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PS yesterday I stumbled across a handful of fb posts by Vindsval of Blut Aus Nord just raving about White Ward, which is definitely in that same camp avant-black mode as his band. Act accordingly.

Yep, can confirm he is one and the same. Pretty incredible to see what he's capable of, and his comic book art rules to boot. Fun fact: back when I ran IO, I once checked to see which commenters had the most posts. Cosmo was #1 back then, for obvious reasons, Helm was a surprisingly close #2, and my old Wash Jones alter ego was just below at #3.. Nerds, all of us.

And at the end of the day, that's all that matters. I listen to piles of stuff others would consider "bad" (e.g. Mission UK). Life's too short to care—If you like it, blast that shit!

I'm not sure I can accurately do this without being harsh, but I'll try. Honestly... I think Ghost Bath embody everything the intro is talking about in the worst way. The album titles lift directly from better bands (Moon Lover? Starmourner? ugh). Rhythm riffs are recycled from Woods of Desolation and the major key leads are pulled wholesale from Deafheaven. (Doug refers to this stuff as "Mega Man" metal, which is hilarious and pretty accurate.) Hell, the new album art is an almost exact recreation of a Midnight Odyssey cover; it may not be directly lifted like the Relapse stuff above, but the stylistic theft is pretty egregious (especially paired with their sketchy past). And it just looks like a shittier version of something that already exists from a better band. That's honestly my biggest issue with Ghost Bath: all the theft in the world is forgivable if the tunes deliver, but I find most of it be pretty subpar overall. The shift from black metal rhythm parts to mega man leads is more often than not really clunky and weirdly incongruous, and the vocals... they're really bad. Add it all together, mix in the gross backstory, and I find the whole project kind of offensive to my being. Also not convinced they're not just trolling, like a 21st century Velvet Cacoon without the talent to back it up. I guess that was still pretty harsh :-)

Apologies for the laziest bonus tracks entry ever, I just don't have time to pull together the links or write much. Let's treat this as the DIY edition: I'll post a list of bands that I was stoked on, and interested parties can google em. Here's my method for finding streaming tracks: first google "band name + bandcamp". If that fails try "band name + youtube" and see what's newest. Worst case, google "band name + metallum", and check metal archives to see what the latest release from the band is, then try googling "band name + album name + streaming". One of those should work. Again, sorry for de minimis blurbage. I'll just say up front that Oranssi Pazuzu has a new 2 song EP and it's sweet. The new God Dethroned is exactly what I wanted Memoriam to be (in terms of filling the Bolt Thrower / Hail of Bullets shaped void in my heart, though you'll catch a whiff of melodeath ala Amon Amarth and even a little black metal ala Dissection or Necrophobic), and it's possibly the best thing they've done since Lair of the White Worm (possibly ever). Jordablod is really cool, wiry black metal that makes me think of Negative Plane, without sounding derivative. Ides of Gemini keep getting better; I'm also hugely biased as my best bro forever Adam now plays bass, but they've honestly gone way beyond their humble "femme doom" origins and landed in the Siouxsie Sioux-like goth/post-punk-gone-heavy stratosphere on the new record. Saule is a nifty post-everything hybrid-whatever from the pacific northwest, and I really like em. Medusa1975 are hilarious old timers who may or may not predate Pentagram, and their latest comeback record reminds me of the lost Manilla Road album "Mark of the Beast" in the best way. Wolfbrigade does ripping metal-inflected d-beat properly; the new Vallenfyre weirdly sounds very similar, way more crust than death metal. Excommunion is basically the members of Nightbringer playing gnarly death metal; solid but surprisingly straightforward. Similarly, Necrot is excellent OSDM featuring peeps from Vastum and other likeminded acts. Apologies if any of this shit appears in the list proper; I'm not bothering to edit. Enjoy the madness. Bonus Tracks: Oranssi Pazuzu Sabbath Assembly (expect more from them here soon) Ides of Gemini Unaussprechlichen Kulten (best name ever ripped from HP Lovecraft) God Dethroned Necrot Bestia Arcana Crypt Rot (blackened death clearly played by guys from hardcore bands; still good) Medusa1975 Wolfbrigade Jordablod Coltsblood (deeply unpleasant death/doom; pretty satisfying) Acherontas Excommunion Saule Ensnared (sick Dark Descent stuff) Svartsyn Dødsengel Ustalost (Yellow Eyes dude playing awesome weirdo one-man BM; think this is a repress) Triumvir Foul (Ash Borer dudes playing filthy, cavernous death) Impetuous Ritual (highly impenetrable death from Portal dudes) Tombs (you know em; they have new shit coming; I didn't love it, but you might) White Ward Vallenfyre Unleash the Archers (this is bad, but i found it entertaining) Penile Aidsjuice (this is REALLY bad [it's pornogrind] but i found it even more entertaining)

FYI, gang: I was too busy to contribute blurbage this month due to school pains, but the other guys killed it even harder than usual. (Note the hilarious uptick in grind and slamz in my absence). I'll try to throw together a bonus tracks post (sans microblurbs due to time constraints) later today or tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled if you're interested.

hell is real and it lives inside that Extreme song

Same. Occasionally interesting riffs set to non-compelling vocals that sound slightly 'off'. I like the overall vibe better than the actual music.

To my ear, it's very good pagan-sounding stuff that will scratch a certain itch, but it didn't bowl me over to the extent it did Joseph. I love Obsequiae but don't care as much about Nenochwen, and this seems to split the difference between the bands. The clean singing isn't quite my thing, though the riffs are pretty great. Give it a spin over at IO before you shell out for it, but if the description sounds good to you, by all means. Our rating system is also an imperfect measure of quality since it's really just a combination of our own individual favorites, and we can only write about so much in a given month. Only so much time in the day, we all hear things differently, sometimes a record catches us at the right or wrong time, etc. Metal is a harsh mistress.

FYI - I posted the longest bonus tracks post ever, but it will probably be a bit before it gets moderated. Check back if you're interested.

As requested, here's a mountain of bonus tracks for the diehards. My original list was even longer, if you can believe that. HIDEOUS DIVINITY https://youtu.be/wqX3RQ0vydY We don’t often cover modern, cleanly produced death metal (or at least I don’t), but sometimes it scratches the itch. Brutal and fairly technical but still catchy, there’s a moody stream of melody beneath all the blasting. Think Nile, Hate Eternal, or Hour of Penance. (Doug thinks these guys are generic; I think Doug’s amygdala is blown out from too much Pyrrhon exposure.) DEMONIC DEATH JUDGE https://demonicdeathjudge.bandcamp.com/album/seaweed Ian sold me on these dudes: highly excellent Finnish sludge with some of the best Big Dumb Riffs you’re likely to hear this year. There’s a psychedelic edge that pushes this from “good” to “great”; even if it’s a style you’ve heard a thousand times, these guys are about as good as it gets. MASTODON http://www.stereogum.com/1932829/stream-mastodon-emperor-of-sand/music/album-stream/ Not a fan of the singles, but I haven’t been a fan since Crack the Skye, and they were already sliding off the rails by then. Other folks claim this is their best since Leviathan; I’ll let you decide. LANCER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hm7mN7NPjM Do you like dumb heavy metal bordering on dumb power metal? Look no further. STRIKER http://loudwire.com/striker-striker-exclusive-album-stream-interview/ I think this got missed because they decided to self-release, which is a shame. These guys are one of the better traditional heavy metal acts going, even as they dabble with 80s cock rock and even some crossover thrash. It’s a weird hybrid but the songs are sick. TRIAL https://youtu.be/x3vzPX8OoRw?list=PLy8LfIp6j3aLVZUw5F96Ecwc2bbd8PlOY All right, all right, ONE MORE trad band then we’ll get back to the extreme stuff. Trial are a bit weirder than Lancer or Striker, drawing more from cooler stuff like Mercyful Fate and US power metal like Omen or early Fates Warning. Dig the ridiculous vocals. ISENORDAL https://isenordal.bandcamp.com/ “Pagan black/doom from Seattle”, reads metal archives. To be honest, I don’t know what this is: stylistically it jumps around quite a bit, and it might be a bit too schizo for my tastes, but there’s something cool going on here. LOSS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihpen9zimiw Their last album, Despond, is a latter-day death/doom classic… this track didn’t jump out at me in the same way, so we’ll see how the album turns out. To my ear, this is more in line with Pallbearer “light doom” with harsh vocals. Hmm. VIRUS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AwjwbKXduo New Virus! Ridiculously fast turnaround from these guys; I haven’t even listened to this yet but I don’t doubt it’s decent. CULT OF ERINYES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhS5Jb8QlfA&feature=youtu.be I hate album trailers but like this band a lot: excellent, under-the-radar Belgian black metal. This isn’t the best sample but keep an ear out for it when this drops in May. SAULE https://avantgardemusic.bandcamp.com/album/saule PDX band mixing anything and everything, from tribal drumming straight from best-era Neurosis to clean dream-pop/post-punk guitars, Primordial-style vocals, and post-black/post-metal crescendoes. weird one but a good one. ENSNARED https://invictusproductions666.bandcamp.com/album/dysangelium Co-release by Invictus and Dark Descent and it sounds like it. Black/death/thrash from Gothenburg, featuring two dudes from Trial playing against type (see above). I like the details in the playing: they occasionally use vibrato on the rhythm guitars to make for a weird layered tone. Fun for the whole family. GAOTH https://gaoth.bandcamp.com/releases Killer Irish atmospheric black metal, originally released in 2016, getting the repress treatment from Northern Silence. LOCK UP https://listenable-records.bandcamp.com/album/demonization Death/grind supergroup featuring Shane Embury of Napalm Death, Anton Reisenegger of Pentagram (Chile) and Criminal, Nick Barker of… everything, and now with Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth filling in for the recently departed Tompa Lindberg. I love this album way more than I thought I would, especially the absurdly heavy title track, “Demonization”. AZARATH https://agoniarecords.bandcamp.com/album/in-extremis Tasty black/death mastery from the long-running project of Behemoth’s absurdly talented drummer, Inferno. It’s not all that different than Behemoth, just gnarlier, more vicious, more my speed. FUOCO FATUO https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/backwater Stellar long form death/doom from Italy, courtesy of Profound Lore. This one just missed the cut this month. Don’t miss out on the suffocating joy. COLDFELLS http://www.invisibleoranges.com/coldfells-coldfells-album-premiere/?trackback=fbshare_top_flat_4 Most excellent pagan stuff from Nenochwen and Obsequiae dudes. I know Joseph Schafer of Inivisible Oranges is a huge fan, and I dig it too. ABIGOR / NIGHTBRINGER / THY DARKENED SHADE / MORTUUS split https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ND0C3lALzrs What a wild combination of bands. This is a weird record, one I need to spend more time with. Expect this to be a collector’s item down the road. GRUESOME https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSajhtRAKHo&feature=youtu.be Gruesome sounds like Death. That’s it. They exist for one purpose, which is so Matt Harvey of Exhumed can channel Chuck Schuldiner to revisit one of the best death metal styles ever. Past records have focused on Leprosy-era Death; here they’re tackling the weirder and much more distinct later period (ala Human, Symbolic, or Individual Thought Patterns) and it’s probably the best song they’ve done yet. LANTERN http://www.nocleansinging.com/2017/03/10/ncs-premiere-lantern-lucid-endlessness/ Here’s a Dark Descent goodie I’ve overlooked for awhile now. Riff-forward black/death magic that isn’t quite as sick as I was hoping, this still rules pretty hard for what it is. WEEPING SORES https://weepingsores.bandcamp.com/releases Don’t forget to check out (and buy) Doug’s latest record, where he plays guitar and bass in service of gloriously filthy death/doom.

I can't promise when they will appear, but I'll try to dump some on here this weekend. The torture chamber is real. Regardless: Hails (and thanks for the support)!

I wish there was recorded output from the van Drunen period! He's one of my favorite singers, and as much as I love Asphyx, I always wished he had some perfect Bolt Thrower riffs to sing over (tho old Pestilence riffs are equally perfect in a different way). I've come to appreciate Dave Ingram's vox on Honor—Valour—Pride, but BT to me is still all about Karl's voice, Jo's bass, those perfect dual guitars, and the mid-tempo-groove style of drumming that Andy Whale developed and Martin Kearns perfected. Timeless, perfect band.

I resisted those vocals for at least a year, then something broke inside my head, and now I'm all for 'em. They're also ridiculously fun to mimic around likeminded metalheads.

Phil's a fellow writer so I'm guessing he's talking about the same digital promo I got. Boggles the mind how labels in 2017 can avoid digital, but I suppose that's part of the obscuritan charm. I don't think they realize they're actually incentivizing piracy, but I suppose luddites gonna luddite.

sadly, yeah, he does it for most of the album. some tracks have more of a hardcore punk approach to the riffing, and I can see what he was going for, but it's not my favorite approach. definitely a minor bummer, since he's the reason 99% of care. The best I can say is that I still very much enjoy the record, but it's pretty far from the top of this particular style. Hopefully the new Hail of Bullets featuring Dave Ingram will deliver the goods later this year.

yeah... that line comes off unnecessarily harsh, my bad. I don't like Muni at all these days, but Iron Reagan are fine, if not really my thing. I was more trying to distinguish Power Trip's mastery of a particular strain of serious crossover from (what I perceive as) the sillier rethrash strain that Muni and IR have made so popular. The other guys all think I'm insane for some of my genre distinctions (including this one), so it is what it is. Let's all just recognize that I'm the weirdo here

If I remember correctly, our array of metal shirts was beyond SICK

agh, yeah—that was in my next tier down, which includes another 10-15 bands I just couldn't summon the energy to write about. How do you like this one compared to their prior work? I know it's a bit of a departure (seems kinda tribal, less overtly "metal," almost world-music-ish? I dunno). I listened once or twice and moved on, but I should probably give it another spin.

Here we go—two whole months worth of bonus tracks. Sorry (not sorry) for the length of this one: GOREPHILIA: https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/severed-monolith Killer Finnish death from the ever-trusty Dark Descent. The "gore" name is deceptive; this has more of an old-school + cosmic death vibe. IMMOLATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOUh2ctYZFE Immo's been in a holding pattern for a few records now, but cmon, they're still a personal favorite. Angular but immediate, this reminds me of a much more straightforward Ulcerate (as in: Ulcerate with songs), and even if it's not mindblowing, it's still plenty great. ANOMALIE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWJzbMoYGTo If you like Harakiri for the Sky, you'll like this. Another Austrian band composed of two guys from Harakiri, the overall effect is pretty similar: post-black, atmospheric, you know the drill. Maybe a little heavier / less-emo than Harakiri. MIDNIGHT: https://midnight-ohio.bandcamp.com/album/shox-of-violence Black, speed, proto-thrash, whatever: it's fucking Midnight, and it's exactly as dumb as you think it's gonna be, and exactly as much fun. The new "album" is a monstrously huge compilation of stuff from EPs and splits released since the prior Midnight comp, Complete and Total Fucking Midnight. This one has 4 new songs and an awful lot of sweet covers included. Always a joy. MEMORIAM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmucoieg2Lc First non-demo offering from Karl Willets' (of Bolt Thrower fame) new band, also featuring dudes from two dudes from Benediction and the original drummer of Bolt Thrower. Musically it sounds like you'd expect from a Bolt Thrower/Benediction hybrid, though Karl's doing a borderline weird speak/sing thing which is noticeably less awesome than his Bolt Thrower work. Still awesome; I'm nitpicking cuz I'm a BT stan. EMPTINESS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCnK3jKeX0A For months I've been dreading this thing—prior Emptiness records were some kind of insane fusion experimental black and death, and they were thoroughly amazing. Hearing bits and pieces of the new one, it sounded like an awkward hybrid of 90s mall goth and murky black metal, which, it turns out, is exactly what this is; somehow in the context of the full album, I really like it. And yes, Twiggy Ramirez produced this thing, so the Marilyn Manson textures are legit. I realize this is one of those blurbs that actively repels most folks, but that's probably for the best anyway. NIGHTBRINGER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaalrhlvPAE Easily one of the best American black metal BANDS (as in: not one-man USBM), the new Nightbringer seems like it will rule hard. I've only heard the first single, and it sounds as strong as everything else they've done, which is to say it's, uh, very strong. Dig the squirrelly upper-fret tremolo mastery. LORN: https://i-voidhangerrecords.bandcamp.com/album/arrayed-claws Technical, grinding avant-garde black metal from… Italy, I presume? Another one of the great bands from I, Voidhanger; wholly unpleasant to listen to, still awesome. BATHSHEBA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5kQjOu_mIc&feature=youtu.be And a second track (maybe even better): http://www.cvltnation.com/premiere-streaming-bathsheba-end-everything-review/ Mammoth, monolithic, wonderful doom from a newer band made up of members of Death Penalty. You get female vocals, but unlike the bluesy wail we’re used to: instead we get a little of that, plus a death-rock wail, weird possessed harsh witchy vox, and some schizophrenic voices that somehow don’t suck. The album is wonderful, and it came very close to making this month’s list. PALLBEARER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmfKPB7AGDc New Pallbearer, but you already knew that. This dropped after we had already assigned blurbs, but I’ll probably cover it properly next month. Proggier, less explicitly doom, better vocals than ever before, and one hell of a closing riff. Excellent stuff. AU CHAMP DES MORTS: https://dmp666.bandcamp.com/album/dans-la-joie Phenomenal atmospheric black metal from a French scene veteran known for playing in one of the classic symphonic black metal bands of the late 90s, early 2000s: Anorexia Nervosa. Very weird to see such a contemporary rebirth, but the album is an incredibly strong example of the style. REBEL WIZARD: https://rebelwizard.bandcamp.com/album/triumph-of-gloom Man, this one’s weird. Some kind of bastard fusion of bedroom NWOBHM + occasional black metal + noise(?), yeah, I don’t know what the hell this is. I think it was self-released last summer and Prosthetic picked it up for a proper release next month. The traditional metal leads sell this one. LUMINOUS VAULT: https://soundcloud.com/profoundlorerecords/luminous-vault-charismata Here’s another strange hybrid: obvious drum machines, synths, frantic melodic riffing, on top of something approximating primitive death or black metal. Kinda sounds like a weirdly gothic version of Godflesh. Coming your way from Profound Lore this March.

Just popping in to comment on that wonderful Kairon; IRSE! record. Ian and I had a running joke in the Black Market locker room that this is already 2017 AOTY: technically we were joking, but only kinda sorta. It's hard to make sense of what you're hearing by only hearing a single track, so I would urge anyone interested to pick it up. They also share members with Oranssi Pazuzu, sort of—I think one or two of the OP dudes plays live with K;I!—and both bands apparently share the same producer. You can kind of hear it, too. Anyway. You guys want some bonus tracks? I've got a pile to sift through

my mother in law is a New Zealand native--I'll spring it on her and see what happens.

i don't know what "sook" or "sooky" means (google says sook means female crab, which can't be right), but that's a great word nonetheless

Two fun facts: the main dude from Blood Incantation previously played in Merkstave, and one of the main women from Worm Ouroboros previously played in The Gault. (all of these bands obviously rule). And I completely agree re: Khemmis. The riffs are strong and the production kills, but something about the vocals undoes the whole thing for me. It's not awful, I just get nothing out of it.

In honor of the bonus track posts I usually cobble together each month, I thought I'd dump everything I thought was worthy into one final megapost to close out the year. My initial list of year-end considerations was just absurdly long, and like Adrien, I tend to think this diversity is a sign of just how strong metal's up-and-comers really are. We might be a fractured little subculture, but the individual components are stronger than they've ever been. So here's an unsorted pile of stuff worth checking out, if you're keen to go on a treasure hunt. Apologies for the lack of links or descriptions, but my masochistic tendencies only go so far. One last note: Blizaro originally clocked in at either #41 or 42 on this list, so it seems criminal not to mention how incredible that record is. Spiritus Mortis rules too, but for my money I'll take Blizaro for the long haul. All right, here's the deluge in alphabetical order. Some of these are phenomenal, and just missed my top 10 list; most of the rest fall somewhere between good and great. 2016 was a wild and terrible year, but certainly not a quiet one. Abbath, Abnormality, AMSG, Anaal Nathrakh, Anicon, Ash Borer, Ashbringer, Asphyx, Auroch, Barbarian, Bat, Battle Dagorath, Be'lakor, Begrime Exemious, Behexen, Bestial Raids, Bethlehem, Black Funeral, Black Table, Bloodiest, Blut Aus Nord/Aevangelist (split), Bombs of Hades, Borknagar, Brutally Deceased, Caina, Camel of Doom, Cantique Lepreux, Car Bomb, Cara Neir, Cauchemar, Chthe'ilist, Conan, Conclave, Cultes Des Ghoules, Dark Forest, Dark Funeral, Deathspell Omega, Death Fetishist (featuring DOUG MOORE), Decomposed, Denouncement Pyre, Departe, Desaster, Destroyer 666, Draugnim, Dysrhythmia, Ecferus, Eight Bells, Eternal Champion, Fates Warning, Forteresse, Gevurah, Ghoul, Ghoulgotha, Grave Miasma, Graves at Sea, Gruesome, Heavydeath, Helcaraxe, Hierophant, Hobbs' Angel of Death, Howls of Ebb, Ihsahn, Imperium Dekadenz, In Mourning, In the Woods, Inquisition, Insomnium, Interment, Inthyflesh, Inverloch, Ion Dissonance, Irkallian Oracle, Iskra, Katatonia, Krallice, Krater, Krypts, Latitudes, Lycus, Madder Mortem, Marsh Dweller, Messa, Mithras, Mizmor, Monolithe, Moonsorrow, Morrow, Nadra, Neurosis, Nucleus, Obscura, Oozing Wound, Nox Formulae, Numenorean, Panzerfaust, Phobocosm, Piss Vortex, Predatory Light, Profanatica, Ranger, Ravensire, Reptilian, Ringworm, Ripper, Ritual Chamber, Rotor, Ruinous, Russian Circles, Saor, Sarke, Schammasch, Scorched, Self-hatred, Seputus (featuring even MORE DOUG MOORE), Setentia, Sewercide, Skaphe, Sodom, Striker, SubRosa, Summit, Suspiral, Thrawsunblat, Thy Catafalque, Tombs, Torture Chain, Toska, Trap Them, Triumvir Foul, Tyfon's Doom, Ulcerate, Vanhelgd, Vukari, Vultures Vengeance, Waldgefluster, Winterfylleth, Witchery, Withered, Wounded Kings, Wretch, Zealotry, Zhrine, 16. Good luck to anyone brave enough to wade through that mess.

I tend to view 2016 a bit more in a positive light (talking about music ONLY) than Mike did, but I completely agree with his Metallica take, and he articulated it 1000x better than I could have done. In the leadup to the release, I was getting increasingly pumped with the release of each single, especially since it seemed like Metallica had finally uncovered their original love of NWOBHM, which has basically been entirely absent since And Justice For All (and even there it was pretty subdued). The album as a whole isn't terrible, I think, and it probably marks a general improvement (the singles are strong and Spit Out the Bone rules, dumb title aside). But the timing of its release absolutely highlighted just how vacuous, intellectually hollow, and ultimately soulless this thing is beyond its handful of good riffs. Had it come out earlier in the year we might pretended enthusiasm for a few weeks before the shine wore off. The band had to recognize that releasing an album one week after the election was incredibly risky (no matter the outcome, half the country would have been deeply wounded and/or furious); like so many late-period Metallica decisions, this one proved especially dumb. Even still, I've listened to it a fair amount out of a tired sense of duty to the genre and its former gods; I'm glad the band is showing signs of life, if nothing else. Maybe they'll get it together for the next album, in time for the next election. Assuming we still have those going forward.

Also Drowning Pool. But give it a listen anyway!

Seconding Doug, Carcass are a phenomenal live band, and if you're not all that familiar with their catalog, Heartwork and Necroticism are two of the best metal albums of the 90s, very much worth a deeper look. Inter Arma and Deafheaven are both great live bands, but Carcass is still probably the highlight of that lineup, and they're probably better live now than they ever were in the old days. Either way, that's a sick tour all around.

I have to chime in re: that Madder Mortem joint above. Full disclosure: I spent at least a week making fun of the other guys for liking this thing only to have it come around and bite me in the ass—give it at least two listens before you write it off as nonsense. The full album has some of the most affecting, fully-realized melodies I've heard on a metal album in god knows how long. The complexity / insanity of the whole thing lends it additional depth; its a grower unlike anything else you'll hear this year.

BONUS TRACKS, pt 3 Scorched - "Rot in Confinement" Awesome horror-themed 90s-style death from Delaware, courtesy of Unspeakable Axe / Dark Descent. Totally worthy of your dollars and/or attention. https://unspeakableaxerecords.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-dismemberment Antaeus - "Condemnation" 10 years after Blood Libels, french black metal act Antaeus are finally set to resurface with a new album. Expect atonal blasting and other unpleasantries; the production here isn't great, but it drastically improves once you dig in with the volume knob. Definitely leaves me eager to hear more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDu2zjVnrJI

BONUS TRACKS, pt 2 Vultures Vengeance - full EP stream Musty, dusty heavy metal magic from Rome, of all places, recommended "FOR FANS OF EARLY OMEN,EARLY STEEL ASSASSIN AND EARLY LIEGE LORD." Can't argue with that. https://vulturesvengeance.bandcamp.com/ Anaal Nathrakh - Full album stream Doug linked to their 4th album in his opening intro; here's their 9th and latest, which is something of a return to form, at least to my ears. I haven't spent much time with it, the riffing and overall production seems sufficiently absurd. File under mechanistic black/death/prog/grind mayhem. https://anaalnathrakh.bandcamp.com/album/the-whole-of-the-law

BONUS TRACKS, pt 1 Dark Tranquility - "Forward Momentum" and "Atoma" DT have always been solid if not quite spectacular, and their latest fits that description, even as they evolve into gloomy "mellow death" more akin to Katatonia than At the Gates, complete with clean singing, plinky keyboards, and downtempo rock drumming. Here's "Atoma" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_voh9WFbsM and "Forward Momentum" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suhuQlYZwtE Wormrot - full album stream Grindy grind from far far away (as in Singapore). Some folks didn't care for this one; I enjoyed it fine, though I'm not huge on grind anyway. The all-out blasting and blurred guitars seem a little more restrained compared to past efforts, but the trade-off is slightly more discernible hooks. I'm not complaining. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlPxgm0FSYw

Eek, you're right--Mike covered it in July. Good memory!

And one last chunk: DYSRHYTHMIA https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-veil-of-control Technically this isn’t a bonus track cuz we covered it back in July, but it came out last week, and it’s awesome, and you should buy it. Kevin Hufnagel and Colin Marston both also play in Gorguts (and a million other things, like Krallice, Withered, Vaura, Sabbath Assembly, and probably 20 more between them), but Dysrhythmia is special in its own right, as probably the best instrumental technical progressive collective going. Plus they used the hell out of a 12 string on this, which elevates them to the level of, uh, the Byrds or the Mission UK, which is to say RAREFIED AIR, folks. WALDGEFLUSTER https://nordvis.bandcamp.com/album/ruinen This is Wyatt metal, no question, meaning excellent atmospheric black metal with some strong pagan / woodsy vibes. We originally had this slated for the list but wound up bumping it for Saor or Tardigrada, both of which kill in similar but slightly different ways. For whatever reason, this is probably my favorite album in this style since Harakiri for the Sky, which is saying a lot. I also get some Woods of Desolation vibes. Killer lead guitars, melodies flying in every direction, surprisingly strong / never-bad clean singing, and lyrics in German, which never hurts. I give this the highest of heathen recommendations.

Bonus tracks, pt 2: KRYPTS https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/remnants-of-expansion Lovely Finnish death/doom of the highly listenable variety, from our friends at Dark Descent. I’m glad we got Ruinous on the list this month cuz it fucking kills; this one is every bit as good, with a gloomy, oppressive vibe all its own. Highly recommended. OOZING WOUND https://oozingwound.bandcamp.com/album/whatever-forever I think I shout about this album monthly but eternally forget to pitch it for the list. This is ostensibly some kind of mutant thrash, but it comes off more like a sludgy, thrashy, crossover hybrid of unnameable origin. Excellent riffs, great vibes, good times.

All right, let's try posting BONUS TRACKS in several chunks: BOLZER https://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/bolzer-i-am-iii It’s borderline insane that we left this one out, but… new Bolzer is pretty weird. Like if Blut Aus Nord decided to be Mastodon with some crusty Amebix swirled in. The riffs still have all the angles and wonderful strangeness we long for, but the vocals… I’ll let you decide. This might reappear next month; there are definitely better tracks on the album than the first single. THY CATAFALQUE https://thycatafalqueuk.bandcamp.com/album/meta Brutal weirdness butts up against some melodious spacious bits, and it is good. I really wanted to cover this one but we can’t do em all, sadly. It’s only been a year since Sgùrr came out last October, but Thy Catafalque must be especially active. Meta is MUCH heavier than the last album but no less dope.

Ugh, i posted a lengthy bonus tracks post, but it got lost in the void somehow. I'll try to get it back soon - check back for more goodies in a little bit

As always, some bonus tracks for the insatiable ears out there: BOLZER https://soundcloud.com/iron-bonehead-productions/bolzer-i-am-iii It’s borderline insane that we left this one out, but… new Bolzer is pretty weird. Like if Blut Aus Nord decided to be Mastodon with some crusty Amebix swirled in. The riffs still have all the angles and wonderful strangeness we long for, but the vocals… I’ll let you decide. This might reappear next month; there are definitely better tracks on the album than the first single. THY CATAFALQUE https://thycatafalqueuk.bandcamp.com/album/meta Brutal weirdness butts up against some melodious spacious bits, and it is good. I really wanted to cover this one but we can’t do em all, sadly. It’s only been a year since Sgùrr came out last October, but Thy Catafalque must be especially active. Meta is MUCH heavier than the last album but no less dope. KRYPTS https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/remnants-of-expansion Lovely Finnish death/doom of the highly listenable variety, from our friends at Dark Descent. I’m glad we got Ruinous on the list this month cuz it fucking kills; this one is every bit as good, with a gloomy, oppressive vibe all its own. Highly recommended. OOZING WOUND https://oozingwound.bandcamp.com/album/whatever-forever I think I shout about this album monthly but eternally forget to pitch it for the list. This is ostensibly some kind of mutant thrash, but it comes off more like a sludgy, thrashy, crossover hybrid of unnameable origin. Excellent riffs, great vibes, good times. DYSRHYTHMIA https://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-veil-of-control Technically this isn’t a bonus track cuz we covered it back in July, but it came out last week, and it’s awesome, and you should buy it. Kevin Hufnagel and Colin Marston both also play in Gorguts (and a million other things, like Krallice, Withered, Vaura, Sabbath Assembly, and probably 20 more between them), but Dysrhythmia is special in its own right, as probably the best instrumental technical progressive collective going. Plus they used the hell out of a 12 string on this, which elevates them to the level of, uh, the Byrds or the Mission UK, which is to say RAREFIED AIR, folks. WALDGEFLUSTER https://nordvis.bandcamp.com/album/ruinen This is Wyatt metal, no question, meaning excellent atmospheric black metal with some strong pagan / woodsy vibes. We originally had this slated for the list but wound up bumping it for Saor or Tardigrada, both of which kill in similar but slightly different ways. For whatever reason, this is probably my favorite album in this style since Harakiri for the Sky, which is saying a lot. I also get some Woods of Desolation vibes. Killer lead guitars, melodies flying in every direction, surprisingly strong / never-bad clean singing, and lyrics in German, which never hurts. I give this the highest of heathen recommendations.

just a tip of the hat to Wyatt for covering Mare Cognitum, which is easily one of my favorite albums of the year. there are tracks on this album that annihilate this first single, and this first single is already pretty damn wonderful. definitely seek this one out, guys.

god, this month was just utterly fucking stacked. the list of shit we didn't include is way longer than what we actually did. here's a slice of some of the fun stuff that didn't make the cut for one reason or another: SUMERLANDS https://sumerlands.bandcamp.com/track/the-guardian-3 Probably my favorite trad metal of the year thus far. Riffs that border on Dokken or Van Halen, vocals in the Ozzy zone, but an excellent sense of seriousness that makes me think of unsilly and awesome bands like Dawnbringer. Still hoping to cover this next month, but here's a track to keep you warm at night for the time being. BLACK TABLE https://blacktable.bandcamp.com/track/obtuse Another one that might come back for next month: black metal + sludge + crust combine for something that sounds a bit like especially gnarly screamo. Billy Anderson production pushes this one over the edge. DECOMPOSED https://chaos-records.bandcamp.com/track/submerged Wonderful Swedish death with no HM2's in sight. The groove riffs owe a major debt to Grave, which is obviously awesome, and a hint of dark atmospherics suggest they have broader influences than just Sweden (think Disincarnate). I'm kicking myself for not covering this one for August. WRETCH (stream the full album) https://badomenrecords.bandcamp.com/album/wretch This is the closest we'll ever get to another Gates of Slumber record, and hell, it's pretty great. After that band broke up a few years back, bassist Jason McCash overdosed on heroin; his best friend and former bandmate Karl Simon eventually put together another band and wrote an album detailing just how miserable it's been in the wake of that tragedy. The worst part: just as Wretch was releasing this a few weeks back, another former member of Gates of Slumber, J. Clyde Paradis, passed away as well. These guys all lived hard as hell, so I hope we can all reflect on our collective mortality as we enjoy the leaden and grungy street-doom on display here. SODOM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI6GXnBPDuQ A German thrash band far past their prime, but still one of my favorites, Sodom are not expected to put out good records anymore. I wound up liking this much more than expected, though lead single "Caligula" is a wee bit goofy. Either way, there's fun to be had. MESHUGGAH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtO3VCu5wv4 New Meshuggah is always cause to celebrate. We considered covering this for August but decided to hold off, figuring we'll get another chance and we might get an even more exciting song in the meantime. I like this plenty, but our resident Meshuggah experts (Doug and Ian) need to hear more of the record before delivering a final verdict. ASPHYX https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYNkQh6VDNk I adore Asphyx. Always. My adoration includes every album of their career, even those without Martin van Drunen on vocals. This track... is solid, if not actually exciting. They function better at midtempo death or drop-tempo death/doom, however, not this punkish, thrashy stuff that they occasionally dabble with. Rest assured, we will properly cover the new Asphyx album when we get a better single in our hands, but I wasn't about to blow my word count on this one. MITHRAS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr9HExEYcYc ANOTHER fucking killer death metal band dropped new material this month. (there was also new shit from Obituary, which was abominably shitty, and Vader, which was meh but bearable; none rise to the level of bonus track-worthy, so let's cut back to Mithras.) Cosmic Morbid Angel worship never sounded so good (well, besides Blood Incantation, but they play a different take on a similar theme)--Mithras shares members with Sarpanitum, another Black Market favorite, and I expect we'll give this some love when we get our hands on another single. This one fades out really abruptly, apparently because the track segues into another song, and it makes for a jarring end to an otherwise insane track. WINTERFYLLETH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kt_a1hfAg0 Yep, there's a new Winterfylleth album coming next month, and this is the first track to surface. This got very little attention somehow, perhaps because it wasn't fully pushed out as a single. It's also not quite up to the level of the last couple albums, so here's hoping the rest of the record is a step up from here. I love this band in general, but I demand more! Or hope for more, is more accurate. Here's hoping. ION DISSONANCE https://soundcloud.com/goodfightent/ion-dissonance-treading-on-thin-ice Who here remembers these guys? Early to mid-2000's technical mathcore/deathcore hybrid insanity, these guys were playing waaaay before deathcore devolved into dreck like Oceano and Whitechapel. And this new track... rules. We came damn close to covering it here, and we still might next time around (like everything else in this list). CANDIRIA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTXbtL1Kor8 Ok ok, now who remembers THIS band? I won't pretend this is great, but it's fun to hear these guys still playing their batshit hybrid of hardcore, prog, hip hop, and jazz. Here we get a legit scat-bebop section during the middle 8 right before Carley Coma belts out the longest scream ever. Still insane after all these years.