New Afsky - Om hundrede år is now available.
https://afsky.bandcamp.com/album/om-hundrede-r

If your familiar with and liked the previous albums (take out the acoustic one, i like that one as well, but it's a totally different subject) you won't be disappointed with this one. Another well crafted release that is going to keep me busy for a while for sure.

If you don't know Afsky's previous albums, you're missing out and have no one but yourself to blame for it.

New Afsky is excellent indeed, as expected.

Definitely a highlight of the year so far.

Úlfúð is pretty good.

New Periphery is out, pretty average album for them in my opinion with a few bangers and some more metallic moments.
I don't really like how they reference older songs so often nowadays. The Dream Theater effect? It sounds lazy when it's done on every recent album.

The Final Fantasy tribute is nice to see as I've always heard the FF (and other video games) influence in their and Misha's music.

Trying to keep up with new releases...
Loving Úlfúð, Downfall Of Gaia, Gorod, Demon King, and Foretoken.

The new Hyperdontia EP is good. I also like this Anarkhon - Obiasot Dwybat Ptnotun album, death metal from Brazil.

https://anarkhonband.bandcamp.com/album ... &tab=music

Post-black metal band Falaise released a new album about a month ago: https://falaise.bandcamp.com/album/after-all-this-time. Nice melodies, in vein with their previous material. ヾ(￣▽￣)

The Plague Bearer debut “Summoning Apocalyptic Devastation” is out. It’s a solid release. Recommended for fans of blackened/death and Drawn and Quartered.

Stream has a different master?

https://plaguebearerwa.bandcamp.com/alb ... evastation

I like it more than the last three Drawn and Quartered albums, and Immolation albums.

If anyone here is into atmospheric black metal, you can take a look at this;
https://ruohtta.bandcamp.com/album/uhratuille
I know it is an EP, but it's still worth listening

Enslaved - Heimdal

https://youtu.be/644fzPdL-F4

Afsky - Om hundreds ar

https://youtu.be/87K1dudpDLo

Pretty damn good. Reminds me of a trippier version of Burzum, especially those synth parts.

Enslaved Heimdal is also an amazing release. But honestly so far this year has started out very slow for me

My favorites so far...
Megaton Sword - Might and Power
Winery Dogs - III
Sortilege - Apocolypso
Narnia - Ghost Town / Took me about 5 listens. I love the keyboards.
Obituary - Dying of Everything / This surprised me, I am not a death metal fan but this is great, I like this and the self titled better than the classics.

Genghis Khan - Who Art in Hell
"New old stock" release that was recorded in 1981 but made available only now. Really good heavy metal from the genre's heyday.

https://youtu.be/HsyXO2TPIn8

Dawn Ray'd's album is some blistering fury. Surprising melodic stuff they do here and there. Lyrically, a battering ram too - the whole thing strikes with a purpose: https://dawnrayd.bandcamp.com/album/to-know-the-light

Nice, must check out the new Dawn Ray'd

Ayyur-Prevail
Label: Armée de la Mort Records

"A Chant For The Deafs" taken from "Prevail" Full Length
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7okBUmekEE

I liked the last album and this is pretty solid too upon first listen. Many more spins coming up guaranteed!

There's something really vital and powerful about that album. Just the meaning and weight of it... really heady stuff. Feels fresh even though the musical ingredients are traditional. That's the difference between something really great and something that's a retread.

Ya know, I took a look at the MA album page and winced a little bit at the sight of their super anarchism (Sepulcher (Don’t Vote), but I quickly got over myself as one shouldn't be looking for boring nuance in fierce black metal like this. It would blunt it's teeth and ruin the vibe and purpose. And you're right about the album exuding purpose. Great stuff.

The lyrics are extremely blunt, but yeah the music is so aggressive and in your face that it makes sense. It's basically another side of what a lot of punk is to me. Gonna try their older stuff this weekend for sure.

Behold Sedition Plainsong is really good, still need to check out the new one.

The debut from Aphotic (featuring members of Fuoco Fatuo) is absolutely crushing, dark death metal with doom and post-metal influences.

The new Lamp of Murmuur album is out. As indicated by the advance singles there's a heavy Immortal influence throughout the record but it's not a clone of Immortal, LoM still maintain their signature riffing style.

I listened to the whole thing on my walk today. Pulled the trigger and bought the vinyl but my gawd is the exchange rate super shit right now. Oh well I had to as I know I would’ve kicked myself if I missed out. It’s an excellent album.

The new Hellcrash is solid blackened speed/thrash metal. Not as good as Hellripper's new record but still among the best releases from this subgenre.

Yeah wow, the new Lamp of Murmuur is so fucking good. I hadn't really connected with their earlier material as much, but this new one is such a riff-feast I just can't get enough. Every single track bangs. "Seal of the Dominator" is my current favourite.

Elsewhere, I'm still hard on the new Kruelty, and I just cranked the new Gatekeeper this morning which kicks ass.

Outside of metal, the new Lankum album, False Lankum, could very well top the entire year for me. This group is simply on another level.

https://electricassaultrecords.bandcamp ... st-of-time

They were selling copies of this early at Hell's Heroes and the whole thing absolutely fucks.

Straight up Morbid Angel worship from Chile. Nothing new under the sun, but like a lot of Chilean extreme metal bands these days they manage to walk the line between paying homage and putting their own spin on it.

Man Must Die's The Pain Behind It All easily tops my list from 2023 so far. As ferocious and intense as ever. And that RIFFWORK, oh my god. Makes me want to drive my face into drywall and that's a feeling I haven't had in years!

if sound was not as blunt and wouldn't drown in reverb it would be the best album this year so far.

Black/death metal from China. There's a certain something about this one that makes it stand out among the crowd of similar albums released so far this year, perhaps it's the atmosphere. Also a lot of great riffs to be found here.

I don't think anyone's talked about it (and I didn't even realize it was out) but the new Nocturnal Triumph album is riffy black metal at its best IMO. So many catchy riffs in this one right from the get go.

The new Downfall of Gaia continues their streak of great releases, I think these guys are still one of the most vital bands in the post-black metal space and that extra bit of crust influence gives them an edge other bands don't have.

Personally not a huge fan of the vocals, for me the best post black metal vocals are yells like Later Karg or https://precipices.bandcamp.com/album/l ... du-malheur

Good album.... but it literally came out over a year ago (Jan 2022).

Cursebinder - drifter

https://youtu.be/nHK_TNPEN-k