Progressive death metal dreamers Vile Rites named their first full-length “Senescence,” the process of physical deterioration that occurs as a person ages. Sure, you can exercise or do other activities to help slow that decline, but it’s gong to catch up with you some day. It’s an odd title for a record that’s so full of exciting new ideas, spacey expansion, and pushing death metal even further into jarring waters that wash over you with chilling fury, the furthest thing from losing power and stopping growth. This is a record that has captured my mind in a way I didn’t expect. Even after absorbing it once I knew I had to go back and bathe in these sci-fi chemicals rising to the surface.
Photo by Hannabal Rosabal
“Only Silence Follows” opens amid cold notes, hypnosis setting in, which is a hint of what’s ahead. The bass bends as the hammering picks up, the soloing erupting as the growls dig into flesh. Cosmic synth wraps you in a coat of stars as speed becomes a greater factor, ripping out into the stars. “Senescent” is tricky and crunchy when it starts, heavy blows landing with force, drubbing and causing dizzying feelings. The playing pulls back and adds a chill to the air, fluid leads take off and create a laser effect, techy melodies flex muscles. “Transcendent Putrefaction” has the bass chewing into muscle, keys wooshing, and heavy body blows aiming to take you down. Growls engorge as the temperatures shift to a deep freeze, the guitars erupting and letting carnage reign, beastly howls and gutting death smearing psychosis. Closer “Banished to Solitude (Adrift on the Infinite Waves)” is the longest track, running 11:11, and the track blasts and contorts, sudden brutality slashing as progressive fires are fed gallons of fuel.
Vile Rites’ progressively minded death metal is a refreshing gust of energy, and while “Senescence” may be named after a process of physical deterioration, it feels like the band is just beginning a life cycle that could begin to rewrite this style’s DNA. Incredible record I cannot possibly recommend enough. (Aug. 16)
10. THOU, “Umbilical” (Sacred Bones): Being a human itself is a daily gamble, a push and pull of influences and decisions that make up just about every second between waking and sleeping. We’re constantly fighting against the power structure. Long-running doom brawlers Thou know this very well, as they are a band that never has participated in digestible art, mainstream opinion, or compromising visions. On their thunderous sixth (and that number is arguable) primary release “Umbilical,” the band unleashes all of their vitriol, their passion, and their fire and plasters that all over 10 tracks and 49 minutes of unforgiving power.
“Narcissist’s Prayer” charges up from the start, Bryan Funck’s acidic howls barreling toward you, grimy heaviness increasing the pressure. The guitars jolt as sludgy power flattens, the ground quaking as the band doubles back and buries you in smoke. “Emotional Terrorist” is thick and heavy, the vocals smearing as a bruising chorus jars your face and jaw. The playing slowly batters as the menace increases, wrenching as the playing punishes slowly, burning off. “I Feel Nothing When You Cry” has a ripping pace, something energetic and colorful, a heavy brawler but something a little different. “The Promise” bathes in feedback, and then a weirdly melodic attack takes place, Funck’s shrieks feeling catchier even as your muscles are bent in unnatural ways. “Siege Perilous” writhes in place, noise buckling, guitars coating with muscular grit. The playing lumbers as the riffs snarl, bringing menace and mud, the howls lacerating limbs as the track rounds into sinewy hell, corroding into a disfigured beast. (May 31)
9. VEMOD, “The Deepening” (Prophecy Productions): “The Deepening,” the first new record from Vemod in more than a decade, is one of those creations that makes one who is a half century into life feel thankful for the continual pursuit of new music. Every subsequent visit has only amplified that feeling. Black metal remains a base, but they go in such thought-provoking, stimulating new areas and enrich what already was a very robust recipe, into a touchstone album. Every moment is captivating and immersive, and I can tell this is music that will stick with me deep into the year and beyond.
“Mot oss, en ild” opens gently, as if ensconced in a fog, the moodiness building and trickling into “Der guder dør” that is dramatic and clashing as it greets you. Howls creep in as the playing grows more adventurous, melodies swelling and warming your bones, the atmosphere suddenly wrenching. “True North Beckons” stirs and quakes, the growls overwhelming, melodies glowing and then gushing. The howls penetrate as warm guitars glimmer, eventually mashing and causing bruising, the leads simmering and pulling into dusk. The closing title track is the longest piece at 16:14, and it’s a wonderful use of time, surging with clean singing that turns into acidic growls, spacious textures transforming into gnarly speed. The vocals grow harsh and foreboding, creaking with moodiness, gushing with dark energy, crushing with spacey atmosphere. For those also immersed in transformation and growth, this is a record that can live alongside you on that journey, injecting your spirit with much-needed inspiration. (Jan. 19)
8. KRALLICE, “Inorganic Rites” (self-released): Getting a new Krallice record during a given calendar year no longer is a surprise. And that’s a good thing because this prolific band never seems to run out of creative energy or ideas. “Inorganic Rites” dropped over the summer with no prior warning, and it turned out to be one of their more memorable records out of their last handful, all of which were stunning. This carries over a lot of the space synth we got on “Porous Resonance Abyss” and pushed that to its limits, making this record jar your cosmic nerves to the limit.
Opener “Parataxis” spends the bulk of its lengthy run time building an atmosphere, once that boils in the primordial ooze of black metal it keeps exploring every fold of the universe. It can take you apart if you allow it. “Flatlines Encircled Residue” basks in the alien environment from which it spawned, basking in keys and jolting chaos that erupts and joins hands with black metal gnosis; “Here Forever” is a science experiment gone awry, the compounds blasting and smashing boundaries, the possibilities of heaviness showing you realms you never expected to see; “Universe Ancestral Talisman” is a buzz of science lab keys and smoke that eventually meet volcanic residue; and “Fatestorm Sanctuary” folds your mind, keys layering, the storm eventually landing as experimental hazes gather, your existence hovers, and the unimaginable becomes tangible, the science fiction urges turning into your new reality. (July 5)
7. OPETH, “The Last Will and Testament” (Reigning Phoenix Music): “The Last Will and Testament” is the 14th record from legendary Swedish progressive death metal warriors Opeth, and this is a concept piece based in post-World War I where a family learns the hidden truths of its freshly deceased patriarch. Yes, let’s get the obvious out of the way: Mikael Åkerfeldt is growling again after having spent the past four releases singing purely in his honey-rich clean voice. But growls do not make a record. The music has to be there too, and there’s a ferocity and mystery back that the band uses to plaster their sound with electricity.
“§1” opens with footsteps across as room, the opening riff tangling and looping, Åkerfeldt’s clean singing morphing into death roar. “Alas, my time is at an end, I have wallowed in self-pity, and I confess to you as part of my final plight,” Åkerfeldt roars, moving into a weaving, warped section of smeared synths, haunting singing rousing apparition, children chattering as oblivion calls. “§2” enters in funereal keys, the growls battering with the call of, “A dreadful daughter of wretched martyr, sick to marrow and to bone,” some clues slipping out. “§4” has the bass slinking low, growls bursting through the crust, light and dark entangling. The track gets chambery and elegant, the legendary Ian Anderson’s flute piping, the guitars then exploding with lava. “§7” begins with guitars cutting, organs spilling, Anderson reading the matriarch’s will, growls crunching and wrenching as keys flood in a tornado of grays. The heartbreaking closer “A Story Never Told” blows the entire storyline and record into oblivion. (Nov. 22)
6. CRYPT SERMON, “The Stygian Rose” (Dark Descent): “The Stygian Rose,” the third record by Philly-based epic doom creators Crypt Sermon, is one of those that felt destined to sit above most, a collection that has a comet-into-earth impact on first listen. It just ripples even harder each subsequent visit, and if you’re like me, there will be many of those. Here, the band creates a story about an unnamed character inspired by Paschal Beverly Randolf, an American spiritualist and sex magician whose views on gender identity were well before his time. Here, the character longs to find his possibly dead/definitely lost female equal, who is believed to be waiting for him beyond in the hollow.
“Glimmers in the Underworld” emerges from beyond, tearing open with sprawling doom and Brooks Wilson’s dramatic singing at an apex, calling, “I’ll die with my eyes open just to get a good look at hell.” “Down in the Hollow” is misty as it charges up, Wilson’s singing feeling both muscular and scathing, dark and ominous melodies working up your spine. The playing charges up as the fluid assault pulls you under, Wilson lashing, “They know my name, she knows my name,” as chugging punches leave deep wounds. “Scrying Orb” is a standout track, much like “Christ Is Dead” from “The Ruins of Fading Light” or “Heavy Riders” from “Out of the Garden,” that one track that stands out above the rest and makes a case for one of the modern era’s best metal songs. The 11:10-long closing title track opens with piano dripping, the cosmos opening its jaws, dark guitars mixing with keys that leave an ominous glaze. “The black bloom will be restored,” Wilson insists, the guitars picking up and jarring anew, the melodies mixing with eerie fogginess. `(June 14)
15. JULIE CHRISTMAS, “Ridiculous and Full of Blood” (Red Crk): There’s a maniacal charm to everything Julie Christmas does, whether she’s working alongside Cult of Luna or plying us with the wildness she conjures in her own brain. “Ridiculous and Full of Blood” not only is one of the great record titles of the year, but it also nicely sums up what’s going on with these stunning 10 tracks. This was her first solo record since 2010’s “The Bad Wife,” and the long layoff hasn’t robbed her of an ounce of her charisma or fire. Every moment of this record keeps you on high alert, blood pumping through your veins as the chaos grows deeper into your cells.
Opener “Not Enough” is the ideal reintroduction piece, music prodding, Christmas’ manic, sometimes childlike wail warning, “I’ll shut down your streets, no rest for the wicked,” as if she’s warning the future state of what the consequences might be. “Supernatural” basks in more mid-tempo melodies as her singing rains down, chilling at first before the chorus explodes around you, spitting colors and sparks; “End of the World” feels psychedelic and warm, Christmas’ singing pulling you into the center, calling, “I just wanted to see you again, like a kid in a candy store, seeing the end of it all, in a big, bad caterwaul,” before Johannes Persson (Cult of Luna) lands with throat-ripping howls; “Kids” is weird and dreamy, an electrified fever dream; and “Seven Days” ends it all, soft but foreboding, the playing numbing, Christmas insisting, “There’s just no man upstairs, there’s no god or heaven.” Grim tidings as we settler into an uncertain future.(June 14)
14. AMAROK, “Resilience” (Vendetta): “Resilience” is the second full-length from California-based doom metal power Amarok, and it’s a concept piece that revels in the agony of violently changing climates, loss, and existential dread, all of which can be rolled into one ongoing overserving of anxiety. Over five tracks and almost 65 minutes, the band digs deep into the ground from where they’ve mined before and have refined their sound and made their songs even more gut wrenching. This is a passionate, darkly mournful record that also packs a burst of anger and resentment that is palpable and perfectly served.
“Charred (X)” is the 17:51-long opener that enters in flames, battering as howls scathe, and a funereal pace sets the duor mood. The playing corrodes as fires crackle, the guitars going cold and entering into moody territory. The track picks up the pace as emotional guitars whip up a lather, the howls boil harder, and the playing buckles, sending off thunderous aftershocks. “Ascension (XI)” is the longest track at 18:10, and it’s dark and mournful at the start, howls scraping as the synth glows, the playing storming and creating a flood of power. Closer “Legacy (XIII)” starts with soft acoustics and a burgeoning atmosphere, the leads feeling gazey and warm, a heartfelt push making the blood pump through your veins. Howls scar as the gutting sadness increases its hold, feeling overwhelming as the screams batter, pushing your heart to the limit. All hope is not yet lost, and there’s still time to fight, but we’re running out of space, and the funeral for our species is bound to be something we have earned outright. (June 28)
13. ORANSSI PAZUZU, “Muuntautuja” (Nuclear Blast): Oranssi Pazuzu, the Finnish experimental black metal band, is one that barely fits into the subgenre designation assigned to them. It’s sometimes hard to conceive that they’re from the same world as we are. Every album, it feels like a new form of the band and the artists involved bubbles to the surface, and it seems like they assembled their masterful sixth record “Muuntautuja” (translates to shapeshifter, which is a perfect title for these songs and this unit) from galactic materials mere mortals could not handle without life-altering effects. This collection of tracks veers deeper toward electronics, bathing you in digital chaos, threading in krautrock and black metal to make for one immersive adventure beyond.
“Bioalkemisti” dawns amid electronic pulses that threaten to flood, a haze spreading as Vanhanen’s howls become intertwined with psychological impulses. The pace gets more aggressive as the keys blend, the shrieks tearing from crevices, a strange aura filling your senses and solidifying into ice. “Voitelu” is burly and like an extraterrestrial signal, pounding away while remaining thought provoking, a fiery gust striking and making the earth move. “Hautatuuli” whirs as the drums pace, breezy keys make your hair shuffle, and whispers surround and push messaging through your mind. “Ikikäärme” leaks into the room, moody strangeness causing psychological detachment, cosmic rays swimming in a sea of stars. The track unfurls into a surreal dream, mechanical waves lapping, howls crying out from a frozen reality and then turning into something late night and urban. This record is ideal for stargazing, for it feels like that’s what willed these songs into existence. (Oct. 11)
12. COUCH SLUT, “You Could Do It Tonight” (Brutal Panda): Far be it for anyone to doubt the authenticity of vocalist Megan Osztrosits’ stories, because this is real shit, stuff she’s seen, experienced, survived, and that somehow made her one of the most engaging vocalists in all of heavy music. Couch Slut’s soul-bruising fourth record “You Could Do It Tonight” is another chapter in psychosis, substance-fueled madness, and stories that could make your skin crawl. The music has grown a bit more experimental and daring, the vocals still grabbing you by the throat, inviting you to digest a series of stories and events that could break most people. At the same time, it’s fun as fuck, a record that’ll terrify 9 out of 10 people completely.
“Couch Slut Lewis” screams with feedback as the bass drives, Osztrosits’ snarling howls feeling like jagged glass across your chest. The vibe feels ominous and dark, which judging by the track’s story is fitting. “Ode to Jimbo,” a tribute to Brooklyn bar Jimbo Slim’s, swirls and dizzies, the sinister, yet joyful intent delivered on the menace of Osztrosits’ singing. The playing pounds and gasps, guitars turning on added heat, smoking and obscuring, Osztrosits howling, “Buried! Goodnight, spilled my beer in the backseat of the car,” as the track comes to a scathing end. ” The Donkey” opens with sounds whirring, Osztrosits narrating a story about her and her friends getting fired from a haunted waterpark. Would you believe blood was involved? “Energy Crystals for Healing” goes hard, the bass clobbering, the guitars making you grasp the wall for balance. The howls gut as the trudging leans into scathing heat, the guitars burning like a tire fire. Closer “The Weaversville Home for Boys” is another record-ending gem, one where Osztrosits howls most of the story, a tale of three boys who escaped said home for boys and went on a violent reign of terror throughout the area. The ending will warp you and your sanity forever. So will every moment of this album. (April 19)
11. VICIOUS BLADE, “Relentless Force” (Redefining Darkness): Thrash metal lives, motherfuckers, and that’s proven in violent doses on Vicious Blade’s debut LP “Relentless Force.” The Pittsburgh-based crushers teamed up with Relentless Force for a greater audience reach and responded with nine tracks and 28 minutes of power that could have lived alongside the more noteworthy classics from the 1980s and not seemed out of place. The band is razor sharp and channeled, while vocalist Clarissa Badini (also of Castrator) takes command out front with an iron fist.
The title track opens and burns its way in, the band setting up shop early with Badini’s wild howls ripping down your spine. The playing bruises hard, the guitars charging, a commanding storm collecting and blasting with defiance. “Lunacy” cuts open and moves forward with commanding speed and beasty calls, Badini wailing, “Lunacy is in control!” “Forged Steel” fires up with yelled vocals and guitars matching that venom, shrieks later adding a sharp edge to the proceedings. There’s a bit of a punk feel injected into the mix, scathing and melting as Badini declares, “We are forged steel.” “Nocturnal Slaughter” explodes out of the gates, throaty howls from Badini driving through your chest, fluid playing combining with audio violence that promises no mercy. Closer “Death Blow” actually opens with cleaner guitars, letting the humidity become a factor, eventually ripping through guts as the madness comes to life. Throaty howls blacken eyes, airy melodies add new texture to the thrash brutality, darkness enveloping as everything comes to a morbid end. (Sept. 27)
20. DREAMLESS VEIL, “Every Limb of the Flood” (Relapse): The birth of Dreamless Veil came out of the dreaded pandemic years, a musical project that started as a sort of solo project for Psycroptic drummer Dave Haley as he endured the same dismal times as we all did without his normal creative outlet. He recruited Inter Arma/Artificial Brain vocalist Mike Paparo to write lyrics and lay down his unmistakable pipes and brought in Dan Gargiulo, also of Artificial Brain and late of Revocation, to contribute guitars, bass, synth, and vocals to what turned into a thunder-storming project. The result is “Every Limb of the Flood,” a concept piece that centers on a character named Grief who takes an existential journey only to discover he’s poisonous to himself and other people.
“Dim Golden Rave” starts wonderfully off kilter, guitars spiraling as anguished cries emerge, the heat giving off a late-summer vibe, which is fitting. Leads swirl as the vocals echo, a melodic gust and spacious melodies churning into space. “A Generation of Eyes” stirs in black metal heat, punishing as the reverbed vocals spin in your head, lush, yet speedy dashes making blood race. “Cyanide Mine” has guitars carving and melodies gusting, shrieks aching before a mammoth riff sends you for a loop. The vocals continue to retch, charging with vicious intent, suddenly halting and letting guitars drip like a psychedelic syrup. “Glossolalia” is ominous, Paparo’s cries wrenching, eerie streams making your flesh crawl. Closer “Dreamless” arrives amid crashing drums, progressive black metal prowess, and growls ripping at exposed wounds. Howls gurgle as the room begins to spin, the warmth increasing and growing increasingly volatile, sizzling and boiling, the guitars rushing off the edges. (Sept. 20)
19. ULCERATE, “Cutting the Throat of God” (Debemur Morti): When creating their seventh record “Cutting the Throat of God,” New Zealand-based death/black metal trio Ulcerate examined the idea of what happens when and put to the test the idea of people hitting their limits and having little chance of turning around mentally. These seven tracks, while not a concept record, do combine to examine the idea of morality and when and why someone crosses the line into darkness. The band delivers dense, cement-thick punishment over nearly 58 minutes. Pushing beyond reason, past one’s moral compass generally takes a pretty extreme circumstance for that to happen, and once we’re there, how do we pull back, if that’s even possible?
“To Flow Through Ashen Hearts” opens with guitars melting, dripping liquid steel, the roars crushing as the beastly flow gains muscle. Cagey and furious, the strength leaves ash, the atmosphere thickening as the playing gets tougher, wailing into colder waters, churning savagery, and railing to an abrupt finish. “The Dawn Is Hollow” emerges from steam, unloading with ferocity, tearing at flesh, the guitars making frayed nerves tingle. Alien sounds land as beastly heat rises, roars loosening bricks, the playing blasting away at everything, the gargantuan strength landing the final blows. “Transfiguration In and Out of Worlds” is eerie and chilling, cold trickling and making your body shake uncontrollably, sooty howls echoing as the guitars sting and become even more aggressive. “Undying as an Apparition” is melodic but mean, glazing as the roars crunch, weirdness thickening as the savagery comes to life. The playing is fluid but morbid, getting enthralling and immersive as you’re pulled into hell, the battering having its way and leaving you prone to further attacks. The title track closes the affair, emerging as a blunt force that snarls, stoking at the flames and ripping as the melodies curdle. The playing hits even harder, stabbing into the muck, blistering as the inhumane force weighs down violently. (June 14)
18. UMBRA VITAE, “Light of Death” (Deathwish Inc.): Taking on a record from Umbra Vitae often feels like being locked in the octagon as blow after vicious blow come flying at your head and body. Their malicious second full-length “Light of Death” is another dose of toxic death metal mixed with strains of hardcore, and over these 11 tracks and nearly 46 minutes, the band—vocalist Jacob Bannon, guitarists/vocalists Sean Martin and Mike Mckenzie, bassist/guitarist/vocalist Greg Weeks, drummer Jon Rice—turns the screws and makes the heat get to insurmountable levels.
“Leave of Absence” starts with dissonant horns as guitars begin to char, the pace blistering as Bannon’s unmistakable howl leaves bruises. Speed is a factor as it mixes with hardcore-style stomps, ripping as guitars let lava flow, and the strings strike out. “Belief Is Obsolete” has riffs boiling, punchy and jarring playing lashing away, eventually trudging as the stiff wails draw blood. “Anti-Spirit Machine” brawls as Bannon’s raspy voice lacerates, swelling with hardcore brutality, steadily driving as the soloing spits fire. “Past Tense” unloads with nasty howls, guitars traversing the scenery, a trickier display that spits nails and screws, coming to a blistering end. “Velvet Black” opens with clean singing, Bannon’s deep croon searching, the playing burning as it comes slower but just as heavy, hypnotic sounds dissolving and going silent. “Twenty-Twenty Vision” is a savage attack, storming and rattling, ripping through a fiery thrash assault. The vocals circle and split lips, the blazing terror driving to a fiery finish. “Fatal Flaw” is blinding, vocals crushing, guitars mounting a burning attack. The drums blister as the shouts open veins, the start/stop viciousness disappearing into a sea of skronking sax. What a glorious battering. (June 7)
17. GLYPH, “Odes of Wailing, Hymns of Mourning” (Shape of Storms/Fiadh Productions/WereGnome): Glyph is a one-man black metal force helmed by vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Keeper of the Glyph, and the project’s excellent new record “Odes of Wailing, Hymns of Mourning” tells you a lot upfront about what the music contains. But even amidst so much darkness and sadness, triumph still can be present by trying to fight back against the chaos. Without knowing what informed the album, the music gives clear access to all of those areas, the dark and the light, and the melodies and driving emotions contained within the record easily can set one’s heart and mind ablaze.
Of the Caverns” opens with sounds gushing, shrieks hammering away as the tornadic gust keeps gaining steam. The playing blisters as other colors blend into the mix, howls echoing as if in a cavern, effusive melodies picking up and spiraling into oblivion. “All Anger and Hatred Manifesting” is humid to start, hypnosis stretching its pull, the screams crushing, a brief halt leading to all elements bleeding out and back in and fully mesmerizing. “A Most Unwholesome Interaction” serves up frothy melodies and crushing growls, the blood feeling like it is retreating from your extremities. Shrieks ripple as the bass playing quakes the earth, a gush of infectious power getting into your bloodstream, battering at the same time until the lights go out. “The Unfortunate Gentleman in Question” opens as icy black metal, guitars jabbing as the howls cause brush burns, the slippery bass work icing mental wounds. Closer “Between Ghost and Gloom” arrives with sorrowful riffs and an eruption that spits rock through the air, mauling and glimmering. It’s impossible to experience this album and not feel it in every cell of your being. (June 7)
16. MOTHER OF GRAVES, “The Periapt of Absence” (Profound Lore): We live in a time of misery that only promises to get worse. The things in life that bring us solace are fleeting, and it’s easy to let hope slide down the drain, never to be heard from again. Mother of Graves capture that essence on their excellent second record “The Periapt of Absence,” but they also weave in a few glimmers of hope for good measure. Their mix of crushing doom and death metal really finds its sweep spot here, making for an album that easily digs into your chest cavity and takes up residence there.
“Gallows” is the perfect opener, a slowly battering gem that feels mournful, yet powerful as it builds its husk, Brandon Howe’s growls tearing at your flesh, the pace pushing and pulling through the cold; “Shatter the Visage” feels like it’s sneaking up on you, black hood in hands ready to pull over your face. The death stomp crushes, wrenching over melody and carnage that battle for your attention; “Apparition” basks in sorrow, lushly, yet forcefully cutting a pathway to your psyche, Howe calling, “Drowning to hold onto what’s real, to find what cannot be found.” “As Earth Fell Silent” is ominous and pummeling, the voices echoing, the playing eventually drilling you into oblivion, the growls lacerating, everything disappearing into a gothic halo of pain. Absolutely crushing record. (Oct. 18)
30. CHAT PILE, “Cool World” (The Flenser): Oklahoma City-based bruisers Chat Pile already have made a name for themselves for their down-tuned, sludgy sound, and on their second record “Cool World” (yes, it shares a name with the 1992 film starring human shit pile Brad Pitt), they add more filth and grit to the mix on these 10 tracks. You won’t be surprised to learn things have not gotten rosier since their great debut “God’s Country” as the band digs into the increasing nightmare that has enveloped this country and the world from our environment actively sold for parts and fascist assholes being a little too horny for power. It’s horror that we’ve seen before our eyes, the band violently reminding us that the dark skies are permanent, and trying to find silver linings is a fool’s mission. “I Am Dog Now” bathes in synth, and then things turn chunky and blunt, Busch wailing the title over and over before yelling, “And you see nothing!” “Funny Man” bruises, and the guitars get warped though remain strangely melodic; “Tape” bathes in clean guitars before howls and dreary singing mix, an overcast feeling creating unease; and closer “No Way Out” has the bass thumping, unhinged cries loosening joints, the guitars glazing and blurring eyes. “Feed them lies!” Busch demands before warning, “No escape.” (Oct. 11)
29. VÖLVA, “Desires Profane” (Fiadh Productions): There’s a fundamental misunderstanding by some brainless men that they’re the dominant sex when, meanwhile, the forces of absolute evil and the female spirits are carving their blades and fully preparing to fight back with blood and fire. This brings us to Swedish black metal force Völva, who offered up their debut full-length “Desires Profane” on an increasingly sickened public. The band expresses their satanic feminism and support for freedom for women’s body, actions, and dark spiritual connections, promising only their metallic blade. “The Tower” is sooty, bass unfurling as vicious howls snarl over infernal melodies. The chaos continues to fester, speed and blood uniting and spattering, the playing folding into black. “Walk With Me” storms as the guitars dizzy, throaty howls having impact, a vivid blaze making breathing a chore. “The Serpent” begins with guitars torpedoing, the vibe feeling both violent and catchy, gushing with maximum power. “Salvation” hangs in the air, stinging the senses before racing recklessly, the howls blowtorching as the pace explodes further. The playing turns bodies to dust, heated leads convert metal to liquid, and monstrous roars fold spines. (Nov. 28)
28. BEDSORE, “Dreaming the Strife for Love” (20 Buck Spin): Italian death metal dreamers Bedsore brought the typically untouched subject of love into the mix artfully and brutally on their second full-length record “Dreaming the Strife for Love.” This follow-up to 2020’s “Hypnagogic Hallucinations” is a departure, but if you really explored their debut, it kind of isn’t. They take a hard turn toward 1970s-style greens and browns, even more progressive ambition, and psychedelic death that take you under immediately. The band takes inspiration from the Renaissance novel Hypnerotomachia Poliphil that recounts desperate love, layers of dreams, and ultimate devastation, not typically fodder for the most extreme form of art. “Minerva’s Obelisque” unfurls with dark guitars and organs gliding, the ambiance feeling velvety and ’70s, maroons and golds spilling over the carpet; “A Colossus, an Elephant, a Winged Horse; the Dragon Rendezvous” is the longest track, running 11:46, rattling into existence in an eerie cloud. Punches land as the playing gets faster, sax melting into a golden river, the synth and organs taking off and settling into a groove; and Closer “Fountain of Venus” runs 9:57, icy keys dripping into a slick puddle, a thaw finally arriving as the synth sends beams of light, wild howls breaking through the surface. Synth strings pulse as sounds zap, the guitars beginning to work into the inches of freezing terrain. (Nov. 29)
27. HEAVY TEMPLE, “Garden of Heathens” (Magnetic Eye): Doom crushers Heavy Temple see the chaos and misery surround us on a daily basis as we navigate through health scares, political turmoil, and society at large being comprised of just enough assholes to make interacting with people not that worth it. People are trying to make ends meet, marginalized people want a chance to be able to live in comfort, and we balance relationships that often can be impacted by all of the above circumstances. “Garden of Heathens,” a firebreather of a record, leans heavily toward the struggles that impact us and do so with their already heavy shadow growing more fiery and psychedelic. “Extreme Indifference to Life” rips open with guitars reigning, sweltering, High Priestess Nighthawk’s sultry howl rippling down your spine as she jabs, “I’m wasting my precious time.” The playing is gnarly and smoking, the guitars getting burlier, the soloing scorching and leaving your flesh charred. “Divine Indiscretion” brings heavy swagger that bubbles with attitude, the guitars taking off and making your blood boil, sprawling into a dry heat; “Snake Oil (and Other Remedies)” slowly drips, the temperature rising in calculated fashion, slinking through the steam as the keys mesmerize; and closer “Psychomanteum” is a thunderous instrumental, a song that would be great as a set opener for the rest of their run, that’s how volcanic it is. (April 12)
26. SPECTRAL WOUND, “Songs of Blood and Mire” (Profound Lore): Spectral Wound’s fire-breathing fourth full-length “Songs of Blood and Mire” is the sign of a band boldly stepping forward, sharpening their sound, adding heaps of black melodies, and creating a black metal statement that can reach deep underground but still impact those living above the earth’s crust. Over seven songs and an ideally paced 44 minutes, the band goes for broke, laying out all of their bloodied tools to see who they can capture along the way. “Fevers and Suffering” is the perfect opener, a track that pulls you deep into the furnace and makes your blood boil; “At Wine-Dark Midnight in the Mouldering Halls” is one of the most impactful metal tracks of the year, a tornado of melody and brutality that takes you by storm. “The Horn Marauding” has more rock n roll elements buried in with their sinister recipe; and “Twelve Moons in Hell” is a total force, a track that will keep you ravaged yet oddly satisfied once the record comes to an end. This is a beast that won’t stop. (Aug. 23)
25. SPECTRAL VOICE, “Sparagmos” (Dark Descent): “Sparagmos,” the powerful second full-length from death/doom warriors Spectral Voice, examines the issues of the constant struggles of existence, the futility of relief, and levels with the painful realization that lack of existence might be the only way for one to be truly free. The title of the record is a Greek term that means physically being torn apart, and that ritualistic turn is what colors these barbaric four tracks. This is deeply scarring, often cosmic torture, a span of creativity that sounds mentally warped but also is stimulating and devastating in a manner that leaves you morbidly fulfilled. “Be Cadaver” begins eerily and spacey, the doom stretching into deep, mysterious darkness, settling in just as the growls begin to bubble. The tone is mesmerizing as the guitars begin to agitate, ripping out and ushering in a punishing pace with warped cries and a darkened crunch. “Sinew Censer” drips cleanly, making your flesh crawl before everything detonates, the ground rumbles, and the growls smear the senses. The guitars begin to slur as the ambiance gets more hypnotic, the fog thickening amid the growls engorging. Closer “Death’s Knell Rings in Eternity” opens as a muddy assault, blackness seeping and confounding, the terror devastating and fronting a flattening pace. Growls tear through guts as a glacial pace grinds your face into the dirt, pummeling and slowly adding heat, echoed cries reverberating in your mind. (Feb. 9)
24. UNHOLY ALTAR, “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite” (Liminal Dread Productions): Philly’s Unholy Altar remain committed to the raw, harsh power of black metal, and they deliver just that on their scathing first full-length “Veil of Death! Shroud of Nite.” Examining the dualities of the natural world, they add some new textures and tones from what we heard on their 2022 demo. But the unforgiving darkness remains, and while they intend to smear some light into the music, this is pitch black, infernal, and so goddamn mighty. “Intro” leads you into the carnage with plucked strings and a dark angelic haze, sounds swirling in the air toward “Abaddon,” which I wish was about the pro wrestler of the same name. Vile shrieks explode from the start, the playing destroying with fiery pressure, the viciousness and sense of evil flooding to the surface. “Infernal Flesh” explodes with blistering riffs, the assault trampling and destroying, the scars burned into your bones. “Sin Eater” totally destroys, the shrieks scalding as the guitars jam the gas pedal through the floor. Pestilence” dawns in the midst of insanity, ripping guts, forcing poison into your veins as the shrieks mangle. The leads take off as the assault grinds you under their wheels, attacking and leading trails of blood and flesh behind. This record more than paid off the promise of their demo. (July 5)
23. SOLBRUD, “IIII” (Vendetta): Sadly, Danish black metal force called it quits during 2024, but not until releasing their thunderous and atmospheric fourth record “IIII,” an ambitious 11-track, 94-minute opus that is a force of nature to withstand. For the uninitiated, imagine smashing together Wolves in the Throne’s foggy majesty with Panopticon’s rugged folk-influenced black metal, and you can get a pretty good idea of what to expect. It’s enthralling, and it doesn’t feel half as long as its runtime, filling your heart and mind with adventure and the fiery gust of nature. Ole Luk’s vocals are scorching and punishing, enhancing what this band did so well, and there are abundant highlights including spellbinding “Tåge”; the four “Når solen brydes Del” tracks that take up the bulk of the first LP; moody and echoey “Sjæleskrig”; and ground-quaking “Aske.” Yes, it’s a sound that’s been done a lot lately, but very few bands pulled it off as well as Solbrud. Sad to see them go.(Feb. 2)
22. DÖDSRIT, “Nocturnal Will” (Wolf of Hades/Shape of Storms): “Nocturnal Will” is the fourth record from Swedish crushers Dödsrit, and as good as their music was before, this collection takes them into a new place altogether. This six-track effort explodes with life even in its bleakest moments, and for a record that ends with the line, “Will death still bring me relief, even when it’s by my own hand?” it leaves you feeling surprisingly energized. “Irjala” rips open with hyper-melodic riffs, rushing as shrieks crush, vocalist/guitarist Christoffer Oster howling, “Dangling on a knife’s blade, blinded by hope, dreams disappearing down a pitch black hole.” “Nocturnal Fire” also dawns with amazing riffs, the playing splattering as the howls pierce, the pace igniting and taking on a bit of a hardcore edge. “As Death Comes Reaping” blasts out of guitars dawning and hanging, atmospheric energy cascading. “Written by my sorrows, carved into my flesh, tales of lost battles, this eulogy to the end,” Oster barks as the pace pulsates. Closer “Celestial Will” hammers with riffs, shrieks raining down as a melodic fury takes hold. Guitars light up as the pace ignites, speedy riffs toppling, the fluid and colorful pace consuming everything, the final moments acting like a blast to your ribcage. (March 22)
21. BLACK CURSE, “Burning With Celestial Poison” (Sepulchral Voice): Fun story: The first time I ever heard Black Curse I was on my way to a root canal appointment way out of town at the beginning of the lockdown because it was the only dentist office that would see me. I absorbed their 2020 debut “Endless Wound” on that trip and during the procedure, and it fried my brains. No nitrous oxide either! The band returned this year with “Burning With Celestial Poison,” a five-track, 45-minute destroyer that is heavier and hungrier than their debut and overflowing with torturous madness that will eat away at your brain. Seriously. “Spleen Girt With Serpent” opens the record and runs a healthy 10:51, firing up and ripping right through your mid-section. Molten chaos unfurls as a cacophony of chaos emerges, making it feel like your brain is oozing black goo. “Trodden Flesh” is the longest track, weighing in at 11:47, and it’s eerie at first before guts are stomped, shrieks scarring as the pace pulls back just a bit to let the bruising sink in. “Ruinous Paths…” stampedes, the drums rampaging, guitars racing and keeping pace expertly. That all combusts into violence, glorious savagery having its way with your psyche, howls battering along the way. “Flowers of Gethsemane” closes this monster, an 11:09-long demon that ramps up the anxiety before a blazing front devours serenity whole, bursting and brutalizing with no hopes of a breath. The vocals engorge as the tempo swallows you whole, gutting as the gas pedal is jammed through the floor. (Oct. 25)
40. FÖRN, “Repercussions of the Self” (Persistent Vision): We hadn’t heard from doom/sludge bruisers Fórn since 2018’s “Rites of Despair,” and in that time since, we’ve gone through a lot as people and a world. It’s clear its members, which now also includes Lane Shi Otayonii of Elizabeth Colour Wheel, also have developed into new forms as you can hear on their great “Repercussions of the Self.” “Soul Shadow” instantly enters into a deathly doom pall, Chris Pinto’s growls buried in a melodic miasma, Otayonii’s singing becoming an early factor, adding a chilling edge. “Regrets Abyss” starts clean before an elegant burst, growls menacing as the guitars pick up and eat through muscle, working into a haze that blankets the sky. Closer “Dreams of the Blood” haunts, a smoky essence unfolding, voices warbling before growls sink teeth into flesh. The playing lathers with heat, leads wandering into hypnosis, dissolving into a humid night. This reconfigured beast is a goddamn force. (Oct. 18)
39. UNEARTHLY RITES, “Ecdysis” (Prosthetic): Finnish death metal power Unearthly Rites has plenty of anger and vitriol spread over their mangling debut record “Ecdysis,” but the goal behind it all is to make it possible for a brighter future that rises above all of the chaos. The band members themselves have taken up for environmental activism and have lashed back against mining and drilling actions that maim the earth and fresh water sources. That’s packed into these thunderous nine tracks that revel in filth and fight back against a power structure that only seems to care about how much money it can make. Tracks such as “Hellscape,” “Deep Drilling Earth’s Crust,” “Fuck Ecofascism,” and “Doom” are thunderous shots back as a system trying to strip the planet bare in the name of greed. (May 3)
38. LUST HAG, self-titled (Fiadh Productions): Eleanor Harper’s Lust Hag project delivered its first full-length record, itself a dramatic concept record about a nameless hag who is battling through a fantasy world, trying to rescue her mother and deliver them both to the land of Verulica. Metal always has been rich ground for stories like these, but Harper also weaves in the realities she faces living as a trans woman in a small Montana town. Just reading through the lyrics makes the whole thing even more harrowing and enthralling, and then you take on the freezing black metal that drives at your like a magic blade in the night. Going from opener “Pursuit of the Nameless Hag” to rupturing “Dagger of Magdalene” to the daring closer “A Narrow Escape,” you get a raw, action-packed first full serving of this story, with the final moments setting the stage for what comes next, what awaits in Verulica. It’s a record I visit often, and with the days getting colder, it’ll be a go-to when I need something to heat up my blood in the dark days ahead. (April 26)
37. GHUTS, “Regeneration” (Seeing Red): “Regeneration,” the latest record from Guhts, finds its inspiration from the idea that change and growth are vital elements, and pushing oneself to find the areas that truly bring contentment and happiness is life altering. There’s a noted difference from 2021’s eye-opening debut “Blood Feather,” as this music is more involved, darker, doomier, and certainly more emotional. And they always ran hot. “White Noise” starts with noise moaning and Amber Gardner’s singing immediately enrapturing. Doomy and breathy, the track moves through mystery until the bottom drops, heavy and sludgy playing darkening moods. “The Mirror” soaks in glimmering keys and warm leads. “Handless Maiden” pummels as strings agitate, and gazey ferocity spreads. And Closer “The Wounded Healer” has echoes chiming, deeper singing, and gazey moodiness hanging overhead. Suddenly, shrieks gut, the playing grows vicious and desperate, and a steamy haze overtakes your mind. (Jan. 26)
36. GENITAL SHAME, “Chronic Illness Wish” (The Garotte): Debut full-length “Chronic Illness Wish” can bury you in rotting devastation and cause your most euphoric chemicals to race through your veins in a single song, something that Genital Shame accomplishes easily. The six tracks on this album can be razor sharp and flooded with melody, feeling like the initial germs planted by black metal three decades ago and filling some of the edges with occasional gaze and silver sparks. Helmed by Erin Dawson, she mischievously calls her style Transwoman Black Metal, though there is a lot more than just that going on here. Travelling from the effusive opening track “Become Someone Specific” through testy “Hermaphroditic Image” to the ashen, smoky closer “I Met Kerri Colby,” named after the well-known American drag performer, the record flexes its connective tissue from the church burning days of black metal but also keeps it mysterious and fluid. You never know where she’s going to turn, which is what makes this so intense. (Feb. 23)
35. OXYGEN DESTROYER, “Guardian of the Universe” (Redefining Darkness): Pacific Northwest death metal monsters Oxygen Destroyer, named after the weapon that killed Godzilla in the original 1954 film, took their love of kaiju films even further by using them as an influence for their records. Their latest and third long player is “Guardian of the Universe,” the subtitle for the initial film of the Gamera trilogy, released in 1995. This nine-track, 33-minute beast follows the events of each of the three pictures, the other two being “Attack of Legion” in 1997 and “Revenge of Iris” in 1999. This beast stomps hard and never forgets to leave blood thundering through your veins with earth crushers including the thunderous opening title track; the crunchy attack of “Shadow of Evil”; fast and intense “Eradicating the Symbiotic Hive Mind Entity from Beyond the Void”; and techy and vicious closer “Exterminating the Ravenous Horde of Perpetual Darkness and Annihilation.” (Aug. 9)
34. VUUR & ZIDJE, “Boezem” (Prophecy Productions): Dutch power Vuur & Zijde (translates to “fire and silk”) brings the long-forgotten themes of love and intimacy back into our consciousness on their great debut “Boezem” (translates to “bosom”), a nine-track, 46-minute full-length. Conditional and unconditional love, intimacy, and the bonds of motherhood are major parts of this record, which is something you won’t find in many other places. Not in metal, anyway. There is a deep post-punk vibe interwoven into these songs, and they could just as easily find favor among metalheads as they could a goth audience or someone into Cocteau Twins. Famke Canrinus’ vocals are sung in Dutch and Frisian, a language still spoken in a few Dutch and German areas. Vuur & Zijde not only branch further than any metallic boundaries, they also refuse to back down from genre cliches by embracing the themes of love with enthusiastic darkness. “Boezem” certainly plays well in heavier music spaces, but there’s so much more going on here, a rushing world where nurturing and intimacy are embraced, celebrated, and put on full display. (July 12)
33. JUDAS PRIEST, “Invincible Shield” (Epic): Judas Priest don’t owe you shit, baby. Nothing. They could leave off piss bottle after piss bottle of a record if they wanted and just ride on their lofty accomplishments, and it would be FINE. But this is Priest. They don’t do that. They make crushers, and their 19th record “Invincible Shield” actually is groundbreaking in a way: What does a band whose members largely are in their 70s do to create seismic waves in the metal world? They show up with their chops and confidence in tow, which they do over and over on this career twilight gem. The whole record is worth your time, and if other metal giants (hey there, Metallica and Megadeth) had half their heart, we wouldn’t be pining for the glory days. Priest’s glory days still are here, which they prove on ’80s throwback “Panic Attack” that will lodge itself in your brain; the punishing title track; the brutally nostalgic “Crown of Horns”; and thrasher “Sons of Thunder.” Priest reigns supreme, and we are so lucky to live at the same time of these metal gods. (March 8)
32. SUMAC, “The Healer” (Thrill Jockey): Taking on any record Sumac releases is an exercise in stamina, and “The Healer” is no exception. Over four tracks and a crushing 76 minutes, the band—guitarist/vocalist Aaron Turner, bassist Brian Cook, drummer Nick Yacyshyn—builds atmospheric sludge, glacial doom, and barreling improvisation on a record that weighs the wounds we all suffer, be it physically or mentally, and how the fight through that can result in newfound strength. “World of Light” is the opener and the longest track, running a healthy 25:54 and taking its time to form its ambiance. Noise builds as sounds vibrate, Turner’s growls punishing, feeling beastly and feral. “Yellow Dawn” opens with keys brimming, a psychedelic haze spreading, the playing eventually adding muscle as the howls rip. Then the pace mashes as blood races, hulking bass drives, and the guitars fry the senses. “The Stone’s Turn” is the 24:35-long closer, coming in charging and corroding, crazed wails meeting with frying guitars. Deep growls maul as the sinister intent increases, spiraling into dizzying playing before everything goes cold, the earth following suit. (June 21)
31. BORKNAGAR, “Fall” (Century Media): Long-running black metal force Borknagar always have held nature in high regard, but maybe never more so than they do on their great 13th record “Fall.” Here, the band—vocalist/bassist ICS Vortex, clean vocalist/keyboardist Lars A. Nedland, guitarists Øystein G. Brun and Jostein Thomassen, drummer/percussionist Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow—not only pays tribute but acknowledges the struggle many face when trying to measure up to a force larger than us all. “Nordic Anthem” is rousing and, well, anthemic, spirited singing punching, the rustic elements giving off folk pride, and it’s one of my favorite tracks of the year. “Moon” begins charging, keys drizzling, the singing pumping as every element comes to life. The leads melt before the soloing takes over, muscular singing stinging the senses, disappearing into a stormfront. “The Wild Lingers” enters amid humid guitars, singing spilling, and the steam thickening and rising. The chorus quakes the earth as symphonic glory spreads, the singing bellows, and a fantastical sweep captures minds. Closer “Northward” is balmy at first, but it isn’t long until molten rock flows, fiery howls rattle cages, and a fiery assault pulls into the lead. (Feb. 23)
Lists are hard, man. Every year when we compile our Top 40, there are some really good records we have to leave out, as much as it pains us to do so. There are tons of awesome records we won’t get to give year-end treatment to at all! Here are five that just missed the cut for the Top 40 but still are well worth your time, money, and attention. Presented in alphabetical order.
1349, “The Wolf and the King” (Season of Mist): Nordic black metal force 1349 made a career out of fighting back against what’s become acceptable, embracing the tenets of their chosen subgenre but never being afraid to push things elsewhere. Just look at 2009’s “Revelations of the Black Flame,” the most experimental record of their entire run, and personally, one of my favorites, no matter the flak it took at the time. Their latest opus is “The Wolf and the King,” an eight-track, 39-minute bruiser that is lean and mean, and while it’s one of their most straightforward in a while, it still contains the heart of a band unsatisfied with their haul and always thirsty for more. “The God Devourer” gets off to a tempered start, letting the heat rise before leading the force to rupture, the simple, but potent chorus sending jolts. “Inferior Pathways” is pointed and channeled, drums crushing as the leads dart, the chorus stabbing to the point. “The Vessel and the Storm” attacks, howls crushing, guitars carving tributaries into hell. Lava explodes to the surface, chugging and mashing, a lightning force electrifying, Ravn wailing, “I am reborn!” This band never seems to run out of fire, and this record is no exception. (Oct. 4)
AURIFEROUS FLAME, “The Insurrectionists and the Caretakers” (True Cult): While many possibly will take up arms and head into the streets in the years ahead as fascism rises, there are other ways of protest and various means of joining the fight even if not physically. That’s at the heart of “The Insurrectionists and the Caretakers,” the third full-length from Auriferous Flame, the project helmed solely by Ayloss (Spectral Lore, Mystras, etc.). Yes, there are those who thrive to jump into the physical battles, and they deserve honor, but so do those who work from their homefront, creating safe spaces for those impacted, donating to worthy causes, and spreading the word of revolution. “The Insurrectionists” opens, a 15:40-long tale that drives in, torches ablaze, ramping up to a fiery force that aims to scorch apprehension to fight against overreaching power. “No more shall I run like the servant of the state, correcting false accidents, intentional shortcomings, but I will strike to destroy it, once and for all,” Ayloss howls. “The Caretakers” blazes, a crushing force that knows no bounds, forceful howls painting memories of the fires in our heart that linger over time. Fast and lathering melodies rise to the surface, the playing rippling and spitting fire, slowly fading into quieter sounds, a serenity that hopefully marks the end of a battle won. Keep this record by your side as we face an uncertain future. (Nov. 8)
BRUME, “Marten” (Magnetic Eye): San Francisco-based Brume (pronounced “broom”) are not like your average band making heavier sounds that situate deeply in doomy waters. They’ve made a habit of naming their records after animals, and their third is “Marten,” titled after that pesky and aggressive mammal. This band is fully capable of sinking in their teeth and taking you down, and their songs often disarming you with emotion and darkness you don’t see coming until it’s right on top of you. “Jimmy” is an enchanting opener, dark and foreboding, strings scraping and the heat slowly building. “Faux Savior” haunts right away, group singing thickening, the call of, “Can you devour my sins?” pricking hearts. The playing is slow and sultry, the skies darkening and threatening, the band going into full gust, the energy spiking as the singing soars into the stratosphere. “How Rude” basks under the moon, deeper singing pushing, the strings adding layers as the melodies move slowly. Guest and Ludicra vocalist Laurie Shanaman’s unmistakable howls ripple, the playing erupting and pummeling, everything getting thicker and bloodier by the second, unloading the final storm gusts of fury. This is a record that grows stickier and more involved with every listen, and each time you take that trip, you unveil new levels of tumult and hurt you didn’t notice the times before. (May 3)
GIGAN, “Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus” (Willowtip): There are few bands as responsible as Gigan for conjuring mind-altering visions in their brand of death metal. For the past 12 years, this force has delivered five full-length albums, the latest being “Anomalous Abstractigate Infinitessimus,” that delves into the horrors of the cosmos, but in a way that’s as fascinating as it is brutal. This is 47 minutes of space horror metal over eight tracks that continually whisk you to other places and immediately terrify you with what you see and hear. Yet, in the end, you’ll have had an adventure that will capture your mind. “Trans-Dimensional Crossing of the Alta-Tenuis” opens in total darkness, a stirring atmosphere greeting chugging guitars that crush worlds. The monstrous pace explodes into spacey leads, the soloing going off toward the outer rim. “Emerging Sects of Dagonic Acolytes” flattens the mind with disarming sounds landing, the steam rising from a developing miasma. “Erratic Pulsitivity and Horror” barrels through, the pace pummeling and tearing, growls ripping a hole in time. The playing engorges, drama dashing and terrifying, a menacing and beastly power rising and driving to a manic finish. Closer “Ominous Silhouettes Cast Across Gulfs of Time” spews down-tuned madness, sounds boiling and creating a cosmic corrosion, heat rising from the surface. Of all the band exploring the cosmos, Gigan by far is the scariest. (Oct. 25)
RIPPED TO SHREDS, “Sanshi” (Relapse): Ripped to Shreds, long helmed by the unstoppable Andrew Lee, undoubtedly exist in the upper echelon of death metal bands, and their mind-bending fourth record “Sanshi” is another example of why this force exists in rarified air. Over 10 manic tracks, the band attacks with an urgency, mixed with gnarly grind tendencies and a violent cohesion that is the result of a full band effort for the first time in RTS history. Thematically, the band unleashes ancient Chinese traditions, including morbid death rituals that include the use of exotic dancers for twisted funeral ceremonies. “Into the Court of Yanluowang” rips open, vile howls retching, guitars going off as the nastiness is amplified. The playing absolutely steamrolls, great guitar interplay exploding and making adrenaline spike. “孽鏡臺 (Visions of Sin, Mirror of Darkness)” has guitars lighting up, glazing, and then stabbing, the vocals trading off from guttural growls to manic shrieks. “Feast of the Deceased” is dizzying and spindly, a thrashy onslaught making its force felt, churning into unforgiving fire. “Living in Effigy” delivers a punch right to the throat; while closer “Perverting the Funeral Rites, Stripping for the Dead,” is beast as insane as its title indicates, sickening with brutality, vocals spat out as Lee demands, “Strip for the dead!” This record is a goddamn monster that might take a few visits to really sink into your bloodstream. (Sept. 27)
AGRICULTURE, “Living Is Easy” (The Flenser): Bay Area black metal band Agriculture describe their music as ecstatic, and it’s impossible to hear their work and not feel something different and meaningful brewing inside of you. The band follows up their debut self-titled full-length with a new EP “Living Is Easy,” a title that is not dripping with sarcasm like you might expect from metal. This four-track burst hits you hard and delves into subjects including community, sacrifice, and finding the positive and good aspects of life, a heavy turn that makes this band stand apart from everyone else. The title track has blinding riffs that lather with chaos, shrieks raining down, the pressure rampaging easily; “In The House of Angel Flesh” is fiery and destructive, incredible energy rippling through your body, the bass driving as the metallic stabs increase. “When You Were Born” is a short closer that’s a poem about finding people along your life journey who help redefine what makes up your support system. Agriculture’s power is something you might not fully understand until their music is within your grasp and you absorb their work, and “Living Is Easy” is a quick dose of what they do best. (May 3)
BODY VOID/SUNROT, split (Riff Merchant): This split was released Nov. 20, Trans Day of Remembrance, in order to pay homage to those who have fallen for a cause that remains a fire starter to this day. The coming administration won’t make the cause for these people any easier, but they do have some solace knowing they have supporters from Sunrot and Body Void who are here to light the torches in their honor. “Still Burning” is the Sunrot opener and is a bath in pure noise, having it swim in the air around your head and into your senses, heading into “Shapeshifter” where an industrial poisoning greets you right away. Screams punish as the fuzzy doom batters your psyche, molten and sludgy madness forming a sort of black goo that bubbles toward you, spirited speed bursting from corners. Closer “Kill the Cop” is drenched in noise, a warped voice continuing to call the command that’s in the title. Body Void enters with “Assimilation System” that crumbles into a sound cloud, the playing pounding away, the shrieks scraping at the inside of your skull. “Crown of Fire” has energy vibes hovering and pulsating. The frozen gasp of cosmic isolation grips tight, the dark crunch spreading as all sound falls victim to a black hole. All digital proceeds benefit Black Trans Liberation. (Nov. 20)
FORLESEN/LOTUS THIEF, split (I, Voidhanger): We’ve written before about both Lotus Thief and Forlesen for their fuller works, but this split effort shows each beast has expanded musically and philosophically and still can leave your brain spinning in your skull over what you just heard. Lotus Thief’s track “In Perdition” is inspired by Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron that is a work of stories about people dealing with life during the Black Death. It starts off breezy for a track that centers on the goddamn plague, but here we are. Lush singing and immersive melodies combine before the first heavy blows land, and then the leads take off for the sky. Shrieks gut as steamy cleansing turns your emotions inside out, hurtling through dreamy terrain and then taking a hard turn into madness. Forlesen’s “Black Is the Color” is both a romantic and dark take on a traditional folk ballad that sounds perfectly reimagined in their hands. The track slinks into darkness and reverie, emotions picking up as the guitars catch fire. The soaring scorches as the drumming paces, the singing reaches out and grasps hearts, and the guitars envelop, sending blood through veins. A magnificent piece by two bands that share members. (Jan. 26)
GUILTLESS, “Thorns” (Neurot): Guiltless is a new project that brings together members of bands such as A Storm of Light, Battle of Mice, Generation Vipers, and Intronaut, and their debut EP “Thorns” imagines a world that follows a society that follows a mass extinction event and what follows. Yeah, it’s bleak, and if you look at that list of other bands in which its members are involved, you have a good idea of what to expect here sonically. The playing immerses you in darkness and chaos, bringing along with them a doom-infested, post-metal assault that isn’t run of the mill and feels like a gathering of subgenre powers looking for new ways to expand this sound into a world on the brink of collapse. “Devour Collide” dawns amid thick fog and sludge, gruff howls turning into full-throated cries, the heaviness rumbling the Earth beneath you. “Dead-Eye” is punishing, slowly crushing with enormous gravity, a doomy cloud cover blanketing everything with darkness. Closer “In Radiant Glow” is immersed in noise buzz, moody playing stretching, growls dragging you over hot coals. Hoping for more from this band soon. (Feb. 23)
PELICAN, “Adrift / Tending the Embers” (self-released): “Adrift / Tending the Embers” is a two-track EP from the reunited Pelican that’s their first new music in five years. Yes, I know Pelican never went away, but it hasn’t operated under its original lineup since 2012, that being guitarists Trevor Shelley de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec (who has returned to the fold), bassist Bryan Herweg, and drummer Larry Herweg. Yet that configuration returns here, and they also have a full record in their future that also gives us reason to be excited. These two tracks from this session provide but a small sip, but it’s a flavorful, exciting one that feels like slipping back into a familiar place, excited to see these surroundings once again. “Adrift” starts with guitars slurring, the leads bathing in light as the bass begins to chug. Melodies glimmer as the playing goes from soaring to meatier, pummeling as the tempo sinks into your blood, settling in the atmosphere, basking in the clouds. “Tending the Embers” is the final track, trudging as the guitars slide, the playing tangling and then burning brightly. Guitars thicken as the melodies slink, the energy pulsating as the skies grow darker and more foreboding. Excited for what comes next! (March 1)
For the entire year, we write about some of the heaviest, most insane music on the planet. But that’s not all we listen to, because who can listen to the same style of music all the time? Here are 10 of our favorite non-metal releases from 2024, presented alphabetically.
THE CURE, “Songs of a Lost World” (Fiction): It’s not just in metal where older bands are finding the fire and inspiration to make great music again. Goth legends the Cure dropped “Songs of a Lost World,” their 14th record, right on the cusp of what became a dark autumn in America. It’s slower, mournful, and channeled, one of their best albums in a long, long time, and one I’d put in the top half of their catalog. Opening the record and first song “Alone” with, “This is the end of every song that we sing,” felt like a final curtain, but luckily it’s not. The record also peaks on “A Fragile Thing”; the more up-tempo “Drone:Nodrone”; and epic closer “Endsong” that parts the waves of gloom into a fiery burst of emotion. Just hearing how great the band sounds almost is worth the admission price alone, but the great songwriting really pulls everything together. (Nov. 1)
IDLES, “Tangk” (Partisan): First, the Pitchfork review for this record is a disgrace. Talk about missing the point entirely. Here on “Tangk” the Brit rock band gets into softer sounds and more experimentation, with the theme of letting love permeate our surroundings standing out. But the barbs are here too, and if anything this record expands their palette and makes the future limitless. Plus, vocalist Joe Talbot remains a firebreather, even if he weaves in a little more sentimentality. “Gift Horse” is a jolt of electricity; “POP POP POP” leans more toward nighttime numbness; “Roy” chimes and echoes while giving static electricity; and highlight “Hall & Oates” celebrates love and friendship among male friends in as exuberant and celebratory manner possible. The chorus of, “I love my man! I love! My man! I love my man,” is the statement we need more of in a toxic society. (Feb. 16)
MERCE LEMON, “Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild” (Darling): Pittsburgh’s Merce Lemon is a bit of a throwback, in that her music situates into Midwestern dust, country twang (not the stadium-ruining kind), and blunt emotion. “Watch Me Drive Them Dogs Wild” shows Lemon’s growth as an artist has hit an early apex, and I have to admit the strains of Magnolia Electric Co.-style stomp in some of the songs made this an easy one for me to love. “Backyard Lover” shows vulnerability and mourning and ends in scorn with her cries of, “You fucking liar”; “”Foolish and Fast” is one of the biggest ear worms of the year (it was my top song on Spotify); “Crow” is a an acoustic folk track that dig into your heart; and the title track shows some experimentation and dreamy waves amid her raw playing. My favorite non-metal record of the year. (Sept. 27)
MANNEQUIN PUSSY, “I Got Heaven”: Taking on a Mannequin Pussy album is almost like hearing an record completed by three different bands all working toward the same cause. There’s so much variety in what they do, and they can go from getting your blood flowing with an edgy pop rock gem (“Loud Bark”) to peeling your flesh off with a spoon (“OK? OK! OK? OK!”). Vocalist/guitarist Marisa “Missy” Dabice is one of the most enigmatic people to front a band in a long time. She could spark a revolution if she so cared to do so. The rest of the band knocks it out of the park with her on the great title track that has some of the more memorable lyrics this year; the more gentle but rousing “Nothing Like”; the ’90s alternative rock push of “Softly”; and body-bruising punk of “Aching.” Glad to see this band blowing up. (March 1)
MIDWIFE, “No Depression in Heaven” (The Flenser): Madeline Johnston is the sole creator behind Midwife, the mostly guitar-and-vocals-driven music she has created over three full-length records, her latest being “No Depression in Heaven.” If you’re familiar with her music, there won’t be much of a musical adjustment to make here, so there’s a bit of comfort. Her soft, vocals-into-telephone-receiver approach is just as haunting as ever on tracks including immersive opener “Rock n Roll Never Forgets” that is prime dreamgaze; “Autoluminescent” that has guitars lapping, dark words raining down, melodies and emotions gliding into the shadows; “Better off Alone” that breezes but also gives an uneasy feeling in the gut; while and the title track that brings the record to a close, the guitars shimmering lullaby style, hushed singing and looped calls of, “Crying,” getting into your psyche. (Sept. 6)
THE SMILE, “Wall of Eyes” (XL): A band containing the formative tissue of Radiohead (Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood) along with an accomplished drummer in his own right (Tom Skinner) never was here to fill the shoes of one of the world’s largest rock bands. Sure, there are some hints of Radiohead here, but what you get from this band and their second album “Wall of Eyes” (their third “Cutouts” arrived in October!) is jazzier, easier, breezier, but just as dark and foreboding. Admittedly, the opening title track does wash in some of the same terrain as Radiohead’s last few records, as does “Teleharmonic,” but in more of a parallel universe kind of way. “Read the Room” can sound borderline threatening, what with its jangly guitar lines; “I Quit” quivers in a medicine head kind of way; and “Bending Hectic” runs the experimental gamut, making your aching brain see stars before the spirited gusts at the end. (Jan. 26)
ST VINCENT, “All Born Screaming” (Total Pleasure): I was a little worried about where Annie Clark was going after 2021’s “Daddy’s Home,” a record that sunk like an anchor for me. “Masseduction” before that was … fine. But “All Born Screaming” is a sort of rebirth. I have no qualms over Clark’s sonic exploration, and this hardly is a back-to-basics record for her, but it feels more at home. Clark sounds revitalized here, holding on to the new colors she applied the past half decade and spinning that into a sound more like her first few records. Lots of highlights here from opener: “Hell Is Near” is soft but direct; “Broken Man” is a little jerkier and stranger, but it works; “Violent Times” is the standout to me, a noiry puncher with horns and her sweltering voice melting metal over bone; and “So Many Planets” is reggae-influenced but also cosmic, a playful track that suits Clark’s personality ideally. Oh, and she shreds a little more. (April 26)
ULVER, “Liminal Animals” (House of Mythology): Ulver initially cast a large shadow over the black metal world, but that was forever ago, and their electronics and synth rock nearly has eclipsed their original work. “Liminal Animals” is a late-year release, and a vital one as the world seems to have lost all sense, and the idea of not repeating history has become laughable. On this record, you can dance in the darkness to your own demise on grimy “Ghost Entry”; lament our crumbling world on “A City in the Skies,” especially with the refrain of, “What are they thinking? What is going on?” a simple yet razor-sharp warning; “Hollywood Babylon” that’s as pointed a rebuke of American gun culture as one is to find; and the epic closer “Helian,” with a recitation of the Georg Trakl poem of the same name that is a dirge for fallen friend and former member Tore Ylvisaker . (Nov. 29)
CHELSEA WOLFE, “She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She” (Loma Vista): We’ve long loved Chelsea Wolfe at this site, and if she releases new music, there’s a really good chance it’s going to end up on this annual feature. Her seventh record “She Reaches Out to She Reaches Out to She” is another bold reinvention, one that was formed on the basis of her present self reaching out to her past version and what she envisions for future in order to grow, change, and attain guidance. Hence the title. “Whispers in the Echo Chamber” and “House of Self-Undoing” make the optimal opening one-two punch for the record and sets the murky stage; “Tunnel Lights” feels like traveling at night, in the cold, your mind wandering and contemplating; “Unseen World” pulses and spits rhythmic codes; and closer “Dusk” is gothic heat bathed in noise as Wolfe calls, “Angels, vampires, one breathes life unto the other, branded, baptized by your love and by your hunger.” (Feb. 9)
ZOMBI, “Direct Inject” (Relapse): Zombi’s synth rock always delves deep into the cosmic and returns with chilling sci-fi wonders that should be staples of B movie culture everywhere. Here on their seventh record “Direct Inject,” they move even deeper into the clouds as the duo of Steve Moore and Anthony Paterra continue to add more rock attitude into their fascinating dreamscape. The opening title track sounds like it could have emerged from Rush’s laboratories in the early 80s. But it’s more sinister. “So Mote It Be” has a similar vibe, leaving bruising as the keys jettison you into alien dreams; “Kamichi & Sandy” easily could have rolled out four decades ago and not been out of place, and it still sounds vital now; while “Insurmountable Odds” adds a chilling element, making it feel like a UFO is hovering overhead, ready to take you aboard. Relish the journey into new galaxies. (March 22)
You would think we, as humankind, would have learned something over the years about demonizing people based on whatever criteria on which the bullshit is based. We used to burn women suspected as witches and, big surprise here, one of the leading forces behind such barbarism was the Catholic church. Who could have guessed?
Mysterious new black metal force Beneath Moonlight create a story based on those hellish times on their debut self-titled EP. The first part of what they call “Henricus Institor” saga, this is a six-track collection of piano-rich, gothically theatrical demons that target the German churchman who wrote Malleus Maleficarum which basically was the handbook for attacking witchcraft by the Catholic church. Here, the band—vocalist The Inquisitor, pianist The Sanguinarian, guitarist The Ghastly Vrykolak, guitarist/bassist The Haunted Strigoi, drummer The Impaler—tells of the Institor’s growing influence and ego, where a plot is undertaken to turn the church figure into a beast. The band itself is part of the Ordo Vampyr Orientis banner that also contains Bad Manor, Bat Magic, and Bestial Majesty, and if you’re at all familiar with that group’s bizarre take on the most extreme forms of metal, you know that this will be a journey you need to repeat for it to truly sink in.
“Intro – Malleus Maleficarum” opens in pure eeriness, noises clanging, whispers clouding your mind, the strangeness echoing out into “None Before God” where guitars and keys gather to sprawl. The Inquisitor’s inhuman shrieks are hard to take at first, though as the EP progresses, it makes more sense. Repeated visits help too. A horrific elegance is afoot, colorful leads flooding, keys splashing, and the pace spiraling, the electricity vibrating from within. “Reckoning of the Inquisitor” blasts, banshee wails overwhelming, the speed getting into higher gear as a dash of frigidity sets in. Keys glimmer as screams sicken, the energy grows dangerously tornadic, and sounds drizzle, leaving a mist behind. “Versipellis” ravages, the playing drilling holes in your skull, keys slathering and vibrating, letting the drama hit a high point. The playing gets back into punishing mode, the pace feeling like a relentless storm on a freezing autumn night, shrieks coming unhinged. The title track, which also happens to be the name of the band, lights up with guitars, heat, and 1980s bombast, the attitude dripping like blood. Anguished cries ravage as spirited leads crash the gates, keys sweep in and add to the madness, emotions caterwauling and fading. “Vals – Malleus Lycanthroporum” is an instrumental outro, keys trickling, feeling both playful and rich in shadows, the life draining away ever so slowly.
I mean, we aren’t quite back to burning witches, but if you follow the political happenings in the U.S., is it that far-fetched an idea? Beneath Moonlight might be drawing from an ancient text and twisting the story to make the perpetrator face the flames, but there could be a nod to modern times where these horrors threaten to return. Definitely not an EP or band that will speak to all metal fans, but the ones who do hear the calling will be enchanted and haunted, hopefully enough to turn the axe on the alleged masters.
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