Asphyx - wow. I feel like I'm back in 1993.

thanks for the recommendation, this album slays! best i've heard so far this year.

Ahnengrab - Omen

Wicked cover art!


I'm serious, this is one of the best pagan / melodic black metal album's I've ever heard. Very energetic, very upbeat, and the riffs are fucking awesome. Holy hell, this is a catchy, well-produced, well-written album.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lguVuBEHSwg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLJ19qm9utY

It'll be hard for future 2012 albums to top this beast.

Yeah, it's pretty damn good. I'd probably give it something in the low 80's, but I haven't paid enough listens to it yet.

Looks cool enough to warrant a listen.

wow. Kind of what i wished the new Black Messiah album sounded like. Too bad they went with a drinking metal band sound like Korpikalani.

Mgla - With Hearts Toward None is really shaping up nicely. I've spun it a few times and i am really digging it. They didn't really mess with the template too much as all of the good elements are there from the hypnotic, cyclical riffs and varied drum work. Should be a pretty strong contender for BM album of the year.

So far Aborted and Asphyx are crushing my skull. Havnt really had a chance to dive into the new Napalm Death release but from what I have listened to, I really like it.

Creatures- Vesuvius: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPlujoWR8GE

Can't wait for the new God Forbid, 3 Inches of Blood, and Overkill. Damn this year's going to rip.

Witch In Her Tomb- Witch In Her Tomb
Axis of Light- By Hands of Consuming Fire
Obolus- Lament
Rain In Endless Fall- Weald of Introspection
Wylve- Wylve

FANTASTIC year for Raw Black Metal so far.

That was AWESOME! Ordering the album as we speak.

Asphyx-Deathhammer.Enough said.

The new Aborted was dull but what else do you expect with overtriggered and overproduced crap dm? I kinda liked the new Alcest but so far only the new Revenge and Ketzer have really impressed me.

I'm still waiting to receive it and I refuse to listen to it online, but apparently the new Napalm Death is killer.

New Sigh is the best album of the year so far. Vaura's Selenelion comes 2nd.

new asphyx is great, exactly what you expect from them. and got around to listening to the charon album. fucking brilliant album, been on constant rotation since i got a hold of it, top quality stuff!

I liked it. Probably their best since Goremageddon, in my opinion.

New Psycroptic and Beneath The Massacre were pretty good, I reckon. Haven't got much in 2012 yet but I have been impressed so far.

So far, Bury the Light by Pharaoh has been very, very enjoyable. I've not really kept track of what else is being/will be released soon, although I can't wait to listen to the new Ketzer when I can get money and buy it.

I've pretty much just been listening to Bury the Light myself. It's a spectacular album and propels Pharaoh even further into mastering their genre.

I partly enjoyed the new, second Ebonillumini EP, it's the split EP with Worms of Sabnock. I've heard only Ebonillumini side and it's quite similar to their first work, just the psychedelic In The Woods-like post-balck metal.

the new album from brutal melodic death metallers Lay Down Rotten is quite addicting to listen to... for fans of Blood Red Throne, Illdisposed, Kataklysm, Hackneyed...

worth checking out, a track from their last album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVc2J_pSvyA

they just signed with Metal Blade, so you know you're gonna get thick and fine production with this one..

Did they really!? Ah, man. I haven't taken the time to check it out yet and was rather looking forward to it. This news is quite disappointing.

It's not terrible, but I was hoping they would return to the sound on Oath of a Warrior, but they went with a continuation of the sound on First War of the World. They also did a re-recording of "Feld Der Ehre" which seemed pointless. Kind of expected a bit more, oh well.

well, for one, I really liked the new album Eternal Turn of the Wheel, an album by Drudkh. It's pretty good, but not as good as their 2004 release Autumn Aurora... but still, really good stuff. Also I liked Becoming by Abigail Williams.

Add the new Spawn of Possession to the list.

Dodecahedron - Dodecahedron, Asphyx - Deathhammer, Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression, Revenge - Scum.Collapse.Eradication, and Aborted - Global Flatline.

Asphyx - Deathhammer obviously. Seems like this one is going to be in many year-end lists

From fellow dutchmen and Hail of Bullets bandmate (Warby) comes:
The 11th Hour - Lacrima Mortis. Great epic/melodic Doom - Death, with the emphasis on the epic/melodic Doom side. Great riff's, lot's of melancholic leads and solo's and the exchange between the clean vocals by Warby and Pim Blankenstein's deep growls (which fucking rule by the way) works brilliantly.

I thought the new Alcest was good but nowhere near Ecailles de Lune. Bit of a letdown actually. Looking forward to the new Drudkh; gonna check that one out soon.

That Revenge album is such a mess... I dont know if I like it or no. Maybe it requires certain mood, goddamn angry mood.

I was wondering if anyone else had checked this out. It's pretty good, not what I expected, but I definitely liked it.

Well I've finally given that Aborted album a good listen, it has a lot of stuff going for it such as energy, excellent soloing, varied sound styles, a really good modern sound (The drums aren't clicky, or two powerful, while still being very polished, guitars aren't drowned out, if you're going to have a modern brutal/tech death sound, this album would be a good model), varied vocals (Although I don't like any of them a whole lot), minimal deathcore-ness unlike the two prior Aborted albums I've heard. It has so many good elements except for the ever important riffs. THe riffs are purcussive dunadadunadadunada things which deliver energy nicely, but have no real importance in the long run. If the riffs here were actually interesting in their own right I might be talking this up more, but it's a really big thing to be dull at.

I understand what you're saying with the riffs but I think what they did worked for them here, so that's good enough for me.

Yep, 'Utilitarian' for me.

There haven't been too many 2012 releases that I've been interested in yet, but for what I have picked up these are my favorites: Alcest, Les Discrets, Pallbearer, Havnatt, and Swallow the Sun. There's still a ton coming out later this year that I'm looking foward to hearing.

status check

this I dig:

Lay Down Rotten - Mask Of Malice
Spawn Of Possession - Incurso
Soulfly - Enslaved (despite the terrible abum cover )
Eluveitie - Helvetios
Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth
Biohazard - Reborn In Defiance
Lamb Of God - Resolution

okay, but need some re-listens:

Asphyx - Deathhammer
Napalm Death - Utilitarian
Coldworker - The Doomsayer's Call
Terrorizer - Horde Of Zombies
Primal Fear - Unbreakable


Not impressed at first listen, but willing to give another try:

Aborted - Global Flatline
Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression

Um...

Coprophiliac - Whinning Bitch Treatment
Diminished - Origin of Apocalypse
Animals Killing People/ Andromorphus Rexalia split
Provocation - Forging the Gods
Begging for Incest - Orgasmic Selfmutilation
Pighead - Rotten Body Reanimation

Things I've dug so far:

Panopticon- Kentucky
Mgla- With Hearts Toward None
Vaura- Selenelion
Les Discrets- Ariettes oubliees...
Worm Ouroboros- Come the Thaw

Wasn't really impressed with the new Drudkh or Lunar Aurora, but I'll give it more time.

Totally disappointed with new Sigh. New Diskord album is near... really looking forward to it, Doomscapes was a love at second sight. Also looking forward to new Dol Ammad, those samples on their FB are great as hell!

Asphyx is growing in on me. It is insanely heavy and has some really great moments. Going to listen to the Napalm death and currently listening to the new CC. New Kryptos was a really great album. Can't stop listening to it.

i didn't mind van drunen on last one on earth and he was good in pestilence, but he sounds fucking annoying on deathhammer

So far, my favorites from this year are definitely the new Asphyx and Napalm Death, but there are others I haven't given enough time with. So much to get around to! As of now I have the new Goatwhore out in my car. It sounds like Goatwhore (surprise), but so far this album seems a bit streaky. The overall sound is great, however; those bass drums are throwing punches.

Abominable Putridity - The Anomalies of Artificial Origin
Aborted - Global Flatline
Dyscarnate - And So It Came To Pass
Lamb of God - Resolution
Savage Messiah - Plague of Conscience
Veil of Maya - Eclipse