Mahsa” is the 20:02 centerpiece, a track that starts sorrowfully, Perez Gratz repeating, “I … I will kill … whoever killed my sister.” The playing plods as darkness falls and the tempo bruises, cello bringing an elegance and a power surge. Closer “Come to the End” blasts in, immediately grabbing your attention. There are easier moments and others where the force bustles anew, shrieks tearing, the elements giving off thick smoke. (July 25)
26. PELICAN, “Flickering Resonance” (Run for Cover): Pelican’s triumphant “Flickering Resonance” is their first to include their original members—guitarists Laurent Schroeder-Lebec and Trevor de Brauw, bassist Bryan Herweg, and drummer Larry Herweg—in more than a decade. It feels right, and you can hear that in the music that bristles with energy. “Gulch” gets things going in active fashion, the guitars kicking in and punches landing, the melodies snaking through your brain. “Evergreen” feels like classic Pelican, streams moving forward, sweeping you up as the sounds swell, and then the guitars get warmer. “Pining For Ever” dawns with lathering guitars and a dusky aura, making it feel like the earlier evening hours of the summer. Closer “Wandering Mind” starts ominously with bass chugging, the darkness heading into the shadows, a chilling, numbing feeling sending shivers. Everything in its right place. (May 16)
25. HOODED MENACE, “Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration” (Season of Mist): About a decade ago, Hooded Menace veered away from dank, guttural doom metal to embrace the electricity of the forces we had in the 1980s. It certainly was a choice, and so far, it’s worked out pretty fucking great. “Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration” stays in the direction they’ve been on, but never abandoning their doom roots nor pulling back on the murkiness. “Pale Masquerade” punches and roars right off the bat. Leads smoke and glimmer as the growls pay homage to the darkness, and the pace continually grows more aggressive. “Portrait Without a Face” starts clean before the bass starts chugging, growls coat, and warm guitars let blood coat flesh. Closer “Into Haunted Oblivion” runs 9:46, fading in from the dark, guitars unloading, speed coming and going, the growls crawling through cracks. Plus there’s a great, unexpected cover of Duran Duran’s “Save a Prayer” that will sneak up on you. (Oct. 3)
24. WITHERER, “Shadow Without a Horizon” (Hypaethral): Canadian black metal force Witherer pack trauma and catharsis into “Shadow Without a Horizon,” their debut full-length. Black metal remains their base, but there is a lot of slow-burning doom cooked into this thing, and if you feel like the music is making you dizzy and disoriented, you’re not alone. “Fiat Umbra (Burial Beneath the Stalactites)” opens basking in darkness, a long introspection melting into warped heat, growls mauling as the guitars boil. “Devourer of All Graveyards” attacks, howls snarling, guitars angling and cutting into your muscles. “Solar Collapse Mandala” has cries pulling at flesh and a hammering pace, guitars gripping as the growls crush, the playing veering toward hypnosis. Closer “Praises (Gliding Through the Lightless Sea)” runs 15:30, and the echoey slurriness permeates, the vocals doing damage, the bass slinking into the unknown. Growls sicken as the mesmerizing playing angles toward chaos, the heat rising as the band slowly batters, the bass again flexing hard. (June 20)
23. CASTRATOR, “Coronation of the Grotesque” (Dark Descent): Death metal crushers Castrator make gory, traditionally bloody death metal on a sonic level, but digging deeper, there are revelations about unspeakable ugliness going on in our history and modern society that are scarier than a skeleton pulling out his guts in a graveyard. Their molten second album “Coronation of the Grotesque,” shines a light on injustices, human suffering, state-sponsored brutality, and sexual predators. “I Am Eunuch” gushes with soaring leads, a dizzying attack, and then a charged-up bruising that teams with Clarissa Badini’s vocals that utterly slay. Things get humid before guitars light up, the thrashing guts, and everything ends viciously. “Covenant of Deceit” is eerie when it dawns, and then ugliness ensues as the growls dig deep into guts. “Discordant Rumination” opens with shrieks raining down, a death charge aiming for your ribs, and raw hell unleashing new forms of pain. A cover of Exodus’ classic “Metal Command” rounds out this savage beast, which they manage to make even more violent. (June 20)
22. CASTLE RAT, “The Bestiary” (King Volume/Blues Funeral): They’re not playing arenas quite yet, but Castle Rat belong in the category of bands that deserve to do their thing on a bigger stage, and perhaps their great second record “The Bestiary” will help get them there. “Phoenix I” opens with a slurry synth blanket, whispers spreading as the guitars rise, twin leads chewing into dreams, slowly merging into “Wolf I” that explodes with powerful leads and vocals to match. “Siren” arrives amid rousing drums, more killer riffs, and the singing sweltering, guitars chugging before Riley Pinkerton gruffs, “Ooh!” a la Tom Warrior. “Dragon” has smoking guitars and a spirit that stomps through the room, the singing flexing its muscles as the humidity spills. “Sun Song” pulls you in with Pinkerton’s voice, the playing buzzing and going grungy, the force gutting and chugging. The guitars electrify as the attitude catapults, the drums pummeling through wiry riffs. (Sept. 19)
21. HELL, “Submersus” (Sentient Ruin): Hell, a one-man project helmed by M.S.W., long has travelled through a world of existential suffering. “Submersus,” the project’s fifth full-length, and first in eight years, pours more of that into five tracks that batter with doom, sludge, and pain. “Hevy” opens in a hail of feedback before the tempo begins pummeling, M.S.W. wailing, “What have I become?” We head directly into grime and pain, drubbing as the screams fry, the playing shifting heavier into sludge, guitars building a swelling atmosphere. “Gravis” chugs, slowly bathing in the increasing pressure. Agonizing screams ripple down your spine as the playing drags through madness. “Mortem” feels swampy and thick, shrieks maiming as sounds spread deeper into the darkness. Closer “Bog” emerges from the shadows, developing a cosmic bend, hellish screams choking you in the void, wrenching as the bruising continues. Utter doom misery. (July 11)
Meat Mead Metal 