That's about time. Rude has released the two best death metal albums of the 2010's IMO, and this sounds just as good. I think I've been checking their facebook for updates weekly since 2018 or so, and it's actually been a few years since they first posted they had a new release coming out. Took a couple of years since that update to actually get here tho, but it's been worth the wait for sure. Superb band!

For me it's a case of so much brand new music being available at my fingertips. Not even 5 years ago could I find so much different new music on multiple platforms. I only had one place I really looked for new music so that meant I had to spend more time with the new stuff I found. With Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, etc taking off, I've recently had to change my listening habits so that I can actually digest and appreciate new music without continually looking for the next best thing.

Up until earlier this year, I was constantly checking multiple sites and platforms to see what's up and coming. I did this at the expense of not revisiting albums that I initially enjoyed - I was basically saying "Yep, that's a great album. Next!" I'd really only return to newer music if I was making my year-end list or if I was in a certain mood; in that case it was usually classics or modern classics, not anything recent. Now I've been forcing myself to return to albums that have come out months ago that I know enjoyed. I try to do one or two albums a week and so far it's really paying off. Case in point is the new Baest album, Necrosapiens. I really liked it upon release and listened to it multiple times, even posted about it in this thread. Necrosapiens got added to a few playlists but I didn't actively listen to it since the release. Last week it was the album I chose to return to. Now that I've had time to digest the album and take it off ice, I've really come to appreciate the album even more. It's not that high quality content isn't out there, it's that my listening habits for new releases transformed and became unhealthy.

One of the best metal albums to be released this year would be Serbian's Claymorean and their fifth full length Eulogy for the Gods. Female fronted metal and the vocalist can wail!!!

Well, apparently my stand out of the year was actually released in 2020 (Demoniac - So it goes).

However it's a bit a weird year for me. Most of my favorite bands have not released anything, or they released EPs/singles only; and among other bands, the stand outs are in genres that I'M not that into usually - lots of thrash or thrash-adjacent releases that are amazing, but usually thrash isn't my favorite genre. And now my no 1 album might be The Lion'S Daughter, which is blackened sludge according to the Archives - I love black, but sludge isn't my cup of tea, but this release rules. So it's a year where most of my favorites will be essentially in two genres that I don't particularly love usually.

Though a few power metal releases might end up making the cut.

New Succumb dropped today
https://succumb.bandcamp.com/album/xxi

Yeah, the issue for me is that if I hear a new album I want it to be so good that it makes me want to hear it again soon, if not immediately. It has to pull me away from my established favorites or other more recently discovered music. That happened more often last year than it has this one so far. I've heard more albums this year, but not too many repeat plays. I don't know how much of that is the music not being as good this year vs. just my own tastes or moods lately. Part of it is from hearing a few people saying that '20 was a bad year for new music and there's been so much more good stuff released this year. I don't know if they're crazy or just have radically different preferences than I do. That that had affected my expectations some, and they mostly haven't been met. There's possibly also a novelty effect in play. For most of the 10s I hardly bothered keeping up with new releases at all. I'd be lucky to have a dozen current albums to even rank by the end of each year. Last year was a dramatic change, where I actually put a lot of effort into looking for and hearing calendar year albums, and it was quite fruitful by the end. I'm trying to duplicate it this year, even doubling my efforts at times, and it has been less productive. It could be a bit of burnout as well I suppose.

Probably mentioned months ago, but Spotify randomly introduced me to the latest Harakiri for the Sky album the other day and it's pure fucking fire!
https://open.spotify.com/album/4c32wkJFuLUKHueu8YlldK?si=1m8LMLORRsy9ckeM1Yta7w&dl_branch=1

really nice thrash/speed album here - nothing fancy or new, but lots of fun

No one is really talking about the new Veilburner album "Lurkers In The Capsule Of The Skull", and I think it's incredibly interesting experimental black/death metal

Dude, I was just about to post something regarding this album.

Veilburner are criminality underrated and always fly under the radar. 5 LP's in, and they just keep getting better in my opinion.
It baffles me how come these guys are not more well-known.

For fans of all sorts of weirdness, from Arcturus to Blut Aus Nord, Imperial Triumphant, you get the gist.

It's going to need some more plays to be certain, but Vetrar Draugurinn's The Night Sky is probably my album of the year. They've really leaned even more into the ethereal wave side of their sound than before. Marjan seems incapable of delivering a note that isn't delicious. This album sounds a bit like Draconian's Under a Godless Veil from last year, minus the growls and death metal influences. The focus is on atmospheric/melodic/gothic doom. I'm not sure why we don't have them listed as doom in their description, actually.

Fantastic stuff, thanks.

This is great.

Gonna plug a local player. Here's Unendlich's Paradox of a Broken World which was released in July. Really strong melodic black metal that sounds like some mixture of later Old Man's Child and Wormwitch.

https://unendlichband.bandcamp.com/albu ... oken-world

So "Gods of Debauchery" by Seven Spires is far and away the best album I've heard so far this year. It's astonishing, really. I thought "Emerald Seas" would be a tough act to follow, but holy hell did they ever follow.

If you're into thrashy death metal, the new record from Venefixion is a really good listen:

New Abstracter is great. Nasty death/doom/sludge.



https://abstracter.bandcamp.com/album/abominion

It's been mentioned a couple of times at least, and with good reason, Mystic Storm's debut simply slays.

The other debutant that floored me is Herzel's Le Dernier Rempart.

https://baazlvaat.bandcamp.com/album/th ... FKxyspOCfo

Two songs into this, which a buddy showed me just now, and loving it. It's like Mdou Moctar or old ZZ Top but with harsh vocals. Truly insane and creative stuff I think.

edit - it goes into some quite spacey psychedelia later on.

Not on the Archives, apparently. It isn't the most metal thing ever, but maybe it could qualify.

I don't listen to much doom metal but this Lucifer's Fall - III: From the Deep album is one I like quite a bit.

https://lucifersfall.bandcamp.com/album ... m-the-deep

Some of mine lately.

WHAT! Wraith has a new record? How did I miss that?

Came out just over a week ago. It rips.

Someone posted this band The Answer Lies in the Black Void in a thread in the tavern, but it deserves to be here too. This is some killer doom with a bit of a Chelsea Wolfe vibe. I whinge a bit from time to time about the lack of top shelf releases this year, but between this one and Vetrar Draugurinn things are looking up a bit more than they were half a week ago.

^ I've heard this a fair bit since I got to know about it and I wish I liked it more but it's not hitting the same as all my favorites in that style (Draconian, Trees of Eternity)...

I was listening to the debut album of a trad Russian metal band quite a bit earlier this year, and now I can't frickin' remember their name! Blistering trad/speed metal with a ripping frontwoman. I think they might've had 'thunder' in the name, but could be wrong. Anyone?

Mystic Storm?

Thank you!!! Yes, yes. Awesome album, can't believe I forgot it. Cheers

Holy fuck, this Occulsed stuff is truly impressive

thank you

This slays. It will be part of my AOTY list for sure.

The new Full of Hell is pretty decent, a lot closer to their early albums than their last couple. I do wish they would stop with the noise interlude tracks though, they don't really add anything meaningful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmbO23LcpE4

Turkish brutal death metal band Cenotaph just put this out. I really dig it on first listen. Production is fantastic, this thing feels really dark.

The new Atrae Bilis is out on Friday but 20 Buck Spin already uploaded the full album stream. If you like fairly dissonant, technical death metal this is one you want to check out.

For those into war metal, the new Antichrist Siege Machine album is out tomorrow:

Finally sitting down with this. Really enjoyable, it's like Undergang meets Carcass. I just wish it were a bit longer.

I'm surprised that not many people talked about the latest Tribulation album " Where the Gloom Becomes Sound" . I still think it's one of my favorite albums this year.

It's the genre.

It's one of the most-mentioned albums in this thread, use the search function. It also had its own thread with tons of praise: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=128886

Yeah, I think Tribulation is going to take a run at the top spot in the year-end poll this year. Not sure if it'll make the cut for me, but I do really enjoy it. I just cooled on it a lot a few months after it came out.

The new (and final) Necromantia album is out. Given that they're breaking up this is one hell of a way to go out.