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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М8Л8ТХ - Сага о чёрном марше (2013)

Genre: NSBM
Country: Russia

М8Л8ТХ, or M8L8TH as many know them, have been one of my favorite Russian bands for a while now. They blend riff-packed black metal and uplifting clean vocals together to create a really unique mix, one that is expanded on their latest effort Сага о чёрном марше. There is impressive guitar work, depraved shrieks, and soaring Russian singing that is sure to fill your heart with pride. It's a bit more epic than their previous releases, but also filled with more twisting guitar licks and great bass. Yes, it is NSBM, but look past all that (you can't understand the lyrics unless you know Russian so that may help) and you'll see that these guys have some serious talent.

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Innsmouth - Consumed By Elder Sign (2014)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Australia

Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn

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Drudkh - Eastern Frontier In Flames (2014)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: Ukraine

And Drudkh bestow upon us some awesome covers of Eastern-European bm bands as well as two tracks taken from Anti-Urban. Today is a good day.

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Vuyvr - Eiskalt (2013)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: Switzerland

This fine black metal record is the debut release from the Swiss band Vuyvr, who play a no-frills style of black metal that can be both ferocious and thoughtful at the same time. There are times when the riffs are oozing emotion and run in a way that is most certainly that of atmospheric black metal, but then again there are other times where the intensity knob is turned to the breaking point, giving this record a sense of movement and dimension that is hard to come by in the cut-and-dry confines of black metal. I'll be the first to admit it's nothing new and not necessarily anything truly marvelous, but it's solid as hell and get this: the label has it up for all you to download for FREE. I can't argue with that.

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Karnarium - Otapamo Pralaja (2012)

Genre: Death Metal

Country: Sweden

So I'm an idiot for not listening to this beast of an album sooner, especially considering that their self-titled full length in 2008 kicked ass. What can be said here is that this album might outdo that release and is a tasteful and filthy combination of styles that encapsulates Dead Congregation, Autopsy, Obliteration and a host of other excellent bands into an intricately dark and foreboding package (they shy away from the usual Swedish Entombed/Dismember worship), while also adding a flare of their own. Essentially, this is an album that you would imagine playing in the background while you run from the Balrog that Gandalf slayed in The Fellowship of the Ring while attempting to cross the Bridge of Khazad-Dum. There's your little LOTR tidbit for the day, and get this nastiness now.

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Grave Miasma - Odori Sepulcrorum (2013)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: United Kingdom

One of the few metal albums I've actually dug this year.  Brings the crush and the riffs and the vox and production both rule.  It's got this gloomy mournful atmosphere that just kind of reeks Finland so of course I dig it.  And I thought metal was all but over at this point.  Proof the genre still has some tricks up it's sleeve.

evilmosphere

Omega - The Hell Patrol (2013)

 

Genre: Blackened Thrash/Speed Metal

Country: Greece

The Hell Patrol is a venomous mix of blackened thrash metal and more traditional, strongly punk-influenced speed metal (ala Motorhead) that will make you want to drink a lot of whiskey and drive at 200 mph on a motorcycle into the bowels of the deepest, darkest dungeons of the seventh circle of hell. I'll also add that the solos on this album rip faces. Fans of Darkthrone's newer material, Evil Army and other such artists should pick this one up as soon as possible.

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A Double Shot Of Hate

Genre: Death Metal
Country: United States

In the mood for a hate-mongering riff spectacle? Well look no further folks, because Arghoslent is here. Nobody in the melodic death metal scene (and potentially the death metal scene overall) are capable of being so fluid in their delivery of both intolerance and sweet, sweet riffage. Their LPs are easy to find around the net, but today we're here with their less-posted first four demos The Entity, Bastard Son Of One Thousand Whores, The Imperial Clans, and the excellent Arsenal Of Glory. This will show you Arghoslent's more simplistic (some may say raw) beginnings all the way up to Arsenal Of Glory, which set the stage for their first LP Galloping Through The Battle Ruins.




First Three Demos




Arsenal Of Glory

Prosanctus Inferi - Noctambulous Jaws Within Sempiternal Night (2013)

Genre: Black/Death Metal
Country: USA

Thank you based Paolo for giving us more fucking amazing artwork.  Seriously this guy is the Dan Seagrave of our generation, even though some of his artwork is on shitty band's albums (who cares when you get paid right?).  Yeah this might rule, idk i haven't actually heard it, but Red Streams of Flesh was pretty cool so i hope so.  Hopefully it isn't like all those Dark Descent stinkers lately (NWN did release that fucking awful Zemial album so you never know).  I'm mainly uploading it cause i like the artwork.

thank you base paolo

Mortal Agony - The Cradle (1994)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Finland

It's a dirty, unpleasant (in the good way) and grimy Finnish death metal demo from 1994, you know what to do...

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Ataraxie - L'Être et la Nausée (2013)

Genre: Doom/Death Metal
Country: France

Five years after the mediocre Anhédonie, the masters who crafted Slow Transcending Agony revitalize themselves with an 80-minute romp of doom laced with a hint of death metal. I was unaware of this album's recent release, so it is a very pleasant surprise to add some excellent - superb, even - doom metal to this year's catalogue.

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Torture Chain - Mutilating Astral Entities (2013)

Genre: Black Metal
Country: USA

Holy shit, there's a new Torture Chain and i didn't even fucking know.  Now i feel like an asshole.  Not that that's any different from usual i guess, but yeah this shit probably rules get it now.

i hope theres a negative approach cover again

Symptom - Opulent Atrocity (2013)

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Country: United States

Fucking awesome, crushing death/doom from Portland, Oregon's thriving underground metal scene. Take one look at the album cover, it pretty much describes what this band will sound like. Devastating, vile riffage with a monstrous lower end and cavernous, Incantation/Incrust-esque vocals (with occasional haunting keyboard work crooning overtop) dominate the sound with a nasty production job that basically encapsulates the sound as perfectly (or imperfectly if you prefer) as you could possibly imagine. Highly, very highly recommended, this is going to be well up there on my end of the year list.

oh my satan fucking get this now