Matron Thorn further experiments with his music taking the black metal formula and doom for an unexpected outing with deathwave to craft a thing of strange reflections. More notoriously associated with Aevangelist, the member of the disputed band reveal to us a new face of darkness, OBLIVION GATE. Mixed with a dominant gothic vocal texture, "Wisdom of the Grave" not only plays with sincerity to both black and funeral doom, but also adds extra to the four waltzing woes featured on the EP.

Eerie, droning and masked by the shadow of Matron Thorn's graceful vocal trance throughout, this obscure flirtation barricades the listener slowly and in secret. "Wisdom Of The Grave" originally released independently in September of 2019 digitally, now once again scheduled to surface with the addition of 2 extra tracks through Aeternitas Tenebrarum Musicae Fundementum April 17th, 2020, the light succumbs to the pressure of a still blackness ever looming.

OBLIVION GATE is:

Matron Thorn - all instruments, vocals

MORE INFO AND PRE-ORDERS:

https://www.facebook.com/obliviongate.official/
https://www.facebook.com/aeternitas.tenebrarum
https://atmfsssdtp.bandcamp.com/album/wisdom-of-the-grave
https://www.atmf.net/

Today, in cooperation with Blood Harvest Records we are proudly present the new single 'Suffer Minutiae' of the Australia's CONTAMINATED upcoming second full-length album Celebratory Beheading, out on February 9th 2024.

Back in 2017, CONTAMINATED announced their arrival - loudly, sickly - onto the international death metal map with their debut album, Final Man, via Blood Harvest. Graced with disturbingly detailed cover art, the Australians approximated the vivid visuals with ichor-dripping death metal of a most diseased & disgusting hue. At every angle and across every moment, Final Man spewed filth; song titles like 'Mired in Shit,' 'Boneless Mass,' and 'Co-Opted Into Worthless Sludge' soundly proved that content met form. A couple years later, a split 7" with comrades Kutabare followed, after which CONTAMINATED were quiet on the recording front. But alas, earlier this spring, a split 7" with long-running sludge-lords Fistula arrived.

Still, two songs in the past six years is criminal, but CONTAMINATED make up for that quietude with their long-awaited second album, Celebratory Beheading. Upping the disgusting stakes yet again with its cover art, Celebratory Beheading literally explodes into being, blasting its filth fast and free before bringing in stomping-yet-angular breakdowns and a whole host of gut-churning intensity. In many ways, Celebratory Beheading's clearly-framed cover mirrors CONTAMINATED's sonic shift; whereas Final Man roamed within a malodorous murk, the Aussies' second full-length sharpens their attack with frightening efficiency. Nevertheless, the latent sensations from that rancid debut remain - rippling disgust, bottomless decay, slipstreaming vomit - only that, now, they're rendered in impossibly powerful tones. Rarely has a deathgrinding record sounded this plausibly professional whilst retaining an authentically underground vibe.

CONTAMINATED is:

Lachlan McPherson - guitars
Matthew Johnson - guitars
Mark Boulton - vocals
Christoph Winkler - drums
Nick Warren - bass

MORE INFO AND PRE-ORDERS:

https://www.facebook.com/pestilentialdecay
https://pestilentialdecay.bandcamp.com/
https://www.bloodharvest.se/
https://www.facebook.com/BloodHarvestRecords
https://bloodharvestrecords.bandcamp.com/

Greetings to all you MetalBite legion! Another edition of Digging Through Past is up and ready to be enjoyed. Even more old goodies that you may be interested in or missed out on were looked at again, all information updated with useful links and properly written reviews. We hope you'll enjoy this one too and discover new music, new bands and more headbanging goodies. Thank you so much for the support. Check out previous edition of Digging Through Past here, and if there is anything we can improve on just write us at info@metalbite.com. Cheers!

Alcest - Écailles De Lune (2010) - Prophecy Productions - Lawrence Stillman

Blood Ceremony - Living With The Ancients (2011) - Rise Above Records - Chris Pratl

Blood Ceremony - Blood Ceremony (2008) - Rise Above Records - John B.

Iron Maiden - A Matter Of Life And Death (2006) - EMI - John B.

Havok - V (2020) - Century Media Records - criscool623

Havok - Conformicide (2017) - Century Media Records - Greg

Amaltheia - Amaltheia (2022) - Godz Ov War Productions - Vladimir

Xasthur - Subliminal Genocide (2006) - Hydra Head Records - Lawrence Stillman

Introitus - Skies Of The Unholy Departed (1996) - CCP Records - Carl

Azaghal - Harmagedon (1999) - Aftermath Music - Felix

Life Is Pain - Bloody Melancholy (2006) - Supremacy Of Nature - Lawrence Stillman & TheOneNeverSeen

Tardigrade Inferno - Mastermind (2019) - TuneCore - TheOneNeverSeen

Suizid - Wo Trauer Niemals Endet (2020) - Independent - TheOneNeverSeen

Dragonforce - Reaching Into Infinity (2017) - EarMusic Records - TheOneNeverSeen

Mythos - Dark Material (1996) - Ktok Records - Carl

House Of Atreus - The Spear And The Ichor That Follows (2015) - Dark Descent Records - Nathan

Dust Bolt - Trapped In Chaos (2019) - Napalm Records - criscool623

Funeral Winds - Koude Haat (2004) - Death To Mankind Records - Carl

Tankist - Be Offended (2015) - Independent - Felix

Angrrsth - Donikąd (2011) - Godz Ov War Productions - Vladimir

Snake Eyes - No One Left To Die (2022) - Defense Records - Vladimir

Catatonic Profanation - Dissected Creation (2019) - Independent - Carl

Sadistic Butchering - Sculptor Of Flesh (2013) - Inherited Suffering Records - Carl

Portugal's SAEVUS FINIS are dropping one more single before they unveil their debut album, Facilis Descensus Averno out January 12 on Transcending Obscurity Records, and we've got the exclusive premiere here at MetalBite!

Members have some connections with established bands such as tech-death act Concealment and post-metal group Wells Valley - but comparing SAEVUS FINIS to either of them is a futile task because there are little to no musical similarities. This is a new force in dissonant death metal, and based on the strength of this, their first album, they'll be turning heads for years to come.

Right off the bat - this album is THICK. The production is great, rumbling dissonance and rubbery bass tone combine to create a sound with the weight of a cinderblock. It's reminiscent of the weighted tension of Mors Verum with the foreboding oppressiveness of Sepulcros. Angular, incisive riffing drags the song forward, dancing around your nerves until you're forced to pay complete attention. The death metal sections have a turgid viscosity but always remain active, never fully slowing to a crawling pace as the drums continue to carry songs forward, and then surges in energy are created with Deathspell Omega-esque black metal sections, providing additional contrast and cohesion.

'Overrun By Pests', the song we're revealing for you today, is right in the middle of the album. By this point in the listening experience you're already hooked into the SAEVUS FINIS sound, and the band uses careful restraint on this track to make the dissonance more effective. While there's a deliberateness to the pacing, it's no ballad - the double kick rolls on in the background and the songs move forward at a steady pace, but the band uses the extra space in the song to play with confounding chord shapes and abrasive tones while still retaining a certain level of musicality the entire time. This isn't quite at the level of entropy you'd hear from Plague Rider or Akhlys, the hints of experimentation in a meticulously composed framework is much more similar to Italian dissodealers Ad Nauseam. It's borderline anxiety inducing - so why do I just want to listen over and over again?

SAEVUS FINIS is recommended for fans of Immolation, Burial Hordes, Incantation, Morbid Angel, Viande and Maere

SAEVUS FINIS is:

Mortvorvm - Chants of torment and mortuary clamours
Sangvis Aestvs - Ripper of bones and flesh
MCMXII - Patterns of bodily destruction

MORE INFO AND PRE-ORDERS:

https://www.facebook.com/realsaevusfinis/
https://saevusfinis.bandcamp.com/
https://tometal.com/
https://www.facebook.com/transcendingobscurityrecords
https://transcendingobscurity.aisamerch.com/
https://transcendingobscurity.8merch.com/

One of the busiest cover artists these days must be legendary Juanjo Castellano. He is one of those few who really impress me with his works and one of which I can't ever get enough. I guess anybody who is into extreme metal has one or the other album where you can find one of his wonderful paintings on. Though he is a very busy man he found some time to answer my questions with a very nice detail – enjoy reading!

Michael

Hello Juanjo, how are you?

Hello Michael, at the moment I have a serious cold that I hope to get over as soon as possible, otherwise everything is fine more or less.

How did you start your career and how did you end up designing covers for metal bands?

My artistic studies actually began in the world of traditional animation. When I finished my studies I joined an American company based in Madrid. During the years I worked there, I was lucky to meet illustrators, comic artists, painters and designers from whom I learned a lot. It was my first contact with illustration, color, digital art, etc. Since then I have been improving on my own, self-taught, and learning day by day to create complex art on a continuous basis. And being a fan of metal in general, it was clear that that was going to be my goal....working for all kinds of bands within the extreme metal scene.

Where do you get the ideas for the covers? Do the bands give you certain guidelines or do you bring yourself in?

Having published more than 400 albums around the world with my art, I could tell you that ideas for art can come in very different ways. There are times when bands want a very specific and detailed concept. Other times I'm the one who takes the initiative usually based on the album title. There are times when bands simply choose works that are already finished, and that I did on my own. As I say, there are many ways to do things, all are ok.

Is there a special way you start creating them?

It also depends, if it is something new, a new path that you are not clear about where it will go, so, for me a good way is to create tones or spots randomly, and from there polish smaller shapes of objects that suggested the first strokes colors. If the idea is well defined from the beginning, it is simply a matter of creating a sketch and polishing it from there.

Are you currently painting a new work and if so, for whom? How many covers do you create each month on average?

Oh yes, many works currently in the studio, some almost finished and others in their first steps. The covers for the new albums of REVEL IN FLESH, SENTIENT HORROR, THORNBRIDGE, CIVEROUS, CENTENARY, DEMORED, KAIVS, MURDERY, RITUAL FOG, BARBARIAN SWORDS, REFORE, NEMESIS, SINISTRUM, QUINTA ESSENTIA, SKELETAL REMAINS, VARATHRON and IN SECRETO CONSPIRAMUS are recently finished and now very serious things are coming like the new THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, HASEROT, DARKENED, WHEN AT NIGHT, MASS BURIAL, and TYPHONIAN among others. A lot of work for sure. I couldn't tell you how many jobs I do in a month since that depends on their complexity...you can spend the entire month with one piece, or be able to complete 2 or 3.

Which band was the most fun to work with?

Well, let me think, recently I really enjoyed the cover I made for black metallers IN SECRETO CONSPIRAMUS. A classic piece with a dark topic and certain special and fantastic elements. Of course, I can't forget the one I did for MAJESTIES Vast Reaches Unclaimed, with a very deep and special concept. Another, without a doubt, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, Verminous, with all those insects and sewers in a very classic style. The one from VOID CEREMONY was very interesting, Threads Of Unknowing, or the one from the second album by MOLESTED DIVINITY, with all those aberrant forms of flesh and machine. My first work for German Death Metal act TYPHONIAN was cool as well... I could name many more.

Do you listen to heavy metal yourself? What styles and bands do you like the most?

Of course, I've been listening to this music since the year IRON MAIDEN released "Somewhere In Time". A lifetime. I enjoy classic heavy metal, black metal, doom, and thrash of course, but I could tell you that the genre that has marked me the most is Death Metal. My favorites, BOLT THROWER, especially their classic albums like Warmaster, The Fourth Crusade, Realms Of Chaos or For Victory. the old ENTOMBED, with what is for me the best Death Metal album ever released, Left Hand Path. And so many, MORBID ANGEL, DISMEMBER, MALEVOLENT CREATION, IMMOLATION, INCANTATION, etc etc...

Also bands like DISSECTION, EMPEROR, PRIMORDIAL, SATYRICON, IMMORTAL are just awesome. Classic Thrash Metal bands just like SLAYER, SABBAT (UK), FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, etc. More epic stuff like PRIMORDIAL too, I love this band.

Coming back to art, which artists or paintings inspired you to become a painter?

Within the metal scene, Dan Seagrave, Necrolord, Kris Verwimp and  Andreas Marshall. Paleo artists such as John Sibbick (the guy that painted tons of dinosaurs but also the "Realms Of Chaos" album cover of BOLT THROWER), Douglas Henderson, Raúl Martin, or Mark Hallet. Comic artists like Joe Kubert, John Buscema, Mike Mignola. Illustrator just like Alam Lee and John Howe, for all it's the Lord Of The Rings amazing works ...big, big inspiration for me as well.

Are there any styles of art that you can't relate to? I don't particularly like Joseph Beuys or pop art, for example.

Not especially, I respect all forms of artistic expression even if I don't pay attention to them or don't particularly like them. AI sucks!!

Which artist, who is also responsible for album covers, do you like or which cover of his?

For me, Dan Seagrave's work has perhaps been my greatest inspiration. In fact, I would tell you that, specifically, the cover of "Left Hand Path" symbolizes like no other what a musical genre represents. For me, death metal or the perfect representation of death metal is "Left Hand Path" by Entombed painted by Dan Seagrave…all those twisted shapes, dead nature…the perfect work for the perfect album.

What is the best metal cover of all time in your opinion? And maybe also the worst?

Just like I told you already, "Left Hand Path" by ENTOMBED is my all time favorite. I could name some of the great Andreas Marshall pieces for BLIND GUARDIAN too, and the John Sibbick painting for "Realms Of Chaos" by Bolt Thrower.

The worst??

Oh mate, what a question, right now I can't remember some really bad artwork, just let me think a bit about it…

Finally, two "what if" questions...for one, which band would you most like to draw a cover for one day?

Ufff, some many, I could say BOLT THROWER or PRIMORDIAL.

Secondly, if you could choose any already released album (any album) that needs a cover, which one would it be?

Easy answer, "LEFT HAND PATH" of ENTOMBED.

Thank you very much for the interview!!!

Thanks to you Michael, and so sorry it takes so long to replay. I really enjoyed the time with your questions.

Hello fellow girls and boys of the MetalBite community! The year 2023 was full of metal releases of various subgenres from all corners of the world, which certainly proves that it was quite a busy year, but nonetheless a very fun and exciting one. Along with these awesome albums that came out, there were many great shows to attend to and also some announcements from bands about their new albums. We truly hope that you enjoyed this year of 2023 in general, as well with all the albums that came out, and we believe that 2024 will possibly be even better with all the upcoming shows and releases. Without any further delay, here are our personal picks for top 23 best releases of 2023. Enjoy and stay metal!

BENJAMIN'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Superterrestrial - The Fathomless Decay
22. Kerrigan - Blood Moon
21. Katatonia - Sky Void Of Stars
20. Ahab - The Coral Tombs
19. Enslaved - Heimdal
18. Smallpox Aroma - Festering Embryos Of Logical Corruption
17. Mork - Dypet
16. Conjureth - The Parasitic Chambers
15. Khanate - To Be Cruel
14. Owdwyr - Receptor
13. Vision Master - Sceptre
12. Urne - A Feast On Sorrow
11. Imperial Crystalline Entombment - Ancient Glacial Resurgence
10. Schavot - Kronieken Uit De Nevel
9. Laster - Andermans Mijne
8. Spirit Possession - Of The Sign…
7. Mutoid Man - Mutants
6. Thy Darkened Shade - Liber Lvcifer II - Mahapralaya
5. Majesties - Vast Reaches Unclaimed
4. Afsky - Om Hundrede Ar
3. Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
2. Fen - Monuments To Absence
1. Dodheimsgard - Black Medium Current

NATE'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Whore Of Bethlehem - Ritual Of Homicide
22: Phobocosm - Foreordained
21: The Circle - Of Awakening
20: The Zenith Passage - Datalysium
19: Paroxysm Unit - Fragmentation // Stratagem
18: Dead And Dripping - Blackened Cerebral Rifts
17: Green Lung - This Heathen Land
16: Thantifaxath - Hive Mind Narcosis
15: Crystal Coffin - The Curse Of Immortality
14: Omnivortex - Circulate
13: None - Inevitable
12: Serpent Of Old - Ensemble Under The Dark Sun
11: Wormhole - Almost Human
10: Wretched Fate - Carnal Heresy
9: Nothingness - Supraliminal
8: Katatonia - Sky Void Of Stars
7: Aodon - Portraits
6: Molested Divinity - The Primordial
5: Xoth - Exogalactic
4: Nithing - Agonal Hymns
3: Tideless - Eye Of Water
2: Carnosus - Visions Of Infinihility
1: They Grieve - To Which I Bore Witness

FELIX'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Gama Bomb - Bats
22. Délétère - Songes D'une Nuit Souillée
21. Atronos - Erwachen
20. Sad - Black Metal Craft
19. Mezzrow - Summon Thy Demons
18. Azaghal - Alttarimme On Luista Tehty
17. Violent Sin - Serpent's Call
16. Immortal - War Against All
15. Nattverd - I Helvetes Forakt
14. Old - Dawn Of Darkness
13. Riffobia - Riffobia
12. Frozen Dawn - The Decline Of The Enlightened Gods
11. Shakma - On Tenebrous Wings
10. Necrodeath - Singin' In The Pain
9. Infinity - The Untamed Hunger
8. Körgull The Exterminator - Built To Kill
7. Baxaxaxa - De Vermis Mysteriis
6. War Curse - Confessions
5. Tsjuder - Helvegr
4. Mavorim - Ab Amitia Pulsae
3. Cruel Force - At The Dawn Of The Axe
2. Vomitory - All Heads Are Gonna Roll
1. Marduk - Memento Mori

MICHAEL'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Lucifer Star Machine - Satanic Age
22: Schavot - Kronieken Uit De Nevel
21: Tygers Of Pan Tang - Bloodlines
20: Sorcerer - Reign Of The Reaper
19: Enslaved - Heimdal
18: Asinhell - Impii Hora
17: Cruel Force - Dawn Of The Axe
16: Cruciamentum - Obsidian Refractions
15: Phantom Corporation - Fallout
14: Temple Of Dread - Beyond Acheron
13: Frozen Soul - Glacial Domination
12: Thron - Dust
11: Aegrus - Invoking The Abysmal Night
10: Cannibal Corpse - Chaos Horrific
9: Marduk - Memento Mori
8: Memoriam - Rise To Power
7: The Night Eternal - Fatale
6. Frozen Dawn - The Decline Of The Enlightened Gods
5. Comaniac - None For All
4. Master's Call - A Journey For The Damned
3. Tsjuder - Helvegr
2. Sulphur Aeon - Seven Crowns And Seven Seals
1. Alice Cooper - Road

VLADIMIR'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Vomitory - All Heads Are Gonna Roll
22. Tulus - Fandens Kall
21. Praznina - Čovek Koji Nije
20. Heavy Load - Riders Of The Ancient Storm
19. Tribulation - Hamartia
18. Thulcandra - Hail The Abyss
17. Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current
16. Arnaut Pavle - Transylvanian Glare
15. Mortuary Drape - Black Mirror
14. Mork - Dypet
13. Tailgunner - Guns For Hire
12. KK's Priest – The Sinner Rides Again
11. Lamp Of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstorm
10. Mephorash - Krystl-Ah
9. Strahor - Gde Vukovi Zavijaju
8. Varathron - The Crimson Temple
7. Destructor - Blood, Bone, And Fire
6. Valdrin - Throne Of The Lunar Soul
5. Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade
4. Trivax - Eloah Burns Out
3. Malokarpatan - Vertumnus Caesar
2. Hellripper - Warlocks Grim And Withered Hags
1. Enforcer - Nostalgia

CARL'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. The Domestics - Eastanglian Hardcore
22. Putrid Yell - Consuming Aberration
21. Rotten Sound - Apocalypse
20. Ascended Dead - Evenfall Of The Apocalypse
19. Pustilence - Beliefs Of Dead
18. Excrescence - Inescapable Anatomical Deterioration
17. Urosepsis - Exploratory Autopsy
16. The Beast Conde Massacre - Dismantling The Corrupt Oligarchs
15. Vomitvulva - Vomit Vulva
14. Azijnpisser - Cold Cuts
13. Depraved Murder - Unethical Terrestial Collapse
12. Atonement - Sadistic Invaders
11. Simbiose/Visions Of War - Split EP
10. Profane Order - One Nightmare Unto Another
9. Drudge - Demo 2023
8. Torture Rack - Primeval Onslaught
7. Vault - Dissolved In Radioactive Sludge
6. Travolta - Disco Violence Up Yours!
5. Limbsplitter - Grisly Exploitations
4. Hellcrash - Demonic Assassination
3. Frozen Soul - Glacial Domination
2. Bad Anxiety - Demonstration II
1. Verpest - Misantropie Nabij

MACIEK'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Unfelled - Pall Of Endless Perdition
22. Sodomisery - Mazzaroth
21. Rivers Ablaze - Omnipresence
20. Realize - Two Human Minutes
19. Prong - State Of Emergency
18. Predatory Void - Seven Keys To The Discomfort Of Being
17. Nexorum - Tongue Of Thorns
16. Mystic Circle - Erzdämon
15. Memoriam - Rise To Power
14. Mélancolia - HissThroughRottenTeeth
13. Malice Divine - Everlasting Ascendancy
12. Krieg - Ruiner
11. King - Fury And Death
10. Hinayana - Shatter And Fall
9. Henget - Beyond North Star
8. Grá - Lycaon
7. Foretoken - Triumphs
6. Fires In The Distance - Air Not Meant For Us
5. Fange - Privation
4. Chronicle - Where Chaos Thrives
3. Carnifex - Necromanteum
2. ...And Oceans - As In Gardens, So In Tombs
1. Alkaloid - Numen

RAPHAEL'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Vastum - Inward To Gethsemane
22. Scar Symmetry - The Singularity (Phase II - Xenotaph)
21. Smoulder - Violent Creed Of Vengeance
20. Svalbard - The Weight Of The Mask
19. Sorcerer - Reign Of The Reaper
18. Katatonia - Sky Void Of Stars
17. Kalmah - Kalmah
16. Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
15. Xoth - Exogalactic
14. Dawn Of Ouroboros - Velvet Incandescence
13. Alkaloid - Numen
12. Ne Obliviscaris - Exul
11. Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium
10. Crypta - Shades Of Sorrow
9. Vintersea - Woven Into Ashes
8. Enslaved - Heimdal
7. Blackbraid - Blackbraid II
6. Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit
5. Myrkur - Spine
4. Sanguine Glacialis - Maladaptive Daydreaming
3. Insomnium - Anno 1696 / Songs Of The Dusk
2. Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite
1. TesseracT - War Of Being

BREXAUL'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. In Flames - Foregone
22. Flight - Echoes Of Journey's Past
21. Immortal - War Against All
20. Tanith - Voyage
19. Tower Hill - Death Stalker
18. Receiver - Whispers Of Lore
17. Mdxx - Mdxx
16. Jag Panzer - The Hallowed
15. Heavy Load - Riders Of The Ancient Storm
14. Gatekeeper - From Western Shores
13. Legendry - Time Immortal Wept
12. The Night Eternal - Fatale
11. Angra - Cycles Of Pain
10. Blood Star - First Sighting
9. Protean Shield - Protean Shield
8. Lamp Of Murmuur - Saturnian Bloodstorm
7. Solitary Sabred - Temple Of The Serpent
6. Wytch Hazel - Sacrament
5. Wings Of Steel - Gates Of Twilight
4. Triumpher - Storming The Walls
3. Air Raid - Fatal Encounter
2. Cirith Ungol - Dark Parade
1. Sacred Outcry - Towers Of Gold

ONENEVERSEEN'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Suffocation - Hymns From The Apocrypha
22. Cannibal Corpse - Chaos Horrific
21. Lankester Merrin - Dark Mother Rises
20. Theocracy - Mosaic
19. Begotten - To The Dreary End
18. Autopsy - Ashes, Organs, Blood And Crypts
17. Median Omega - Insolence
16. None - Inevitable
15. Xasthur - Inevitably Dark
14. Sorry… - Self Inflicted Razor Cutting
13. Necrotted - Imperium
12. Mental Cruelty - Zwielicht
11. Geistaz'ika - Midnatsbøn Ved Djævelens Port
10. Scars Of Oblivion - Misanthropy
9. Mutual Hostility - Inhuman Anguish
8. Nordicwinter - This Mournful Dawn
7. Austere - Corrosion Of Hearts
6. Gyrdleah - Spellbinder
5. Lotan - Lotan
4. Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite
3. Tardigrade Inferno - Burn The Circus
2. Aara - Triade III: Nyx
1. Dying Fetus - Make Them Beg For Death

AREK'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. False Fed - Let Them Eat Fake
22. Primal Fear - Code Red
21. Kaunis Kuolematon - Mielenvalta
20. Sermon - Of Golden Verse
19. Apotheus - Ergo Atlas
18. Phlebotomized - Clouds Of Confusion
17. Karras - We Poison Their Young
16. Ershetu - Xibalba
15. Sulphur Aeon - Seven Crowns And Seven Seals
14. Vomitory - All Heads Are Gonna Roll
13. Cruciamentum - Obsidian Refractions
12. Embr - Embr
11. Godflesh - Purge
10. Gravefields - Tetragrammaton
9. Popiór - Pomarlisko
8. Rotten Sound - Apocalypse
7. Totenmesse - Fiktionlust
6. Aset - Astral Rape
5. Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current
4. Bodyfarm - Ultimate Abomination
3. Shining - Shining
2. Angerot - The Profound Recreant
1. Cattle Decapitation - Terrasite

FERNANDO'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. House Of Harm - Playground
22. ††† (Crosses) - Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete.
21. Grave Pleasures - Plagueboys
20. Raspberry Bulbs - The World Is Empty, The Heart Is Full
19. Maggot Heart - Hunger
18. Foreign Body - Fixed
17. Fotocrime - Accelerated
16. Malokarpatan - Vertumnus Caesar
15. Sól An Varma - Sól An Varma
14. False Fed - Let Them Eat Fake
13. Valravn - The Awakening
12. Mortuary Drape - Black Mirror
11. Taake - Et Hav Av Avstand
10. Veriluola - Cascades Of Crimson Cruor
9. Varathron - The Crimson Temple
8. Spirit Possession - Of The Sign...
7. Xalpen - The Curse Of Kwányep
6. The Magus - Βυσσοδομώντας
5. Häxanu - Totenpass
4. Korgonthurus - Jumalhaaska
3. Uada - Crepuscule Natura
2. Minenwerfer - Feuerwalze
1. Lathe Of Heaven - Bound By Naked Skies

ADAM'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. Beyond the Black - Beyond The Black
22. Tribunal - The Weight Of Remembrance
21. Hypno5e - Sheol
20. Soen - Memorial
19. Primordial - How It Ends
18. The Ocean - Holocene
17. Enslaved - Heimdal
16. Periphery - Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre
15. Shores Of Null - The Loss Of Beauty
14. Anachronism - Meanders
13. ...And Oceans - As In Gardens, So In Tombs
12. Delain - Dark Waters
11. Alase - A Matter Of Time
10. Pronostic - Chaotic Upheaval
9. Carnosus - Visions Of Infinihility
8. Fires In The Distance - Air Not Meant For Us
7. Obituary - Dying Of Everything
6. Insomnium - Anno 1696
5. Haken - Fauna
4. Katatonia - Sky Void Of Stars
3. Riverside - ID.Entity
2. Sermon - Of Golden Verse
1. Ne Obliviscaris - Exul

VES'S TOP 23 ALBUMS OF 2023

23. TDK - Nemesta
22. Afterbirth - In But Not Of
21. Odz Manouk - Bosoragazan (Բոսորագազան)
20. Trhä - Rhejde Qhaominvac Tla Aglhaonamëc
19. Moonlight Sorcery - Horned Lord Of The Thorned Castle
18. Horrendous - Ontological Mysterium
17. Aara - Triade III: Nyx
16. Tomb Mold - The Enduring Spirit
15. Gridlink - Coronet Juniper
14. 兀突骨 (Gotsu Totsu Kotsu) - 黄泉ガヘリ (Back From The Underworld)
13. Autopsy - Ashes, Organs, Blood And Crypts
12. Afsky - Om Hundrede År
11. Quasarborn - Novo Oružje Protiv Bola
10. King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard - PetroDragonic Apocalypse; Or, Dawn Of Eternal Night: An Annihilation Of Planet Earth And The Beginning Of Merciless Damnation
9. Blut Aus Nord - Disharmonium - Nahab
8. Dødheimsgard - Black Medium Current
7. Valdrin - Throne Of The Lunar Soul
6. Lathe Of Heaven - Bound By Naked Skies
5. Majesties - Vast Reaches Unclaimed
4. Panopticon - The Rime Of Memory
3. Hellripper - Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags
2. Morkera - Aggravations
1. Thantifaxath - Hive Mind Narcosis

Greetings to all you MetalBite legion! Another edition of Digging Through Past is up and ready to be enjoyed. Even more old goodies that you may be interested in or missed out on were looked at again, all information updated with useful links and properly written reviews. We hope you'll enjoy this one too and discover new music, new bands and more headbanging goodies. Thank you so much for the support. Check out previous edition of Digging Through Past here, and if there is anything we can improve on just write us at info@metalbite.com. Cheers!

Evile - Enter The Grave (2007) - Earache Records - Greg

Battery - Martial Law (2016) - Punishment 18 Records - Felix & Greg

Battery - Armed With Rage (2014) - Punishment 18 Records - Felix

Rivers Of Nihil - Where Owls Know My Name (2018) - Metal Blade Records - Lawrence Stillman

Rivers Of Nihil - Monarchy (2015) - Metal Blade Records - Lawrence Stillman

Blood Stain Child - Idolator (2005) - M&I Company - Lawrence Stillman

Shrapnel - Raised On Decay (2017) - Candlelight Records - Greg

Shrapnel - Palace For The Insane (2020) - Candlelight Records - Greg

Nanowar Of Steel - Stairway To Valhalla (2018) - Audioglobe - Greg

Nanowar Of Steel - Italian Folk Metal (2021) - Napalm Records - Greg

Witchfinder General - Friends Of Hell (1998) - Heavy Metal Records - Rosh

The Doomsday Kingdom - The Doomsday Kingdom (2017) - Nuclear Blast - Rosh

Cesspool Of Corruption - Requiems Of The Ignominious (2021) - Gore House Productions - Vladimir

Cesspool Of Corruption - Eradication Of The Subservient (2016) - Independent - Vladimir

Lich King - The Omniclasm (2017) - Independent - Greg

Deficiency - The Prodigal Child (2013) - Fantai'zic Productions - Greg

Motörhead - 1916 (1991) - Epic Records - Greg

Azaghal - Teraphim (2009) - Moribund Records - Felix

Deathhammer - When The Hammer Strikes... The Exterminator Arrives!!! (2011) - Duplicate Records - Carl

Körgull The Exterminator - When The Hammer Strikes... The Exterminator Arrives!!! (2011) - Duplicate Records - Carl

Motörhead - We Are Motörhead (2000) - Steamhammer - Felix

Plaga - Trąby Zagłady / Triumfalny Taniec... (2009) - Independent - Felix

Today, in cooperation with Personal Records, we are thrilled to present the new track 'A Ofensa' from LITOSTH's third album, Cesariana.

LITOSTH is the physical manifestation of the visions of Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Maicon Ristow and bassist Wendel Siota. Founded in 2016, LITOSTH channel a torrent of feelings and life principles in the form of music, which definitely does not respect any type of barrier or limitation.

Formed by members of the most prominent black metal bands in Latin America (Patria, Mysteriis, Swords at Hymns, Dark Celebration, I Gather your Grief), LITOSTH bring a new approach and a breath of fresh air with their unique way of creating music. Following two albums - 2019's Crossed Parallels of Self Refraction and 2022's Farther From the Sun - LITOSTH are now set to release their third full-length, Cesariana. Armed with absolutely top-notch production, Cesariana sees the duo go even deeper in their quest, delivering a mix of almost unthinkable influences. The basis is melodic black metal of a most '90s vintage, but threading inside and out this visceral work are everything from dark pop from the '80s, epic classical music, and a wide swath of other metals - doom and dark metal, especially. Cesariana is thus a work that feels boundless and brave, all the while exhibiting a focus that's exceptionally concise given that breadth.

But, lest one think LITOSTH are betraying their black metal roots, think again: Cesariana contains a massive amount of melodic black metal grandeur, cosmic and symphonic in equal measure, sheathed in a soundfield that allows all atmospheric undercurrents to vividly convey the band's vision. That theme sees Cesariana as a resilience manifesto, written in eight songs that celebrate the tragedy and the curse about the fact of being alive, even against one's will. It is a cry not of agony, but of revolt - against the establishment, and against the magic formula for happiness.

Cesariana will be released by Personal Records on February 2nd, 2024 on CD format.

LITOSTH is:

Maicon Ristow - Vocals, Guitars, Drums
Wendel Siota - Bass

MORE INFO AND PRE-ORDERS:

https://www.facebook.com/litosthofficial
https://litosth.bandcamp.com/
https://www.personal-records.com/
https://www.facebook.com/personalrecords666
https://personal-records.bandcamp.com/