Antestor - Martyrium (1994)

Genre: Death/Black Metal
Country: Norway

Antestor are best known as probably the only Christian black metal band that's even remotely decent, but I think that later-era sound doesn't even hold a candle to this record. Martyrium is their debut, and rather than the progressive/melodic black metal of their later era we are instead met with a slow, doomy blend of black and death metal that is on point in all regards. I'm pleased that the album chooses to riff for what seems like forever, because there are swirling melodies like those on "Depressed" or OSDM homage like those on "Materialistic Lie" or even some mournful dirges on the instrumental title track. It's got this raw production that somehow brings out a lot of the drumming in a very natural way, especially in regards to to the cymbals and bass kicks. The only real downside are some clean vocals that come off as pretty lame. This basically mourns harder than any record I've heard in the past several months and deserves a listen even if you hate their newer stuff. This is way, way more raw and had I not told you it was Antestor you'd have no fucking idea this is Jesus-praising extreme metal.

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Ravenmoon Sanctuary - Winter Desolation of Death (2013)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: Poland

Savage black metal combined with spacey keys and big atmosphere? And it's Polish? Sign me up. Featuring all manner of grim song titles strung together with the help of the black metal dictionary, Winter Desolation of Death is a shrill tour through the frozen Polish forests where the black metal is of the ambient/atmospheric variety, but often condenses into some ferociously heavy passages featuring some of the better vocals I've heard from the black metal underground in a while. The record is so diverse and changes course so frequently it's hard to really pinpoint a central mood, because you'll be thrust from huge, synth-laden soundscapes into charging blast beats within the span of about 30 seconds. Give me more.

grim times await

Moribund - Oracular Eyes (1996)

Genre: Death Metal

Country: Switzerland

To celebrate our likely brief return, I figured I'd drop this slab of filth on your buttocks. Switzerland isn't a country particularly known for its death metal, which I'm assuming is why this thing has like zero listeners, but it's time for that to change. Quite simply, this is one of the best latter-90s death metal records I've heard and riffs on it will turn you into Swiss cheese. As far as similar bands go, anyone into stuff like Sinister, Brutality, Thanatos, Disincarnate, Malevolent Creation and Gorguts' first two albums should be all over this, along with any self-respecting death metal fan in general.

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Return From The Tomb

It appears that the Google mods are sympathizers to all things metal, because after a shutdown of a few weeks we are alive and kicking!

Well, maybe not since we've been lazy fucks and haven't posted anything since March, but these are strange times in the blogger world and things aren't like they were 3 or 4 years ago. We're here to stay until our next few DMCA violations finally do us in for good, but until then we'll continue to not post any good metal at all, except for this song.

Tyrant Trooper - Insane Sickness (1995)

Genre: Death Metal

Country: United States

Insane Sickness is a venerable display of riff-saturated old school death metal that should satisfy the craving that any reader of this blog should have. There's not much else to be said, other than the cover is seriously badass to the max.

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Zyklon-B - Blood Must Be Shed (1995)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: Norway

Lightning fast black metal from a short-lived supergroup consisting of Aldrahn, Samoth, Ihsahn, and Frost. 10 minutes of hate.

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Demilich - 20th Adversary Of Emptiness (2014)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland

A compilation of everything Demilich has ever recorded, including a remaster of Nespithe based off a 24-bit mix instead of an inferior 16-bit mix. Oh, and there are also three new tracks. And they slay for many, many, many days.

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