Top 30, Page 2
Black Curse-Endless Wound
Formed by members of Khemmis, Spectral Voice, Blood Incantation, and Primitive Man, Endless Wound is an unrelenting, vicious death metal album. This is an ugly, raw version of death metal with frenzied riffs, unhinged vocals, and cacophonous rhythm sections. Black Curse is the rare supergroup that lives up to the hype.
Ripped to Shreds-Luan
Ripped to Shred’s second album, Luan, sees Andrew Lee incorporate some grind influences into his old school Swedeath repertoire. Lee is joined this time by session drummer Justin Bean and there’s a guest solo from Phil Tougas on “Opening Salvo,” which is my favorite track on the album. I was a big fan of the debut and this one certainly solidifies Ripped to Shreds as a solid band.
Warp Chamber-Implements of Excruciation
Warp Chamber borrow heavily from classic Finndeath on their debut, Implements of Excruciation. Sci fi weirdness, twisted riffs, and some of the most indecipherable, gurgly death growls you’ll hear all year make this one a winner. Those vocals are so wet and gross. Recommended for fans of Abhorrence and Depravity.
Venomous Skeleton-Drowning in Circles
Venomous Skeleton is a new project from the guys in Sonne Adam. Unlike the doom/death of that project however, Venomous Skeleton goes for a far more blackened death metal approach. Drowning in Circles offers both eeriness and some slightly techy, dissonant touches. This is one of the darker, more dismal albums to come out this year and is an easy recommendation for fans of unsettling death metal.
Sweven-The Eternal Resonance
Like many, I was saddened to hear that Morbus Chron was no more. But Robert Andersson’s new project, named for Morbus Chron’s final album, picks up where his previous project left off. The Eternal Resonance is even more progressive and spacy than Morbus Chron’s rightly revered works, and, although a little long, packs plenty of emotionally cathartic moments as well.
Cryptae-Nightmare Traversal
Here’s one for fans of Portal. Nightmare Traversal is highly experimental, abstract, and claustrophobic. I thought this was a little more coherent than a lot of the bands in this style, in part because of a doom emphasis and the occasional chunky, knuckle-dragging riff. It’s a great mix and the band executes it very well on this powerful debut.
Gorephilia-In the Eye of Nothing
Gorephilia’s third album is a meticulous, dense album full of Immolation and Morbid Angel vibes. It’s less murky and atmospheric than the band’s sophomore album, but more refined and mature sounding too. In The Eye of Nothing also contains some Finndeath style doom moments too, providing a nice contrast with the American-style stout dissonance.
Garden of Eyes-Eldritch Death Metal
Garden of Eyes is a one-man death metal band from Norwich, England. This release is a comp of all their demos and a bonus track. Eldritch Death Metal combines two of my favorite things: Bloodborne and death metal. The death metal here is rumbling, mid-paced death metal for the most part, along the lines of Bolt Thrower with heavy doses of Swedeath too.
Terminal Nation-Holocene Extinction
There has been a recent surge of crusty, death metal/hardcore combos and 2020 saw the release of two standouts. Terminal Nation gets progressively more death metal-oriented on each release it seems, and they pull of an excellent mix of death and hardcore on Holocene Extinction. I really appreciate the band’s anti-fascist politics to. Holocene Extinction is yet another winner for 20 Buck Spin, who have been on fire in recent years.
Of Feather and Bone-Sulfuric Disintegration
Of Feather and Bone is our other highly enjoyable crusty death album. Like Terminal Nation, Of Feather and Bone comes from a hardcore background. But their third album, Sulfuric Disintegration, is the band’s most death metal release to date. Sulfuric Disintegration is an incredibly caustic album and at a brief 30 minutes it’s an album that never overstays its welcome either. File this one for fans of Mammoth Grinder and Creeping Death.
Herxheim-Incised Arrival
I’m a big fan of I, Voidhanger’s brand of obscure, quirky black/death bands. Tongues, Howls of Ebb, Haunter, Esoctrilihum-I love ‘em all. Herxheim could very easily be on the label, which should come as no surprise since it’s Patrick Brown from Howls of Ebb’s new band. Avant-garde and atmospheric, but still riffy, Incised Arrival is an easy recommendation for bands of adventurous, weirdo death metal.
Flesh Megalith-Flesh Megalith
Here’s another grimy doom/death album in a year that was strong in this subgenre. This one is more cavernous than most and is a primal, not-subtle-at-all exercise in barbarism. Flesh Megalith one is for fans of subterranean doom and gloom; if you think Incantation wasn’t quite doomy or primal enough, check out this debut.
Necrot-Mortal
Nothing but classic American OSDM worship here, albeit one that is executed very competently. Mortal is a little more technical and the songs are a little longer than Blood Offerings, but the band’s knack for writing solid, no-frills death metal songs is still very welcome and appreciated and the album sports some excellent percussive work.
Siege Column-Darkside Legions
Siege Column plays a caustic, raw form of death metal that bears more than a passing resemblance at times to war metal. This is a little more refined and mature sounding than Deathpassion Inferno, with some longer instrumental breaks sprinkled throughout the album, but this is still a very abrasive, punishing death metal album in the best way.
Afterbirth-Four Dimensional Flesh
Progressive and brutal death metal generally don’t sit well with me, but Afterbirth are clearly one of the standouts of this admittedly niche genre. It’s also much more creative than the usual fare in both of those genres, and in some ways transcends both. Far more instrumentally creative than a run of the mill slam/brutal band, but it’s also much more bludgeoning and crushing than a lot of progressive death. Four Dimensional Flesh is easily one of the more mind-bending and mind-blowing releases of the year.
But wait! Turn the page for some awesome demos, EPs, and short releases of 2020.
