Brutality - Screams Of Anguish (1993)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: United States

A forgotten death metal classic which everyone should hear. A mix of awesome old-school death metal with a heap of melody all entwined around a handful of well-played instrumentals. Simply everything about this record is pure brilliance, from the riffs to the vocals to the drums to the atmosphere, this is what I think of when I think about quality death metal.

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The Morningside - The Wind, The Trees, And The Shadows Of The Past (2007)

Genre: Melodic Death/Doom Metal
Country: Russia

An interesting display of a style not unlike that of Agalloch, Russian band The Morningside focus on slow, highly melodic guitar leads and a depressed atmosphere to keep the listener simply immersed in every song. It's a shame that many people overlook this album, because otherwise this album would have a much larger following. If you want a simpler form of what Agalloch perform, with the same amount of potency, then look no further.

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Empyrium - Songs Of Moors And Misty Fields (1997)

Genre: Symphonic Folk Metal
Country: Germany

The style of music displayed on Songs Of Moors And Misty Fields is quite unique. It's a combination of dark metal, folk metal, and symphonic black metal which, when put into a finished product, is utterly entrancing. Later in their career, Empyrium's sound shifted to Neofolk, but in the early era of the band, Songs Of Moors And Misty Fields is by far my favorite release. A very interesting and captivating listen.

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Garden Of Shadows - Oracle Moon (2000)

Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Country: United States

Oracle Moon is, bar none, the best melodic death metal album to come out of the United States. It combines slight hints of progressive death metal with a seemingly endless plethora of melodies and leads which are downright brilliant. Seven tracks of ecstasy for those out there who enjoy their death metal really melodic and absolutely loaded with atmosphere. This is one which won't be replicated. Ever.

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Dark Tranquillity Stream "We Are The Void"

Gothenburg's premier melodic death metal band Dark Tranquillity are streaming their new album We Are The Void here on their myspace.

To see my impression of the album take a look at the review I wrote for Sputnikmusic.

A Forest Of Stars - The Corpse Of Rebirth (2008)

Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Country: United Kingdom

A fantastic concept album surrounding the creation story from this relatively new band from the UK. The vocals might take some getting used to, being of the high-pitched, wailing SDBM flavour, but the music here will grow like a motherfucking bean stalk.

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Dismember - Like An Ever Flowing Stream (1991)

Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden

Swedish death metal at it's very finest. Easily one of the best albums to come out of the scene and one of the best death metal albums ever. So either get this album, or go suck a cock. Hopefully the former seems like a better idea.

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