Lmst

Charting the course to 2026: reflecting on 70000tons of Metal 2025 Artist Spotlight: Kalmah:

By Grin Reaper

Something about neoclassical instrumentation forged between the hammer and the anvil kindles the embers of my withered Reaper heart. Whether tasting northern comfort with Children of Bodom, basking in festering swamp songs with Kalmah, or unleashing hell with Norther, Finland has long asserted a stranglehold on melodeath of the symphonic persuasion.1 That is, until a modest French foursome threw down the gauntlet. I first encountered Aephanemer between Prokopton and A Dream of Wilderness, and it was love at first listen. Their classical flourishes seamlessly converge with aggressive riffing to develop complex layers of hook-infested earworms so inescapable that no prescription can rid me of their iron thrall. Four years after their last outing, Aephanemer returns with a mature interpretation of their signature sonic stamp.

Grabbing the reins to shepherd listeners to new frontiers of what melodic death metal can sound like, Aephanemer reemerges to show us the way to Utopie. Evolving the neoclassical components of platters past, Aephanemer fully realizes a stunning merger of melodeath and symphonic orchestrations.2 On Utopie, the band crafts an experience that sounds like it was written with classical composition as its basis rather than as a reservoir of embellishments. Earlier albums comprised songs with classical ingredients, but on Utopie, Aephanemer sculpts a singular work with movements and motifs that unfold through its fifty-one-minute runtime, giving the album a degree of unity and cohesion that is sometimes sought yet rarely achieved in modern music.

Where Utopie’s soundscape exudes consonance, its composition is structured in two halves. The front bears quicker, sticky numbers while the back embraces longer-form, sweeping arrangements. “Contrepoint” appropriately serves as the intermediary between each half, though the track itself conforms to the fore’s characteristics. “Le Cimetière Marin,” “La Règle du Jeu,” and “Par-delà le Mur des Siècles” fashion an opening trio of gluey tunes that flow harmoniously into one another, surprising me with how quickly those fifteen minutes pass every time I listen. The final triad of tracks encompass half the album’s runtime and deliver the soaring majesty of epics while maintaining momentum. Throughout, Aephanemer’s galloping rhythms, arpeggiated leads, and bubbly tom rolls (plus intermittent flute trills and orchestral strings) sustain a vital energy, providing a pervasive sense of kinesis and grandeur. Martin Hamiche’s guitar tone is buoyant and silky,3 the perfect counterpoint to Marion Bascoul’s harsh rasps. Mickaël Bonnevialle underpins Aephanemer’s bombast with flurries of fills and rolls, always in support of the overarching sound while occasionally commanding well-deserved spotlight. Even as a three-piece, the band performs as tightly as ever.

Utopie is the sound of a band with a vision so crisp and vivid that all you need to do is close your eyes to be whisked away to paradise. Aephanemer oozes jubilance and confidence, harnessing the successes of previous albums and honing them to an eager edge, sallying forth with nary a concern for detractors. In a year where melodeath claimed two of 2025’s Records o’ the Month (Aversed and In Mourning), plus saw releases from Amorphis, Buried Realm, Mors Principium Est, and Vittra, Utopie claims the top spot of the genre in my humble (but accurate) estimation. Aephanemer in 2025 best embodies the spirit and triumph of what symphonic melodeath can do, mustering a celebration of undeniable charm and panache. Go forth and embrace bliss. Go to Utopie.

Tracks to Check Out: “Le Cimetiére Marin,” “Contrepoint,” “La Rivière Souterraine,” “Utopie (Partie II)”

#2025 #aephanemer #amorphis #aversed #buriedRealm #childrenOfBodom #frenchMetal #inMourning #kalmah #melodeath #melodicDeathMetal #morsPrincipiumEst #napalmRecords #norther #symphonicMetal #thingsYouMightHaveMissed2025 #tymhm #utopie #vittra

Bloodbound – Field of Swords Review

By Baguette of Bodom

Bloodbound has always been a band with a confusing identity. These Swedes lit up a storm with debut Nosferatu in 2006, an underappreciated heavy/power gem fusing the best of Iron Maiden’s gallops with the hooks of Helloween and HammerFall. The golden pipes of Urban Breed (ex-Tad Morose) were the cherry on top. However, the curse of unstable lineups would strike. Urban Breed would leave for one album, rejoin for the odd-but-good, progpower-meets-Kalmah melodeath sound of Tabula Rasa, and promptly leave again. A decade of struggles followed, ranging from watered-down HammerFall to withered Sabaton to simply tepid heavy metal. 2021’s Creatures of the Dark Realm was a surprising resurgence, drifting Bloodbound more towards saccharine Europower. This brings us to newcomer Field of Swords. Where does it fit into this unconventional discography?

Field of Swords doubles down on Bloodbound’s recent melodic adventures. The double bass drumming of ’90s power metal is immediately recognizable, following in the steps of Stratovarius and HammerFall. The guitar work, too, has rejuvenated. Gone are almost all of the Sabatonisms that marred some of the band’s lowest points; here, the Olsson brothers’ rhythmic assault is simple but effective (“As Empires Fall,” “Born to Be King”), and its attitude carries the medieval fantasy spirit of [Luca Turilli(‘s) / Lione] Rhapsody [of Fire] minus the wank. The vocals of Patrik J. Selleby fit this style like a glove, his adapted performance being one of the strongest of his tenure thus far.

Bloodbound’s newfound breakneck pace and consistency are their greatest assets. The decision to go borderline sparkly on Field of Swords could have backfired, marking yet another sudden left turn in a discography full of them. Instead, it feels like a natural development from the past three albums. While the album on the surface is written like standard ’90s–’00s melodic power metal (“Field of Swords”), the execution of classic power chord choruses leading into blazing solos (“The Code of Warriors,” “Forged in Iron”) is surprisingly fiery and fun. Most importantly, Field of Swords forgoes balladry and prioritizes speed for a lion’s share of its 45-minute runtime. The record has a unified image unusual of Bloodbound. It’s not infallible—the unnecessary Sabaton sing-along stomp rears its head on the second half of “Pain and Glory”—but it is tightly-knit in a way I greatly appreciate.

As catchy as Field of Swords is, there are a few things preventing it from being a resounding success. For one, Bloodbound rely too much on one-note Battle Beastian disco synths. While Fredrik Bergh contributes plenty of pleasant backing bombast to the album as well, his main weapon of choice is sharp and high up in the mix, leading to fatigue on some otherwise strong choruses (“Defenders of Jerusalem,” “Light the Sky”). The band is still not immune to odd songwriting shifts either. In addition to the aforementioned “Pain and Glory” stumble, closing track “The Nine Crusades” features Unleash the Archers’ talented Brittney Slayes, only for her voice to drown under sappiness unfit for the record. Even so, the concoction here is potent. Cuts like “Land of the Brave” and “Light the Sky” are some of Bloodbound’s fastest and most energetic to date, and this sudden burst of frenzy is admirable of a veteran band.

For the first time in a while, Bloodbound’s sound has a true sense of direction. Field of Swords’ all-gas, no-brakes approach gives the record more urgency than they’ve had in forever, and both the songwriting and album flow greatly benefit in return. Despite some lingering issues, Field of Swords ends up being one of the better albums in the band’s catalog. Both Creatures of the Dark Realm and this album indicate the Europower-forward realignment continues to work in their favor. I can’t say I don’t still long for the days of Nosferatu, and Bloodbound could place a bit more faith in their strong guitar work and vocal lines, but whatever they’re doing is paying off once more. I can only hope this progress continues.

Rating: Good!
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stream o’ Piss
Label: Napalm Records | Bandcamp
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram
Releases Worldwide: November 21st, 2025

#lucaTurillisLioneRhapsodyOfFire #2025 #30 #battleBeast #bloodbound #fieldOfSwords #hammerfall #helloween #ironMaiden #kalmah #napalmRecords #nov25 #powerMetal #review #reviews #sabaton #stratovarius #swedishMetal #tadMorose #unleashTheArchers

Mors Principium Est – Darkness Invisible Review

By Angry Metal Guy

Mors Principium Est should, for longtime fans of Angry Metal Guy, need no introduction. Since 2003, these Finns have released eight full-length albums of top-notch melodic death metal. However, they really took flight in 2012 with …and Death Said Live!, which coincidentally is a year after Andy Gillion joined the band. Between 2011 and 2021, Mors produced melodic death metal that drew heavily on a strong Gothenburg vibe; guitar-forward, slick as fuck, and fun to listen to. Gillion was fired, however, in 2021. That was followed by the band releasing an album of re-recorded songs called Liberate the Unborn Inhumanity, which fans largely considered a half-measure. Darkness Invisible, then, marks the first truly new material since Seven. And I’ve been dying to know how this revamped Mors Principium Est would navigate the changes on album number nine.

Darkness Invisible presents a recognizable core sound that longtime fans will connect with, but its character reflects the shift in the lineup. With Ville Viljanen’s scathing roar still at the helm, the return of Jori Haukio and Jarkko Kokko on guitars reintroduces the early 2000s songwriting DNA, while bassist Teemu Heinola and (new guy) Marko Tommila give the rhythm section both drive and dynamic weight. Together, they summon a melodeath that is at once cinematic, technical, and blackened—evoking countrymen Children of Bodom or Kalmah. The themes that emerge are darker than before: a push toward massive symphonic density that occasionally brushes against Septic Flesh’s deathly grandeur, the arrival of deeper guttural vocals that tilt passages toward brutal death, and flashes of blackened riffing that lend a sharp edge. These elements intermingle across the album, creating a record that is both familiar and ambitious.

Much of Darkness Invisible’s character comes from its dark dynamics and cinematic presentation. The compositions weaponize contrast in vocals and atmosphere, making for a dynamic and entertaining record. Viljanen’s familiar bark remains the anchor of MPE’s sound, but the band now folds in cavernous gutturals that push closer to death metal extremity (“Summoning the Dark”), even contrasting these with operatic cleans and producing a clash of brutality and grandeur (“All Life Is Evil”). Additionally, there’s a frost that creeps into the riffs and drumming, with trem-picked riffs and blastbeats sharpening the band’s melodeath foundation toward something blackened and sinister (see: the chorus of “Venator,” or the end of “The Rivers of Avernus”). And even the more straightforward cuts employ these textures to broaden their weight, layering symphonic swells and bleak grandeur over increasingly technical riffing. The result is a record that sounds darker and denser than the glossy sheen of Seven. This expansion lends ambition and menace, though the density of choirs, gutturals, and orchestrations sometimes threatens to swamp the guitars that were the core of Mors’ sound.

For all its ambition, Darkness Invisible’s major drawback is that it’s undermined by an Industry Standard Production Job™ courtesy of Jens Bogren (mixing) and Tony Lindgren (mastering). Bogren has made dense orchestral metal soar before—think how cleanly he’s wrangled maximalist arrangements for acts like Fleshgod Apocalypse and Turisas—which makes this result unusual. The record is mastered loud and layered thick; climaxes hit hard,1 but the constant stacking of choirs, vocals, multiple guitar tracks, drums, and orchestration often clutters the field and can bury the guitars that most recently defined Mors Principium Est. On a proper stereo, the album sounds big and sinister—fully loaded with dynamics, pomp, and grandeur—but on earbuds and smaller setups, it can collapse into a busy blur. It’s been a long time since I popped in a new release and found it simply too crowded for casual listening—and it ends up being fatiguing to the ear at times. That busyness contributes to the album’s oppressive mood, but it also blunts individual performances. In reaching for monumental scale, the mix trades away clarity, leaving the listener torn between admiration for scope and frustration at execution.

Darkness Invisible has convinced me that this lineup can carry Mors Principium Est forward. The shift in sound works: the band leans harder into Children of Bodom and Dark Tranquillity on the melodic side, showing off fantastic guitar work while embracing a more cinematic and melodramatic identity. Without the bonus track, the album lands at a vinyl-friendly 46 minutes, and its structural pacing—variations in tempo, atmosphere, and density—make it a fun and dynamic listen despite the crowded mix. Darkness Invisible doesn’t bear much resemblance to the Gillion era, but that’s not necessarily a weakness.2 This darker and more melodramatic Mors Principium Est feels fresh, and tracks like “All Life Is Evil” and “The Rivers of Avernus” prove the style’s promise. So, I entered this review with concerns about what a Gillion-less Mors Principium Est would sound like, and I’m leaving it impressed and excited for what’s to come. I would call that a great success.

Rating: Very Good!
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s CBR MP3
Label: Perception [Reigning Phoenix Music]
Websites: Facebook | Instagram
Out Worldwide: September 26th, 2025

#AndDeathSaidLive #2025 #35 #AndyGillion #ChildrenOfBodom #DarkTranquillity #DarknessInvisible #FinnishMetal #FleshgodApocalypse #JensBogren #Kalmah #MelodicDeathMetal #MorsPrincipiumEst #OrchestralMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep25 #SepticFlesh #Seven #TonyLindgren #Turisas

Band photo of Mors Principium Est (2025), five members in black leather standing on a rocky shore under a cloudy sky.

Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty Review

By Dolphin Whisperer

Incepted as an offshoot of Carcassian lineage, early breakout albums Wages of Sin (2001) and Doomsday Machine (2005) spread like wildfire in the emerging world of digital accessibility. In particular, clips from the 2006 DVD Live Apocalypse, popped around early YouTube further quenching the thirst for the powerful live performances that the once ravenous act possessed—at least that’s my memory of how the melodeath-leaning Swedes came to be a global powerhouse. Arch Enemy’s current incarnation does not lack stage-ready talent, of course—professionals thrive on the tour. The still vicious Alissa White-Gluz (ex-The Agonist) and youthful shredder Joey Concepcion (ex-Armageddon,1 ex-The Absence) round out the strength of time-tested veterans. But with the hunger of success so satiated, what left does Arch Enemy have to fuel their 12th album, Blood Dynasty?

Succeeding primarily on the flash of sticky songs and not engrossing albums, Arch Enemy has little reason to play anything more than a bit of what their fans want and a bit of what they want. In this sense, founding guitarist and primary songwriting contributor Michael Amott feeds off of his second guitarist for energy. While Nevermore shredder Jeff Loomis2 is far from a slouch on the fretboard, his histrionic contributions seemed to follow Arch Enemy down a path of slower builds, chunkier riff platforms, and moodier atmospheres that didn’t always gel with the typically brighter appeal that cemented their lofty status. Particularly on 2022’s preceding Deceivers, the pace had grown so slow that getting to any of blistering guitar heroism—whether from Amott or Loomis—felt like a chore.

In fresh character Concepcion’s ’80s tinged trades with Amott bring a lot to the Blood Dynasty table, with Arch Enemy breezing through certain tracks with the fanciful flair of guitar pyrotechnics. Early cut “Dream Stealer” brings with it a Judas Priest-indebted whammy-to-meltdown solo tirade that highlights the axeslingers’ chemistry well. And later cuts “Don’t Look Down” and “Blood Dynasty” lead with the synth-boosted, mid-paced power/melodeath fist-pump that you’d hear in a galloping Kalmah or late era Dark Tranquillity piece. Truthfully, though, Blood Dynasty’s biggest hit, in its soulful and faithful cover of olde French heavy metal act Blaspheme’s “Vivre Libre,” comes when Arch Enemy, quite literally, is not trying to be Arch Enemy at all, White-Gluz eschewing any harsh vocal stylings for a gruff and joyful croon. But this kind of fun feels right in a late career album—quick hitters loaded with light-hearted riffage and falsetto wails (“A Million Suns,” “Paper Tiger,” respectively)—and a full load of it could have spelled well for Arch Enemy decriers.

However, true to the typical Arch Enemy experience, a number of songs still exist in the too familiar or too uneventful realm that weigh down the whole of Blood Dynasty. There’s an irony to the theme of “March of the Miscreants,” a festival-ready machination—complete with a bridge ready for “Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey” call and response—about how the underdog can’t be sold and can’t be bought, an ethos that doesn’t sit well while listening to one of the largest metal bands in the world. And between that conundrum, the alternative rock anthemics of “Illuminate the Path,” and the only slightly deathened power metal romps that close the journey (“The Pendulum,” “Liars & Thieves”), Blood Dynasty trips over its most cohesive and swaggering elements to pump out tunes that feel rollicking enough to appeal to fans of modern acts like Unleash the Archers or Frozen Crown without letting harsh vocal moments steer them too far astray. White-Gluz has a diverse and practiced voice that ensures that none of these detours ever sound unpleasant, but the frequent urge to skip these painted-with-broad-strokes cuts persists.

Arch Enemy has nothing to prove at this stage. Blood Dynasty holds a higher than expected percentage of fun-inducing tracks that should serve plenty for long-time fans—high bombast, easy-to-digest, chorus-loaded, melodic death(ish) metal. At its most offensive, Arch Enemy simply delivers repeatable words and over horns-up riffs that act as heavy metal placeholders, recognizable as aggressive noise but built to blend in. For those just dipping their toes into the world of amplified abandon, this less extreme endeavor may even be preferable, a shareable, attainable badge of honor. But if your coworker recommends you Blood Dynasty, you can likely blow their mind with something better.3

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Century Media | Bandcamp
Websites: archenemy.band | archenemyofficial.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: March 28th, 2025

#25 #2025 #ArchEnemy #Blaspheme #BloodDynasty #CenturyMediaRecords #DarkTranquillity #HeavyMetal #JudasPriest #Kalmah #Mar25 #MelodicDeathMetal #Review #Reviews #SwedishMetal

New Artist announced for 70.000 TONS OF METAL Festival 2025

Kalmah

Added top 5 songs to the playlist 70.000 TONS OF METAL Festival 2025

Listen now on YouTube Music: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB5UNN-XlHr1Y2InGhyGwonUwZI1Afb_c

#70.000_TONS_OF_METAL_Festival_2025 #Kalmah #fyre_festivals #ytmusic

Today is a good day for streaming #Kalmah albums.

#Kalmah #BrutalAssault #BA2024 #metal #swampmetal

AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö: Veriteras – The Dark Horizon

By Dolphin Whisperer

“AMG’s Unsigned Band Rodeö” is a time-honored tradition to showcase the most underground of the underground—the unsigned and unpromoted. This collective review treatment continues to exist to unite our writers in boot or bolster of the bands who remind us that, for better or worse, the metal underground exists as an important part of the global metal scene. The Rodeö rides on.”

Founded in 2018, Veriteras has a very simple mission, to produce melodeath! Hailing from the renowned hot bed of heavy, Seattle, Washington, these Scandinavian-inspired songsmiths offer their sophomore outing with the same energy from which they initially debuted—that’s to say, mostly, that there’s little in the way of frills here. But with a guest tambourine performance and production courtesy of the fabled Dan Swanö (formerly of Edge of Sanity and so much more), is there more to The Dark Horizon than meets the eye? Travel to the edge with our brave rodeö staffers and find out! – Dolphin Whisperer

Veriteras // The Dark Horizon [April 11th, 2024]

Steel Druhm: Seattle-based symphonic melodeath act Veriteras are really inspired by classic Scandinavian melodeath, especially the stuff that was released in the aughts. On their sophomore outing The Dark Horizon you’ll hear tons of influences from Kalmah, Wintersun, and Norther leaking into their energetic output. The good news is that Veriteras execute the style well, delivering high-octane cuts that sound like they’re from a different era. The bad news is the material sounds like it’s from a now stale era you’ve heard a million times. That doesn’t necessarily ruin the good times though. Tracks like opener “Certainty” blast forth like prime Kalmah with riffs flying, drums thundering, and keyboards blaring. It’s a formula that worked in 2002 and still kinda works. The best cuts either bowl you over with hyper-kinetic thrash polka (“Celestial Darkness, “Manufactured Dreams”) or soar into the night skies with epic blackened majesty à la Wintersun (“Blinding”). “Blinding” in particular is surprisingly sticky, glorious, and regal. The fact that all the songs sit in the two-to-four minute pocket while the album runs an anorexic thirty-one minutes adds to the high-speed sugar rush. The guitar work is classy, the vocals have ample bite, and the keyboards are overweening and cheese-coated. A lovely production courtesy of Dan “the fucking MAN” Swanö doesn’t hurt none either. You won’t hear anything new here, but Veriteras dish up a nostalgic blast of catchy ear-cheese with polish and pomp aplenty. Since we likely won’t be getting Time II until the very end of time, this can fill the Wintersun void some folks have in their wretched lives. 3.0/5.0

Doom et Al: Ah, melodeath. A tough sub-genre because everyone has their own idea about how much “melo” and how much “death” constitutes the ideal balance for a band. If you’re on the “I like things on the melodic end of the spectrum—gimme that Jester Race goodness!” then Seattle based band, Veriteras, and their sophomore full-length, The Dark Horizon, should be right up your alley. Delivering some old-school, hyper-melodic melodeath, this is an impressive showing, managing to sound catchy and epic without the tendency to slip into a power metal cheese vat. At its best, the album reminds us why those early melodeath bands were so popular—it’s fun, energetic and never loses momentum. Stand-outs include the jaunty “Sanctuary,” the rollickin’ “Manufactured Dreams” and my personal favorite, “Blinding.” Criticisms include a slightly monotone vocal performance, a crushed production I don’t love, and perhaps an over-reliance on an existing aesthetic. Nevertheless, this is a grand ole time and some of the more entertaining melodeath I’ve heard this year. A band with huge potential. 3.0/5.0

Dear Hollow: I’m not much of a Kalmah dweeb and I’m not the biggest melodeath fan, but the likes of Wintersun,1 In Mourning and Eternal Storm have cemented themselves into the hall of Hollow. Likewise, Veriteras creates a tasty blend of infectious earworms against a backdrop of crunchy rhythms that brings the emotion and warfare in equal measure. Rock-solid writing that puts melody first and all else second is a smart move for this, as tracks like “Certainty,” “Abyss,” and “Blinding” deal in traditional Dark Tranquillity blends of melodic runs tinged with Gothenburg sensibilities, while “Celestial Darkness” embraces the folky 6/8 waltz of Elvenking. The one-two punch of “Sanctuary” and “Manufactured Dreams” contains the most memorable riffs and absolutely infectious melodies that linger like a fever you don’t want rid of. While the vast majority of The Dark Horizon offers bulletproof melodeath, “Last Rites” and “Retrograde” fall short with frailer melodies that don’t stick, while the folky proceedings of “Celestial Darkness” are an island unto itself—all wrapped up in a production that feels a tad paper-thin and muddled (i.e. the chugs of “Light in the Darkness” feel too weak). Overall, Veriteras is fun as hell, offering melodic ear candy aplenty that’ll rot your earteeth2 if you’re not careful. 2.5/5.0

Felagund: Rightly or wrongly, I’ve grown to view most anything labeled “melodic death metal” with suspicion. While it used to be a go-to genre tag, I’ve been burned too many times by “melodeath” bands that are less At the Gates and more watered-down, uninspired metalcore boasting a few clean choruses. Thankfully, Veriteras doesn’t fall into that trap on this second full-length The Dark Horizon. They’ve delivered a solid platter, one with plenty of melodeath heft, with some blackened shrieks and symphonic elements for good measure. The Dark Horizon is indeed a satisfactory sophomore effort. Things fall flat for me, however, when the band begins to lean so heavily into the “melodic” part of “melodic death metal” that they break on through to the power metal side. I noted a faint whiff of cheese on “Celestial Darkness,” but it becomes a noticeable dairy deluge on the ironically-titled, happy-time tune “Abyss,” “Last Rights” with its power metal cleans, and “Manufactured Dreams,” which sounds like the soundtrack to your very own seafaring quest. These choices don’t make for a bad album, but it’s certainly not what I’m looking for in my narrow-minded view of modern day melodeath. I’m sure there are any number of Fellowship fans who will read this blurb and question if I actually know what power metal is. But there are various kinds of cheese, and they all don’t have to be Limburger to qualify. I’ll keep the tremelo, the chugging riffs, and the blackened vocals, but next time, I think I’ll order my Veriteras without the side of melo-mozzarella. 2.5/5.0

#2024 #AmericanMetal #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo #AngryMetalGuySUnsignedBandRodeo2024 #Apr24 #DarkTranquillity #DeathMetal #Elvenking #EternalStorm #InMourning #IndependentRelease #Kalmah #MelodicDeathMetal #Norther #SelfRelease #TheDarkHorizon #Veriteras #Wintersun

Got no metal cover of a non metal song for @DXMacGuffin's #FridayMetalCovers, but at least a metal cover of a metal song 🤩

Kalmah covering Cold Sweat by Thin Lizzy, on invidious/youtube here:
https://yt.artemislena.eu/watch?v=WVbuWRcJQm4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVbuWRcJQm4

#Music #Metal #Cover #Kalmah

Northern Genocide – The Point of No Return Review

By GardensTale

Just like a sommelier can (allegedly) sense and describe the minutest differences between wines that may seem identical to the less learned, so can the seasoned metalhead identify regional differences and genre influences that laypersons may question with the tried and true adage: “It’s all just noise, isn’t it?” Melodic death metal has many offshoots and flavors, but the Finnish variety tends to be instantly recognizable anyway, often thanks to a melodic core that draws from neoclassical- and power metal. Northern Genocide wears this hat with pride but then proceeds to layer a bunch of other hats on top until defenestrated by the owner of the hatshop. This has led to two things in the past: I reviewed the previous album Genesis vol. 666 as an industrial metal album, and I was downright impressed by how well the band pulled off a whole stack of hats. Can this feat be repeated?

Absolutely! The Point of No Return skews a little more melodic death metal than its predecessor, but still draws from the industrial pit with gusto, and dots the landscape with symphonic-inspired stubs to boot. To sketch with band names, it most resembles an amalgamation of Noumena, early Kalmah and Turmion Kätilöt with a theatrical streak and an IV full of caffeine. Though never going into hyperspeed, it’s got a ton of energy and drive, and the songwriting is incredibly lean. I’d barely be able to scrape a minute of fat off the 41 minutes of music. Northern Genocide seems to be deathly allergic to boredom, and ensures there is always something going on and grabbing your attention. Instead of beauty and the beast vocals, we have beauty, the beast, the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe all jumping in, with a solid growl and a raw blackened snarl the two main characters. Rapid riffs and sweeping licks bounce back and forth, with slick synths either embellishing or outstripping both.

This may sound like pandemonium, and if you’re not a little inclined to such a hyperactive approach it may get overwhelming at times, but this chaos is calculated. The rhythm section is kept more straightforward, and there is always one leading melody to ride, even when this baton is passed between different vocals and instruments every other bar. And the band refuses to let that variety do all of the heavy lifting: even brief bridges are incredibly infectious, laden with addictive hooks and interesting interplay. With this many tools at its disposal, Northern Genocide makes every track different and rewarding, from the bite-sized epic “Harbingers of Genocide” and the swift assault of “Icaros” to the anthemic “Para Bellum” and Egyptian melodies rendered in synths of “The Engram.”

The only track I don’t love is “My Fortress.” On the one hand, with the relatively dense layering and energetic pacing of the other tracks, a mid-paced centerpiece makes for a nice breather. But it doesn’t engage the way the rest of the album does, particularly the plodding chorus, and instead kills the momentum quite abruptly. The female vocals remind pleasantly of Anneke van Giersbergen (The Gathering et al) but aren’t quite at that spellbinding level, and they can’t compensate for the lackluster riffs. In addition, though the production is good, it’s a step down from Genesis. It is not as warm and rich as before, though the mixing is as solid as can be with this much going on, and the master is not so loud as to make a spin needlessly tiring.

What The Point of No Return boils down to is that intangible, unquantifiable term: FUN. It is a wicked, wild, joyous ride, full of excess and abandon, where everything goes all-in but the musicianship and songwriting are so good it all gets wrangled into a form that’s easy to digest but leaves a lot of details to appreciate on return spins. It’s difficult to suppress a grin when the beat drops or a particularly characteristic vocal flourish comes along, so I recommend: forget the suppression and let that smile split your face. Northern Genocide are getting damn close to list-worthy greatness here, and I can’t wait for more of their infectious exuberance.1

Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Inverse Records
Websites: northerngenocide.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/northerngenocide
Releases Worldwide: March 1st, 2024

#2024 #35 #FinnishMetal #IndustrialMetal #InverseRecords #Kalmah #Mar24 #MelodicDeathMetal #NorthernGenocide #Noumena #Review #Reviews #SymphonicMetal #TheGathering #ThePointOfNoReturn #TurmionKätilöt

#NowPlaying probably the full Kalmah discography, after repeating Bullets are Blind half a dozen times... 🥰

I spare you links to all those albums, but here is Bullets are Blind on invidious/youtube:
https://yt.artemislena.eu/watch?v=LbwQs1IsvLI
https://youtu.be/LbwQs1IsvLI

#Music #Metal #MelodicDeathMetal #Kalmah

Sea of Consciousness – Sea of Consciousness Review

By Eldritch Elitist

Credit where credit is due: Sea of Consciousness might be the first band outside of Napalm Records-core to don color-coordinated robes, and I think that’s just kinda neat. It’s further refreshing to see this band releasing their unsigned debut in January, rather than in the slaughterhouse of the autumn pre-awards season. I’d like to think Sea of Consciousness realizes that an early-year release gives them a larger platform by default. With these Dutch upstarts’ ambitious spread of extreme metal styles – so ambitious, in fact, that I cannot categorize without mentioning multiple genres – they’re going to need it.

I’ll delve into that wide-ranging aesthetic, but not before acknowledging that Sea of Consciousness is built on a foundation of good ol’ fashioned heavy metal. In the album’s first third especially, every third riff seems to invoke Iron Maiden, or even my beloved 3 Inches of Blood. Countless genre branches explode from this bedrock; this record owes a lot to Voivod and late-era Death, with secondary inspirations as far-reaching as Kalmah (“Persistence”), Immortal (“Solitudo”), and Celtic Frost (“Torchbearer”). And for its pollock-esque approach, Sea of Consciousness is often damn good. Its aggressive sections flow infectiously, and aside from one riff on “Torchbearer” that practically steals one of the best riffs from Death’s “Spirit Crusher1,” Sea of Consciousness refrains from leaning too hard into any one influence. They are absolutely derivative, which makes it all the more impressive that they’ve still crafted a distinctive experience.

There is a flashing red weak point in all of this, and it reveals itself through Sea of Consciousness’s inscrutable desire to kill their own flow. The eponymous / title track and “Misconception” might have been Sea of Consciousness’s two best compositions, if not for thematically empty detours into vapid clean sections defined by water-flavored arpeggios. Early Opeth may be the inspiration here, but these tangents are a far cry from those on Orchid and Morningrise2. Tracks from the record’s midsection rely on clean passages as more of a central hook, which pays off in more memorable and emotive fashion (see: “Reflections”), but still feel like they play against the band’s more propulsive strengths. Frustratingly, this results in a gulf of quality, with Sea of Consciousness seemingly unable to differentiate between compelling and stale ideas.

With so many stylistic pivots, one would expect a similarly dynamic singer, and Bionda Honings takes up the task while swinging for the fences. Those swings are, ultimately, a bit too wild. Bionda is certainly chameleonic in adapting several styles of harsh and clean vocals, but in a fitting metaphor for the album as a whole, certain modes work better for her than others. Her upper-range harsh vocals drip with venom, but her gutturals and mid-range growls are oddly lacking in force. Cleans are similarly hit or miss, with her loose vibrato and jolting volume shifts being detrimental in instances such as the otherwise nuanced “Solitudo.” Yet for all my gripes, these surprisingly prevalent cleans are Sea of Consciousness’s most distinctive asset, aiming for raw emotion over theatrical precision and injecting the proceedings with considerable character. That’s not to say that she overshadows the instrumentalists; the band as a whole is immensely talented, but that’s a baseline requirement when debuting in the bottomless ocean that is underground extreme metal.

Sea of Consciousness’s range of sounds is novel and often admirable. That said, I think there’s a reason why we don’t often see such wildly eclectic acts receive critical acclaim or a wider audience. The idea of an artist that pays genre lines no heed is enticing on paper, but without expert care, it feels like a glorified collage. Thankfully, most of the pieces Sea of Consciousness grabbed in cobbling this debut together are individually intriguing and occasionally unique. It frequently frustrates, of course, but I think the fact that I want to keep talking about this record regardless speaks volumes for the band’s potential. Scraps of greatness have been gathered here, and if Sea of Consciousness can rearrange them into something truly compelling, their sophomore effort could be monumental. Until then, I give this record a cautious recommendation to adventurous, omnivorous, and forgiving extreme metal connoisseurs.

Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 73 | Format Reviewed: NA
Label: Self-Released
Websites: seaofconsciousness.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/SeaofConsciousness.official
Releases Worldwide: January 12th, 2024

#25 #2024 #3InchesOfBlood #BlackMetal #CelticFrost #Death #DutchMetal #Immortal #IronMaiden #Jan24 #Kalmah #MelodicDeathMetal #Opeth #Review #Reviews #SeaOfConsciousness #SelfRelease #ThrashMetal #Voivod

Kalmah – Kalmah [Things You Might Have Missed 2023]

By Maddog

I’ve seen surprisingly little hype about Kalmah’s self-titled album. It hasn’t popped up on mainstream end-of-year lists. Even melodeath addict Wvrm and promo bin overlord Steel didn’t hear about it until after it came out. Alongside bands like Children of Bodom, Kalmah held the reins of Finnish melodic death metal in the early 2000s. Blending blistering melodic riffs with prominent synths, Kalmah defined their sound twenty years ago and has reveled in it ever since. Emerging five years after Palo, Kalmah’s self-titled shows them doing what they do best. It doesn’t redefine melodeath, but it’s exactly what you’d want from a new Kalmah record: consistent, memorable, and exhilarating.

Kalmah is a scorcher from start to finish. Kalmah has always been a master of fiery riffcraft, and they show no signs of slowing down. From the melodic acrobatics of “Veil of Sin” to the straightforward death metal of “Taken before Given,” Kalmah is a shot of adrenaline. The synth leads, a staple of Finnish melodeath, are prominent enough to add depth but subdued enough to avoid sounding cheesy. On the other hand, the softer clean sections add variety without compromising catchiness, like on the emotive closer “Drifting in a Dream.” Kalmah deftly merges these elements into a satisfying whole; “Taken before Given,” for example, hopscotches among simple death metal riffs, a ferocious chorus, infectious shouted vocals, and a flailing guitar solo, nailing them all. No song here is a laggard, as Kalmah grabs my attention and refuses to let go.

While Kalmah shines throughout its 44 minutes, its climaxes take things to another level. The choruses are a spectacle, with “No Words Sad Enough” tugging at your heart before “Home Sweet Hell” sends you into a frenzy. Meteoric melodies appear from nowhere to break and enter your skull, like the explosive midsection of “Tons of Chaos.” Kalmah plays you like a puppet on tracks like “Veil of Sin,” by providing brief breathers before re-escalating into pandemonium. These climaxes are both thrilling in their own right and a testament to Kalmah’s songwriting prowess. The record’s peaks and valleys make it feel like a dynamic experience where novelty is always right around the corner. While Kalmah is solid throughout, its high points make it even more irresistible.

Kalmah is a complete package. It’s a constant page-turner, from the gripping opening of “Haunted by Guilt” to the somber keys of “Drifting in a Dream.” Despite staying within Kalmah’s comfort zone, it ranges from take-no-prisoners death metal to elegiac ballads without losing steam. Its climaxes are both ferocious fun in isolation and a roller coaster in aggregate. Even the cover art, courtesy of Niklas Sundin (Mitochondrial Sun, ex-Dark Tranquillity), is stunning on first glance and rewarding to revisit.1 It’s not worth being a snob about music this powerful. Leave your hang-ups at the door, dive in headfirst, and bask in melodeath glory.

Tracks to Check Out: “Haunted by Guilt,” “Tons of Chaos,” “Taken before Given”

#2023 #ChildrenOfBodom #DeathMetal #FinnishMetal #Kalmah #MelodicDeathMetal #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed #ThingsYouMightHaveMissed2023 #TYMHM

Starting off the new year with #Bionicle!

#lego #2024 #newyear #matanui #mistika #krika #lerahk #rahkshi #kraata #kalmah #barraki #zesk #set #number #8947 #radiak #released #in #2008 #containing #16 #pieces #happynewyear

Thus Spoke and Maddog’s Top Ten(ish) of 2023

By Thus Spoke

Thus Spoke

Mum, I’ve made it; I’ve got my own official year-end list on Angry Metal Guy dot com. Just two years ago I had begun my probation period in what would come to be characteristically overzealous fashion, slapping a 4.5 on my first ever review, before deciding that words are much better than numbers. At the time, uncertain of my tenancy in these hallowed halls, I was juggling n00b reviews with short-form reviews on Instagram,1 the latter pursuit being what led me to apply here in the first place. And I’m glad I did!

My first complete year here as a writer has been pretty great, all things considered. I’ve reviewed (and not reviewed) some Excellent (with a capital ‘E’) albums and discovered new favorites—some of whom will be appearing below. It continues to humble me and blow my mind that I get to put my thoughts about music out here on the internet and that people actually read them; that I get to write about bands and records with a critical voice that actually garners some respect, like I’m a proper person who knows things; and that I have the chance to gush about artists I’ve loved for a long time, or only just hit upon. Reviewing Panopticon was a wonderful year-end highlight. Of course, not everything was rosy. It was another year of silence from Ulcerate2, not the greatest year for truly stand-out black metal (with some clear exceptions), and a year in which I struggled with some significant challenges at work. But disappointing promos and unavoidable life hurdles aside, 2023 has been the year that AMG—the reviewing, the staff, and the commenting community—has cemented itself as an important part of who I am. I’m grateful for all of you. Thank you.

Having not made one of these before, this has been my first proper taste of the agony (and perhaps joy) of choosing what to list and where to list them. Can I pen a Contrite Metal Guy piece about my picks later down the line? No, I can’t. So if I’ve forgotten something, please just don’t bring it up or it’ll torture me for at least the entirety of 2024.3 Now, on with the list before I change my mind!

#ish. Convocation // No Dawn for the Caliginous Night – Not only did this album floor me on first listen, but it also made me discover how much I love to say the word “caliginous.” *Annunciates* Cal-ig-in-ous. No Dawn… is just as satisfying, but in a very different way. Its drama, potency, and sheer scale are wondrous to behold and instantly catapulted it into my list (well, close enough). I had been thinking in recent months that I’d kind of fallen off the doom wagon. But Convocation was there right as the year was about to end to shove me firmly back on board. As Cherd opined “This is a towering celebration of death’s enormity, packaged in the heaviest and most shimmering of vessels,” and I concur. It’s really only down to a totally stacked year of music that this behemoth doesn’t rank higher.

#10. Thantifaxath // Hive Mind Narcosis – This album scares the shit out of me and I absolutely love it. Everything about its wacky, dissonant, bendy, manic, and malevolent intensity borders on the hallucinogenic and nightmarish. And as a piece of extreme metal, aiming to confront with the harshest of blackened death metal, this is a very good thing. Thantifaxath were a 2023 discovery for me, and this, their sophomore effort, thoroughly convinced me that I should be paying attention to them. It always sends me into a state of heavy foreboding, anxiety, and nausea at confrontation with the absurd. When I reviewed Hive Mind Narcosis, I talked about its contradictory coherence and beauty under a façade of erraticism and ugliness, and I believe this to be what makes it continue to stand out amidst many other unapproachable extreme metal records that came out in 2023, worthy as they may be.

#9. Downfall of Gaia // Silhouettes of Disgust – While I’ve had an appreciation for Downfall of Gaia since Atrophy, Silhouettes of Disgust has been the first one that’s really made an impression on me. It’s stuck with me nearly all year since it dropped in March, and I find myself continuing to return to it again and again. When I don’t know what to listen to, I’ll stick this on, and I’ll enjoy it every time. Melodically and emotionally powerful, it contains some of my favorite musical moments of the year, including in particular the building surge of drama and catharsis that ends “Optograms of Disgust” and the album entirely. I think the reason Silhouettes has had this effect was pinned down nicely by Carcharodon when he wrote: “this is the [album] that manages to blend most effectively all the disparate facets of Downfall of Gaia’s sound.” And I would go further and assert what he only hinted at, that Silhouettes is indeed the best of the band’s career.

#8. Stortregn // Finitude – I feel like Stortregn have been getting more and more fun with every album, or at least definitely on the last few. While Emptiness Fills the Void (2018) was light enjoyment, Impermanence (2021) stepped things up a gear into real grin-inducing territory. Finitude, however, blows those records out of the water with what is possibly the most fun I’ve had with technical death/black metal of any kind. Everything about it works towards this, from constantly evolving, circularly composed song structures that sweep you away with their drama and flair, to a flipping flamenco break in “Xeno Chaos” which I should hate, but instead, I absolutely fucking love because it works so brilliantly. Its melodies are gorgeous, its energy undeniable, its rhythms irresistible. Damn, I think I’m gonna go and listen to it again now, I’ve really given myself the itch.

#7. To the Grave // Director’s Cuts – This started off higher on my list. It’s not that I’ve cooled off on it. Quite the contrary, as To the Grave are my most-listened-to artist on Spotify this year, and I will still ardently defend, to anyone who bothers to vocalize their disagreement, that this is an Excellent album. It’s simply a testament to the strength of those you’ll find below. But let that not take away from the immensity that is Director’s Cuts. It’s a stunning slab of deathcore that utterly wipes the floor with anything else released in that subgenre this year, not just br00tal and groovy as all hell, but possessed of a powerful and righteous message of animal liberation, wrapped of course, in a super mean metal mien. “Manhunt,” and indeed most of the album, powered many a top set in the gym, while stone-cold classic-in-the-making, “Axe of Kindness” easily makes it to the Songs of the Year playlist. It’s just fantastic all-round. Until all are free! *Headbangs violently.*

#6. Wayfarer // American Gothic – I was not initially overly enamored with American Gothic. I don’t know what I was playing at though, because it’s quite clearly brilliant. It’s grown on me like no other album has this year, quickly and assertively muscling its way almost into my top five. Though at first I thought it was inferior to its predecessor A Romance with Violence, as I’ve mentioned, I was being silly, and it’s actually far superior. With a more coherent and consistent compositional structure, more powerful and punchy songs, with stronger, more memorable melodies, and a better integration of that uniquely Western vibe into vibrant and vicious black metal, this is my favorite Wayfarer album by a country mile. Brilliantly evocative, both satisfyingly savage and stirringly soft when it needs to be, American Gothic never ceases to transport me to the old West in its turbulent transformation with drama, passion, and beauty. And it’s wonderful to experience.

#5. Night Crowned // Tales – It was surprising enough that none of my esteemed colleagues had nabbed Tales before I did. But for it to be so mind-blowingly fantastic that it would end up this high on my year-end list was something else. With a songs-of-the-year-lister for an opening cut and, in general, a tracklist stuffed full of back-to-back bangers, and a blazingly bombastic, infectious spirit all around, Tales charges ahead of the competition with savage glee. It’s actually hard to overstate just how good this album is, particularly given how ridiculously easy it is to listen to with its catchy melodies, (relatively) snappy song lengths, and dynamic energy. The culmination of Night Crowned’s fiery and dramatic style of black metal, and the best of their already stellar discography, Tales calls me back ceaselessly and I’m more than happy to oblige.

#4. Fires in the Distance // Air Not Meant for Us – This album is magical. Nothing has changed since I first heard it in its entirety this spring. Elegantly composed, stirring, and effortlessly graceful, it’s hands-down the most straightforwardly beautiful thing on my list. It’s moving without being sappy, and pretty without being saccharine. And Air Not Meant for Us also wins points for including a midway instrumental that’s not only just as good as the other tracks, but possibly better, and bridges the two sides of the album in this lovely way that makes for a dreamy kind of interlude. Fires in the Distance have such a distinctive form of ethereal, key-accented melodeath/doom that I can only see the immense strength of Air Not Meant for Us as a huge, incredibly exciting sign of more brilliant records to come. As it is, I still haven’t had enough of this one.

#3. Serpent of Old // Ensemble Under the Dark Sun – Back in June, I confidently declared that “Serpent of Old have crafted one of the best metal records of 2023 so far, no exaggeration.” Well, it turns out I wasn’t exaggerating, because here it is, number three on my list. Clear as day I can recall hearing the opening notes of “The Sin Before the Great Sin,” as Ensemble Under the Dark Sun began playing for the first time. Straight away I knew that I’d landed a monster of an album, and 42 or so minutes later I was completely engulfed in its intoxicatingly atmospheric darkness. Like their eponymous snake, Serpent of Old wound their blackened death metal around and around my brain. Ensemble is intense, and yet utterly captivating, dripping with oppressive, haunting melodies and deep, angular dissonance. And it also features the best drum performance of the year in my opinion. To think this is a debut is frankly astonishing, and I am extremely keen to hear more.

#2. Dødheimsgard // Black Medium Current – For a long time, this sat comfortably in first place. Why is no mystery. Unlike anything Dødheimsgard have put out in the past, or anything else released this year, Black Medium Current challenged, confronted, and mesmerized me. Weird and discomfiting one moment, tear-jerkingly beautiful another, this album is an emotional and musical rollercoaster that treads perfectly that line between avant-garde wackiness and sincere black metal passion. I recall how stunned I was to discover its 72+ minute length, after already spinning it back-to-back multiple times because it’s so engrossing and intelligently composed. I also recall just how close I came to awarding my first “Iconic” when reviewing it, simply due to the lasting power I perceived it to possess. While the Contrite Metal Guy piece is not on the roadmap for anytime soon, I still believe Black Medium Current to be incredibly special, and an album that absolutely must be heard by everyone in the metalsphere, even if it’s to rapidly discover it’s not one’s cup of tea. Dødheimsgard have made an almost perfect record here. A worthy holder of the top position, were it not for one, equally lengthy rival…

#1. Panopticon // The Rime of Memory – As it’s so recently reviewed, perhaps this was obvious. But with Panopticon, I can be sure that its immense influence is not just due to proximity bias. Just like its predecessor …And Again into the Light, The Rime of Memory knocked me flat off my feet and buried me like an avalanche, with all of the intensity and force, and yet none of the cold. Because this burns white hot with passion and pain. I haven’t yet decided whether it sits above that prior record, but right now, it doesn’t matter, because it easily stands above all others in 2023. “Cedar Skeletons” alone snatches the song of the year accolade, but the whole is something I have to experience again and again. It would just be wrong to give anything less than first place to an album that quite literally brings me to tears because of how emotionally poignant and compositionally powerful it is. As with my #2 pick, its epic duration is immaterial in the face of its effect, which is utterly unmatched by any of my other list contenders. Panopticon—particularly on more recent records—seems to have a unique ability to tug on my heartstrings and to blend the most ferocious of black metal with the most serene and evocative Appalachian folk, and to have it all bleed pure pathos. The Rime of Memory more than matched my lofty hopes, and it already has a very special place in my heart.

Honorable Mentions:

Ahab // The Coral Tombs – A return to form after the iffy Boats of the Glen Carrig. Managing at turns to be both as heavy as a colossal squid and beautifully still as the depths of the ocean.
Nightmarer // Deformity Adrift – I love everything Nightmarer put out and this is no exception. Brutal and shivering with grim atmosphere and irresistible rhythm.
Manbryne // Interregnum: O próbie wiary i jarzmie zwątpienia – Just as good, if not better than its predecessor. Which means it’s really rather good. Gnarly, intriguing Polish black metal with bite and pizzaz.
The Circle // Of Awakening – This magnificent dramatic black metal opus came the closest to making it into the final list. I slept on this album hard until the final months, and it was only barely pushed out.
Dymna Lotva // The Land Under the Black Wings: Blood – An album that came out of absolutely nowhere for me and stunned with its emotional potency and devastating delivery. Future Dymna Lotva records may well make the list when that year comes.
Voidsphere // To Infect | To Inflict – Thank you to Dear Hollow for putting this on my radar. It’s like Decoherence and Darkspace had a baby. A dark, mesmerizing atmospheric black metal baby. Gorgeous.

Songs of the Year:

“Cedar Skeletons” – Panopticon
“De Namnlösa” – Night Crowned
“Axe of Kindness” – To the Grave
“Optograms of Disgust” – Downfall of Gaia
“The Fall” – Serpent of Old
“A Coral Tomb” – Ahab
“Boreal” – The Ocean
“Seven Crowns and Seven Seals” – Sulphur Aeon
“Taufbefehl” – Nightmarer
“Of Awakening” – The Circle (ft. Ne Obliviscaris)

Guilty Pleasure of the Year:

“SIRENCORE” – Banshee – Not remotely metal unless you count some black metal shrieking scattered into its dance-pop. I did however, get mildly addicted to this song for a time. What can I say? I have to let my girly side out occasionally. And yeah. It’s going on the playlist.

Maddog

My earballs had a mixed year. A headbanger’s field day, 2023 boasted a solid array of death metal and some doom that won over skeptics like me. But this year’s music lacked emotional weight. Few 2023 albums sounded as beautiful as Inexorum’s Equinox Vigil, as heart-wrenching as Darkher’s The Buried Storm, or as monumental as Gloson’s The Rift, all of which rocked my 2022 list. There was still plenty to love, but something felt missing.

And so, I found solace in music from years past. Trees of Eternity’s Hour of the Nightingale, perhaps the most underrated record in AMG history, offered me catharsis on dark days. Emma Ruth Rundle held my hand,4 expressing boundless empathy through Marked for Death. Every Enshine release whisked me into a secluded world of sorrowful beauty. Conversely, LiveWire’s thrilling Under Attack!, my favorite 2022 record, kept hopelessness at bay; no matter what, I’m happy to inhabit a world that has LiveWire in it. On the fiercer side, I rekindled my love for Morbid Angel’s Covenant (1993), Suffocation’s Effigy of the Forgotten (1991), and Dying Fetus’ Killing on Adrenaline (1998). This deep bench of yesteryear highlights helped scratch the itches that 2023 albums missed.

The scarcity of tear-jerking 2023 music also re-taught me an important lesson: music that isn’t overtly emotional can still offer consolation or escape. Indeed, my favorite 2023 records brought a smile to my tired face rather than feeding my wallowing tendencies. A comment from the recent Suffocation review expressed this sentiment best:

All things fall to ruin in this world, and that’s why we have death metal.

I’ll give thank-yous a shot, though they’ll inevitably be incomplete. Thank you to AMG for his fearless leadership, Madam X for her tireless work, Grier for his insults, Steel for his bourbon (and also his bourbon), Sentynel for keeping us alive, and Dear Hollow for doing all the writing. Thank you to the UK staff for tolerating my occasional visits, and to everyone who’s supported me through bouts of melodrama. And thank you to everyone who makes my world more musical: artists, comment-section banterers, fellow writers, friends who share music with me, kind people at shows, and more. I’ll be on board 70,000 Tons for the first time next month, and I’m excited to keep deepening my musical community.

Finally, thank you to Thus Spoke, my (list) partner in (vegan) crime. Her intense emotional connection to music bleeds through her words, inspiring me to listen more closely and write more goodly. Read her list first; you won’t regret it.

#ish. Ne Obliviscaris // Exul – Exul’s peaks show Ne Obliviscaris at the top of their divisive game. The band’s balance of beauty and brutality is as strong as ever, as the strings, clean guitars, and death metal riffs move in lockstep. Bassist Martino Garratoni’s hyperactive melodies round out Exul’s rich soundscape. It’s a pleasure to hear Ne Obliviscaris’ compositions unfold, ebbing and flowing among the band’s diverse strengths. Exul’s bloat is the only major splotch on an otherwise stellar record. Listen to Exul with an open mind; it’s easy to get clouded by the hype or the popular hatred. Exul offers a lot to love, and there isn’t much else like it.
[Pairing: Maison Ferrand (Ars, France), Citadelle Jardin d’Été Gin. This gin is easy to sneer at; it’s contemporary, a newcomer, and French. But give it a chance. You might find your mind wandering through a château garden in bloom.]

#10. Gorod // The Orb – I slept on The Orb at first because of its lackluster bass. After a decade of spectacular performances, bassist Benoit Claus inexplicably dialed back his wizardry after 2015’s A Maze of Recycled Creeds. Still, Gorod makes it work. The Orb’s unhinged harmonic leads showcase guitarists Pascal and Alberny at their finest. Meanwhile, the album’s energetic peaks and valleys give space for the drums to take the driver’s seat. Every moment of The Orb amps me up for the next moment, most notably on career highlight “Breeding Silence.” The Orb isn’t memorable enough to land near the top of Gorod’s formidable discography, but Gorod’s brand of hyper-technical death metal is still fun as hell.
[Pairing: Founders Brewing (Grand Rapids, MI), Porter – 6.5% ABV. Less rich than some of its Founders brethren (e.g. Breakfast Stout), but still a flavorful feast.]

#9. Altari // Kröflueldar – I don’t know what the hell this is, but I love it. Altari’s distinctive debut melds black metal and psychedelic rock. While those genre labels might provoke knee-jerk comparisons to Oranssi Pazuzu or A Forest of Stars, Altari’s sound is peerless. Stalwart rhythms ground you while swirling melodies emerge from nowhere to whisk you away, echoing Love’s Forever Changes and Jefferson Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow. And yet, Kröflueldar’s blackened edge makes it a haunting experience. While Kröflueldar’s abrupt song endings have room for improvement, Altari’s hypnotic debut is a triumph. It might be tucked too far underground to turn many heads, but it’s well worth your time.
[Pairing: Brandy Soymilk Punch (made with Paul Masson VSOP Brandy). “What the hell is this? Why would I ever drink… Errr, why is my glass empty? Fill me up!”]

#8. Sodomisery // Mazzaroth – The melodic black metal resurgence of 2023 peaked with Sodomisery. Mazzaroth checks every box. Dissection-lite blackened death riffs collude with soaring Misturious melodies to lure you into the fray. The album’s clean sections and Sodomisery’s newfound symphonic elements add emotional depth without sounding generic. Mazzaroth’s strengths coalesce in its belt-along choruses, which maintain the album’s somber mood while still worming into your brain. Because Sodomisery executes every component so well, the record sounds fresh despite trodding well-trodden ground. Even Sodomisery’s less-than-ideal name inspired three of 2023’s most iconic comments. Mazzaroth has captured the hearts of old fans and newcomers alike, and the attention is well-deserved.
[Pairing: BrewDog (Ellon, UK), Drop D – Cascadian Dark Ale, 8.1% ABV. Perfectly balances hoppiness and roasty stout flavors, without reinventing any wheels.]

#7. Faithxtractor // Contempt for a Failed Dimension – While 2023 had no shortage of compelling no-frills death metal, the genre peaked in January with Faithxtractor. This is what you get when you cross ~~faith~~ unforgiving death metal with ~~a tractor~~ meticulous songwriting. Contempt for a Failed Dimension’s single-minded focus keeps it concise and fearsome across both its crushing slow sections and its frantic riff carnivals. Faithxtractor’s creativity elevates the album from “mere” fun to the top of its genre. Even at its most unhinged, Contempt for a Failed Dimension never trips over itself. Every riff inhabits its optimal location, and each one is essential to the final product. I’m not sure which dimension has failed—I hope it isn’t a spatial one—but I know Faithxtractor will punish it mightily.
[Pairing: Lagunitas Brewing (Petaluma, CA), IPA – 6.2% ABV. A familiar beer in a familiar style, but it always hits the spot. Sometimes that’s all you need.]

#6. Xoth // Exogalactic – Xoth’s brand of technical blackened death-thrash is a sci-fi spectacle. Exogalactic’s futuristic riffs, twisting melodies, and narrative arcs make it feel like reptilian aliens are indeed enslaving humans as gladiators like hordes of warriors are really battling for the galaxy. Hearing Xoth play Tetris with electrifying melodies of all shapes and sizes is thrilling. While the album’s peaks fall short of its predecessor, you’ll be belting out its colossal choruses in no time. Xoth’s style is unique, but it shares a strength with Archspire, First Fragment, and Jane Austen: you can hear Xoth grinning through their art. Every time I listen to Exogalactic, I can’t help but grin alongside.
[Pairing: Brouwerij Huyghe (Melle, Belgium), Delirium Tremens – Belgian Golden Strong Ale, 8.5% ABV. A paradox in a glass: strong and flavorful, but light-hearted and bright. It’ll put a smile on your face.]

#5. Raider // Trial by Chaos – Trial by Chaos is as dense as its cover art. Over 39 minutes of hectic death-thrash, Raider tells tales of dystopia, science fiction, and righteous defiance. Every element of Raider’s onslaught finds its mark. The guitars range from Floridian death metal steamrollers to three-piece melodic leads, nailing both styles. The thunderous rhythm section raises hell at climactic moments and stitches Trial by Chaos’ disparate pieces together. Most strikingly, Angelo Bonaccorso’s vocal variety imbues the music with emotional force and narrative structure. This is only Raider’s second full-length record, but its cohesion and show-stopping power make it best in class. Expect Raider to be a torchbearer for death-thrash in the years to come.
[Pairing: 3 Floyds Brewing (Munster, IN), Permanent Funeral – Imperial IPA, 10.5% ABV. Unforgiving in its strength, its hoppiness, and its intense flavor. Intimidating but irresistible.]

#4. Wayfarer // American Gothic – Seamlessly blending their Western aesthetic with black metal, Wayfarer transports the listener to the Western United States circa 1900. This is not a romanticized Magic School Bus trip; everything around you is greed, senseless violence, and environmental devastation.5 American Gothic’s emotional palette matches this landscape, leading through righteous anger (“The Cattle Thief”),6 longing (“To Enter My House Justified”), and hopelessness (“Black Plumes over God’s Country”). The album’s fantastic rhythm section and its rich production, both uncharacteristic strengths for black metal, allow Wayfarer’s diverse compositions to shine. Even though Wayfarer isn’t the only band playing this style, they’ve won my heart. Concise but powerful, American Gothic is the new American gothic.
[Pairing: Buffalo Trace Distillery (Frankfort, KY), Sazerac Rye. Accessible for the wallet and the palate, but with a fierce rye edge. A flavor bonanza and a perfect companion for an evening of reminiscences or regrets.]

#3. Hellripper // Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags – The “old Hellripper” is still alive and well, after two riotous slabs of blackened speed metal. The “new Hellripper” is no less formidable. Forays into death metal and old-school speed metal add flair around the edges. Meanwhile, Warlocks’ longer tracks leap out of Hellripper’s comfort zone while balancing melodic variety and narrative cohesion. Scottish folk influences add depth throughout the melodies, the lyrics rooted in Orkney mythology, and the unexpected bagpipes. With these forces combined, the record’s narrative pieces feel like captivating campfire tales rather than bedtime stories. And still, Warlocks’ speedy killers are the most fun I’ve had all year. Warlocks is both an exhilarating listen and a massive step forward for Hellripper’s songwriting.
[Pairing: St. George Spirits (Alameda, CA), Terroir Gin. The juniper-heavy palate will placate gin gatekeepers, while the Douglas fir and sage will transport open minds to a California coastal redwood forest. Classic, innovative, and delicious.]

#2. Onheil // In Black Ashes – In Black Ashes is melodic black/death/speed/thrash at its finest. But that description is both a little too much and much too little. The album’s irresistible speedy riffs alone deserve Grier’s 3.5. Onheil’s mastery of melody and songwriting elevates In Black Ashes into the stratosphere. Led by the indomitable “Void,” In Black Ashes’ powerful melodies offer catharsis like none other. As the album progresses, Onheil flexes their compositional muscles more, melding narrative meloblack epics with Mors Principium Est-adjacent bangers. Every track is a winner, and Onheil strikes an impossible balance between enthralling riffs and emotional heft. In Black Ashes deserves a lot more love.
[Pairing: Hayman’s Distillery (London, UK), Royal Dock Navy Strength Gin. This isn’t just another boring London gin; spices and citrus add a twist. Bottled at the 114 proof point where soaked gunpowder can still ignite, Royal Dock is fierce but shockingly smooth.]

#1. Theophonos // Nightmare Visions – Nightmare Visions throws everything at the wall, and everything sticks. I struggled to describe this album once, and it isn’t getting easier. Theophonos’ debut feels like a grind-paced tour through metal history, squeezed through a blackened filter. Armed with razor-sharp riffs, a vicious rhythm section, and a refusal to sit still, Theophonos’ dissonant style is both neck-shattering and evocative. The album’s density makes it a gripping experience, while Jimmy Hamzey’s (Serpent Column) masterful transitions hold the Jenga blocks together. Theophonos’ blood, sweat, and tears glisten through details like the inter-song callbacks and the blurring of frenzied black metal and serene rock. Ten months into our love affair, Nightmare Visions still reveals new facets on every listen. Even if blackened grind isn’t your home turf (trust me, it isn’t mine), give Nightmare Visions a shot. I’d never heard anything like it, but now I can’t stop listening.
[Pairing: Fifth Hammer Brewing (Queens, NY), POGlodyte – Sour Ale with Passionfruit, Blood Orange, and Guava, 5.5% ABV. The description is accurate but inadequate. Wilder than your wildest dreams, this sour is what you never realized your life needed. Rapture for every taste bud.]

Honorable Mentions:

Night Crowned // Tales – Tales is a scorcher from cover to cover, blending ferocious blackened death melodies with clean and folky digressions. Night Crowned jostled their way up here at the last minute. Ask me in a few weeks, and I might regret not pushing Tales up to my top 10.
Tomb Mold // The Enduring Spirit – Tomb Mold’s 57-degree turn into prog death lands close to Fallujah’s best work. With dueling guitar leads, riveting bass melodies, and groovy drum lines, The Enduring Spirit is gorgeous and engaging. With more oomph, it could’ve landed near the top of my list.
Saturnus // The Storm Within – From its crushing death-doom riffs to its My Dying Bride-esque dirges, The Storm Within ripped my heart out. Saturnus’ decade-awaited return suffers from bloat, but it’s still one of 2023’s rare emotional juggernauts.
Kalmah // Kalmah – Kalmah’s Kalmah sounds like Kalmah, in the best way. Firestorm riffs, massive climaxes, and prominent synths get the blood flowing. The slower morose sections hit just as hard, especially with their infectious choruses. Kalmah doesn’t break new ground, but it still holds me rapt.
Reverend Kristin Michael Hayter // Saved! – Saved! is jarring, but Hayter’s spellbinding vocals and her cohesive compositions won me over. The album pantses my heart in its best moments, like “I Will Be with You Always.” The out-of-place shorter pieces and the record’s rocky start hold Saved! back, but it’s still worth a spin or ten.
Serpent of Old // Ensemble under the Dark Sun – This one is tough to describe. Ensemble’s blackened death melodies, at once eerie and grabby, crept under my skin on my very first listen. Given how dense and thoughtful Ensemble is, I still can’t believe it’s Serpent of Old’s debut.

Disappointments o’ the Year:

Myrkur // Spine – Pairing: Methanol. A close relative of excellence, but hazardous in its current form. So close, but so very far.
The Ocean // Holocene – Pairing: Southwest Spirits (Dallas, TX), Calamity Gin. The heavy floral and citrusy botanicals make for an intriguing promo pitch. Given my history with similar styles, I had every expectation of loving this. Alas, reality was not so kind; I struggled to finish it.

Songs o’ the Year: