TUGT - Ved Lysets Ophor review

 

TUGT - Ved Lysets Ophor

Onism Productions

Normally I don't talk about cover art but every once in a while I'll make an exception. Take a good look at the cover of this release. Now the album title translates into English (?) as "At the end of light". Frankly after listening to this release I'd say this artist should never ever see the light of day. My simple observation is stay in that cave and keep creating music. The light at the end of that tunnel will burn ya. 

But anyways here we have a solo project by a multi-talented artist from the Danish black metal scene named Skoggangr. Now pardon my ignorance towards the Danish black metal scene. But even though I say my knowledge of black metal is damm good. I honestly can't say I've heard of any of the bands that Skoggangr is a member of. I'm talking about bands like ILDSKAER, I MYRKRI and GENFAERD. Hey look the most famous Dane I know who wears corpse paint actually lives in the American Southwest. But hey after listening to this album I wanna check out those earlier mentioned bands. 

The tagline on this is blackened doom. Ah no, black metal does push doom and gloom at times. This is atmospheric black metal which does not press against boundaries. Actually it's about as basic as it gets. But the whole point of this type of music is that does it invite you in? Is it like the original Dracula movie with Bela Lugosi coming down the stairs with a candelabra saying welcome. And then he bites ya in the throat to suck the blood from ya.

OK that's not exactly what happens in the movie but on this album Skoggangr invites you in, kills you, taughts over your corpse and then laments about it all in a blackened formula. Musically it's your basic sounding atmospheric black metal jaunt. But after multiple listens you get into the psyche of the artist, Skoggangr. I mean this is a total personal mood driven release. 

Like certain black metal artists of the past, Skoggangr is a composer. He has created a blackened emotional journey and if you understand then you're welcome aboard on a trip you might not like but you know so well. There's a rain of tremolo slowly picked riffs. There's some fast ones too but anyways the somber drumming, my throat is on fire vocals, yeah and the slime throat parts of agony are so perfect. And all in all it's a fine release.

https://onism.productions/

LISTEN HERE:

https://tugt.bandcamp.com/

DESOLATE SHRINE - Fires of the Dying World review

 

DESOLATE SHRINE - Fires of the Dying World

Dark Descent Records

Anyone familiar with my opinions here on the blog knows I'm a long time fan of the Finnish death metal scene. Well basically all Finnish extreme metal. I have all the releases by the early artists. Plus practically everything that's been released over the past 30 years. Looking back at my favorite's list from last year there was HOODED MENACE's The Tritonus Bell. I got that one late which is why it still sits in my regular play stack of CDs here near my desk. 

Other acts include the self titled debut by REVULSION as well as MASK OF SATAN's Underneath the Mire. So when this release came in for review I was like yeah I know about this band. This is my second time being obliterated by Finland's DESOLATE SHRINE. The first was back in 2017 with their fourth full length Deliverance from the Godless Void. If that one was a peril-less journey into the abyss then this latest one just dives deeper. 

DESOLATE SHRINE fall in with their nation's best bands who push a three pronged attack. It's death doom at times which comes across as brutal mayhem. Other times in their repertoire of riff they come across as surgically intense. They can also conjure up a blackened atmospheric fog which can choke non believers. All and all that's not so bad. 

Listening to this latest release, their fifth full length since starting out in 2010, shows that they have generated more extreme motives since my last meeting in 2017. The vocals are a combination of the parting comments/sermon from your executioner and someone who bleeds fire. Add to that the song structures are diabolic with a touch of the macabre. The keyboard parts as well as the tranquil guitar rhythms are down right eerie. even the acoustic guitar intro is unnerving.

In the end this release is soaking in dread and peril. I give props to vocalists RS (aka: Roni Sahari) and MT (aka: Markus Tuonenjoki). But major appreciation to LL (aka: multi instrumentalist Lauri Laaksonen). I'd like to say this latest release is a step up from their last one. But in extreme musical awareness it's a step down into a much darker realm. It's sinister beauty at it's best. I've listened to it early in the day a few times. But honestly this release is for late night blasts which will haunt your worst nightmares.  Fucking amazing!

 

http://www.darkdescentrecords.com/

LISTEN HERE:

Sorry but this album doesn't come out till March 2022 and I don't share download links. If you're interested then check out their last album here:

https://darkdescentrecords.bandcamp.com/album/deliverance-from-the-godless-void

VULCAN TYRANT - Vulcanocide review

 

VULCAN TYRANT - Vulcanocide

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

Well you know the cliche good things come in small packages. Well in this case it's undeniably true. VULCAN TYRANT are a two piece Dutch speed metal act. The two participants are multi-instrumentalist/vocalist San Disintegrator and drummer Niek Driesschen.

  

VULCAN TYRANT is technically not a new band. Originally it was a one man outfit, San Disintegrator being the one, starting out back in 2005. Those early years resulted in the release of three demos and a split. By the end of 2006 San Disintegrator decided to shelve VULCAN TYRANT and work in another project called THE NEFARIOUS INTEGRATION.

But in 2019 San Disintegrator decided to resurrect VULCAN TYRANT. First off he brought in Niek Driesschen to handle drums and making the band an official two piece act. Next up he put all of his early recordings, originally on cassettes, onto a CD compilation entitled Vulcanic Collection. From that point on it's was new material time. 

I came into knowing about them in 2020 when the band appeared on two different Horror Pain Gore Death Productions releases. One of em was a split release with Japan's ABIGAL. The other release was a four band split compilation where they appeared along side WHIPSTRIKER, TERRORHAMMER and SPEEDWHORE. The band has a fondness for short form releases. Since 2019 they've been on four split releases.

But now, after all of that, the band has finally packed a bunch of cuts together for a proper full length. Basically it's eight cuts book-ended by an instro effects intro and outro. They sound like someone fucking around with a theremin. Be that as it may the eight proper songs are damm cool.

Sound-wise this Dutch duo put out raw, fiery speed metal. The riffs are of that rip your head off type total chaos. Solos are filthy and as far as the vocals go San Disintegrator sounds like a burnt corpse. Years ago, after hearing one of their split releases, I felt that this band needed a full length. Well here it is in all of it's filth ridden glory. The kids today need to listen to something like this instead of that horrible new metal-core. Great fuckin album!

https://www.horrorpaingoredeath.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://hpgd.bandcamp.com/album/vulcanocide

ABYSSUS - Death Revival review

 

ABYSSUS - Death Revival 

Transcending Obscurity Records

This Greek band loves OBITUARY so much they practically borrowed their logo. More on that later, but hey here we are in an age where musical influences are not bound by borders. Case in point, back in 2020 two favorite releases of mine were total old school Swedish blackened death metal. But one band was from Canada and the other was from the state of Washington. So there you go, extreme metal know no borders.

Now when I read the promo info on this Greek death metal act I wasn't too hip to the idea. I'm a big time OBITUARY fan but I'll admit that their past ten years have not been exciting for me. Then I gave this release a listen and I was like "whoa this is cool". Now as far as the whole OBITUARY influence goes well this band's vocalist comes off like John Tandy on a bender. Now it's not a bad thing so with that said everything else is fantastic.

Death Revival is exactly what you get on here. The album starts off with some fast riff action. We're talking some good adrenaline pumping cuts like "Metal Of Death" and "The Ten Commandments" with a touch of thrash and groove. It's not till the fourth cut, "The Beast Within", where the band slows down a bit for some pure headbanging mania. There's a touch from home ala traditional Greek fiddle(?) playing on the intro of "Genocide" which is another death thrash type of number. 

I could on about the songs but seriously in my not so humble opinion Death Revival is a flawless album. The band takes an influence from the past, adds a few tweaks and ends up making it all their own. Even the final cut, "When Wolves Are Out To Hunt" comes off as an amazing ASPHYX style death doom cut but with a modern jolt of energy. Yeah this is a great fuckin album. 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://abyssusgreece.bandcamp.com/album/death-revival-death-metal

NOCTURNAL GRAVES - An Outlaw's Stand review

 

NOCTURNAL GRAVES - An Outlaw's Stand

Season Of Mist

So yeah I guess you could say I'm a NOCTURNAL GRAVES fan. I got into them back in 2007 with their Satan's Cross full length. I also have every full length they've done since then. This one's their fourth. They're blackened thrash from Australia cut from the same cloth as countrymen DESTROYER 666. Now that's obviously a gimme since guitarist Ian Gray (aka: Shrapnel) and multi-instrumentalist Jarro Raphael (aka: Nuclear Exterminator) were both in DESTROYER 666. So hey what's not to love right? 

Now if you've followed this band's career, and you probably haven't, then I'll explain. Yeah early on they were a DESTROYER 666 offshoot. We're talking typical Aussie blackened thrash which is cool as fuck. But NOCTURNAL GRAVES has progressed away from the typical and in a good way. I see guitarist Shrapnel as the leader pushing their songs to incorporate more blackened atmosphere plus a touch of tech thrash bludgeoning and death metal. 

As much as I like their early raw stuff, 2013's From the Bloodline of Cain" is a masterpiece. I really think An Outlaw's Stand is now their best album. The vocals are totally filth ridden. The riffs in these song structures are flat out insane. It's as if this release was recorded in a studio on fire. The soloing is part epic and grandeur or down right machete head cutting. There's the blackened death metal punches as well as a snippet of black n roll. In the end a perfect fuckin record. 

https://www.season-of-mist.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkWFojURB4o&t=1038s

TONY MARTIN – Thorns review

 

TONY MARTIN – Thorns 

Battlegod Productions

Tony Martin, the one former BLACK SABBATH vocalist who is truly the last in line. Yeah I just came up with that line so fuck everyone else who steals it. But hey in my not so humble opinion ever since Ronnie James Dio passed away in 2010 there's been a renewed nostalgia look back at the Tony Martin years of SABBATH. Special thanks to that shit 13 album done with Ozzy in 2013.

Now I must admit back in the day I considered Martin as a Dio-lite singer with a mullet who wore a leather duster fronting Tony Iomni's attempt to keep the SABBATH name alive in order to get a paycheck. Luckily I did go back and gave albums like 1987's The Eternal Idol and Headless Cross from 1989 a second chance. The other three albums Martin was on are another matter altogether. The bottom line was that yeah the first two SABBATH releases he was on where great albums.

So my modern mind said Martin should get up with Iomni, Geezer and a drummer of their choice to reunite as Dio did to create HEAVEN & HELL. Since they can't use SABBATH because of Ozzy's wife's BS contract deals then call the band HEADLESS CROSS. Oh well that didn't happen but hey we've got this release and it touches on the style Tony Martin knows best.

This is the guy's third solo album. I never checked out his first one, Back Where I Belong, from 1992. But I thought Scream from 2005 wasn't bad. Thorns is a tad better in that Martin embraces the fact that he is a great vocalist. In other words there are cuts on here which remind ya of times when he did front SABBATH as well as that one chance he could've fronted CANDLEMASS. I've got those demos and they are good. As well as moments where it could be RAINBOW.

Musically this is a romp through areas which are obviously melodic doom as well as a touch of 80's metal. All of which sounds cool as fuck. Martin sounds fuckin amazing, period end of story. But hey add to being a great singer is that Martin also plays some keyboards, a few guitar solos and drums on a track. WTF, the guy even plays the violin on the album's title track. He's a superstar but not alone. His son, Joe Harford, adds great guitar soloing. Add to that Geoff Nicholls comes back to contribute on keys. 

The only thing I hate about this album is certain groove metal bullshit, "Passion Killer". As well as the acoustic cuts which end Thorns. A great album turns into an OK album. Still I'll give it a thumbs up. Now I'm gonna play some Tony Martin SABBATH albums for fun.

http://www.battlegod-productions.com/v1/

LISTEN HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gthz82C4eps

NECROPHAGOUS - In Chaos Ascend review

 

NECROPHAGOUS - In Chaos Ascend

Transcending Obscurity Records

It's weird what a bout with Covids will do to ya. Not only were my taste buds a little lacking but my love of music took a dive. Who wants to listen to something new, exciting and able to peel paint off your walls while you're sick in bed. Well obviously not me so I will say that this was the last album I was blasting before I got sick. Now I didn't make any notes at that time but I do remember one thing about the band and that was ENTRAILS.

For those of you who don't know, and you probably don't, ENTRAILS were a cool Swedish band from over a decade ago who where part of the old school death metal revival. Their first two albums to me are fucking great as well as mandatory ownership if you're into extreme great stuff. After that well I kinda drifted off from them. 

Now I say ENTRAILS because the three members of NECROPHAGOUS (aka: guitarist/vocalist Tommy Carlsson, bassist Joakim Svensson and drummer Martin Michaelsson) are ex-members of ENTRAILS. But on this their debut album the guys have ditched their worship of the old school Swedish DM big three and have gone for a more brutal USDM approach. 

In Chaos Ascend comes at you like the hydra beast depicted on it's cover. After a surreal spoken word opener, "The Binding", the trio kicks into gear and doesn't let up much at all over the ten proper cuts. Tommy Carlsson's vocals come off as a angry bark or a bear roar. Music wise it's all about the riffs with some heavy handed bass lines seeping through. The drum work is typical pounding brutality that at least is steady. The only basic missing here are guitar solos. 

Well there might be one or two but for the most part it's all about fast riffs and throbbing bass lines. It's the kinda stuff which produces headbanging in the crowd. Yeah wait till ya hit your fifties and tell me how your neck feels then. But for now I'd say this debut album by NECROPHAGOUS is pretty damm good. 

Sure it's still old school death metal but somehow under all of the ugliness and filth there's a spark of freshness which an old fuck like myself looks for to garner enjoyment. But hey these guys are death metal vets in their own right nowadays. So there you go, great record.

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://necrophagousband.bandcamp.com/album/in-chaos-ascend-death-metal

WOMBBATH – Agma review

 

WOMBBATH – Agma

Transcending Obscurity Records

I got into this Swedish death metal act during their second era with the 2015 full length Downfall Rising. Now when I say "second era" it means WOMBBATH originally started out back in the early 90's. They ended up releasing a full length in 1993 and an EP in 1994. After that the band broke up until 2014 when lone original member Hakan Stuvemark gathered some like minded musicians and re-started the band. 

So as I said the band re-started themselves with the 2015 full length Downfall Rising. Since then WOMBBATH has released two more full lengths of original material. Their last release, 2020's Tales of Madness, was a compilation of early tracks re-recorded by the new line up. That one came out on Transcending Obscurity Records. 

On this the band's latest, WOMBBATH are still pushing the traditional old school Swedish death metal sound. But on a variety of cuts the band has decided to add some unconventional tweaks in order to expand/experiment with their sound. The band certainly doesn't waste time either letting the listener know that this isn't the band you once knew. 

The band's grinding death metal onslaught get's a new paint job with clean sounding sheet metal like soloing. Is that a violin? There's also clean sounding screamed vocals. I'd call that a "Whatafuck" moment. Some other interestingly new developments are when the death grind as well as death n roll elements give way to plodding atmospheric touches with plenty of kick ass soloing. They also toss in some black metal tremolo picked melodies. 

Without going into every facet of this album all I can say is repeating the obvious in "Whatafuck". To me the songs on here are less about progression and more about random carpet bombing on tradition. As far as the band goes their song craft/performance are excellent. Jonny Pettersson's gruff growled vocals are always amazing and I'll punch ya if you say otherwise.

But as much as Agma is damm interesting I have some problems. First off it's way over an hour in length featuring sixteen cuts. Basically it's a double album which for death metal is too much in my not so humble and not having enough time on my hands opinion. Secondly I'm a fan of their older stuff and see this as more of a weird experiment than a move to stay relevant in the modern age. Still if you're burnt out on OSDM and wanna hear progression then here you go.

 

https://tometal.com/

LISTEN HERE:

https://wombbathdeath.bandcamp.com/album/agma-death-metal

WOLFBASTARD - The Bastards Hammer review

 

WOLFBASTARD - The Bastards Hammer  

Clobber Records

Blackened punk/hardcore has been around for quite a while now. You either consider it enjoyable or you blow it off as non essential. Personally I do like the sub genre and have a trove of releases by bands who take it to the hilt. Personally I like the whole raw filthy punk side of the blackened infused genre. There's too many bands to name here for that. But I will say if you're a fan of releases by Hell's Headbangers Records then you know what I'm talking about.

WOLFBASTARD, a three piece act from the UK, are on the other side of the aisle as far as blackened punk/hardcore goes. Their sound is cleaner. Their brand of metallic hardcore resembles that of TRAP THEM or even DISFEAR. Toss in some black metal and there you go. They have the three basics going for them. That being an onslaught of riffage, a rhythm section that steam roles through and a vocalist who barks out lyrics as if he were a human machine gun. 

This is the third full length by WOLFBASTARD, who've been around now for a decade. I apologize for not getting into their first two albums. Now in all honesty sound wise there's nothing new here. But hey if you're looking for innovation with in this sub genre then you're a fuckin idiot. WOLFBASTARD's music is all about anger and hostility. I've never seen em live but I'd guess a slam pit erupts from the word go in their set. 

In the end you always remember an ass kicking.  

 

http://www.clobberrecords.com/

MINNERIKET - Gjennom Meg Gar Ingen Til Hvile review

 

MINNERIKET - Gjennom Meg Gar Ingen Til Hvile

Self Released

So when it comes to the most anticipated releases for 2022 I saw in December that this Norwegian BM act had a new album coming out. Now maybe for your average extreme metal fan the name MINNERIKET wouldn't ring a bell. But for me oh hell yes it does.

I first learned about this one man black metal act from Norway, the one man being Stein Akslen, a few years ago. I had listened to his album Anima Sola from 2018. What made that album a favorite of mine that year was how Stein Akslen's approach to traditional atmospheric black metal. He basically takes the basic genre template and adds unconventional influences to broaden the sound. 

Stein Akslen is the main vocalist and multi-instrumentalist but he adds additional musicians and vocalists in order to create his vision. On this latest one he comes across as a composer conducting a small orchestra. His additional helpers consist of various string instrument musicians, percussionists, keyboardists and a bevy of female singers. Of course the end result is another successful experiment into pushing the boundaries of black metal.

On his last album, Anima Sola, Akslen provided a lot of post-punk and gothic doom influences. This one still contains plenty of gothic doom which creates an atmosphere of melancholy beauty. With his added BM influences as well as harsh vocals cutting through like a flaming sword, things become more like a treat. But for most of this album it's like symphonic metal crashing head long into traditional atmospheric black metal. No it's not symphonic black metal!

The use of the varied female vocalists works well. Oh yeah and only Akslen could make a sinister sounding Hammond organ sound black metal. Add to that the various times the vocals carry an almost folk metal pedigree. All of this is a cool bridge to the over whelming sinister atmosphere which pervades these songs. I look at this album as one of those late night engrossing affairs. 

Once again MINNERIKET have produced an amazing release. It's a listening pleasure that will captivate you. It's the opera soundtrack of the macabre. A late night adventure with so many epic turns which dive into the abyss. I love it. 

LISTEN and BUY HERE:

https://minneriket.bandcamp.com/album/gjennom-meg-g-r-ingen-til-hvile

EXTREME METAL MANIAC'S BEST METAL RELEASES FOR 2021

 

EXTREME METAL MANIAC'S BEST METAL RELEASES FOR 2021

The obligatory opening lines about our year in Extreme Metal for 2021. So the two most obvious things for me this year were legacy bands all over the place and death metal. As for the latter I said in a review this year that death was my friend in 2021. Basically there was plenty to be pissed off about this year. So luckily I had some new death metal to calm my savageness. 

As far as the legacy band releases go yeah there were some cool releases by acts that started out in my younger days. It was also cool to see some older black and death metal bands get their shit together and release new stuff. Now as far as disappointments go yeah I'd say the majority of the so-called most anticipated releases were not so hot. In fact many were just down right boring. Also you had some well known extreme acts who had decent releases but couldn't compare to some of the newer acts out there.

So with all of that said it's time to cry havoc and release my list of the year's best.

TOP 40 FULL LENGTH RELEASES FOR 2021

1. CARCASS – Torn Arteries 

(Nuclear Blast)

Their best album since Necroticism. CARCASS took what they do best and tweaked it a bit for modern consumption.

2. VEILBURNER - Lurkers in the Capsule of Skull 

(Transcending Obscurity Records)

Blackened Death from Pennsylvania that takes on avant garde Euro black metal touches and plenty of prog elements.

3. STRANGULIATORIUS - Doctor's Orders Do Not Touch 

(Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)

Death Metal and Grind combined to induce banging whether by heads or fists.

4. ZMARLYM - Druga Fala 

(Godz Ov War Productions)

Polish Black Metal that incorporates some prog, psych, electronica and hard fuckin rock into their blackened palette. 

5. BEWITCHER – Cursed Be Thy Kingdom 

(Century Media Records)

Straight up classic 80's metal. 

6. CRAVEN IDOL - Forked Tongues 

(Dark Descent Records)

More Blackened Thrash by this English act that still strays away from the Teutonic versions as well as the generic American style.

7. DESTRUCTO - Demonic Possession 

(Dying Victims Productions)

This is what you call the Devil's Rock n Roll. Modern Dutch Blackened Thrash sounding like it came out of Brazil in the late 80's.

8. TOWER - Shock To The System 

(Cruz del Sur Music)

Hailing from New York, this band takes their influences from early metal (late 70's/early 80's) and retrofits it with some modern energy.

9. HOODED MENACE - The Tritonus Bell

(Season of Mist)

Finnish Death Doom icons channeling MY DYING BRIDE, KATATONIA and KING DIAMOND minus the high pitched vocals. While at the same time keeping part of their past death doom destructive pedigree.

10. NEKROMANTHEON – The Visions of Trismegistos 

(Indie Recordings)

This Norwegian act takes Blackened Thrash to a higher level, add their own stamp to it and put out one of the most ferocious sounding releases of the year. 

11. APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE - Until The Darkness Goes 

(Cruz del Sur Music)

Classic US Doom pushing pain and misery to enjoyable levels. 

12. CHAINSWORD - Blightmarch 

(Godz Ov War Productions)

One of the newer extreme acts vying to be kings of Polish Death Metal.

13. GRAVE MIASMA - Abyss of Wrathful Deities

(Sepulchral Voice Records / Dark Descent Records)

Modern Blackened Death with some thrash touches sounding like a beast willing to tear you to pieces. 

14. BESATT - Supreme and True at Night 

(Witching Hour Productions)

Poland's Black Metal legends return with one of their best albums in years.

15. THRONE - Pestilent Dawn 

(Redefining Darkness Records)

Polish death and blackened extremism meets Floridian tech insanity.

16. ASPHYX – Necroceros 

(Century Media)

Not really a comeback for this Dutch Death Metal institution. More like a return to form as being one of the best there ever was.

17. REVULSION - Self Titled 

(Transcending Obscurity Records)

Valedictorians of the latest Finnish death metal class.

18. CRYPTS OF DESPAIR - All Light Swallowed 

(Transcending Obscurity Records)

A death metal storming from Lithuania

19. IMPALED NAZARENE - Eight Headed Serpent 

(Osmose Productions)

Finland's Black Metal veterans return with some blackened punk and speed metal insanity.

20. CHARRED - Prayers Of Malediction 

(Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)

Thrash from Florida that hits you like a blow torch to the face.

21. OXYGEN DESTROYER - Sinister Monstrosities Spawned by the Unfathomable Ignorance of Humankind 

(Redefining Darkness Records)

Blackened Death Metal / Thrash with songs inspired by a bunch of Japanese Kaiju movies. 

22. VOMIT SPELL - Self Titled 

(F.D.A. Records)

German death grind act who remind ya how it use to be.

23. ETERITUS - Rotten Transition 

(Godz Ov War Productions)

Polish band that runs the gambit of Swedish melodic death (minus the MAIDEN influences), thrash and some doom. Better yet they're making it their own sound. 

24. THYRFING -  Vanagandr 

(Despotz Records)

One of the greats in Viking influenced Black Metal from Sweden returns.

25. COUNT RAVEN – The Sixth Storm

(I Hate Records)

Another cool SABBATH worshiping good time from these Swedish Doom vets. 

 

26. UNLEASHED - No Sign of Life

(Napalm Records)

These Swedish Vikings are not ready for Valhalla as long as there are battles to be won.

27.HELLOWEEN - Self Titled

(Victor)

They're still the greatest power metal band of all time.

28. MASK OF SATAN - Underneath the Mire 

(Iron, Blood and Death Corporation)

Competitors to the throne of Finnish Death Metal greatness. 

29. CUTTERRED FLESH - Sharing is Caring 

(Transcending Obscurity Records)

Death Metal from Czechia that comes across sounding like something inbetween VADER and IMMOLATION. 

30. EXODUS – Persona Non Grata 

(Nuclear Blast)

Their best album in over a decade.

31. HELL-BORN - Natas Liah 

(Odium Records)

Perfection in blackened death has been made by these Polish veterans of extreme metal.

32. NERVOSA - Perpetual Chaos 

(Napalm Records)

All female thrash with an international cast.

33. VHS - I Heard They Suck... Blood 

(Wise Blood Records)

Gore obsessed death grind punk with humor set in.

34. PARANORM - Empyrean 

(Redefining Darkness Records)

Good thrash from Sweden, of all places, with some tech and prog moments tossed in.

35. ACCEPT - Too Mean to Die 

(Nuclear Blast)

They're still good.

36. ANETTE OLZON - Strong

(Frontiers Records)

Her second solo album. She's much better as the star instead of a front woman replacement.

37. DREAD SOVEREIGN - Alchemical Warfare 

(Metal Blade Records)

It's basically PRIMORDIAL gone doom which ain't bad. 

38. AEONBLACK - The Time Will Come 

(Black Sunset / MDD)

It's a German PRIEST for 2021 and it's pure fucking heavy metal.

39. WITCHTIT - Intoxicating Lethargy 

(Self-Released)

Classic doom with female vocals from North Carolina.

40. AEON - God Ends Here 

(Metal Blade Records)

Death Metal comeback album of the year.

BEST EPs of 2021

1. CURSE OF DENIAL - The Reckoning EP 

(Redefining Darkness Records)

Punishing Death Metal from Ohio with a sound enjoyable to the old school crowd and tweaks which will easily spark interest to those of modern DM appreciation. 

2. DEIQUISITOR - Humanoid EP 

(Dark Descent Records)

Dannish Death Metal which is a secret military weapon and will destroy you.

3. HAVUKRUUNU - Kuu erkylan ylla EP

(Naturmacht Productions)

Part of Finland's new school of Black Metal. Their full lengths are great and this EP follows suit.

4. LADY BEAST - OMENS EP 

(Reaper Metal Productions)

Pittsburgh's True Metal connection keeps on rolling and they toss in a RAINBOW cover.

5. EVULSE - Pustulant Spawn EP 

(Godz Ov War Productions)

Brand new USDM act outta California.

BEST SPLIT RELEASE OF 2021

SEROTONIN LEAKAGE / CHARCUTERIE - Split EP

(Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)

I believe this is the most disgusting release I've ever heard in my life. By the way yeah that makes it great.

BEST COMPILATIONS of 2021

VARIOUS ARTISTS - Death Metal Power From Beyond compilation

(Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)

COFFINS - Defilements  2xCD Compilation

(Horror Pain Gore Death Productions)

BEST LIVE ALBUM

PARADISE LOST – Gothic Live At Roadburn 2016 

(Nuclear Blast)

BEST REISSUES OF 2021

DEIVOS - Emanation From Below 2xCD 

(Selfmadegod Records)

DAMNABLE - Inperdition 

(Godz Ov War Productions)

WEHRMACHT - Shark Attack 

(Hammerheart Records)

MOST OFFENSIVE ALBUM COVER OF THE YEAR THAT I LIKE

OFFENCE - You'll Never Rest In Peace 

(Witching Hour Productions)

FAVORITE LABELS OF 2021 

(based on number of releases in the favorites listings)

1. Horror Pain Gore Death Productions

The little o'l label out of Hostile City, USA and that's Philadelphia, PA to all of you. Whenever HPGD sends something in for review I know it's going to push the limits on extreme. Whether it's death metal, grind, hardcore or punk insanity, HPGD has it. 

2. Godz Ov War Productions

3. Transcending Obscurity Records

4. Redefining Darkness Records

5. Nuclear Blast

HOTTEST THING IN METAL FOR 2021

NERVOSA, the all female international thrash sensation.

WORST THINGS IN METAL FOR 2021

1. The fuckin Covid.

2. Proliferation of boring album ranking shows on Youtube.

3. That IRON MAIDEN album.