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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://nowflensing.com/collections/chat-pile

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

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)

For more on the band, go here: https://volva-bm.bandcamp.com/album/desires-profane

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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: http://lnk.spkr.media/heavy-temple-garden

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://spectralwound.bandcamp.com/album/songs-of-blood-and-mire

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)

For more on the band, go here: https://spectralvoice.bandcamp.com/album/necrotic-demos

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

For more on the label, go here: https://www.darkdescentrecords.com/shop/?s=spectral+voice&post_type=product

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)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/p/Unholy-Altar-100091394706562/

To buy the album, go here: https://unholyaltar666.bandcamp.com/album/veil-of-death-shroud-of-nite

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://vendetta-records.bandcamp.com/album/iiii

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://wolvesofhades.myshopify.com/collections/dodsrit

Or here (U.S.): https://shapeofstormsrecords.bandcamp.com/merch

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

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)

For more on the band, go here: https://blackcurse-svr.bandcamp.com/

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

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://persistentvisionrecords.com/products/forn-repercussions-of-the-self

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

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)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/unearthlyrites666

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

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

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://fiadh.bandcamp.com/album/lust-hag

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

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)

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://seeingredrecords.8merch.us/

Or here (U.K.): https://cargorecordsdirect.co.uk/products/guhts-regeneration

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

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

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)

or more on the band, go here: https://genitalshame.bandcamp.com/

To buy the album, go here: https://genitalshame.bandcamp.com/album/chronic-illness-wish

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)

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.us/

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

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

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)

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://us.spkr.media/us/Artists/Vuur-Zijde/

Or here (Europe): https://en.prophecy.de/en/Artists/Vuur-Zijde/

For more on the label, go here: https://en.prophecy.de/

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 19^th 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)

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

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://thrilljockey.com/products/the-healer

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

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 13^th 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)

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

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

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

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)

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/1349official

To buy the album, go here: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/band/1349

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://truecultrecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-insurrectionists-and-the-caretakers

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: http://lnk.spkr.media/brume-marten

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.willowtip.com/bands/details/gigan.aspx

For more on the label, go here: https://www.willowtip.com/home.aspx

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.relapse.com/collections/ripped-to-shreds-sanshi

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://nowflensing.com/collections/flenser-releases

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

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)

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

For more on Body Void, go here: https://www.facebook.com/bodyvoid/

To buy the album, go here: https://riffmerchant.bandcamp.com/album/sunrot-body-void-split

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

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)

For more on the Lotus Thief, go here: https://www.facebook.com/LotusThief

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://metalodyssey.8merch.us/

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

For more on the label, go here: https://www.facebook.com/i.voidhanger.records/

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)

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

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

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

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

To buy the album, go here: https://pelican.bandcamp.com/album/adrift-tending-the-embers

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://thecure.lnk.to/SongsOfALostWorld

For more on the band, go here: https://www.fictionrecords.co.uk/

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)

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

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

Or here (UK): https://shop.idlesband.com/

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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://epitaph.store/?ffm=FFM_90212db9f5ebd842463c7b229b6e4daf

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://nowflensing.com/collections/midwife

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shopusa.xlrecordings.com/wall-of-eyes

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://ilovestvincent.com/collections/all-born-screaming

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)

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://houseofmythology.indiemerch.com/pre-orders

Or here (U.K.): https://store.houseofmythology.com/

Or here (E.U.): https://en.houseofmythology.spkr.media/

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

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)

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

For more on the label, go here: https://i.chelseawolfe.com/SROTSROTS

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

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)

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

To buy the album, go here: https://www.relapse.com/pages/zombi-direct-inject

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

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. 

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

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

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

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

It’s been a pretty dark year. The ones following this one don’t promise to be a whole lot better unless you’re swimming in goddamn money. As the year reaches its final month, a lot of people are suffering amid the onslaught of manufactured joy as the holidays approach, deepening the hurt in so many hearts. Yet, we push into the future.

“Liminal Animals” is the 13^th album from the legendary Ulver, a band that began creating three timeless black metal classics before transforming over the years into an electronics-driven, synth rock band, creating music just as compelling as their original material. Over the years, the band hasn’t shied away from exploring the darkest, seamiest aspects of our world, and they have the same bile in their mouths over our thorny present as our potentially stormy future. But there’s more at stake here as the band also mourns longtime member Tore Ylvisaker, who passed in August. His death haunted Ulver’s members, quite understandably, and this record is dedicated to him. The band’s main triumvirate remains vocalist/lyricist Kristoffer Rygg, multi-instrumentalist/electronics Ole Alexander Halstensgård, and lyricist Jørn H. Sværen, and they are joined by Stian Westerhus (guitar, bass, strings and backing vocals), Ivar Thormodsæter (drums), and Anders Møller (percussion and choir) to flesh out these songs that burst with murk and danger, the music creating visions in your mind.

“Ghost Entry” enters amid keys glowing, the feel of urban grime at your fingertips, Rygg calling, “Our days are numbered, and so are words.” The fog picks up as the track manages to get catchier and more foreboding, heading out into the dark. “A City in the Skies” glides in on slick synth, pulsing playing, and a gloomy jolt that parts clouds. The chorus stands out here, Rygg singing, “What are they thinking of? What is going on?” a sentiment that can applied to so many parts of the world right now. Later, Rygg warns, “Icons will fall once and for all,” itself a weirdly prophetic line, and the sentiments finally burn off. “Forgive Us” features Nils Petter Molvær on trumpet, his presence an even darker line in the blackout. Cold keys flow as moodiness thickens, Rygg summoning, “Spirit of the sky, spirit of the earth.” The brass adds jazzy steam as the heat spreads quickly, weird, warped calls wrap themselves around you, and the exhaust finally subsides. “Nocturne #1” is the first of two instrumentals, this dawning with whirring keys, a thickening cloud coverage, and gray skies turning black. Cosmic blips leave ice on your appendages, the playing feeling alien and isolated, the strangeness fading into oblivion. “Locusts” brings percussive rhythm, driving keys, and deeper singing. “There’s something in the air,” Rygg warns, later wondering, “Can you feel it?” over the chorus. Keys pump and the light is removed, ending in solemnity.

“Hollywood Babylon” is particularly pointed and sobering, something aimed directly at America, a country due some comeuppance. The keys taunt as Rygg’s voice takes on the proper sinister tone, calling, “Protect yourself, don’t fuck with America.” That’s not a line that should bring pride, the cocking gun sounds making that more apparent. The guitars heat up and pick at fresh scabs, everything ending in a fitting confrontational note. “The Red Light” has beats charging, keys buzzing, and unsettling tones taking shape. Danger lurks as Rygg urges, “Just try to stay alive,” as guitars churn, the mood darkens, and keys glaze before a final numbing. “Nocturne #2” is the second of the instrumental tracks, building into something a little pricklier, synth taking on spacious cosmic vibes, percussive quaking making the ground move. Sounds rattle in your ears and mind, immersive keys bring a post-apocalyptic sci-fi tone, and everything turns to a shade of red similar to what’s on the cover. Closer “Helian” is the final eulogy for their fallen friend, featuring Sværen reciting the Georg Trakl poem of the same name. The track starts as a strange symphony of synth, loops, and beats, an immersive and vulnerable piece that honors Ylvisaker and develops a mysterious ambiance for us all to consider our place in the universe. As the track nears its end, horns call out, nighttime chills work down your spine, and a smattering of beats close this dark chapter of Ulver lore.

“Liminal Animals” is another logical progression for Ulver but also a reaches a hand back in time for sounds and colors that formed their past. Mourning a friend and lamenting a world that seems to fall deeper into madness with each passing year, Ulver connect with loss, fear, anger, and vulnerability in such an elegant manner, it’s hard to find ways to fully summarize everything into words. This is music for late at night, contemplating our lives, paying tribute to those who have passed, and hardening our shells for our futures.

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

To buy the album (U.S.), go here: https://houseofmythology.indiemerch.com/pre-orders

Or here (U.K.): https://store.houseofmythology.com/

Or here (E.U.): https://en.houseofmythology.spkr.media/

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

It’s the final week for reviews here at the site before we recap the year, so it only makes sense to get into some death metal first. It feels like that sub-genre was the dominant one this year, though that just might be the memory of a man a little freaked out that he isn’t burned out yet.

We last talked about Wretched Fate with last year’s “Carnal Heresy,” but now the Swedish crushers are back with a quick-and-gory EP “Incineration of the Pious,” a title that’s nicely pointed right about now. On this six-track collection, you get two halves: three new originals and three covers of classic cuts by legendary bands. This is a way for the band—vocalist Adrian Selmani, guitarists Fredrik Wikberg and Mats Andersson, bassist Robin Magnusson, drummer Samuel Karlstrand—to drop some bloody carnage of their own while also pay homage to those who came before them and blazed a fiery path.

“With Ashen Breath” is maniacal but also a little fantastical when it starts, the latter detail due to strange synth that washes through, absolute carnage meeting you on the other end. The guitar work is scathing and reeks of Scandinavian death, the daring pace and the dramatics multiplying, unloading as keys swirl again, stabbing home a final violent point. The title track dawns amid melodic leads and coarse growls, mangling and pounding with a force looking to exact pain and torment. The vocals smear as the guitars catch fire more forcefully, a fast and fluid dash taking off, clobbering as the intent makes it perfectly clear that bloodshed is the only acceptable outcome. “Callous Mutilation Grandeur” trudges before speeding up dangerously, howls spitting nails, the steam rising and making breathing difficult. The pace then smashes harder, beastly growls digging under flesh for prone muscle, crushing in a display of ugliness you cannot soon shake off. The EP concludes with their takes on three classic death metal gems, all intertwined to form one large piece. They do honorable, scuzzy takes on Morbid Angel’s “Dominate” from 1995’s “Domination”; “Like Fire” from Bloodbath’s 2002 debut “Resurrection Through Carnage”; and “Abnormally Deceased” from Entombed’s classic 1990 debut “Left Hand Path,” providing listeners with a template as to where their vicious take on death originated.

“Incineration of the Pious” is a nice bite-sized serving showing where Wretched Fate are now in their death metal psychosis and potentially where they’re going with a second full-length. The added covers are nice, but the meat here is found in the three new tracks that feel like they’re mangling your brain wiring. This is a nice quick burst to make late 2004 a little bloodier.  

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

To buy the album, go here: https://redefiningdarkness.8merch.us/product/wretched-fate-incineration-of-the-pious-mc/

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

Where I grew, there was a thick, yet totally walkable section of woods that became a haven during the summer time when we could find solace among the greenery. But the first snowfall (they were much thicker in these parts at that time) always sparked excitement to walk amid the inches of white, dead leaves, and branches, creating a greater connection to and admiration for nature.

Minnesota-based black metal power Canis Dirus return with a late-year gem on their fourth record “By the Grace of Death,” a force that feels like it was written expressly for chilling trips out into the wilderness. But that’s not all they have here. Their brand of black metal also breathes fire, adding a molten element to their sound that pays destructive dividends on these six cuts. That adds a monstrous new element to the band—vocalist Rob Hames, guitarist/bassist/keyboard/piano player/vocalist Todd Paulson, drummer CJ Yacoub—that already was a beast with which to be reckoned and now is operating with newfound blood thirst. On the record, they are joined by several guests including guitarist Carl Skildum (Inexorum, Majesties); vocalist Meghan Wood (Crown of Asteria); bassist/classic guitarist Mick Rotella; vocalist Damian Winter (Robes of Snow); cellist Kakophonix (Osi and the Jupiter, Hvile I Khaos); and choir singing by Gaelic Voices traditional Gaelic choir.

“Once Cursed Path Glistens in the Sun” gusts in, a black metal storm that warps and ravages, shrieks tearing into sanity as synth glistens. Sootiness becomes a factor as wild yells and screams unite, and then calm arrives, letting a hazy cloud coverage thicken. The band ravages anew, cymbals crushing, guitars gathering, and the keys blending in to create mystical carnage. “Tongues That Speak Ill” is ominous with burly howls, speedy guitars, and a rumbling that moves the earth. The playing takes on a hurricane force, the growls gutting as the guitars melt rock, igniting as everything defaces all of humanity, a synth glow providing the first layer of healing. “A Forlorn Hymn to Absolution” feels folkish as guitars are plucked, strings layer, and an elegant glaze stretches. Wordless calls chill as acoustics push through lushly, a rustic spirit chased into the night.

“Vultures Whisper” is fiery, leads adding to the steaming front, howls scraping as ice collecting on the wings. The crunching continues as things get even more sweltering, the vocals devastating as strings glide, and wordless, wild cries calling, the playing fully sending seismic waves. The emotions hit a high point, slashing and dashing, simmering to a bone-shaking close. “Cast My Heart in Stone” is a quick instrumental, strings and lush melodies melding, swimming into the darkness at the horizon. Closer “The Mind Sees What the Eyes Cannot” fully comes unglued, howls destroying as the metallic energy jolts with electricity. The ferocity settles as eerie tones give a pause to the madness, the moodiness spreading as guitars spill richer tones, key lathering, and last of the fires fading.

Canis Dirus’ atmospheric black metal can run hot and cold, meaning at one moment your flesh is being torched mercilessly, and in the next, you’re fighting hypothermia with their wintry force. “By the Grace of Death” is the year’s final must-hear record, one that sadly falls under the radar for so many people who have closed the book on 2024. This one comes knocking with a force and tenacity you cannot ignore, and it is sure to breathe its fullest life during the upcoming winter months.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563458381306

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

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

I believe a lot of us like to think of space as a majestic black ocean of stars where we can let our imaginations soar in order to soothe our mental wounds. But it might be violent. Have you seen “Alien” lately? You have to think that somewhere, horrors unimaginable might be happening, still intoxicating you with galaxies and terrifying you with blood.

Cincinnati death metal power Nogothula have a firm grasp on the fantastical and the frightening when it comes to the contents of the universe, and their debut full-length “Telluric Sepsis” is chock full of savagery that freezes every cell in your body. Taking a noticeable step up from their solid “Gore Vortex Ascension” EP, the band—vocalist/bassist  Eric Payne, guitarist/vocalist Colton Deem, guitarist Nick Moeller, drummer Alex Hooper—mutates and warps their version of death, weaving in progressive patterns and vile wreckage into a record that is challenge worth taking over and over again.

“Awakening” is a strange, short opener, growls boiling in mud, and then everything is sucked into the iciness of space. “Chaospore” ignites, guitars chugging with fervor, howls sickening as the bruising force increases. Things turn more beastly, devastating as drums crush wills and bones. “Catacomb Cauldron” stirs with guttural growls, the guitars getting trickier as a battering force is unleashed. The playing stays molten until bursting at the seams, ripping flesh along the way. “Lacerating Vibrations” is weighty and sooty as growls engorge, the melodies temporarily delving into mystical territory. Hazy guitars thicken the air as the howls melt, and cosmic keys return to the skies. “Observers of Perpetual Rot” tears in, speedy destruction having its way, pulverizing with total ugliness. The splattering playing gets in your mouth and hair, spiraling and defacing before zapping out.

“Labyrinthian Sunken Spires” dashes and encircles, deathly hell oozing through the cracks, dizzying heat slowing down a bit, heated gurgles chugging acid. Blinding, burning tension builds, leading to bizarre, sinewy guitars, the final moments gasping. “Morbid Seas of Stygian Blood” pounds as savage growls tear flesh, the bass recoiling, the tempo slashing at guts. Growls corrode as the fumes rise toward the sky, unsettling and whirring sounds lashing back tornadically. The title track ignites, blades whipping at you maniacally, driving death ramming you square in the ribs. Leads zap as the mashing lays waste, growls coat, and penetrating carnage powders bones. Closer “Meandering Comatose Twilight…The Carrion Viaduct” dawns in eerie synth, a slower, sinister pace taking hold, growls scraping congealing wounds from flesh. The playing then gets more destructive, vicious violence spilling blood, the punishment then meted out in more calculated fashion. Growls maul as the elements stir, sounds blipping and disappearing into stars.

Nogothula journey deep into the stranger elements of space on “Telluric Sepsis,” a record that is perfect for late-night sojourns when the dark sky is filled with stars and mystery. It’s normal to feel like your flesh is crawling as your brains are beaten in by the band’s forward-thinking, poisonous death metal. This is morbidly heavy, sci-fi-leaning madness that spews forth from this album and is perfect fodder for when you’re mentally strained, could use a good physical shaking, and want to disappear into the darkest regions of your mind.

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

To buy the album, go here: https://shop.bloodharvest.se/?s=Nogothula&post_type=product

For more on the label, go here: https://shop.bloodharvest.se/