Summer (or winter, as our Aussie team is keen to point out) is drawing to an end. After the festivals and summer holidays and whatever debauchery each of us has been up to, it is time see what we may have missed with the summer releases of the year. As TMW is a recommendation site and we love to bring you news only of the stuff we personally believe to be worthy, our lists are a thorough representation of what an international team of Metalheads from around the globe have been into over the past few months. We don’t bother with the stuff we don’t like, and that’s a fact.
To avoid being a pain in the rear end with this list thing of ours, we have decided to release quarterly lists of recommendations from now on, instead of the monthly listing we where running with. Occasional best of lists aside, of course.
So… Without any further ado, here are our picks of the albums released over the past summer (or winter, if down south) that we in TMW staff think are worthy for YOU to check out. Don’t sleep on these gems! As usual there is stuff ranging from demos to mainstream Metal, so there’s something for everyone here.
So enjoy, as The Metal Wanderlist is here again.
40. Tomb Mold – “Planetary Clairvoyance“
“Sci-fi Death Metal that is seriously challenging the pioneers of the direction. A worthy follow up to “Manor of Infinite Forms” that simply demands your attention!”
39. Fetid – “Sentient Pile of Amorphous Rot” -demo
“The debut album from Fetid reminded our staff just how great their demo back in the day was. Remember to give this a well deserved spin, brothers and sisters, as this is utter greatness right here.”
38. Kryptos – “Afterburner”
“Catchy and very much Metal. A brilliantly enjoyable record that simply demands multiple spins. Thrash Metal, Heavy Metal, and sheer fun!”
37. Mispyrming – “Algleymi“
“A huge leap ahead from the debut. The production is stellar, and the band has added a bit of Arckanum to their book of tricks. On “Algleymi” they are definitely not afraid to boldly step into a direction of their own, instead of following what everybody else is doing, and that only underlines the fact that these guys are going places.”
36. Kook – “II“
“A Solid Doom record, with careful nods towards Psychedelia. Frank Zappa meets Reverend Bizarre, anyone?”
35. Mystifier – “Protogoni Mavri Magiki Dynasteia“
“Filthy Black Metal from Brazil, since 1989. Their latest offering is a potent sermon of foul, trend ignoring and atmospheric Metal. If you were into the latest album of Rotting Christ, you really don’t want to sleep on this, the more menacing twin brother of it either. Evil has no boundaries!”
34. Kampfar -“Ofidians Manifest“
“With their latest, Kampfar move from forests and mountains to suburbia. Not exactly polished, but with a way bigger production than before, they are treading a bit of new ground here. It is still Kampfar, but it has certainly evolved into a new beast of a Folk and Black Metal hybrid.”
33. Thra – “Gardens of Rot” EP
“The debut EP of Thra is a heavy listen. The abrasive elements of Sludge, Black Metal and Death Metal gathered up into a collection of lethal and crusty anthems of sickness, this is definitely not for the faint hearted folks.”
32. Yellow Eyes – “Rare Field Ceiling“
“A perfect marriage of cold, necro Black Metal and progressive thinking. Featuring Will Skarstad in their ranks (who single-handedly released the marvellous “The Spoor of Vipers” tape by Ustalost some years back), Yellow Eyes are as abstract as they are frosty. If you prefer the more peculiar, less straightforward end of Black Metal, and above anything, are not in a great hurry to rush in the woods with thy corpse painted face to pose, this is the record for you. Be patient and you will be very well rewarded. There’s plenty of time to pose in later on in life.”
31. Firelink – “The Inveterate Fire“
“Some Melodic Black Metal, with tons of great harmonies, sludge bits, and even traditional Heavy Metal moods. A great combination of all things beautiful and Metal, molten into one sharp edged thing. Dark Souls music anyone?”
30. Thronehammer – “Usurper of the Oaken Throne“
“If a band has members from Uncoffined and Obelysskh in it, it is bound to be heavy. Without a fucking doubt. If the hypothetical idea of Conan doing Candlemass covers gives you shivers of pleasure, this record is definitely for you.”
29. Crom Dubh – “Firebrands and Ashes“
“Celtic, Folkish Black Metal featuring members of Craven Idol amongst the ranks. This is a underground gem perfected for the fans of early Primordial and Viking Metal era Bathory. Such an uplifting listen!”
28. Abysmal Grief – “Mors Eleison” EP
“Speaking of oldies but goldies, the 2006 EP by Abysmal Grief returned to the playlists of our staff this summer with a bang. Speaking of Vampiric Doom perfection, this shit is eternal! Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!”
27. Birdflesh – “Extreme Graveyard Tornado“
“We have been bird watching quite a lot recently and these grindy birdies from Sweden have delivered just the right mating sounds to please our collective ears. an enjoyable Grind album, with some of the most fluent drumming you are about to hear this year, “Extreme Graveyard Tornado” brings that big, wide Extreme Metal smile to your face and will most likely get you locked in the funny farm as well.”
26. An Isolated Mind – “I’m Losing Myself“
“The debut album from these Black metal avant-gardists from California is not something you could call ‘hit oriented music’ by any means. Definitely one of the most experimental releases out this year. This baby takes time to be fully swallowed and digested, but it is a rewarding journey. Black Metal in a way we have not exactly heard the like of before, “I’m Losing Myself” is a complex beast. Soothing, angular, dissonant and extremely captivating – yet not the least in a wimpy way. A jump to the weird end of the pool, but damn worth it.”
25. Lord Vicar – “The Black Powder“
“Old school doom fans are in for a treat with the new album from Lord Vicar. “The Black Powder” is an enjoyable walk through old, moss infested gravestones. This necropolis is haunted with the ghosts of Black Sabbath, Reverend Bizarre, and Count Raven, nodding occasionally in the direction of My Dying Bride as well. Classic Doom in every sense. Feel the misery!”
24. Vader – “Thy Messenger” EP
“Some things simply defy time and one of them is Vader. Actually, their latest outing “Thy Messenger” sees the band at their most powerful since their most immense album “Litany” from the year 2000. There’s everything here you need to make great Death Metal with: Precision, discipline, compact arrangements, perfect tempos, memorable leads, solid lyrics and riffs, riffs, riffs. If they can conjure up a full album of this quality it will pretty much erase everything in it’s way. We have been warned.”
23. Temple Koludra – “Seven! Sirens! To a Lost Archetype“
“A surprise hit among the TMW staff, Temple Koludra have unleashed an album full of chaotic Extreme Metal, not too far from the Icelandic Black Metal bands of today, or the more death metallic works of Limbonic Art. A highly rewarding and atmospheric listen that fans of Esoctrilihum for example should love.”
22. Lvcifyre – “Sacrament” EP
“Lvcifyre from VK retvrn with an immense new EP. Massive, dark and weird they definitely are abovt to conqver the throne of Blackened Death Metal in the near future if they keep progressing in svch manner. TMW staff are lining up in fvll to wait for the third albvm!”
21. Full of Hell – “Weeping Choir“
“Hard hitting Grindcore and Power Violence. Maybe getting more and more Death Metal too with time, Full of Hell need to be on your list of albums to be checked out. Blast or be blasted!”
20. Ancient Flame – “Tyrant Blood“
“Extremely well done Black Metal! Atmospheric, epic, eerie, very well composed and performed – Ancient Flame are precisely as it is supposed to be. Cold and otherworldly.”
19. Putrefied Corpse – “Left to Rot“
“Imagine having a main course of audio violence that consists of “Harmony Corruption” era Napalm Death, spiced with Benediction and deliciously topped off with a dash of Slayer. Ah, we all love it! A new favourite dish for all Old School maniax (yes, the zine English is there for a reason), wash it down with strong beer and act silly for dessert. The Old School Death Metal department of TMW nods with approval.”
18. Obturate – “The Bleeding Mask of Dread”
“Furious grindy Death Metal from France. Total moshpit mania even Napalm Death would be really proud of, the debut album from Obturate is a must for all death heads around the globe. Perfect, sweaty and intense kind of fun. If the fourth track “On Your Corpse I Spit” doesn’t get you fucking excited, then you are already dead! Many a band springs to mind when listening to this one, but nobody has ever put so much sheer bloody brilliance into one package for quite some time!”
17. Deep Dark River – “King of the Forest“
“A haunting, cold folk music they say and are not the least bit wrong in it. Deep Dark River is a project of Morgan Rider and cellist Nathen Morrison, taking an acoustic journey through vast forests and cold streams of the north. Like the brilliant The Hallowing of Heirdom by Winterfylleth or Great Brunswick Forest by Thrawsunblat this is an non-distorted soundscape, but pretty damn perfect for a metal listener as well.”
16. Goatroach – “Demo ’19“
“As The Metal Wanderlust is a site dedicated for underground phenomenon, we simply cannot ignore the amount of quality demos flooding around at the moment. It is more than a pleasure of ours to lift them to be listed, so here goes: Here’s a splendid demo coming across like Eyehategod doing black metal, or Watain going sludge instead. Filthy and punchy at the same time. Excellence!”
15. Epitaphe – “I”
“One of the heaviest album debutants this year, Epitaphe from France bombard us with a colossal mix of Death Metal, Black Metal and Funeral Doom. Definitely not for the faint hearted or those with an impatient kind of leaning.”
14. Death Womb – “Moonless Night Sacraments“
“This thing here is REAL Black Metal. Not the copy or pasted second wave shizzle, but true Beherit/Archgoat magick of darkness. Some of the eeriest vocals this year, on this very record. Fuck trends, fuck life Metal… Hail Death Womb!”
13. Burial – “Relinquished Souls“
“A re-release of this 1993 unsung Death Metal classic got the TMW staff starting a much belated moshpit in the office. Definitely flying under the radar back in their day, Burial did a marvellous record rich with early Death and Pestilence influence in it. We are happy seeing this one given another go, and we would be even more merrier if YOU took a moment of your time and gave them the listen they bloody well deserve.”
12. Mammoth Storm – “Alruna”
“Imagine Conan and Electric Wizard doing a project together and you are pretty close to where Mammoth Storm stand. Their follow up to the Doom world shaking debut “Fornjot” (2015) is nothing short on heavy grooves and molten lava types of swing. A lot like their countrymen Serpent Omega, this band is a unsung classic in the deep underground. But that is about to change soon, we hope.”
11. Ossuary – “Supreme Degradation” demo
“Another marvellous demo slab to your direct face. Ossuary sound already on demo stages better than most of the Death Metal bands on their albums, so it is pretty safe to say that these guys will be a household name in the future. Murky and sick, but with riffs smarter than average caveman stuff ever would be. Now, there’s a thing the world could do with more of! Don’t say we did not warn you.”
10. Worsen – “Cursed to Witness Life“
“The debut album of Worsen is MGLA through American lenses. It’s angry and it’s gritty. It’s nihilistic, and it is joyless. It also comes with the bleak acceptance of the meaninglessness of all and we love it in TMW greatly.”
9. Immortal Bird – “Thrive on Neglect“
“A Black metal/ Sludge combo from Chicago deliver us a progressive take on emotional and ambitious Metal. If you are into quality in music, you really should give this album a spin! Kings in their genre right now.”
8. Xentrix – “Bury the Pain“
“The best Thrash Metal album that has been released in a long while.. It has the UK Thrash thing married up with the Bay Area tradition, with powerful production and tunes to launch instant moshpits wherever and whenever. These guys have definitely taken their time to get this album out, but at TMW we are certain it was all for the right reasons. It does not get any better than this in this department. Did I mention that somehow the new singer sounds just like the old singer? It’s bloody fate I say!”
7. Mutilate – “Contagium“
“Ugly Death Metal, with a fat Old School vibe? What else would you need, really? A fine underground gem for the sick and the devoted. The TMW Death Metal department nods their heads in approval again. Crusher!!”
6. Cerebral Rot – “Odious Descent“
“The best Old School Death Metal album of the summer (the season of rotting, huh?) will give you no mercy. Rich in their nods to the early Finnish Death Metal stuff, but still original enough to be far above the usual copycats. This is the past, the present and the future in the genre, right now.”
5. Amon Amarth – “Berserker“
“Amon Amarth are the AC/DC of Death Metal. They keep on producing quality albums, all equally enjoyable. If you like one, you are bound to love ’em all. This time they come across with new muscularity in sound and lots of that classic Heavy Metal feel onboard. Imagine Unleashed shaking hands with Iron Maiden and Accept… This is the soundtrack to drink a shitload of beer with! The TMW staff nod in approval and are off to the fridge again.”
4. Cosmic Putrefaction – “At the Threshold of the Greatest Chasm“
“There are very few labels out there who serve only quality through every release, but I, Voidhanger Records is definitely one. If you are into some of their releases, you may as well check them all out, as you are bound to love the vast majority of their releases. Cosmic Putrefaction is a brand new one man project from Gabriele Gramaglia of Summit and The Clearing Path. Musically it is peculiar kind of sci-fi Death, highly recommended for fans of , Nocturnus, and Nucleus for example. This album was a big hit amongst our staff for good reason! Quality speaks for itself.”
3. Helheim – “Rignir“
“A subject of a big debate in our office, Helheim keep venturing on the path of their own making. These guys have come a long way from early abrasive Black Metal of theirs to weird fields of Folky Prog from where they went to somewhere back in between those two things again. If the previous album summed up everything they had done so far, this new one seems to open up a whole new chapter. Like Solstafir meets Bathory, with occasional nods towards Pink Floyd. Who could resist such a thing?”
2. Undeath – “Sentient Autolysis” -demo
“With already a second game changing demo out this year Undeath have become the undisputed staff favourites of ours. Their Incantation/Demilich -esque stomp is simply irresistible. We have warned you throughout the early parts of 2019 how great the quality in underground Death Metal right now is and if you have not given any of them a proper spin yet, you should start right here, right now.”
1. Batushka – “Panihida“
Batushka have been in the eye of the storm for a for a while now. While there is a lot to read about the situation all over the internet, we are not going to bore you with the briefing, but rather encourage you to take a good listen of what is going on at the heart of things – the music itself. The #1 album of The Metal Wanderlust’s summer list is due to a single fact – this record has had the widest range of support throughout our staff. That alone speaks volumes. Now – less keyboard warriorism and more genuine support to the music itself. Light up the incense!”
And that’s a wrap! Whatever season is next, we will be there to give you our next list of what we think is awesome! Hell yes!
The Metal Wanderlust 