MMA Best of 2024 - Community Picks

Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere

Death Metal

US death metal act Blood Incantation have been taking the metal world by storm for a few years now, particularly since their last studio album Hidden History of the Human Race from 2019. Having explored other genres on other releases since, including the fully ambient EP Timewave Zero in 2022, their latest record Absolute Elsewhere is their most diverse record yet, containing two epic songs in three parts apiece that merge progressive death metal with ideas from space rock and Berlin School progressive electronic and featuring diverse guest performances including Thorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream. The resulting record is a tour de force highlighting just where the death metal genre can be taken when a band doesn't limit themselves to genre conventions on extremity. 

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

Stylistically Blood Incantation take their music to a new level. While still featuring loads of old school technical death metal parts, the album features just as many 70s influenced tripped-out space rock parts (Artists like Tangerine Dream, Eloy, and Pink Floyd haven´t lived in vain), which have nothing to do with death metal. So how does two such different music styles co-exist? It should be impossible, but it actually works incredibly well. Blood Incantation ensure that there is a good balance between death metal brutality, technical playing, progressive song structures, and the 70s progressive/space rock influences. "Absolute Elsewhere" is epic, melodic, and atmospheric, but also brutal, dissonant, and raw. Gloomy atmospheres are followed by epic melodic moments, and laid-back psychedelic journeys into space.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

Blood Incantation is going to be one of those bands that in years to come is going to be described as a seminal death metal act of their time. On their third album Absolute Elsewhere they meld diverse influences into a unique progressive metal journey.

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

Lots has been said, no need to say more, another new acquaintance hits the top three.

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

Going back to their first album Blood Incantation showed they weren’t averse to long songs and took it a step further on 2019’s Hidden History Of The Human Race with Awakening From The Dream Of Existence To The Multidimensional Nature Of Our Reality (Mirror Of The Soul) taking up a full side on the vinyl version. This time there are only two tracks, both taking up a side on the vinyl version, something 70’s prog bands were prone to do. This is very apt as alongside the expected death metal Absolute Elsewhere has almost as much prog, Pink Floyd and Tangerine Dream being obvious references. It shouldn’t work but somehow it does and they pull it off to perfection. Their finest yet? Quite possibly.

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

Nile - The Underworld Awaits Us All

Technical Death Metal

"The Underworld Awaits Us All" is another high quality death metal release from Nile. Sanders and co. are still among the elite death metal artists in the world, and "The Underworld Awaits Us All" further cements that fact.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

Nile has long been one of my favourite death metal acts. There's only a couple of albums in their back catalogue that haven't been high grade brutal/tech death. Many no doubt still feel the absence of Dallas Toler-Wade but the current Nile line-up (a five-piece these days) just made one of the band's best albums yet.

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

"The Underworld Awaits Us All" is everything you'd expect from a Nile album - heavy, brutal, technical, and immaculately researched. Few death metal bands if any can equal Nile's continued consistency to still be churning out such vital albums this deep into their career.

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

Nile is a brutal technical death metal powerhouse of a band. Although losing long-time vocalist/guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade in 2017 was a blow for their ever-changing line-up, Karl Sanders has soldiered on and following the solid Vile Nilotic Rites in 2019, has produced one of their best albums in the form of The Underworld Awaits Us All. 

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

I keep hearing comments like The Underworld Awaits Us All is a return to form for Nile. Well to my ears they never lost it, one of, if not the finest technical death metal band on the planet. Whilst I don’t think this betters the last couple it’s certainly the equal of them. 

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

Opeth - The Last Will And Testament

Progressive Metal

Opeth are one of the few bands that can still surprise me. You never know what you’re going to get next from them. In Cauda Venenum had more metal in it than they’d had for years but The Last Will And Testament also brings back the death growls, something I thought would never happen. It’s a mixture of old and new, Ghost Reveries being the nearest past reference. Not to take anything away from recent releases it’s their finest body of work since at least Watershed and up there with their best albums.

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

I hadn't realised just how much I wanted a new Opeth album that sounded like this. I've spent the last few albums they've made gradually accepting their change in direction, the culmination of which was their best prog rock album yet in In Cauda Venenum and then they go and do this. Welcome back, Mikael and co. 

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

Opeth returns to the extreme progressive metal sound which made them their name, but don't expect an album that leaves what they've been doing since Heritage forgotten and neglected. A superb release that is like a coming together of the old and the new, as well as their first concept album since Still Life. Opeth is not back, because they never went away, but those who have missed the old Opeth have double cause to celebrate this fourteenth studio album from the now legendary Swedish band. A work which stands up with their very best. 

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

Promising, but not many listens yet. Still deserves a spot at the bottom based on what it probably is.

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Judas Priest - Invincible Shield

Heavy Metal

How is Judas Priest making albums this good a whole half century on since their debut? Firepower was already excellent and then they go and better it! Not many bands could claim to make such good albums this far into their career. Their best since Painkiller which came out over thirty years ago.

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

I remember that sometimes we would say of Judas Priest's Painkiller album, which was their twelfth studio album, that an album released that far into a band's career really had no business being so good, much less the album that many would call the band's best. Post-Painkiller the band released a string of lesser to solid albums, but then dropped Firepower in 2018, their best in years. With Invincible Shield however they've only gone and bettered it, releasing not just their new best since Painkiller, but also an album that we will talk about the way we have Painkiller over the years: an album that is the nineteenth of a band who have been going for over fifty years at this point, has no business being as good as this. 

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

Following the excellent Firepower from 2018 Invincible Shield finds Judas Priest on a roll and not only equalling it, but bettering it. The relentless onslaught of the first three songs alone is enough to cement their reputation as the greatest heavy metal band of all.

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

Good old Priest doing good old Priest things. I was really surprised by Firepower, and this one takes it a notch higher.

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

Hail Spirit Noir - Fossil Gardens

Black Metal

The sound production is top notch, the performances showcase high level musicianship on all posts, and the songwriting is eclectic, adventurous, and intriguing. It´s the kind of the album you can listen to many times and find new details everytime. If they weren´t already one of the leaders of progressive/psychedelic black metal, this album would surely lift them to that status.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

In some ways I don't know what to feel about Fossil Gardens, Hail Spirit Noir's sixth album. On the one hand I didn't object to their change in sound that came with Eden in Reverse, but I could also lament that the psychedelic black metal sound of their first three albums had disappeared. Here they brought back the black metal, but not so much the psychedelic stuff. It's a very good album, but sometimes it feels like the band isn't sure what they want to be anymore and it sounds like it would make more sense existing between Mayhem in Blue and Eden in Reverse, not their latest work. 

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

Greek act Hail Spirit Noir has been going through periods of change following their first three albums that stuck to the same psychedelic black metal style. They chucked the black metal out on Eden in Reverse and then on Mannequins made a synthwave album. With Fossil Gardens, their sixth studio album, the band has returned to black metal albeit it in a progressive take, rather than returning to the sound which got them off the ground. It's different but still easily has the identity of a Hail Spirit Noir release and means that the band's last four albums have sounded nothing like each other. 

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

Simone Simons - Vermillion

Progressive Metal

Although it only bears the name of the Epica vocalist, Vermillion was written and performed in collaboration with Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen and represents one of two studio albums he put out in 2024, as well as being the strongest one, albeit as well the more typically Lucassen sounding one. As a release from Simone however it's very different to her main band Epica. It perhaps does a disservice to Simone Simons to say that it feels much more like a Lucassen album than her solo album, but the fact remains that, for me, it's rather a match made in heaven release; my favourite composer/instrumentalist and my favourite singer. 

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

Really more like Arjen Lucassen's latest project in terms of sound, but those who come here because of Epica will find something that stands apart from Simone Simons' usual output, even when Epica co-vocalist Mark Jansen shows up on a couple of tracks. While not the most jaw-dropping record either Lucassen or Simons has been a part of, it's a very solid little collection of songs.

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

A fulll on collaboration between Ayreon mastermind Arjen Lucassen and Epica vocalist Simone Simons, sure feels like something I'd only hear in a dream, but it is in fact real, and it is every bit as excellent as I was hoping ti would be. It's essentially what Ayreon fans would expect musically, with a bit of Star One added in on a couple tracks, though overall it falls on the softer, more vocal driven side of things, unsurprisingly considering who the singer is. There's some nice guest performances as well, and a couple tracks add in some industrial elements, which is the biggest surprise of the album. 

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Aara - Eiger

Atmospheric Black Metal

Swiss atmospheric black metal trio Aara goes from strength to strength with Eiger, their sixth album and best to date. The Tirade trilogy was already excellent, but Eiger immediately comes across as next level. A contender for the year's best black metal release for me. 

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

Anciients - Beyond The Reach Of The Sun

Progressive Metal

All three of Anciients albums have impressed me. The mixture of light and shade, growls and clean vocals, their usually long-ish songs take a while to reveal their secrets but once they do you’re hooked. Beyond The Reach of The Sun is another stunning addition to their small but impressive catalogue.

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

Aquilus - Bellum II

Symphonic Black Metal

A direct follow-up to 2021's Bellum I, Aquilus' third album Bellum II stands as a perfect continuation of what was already a fantastic comeback for one of the most interesting black metal acts of the modern era, blending atmospheric/symphonic black metal with classical music, dark folk and prog. Fortunately we didn't have to wait a whole decade between albums this time. 

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

Assemble The Chariots - Ephemeral Trilogy Episode 1: Unyielding Night

Deathcore

The couple of times a year I go for a massage I always go to the same guy because we talk music the entire time he roughs up my shoulders and neck. This is the best thing he’s ever recommended me, a very nice union of grand symphonicity and relentless brutality.

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

Bewitcher - Spell Shock

Speed Metal

Bewitcher were my surprise discovery of 2024. Never heard any of their previous three albums but Spell Shock really grabbed my attention with a seemingly endless supply of infectious riffs. Blackened speed metal doesn’t get much better than this.

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

Birdflesh - Faster Than A Priest Vomit (EP)

Grindcore

13 tracks in just under 13 minutes, this fun little EP was the product of a three day binge. Spontaneous, silly, and slightly sick, this is short, sharp shocks of goofy, gory grindcore, nothing more and nothing less.

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

The Black Dahlia Murder - Servitude

Melodic Death Metal

Faced with an immense tragedy The Black Dahlia Murder never wavered (at least not publicly) and almost immediately vowed to return with a new lineup and keep the band going, and "Servitude" is the proof that they did the right thing. I´m sure Strnad would have been proud of the result.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

Borknagar - Fall

Progressive Metal

Borknagar has had some different incarnations over the years they've been together but the current one, dually fronted by ICS Vortex and Lars A. Nedland, has been producing some of the band's strongest works yet. Fall, their twelfth studio album, has many claims to being their best yet and has musical nods to all eras of the band including their early Viking metal work. A someone who has to confess to feeling that this band peaked in the 1990s to early 2000s, it's an album that has made me reassess their last few releases as well.

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

Cancer Christ - God Is Violence

Cybergrind

An ultra-violent Christian snake cult as much as a band, Cancer Christ dropped this album in January 2024, and then the whole insane mess had unravelled by August. Singer St Anthony sacked the rest of the band, and was arrested after a psychotically induced crime spree which started with him informing a pregnant woman that spirits led him to her unborn baby and it belonged to him, and ended with charges of vandalism, burglary, vehicle theft, reckless driving, kidnapping, and resisting an officer. This is what truly unhinged music sounds like.

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

Cemetery Skyline - Nordic Gothic

Gothic Metal

I’m no particular fan of goth metal, nor Dark Tranquillity, Insomnium, Sentenced or any of the bands whose members collided and formed Cemetery Skyline, so this is the biggest surprise of the year. Superb bunch of straightforward heavy goth rock songs and I AM becoming a fan of Mikael Stanne’s clean vocals.

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

Crypt Sermon - The Stygian Rose

Traditional Doom Metal

Judging from the amount of ratings on their albums Crypt Sermon seems relatively unknown around here. This is surprising as to my ears they’re the finest traditional doom metal band to surface in the last 10 years. Each of their 3 albums is essential listening for anyone who enjoys the genre and The Stygian Rose is almost the equal of 2019’s The Ruins Of Fading Light, their best so far.

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

Deceased - Children Of The Morgue

Death Metal

"Children of the Morgue" is probably not the album which will break new ground for Deceased and at this point in their career I´m pretty sure that´s not their main goal either. These guys just want to play the type of metal that they love and occasionally make it available to their fans and they are arguably successful in doing that.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

Defiled - Horror Beyond Horror

Death Metal

"Horror Beyond Horror" is a natural successor to "The Highest Level", but to my ears Defiled have made better production choices this time around, and therefore "Horror Beyond Horror" is a step up in quality from the last release (which itself wasn´t a bad release at all). Defiled just seem to thrive better when they apply more organic sounding productions to their music, like they do here.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

Bruce Dickinson - The Mandrake Project

Heavy Metal

The last three solo albums were stone cold classics, and this time we’re not quite getting there. A couple of low points in the middle do some harm, but otherwise a solid album and better than the somewhat disappointed reception would indicate.

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

Dragony - Hic Svnt Dracones

Power Metal

Dragony have always done a great job of mixing together elements of classic power metal, symphonic metal and even a bit of AOR on some of their lighter, more melodic tracks. All of this continues on this album, and it of course has some of their absolute best, most epic and most anthemic choruses to date, but it also has more of cinematic feel than any of their past albums, with a major emphasis on symphonic elements, and the band pulls that of perfectly. it's all centered by the epic length title track, which is one of the band's best, most ambitious tracks to date.

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Dvne - Voidkind

Sludge Metal

Ensiferum - Winter Storm

Folk Metal

Ensiferum have always been one of the best in the world when it comes to blending folk metal and MDM, and their past couple releases have seen them up the ante by going all in on their power metal elements, without losing any of their defining elements, to create something truly special. This one is a bit less catchy and less immediate than Thalassic, but if anything it's even more epic than ever, and it has some absolutely stunning instrumental portions and an entertaining story, to go along with the fantasticvocals and choruses, which are still as prominent as ever.

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Exhorder - Defectum Omnium

Thrash Metal

When Exhorder returned in 2019 with the groove-laden "Mourn the Southern Skies", many feared it would be a one-and-done affair. "Defectum Omnium" has proved this wasn't the case. The album is thick with the razor sharp thrash metal that created the band's awesome reputation in the early 90s, but still retains the Southern feel.

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

F.K.U. - The Horror And The Metal

Thrash Metal

"The Horror and The Metal" is the musical incarnation of the slasher/zombie horror movie. Severed tongues planted firmly in undead decaying cheeks, these Swedes deliver splattery blackened thrash metal. This album isn't trying to be particularly clever or original, but it's a lot of fun.

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

Fellowship - The Skies Above Eternity

Power Metal

Fellowship burst onto the scene a few years ago, with The Saberlight Chronicles, one of the best power metal debuts I've ever heard, as well as pssoibly the happiest, most optimistic album ever made, in a genre that is often known to very upbeat and happy. This album continues with that, and has some very upbeat tempos and fantastic musicianship, with some very beautiful, happy sounding passages, but some depth is added, with some darker lyrics themes, to help make for a very interesting combination. 

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

FerreTT - Glamdemic

Glam Metal

Grunge is dead and glam is back? These New Yorkers are firmly on a nostalgia trip for the heady days of the 80s when spandex and big hair dominated the musical landscape. Unlike the piss-ripping parody of Steel Panther, FerreTT offer up a more respectful homage to those days, while also bringing some 21st century sensibilities to the party.

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

Frozen Crown - War Hearts

Power Metal

Italy's Frozen Crown are, for my money, among the best modern power metal bands who have released their first album within the last ten years. War Hearts is their fifth and they show no sign of losing any steam. While this sort of band rarely breaks the mould, power metal tends to be a genre where it's about ticking boxes and excellent at what they do. Frozen Crown does that in spades. Great vocals, a triple guitarist line-up delivering melody and leads galore, and infectious songs. Can't ask for more from a power metal record. 

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

Grand Magus - Sunraven

Heavy Metal

High On Fire - Cometh The Storm

Stoner Metal

So it´s the songwriting and the production values which set one High on Fire album apart from the other albums by the band, and to my ears "Cometh the Storm" is in the better end of the High on Fire album releases, both when it comes to the memorability of the compositions and certainly when it comes to the sound production (as mentioned above).

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

Hypersonic - Kaosmogonia

Symphonic Metal

This band has improved a lot over the years, and this is their best work to date, with a mix of everything I love about symphonic metal, from epic orchestral arrangements, to fantastic vocals, some power metal, some lighter tracks, and it also has quite a bit of MDM and some gothic influences, all of which is done perfectly. Songwriting is dynamic and quite complex at times, and musically there's a lot going on, and it can get quite heavy at times, but there's also some fantastic melodies. 

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Ihsahn - Ihsahn

Progressive Metal

I think that Ihsahn has long transcended the work he did with Emperor by adopting an extreme progressive metal sound as a solo artist, but on this self-titled studio album, his eighth, we get something of a throwback to Emperor's symphonic approach. This is not Ihsahn's full return to black metal roots however, but it certainly stands out as different in terms of his solo output. While I personally prefer often the more chaotic sounds of After or Eremita, this is a really good release and is also his first full studio album since 2018 although he released three EP's in the intervening years. 

adg211288, Admin, Folk/Viking Metal, Power/Neoclassical Metal and Prog/AG Metal Teams

Lascaille's Shroud - Wyrmfire And Starlight

Progressive Metal

After a couple of years (2020-2021) which saw Lascaille's Shroud have a burst of increased output - four albums in two years) the project went quiet for awhile but in 2024 returned with a new album which consists of just a single song running for forty minutes dead. Shades of Crimson by Edge of Sanity there, but regardless it's a fine addition to the Lascaille's Shroud discography. I still find it hard to believe that no label has signed this act and got his music out there better. 

 666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

Manticora - Mycelium

Power Metal

Manticora have always fallen deeply into the heavier, darker side of power metal, with albums like 8 Deadly Sins and Safe cementing them as masters of what I like to call "Brutal Power Metal", blending in influences of MDM, thrash and prog, with their usual classic power metal sound to create something heavier, and more intense than one might expect from the genre. After a couple more experiemntal albums, Mycelium largely feels like a return to what the band does best, and it has some of their best, most dynamic songwriting to date. 

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Morta Skuld - Creation Undone

Death Metal

You can't teach an old dog new tricks, but those old dogs get pretty good at the tricks they do know. Morta Skuld play old school death metal because they are a genuine old school band, and the brutal grooves of Creations Undone shows there's no substitute for experience.

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

My Dying Bride - A Mortal Binding

Doom Metal

Highlights include "Thornwyck Hymn" and the 11:22 minutes long "The Apocalyptist", but as always My Dying Bride are impressive in terms consistency, and there´s nothing on this album, which isn´t quality material.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

New Horizon - Conquerors

Power Metal

Nightwish - Yesterwynde

Symphonic Metal

After the last couple of albums were bogged down by these larger than life prog or classical epics at the end that fell apart halfway through if they ever took off in the first place, Yesterwynde feels fresh and compact…and it’s 71 minutes long. Just a bunch of really good songs for a change.

Pekka, Honorary collaborator

Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja

Avant-garde Metal

Like Sólstafir, they have their own unique sound with little variation between albums, but I’m not yet as bored of Oranssi Pazuzu’s. Another solid album by a consistently good band.

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

Powerwolf - Wake Up The Wicked

Power Metal

Powerwolf is a band that figured their formula out ages ago with Lupus Dei, perfected it with Bible of the Beast, and everything they've done since has simply built on that foundation, largely sticking to a familiar formula, but staying consistently addictive and fun. Wake up the Wicked is very much more of the same, with a big foucs on huge, anthemic choruses, church organs and an overall intense atmosphere, but it also feels like it has some of their speediest, most classic power metal sounding tracks in quite some time, and if anything, it's one of their most energetic and more inspired releases since Bible of the Beast.

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Raised By Owls - Vol 3: (The Satirical Verses)

Deathcore

Satan - Songs In Crimson

Heavy Metal

One of the UK's best heavy metal acts. They were first around during the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, producing the classic Court in the Act, but have really only cemented their legacy since their 2011 reformation. Songs in Crimson is just the latest in a line of excellent traditional metal albums from a band who deserves mention in the same breath as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest or Black Sabbath.

666sharon666, Retired Admin, Black Metal, Heavy/Glam Metal and hard Rock Teams

Sólstafir - Hin Helga Kvöl

Atmospheric Sludge Metal

After a few pleasant but interchangeable albums this was the first Sólstafir album since Köld I didn’t buy on the day of release. After one Tidal listen I did. Brings back some of the metallic edge and overall is the best Sólstafir album in years.

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

Swallow The Sun - Shinning

Doom Metal

An excellent shift into a more commercial sounding production and compact songwriting, and an ever so slight ray of light after some truly depressing albums born out of real-life tragedy. 

Pekka, Honorary Collaborator

Texas Toast Chainsaw Massacre - Super Turbo

Thrash Metal

Zany crossover thrash revival bands are a dime a dozen, but not many are up to the standard of Texas Toast Chainsaw Massacre. Tight as fuck when they need to be, and sloppily loose when it suits, these Chicagoans released the most wholesome metal video of the year in "I Wanna Pet Your Dog".

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

Timeless Fairytale - A Story To Tell

Power Metal

Original Royal Hunt vocalist Henrik Brockmann has teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Luca Sellitto to create a new album that very much feels like a speedier, more power metal based take on classic Royal Hunt, with the keyboards, vocals and symphonic arrangements in particular sounding quite familiar, though songwriting is a bit more dynamic and at times more complex than I was expecting, while still having plenty of catchy choruses. It's centered by the epic length title track, which happens to be one of the very best metal ballads I've heard in a long time, with the lengthy instrumental section in the middle being especially fantastic. 

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Devin Townshend - PowerNerd

Progressive Metal

Even within this relatively simple verse/chorus structured format Townsend is able to show his musical ingenuity and geniality. Although it´s not as apparent on "PowerNerd" as on other preceding more experimental releases, it´s still pretty clear that he is a one-of-a-kind genius, who is able to make even relatively staight forward music sound intriguing, energetic, and powerful.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

Tyr - Battle Ballads

Power Metal

The name is a lie, because there certainly isn't much balladry to be found here, LOL Jokes aside, this is Tyr doing what they do best, which is speedy, fun, energetic and super catchy folk-tinged power metal. Compared to some of their past albums, this one is a bit less dynamic and compelx, but instead it's simply an epic, incredibly fun and addicting album, with absolutely incredible choruses and vocal melodies, as well as the occasional nice softer passages to mix things up a bit.

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Ulcerate - Cutting The Throat Of God

Technical Death Metal

"Cutting the Throat of God" is another impressive high quality release from Ulcerate. It´s not often an artist gets better and better with each release but Ulcerate is one such act. It´s almost impossible to understand that this is album number seven and they still sound as hungry, experimental, and brutal as they did when starting out, and to my ears have actually become much more interesting over the years.

Umur, Retired Admin, Collaborator, Errors & Omissions Team

Ultra Vomit - Ultra Vomit Et Le Pouvoir De La Puissance

Grindcore

More power to Ultra Vomit for bringing the power... and the power. (Ya reckon there might be some context missing in this Google translation of the album title?) Growing up from their Gallic grindcore roots, the band is now a full-on multi-genre comedy metal act. 

Vim Fuego, Admin, Death Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal, Grindcore, Various Artists Teams

Undeath - More Insane

Death Metal

Old school death metal has been done to death (no pun intended) so it takes something pretty special to make me part with my hard earned cash for a hard copy these days. Undeath managed it with the excellent It’s Time…To Rise From The Grave and they’ve done it again with More Insane. Not quite the equal of ITTRFTG but certainly a strong follow up of gore infested death metal that is less murky making it a bit more accessible and things get somewhat more complex this time around. Whether this is to it’s detriment is up to you.

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

Visions Of Atlantis - Pirates II - Armada

Symphonic Metal

VoA have stepped up their game consderably ever since Clementine Delauney joined, and this is their best release yet, combining the kind of catchy, cinematic symphonic metal fans would expect from the genre, with some fun, speedy power metal, as well as elements of folk metal on a couple tracks, some great ballads, and two great epic length tracks. There's a bit of something for all symphonic metal fans, but for how varied the album is, it's also the band's most consistently engaging release to date, and one of the best symphonic metal albums in recent years.

DippoMagoo, Collaborator, Power/Neoclassical Metal, Progressive/Avant-Garde Metal, Symphonic/Gothic Metal Teams

Vredehammer - God Slayer

Death Metal

God Slayer sees Vredehammer almost revert to a Per Valla solo project as in early days but for drummer Nils “Dominator” Fjellström. Being the mainman the essence of the band remains intact however with another strong collection of highly infectious incendiary blackened death metal . Per Valla it seems can do no wrong.

Nightfly, Admin, Death Metal, Doom/Stoner/Drone Metal, Thrash/Speed/Groove Metal Teams

Forn - Repercussions Of The Self

Sludge Metal

Gaerea - Coma

Black Metal

Hamferð - Men Guðs hond er sterk

Funeral Doom Metal

In Aphelion - Reaperdawn

Black Metal

Iotunn - Kinship

Progressive Metal

Kvaen - The Formless Fires

Atmospheric Sludge Metal

Melt-Banana - 3+5

Metal Related

Night Verses - Every Sound Has A Color In The Valley Of Night

Progressive Metal

Oceans Of Slumber - Where Gods Fear To Speak

Progressive Metal

Saxon - Hell, Fire And Damnation

Heavy Metal

Thou - Umbilical

Sludge Metal

Thy Catafalque - XII: A gyönyörü álmok ezután jönnek

Avant-garde Metal