Top Whatever of 2017

It’s been really difficult for me to narrow it down to just 20 records I enjoyed this year but it’s all about rank apparently. So we’re breaking the template this year and I’ll give you almost 100 or probably 100 really good releases I loved this year. Seems like more than you bargained for when you started reading this.

This list is in no particular order at all but merely releases I listened to that I thought was good and took the time to write down and came back to a few times. This includes recommendations by some very close friends. Enjoy!

Side-note:  I’m a  bit annoyed at the fact that the new Deathhammer and Vomitor records  are not out yet and I will continue being petty about it well into 2018 util it’s eventual release.

Anyway here’s the list!

  1. Obnoxious Youth – Disturbing the Graves
  2. Undergang – Misantropologi
  3. Necroblood – Collapse of the Human Race
  4. Temple of Void – Lords of Death
  5. Suffering Hour – In Passing Ascension
  6. Tusmørke – Hinsides
  7. Maim – Ornaments of Severity
  8. Triumvir Foul – Spiritual Bloodshed
  9. Loss – Horizonless
  10.  Pallbearer – Heartless
  11. The Ruins of Beverast – Exuvia
  12. Spectral Voice – Eroding Corridors of Unbeing
  13. Bell Witch – Mirror Reaper
  14. Bunker 66 – Chained Down in Dirt
  15. Dread Sovereign – For Doom the Bell Tolls
  16. Sabbath Assembly – Rites of Passage
  17. Incantation – Profane Nexus
  18. Venenum – Trance of Death
  19. Condor – Unstoppable Power
  20. Grave Pleasures – Motherblood
  21. Air Raid – Across The Line
  22. Schafott -The Black Flame
  23. Haunt – Luminous Eyes
  24. Ritualization – Sacraments to the Sons of the Abyss
  25. Phemerith – Desolate Endscape
  26. Impetuous Ritual – Blight on Martyred Sentience
  27. Mord’A’Stigmata – Hope
  28. Sun of the Sleepless – To The Elements
  29. Ominous Shrine – Ο Δρόμος Της Αποθεώσεως
  30. Vulture – Guillotine
  31. Healer – Demo
  32. Cavurn – Rehearsal Demo
  33. Cryptic Brood – Brain Eater
  34. Terminated – Reality Projection Glitch
  35. Torpedo – Flaming Steel Attack
  36. Tomb Mold – Primordial Malignity
  37. Night Viper – Exterminator
  38. Evil Invaders – Feed Me Violence
  39. Death Toll 80K – Step Down
  40. Blooming Carrions – Sparkling Rotten Dreams
  41. Vesicant – Shadows of Cleansing Iron
  42. Possession – Exorkizein
  43. Sanguine Relic – Bitter Reflection in Luminous Shadows
  44. Temple Nightside – The Hecatomb
  45. Speed Queen – King of the Road
  46. Hellfire – Free Again
  47. Hellripper – Coagulating Darkness
  48. DreadrideR – Reaper
  49. Blind Haze – The Bastard
  50. Morbid Angel – Kingdoms Disdained
  51. God Mother – Vilseledd
  52. Satan’s Hallow – S/T
  53. Necrytis – Countersigns
  54. Hades Archer – Temple of the Impure
  55. Contaminated – Final Man
  56. Blood – Inferno
  57. Hperdonita – Abhorrence Veil
  58. Manilla Road – To Kill A King
  59. Pagan Altar – Room of Shadows
  60. Mothership – High Strangeness
  61. Speedclaw – Iron Speed
  62. Speedrush – endless War
  63. Gorephilia – Severed Monolith
  64. Black Cilice – Banished from Time
  65. VoidSphere – To Call | To Speak
  66.  Chaos Moon – Eschaton Mémoire
  67. Necrot – Blood Offerings
  68. Almyrkvi – Umbra
  69. Auðn – Farvegir Fyrndar
  70. Sulphurous – Abomination Temple
  71. Taphos – EP MMXVII
  72. Fluoride – S/T
  73. Stimulant – S/T
  74. Gets Worse – Struggle
  75. Cavernicular – Man’s Place in Nature
  76. Bandit – Demonstration EP
  77. Lanfill – S/T
  78. Depraved – S/T
  79. Blame God – Strategically Confined
  80. Exit Unit – S/T
  81. In Disgust – We Should All Die
  82. Mesrine – Source of Hatred
  83. Pink Mass – Necrosexual
  84. Ensepulcher – No Sanctity in Death
  85. Hummingbird of Death – Forbidden Techniques
  86. Coffin Creep – Corpse Defiler
  87. Incinerated – Lobotomise
  88. Henry Fonda – Front Antinational
  89. Lugubrious Children – Oblivion
  90. Disease – Demo
  91. Cryptic Void – Into the Desert Temple
  92. Looking For An Answer – Dios Carne
  93. Convulsing – Engraved upon Bleached Bone
  94. Crypt Rot – Embryonic Devils
  95. FIN – Arrows of a Dying Age
  96. Memorium – For The Fallen
  97. Tombstalker – Chaotic Devotion
  98. Evil – Rites of Evil
  99. Regurgitated Guts – Esophageal Mutilation
  100. Hurricane Death – Failed Species

 

Thanks for reading! Here’s to a great 2018!

AOTY

 

 

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Cheesy Heavy Metal Gives Me Life!

So I’ve been listening to a lot of old school cheesy heavy metal and that has kind of pushed me to look for more recent releases. I’ve found quite a few and this year has been incredible for music in general. I’ve been compiling a list of records I really enjoyed this year that I’ll throw up on here at some point. This being said there’s 50 odd excluding the grind and power violence stuff I like but I digress.

Here are some of my favourite Heavy/NWOBHM/Speed/ Thrash metal albums that came out this year, in no particular order.

 

Night Viper – Exterminator (2017)

 

Bunker 66 – Chained Down In Dirt (2017)

 

Evil Invaders – Feed Me Violence (2017)

 

Speed Queen – Kings of the Road (2017)

 

Air Raid – Across The Line (2017)

 

DeadrideR – Reaper (2017)

 

Hell Fire – Free Again (2017)

 

Hellripper – Coagulating Darkness (2017)

 

Blind Haze – The Bastard (2017)

 

 

 

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Music, music music Pt 2.

This edition has me reeling on some older stuff mixed in with the new. It’s always good to find out what releases you missed a few years ago and has suddenly improved your life.

I give you this parasailing of a quote I’ve probably butchered:

“As far as you are an individual death will be the end of you. Individuality is not your true and inmost being. It’s simply an outwards manifestation it is not the thing in itself but only the phenomenon presented in the form of time and therefore has a beginning and an end. So when death comes on the one hand you’re annihilated as an individual and on the other hand you are and remain everything… you will be all and nothing.” – unknown.

TL;DR: Riffs are forever, everything else is temporary.

 

Dahmer – Dahmerized (1997).

 

Stimulant – S/T (2017).

 

Consume – S/T (2012?).

 

Skitsystem – Allt E Skit (2004).

 

Cavurn – Rehearsal (2017).

 

Genocide Shrines – Manipura Imperial Deathevokovil- Scriptures Of Reversed Puraana Dharmurder (2015).

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Music, Music, Music

August and September were an absolute fuckshow for various reasons and the only thing that really makes it at all bearable is to just focus on music. A wise man once said “riffs are forever”. Anyway, here are some killer tunes new and old I have been into of late.

Sun of The Sleepless – To The Elements (2017)

 

Ominous Shrine – Ο Δρόμος Της Αποθεώσεως (2017)

 

Grave Pleasures – Motherblood (2017)

 

Void Necromancy – Void Manifest (2014)

 

Air Raid – Across The Line (2017)

 

Condor – Unstoppable Power

 

Swallowed – Lunarterial (2014)

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Old but Gold

I’ve been digging into heaps of old releases recently, looking for some inspiration whilst writing new material for various projects I’m currently involved with. So I thought “fuck it”, might as well make a list and share it! These are timeless classics in my meaningless and otherwise irrelevant opinion.

 

Poison – Into The Abyss…

 

Celtic Forst – Morbid Tales

 

Sarcofago – I.N.R.I

 

Bulldozer – The Day of Wrath

 

Venom – Welcome to Hell

 

Mercyful Fate – Don’t Break The Oath

 

Sepultura – Morbid Visions/Bestial Devastation

 

FIGHT THE METAL FIGHT!

 

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Nights of Death Metal in the Skull Cave

If you’re a sick fuck I would highly recommend you check out Nights of Death Metal in the Skull Cave with Demonskull!

There’s a new Episode out every Friday and it’s a good way to find some killer new music!

Total Support!

Real ones only!

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Back In Business.

Yo, been fucking ages since I put anything on here. Been a rough ride for a multitude of reasons. I won’t go into many details because no one reads this anyway. Tour was fucking sick and I miss my friends, I miss the road and I miss people who are as passionate about music as I am. So I’ve just been spending my time listening to music, music, music and more music so here are some of the years highlights this far. Enjoy!

 

Obnoxious Youth – Disturbing the Graves

 

Temple of Void – Lords of Death

 

Maim – Ornaments of Severity

 

Suffering Hour – In Passing Ascension

 

Triumvir Foul – Spiritual Bloodlust

 

Necroblood – Collapse of the Huamn Race

 

The Ruins Of Beverast  – Exuvia

 

Spectral Voice – Eroded Corridors of Unbeing

 

Impetuous Ritual  – Blight Upon Martyred Sentience

 

Tomb Stalker – Chaotic Devotion

 

These are some real bangers but not the full list. I’ll have some reviews up for some these soon. Been toying with doing a podcast again to promote bands.

 

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October/November (2016) – In Review

The month of October was an absolute nightmare work wise and the November came round and made it look like child’s play. So I’ve been severely slacking with updates, but at least I didn’t stop listening to music. This post is incredibly late, get off my back for christ’s sake.

The deep dark rabbit hole that is Death Metal had most of my attention during these two months as I was thoroughly sucked into the likes of Blood Incantation and Krypts, both who had had incredible releases. The aforementioned both made their way to the top of my end of year list.

Blood Incantation – Starspawn

Colorado-based Death Metal outfit Blood Incantation is my album of the year and if you’re familiar with the album, it isn’t hard to see why. The best incorporation of technical guitar riffs into any Death Metal release I’ve heard in the last hand full of years. This is what Death Metal is all about, riffs, riffs, and more riffs. This being said Blood Incantation has taken it to another level, no another dimension, laying waste to the astral plane with cold, eerie, interdimensional Death Metal that will send chills down your spine.

 

Starspawn is a  discography defining masterpiece and will be talked about fo years and years to come as one of the best albums ever in my opinion. I’ve not heard such technicality and musical showmanship since the mighty Demilich. They bare super technical and make the riffs work and execute it in such a way that it breaks the Old School Death Metal mold by enhancing it. That’s the highest compliment I can give this band that has absolutely blown me away.

 

Krypts – Remnants of Expansion

October was a long, hard bastard of a month, where I basically had music to keep me sane. At the end of October, Finnish based Death-Doom outfit Krypts release their second full-length album titled “Remnants of Expansion” and it dropped on me like a ton of bricks. Incredible riffs, tremendous build ups and one it started going, it’s an unstoppable force that just keeps on going.

 

Remnants of Expansion is heavy, it’s slow and the riffs just keep coming. When I listen to it, it’s like being hammered into nothing by the force of an ever expanding universe. It’s very dark,  menacing and malevolent with the soul purpose to destroy.  I thoroughly enjoyed this record and it’s an incredible follow-up top their debut full-length.

 

Tomb Mold – Bottomless Perdition

Ontario Death Metal fiends Tomb Mold released their 1st demo titled “The Bottomless Perdition”, which is just a barrage of riffs and old school worship from start to finish. It stays true to the classic style that I have come to love and appreciate over the years.

 

Tomb Mold is no thrills Death Metal, just crushing, eerie, spectral heaviness. It is one of my favorite releases of the year for sure and a band I would highly recommend to anyone who can appreciate riffs.

 

Church of Disgust – Veneration of Filth

Texas based Death Metal outfit, Church of Disgust was introduced to me this year by a good friend of mine. I got hooked on Unworldly Summoning and the heard that there was a new release coming later on in 2016. I was super excited to see what would come of it and I am happy to report that it is a monster of an album

 

This album is definitely one of my favorites and I am 100% on the Keep Death Metal Disgusting bandwagon! If you love good Death Metal, this filth from Texas will not disappoint.

 

Taphos – Demo MMXVI

Death Metal has very specific sounds and different nuances in terms of styling depending on where in the world it’s from. Sure we’re all pretty familiar with the sounds o Sweden and even that of Finland and of course the united states.

Denmark is starting to carve out their own sound and niche within the Death Metal underground. Enter Taphos and their first demo. I was absolutely blown away by this release. It has everything that makes it a well rounded underground release. 4 tracks of skull crushing raw Death Metal. I would definitely recommend you give it a spin and get your hands on one of these demos.

 

QRIXKUOR – Three Devils Dance

QRIXKUOR is a 4 piece Death Metal band based in London, U.K., and they dabble in the occult and death as all good bands do. They unleash a healthy dose of unadulterated Death Metal. It’s raw and almost reminiscent of Teitanblood in terms of the utter chaos that is overwhelmingly eerie from start to finish.

 

The occult is strong with this one, so the sky is the limit. Light some candles, draw a sigil with the blood of innocents and let us worship!

 

 

 

 

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September – In Review

I have not done much on here in a fair while, the whole working 9-5 thing has eaten into my free time, surprising I know.  I have not been able to finish my series on lost releases from 2015, but I guess doing the label and working will do that to you.

I’ve decided to do the previous month in review, so at least once a month something will be updated on this here blog and it doesn’t go entirely to the shitter.

September has been a mixed bag really in terms of music I’ve listened to, there have been a lot of death metal worship throughout and a lot of goregrind, which is fucking sick on all accounts. But let’s pay our respects to the masters, Darkthrone and their new record titled Arctic Thunder  Which I managed to get a hold of via their Bandcamp earlier on in September, not sure of that’s intentional or a mistake as the release date is only set for 14th of October.

Never the less I managed to indulge myself in Arctic Thunder and I was absolutely blown away by the raw savagery of the overall composition with some finesse here and there, but it’s a culmination of riffs that would make you check that you indeed still reside in wherever you live in and not fucking riff city!

The release on Bandcamp had to be a blunder since it has since been removed, but definitely, one of my top albums of the year as I have had it on repeat ever since I got it. As you can see, some good law abiding citizen did manage to upload the full album to YouTube.

So let’s get into the more gore and gruesome side of my September. We’ll start with the fact that Toilet Teeth Records has done a repress of the infamous Haggus/Glob split, which sees mincing madness from Oakland combine forces with 519 blastcore from El Paso, Texas! Limited to 50 copies, it’s a gruesome display of mincing goregrind that will leave you feeling disgusted yet craving more.

This release is just sheer brutality and it delivers quite the punch. I would highly recommend you check it out if you haven’t.

Staying on the topic of gore, one of my close friends recently got back from China and was surprised I had not listened to Parfumerie from good old Winnipeg, a constant source of extreme music savagery. I checked it out and I was blown away.

Packed full of protein, Transmundane and Unprofessional Delocation of Superfluous Extremities and Rare Tissues E.P.i s quite the mouth full and not to mention an ear full. Definitely one of the best releases out there.

Gore galore and no list at the end of the year will be complete without Proctologist’s debut release In Advanced Hemorrhoidal Conditions  EP. It’s taken what we know as goregrind to another level completely. The two-piece grind machine pummels you with pathological goregrind that incorporates foretaste riffs, gross vocals and some of the best gravity blasting I have ever heard. Consisting of members from Haggus and Fiend, it’s easy to see why this is going to be such a hit among the grinders out there who has an inclination to mince.

If you’re into the unspeakable, can appreciate groovy gore riffs and gravity blasts with an array of vocal styles that round off the entire package nicely, I would highly recommend this. It’s been something I’ve gone back to over and over again.

Earlier in the month it was all about the death metal. From coming across something from 1990 to some killer stuff from Chicago to Copenhagen and of course the new Krypts that will be out later this month, it was pretty good all round!

Age before beauty I guess, so let’s turn the clock back to 1990! At work I was busy with some rather tedious debugging and just had a YouTube playlist going and managed to come across Abhorrence’s 7″ and I was blown away by the sheer rawness and the savage riffs. I’m thoroughly on the team “forget Swedish Death Metal”.

After doing some googling, I managed to come across an article saying that their collective works were being released on Svart Records (who I’ve ordered from before), the only problem was that this was back in 2012. I took a shot and hit up Svart Records on Facebook and managed to get the very last copy. They, of course, had a sale, so you know, treat yourself. Anyway, definitely one of the all-time greats of Finnish death metal and death metal in its entirety. Check it out!

Back to the future and I managed to get myself hooked on a band called Nucleus from Chicago. They have their own unique style of old school death metal with lyrics predominantly about space, aliens, and extraterrestrial shit. Some killer riffs, intelligent songwriting and just all round eerie fucking death metal from the deepest reaches of space.

Their latest release is titled Sentient and it has a bit of everything I love in a death metal release including something that makes it stand out from your modern day death metal release. Definitely, something I would highly recommend.

Ever been to the Ossuary in Kutná Hora in the Czech Republic or heard of it? It’s a church that has it’s interior decorated with the remains of the dead.  That’s right, skulls and bones make up the interior in a rather grim macabre inspired Gothic style church in the middle of nowhere in the Czech Republic.

Now take that sight and imagine the stench of death and turn it into an audible horror from the undead realm and you’ve got yourself a band called Ossuary. Their debut is titled Cremation Ritual which was released last year, but I only managed to hear it this past week. I was absolutely blown away by the full sound and old school death metal worship they manage to bring to the table.

 

It’s only 4 tracks, but it is a journey into the vortex of death, a journey into the belly of the only true immortal, death itself. Howling, spectral-like shrieks accompanied by eerie riffs with immaculate drumming. Mid-tempo death metal from Wisconsin. This record has some astonishingly haunting hymns that will drive chills down your spine.  Definitely, check out this band, they fucking slay!

Last but not least, Finland’s finest, Krypts are releasing a new record on the 28th of October. Remnants of Expansion will be the follow-up to their acclaimed debut Unending Degradation, which was astounding, to say the least.

There are only two tracks available for streaming, but it’s enough to give you insight into the terror they’re about to unleash come late October. This album sounds huge and is definitely on par if not better than it’s predecessor. This will be another one to add to the list of best albums come December.

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Spinebreaker – Ice Grave

As I’ve learned in recent weeks, there is a lot of music that kind of goes under the radar and you only discover it or it only gets recommended to you much later. I’ve made a point to make sure that a document these in my “Lost Releases” section. So it almost happened again, I almost missed one of the best releases of 2016 this time round.

I give to you, Spinebreaker, death metal 5-piece from San Jose, California. They’ve been around since 2013 and have released an EP and a single before their full-length this year titled Ice Grave through Creator-Destructor Records.

I hammer on about bands these days trying to be too technical and yes, I know, but fuck man, that shit is an epidemic and luckily there are still bands around who understand that death metal or old school death metal is all about the riffs and  Spinebreaker’s – Ice Grave is exactly that!

 

After an intro track that is eerie as all fuck, that guitar kicks in and it’s like Dismember worship from the get go with some of the coolest riffs available in one place. The dynamic yet simplistic riffage along with the punchy drums make one of the biggest sounds I’ve heard from a death metal band in a while, which they have made their own.  Keeping it simple and letting the groove do the work with some incredible vocal work to complete one of the best albums of 2016 without a shadow of a doubt. To be honest I’ve had this album on repeat this entire week.

SpinebreakerIce Grave is an instant classic and is like a gateway back to a time where this would have been lauded with the likes of Entombed, Dismember, Autopsy, Carcass and the like, which says a lot about the over all composition of the release. I would highly recommend everyone get their hands on a copy, I know I will, I ordered a long sleeve lately and I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

 

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