30. KAYO DOT, “Hubardo” (Ice Level) — Easily one of the most visceral albums of the year, Kayo Dot’s “Hubardo” arrived, well, like a meteor out of the night sky ready to tear apart the Earth. And that’s part of what inspires this hulking new opus, a piece of intergalactic rock tearing through the atmosphere and inspiring a poet, who has been sulking in a pool of self-loathing. This album’s long enough to stretch over three pieces of vinyl and clocks in at about an hour, 40 minutes. It’s classic Kayo Dot, in that the band delves into all sort of different metallic sounds, from death, to black, to doom, to prog, but they also have their breezier, jazzier sides that pop up from time to time, as well as their avant-garde moments. Armed with an arsenal of players, this Toby Driver-led band made the most imaginative, involved record of their run, one that takes a concerted effort to absorb as a whole but that pays you back many times over if you do. This band never ceases to amaze, which they do again on “Hubardo.” (Sept. 1)

To buy the album, go here: http://kayodot.bandcamp.com/album/hubardo

29. CULT OF FIRE, “मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान” (Iron Bonehead) — I might sound like a broken record so far talking about so many albums that sound like “nothing else you’ll hear this year,” but we do have a lot of those. Cult of Fire’s second record “मृत्यु का तापसी अनुध्यान” feels like one big spiritual ritual, one that mixes Hindu influences both musically and lyrically into one hell of an ambitious black metal album. As many bands that are out there stretching the parameters of black metal these days, not many are doing it quite like Cult of Fire, as this Czech band finds ways to include fiery contemporary sounds along with doom, death, metal, chants, and Middle Eastern melodies that make this album all that much more mystical. Unless you speak the language, you may not understand any of the song titles or the album title (means “Ascetic Meditation of Death”), but you won’t be able to deny the savagery and majesty of their music, that gets inside your head and stays forever. (Nov. 30)

To buy the album, go here: http://ironbonehead.de/shop/

28. UZALA, “Tales of Blood & Fire” (King of the Monsters) — Uzala’s debut was impressive enough, an eight-track, 45-minute offering with multiple personalities that, fun as it was, sometimes seemed to be doing too much. On their follow-up “Takes of Blood & Fire,” they get it just right, with smoldering doom, piercing drone, and powerful vocals from Darcy Nutt who handles all of the singing. That latter decision alone puts this record over the top, as she has developed into a top-notch vocalist and just dominates here, proving she has some of the finest pipes not just in doom, but in all of metal. As for the rest of the band, they really make an effort to let these songs develop and breathe. There is so much improvement from every member, and in the songwriting, that it’s scary to think where they’ll be on album three. But for now, concentrate on “Tales,” a delicious, smoking, maniacal record that gets more and more intoxicating with each subsequent listen. Jump on this band before they blow up. Because they will. (Oct. 15)

To buy the album go here: http://kingofthemonstersrecords.bigcartel.com/product/uzala-tales-of-blood-fire

27. NORTHLESS, “World Keeps Sinking” (Gilead Media/Halo of Flies) — One of the heaviest bands in the world, Northless always figure out news ways to make you understand what it might feel like if 17 cements trucks dropped on top of you. Yeah, you’d be squashed, tongue jutting out, guts everywhere, blood splattered in a million different directions. That’s what this band’s brand of sludge, hardcore, and death bring to the merry mutilation party, and their second record “World Keeps Sinking” is their finest hour to date. Slashing and mashing, piercing and immediate, and like a monster out of the woods with designs on seeing the inside of your throat, Northless pack a devastating wallop. I know that saying a metal band is heavy sounds redundant or stupid, but just listen to these guys. They are easily two times as heavy as the heaviest band that comes to your mind, and on “World,” they bring to the table their best, catchiest, doomiest goodness, melding by force the worlds of Black Sabbath and Neurosis. If you haven’t heard this yet, go grab this slab. But be ready to feel the weight of the planet on your chest. (Aug. 23)

To buy the album go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/releasedirectory/northless-world-keeps-sinking-2lp/

Or here: http://www.halooffliesrecords.com/label-releases/halo60-northless-world-keeps-sinking-dlp/

26. LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH, “Baphometic Chaosium” (Metal Blade) — Some of the best metal albums are the ones that mix tried-and-true brutality with a sense of fun, and that’s what you get with Lightning Swords of Death’s incredible third record “Baphometic Chaosium.” From outright ugly death and black metal, to bizarre chants and howled deadman singing that remind of something Tom G. Warrior would dream up in his darkest state, to hellfire, blazing playing, this is an album that’s been on constant rotation in my house ever since it dropped nearly a year ago. Every time I visit this record, it gets my blood going, which probably explains why I listen to it so often while running, and it’s sadly become something of a lost gem in 2013 probably because of the early release date. Well, shit, we didn’t forget it, nor would we, because LSOD have been an infernal power that’s given back time and time again. Also, “Acid Gate” is one of the best metal songs of the year. Period. (Jan. 22)

To buy the album, go here: http://www.indiemerchstore.com/item/17451/

25. EIGHT BELLS, “The Captain’s Daughter” (Seventh Rule) — If you happened to catch a review of “The Captain’s Daughter” in a certain “extremely extreme” metal magazine, hopefully you ignored that piece of juvenile drivel and explored for yourself. If you did, likely you discovered this adventurous and wholly essential record comprised of former members of SubArachnoid Space (Melynda Jackson, Chris Van Huffel) and Haley Westeiner that might have taken your brain for one hell of a loop. Largely instrumental and atmospheric, the five songs on this band’s debut never fail to achieve drama, panic, punch, and madness. You can’t say this album is only comprised of metal, as you get some Sleater Kinney-style rock as well as Pink Floyd-flavored psychosis here and there, but they also know how to bring the hurt, especially with the shrieked wails, combined with sonic punishment, you get on album highlight “Fate and Technology.” This is a great record, one that plays like an old storybook, and don’t be ashamed if you get lost in the imagination of it all. You’re not the only one, trust me. (Feb. 19)

To buy the album, go here: http://shop.seventhrule.com/

24. INTER ARMA, “Sky Burial” (Relapse) — I can’t imagine what Inter Arma are going to sound like in five years. From their 2010 full-length debut to their sophomore effort “Sky Burial,” this Richmond, Va., has grown in leaps and bounds. If you got into the band’s 2012 “Destroyer” EP, you might have had an inkling as to what was ahead (and that release’s “The Long Road Home” appears here in an expanded, headier version), but no way you could have been totally prepared for what awaited you. The band still mixes doom, black metal, and sludge, with heavy doses of southern rock and psychedelia (just listen to those effects smeared over the vocals, giving it a way trippier effect), and this 69-minute adventure has so many unpredictable twists and turns that every time you listen, you pick up something you didn’t notice before. Opener “The Survival Fires” is a great introduction to the mind warp ahead, and songs such as “Destroyer” (another holdover from the EP that gets medicine head retreatment) and crushing “‘sblood” are hammering assaults meant to defean and dizzy. Make sure you catch them on tour with Russian Circles on a bill where they may bring down the house.

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

23. LYCUS, “Tempest” (20 Buck Spin) — Devastation, anguish, and feeling horrible about life are three things you can glean right off the top of Lycus’ massive debut full-length “Tempest,” one of the most effective funeral doom albums of the year. The three-track, 42-minute crusher is full of punishing yet utterly mournful sentiment, delivered slowly yet impossibly heavily by this Oakland, California, quartet. There is nothing to be happy about, and crippling depression is at every corner of this album, so if you’re also in a dark place, this either can be what pushes you over the edge or helps you realize there are others out there dripping in black feelings and sadness. But even though the tempo is typically lumbering for most of the record, the album does blow up unexpectedly on the title track, where some D-beat-style speed blows in through the wallowing deathrock like a storm that radar never saw coming. Lycus are one of the most promising new doom metal bands in the world right now, and their spectacular debut album is one that sounds just about right these days as seasonal depression makes its annual visit. (July 9)

To buy the album, go here: www.20buckspinshop.com

22. INQUISITION, “Obscure Verses for the Multiverse” (Season of Mist) — If there really is a parallel universe, Inquisition would be the space traveling copy of Immortal’s winter-buried power. “Obscure Verses for the Multiverse” is the band’s sixth overall and first for Season of Mist, and despite all of this maniacal energy coming from just two members, the music never sounded beefier, scarier, and more bizarre. Really, these guys, Dagon and Incubus, are incredibly strange, plying their ideas of cosmology, deep secrets of outer space, and of course the dark underlord, who doesn’t really take the same form he does on most metal records. The songs are smashing, and while Dagon’s creaky growls may take some time to get used to, that shouldn’t be a problem while you’re getting lost in these bizarre, blood-curdling, often catchy songs. This band’s power and majesty cannot be denied, and this is one of their finest productions to date, all of the bent chaos, poisonous nightmarish blasts included. (Oct. 25)

To buy the album, go here: http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/en

21. OBLITERATION, “Black Death Horizon” (Relapse/Indie Recordings) — There are just some bands that, the moment you hear them, you know they mean every word, every note, every bit of violence. Nordic death metal warriors Obliteration are that way, gutting out old school death with purity and honesty, and even capping things off with a bit of a hardcore menace that makes that punch in the face all that much more forceful. The band’s new record “Black Death Horizon,” is their third album overall and first release in four years. From the unpolished sound of their heathen death metal, to the gurgling, strangling growls and howls of their vocalist Sindre Solem, everything here feels unbalanced, unsettled, uncontrollable, and uninterested in making things pretty and polished. This is true death, Fenriz-approved sounds, and this is exactly what this type of thing is supposed to sound like. I can imagine that a live setting is a violent pit of hell that’s every person for him or herself, and that you can practically watch this band’s anger and tenacity melt down as they recreate this madness. This record is awfully damn good, contains all the goats heads and skulls you possibly could need, and it always satisfies that urge to overdose on the death on which I grew up. (Nov. 8)

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

Or here: http://www.omerch.eu/shop/indierecordings/

40. OCCULTIST, “Death Sigils” (Primitive Ways) — We recently talked up this gnarly, vicious blackened hardcore unit from Richmond, Va., but no amount of praise is quite enough to bestow on Occultist’s nasty debut album “Death Sigils.” From Kerry Zylstra’s destructive and authoritative lead howls, to the band’s mix of death metal, hardcore, and black metal, there’s so much to love about this smoldering and caustic record, as well as their face-bashing live shows. If you missed out on this, correct that error right away. Your hearing will get decimated, and your neck will be all kinds of sore when you’re done, but it’ll be worth the beating. (Oct. 1)

To buy the album, go here: http://primitiveways.storefrontier.com/

39. JUCIFER, “за волгой для нас земли нет” (Nomadic Fortress) — This world-weary, heavy traveling duo never are at a loss for inspiration or creativity, and their vast, amazing new double album that tells the story of Volgograd (formerly known as Stalingrad) is one of their most ambitious albums to date. From narration in Russian, to long passages that boast both beauty and savagery, to the epic length of this whole journey, everything about this album is big, powerful, and emotional. Gazelle Amber Valentine’s guitar playing is sludgy and massive, as are her vocals, and Edgar Livengood’s drumming both keeps the pace and decimates the earth’s crust. This takes a patient listener to absorb at once, but the effort is rewarding. (July 17)

To buy the album, go here: http://www.alternativetentacles.com/product.php?product=2176

38. HELEN MONEY, “Arriving Angels” (Profound Lore) — In the realm of all of heavy metal, Helen Money’s third album certainly is one of the most unique and head-turning displays. First, the primary instrument on this album is composer Alison Chesley’s electrified cello, and before you go thinking that means this is some kind of classy, snooty thing (which would be a stupid way for you to think), instead you’ll meet sludge and dark, drone power. Joined by drummer Jason Roeder (Sleep, Neurosis), Chesley reaches the deepest, darkest corners of doom like no other musician before her has dared, and the eight songs on this record are a revelation that have paid off in dividends for me, as a listener, ever since hearing this at the turn of 2013. You’ve never heard a release like this one, and Chesley’s music is welcome on this site, and in the metal world as a whole, anytime she chooses to gift us with her prowess. (Feb. 5)

To buy the album, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/products-page/

37. ALL PIGS MUST DIE, “Nothing Violates This Nature” (Southern Lord) — Talk about an album that punches you in the face, rubs your mouth in the dirt, and insists that you like it and demand more. APMD’s second full-length is a rowdy, channeled, furious affair that mixes hardcore, death metal, and grind into a damaging package that might make you feel violated. If you’re overly sensitive or too afraid to encounter the nastier elements of society, then this album might not be for you. But if you need a record to help you blow off some steam in a productive way, this is the one for you. Powered by members of Hope Conspiracy, Converge, and Bloodhorse, these guys espouse hatred and disgust as well as anyone, and with their rage and Southern Lord’s mighty arms, who knows how far this band’s rampage will go? That’s frightening. (July 23)

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

36. CLOUD RAT, “Moksha” (Halo of Flies) — There’s a huge disadvantage to releasing an album early in a calendar year, because usually by the time these end-of-year lists arrived, those records have been overpowered by newer, more overhyped releases. But if you’re Cloud Rat, you don’t care about any of that, because your “Moksha” is that fucking good. Grind, hardcore, and one of the most eye-opening cover songs of the year (they totally own “Needle and the Damage Done,” which is no easy feat) make this effort one of the most earthquaking, awakening records of the year, and Cloud Rat has to be on anyone’s short list of bands that should be leading the charge for metal and hardcore over the next decade. Madison Marshall’s vocals make her one of the more explosive singers anywhere, and the rest of the band backs her up with passionate, churning performances that should stick with you for a long time to come. Nearly a year after getting this album, I still listen to it constantly. (Jan. 22)

To buy the album, go here: http://www.halooffliesrecords.com/releases/current-releases/

35. LYCHGATE, self-titled (Gilead Media) — Oh, what a creepy, creepy record. You already have the band’s foreboding black metal that is dark and dangerous, but then you spill in those liturgical organs that drape over these songs, and you have enough to chill all the blood in your body. Really, play this music at any annual haunted house, and you go from a cheesy Halloween attraction to the scariest place in town, easily. But I don’t want to make you think it’s some horror gimmick going on here, because it totally is not. This is a massive, magical black metal debut from a band of veterans (including Greg Chandler of doom stalwarts Esoteric) who use mystery and murk to strike the perfect elements of terror and fear, and each moment of this nearly 38-minute-long album should have you immersed in their dark power but also looking over your shoulder for any evil spirits fixing to do you wrong. Can’t wait for their second record, which is due for release in 2014. (April 29)

To buy the album, go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/

34. YEAR OF NO LIGHT, “Tocsin” (Debemur Morti) — French instrumentalists Year of No Light never fail to bring the drama and wonder, and on “Tocsin,” their first non-soundtrack full-length in three years, they reminded us why they were so good at sweeping us off our feet and taking us on incredible journeys into the atmosphere and stars. Often mauling with pure metallic power, and sometimes mixing in alien soundscapes into their work, this imaginative sextet combines all kinds of sounds and power into this five-track, 57-minute record that should fill in the gaps for anyone missing ISIS and gives something stunning to spark fans of bands like Neurosis and Russian Circles. This band always comes up with something spellbinding and intoxicating, and “Tocsin” is the finest release to date. (Nov. 29)

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

33. CRAVEN IDOL, “Towards Eschaton” (Dark Descent) — In a year of total death metal dominance, it wasn’t easy to break out of the pack and establish your power. Yet, UK-based Craven Idol were able to do that on their hellacious debut “Towards Eschaton,” one of many strong releases brought forth by Dark Descent this year. These pseudonym-monikered hell beasts picked up a ton of accolades along the way and scorched plenty of earth on their eight-track, nearly 34-minute opus that pretty much shows its hands with song titles such as “Sworn Upon the Styx,” “Codex of Seven Dooms,” “Aura of Undeath,” and “Left to Die” and makes good on those premonitions by delivering filthy, grisly death metal (with just a touch of proggy weirdness) that should make the old gods proud.  (Oct. 15)

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

32. IMPERIUM DEKADENZ, “Meadows of Nostalgia” (Season of Mist) — German black metallers Imperium Dekadenz typically conjure feelings of great, frosty forests and the unforgiving chill of deep winter. But on their excellent fourth record “Meadows of Nostalgia,” their usual approach thaws just a bit (you can hear some of that in the sounds of trickling water that plays on the album), and the music bursts with color that makes me think a lot more about the early stages of spring, when things come back to life. The music is atmospheric and soaring, there are lush, textured instrumentals, violent, creaky blasts of black metal thunder, and so many twists and turns that you’ll be scratching your head wondering where they’ll go next. Horaz and Vespasian have yet to let us down, and “Meadows” shows a new side to the band that certainly would be welcome if it surfaces again on their next album. (March 15)

To buy the album, go here: http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/en

31. BOTANIST, “IV: Mandragora” (Flenser Recordings) —  One-man black metal project Botanist has had Armageddon in its windshield since the start. Its focus, the character The Botanist, a crazed scientist who lives in seclusion in the Verdant Realm surrounded by his beloved plants, imagines the downfall of humankind because of our destructive, nature-assaulting tendencies. Hard to see fault in him, really. “IV: Mandragora” is the third Botanist release (his debut constituted both I and II), and it’s musically the most diverse work of his short, but productive career. The hammered dulcimer-led music is going far beyond black metal’s borders and into all kinds of darkness, and on “IV,” melody is at its highest point yet, making for one of Botanist’s most listenable collections so far. Yes, it’ll still probably be a tough experience for a non-adventurous listener, but for anyone who has followed The Botanist’s plight, or who just like their metal a little more daring and off the wall, this is one hell of a fun album that’ll even make you forget that the main character wants you, and everyone you hold dear, dead. (April 16)

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

With the annual, highly anticipated (at least for me since I still was tweaking over the weekend) Top 40 albums of the year, we want to pay some tribute to the records that didn’t make the list but that I loved nonetheless. And I expect with the pack of albums I discuss first that there will be some hate sent my way, but it’s my list. Go make your own list. OK, off we go.

So that Decibel tour next year, eh? Now, that’s a package tour. Perhaps my most anticipated show outside of Gilead Media Fest. Yet, none of those bands made the list, and yes, I realize I should be burned alive for that. Carcass’ amazing comeback “Surgical Steel,” Gorguts’ incredible new opus “Colored Sands,” and Noisem’s bad-ass crossover thrash collection “Agony Defined” all are worthy of the insane amount of praise each one received. I love and celebrate all of them and cannot wait to see all three bands do these songs live. So, champ, how exactly did they not make your top 40 when they appear on every other list this year? Well, because as good as they are, I happened to like 40 records more than these ones. Do you realize how many metal albums come out every year? So, so many. The fact these are mentioned still means I recognize their brilliance, and they’re albums I listen to with regularity. So, sure, they didn’t crack the top 40, but they’re all incredible records nonetheless. That means that Decibel 2014 tour is going to be an event you should not miss. And I will not miss it.

For more on Carcass, go here: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCarcass

To buy the album go here: http://shop.nuclearblast.com/en/shop/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.nuclearblast.com/en/

For more on Gorguts, go here: http://www.gorguts.com/

To buy the album go here: http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.season-of-mist.com/

For more on Noisem, go here: https://www.facebook.com/NoisemBaltimore

To buy the album go here: http://shop.a389records.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.a389records.com/site/

As a fan of classic heavy metal, as well as Primordial howler Alan Averill, the Twilight of the Gods project was a revelation. Here is a band that also includes members of heavy hitters such as Aura Noir, Thyrfing, Einherjer, and more, that made one of the catchiest, most righteous slabs of classic metal glory in some time. Averill stretches his voice even further (I know! How is that even possible?) while the rest of the band gives him the proper fire and chaos to call forth the gods, grab his sword, and challenge them to a world-deciding battle. It will get your blood surging, and if you grew up loving bands like Dio, Bathory, and Iron Maiden, you will get lost in this thing and feel all the better for it. Here’s to more from this band.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.twilightofthegods.eu/Twilight_of_The_Gods/Twilight_of_The_Gods.html

To buy the album go here: http://e-shop.season-of-mist.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.season-of-mist.com/

It was a pretty strong year for death metal, and unfortunately that means a lot of records slid under the radar. One of those was “Gratum Inferno,” the debut album from Dallas maulers Cleric. This record is filthy, dripping with evil, rough around the edges, and totally in line with what death’s old gods had in mind when they dredged up this sound from the swamps and ancient graveyards. These seven songs stretch over 29 minutes for a perfectly portioned, utterly disgusting display that should begin digging a bloody path for the band’s future. If you like your death metal ugly, unpolished, and horrific, do yourself a favor and get in on the bottom floor with Cleric before the rest of the world wakes up to their skull-bashing punishment.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/666cleric666

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

For more on the label, go here: http://tofucarnage.com/

Vattnet Viskar’s jump to Century Media was a surprising one since the band only had their 2012 self-titled EP to their name. But the label isn’t made up of a bunch of dummies, and they knew what everyone else did once that EP dropped, that being this band is one of the most promising young outfits out there, and it’s wise to jump on them before someone else does. The band rewarded CM for their good faith and smart business move by releasing their incredible full-length debut “Sky Swallower,” an eight-track, 38-minute opus filled with black metal savagery, post-rock wonder, and pure imagination. If anything, “Sky Swallower” proves they were just scratching the thin icy surface of their potential on their EP, and this group seems like one that can produce some modern classics in the years to come. This one’s damn close to that, and it’s a powerful first step for a band that has the entire world in front of them.

For more on the band, go here: http://vattnetviskar.com/

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

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

I love every Zelda game ever released. Even the shitty ones. They’re still Zelda. It’s one of the reasons I think I adore Summoning so much and their heavily keyboard-laden records that probably make plenty of eyes roll. Whatever, man. Have some fun, why don’t you? The band’s new “Old Mornings Dawn,” their first record in seven damn years, was a pleasure to behold and truly sounds like the soundtrack to an epic videogame. Even if it’s really Tolkien love. Those bands that try to mix videogame music into their hardcore are nowhere near getting it as right as Summoning do their their atmospheric, dreamy black metal, and this record provided hours of good fun as I seriously played games along to this collection. Dorky? Sure. But I had a better time than you did, as all Summoning fans can say who spent their time with this wondrous gift.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.summoning.info/

To buy the album, go here: http://shop.napalmrecords.com/

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

There has been a ton of great metal in 2013, and much of that didn’t come way of a full-length record, like we highlighted yesterday in our best splits roundup. Today, we take a look at the best EPs and mini-releases that passed our way in 2013, all of which have remained in regular rotation and likely will for the foreseeable future. If you missed out on any of these releases, definitely correct that error as early as possible.

Last year, Ash Borer dropped their second full-length “Cold of Ages” on us, and was it ever destructive. This year, we got the “Bloodlands” EP (out on Gilead Media) that actually managed to up the ante from what they did last year and continued on their bizarre, black metal-laced trip into your psyche to totally destroy you. If I had to pick an absolute favorite EP of 2013, this would be the one, and it’s spent a ton of time on my turntable ever since it arrived. At two tracks and nearly 35 minutes, it’s actually as long as many punk and hardcore full-lengths, and each scorching minute of “Oblivion’s Spring” and “Dirge/Purgation” provides atmospheric depth, scathing decibolic torture, and sprawling black metal madness in a way only Ash Borer can provide. This will fuck you up, mind, body, and soul. It’s that diabolical.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ash-Borer/156748071045193

To buy the album, go here: http://psychicviolence.bigcartel.com/product/ash-borer-bloodlands-12

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

Is it ever great to have Andrew Curtis-Brignell back making music and scaring the unholy shit out of us with his Caïna project. We’ll give this release a more thorough look the first week of January, so I won’t to delve too deeply into why Caïna had gone dark for a while, but he just delivered an unbelievable 25-minute EP called “Earth Inferno,” culled from previously unreleased tracks and some new stuff. These five tracks are urgent, propulsive, wonderfully charred black metal that churns and burns, showing a more violent side to Caïna, and even reaching back to the second wave’s deadly days (“Conqueror Worm” is an early favorite of mine). If you like your black metal lo-fi, crushing, and seemingly raging off the rails with ill intent, this EP should do it for you. Can’t wait for the upcoming full-length album.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ca%C3%AFna/243004082514

To buy the album, go here: http://churchoffuck.bigcartel.com/

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

I feel like everyone just fell asleep on the Liar in Wait EP “Translations of the Lost.” Is it because it’s not really a metal album and more of a dark rock, post-punk, and cold wave album? I don’t get why it hasn’t gotten more coverage, because it is a fucking great release that I listen to a ton, especially if I’m driving late at night and I want to see spirits in the road (I mean, come on, how cool is “Conversations in Violet”?). The songs are drab, hopelessly melodic, and a total downer emotionally, which I find irresistible about the thing. The band is made up of current and past members of bands such as Wolvhammer, Nachtmystium, Mourner, and Iron Thrones, and if you wanted a modern record to go alongside, say, your old Cure, Smiths, Swans, and Sisters of Mercy albums, this is it. It’s cold, isolating, and impossible to get out of your bloodstream. I’m looking forward to more from this band.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liar-In-Wait/190183801106266

To buy the album, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/products-page/

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

It’s tough to get to every release, every year around here, so sometimes things slip through the cracks review-wise. That’s why now is a good time to catch up, and we’re doing so with “His Best Deceit,” this filth, unholy slab of black and death metal by Belgium newcomers Possession. This sounds like it was hellspawned in the early 1980s, when Hellhammer still were cutting their teeth, then jettisoned through the ages, with all the piss, venom, and anger it could conjure as it traveled. The opening sounds like someone dying to the strains of a church choir, and from there it’s unadulterated speed, freaking violence, deathly intent, and pure metal that should make you want to light your car on fire and drive it down a hill into other cars, lighting those on fire in the process. This is all while you have this album running, fueling every ounce of hate in your body. This band is not to taken lightly, and is yet another indication that everything Iron Bonehead puts into the market is worth your time. Possession flat out destroys everything.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.possessionrealm.com/

To buy the cassette, go here: http://ironbonehead.de/shop/

To buy the slim-case CD version, go here: http://www.invictusproductions.net/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=30&products_id=3123

For more on the label, go here: http://www.ironbonehead.de/

We hadn’t heard from Grayceon since their powerful 2011 album “All We Destroy,” but there was a pretty damn good reason for that. Vocalist/cellist Jackie Perez Gratz became a mother for the first time, and you know, there are things that are a little more important than heavy metal sometimes. So while she concentrated on her family life, she obviously still had musical ideas rolling around in her head, and we got to hear those on the band’s “Pearl and the End of Days” EP that dropped in February. The two-track offering is a nice appetizer for anyone waiting for a full-length, and it also contains moments where the band let their hair down and had some fun. First, “Pearl,” named after her daughter, lets Gratz really branch out vocally, as her band rushes behind her for one of the band’s most inspired song ever. And that’s saying something. Yet, “End of Days” let them have some tongue-in-cheek fun about the power of rock and metal, and if you can’t crack a smile listening, you may need to loosen up. Word is a new album is in the works.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.grayceon.com/

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

For more on the label, go here: http://theflenser.com/

Like with the split releases, there are just too damn many to give full treatment here because we’d be here all day, but some other great ones you might want to check out, if you haven’t already, include: The Body’s sludgy, terrifying “Master, We Perish,” that would pave the way for their latest full-length “Christs, Redeemers”; Immortal Bird’s debut “Akrasia,” that we just reviewed last week (just scroll down a little if you want to read our full thoughts) and praised for its excellent mix of death, prog, black metal, and inner rage; Nocturno Culto’s super fun new project Gift of Gods and the debut EP “Receive,” that carries over Darkthrone’s penchant for pure 1980s death and thrash metal, and even includes one of the more interesting cover songs of the year; as well as Wreck and Reference’s morbid two-track effort “No Content.”

Each year, we get a nice collection of split and collaborative efforts from bands, and generally they’re pretty fun. Oh, welcome to the kickoff our of 2013 year in review, that’ll take you from today all the way until New Year’s Eve when we reveal our No. 1 album of the year. But before we get there, we want to look at some of the year’s better split releases and give them one more dash of praise.

Whether we’re talking your traditional split where you get a song or two from one band, and the same from another, or it’s a work where two or more bands collaborate together, these types of recordings give listeners a little taste of what each act has to offer or a unique setting where their styles blend together. There were some really good ones this year, more than I can remember in some time, so here are the ones that got the most work damaging my hearing.

We’ll start with one we didn’t get a chance to review, that being the “Gathering” from Oak Pantheon and Amiensus, a two-track effort out on Tridoid Records. I’m a sucker for atmospheric, woodsy black metal, and both of these bands deliver that in major ways. But that’s not all these two bands can do, as each go beyond those borders to make for a sound more exciting and more inclusive of their tastes and influences. I haven’t had a chance to write about Amiensus ever before, and I’ll make a point to change that in the future, because their submission “Arise” is melodic, challenging, prog-influenced, and nuanced, with emotion and power to boot. There are folk moments, some classic metalcore moments (meaning not of this century) and just a lot to like from their track. As for Oak Pantheon, we already gushed about their 2012 effort “From a Whisper,” and their track “A Gathering” shows them growing even further melodically. Sure, the strains of classic, atmospheric black metal remain, but there are more prog, post-rock, and even classic rock influences (some of the fiery lead guitar playing boasts that) not only to get fired up for this song but for that they’ll offer up on album No. 2.

For more on Oak Pantheon, go here: https://www.facebook.com/OakPantheon

For more on Amiensus, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Amiensus

To buy the album, go here: http://tridroid.bandcamp.com/album/gathering

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

Way before Windhand delivered their devastating new album “Soma,” they made their Relapse debut on a crushing, doom-infested split with fellow Richmond, Va., maulers Cough called “Reflection of the Negative.” While both bands are in great form and deliver more than their share of good times, murky violence, and spooky sentiment, this is a real coming-out party for Windhand vocalist Dorthia Cottrell, who positively dominates and rules on her band’s two songs. She always was good, but this was her first real statement showing just how powerful a force she can be fronting Windhand and that she likely would something with whom to reckon going forward. As for Cough, they scar as always, create sounds set to maim, and hopefully were just warming up for their new long player. Really looking forward to that one.

For more on Windhand, go here: https://www.facebook.com/WindhandVA

For more on Cough, go here: https://www.facebook.com/Cough666

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

For more on the label, go here: http://www.relapse.com/

Panopticon and Vestiges might not seem like the most likely alliance, but their split from this past spring was an excellent collision of both worlds that worked wonderfully. Panopticon’s atmospheric, rustic black metal always feels personal and emotional, and the band’s three tracks here certainly deliver that and more. The really fun surprise is a cover of Suicide Nation’s “Collapse & Die” that shows a different, gritter side of this project and works pretty well with the other band on this offering. Vestiges lean a little more hardcore and menacing with their sound, and their crushing contributions “VII” and “VIII” are continuation of stories they have been telling about the downfall of humankind over their own releases, beginning with “The Descent of Man.” Both bands are personal favorites of mine whose catalogs get plenty of play in my house, so bringing them both together was like a dream come true for this dork.

For more on Panopticon, go here: http://thetruepanopticon.bandcamp.com/

For more on Vestiges, go here: http://www.wearevestiges.com/

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

For more on the label, go here: http://theflenser.com/

Collaborative efforts can be just as satisfying, and Mamiffer’s project alongside Circle (though the two working here no longer identify as members) made for one of the year’s most imaginative, creative collections, which should not be surprising considering the two bands at work here. “Enharmonic Intervals (For Paschen Organ)” sounds the name of a classical music entry, but really it’s these two forces capable of anything making spacious sounds together as one. The two bands holed up in an old stone Finnish church in Circle’s hometown, and all of the musicians involved achieved something liturgical, weirdly spiritual, and at times completely devastating, usually when Aaron Turner barks viciously in his trademark voice. Faith Coloccia’s beauty musically and vocally add delicate textures, while Jussi Lehtisalo and Mika Ratto’s willingness to make any strange noise and travel into any sounds, no matter how baffling, add the special touches on this sprawling, powerful collection.

For more on Mamiffer, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mamiffer/110768695615501

For more on Circle, go here: http://www.circlefinland.com/

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

For more on the label, go here: http://www.ektrorecords.com/ektro.php

These are just a few of the great splits from this past year, and certainly this isn’t all. Other really great split efforts from 2013 include the grisly and doomy Coffins/Noothgrush alliance that came out on Southern Lord; one of the strangest, heaviest, and most horrific pairings that found The Botanist and his hammered dulcimer-led black and dark metal meeting up with the terrifying Palace of Worms on a release (The Flenser) that put together two of this era’s best one-man outfits; the spacy and wondrous “Sol,” a collection that offered a track each from Mare Cognitum and Spectral Lore, then put the two bands together to collaborate on the record’s final track, the instrumental “Red GIant.” I, Voidhanger released that one, and it’s a serious pathway to the stars that requires your undivided attention and rewards you for your efforts. All of these, like the ones detailed above, are worth your time and money and are some of the finest alliances of 2013.

I got an e-mail a few weeks ago that made me happy because it indicated something I worried was long gone and another victim of the cannibalist record industry had survived. There it was, an e-mail containing new promo albums from Moribund Records, a label long known for bringing the filthiest, deadliest in black metal. What a relief that was.

True, earlier in the year they did put out a new record by Chasma, and that was one heck of a fun album to absorb, but before that and after that, there was silence. It’s not a punchline to say that smaller labels have a hard time existing in today’s economy and the state of the music industry, and considering people would rather steal digital copies than pay for someone’s art, selling records isn’t as easy as it once was. But perhaps with a new slate of releases in our hands from the label, and with more to come, Moribund can bounce back and reclaim some of the dark underground that other labels such as Hells Headbangers have serviced recently.

We’re going to look at two of those new releases today, but they’re not all that Moribund has ready for your filthy mitts. You also can find new records from Satan’s Host, Vardan (in advance of yet another full-length set for January), and a split featuring Nocturnal Fear and Seges Findere, all of which are wretched, furious pieces. There also are January plans for new records from Pact and Apostolum. But let’s concentrate on two Australian bands that drape an even darker, morbid film over the increasingly mean land Down Under.

We’ll start off with Thrall, a band we haven’t heard from since 2011’s “Vermin of the Earth” and that represents a sound pretty close to the second wave of black metal, but with a punk rock, crust, and death metal edges. Their sound is furious, fast, and drubbing on their new record “Aokigahara Jukai,”, and there are times when they remind me a little bit of early Darkthrone. The four who make up this unit–vocalist/guitarist Tom Void, guitarist Ramez Bathish, bassist Okkvinkalfa (who just joined this year), and drummer Em Stoy–play with a purpose and can be just as fun and infectious as they are violent and unforgiving.

The band’s new album is eight tracks that blister you over 45 minutes, and it’s a pretty nice dose of viciousness and maniacal intent. From the opener “Longing for Death” that is drenched with noise, punishing thrashing, and aggravated mauling, over the rest of the running time, they swing and connect again and again on cuts such as the punk-flavored, trucking title track; the oddly melodic and razor-sharp “Of Hate”; doom-encrusted, dismantling “The Pact,” that is … uh .. packed with wild, deranged shrieks and throaty growls; and the epic closer “Slaves” that runs 7:42 and swaggers with power. Some of metal’s bluesy roots can be heard here, and they fill this track with attitude not often heard in black metal circles, piling on top of you with muddy guitar work, grisly growls, and an old-school sentiment that pokes at those Darkthrone comparisons.

Thrall’s been a killer band since they started, always responding with collections that sound dangerous and a heathen-like good time simultaneously. They’ve managed to stay under the radar so far, but maybe this record will help them open more eyes and bloody more faces.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.thrallofvoid.com/

As for Moon, this project is the bizarre brainchild of Miasmyr (the band’s Facebook site lists other members as bassist Dirge, drummer Bernd, and keyboardist Pandora), who pours every ounce of warped, mind-altering madness into this music and has even more strangeness for you on the new “The Nine Gates” album. This is a follow-up to Moon’s 2010 effort “Caduceus Chalice,” an album that seemed to slip in, make a quick mark, and disappear again, and it certainly isn’t for all listeners, especially black metal fans who need things bloody and brutal at all times. There is a lot of Xasthur, Leviathan, and Deathspell Omega sentiment here, where you often soak in the ether and remove layer after layer of sound, but there’s no doubt this record keeps you engaged and feeling just a little bit unsettled for good measure.

Moon’s songs take some engagement by the listener, as they won’t lift you up, carry you through noisy riots, and deposit you into a pit of madness. These are journeys you take, mental ones, and they can make you feel pretty messed up when you’re taking on these eight songs. They’re smeary, nightmarish dreamscapes, from “Inhale Darkness,” that unfurls poisonous murk, with eerie, hypnotic guitars, vicious growls that are buried a million miles under the surface, and drowning noise that’ll make your head spin. That blanket of strangeness remains on the subsequent tracks including “Poison From the Abyss,” that has watery undertones and dizzying melodies; “Sabbat,” that’s foggy and chilling, what with its funeral-dirge organs; the druggy, sleep-soaked “Lillu Drowning,” a song that spits evil intent but also remembers to rock you into a terror-induced coma; and near-10-minute closer “Gates of the Moon,” that melts and trickles over your brain, with spooky melodies, weird churning and burning, vocals that sound like they’re being whispered from beyond the grave, and Miasmyr’s final gasps of toxic punishment. This is just a bizarre record, but it’s one you can’t help but get lost inside of for hours at a time.

Moon’s return is a welcome one, and it’s nice to see Miasmyr is keeping things as mentally baffling as ever before. This record could work really well if you’re listening while watching a blinding snowstorm, imagining the chaos outside your window, or simply when in a substance-induced daze as you imagine rituals in your brain. It’s equally great to have Moribund Records back, who hopefully plan to terrify us well into the future.

For more on Moon, go here: https://www.facebook.com/moon.gateway

To buy either album, go here: http://www.moribundcult.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?

For more on the label, go here: http://www.moribundcult.com/2013main.html

Fire, evil, and violence pretty much make up metal’s triptych, three elements that definitely let the music’s creators get out their nastiest vibe and unleash the worst possible feelings. It can be a healing thing, so that one does not go out into real life and do those things for real, or for venting said frustration to bring down one’s anger. We’ve all been there, right?

If you want unbridled destruction and hellish fury, Valdur pretty much have you covered on their third album “At War With,” a pulverizing late-year entry into the 2013 metal canon. You can’t hear this record and possibly think anything other than these guys have the darkest, most vile of intentions, and they bring that to the forefront on this new collection. This is a band that’s never minced words when it comes to their songs and always have found the most pulverizing ways to get their inner demons out and onto record or the stage, and their style of black and death metal is uncompromising, dirty, and unapologetically violent.

The three who comprise this band–guitarist/vocalist Samuel (who joined the fold in 2012), bassist William, and drummer Matthew–really have it in for you on “At War With,” their follow-up to 2010’s stellar “Raven God Amongst Us.” Their blackened death is infernal and sooty, kind of like early-era Incantation, and everything they do on this record is designed to destroy and maim you, physically and mentally. These 10 cuts are not for the weak of heart, and they completely demolish everything with these war anthems that celebrate death, blasphemy, and evil in ways that should keep you entertained–and a little terrified–for close to an hour. Can’t really ask for more than that, can you?

The album opens with intro cut “Enter,” a short burst of sound that sets the stage of fright and leads into the first mauler “Conjuring the Fire.” That cut rips right into raw black metal chaos, furious growls from Samael, and some searing melodies that lie underneath and hide within the murk. It’s mean and nasty, and it provides a healthy dose for what’s to come. “Death Winds Will Cleanse”  begins with sinister guitar work that leaves trails of blood, along with a crushing tempo that could batter you live or just through your headphones. There’s an eerie texture, some wild howls and growls, and a final sequence that speeds out of control before it drowns in a pool of noise. “Incantre” is a purely filthy blast of death, as ugly and guts-ridden as anything else out there, and it should make fans of old school sounds feel warm and gross inside. The track trudges through muck, dissonant melodies create a halo effect, and everything else is splattered with thrash. “Vast” begins with echoing chants that seem to key the beginning of a ritual, while the song fades in, stays weird and warped, and fades back out into a nightmarish fog.

“At War With the Old World” is a 7:55 blast of madness, first opening with guitars that remind of heyday Slayer before going for pure black metal strangulation. Strange melodies mix with destructive force, and hellish fury slips into muddy, crusty death metal. But just when you think noise is going to swallow this whole, the band breaks out for a galloping last few minutes that just rip. “The Calm Before War” has simmering guitars, a mashing disposition, hissing chaos, and even a helping of pure doom metal that mixes its black streaks in perfectly. “Hellish Dischord” is another wordless entry, other than the clips used from the classic film “Blade Runner,” and the band does its best to conjure ancient smoke and apocalyptic bells that truly feel like the world is folding in on itself. “Hammer Pit” ignites from the start and is one of the ugliest, nastiest cuts on the album, with drumming that feels like its being done to the sides of your head, some crazed blasts of death metal barnstorming, burly punishment, throaty vocals that are set to kill, and church bells and thunder that cement their desire for Armageddon. Closing instrumental “Outro (Creation Part II),” that bridges with the final track on “Raven God,” is just strange, with clock alarms jarring you awake, fiery guitars gasping their final breaths of annihilation, and melody and horns setting themselves on fire and bringing forth poisonous wafts of black smoke. Whether you inhale them or not, it doesn’t matter. You’re doomed.

Valdur’s re-emergence is a fantastic late-year treat that serves to fill that void of anger and disengagement with society that may be darkening your heart and probably peaking right about now. This is a massive band that has remained under the radar far too long and is ready to scorch everything in the underground so they can blaze their own hellish trail. “At War With” is the band’s best record yet, and it’ll leave you burnt inside but potentially a little less inclined to wander outside and create your own chaos.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/valdur/54163319709

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

Debut recordings can be tricky for a number of reasons. First, they’re often comprised of songs bands have been playing for years that finally get to put on record, making the transition to album two a little different. Or, they can spoil listeners who get used to a particularly impactful virgin offering and decide the band must play the same way forever and ever. No changes!

Luckily it appears Chicago’s Immortal Bird will not fall into either of those categories. For one, the band had songs in the bag and were recording their debut EP “Akrasia” with Jeff Ziolo (the esteemed and indestructible Kurt Ballou handled mixing, while Brad Boatright mastered this filthy beast) before they really moved their craft to the stage. So it was sort of a work in progress. They also aren’t married to any one sound, so much so thats it’s really hard to push this band into a corner and affix them with a label. Why must you be so difficult, Immortal Bird? Their bio tags them as blackened death thrash (a sub-sub-genre?), and all of those descriptors work, but that only gives you a basic idea of what this trio is up to on this four-song offering.

Immortal Bird also marks the move of drummer extraordinaire Rae Amitay (Thrawsunblat, Mares of Thrace, and a live member of Castle for a tour) from behind the kit to in front as its lead howler/lyricist. She proves herself quite the force on the mic, using her authoritative, savage vocals to put as much impact as possible behind her words, and she has one hell of a future scaring the shit out of us in this manner. Oh, and she does handle the drum work here and even wrote some riffs for this sucker. Joining her are guitarist Evan Berry (Wilderun, Replacire), who also contributes backing vocals to the recording, as well as bassist John Pacillo. They work pretty damn well together, pulling out all kinds of influences and sounds and never etching in stone anything that isn’t inspired and mind warping. What they deliver here on this EP not only has me excited for these four, diverse songs, but intrigued as to where they go next.

Amitay says the title “Akrasia,” acting against one’s better judgment, not only is a great sounding name for the EP but one that embodies what these words and and compositions stand for, expressing those moments of rage, resentment, and anger that have played a part in her life. Listening to these songs, and the way they drill you and leave you dizzy and exhausted, really indicate the band hit the nail on the head and drove it full force. The schizophrenic tempo changes, the mauling damage, and the whirling emotion that is drizzled all over these songs might even make you feel a little uncomfortable inside as you relive similar moments from your own life. And if you insist you never had those, I call bullshit.

The EP kicks off with the scathing “Spitting Teeth,” a song rife with anger, revenge, and loathing that is treated with whirling guitars, spiraling and penetrating melodies, and Amitay’s words are pure rage, as she spits out lines such as, “Everything you dread clasps its fingers ’round your throat,” and, “I would watch you burn, but that takes too much time.” There are traces of atmospheric tones and some imaginative dreaming in the song’s mid-section, but the conclusion plays like a snarling, runaway truck coming to destroy you. “Ashen Scabland” keeps the punishment and creativity walking hand in hand, as guitars envelope you like a whipping wind, leaving you helpless to fight it, and destructive drumming that bloodies your face and knuckles. The middle of the track is really compelling, as the band slips into a prog-metal sequence that reminds me a lot of Voivod’s more playful moments, and just when you think perhaps Immortal Bird are going to let you down easy, the final minute of the track ignites again, with a metallic surge and Amitay unleashing some of her most passionate, scarred vocals on the entire record.

The second half begins with “Akratic Seminar,” a track with lyrics full of faulty decision making and loathing regret, that Amitay delivers perfectly. At one point, she unleashes her cleaner voice, though it only pops in for a few fragile moments, and then it’s back to blazing intensity. The song is dark and murky, with further prog adventures, airy passages, and cooler breezes emerging and adding some chills. But toward the end, everything blows up again and goes into a thrashing, mashing display of chaos, with Amitay howling, “Take this away, a mess of skin and agony/Chemical waste of space, perfume and nicotine.” Harsh, no? Closer The Pseudoscientist” blows open from the start, like a raging furnace looking for something to burn. All of the elements come together to scorch and destroy, with sprawling melodies, destructive thrash and death influences, and an overall sense of audio and mental punishment. Amitay’s words drip with hurt and anger, as she growls, “I was a person, not a sin/Your body bloats with swells and lies/As your excuses wear thin.” You can’t help but feel bruised along with her, as we’ve all had those moments where we look into the eyes of hypocrisy, and she conveys that disgust and anger with both violence and vulnerable humanity.

Immortal Bird succeed on so many levels, from making music that is fresh and cannot possibly pin listeners’ hopes on a specific path to where they’ll go next, to creating something that sounds organic, furious, adventurous, and wholly inspired. It might poke at some bruises on your heart if you follow along with Amitay’s words, but maybe it’ll help you develop some callouses that’ll benefit you in the long run. Or you can immerse yourself in the band’s total sound, that’ll surprise you over and over again, even on subsequent listens. Their full-length debut is most anticipated.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://immortalbird.bandcamp.com/

It’s been nearly a year since people were expecting a great catastrophe or some other happening to end the world in accordance with the expiration of the Mayan calendar, yet, lo and behold, we’re still here. But that doesn’t mean people everywhere have stopped dreaming up Earth-altering events, and they probably won’t until a comet really does slam into the planet.

That leads us to “Hubardo” the latest opus from Kayo Dot, a band that is nearly impossible to describe in words because they do so many things, but they work with a variety of sounds including doom, death, and black metal, jazz, art rock, post-rock, and anything that helps them expand their dreamy canvas. This album, that’s been available digitally and soon will be out on vinyl, imagines a scenario when a meteor comes crashing to Earth, the aftermath of which inspires a poet, who was living a dark, loathing existence. This stacked double album, that clocks in at roughly 1 hour, 40 minutes, tells the tale from beginning of the eye of Leviathan falling to the end, when the poet seemingly expires in a boat, unable to make the best of his life and the opportunities that were in front of him. That’s my interpretation, anyway, though I could totally be misreading that conclusion. Either way, if you spend time with this expansive, imaginative, uncompromising collection along with the lyrics, you’re bound to go on a journey you won’t soon forget with an album you won’t be able to put down. This is Kayo Dot at their best.

Leading the way is visionary Toby Driver (also of Vaura and Asva, and formerly of Maudlin of the Well),who handles vocals, bass, synth, percussion, and organ, among other things, and with him are Ron Varod (guitars), Keith Abrams (drums), Daniel Means (alto sax, tenor sax, clarinet), Terran Olson (flute, alto sax piano, organ, synth), Tim Byrnes (trumpet, horn in F), Mia Matsuyima (violin, synth), Jason Byron (guest vocals on the opener), and Jessika Kenney and BC Campbell (guest backing vocalists). That’s quite a few players and a hell of a lot of instruments, but all play vital parts on this record and certainly help the flood of sounds.

Another aspect of the record that really stands out is the diversity of these 11 songs. No one song sounds even remotely like another one on here, yet it all pulls together so seamlessly that’s it’s a wonder just how well this was executed. Part of that is strong songwriting, and part of that is the inspired, enthralling playing by all members, sometimes going off on tangents that sound like they flowed organically from an extended jam session, keeping the track’s spirit at heart but stretching its boundaries to places maybe they never dreamt they would go. It’s a stunning listen, and you’ll want to set aside the proper amount of time to absorb this at once, for that is the best way to take in “Hubardo.” Don’t be afraid of that commitment.

The record opens with “The Black Stone,” where Byron’s gruff death growls are allowed to take over and give the track a grisly, terrifying tone. “It fell from the night like a wraith in a rage,” it is howled, as the band goes through a slithering, pummeling passage that is thick with doom, but also swirling noises, hypnotic strings, and even a finish with hissed growls that remind of Portal. That takes us to “Crown-in-the-Muck” that opens clean with a heavy jazz influence with horns emerging and eventually guitars boiling behind everything. Whispery vocals slip in, then crazed screams meet doomy riffs, sax goes off and causes a fury, and the final thrashing and mashing bring everything to a head. “Thief” has a traditional rock feel at first, with cleaner vocals, some spastic noise, and rumbling drums, but just when it seems calm will take over, the song bursts apart and madness reigns again. “Vision Adjustment to Another Wavelength” actually starts off the rails, with howls and chaos, loopy carnage musically, and a sense of panic permeating the track. Cool woodwinds shoot breezes into room, but that’s a temporary fix as the song closes in a pit of wild growls. It’s really strange but ultimately satisfying. “Zodelida Caosaji (To Earth the Water)” feels like an early 1980s Rush song at first, with slick progression and sci-fi fun, but that also ignites and is broken apart by crushing fury, synth waves, sweltering melodies, and crazed shouts. “The First Matter (Saturn in the Guise of Sadness)” is the end of the album’s first half, and it’ll get your blood pumping, with spacious space rock, cleaner, deeper vocals that remind of Pink Floyd, and eerie, psychologically warped passages that eventually go dissonant and return damaged and fiery. It’ll get you dreaming of just what lurks in the stars and what they have in mind for us if they get any closer.

“The Second Operation (Lunar Water)” runs 13:19, opening with chilly keyboards, strings rising and adding texture, and low-register singing from Driver mixing perfectly with the backing choral parts from Kenney and Campbell. The song has almost a pastoral or spiritual feel to it, and the tremendous singing from all parties makes this a truly gorgeous song. “Floodgate” destroys any serenity, with its heavy, noisy, wild opening, with shrieks and growls providing ample terror, and the sax cutting a path down the middle, making this feel like a Yakuza song. The drums blister, the keys blend back in, and everything drowns in a thick, relentless doom fury. “And He Built Him a Boat” has serious shoegaze heat, but also is doom-fed and emotionally driven, especially with the storytelling lyrics and vocals that hit pretty hard. The choral harmonies return again, and as the poet pushes his project forward into the water, the band lands on a jazzy pocket that leads to the next chapter. “Passing the River” runs 10:12, and it begins with drum knocks, guitars filling in the spaces, and clean vocals from Driver that reach for a higher register. It feels like the song is going to stay on a straight path, but out of nowhere, the bottom drops out, and a thick haze of drone doom sets in, like they commissioned Sunn 0))) to come in and burn things to the ground. It goes back and forth from there, from light to dark, but it eventually subsides in eerie clean vocals. Closer “The Wait of the World,” a 14:22 epic, feels happy and poppy at the start, almost like a lost Steely Dan song, as Driver’s clean vocals return and things take a nice turn toward art rock. Toward the song’s middle, the band breaks into an extended section that sounds like they just let go and organically put on tape what came to them during a brilliant portion of improv inspiration. Eventually, we return to where we are, as Driver delivers the final moments of our story, crooning, “The ideal outlasts the flesh that is weak/Yes, and the well outlasts the drought that is temporary,” putting what feels like a somber ending to this tale.

“Hubardo” is a stunning, creative show of force and one of the most thoughtful, meaningful albums from a band that has a back catalog full of those. Kayo Dot always will challenge your mind, body, and spirit, as well as what you know to be metal, and they deliver in spades here once again. By all means, before this year is over and you put your stamp on 2013, go and experience this album and give it the attention and concentration it deserves. See what it means to you and your journey through life’s multiple ups and downs. It’s a record very few bands could make at all, and one only Kayo Dot could make this inspiring.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.kayodot.net/

To buy the album, go here: http://kayodot.bandcamp.com/album/hubardo

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

Usually when I’m digging into the remaining late-year releases that need visited before it’s year-end blowout time, I don’t find a whole of things that really get my ears standing up straight. Not that is hasn’t happened before–Royal Thunder’s first EP and Chelsea Wolfe’s debut come to mind–but usually it’s a dry well. Luckily, this year is a different story.

I got an e-mail a few months ago about the band Kauan, a Russian/Ukrainian band that’s made its name on post-rock, ambient, European folk, and doomy collections and, until their latest album “Pirut,” has contained only two full-time members. Admittedly, I hadn’t heard a lot about the band before that initial press release announcing “Pirut,” so I worked backward and familiarized myself with their work so I’d have a better idea of how to absorb their new opus. I never figured it would take nearly until the end of the year to finally get my hands on “Pirut,” but now that I have, I’m adding this band to my regular winter rotation of music. By the way, the delay from announcement to music delivery largely had to do with a Feb. 15 meteor explosion in the atmosphere above Russia during the creative process and the having to deal with the aftermath. That explains this album’s picturesque cover art.

It probably sounds cliched to associate a Russian band with wintry settings, but it’s their music that makes me feel that band’s latest album belongs in my ears when the winds are chilled and snow is crunching beneath our boots. They have an airy, atmospheric approach to their music, and you can practically feel the frozen winds whipping into you, leaving you scrambling for the confines of your home and perhaps a crackling fire. This eight-movement document (it’s broken up by tracks “I” through VIII” but is an interwoven, single piece) isn’t purely a metal album, though it definitely has those traits, and might remind newcomers of the path a band like Ulver has taken lately. It’s imaginative and dreamy in spots, sometimes altogether delicate, and when it needs doses of brutality, those land right where they’re required. It’s also easy to get lost in the body of this thing since it flows so well and there are no track breaks.

Initially, Anton Belov (vocals, guitars, keyboards) only counted the departed Lubov Mushnikova (violin) as a constant member, with other people adding colors here and there. But with the creation of “Pirut,” Belov assembled a full band around him that includes bassist Alex Vynogradoff, drummer Anton Skrynnik, keyboard player Alina Roberts, and viola player Anatoly Gavrilov, as well as other players for the live experience. Naturally, the music is more full bodied and involved than previous work, including their most recent record “Ku..” in 2011, and their union has resulted in arguably their finest albums to date and one that could find favor outside of the metal world. For example, if you’re into a band like Godspeed You! Black Emperor or Explosions in the Sky (no joke intended), you might find you really like this.

The record opens with “I” and its strange noises, howls, and thick strings, before leading into a cleaner folk movement, where Belov’s vocals go clean, ripping through rolled R’s and letting his charisma show. Eventually the track gets uglier, with death-like growls and epic doom, before it bleeds into “II,” that also keeps the tempo high. Strings slither over metallic goop, and Belov’s hissed growls are mean and menacing, matching the music behind him. Sweeping doom melodies open up and drench the ground beneath it, and clean vocals croaked in Finnish lead to “III.” That piece has more strings marching over the land, with pianos trickling along with it, and a moody, elegant melody takes over and pulls the song forward. Some spacey synth work hovers over like a mysterious cloud, and lush, moving instrumentation, with vocals finally slipping in at the end, take us toward “IV.” That portion opens with a heavy helping of acoustic guitars, clean vocals, and an overall feeling of a roosty ballad. This is where the cold winds and snowy ambiance are at their heaviest, with the music swelling and soaring, staking its claim as the most emotionally boisterous section of the whole album.

“V” lets the tension subside, as pianos glide in, steady drumming carries the way, and proggy, cosmic keyboards give the piece an alien feel. Warm guitars parts droop in and melt over everything, while noises echo out and lead toward “VI,” that keeps their ship tilted toward a space rock feel and a trip into the stars. Synthesizers begin to whir heavily, with pianos following the path and the drumming offering both pacing and a sense of danger, and the song builds to a pounding climax with vicious growls and doom fury that reminds you this band can be as crushing as they are delicate. “VII” starts with more pulsating keys, a thick string section that delivers beauty and texture, and more brutality and heaving growls that eventually subside and give way to calm. Finally, the last segment “VIII” begins, tying in a familiar melody that rears its head on several sections of this album and that hints at a flood of light. But then the murk and darkness return, as does the doom hammering, emotional flourishes take over, and the song ends on a glorious high that fills your lungs with air, your mind you dreams, and your body with chilly winds that you can’t help but ride away on to some faraway land.

This new era for Kauan sounds like a promising one, and if “Pirut” is your starting point with this band, you’re in a pretty good spot. If you like what you hear, work your way back through their other four releases (find them on their Bandcamp) and get lost in their atmospheric world. This is a strong record that should go really well with the coming winter and provide a nice companion alongside a dark porter, the lights turned down, and a million warm blankets. How metal is that?.

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

To buy the album, go here: http://www.blood-music.com/store/store.html

For more on the label, go here: http://www.blood-music.com/