Rippikoulu - Musta Seremonia (1993)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland

A Finnish death metal classic.

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Adversarial - Prophetic Plain Of Abyssal Revelation (2011)

Genre: Black/Death Metal
Country: Canada

This year's latest EP from Canadian black/death metal band Adversarial (the same who released the fantastic 2010 album All Idols Fall Before The Hammer, also known as dat snare) is a fusion of their 2008 demo Thralls and some new material consisting of one brand new song and an Archgoat and Incantation cover. All in all it rules, so check it.

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Portal - Seepia (2003)

Genre: Death/Black Metal
Country: Australia

Today's post is of a band most of you have (hopefully) heard already, but fuck it. Australia's Portal plays some mind-bendingly technical death metal with massive atmosphere. Here's their superb debut Seepia along with a live video of the opening track "Glumurphonel" complete with its 8-string guitar riffing that will make your pants full of rampant boners.

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Excommunion - Superion (2001)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: United States

This is sort of an extension to the last post, which featured two tracks from this American death metal act. Superion is an intense album, there's no two ways about it. The riffing is fast and visceral, the vocals guttural (yet switch to black metal-esque rasps occasionally) and the drums chaotic. Basically, it's everything awesome about death metal so if there's any more need to sell you on this there's just no help for you at all.

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Excommunion/Bellum/Rhune/Nightbringer - Horde Of Darkenwood (2001)

Genre: Black Metal/Death Metal
Country: United States

This is essentially a black metal split with a touch of death metal thrown in by Excommunion (whose two tracks are from their LP Superion), who rule this split alongside Nightbringer. Regardless, Horde Of Darkenwood is an enjoyable split that will please fans of any of the bands (if Bellum of Rhune have been noticed enough to gather them).

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Horror Of Horrors - Sounds Of Eerie (1994)

Genre: Death Metal

Country: United States

Horror of Horrors is a death metal band from Silver Spring, Maryland. Their 1994 debut, which I also find to be their best, Sounds of Eerie, is an amalgamation of crushing and shredding guitar work, very thick and tussled vocals and frantic outbursts of drumming including some extremely fast blast-beats, yet never going too overboard. Any fan of death metal should enjoy this.

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Necroccultus - Encircling The Mysterious Necrorevelation (2005)

Genre: Death Metal

Country: Mexico

Don't you just love that album title? Anyway, this hell-hash of slicing riffs, bowel-churning vocals and tornadic drumming from Irapuato, Mexico will put you in your place. This album also carries a very dark vibe with it, which at times seems to conjure the mood of Finnish death metal.

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Ayr - Circling (2010)

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: United States

Circling seduces you with an atmospheric intro and the next thing you know it's running away with your torn off nutsack into the woods laughing with hysterical wails.

Well maybe it's not that intense but it's a pretty heavy and non-gay atmospheric black metal tape.

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Thou EP's

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Country: United States

Thou are one of the most consistent bands I can think of, and it just so happens that within the span of a few weeks they've released two separate EP's. The first, The Archer & The Owle, contains a few cover songs of Pygmy Lush and Nirvana alongside Thou's originals, while the second To The Chaos Wizard Youth are all post-Summit recordings made with their new drummer James-Roman Nee. Unfortunately The Archer & The Owl has no cover art available as of now, so you'll only get that of To The Chaos Wizard Youth.



To The Chaos Wizard Youth

The Archer & The Owle

Ensorcelor - Crucifuge (2011)

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Country: Canada

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Crucifuge. It was my first experience with the Canadian sludge/doom band, but it was certainly an impressionable one. The raspy screeches fit the melancholic tone of the music perfectly, and the album balances oppressive heaviness with moments of wandering melody extremely well. The second track is definitely the highlight here, but the entire thing is a very neat surprise.

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Martial Barrage - Call Of The Serapeum (2005)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Canada

I love Martial Barrage's style. I first heard them through their split with Arghoslent, and thought their side was excellent. Their full-length is of equal quality, and is sure to be something to please more or less any death metal fan.

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Ufommamut - Eve (2010)

Genre: Sludge/Doom Metal
Country: Italy

...Because if you haven't heard this yet and you're a fan of doom/sludge, you're missing out.

Doooooooooownload

Loss - Despond (2011)

Genre: Doom Metal
Country: United States

Admittedly, it's been a little while since I listened to a newly released doom album that I truly enjoyed (last was probably Stabat Mater's 2009 LP). It may be my rather precarious relationship with the genre - liking many albums but detesting some - that makes me not feel keen to pounce on a slew of new doom releases, but Loss really delivered with their LP Despond.

Having heard their 2004 demo Life Without Hope... Death Without Reason, I had a good idea of the kind of deep melancholy brought about by their atmospheres (two of the three songs from the demo appear here, re-recorded), but Despond is truly astounding. Really, what can I say? This is simply an awesome, suffocating record. I shouldn't be surprised with the quality of this, though, considering it was released by the always fantastic Profound Lore.

Buy it here or be a cheap motherfucker and download here.