20. KRIGSGRAV, “The Sundering” (Wise Blood): I’m like a broken record at this point, but having had one of the toughest mental health years of my life, taking solace in music that relates and helps me revel in that pain to find understanding has been crucial. Texas-based death/doom pounders Krigsgrav came along at an opportune time for me, as did their great sixth record “The Sundering.” This thing is heavy both musically and emotionally. It comes off as a collection of songs from people who have seen some shit, and that’s weirdly comforting because who among us hasn’t? This band—vocalist/rhythm guitarist Justin Coleman, guitarist Cody Daniels, drummer/bassist/clean vocalist David Sikora—just nails this and leaves you both cleaned out emotionally but also sufficiently devastated.

“Aeolus Speaks” gets things started as storming hangs over, ominous thunder rumbles, and that leads into “The Sun No Longer Reaches Here” that erupts with huge riffs and gurgling growls. The track gets savage as the pace picks up, and a doomy slurring hits over the chorus, mixing your brains. “Dread the Night” explodes with melody as the vocals power, and the pace chugs. The playing continues to heat up, bringing classic magic, the growls menace, and everything rolls in a pile of broken glass. “Spirit Walker” basks in elegant doom as the track starts, the growls corrode, and the playing opens even more, swallowing you whole. The leads feel like they soar through the air, moving through skullduggery and vicious blows. “Darkest Road” is the closer, and it smashes its way in with guitars glistening and an emotional toll being paid. Here at the end of the year, this record remains a trusted companion. (Aug. 6)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://krigsgrav.bandcamp.com/album/the-sundering

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

19. MARE COGNITUM, “Solar Paroxysm” (Extraconscious/I, Voidhanger): Under the Mare Cognitum banner, Jacob Buczarski often has concentrated on matters of the great beyond through the solar system and the universe. But on “Solar Paroxysm,” the fifth Mare Cognitum full-length and first in five years, the focus is turned inward, meaning on issues plaguing planet earth that aren’t necessarily virus related. There is plenty of unrest, political upheaval and chicanery, as well as social matters that remain problems to overcome, even though seemingly half the people alive don’t recognize or care about these matters. Therefore, you’re greeted by the angriest, most vicious Mare Cognitum record there ever was, a total emotional bloodletting.

“Αntaresian” kicks off deep into a sound woosh before things tear open, and for 11:16, the energy is just relentless. Shrieks strike as stirring melodies keep your brain working, and the tempo unloads and never quits. “Frozen Star Divinization” runs a healthy 10:58 as riffs explode and blow things apart, while the drums pummel, and the emotion floods to the surface. Daring punishment and channeled melodies lead toward a renewal of destruction, with Buczarski’s shrieks digging into your ribs. “Terra Requiem” runs 10:34, and it pulls back from the pace already achieved earlier, injecting a sense of sorrow and darkness into the mix. Shrieks and a storming pace add heaviness to the playing while a great cosmic swell immerses in alien intensity. Closer “Ataraxia Tunnels” is the longest track at 12:31, and it starts in space clouds that intoxicate. The vocals are vicious as the playing gets into the zone in a hurry as the drums rumble, and the leads flex their muscles. This is very deserved anger, and we all need to wake up as a people. (March 19)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://music.extraconscious.com/music

Or here: http://i-voidhanger.com/shop/

For more on the label, go here: https://music.extraconscious.com/

And here: http://i-voidhanger.com/

18. TRANSILVANIA, “Of Sleep and Death” (Invictus Productions): I already was excited about Transilvania’s “Of Sleep and Death” late last year when I got the promo in my e-mail, and I absolutely devoured it. For everyone putting over Tribulation for their melodic, gloomy stab at death metal, I feel like this Austrian band pulls off that formula way, way better. This record, the band’s second, is an exciting, vicious, sprawling display that’s a blood rush from beginning to end. There also are roots that have grown from Transilvania into metal’s formative years, but it’s there as a texture and not as a commitment to the past. This is the record that has destroyed me the longest of the entire Top 40 based on its release date, and it hasn’t lost an ounce of intensity.

“Opus Morbi” stirs from the start as organs swirl and the guitars awaken before everything is ripped to shreds. Melodic fury and explosive growls send ripples, while crunchy and disorienting playing makes your eyeballs hurt. A fiery charge keeps hammering away, racing before everything burns off. “Hekateion” has guitars mashing and gruff growls staggering as speed and melody unite. “Lycanthropic Chant” lands stiff punches as everything comes to life, and the chorus fattens lips. The drums hammer and leave everything powdered while the guitars scrape at scabs and end the track in heated fashion. “Underneath Dying Stars” is your closer that bleeds into the picture as bassist/vocalist P. Čachtice bellows before the track comes unglued. The entrancing pace plays tricks while the guitars go off and unleash hell. Grisly growls turn into furious roars as the tempo speeds along, and the drums power the song to its devastating end. (Jan. 1)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://invictusproductions666.bandcamp.com/album/of-sleep-and-death

For more on the label, go here: https://invictusproductions.net/

17. ANTI-GOD HAND, “Wretch” (American Decline): “Wretch,” the debut full-length record from black metal miasma Anti-God Hand, displays an approach to the sub-genre that is jarring and swirling in cosmic chaos. The band, a quintet, hails from British Columbia, and that’s really about all we have other than knowing their seven-track offering runs about 33 minutes, all of which should capture your imagination and even instill in you wonder and terror. From the first time I heard this album, I was sucked into their strange universe and the journeys on which they send you, working more to challenge your psyche than to beat you into the earth. It remains an enigma to this day.

“Forest Outpost” cracks open with eeriness as echoes increase, washing into gross hiss. Smeary fury teams with gazey wonder, dangling into daring guitars that jolt hard, hammering into ugly fury. “Zero-Harm Environment” has guitars sweltering as the body is torn apart, and the shrieks utterly melt. Horror lurks as cold tranquility begins to spread, icing over your brain, and then riffs return and knife into your central nervous system. “Sacred Cannon” unloads sprawling riffs as the track just goes crazy, with rich melody bubbling to the surface. Shrieks scrape wounds that never healed, psychosis laps with a sickening thickness, and the playing covers everything with gore, soaring out into mystery. “The Axe That Splits the Cedar” closes the album, launching with finger tapping and fiery shrieks, smashing your bones into mush. The riffs soar through the air as the playing cascades, increasing the drama as the pace pushes. This is a criminally underappreciated band and record. (June 3)

For more on the band, go here: https://antigodhand.com/

To buy the album or for more on the label, go here: https://americandeclinerecords.bandcamp.com/

16. OUTRE-TOMBE, “Abyss Mortifere” (Temple of Mystery): Quebecois death metal maulers Outre-Tombe returned just when he needed them most—on Halloween—with their horrific and deadly third record “Abysse Mortifère” that should fill you with horrific joy. The band is as relentless as ever on this album, and trying to take notes on this thing was a challenge because everything blows by so fast, tearing the breath from your lungs. These nine tracks rip over 37 minutes, a perfectly proportioned serving of the vilest, mangiest death you’ll tend to find crawling out of the local graveyard. The record is vicious and relentless, an absolute joy in the most morbid sense.

The title track starts with noise zaps before it pounds the shit out of you, hammering and charging as the vocals smear your blood. The pace is punishing as it blisters before its abrupt end. “Cenobytes” landed at a perfect time for ghoul season, and it smothers with great force as it drives nails into your muscles. “Desossé” stomps and brings thrashy goodness and raspy growls as the punishment is dumped in heaping piles. The guitars go off the rails as the pace blinds, smashing and gurgling as it disappears into the void. “Hautet Court” brings the drums crashing down as the tempo smashes sanity while the vocals rub insults in your face. The guitars slaughter as heavy blows connect with their targets, pulverizing as the final shots spray recklessly. “Haruspex” ends the assault by bleeding in and then taking you apart by the limbs. The vocals corrode as the playing gets deadlier, growing vicious and heavy as the guitars rip out your guts. (Oct. 31)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063647946549

To buy the album, go here: https://templeofmystery.ca/new-arrivals/

For more on the label, go here: https://templeofmystery.ca/

30. TOWER, “Shock to the System” (Cruz del Sur): Traditional heavy metal has come back into focus the last half decade or so, which is great for folks like me who still want to revel in that glory. NYC killers Tower are among those who are doing some of the finest throwback metal of all, led by powerhouse singer Sarabeth Linden, and their second record “Shock to the System” is such a raucous and white-hot good time that refuses to relent over its 10 tracks and 39 minutes. “Blood Moon” kicks things off with the proper amount of energy with Linden giving off the first indication of her goddamn ridiculously strong vocals; “Running Out of Time” gets the juices flowing properly and heavily; “Lay Down the Law” lets the bass pace as the guitars get churning, and Linden’s vocals echo over the verses, feeling a little spooky; and “Powder Keg” is your closer, and it’s one last chance to soak in your adrenaline as everything lights up. If you can’t enjoy this one, you might be dead. (Nov. 12)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/store/

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

29. GHOROT, “Loss of Light” (self-released): “Loss of Light” is the debut from Boise, Idaho-based crunchers Ghorot, who pledge to worship at the altars of sludge, doom, stoner, and black metal, and they definitely achieve that goal on this punishing five-track, 40-minute record. This is a sooty, blackened, psychotic good time as the band hammers you with great darkness, crushing riffs, and vicious vocals that batter you completely. It’s a really great record, one I have been visiting over and over. “Harbinger” starts the record by heating up with an absolutely killer riff that snakes around you, swaggering as the growls begin to pummel; “Woven Furnace” delivers bubbling guitars as the pace pummels, and the vocals mash hellish growls and muscular shrieks into one ugly package; “In Endless Grief” is your closer, a 12:26-long crusher that slips in and out of darkening mood as the vocals dice into your mind. (July 23)

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

To buy the album (digital, vinyl), go here: https://ghorot.bandcamp.com/album/loss-of-light

Or here (CD): https://www.inverse.fi/shop/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=940&osCsid=0d2ee1eec5a9a69bfbbfce61546aa55b

For more on the label, go here: https://www.inverse.fi/

28. THE SILVER, “Ward of Roses” (Gilead Media): The Silver contain a group of artists who have created some of the more impactful music in heavy metal over the past decade (Crypt Sermon, Horrendous), but here, they deliver sounds you will and won’t expect from them in a way that’s never not enthralling. Their debut offering is “Ward of Roses,” and it provides eight tracks that mix a bevy of different sounds in a manner I don’t really think I’ve heard before. It’s heavy, gloomy, mournful, vulnerable, and exciting, a mix that feels like they’re on to creating something that is unique to them and very much something that makes every drop of your blood sizzle with excitement. “…First Utterance” is a fluid, fog-creating instrumental opener that sets the stage and moves toward “Fallow” where the guitars rise, and the track splits at the middle. “Vapor” runs 9:37, and doomy hell unloads as the shrieks penetrate, and your guts are wrenched as you’re tossed back and forth. “Then Silence…” is the final cut, starting with jabbing guitars and then shrieks that make your spine feel crunched. It’s a mix of chaos and gloom that unite and burn off like jet fuel. (Oct. 15)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/collections/pre-orders

For more on the label, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/

27. WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, “Primordial Arcana” (Relapse): Longtime champions of the natural world around them, especially the majesty of the Pacific Northwest, black metal dreamers Wolves in the Throne Room continue to jolt our bloodstreams and capture our imaginations with their incredible “Primordial Arcana,” their seventh but first for new label home Relapse. This is not quite like the records that preceded this one; this album is full of an energy and excitement we haven’t heard from them before with shorter songs that are focused and powerful. “Mountain Magick” starts the record, slowly ushering a spiritual vibe that is thick and ever present before great riffs unload and tangle you, pulling you into the heart of the song. “Spirit of Lightning” is one of their best songs ever, a swirling storm with shrieks hammering as tornadic hell touches down, sending winds, rain, and chaos spreading. “Masters of Rain and Storm” is the longest track, running 10:44 and tearing open with the guitars showing meanness. The track crushes and gets muscular, trading ferocity with the woodsy folk moments. This album is a goddamn revelation. (Aug. 20)

For more on the band, go here: https://wittr.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://store.relapse.com/b/wolves-in-the-throne-room

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

26. CRYPTA, “Echoes of the Soul” (Napalm): Bands dissolving memberships isn’t always a bad thing, and when Nervosa underwent an upheaval, it resulted in that group reconstituting and the birth of the deadly Crypta, led by vocalist/bassist Fernanda Lira. Their debut record “Echoes of the Soul” is a 10-track, 42-minute bruiser that combines deadly death metal and punishing melodies that combine to form a machine that is impossible to stop. After “Awakening” drips filth and disgust, “Starvation” awaits and arrives fully aiming to tear out your guts with precision and fury. “Possessed” has some really impressive guitar work and feels like classic terrain, leaving you heaving and bruised. “Shadow Within” has some properly murky playing and precision that is both impressive and astonishing; and “Dark Knight of the Soul” is evil and punishing, an example of Crypta at their finest as they carve their own bloody path. (June 11)

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

To buy the album (U.S./Canada), go here: https://www.napalmrecordsamerica.com/

Or here (rest of world): https://napalmrecords.com/

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

25. GENGHIS TRON, “Dream Weapon” (Relapse): A 13-year absence resulted in a reconfigured Genghis Tron both in lineup and sonic presentation, and album that leaves almost entirely behind their grindcore roots and goes deep and heavy into synth-ensconced passages that feel like being locked in a story your brain is telling you while you’re in slumber. So, yeah, it might not have all of the heaviness of their past work, but they move on for the better as this record is an absolute gem, an ear worm that digs deep within you and makes you see visions you couldn’t previously have imagined. “Pyrocene” hits with beats clashing and frosty keys before new vocalist Tony Wolski’s wonderfully ghostly singing starts to move. Strange ambiance doubles as your head is immersed with sounds and ideas, and a mechanical dream unravels. “Alone in the Heart of the Light” delivers jabbing keys and echo as your brain ices over. The music is cosmic at heart as your body is numbed delightfully while the drums rustle. Closer “Great Mother” runs 8:59, allowing the synth to loom and roam before things power up. Sounds rain down as Wolski’s singing pelts away from you, feeling like a transmission from the spirit world. (March 26)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://store.relapse.com/item/96762

For more on the label, go here: https://store.relapse.com/

24. CHROME WAVES, “The Rain Will Cleanse” (Disorder Recordings): Chrome Waves’ new record “The Rain Will Cleanse” is an experience I wasn’t entirely prepared for as murky goth-rock-splashed post-black metal misery is packed warmly into these six songs. Yet the warmth and longing in these tracks, the absolute vulnerability is what really took me by surprise. The band’s music has shifted a lot over the years, lessening the black metal pressure and really upping the drab majesties that splash their wonderfully moody music, with this album sticking into your ribs like a deadly sharp knife jammed there by someone you must have wronged at some point. “When Night Falls” gets off to a murky start as the melodies thicken and pull you under, and a strong chorus, which is their knack on this record, knocks you for a loop. “Sometimes” is a tremendous song, the best thing on here, and it feels gothy and massive at first, pummeling with moody singing, with the call of, “Looking for a place to sleep eternally,” ringing out in your brain. “Aspiring Death” is the closer, and it’s dark and shadowy as the song basks under the stars before shrieks rain down. (Sept. 10)

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://chromewaves.bandcamp.com/album/the-rain-will-cleanse

Or here (Europe): https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://disorder-recordings.com/

And here: https://avantgardemusic.com/

23. LAMP OF MURMUUR, “Submission and Slavery” (Black Gangrene): Black metal and supremely dark goth music make so much sense together, but it never felt quite as home as it does on “Submission and Slavery,” the second full-length from Lamp of Murmuur. Helmed solely by M., this band has become one of the most influential in this sub-genre, and for good reason. This banner has been one that has, for the best, changed minds on how this type of music is played and constructed, but it remains as true to the roots as one can be. “Submission and Slavery” is a six-track record that enshrouds listeners in darkness and allure, and how can anyone deny tracks such as the immersive, rumbling, and utterly dark “Reduced to Submission and Slavery”; “Deformed Erotic Visage,” a piece that is built with desperate cries, riffs encircling you, and goth majesty that wraps around every bend; and the killer album-closing cover of Christian Death’s “As Evening Falls,” as proper a setup as any for a band that certainly learned many tricks from the seminal artist? M.’s work keeps coming into clearer focus, and this is a Lamp album that rattles psychological cages. (Sept. 16)

For more on the band, go here: https://lampofmurmuur.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://lampofmurmuur.bandcamp.com/album/submission-and-slavery

Or here: https://www.blackgangrene.com/product/lamp-of-murmuur-submission-and-slavery-digicd/

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

22. STORMKEEP, “Tales of Othertime” (Van): Black metal and battlefield fantasies are things that go so well together and always have ever since the beginning, something Stormkeep capitalizes on with their excellent debut record “Tales of Othertime.” If you need music that makes you feel like you’re roaming through a darkened castle, blade in hand as you fight to survive, then this music should be what gets you there. Combining members of groups such as Blood Incantation, Wayfarer, Abysmal Dimensions, and countless other, Stormkeep make the most of these six tracks and 43 minutes, kicking you off right with “The Seer,” a thunderous dose of icy black metal that revels in the battle that also includes the elements. “The Citadel” is an instrumental track bleeding with dungeon synth and wonder, and elsewhere we get roaring high points with “A Journey Through Storms” that stomps guts but also keeps your imagination running overtime; and closer “Eternal Majesty Manifest” that starts at the heart of battle before exploding with symphonic chaos that swallows you into a world of frigidity. This is an incredible late-year adventure that will shed your blood. (Nov. 19)

For more on the band, go here: https://stormkeep-odl.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album or for more on the label, go here: https://van-records.com/Home

21. DOODSWENS, “Lichtvrees” (Svart): Doing battle against daylight seems like a futile cause, because no one has been able to topple the sun quite yet, but that didn’t discourage Dutch crushers Doodswens (their name translates to “death wish”) and what they unleash their debut full-length offering “Lichtvrees” onto the world. The title means “fear of light,” and perhaps that’s one of the reasons this record resonated with me so much. I tend to thrive in the darkness, and any fluorescent light is an immediate enemy, so I’m ready to take up arms with vocalist/guitarist Fraukje van Burg and drummer Inge van der Zon as they deliver fury, mystery, and a lashing back at the daytime hours, the foe of these menacing spirits. “In Mijn Bloed” buzzes as it opens before the shrieks rip in, and the playing totally devastates, leaving your skeleton shaking; “Eindzicht” brings sweltering noise and a static storm, moving through riffs and complicated melody that eats away at you; and “Het Zwartewaterland” that’s dreamy and weird at first but then completely comes unglued. The playing rumbles viciously, lathering in total blackness as the drums decimate, with van Burg’s vicious wails keeping you at her mercy. (Dec. 3)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://svartrecords.com/product/doodswens-lichtvrees-album/?goal=0_4a25200f14-d3eb44e50a-98321619&mc_cid=d3eb44e50a&mc_eid=a10b82c416

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

40. GRAVE MIASMA, “Abyss of Wrathful Deities” (Dark Descent/Sepulchral Voice): Death metal largely has reigned supreme the past few years, and that’s because of bands such as Grave Miasma, who entranced and battered with “Abyss of Wrathful Deities,” their second full-length effort and first since 2013. We missed their entrancing and shadow-heavy sound, and these nine songs that bleed over 53 minutes are nightmarish, strange to navigate, and impossible to properly classify, which makes what’s going on that much more intense. Highlights are “Rogyapa” that unloads bursting guitars and snarling vocals, while the pace is punchy and even a little deranged; “Ancestral Waters” splatters as the growls mar, and the leads engulf and tangle you in power; and “Under the Megalith” that can undo even the strongest of mental wills, a storm that gets gnarlier as the playing explodes and spirals, and furious hell pushes into a violent end. (May 14)

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/store/

Or here: http://www.sepulchralvoice.de/shop/

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

And here: http://www.sepulchralvoice.de/

39. ESOCTRILIHUM, “Dy’th Requiem for the Serpent Telepath” (I’ Voidhanger): It’s still possible to be overcome by big stories, major themes, and the overall hugeness of an art form that doesn’t take place in a theater, and Esoctrilihum, the project helmed by sole artist Asthâghul (vocals, guitars, bass, drums, synths, violins, piano) is out to prove that. Well, maybe that’s not the sole purpose, but the music, deeply situated in doom, black metal, and plenty of other dark tidings, always has been content you cannot just sample. You have to commit, which Asthâghul proves again on “Dy’th Requiem for the Serpent Telepath,” his sixth album in five years and his lengthiest at 12 tracks and nearly 78 minutes. It’s like a strange tunnel leading you underground on tracks such as chilling “Ezkikur”; “Baahl Duthr” where intense riffs explode and drive in daggers, and gruff growls sink in their claws; and vicious and foggy “Zhaïc Daemon.” (May 21)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Esoctrilihum-305266723253656

To buy the album, go here: http://i-voidhanger.com/shop/

For more on the label, go here: http://i-voidhanger.com/

38. WOMAN IS THE EARTH, “Dust of Forever” (Init): South Dakota black metal band Woman Is the Earth is one of those artists that for me, as each time they release new music, I feel like they reveal added layers of their raging spirits. “Dust of Forever,” their catapulting fifth record, is another great beast unleashed upon the world, this one a little different than the creatures that preceded it. They delve a little deeper into atmosphere and post-black metal, layering with sounds and impulses that expand their headspace. You can hear evidence of that on the primitive spirit that is “Emerald Ash”; “Through a Beating Heart” that is vulnerable and volcanic; exhilarating “Spiritual Rot”; and gut-busting closer “Face of Snakes” that devastates before disappearing into the cosmos. (Aug. 20)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://initrecords.bandcamp.com/album/dust-of-forever

For more on the label, go here: https://initrecords.bandcamp.com/

37. FELLED, “The Intimate Earth” (Transcending Obscurity): My first experience with “The Intimate Earth,” the debut record from folk-infused black metal band Felled, did not occur when I was in nature, but it didn’t take me long to feel like I was amid thick trees, human-made trails, and oxygen not sickened by industry. The more I listened, the more I realized I was completely overcome by this record, and that the band—guitarist/vocalist Cavan Wagner, violin and viola player/backing vocalist Brighid Wagner (both of Poet), bassist Isamu Sato (ex-YOB, currently of Omnihility), drummer/vocalist Jenn Grunigen (Cerridwen)—could transport me wherever, no matter where I was locked physically. This is a journey that rewards constantly with tracks including emotional “Fire Season on the Outer Realm”; “Sphagnum in the Hinterlands” that makes it feel like your insides are coming alive; and great closer “The Salt Binding” that’s psychologically jarring and soars gloriously. (July 2)

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://transcendingobscurity.8merch.com/

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

36. PRIMEVAL WELL, “Talkin’ in Tongues With Mountain Spirits” (Moonlight Cypress Archetypes): Not many records seem like they second as ghost stories, but most albums are not Primeval Well’s stunning “Talkin’ in Tongues With Mountain Spirits,” the second document from this bluegrass-inspired black metal force. It feels like walking through haunted woods or scaling mountains that contain stories within their twists and turns as this Nashville band enraptures you for a little over an hour with tracks including “Raising Up Antlers to Our Mountain Gods” that begins in heavy mood and takes you for an exhilarating ride; “Ghost Fires Burn Light in Our Eyes” that combines stew-thick black metal with progressive excitement; and “Where All Things Are Forgotten” that weaves old folk song “Am I Born to Die” into a thunderous eruption that wholly inhabits your soul. (Oct. 20)

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

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

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

35. BODY VOID, “Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth” (Prosthetic): To call a record heavy on a goddamn metal site likely sounds ridiculous, but that’s the only true way to describe anything Body Void does. And if you witness them live, you might piss. It’s that heavy. Anyway, “Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth” likely was an introduction to many who are now learning of them as they’re aligned with Prosthetic, and what awaited was seismic-shifting doom and sludge that literally feels like it’s ripping your body apart. This four-track, nearly 52-minute-long crusher has a lot of might to offer on tracks such as “Laying Down in a Forest Fire,” a title that really tells you all you need to know; crushing “Fawn”; and mammoth closer “Pale Man” that trudges and makes it feel like you endured a 10,000-year physical battle. (April 23)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.prostheticrecords.com/

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

34. SKEPTICISM, “Companion” (Svart): Doom legends Skepticism have absolutely nothing to prove to anyone, yet they still go out there every record with something that pushes their boundaries and keeps their audiences breathless. Both grim and elegant, the band’s organ-soaked sound remains something no other band has been able to duplicate, and we’re deep into the sorrow and pain on “Calla” that immediately immerses itself in the drama as the keys unload, the guitars tangle, and the growls slither through, making for a chilling presence; “The March of the Four” runs a healthy 10:04, the longest track on the collection, and it delivers cascading organs and growls lumbering with the guitar work flexing its muscles; and “The Swan and the Raven” that closes out the album with organs pumping, the growls carving a path, and a dark adventure beginning to take hold. The track takes off into the sullen night, the drama drowns you, and everything ends in a gothic nightmare. (Sept. 24)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://svartrecords.com/product/skepticism-companion-album/

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

33. NOLTEM, “Illusions in the Wake” (Transcending Obscurity): Noltem’s “Illusions in the Wake” fittingly arrived in the autumn, as their atmospheric, nature-driven black metal seemed to dash all sort of colors on their thunderous debut album. The rushing waters and the propulsive black metal floods your senses, which seems by design, as the band—guitarist/keyboardist Max Johnson, bassist Shalin Shah, drummer/vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist John Kerr—immerses you in the world of rich hues that fill your mind to its tipping point. “Figment” is the 8:30-long opener that arrives in rushing waves lapping the shores before the track opens in glory, the guitars leading, and shrieks hammer away; “Beneath the Dreaming Blue” is both punishing and thoughtful, dashing at corners; “Ruse” is an 8:48 gem that emerges in the heart of rich vibration and bustling power; and closing instrumental “On Shores of Glass” is blazing and progressive, taking you underneath the waters. (Oct. 15)

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

To buy the album (North America), go here: https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.de/shop-en_1

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

32. KOLDOVSTVO, “Ни царя, ни бога” (Extraconscious/Babylon Doom Cult/Folkvangr): “Ni Tsarya, Ni Boga,” the debut record from Koldovstvo, is an enigma. Little is known about the band. Their country of origin is unknown as is their lineup, and their name means “witchcraft” in Russian. That tells us very little, so we turn to their music, which is almost indescribable. Yet, our job is to do just that, and it’s a whirlwind of strange, almost euphoric melodies intertwined with their immersive black metal that can take you down into the earth. “I” delivers riffs that spiral and tease as the tempo rushes and the shrieks rake your back, with pastoral clean calls arriving behind that. “III” envelopes you in synth as the track opens and rumbles the ground, shrieks echo, and the playing drives hard. “VI” ends the adventure with a synth blur before the grounds explode. A smattering of color arrives as the guitars cut a sharp path, leaving the melody to take center and end the track basking in strange light. (March 5)

For more on the band, go here: https://koldovstvo.bandcamp.com/releases

To buy the album, go here: https://music.extraconscious.com/album/ni-tsarya-ni-boga

Or here: https://www.babylondoomcultrecords.com/product/koldovstvo-ni-tsarya-ni-boga-lp/

Or here: https://www.folkvangrrecords.com/products/695711-koldovstvo

For more on the label, go here: https://music.extraconscious.com/

And here: https://www.babylondoomcultrecords.com/

And here: https://www.folkvangrrecords.com/

31. GHASTLY, “Mercurial Passages” (20 Buck Spin): Death metal has been swimming in weirdness since the start, and Ghastly have jumped into the deep end to add their own bizarre contributions, such as what they execute on “Mercurial Passages.” Granted, the Finnish band doesn’t go too far into the bizarre; so a non-adventurous listener still could get taken for a ride from the heaviness and work their way into the mind-numbing drama. “Out of the Psychic Blue” has the drums lighting up and daring riffs crumbling forward as the growls go to work at your slowly congealing gashes. “Parasites” tears open and attacks your central nervous system before the growls go to work on your flesh. “Mirror Horizon” ends the album, a 7:25-long piece that starts landing blows right away, with the growls smashing and the guitar work turning up the temperature. (May 28)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/ghastly

For more on the label, go here: https://www.20buckspin.com/

Come Monday, we begin the Top 40 albums of 2021, a pain in the ass of a list to put together if there ever was one. It may seem like 40 is a lot, but it’s not enough to get in every record we loved this year, and today’s list of runners up also won’t even cover all of that. But there are 5 records it pained us not to squeeze into the Top 40, and despite that, they’re still killers.

AARA, “Triad I: Eos” (Debemur Morti): For their third record “Triad I: Eos,” Swiss black metal force Aara decided to dig into 1820 novel Memloth the Wanderer by Irish Protestant clergyman and playwright Charles Robert Maturin, and it tells the story of a man who sold his soul to the devil for another 150 years of existence on earth. Good thing is you have time to absorb the text because this album is the first in a trilogy for the band—vocalist Fluss, guitarist/bassist Berg, drummer J—that we assume will continue over their fourth and fifth albums, if they stay on a straight path with the story. The music is another dose of their sharp, fully atmospheric black metal that surges and causes your blood to rush along with them. Fluss’ shrieks manage to get inside of you and swim in your head, bringing you to your own brink of damnation. (March 26)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Aara-941630312665011

To buy the album (North America), go here: https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/

Or here (Europe): https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/12-eshop

For more on the label, go here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/

FORHIST, self-titled (Debemur Morti): Blut Aus Nord mastermind Vindsval never rests, and that’s apparent in his art, the latest coming under the new Forhist banner, resulting in some of the most aggressive black metal he’s made in some time. Yet, there still are stretches of imagination and wonder in what he does on these bone-freezing eight tracks, but for the most part, it’s power, riffs, riveting chaos, and infectious melodies, keeping your insides volcanically hot while your body tries to adjust to the sub-freezing temperatures. The tracks are titled “I” through “VIII,” and the thunder and frost coasted over these songs will make your skull shiver as you immerse yourself in violent disorientation. (Feb. 26)

For more on the band, go here: https://blutausnord.bandcamp.com/album/forhist

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/band/forhist

Or here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/518-forhist-shop

For more on the label, go here: https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/

MEHENET, “Ng’ambu” (Gilead Media/Stygian Black Hand): Undoubtedly one of the strangest records to come out this year and yet another example that black metal can shape and shift into whatever it wants to be, New Orleans-based band Mehenet unleashed “Ng’ambu,” a spiritual force. According to the band’s bio, Mehenet’s music has a personal connection and dedication to Quimbanda, the Afro-Brazilian diasporic belief system based around magic, rituals, and offerings. It separated from Macumba and at some point took on the darker, more black magic aspects of the religion. “Horse to the Earth,” “In the Garden of Suicide,” and closer “The Mystery of Nations” grab your attention, keep it, and fill you with blackness from which you’ll never fully recover. This music lives in your bloodstream, an infection for which you won’t want an antidote.  (Sept. 10)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Abomination718/

To buy the album (vinyl to come in 2022), go here: https://gileadmedia.net/products/mehenet-ngambu-cd

Or here (cassette): https://stygianblackhand.bandcamp.com/album/ngambu

For more on the label, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/

And here: http://www.stygianblackhand.com/

MORTIFERUM, “Preserved in Torment” (Profound Lore): If you want to immerse yourself in thick doom and morbid death blackness, you don’t have to look much further than Olympia, Wash., maulers Mortiferum and their ungoly second record “Preserved in Torment.” This horrifying follow-up to debut offering “Disgorged From Psychotic Depths” maintains that impenetrable density and gloomy violence, battering you on tracks such as “Eternal Procession,” monstrous “Incubus of Bloodstained Visions,” “Exhumed From Mortal Spheres,” and mighty closer “Mephitis of Disease.” You’ll feel like you need a shower to remove the grime afterward. (Nov. 5)

For more on the band, go here: https://mortiferum.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://profoundlorerecords.merchtable.com/

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

PUTRISCENE, “The Fading Flame” (Tridroid): We’ve already hailed San Diego death squad Putrescine in the past, but their first crack at a full-length was a true test, and they came out with disgusting flying colors on “The Fading Flame.” This 10-track, 41-miniute album was one of the more interesting releases in a year filled with killer death metal records, and nine months after it first landed, it remains a formidable power, lathering you with vicious entries including “The Abyss,” “Devourer of Gods,” “That Mountain” (vocalist Marie McAuliffe describes the track about her surviving trauma), “Outsider” (a message about class structure within the gay community), and “In a Setting Sun” that balances technical prowess with gut-slicing power and violence. The fact the band is proudly antifascist is yet another reason for eternal fucking hails and continued visits with this killer record. (March 26)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Putrescine-464280534319064/

To buy the album, go here: https://tridroid.bandcamp.com/album/the-fading-flame

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

Before we leap into the Top 40 records of 2021, we’d like to honor some of the strong EPs that have come out this year. No matter what form of heavy music is your favorite, there were smaller releases all over the place to either tide you over to the next full-length or give you an introductory jolt from a band perhaps previously unknown to you. We love these releases, we still listen to them relentlessly, and they’re worth your hard-earned money. Or maybe you don’t work that hard but still make money. Capitalism. It’s a fucker.  

GUHTS, “Blood Feather” (self-released): Hey, we can’t cover everything, and we missed on Guhts’ awesome “Blood Feather,” their great debut EP. It’s hard to really pin down the band’s sound as they use doom, sludge, atmospheric dreaming, and Amber Burns’ wrenching, soaring voice that absolutely cannot be denied. The highlight of the four-track collection is the 10-minute closer “The Forest” that is a sonic journey, and it’s preceded by menacing “Eyes Open,” “Handless Maiden,” and “The Mirror.” Really excited to hear where this band goes from here. (Aug. 6)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://guhts.bandcamp.com/album/blood-feather

CULT OF LUNA, “The Raging River” (Metal Blade/Red Creek): A sort of bridge between “A Dawn to Fear” and the upcoming “The Long Road North” (spoiler: it’s fucking awesome), “The Raging River” was a chance for Swedes Cult of Luna to add a smaller portion size to their ravenous audience but do it in a way that absolutely floors you. The four tracks run over nearly 39 minutes, so it’s a full-length offering for many other bands, but somehow they keep you wanting even more after “What I Leave Behind,” “Inside of a Dream” that features Mark Lanegan, and epic closer “Wave After Wave.” (Feb. 5)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.indiemerch.com/metalbladerecords

Or here: https://red-crk.com/collections/vinyl/products/cult-of-luna-the-raging-river-aside-bside-clear-and-red-new-pressing

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

And here: https://red-crk.com/

SPIRIT ADRIFT, “Forge Your Future” (Century Media): It was an off year of sorts for Spirit Adrift who did not offer up a new full-length record and also moved to Century Media, a behemoth if there ever was one. Yet they managed to check in with this great three-song EP, further proof that they have their swords sharpened, their magic ready to explode, and their traditional metal chops ready to capture more hearts and minds. Basically, if you already were on board with this band, this EP will feel right at home as they hammer you with the title track, the awesome “Wake Up,” and “Invisible Enemy.” I’m psyched beyond words for their next full album. (Aug. 27)

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/

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

GRANDEUR, “Aurea Aetas” (Halo of Flies/Absolute Contempt): Halo of Flies was a favorite label of mine, but when they went dormant a few years ago, it cut off a flow of heavy releases that were exciting and you could feel positive were not made by a bunch of sketchy motherfuckers. So, we rejoiced when they reared their head again with Grandeur’s killer debut EP, 18 minutes of devastating black metal delivered by sole member Erech. The songs are inventive and volcanic, carving out your eyes and moving you with mystical yet melodic violence that hints at the promise of one of black metal’s next great hopes. This EP is still kicking our ass to this day. (June 13)

For more on the band, go here: https://grandeurbm.bandcamp.com/releases

To buy the album, go here: https://haloofflies.bandcamp.com/album/aurea-aetas

And here: https://absolutecontemptrecords.bandcamp.com/

For more on the label, go here: https://haloofflies.bandcamp.com/

Or here: https://absolutecontemptrecords.bandcamp.com/album/aurea-aeta

KATAAN, self-titled (Prosthetic): Vattnet Viskar seemed like the next huge thing in black metal several years ago, but it wasn’t meant to be, and they eventually dissolved. Out of that was born Kataaan, combining Nicholas Thornbury and Brett Boland (also of Astronoid) who served up their self-titled EP that felt like both an introduction and an appetizer into what they intend to do. Their death metal is adventurous and expansive, focusing on depression and dystopian trauma, using these four songs as both a wake-up call to an easily misled public and a quaking surge that art can be a way of breaking out of those doldrums and doing some damage of our own. Very excited for a full-length. (May 7)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.prostheticrecords.com/

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

Other smaller releases we loved: Thou/Emma Ruth Rundle “The Helm of Sorrow”; Lady Beast “Omens”; Aduanten, “Sullen Cadence”; Witch Vomit “Abhorrent Rapture”; Dawn Ray’d “Wild Fire”; Rorcal/Earthflesh collaboration “Witch Coven”; Myopic/At the Graves collaboration “A Cold Sweat of Quiet Dread”

This is a heavy metal site, but that music isn’t the be all end all. I try to be an adventurous listener, but it’s been a really hard year. The worst I can remember. A lot of my musical choices have centered on comfort because I needed familiar voices and sounds. I needed a way to get out of the pain and hurt that was on my trail the entire time. These are, in alphabetical order, some of the non-metal records that helped get me through.

CIRCUIT DES YEUX, “-io” (Matador): Haley Fohr has been making blunt, imaginative music for years now under the Circuit des Yeux banner, her husky voice something that isn’t always welcoming at first but always finds a way to draw you in. “-io” is her seventh record under this banner, and it contains some of  her most engaging and inventive work ever (“Dogma” has been in my brain ever since I first heard it on vacation in August, the drum beat stampeding me), and it’s all over this amazing record that also peaks on “Sculpting the Exodus” and “The Chase.” (Oct. 22)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.matadorrecords.com/store.matadorrecords.com/-io

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

CHARLOTTE CORNFIELD, “Highs in the Minuses” (Double Double Whammy/Polyvinyl): Charlotte Cornfield came into my life when the Canadian artist’s song “Destroy Me” came up on a Spotify mix and sunk a dagger in my heart. The simple chorus of, “My anxiety’s crippling, where does it come from, where is it going, will it destroy me?” basically was like a summary of my year. Her naked, vulnerable delivery absolutely selling that dread. Elsewhere on her fourth record, she’s just as impactful on “Pac-Man,” reality check “Headlines,” and crushing ballad “Drunk on You.” (Oct. 29)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://dbldblwhmmy.com/store

Or here: https://www.polyvinylrecords.com/product/highs_in_the_minuses

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

And here: https://www.polyvinylrecords.com/

SIERRA FERRELL, “Long Time Coming” (Rounder): I can admit when I’m wrong, and I absolutely was when I didn’t pay attention to Sierra Ferrell at first because I knew she was a YouTube star. Well, goddamn if I’m not a fool, because her debut record “Long Time Coming” is a revelation, and her voice is something you need to hear to fully understand. Her old-time country sound is dressed with her West Virginia roots, and she shines on “In Dreams,” “The Sea,” and “Bells of Every Chapel.” I can’t get her music out of my mind, and luckily I can just keep indulging as long as I want. (Aug. 20)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://store.rounder.com/collections/sierra-ferrell

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

THE HOLD STEADY, “Open Door Policy” (Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers): I’ve gone on about this before, but 2021 was a horrible year for me that was rife with personal tragedies. So, I tended to fall back into comfort a lot, and the Hold Steady are one of those bands that makes it feel like having beers with old friends and discussing our Catholic guilt. It’s great to hear this band back on a roll the past few years (keyboard player/back-up singer Franz Nicolay’s return was crucial), and they fire on all cylinders on these tracks that sometimes feel like the people in your life who really, truly know you. (Feb. 19)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://theholdsteady.bandcamp.com/album/open-door-policy

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

JAPANESE BREAKFAST, “Jubilee” (Dead Oceans): “Be Sweet” is the best damn pop song of the year, and I won’t hear any other opinions. “Jubilee” is the record that took Michelle Zauner’s great Japanese Breakfast from a steady indie favorite to a force that can conquer much more, and this third album is powered by so many great songs such as “Savage Good Boy,” “Paprika,” “Posing in Bondage,” and awesome closer “Posing for Cars.” This album is a triumph in every sense of the world, and it’s as exciting now as it was the first time I heard it.  (June 4)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.secretlystore.com/dead-oceans

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

MARISSA NADLER, “The Path of the Clouds” (Sacred Bones): A longtime favorite at this site, Marissa Nadler is one whose work has bled into metal’s periphery (she worked with Xasthur and Stephen Brodsky), but her solo work has been so special and haunting, that we cannot help but genuflect in front of her. She focuses on mystery, tragedy, and murder on this awesome record, sweeping in with storytellers such as “Bessie, Did You Make It?” about two lovers dying on an adventure, “Couldn’t Have Done the Killing,” and stunning closer “Lemon Queen.” She has outdone herself again. (Oct. 29)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.sacredbonesrecords.com/collections/marissa-nadler

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

EMMA RUTH RUNDLE, “Engine of Hell” (Sargent House): Emma Ruth Rundle’s music is no stranger to pain and loss, and that is all over “Engine of Hell,” a record so stripped back and vulnerable, it sometimes feels intrusive to listen to these songs. You know things are different on opener “Return,” an acoustic number with Rundle’s voice scratching for something, letting us know that things are different now. “Blooms of Oblivion” brings back painful memories, trips to the methadone clinic, and hopelessness, while “Dancing Man” actually has some bright points that shine through. “In My Afterlife” is a classic Rundle closer where she throttles you emotionally, admitting, “I have a feeling I might be here a while.” I hope she can find some peace and love she so richly deserves.  (Nov. 5)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/emma-ruth-rundle

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

STRAND OF OAKS, “In Heaven” (Thirty Tigers): A few years ago, Timothy Showalter made a Strand of Oaks record that seemed to confound people (I like “Hard Love” but whatever), but since then, he’s been on fire. “In Heaven” is another classic Strand record that feels hard edged but also full of sentimentality and emotion, following in a similar path as a mutual hero of ours Jason Molina. This is a damn great record that highlights with “Jimi and Stan,” a sad but sweet tale of two friends in the afterlife; really great “Somewhere in Chicago”; and “Galacticana” that is one of the catchiest and most positive songs of Showalter’s career. It just fills you with sun, especially when he sings, “I just like hanging out.” Such a great track. (Oct. 1)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://strandofoaks.bandcamp.com/album/in-heaven

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

TORRES, “Thirstier” (Merge): Mackenzie Scott has made some truly great music under the Torres name, with every record offering something completely different from what came before it. It feels like she hits a groove on “Thirstier,” her fifth record and one of her most confident. She also has some fun, which is nothing new for her, with the title track, the grungy puncher “Are You Sleepwalking?” and the sweet but cautious “Don’t Go Putting Wishes in My Head,” where she jabs her mate with, “I know promising forever’s not your thing, but now if you don’t want me to go dreaming, don’t spend your mornings and evenings in my bed.” (July 30)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.mergerecords.com/store

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

FAYE WEBSTER, “I Know I’m Funny Haha” (Secretly Canadian): I’m not sure Faye Webster is capable of writing a bad song or a mediocre song, because she hasn’t done it yet. All she does is turn up with gold like she does on her third record, the affectionately named “I Know I’m Funny Haha,” the title of which originates from a conversational turn in the title track. “Better Distractions” is the perfect doorway into the record; “A Dream With a Baseball Player” is so great and fun; “Cheers” can make your insides quake; and “In a Good Way” is a jazzy ballad that’s classy and heartfelt, turning your heart on overdrive. (June 25)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.secretlystore.com/secretly-canadian

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

Never make plans. I’ve said that over and over in my life, and for some stupid reason, I keep doing the exact opposite of that, and it always comes back to bite me. Middle of last week, I finally finished my top 40 for the year, which was the most difficult list I’ve done in the history of this site. I was finally feeling good, and then Adam Bartlett of Gilead Media destroyed my world, so thanks!

Actually, for real, thanks. Because he announced a final release for his label for the year, that being “Before the Glinting Spells Unvest,” the second effort from Ustalost, which is helmed by Will Skarstad, co-founder of black metal spirits Yellow Eyes. So, yes, we kind of had to rip up the top 40 sort of, but it was my pleasure to do so as this album is just astonishingly great, which is no big surprise. Ustalost’s 2016 debut “A Spoor of Vipers” was our no 6 album of the year, and this one inhabits the same universe with a little more intoxicating smoke and strange visions that have you on the line between euphoria and panic. These six tracks are a mind warp, and while I’ve been 100 percent sober for every listen in the past week (and there have been many), I’m very curious to see where some minor and wholly legal mind-altering substances take me. Fuck, this is good. I know it’s some time off because of the vinyl plant hell that’s going on, but I can’t wait to hear this thing on my turntable.

“Enough Glass Will Cast a Shadow” get things started basking in a synth cloud that feels almost as if it’s emitting the green and blue from the cover before the track tears apart. The shrieks punish as they echo in the atmosphere, the pace charges with a progressive energy, and the riffs cascade, washing you away with them. Fury is unleashed anew as the shrieks pound away, the guitars glisten, and your mind wanders into the unknown. “Stinging Stone” basks in fog as the tempo arrives under cover of night, and the vocals rip hard, joined by an inhuman clean choral section behind, taking you into the stars. The bass slinks and slithers as vicious cries jolt, and a blinding storm arrives that robs you of sight. The synth simmers as the smoke blankets the horizon, ending in sci-fi heat. “White Marble Column Air” drips in with keys and bells chiming, and then the pulsating action is under way, drilling into your mind as vicious howls envelop. It’s a strange aura that lifts into electric atmosphere, joining with panicked shrieks and synth lines swimming in the eeriness, continually blasting until it sinks into soundscape.

The title track gets moving in a hurry as tricky riffs tangle you in laces and then taunt, encircling you with a gust of chaos. Chilling choral sections cause you to shiver as the guitars confound, the bass tramples, and a delirious push ends in soot. “Spider Tongue, Memory Ester” runs eight minutes and boils in its juices, the guitars spiraling and causing the sky to hypnotize. The shrieks tear into the flesh as the bass bends time, the riffs sting, and you notice your extremities are numb. The synth activates and coats your lungs, the bass chugs, and the guitars turn more sinister, positioning its red eyes your way, building pressure, and melting into 9:08-long closer “Bright Window Closing.” That track muscles its way in with strong guitar work and flooding melodies that work alongside the vocals that carve into your skull. A disarming chorus sits behind and haunts while the pace doubles and blisters, folding in on itself. The bass rivets as the calls echo, the playing melts into space, and the final moments are bells chiming until silence devours everything.

This final entry in 2021 is a welcome one that we’d let disrupt our schedule anytime, so we embrace “Before the Glinting Spells Unvest,” an absolute gem of a record. Ustalost, over just two records, have created an atmosphere and universe that do not seem a part of this reality, yet there it is, bleeding into ours, warping our viewpoint. Leave it to Skarstad to wait until the very last minute to release one of the most engaging and powerful black metal albums of the entire year.

For more on the band, go here: https://ustalost.bandcamp.com/

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

For more on the label, go here: https://gileadmedia.net/

We end the year hoping that, if only possible, we could look down the line into 2022 and beyond and hope that there’s something in which we can believe. Things have been so miserable for so many, and the depression and fear has been palpable, so any sign that we have a reason to think there are good things ahead of us, or a modicum of safety, would be a godsend.

On this final review of the year (um, see ya next week for one more), we try to look out into the darkness for a hint of a flare, something that indicates moving ahead won’t be full of danger and disappointment at every turn. That’s also a theme of “Distant Fires,” the new record from Heiress that pushes you mentally and physically to try to find that glimmer. If you’re tired of hearing about pandemics and political trash fires, worry not. The band—vocalist John Pettibone, guitarist Wes Reed, bassist Mat Houot, drummer Justin Martinez—obviously lives in the same world as the rest of us and have been just as impacted, but the title and direction takes on a more personal edge. It’s striving for guidance to keep oneself walking upright, trying to survive and thrive in a world that doesn’t seem to want that to happen. That’s applied to their atmospheric doom and sludge that feels both brutal and spacious, giving you room to soothe any lingering burns.

“All Ends” delivers punishment right off the bat, plowing with gritty howls and guitars carving into the earth, with the atmosphere also thickening. The vocals turn to shrieks, the playing slowly crushes, and the leads go from moody to trudging, ending everything in a pile of ash. “Collides” is a quick one that blows through you before you know what hit you, with the track’s guts just bristling. The vocals are harsh and the assault is direct, ending in a howl of echo. “Once Was” buckles into that rich ISIS-style terrain, but in their own way and with their unique personality. The gaze drips heavily, the sounds swell, and spacious destruction is dished out generously, capturing your mind. “One was as thick as blood,” Pettibone howls as the guitars soar, wounds open, and the life forces drain into something new. “Beyond Devotions” is grisly and massive, leaving welts on your flesh before opening a doorway to the mystical. The playing dizzies as the tempo picks up, grime thickens, and the fury melts chains, sending you into a flurry of shots. Things wrench anew, the guitar work crushes, and the final moments blast out.

“Quiet Tension” is anything but gentle as beastly howls explode, the riffs snarl, and the low end bludgeons, opening up your guts. Guitars scorch before a brief calm brings some soothing waters, but that’s short lived as the playing slashes, and everything burns to the ground. “Straying Eye” is lumbering heavy as the growls set the pace emotionally, and the guitar work gains humidity that makes your body wilt. The bands rumbles in place, melodies spread, and the sludge thickens, roaring with power as it fades out. “Unsettler” is cement thick with growls retching, and the playing keeps chipping away at bone. The guitars light up as the heat becomes insurmountable, with Pettibone wailing, “Where I stand, where we began,” as the ending breathes fire. “Surviving You” closes the album, bringing rustling noises and meaty riffs, with Pettibone turning in some of his most ferocious work. The melodies turn dour and darker as Pettibone blasts, “Sometimes you see right through me,” followed by guitars that rip into sinew. The track goes from massive to merciful and back, finally sending its remaining charges as Pettibone howls, “Rejection, staring back at me,” and the pain slithers down the drain.

Heiress’ might is on full display on “Distant Fires,” a record that is a huge, relentless storm hanging over your head, refusing to let you give up on your search. Trying to find signs of hope off in the distance has become a fool’s game of late, and surviving despite all of that has devolved into a game. This music pays off that hopelessness and despair as we cling to whatever we have left, hoping one day that beacon will show itself, and our tense chest muscles finally can relax.

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

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

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

So much art is so dark nowadays, a product of our time for sure, and things are only bound to get worse from here. No idea if we’re anywhere near a global apocalypse or just a mere extinction event, but the pain just keeps getting deeper, and the chances of humanity coming out of things unscathed already has been done away with.

That theme of outright destruction bleeds over into the new self-titled record from Torii, the project of multi-instrumentalist Bill Masino, who has seen this venture from its start as a duo to this seventh record where he’s now the sole member. It’s the first record in three years under this banner, and the music here is about as varied as it is anywhere else in the catalog. Black metal remains the spine, though there are elements of death metal, doom, and atmospherics as the eight tracks combine to form a spellbinding adventure that is one of the most immersive Torii albums yet.

“The Second Renaissance” begins with morbid riffs and burly growls that crush before synth folds in, and acoustic guitars add a rustic feel. Strings reach as the center is ripped out all over again, the vocals deface, and everything comes to a pummeling finish. “Synthetic Dust” pounds way as the bass coils and strikes, and the darkness collects, bringing with it stunning power that leaves you reeling. Then the pace comes unglued, the playing chugs massively, and the leads burn and also cut you deeply, making you feel every damaged nerve. The playing fades to dark for a moment before it rises again, delivering gloomy tidings that pull you under for good. “Persephone” is a quick instrumental cut that feels murky and foggy, increasing the dark moods as “Eurydice” arrives and basks in strangeness. A dreary force makes its way toward you, simmering heavily in burly death, trucking slowly but solidly into churning guitars and an unexpected glimmering. Things get confounding and freezing, chilling you in your place.

“Grey Expanse” sinks into heaviness with a punishing aura and a way of making you feel even more uncomfortable. The guitars are engulfed in flames as we tear through a mystical aura that pumps out fog, the voices echo, and the punches land even harder. A bit of a psychedelic strip emerges, and massive hell is delivered, mashing your bones, drowning you in eerie chaos as everything disappears into a space haze. “Void” centers in murky immersion and a sense of hypnosis, increasing the shadows and returning to the stars, paving the way for “Inertia” that enters amid strange melodies and warm guitars that soon enter rocky waters. The playing mangles as the growls roar, gutting you and bringing violence that eats away at your body and mind. “Torii” is the closer, starting with guitars dripping and a bizarre mist increasing, setting up an ambiance that turns into a beast. About four minutes in, the growls arrive, and a mid-tempo hulking makes its way toward you, slashing away and eventually making toward the heavens. Guitars dissolve into warmth as mournful strains bleed, the playing descends into psychological testing, and stardust drops, covering you in mystery.

Torii’s new, self-titled record is one of the most confident and varied in the band’s run, a really strong collection that takes you on a journey beyond this plane and into something else. Each track here builds on that drama, making this a true interconnected experience and not something from which you can just cherry pick tracks and expect to find meaning. This is a late-year gem, an example of black metal that can take chances, eschew rules, and achieve something altogether their own.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Torii-1453589898219218

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

It’s not been a super easy year for me to stay busy for so many reasons that it would take multiple posts to explain. Tragedy has taken its toll on me, and I’ve delved deeper into comfort and further from exploration than any point in my life. But that’s this year. Others have stayed plenty busy and have found our new reality as a way to be productive and keep grinding away.

That’s a cute way of me getting ready to say OK, Myrdød, we get it.  You had a lot of energy to release, and that came in the form of three goddamn full-length records and four EPs in 2021 alone! All joking aside, that’s really impressive, and their latest “The Mourning Hollow” isn’t arriving until this final month, but shit, what an impact it makes on first listen and subsequent visits. I’m as jaded as anyone who has to sift through 900 black metal albums every year, because they’re not all worth your time. But this duo—vocalist Fractal Creature, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Søppelskaler—swarms you with chaos and immersive visions, making you feel like you’ve entered a new plane of existence while you’re being ravaged at the stake. It’s a good time.

“Orb Weaver” dawns in cosmic noise as the guitars come to life, and the voices sit beneath the carnage. Demonic shrieks mix with strange synth, things feel woozy and weird, and a gravelly finish pushes cinders into your wounds. “Ritualized Cave Birth” just unloads as the vocals smear, and the playing trudges heavily, turning into a vicious assault. Gargantuan hell is unleashed as the vocals corrode and the thrashing picks up speed, jolting you and icing your brain with strange effects. Industrial-style crushing taxes your muscles, a blackened fury stretches, and the final moments are absorbed by a storm. “Drom” begins with strange gears turning before things gets ugly, and the growls get underneath your skin. The guitars launch an attack with the basslines following behind in a storm, stomping and dragging through soot. Maddening riffs ignite, scrambling your brains, and then the playing chugs forward, blasting out with violent precision.

“Spellbound Tree” has the riffs charging and forming a united front as the melodies rampage, pushing into a blinding terror. Once again, your sanity is tested, the pace blackens, and a synth fog rises, swallowing everything whole. “Elders Cave” blows in with snarling riffs and a lightning pace, smashing away as a ghostly aura forms in front of your eyes. The bulk of the track absolutely batters as the savage vocals crush your soul, and a blanket of synth enshrouds you, making the room spin out of control. You enter into what feels like a fever dream before the pace speeds up, the drums blast with power, and the track bleeds away. “Diabolical Ancient Blessing” closes the record by instantly exploding with the growls decimating and the speed threatening your safety. The riffs lather as hell spills onto the earth’s surface, the pressure increases, and the last shot buries you for good.

Myrdød’s black metal is a heavy stormfront that catapults toward you and spits shrapnel into your exposed face. It’s nasty. But there is a lot of melody and mystery in “The Mourning Hollow,” an excellent display of chaos from what’s becoming a rather prolific band if 2021 is any indication. Black metal needs more imaginative bands to keep the sub-genre moving and vital, and this duo and record are just what it needs to stay savage.

For more on the band, go here: https://myrdod.bandcamp.com/

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

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