Samhain Slaughter



Hello all to this impromptu post! I have been wondering for a while about how to celebrate this very special night (Halloween 2019), and I think I came up with the perfect solution: talking about 10 great and brutal albums released on this very night during this decade. This post is going from 2011 to this very day, so be ready to pick from my goodie bag. No tricks this time.

1. Blasphemophagher - The III Command of The Absolute Chaos
Oh yeah, this is great. This may be the first time I'm talking about a bestial black metal album, but what better start than one of the most intriguing albums of this subgenre (at least that I've heard)? I really love this band, from their music to their intricate artworks and crushing atmosphere. Like most of the other genres that I listen to on the regular, bestial black has very few differences between albums, but I'm very happy this was released on Halloween 2011 so I could cover it here.

Blasphemophagher - The III Command of The Absolute Chaos

2. Vulvodynia - Cognizant Castigation
Poor Vulvodynia, guys. They were part of a genuinely interesting movement deep in the bowels of slam. What started as an experiment with Abominable Putridity's masterpiece and claim to underground fame is now already an old formula: clean sounding slamming deathcore. Purists hate it, but I think it was a sign that slam could not stay in the caveman stage forever and needed to evolve. The contribution of bands like Ingested and Vulvodynia was very important to this movement, and this debut was released exactly when it was supposed to: Halloween 2014.

Vulvodynia - Cognizant Castigation

3. Revulsed - Infernal Atrocity
Up to a point, this album is your typical brutal death metal fair. The artwork is fittingly twisted, the vocals are how you would imagine them, the whole affair is really great in that Dying Fetus kind of way. At 32 minutes, it's even the best length for this type of music. However, what you may not know is that this is a christian band! You can listen to these blast beats and admire the loud snares next time you stop by at the church if you want. I'm not the biggest fan of religion in music, but I've listened to so much satanic shit these years I'd be a hypocrite to complain about it here. Plus, it's hard to understand what they're saying, so who cares?

Revulsed - Infernal Atrocity

4. As Flesh Decays - The Horror of It All
This is literally everything you'd expect looking at the cover. This album is horror-worship, muddy, thrasy death metal in the vein of an Autopsy record on steroids. The vocals are pushed back in the production and this may sound uneven, but really, this is one of those dirty and gritty horrific sci-fi movies in the form of a death metal album... just like the cover says. I mean, look at it! I'd hang it on a wall. Of course, it came out on Halloween 2017.

As Flesh Decays - The Horror of It All

5. Acid Witch - Evil Sound Screamers
I'm not big into psychedelic music, but I simply can't deny the absolute quality of this album. I haven't listened to much else from Acid Witch, but if they're all as fun as this one, maybe I should change that soon. Out of this entire post, this is the most Halloweenish of them all. It is filled with spooky samples and the entire atmosphere is just as cheesy as this special occasion calls for. The vocals aren't as deep as you could expect, they are primarily shrieky and pained, but the engaging riffing holds the record together. I haven't seen this one mentioned a lot and that's a bit of a shame.

Acid Witch - Evil Sound Screamers

6. Black Tongue - Nadir
Black Tongue also made our lives better in 2018 with this incredible downtempo deathcore release. The tone is so somber and serious, and the atmosphere sweeps me up right out of my chair. It's still one of the most complete and competent deathcore albums I know one year later. I'm sure most of you have already heard this one, hell, it's being known these days as an underrated masterpiece, but if you haven't, go enjoy it.

Black Tongue - Nadir

7. Umbilical Asphyxia - Rampant Infantile Strangulation
As per usual, we need the standard gnarly slamming brutal death metal album to make the Holiday go down well, and Umbilical Asphyxia is a perfectly good example. Released on this faithful night last year, it's a project where you can again hear Larry Wang's influence (also a member of Gorepot, with a more special album in the same day). These guys make traditional caveman slam with a longer run time than usual - 40 minutes - which is not exactly the normal 28 for such a record. It goes together well with the rest of the stuff here.

Umbilical Asphyxia - Rampant Infantile Strangulation

8. Gorepot - Asian Stoned Effect
I don't think I have talked about this album in the past, and that's honestly a shame. I feel a bit sorry that I forgot about it when making my top of 2018, but at least I get to have some attention thrown its way here. Gorepot are a slammy and humorous trio from Taiwan and, perhaps unsurprisingly, they have been making great records for a full decade at this point. Not only do I consider Asian Stoned Effect to be the best though, it also fits my theme for this post. If you haven't heard anything from them until now, I'll warn you: their samples are simply the best you will find in all of slam.

Gorepot - Asian Stoned Effect

9. Shrine of Malice - Sheol
If one hour of blackened deathcore is what your heart desires during this unholiest of nights this year, then feast yourselves with the debut album from Shrine of Malice. You may know them from their latest short tour with scene darling Signs of the Swarm, and now they are here with a record full of somber deathcore, ready to help make your evening spookier than before. This may be a bit overlong for my taste, but if you're into these types of albums you'll be sure to have a blast with this.

Shrine of Malice - Sheol

10. Day of Doom - Epitaph of the Darklord
And for the grand finale, the highly underrated masters at Day of Doom bring us a death metal offering that's exactly ow we take 'em on Samhain night: dark, muddy, complex, somewhat cheesy and spooky as hell. On a more serious note, this band is actually extremely underrated and they have some great albums under their belt, also releasing their last 2 albums independently. Tell a deather friend to listen to their stuff, this one's very interesting and dense, The Gates Of Hell is also cool.

Day of Doom - Epitaph of the Darklord

And so, Day of Doom conclude our short trip through the spooky albums of the decade. It's been fun trying to find these, as fun as it will hopefully be for everyone here to get into them. Happy Halloween, and we'll probably hear again from each other this Christmas.
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Incantation: Ranked & Reviewed As I'm Decomposing


I have to let everyone in on a little secret: I am such a massive Incantation fan, that not only are they in my top 5 death metal bands, but I see them as the most underrated band in the genre's history. Let's talk a bit about that, right? If you want to see how to regard a bigger band, or how overrated they are, I think you should consider a simple equation: taking how good their music is, on a numeric scale, and subtracting how talked about they are. A good example would be Metallica, which as a musical outfit would get a 5-6/10 from me, especially in their later years, but when you take away the 10 points they get for the unfathomable attention that comes their way, my opinion on them turns negative. Other similar examples are outfits like Slipknot or Tool. When it comes to Incantation, their music falls in the upper echelon, but the attention they get from the community is miserable for how talented they are. The extreme quality they display, compared to the crumbs of congratulations they get from the everyday metalhead, makes me think they are the ultimate underdogs of the scene. Now, kids, are you ready to feel the marrow in your bones rot to its core? Do you feel your blood clogging together, your eyesight weakening, your organs failing, your mind tiring of fighting against the influence of unholy and blasphemous cavernous death metal? Yeah, boy, let's talk about their albums.


#10: Blasphemy (2002)
Reading some of John's interviews, he defends this album as his favorite, so it may be a surprise to some I'm ranking it so low, but in my opinion this is a largely unspecial album, especially when it comes to the mighty Incantation. The artwork is also pretty bad, and the thing I find most insulting is the outro, which is a 25 minute ambient noise track which does mostly nothing for me. All in all, it's not a worthy package for such a band. It's not bad, but generally I'm insulted by wasted time.
My grade for Blasphemy: 2.5/5 - Skip that fucking outro track

Incantation - Blasphemy
Download Incantation - Blasphemy

#9: Primordial Domination (2006)
This is, as we'd be the wiser the expect from Incantation, still a good record. The artwork is fittingly disturbing, the components are there, the songs are well written and enjoyable, but this record simply struggles to maintain relevancy among the other superior albums by these giants. John says this was released in a time when death metal, especially the old school variety, was looked down upon and very unpopular, so I'm sure that it's a great record in his eyes, but for me, it just isn't special enough.
My grade for Primordial Domination: 3/5 - Just another one in a long line

Incantation - Primordial Domination
Download Incantation - Primordial Domination

#8: The Infernal Storm (2000)
This album is more interesting than it would seem at first glance. It has an even darker atmosphere than many of their other albums and it seems that it has become kind of a cult hit. I would agree that it is often underrated, and many of the songs are more twisted and complicated than your standard Incantation affair, but I still don't feel the need to listen to it over and over. It's a nice album to have around though.
My grade for The Infernal Storm: 3/5 - Cerebral but forgettable

Incantation - The Infernal Storm
Download Incantation - The Infernal Storm

#7: Diabolical Conquest (1998)
I have always felt that this one was the weakest out of the original three albums. It is way more forgettable than their first two records and it never made such an impression on me. I've been told the album is iconic to many, and some go as far as to say it's the last Incantation record worth a shit, but if you know me you'd know I hate those types of people with a passion. John's flame for this type of music could never burn out so fast, and the best proof is that this album is only #7 on this list.
My grade for Diabolical Conquest: 3.5/5 - Unworthy end to their original trilogy

Incantation - Diabolical Conquest

#6: Decimate Christendom (2004)

I really love this album, probably because I took a very personal liking to John himself a while ago, as a death metal icon. It should come as no surprise that, logically, he's my favorite vocalist out of all of them (and they've been a few along the years - 6 in total, to be exact). On this record, he finally stepped up, sick of the revolving door of vocalists, and became the primary member, on both guitar and vocals. People say he isn't good, but I just love his work. I think he fits perfectly and this a very good rebirth album for the group.
My grade for Decimate Christendom: 3.5/5 - Enter John McEntee

Incantation - Decimate Christendom

#5: Vanquish In Vengeance (2012)
This is their most clear comeback album, both in terms of quality and sound. With newfound energy and a more simplified approach to their sound, Incantation managed to kick start this later part of their journey as artists with a very strong statement. The way in which the songs flow together and everyone seems focused on their part is something to behold, and to be completely honest, this is my favorite Incantation era out of all of them.
My grade for Vanquish In Vengeance: 4/5 - Unending hunger and changing times

Incantation - Vanquish In Vengeance

#4: Profane Nexus (2017)

The most recent offering from the gods of musty death metal is coincidentally one of their best as well, as well as most accessible. It feels, to me, integral to their identity and incredibly capable of displaying their unending vision for this type of music. Aside from the artwork being amazing, this album also has some unbelievable lead melodies which enrich the atmosphere immensely. The most obvious example is, of course, one of the best songs of their career, Rites of the Locust. Incantation's place is still firmly held through albums like this one.
My grade for Profane Nexus: 4/5 - Show this one to your kids when you get them into Incantation

Incantation - Profane Nexus

#3: Onward to Golgotha (1992)
This record is special for countless reasons, even aside from showcasing the beginnings and youthful energy of a couple of death metal fans from New York. In my opinion, it is the first record of the genre to completely remove all elements of thrash metal and be pure, rotting death metal. It's honestly incredible to hear, and it's a show of strength and an undisputed masterpiece of those years. To me, it is clear why Incantation-core is so rampant these days. It is fully impossible not to get swept up in the vision and skill on this record.
My grade for Onward to Golgotha: 4/5 - Revolutionary for the genre

Incantation - Onward to Golgotha

#2: Dirges of Elysium (2014)
Man, let me tell you, this album is fucking weird. The structure is complicated and uneven: a bunch of 3-minute songs followed by a mammoth of 17 minutes to close the album. That must be wrong, right? Actually, it's one of the most complete statements made by this band. The shorter songs offer incredible bursts of energy and violence, complete with one of John's best performances. It's honestly an incredible thing to hear unfold, and it's the album I revisit most often from them.
My grade for Dirges of Elysium: 4.5/5 - Overlooked, underplayed, late period masterpiece

Incantation - Dirges of Elysium

#1: Mortal Throne of Nazarene (1994) / Upon the Throne of Apocalypse (Reissue) (2019)

This album is, for me, the highest point in Incantation's career. The songs here are simply outstanding, as you probably have come to expect. I have to say, the grimy production of the original recording helps the album a lot, but we should also talk about the 2019 reissue of the sister album, Upon the Throne of Apocalypse. The order of the tracks is completely reversed, but this record really benefits from an update in production values. If you listen to John, he complains about the way this whole record was mixed, and with the remaster now it sounds like the greatest death metal record 2019 ever saw. The artworks are incredible, the songs still feel fresh, the entire record is an incredible journey. There is such a tremendous flow between the songs on this album, even after all this time, it is the perfect companion to Onward to Golgotha, but it still feels like a better album.
My grade for Mortal Throne of Nazarene: 4/5 - Amazing but the production is lacking
My grade for Upon the Throne of Apocalypse (2019): 4.5/5 - The absolute expression of their potential

Incantation - Mortal Throne of Nazarene

Incantation - Upon the Throne of Apocalypse (Reissue)

In closing, I have to confess, Incantation are what I aspire to be, as a musician. They are prodigies. They are unmoved by trends and fads, yet they rarely make the same album. Most people don't listen to them, yet some fans like me sit patiently and inject every album directly into their bloodstream. As a death metal fan, what could I wish more than to wake up in 30 years and have 10 uncompromising, visionary and loved albums that have inspired countless people? Nothing more.
I know I've been missing since May, but I'm not sleeping. Besides working for a project I want to start off soon, combining powerviolence with slam, I'm working on writing about the top crop of Romanian death metal. Hopefully I'll write it soon.
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ICBHFGMW: My Top 10 Albums This May


I Can't Believe How Fucking Good May Was.
That's probably a very nonsensical combination of letters, but I can't really express my thoughts in any other way than that completely new word / sound. So for now, I'm going to do what I do best: talk about some great albums. Last month, especially the 31st, was incredibly rich with great releases, and I'm going to talk about my favorite of those in here. Of course, they're not the only good ones: Possessed came out with a very good album, Inanimate Existence made their biennial appearance, Fleshgod Apocalypse had a pretty good time with Veleno, Mental Cruelty scored for both the deathcore and slam teams via Inferis and of course there are many other bands that I haven't even heard. But this is my top 10 for the month. As always, it comes in no particular order.

1. Origin - Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence
(May 3rd)
Who doesn't love Origin? We're so used to their present form of an over-the-top technical death metal extravaganza, but Abiogenesis is the band in their most basic form: an excellent deathgrind group. The entire aesthetic of this record is simply amazing, and the product is worth it. These songs are a must for any fans of Origin., because they do a great job of showing the listener the place where the future releases all came from. For the collectors, their first EP, a rarity, is included and remastered here.

Origin - Abiogenesis - A Coming Into Existence

2. Ophiocordyceps - Delusional Infestation Of Mutated Pathogens
(May 10th)
I don't really have the words to explain why this album is so good, but it absolutely blows my mind. It's slam, but it's almost nothing like the usual affair we're used to. Let's mention the vocals first: they are mixed super low in the mix, at least compared to other bands of this ilk who put the gutturals at the forefront. This enables them to take the role of another instrument and helps the atmosphere a lot. Besides that, I swear, there a riffs here for days. More, please, amazing album.

Ophiocordyceps - Delusional Infestation Of Mutated Pathogens

3. Rammstein - RAMMSTEIN
(May 17th)
What if I told you this is the first Rammstein album I've managed to listen in its entirety? And I also loved it a lot! I kinda new I would like this ever since I heard Radio, but the album is much more interesting than just that. I really like the lyrics of Deutschland, which pay homage to their famous Du Hast. The riff of Radio is also great, as is the unhinged vocal performance on Puppe. Aside from those, you have some excellent choruses and awesome vocals all over the album.

Rammstein - RAMMSTEIN

4. Tyler, the Creator - IGOR
(May 17th)
This is undoubtedly my favorite album of this month and I'm positive it will land on my end of the year list. And to think at the beginning I didn't like it that much. I don't know how many of you have had the pleasure to listen to this, but I'm sure most of you will like this. Igor is an experience you need to take in wholly, without skipping or even pausing a lot. The production is absolutely amazing, with all these sprinkles of creativity in every beat. Even for the ones that want a bit more aggression from Tyler, you still have What's Good and my second favorite track, New Magic Wand.

Tyler, the Creator - IGOR

5. Nocturnus AD - Paradox
(May 24th)
Oh my god, I think my new kink is this: old concept albums picked up by old members of now-defunct bands, continued in modern form. And the Key story line is not the only thing they pursue further on this record. The keyboards of yore are back, and they sound great, along with the multiple mind-melting solos. Not to mention the amazing art, I think Nocturnus AD have the potential to join Memoriam as amazing new projects of this ilk.

Nocturnus AD - Paradox

6. Батюшка - Панихида
(May 26th)
I'm far too lazy to process all of this Batushka ownership drama, but that doesn't stop me from telling you that the new Батюшка record is the perfect follow-up to their blackened hit from 2015, Litourgiya. While I'm not much of a black metal fan (these days I prefer mine to be rather bestial), these two albums are great and you should really listen to both. The East European aesthetic and the artworks make this hit really close to home, at least for me.

Батюшка - Панихида

7. Darkthrone - Old Star
(May 31st)
Darkthrone are back! I must say, these god damned slow riffs are making my head spin. They are so bare, yet so effective. While the days of Transilvanian Hunger are long past, I'm certain this album will convince many naysayers that this amazing group has kept their honest identity and great songwriting. With creepy atmosphere, rotten vocals, great riffs and a haunting album art, this is a perfect addition for these champions.

Darkthrone - Old Star

8. Angelmaker - AngelMaker
(May 31st)
Deathcore is not really my strong point, but even I can appreciate when a great album is released. This is a very hefty serving of this genre, which I usually find works best in smaller doses, but I can't deny how well these songs work together. The sound of this album and the many breakdowns are so forceful, you'd be damned to pass at least a hopeful listen.

Angelmaker - AngelMaker

9. Gloryhammer - Legends from Beyond the Galactic TerrorVortex
(May 31st)
I was really cautious with this band, afraid not to smear my reputation of being a boneheaded metal fan. That lasted about until I heard their 2015 album, especially Rise of the Chaos Wizards. From then on, I think I'll be devoted to their ridiculous style of power metal for a very long time. This new record is kind of more of the same, but with a giant helping of early Iron Maiden, especially in the vocal performance. Listen to this if you miss the giants and wonder what they'd sound like if they took themselves a little less seriously from time to time.

Gloryhammer - Legends from Beyond the Galactic TerrorVortex

10. Annotations of an Autopsy - World Of Sludge
(May 31st)
What, detahcore again? Can't help it, fella. This EP is kinda all you could want from a release in this subgenre. It's short, replayable, to the point and generally extremely fun while crushing enough. While I haven't listened to Annotation's previous albums, I'm very much inclined to do so after hearing this EP, which sound like classic deathcore as much as that can be in 2019. Highly recommended, along with the rest of this list.

Annotations of an Autopsy - World Of Sludge

Yeah, this was one good month, but the year isn't over. We still have a lot of great albums coming out soon, and you better believe that I'll be sniffing around for new music. I also may have a few surprises planned for the future.
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This Is the Newer Shit: The Wonders of Early 2019


Another year, another bunch of albums that come out before we even hit summer. I'd say that this year, the harvest has been surprisingly wonderful! A whole load of solid to great records, even with some promising "album of the year" contenders, if you can believe. You'll get to see all of them here and hopefully you will find some new music you weren't aware had come out. This is also a post meant to keep everyone here up to date with what I'm listening to and what to check out if they like my taste in metal.

1. Phrymerial - Xenomorphic Creation (February 20th)
This was a pretty great album. I usually cringe a bit at Rick and Morty themed metal, but I think that for a band with such a youthful attitude like Phrymerial it works pretty well. I mean, if you are going to play technical alien deathcore and bring in some slams, what would you draw inspiration from? For such a short album, it has impressive staying power.

Phrymerial - Xenomorphic Creation

2. Malevolent Creation - The 13th Beast (January 18th)
These american boys are not really among my favorites when it comes to death metal, and even in terms of old death/thrash albums, I'd still go with Master. However, similarly to Cancer last year, Malevolent Creation rose from the ashes of former instability and managed to deliver a good album. It won't blow your mind, sure, but how many albums actually do these days? It's nice to hear some old hounds do something worthwhile, and this album also has a very nice artwork and a very capable vocalist, worthy of carrying the MC banner.

Malevolent Creation - The 13th Beast

3. Angel Splitter - Descension to Demonic Paraphilia (February 2nd)
A very intriguing exercise in expanding slam's usual conventions using black metal melody and vocals, along with some nice features. In my opinion, this will probably be around the top of this genre's releases during 2019. I enjoy the unholy aesthetic, the disturbing artwork and the extremely competent atmosphere the band builds during this record, and like always, I'm hungry for more.

Angel Splitter - Descension to Demonic Paraphilia

4. Rendered Helpless - Suffer, Seraphim (January 25th)
Well, if you're into slam, especially the Unique Leader Records type, you probably have a soft spot for Organectomy, and you probably appreciate their crushing vocals. Rendered Helpless is Alex Paul's solo slam project, and he already has a couple of great albums under this name. Two years after his latest, he released his most ambitious and balanced record yet. With an amazing artwork by the great Par Olofsson and 8 songs full of slams and violence, but also some very competent atmospheric sections, what more can one ask for from this man? After all, there's still an Organectomy album coming later.

Rendered Helpless - Suffer, Seraphim

5. Whitechapel - The Valley (March 27th)
WhoEVER said deatchore isn't good with cleans? The answer is nobody, at least nobody with a brain. Whitechapel have been struggling for a while with their new style, and it probably took the great emotional price vocalist Phil Bozeman paid with the making of this album for them to finally find something that works for them. The record is incredibly dynamic, going through highs and lows while the band explore Phil's especially difficult upbringing. While I could complain that the great solos from Mark of the Blade are missing or that some of the riffs are way too simplistic for their good, why would I bitch about that? It's a great album anyway.

Whitechapel - The Valley

6. Misery Index - Rituals of Power (March 8th)
A lot of panties dropped for Misery Index on their latest album, and far be it from me to say this is a bad release. It's highly competent death metal played by a very good band. Trouble here is, I don't understand the hype. Bands like Misery Index are usually on Bandcamp, struggling to gain some steam. I guess it's the fact that they've toured a lot and all the years of experience that backs them. A nice release, even though 2014's The Killing Gods is better.

Misery Index - Rituals of Power

7. Equipoise - Demiurgus (March 8th)
Gimmicky tech death? You bet your ass. It's a huge collaboration of musicians of the scene, coming together to create a great, flamenco-lovin' album. This might be my jam when it comes to tech, stuff so ridiculous I can't help but to love it. I won't say this is amazing, because that's a bit excessive and dishonest, but it's still great, with a filthy bass and very fun and well-placed flamenco (!) sections.

Equipoise - Demiurgus

8. Rotting Christ - The Heretics (February 15th)
Rotting Christ really are fans of melody, aren't they? This album might be a bit of a slow-burner, especially considering their image of Hellenic rockstars, but I promise you, it'll all work after a couple of listens. Maybe I'm a bit influenced by their energetic live performance that I saw some time ago, but that can't be all there is to Rotting Christ. The songs, while a bit over-the-top, do their job well, and these guys are really into telling you all about their hellish ways.

Rotting Christ - The Heretics

9. Feral - Flesh for Funerals Eternal (December 30th)
I've complained a lot about swedish death metal, and if you have been burning through the huge slog of generic albums that have been coming out in the last few years, you probably agree with me. Also, those early albums from the likes of Entombed or Carnage are super overrated. However, there hardly is a better modern answer to the old formulas and the dreaded pedal than Feral. They're just on their second album, but already close to my top. The way they blend speed and black metal influences with the usual meaty death metal of old Sweden is simply amazing.

Feral - Flesh for Funerals Eternal

10. Overkill - The Wings Of War (February 22nd)
You know who they are: the best old thrash band? Under the right circumstances, I'd say so, and their albums since Ironbound support this. Their 2017 album was a bit of a bloated mess though, with songs much too long for their own good and a very weak production. As soon as Wings of War starts though, you understand that things have changed a lot. The band sounds forceful, feral and out for blood. The songs aren't all perfect, but they are exactly what Overkill needed to establish themselves again. I'm very happy for these guys.

Overkill - The Wings Of War

11. Onset Of Horrendosity (January 25th)
This was a very nice split between two excellent brutal death metal bands that came out very close to the beginning of the year. The groove levels are crazy high, and while this one's pretty short, only 5 songs, it's worth it for a taste of new material from Fetor and Crepitation. To be honest, for the longest time I absolutely hated splits, but now with the help of powerviolence bands, I started seeing the good in them.

Onset Of Horrendosity

12. Candlemass - The Door to Doom (February 22nd)
Since I'm just a caveman-brained fan of metal, the idea of getting a new Candlemass album with their first vocalist was great. However, when I heard the first single, I knew this would be on my 2019 end-of-the-year list. The good news is that the entire album is great. The riffs are good and Tony Iommi, possibly one of the most likeable stars in metal, makes an appearance and plays a great, blues-drenched solo. But we all know the vocals are the main focus on this record, and I think they might even be better than on Epicus. Feel free to disagree, but this is a great record from a very good band.

Candlemass - The Door to Doom

13. Savage - No Escape (February 19th)
Ah, yes, some fresh powerviolence for your ears. I came into contact with Savage back in 2018, when their early compilation entered my radar. I really enjoyed how they used the genre to write developed songs, since that is usually difficult within the confines of powerviolence. This February, Savage released their first full-length, and while it is a pretty brief affair, it serves as a great companion to their earlier compilation. A great band.

Savage - No Escape

14. Soilwork - Verkligheten (January 11th)
Many people do not like this band, and I guess I can see why. Their style of mixing pop hooks with some growls and accessible melodies can be irritating to the truest of true metalheads, but I must be honest and say I have found something special in this record. It's not mind-blowing, and I don't really feel the need to check out any of their other works, but god damn, these melodies are infectious and the energy is undeniable. It was a great experience back in January when music was moving very slowly.

Soilwork - Verkligheten

15. Traitors - Repent (February 25th)
Apparently Traitors have been a well-established downtempo deathcore band for a while, and I didn't know about them. Since I enjoyed the Black Tongue and Mire Lore releases last year, I was truly excited to discover this new group. This album was a very good demonstration of what a capable band can do within this genre and a capable reminder of the importance of deathcore in modern extreme music.

Traitors - Repent

16. Children of Bodom - Hexed (March 8th)
Ah, my little finnish superstars. For as much as I complain about melodeath, there has always been something that captivated me about Children of Bodom. It wasn't only their neo-classical tendencies, which started to die down some years ago, it's also their fitting use of keyboards and general atmosphere. Hexed is definitely better that their last handful of albums, and while it's longer than most (if not all) of their records, there's almost no filler. Alexi and his gang sound more forceful and driven that they have for a long, long time.

Children of Bodom - Hexed

17. Gets Worse - Snubbed (February 11th)
Gets Worse are, in my eyes, getting better with time. I have listened to their early EPs and they're great, but they have hit an incredible standard with their 2019 record, Snubbed. And while it has gained steam in the powerviolence scene, it was, hm, snubbed from mainstream attention. Share this with your punk friends, please, I'm sure they will love it. And don't forget to check out at least El Belcho for the incredible speech in the middle. Is that the vocalist or a sample?

Gets Worse - Snubbed

18. Epicardiectomy - Grotesque Monument Of Paraperversive Transfixion (December 31st)
Epicardiectomy is a band I've ignored for a very, very long time, but when they released their third album back in January (technically December, but New Standard Elite fucked that up), I finally took notice. They play a very groovy and somewhat caveman style of slam, and this record is a clear love letter to Cephalotripsy and their older, more boneheaded sound. It's very accurate to call this whole record incredibly raw, and that snare is noisier than any other you'll hear this year... or until Agonal Breathing come out with a new record.

Epicardiectomy - Grotesque Monument Of Paraperversive Transfixion

19. In Flames - I, The Mask (March 1st)
Apparently people love this band. They'll tell you that their old albums are the bane of early melodeath, but from what I remember, most of them were so boring that I can't be bothered to even revisit them. This new one, however, is very interesting. Battles wasn't good, it was pretty far removed from that actually, and only because it all felt so forced. I don't have a problem with early 2000s music, just don't make it tweencore and brand it In Flames, you know? The new album showed a lot more promise ever since the early singles though, and in my humble opinion managed to mix their two very separate styles in a much more natural way. But you DO need an open mind for this one.

In Flames - I, The Mask

20. Dream Theater - Distance Over Time (February 22nd)
What can I say? I'm definitely a fan of historically short albums, and the modern look that Distance Over Time has certainly spiked my interest. More than that, it's Dream Theater, what was I gonna do, not listen? The album and crisp and exciting. Also, I've never found the vocals to be tiresome, what's everybody talking about? This is the perfect dose of Dream Theater one could ask for in 2019, and the fact that it's shorter and more straight-forward than usually makes it even better.

Dream Theater - Distance Over Time

21. Venom Prison - Samsara (March 15th)
This band is very often mentioned when it comes to rising stars in the modern death metal scene, and their 2016 album is the best explanation as to why that would be. However, with this new effort, all they've done is give out even more answers to questions like "how can you make death metal exciting almost 30 years after its inception?". The whole record flows very well and has an excellent atmosphere. Also, I'm sure it's a great plus for a lot of people to have such an openly feminist member in one of the future top billed bands of the scene.

Venom Prison - Samsara

22. VLTIMAS - Something Wicked Marches In (March 29th)
Cowboy extraordinaire David Vincent is back, y'all! And how he screams, on god, the first seconds of Diabolus Est Sanguis are what he was made for. Both of the other members of this newly formed super group are in top form as well, many riffs feel a lot like modern Mayhem (which is, ahem, the best Mayhem). However, I hope no one starts going around complaining about Kingdoms Disdained now that David has growled a bit again. That album is just as amazing as it was in 2017... but this one's pretty amazing too.

VLTIMAS - Something Wicked Marches In

23. Hurakan - Abomination of Aurokos (March 24th)
Just another slamming deathcore band, right? Well, kind of. Hurakan have all the makings of future slam scene superstars, and a lot of friends in the scene as it appears. Their second album is full of exciting featured artists, good riffs, breakdowns galore, deep growls, hell, the whole platter for such an album these days. It's also interesting to listen to something within this genre that comes from France of all places. Be sure to check out the song that also has trap beats supporting the metal, it's pretty fun and creative.

Hurakan - Abomination of Aurokos

24. Prostitute Disfigurement - Prostitute Disfigurement (March 22nd)
With all this slam around, who could say no to a straight-forward and groovy brutal death metal record? I'm certainly not one. The songs here are all great, nothing too out of the ordinary to be honest, but what an artwork! Jack the Ripper may be one of the best subjects you could write about when it comes to metal, and the whole album has a gloomy, dark and vicious atmosphere to go with this mascot. Incredible surprise release.

Prostitute Disfigurement - Prostitute Disfigurement

25. Valley Of The Headless - Of Madness Spawned (March 22nd)
In 2018 I named Klysma the best new face in slam, because their debut was awesome and felt like an event. This year, the spot might have already been taken by South Korean newcomers Valley of the Headless and their incredible debut. The album has a great sound, with the drums reminding me of the great days of Mortician albums. The way the band handles shifts in atmosphere and passages is simply exactly right for this style. Their very foreign origin also brings in a sense of uncertainty, which is one of the best things to have when it comes to brutal death metal. Please give these guys some attention, it's well-deserved.

Valley Of The Headless - Of Madness Spawned

Holy shit! That's a pretty full platter if I do say so myself. No worries though, it took me a couple of months to find and listen to all of these albums, so you have all the time in the world to discover everything here. I hope you enjoyed this one, since it took me a lot of work.
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