Cultes des Ghoules - Henbane (2013)


From Poland comes something truly sinister and ugly. Henbane is nearly an hour split across five haunting songs. Despite the length of each of the songs (all but one are over ten minutes in length) they never get seem to get long-winded or become uninteresting. Raw production values add to the gruesome aural presence without obscuring instrumentation. Hoity toity music dork guy talk aside, there are at least ten things you will hear on this album that will scare the shit out of you. From ritualized hypnotic cascades to terrifying inhuman utterances. That isn't to say this is just some extreme metal grossout, there are some truly inspired riffs that are allowed to stretch out and reach their full stride. Very cool. This is definitely top 10 material for 2013, don't sleep.

Vintage Black Magic.

Ofermod - Thaumiel (2012)


The sheer scale of this release can make it hard to truly wrap your stupid little brain around. The songs are on the longer side (we're talking like six or seven minutes here, calm down) but not drawn out. The sound is far more death oriented than their previous releases, but I like my death metal tinged with black metal not the other way around so it's cool with me.

There are a couple confusing moments but they're brief and soon forgotten as the pummeling riffs scour your brain like steel wool. Or anything abrasive, really. Use your imagination.

Get Waste.

Vassafor - Obsidian Codex (2012)


Yet another source of evil radiating from the southern hemisphere. Vassafor recently unleashed this double LP Obsidian Codex, an oppressive blackened fog that hangs heavy. Dark melodies are shrouded in a deep and swarming din, distant voices shrieking and growling from the depths of the mix. This isn't just another murky blackened epic, though. Doomed influences reveal themselves fully in some of the longer passages, the longest of the ten tracks over twenty-three minutes. A couple of the more lengthy songs may test this zealot's dedication but for the most part these Kiwi weirdos do a pretty great job of keeping things interesting or at least hypnotic enough to keep me entranced.

Play it extremely loud. Easily year-end-list worthy, Very Cool.

New Zealand.

Inquisition - Ominous Doctrines of the Perpetual Mystical Macrocosm (2011)


I'm going to be blunt with you neckbeard poser weirdos. If Dagon's vocals "bother you" it's because you are a false. Straight up. You're a fucking false. Delete your collection of raw beastial cassette mp3's then delete your life.

This band's entire discography is solid obsidian bulletproof untouchable evil and this record is the most despicable jewel in a truly appalling crown. This most malevolent of headgear bears many a sinister gem (I really stand by the claim that just about everything they've done is pretty great) but this is truly the most malignant slab of ritualistic riffage this Seattle-by-way-of-Columbia outfit has released into the mystical macrocosm. I want to get this album artwork tattooed on my face.

LUCIFER, PUNISH YOUR ENEMIES O LORD OF THE NIGHT. DESTROY THEM ALL.

Chapel - Satan's Rock N' Roll (2012)


Even though my mortal vessel is festering with disease, cheap beers and Thrash Weekend beckon. Chapel is a very cool blackened speed metal band from Canada. This is their first LP. It is pretty good.

NOCTURNAL BLASPHEMY

Sargeist - Satanic Black Devotion (2003)


Seattle is about to be entombed in permafrost.
Here is some black metal that I like.

Cold as fuck.

Diocletian - War of All Against All (2010)


This is old news, but I post old shit you've already heard all the time. I suppose it's appropriate that such sinister sounding stuff is coming out of the southern hemisphere, this particular group of evildoers hailing from New Zealand. If you find the above artwork confusing, it's the LP version which I thought was far superior to the original.

Diocletian.

This is Part Two. You can see Part One here at your leisure.

40 Watt Sun - The Empty Room


This album is a depressing fog of 'doom' that will wash over you and bum you out. Definitely not doom in any sort of the classical sense. More like buttrock slowed down and fuzzed out. Either way, Very Cool.

Necros Christos - Doom of the Occult


More 'doom', this time blacky-deathy with lots of weird nerd shit in between the songs. A supremely sinister and Very Cool aural assault. That link is even 320 kbps so you can hear all the nerd shit extra good.

Blessed Offal - Blessed Offal


This EP was horribly overlooked this year. While it isn't groundbreaking (not that anything I listen to ever is) it definitely deserves quite a bit more attention than it's gotten. Basically what I'm trying to say is Blessed Offal put out some Very Cool doom-laden death this year.

Yob - Alta


Yob released an album this year, so as one would expect here it is. On a list at the end of it. Very cool.

Midnight - Satanic Royalty (2011)


Blackened and crusty heavy metal for fans of Hellhammer, Motorhead, Venom, etc.

666.

Kyuss - Welcome To Sky Valley (1994)


Welcome to Sky Valley is the third studio album by American stoner rock/metal band Kyuss, originally released on June 28, 1994.

WTSV.

Agalloch - The Mantle


As the weekend buzz finally dulls to a low hum, this is a good album to listen to. Doomy and long winded tracks with a black metal atmosphere. Clean vocals abound, be warned. In fact he does that same creepy nazi-whisper that the dude from Death In June does as well.

In all seriousness, there are definitely a couple tracks with some serious DI6 vibes, The Lodge especially sounds like a lost track that Agalloch found or something.

The Mantle

Dissection - Reinkaos


In celebration of the Supermoon obliterating the Earth, let's get our anti-cosmic melodic death on. My friend and I have both been fascinated Jon Nödtveidt for years, both his mysterious ritual suicide and the rad music he left behind. If you don't know the whole story, I highly recommend reading up on it. Especially if you're interested in either the occult or all goodness in the universe being consumed by evil dark matter. I hope the MLO doesn't murder me for typing that.

Supermoon.

Sodom - In The Sign Of Evil


While almost everything Sodom has done is pretty cool, I constantly find myself coming back to this album more often than anything else in their pretty expansive discography. Is it the gruesome dude on the album cover? Is it the sinister and decidedly satanic message? Is it the riffs? Is it the ridiculous way this guy pronounces Jesus Christ (Jeehuh Crize)? Who knows. It's good though.

SPECIAL FEATURES: Ever find yourself wondering what homeboy looks like without a shirt on? Well now you know. Also it looks like somebody melted his face a little bit.

BLASPHEMAH!

Sargeist - Let The Devil In


Still one of my favorite black metal bands. Old news, but I don't care. This album is good. Not their best, but good.

BLACK COFFIN LAIR.

Wolves In The Throne Room - Malevolent Grain


Released in 2009, I picked up the LP and have only spun it a couple times since. I recently listened to it really late at night while half drunk and exceptionally tired and really enjoyed it. Wah wah! Hipster black metal. Wah! Pitchfork! Who gives a fuck? I like this band a lot. One of the two tracks even features vocals from Jamie Myers of Hammers Of Misfortune fame.

Winter now converges.

Anaal Nathrakh - In The Constellation Of The Black Widow


I totally slept on this record until recently. I've always loved Anaal Nathrakh, one of my favorite bands for sure. Mick's riffs shred, V.I.T.R.I.O.L.'s (AKA Dave Hunt) vocals shred even more. Literally. It sounds like his throat is being shredded into a bloody pulp. Cool. If you haven't heard them before, I highly recommend you browse through this blog and listen to The Codex Necro first. It rules.

While I wouldn't call this their best effort, it's still totally awesome (and necro). There are a couple snoozers that I didn't really enjoy, but overall a totally sinister listen. Dave continues to demonstrate the fact that he can do every form of vocal delivery in extreme music as well as belt out the most epic clean line you've ever heard once or twice an album.

Too Long No Read: Music sound good. Voice guy crazy. You listen.

Necronecronecro

Wormlust - Demo


Icelandic black metal. Sounds like a winning combination on paper, right? Well it is. This demo is one twelve minute track that is sure to cause you to spontaneously astral project to the frostbitten, rubble-strewn coastline of their home country. Shows a lot of promise, can't wait to hear more from these guys.

DOWNLOAD

Bone Awl - Sunless Xyggos




So apparently Klaxon finally went under, which isn't a huge surprise as those guys ran their label like a total shitshow. This is a final tape from punkish black metal dweebs Bone Awl. Same feel as the rest of their stuff, fast and furious black metal riffs, awkwardly recorded percussion. This tape is instrumental and especially savage, the repetitive riffage pretty pummeling. Harsh shit. They even slowed it down to a lumbering stomp for the final track What Are You Waiting For which I especially enjoyed.

DOWNLOAD

Darkthrone - Frostland Tapes


The Frostland Tapes, a three disc set released in 2008, was the first official release of Darkthrone's first four demos as well as a live recording from 1990. Also included is a (formerly) rare recording from the 1991 Goatlord rehearsal session. As expected, muddy ass production and some of the songs don't even have vocal tracks on them. Fucking awesome stuff though, a must for any and all so called black metal fans.

+ (DOWNLOAD [DISK 1])
+ (DOWNLOAD [DISK 2])
+ (DOWNLOAD [DISK 3])

Gormantatinus - Sersavina Decan, Anden Plaust


+ (DOWNLOAD)
+ (LAST.FM)

A day late on this one. See the album cover? The music is even scarier. Fucked up Korean improvised torture (read: music), an interesting listen to say the least.