Welcome back to a way-too-late edition of MetalBite's Top 10. Somehow, we got through most of COVID times without missing a beat, and then just as we're coming out of it, two of our main writers (Michael and Nate) both came down with illnesses leading up to March that delayed the release of this article by almost two weeks. We're all recovered and back at it now.

Our apologies to anyone who was eagerly looking forward to our selections of what's what in the second month of 2022, but hey, better late than never! We'll be sure to have a hefty March top 10 to make up for lost time.

-Nate

HONORABLE MENTIONS

A Pale December - Death Panacea
Avantgarde Music

This was released on Avantgarde, who typically are geared towards more atmospheric, post-rock-tinged artists, and this is an atmospheric black metal release…but only by genre tag, really. There's a lot of active, even aggressive tremolo riffing, as well as tempo shifts to create more push-and-pull as opposed to a steady crescendo in the songwriting. You'd think it would go against genre standards, but it's merged with long breaths of shimmering, ambient guitars and modern, arty melodicism. The band sounds like they're from New York, but they're from Italy, which is intriguing because they lack the flowery Italian romanticism that the power metal and atmo-black in their home region is known for. In a strange way, the unconventional yet familiar sounds of Death Panacea is a perfect fit for a label known for putting out albums on the esoteric fringes of black metal. I'm not sure exactly how much I like this yet - it still needs to hit me in the right mood, I reckon - but I can tell it's more involved and odd than the standard fare on this label.
-Nate

---

 

HammerFall – Hammer Of Dawn
Napalm Records

Okay, two things: 1) Don't judge an album by its cover and 2) let's just get out of the way that HammerFall is a "love 'em or hate 'em" kind of band. I must confess I'm mostly in the former camp: I love their first two albums, and after their last album Dominion was surprisingly strong I was curious about this follow-up here.

They've convinced me yet again, although this album perhaps lacks an infectious hymn on the level of '(We Make) Sweden Rock'. Either way, there are a lot of typical HammerFall tracks with epic melodies and soaring vocals to make these dark days a little brighter. The opener 'Brotherhood', and the mid-tempo title-track are as good as anything they've done. 'No Son Of Odin' as well, which opens with a very cool riff that could have been on a King Diamond album and...well, King Diamond has a guest appearance. But not here - on 'Venerate Me' which is another typical HammerFall banger with a catchy chorus. There are a few throwaway tracks - 'Reveries' and the last two on the album aren't too exciting. Nonetheless it still manages to be one of the stronger albums that came out in February.
-Michael

---

 

METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH

 

10: X.I.L. - Rip & Tear
Self-released/Independent

An intriguing debut from this Texas trio. If you look at the cover you may think it's going to be some Paranoid-esque doom metal stuff, but you would be mistaken. X.I.L. combine very charming speed/thrash metal elements like with a bunch of dirty, punky "fuck off" kind of attitude. I am easily reminded of old Metallica or Megadeth, and the late, great Lemmy even makes a short guest appearance in spirit – just listen to 'Breakneck'. In some of the deep cuts you find some much slower parts, so I guess assuming this was going to be doom wouldn't have been totally wrong.

This doesn't reinvent the wheel - it's a very nostalgic album that let you forget sins like (Re)Load, Lulu and Risk. Though the production could be a bit richer (especially the drums) it's gives the album certain flair and also, this is old school metal, so it doesn't need to be perfect.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 7.5/10

---

 

9: Meslamtaea - Weemoedsklanken
Babylon Doom Cult

"Since the come-back record Niets En Niemendal (2019), the band has taken a new direction. Meslamtaea combines 2nd wave black metal with jazz-, prog-, and psychedelic vibes. This is the most experimental album the band has done so far. You can find a lot of quite unusual instruments like saxophone, flugelhorn, tongue drum and vocoder on it.

Mastermind Floris says about Weemoedsklanken: "We play a lot with atmospheres and contrasts. From straight-forward black metal to twisted rhythms, from hard sounds to tranquil ambient. We like to experiment, but the atmosphere is always on top."
-Michael

Full review/premiere here.

MetalBite's Rating: 7.5/10

---

 

8: Deathhammer - Electric Warfare
Hells Headbangers Records

If you've read anything I've written before, you'll notice I don't praise a lot of thrash. Generally, all of the best works in the genre were made in the 80s, but Deathhammer is not your typical thrash band. They managed to stay sharp and relevant through a balls-to-the-wall approach to the genre: a healthy dose of blackened tremolo, manic, high-pitched ranting with lots of squeals and shrieks, and ton of fuckin' SPEED. While true to their 80s influences in the skeletal chords and rhythmic progressions, the extra dollop of frenzy and slight modern tinge to a riff or two makes this feel different than their contemporaries. You can't listen to a song like 'Crushing The Pearly Gates' without getting that "now that's some heavy fucking metal with some god damn riffs" feeling. It just keeps on shredding.

If there's not enough nuance and substance with an approach like this, it gets boring after two or three tracks, but there's an intricacy and adeptness to Electric Warfare's riffwork. The guitarists have a subtly strong ear for melody, the midpaced breaks always have great hooks to keep you groovin', and the songwriting is always efficient and focused. Songs do a really good job of having enough going on to feel full and "professional", while still retaining some of that visceral jamming-in-a-garage quality you need to keep thrash from being sterile. The vocals contribute to that vibe a great deal, with a somewhat ragged, snarling quality to their delivery that sounds closer to modern harsh vocals (minus the squeals, which are more of an homage to the unhinged shrieks of guys like Sheepdog and Sean Killian). Some of Sergeant Salsten's vocal lines are surprisingly detailed and you could almost call them "technical" if he didn't sound like a rabid dog while he was doing them. His mix of primitive energy and surprising dexterity is a perfect microcosmic example of how the album as a whole toes that exact balance so well.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 7.8/10

---

 

7: Ultra Silvam - The Sanctity Of Death
Shadow Records

The Devil himself has marked the release date of The Sanctity Of Death as a red-letter day. The Swedish trio plays brutal and rough black metal. Even with a hint of melody, they do their thing without any compromise. It's got that true black metal feeling - you can inhale the dark and coldness that this album spreads. The production is very minimalistic and rough and gives The Sanctity Of Death this very eerie and cold atmosphere a black metal album needs to be convincing.

The tracks are sheer fury with an emphasis on speed, with the title track showing some parallels to good old Dissection (only three times faster). 'Förintelsens Andeväsen Del II: Deicidala' reminds me a lot of Nifelheim and Deggial. Though chaotic and entropic upon first listen, in time you notice that the band has a certain structure behind all this madness. The musicianship is tight and (at least I) can sense cohesion and don't have the feeling that they lost control of anything they wanted to do.
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8/10

---

 

6: Amorphis - Halo
Atomic Fire Records

The trilogy that began with Under The Red Cloud in 2015 is getting closed with Halo 7 years later. Many things have changed lately in this world and most of them aren't good, but fortunately we can always count on Amorphis. If there are some changes at this point in their career they are marginal and if you like their modern melodic heavy metal sound, Halo will suit you just fine.

Heavily harmonized, bombastic melodies with anthemic clean vocals are contrasted with rough death metal-tinged arrangements, strengthened by Tomi Joutsen's magnificent deep growls. Harsh vocals are used over parts I never thought would fit (like in 'On The Dark Waters'), but they work perfectly. A few tracks give hints of their early death metal past, while the songs that take a melodic and softer direction don't quite reach the "ballad" level of turn-of-the-millennium Amorphis. In general, Amorphis tended towards heavier songwriting on this album, and had more epic arrangements and symphonic sounds than the two predecessors. Growls are more frequently utilized, and producer Jens Bogren (who has worked with the band since Under The Red Cloud), did a very good job with a very modern and well-balanced production which leaves nothing unturned.

A slight point of criticism could be that the album lacks cohesion because of the sometimes jarring switch between softer and heavier songs. On the other hand you could say this gives the album a more varied and interesting touch…
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8/10

---

 

5: Devoured Elysium - Void Grave
Gore House Productions

It looks like some generic brutal death metal at first glance, but I've learned over time to trust that anything coming out of Turkey is going to be stupidly thick and heavy. There's clearly a great degree of skill in the guitars, but instad of making obtuse shit that's hard to understand (and as such loses its volatility), they write riffs that are fucking fun! The grooves on this album are danceable - I have no doubt I could slap this on at a more aggressive EDM rave and no one would miss a beat. They use harmonics and little guitar tricks in a way that makes it sound like they still had fun playing them, and it helps to keep fresh what would otherwise be stale and univentive riffs. There's no way one of the main songwriters isn't a young 20-something - at the very least, there's a youthful exuberance to the songwriting, giving a certain novelty that makes the riffs pop.

Combine that proclivity for punchy structuring with a ton of raw talent, and you've got all the makings of a breakout album. The drums are immediately attention grabbing with their big, booming production job and pulverizing foot speed that drills the slams into your brain, but it's the vocals that keep me coming back. Kerem Akman has a bowl-rupturing guttural that he abuses to oblivion, and it's mixed with a beautiful, cavernous reverb that adds a decimating, all-encompassing feel. There might be a deathcore undercurrent in the riffing, but it serves the songs well, and does anyone who doesn't live in their mom's basement really care about that anymore anyways? This shit rules no matter what the hell you call it.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10

---

 

4: Saxon - Carpe Diem
Silver Lining Music

"Most of the tracks are pretty fast or in some upper mid-tempo area, full of awesome guitar solos that have me astonished that these guys still have such energy after all these years. They're not getting younger, if you know what I mean…if I didn't know that this was Saxon I would guess that this was some guys in their 30s playing a great classic heavy metal album."

Full review by Michael here.

MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10

---

 

3: Vorga - Striving Toward Oblivion
Transcending Obscurity Records

Transcending Obscurity Records strikes again with one of my favorite albums from the label in a while. I've been out of the loop when it comes to black metal recently but this came pulling me right back in. It's a 50/50 mix of Mare Cognitum and The Spirit, crafted with assembly-line efficiency and succinct songwriting. The guitars provide a steady, repetitious bed and slowly ascend into powerful atmospheric heights similar to how Jacob Buczarski likes to do, with a full, modern sound giving things the thickness they need.

The Spirit's new album ventures into more of a progressive, melodeathy direction, which is taking me some getting used to because my favorite part about that band was their icy Dissection aping. Vorga satisfies my craving by leaning more towards the black metal element of that sound, using subtle death metal elements as an occasional spice/contrast a la Imperialist. The arrangements flow so smoothly you start to wonder if the band used lube, a hallmark of their regional brethren - jarring transitions aren't in the German metal playbook. The highlight of this for me is the track 'Disgust' which reminds me of 'The First Point Of Ares' with its blast-heavy march into the aether, keeping an incredible presence and generating atmosphere effortlessly through simple tremolo riffing. 'Fool's Paradise' is another high point with how well it integrates that classic Immortal-styled chug riff.

It's impressive how naturally "cosmic" this feels, even though it's just straight black metal - something about the steady, rigid pacing and near-unnoticeable transitions creates this futuristic, Star Wars kinda vibe, and there's a remarkable consistency to the melody and pacing. It's super tasty and there's rarely a moment where I feel the need to zone out, and even if my ADD-addled brain does anyways, something always gently pulls you back.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10

---

 

2: Allegaeon - Damnum
Metal Blade Records

Despite basically being a tech'd up version of modern American melodic death metal a la The Absence, Unearth and the like, Allegaeon have managed to create a slew of compelling albums that have even the pickiest melodeath fans (such as myself) considering them as one of the forerunners of the genre today. It helps that every musician likes to flatter my tech-death sensibilities: Greg Burgess has the tastiest solos in the business, whatever drummer they have playing with them is always tight as fuck, and Riley McShane crafts the most intricate vocal lines made by anyone who isn't named Oliver Aleron. I am a fairly big fan of this band, for sure, but they're on the downswing of their prime, with the peak being the Elements Of The Infinite/Proponent For Sentience duo. Still, anything they put out is a mandatory listen for this fella.

They integrated more clean vocals than I'm comfortable with, no matter how competently performed, which takes getting used to, especially when I crave some choppy verses. They're taking the Fallujah jump - that is, infusing Opethian proggy vibes into their formula. It's more of a natural transition for Allegaeon than it might be for other bands, though, with well-rounded, professional performances from each musician. McShane's clean vocals don't annoy me right off the hop, even though they take some getting used to.

Even while fleshing out their sound to the extent they have, though, there's still a couple of rounded and concise tracks that are among some of the best standalone singles the band has ever done. 'To Carry My Grief Through Torpor And Silence' is a fucking incredible track: the busy, driving verse, the dextrous earworm vocal line that made up the chorus, the absolutely disgusting bass/guitar solo tradeoff…easily a top 3 in terms of songs this band has written. It's hard to tell exactly where this is going to rank among their albums, but the fact that it's already good enough to challenge for a top spot in a strong back catalogue tells you all you need to know about checking out Damnum for yourself.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.4/10

---

 

1: Immolation - Acts Of God
Nuclear Blast

It's mother fucking Immolation baby! They've never released anything shittier than a 7/10 album in their eleven full-lengths since 1991. They are consistent on a level only rivaled by Bolt Thrower and Immo's streak is even more impressive considering, but they subtly augment their sound from album to album, giving each one a distinct flavor that only ripens with age. In retrospect, Atonement was very clean and emotional, especially when time gives one the chance to reflect, but Acts Of God is furious and nasty right from the hop, with a more pointed, almost thrashy attack coming out of Steve Shalaty's blastbeats, hammering in the uniquely compelling terror of Bob Vigna's iconic riff style.

The New Yawkers were clearly listening to their first two albums a lot, as this is closer to Dawn of Possession than any of their other full-lengths. That being said, 30 years makes a shitload of difference in how Ross, Bob and co. sound - their trademark dissonance is a lot more fleshed out and seems to even be taking cues from the modern torchbearers like Ulcerate and Dead Congregation. Their ability to stay on top of what's hip in death metal and integrate trendy techniques into their signature sound is a big part of what makes Immolation continue to stand the test of time, while other former titans of the genre like Morbid Angel continue to lose momentum by the day.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

---

Thank you for once again tuning into our tardy top 10 selections! Check out January's picks for last month to get caught up on the best shit in '22 so far. See you in...well, I guess just a couple weeks from now!

Entered: 3/15/2022 1:18:00 PM

Previous Post Live Review - Death To All, Cerebral Invasion - Bochum, Zeche - 06/11/22	Next Post MB on Spotify - May summary

Welcome back to MetalBite's Top 10 albums of the month. We're in the peak of release season and tons of great stuff is coming out in all genres across the board. It's a great time to be alive if you're a music fan, and a terrible time to be alive if you're a music fan's wallet. Let's give you some more reasons to drain your bank account!

-Nate

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Hypermass - Empyrean
Self-released/Independent

It's not often something in the progressive metal sphere makes this listener's list of picks for the month in preference to the latest emanations from the black and death metal underground, but when the huge riffs and gleaming melodies of Hypermass's debut Empyrean caught the ear and refused to budge, it became impossible to deny the quality of a release that belies the Norwegians relative lack of previous metallic pedigree. Not a million miles away from the kind of thing Devin Townsend used to put out immediately following his exit from the peerless Strapping Young Lad, with a dash of the djent-adjacent juddering heft of latter-day Gojira, all wrapped up in conventional song structures, Hypermass's appeal is potentially broad, stretching from fans of the arena-bothering likes of Architects to tech-death fans with a soft spot for classic melodeath. Empyrean is somewhat front-loaded, its scintillating initial impact dulling a little as it becomes apparent that the band have developed something of a formula, but if they are able to build on their strengths, and break new ground next time round, they just might build the kind of fanbase enjoyed by the bands that have clearly inspired them.
-Benjamin

---

 

Entrails - An Eternal Time Of Decay
Hammerheart Records

Seventh album from that band that sounds like old Entombed, and to everyone's surprise, they sound like old Entombed. Full review from Michael here.

---

 

Khold - Svartsyn
Soulseller Records

Veteran second-string black metallers making another groovy, midpaced album. If a newer band attempted this kind of sound it would almost certainly suck, but because these are professionals who have been working together for 20+ years, they can get away with writing music as straightforward as this. The frequent Darkthrone-isms and lack of raw talent on display in Svartsyn is made up for through the chemistry between the band members and the charisma in their delivery. Gard's vocals on their own would not sound very good, yet somehow in the context of the music, he manages to be convincing. The drums and riffs grow on you in a similar way - not the most impressive thing you've heard, but they get the job done. The production is nice and bottom-heavy, boosting the rolling grooves.

Even though it sounds like there wasn't a ton of time spent in the writing room here, it still turned out pretty good? I guess that's the advantage of longevity, you get more efficient with your processes.
-Nate

---

 

Kardashev - Liminal Rite
Metal Blade Records

I'm not as into this as a lot of folks seem to be, but I definitely get the hype. The riffs and arrangements have a grandiosity and aggression to them that post-black (or "deathgaze" as I guess they're trying to call it) has desperately needed for a long time to give it some life back, and the vocals are some Next Level Shit. Mark Garrett is fast on his way to becoming a household name with his combination of high shrieks and a somewhat nasally, yet still incredibly soulful and resonant clean voice.

Despite the abundance of ability on display, Liminal Rite sometimes struggles to contain the ridiculous amount of emotion it packs in, often losing momentum in its attempts to be all-encompassing… but I'm also just wondering if I haven't fully digested this yet, as this is not the type of thing you write off after a couple of listens. At the very least, check this out so you don't miss out on what is likely going to become the next big thing.
-Nate

---

 

Vipère - Douleurs
Vetus Capra

Vipere changed their style a bit from their previous EP released last year, retaining their black metal base while adding some extra folk elements. Their black metal influences still range between industrial BM stuff and dissonant black metal á la DSO or Misþyrming, but it isn't quite the sheer madness of the debut. The folk parts add variety, giving the harsh, challenging and hectic music time to breathe, peaking with the chaos of songs like 'La Bourgade Et Le Dandy' or 'Choc Terminal'. All in all, a very interesting and entertaining black metal release that once again reveals the boundless creativity in the French black metal scene.
-Michael

---

 

Enchantment - Cold Soul Embrace
Transcending Records

Does anybody remember the British band Enchantment? They released a very nice death-doom album called Dance Of The Marble Naked in 1994 and unfortunately split-up after that. I was pretty surprised to see that they are back with a new album, and even more surprised to see they picked up where they left off. Still we can hear the death/doom of early My Dying Bride and Anathema, as well as Draconian – the opener 'As Greed As The Eye Beholds' is a trip back in time. The production sounds fuller and more powerful with the passage of time adding some more progressive (or maybe modern) elements to the sound. Some more acoustic guitars, piano, a little bit of pop sensibility (like the first minute of 'A Swanlike Duet') and even some classical vibes. This brings back the classic somber spirit of 90s UK death/doom and I hope this group will not split up for another 24 years after releasing this one.
-Michael

---

 

Light Dweller - Lucid Offering
Total Dissonance Worship

I don't have many words to say about this because I need to give it more time, but for now I can offer two pieces of critique: 1) holy shit and 2) this fucks.
-Nate

---

 

Inanimate Existence - The Masquerade
The Artisan Era

This is the band's sixth album and they still haven't managed to break out of the 7/10 "good but not great" mold. I've seen this band live, heard several of their albums, I even own one on CD, and they still have yet to move the needle to the point where I can call myself an outright fan. This is despite the fact that I can acknowledge Ron Casey and Cameron Porras are both exceptional at what they do - the former played on a Brain Drill album, for crying out loud.

Ironically enough, though, Inanimate Existence seems to have inherited Brain Drill's chronic inability to write a solid hook. There's tons of melodic licks a la Gorod and Obscura, maybe a bit more of a brutal death metal vibe than something like Inferi (while still keeping the sense of melody), but it never does anything to startle your expectations. A lot of the time it seems like the songs were written riff by riff without having a clear end goal in sight, which makes it feel like something is missing, even though it's consistently solid and enjoyable. Worth a listen if you know you dig it already, but if you're already familiar and haven't been convinced yet, this won't move the needle.
-Nate

---

 

Origin - Chaosmos
Agonia Records

One of the longest-running tech behemoths, and former holders of the Speed Crown when Antithesis was released almost 15 years ago (!!!) before Archspire (and perhaps Viscera Infest, to a lesser extent) dethroned them. They're still plugging along, with Chaosmos being album number 8. They took five years in between releases, which surprisingly enough is the longest gap between any two Origin albums (previously, they never went more than three years without dropping something).

Perhaps the extra time spent in the writing room helped, because this may be the strongest album from them since Antithesis itself. Their last couple of albums had a few too many songs that were essentially just John Longstreth warmup exercises with guitars and vocals recorded overtop - this band is really at their strongest when Paul Ryan adds a bit of diversity and flair as opposed to hyperspeed stutter grooves plodding through the entire track. There's a reason 'The Aftermath' and 'Finite' continue to be live staples and are the best moments on the 2008 album I keep continuously referring to. Songs like 'Ecophagy' and 'Panoptical' feature more of this contrasting melody, even using it in a bit more of a cold, calculated fashion, reminding one of an intergalactic battle that's occurring 200 years from now.
-Nate

---

 

Ataraxy - The Last Mirror
Dark Descent / Me Saco Un Ojo

Spanish death/doom that straddles a line between the haunting, layered textures of Sepulcros and the riff-oriented force that Anatomia taps into. The vocals have a strained, hoarse tone to them that gives off Asphyx vibes if you pay close attention - I would be shocked if the Dutch band was not a huge influence on Ataraxy throughout their career. None of this is a surprise given the label choice and aesthetics of the band. They're in a genre that is saturated full of bands by now, but manage to retain some edge and distinctiveness by keeping a symphonic undertone during the riffs, not being afraid to try something a bit different like 'Under the Cypress Shadow' which feels more like Hellenic black metal than Spanish death/doom.

They balance this more involved, melodic component with trudging repetition, creating an album that is expensive and varied while still keeping a theme. It's much more than the sum of its parts, and the parts were already pretty cool to begin with.
-Nate

---

 

METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH

 

10: Misgivings - Misgivings
Dolorem Records

Some more music made by a band with a drummer who spent way too many hours practicing blastbeats, curated by the hyperspeed lovers over at Dolorem Records that I like to rep a little bit. What can I say, I like to go fast on a level only rivaled by blue hedgehogs.

Despite never fully committing to being a fan of Angelcorpse, I always like bands that create a similar vibe but actually have memorable riffs - which was always the downfall of Pete Helmkamp and co., despite their pulverizing surface feel. However, even if that's not typically your jam, writing this French group off based on one influence they have would be lazy, not to mention incorrect. There's a few methods Misgivings use to grind your ears into pulp, and they add a surprising amount of dynamics to a rough, cutting surface - even with the guitars having a thin production, the groove can still be felt right in the gut, a side benefit of the strong thrash metal backbone heard in songs like 'Ancient Fear' and 'The Age of Christic Sorrow'.

The drummer also manages to keep the beats engaging when he isn't going at max speed, which is a common pitfall for blasturbation bands. Guilhem Auge's got a deceptive amount of texture and depth to his playing style, no doubt informed by his extensive resume with flamenco death metallers Impureza. He's not the only one coming into this with experience, either. Though this is the band's first full-length, they've been active for over 20 years with a scattered history of smaller releases. If you're expecting youthful energy and sloppiness, look elsewhere, because Misgivings are seasoned pros, sharpening their thrashy blackened death metal spears with this project to further focus and increase the potency of their ideas.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8/10

---

 

9: Darkane - Inhuman Spirits
Massacre Records

Look at me, giving large volumes of praise to a thrash band whose best years are almost certainly behind them - usually I leave it up to fellow MB contributor Michael to do that. That being said, Darkane's in a weird spot for their genre. They formed in 1998, long after thrash had its heyday, well after the mid-90s melodeath explosion, but also too early for the retro-thrash boom of the mid-late 00s. They started to make a style of music when it was arguably at its least popular or interesting, and despite this unique position - perhaps even because of it - they are one of the more uniquely gripping and nuanced thrash bands out there today.

The Gothenburg influences breathe fresh life into stale 80s arrangements, opening up new horizons for two genres that both suffer from how restrictive and specific they have to be to get it right. The melodic choices complements the Lamb of God-esque production on the guitars surprisingly well - in any other band, these would be some of the most boring riffs imaginable, but these Swedes have an uncanny ability to take those moments you've come to despise because you've heard them a million times and not only make them listenable, but genuinely captivating and entertaining.

One more underlooked aspect of this band is their lineup consistency. In over 20 years of existence, they have never had a drummer, guitarist or bassist leave the band, which is extremely rare. The only lineup change they've ever had is on vocals, and even then, the singer you hear on Inhuman Spirits, Lawrence Mackrory, was actually on their first album anyways, so essentially the founding core is completely intact. You can hear it in the execution - no idea is ever out of place, and the interplay between instruments during the fills, transitions into the choruses and interlude diversions really underline the band's excellent chemistry. You don't notice it at first - Darkane's a slow burn in that way. They don't jump out at you immediately because their surface aesthetic doesn't suggest they'll be much different than the countless melodeath/thrash/metalcore/groove/whatever local bands you've heard, but then three or four tracks in you realize they haven't actually had a bad riff yet.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.1/10

---

 

8: DeathFuckingCunt - Decadent Perversity
Hammerheart Records

Brutal death metal that is speedy, jarring, incorporates pitch harmonics and constant rhythmic shifting, similar in execution to Deeds of Flesh or Severed Savior with an extra dollop of goregrind aesthetic - aside from the band name obviously turning a few heads, we've also got a treasure trove of song titles like 'Fisted Into Form' or 'Garroted by Frenulum' to make you cross your legs and cover your nuts.

At first glance it might seem like an immature joke project, but the music within is anything but - it's an overstimulating mass of anti-melody, lurching forward with the same sort of rhythmic intricacy and complexity as something like Desecravity, or Car Bomb with more 4/4 time signatures (worth noting the drummer played in Beyond Terror Beyond Grace, who are hella underrated). The only moment of relief you get is a sample where the dude talks about extermination as the ideal form of sterilizing the human race, and otherwise the album only seems to get denser, more punishing and more filled with notes as time goes on. You won't be recommending it to your grandmother, but Decadent Perversity easily holds its own and makes me wonder if these guys would be more of a fixture in BDM if not for the ridiculous name choice.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10

---

 

7: Besieged - Violence Beyond All Reason
Neurot Recordings

As the first chord of opening track 'Last Chance' fades in, and the compressed mid-range tone of the none-more-80s guitars reveals itself, this listener is desperate for the Canadian death/thrashers riffs to follow through on the promise of that initial burst of excitement. Thankfully, once again, the discerning people behind the excellent Unspeakable Axe have reinforced their reputation for fine judgement in all matters of thrash and death metal, as Besieged launch into a concise and exhilarating album that absolutely scratches the itch for anyone brought up on Sepultura, Anthrax and Coroner, who might be looking for a modern band putting out a similar brand of aggressive, speed-limit breaking, moderately technical thrashing death metal.
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.2/10

---

 

6: Lunar Chalice - Transcendentia: The Shadow Pilgrimage
Iron Bonehead

Considering their prolific release schedule, Iron Bonehead are unfailingly reliable when it comes to putting out high quality orthodox black metal, and Lunar Chalice's debut Transcendentia is no exception. Veterans of the German underground scene, Lunar Chalice follow a brace of EPs with a full length that, while unremittingly savage, shows enough touches of deft ingenuity to ensure that the album is not simply a jackhammer blastfest. Although the almost robotic, Mysticum-like, rhythm section (apparently occupied by humans in this instance) do keep the velocity dangerously high throughout much of the record, the ritualistic chanting of much of the vocals adds a creepy, twisted ecclesiastical feel that adds depth and sophistication to a fairly raw mix. It is not quite an innovation in a scene that is already well-populated by bands aiming to offer something more than standard black metal shrieks, but it is undeniably well-matched with the bands cold, scything walls of minor chords and tremolo runs, which at turns recalls Swiss masters Darkspace, as well as mid-period Mayhem and even Gorgoroth. Like those bands, Lunar Chalice further reinforce a genre that continues to deliver solid works of black art that demand your attention.
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10

---

 

5: Instigate - Unheeded Warnings Of Decay
Everlasting Spew Records

With all these speedfreak drummers coming out of the woodwork like parasites, Fleshgod Apoclaypse's Francesco Paoli needed to make a statement and remind everyone why he's the fucking man, so he hooked up with some regional comrades and Unheeded Warnings Of Decay was born. Misery Index came out with a new album this year, and I'd argue that Instigate beat them at their own game here. The key to making this style work is actually adding just the right amount of choppy stutter-riffing and melody to the blistering deathgrind in order to make it less of a blur. The way the verses on songs like 'Liturgy of Emptiness' and 'Seeds of Cain' power forward is kinetic, with the perfect groove within the speed giving you a huge surge of confident energy. The drums are surgically tight, as they should be from one of the country's most renowned kinsmen, but there's enough of a playful, rock-n-roll type bounce to make them feel natural, with a lot of skank beats to remind you that as juiced-up as this sounds, it's really just a heavier and more explosive version of late 80s Slayer and Napalm Death.

Very much a niche album, but it's a niche that I gravitate to frequently. When Everlasting Spew works with a band that's outside the death/doom realms they prefer, they tend to be more selective about who they represent, which is only further evidence to point to Instigate's quality.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10

---

 

4: Moribund Dawn - Dark Mysteries Of Time & Eternity
Carbonized Records

A blue painting invites us to a frigid, icy trip, into a mysterious fortress high up on a hill. Atop the hill, you are led back to 1995 - the guys from Phoenix, Arizona play some old-school black metal that could come from some Swedish bands like Sacramentum, Dawn, or Ophthalamia. They offer a mixture of wintry, harsh black metal which is combined with atmospheric keyboard painting and melancholy doom-laden riffing. When I got the album, I had to double check to make sure they weren't Swedish and that Dan Swanö wasn't involved. Dark Mysteries Of Time & Eternity is an anachronistic album, and could have been a classic if only the group was 30 years older. Hopefully they get the recognition they deserve now for this. Now, to wait until winter, when the time is right for this, when BBQ is no longer in season (actually, forget that, there's never a bad time for BBQ).
-Michael

MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10

---

 

3: Artificial Brain - Artificial Brain
Profound Lore Records

The boys in Arty B have had me interested from the first day I heard them, but previous albums have fallen short of becoming regular listening staples. I love Will Smith's wet, subterranean purr, Dan Gargiulo has a feel to his playing you can't find anywhere else in dissodeath, the rest of the members seem to understand and complement the vision well, but they've always been more of a "moments" band than a "songs" band…like you listen to them more for the one riff you think is cool midway through the song than you do to experience the songs itself.

That is the biggest change I notice with their self-titled third album - the "full song" experience. I don't think there was a hidden factor at play or anything: there was no lineup change, no introduction of new influences and themes or anything like that. It's the same sound the band defined for themselves on their first two albums, but it's just…smoother. They maintain a vibe for a full track and go into it further, and the ethereal wandering that happens in the latter half of 'Tome of the Exiled Engineer' and 'Emblamed with Magma' around the midpoint is one of the most powerfully emotional segments the band has ever strung together. That it happens during the midpoint of the album, a section usually reserved for bands to get the non-crowd-pleasing deep cuts out, just shows how thoroughly incredible and immersive Artificial Brain can be when they click. It may have taken them 10 years to fully hit their stride, but I'm really glad they did. This shit rules.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.6/10

---

 

2: Am Himmel - As Eternal As The Starless Kingdom Of Sorrow
Burning World Records

The somewhat mysterious Am Himmel unleash their debut offering to the world this month, and it's a slow-burning work of dark ambient soundscapes, that at times is barely metal at all, even if the ghostly spectre cast over the music by the harsh vocals just about anchors the album into the genre. Not unlike its cousin, drone-doom, the concept of ambient black metal can be something that causes this listener to question whether the emperor is indeed wearing any clothes, but so compelling, and so affecting are Am Himmel's dirges, that no such accusation can be levelled at this Netherlands-based solo project. Underpinning each desolate hymn is impressively thick low-end, offset by spectral synths, suggesting shards of pale sunlight penetrating the depths of a ruined cathedral, offering a sense of despair, shot through with a glimmer of redemption. The lush and enveloping cocoon of the synths are reminiscent of very early Anathema, but the overall sensibility suggests the early 2000s US black metal scene of Xasthur and Leviathan, shorn of the blastbeats and serrated tremolo riffing, and although there are no real hooks in evidence, Ad Himmel impressively manage to maintain the listener's interest right to the bitter end.
-Benjamin

MetalBite's Rating: 8.7/10

---

 

1: Soreption - Jord
Unique Leader Records

This arrived at the perfect time for me. I've just started really diving into Soreption's jutting, groovy style of tech-Swedeath, which carries the torch of the regional old guard such as Spawn of Possession - no small feat - infused with modern techniques popularized by The Faceless. Absurdly tight start-stop riffing with thick production forms the base as diminished high notes accent the melodies, and the band sounds so in sync with each other's ideas it's like they share a collective brain. They're one of the best new bands in the genre and are further proof of the time-tested fact: no matter how good you think the best band in any metal genre is, there's always a Swedish counterpart that can give them a run for their money.

There are no significant reinventions or changes on Jord - the group continues to polish their approach, making minor augmentations to the melodic sensibilities and song arrangements. There's a very faint symphonic undertone, but it's hardly even worth mentioning as 95% of this album is the same type of riffs Soreption is known for. Vocalist Frederik Soderberg is a bit more involved in the music, pushing his abilities further with fast, complex vocal lines, but other than that it's hard to identify any major changes. They give the old fans just enough extra stuff to keep things fresh, while still keeping all the qualities that they've become known for that will continue to draw new folks in. Tech death has cooled off a bit in the first half of 2022 after an absolutely stacked 2021 run, but this is the best of a really strong blast'n'sweep crop that came bursting out of the gate in June. It's hard to stay fresh and inventive with this kind of music, but Soreption has a style that immediately stands out, and it's really addicting once you get a feel for it.
-Nate

MetalBite's Rating: 8.8/10

---

Thanks as always for stopping by! As an extra addendum, and to give you even more music to dig into, here's a short list of stuff I wanted to write about, but I didn't end up getting to because of time constraints (and because I want to give the appropriate amount of listens and digest albums properly instead of tearing through them in a review-fueled haze):

Seventh Wonder - The Testament
Denouncement Pyre - Forever Burning
Eggs of Gomorrh - Wombspreader
Tardigrada - Widrstand
Krallice - Psychagogue
Temple of Void - Summoning the Slayer
Grave Infestation - Persecution of the Living

Thanks for your support. If you like something you hear on this list: Tell your friends, tell your dog, get drunk, masturbate, punch something, throw up, burn stuff down, love yourself and stay metal. Not necessarily in that order. And, as always, here's the past lists to get caught up on the goods in 2022:

May 2022

April 2022

March 2022

February 2022

January 2022

Entered: 7/6/2022 5:28:34 PM

Previous Post Live Review - Death To All, Cerebral Invasion - Bochum, Zeche - 06/11/22	Next Post MB on Spotify - May summary