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Asphyx – Necroceros
There are few bands these days that sound genuinely unique, and at the same time can be relied upon to put out albums that are of consistent power and quality, especially in the currently oversubscribed Death Metal scene. Asphyx are one such band, and Necroceros showcases Martin’s beautifully vile voice and the band’s ultra-dense brand of sonic terrorism at it’s most thick and swirlingly nasty. Well worth it for long time fans and newcomers alike.
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Need – Norchestrion: A Song For The End
Returning with a massive opus that could outshine the bulk of prog releases awaiting in the new year is Need. Not only does Norchestrion: A Song for the End live up to a standard of excellence that few veterans can touch, but it also might surpass everything the Greeks have done so far. I’ll tell you, it’s no picnic picking between this bee coloured masterpiece and it’s 2017 baby brother Hegaiamas: A Song for Freedom. The new album isn’t that much different, following a similar format as it’s the final chapter in Need’s ‘Invented Word: A Song for Something’ trilogy, but it’s also not free of innovation. Darker, slightly more intricate, but with the same melancholic undertone and compelling emotions that placed Need in a niche of their own, there’s nothing the average person with ears wouldn’t love about this record!
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Mechina – Siege
Mechina’s new album Siege takes us on a journey stained by blood and fire under the flag of honor. Wrapping a savage display of technical drums and cyber-riffery under a blanket of ethereal vocals and epic melodies, Chicago’s tech-metallers create a truly unique sound that takes the listener to distant worlds where war rages endlessly. Siege is insanely technical, theatrical and futuristic, and the images that it paints are as glorious as they are vicious. There’s really no genre or band that can truly be compared to the sound of Mechina.
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Therion – Leviathan
Advertised as an album packed with “classic Therion hits”, Leviathan is a welcome return to form for the Swedish symphonic metal legends, after a decade of releases that have alienated more than a few fans (in our TMO team, there are people who are still recovering from the narcolepsy-inducing 3-hour marathon that was Beloved Antichrist). Leviathan is a completely different beast, more direct and concise, it is built around a set of memorable songs that pack more than a few punches. It’s Therion going back to their 90s/00s sound and doing what they know to do best: Leviathan combines classic heavy metal riffs with epic and bombastic orchestral arrangements, operatic vocals and folk influences. A great cast of guest singers, including among others Marko Hietala (ex-Nightwish), Mats Levén, and Noa Gruman (Scardust), elevate the album to even higher levels. If after Beloved Antichrist you thought you could write Therion off, think again because Leviathan is here to show that the Swedish masters still have one or two tricks up their sleeves.
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Flood Peak – Fixed Ritual
More cathartic sludge from the US, Flood Peak know both how to discomfort the listener and soothe their fears with elemental torrents of discordant riffing, despairing screams, and spacious clean playing. Officially an EP, the 30 minute Fixed Ritual will take you on a full journey to purge all emotions.
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Frozen Soul – Crypt Of Ice
Frozen Soul is here to prove icy, winter imagery isn’t just for black metal. Turns out it fits just as well with rumbling Bolt Thrower worship too, which is what the band is up to on Crypt of Ice. The Texans’ debut album is full of catchy songs, massive riffs, and a unique atmosphere that would make their British icons proud.
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Labyrinth – Welcome To The Absurd Circus
Labyrinth is certainly an inconsistent band, Return to Heaven Denied Pt. 2 is one of my favorite albums of all time, but then Architecture of God was decent, but nowhere near up to the level of their best material. Welcome To The Absurd Circus is far more aggressive and energetic than the previous one and the hooks are much better. Most importantly Labyrinth decided to bring back guitar riffs into their formula and the guitars on this sound really full. This album sees Labyrinth back on track for the first time since 2010 and it’s a great feeling for a fan like me.
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Ominous Glory – The Elven Dream
You may think it biased to be placing an album written and performed by one our very own writers in our Albums Of The Month feature. The truth is, whilst I am definitely biased, we here at TMO are incredibly proud of what Jonathan (codename: Alistar Blackmane) has achieved with The Elven Dream. Channelling the spirit of early ’00s European power metal, many will find similarities to acts like Freedom Call, Gaia Epicus or even Derdian piercing through this album’s raw edge. This is a compliment in every sense. Ominous Glory have produced a mammoth, 80-minute, 15-track journey through an original fantasy narrative via the medium of catchy, melodic and sometimes rather progressive power metal which screams to be karaoked as much as it begs to be headbanged and deeply discussed. For something nearly 20 years in the making, it has earned its enormous and epic runtime by providing symphonic power metal of the highest quality.
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Tribulation – Where The Gloom Becomes Sound
Once again we find ourselves at Tribulation’s mercy as they strengthen their velveteen-enveloped foundations to withstand the beauty of decay. Like pillars of smoke their gothic mastery obscures the horrors lying within their centuries-old castle, their tales spun with noir incenses hellbent on intoxication and outright possession while their wordsmith dances in the absence of God on tunes such as ‘Hour of the Wolf’ ‘Dirge of a Dying Soul’ and ‘Funeral Pyre’. Johannes Andersson and co have cultivated an alluring enchantment over the last half decade, one no soul worth their salt cannot help but be drawn towards. Their craft is unmatched on their fifth opus; with no masters to bow down to, Tribulation rightfully seize the crown of darkness as their own.
