Nightbringer - Death And The Black Work

Not many bands truly encompass the full majesty of the world of the occult. Few successfully conjure images of black monoliths of the three veils; projecting death and its many mysteries into sonic form. Nightbringer successfully accomplishes this without breaking a sweat. They've put out one of the most atmospherically and technically punishing black metal records ever to have emerged from the void. With riffs that cut like cold steel and bass that bubbles and ebbs like hot tar, the instrumentation on this album never seems misguided or underdeveloped. Everything here is perfect and this album deserves much more attention. The hereafter opens its gates as you start to spin it. Open up your ears to the tales of the dead and revel in it.

Did I mention that they're from the good ol' US of A? USBM reigns supreme.


STEAL

Deathspell Omega - Paracletus

The Orthodox Avant-Garde Black Metalworkers from France are back with yet another slice of beautifully orchestrated grimm darkness. With some of their best (and most appealing) guitar work yet and their always AMAZING drumming and their TOP-NOTCH bass player. This album blasts forth like a never ending pit of serpents striking in unison. Envenomed vocals intoxicate while the guitars drift in and out of your mind, the throbbing bass pushing you onward while the drums pound you deeper and deeper into the cold and unfeeling world that this album puts forward. EASILY their most diverse and compelling release among a catalog of nearly flawless material. If you like Black Metal and don't have/enjoy this, I have no idea why you don't spontaneously combust.

WORSHIP

Ofermod - Tiamtü

Ofermod brings a lot to the table with this release; relentless Death-infused Black Metal with guitars that rip and tear through any opposition. With Morbid Angel-esque riffing and imagery this band tries to combine the golden age of Death Metal with the silver age of Black Metal; quintessential sounds and ideas from both important eras, combining them into one unstoppable killing machine. The vocals are mixed PERFECTLY on this record, lending their spite and malice to the heavier parts and their haunting croon to the slower parts. While there's not much new here, there's a LOT done right.

STEAL

Witch Tomb - Crippled Messiah

Bestial Death Metal in the spirit of Profanatica. Fast as fuck and blasting past you at a little over 30 minutes with 17 tracks. The opener sets you up with some creepy sepulchral atmospherics and then tears into some of the ugliest Black Metal around. Too bad this was released last year because it would've been at the top of the pile this year. There's everything here; killer dynamics, riffs, monstrous vocals and good atmosphere throughout. A rare occurrence indeed in today's Black Metal scene.

STEAL

Gaza - He Is Never Coming Back

Last year Gaza managed to produce one of the noisiest pieces of Mathcore I have EEEEYYYAAAVAAAH heard. On this record they successfully manage to combine the fiery riffage of Mosquito Control-era Isis with the likes of Botch and Khanate. With the howling doom of the opening tracks and the quieter atmospherics of the interludes, this album is an anthem for the people of Utah.

STEAL

Ghost - Opus Eponymous

Satanic Rock music that sounds like a mixture of Goblin, Witchcraft and Baroness, this is a force of rockitude that is to be reckoned. Prog sensibility and pop song-structure lend themselves to one of the best releases that I've heard in a while. There's not a whole lot I can use to sum this up other than: FUCKING AWESOME

STEAL

Hellmouth - Destroy Everything, Worship Nothing

Fire and Brimstone! Anal Blood and Goat Semen! Hardcore, Thrash, Death Metal. It's all here in the fastest, meanest and angriest thing to come out of Michigan since well....anything. This bulldozer of an album combines the hefty riffs of Mammoth Grinder with the face-peeling speed and precision of Pig Destroyer and Incisor. Absolutely no fucking mercy. This is a no frills album with a bloodstream of piss and vinegar the size of the east Pacific. If you fancy yourself man enough to weather the storm you'll find some of the catchiest heavy music to come out in quite some time. Then again, you're probably too big of a fucking pussy to give it a listen.

STEAL