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MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month - September 2022
MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month returns! If August was a lighter for new releases, it's because it was the calm before the tidal wave that was September in metal. Holy fuck, there was a LOT of stuff out this month. Really good stuff, too. Check this out:
Razor - Cycle of Contempt
Firtan - Martyr
Vermin Womb - Retaliation
Reincarnated - Of Bootes Void Death Spell
Cainan Dawn - Lagu
Warforged - The Grove / Sundial
An Abstract Illusion - Woe
Dead Void - Volatile Forms
Cinis - Lies That Comfort Me
Writhing - Of Earth & Flesh
Acephalix - Theothanatology
Acausal Intrusion - Seeping Evocation
Cloud Rat - Threshold
…that's the September releases that DIDN'T make this list. Some of these were fantastic, too (Acephalix and Warforged were two I really wanted to get to) but none of us had enough verbal thoughts on them for a little hype paragraph. We simply don't have the person power. (this is my subtle, passive way of saying we need more people to contribute articles to this list. Apply within!)
Nevertheless, this is still appropriately massive - might even be our biggest Top 10 list yet. Let's not waste any more time.
-Nate
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Umbilicus - Path Of 1000 Suns
Listenable Insanity Records
Fun little side-project of Cannibal Corpse's Paul Mazurkiewicz (among others) that channels some classic Zeppelin and Sabbath influences into heavy, bluesy rock. Full review
-Michael
Ensanguinate - Eldritch Anatomy
Emanzipation Productions
After years of near-total obscurity, the Slovenian extreme metal scene is starting to gain something of a foothold internationally, and the debut album from Ensanguinate will certainly not harm this nation's credibility, delivering a tight and surgically precise set of death metal songs that offers an effective update on the thrashing death metal sound of early Morbid Angel and Deicide. Although delivered with great skill and competence, at times, the slightly featureless nature of what many would consider a stellar production job robs the Slovenians of a certain amount of personality that could help to set them apart from the pack. Thankfully, where the album absolutely succeeds though, is in the riff department. Here, Ensanguinate display a fierce, but not alienating level of technical ability, and pulverise the listener in a variety of ways, switching tempo and feel with ease, while at all times ensuring that within each flurry of dizzying guitar interplay, there are plentiful memorable phrases and rhythmic ideas, all of which contribute to a debut that the band can be immensely proud of.
-Benjamin
Revocation - Netherheaven
Metal Blade Records
As someone who subscribes to a lot of metal feeds and knows people who also listen to this kind of music...I've heard about this a lot. Revocation has that rare crossover appeal where entry level metalheads and more seasoned veterans alike all agree Double Dave has forgotten more riffs than you'll ever remember. In particular, The Outer Ones seemed to draw back in a lot of folks who might have previously lost the map on them.
Netherheaven is yet another chapter in this band's riff library, with more of a blitzing, thrashy tone to it than the previous full-length - though it still keeps the flirtations with modern dissonance its predecessor used to great effect, this album is a helpful reminder that Revocation has always been a thrash band at heart, despite all the frills and newer tricks.
My main issue with this (and why it didn't make the top 10 cut) is that it's…too professional, if that makes sense? My friend who saw them live recently (like, on the tour they're playing right now) said the same thing. Everything is crisp, clinically tight, and exactly where it needs to be, but the downside is that Netherheaven has no surprises. They already pulled a mid-career aesthetic augmentation with The Outer Ones, so where else do they go after that? Revocation has enough clout now to make bank touring off mediocre albums for the next 10-20 years…so I really hope that doesn't turn them into a comfortable, predictable band. Netherheaven isn't quite there yet, but it's going down that path, and I'm not gonna be praising their next album if they continue in this direction.
-Nate
Bloodbath - Zombie Inferno
Napalm Records
Uargh! After the very disappointing The Arrow Of Satan Is Drawn, it is refreshing to hear The Swedes (plus Nick Holmes on vocals) back to their old, ripping ways. On their 6th full-length album they offer us a lot of US-influenced death metal – you can pick out Death, Obituary and a lot of Morbid Angel influences in this album's dirty, rotten corners. Being seasoned pros, they effortlessly switch from fast, pummeling riffs to creepy, middling skin-crawlers with ease. 'No God Before Me' is the song Morbid Angel forgot to write before they decided to go into the realms of irrelevance with their "F"-album. Everything is perfectly curated to be decidedly old-school - art, production, and song titles. Malignant Maggot Therapy? Tales Of Melting Flesh? Hell yea.
Nick sounds pretty good here, he's particularly malignant on 'Zombie Inferno'. I wonder if part of it's just studio magic, as when I saw him with Paradise Lost in Essen last month he was…pretty disappointing. That being said, it seems like the addition of Lik's Tomas Åkvik motivated Bloodbath to go back to writing sick, crushing death metal instead, getting away from the black metal vibes that made Arrow such a snoozefest.
-Michael
Last Retch - Sadism And Severed Heads
CDN Records
Here in Ontario, OSDM isn't as big of a thing. Sure, there's been a couple of breakout bands like Tomb Mold, but they seem to just randomly pop up in isolation every blue moon - there's not really a "scene" of similar bands around to put on shows together and generally just push the HM-2 chainsaw sound to the masses as much as possible.
The fellas over at CDN Records seem to be doing their best to rectify this, first with Michigan stalwarts Centenary last year, and now with one of the more promising bands to come out of the gritty industrial city of Hamilton: Last Retch, whose sound can best be approximated as 70% Dismember chainsaw tone and 30% Cannibal Corpse influence in the rhythmic groove. 'Cannibals of Tuma' very much has the same feel in the drums as 'Acidic Twilight Visions', my favorite Undeath track. I want a little bit more beef in the production, but that's something that can be rectified easily on later releases. All quibbles aside, Sadism And Severed Heads has a nasty groove to it and it's incredibly refreshing to hear this kind of sound coming out of my region. I've already harassed these guys to come to my city for a show at least once and I plan to persist until they eventually cave.
-Nate
Megadeth - The Sick, The Dying And The Dead
Universal Music Group
The Sick, The Dying And The Dead may be the best album that Megadeth have released in the last 20 years. Dave's vocals sound fresh and aggressive, the guitar work is awesome (the solos in particular really kick ass here) and ol' Dave even has some more intricate songwriting. Dystopia had its moments, but was mostly mediocre mid-tempo stuff. This is not the case here. The title track has shades of Rust in Peace mixed with AC/DC's fun-loving nature, 'We'll Be Back' is the fastest song they composed since 1990, and my personal favorite track on this is 'Mission To Mars', a weird rock song with hooks, atmosphere and goofy lyrics ("Hello Ladies! Hello Moon Man!"). 'Dogs Of Chernobyl' kind of sucks, but for a band that's 40 years old on their sixteenth full length album, having one lame track out of 11 is impressive.
-Michael
Gaerea - Mirage
Season of Mist
Fuuuuuck this band just keeps getting more and more comfortable in their sound as time goes on. They can consistently conjure up harrowing, despondent emotions without having to rely on melody, instead slowly building up energy in a post-rock style climax - but there's blasting and double-kicking going on the whole time. The band always had a tremendous amount of potential, but their previous release, Limbo, didn't capitalize, despite a couple fantastic songs. This has much more of a boundless, colorful feeling to it, and my cursory listens indicate there's tons of layers in these tracks that will reward repeated listening.
-Nate
Blind Guardian - The God Machine
Nuclear Blast Records
It's a new Blind Guardian album, if that isn't enough to pique your interest just go back to listening to Pantera or whatever. Full review
-Michael
Miscreance - Convergence
Unspeakable Axe Records
This is the kind of thrash that everyone should be able to get behind - lots of Atheist and Cynic vibes in that the bass has tons of room to wander and noodle (and oh, does it ever noodle). Tons of odd tangents and a certain off-kilter nature that brings to mind King Crimson if you gave them steroids and put a Martin van Drunen-esque feral madman behind the mic.
Seriously, what part of that description didn't you like? Plus the cover art is sick.
-Nate
Ares Kingdom - In Darkness At Last
Nuclear War Now!
What even IS that guitar tone? I don't understand it, but Ares Kingdom gets a sound out of their melody that makes you want to pull the head off something. Their albums all have a different feel, but the production always manages to sear you right to your core.
This is obviously aided by the band being master songwriters, and in their veteran years the qualities of their craft age like wine - this group never forgets to pay tribute to the old masters, but simultaneously never remain stagnant and always find a clever and creative way to augment their core building blocks. You'll hear elements of death, black, thrash, speed, doom and whatever genre Motorhead is all fused into a hearty, seamlessly blended riff soup. It's heavy fucking metal, baby!
-Nate
Tribal Gaze - The Nine Towers
Maggot Stomp
I'm starting to realize that Maggot Stomp's shtick is just to add mutated steroids and brutal death metal aesthetics to hardcore, creating utterly simplistic, chug-focused, but nonetheless absolutely devastating music, and you know what? That's okay with me, especially if it results in music like this. This has an unhinged, but focused quality to it, like being in the vicinity of an unstable steroid addict who could snap at any moment and punch your face with MMA-level precision. There's also a passion and zeal to this music that's hard not to be infatuated by - even without visual references, you just kind of get the feeling these are a bunch of younger dudes who are absolutely stoked to be laying down heavy ass shit as they start to make their mark on the metal world. That's the kind of energy I want behind my riffs.
-Nate
Kill Division - Peace Through Tyranny
Redefining Darkness Records
Jeramie Kling, Dirk Verbeuren, Gus Rios and Kyle Symons have a new band called Kill Division. That's a stacked and interesting lineup. If you are into old Terrorizer, Brutal Truth or Napalm Death this is the perfect piece of grindcore for you. This kicks your ass right from the beginning with plenty of blasting, hate, and no adherence to trends - only pure, late 80s-early 90s fury. They threw in a Terrorizer cover in Track 11 just to make sure you know their influences. It's a little less chaotic and has a bit more structure than grindheads might be used to, but nonetheless whizzes past in an entertaining 25-minute blur.
-Michael
METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH
10: Gnipahålan - I Nordisk Vredeslusta
Purity Through Fire
A misty forest on the cover invites the listener to a mysterious, atmospheric trip through the Swedish landscape - a very good visual representation of the journey this album takes you on. I Nordisk Vredeslust evokes a powerful nostalgia with its keys and swirling blizzards of riffs. Simple pieces slowly cultivate a haunting atmosphere, the consistent keys in particular elevate the entire deal, with the ghoulish vocals underscoring the whole package. But beware – the album can feel taxing - aside from the intro and outro, the riffs are challenging and discordant because of their ferocious tempo and rawness. Once it sucks you in, though, it puts you in a certain meditative trance somewhere between Emperor, Vargrav and Abigor.
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10
9: Altars Ablaze - Life Desecration
Lavadome Productions
I missed the boat on Beyond Mortal Dreams and got to the game a little bit late with Heaving Earth, so I haven't been as vocal about it as I should be, but Lavadome Productions has been on fucking point this year. Both of those albums crept their way into my top 10 of 2022 (so far) after giving them time to marinate, and Altars Ablaze is making a serious bid for that as well. There are some connections to Heaving Earth (they share a guitarist and have a couple other ex-members), which explains how they got in touch with their label, but where Heaving Earth is a sprawling fusion of Immolation and The Chasm with a slight black metal touch, Life Desecration is either a death metal-oriented version of Akhlys/Nightbringer, or a nuanced version of Angelcorpse, depending on your perspective. There's a similar turbulent blitz of blasting with a discordant bent, polished and stripped of its thrashy tendencies, but the real gold in this album is when the pace drops a bit and the band lets the little flashes of intricacy in the guitar swirl in the forefront. You can tell the group could have played far more complex material than this, but chose to focus their sound in the interest of a more cohesive sound and musical longevity.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10
8: Fallujah - Empyrean
Nuclear Blast
Despite the obvious display of tremendous talent on display with every album, Fallujah tends to be hit or miss for me. The Flesh Prevails? Excellent. Dreamless? Not as big of a fan. The key is if they channel their grandiosity and bombast into a song with flow, which Empyrean does as good as anything these Californians.
It's easy to forget that the founding members of this band are in their early 30s, despite being on the scene for what seems like forever and having five full lengths under their belt. You could argue the band is reaching their creative apex right now, with a sense of elegance and maturity to these compositions - typically that means the sound is more boring, but when the riffs hit on this one, they hit hard. They space it out with their trademark "ascend into the heavenly cosmos" atmosphere, but even those songs have some really smooth pickwork with chuggy motifs that dance in your head for weeks. A lot of heavyweight bands put out stuff worth checking out this month, but for whatever it's worth, this was the one I liked the most. Even the clean vocal sections in this are really cool, and I usually hate those!
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
7: Epoch Of Unlight - At War With The Multiverse
Dark Horizon
I've been so saturated with noodle-happy Artisan Era-core these past few months that sometimes I forget it can actually go the other way - there can be "technical melodic death metal" bands that put the "melodic death" piece of that descriptor right at the front. It's easier to execute because the guitar parts seem like they can be played by normal humans, but it's more difficult to create a memorable album because you've got fewer garnishes to play with. A lot of Epoch Of Unlight's riffs still have those holdovers from the Slaughter of the Soul era, but there's just enough window dressing to keep it up to speed. Moreover, they drill songs in your head through clever song construction: they like to start songs off on a brisk, energetic note and then somehow find a way to kick up the intensity even more midway through.
They have this way of keeping their secrets until the end. They'll start by teasing you with a very good riff - not an amazing riff, just a very good one. It'll have just enough to keep you listening to the song, but also builds anticipation for the dank riff that you know is going to follow it. When the big kahuna does hit, the resulting power is usually enough to carry the momentum of the rest of the song. 'The Numbing Stillness' is a great example of the uptempo, lead-heavy yet still slow-burning style that this Memphis group is great at. Not bad at all for a group getting back into the swing of things, this being their first full-length in 17 years and first proper release since 2015.
At War With The Multiverse occupies that rare space of "proper" melodic death metal - you know, the kind that has tons of great licks but also doesn't forget the "death metal" part of the equation in the quest for the biggest earworm. They're in exclusive company: Vehemence, Be'lakor, and the first Arsis album are some of the very few examples I can think of that also successfully execute the style. Great shit that is hella underrated so far!
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
6: Skare - Skare
Amor Fati
Out of absolutely nowhere (well, Australia actually), comes Skare's startling self-titled debut, which is a strong challenger to Pestilential Hex's own first assault as this listener's black metal album of the year. If the underground has most frequently been championing either scratchy primitivism and dissonant churn in recent years, it appears that the worm is starting to turn, as bands such as Stormkeep and now Skare are rediscovering the ability to add a dash of triumphant melody to their otherwise coruscating torrent of blastbeats and tremolo riffs. It is a genuine thrill to hear another band running with the adventurous spirit of the 90s legends (Dawn, Emperor, Obtained Enslavement), without too closely aping any single one of them. As the neo-classical pianos augment incandescent guitar work, this listener is lost in the kind of reverie and nostalgic haze that usually only a visit to the sub-genres early classics is able to evoke. Skare's debut is an absolutely enthralling piece of work that perfectly balances ferocity and melodic flair in a way that should ensure its longevity for some time to come.
-Benjamin
MetalBite's Rating: 8.7/10
5: Wolfheart - King Of The North
Napalm Records
Melodic death metal such as this, with the emphasis firmly on the melody, may be derided by those more interested in sheer extremity, but when a band gets it as spectacularly right as Wolfheart do on their stellar new release King Of The North, even the most cynical detractor may find themselves sucked in by the propulsive galloping riffs and surging emotion of a band that are arguably releasing their definitive statement in 2022 at the sixth attempt, following a run of well-received records over the past decade. The songwriting throughout is first class, tracks such as 'The King' providing a true journey through mountainous peaks and valleys and weather foul and fair, with judiciously used synths adding to the atmosphere without dominating the guitars, and huge melodies maintaining the listener's close attention in the same way that Iotunn managed last year with one of 2021's standout releases. Just occasionally, the rhythm guitars threaten to get a little too close to metalcore in tone and groove, but this is a minor criticism that is forgotten as soon as the listener is assailed by another relentless syncopated riff, or the guitars unfurl one more soaring lead figure. Wolfheart are a timely reminder of why heavy metal appealed so much to this listener in the first place, and King Of The North is a headbanging joy from start to finish.
-Benjamin
MetalBite's Rating: 8.9/10
4: Spiritus Mortis - The Great Seal
Svart Records
Although it wasn't a huge year for landmark doom metal releases, this may very well be Michael's AOTY for the genre (provided the new Candlemass album doesn't end up being even better). Nothing but pure, classic slow 'n' low goodness here from ex-members of Reverend Bizarre, among others. Full review
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.9/10
3: Autopsy - Morbidity Triumphant
Peaceville
For seasoned death metal maniacs, the appearance of a new Autopsy album is always cause for grim celebration, and with the arrival of Morbidity Triumphant seven years on from their previous full-length, the anticipation this time around is especially fevered. As soon as the opening strains of the delightfully-titled 'Stab The Brain' rumble into view, the listener immediately relaxes into a familiar state of gleeful torment, as if stepping into a comfortable pair of old shoes, albeit shoes that are unlikely to console the wearer with an anaesthetic before painfully and violently amputating the feet that fill them. Despite their advancing years, and time already served in the extreme metal underground, Chris Reifert and co still play ugly, monstrous death metal as if their lives depend on every last blastbeat and down-pick, utterly authentic, utterly monumental, and utterly destroying all pretenders to their throne. Autopsy are masters at effortlessly cramming countless rusty hooks into each track, from the infernal (and sneakily technical) harmonised tremolos of 'Tapestry Of Scars' to the brutalising suckerpunch of 'Skin By Skin', on which Reifert's death rattle rasp is hauntingly terrifying. Like syphilis, Autopsy are both infectious, and disgusting. Morbidity Triumphant, a title which could almost be said to symbolise the ongoing and unlikely success of the genre itself, meets and exceeds expectations in style, and Autopsy once against sit at the top of the pile of slain corpses that represents the competition, watching the world burn, and spitting on its charred remnants in the knowledge that they will outlast us all.
-Benjamin
MetalBite's Rating: 9/10
2: Slaughterday - Tyrants Of Doom
F.D.A. Records
Slaughterday brings the pulverizing death metal, with an extra trad metal tinge that gives it a distinct edge. The best death metal album Michael's heard all year, which is saying something if you read these articles and know how much he loves his early 90s OSDM worship! Full review
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 9/10
1: Mo'ynoq - A Place For Ash
Self-released/Independent
For whatever reason, I haven't been as high on black metal this year. Most of my highest-ranked picks for these lists have been in the tech and dissodeath realms (Carrion Vael, Inanna, Immolation, Soreption, etc) - and even then, the albums I was keen on (Nechochwen and Silhouette) I have been keen on were higher in the lists because they were released in months that didn't have as many standouts. Anyways, if for whatever reason I was falling out of favor with black metal, A Place For Ash aggressively grabbed me by the collar and dragged me right back into its depths.
I've seen this get a bit of flak (mostly in Angry Metal Guy) for being too blast-heavy and not capitalizing on the band's obvious potential…but my question is, what exactly would replace that? You're basically saying to cut out the meat of this band completely, or just change entirely what they're meant to sound like. Maybe it's because I don't hear this in the context of their previous album as much (I know of it, and know it's good, I'm just not super familiar with it), so I don't see a band dialing back elements that made them good before, I just see a group that has gotten more comfortable writing songs together channeling their disparate influences into a powerful, compelling stream of black metal. It's repetitious, with incredible stamina from drummer Justin Valletta sustaining a spirited blast groove for nearly three minutes at a time, but the way the band shifts the feel of the tempo while still maintaining the groove is hypnotic, adding texture and variety without removing the stark, uncompromising atmosphere. All three guitarists contribute vocals at different times, each adding their own distinct, shrieky cadence to the ordeal.
I don't know exactly why, but A Place For Ash has a different lasting effect than most black metal I hear today. It's hard to make any sort of second-wave comparisons to this, as parallels to groups like Wolves in the Throne Room and Oathbreaker makes much more sense - this is thoroughly modern in that way, but they kept the songwriting tendencies from the 90s albums that made them lasting listens. Incredible stuff that had me dancing in my kitchen while I did the dishes multiple times over.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 9/10
Thanks again for checking our list out! If you still haven't got your fill of metal for today, here's our top 10s for 2022 so far to catch up:
And, of course, Follow MetalBite on Facebook and Instagram so you can be there right when the next Top 10 list drops!
Entered: 10/6/2022 10:07:15 AM
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MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month - June 2022
Welcome back to MetalBite's Top 10 albums of the month. We're in the peak of release season and tons of great stuff is coming out in all genres across the board. It's a great time to be alive if you're a music fan, and a terrible time to be alive if you're a music fan's wallet. Let's give you some more reasons to drain your bank account!
-Nate
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Hypermass - Empyrean
Self-released/Independent
It's not often something in the progressive metal sphere makes this listener's list of picks for the month in preference to the latest emanations from the black and death metal underground, but when the huge riffs and gleaming melodies of Hypermass's debut Empyrean caught the ear and refused to budge, it became impossible to deny the quality of a release that belies the Norwegians relative lack of previous metallic pedigree. Not a million miles away from the kind of thing Devin Townsend used to put out immediately following his exit from the peerless Strapping Young Lad, with a dash of the djent-adjacent juddering heft of latter-day Gojira, all wrapped up in conventional song structures, Hypermass's appeal is potentially broad, stretching from fans of the arena-bothering likes of Architects to tech-death fans with a soft spot for classic melodeath. Empyrean is somewhat front-loaded, its scintillating initial impact dulling a little as it becomes apparent that the band have developed something of a formula, but if they are able to build on their strengths, and break new ground next time round, they just might build the kind of fanbase enjoyed by the bands that have clearly inspired them.
-Benjamin
Entrails - An Eternal Time Of Decay
Hammerheart Records
Seventh album from that band that sounds like old Entombed, and to everyone's surprise, they sound like old Entombed. Full review from Michael here.
Khold - Svartsyn
Soulseller Records
Veteran second-string black metallers making another groovy, midpaced album. If a newer band attempted this kind of sound it would almost certainly suck, but because these are professionals who have been working together for 20+ years, they can get away with writing music as straightforward as this. The frequent Darkthrone-isms and lack of raw talent on display in Svartsyn is made up for through the chemistry between the band members and the charisma in their delivery. Gard's vocals on their own would not sound very good, yet somehow in the context of the music, he manages to be convincing. The drums and riffs grow on you in a similar way - not the most impressive thing you've heard, but they get the job done. The production is nice and bottom-heavy, boosting the rolling grooves.
Even though it sounds like there wasn't a ton of time spent in the writing room here, it still turned out pretty good? I guess that's the advantage of longevity, you get more efficient with your processes.
-Nate
Kardashev - Liminal Rite
Metal Blade Records
I'm not as into this as a lot of folks seem to be, but I definitely get the hype. The riffs and arrangements have a grandiosity and aggression to them that post-black (or "deathgaze" as I guess they're trying to call it) has desperately needed for a long time to give it some life back, and the vocals are some Next Level Shit. Mark Garrett is fast on his way to becoming a household name with his combination of high shrieks and a somewhat nasally, yet still incredibly soulful and resonant clean voice.
Despite the abundance of ability on display, Liminal Rite sometimes struggles to contain the ridiculous amount of emotion it packs in, often losing momentum in its attempts to be all-encompassing… but I'm also just wondering if I haven't fully digested this yet, as this is not the type of thing you write off after a couple of listens. At the very least, check this out so you don't miss out on what is likely going to become the next big thing.
-Nate
Vipère - Douleurs
Vetus Capra
Vipere changed their style a bit from their previous EP released last year, retaining their black metal base while adding some extra folk elements. Their black metal influences still range between industrial BM stuff and dissonant black metal á la DSO or Misþyrming, but it isn't quite the sheer madness of the debut. The folk parts add variety, giving the harsh, challenging and hectic music time to breathe, peaking with the chaos of songs like 'La Bourgade Et Le Dandy' or 'Choc Terminal'. All in all, a very interesting and entertaining black metal release that once again reveals the boundless creativity in the French black metal scene.
-Michael
Enchantment - Cold Soul Embrace
Transcending Records
Does anybody remember the British band Enchantment? They released a very nice death-doom album called Dance Of The Marble Naked in 1994 and unfortunately split-up after that. I was pretty surprised to see that they are back with a new album, and even more surprised to see they picked up where they left off. Still we can hear the death/doom of early My Dying Bride and Anathema, as well as Draconian – the opener 'As Greed As The Eye Beholds' is a trip back in time. The production sounds fuller and more powerful with the passage of time adding some more progressive (or maybe modern) elements to the sound. Some more acoustic guitars, piano, a little bit of pop sensibility (like the first minute of 'A Swanlike Duet') and even some classical vibes. This brings back the classic somber spirit of 90s UK death/doom and I hope this group will not split up for another 24 years after releasing this one.
-Michael
Light Dweller - Lucid Offering
Total Dissonance Worship
I don't have many words to say about this because I need to give it more time, but for now I can offer two pieces of critique: 1) holy shit and 2) this fucks.
-Nate
Inanimate Existence - The Masquerade
The Artisan Era
This is the band's sixth album and they still haven't managed to break out of the 7/10 "good but not great" mold. I've seen this band live, heard several of their albums, I even own one on CD, and they still have yet to move the needle to the point where I can call myself an outright fan. This is despite the fact that I can acknowledge Ron Casey and Cameron Porras are both exceptional at what they do - the former played on a Brain Drill album, for crying out loud.
Ironically enough, though, Inanimate Existence seems to have inherited Brain Drill's chronic inability to write a solid hook. There's tons of melodic licks a la Gorod and Obscura, maybe a bit more of a brutal death metal vibe than something like Inferi (while still keeping the sense of melody), but it never does anything to startle your expectations. A lot of the time it seems like the songs were written riff by riff without having a clear end goal in sight, which makes it feel like something is missing, even though it's consistently solid and enjoyable. Worth a listen if you know you dig it already, but if you're already familiar and haven't been convinced yet, this won't move the needle.
-Nate
Origin - Chaosmos
Agonia Records
One of the longest-running tech behemoths, and former holders of the Speed Crown when Antithesis was released almost 15 years ago (!!!) before Archspire (and perhaps Viscera Infest, to a lesser extent) dethroned them. They're still plugging along, with Chaosmos being album number 8. They took five years in between releases, which surprisingly enough is the longest gap between any two Origin albums (previously, they never went more than three years without dropping something).
Perhaps the extra time spent in the writing room helped, because this may be the strongest album from them since Antithesis itself. Their last couple of albums had a few too many songs that were essentially just John Longstreth warmup exercises with guitars and vocals recorded overtop - this band is really at their strongest when Paul Ryan adds a bit of diversity and flair as opposed to hyperspeed stutter grooves plodding through the entire track. There's a reason 'The Aftermath' and 'Finite' continue to be live staples and are the best moments on the 2008 album I keep continuously referring to. Songs like 'Ecophagy' and 'Panoptical' feature more of this contrasting melody, even using it in a bit more of a cold, calculated fashion, reminding one of an intergalactic battle that's occurring 200 years from now.
-Nate
Ataraxy - The Last Mirror
Dark Descent / Me Saco Un Ojo
Spanish death/doom that straddles a line between the haunting, layered textures of Sepulcros and the riff-oriented force that Anatomia taps into. The vocals have a strained, hoarse tone to them that gives off Asphyx vibes if you pay close attention - I would be shocked if the Dutch band was not a huge influence on Ataraxy throughout their career. None of this is a surprise given the label choice and aesthetics of the band. They're in a genre that is saturated full of bands by now, but manage to retain some edge and distinctiveness by keeping a symphonic undertone during the riffs, not being afraid to try something a bit different like 'Under the Cypress Shadow' which feels more like Hellenic black metal than Spanish death/doom.
They balance this more involved, melodic component with trudging repetition, creating an album that is expensive and varied while still keeping a theme. It's much more than the sum of its parts, and the parts were already pretty cool to begin with.
-Nate
METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH
10: Misgivings - Misgivings
Dolorem Records
Some more music made by a band with a drummer who spent way too many hours practicing blastbeats, curated by the hyperspeed lovers over at Dolorem Records that I like to rep a little bit. What can I say, I like to go fast on a level only rivaled by blue hedgehogs.
Despite never fully committing to being a fan of Angelcorpse, I always like bands that create a similar vibe but actually have memorable riffs - which was always the downfall of Pete Helmkamp and co., despite their pulverizing surface feel. However, even if that's not typically your jam, writing this French group off based on one influence they have would be lazy, not to mention incorrect. There's a few methods Misgivings use to grind your ears into pulp, and they add a surprising amount of dynamics to a rough, cutting surface - even with the guitars having a thin production, the groove can still be felt right in the gut, a side benefit of the strong thrash metal backbone heard in songs like 'Ancient Fear' and 'The Age of Christic Sorrow'.
The drummer also manages to keep the beats engaging when he isn't going at max speed, which is a common pitfall for blasturbation bands. Guilhem Auge's got a deceptive amount of texture and depth to his playing style, no doubt informed by his extensive resume with flamenco death metallers Impureza. He's not the only one coming into this with experience, either. Though this is the band's first full-length, they've been active for over 20 years with a scattered history of smaller releases. If you're expecting youthful energy and sloppiness, look elsewhere, because Misgivings are seasoned pros, sharpening their thrashy blackened death metal spears with this project to further focus and increase the potency of their ideas.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8/10
9: Darkane - Inhuman Spirits
Massacre Records
Look at me, giving large volumes of praise to a thrash band whose best years are almost certainly behind them - usually I leave it up to fellow MB contributor Michael to do that. That being said, Darkane's in a weird spot for their genre. They formed in 1998, long after thrash had its heyday, well after the mid-90s melodeath explosion, but also too early for the retro-thrash boom of the mid-late 00s. They started to make a style of music when it was arguably at its least popular or interesting, and despite this unique position - perhaps even because of it - they are one of the more uniquely gripping and nuanced thrash bands out there today.
The Gothenburg influences breathe fresh life into stale 80s arrangements, opening up new horizons for two genres that both suffer from how restrictive and specific they have to be to get it right. The melodic choices complements the Lamb of God-esque production on the guitars surprisingly well - in any other band, these would be some of the most boring riffs imaginable, but these Swedes have an uncanny ability to take those moments you've come to despise because you've heard them a million times and not only make them listenable, but genuinely captivating and entertaining.
One more underlooked aspect of this band is their lineup consistency. In over 20 years of existence, they have never had a drummer, guitarist or bassist leave the band, which is extremely rare. The only lineup change they've ever had is on vocals, and even then, the singer you hear on Inhuman Spirits, Lawrence Mackrory, was actually on their first album anyways, so essentially the founding core is completely intact. You can hear it in the execution - no idea is ever out of place, and the interplay between instruments during the fills, transitions into the choruses and interlude diversions really underline the band's excellent chemistry. You don't notice it at first - Darkane's a slow burn in that way. They don't jump out at you immediately because their surface aesthetic doesn't suggest they'll be much different than the countless melodeath/thrash/metalcore/groove/whatever local bands you've heard, but then three or four tracks in you realize they haven't actually had a bad riff yet.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.1/10
8: DeathFuckingCunt - Decadent Perversity
Hammerheart Records
Brutal death metal that is speedy, jarring, incorporates pitch harmonics and constant rhythmic shifting, similar in execution to Deeds of Flesh or Severed Savior with an extra dollop of goregrind aesthetic - aside from the band name obviously turning a few heads, we've also got a treasure trove of song titles like 'Fisted Into Form' or 'Garroted by Frenulum' to make you cross your legs and cover your nuts.
At first glance it might seem like an immature joke project, but the music within is anything but - it's an overstimulating mass of anti-melody, lurching forward with the same sort of rhythmic intricacy and complexity as something like Desecravity, or Car Bomb with more 4/4 time signatures (worth noting the drummer played in Beyond Terror Beyond Grace, who are hella underrated). The only moment of relief you get is a sample where the dude talks about extermination as the ideal form of sterilizing the human race, and otherwise the album only seems to get denser, more punishing and more filled with notes as time goes on. You won't be recommending it to your grandmother, but Decadent Perversity easily holds its own and makes me wonder if these guys would be more of a fixture in BDM if not for the ridiculous name choice.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10
7: Besieged - Violence Beyond All Reason
Neurot Recordings
As the first chord of opening track 'Last Chance' fades in, and the compressed mid-range tone of the none-more-80s guitars reveals itself, this listener is desperate for the Canadian death/thrashers riffs to follow through on the promise of that initial burst of excitement. Thankfully, once again, the discerning people behind the excellent Unspeakable Axe have reinforced their reputation for fine judgement in all matters of thrash and death metal, as Besieged launch into a concise and exhilarating album that absolutely scratches the itch for anyone brought up on Sepultura, Anthrax and Coroner, who might be looking for a modern band putting out a similar brand of aggressive, speed-limit breaking, moderately technical thrashing death metal.
-Benjamin
MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10
6: Lunar Chalice - Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage
Iron Bonehead
Considering their prolific release schedule, Iron Bonehead are unfailingly reliable when it comes to putting out high quality orthodox black metal, and Lunar Chalice's debut Transcendentia is no exception. Veterans of the German underground scene, Lunar Chalice follow a brace of EPs with a full length that, while unremittingly savage, shows enough touches of deft ingenuity to ensure that the album is not simply a jackhammer blastfest. Although the almost robotic, Mysticum-like, rhythm section (apparently occupied by humans in this instance) do keep the velocity dangerously high throughout much of the record, the ritualistic chanting of much of the vocals adds a creepy, twisted ecclesiastical feel that adds depth and sophistication to a fairly raw mix. It is not quite an innovation in a scene that is already well-populated by bands aiming to offer something more than standard black metal shrieks, but it is undeniably well-matched with the bands cold, scything walls of minor chords and tremolo runs, which at turns recalls Swiss masters Darkspace, as well as mid-period Mayhem and even Gorgoroth. Like those bands, Lunar Chalice further reinforce a genre that continues to deliver solid works of black art that demand your attention.
-Benjamin
MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10
5: Instigate - Unheeded Warnings Of Decay
Everlasting Spew Records
With all these speedfreak drummers coming out of the woodwork like parasites, Fleshgod Apoclaypse's Francesco Paoli needed to make a statement and remind everyone why he's the fucking man, so he hooked up with some regional comrades and Unheeded Warnings Of Decay was born. Misery Index came out with a new album this year, and I'd argue that Instigate beat them at their own game here. The key to making this style work is actually adding just the right amount of choppy stutter-riffing and melody to the blistering deathgrind in order to make it less of a blur. The way the verses on songs like 'Liturgy of Emptiness' and 'Seeds of Cain' power forward is kinetic, with the perfect groove within the speed giving you a huge surge of confident energy. The drums are surgically tight, as they should be from one of the country's most renowned kinsmen, but there's enough of a playful, rock-n-roll type bounce to make them feel natural, with a lot of skank beats to remind you that as juiced-up as this sounds, it's really just a heavier and more explosive version of late 80s Slayer and Napalm Death.
Very much a niche album, but it's a niche that I gravitate to frequently. When Everlasting Spew works with a band that's outside the death/doom realms they prefer, they tend to be more selective about who they represent, which is only further evidence to point to Instigate's quality.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10
4: Moribund Dawn - Dark Mysteries Of Time & Eternity
Carbonized Records
A blue painting invites us to a frigid, icy trip, into a mysterious fortress high up on a hill. Atop the hill, you are led back to 1995 - the guys from Phoenix, Arizona play some old-school black metal that could come from some Swedish bands like Sacramentum, Dawn, or Ophthalamia. They offer a mixture of wintry, harsh black metal which is combined with atmospheric keyboard painting and melancholy doom-laden riffing. When I got the album, I had to double check to make sure they weren't Swedish and that Dan Swanö wasn't involved. Dark Mysteries Of Time & Eternity is an anachronistic album, and could have been a classic if only the group was 30 years older. Hopefully they get the recognition they deserve now for this. Now, to wait until winter, when the time is right for this, when BBQ is no longer in season (actually, forget that, there's never a bad time for BBQ).
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
3: Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain
Profound Lore Records
The boys in Arty B have had me interested from the first day I heard them, but previous albums have fallen short of becoming regular listening staples. I love Will Smith's wet, subterranean purr, Dan Gargiulo has a feel to his playing you can't find anywhere else in dissodeath, the rest of the members seem to understand and complement the vision well, but they've always been more of a "moments" band than a "songs" band…like you listen to them more for the one riff you think is cool midway through the song than you do to experience the songs itself.
That is the biggest change I notice with their self-titled third album - the "full song" experience. I don't think there was a hidden factor at play or anything: there was no lineup change, no introduction of new influences and themes or anything like that. It's the same sound the band defined for themselves on their first two albums, but it's just…smoother. They maintain a vibe for a full track and go into it further, and the ethereal wandering that happens in the latter half of 'Tome of the Exiled Engineer' and 'Emblamed with Magma' around the midpoint is one of the most powerfully emotional segments the band has ever strung together. That it happens during the midpoint of the album, a section usually reserved for bands to get the non-crowd-pleasing deep cuts out, just shows how thoroughly incredible and immersive Artificial Brain can be when they click. It may have taken them 10 years to fully hit their stride, but I'm really glad they did. This shit rules.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.6/10
2: Am Himmel - As Eternal As The Starless Kingdom Of Sorrow
Burning World Records
The somewhat mysterious Am Himmel unleash their debut offering to the world this month, and it's a slow-burning work of dark ambient soundscapes, that at times is barely metal at all, even if the ghostly spectre cast over the music by the harsh vocals just about anchors the album into the genre. Not unlike its cousin, drone-doom, the concept of ambient black metal can be something that causes this listener to question whether the emperor is indeed wearing any clothes, but so compelling, and so affecting are Am Himmel's dirges, that no such accusation can be levelled at this Netherlands-based solo project. Underpinning each desolate hymn is impressively thick low-end, offset by spectral synths, suggesting shards of pale sunlight penetrating the depths of a ruined cathedral, offering a sense of despair, shot through with a glimmer of redemption. The lush and enveloping cocoon of the synths are reminiscent of very early Anathema, but the overall sensibility suggests the early 2000s US black metal scene of Xasthur and Leviathan, shorn of the blastbeats and serrated tremolo riffing, and although there are no real hooks in evidence, Ad Himmel impressively manage to maintain the listener's interest right to the bitter end.
-Benjamin
MetalBite's Rating: 8.7/10
1: Soreption - Jord
Unique Leader Records
This arrived at the perfect time for me. I've just started really diving into Soreption's jutting, groovy style of tech-Swedeath, which carries the torch of the regional old guard such as Spawn of Possession - no small feat - infused with modern techniques popularized by The Faceless. Absurdly tight start-stop riffing with thick production forms the base as diminished high notes accent the melodies, and the band sounds so in sync with each other's ideas it's like they share a collective brain. They're one of the best new bands in the genre and are further proof of the time-tested fact: no matter how good you think the best band in any metal genre is, there's always a Swedish counterpart that can give them a run for their money.
There are no significant reinventions or changes on Jord - the group continues to polish their approach, making minor augmentations to the melodic sensibilities and song arrangements. There's a very faint symphonic undertone, but it's hardly even worth mentioning as 95% of this album is the same type of riffs Soreption is known for. Vocalist Frederik Soderberg is a bit more involved in the music, pushing his abilities further with fast, complex vocal lines, but other than that it's hard to identify any major changes. They give the old fans just enough extra stuff to keep things fresh, while still keeping all the qualities that they've become known for that will continue to draw new folks in. Tech death has cooled off a bit in the first half of 2022 after an absolutely stacked 2021 run, but this is the best of a really strong blast'n'sweep crop that came bursting out of the gate in June. It's hard to stay fresh and inventive with this kind of music, but Soreption has a style that immediately stands out, and it's really addicting once you get a feel for it.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.8/10
Thanks as always for stopping by! As an extra addendum, and to give you even more music to dig into, here's a short list of stuff I wanted to write about, but I didn't end up getting to because of time constraints (and because I want to give the appropriate amount of listens and digest albums properly instead of tearing through them in a review-fueled haze):
Seventh Wonder - The Testament
Denouncement Pyre - Forever Burning
Eggs of Gomorrh - Wombspreader
Tardigrada - Widrstand
Krallice - Psychagogue
Temple of Void - Summoning the Slayer
Grave Infestation - Persecution of the Living
Thanks for your support. If you like something you hear on this list: Tell your friends, tell your dog, get drunk, masturbate, punch something, throw up, burn stuff down, love yourself and stay metal. Not necessarily in that order. And, as always, here's the past lists to get caught up on the goods in 2022:
Entered: 7/6/2022 5:28:34 PM
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