As opposed to the last two years, the race was a two-horse race for the longest time, but in the end we had the clearest winner in recent years. So without any further ado, here is the best 2018 had to offer!
Click the cover art for music.
T H I R T Y
Arsis
Visitant
“Great production, sweet melodies, vicious vocals, what more could you need?”
_______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – N I N E
Visigoth
Conqueror’s Oath
“Traditional metal is still going as strong as ever and Visigoth are right in its spearhead!”
_______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – E I G H T
Timecop1983
Night Drive
“The one that is not like the others here, Synthwave steeped deep in the past!”
______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – S E V E N
Haken
Vector
“Messing with your head. The good way!”
______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – S I X
Khemmis
Desolation
“Classic metal interwoven into doom metal is going strong!”
______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – F I V E
Obscura
Diluvium
“An impressive end to a tech death metal concept cycle.”
______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – F O U R
Messa
Feast for Water
“With its jazzy vibe Messa are definitely spicing up the doom metal genre.”
______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – T H R E E
Marius Danielsen’s Legend Of Valley Doom
Marius Danielsen’s Legend Of Valley Doom Part 2
“As ambitious as the debut, this is an epic tour de force of power metal.”
______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – T W O
Pig Destroyer
Head Cage
“Not your everyday grind!”
______________________________________________
T W E N T Y – O N E
Alkaloid
Liquid Anatomy
“Adventurous, complex, impressive, Germany continues to impress in the prog death genre!”
________________________________________________
T W E N T Y
Amorphis
The Queen of Time
“Mastering the art of familiarity and progress, all at the same time!”
_______________________________________________
N I N E T E E N
Satan
Cruel Magic
“Even after almost 40 years, the true metal magic has not diminished!”
_______________________________________________
S E V E N T E E N
Powerwolf
The Sacrament of Sin
“Catchier than before, Powerwolf still stick to their guns and are as tongue in cheek as ever!”
_______________________________________________
S E V E N T E E N
Necrophobic
Mark of the Necrogram
“A masterful ride on the razorblade between catchiness and heaviness.”
_______________________________________________
S I X T E E N
Horrendous
Idol
“Covering the spectrum from intense and spasmodic to epic and soaring, Horrendous take the listener on a wild ride!”
_______________________________________________
F I F T E E N
Sleep
The Sciences
“No time to sleep, for this is as meditative as aggressive as ever!”
_______________________________________________
F O U R T E E N
Anaal Nathrakh
A New Kind Of Horror
“The kings of industrialized black grind are back with another monument to the sonic end of the world!”
_______________________________________________
T H I R T E E N
Sulphur Aeon
The Scythe of Cosmic Chaos
“Lovecraftian death metal at its best, atmospheric, dense, demanding yet accessible!”
__________________________________________________
T W E L V E
Portal
ION
“Some of the catchiest cacophony you will ever meet!”
__________________________________________________
E L E V E N
Rivers of Nihil
Where Owls Know My Name
“Branching out, Rivers of Nihil combine technical prowess with a far more modern approach to death metal that might leave some fans stranded.”
__________________________________________________
N I N E
Tribulation
Down Below
“Atmospheric, yet heavy, Tribulation are a remarkable chameleon that manages to excel whichever shade they take on.”
__________________________________________________
N I N E
Primordial
Exile Among the Ruins
“Uniquely Irish, Primordial are primal, emotional, epic and as heartfelt as any band you will find.”
__________________________________________________
S E V E N
Tomb Mold
Manor of Infinite Forms
“Cavernous and mighty, the Canadians grind the carcass to its core.”
__________________________________________________
S E V E N
Arkona
Khram
“A true redefinition of their sound, yet Arkona remain true at the core in a progressive masterpiece!”
__________________________________________________
S I X
Solstice
White Horse Hill
“Epic doom metal at its finest as Solstice return with a mighty procession of the highest purity!”
__________________________________________________
F I V E
Mournful Congregation
The Incubus of Karma
“Putting the ‘fun’ into funeral doom, Mournful Congregation’s latest is a true lesson in the genre!”
__________________________________________________
F O U R
Orphaned Land
Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs
“One of the few bands that can truthfully claim to have their very own sound, Orphaned Land majestically sit at the center of progressive, folk and world music.”
__________________________________________________
T H R E E
Judicator
The Last Emperor
“A stunning display of power and polish, aggression and catchiness, The Last Emperor is a true power metal gemstone!”
__________________________________________________
T W O
Judas Priest
Firepower
“At a combined age of 300 years, Judas Priest sound as fresh and powerful as ever and show every other classic metal band how it is still done!”
__________________________________________________
O N E
Yob
Our Raw Heart
“Highly emotional, Yob’s latest is a crushing, accessible, and incredibly hard-hitting slab of sludgy doom!”
__________________________________________________
