Welcome back to MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month. You don't actually read this part, do you? You're probably just skipping down to whatever we said about your favorite album, or perhaps seeing where stuff got ranked. I get it, this isn't important. So I'll just cut it off here

-Nate

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Temple Of Void - The Crawl
Relapse Records

Detroit's death/doom titans are back with The Crawl, their 5th album and without losing any weight to their sound, they add a fair amount of melody, the frequent solos offer a nice contrast, like rays of warm sunlight piercing through big black clouds. I guess the black clouds in this analogy would be Mike Erdody's positively demonic vocal performance and the slow and menacing riffs. The album opens with a high energy solo, giving you a taste of what's to come. But they still know how to do a traditional, slow and heavy as a glacier Temple Of Void banger. Single "The Crawl" is a reminder of that, with a vocal performance that gives shivers, it's that heavy! The rest of the album plays with melodies and vibe shifts, with at times more upbeat tempos, clean ethereal sounding guitar leads and the occasional keyboards that adds interesting melodic layers within this still always heavy death/doom. This is a fantastic sounding album, the bass is thick, the guitars sound bright when they need to but also, as crushing as ever! Recorded and mixed by Converge's Kurt Ballou and mastered by Bradley Boatright, it's one of the best sounding records this year, perfect if you want an entry point in the wonderful world of death/doom.
-Raphael

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Decipher - θελημα (Thelema)
Transcending Obscurity

In all honesty, when I see black metal promos come through my inbox, it's a skip almost all of the time. The sheer volume of passable but unextraordinary black metal that is out there is simply overwhelming and I don't know who - aside from the most hardcore genre obsessives - would have time to listen to it all, much less digest it enough for a review. It's to the point where it has to be something from a band I already know (or is associated with one), or from a label I trust, or something that a lot of people are recommending.

Decipher, of course, is one of the few in a sea of thousands that is worth your time - doubly so because they have the seal of approval from Transcending Obscurity and anything they put out is at least worth a cursory listen. This is, by all accounts and descriptors, a straightforward black metal album, but this Greek group has prepared a tantalizing riff collection from ingredients that include some of their countrymen (Macabre Omen, Varathron), as well as hint of the aggressive melodicism of Mgla and Spectral Wound. That they share a bassist with Dephosphorus, another favorite of mine from the Greek scene, is just the icing on the cake. Even if you're burnt out of the genre (as I feel I am), this is still worth your time.
-Nate

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No/Más - No Peace
Redefining Darkness Records

No/Más is a pure creation of our times, sometimes the sheer violence we see everyday, the genocide of Gaza, brainless goons sieging towns and killing kind-hearted normal people, the destruction of ancient cities and the killing of innocent school children, sometimes, we need to let all this violence out! No/Más does it by blending grindcore, hardcore and death metal to a devastating effect. It spews violence back at you but in the most satisfying and productive way possible. The social message is still part of the backbone of this band, with songs like "Ley Indígena" (indigenous rights/law), "Overthrow" or "Leech" painting an honest reflection of the systems we live under, it's a shame I can't find the lyrics anywhere!

If you like grindcore with a strong political message, No/Más is here for us, oh and of course, FUCK ICE.
-Raphael

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The Listener - Where Hatred Reigns Supreme
Independent

A biting, yet emotionally resonant mix that is primarily black metal, but with shades of crusty metalcore and even a slight Southern twang (check out "Endless"). The vocals are piercing, underscoring the cathartic energy - I can see connoisseurs of mid-00s Deathwish Inc material and modern punky black metal (think Dodsrit) getting a good amount of spins out of this. It's an eclectic mix, but the songwriting flows and is cohesive.
-Nate

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Mordeo - Mordeo
Hypaethral Records/Shove Record/Forever Never Ends Record

"At its core, Mordeo exists to reflect the ugliness of the present moment and turn it into something communal, loud, and impossible to tune out." The mix of raw, fast and ultra-aggressive crust with slow, crushing sludge and doom with a bit of noise in between the tracks is just that, impossible to tune out! It's the most pissed off music I've heard in a while, but have you seen the world right now? Everyday is a fresh new hell concocted by the orange amerikanischer Führer and its rabid dog, genociding Iran, Palestine and Lebanon. This is ugly music, but this is precisely what makes it authentic and the perfect soundtrack for our time! Fuck bigots and fuck fascism!
-Raphael

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Foetorem - Incongruous Forms Of Evergrowing Rot
Everlasting Spew

Demark is a somewhat unheralded extreme metal hotbed. Everything I hear out of that small but mighty nation has a powerful crunch - like their own flavour of the signature Swedish HM-2 sound - an insatiable bounce, and a viscous heaviness with a slow-but-not-quite-doom aura to it. Undergang, Phrenelith, Chaotian, Sulphurous - all of them attacking your earbuds from a different angle, with that same Danish flair.

What strikes me in particular about Foetorem is their ability to weave clarity and more melodic threads in without sacrificing any weight. The riffs are remarkably easy to sink your teeth into for a band that's closer to Rippikoulu than Bolt Thrower, and the songwriting builds into them in a way that inspires stank-faced head bobbing. The maturity and depth to their sound suggests seasoned veterans - but there don't seem to be a ton of connections to other established bands (that I'm aware of). I guess it just goes to show it's never too late to start a new band and write your next masterpiece.
-Nate

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Blackbraid - Nocturnal Womb
Wolf Mountain Productions

Blackbraid is an unstoppable force of metal, since 2022's amazing debut, "Blackbraid I", Sgah'gahsowáh has released three full lengths and two EPs, one with his new band, Petrichor, a much darker and raw version of his signature atmospheric sound, and now this EP which consists of two songs that were cut from "Blackbraid III" and an acoustic version of a song from the first album. I get why the songs were cut, they are much darker than the overall vibes of III, not Petrichor levels of dark but still, it would not have fit within. And the folk acoustic piece is a nice way to end this release. Since 2022 I see music made by Jon, I click play and I'm happy, I always thank him for his gift and will continue to be a loyal fan forever.
-Raphael

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Türböwitch - Under Haunted Skies
Time To Kill Records

A clean production but dirty in all the right places, the blackened speed punks make melodic and catchy riffs while singing about, among others, anti-posers, alcohol, metal, Satan, hate, chaos, horror, just regular passions and hobbies. Not taking themselves too seriously but being serious musicians is sometimes tough to balance but these Hungarian boys manage it effortlessly. The album opens with a spooky, horror movie sounding intro and then wastes no time and gives you filthy blackened speed punk goodness but with a big emphasis on melody. Catchy riffs, epic soloing and melodic leads occupy a big part of the album but they're not afraid to throw in gang vocals, fast punk vibes and the occasional burst of extremity with tremolo riffs and blast beats. In short, this album is fun from beginning to end, I mean, how can you not smile when you hear a cowbell and shredding solos?
-Raphael

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Bosse-de-Nage - Hidden Fires Burn Hottest
The Flenser

First album by this band in eight years. As someone who was enamoured with "All Fours" when it came out, this was a pleasant surprise. The band has tenuous connections to black metal explored by way of modern post-hardcore. The moaning shouts, languishing and despondent delivery, and an overt rejection of traditional themes makes this an easy target of ire for anyone who hated on hipsters in 2010. For everyone else, the mix of sounds is unusual and compelling, the drumming is excellent (Harry Cantwell may be one of the most underrated I've heard in terms of how well he ties everything together with his beat selection) and the lyrical content is incredibly dense and complex, informed by postmodernism and absurdism with multiple layers I'm probably missing with my puny and primitive brain. Once again, I have been made firmly aware of the fact that The Flenser does not miss.
-Nate

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Aggressive Perfector - Come Creeping Fiends
Dying Victims Productions

Aggressive Perfector is the other project of three of the four guys of England's blackened band Wode. I remember 2021's Burn in Many Mirrors had made my AOTY list. With this project, Wode's main vocalists, M. Czerwoniuk, takes backing vocal duties as Mr.666 and the guitarist and back vocalist, D. Shaw, takes the main vocalist job under the name Dan Chainsaw. Musically, they offer us gritty and dirty speed metal with just a touch of extremity with blackened vocals. It's fast, full of infectious melodies and chorus and a superb drum performance by T. Horrocks, dynamic and technical! And love when they crank up the black metal node just a tad on the song Return of the Axe. In short, great musicians, great songwriting and great production, what more can you want!
-Raphael

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Cogadh - Kingmaker
Independent

Black metal with some vaguely folksy tinges but not to the point where you could categorize it as folk/black. Piercing shrieks reminiscent of Dodsferd without the vitriolic aggression. It's got a good amount of rawness but there's something about it that makes it a cut above the literal mountain of black metal that gets released on a daily basis. Maybe it's the drums, which are not especially complex but are written to serve the songs well? Perhaps it's Ira Lehtovaara's natural ear for melody? Hard to say, but I do find myself coming back to it when I would normally search elsewhere.
-Nate

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Egregore - It Echoes In The Wild
20 Buck Spin

Vancouver's raw and theatrical blackened force released it's second album on March 20th and it's both over the top and simultaneously strip back to the purest expression of extreme metal. It's dissonant, offering whirlwinds of evil sounding riffs, punctuated with gloomy synths but throws in a heroic sounding solo in this mix that enhances the contrasting nature of this music. Shredding solos are followed by delicate acoustic guitars before swallowing you in a full blackened attack, tremolo picking and blast beats included. They also can make you headbang until your neck is hurting, watch out for that riff on the song "Corsairs Of The Daath Gulf". Even their use of clean vocals sounds evil, they sound both haunting and ethereal. If you're seeking originality, raw aggression, excellent musicianship and songwriting, Egregore is the band you need!
-Raphael

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Winterfylleth - The Unyielding Season
Napalm Records

Winterfylleth have been operating at the top of the UK black metal tree for the best part of 20 years now, becoming incrementally more successful, but without ever quite achieving the level of commercial success that some of their international peers have enjoyed during that same period. Perhaps the Mancunians had also become a little too comfortable, and the albums a little too formulaic, their initially startling blend of stirring melody and atmospheric black metal gradually losing its rough edges, with the quality plateauing since the brilliance of "The Dark Hereafter" in 2016. Maybe the band themselves sensed this, and it seems that the move from longtime label, Candlelight Records, has been a catalyst for a rekindling of the Winterfylleth fire. From the opening track of "The Unyielding Season" we sense a renewed fury and ferocity that is most invigorating. Tempos are pushed harder, with less reliance on mid-tempo bombast, and the result is the most complete and compelling statement that they have made for a very long time. 'Echoes In The Fire' and 'Perdition's Flame' are especially magnificent, with Chris Naughton's imperious vocals dominating the former, and the growing influence of Mark Deeks coming to the fore on the latter, with tasteful synths contributing to a grandiose arrangement that demonstrates a capacity for development that has been suppressed for too long. Two folky instrumentals in the second half of the record detrimentally affect the overall balance, as does a rather unnecessary Paradise Lost cover. 'Enchantment' is a great track played well, but while Winterfylleth's acknowledgement of their compatriots is welcome, it feels a little incongruous next to the black metal attack of the rest of the album. Such quibbles count for relatively little though, given the overall quality here, and the joy at hearing an excellent band revitalised.
-Benjamin

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Cryptworm - Infectious Pathological Waste
Me Saco Un Ojo

This English group is very bouncy. Usually oldschool-inspired bands try to maintain a more serious vibe, but Cryptworm is much more distilled and straightforward - almost like if Demilich was being covered by a bunch of hardcore kids. I use the term "oldschool inspired" as well, because I wouldn't call this OSDM. There's clearly cues taken from Autopsy, incantation and Demigod, but the presentation is modern - it's almost like the third generation of "traditional" death metal - you can draw a more direct line to bands like Undergang and Altered Dead than the forefathers of the genre. Whatever you wanna call it, it's grimy, gory fun.
-Nate

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METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH

 

10: Transilvania - Magic Posthuma
Invictus Productions

If, like this listener, you sometimes find yourself musing on the disappointment caused by the creeping homogenisation of heavy metal over time, a band as singular and individual as the Austrian black-thrashers Transilvania prove that not all is lost. There is an art to creating this kind of arcane metal, which is both overtly weird and off-kilter, but nevertheless completely natural, the work of a band that have not made a single calculated decision in their career. This is not the self-consciously wacky maximalism of Solefald, or even the more elegant eclecticism of Arcturus, but a band following their instincts and intuition in whichever direction it happens to pull them, whether that is the Negative Plane playing Slayer stylings of 'Thrall', or 'Tuberculosis Reigns', which sees Transilvania covering De Mysteriis Dom Satanas from 1984. There is something incredibly refreshing about how full of life Transilvania sound here, unleashing an album full of dynamic peaks and troughs, the thrust of the guitars and clattering of the drums an organic polar opposite to the flat and processed tones of so much 21st century metal. This is an album for the metal fan that totally buys into the pure sword and sorcery escapism that the genre can represent, who conjures imaginary worlds of wonder based on a glance at the cover art of At The Heart Of Winter, and who likes to get drunk and headbang until they fall over. Buy this album, and join the heavy metal resistance!
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.7/10

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9: Hellripper - Coronach
Century Media Records

Oh, hell fucking yeah, a new Hellripper record is always such a joyous event, 2023's "Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags" was one of my favorite albums of that year, so you could say I had high expectation for "Coronach". James McBain, the man, the myth, the legend once again did not disappoint! The record opens with a pure banger, no time to waste, "Hunderprest" goes right to the jugular with a flurry of speed metal riffs sprinkled with that raw extremity that is the Hellripper trademark. If you love solos, James is as impressive as ever, getting a boost in production, now being on Century Media Records and he deserves every bit. He still flexes his creative muscle here, across the 8 tracks, the 45 minutes sees him play with contrasts, aggressive blackened speed gets cut by an acoustic guitar picking, his shrieking blackened screams gets cut by the occasional deep growls and even some clean vocals! But just in one song though, he experiments but never in an excessive way so you always get what you came for in the first place, high energy, fast and aggressive black speed.
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.8/10

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8: Gluttony - Eulogy To Blasphemy
F.D.A. Records

Long-running Swedish death metal group delivers another album full of no-frills ass-kicking. Full review here.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

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7: Antrisch - Expedition III: Renitenzpfad
AOP Records

German black metal institution Antrisch is taking us to a trip to the New World and its cruelties, be it the strange nature and the danger that came with it to the Conquistadores or the cruelties they committed to the American natives during the conquering of the continent. Lyrically the album is a highly interesting thing, also the cover and booklet really turned out great and so is the music. If you know "Expedition II: Die Passage" you know what you have to expect musically. Harsh black metal with a lot of atmospheric parts paired with very emotional, hateful vocals which might be compared best to Kanonenfieber. But I guess that Antrisch aren't that polarizing as their countrymen are. This is really some interesting black metal with a very different lyrical approach.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

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6: Zerre - Rotting On A Golden Throne
Dying Victims Productions

Zerre from Germany aren't new in the scene but I guess like I not too many people were aware of them. Kicking off a brutal mixture of hardcore and trash, the guys are quite similar to bands such as Power Trip or Enforced. A lot of Slayer vibes shine through but vocal-wise it is much more hardcore than anything else. But brutality is only one facet on their forth studio album. Also focusing on cool catchy melodies they are also groovy as fuck. And if you can't get enough from "Rotting On A Golden Throne" you also should check its predecessor "Scorched Souls" which offers more or less the same thrash inferno. That one is probably one of the best thrash albums in 26.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

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5: Growth - Under The Under
Wild Thing Records

I'll begin this review with the band's own words; "healing, is not gentle. It is an ugly process. Chaotic, disorienting and often more confronting than the pain that preceded it." I immediately was hooked, before even listening, being severely disabled with a chronic disease, I more than just relate, I live this quote everyday, for the past 20 years! And then I pressed play and we are hit with a full wall of sound, no intro, straight to death metal fury! We can clearly hear some common DNA with their New Zealand cousins, that slight dissonance and atmosphere that is Ulcerate's trademark, but they have distinct progressive elements that remind me more of Gojira. "Remember Me As Fire" has a section of cool syncopated breakdowns that makes you move every time. Lyrically the band speaks of the process of healing, a messy process, filled with highs but, more often than not, many many lows, has the band puts it: "thought I had already fallen as far as I could go, A shimmer and a misstep, then came the long below" Sometimes using clean vocals, they use them for maximum emotional release but, blastbeats and heavy breakdowns also build on and release tension. Like Gojira, every note and every burst of extremity are deliberately placed in a tasteful way. Speaking of the French boys, the song "Pain Is Never Far Away" has a section reminding me of one of the heaviest moments of "Flying Whales". If you are a fan of, like mentioned before, Gojira, Ulcerate or Psycroptic, drop everything you're doing and listen to "Under The Under" right now!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

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4: Neurosis - An Undying Love For A Burning World
Neurot Recordings

In 2019, Neurosis fired original vocalist Scott Kelly for reasons we would only learn later. Turns out he was kind of a monster, abusing his wife and kids. This was a shock for long-time fans of the band; he was such a big part of the sound that the future of Neurosis was uncertain at best. Now in 2026, ten years after the excellent "Fires Within Fires", they return with new vocalist, none other than Aaron Turner (Sumac, Old Man Gloom, House of Low Culture, ex- Isis) and they prove that no one can equal their mastery of their particular brand of sludge and post-metal.

Always experimenting with sounds, textures and contrasts, it's not rare that a quiet synth instrumental is followed by a devastatingly heavy sludge riff. Being already a legend of the genre, Aaron offers a masterful performance, sounding surprisingly close to Kelly, it makes the change of vocalists feel seamlessly natural. I love the varied vocal styles, deep growls, aethereal cleans and gang vocals, makes for a very dynamic performance. The music can be soft and delicate at times and crushing the next second. The album is an hour long but grabs your attention from beginning to end. Performance wise, the band shows us they are far above on top, with an excellent rhythm section, the drums are complex, subtle and powerful at the same time, the bass is a rich and a thick blanket for your ears and finally, the guitars are soft and airy or devastatingly heavy! Lyrically they paint a brutally honest picture of humanity and the destruction of both ourselves and the environment; "Low, sick and tired Know they are mining our minds", "True wealth between our fingers slips As we count the dead", "Flow rivers are dying Plow fruitless and barren Ghosts drinking the ocean dry". Just perfect lyricism, beautiful yet harsh, exactly like their music.

"An Undying Love For A Burning World" was recorded in at Studio Litho in Seattle by Scott Evans, known for his production work with Kowloon Walled City, Sumac and Great Falls, followed by mixing at Antisleep Audio in Oakland, the album sounds deeply personal, organic and rich in layers. Truly a monumental work from a band that has no equals and is 40 years in their career!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 9/10

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3: Mega Colossus - Watch Out!
Cruz Del Sur Music

I randomly stumbled over Mega Colossus but I have to say that I instantly fell in love with that band. "Watch Out!" is a fantastic piece of heavy metal when you have a bad day or need some stuff to get you in the mood. Kicking off with a sligh dissonant and dragging intro, the album quickly turns into some fast / mid-tempo heavy metal album with a lot of breaks and something I would call "positive melodies". Here everything fits perfect and with "Good Hunting" (no, not "Good Will Hunting") they have written a great band anthem. If you love bands like Maiden, Enforcer or Angel With, this band is the right thing for you. Watch out for the album!
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 9.5/10

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2: Cruel Force - Haneda
Shadow Kingdom Records

With "Dawn Of The Axe", one of my favorite black-thrash albums in 2023 the Germany took us to the myths of the ancient Aztecs, "Haneda" is revealing some myths of the ancient Babylon now. Fortunaltely Cruels Force's music isn't that erratic as their lyrical concepts and so we get a straight continuation of "Dawn Of The Axe": hyper fast thrash attacks (with some more or less blackish elements) combined with some traditional heavy metal riffs. This combination works out damn well and a song like "Sword Of Iron" with its great guitar solo (almost Yngwie Malmsteen-like) is just fantastic.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 9.5/10

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1: Gutvoid - Liminal Shrines
Profound Lore Records

Hailing from the traditional territory of many nations, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples, aka Toronto, Canada, Gutvoid's music sit at the crossroads of many different musical currents. Deeply rooted in filthy old school death metal, they take this sound and add doomy textures and tempos, but the progressive elements are what makes their sound truly unique. With the amount of talent in this band, it's no wonder it sounds this good! First, on guitars, Daniel Bonofiglio, (Gutvoid, Intestinal Hex, Fumes, Internal Infestation, Grotesque Mass), owner of Dystonic Sounds and Fortress Audio Electronics Inc., next up, a true Canadian death metal legend guitarist/vocalist Brendan Dean (Alucard, Body Asphyxiation Science, Fathomless Ritual, Fumes, Pukewraith, Simulacra, to name a few), completing this incredible line up is Justin Boehm on bass and D.W. Lee on drums. The pacing of this album is just perfect; it begins with a short doomy instrumental that leads to three shorter songs (and by shorter, I mean like 7 minutes) that truly summons the OSDM influences but filled with complex riffs and drums, technical solos and melodic leads. The last two songs are where they truly let their creative genius out, clocking in at 12 minutes, both songs take their time to build up and show all the songwriting talent they have. Shredding solos are contrasted with slow and ominous death/doom, with expert drumming. The last song, "Chasm Of Displaced Souls" opens with some of the most satisfying chugs, with a slight dissonance, it must be insane to hear live! The song goes through many changes, it gets quieter, with clean and ethereal guitars and when the distortion kicks back in, it's so so satisfying! If you like death metal, any kind of death metal, you will find something to like on "Liminal Shrines", truly a spectacular offering that keeps on giving on every listen!
-Raphael

MetalBite's Rating: 9.5/10

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Thanks for stopping by. Check out our lists for February 2026 and January 2026 while you still have time to catch up on what's been good this year with relative ease.

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Entered: 4/24/2026 9:09:41 AM

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