Death Metal – Page 187 – Wonderbox Metal

The Black Dahlia Murder/Benighted/Ingested – Sound Control, Manchester – 21/01/16 (Live Review)

I like Sound Control as a venue, and tonight, even though I’ve definitely seen it busier, there’s still a decent amount of people here and the place has a good atmosphere.

I think I’ve seen Ingested before. Maybe. If I have, it was a long time ago and neither the band or the details left too much of an impression. Tonight changed all that. It seems they’ve either come a long way or I just wasn’t paying close enough attention. Probably both.

So, as you’ve probably gathered I arrived in time to catch Ingested, and I’m eternally grateful I did. They positively explode out of the stage, full of high energy, revelling in their status as show-openers and doing a damn good job at it.

Ingested’s slamming Death Metal deals in plenty of blasting and groove. They’re essentially slam machines with colossal breakdowns that somehow fail to sound one dimensional. The singer has a voice like a demon and bellows, roars and screams himself into fits of slamcore delirium.

Tonight they benefit from a huge clear sound, which is downright shocking for an opening band and allows them to display what they do best at full power. They got me moving which is more than most support bands do.

Mixing parts of Despised Icon, The Red Chord and Dying Fetus, Ingested just destroy the stage. Their music is clearly designed with mosh pits in mind, and the crowd give a suitably good account of themselves throughout.

The set ends and most people seem happy. Me? I’m very happy.

After Ingested’s impressive performance, Benighted had their work cut out for them, or so I thought.

Being unfamiliar with Benighted, I was not sure what to expect, (except in general terms), but they rose to the challenge nicely.

Like Ingested’s set, we are treated to another strong sound; the venue should be proud of itself and tonight it appears to be support band heaven in this regard.

Benighted are aggressive and sharp, with a more focused, refined assault than that of Ingested’s raw muscularity, although that’s not to say they lack direct brutality or strength; far from it.

Their polished and professional style takes modern Death Metal and dips it in an impassioned performance. The band’s twisted melodics and grooving blasts come from the same school of nastiness as Cattle Decapitation and Aborted, combining quality musicianship with streamlined brutality. Elements of their sound have a tribal, rhythmic quality, frequently interrupted by a tirade of blast beats for maximum effect.

They make quite the impression and it’s clear that they have more than a few fans in the crowd, and there’s plenty of movement too. The groovy parts get the bodies moving hard and the fast, blasting sections just demolish. In fact, I particularly like it when they play fast. The evening’s first stage diver even makes an appearance mid-way though the set. He looks like he’s enjoying himself.

The singer has a commanding presence and a great voice. He also looks like a smaller version of powerlifter Jeremy “Couch” Hamilton, which keeps me amused the entire set. The bassist has an infectious grin and even indulges in a bit of Steve-Harris-from-Iron-Maiden-machine-gunning, which is always nice.

Their penultimate song starts with a sample of an alarm clock that sounds exactly the same as mine and freaks me the fuck out. What follows is much better than what usually follows though.

At the end of their set me and a large chunk of the crowd are left with smiles as large as the bassist’s. Nice.

And now for the band everyone’s been waiting for, the USA’s premier Melodic Death Metal masters.

I’ve seen The Black Dahlia Murder before, but they were playing in a support capacity and were marred by a weak, muddy sound. In keeping with the theme of the evening so far though, there are no such problems tonight, and the band absolutely slay. Boasting a crystal clear sound that demonstrates a band at the top of their game, the band’s performance tonight is exemplary.

When the bassists asks if we wanna hear a very fast new song, you know we do.

The major selling point of The Black Dahlia Murder for me is their peerless brand of fast, razor-sharp melodicism, and tonight it’s on such fine display that I’m amazed I don’t leave with lacerations.

Opening with Receipt off their latest album, they power through a veritable greatest hits package. Although, like any greatest hits collection, you can’t please everyone, (I was hoping for Climactic Degradation…). However, there are enough quality songs here to please, spanning the band’s entire discography. Vlad, Son of the Dragon makes a welcome appearance and Moonlight Equillibrium (about a werewolf that eats English breakfasts, apparently) is a particular favourite. Abysmal, the title track from their latest album, sounds even better and more savage live than it does on record, and then Funeral Thirst absolutely just melts faces. Raped in Hatred by Vines of Thorn, (about the Evil Dead, he tells us), is a real catchy crowd-pleaser, as is Statutory Ape. They end with the one-two punch of Deathmask Divine and the iconic I Will Remain, which features one of the best intros and outros to any song. And the bit in the middle isn’t bad either.

The band themselves are on fine form, and focus inevitably finds itself being directed towards their charismatic frontman; he attacks the songs with such enthusiasm it’s palpable, sometimes seeming to take the role of a mad conductor.

As befitting the band’s status, the crowd have a strong reaction to the songs and there is stage diving and moshing in abundance, including some relatively immense circle pits. One stagediver arrives on stage just after a song finishes and gets to be interviewed by the band, (his name is Lawrence, and he likes slam). At the behest of the band the audience give a good attempt to carry him to the back of the venue during the next song, but he doesn’t quite make it. It’s a valiant effort though.

When a crowd casualty seems to occur, the band take the time to make sure everything’s okay, and also lead a chant of “Live! Live! Live!” which is most amusing.

After this long in their career The Black Dahlia Murder are a well oiled machine live, but it’s good to see that they aren’t just going through the motions and there’s real passion here.

This was genuinely one of the best shows I’ve been to in a long time. All three bands did themselves proud and I am left with nothing but fond memories and a slightly tired neck, exactly as it should be.

Temisto – Temisto (Review)

Temisto are from Sweden and this is their début album. They play Death Metal.

This is unusual Death Metal that falls somewhere between the primitive, atavistic side of the spectrum and the more exploratory, mystical side.

The band have some interesting riffs, as they are not afraid to let a bit of complexity and technicality sneak into the guitars. They also allow a bit of melody to appear here and there, resulting in songs that have a lot of different facets to them. It’s a welcome change of pace for something of this ilk, and the songs have a kind of morbid sophistication to them because of it.

The tracks are a beguiling combination of speed, atmosphere and darkly occult feelings. The atypical melodies and dynamic leads and solos really add spice to the songs and the band have a real talent for taking the foundations of the genre and warping them with foul black magics.

The singer’s feral howlings further cement the feeling of listening to something a bit special, as they too are just that little bit different to the norm for Death Metal, enough to add another dimension to the band and to give the songs a rather old-school feel.

This album is all about the guitars for me though, although clearly everything else plays a major role in helping this album to ascend to the higher, more rarefied Death Metal peaks; the riffs, melodies and interesting ideas just don’t stop, and I’ve really, really enjoyed this release.

It’s also quite rare for a Death Metal band to have a more considered and reflective side, so this is a nice touch on the album too.

Top marks. Looking for something a little different with your Death Metal? Check out Temisto.

Interview with Spinebreaker

Spinebreaker’s début album Ice Grave is a muscular, thrilling ride through Hardcore-infused Death Metal that’s a vibrant and energetic take on the sub-genre. Make sure you’re wearing appropriate spinal protection and let’s dive in to the world of the breaker of spines…

For those who are unfamiliar with your band – introduce yourself!

Elliot: I’m Elliot and I riff and I sleep with an HM-2 under my pillow

Alex: I’m Alex and I do vocals and call people cowards in Spinebreaker

Give us a bit of background to Spinebreaker

Elliot: Alex and I wanted to start a death metal band so we did. Put out a tape and grabbed our friends to play with us. That’s pretty much it. All of us come from punk and hardcore so starting another band was just something we all wanted to do.

Alex: We are 5 hardcore dudes playing death metal with as loud and fucked up of a sound as possible.

How did you decide on the band name?

Elliot: We wanted to be so heavy that you wouldn’t just bang your head, you would bang your whole spine. Spinebreaker. Perfect.

Alex: It took us a long time to come up with one, so one day me and Elliot were hanging out and imagined what one of our friends looked like when he would head bang and get into a band that he likes, and came up with the name Spinebreaker.

What are your influences?

Elliot: Pentagram, Sleep, Saint Vitus, Discharge, Black Sabbath, Repulsion, Unleashed, Grave, Oi and punk music, and the mighty HM-2 of course.

Alex: My influences consist of mostly Scandinavian death metal bands like the obvious Entombed, Dismember, Unleashed, Grave, etc.
And then bands that don’t really show up in our music like my Slayer, Morbid Angel, Merauder, Hatebreed, Disembodied, etc.

What are you listening to at the moment that you would like to recommend?

Elliot: Gatecreeper, Outer Heaven, Vorum, Rixe, Crown Court, Vamachara, Bad Times Crew, Scalped, Funerals, Violent Reaction, The Flex, Lower Your Head, Midnight

Alex: The new Cruciamentum album from this last year was incredible, I can’t stop talking about it. Gatecreeper also rules, they’ve got a split with Homewrecker, Scorched, and Outer Heaven (which I recommend you all check out) coming out soon. And I’m always listening the my friends’ badass bands, Bad Times Crew, Vamachara, Funerals, Runamuk, Subtle Violence, and Scalped.

How do you feel you fit into the Extreme Metal scene in 2016?

Elliot: Sonically we fit but we’re all a bunch of hardcore and punk dudes so we stand out a bit. We all heavily support extreme music, we just have our roots in punk and hardcore.

Alex: I think we fit, just in our own way. We’re all hardcore dudes and act like hardcore dudes, running around and jumping on stage unlike most metal bands. But you know I think people can get used to that because that the way the music makes us feel. It doesn’t make me wanna stand there with my arms crossed when I like a band.

Give us a bit of background to Ice Grave – any particular concepts or ideas you want to discuss?

Elliot: We just really wanted something diverse. I like to throw in doom riffs every once in a while as well as some really dark and gloomy acoustic pieces to transition between songs. As far as concepts the only thing I really wanted to portray was heaviness. That’s it. Plain and simple. Filthy, loud, riff heavy death metal.

Alex: My lyrics range from death metal gory horror themes to just plain outrage about ignorance in topics about racism, sexism/feminism, homophobia, transphobia, police brutality and the black lives matter movement. Things that are out in the open to some but are still hidden in the dark to others.

How do you go about writing your songs?

Elliot: I sit in my room and crank my amp to 11 and just riff. That’s about it

Alex: Lyric-wise I think of a theme then a song name or a single line that I think can describe that theme I want to talk about but not be so obviously that the song is given away before you actual listen to it.

How did the recording process go?

Elliot: It was hectic but it always is and we expect that so working around problems isn’t an issue. We are all about being a DIY band so we record everything ourselves since our other guitar player Cole is an audio engineer. We love how all his stuff comes out so we trust him when it comes to the whole process. The only real speed bump was Alex having his awesome little girl right before we needed to record vocals but other than that it wasn’t anything more then what we are used to.

Alex: We recorded just about everything with our guitarist Cole in our other guitarist, Elliot’s living room and recorded the drums in one of our good buddies garage. Luckily Cole is an awesome audio engineer or we’d sound like garbage.

What’s your favourite song on the album and why?

Elliot: River Of Pain, Slithering Tyrant, Internal Bleeding, Withering In The Blizzard, and Fractured Existence. Why? I just like how everything fits together, just like it did in my head when I wrote the riffs.

Alex: Either River of Pain or Slithering Tyrant. Simply because those are my favourite lyrics I’ve written and they have the gnarliest fight riffs.

What does the future hold for Spinebreaker?

Elliot: No clue. Hopefully festivals and one off shows in areas we’ve never been. We all work full time and Alex has a child so big tours any more than a week isn’t really plausible.

Alex: No big tours or anything like that yet. We’ve got a fest in Van Nuys, CA. called Standing Hard Fest on January 30th. We’ll probably play some short tours of about a week at a time or less, some one off shows, and we’re always down to play fests whether it be metal, or hardcore.

Deformatory – Malediction (Review)

This is the second album from Canadian Death Metallers Deformatory.

Deformatory’s début In the Wake of Pestilence has been one of my more-played releases from 2013. Combining a smart sound with lashings of Technical Death Metal goodness, it remains a very enjoyable listen that I return to quite regularly.

So here we are a couple of years later, and it’s time for their second release. Have they lived up to their own high standards? Let’s find out.

Blasting out with a strong, clear and professional sound, it’s clear that Deformatory have upped their game in the sonic department even more. They sound huge!

Musically they remain a savage Technical Death Metal beast, with a great combination of brutality and complexity being showcased on these tracks.

The songs showcase interesting riffs and ideas, as well as boasting leads and solos that hint at their darker core while slamming into you with such barbed force as to rip you apart.

The vocals seem more prominent this time, and if anything they’re deeper than ever too. I’m not a huge fan of albums that have their vocals too high in the mix, especially Death Metal ones. As always this is a very subjective thing, but this is my chief concern with a lot of Behemoth’s later work and the same is true of Malediction, albeit to a slightly lesser extent. As with Behemoth though, it doesn’t stop Deformatory being a great band; it’s just a personal preference thing, as I’d rather the vocals were maybe a shade lower in the mix.

Minor quibbles aside, Deformatory have produced another top quality album of Technical Death Metal. I do still prefer their début, but this is largely down to the fact that I know it a lot better. After a few spins Malediction is already climbing and closing the gap between the two, so given a few more months and I’m confident I’ll judge it in the same league as their first.

So, to sum up – if you like powerful Death Metal, here’s one you should definitely pick up.

Third Sovereign – Perversion Swallowing Sanity (Review)

Third Sovereign are an Indian Death Metal band and this is their second album.

Third Sovereign play classic Death Metal that values a good riff. More than this though, they know how to stitch them together to achieve the end result they want.

Catchy, infectious guitars are the main feature of the tracks and they are done really well. It’s clear that Third Sovereign are not lacking for inspiration in this department. A nice thick guitar sound and overall good production lends strength to the songs too.

The singer has a different type of voice than I was expecting, which was that of a more cookie-monster styled delivery. What we actually get is a more distinctive, characterful series of growls and barks that sound surprisingly individual.

There’s a rhythmic muscularity to these songs, ripe with power and classic Death Metal chops. They have lots of energy and sound designed to be played live where I’m sure they can stir up the pit something fierce.

Perversion Swallowing Sanity is quality Death Metal. What more is there to say? Listen at full volume.

Enthrallment – Eugenic Wombs (Review)

This is the fifth album from Bulgarian Death Metal band Enthrallment.

After enjoying their fourth album The Voice of Human Perversity very much, the band now return with a new offering and 37 minutes of Death Metal to make your ears bleed.

Taking influence from the kind of twisted Death Metal that Immolation do so well, Enthrallment spend their time on this album fusing brutality with dark melody.

The album has a very clean, serpentine sound; lean and ready to strike. All instruments are clear, (including the bass), and everything is balanced and gets a chance to shine.

The singer’s deep growls are very effective and are really well performed. Although it’s impossible to discern what he’s saying, they have an emotive quality to them nonetheless that works well with the darkly expressive music.

Enthrallment have written a collection of songs that go further than the pure brutality of a lot of their peers. Frequent usage of interesting leads, solos and snatches of warped melodies make for tracks that have a lot of depth and nuance to them. There are also some very tasty, (and sometimes quite atypical), riffs here too. Just check out Last Judgment Waltz for a great example of this.

Very enjoyable stuff – five albums in and Enthrallment have their style nailed down.

Spinebreaker – Ice Grave (Review)

This is the début album from Spinebreaker, a Death Metal band from the US.

This is ugly Old-School Death Metal born bloody and ragged from the Hardcore scene. This means that the band combine the purity of their Death Metal heritage with the fire and energy of their Hardcore bloodline.

My, what a sound they have! Boasting a Swedish Death Metal guitar tone that their spiritual forefathers would be proud of, this is presented in a filthed-up package that fuses the feel of the era and style with a Hardcore edge and a touch of At the Gates and Carcass in the vocal department.

The end result is a savage demonstration of the fact that A) you don’t need to be Swedish to wield a chainsaw and B) there’s life in Old-School Swedish Death Metal yet; it’s not necessary for a band to simply rehash past glories.

Spinebreaker manage to successfully inject vitality and vibrancy into a rather stale, (but still very enjoyable), sub-genre. The inclusion of a Hardcore edge to some of the riffs adds a blood-pumping energy and the harsh screaming growls are a thing of gory beauty.

Whether ripping out giant grooves or pounding heaviness, Spinebreaker make everything sound dark, nightmarish and nasty, just as it should be. The spectre of At the Gates looms over the faster sections, (prompted for me by the vocals, but bleeding into the guitars too), and it’s a joy to hear this encapsulated by such a dirty Swedish delivery.

A very enjoyable 38 minutes.

Fall – The Insatiable Weakness (Review)

This is the début album from US Progressive/Melodic Death Metallers Fall.

Featuring a strong sound, this is an album full of emotive Melodic Death Metal that is enhanced by keyboards and Progressive Metal tendencies.

There’s a bit of everything on here, from highly melodic guitars, to blasting drums, to liquid guitar solos, to introspective refrains, to Modern Thrash workouts.

The vocals vary from shouted growls to soaring cleans. Both are performed extremely well and very professionally.

With a beguiling mix of heaviness and catchiness, The Insatiable Weakness combines the hooks and passion of the European Metal scene with the heavy delivery and modern sheen of the American, resulting in an album that takes equal parts from both.

Fall make the type of music that bands like In Flames, Soilwork, (whose drummer features on this album), Darkane, Dark Tranquillity, et al, are so well-known for and add a Progressive/darker Extreme Metal edge to it. For anyone that enjoys the more commercial side of Melodic Death Metal, but favours more heaviness and extremity in their music, then The Insatiable Weakness is for you.

Highly recommended.

Inner Sanctum – Legions Awake (Review)

Inner Sanctum are an Indian Thrash/Groove Metal band and this is their début album.

After a rather cinematic opener, Inner Sanctum reveal themselves in their full glory as Thrash/Groove Metal with some Death Metal influences included for added impact. Think the mid-00s-type NWOAHM, only with a darker, more classically Death Metal side to it that emphasises the European Melodic Death Metal heritage of the American style.

The album boasts a sexy, professional sound that’s polished and strong.

The singer has a gruff voice that shouts out with the best of them, occasionally including some semi-cleans that remind me of some of Darkane’s work in places.

The songs are well-written and it’s clear that these tracks have been constructed with care and enthusiasm. The Thrash and Groove influences never take over or embrace the mediocre side of both styles; Inner Sanctum play their brand of heaviness with vibrancy and passion. They deliver everything on here with skill and it’s clear that the band have the talent to succeed.

Legions Awake is a strong collection of songs that make a good impression and showcase a band who really know what they’re doing. If they were American and picked up by a large music label then they would get very far indeed, I think. Unfortunately that isn’t the case, so make sure you support them – bands like this deserve it.

For fans of – Pantera, Lamb of God, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, Darkest Hour, Legion of the Damned, Kreator, Arch Enemy, Testament, etc.

Wonderbox Metal End of Year List – Best Metal of 2015

Happy new year, Metal fans! So let’s take a look at some of the best releases of 2015.

As usual, I’d like to include the usual disclaimers about the subjective nature of any such list, and how if I were to compile it again at a different time, it would undoubtedly look different.

With that being said, there was a Hell of a lot of good music released in 2015, and the below is just the tip of the iceberg, really.

I have decided on a top-30 this year, although it could easily have been more. Some of the other notable bands that have made it onto the list in previous versions include the following, in no particular order –

Heaving Earth, Nyx, Arcturus, The Big Jaz z Duo, Unhold, Apocrophex, Below the Sun, Ecferus, Hope Drone, Unbreakable Hatred, Ancient Moon, Terra Deep, Abyssal Ascendant

Even just right here, that’s a lot of great Metal, nevermind all of the ones I’ve probably forgotten.

So, without further preamble, starting at the bottom and working our way up – I give you the Wonderbox Metal-approved Best of 2015 list…

30 – Vreid – Sólverv

Norwegian Melodic Black Metal that’s sharp, colourful, fast and full of energy and colour. Having loved their precursor band Windir, I still can’t believe I overlooked Vreid for so long. Thankfully, that is now rectified. This is atmospheric in ways that most bands merely aspire too, and Sólverv is a great listen.

29 – Infinight – Apex Predator

Infinight offer sophisticated, maturely-written and well-played Power Metal. They’re the only Power Metal band to make it onto the list this year, with Apex Predator living up to its name in some ways, as this really is a top-tier album. Infinight are all about the songs, and on Apex Predator they certainly deliver.

28 – Nervous Impulse – Time to Panic

Nervous Impulse offered up some of the most intense and exhilarating Deathgrind that I’ve heard in a good while, and Time to Panic is 36 minutes of Grade-A Grinding chaos. It’s both heavy and extreme, but still manges to find the time for song-structures and skilled writing.

27 – Flesh of the Stars – Hide

Traditional Doom Metal with an occult, sinister vibe; Flesh of the Stars are perfectly attuned to their chosen style and Hide is thick with atmosphere and memorable music. Some of the parts of this release are enough to get the hairs standing on end, and Hide is a thoroughly enjoyable listen.

26 – Forgotten Tomb – Hurt Yourself and the Ones You Love

Forgotten Tomb return with another album of Depressive Black Metal, this time with a more aggressive slant than some of their previous work. Catchy without sounding commercial, they really have honed their style to a fine killing point, and this album is definitely a keeper.

25 – De Profundis – Kingdom of the Blind

UK band De Profundis have flourished with their latest release of Death-inspired Technical/Progressive Death Metal. As a band who are striving to be the best they can be and deliver music that’s both challenging and accessible, (for the style), De Profundis succeed and Kingdom of the Blind is a firm favourite at Wonderbox Metal.

24 – Cult of Occult – Five Degrees of Insanity

A crushing, filthy display of ugly Doom across 65 minutes; Cult of Occult’s latest release is an exemplar of Sludge Metal dragged out to epic Doom lengths. This album positively drips with anti-social scorn and horrible intentions, which means we crave it all the more. We like the abuse.

23 – Sulphur Aeon – Gateway to the Antisphere

As Death Metal albums go this is simply gargantuan. Bowel-shaking vocals, monstrous riffs and mysterious, underworld atmospheres make for songs that are heavy and brutal yet still have more emotive qualities to them than most. A very impressive release from this German band.

22 – Tine – The Forest Dreams of Black

Symphonic Blackened Death Metal is quite hard to do well, but Tine have it all sewn up nicely. This is a passionate and personal release that exudes emotion and atmosphere amongst the brutality and power. If you only get one Black/Death Metal hybrid release this year then this is the one.

21 – Blaze of Perdition – Near Death Revelations

Supreme, sophisticated Black Metal art, with lashings of occult atmosphere and malevolent auras. Near Death Revelations succeeds in capturing the essence of what makes Black Metal so exciting and provocative. Blaze of Perdition easily take up the mantle of leaders and not followers on this album.

20 – Outre – Ghost Chants

More sophisticated Black Metal here, this time from Poland’s Outre. Ghost Chants is an exceptional release that combines Atmospheric Black Metal with Post-Black Metal sensibilities to create transcendental Dark Art. Upon repeated listens there’s always something new to discover.

19 – Fuck the Facts – Desire Will Rot

A veritable Canadian Grindcore institution, Fuck the Facts are always a good listen. This latest album of theirs is no different and presents the listener with a multi-faceted Grind release that demonstrates just how effective the style can be when in the right hands. Challenging and impressive.

18 – Corpo-Mente – Corpo-Mente

This is exotic, sensual music that combines Dark Rock, Trip-Hop and Electro Avant-Garde. It’s something a bit different from everything else on this list and shines all the brighter because of it. This album is a sumptuous feast of aural delights and contains so much WOW-factor it’s hard to credit. Listen and be converted.

17 – Wrvth – Wrvth

Wrvth have produced a hugely impressive experimental/Progressive/Technical Death Metal album that takes a lot of emotive qualities from Post-Metal and works them into its strange brew. An innovative and impressive release from a very talented band.

16 – Ogotay – Dead God’s Prophet

Here we have Polish Death Metal at the height of its game. Dead God’s Prophet is muscular Death Metal that has a touch of the mystical and the mysterious about it, resulting in an extremely strong album that blows away the competition.

15 – Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction

These veteran Death Metallers keep getting better with age, and The Anthropocene Extinction is a perfect example of how Death Metal can be true to its roots while also being cutting edge. This is 46 minutes of quality Death Metal that’s not afraid to do its own thing and succeeds because of this. Savagery and intelligence combined.

14 – Immortal Bird – Empress/Abscess

Immortal Bird are Death Metal, but only in the loosest of senses. Theirs is a more expansive palette than most bands’, with Empress/Abscess being more refined and all-encompassing of other styles than purely Death Metal. It’s an engrossing listen and indicative of so much that’s good in Extreme Metal.

13 – Winter Calling – As Darkness Falls

Polished and professional Progressive Rock that’s been a real fixture of some of my playlists; this is the kind of album that just grows and grows. Since originally writing my review of it I’ve grown to love it more and more. As Darkness Falls contains catchy and memorable songs and takes the listener on a real journey through Winter Calling’s world.

12 – Behold! The Monolith – Architects of the Void

A varied Doom/Sludge Metal release that mixes up sub-genres to create an involving album that has that special secret ingredient, causing it to add up to much greater than the sum of its parts. This is an album that has come to mean a lot to me and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

11 – Witchsorrow – No Light, Only Fire

No Light, Only Fire is the most enjoyable album of Traditional Doom Metal I’ve heard this year. Well-written songs backed up by a thick guitar sound means that this is a sterling release that should be enjoyed by an Metal fan. This is one I can listen to again and again and again.

10 – He Whose Ox Is Gored – The Camel, the Lion, the Child

This is a band who have an individual and interesting take on Progressive Atmospheric Doom. Theirs is music that’s rich and emotive, taking multiple influences and styles and incorporating them into a cohesive whole. The Camel, the Lion, the Child has lots of character and isn’t afraid to be itself.

9 – Khemmis – Absolution

Another interesting Doom Metal album. This one flirts with Traditional Doom but also injects a nastier Sludge Metal influence into things, resulting in an album that spans both styles very nicely indeed. There’s a lot of hidden gold on Absolution and this is a first-rate album.

8 – Antigama – The Insolent

Where can you find rabid, brutal Grindcore mixed up with a will to experiment and push boundaries? Why, wherever you find Antigama, that’s where. The Insolent is a force of nature, effortlessly combining savagery and intelligence with ease. Complex brutality for a refined palate.

7 – Cloud Rat – Qliphoth

Cloud Rat deliver us yet more inventive and individual Grindcore. Theirs is an experimental and surprisingly atmospheric and emotive take on the genre, but no less vicious for it. The songs have depth and intensity, and the band have proven what massive talent they have. You need Cloud Rat in your life.

6 – Secrets of the Sky – Pathway

An eagerly awaited release by yours-truly; Secrets of the Sky once again show why their Atmospheric Doom/Post- Metal is an essential listen. This aptly-named album takes the listener on a real journey through vivid soundscapes. Bigger and better than ever before.

5 – Abstracter – Wound Empire

Rarely has cloying, suffocating Sludge felt so visceral and nastily enticing. This is a gloomy, heavy, grim masterpiece of atmospheric brutality. Effortlessly combining the beauty of Post-Metal with the dirty horror of Sludge, this album has definitely become a firm favourite of mine.

4 – Mammoth Storm – Fornjot

Mammoth storm play vibrant, colourful Doom with lashings of atmosphere and Post-Metal transcendental qualities. I was very quickly captivated by the immensity of this album and just how compelling and engaging it is. Hugely impressive.

3 – Minsk – The Crash & the Draw

This is a hefty slice of Post-Metal that showcases a varied, multi-textural delivery, rich with evocative and emotive soundscapes. The songs seem to build on themselves until the music acts like waves, reinforcing itself. It’s easy to get wrapped up and lost in their music and Minsk should be way more popular than they are after releasing this gem of an album.

2 – Un – The Tomb of All Things

This is a dark and personal trip into the dimly-lit world of all things Doom. The album offers a dark and harrowing musical journey that you’d be foolish not to explore. The level of depth and emotion rawly on display here is staggering, and Un really have created something special.

1 – Midnight Odyssey – Shards of Silver Fade

And here we have it – top spot. This year it has been awarded to Shards of Silver Fade, which is Atmospheric Black Metal of the highest order. This colossal and epic release is a massive 143 minutes in length and every part of it is essential. Highly emotive and deeply moving, this is richly evocative music that you just can’t fail to be touched by. This is an incredibly special album that’s just exceptional and demands attention. I can’t rate this highly enough, which is why it’s my album of the year. Go and find a dark place and listen to it as soon as you can.

I wonder what 2016 will bring? I can’t wait to find out.