this years highlights for me
the new nachtmystium album the silencing machine album is pretty good.
Merrimack's the acausal mass album was kinda a new direction for them but was a solid slab of black metal i throughly enjoyed
Mgla: with hearts towards none blew me away for some reason it really just clicked with me.
Adversarial / Antediluvian split was epic.
Atriarch / Alaric split was good as well
Aldebaren: embracing the lightless depths a lot of people are panning this album and i dont really see why. sure it is not the new evoken, but it isnt intended to be either. this is solid well played funeral doom. but hey what do i know...
Ignivomous: contragenesis is a killer slab of deathmetal goodness.
Funebrarum / undergang split is killer tho short
deathspell omega: drought was a nice continuation of there last albums swirling miasma of sound
evoken: atra mors
still lving the mutilation rites full length and i am legend ep

and really looking forward to the new Ash borer full length and Indesinence album from profound lore.anticipating that both will be strong contenders for end of the year highlights as well

My slow ass just realized a new Striker album came out last month. After a listen and a half I'd say it's not as good as Eyes in the Night, which was my AOTY for 2010, and it's really backloaded, with the last four or five songs just ripping face whereas the first half flops between awesome and ehhhh. I maintain that if you like/want this retro heavy metal stuff, there are very few bands that can contend with Striker.

Also, tell me this album cover wasn't designed by a very awesome 8 year old:

Has anybody heard the new Sventoyar (Свентояр) album "Our Strength", I'm definitely into this kind of folk metal. (Good) female and male vocals, no generic guitarwork, etc.

Conan's "Monnos" is definitely a contender for doom album of the year!

Looks like something out of Calvin's imagination. Haha

Yeah, I've been looking forward to this for a while.. time got away from me as well. I figured it was coming out this month until I read your post. So I know now what I'll be listening to for the rest of the day.

I couldn't finish my second listen of Ash Borer. That makes me sad. On the other hand, that Chrome Waves album is really great. I put it on and it just washed over me. It plays, makes it's point, and ends. I'm not sure if I like the fact that it seems so short or if I wish it was longer but every track is a winner, the opening one two punch in particular.

Yeah, great album. The Chrome Waves, not the Ash Borer.

It really is, and it deserves more attention. I'm really bummed that Ash Borer got so boring though.

Not sure if I mentioned it here already but I really liked "Journey to Infinity" by Infinitas. I'm still fairly new to the "blackgaze" stuff but out of the bands Ive herd this album is a lot more consistent, where a lot of others have one or two good songs and the rest I dont really care for. This was the most outstanding track but the rest was still good.

Herman Frank "Right In The Guts" was a really good traditional heavy metal album.

Glad I decided to get Pallbearer's "Sorrow And Extinction", with Anhedonist and Horse Latitudes I kind of got my fill of doom metal for the year but Pallbearer turned out to be a worthy addition to the pile.

Diablo Swing Orchestra "Pandora's Piñata" Some fun stuff on this album, but I really hate the songs that had the male lead vocalist. They were just pathetic and pointless in comparison to their female vocalist.

I agree with all the Chrome Waves love. They know exactly what the fuck they want to do, and they set out to do it. I'm actually rather glad it's kinda short. I'd take a short release over a long and overwrought one anyday.

Also, Mare Cognitum's An Extraconscious Lucidity is incredibly amazing. It's vaguely similar to Krallice but more multi-faceted and heavy-hitting. Best of all, it's free!

The new Striker is classy stuff.

On another note, when did Katatonia start sounding like a depressed Linkin Park? I missed their last two albums but listening to the new one I didn't miss much.

Yeah just got my chrome waves lp in the mail. I am enjoying it thoroughly, good purchase. Need to give more listens to some other releases I have purchased like the new Testament and Cattle Decapitation... so far really liking the latter.. the Testament may be a grower.

Good you mentioned Chrome Waves, just listened to them and ordered the EP right away. The beginning and the drumming of "Height Of The Rifles" in general reminds me very much of Drudkh, which is always a good thing.

It's not out yet, but judging from the track on Youtube and on Drakkar Productions Radio, I have quite some confidence that I will really like the new Mystic Forest album "In The End...", which will be available in digifile format on 20 August.

Forming a Top 10 is gonna be hard this year. Unlike 2011, there just isn't a lot of great stuff this time. So far, all I really liked was the new Black Majesty, Anathema, Rush, The Slow Death, Delain, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Sonata Arctica, Pharaoh, Xandria, Accept...

Guess I lied. There's my Top 10.

Still, nothing's gotten me as giddy and excited this year like last year's Nightwish or Battle Beast or Hell.

Hellwell - Beyond the Boundaries of Sin
Pharaoh - Bury the Light
Sonata Arctica - Stones Grow Her Name
Delain - We Are the Others
Degial - Death's Striking Wings
Black Majesty - Stargazer
Bound By Entrails - The Stars Bode You Farewell
Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

Aside from the first three there's really no order to this list. Everything else is about on the same level of greatness. Still got to hear the new Threshold and Kamelot though...

Awesome band.

Katatonia's new album(not the only one, just most current 2012 one I'm giving a go)

Dead End Kings is actually really good in my opinion although my taste is very different from the majority here(Even if I am a fan of black/death/folk you name it). The first 2 or 3 listens through I really wasn't sure and disliked the majority except for a few songs. But it's an album that really grows on you(for me anyway) and now it's becoming on of my favorites of the year.

Also that Bound by Entrails album, same thing. First 3 listens, sounded like generic Ihsahn esque(not generic but like Ihsahn is what I mean) extreme progressive type stuff. But after the 4th, 5th and whatever number I'm on now it really sinks in as a beautiful piece of art that expresses itself and is way more original than I took it for at first.

Diablo Swing Orchestra - Pandora's Piñata
Meshuggah - Koloss
Ne Obliviscaris - Portal of I
Sigh - In Somniphobia

There will certainly be more on the list eventually, but these are my top picks of the albums from this year that I've given a thorough listen to.

Yeah new Katatonia rules.

Me too, but what're you gonna do. Maybe the next record will be better.


Yeah, I'm a bit fanboyish at this point but this album grew on me pretty quickly.


Another good one. If free is your cup-o-tea, I'd definitely add the new Galaktik Cancer Squad "Celestia"

Om - Advaitic Songs
Panopticon - Kentucky
Conan - Monnos
Anathema - Weather Systems
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Be'lakor - Of Breath & Bone
Paradise Lost - Tragic Idol
Dawnbringer - Into The Lair of The Sun God
Elysian Blaze - Blood Geometry
Gojira - L'enfant Sauvage

Slowly forming some sort of top 10 here, haven't really been able to piece together any sort of ranking yet. Pseudogod's debut, the new Vintersorg, The Slow Death, and Miseration deserve honourable mentions as well.

I already know that one, hah. I liked their (his) previous album Strange Spheres of Hyperborea more, but both are excellent nonetheless. That guy churns out some of the catchiest melodies I've heard in BM.

Fans of Anaal Nathrakh/Fukpig would do well to check out the new Hopelorn EP. It can be downloaded free from their bandcamp.
hopelorn.bandcamp.com/album/tuonen-musta-joki-virtaa-syd-mess-ni

Ooooh, still need to check out that Hellwell album.

If I've not inevitably mentioned them already, I've also thoroughly enjoyed;

A Forest of Stars - A Shadowplay for Yesterdays: thoroughly unique, bespoke black-metal with a deep beauty - a band which I knew instantly that I'd be a huge fan of after minutes of seeing them live.

Dalla Nebbia - Thy Pale Form... : The atmosphere and unique sounds which this EP contains really took me by surprise, and I enjoyed it a lot - there are some fantastic moments of synth and guitar working together.

Nekromantheon - Rise, Vulcan Spectre: I'll always enjoy dark, slightly rough-around-the-edges thrash/black-thrash, but throw Greek Myth into the recipe and I'm sold on the idea.

Testament - Dark Roots of Earth: Testament were, I think, either the third or fourth metal band I was ever into, and this album doesn't disappoint - it's got everything which made me love the band to begin with, but isn't too derivative of the band's back catalogue.

That Nekromantheon is sick for sure.

Be'lakor - Of Breath and Bone. Best Melodeath album this year.

Upon first listen to the new Khors; All kinds of awesome right here, despite being the shortest outing from them yet. The songs are absolutely majestic, picks up right where Return to Abandoned left off with the glorious synthy atmosphere, phenomenal guitar work (the solo in "The Last Leaves" is stunning, absolute definition of "epic") and catchy melodies. This will more than likely break my top 25, if not my top 10. I don't think I'd say it quite tops Return to Abandoned and I am slightly disappointed that the ethereal synth solos didn't make a return. Wisdom Of Centuries seems to take a more atmospheric approach and really strives for a more astral vibe. Regardless, quite a few more listens are definitely in store.

New Dammerfarben is leaked; I like the direction they took, it's much less black metal than before, and half of the tracks aren't even metal.

So far, top 5 would be, in random order:

Heidevolk
Sventoyar
Burzum
Ereb Altor
Dammerfarben

And pretty sure Graveland will add to the list, either with Memory and Destiny Polish rerecording, or his new LP Thunderbolts of the Gods (title borrowed from Manowar?) if it'll come this year. And new Lord Wind is great too.

The new Dammerfarben was indeed nice. Vintervisa in particular was beautiful; wished they had made a whole neofolk album with similar songs like that.

Less Black Metal on Dammerfarben's new album? Not sure i like this news, love the balance on Im Abendrot.

I'll most definitely get it though, thats one of my most anticipated album of the year

the Faceless - Autotheism

Love it.

A kind request from a stranger:

Don't just namedrop bands and albums. Some description would be much appreciated and preferably a genre denominator. Atmospheric and majestic sounds good, but gives very little to someone who doesn't recognize the band name at all.

Has anyone mentioned Wretched's Son of Perdition? I decided to check it out when the album cover caught my eye. MA has it listed as technical death metal/deathcore, but I'd say it's modern melodic death with a progressive/technical flare.
These guys seem to be pretty unsung everywhere I check. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes melodic death metal with breakneck speed or technical death metal with melodic restraint. Think Black Dahlia's Ritual meets Gorod's Perfect Absolution. Lovely stuff.

Hellwell - Beyond the Boundaries of Sin

To me, this is what should have come out after Manilla Road's "The Courts of Chaos", instead of "The Circus Maximus". Heavy metal, mixed with some thrash, and a layer of keyboards underneath/on top (whatever you prefer). It's got that buzz-saw guitar in overdrive, the throbbing basslines, and spastic farting drums that remind of the excellent Randy Foxe. Please don't forget the keyboards either, as they provide some essential tones. Definitely more developed usage of the keyboards than on "The Courts of Chaos" (another reason why I see Hellwell as a sequel to that). Just like 2011's "Playground Of The Damned", I don't get the negative feedback I've been reading in regards to the production. It sounds old-school, and very Manilla Road, which is exactly what I was expecting.

Mgla's With Hearts Toward None is by far the best release of this year, with Marduk - Serpent Sermon and Drudkh - Eternal Turn of the Wheel closely after. I also enjoyed High On Fire's new De Vermis Mysteriis along with Om's Advaitic Songs. Saint Vitus' Lillie-F:65 along with Goatwhore's Blood For the Master with Torture by Cannibal corpse, I didn't care about so much on the other hand.

Drapsnatt - Skelepht was pretty good too and Deathspell Omega's Drought did not disappoint.
Melvins' new, Freak Puke was awesome as awaited. Aura Noir - Out to Die was badass too.

Finished listening to Hellwell today, and I agree: the album is downright awesome.

About the production on the Hellwell album, yeah I agree with MARSDUDE - nothing wrong with it. It's as dirty and uncouth as Mystification or The Courts of Chaos ever sounded. Very good recapturing of an old vintage sound there, plus of course the album is an amazing unified, hypnotic experience of metal.

the new dephosphorus album is really good from first couple of listens, good death/black/grind mix with dissonant influence in the guitars

Frenzy, Ecstasy by Leeches of Lore
Leeches of Lore is kind of like Giant Squid where they blend several different styles into there own unique sound. The best way I can put it is Leeches of Lore is to western, what Giant Squid is to the swamp/coast. This will most likely be in my top 10.

Their bandcamp:
http://leechesoflore.bandcamp.com/releases

Really liked the new Ea, definitely reminiscent of Skepticism though probably a little lighter. Not too much else to say bout it other than just another great addition for what has been a solid year for doom metal. The Ectovoid album sucked more or less more retro dm garbage with laughable dry vocals, I should've guessed it would suck based on the coverart.