Cloud Rat/Moloch Split
The split is a cohesive whole, sort of different respective takes on darkness and futility.
Herida Profunda Profile and Interview
The quartet, split between Poland and the UK, play the kind of grind that I love. That is, they get all in your face and scream their leftist politics, spittle flying.
Caina/Cara Neir – Split
Caina, initially a one man project, now a two man project, and Cara Neir, a two man both play styles of extreme music which are hard to pigeon hole. As this split clearly shows, it doesn’t matter in terms of quality.
MRTVI – Negative Atonal Dissonance
With a broad brush stroke, MRTVI paints a decidedly finite portrait on the ever growing and ever evolving landscape of contemporary black metal.
Lonely Robot – The Big Dream
Prog fans, please come out of the shadows if you haven’t already. Music like The Big Dream should reinforce your conviction to the idea that you were never wrong to love what you love in the first place, the world be damned.
Warcrab – Scars of Aeons
Warcrab gives us a dark, brooding masterpiece without flaw. Too few will hear this album this year, but it will certainly find it’s way high up on my year end list.
Craven Idol – The Shackles of Mammon
This album caught me by surprise, to be honest. I loved the album art from the time I saw it, but wasn’t expecting a sound so uniquely vintage yet contemporary at the same time.
She Must Burn – Grimoire (Review and Interrogation)
Entwining brutality and beauty, with eerie keyboards and unique rhythms, seeming to blend genres with ease.
The Brood – The Truth Behind
Death-grind, black metal, and crust all jump into the mix to create an abysmal groove that will have your head banging and the pit churning in no time.
Fen – Winter
My favorite albums are ones that present a cohesive vision and Fen have certainly delivered this in spades.