Welcome to MetalBite's Top 10 albums of the month! December tends to be a quiet month for new releases as most people are typically just catching up on everything they heard that year, but that doesn't mean you should sleep on these albums. In modern times when there is a never-ending deluge of new music, having the chance to take a breather and pay attention to the music you listen to is becoming an increasingly valuable luxury.

Anyways, get your fix of new music. Happy new year, here's to a prosperous and riff-filled 2026.

-Nate

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Cryoxyd - This World We Live In…
Dolorem Records

After 25 years (!!!), this French group has put out their first full-length album. Granted, most of the lineup has been overhauled since the band's inception and there was a long period of inactivity, but nonetheless, it's heartwarming to see this album finally come to fruition. Never give up on your dreams.

Contained within is lean, meaty death metal riffage with a futuristic touch (mostly in the drum work) and throaty rasps that bring John Tardy and Martin Van Drunen to mind. The compositions are concise, and naturally generate atmosphere without forcing it. Though they are late bloomers, this is a well-developed debut that hints at a bright future for the band…ironically, via depicting a desolate, mechanical dystopia.
-Nate

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Sepulchral - Beneath The Shroud
Soulseller Records

This Spanish band makes some truly nasty and satisfying old school death metal. It's riff worship of the "Scream Bloody Gore" variety, with a lot of thrash influences, without going full death/thrash. I like the short but very creative solos (although, being a fan of tech death, I would have taken much more solos) and the subtle and tasteful uses of blast beats. They even slow down sometimes, for a nice death/doom vibe. Vocally, it's a traditional reverb drenched growl that sounds like it's coming from a deep murky cave. We even get a short drum solo near the end. In the end it's nothing new, but just well executed, comfort OSDM to warm your soul.
-Raphael

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Blood Red Throne - Slitskin
Soulseller Records

These guys are the Norwegian Cannibal Corpse - you know exactly what you're getting with every new album and you don't care because it gives exactly what you need. The perfect "bread and butter" listening for any death metal fan. Don't know what to put on? Blood Red Throne will do the trick no matter your current mood.

If I could note any differences between Slitskin and their earlier work, this seems more polished and groovy, but that's a hairsplitting distinction to make. If you like BRT, you'll like this album. Normally I do not champion assembly line consistency this readily and appreciate when a band evolves and experiments, but there are a few notable exceptions where I'd rather the band just keep making solid music and not fix what isn't broken. This is one of them. No bullshit, no frills - just death metal.
-Nate

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Burning Death - Burning Death
Caligari Records

Burning Death, hailing from Braz… no wait, Nashville, Tennessee, play the extreme style of thrash metal, inspired by "teutonic blasphemies, early Slayer, Sabbat (Japan), and South American legions" and it's 30 minutes of punches to the face and it feels good! If you're in the mood for classic blackened death/thrash with a modern production, this ticks all the boxes.
-Raphael

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METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH

 

10: Darvaza - We Are Him
Terratur Possessions

We are him, he is us. The Devil is in all of us, isn't he? Darvaza certainly evoke him with their cold, orthodox black metal. As you can see on the cover, less is more here. No ambient experiments - "We Are Him" is frostbitten and dragging black metal. Don't expect any melodious warmth in the seven songs, this isn't for the Dimmu Borgir/Cradle of Filth crowd - there is only pure hatred and Devil worship. Transilvanian Hunger is a better comparable. Listen to this and uncover your dark side.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8/10

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9: Rotten Sound - Mass Extinction
Season Of Mist

This is a short, compact and precise grindcore EP by Finnish legends that is musically tight and devastating. With lyrics about the environmental scam that is recycling, to slave labor in rare earth mines used to make batteries and just a very dark outlook of humanity, it's designed to pump you up and thrash your surroundings, basically what grindcore is supposed to do.
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 8/10

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8: Nemorous - What Remains When Hope Has Failed
Bindrune Recordings

The loss (no pun intended) of Wodensthrone was a bitter blow for the UK black metal scene, but the silver lining is the existence of Nemorous, who have risen like a phoenix from the ashes of that much-missed band. With just 2021's self-titled EP to their name so far, their debut album has been gestating for what seems like an age, but the results show that they were right to take their time, and the diligent work that has been poured into an immaculately well-crafted record is palpable. The bleakly-titled What Remains When Hope Has Failed is very much at the atmospheric end of the black metal spectrum, but enough feral intensity is retained to offset the passages of twinkling post-rock prettiness, and maintain the deep connection to the band's roots. While this will no doubt be of interest to fans of Wiegedood, Ellende, and Necronautical, Nemorous's real point of difference is the subtle way in which they weave unconventional synth layers throughout their music. The string and woodwind tones that are used position this some distance from bombastic symphonic metal, recalling instead the way in which Panopticon have integrated traditional folk instruments into their attack, and some of the more unconventional harmonic choices even approach Arcturus territory at points. Not unlike last year's Saor album, Nemorous leave the best song until last, the triumphant chord progression of the title track delivering the kind of transcendental wonder that Vemod specialise in, creating a majestic apex for the album. This is a very good debut, and if Nemorous can harness more regularly the kind of alchemy that they are so clearly capable of, they may yet become a truly spectacular proposition.
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.1/10

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7: Zero State - Shadow Realm
Independent

Hardcore bands cosplaying as OSDM is all the rage these days, but I'm not averse to the trend because you've still gotta have a nasty guitar tone and some sick riffs to keep it legit - they've just maximized the crossover appeal. Zero State has enough simplicity to keep the meatheads moving, but their hearts are clearly set on recreating the vibes of Dismember, Cannibal Corpse, Entombed and early Gatecreeper. Having seen them live, I know it's only a matter of time before they break through to bigger audiences - they have the sound, they have the stage presence, they're doing everything right. It's all about to fall into place. You heard it here first.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.1/10

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6: Chaos Over Cosmos - The Hypercosmic Paradox
Independent

Who doesn't like fast, technical guitar work, intense vocals, and a strong cosmic atmosphere? Polish musician extraordinaire, Rafał Bowman asks this question and if the answer is yes, then strapped in for the ride! What a fun album to close out the year, done by a truly talented musician and with the most insane solos you'll ever hear. If you've never heard of Chaos Over Cosmos and you love prog, what are you doing?
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10

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5: Sun Of The Suns - Entanglement
Scarlet Records

Oh hey, I thought Fallujah already put out an album this year. Also didn't realize they changed their name and relocated to Italy!

In all seriousness, this should be an easy album to get into for modern prog death fans. Very similar ethereal vibes, and the frequent use of chugs will satiate Rivers of Nihil fanboys. Any deathcore influence is off-kilter and diluted enough that this probably won't appeal to straight-up hardcore kids, but there's still an occasional moment where a mosh pit would be warranted in a live setting.

The beauty of metal, to me, is that for a band the size of Fallujah that's hitting Billboard with their new album, there's at least a dozen bands like Sun Of The Suns that are musically just as good, and you might even prefer them - they just aren't as well-marketed or weren't the first to do it.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10

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4: Weft - The Splintered Oar
Bindrune Recordings

Charlie Anderson is a Texas musician that is best known for playing the violin live for Panopticon. He is now finally releasing his first solo material, doing everything from vocals, guitars, bass, violin, synth, piano to percussion and oh boy, what a debut it is! You can hear some similarities with Panopticon, with folk and atmospheric black metal but his composition style is much more progressive, complex song structures, going from extremely aggressive black metal to quiet folk violins, incorporating dissonance and odd rhythm structures. He has such a great voice, harsh piercing shrieks, guttural death growls and soulful cleans. The album ends with the prog epic "Dream Of Oaks" which is a wild ride through americana, prog, black and death metal. Perfect album for the cold winter months.
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10

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3: Phantom Corporation - Time And Tide
Supreme Chaos Records

Kicking off with some casual thrash riffs, soon the full inferno unfolds with "Time And Tide". This is the logical step after their furious debut "Fallout" and a heavy punch in the face. The German quintet is offering a relentless mixture of crust, grind, thrash and punk - they know how to grab the listener by the balls. Everything is in place and there are no unnecessary diversions. Vocalist Leif Jensen shouts and screams as if he is possessed by some evil spirits and the riffs are like a chainsaw cutting fresh bones.

"Time And Tide" is crazy brutal shit and might cause you to forget about the screaming orange toddler threatening and terrorizing everybody because he cannot find his little prick in his pampers.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

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2: Fleshvessel - Obstinancy: Sisyphean Dreams Unfolded
I, Voidhanger Records

Something about each of the main band members being credited with half a dozen instruments each and then Gwyn Hoetzer only playing the flute got a chuckle out of me.

Anyways, this is some real off the wall shit. "everything but the kitchen sink" metal. You never know what it's going to throw at you next, but it's not a grating or uncomfortable fabric. Weirdness for its own sake can be tiring, but this has a certain elegance to it that keeps me coming back.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

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1: Lychgate - Precipice
Debemur Morti Productions

In some respects, Lychgate's label have done them a disservice by releasing their fourth album in December, the month typically being taken up by lists naughty, nice, and, of course, best albums of the year. Precipice is good enough to be on all three, an imposing slice of avant-garde death metal that punishes and delights in equal measure, sometimes simultaneously. Lychgate are the sound of death metal had it evolved in the wake of an apocalyptic nuclear meltdown, like the flora and fauna that grew in the shadow of Chernobyl after the humans had abandoned the Soviet hellscape. It's recognisable, but only just. There are reference points: latter-day Gorguts are the most obvious, but there are elements of Ulcerate, Dodecahedron, Morbid Angel and even Prometheus-era Emperor in the dissonant miasma that the band conjure. Lychgate, however, are no one's imitator. Forging their own hellish path, led by Greg Chandler from Esoteric, another group of fearless sonic adventurers, the band can rely on virtuoso instrumental skill, but utilize it only in service of the song. The album reaches twin peaks on the wonderful 'Hive Of Parasites', which moves almost imperceptibly from a jazzy mid-section to a terrifying coda, with interlocking counterpoint melodies weaving their way through each other until the final denouement, and then the penultimate track 'Anagnorisis', a grandiose slab of post-metal, featuring dizzying work on the bass from former To-Mera and Haken maestro Tom MacLean, as well as the catchiest riff on the entire album, as if to prove that Lychgate are capable of dropping into something more conventional if they so wish. This writer simply wishes that every album were as ambitious and impressive as this outstanding release.
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.9/10

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As always, thank you for stopping by. This concludes 2025, and if you ever want to do a deep dive on new metal from this year, you can view all the lists for past months below:

November 2025
October 2025
September 2025
August 2025
July 2025
June 2025
May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025

And, of course, Follow MetalBite on Facebook, Spotify and Instagram so you can be there right when the next Top 10 list drops!

Entered: 1/18/2026 12:39:51 PM

Previous Post MB Premiere: SADISTIC GOATMESSIAH - 'Curse Of Eternal Winter'	Next Post MB on Spotify - June summary

Welcome back to MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month! We're in the season of a torrential downpour of new releases. We'll get caught up eventually so that we're releasing these lists closer to the end of the month, as we've been in a state of constantly being behind for the past few months. When will that happen? Your guess is a good as mine. But at least it gives us a bit of extra time to sit on new releases and sift through what we really want to include on here.

As an aside - you may or may not have noticed our Facebook page got taken down. We're not sure why and when it's going to go up again. In the meantime, if you can follow the new MetalBite Facebook page to help get us back to where we were before, that would be greatly appreciated. If you follow/consume the content of these lists, this helps to demonstrate that, and you also get notices of when new one-off reviews go up as well!

Anyhow, on to what you're really here for. Cheers y'all.

-Nate

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Drawn And Quartered - Lord Of Two Horns
Nuclear Winter Records

I love me some death metal that just fuckin blasts constantly. Is this a multi-faceted album that incorporates disparate influences to create a genre-defying masterpiece? Fuck no. Does it need to be in order to be effective? Also fuck no.
-Nate

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Inhuman Condition - Mind Trap
Listenable Insanity Records

There are no big surprises on Inhuman Condition's third full-length album. Most of the songs rely on catchy mid-tempo grooves that sound more like 90s Florideath than some of the recent output from the active bands of that era. But there are also some tracks that diverge from this formula. "Science Of Discontent" is a more dissonant track (not like Deathspell Omega or Portal, though), showing growth and an attempt to break free from the confines of their sound. Apart from that, they integrate cool breaks and twists with the deep growls and the 90s-style guitars. Even with these extra frills, though, this is still what this band has always been - solid 90s styled old school metal.
-Michael

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Dark Matter Secret - New Matter
The Artisan Era

TAE has been quiet lately - I know they've been holding off on signing any new bands for a while now, but even their current roster seems unusually quiet. I guess with the multitude of other ventures the label heads have on the go, they haven't left much time to release other albums.

Dark Matter Secret is one of the OGs, though - they were, if I'm not mistaken, one of the first Artisan Era bands that weren't directly affiliated with Malcolm Pugh. Their instrumental, narrative, proggy tech death has a flavour to it that bands like Obscura and Beyond Creation have in spurts, but where those bands might have some heavier, crushing sections, Dark Matter Secret add EVEN MORE SOLOS.

That's not to say the band is an Yngwie Malmsteen-esque one dimensional shredfest - they understand the necessity of playing with space and using some sections to build tension and develop the soundscape, even with the lack of vocals removing a layer of immersion. New Matter is perhaps even more focused on draw long out a story and exploring textures within the prog-death realm as opposed to just making you go "fuck that must be hard to play" all the time. Usually instrumental albums are the kind of thing you can throw on in the background while you're doing something else, but New Matter constantly demands your attention - just when you start to get too comfortable, they snap you out of it with some wicked shredding. They're clearly overflowing with talent - that was evident on Perfect World Creation - but on New Matter they tell you a story that keeps you hooked through the ebbs and flows.
-Nate

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Katatonia - Nightmares As Extensions Of The Waking State
Napalm Records

This record seems to be divisive among fans and honestly, I understand! With bands as mighty as Katatonia, fans have decades of flawless material that obviously drastically increase expectations! First of all, by no means is this a bad album, it's just I expected more… But no worries, there are still incredible songs on here, songs like "Lilac" and "Temporal" are classic Katatonia, a catchy and emotional chorus with Jonas Renkse's immediately recognizable voice that is both commanding and full of vulnerability. The guitars are still great, often soft and a bit in the background but can get super heavy in an instant. The song "Thrice" is an interesting example. It begins the album with approximately three chords that are super heavy and full of distortion and literally four seconds later, everything becomes quiet and a few guitar notes accompany Jonas' soft voice. That feeling of incompleteness is very unsettling but becomes so satisfying with multiple listens. "Wind Of No Change" is another interesting composition, with that infectious groove, courtesy of the incredible rhythm section that is Niklas and Daniel! Paired with the gothic choir, you'll have the lines: "we lay in sin, and sing praise hail Satan." stuck on repeat in your head, guarantied! In the end though, the lack of numerous distinct and memorable songs, with notable exceptions, hurts the album a little but I think it's another solid addition to Katatonia's discography, just not among the strongest.
-Raphael

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Creeping Fear - Realm Of The Impaled
Dolorem Records

This is a comparatively groovier and more restrained album than 2021's Hategod Triumph, but all the hallmarks of that album are still there. A dash of blackened tremolo, vitriolic death/thrash (more of the former than the latter), and yet another passionate, uniquely piercing vocal performance from one of the most underrated shriek-growlers out there, Clement Ducouret. There's the occasional point where they flirt with more atmospheric bridges ("Demonic Ascent") but by and large this is no frills black/death/thrash/whatever. They've always been solid, and I've said it before and will say it again - the vocalist turns a solid-but-forgettable album into a must-listen, elevating everything around him.
-Nate

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Morbyda - Under The Spell
Dying Victims Productions

Fast but not overly crazy, full of mesmerizing evil atmospheres, giving ode to metal legends of the past but with an impeccable sounding modern production, Morbyda takes us on an unforgettable journey across the best of blackened heavy metal! With a vocal performance drenched in reverb that often goes from clear high pitched aaaaaaaahs, to raspy shrieks for those extra evil sounds. The guitar leads are always melodic and the solos, holy hell the solos, from mid pace to crazy fast, if you crave metal jam packed with technical solos full of emotions and character, Morbyda is here for you.
-Raphael

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Patristic - Catechesis
Willowtip Records

There's a lot packed into this one and it's hard to describe. It's got an esoteric grandiosity that brings Schammasch to mind, with a lot of big buildups into sustained blastbeat sections courtesy of a spirited, relatively unproven speedfreak drummer in his mid-20s. This is a side project of Enrico Schettino, the main Hideous Divinity songwriter - seemingly an avenue to explore occult black metal while keeping his main project intact. You can tell it's from a similar mind, as Patristic also has a strong sense of continuity and flow while covering a lot of different textures. There's lots of dissonance and mysticism that should appeal to fans of Aosoth and Deathspell Omega - this sounds far too complex and intricate to be considered a side-project. There's more going on here than in most people's main bands.
-Nate

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Angel Of Damnation - Ethereal Blasphemy
Dying Victims Productions

Germany's Angel Of Damnation is doom metal in its purest form, a grandiose sadness, the sheer heaviness of the riff and slow grooves that weigh a ton. The Sabbath worship that never ever gets old, pump that shit in my veins 24/7! And that pristine Dying Victims Production! Crystal clear, every cymbal hit sits perfect in the mix, the snare, every melodic guitar notes and that low rumble from hell. The songs being fairly long gives room for the song writing, for beautifully creative moments, like the string arrangements on the last song, the unfortunately a little cringingly named, Anal Worship of the Goatlord. So yes, this is pure, traditional doom that does not invent anything new, but does the old to perfection.
-Raphael

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Zeicrydeus - La Grande Heresie
The Stygian Oath

Everyone's favorite extreme metal polymath is back, this time deciding to venture into…old school Hellenic black metal with ripping bass lines? and it's got Charlie Koryn on session drums? Can't pass this one up. As someone who is a similarly obsessive genre nerd and sees pre-second wave black metal like Master's Hammer, early Rotting Christ, Varathron and Root as criminally underrated, this is an incredibly authentic recreation that takes you straight to 1991. I haven't always vibed with Phil Tougas' other side excursions (Atramentus was a bit of a miss imo) but this one hit the spot real nice.
-Nate

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Sodom - The Arsonist
Steamhammer

Musically, not too much has changed since Sodom's last album, "Genesis XIX". There are no melodic, catchy tracks like "The Harpooneer" or "Occult Perpetrator" here - this iteration of Sodom focuses on brutal riffs and uncompromising heaviness. It's not quite as brutal as their flirtations with death metal back in 1992 on "Tapping The Vein", but this is still a blunt, relentless thrashing straight to the face. "The Arsonist" is a lesson in powerful thrash without any experiments or compromises. As always, the production is professional and it's impossible to find a fault with it. What is missing is a real standout, anthem track, but that's just me being nitpicky. To sum it up, this is a really good Sodom album for their twilight years.
-Michael

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METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH

 

10: Putridity - Morbid Ataraxia
Willowtip Records

These disgusting Italians are established masters of brutality, standing at the musical edge of a style that has long been little more than a gross-out contest. It's all about who can be the fastest, the most cacophonous, the heaviest, who can get the closest to white noise while still retaining some qualities that make things musical.

How exactly does Putridity remain so cutting-edge? it's not like there aren't plenty of bands in a similar ballpark. There's something about their obsessive fixation with pummeling the listener that is uniquely tantalizing. Take Malignancy, strip away some of the technicality and replace it with a slurry of never-ending blastbeats and low-end guitar spasms. The only signal you have that one riff has ended and another has begun is the squealing pinch harmonics. Dynamics? Restraint? those get in the way of blastbeats and punch harmonics.

That's not to say there's not moments where they dial things back a bit - it might be a standalone bass part that lasts for literally one second, or a sample to bookend a song, but they pull back for just long enough to remind you how immersive they are - something about how they stack layers of sound has a way of keeping you engaged and entertained, even though it's the same thing for 34 minutes straight. Maybe it's the absurd skills of drummer Cedric Malebogia. Maybe it's the thick yet roomy production that lets everything be heard but still hits you like a brick. Whatever it is, it all comes together to give you that giddy feeling of boundlessness, pushing the limits of musical intensity the way that this type of music is meant to.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10

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9: ByoNoiseGenerator - Subnormal Dives
Transcending Obscurity Records

This one caught me by surprise, usually, a full album of brutal death is a bit much to digest. But here comes ByoNoiseGenerator from Russia, saying hold my beer, sit down and listen. They seamlessly blend crushing brutal death with a grindcore edge but then throw in more dissonance and when this disgusting whirlwind of brutality is almost too much to handle, it abruptly changes into smooth jazz to sooth your ears, but not for long, the brutality is never far! Clocking in at an extremely lean 22 minutes, there is absolutely no fat on this, every note is impactful, from the grinding blastbeats, the chunky brutal chugs and the smooth saxophone, everything works to give you a coherent experience! Who knew all that I needed to enjoy brutal death was smooth jazz interwoven with pure brutal chaos!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10

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8: Fallujah - Xenotaph
Nuclear Blast Records

Fallujah's signature tech death sound is a meditative experience, a journey through sound waves that is full of lush atmospheres, bursts of technical brutality and progressive song structures. Since Kyle Schaefer took on the role of vocalist, he really brings Fallujah to new heights, his growls are the perfect blend of cavernous but with enough variety that they don't feel one note. And on Xenotaph, he pushes even further, frequently using soft and angelic cleans that fit the dynamics of this band to perfection. Despite many line-up changes and a few misses here and there, Scott Carstairs's vision is probably responsible for the band remaining fairly constant sounding throughout the years. This album feels like a culmination of the band's entire career, with even nods to their debut, The Harvest Wombs! It's also their shortest work since The Flesh Prevails and in many ways this album feels like it, not necessarily a complete reinvention, but a refinement, a distillation of everything that makes them unique! Let's hope this line up persists, I can't wait to see where they go from here.
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.4/10

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7: Nightbearer - Defiance
Testimony Records

Opening with a beautiful classic guitar short piece, the distortion soon ramps up and a powerful scream on top of a full speed blastbeat rips your eardrum, sucking you in their unique sonic world, a sound deeply rooted in the greats of 90s Swedish death, the glory of the Boss HM-2 chainsaw tone but they take this as a base and push it forward with Gothenburg style riffing and ethereal leads that transport you in deepest corners of space and just when you feel safe, hypnotized by the majesty of the pillars of creation, groovy rhythmic chugs drags you back in reality and makes you headbang furiously. Thematically based on the book trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman it revolves around the need of humanity's emancipation from oppression by religion. Throughout these 47 min you'll traverse many influences ranging from a blackened blastbeat here and there, doomier passages and always with an impeccable sense of melody. I do not know what is in the water in Germany but they keep releasing top quality death metal over and over, keep em coming!
-Raphael

Wow, this is quite a massive improvement on the last album. Defiance is littered with super cool riffs and melodies, and would have been a highlight during the mid-90s heyday of Swedish melodic death metal. You can hear these traditional influences in every pore but the Germans have added intriguing touches and eruptive outbursts that verge on black-death territory. Although super melodic, Defiance never gets kitschy or boring. Hopefully this will boost Nightbearer's popularity!
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.4/10

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6: Austere - The Stillness Of Dissolution
Prophecy Productions

Having a look at the cover, you see mummified hands reaching out to something. Perhaps it's grasping for the good old days when Katatonia were still exciting and Paradise Lost kicked ass with some good riffs (instead of shit like "One Second")? "The Stillness Of Dissolution" is a nice follow-up to Katatonia's "Brave Murder Day" mixed with some Draconian Times-era Paradise Lost riffs. Altogether this is a very entertaining, slightly depressing, breathtaking trip into the mid-nineties when gothic metal was still in its infancy and not as played out as it is now.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

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5: Fer De Lance - Fires On The Mountainside
Cruz Del Sur Music

The word epic is often used to describe metal, from various horizons but Chicago's Fer De Lance took that moniker and decided to push it to the max! I hear influences ranging from Blind Guardian, to Sabbath and later era Bathory. Rich vocal layers, grandiose and often folky instrumentation and the occasional touch of extremity in the form of raspy harsh vocals, this album is varied but always incredibly, epic. The songs in themselves are always relatively long and hitting that mid-tempo pace giving ample time to build-up and explode in emotional highs! The folk metal elements are everywhere, even throwing some middle eastern scales in the last song. I strongly recommend for fans of everything epic and folk, Fer De Lance's cinematic approach to songwriting will transport you in a world full of grandiose battles where men die with sword in hand and become legends in the halls of Valhalla!
-Raphael

Fer De Lance (French for 'spearhead', although the band themselves are American) play the sort of rugged, resolutely anti-trend heavy metal of which this particular writer cannot get enough, at least when it's composed and played as well as this. Some may suggest that Fires On The Mountainside is old-fashioned, but timeless is a more appropriate adjective for a record that sounds less like it's been recorded to tape, and more as if it's been carved from granite. If Doomsword, The Atlantean Codex and Sacred Outcry make you feel like an indomitable warrior ready to dominate all-comers in apocalyptic battles for honour (and if they don't, it's possible that heavy metal just isn't the genre for you), Fer De Lance will almost certainly stir your blood, raise your blade, and send you headlong unto the melée. The epic, Eastern-tinged 'Death Thrives (Where Walls Divide)' and 'Children Of The Sky And Sea' stand out a little more than the rest, but the overall quality is uniformly spectacular, and the fairly lean run-time means that despite the band's expansive sound, the album holds the attention until the final triumphant note.
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

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4: Cryptopsy - An Insatiable Violence
Season Of Mist

None So Vile must be my all-time favorite death metal album, not even close. Being a metalhead from the beautiful province of Québec, Cryptopsy always enjoyed a legendary status, the pride of our nation! (except for the one rule, we never talk about The Unspoken King) All that to say that the last album was the band making a statement, we are back boys and An Insatiable Violence is even stronger! As an ex-drummer-ish, I remember watching youtube videos of Flo Mounier teaching various methods of doing blastbeats, double pedal techniques and being in awe of the light years separating me from a drummer like him. In terms of performance, I can definitely say, it's the best every member has ever been! Flo seamlessly goes from superhuman gravity blasts to neck crushing groovy and brutal breaks, his performance places him at the very top of extreme metal drummers. Matt McGachy's vocals are as demonic as ever, bringing a lot of dynamics to a genre that often lacks in this department (brutal death). His low guttural grunts are as impactful as his high piercing shrieks. Olivier Pinard quitted Cattle Decapitation to focus on his main role, providing technical bass lines to the madness of Cryptopsy, that are both subtle and impactful. Christian Donaldson brings the fast and technical riffs and occasional solos. In this dizzying assault, the band never forgets to focus on the macabre atmosphere of uneasiness. Clocking in at just 34 minutes, this album is an easy no skip and has endless replayability. VIVE LE QUÉBEC BRUTAL!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

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3: Noise Trail Immersion – Tutta La Morte In Un Solo Punto
I, Voidhanger Records

Like much of the best contemporary extreme music, Italian quintet Noise Trail Immersion (a fitting name), are not especially easy to categorise. Sitting somewhere in the middle of a Venn Diagram that would include post-metal, black metal, and post-hardcore, they make a difficult, but utterly compelling noise, with the emphasis on noise. Much of their dissonant cacophony resembles early Dillinger Escape Plan played at the wrong speed, and Pyrrhon and even Krallice are similarly reasonable reference points. This kind of thing is very easy to get wrong – the lack of obvious hooks and digestible melodies require vigilant attention from the listener, but Noise Trail Immersion succeed in fashioning intriguing structures and rhythms from apparently scattershot components haphazardly joined, and over the course of the album, something wonderful emerges from the wreckage of the bent and broken remains of music that represent their building blocks. Unpleasant in all the right ways, one hopes that the newly-secured backing of the excellent I, Voidhanger Records will see the band receive the attention that the quality of their music deserves.
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.6/10

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2: Heaven Shall Burn - Heimat
Century Media Records

Thanks to Michael's excellent review, (go check his reviews, they're always insightful and so well written) I learned that "Heimat" can sometimes mean homeland or that refers to the German Race, which is usually not interpreted in the best way by the better of what humanity has to offer. The album is a strong statement of where the band stands, an answer to the question: which side are you on? A bit of my history with Heaven Shall Burn, they are an important band in my musical journey; their 2008 album "Iconoclast" had such an impact on young 17-year-old me! Back then, a song like Endzeit blew me away. That short string instrumental that immediately explodes in one of the most savage screams! Chills every time! The fact they always embraced their "core" influences was a big draw and made me get into more extreme forms of metal. So, in 2025, I feel like their strong anti-fascist messaging is now needed more than ever, with the spectacular fall of the "neoliberal world order" we are currently living through.

But politics aside (although, politics is a constant on the album so it will come back), how does the album sound? For fans of 2000's melodic death, this will be pure nostalgia filled joy! It's aggressive but filled with memorable melodies and has that hardcore authenticity and raw sounding energy. The album starts with a truly beautiful and emotional instrumental intro, those violin and cello does something to my cold heart, it makes you vulnerable and then; 'War Is The Father Of All' begins with an epic build up, drum rolls and choir included. The funky bass lines lead to groovy riffs and melodic leads that say "I love you In Flames". Also, the breakdowns on this one will make you headbang until your neck hurts. Lyrically already impactful, the lines: "Obliteration, Atrocities unbound, Kneel to the only one, For no man is mightier than the sword, Unerasable, It dwells within us", made me think of the military industrial complex that has overtaken what little influence we "common mortals" can have on the decisions our states take, with no regards for life. He then goes on to say: "Your gods are going down in flames, They're all material and nothing shall remain" highlighting the real reasons for all this carnage, behind religion or race, most wars are about control of the material world. That's my silly interpretation at least. The album continues with a flow of pure melodic death ragger until we get to song number five, the aptly named 'Empowerment'. Melodious punk vibes emanate from this one, filling me with hope and the will to fight! Accompanying classic melodeath leads are the line: "The time has come to choose your side, You stand or fall before their eyes, Conquer your fears, come face to face with the enemy". A song that tells you like it is, a modern Florence Reece composition, choose your side today! Another lyric that hits hard, this time from 'A Whisper From Above': "I had to walk among the brutes, and I felt nothing but disgust, Leading a double life amidst our murderous enemies, My downright lie, a bold disguise in the cruelest of all times, To save a few of the doomed". It perfectly describes reality nowadays. The mask we need to wear to go on business as usual, while watching the holocaust livestreamed on our phone. For the past 20 months and much earlier even, seeing people around you basically parroting our leader's discourse against immigrants or Palestine, can feel lonely but musicians can make us feel a bit more united with their message. To convey this message, we are transported back in time with In Flames worship leads, fast double kick drum, a tasteful short blastbeat and pure Gothenburg breaks.

Everything on this album flows in a coherent manner, even the Killswitch Engage cover is both a faithful adaptation, with guest vocal Jesse Leach, but still adds a Heaven Shall Burn twist of extremity. The heavy moments feel huge, the melodies are everywhere and impactful, down to the three instrumentals that cut the album perfectly, Marcus Bischoff's vocal performance is as savage as ever, the musicianship and song writing are on another level! This is a superb work of art with a message more important than ever, resist fascism at all cost! Let me just finish with their words: "Good or evil, there's nothing in between, I could not deny myself, We upheld life in the realm of the dead."
-Raphael

While they were heavily influenced by Bolt Thrower, Entombed or Earth Crisis on their previous albums, Heaven Shall Burn have added some extra melody here. The songs are still aggressive and kick-ass, but the guitar leads are sometimes more like Lunar Strain-era In Flames. A good example is "Confounder", a super-groovy melo-death track. There are some Bolt Thrower blast beat attacks sprinkled in occasionally. "Heimat" is a great piece of music that I refuse to call metalcore. There are more death metal parts in here than so-called death metal bands nowadays. And apart from the music the band once again has released a significant statement against racism which seems to be of growing importance in these times.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.7/10

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1: Turian - Blood Quantum Blues
Wise Blood Records

One thing I love the most in life is discovering new music. Usually it goes like this, I open a promo email, read a bit about the band, listen to a few songs and see if it clicks. Well, with Turian, it instantly clicked! Trying to describe their sound the most summarized possible, they play an eclectic brand of metallic hardcore, reminiscent of bands like Code Orange, they do have a lot of industrial influences, but it goes broader than that. I hear everything from electronic to post-hardcore to noise rock and a touch of alternative metal.

By the music alone Turian conquered my heart, but it was only the beginning! Fronted by Vern Metztli-Moon, they had this to say about the album "As a Yaqui Indian, this album is about my ancestors, acknowledging their unheard grief and our transcendental connection to one another". Now, if it wasn't evident before, I absolutely adore what I lovingly refer to as "woke-DEI" metal, which is basically any music that deeply engages with political subjects and/or features the point of view of any marginalized individuals. After reading the lyrics I was incredibly pleased, they mix engaging music with deep lyrics that often approaches truly heavy subject matters but often with a catchy beat that makes you want to move! In an interview with Belgian Jasper on youtube, Vern had this to say about performing these deeply personal and meaningful songs night after night: "I think I was ready for that, taking on that role you know, I think actually being able to have the outlet to scream about it and write songs about it, make people listen to the anger I have about it. I feel like it's a productive way of expressing that, like it needs to come out you know. I think that it's meditative and it's not as heavy or taxing emotionally as one would maybe think." The role they are talking about is to be the voice of their ancestors and I could not think of a better way to do that than screaming their lungs out with sick breakdowns!

Now, on to the meat of it all, the album begins with the song 'Spill', which is a straightforward hardcore banger! It's fast, quite complex, with a good dose of dissonance, yet super catchy at the same time. Speaking of catchy, the next song, called 'Chemical Bath', is definitely a highlight! Layers of keyboards are supporting heavy riffs and angry screams. I think the first lyrics that made me instantly fall in love with the band is this line: "Zyklon b chemical bath, Nazis copied the U.S., Corrupted by power hungry hatred you possess, Your spirits will never rest" because yes, this is a historical "fun" fact, Hitler was a big big fan of the US and how they treated black, indigenous or people from Mexico. Reading a bit more, I learned that the song was inspired by the story of Carmelita Torres, a young 17-year-old woman from Mexico that refused, at the border, to go through the humiliating process of completely stripping down and being doused in a mix of kerosene and vinegar. One of my favorite moments on the album is when Vern says: "Dirty, lousy, destitute, Drenching us with insecticide, Treating us like vermin", then the music stops and they yell "YOU ARE THE PARASITE" followed by an upbeat, almost dance breakdown. Back to Carmelita Torres, her brave refusal inspired thousands more and the event was called the 1917 Bath Riots. Last memorable line from the song: Medicalized violence, Racist policies, Your foremen and your fucking sentries, WON'T QUELL THE RIOTING. What an incredibly memorable line! Rest in power Carmelita! Anyway, my final thought on this is, ABOLISH ICE!

Moving on, 'Divine Child (No One's Daughter)' is an alternative metal infused banger that makes me think of Deftones every time. 'Burden of the Blood' is another incredibly heavy song, both musically and lyrically. The line "Burden of the blood, Ancestral repressed grief, A century of memories, Transposed crushing me" makes my eyes water every time. The weight of being a genocide survivor is unfathomable; it must take such courage to even just think about all the ramifications. I have such immense respect for people that tackle such a thing. Speaking of, another incredibly impactful line on the song 'Blood Quantum Blues': "Delusion, drunk on bigotry, Fuck your manifest destiny, Fuck your ordained divinity, Fuck you, You ain't killing me". Being severely disabled, I can totally empathize with this, the feeling you get when the broader society tries to erase your very existence, Fuck you, You ain't killing me, indeed! One of the most powerful moments is when Vern repeats "Indians. Don't. Vanish." on the backdrop of a build up that eventually explodes with the sickest breakdown, chills every time!

Turian has created something truly special, a rich tapestry of influences and sounds used to convey powerful messages. I truly hope this album propels them to fame; their voice is a necessity in these unprecedented times where fascism grows everyday that passes!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

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Thank you for checking these lists out! Catch up on what’s what in 2025 by going through our past AOTM columns below:

May 2025
April 2025
March 2025
February 2025
January 2025

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Entered: 7/28/2025 5:47:12 AM

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