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MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month - January 2025
Welcome back to MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month! January is a special month for this column, because the start of the year also marks our anniversary. We've been keeping this up, without missing a single month, for 4 whole years now! Writers have come and gone, the lists have fluctuated in size, but one thing that never stops is our love for all that metal has to offer and passing on our findings to you, our readers.
This is also a special month because we've got two new contributors cutting their teeth in this list. Welcome aboard Adam and Greg. Celebrations all around!
-Nate
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Tormentor Tyrant - Excessive Escalation Of Cruelty
Everlasting Spew
Legion is my favorite Deicide album, so it's no surprise that Excessive Escalation Of Cruelty tickles my fancy. This is propulsive, savage death metal that strikes a great balance between high-octane riff blitzes and nasty, midpaced grooves. I hear a fair bit of thrash influence, which makes sense given the old-school throwback vibes, but it's more of the Demolition Hammer/Beneath the Remains strain of thrash, so this can still hang with all the extremophiles and should appeal to all the kids that just want mosh music. With connections to Solothus, Pestilent Hex and even the underground legends of Wormphlegm, it's clear that Tormentor Tyrant has heaps of experience in the face-ripping arts.
-Nate
Exul - Perpetual Catastrophe (EP)
Independent
One of the most promising thrash bands to come out of Poland recently, alongside the nearly homonymous Exist, Exul offer a brand-new EP in the dawn of 2025 with this Perpetual Catastrophe. The band's guitarist and main man is currently the new recruit of crossover thrashers Terrordome, but here we're at the total opposite – compositions are long, with a decent amount of twists, and, most of all, tons and tons of lead guitar goodness, like on their debut LP Path To The Unknown. Exul still convey the impression they could do ever so slightly better in the memorability department, but the welcome death metal tendencies, especially due to Bogdan Sroka's improved vocals and the new drummer's more extreme portfolio, more than make up for it. Plus, 'Deathbringer' might be their new all-around best track... for now.
-Greg
Onirophagus - Revelations From The Void
Personal Records
Apocalyptic Death/Doom for our apocalyptic times. If you want your music to sound painful and desperate, Onirophagus from Spain have concocted something so disgusting, it's beautiful. The vocal performance is interesting, he can deliver the lowest, deepest growls and great cleans, that are a kind of howling scream/chant. This phenomenal vocal performance is accompanied by a perfect blend of slow and heavy doom with occasional bursts of faster but equally heavy death metal. If you like your death/doom disgustingly heavy, this is for you. And that cover by the master Paolo Girardi, chef's kiss!
-Raphael
A Tyrants Lament - Offerings Of The Inhumane
CDN Records
It's hard for me to hype this up because I know all these fine folks personally, but I don't rep shit from the homies on this column unless I would listen to it of my own accord, and that is absolutely the case here. Kyle Sharpe's drumming alone makes this worth the price of admission, as his dexterity and tasty fill placement holds its own with all your favourite blasturbators. The guitarwork and song structuring is careful and flowing, with enough surprises to keep your interest but enough attention paid to the transitions because that's where the money is made. These fellas cover XenoChrist by The Faceless live, which is a good enough reference point, but I hear lots of Deicide and Job for a Cowboy (Genesis-Demonocracy era) as well. A nice helping of guest solos and vocal cameos gives a few extra garnishes and when you get right down it, this is just an all-around solid death metal album.
PS: check out the 2:20 mark on "Mountain Of Lies" :)
-Nate
Tumenggung - Back On The Streets
Jawbreaker Records
A hard rock album, tinged with speed and hair metal, from East Java, Indonesia doesn't come along every day, and certainly not one that is as good as this. Indeed, if Tumenggung are part of a thriving scene in their homeland, it suggests that we should be paying rather more attention to what's happening in that part of the metal world than we generally do. Tumenggung are a pitch perfect recreation of the harder end of 1980s hard rock, occupying the denim 'n' leather filled space between Judas Priest, early Queensryche, and Van Halen, right down to the smallest tom-laden drum fill. The pristine production allows the crunching guitars to chug their way through 34 minutes of infectious rifferama, elevated by some heroic twin guitar solo passages, and enlivened by choruses that would not be out of place on the first W.A.S.P album. Back On The Streets is almost too much fun, but one should emphasise that the enjoyment experienced is absolutely not ironic. Tumenggung play things straight down the line, and the sincerity and conviction of their delivery shows that they are taking it just as seriously as you should. Java: not just coffee.
-Benjamin
Thy Kingdom Will Burn - The Loss And Redemption
Scarlet Records
Melodic death metal from Finland, one of the most iconic sounds in metal. Folky and super melodic riffing, varied instrumentation sprinkled throughout the album, from piano to strings, with bursts of more aggressive blast beats, this is a beautiful, old school 2000 era, Finnish melodic death metal record. At first, I wasn't the biggest fan of the vocals, the growls in particular, because the cleans are epic as fuck but after a few listens, I've grown to like them.
-Raphael
Rudra - Antithesis
Awakening Records
Vedic death metal is a great concept. Melechesh and Cult of Fire are a couple of immediate comparables, as they also have a distinct flavour that adds spice and atmosphere to their extreme riffing. and it's surprising that more bands don't incorporate Eastern influences like this because it seems like an easy way to explore relatively uncharted territory. But perhaps it's more common than I think…take Rudra for example, who have been doing this in some form since 1992 and are on their eleventh full-length album with the release of Antithesis. Maybe I'm just in my Western bubble and out of the loop on this?
Anyhow, this mini-review is my method of atonement for generally neglecting this style. This album effortlessly gives off a vibe without abandoning battle-tested extreme conventions. Reminiscent of Absu in that it's thrashy with some blackened death metal spliced in, there's lots of uptempo moments, but the speed never feels less than intentional. Glistening pedal effects make this feel…historical, like an unearthed relic of hymns used in traditional celebrations.
-Nate
Mutagenic Host - The Diseased Machine
Dry Cough Records
Departing from the usual themes of death metal, Mutagenic Host "tackle the modern-day spectres of complacency, apathy, and the looming threat of AI". We used to call this science fiction, but sadly we are now living in a reality where AI does kill dozens of people every day, for the past 15 months straight… If you're interested, read: 'Lavender': The AI machine directing Israel's bombing spree in Gaza from 972 magazine to really understand how fucked up Israel's genocide truly is. Musically, Mutagenic Host do not reinvent the wheel but they are still super creative and blend OSDM with more modern compositions and production. Excellent soundtrack for our dystopian times.
-Nate
Relics Of Humanity - Absolute Dismal Domain
Willowtip Records
If you were saddened by the demise of Belarusian tech-slam group Ominous Scriptures, you should find this to be a thoroughly satisfying replacement. Guitarist Sergey Liakh is a constant in both, and it seems as though Relics Of Humanity is now his main project.
For connoisseurs of all things brutal, this will be a satisfying addition to your repertoire - little bit of ping in the snare, a dash of slams in the guitars, a lot of gurgle in the vocals and a slightly jazzy touch in the standalone bass sections. Defeated Sanity are undoubtedly the kings of this style, but a band with even 60% of their power is bound to be worth your time.
-Nate
Sarcator - Swarming Angels & Flies
Century Media Records
This album is best when they crank up the speed to the max, it feels like you're assaulted by pure rage, it's at times dizzying and it's awesome, think of a similar feeling as you get listening to Vitriol! They slow down a bit towards the half and add a touch of melody and they lose me a bit, especially with the instrumental but overall, it's a hell of a blackened thrash good time.
-Raphael
The Halo Effect - March Of The Unheard
Scarlet Records
Being a big fan of In Flames, I absolutely love to see the old line up continue making music together. They get back right where the last album left off, bringing nostalgic melodies but this time, I think they truly found their own sound. It of course is very reminiscent of In Flames and Dark Tranquility but they add a few new touches that make the whole thing sound extremely nostalgic but new at the same time. It's not as good as their first but it's still pure Gothenburg melodic death candy.
-Raphael
March Of The Unheard has a lot of melody and Mikael Stanne adds a lot of character. This is catchy and infectious and the atmosphere evokes memories of classic 90s Gothenburg metal - mainstream and accessible enough, but still satisfying to hardcore fans of the genre. Songwriting is solid and well-done, the drumming provides a steady backbone, and while there's nothing here that hasn't been done many times before, the rousing, flashy choruses should be enough to make this an entertaining listen.
-Adam
METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH
10: Unreqvited - Pathway To The Moon
Prophecy Productions
At times ferocious and ominous, other times symphonic and ambient, sometimes fast but most times, slower and peaceful with warm melodies and atmospheres, this post-black album has rich layers and textures, it's a heartwarming journey that will satisfy any fan of Alcest, Harakiri For The Sky and everything ambient and shoegazey.
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10
9: Zero Absolu - La Saignée
AOP Records
Containing members of Alcest and Regarde Les Hommes Tomber, Zero Absolu are the renamed version of Glaciation, and their dreamy atmospheric black metal sits somewhere in between all of those bands. The crystalline guitar shapes of Alcest are present and correct, but Zero Absolu take a much more freeform approach to black metal than Neige's more song-oriented troupe. The artwork of the interior of post-fire Neseblod Records in Oslo (once Euronymous's Helvete) raises a wry smile, the band surely making some mischief here, given the short shrift that their pretty and expansive sound would likely get from the shop's more elitist patrons, but the warped vision of classic black metal that it suggests is not, in fact, so far away from the truth, as the odd furious tremolo line escapes from the twinkling math-rock of much of the first track. The second (and final) song, 'Le Temps Détruit Tout' is the stronger of the two, mixing some angular chord progressions with ambient passages that evoke Paysage D'Hiver, before climaxing with a series of stately cadences with serve to pull the band's amorphous threads together at the last moment. An auspicious start for a band that can ultimately travel to just about wherever they wish in the future.
-Benjamin
MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10
8: The Great Old Ones - Kadath
Season Of Mist
This French group has always been in an odd spot where they're clearly a part of the "mainstream underground" - signed to Season of Mist, tour with some bigger bands fairly regularly and have a substantial following on social media (almost 30k on Facebook) - but I never see them talked about in the online circles I frequent. Maybe it's because I'm in North America and all of their activities, live shows etc are in Europe? Hard to say.
Regardless, they're awesome and definitely deserve more recognition across the pond. Their brand of post-black metal is multifaceted and riffy, but generates just as much ethereal atmosphere as bands that lean more on repetitive hypnosis (Altar of Plagues, Forteresse, Harakiri for the Sky). Their dynamic song construction that includes many different motifs makes for a style that you don't get bored of easily, and the Lovecraftian angle, while not the most original conceptual theme, is a bit less explored in this subgenre, and it fits well.
Previous albums have the downside of too much exploration and not enough focused riffing, but Kadath strikes a better balance. While it still meanders a fair amount, there's more of a destination and the payoff is extra satisfying. We'll have to wait and see how this stacks up with the rest of the 2025 releases, and I wouldn't call this an immediate AOTY contender - but The Great Old Ones have a strong first volley for the year, and have an album that rewards repeated listens and also has a fair amount of surface appeal.
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.3/10
7: Hazzerd - The 3rd Dimension
M-Theory Audio
Super varied thrash, with virtuoso technicality, and a great sense of melody. Here you get fast and aggressive songs, yes, but always with a lot of dynamics and never forgetting about musicality! Dylan Westendorp on drums and vocals brings a lot of these dynamics, he is comfortable with going crazy fast but he easily pulls back and lets the guitars be the hero, and trust me, they are, with a healthy dose of meaty riffs and incredible soloing. Vocally he has a raspy and high pitch aggressive shout/scream that pumps you up and makes me crave a Pabst blue ribbon. No, just kidding, ew.
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.4/10
6: Grafjammer - De Tyfus, De Teerling
Folter Records
Dutch black punks Grafjammer are back with their fourth full-length album and with this the stories about Dutch history, religious insanity and destruction continue. The band hasn't changed much since the last album De Zoute Kwel but you can find some surprises in songs like "Bertken" or "Rampokker". If you like a casual mixture of traditional black metal combined with a lot of Celtic Frost and some punk riffs, you can't go wrong with this.
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
5: FaithXtractor - Loathing & The Noose
Redefining Darkness Records
I almost passed on this one, because of that stupid name, (which I now realize is pronounced faith extractor but I still read it as faith X tractor) and thank the lords of metal I did not! This is high quality death metal that sounds massive, incredibly precise, with a good amount of variety, going from fast paced brutality to slower, almost death/doom territories but always with impeccable riffing and shredding solos left and right. Death metal starts strong this year!
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
4: Disrupted - Stinking Death
Independent
Everybody who is into Swedish death metal should get all ears on this. It's old school as fuck. On Stinking Death early Dismember, Entombed are the main influences, with some Grave in the rougher parts. This album wears its inspiration on its sleeve and classifying it as a "worship album" is appropriate.
Has it ever steered you wrong before though? Didn't think so. Get your ears chopped off by this stinking album, you won't regret it. Only the unpolished and super rough sound (in comparison to Dismember or Entombed) might be a little bit unpleasant for the more pampered listener.
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
3: Harakiri For The Sky - Scorched Earth
AOP Records
These Austrian boys are truly the masters of making intense but beautiful and super sad post-black metal. Every song delves in heavy subjects like depression, suicide and grief all accompanied by sad melodies with impeccable production. Michael Kogler aka J.J. has a distinctive screamed howling that perfectly conveys all of the pain described in the songs. The first thing that might turn off black metal fans is the production, it's a modern sounding record, nothing is out of place, every instrument sounds crystal clear and massive. As is the case for all their previous albums, it's a long one, an hour and eight minutes of moody and atmospheric post-black that is as beautiful as it is emotional.
-Raphael
Scorched Earth has a nice intense atmosphere to it. It shows a band playing blackened post-metal to good effect. There is an admirable harsh tone that enhances the emotional impact in a way that makes it an early standout for 2025 releases. Scathing guitars and strong vocals come together to create an expressive work.
-Adam
I must say I never cared too much about Harakiri For The Sky until I heard the hype about this album. That was a big mistake because this is great! On their sixth full-length album, so much happens that it is really hard to describe in a few lines. Eruptive outbursts full of desperation and hate go hand in hand with melancholic piano tunes and in many moments there also is this underlying hope, a feeling you can get redeemed from your own personal Weltschmerz. The tremolo-picking is dominant but in some lighter moments you will find some catchiness shining through the dystopian music. This is a really great example of how post-black metal can turn out great instead of getting lost into too many different emotions.
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.7/10
2: Lunar - Tempora Mutantur
Saibot Reigns
The artwork for Tempora Mutantur, Lunar's fourth full-length, suggests that we are to be treated to some folky black metal, or perhaps something more traditional in the vein of Argus or Slough Feg. It is, therefore, a surprise, when the pure prog of opening track 'A Summer To Forget' channels Van Der Graaf Generator and Yes, before transitioning into a form of progressive death metal that alternates between slamming thrash riffs, and ornate flights of fancy that transport the listener to something far beyond the satellite of the Earth that their name invokes. Perhaps the nearest comparison is Still Life-era Opeth. Lunar's use of unconventional chord voicings, combined with classical metal phrasing is reminiscent of the Swedes at their most metallic, although it doesn't truly capture Lunar's broader reference points, and their tendency to dive much deeper into the progressive side of their music, as well as their more straightforward vocal melodies, such as the soraing 'Weakening Winter Touch'. In fact, this song and others recall early Dream Theater, particularly in the lengthy interplay between the guitars and keys, albeit without some of the more off-putting elements of that rather polarising group. Regardless of who Lunar remind the listener of at various points, what makes Tempora Mutantur so addictive is that it ultimately transcends its obvious influences, bringing something fresh, timeless, and grandiose, but not overly pompous. This may not be January's heaviest album, but it's certainly the record that this listener has returned to most often this month.
-Benjamin
MetalBite's Rating: 8.8/10
1: Fleshbore - Painted Paradise
Transcending Obscurity Records
High quality technical death metal jammed pack with riffs after riffs, intricate bass lines, precise and powerful drums and a beast of a vocalist, doing Archspire style, rapid fire growled lines sometimes going slower, sometimes doing incredibly low, brutal death demon growls other times doing high pitch snarls. Musically it follows the eclectic vocal performance with more melodic and even catchy guitar chorus and then pummels you to the ground with a groovy, brutal death breakdown. The whole album has a real progressive side, with complex and melodic soloing and full of "djenty" grooves. The cover art, a beautiful digital art by Mark Erskine, depicts a tranquil scenery that makes you think this album doesn't sound like a hellish whirlwind of technicality and brutality but, thankfully, it does sound like that!
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 9/10
As always, thank you for checking out our lists! If you'd like to backtrack your way into 2024, here's the link to December's Album of the Month list, which links to all the previous year's lists, which you can slowly go down the rabbit hole of all the way back to 2021, when this column began. Happy digging!
And, of course, Follow MetalBite on Facebook, Spotify and Instagram so you can be there right when the next Top 10 list drops!
Entered: 2/24/2025 3:22:47 PM
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MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month - March 2025
Welcome back to MetalBite's Top 10 Albums of the Month! We're a little late on the draw for this one, sorry to keep all you eager readers waiting. We'll be back more swiftly with April's list.
No time for a long preamble, let's dive right in.
-Nate
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Aversed - Erasure Of Color
M-Theory Audio
It can be tough to dial in the right mix of elements with a progressive/melodic death album - especially when Arch Enemy, The Agonist and At the Gates are listed as comparables on metal-archives. That shows some of the faults of the "similar artists" tab - this doesn't really have a lot of pop melodeath or metalcore tendencies, but it's also got a bit more modernity to its flavour than, say, Dawn of Ouroboros, who arrive at a similar endpoint with different building blocks. There's a lot of contrasting elements in this, and at times it feels like Erasure Of Color struggles to form a cohesive thread between them - but it's saved by the strength of the individual performances. Sarah Hartman's vocals (both clean and harsh) are excellent, with a certain tonal ferality to her mid-rasp and a resonant richness to her clean singing. The guitarwork and soloing is well-rounded and professional, and the drums of Jeff Saltzman (Allegaeon, Unflesh, Continuum) are top-notch and on par with some of the bigger names in the tech game right now. It's an amorphous album that isn't totally sure what it wants to be, but it'll keep you listening the whole time as you try to figure it out.
-Nate
Pestifere - There Was Never Light
Ordovician Records
I don't think I've ever seen anyone hype up this Minnesotan black metal act - I can't even remember how I discovered them, but their previous album Hope Misery Death is packed full of awesome riffs once you get past the thin production job, and I've returned to it periodically over the years. This new album, which comes out nine long years after that one, was a pleasant surprise as I was perusing new releases in March.
They shelled out for a better mix this time around, and the riff style is still intact - lots of sharp tremolo riffs with catchy stutter grooves and a strong sense of melody. Perhaps the long wait was due to the members' other, more prominent projects taking priority - current and former members have ties to Sunless, Ritual Ascension, Aberration and Suffering Hour, so this perhaps comes with a higher quality standard than other bands of a similar caliber. There's touches of lush Americana in the acoustic sections, and the carefully crafted, smooth transitions shows that there was a reason a lot of time elapsed in between releases. If Pestifere had fallen off my radar for the past couple of years, this thrust them right back into my sights - There Was Never Light is well worth the wait.
-Nate
Arch Enemy - Blood Dynasty
Century Media
Blood Dynasty balances aggression with melody in fine fashion. The music recalls the best of At the Gates at times, but done in a more mainstream fashion. This is one of the more accessible melodic death metal bands and they go to great lengths to make their songs as appealing as possible. "Paper Tiger" is particularly catchy and will have you singing along. This doesn't really push the genre forward in any way, but it's not like fans of the band were expecting that - it's a solid entry in a lengthy discography.
-Adam
Everlore - Hope And Turmoil
Independent
A power metal band from Finland subverting all expectations? Indeed, far from being the umpteenth Stratovarius/Sonata Arctica knockoff to come out of Scandinavia, Everlore's sophomore Hope And Turmoil is possibly as diverse as an album from the genre can be. The listener can hear influences ranging from Blind Guardian to thrashier acts like Running Wild and even Persuader, with virtuoso lead guitar playing going hand in hand with the explosive drumming to truly give it that extra oomph. The 57-minute playing time can turn out to be a bit too much to stomach in one sitting, and I can't say I'm totally fond of the unimpressive vocals, but anyone who has even a passing interest in power metal is guaranteed to find at least something to like. At the very least, 'Kingdom Of One' and 'Inferno' are warmly recommended to anyone curious to check out the band.
-Greg
Cryptosis - Celestial Death
Century Media Records
After a symphonic and atmospheric instrumental intro, "Faceless Matter" offers a technically dizzying performance, especially on the drumming side. For those who listened to their 2023 EP, The Silent Call, they already showed they were expanding their sound to venture into more extreme territories and already on this song, the riffs have a much colder feel. "The Silent Call" (Version 2024) is a rerecording of the EP's title track and after a few seconds of blackened chords with an atmospheric melody in the back, they hit you with an assault of blast beats. Ascending cranks up the technicality as well as the melody with a modern, Emperor sounding backtracks. The thrash metal is still there, but takes more of a backseat, letting the blackened influences fully take its place and adding a good dose of extremity. It's a big change but I think they succeeded in applying this stylistic turn seamlessly, taking their mechanical sci-fi world to the next logical level, exploring the cold and empty expanses of space.
-Raphael
Disarmonia Mundi - The Dormant Stranger
Coroner Records
This is not something I was expecting to add to this list considering I gave this new album a whim purely out of nostalgia. Melodeath was a key part of my musical development in my early teens as I graduated from my "gateway bands" such as Alexisonfire, Underoath, Killswitch Engage and As I Lay Dying in the mid-to-late-00s and started to explore the wider world of metal. Scar Symmetry was a favorite from back then, Into Eternity, Soiilwork and In Flames were in heavy rotation. Disarmonia Mundi, in particular the Fragments Of D-Generation album, was a part of this transitory period in my life, but it's been at least over a decade since I gave them a proper listen - so when I saw they had a new album out I figured why the hell not give it a go.
But here's the thing…this actually slaps? It's as close as you can get to pop music within the realm of metal, but within that paradigm it's incredibly well done. Sure, it's got your stock verse/chorus x2, bridge, final chorus format, but the verse riffs are groovy and get the blood pumping, the choruses hook onto your brain like leeches, and the production on this is immaculate - thick, well-rounded and polished to perfection in a genre where it's okay to have such a glossy, modern sound. I did not expect to be this riveted by a modern pop melodeath album, but this was a pleasant surprise on all fronts. I really hope that artwork isn't AI generated (you never really know these days), but mediocre aesthetic aside, this is absolutely worth a listen even if the genre isn't normally your thing.
-Nate
Trold - I Skovens Rige
Mighty Music
As you press play you step in a magical forest, along with the sounds of a stream of water and birds chirping, you get velkommen to a fun adventure with five Dannish trolls that will be your drinking buddies for the next 47 minutes of riffs, Nordic folk and infectious melodies. Trold do not reinvent the wheel, they perfected it, playing folk metal better than anyone in the world, let me tell you! (Sorry, I am writing this on April third, I have a certain orange psycho on my mind) So buckle up, open a cold beer and dive into a mysterious forest full of trolls, folk melodies and tight extreme metal.
-Raphael
Dessiderium - Keys To The Palace
Willowtip Records
There's a small sub-sectrion of technical death metal that is very…joyous. Uplifting. I feel like we need a new name for it - "technical life metal" perhaps? This certainly doesn't make me dwell on the futility of my existence, nor pulverize my ears into oblivion. This is downright happy. This makes me want to walk in nature on a bright summer day, read a fantasy novel, and review my weekly goals.
This is by no means a bad thing - just don't expect to get what you usually do out of this style of music. Even Ophidian I, who have a similar level of upbeat melodiousness, are much more frenetic and zippy than Keys To The Palace. This covers a wide range of themes in a very storybook-like fashion - "A Dream That Wants Me Dead" is a gradual, deliberate ballad, the soulful clean singing is about as frequent as the harsh vocals, and there's endless layers of synth work and a wide array of guitar techniques all arranged by mastermind Alex Haddad (Arkaik, Atheist and a handful of others). This is very multifaceted for a solo project, and it'll take you on a gorgeous, enlightening journey. It's definitely the type of album that's going to appeal to prog fans as opposed to the brutal death enthusiasts, but hey, even extremophiles need a break every now and then.
-Nate
Ade - Supplicium
Time To Kill Records
Someone should introduce Rome's death metal band Ade to Elon Musk, since he seems like a big fan of the roman empire and their "salute". Joking aside, Ade offers us a refreshing take on classic death metal from the underworld, infusing it with traditional Greek music (because just like their mythology, it wouldn't be a proper empire without them taking other people's shit). Anyhow, the fusion of brutal riffs, blast beats, super low growled vocals and various traditional lyres, aerophones and percussions, adding an extra layer of sounds, gives the album an impeccable epic atmosphere. Comparisons to Nile are inevitable and while totally apt, the themes and sounds are different enough to make it a completely unique listening experience.
-Raphael
Lady Beast - The Inner Alchemist
Dying Victims Productions
Prepare to enter a magical and mysterious world, filled with melodies, heavy riffs and a commanding vocal performance courtesy of Deborah Levine's powerful mastery of her vocal cords. During these lean 36 minutes of pure heavy metal, you will headbang hard to the heavy riffs, tap your fingers along with the shredding solos and sing your heart out with Deborah. And has usual, impeccable sounding production from Dying Victims!
-Raphael
Symbiotic Growth - Beyond The Sleepless Aether
Independent
Sudbury is a small town towards the north end of Ontario with a harsh climate - perfect qualities for an extreme metal incubator. There aren't a ton of bands that come out of this area, but the ones that do - Finnr's Cane, Beyond Within, Fractal Generator - are worth a listen. Symbiotic Growth is a healthy addition to this list, featuring Dan Favot of Fractal Generator on drums for an extra bit of quality assurance. Where Fractal creates an alien, cold and unfeeling atmosphere, this project feels warm and earthy, like the first signs of plant life peeking through the cracks of a post-apocalyptic world. The proggy take on black metal brings newer Enslaved to mind, particularly in the clean vocals, and there's a hint of more restrained Beyond Creation motifs in some of the guitar lines. Even with the occasional parallels to tech-death, Beyond The Sleepless Aether is an album that prioritizes songcraft over showmanship, with a lot of radiant, uplifting crescendos that create a powerful aura and a strong sense of satisfaction when the songs near completion. This album is over an hour, but it's time well spent, striking the balance between having long-form songwriting with enough garnishes sprinkled about to keep your attention.
-Nate
Cradle Of Filth - The Screaming Of The Valkyries
Napalm Records
When Valkyries appear, it usually isn't the best sign. In line with these dark days Cradle Of Filth have chosen this title for their 16th (!) regular studio album. Although there isn't anything groundbreaking, the songs are really well composed. Highly melodic, paired with Dani's rapid-fire vocals and the typical Cradle Of Filth guitars and keyboards- it's vastly superior to their 00s material. They have been in a groove since Hammer Of The Witches which seemed to be a turning point in their discography. With "Non Omnis Moriar" they have a black metal semi-ballad on board, and the female vocals complement that song in a very emotional way. The Screaming Of The Valkyries isn't the best album in their career but it's a strong addition to their lengthy back catalogue.
-Michael
METALBITE'S TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH
10: Hexecutor - …Where Spirits Withers In Its Flesh Constraint
Dying Victims Productions
Wow, what a tricky title for such a tricky album. Compared to its predecessor Beyond Any Human Conception Of Its Knowledge… this is much bulkier and more difficult to explore. The trademarks that made the last album are still there, but more progressive and with a lot more technical finesse. The vocals arestill high-pitched and aggressive like a barking terrier, reminiscent of black thrash. But all the other stuff happening around that – the melodies, the guitar solos, the drumming – is much more traditional thrash metal than before. The overwhelming density makes it a bit of a grower but once you get into it, you won't be disappointed.
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
9: Nite - Cult Of The Serpent Sun
Season Of Mist
Let's have a fun Nite out (sorry) and party with the deliciously blackened heavy metal of Nite's new album Cult Of The Serpent Sun, filed with infectious grooves, melodic leads as far as the ear can hear and a perfect blackened atmosphere, brilliantly helmed by a ferocious vocal performance, adding just the right amount of extremity! Every song is a hit and has something unique to offer, making these 37 minutes pass so quickly you'll hit replay immediately!
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
8: Shrine Of Denial - I, Moloch
Transcending Obscurity
Turkey has an underrated metal scene. Whether it's deathcore (Devoured Elysium), brutal death (Molested Divinity), Transcending Obscurity label-mates (Serpent Of Old), or just one of Mustafa Gürcalioğlu's eight jillion bands (Diabolizer, Engulfed, Hyperdontia), there's something in the water that gives the riffs that come out of there a very distinct flavor. Shrine Of Denial has all of those characteristics - there's a blackened edge that adds melody while being no less menacing, a level of intricacy to the riffs that never crosses the bridge into modern tech, but still requires an adept guitarist to execute, and a rich, meaty production with some lingering bite that drives every riff into your brain. The drummer is excellent, capable of playing at blazing speeds while retaining a solid groove, and the strained, ragged shouts are just the icing on an already delicious cake. There are some seasoned veterans playing on this, which makes sense - this is way too good to be a debut. And yet, it is!
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.5/10
7: Scalpture - Landkrieg
Testimony Records
Sadly, war being a constant in human history, it is always a relevant subject matter and what better genre than metal to convey these horrors beyond comprehension. The backbone of Landkrieg is a classic, Boss HM-2 enthusiast, death metal but with so many twists and turns that it sounds 100% new and unique. Throughout the heavy and often groovy riffs, melody often peaks out, making things really dynamic. Though, it is by no means a melodic death record, it is pure osdm, they only use melody and atmosphere sparingly making for a unique experience. Add to this the wonderful lyrics about Germany's 30 years' war (1618 – 1648) and you have a compelling narrative accompanied by incredible death metal plus it's not a mindless war worship, "Cannot the conflict end now?, With a Protestant defeat, A Catholic victory, And the Danish king's retreat, With a realm in ruins, In debts, in misery?, Yet this game became, A winning industry, Thus, conflict must proceed, And proceed" As their bandcamp page beautifully say "Although the Germans have chosen war as their main subject, Scalpture embrace modern values such as tolerance, peace, and reason." And to top all of this, the cover art is one of the best I've seen in a while!
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.6/10
6: Dawn Of Ouroboros - Bioluminescence
Prosthetic Records
From the first second of Bioluminescence, you are hit with a full blackened fury and after 30 seconds of pummeling, it abruptly becomes soft, with Chelsea Murphy's delicate voice enveloping you in a warm atmosphere. But just as you start to feel safe, she hits you with brutal growled vocals, straight from the underworld. For the next 48 minutes, Dawn Of Ouroboros takes us on a roller coaster of progressive technicality and songwriting, sheer black and death metal brutality and warm post-black atmospheres. Switching effortlessly between softness and pure brutality, Chelsea can summon the deepest guttural death growls, switch to a blackened screaming banshee and then hits you with soft jazz to soothe your ears. If you like extreme metal to be progressive, brutal and yet, who can also be soft and overflowing with warm atmospheres, Dawn Of Ouroboros is the band you need.
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 8.7/10
5: Teitanblood - From The Visceral Abyss
Norma Evangeluim Diaboli
One of those bands that always seems to find a way to place themselves on the cutting edge of extremity. Though they've opted for a cleaner production sound this time around, they have not sacrificed any amount of viciousness - if anything, it only sharpens the edge they use to carve up your skull. Even as Teitanblood refines, expands and broadens their approach, they maintain their status as one of the most thrilling and wild band you can experience in the bestial war metal realm - there aren't many other bands that can consistently create that boundless giddy feeling you have when you're first getting into extreme metal and feel like there's a whole new world at your fingertips. Picking apart the pieces of the cacophony spoils the surprise - if you've never heard this band, all I need to tell you is that they're the soundtrack to spiraling downward through all seven layers of hell. Are you brave enough to take the plunge?
-Nate
MetalBite's Rating: 8.7/10
4: Warbringer - Wrath And Ruin
Napalm Records
Germany gave us teutonic thrash metal, putting the US in its place, being the clearly superior form of thrash! (I know, I know, Slayer exists) But in the mid 2000's, the US hit back with bands like Havok and today's subject, Warbringer. Wrath And Ruin continues their domination with flawless sounding, aggressive and technical thrash and John Kevill's equally powerful pen. First of all, one of the many ways this album shines is brutally honest lyrics, showing a perfect awareness of our dystopian time: "I don't think a change is something I'll live to see, I'm far more realistic, no longer I dreamI swallow my drugs to silence a scream, I keep myself sedated, no longer do I dream, of another world". I understand being pessimistic about the future, we all cope like we can but I will always believe a better world is possible, Warbringer certainly makes it better! The best way of dealing with this enormous feeling of doom is to organize in your community and what better community than all of the metalheads around the world! Back to Warbringer, Kevill also expresses the mental burden of being an American, clearly aware of what his nation does on the daily: "It's just how it is, Don't think about why, Another day goes by, a strike from the sky, The orders are made, The jets soar on high, Someone becomes a crater, On Earth's other side". Musically we get powerful, varied and often fast paced thrash. Filled with classic heavy thrash breakdowns, heavy riffs, crazy solos and a classic, "Angel Of Death", high pitch long scream on "Strike From The Sky"! One or the other notable high moments on the album is the epic "Cage Of Air". Soft classic guitar notes begin slowly and culminate in a fast, almost blackened, drum crescendo that leads to a fast paced and heavy thrash riff. It almost feels claustrophobic and you get a feeling of urgency in the music, it pairs perfectly with the lyrical content: "One second, one minute, one year, The future disappears, My value extracted, my blood is spent, I'm free to choose how I cough up the rent, I see no walls around me, But the bars are always there, Surrounding me, I'm trapped, I'm trapped, Inside a cage of air". This perfectly depicts the living situation of almost everybody, trapped in work and bills, seemingly free, but in the end, not really. Capitalism truly has a way of enslaving people, in ways not immediately apparent. Also, I love the cover art, as a big In Flames fan, it reminds me of the classic album "The Jester Race"!
-Raphael
2025 sees Warbringer finally, finally cement themselves as one of modern thrash's all-time best bands. Wrath And Ruin, the quintet's 7th full-length, is the culmination of everything they've done so far in a compact, yet deflagrating package. The last two albums were already their most diverse collections of songs to date – even if I'm likely the only one not truly impressed by Weapons Of Tomorrow – but this is easily their most mature, taking the best of both worlds and showing once again how far they've come in these two decades. Add John Kevill's most ferocious performance so far, and the obvious talents of the whole lineup, and you get the picture. 'A Better World' is a song for the ages, with its disillusioned message striking a chord as well, while 'Through A Glass, Darkly' and 'The Last Of My Kind' offer all the melodic detours you need without attempting another half-ballad, but song here ultimately ends up below excellence. A milestone in their career.
-Greg
MetalBite's Rating: 8.8/10
3: Drudkh - Shadow Play
Season Of Mist Underground Activists
Once again, Drudkh tells us a sad story from their war-ridden home-country Ukraine. And just like on the 2022 album All Belong To The Night Roman Saenko has created some very unique and emotional music. Kicking off with a long acoustic intro, a furious thunderstorm breaks out with the first proper song ("April"). This is some really melodic but harsh black metal where you can hear both – the hatred but also the fragility – in the music. The use of an acoustic guitar gives that song a very emotional touch, and the other four tracks are similarly composed. A lot of keyboards are used to create a warm and pensive atmosphere and just when you get comfortable, black metal outbursts transform the song. Nothing is safe, nothing is reliable and like Fox Mulder once said: "trust no one"
-Michael
MetalBite's Rating: 9/10
2: Imperial Triumphant - Goldstar
Century Media Records
I have to admit, I never got into Imperial Triumphant dissonant brand of black and death, maybe because their last three albums were almost an hour long and it was more than I could digest, or the masks were too gimmicky, either way, after listening to Goldstar I almost feel bad for having shunned this truly unique and amazing band all of these years. One of the major reasons this was the album that made me like them, I think, is the fact that it's their most "accessible" album to date. I put accessible in quotes because it is still very much a jazz infused avant garde black death metal album. What makes it accessible is that it is now an efficient 39 minutes and has plenty of little moments where melody peeks out of this dissonant whirlwind of highly controlled technical chaos. The bass is funky and groovy, the drums sound crisp, precise and extremely technical, the riffs are always super dissonant going from heavy and rhythmic chugs, to blackened, atmospheric tremolo pickings. New York is everywhere around this album, from the distant police sirens, the old New York jazz (the drum solos from none other than Dave Lombardo and Tomas Haake is mind-blowing), to the lyrics (the song Lexington Delirium is literally about the Chrysler building: "What brings posterity?, Throne of Bolts!, Ziggurats flooding the, Throne of Bolts!, Blessings upon thee, Throne of Bolts!, Inside the womb of, Ferrissian void"). I don't know who writes the lyrics but he sure does have a way with the pen! Just beautifully constructed phrases with a lot of social commentary. The aptly titled "Industry Of Misery" for example: "At the banks, Thou shall kneel!, Of the river, Thy soul be filled, Third world!, Now beg for it, I love you, Servitude, Debt be the gatekeeper", referencing the unequal exchange that has decimated the global South, truly profound stuff! I just can't get over how good Goldstar is, from the short 47 seconds grindcore blast of "NEWYORKCITY", featuring the howling screams of Yoshiko Ohara to the roaring 20s gramophone short interlude, that acts like a small pause before an increasingly fast drum crescendo leads to groovy, dissonant and heavy chugs, everything works to make this masterpiece so unique and memorable!
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 9/10
1: Deafheaven - Lonely People With Power
Roadrunner Records
Deafheaven's previous record was their "Shelter", all Alcest fans will understand, it was mainly a dream pop infused post rock album with a few rare moments of George Clarke's howling screams, hinting that the black part of their particular blackgaze style is still there, somewhere. Fast-forward to the present and Deafheaven are back with Lonely People with Power and after a quick, a bit unsettling intro, setting a certain vibe, Doberman begins and right there, Deafheaven makes a statement, we are back! Starting as a classic mid-tempo blackgaze emotional section, it's not long George Clarke starts to scream and the music gets more intense. Full intensity blackened blast beats that show Daniel Tracy's immense talent on the kit. For an hour and 2 minutes, Deafheaven takes you through their entire career, even their colder, more atmospheric black metal sound. Some of the tracks on here are straight headbangers, tracks like "Magnolia" and "Revelator" are some of the heaviest Deafheaven have sounded, period. But fear not, the warm melodies and atmospheres of shoegaze is everywhere on the album, with all of the emotional post rock buildups you can wish for. Musically and lyrically, this album is filled with a deep sense of vulnerability, sadness and questioning. Why me? Why all of this suffering: "Trembling weakness is what haunts us now,, Inside the windows, What once made us proud, I owned everything thought to be suicidal mania, I was everything taught to me, Drinking deeply, The truth of my grief, But what else could be?". Pain is such a deep well of inspiration, combined with beautiful melodies and impressive instrumental performance (Chris Johnson's bass complements the drums, for a dynamic rhythm section) and when George Clarke screams words like: "Drinking silver from a dim spring of, mercury, On the outskirts of a desert, The lifeless slither, Still we seek thirsting and wandering" it merges the raw emotions of the words with the equally emotive, warm melodies of the guitars. So, Lonely People With Power is a testament of Deafheaven's supremacy of the blackgaze subgenre, after fifteen years, they're still one of the best at it. When the album finishes, you feel a sense of catharsis, like right after a good cry. I can already tell it will be on my end of the year list!
-Raphael
MetalBite's Rating: 9.2/10
Thanks as always for stopping by. In case you missed it, check out February 2025 and January 2025's top 10 list while it's still manageable and you don't fall too far behind.
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Entered: 5/4/2025 9:54:39 AM
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