Nekrofilth: Filling My Blood with Poison . . . (2009 Demo)

Maggots in Your SkullLast year, Nekrofilth satisfied those of refined taste with their tasteful full-length debut, Devil’s Breath . Hells Headbangers, always eager to cater to those of us with delicate musical palates, took notice, and decided to reissue the band’s 2009 demo, Filling My Blood with Poison . . .

This Cleveland steamer apparently knew exactly where to go, right from the start.

Jesters of Destiny: Fun at the Funeral (1986)

Faith RestoredI’ve got to be honest: I’ve never been a big fan of Faith No More. Not that I dislike them, exactly. I will say I don’t feel one way or the other about their reunion.

Why bring them up here? Jesters of Destiny was an L.A. band that could easily have been their peers. Maybe even the superior band. This is a reissue of their only record, 1986’s Fun at the Funeral, and it really gives

Metal Briefs: Two by Two by Two Part Four

BinaryTwo songs each. Two sentences each.

Portal / Blood of Kingu: Split 7" (2014)
3.5 out of 5 stars

This is a rough, early version of Portal that would have been intriguing as a first taste of the band. Blood of Kingu is blackened death metal at its best, but stacked next to Portal almost anything sounds tame.



On Hells Headbangers


Dementia Senex: Heartworm (2013)
3 out of 5 stars

This

Cadaveric Fumes / Demonic Oath: Entwined in Sepulchral Darkness (2014)

French RevolutionLike pretty much everyone, I used to think France was a joke. Derisive comments about surrender usually come up when middle-Americans discuss the country. When I thought of French metal, I thought of power metal bands singing about fairies or whatever.

But the French actually have a long history of being total badasses, events from the first half of the Twentieth Century

Skogen: I Döden (2014)

I Döden Do ItWhen it comes to underground black metal and Viking-ish / pagan-ish metal, I tend to get overwhelmed by the sheer numbers available. Yes, there are incredible releases out there, and they often come from bands I’ve never heard of before. It’s tough to know where to direct my attention. So I download a few promos, a few of them end up on the iPod, and fewer get a complete listen.

Top Ten Albums of 2014

Culling the HerdIn previous years I've been cute with my end-of-year lists. I did a top 13 of 2013, a top 12 of 2012, a huge number of lists and a top 25 of 2011, and back in 2010 I did best-of by subgenre. It would seem I'm done with that, for this year at least.

As I pondered 2014 in metal, I wondered where I'm going with this blog and how long I can keep doing this. Over 2,000 unread e-mails

Ringworld by Larry Niven (1970)

HaloIn my continuing exploration of many of the classics of speculative fiction, I read Larry Niven's Ringworld. If you're familiar at all with the Halo video game franchise, you know at least one thing this book inspired. The central feature is an artifact, a made world in the shape of an enormous ring. It surrounds a sun, spinning to simulate gravity, with high walls at the edges to keep air,

Bloodbath: Grand Morbid Funeral (2014)

Grand?Well, it’s a funeral, that’s for sure.

A long, long time ago Bloodbath released one of the best slabs of Swe-death of all time. Resurrection Through Carnage had the best possible version of that storied sound, and channeled it through some of the catchiest tunes known to all metal history. Over the years they’ve stayed consistently good, without quite reaching that level again, with more

Atriarch: An Unending Pathway (2014)

SuccessionThe last time I talked about Atriarch, I focused on how they combine doom with punk’s equivalent of doom, deathrock. I said they were like a cross between My Dying Bride and Christian Death. But the more I listened to An Unending Pathway, the more I realized they are true spiritual successors to My Dying Bride.

I don’t have a handle on how well-regarded MDB are in general. Their name

Inter Arma: The Cavern (2014)

There And Back AgainReview by joanismylover, the third metal attorney.

I thoroughly enjoyed Inter Arma's 2013 release, and although FMA did not agree, I was not alone in that enjoyment.* Sky Burial was a thunderous piece of heavy music that while sludge-tinged, defied certain scene aesthetics and easy categorization. The heft was undeniable, and in all the right places. The Cavern follows

Execration: Morbid Dimensions (2014)

No ZombiesExecration is the act of condemning something, declaring it evil. But more importantly, it's an obscure word that sounds vaguely evil even if you didn't know that, and the cover art to the Norwegian band's Morbid Dimensions looks like something from an underground black metal band--the kind that has too much creativity to be contained in only the colors black and white. So we can figure

Richard Wagner: Der Ring des Nibelungen (1869-1876)

GötterdämmerungThe other day I mentioned Wagner in a review of a Septicflesh album. There's good reason for that. As observed in the documentary Metal: A Headbanger's Journey, Richard Wagner was metal a century before metal existed. So it occurred to me that it was essentially a crime that I had never listened to The Ring Cycle, a.k.a. Der Ring des Nibelungen, and I sought to rectify that

Blood & Banjos: Blood & Banjos (2014)

BloodgrassIf there’s one reviewer out there who is inclined to like a metal band with banjos, it’s probably me. I’ve written extensively on metal and Americana, I loved that Taak song with the banjo solo, and I adore Panopticon’s Kentucky. So it made sense for Blood & Banjos to contact me.

I was warned that they are a bluegrass band first, with some metal parts, and that’s an accurate assessment

Septicflesh: Titan (2014)

WagnerianIt’s been said that Blue Öyster Cult put the first unnecessary umlaut in a band name “because of the Wagnerian aspect of Metal.” You probably already know how ridiculously bombastic Wagner made his operas, including the use of a giant cello that required two people to play—because it wasn’t heavy enough yet. Drama on top of drama made songs like “Ride of the Valkyries” so compelling, and

Abigail: Intercourse & Lust (1996)

Tentacle Rape by Chthonic Venom WorshipersAs I was listening to Abigail's Intercourse & Lust, I had no idea it was 18 years old. Speed metal is evergreen. This is true to the purest ethos of the backpatch-on-jean-jacket set.

This reissue has new cover art, from the band's native Japan. Believe it or not, I looked up the Wikipedia page for tentacle porn a while back and found that this is a print

Dark Americana Briefs, Volume 18

Ladies' Night
Feist: Metals (2011)
4 out of 5 stars

Feist is a Canadian who stretches my preconceived notions about what "pop" means. There are no big dance hits here: Metals is full of simmering tunes that are sometimes vulnerable, sometimes angry, and always beautiful. While she touches on R&B, I've included this record here for the many Americana and blues touches. She's not afraid to make it

Slipknot and Korn at the Century Link Center

November 6, 2014After seeing Amon Amarth on Tuesday, seeing Slipknot and Korn was a very different experience. I went with a friend whom I would not describe as a metalhead, which made it a lot more enjoyable for me. But aside from that, the show had some issues.

First of all, the Century Link Center is a completely different venue. The beer selection was a crime against humanity. Literally the

Amon Amarth at the Bourbon Theatre

November 4, 2014For the first time ever, Amon Amarth rode into Lincoln, Nebraska, and I was witness.


It was at the Bourbon Theatre, where I've been a couple of times before. They of course had to use the larger stage and room. The house was packed--even more draw than Opeth, apparently, although that might have something to do with the supporting acts. Of the crowd, I didn't see anything

Slipknot: .5: The Gray Chapter (2014)

Slipknot, Ver .5So by now I’ve revisited every studio album by Slipknot, a band who shaped my musical preferences long-term—and honestly had a big part in prepping me to be an extreme metal fan. What I’ve learned is that they released a handful of pretty good records with hard rock parts, some metal parts, extreme percussion, angry shout-along choruses and catchy sung melodies. They also released

YOB: Clearing the Path to Ascend (2014)

AscensionI’ve always kind of felt that YOB is a bit overrated. No, let me rephrase that: I used to think YOB was overrated.

Despite Mike Scheidt’s crappy folk album leaving me cold, I already enjoyed both his growled and sung vocals (especially with Vhöl). Yet YOB’s work has always given me the sense that it was just, pretty good. Not great. Clearing the Path to Ascend has fully convinced me.

Slipknot: All Hope Is Gone (2008)

Or is it?I’ve been going back over the discography of Slipknot, because they were an important gateway band for me. Finally I’ve come to the last of their previous studio albums. This one is a bit different to me personally. Whereas their first three albums got a whole lot of spins from me in an earlier time, and have a lot of nostalgia value, my view of All Hope Is Gone is not clouded by such

Anaal Nathrakh: Desideratum (2014)

Of Maggots, and HumanityI’m going to, once again, borrow a metaphor from a particular Decibel review, because it’s perfect: listening to Anaal Nathrakh is like hearing the gates of hell opened, just a crack. No one else can do that. They made my own end-of-year list a couple years back, because Vanitas brilliantly combined that utter sonic chaos with undeniably catchy melody and close to a score

Dawnbringer: Night of the Hammer (2014)

Back-to-BasicsChris Black is on a roll. An unstoppable heavy metal force. He is truly one of metal’s most gifted songwriters at the helm of two of metal’s most likable bands.

Oh, do you still need more? After the last couple of Dawnbringer albums and the great High Spirits record from earlier this year, I thought you’d already be convinced that you need Night of the Hammer. Well, this time

Menace Ruine: Venus Armata (2014)

Lovely Vocals and Arcane MusicA couple of years ago I said that Menace Ruine sounds like occult church music. That’s still pretty much the case. If you’re the kind of person who is mesmerized by Botanist, or intrigued by Sabbath Assembly, then you will certainly enjoy Venus Armata.

Simple (distorted) organ pieces and guitar played in an unusual fashion—plus who knows what else—the instruments

Slipknot: Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses (2004)

Slipknot, SouredThis is part 3 of my continuing reexamination of a band that meant a great deal to a younger version of me.

After defying all expectations by going harsher and heavier with their sophomore album, Slipknot took a short hiatus. The members went off and pursued their own projects for a while, most notably Corey Taylor’s Stone Sour. And upon their return, they went to a much more

Exmortus: Slave to the Sword (2014)

Welcome to ChotchkiesI had joanismylover move his desk to the file room before writing this review.

Exmortus - We need to talk about your flair. I mean Exmortus, come on. You only have fifteen pieces of flair. Dragonforce, they have thirty seven pieces of flair. And a heck of lead guitarist. Yes we know that 15 pieces is the minimum. But people can get guitar leads anywhere. People listen

Death Denied: Transfuse the Booze (2014)

Intravenous Polish BrewtalityI’ve mentioned this time and again, but it’s worth mentioning again: My early 20’s found me in love with Black Label Society and the southern metal version of Corrosion of Conformity. Poland’s Death Denied are once again taking me back to that time, with their first full-length album.

When I reviewed EP Appetite for Booze, I thought it sounded more like COC, and now

Dark Americana Briefs, Volume 17

If God is vengeance, we all have it coming.Bob Dylan: John Wesley Harding (1967)
4 out of 5 stars

With great tunes like "As I Went Out One Morning" and "All Along the Watchtower," it's easy to see why Bob Dylan's John Wesley Harding is considered one of the greatest albums of all time. A consensus top 10 across genres and decades, if ever there was one. And Dylan is considered perhaps the

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman (1974)

A Reason to FightI'm a bit of a nerd. And I love to read, but I don't have the time/motivation to read a book in a weekend. It takes me a bit longer. So as I may have mentioned before, I set out to identify and collect some of the classics of science fiction. I'm still going through that collection that I amassed mostly over a decade ago.

Joe Haldeman's The Forever War is the latest book I

Death Metal Briefs: Clearing the Docket

Thrice DeadI've had some of these waiting for review for far too long, so let's get to it.

Concrete Icon: Perennial Anguish (2013)
3.5 out of 5 stars

Concrete Icon play lumbering death metal in the vein of Domination-era Morbid Angel. It's sort of like being slowly crushed by a steamroller from your legs on up to your skull, with some great halting rhythms and a big, burly sound.

Perennial

Fides Inferno: Correspondence (2011)

Drone That's Actually GoodReading magazines, blogs, and other sources of metal news: That’s a pretty good way to find out about new music. But they’re really no substitute for personal recommendations. Fellow metal blogger Apteronotus alerted me to the existence of Fides Inferno because he thought it sounded like something I’d like. Yes, yes it does.

In strict genre terms, Correspondence is a

Occultation: Silence in the Ancestral House (2014)

Stay OccultedI very much enjoyed the previous Occultation album. My take on that was that it was female-fronted occult rock which actually sounded occult, not just, you know, B-movie style witchy. That’s thanks in no small part to the lead guitars provided by the Negative Plane guitarist. You can imagine, then, that I was pretty excited to get my hands on Silence in the Ancestral House.

Tummler and Solomon: You've Worn Out Your Welcome (2014)

Three Bearded Dudes from Washington StateDoom just seems so simple. Why is it that there is such a wide gulf between the good ones and the bad ones, when, on the surface, they don’t seem all that different?

Tummler and Solomon don’t seem all that remarkable. Which is why it’s so remarkable that their level of quality on this debut album is so high. You’ve Worn Out Your Welcome is an example of

Mastodon: "The Motherload" Video

Social Justice Warriors at It AgainSo, Mastodon recently released a video for "The Motherload." Now, as I've said before, Mastodon had already released my two favorite songs of the last decade--"Curl of the Burl" and "Colony of Birchmen." Well, "The Motherload" is number three on that list. Just so you know where I'm coming from.

The video, in the band's long-standing practice, is silly. It's a

Slipknot: Iowa (2001)

Iowa Is Close to HomeFor nostalgia’s sake, I’m going to go see Slipknot next month. In anticipation of that, I’m trying to figure out how 32-year-old me feels about the band that the 22-year-old me loved so much. I began that with a review of the debut, which left me with an understanding of why I loved them, but not really feeling it the same way I used to.

Iowa, on the other hand, holds up

Wreck and Reference: Want (2014)

Machine of ConfusionWreck and Reference isn’t a metal band, but it’s certainly extreme. Sort of like Botanist in that way—Botanist’s Otrebor is actually the one who told me about this project. But this is the first time I’ve heard some Botanist influence in Wreck and Reference, particularly the piano parts in “Apollo Beneath the Whip.” But that’s jumping too far ahead.

Wreck and Reference is

Slipknot: Slipknot (1999)

DilutedThe history of how I came to be the metalhead I am today has been thoroughly documented on this site. But I don't think I ever explained just how much I loved Slipknot around the turn of the millennium. There was a time when Slipknot was, if not my favorite band, at least in the top three. They're not even close to that now, but to a teenager who had never heard anything more extreme (with

Lucifer's Fall: Lucifer's Fall (2014)

Checking All the Right BoxesReview by joanismylover, the third metal attorney.

All hail us some doom metal, probably my favorite of the sub-genres in metal. "Traditional" doom. This wizard of a genre is (not really) suffering a lot lately from offshoots of the death, sludge, and gothic variety. Not counting Pallbearer, there are only a couple of bands out there doing it - Hour of 13 and Magic

Witch Mountain: Mobile of Angels (2014)

CodaSouth of Salem came out of nowhere. A dormant doom band of little note recruited an unknown female soul singer, and suddenly they were a legitimately one-of-a-kind band. Not only that, but a compelling one, who garnered a whole lot of attention. Cauldron of the Wild expanded their palette even further. In the three years since, I don't think anyone has once come close to Witch Mountain's

Death Metal Briefs 2014

Seared Flesh--Hold the TomatoFor the most part, I haven't been devoting much time to the simple pleasures of death metal. But there's only so much depressing folk and doom I listen to before I've got to break out the audio junk food. To pair with the reliable joys of death metal, I'll be breaking out the tired tried-and-true metaphor of music as food--specifically, fast food hamburgers.

Empatic:

Ides of Gemini: Old World New Wave (2014)

Ides of ApolloWhen we last left our heroes, they were doing a little something I called "dream doom." I wasn't the first to call them that, but I found it appropriate enough. The earthy female vocals delivered in an ethereal style, the slow but not terribly heavy guitar riffs, and overall dreamy feel was pretty well summed up by that.

With Old World New Wave, they've changed direction. They

Out of the Darkness

This weekend is the Out of the Darkness suicide prevention walk in Omaha, which I will be attending. As many of you know, my brother committed suicide nearly two years ago.

I've embedded a widget in the sidebar that you can follow if you would like to donate to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Wolvserpent: Perigaea Antahkarana (2013)

Not Merely Amplifier WorshipWolvserpent is an accessible drone doom band. At least, if that’s possible, then they are it. If there is an entry point to this realm, Perigaea Antahkarana might be it. Or perhaps that’s asking too much.

The thing about Sunn O))), or Nadja, or some manifestations of Boris: they sound cool and everything, but a lot of what they do doesn’t sound like a song. Throughout

Summary Judgments, Volume 14

These are the ones that don't get a full hearing from me. But that doesn't necessarily mean you won't enjoy them.

Volume IV: Long in the Tooth (2014)

Volume IV is named after my favorite Sabbath album, and they have influences I really like: mid-period COC ("Blackwater"), Mastodon ("Utero/Long in the Tooth"), Alice in Chains ("Save Your Servant"), doom, hard rock, and more. But it doesn't have

Earth: Primitive and Deadly (2014)

InstrumentalityAfter a while, you start to pick up on key words and phrases in promo e-mails that will help you sort things out. There are certain words that are meaningless, but then there are words that say “download now” and others that say “you can safely delete this.” As far as I’m concerned, “instrumental” is an easy ticket to the trash bin. It’s not that I hate all instrumental music—it’s

More Death Metal Briefs

Death!I know you want to read about three more death metal albums that are going under the radar.

Vassafor / Sinistrous Diabolus: Split (2014)
3.5 out of 5 stars

Let's take that murky Incantation aesthetic and run with it. Take it to the logical extreme. That's a common enough idea behind many bands, but these two groups did a remarkably good job of it. Vassafor is a bit more death metal and

Dying Out Flame: Shiva Rudrastakam (2014)

When Death Metal Was Born Again for the Seventh TimeReview by joanismylover, the third metal attorney.

During law school my wife's Sikh friend got married in Vancouver and we were privileged to take part in the elaborate, striking and lengthy wedding ceremony. My wife had the henna administered (it looked totally metal!), I ate the Kara Parshad and the three days flew by. It was wonderful. Of

Opeth: Pale Communion (2014)

A Darker Shade of PaleFor about a decade, Opeth was the most important band in metal, to paraphrase an occasional contributor to this site. You are no doubt fully aware of their sound, and have probably heard most if not all of their music. And I don’t feel that anyone has a misunderstanding of the band, either; metalheads understand Opeth, whether they enjoy it or not. You are no doubt also

R.I.P. Countess Bathory

I just found out that the other day (August 21) was the 400th anniversary of the death of Countess Bathory. Since she inspired my favorite song, I thought that was worth noting.

Pallbearer: Foundations of Burden (2014)

Unoriginal?In their recent Decibel cover story, the members of Pallbearer seem perplexed at their sudden rise to prominence and the nearly universal, fervent adoration they've received among metalheads--and in some corners of the mainstream. I have been no less perplexed than them. Which is not to say that I don't adore them. My gut feeling is that they're not doing anything new, and that they're

Brimstone Coven v. Dystopia

Doom-Rock Showdown v.
I’m not sure how long “doom-rock” has been a term, but the music has been around for a while. It’s splitting the baby between hard rock and doom metal, and shows up alongside terms like “retro,” “proto-metal” and “occult rock.” I’ve always found it to be a nice change of color that allows for rock-style songwriting without losing the appeal of doom’s heaviness.

There’s

The Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe (1980-1983)

The Color That Is Darker Than BlackGene Wolfe's The Book of the New Sun is the best thing I've read in ten years, since the first time I read The Lord of the Rings. In fact, professional critics have placed it right alongside that work. If that doesn't grab your attention enough, let me also state that it's the most metal book I've ever read.

The most key point to explain what makes this book so

Botanist: VI: Flora (2014)

Fawning Over FloraIt’s always important to know where a reviewer is coming from. So in case you missed it, I’m a huge Botanist fanboy. I’ve been covering the band since the beginning, posting one of the earliest reviews and interviews with the band. The band has made multiple appearances on my year-end lists. I also have a Botanist patch from supporting the recent Kickstarter.* With that record

Pyrrhon: The Mother of Virtues (2014)

Not Spiritually HealingReview by joanismylover, the third metal attorney.

What is the purpose of listening to music? Why does one spend countless hours loading up iTunes with MP3s? Why does she put the stylus to the vinyl and the vinyl to the computer via USB cables? Why does she roam the back aisles of goodwill stores to ransack incoming record collections? Why does one jam out to the local

On the Suicide of Robin Williams

For some reason people seem surprised that Robin Williams committed suicide. If you had asked me a month ago to pick the celebrity most likely to kill himself, he would have topped my list. The last time I saw him on a talk show--several years back--it struck me just how desperately he wanted people to like him. (Which, in turn, made me desperately not like him.) The man was not psychologically

Monarch: Sabbracadaver (2014)

ViceroyProfound Lore is unassailable as the premier metal label. They release some of the best death metal, Lovecraftian and with an old-school ethos if not always old-school in style--Disma, Auroch, and Portal, to name a few. They release some of the most interesting black or blackened metal, not the least of which are Cobalt and Agalloch. They release some of the best truly experimental music

Unfortunately my Internet access is currently down. I'll find a way to post a finished review as soon as possible.

Pact: The Infernal Hierarchies, Penetrating the Threshold of Night (2014)

Pennsylvanian HungerBoy, that album title is a mouthful. Helpful hint: if your album title is a complete sentence, consider cutting it down a little nit. Pact is a black metal band out of Transylvania... no, wait, make that Pennsylvania. The publicity materials make a big deal out of the fact that this is the band's long-awaited, highly-anticipated second album, making it sound as if it has

Black Metal Briefs 2014

Thrice BlackenedYou know how these roundups work, so let's get to the black metal.

Bölzer: Soma
4.5 out of 5 stars

Bölzer has managed to be blistering, pure, and old-school, while writing songs that get stuck in my head for a good, long while. They haven't been terribly prolific, but maybe that's the key to success in an age of over-saturation: Make damn sure that every song you release is

Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995-1996)

Anime Nerd?I first watched Neon Genesis Evangelion in college or shortly after--some time around 2004. I loved it. It's one of the reasons I believed myself an anime fan, although that as a "genre" leaves something to be desired.* I recently had the chance to revisit the series, and it holds up.


Watching it now, it falls into that wonderful world of fiction which was set in a "future" that

Palms v. Crosses

Son of Deftones Versus Mecha Deftones v.
There’s a story that the Cash family sent young Johnny to singing lessons. But upon hearing him for the first time, she told him to stop taking the lessons because his way was better.

I like to imagine the same thing could have happened to Chino Moreno. He’s definitely not singing the “right” way, but his way is so much better. It’s held me rapt for the

Autumn's Dawn: Gone (2014)

Sort-of-Black-MetalGerm is an incredibly weird band that I’ve mentioned once or twice before in these pages. Inhabiting uncharted territory near the border of black metal, it’s one of those projects that endlessly fascinates me. The unmistakable singing voice of drummer/vocalist Sorrow is present in one more sort-of-black-metal band, Autumn’s Dawn.

There is a lot of similarity between the two

Metal Briefs: Doom EPs

At the Graves at SeaWhere my doom at? There seems to be a drought of doom as of late. Perhaps it’s at the graves, which may be at sea. But a few short players have found their way into my hands.

Graves at Sea: This Place Is Poison (2014)
4 out of 5 stars

I've got to admit, I'm a sucker for Black Sabbath covers. This EP by Graves at Sea features an original tune that showcases their brand of

Kult of Taurus: Divination Labyrinths (2014)

Hellenic AggressionReview by Metallattorney. He is the law.

Without a doubt, one of my favorite black metal scenes of all time is the Hellenic scene. Groups like Rotting Christ, Varathron, Ravencult, Thou Art Lord, and others bring a unique melodicism to an otherwise bleak and miserable sound. The bands have a unique style all to themselves and it is a sound that other regional scenes simply

Principality of Hell: Fire & Brimstone (2014)

Back Patch TerritoryI’m just guessing that if you went to see Principality of Hell, you’d probably see a lot of dudes with back patches in the crowd. Call it a hunch, but this is just the kind of bread-and-butter tr00/kvlt/underground metal that I associate with cut-off denim vests. Debut Fire & Brimstone is coming out August 18 on W.T.C. Productions.

There’s simply nothing new here, but there’s

Dark Americana Briefs, Volume 16

Kristian Harting: Float (2014)
4 out of 5 stars

I wasn't quite sure whether to include this as a dark Americana entry, because there's very little Americana in it. But in spirit, Kristian Harting is much the European equivalent. Aside from acoustic guitar and his wonderful voice, he also uses echo effects, synths, and some distorted electric guitar to create a blend that's as much Hexvessel 60's

Death Metal Briefs: 2014

Death: There's Enough to Go AroundDeath metal came back in 2013, and it's still going strong in 2014. But I've been favoring the Profound Lore releases so far, and it's time to spread some love around.

Unaussprechlichen Kulten: Baphoment Pan Shub-Niggurath
4 out of 5 stars

The expansively-named Unaussprechlichen Kulten (Chilean, not German) play exactly the kind of death metal that generates

Wolvhammer: Clawing into Black Sun (2014)

Better Than TombsI listened to 2011's The Obsidian Plains. I even reviewed it. Back then, there were a handful of bands making this novel combination of black metal and sludge metal with varying degrees of hardcore influence: Castevet, Tombs, Withered, and Wolvhammer all released albums that garnered a lot of attention in a relatively short period of time. And they competed for space in my brain,