Dark Millennium - The Apocryphal Wisdom (1991)

Genre: Death/Doom Metal

Country: Germany

For Hyperion (more specifically why didn't you post this here...). Rugged, eerie death/doom from 19motherfuckin91 with some rather deranged vocals that basically come across as if Martin Van Drunen and Chuck Schuldiner's spirits entwined, got munched on by a bunch of zombies and then made some sort of demented offspring...yeah.

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Vàli - Skogslandskap (2013)

Genre: Neofolk
Country: Norway

Vali are back after a long wait - but it was well worth it. Slogslandskap is a continuation in the vein of Forlatt, with acoustic guitar melodies comprising the music's core, accented by flutes, strings, and other neofolk fanfare. Thoroughly enjoyable across all tracks, this is one of the best, but also the most simple, releases you will hear this year.

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Nonsun - Sun Blind Me (2013)

Genre: Sludge/Drone/Doom Metal

Country: Ukraine

Follow-up album to 2012's Good Old Evil. Nonsun maintain their quality mix of sludge, drone and doom metal in this offering. Referred to me via Theodore (Bohdan) Goatooth.

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Wedrujacy Wiatr - Tam, Gdzie Miesiąc Opłakuje Świt (2013)

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: Poland

Epic and brooding Cascadian black metal from Poland with one of the sickest album covers I've seen in awhile. The music does well in complementing the cover as Drudkh-esque melodies and vocals (which also dip more towards a growl at times) soar over the blast beats of charging horsemen. Not to be missed by enthusiasts of the Cascadian variety of atmospheric black metal, or just black metal in general to be honest...

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Ruin Lust - Ruin Lust LP (2013)

Genre: Death/Black Metal

Country: United States

Some seriously filthy blackened death metal from NYC with members of Fell Voices. Personally, it reminds me of a combination of Incantation, Grave Upheaval, Muknal and Witchrist. It has the murk, it has the attitude, it has the goods to satisfy.

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Risabov - Rise (2013)

Genre: Death/Thrash Metal

Country: Greece

This album is one I've held in high regard throughout this year, and apparently virtually no one has picked it up. It is a blend of technical death and thrash metal that conjures visions of early Atheist, Coroner, Merciless and Brutality (if you can imagine what a combination of those sounds would result in). Basically anyone a fan of riff-driven death/thrash with a bit of strange technical twist (perhaps like Cosmic Atrophy, Obliteration or Demilich) will find something to like here.

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Carcass – Surgical Steel (2013)

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Country: United Kingdom

Hey, I don’t know if you’ve heard the new Carcass yet but I'm just gonna let you in on a little something, something....it fucking rules. Sounds like it came out of the Heartwork era which is one of the greatest examples of melodic death metal done right! Please don’t lose sight of this release cause Gorguts and Ulcerate have new albums coming out.

Better than the new DT album