New Kreator, baby!!!

Looks like I will have to listen the new Cattle as well.. they never caught my attention before but the people are going crazy for them on their latest release I want to find out what it is.

New Kreator sounds very promising.

You know, it's funny. I keep seeing you go out and talk about originality this and originality that yet you list Cannibal Corpse and Cattle Decapitation as your favorites this year. Seems VERY ironic to me.

Everyone wants to talk about originality then when there's a band doing some different things (take the new Emptiness album for instance), no one pays attention. I think originality is a term everyone thinks they want or uses as a word to dislike something but in the end, it's not something they necessarily need. I think your favorites for this year are a prime example.

Please continue your search for originality.

Tbh Cattle Decapitation are pretty original. No one quite does technical death/grind like them.

But yeah, Cannibal Corpse...

Thanks for the Emptiness rec I'll be sure to check them out, and the new Torture by Cannibal has actually been getting less spin from me as the weeks have gone on. Also given the fact that the year is still relatively young there is still a chance for a band to at least write even a pre-existing template to make something worthwhile, even you yourself said in a prior post criticizing me something to the effect of "if a sound works, then it must be doing something right". I'd like for you to name one band that sound like Cattle Decap, even if they aren't ripping off Dismember ripoffs or riding the death/doom train like Anhedonist with a few keyboards for "atmosphere". Suffice to say I've even enjoyed some of more primitive death metal such as Undergang and Adversarial, but if your position is that if a tried and true aesthetic works and is a means to its own end- then why do the releases just get even more watered down as they come? Its not so much 'originality' I look for as to just sounding at least marginally distinctive from what's been going on ESPECIALLY in death metal. Hence, the dismay I feel when I see some of the mentions here- granted you can take what you will even though I haven't explicitly stated all of the albums I have fancied this year.

EDIT: New Emptiness was interesting, I can't really grasp my mind about any similar sounding bands.

I agree with all that actually, I've been saying for the last couple of years that the OSDM movement has been losing my interest, and funeral doom most definitely has (Oddly enough I've really fallen for 3 OSDM albums before April ended). With that said, I would argue that Ignivomous are a death metal band which HAS got something to set it aside from it's peers, firstly, the subjective one for me is the great riffing quality and focus, and more importantly for an objective argument is the relentless fucking speed. Almost all of these bands, even the ones I like, really stick to that Incantation 50/50 death and doom split or there abouts, whereas Ignivomous totally ignore that trope and instead play with a war metalish devotion to brutal and relentless speed. It is definitely a riff based album, rather than merely a moody one like the vast majority of the scene. They are certainly NOT playing anything original, their riffing style is by far the most identical to Incantation of any band going around, but I'd say the total shift in songwriting direction and focus is more than worthy of considering them something out of the ordinary. I haven't heard Aldebaran yet, but as I've said with many, many funeral doom albums lately, if it doesn't have decernable riffage, and instead uses slow power chords and some mournful keyboards, I will get pissed off at it pretty soon. Even Ea, which is the band really getting back into the swing of things with their best since the debut, is tedious for the main part, just because it's been done so much. I want to hear some more goddamn Wormphlegms, Esoterics, and Ahab debuts, Skepticism has been done more than enough.

It's strange because the speed is a factor that immediately should've clicked with me when I first heard the album. Granted, it may take a few more successive spins but they just can't immediately pull off that transition from a faster riff to the crushing signature Incantation signature sound. I don't truthfully remember much of Contragenesis I only truthfully enjoyed "Heritage of the Jackal", and a few riffs from "Monumental cosmic transgression" before I completely gave up on the album. I don't really know what else to say with regards to the album other than it was serviceable background death metal, which annoyed me because I had high hopes for the album after hearing their Blood and Mercury compilation.

They don't even do that slow dirge stuff, it is pretty much not there apart from the last song. It's all fast, all the time. Also, it makes for kind of annoying background death metal to be honest, I've found that if I don't actively focus on the riffs, the maelstrom they create is pretty much hook free and noisy and as such isn't one to just sit in the background. The best songs to me seem to kind of loaded towards the back end, Pyroclastic Downfall is by far the most accessible thing on there, I think the doom on the last song is really well done, Heirophant also impliments a little more slow stuff well, and that deliberately clashing slow to fast burst they do in the first portion in A Rotting Faith Condemned works for me too. The first four tracks are largely the same, and only really stand out when I focus in on the riffs themselves.

Edit: As you brought up Blood and Mercury, the difference between the full lengths and all the demo/ep/split material is pretty interesting, they had a much more percussive, Bolt Thrower-y style of guitar work back then (But really fast), but for whatever reason soon as they started doing full length's it was like "Fucking tremolo riffs! All of them! Forever!". It was an interesting switch up, I don't mind, because obviously what they're doing now appeals to me a lot, but still.

so the new Anhedonist sucks because they aren't doing anything original or distinctive from the norm, but Cannibal Corpse is? lol okay.

and since when does Anhedonist have keyboards?

A few of the songs I sat through had key sections not all that dissimilar from the newest Esoteric I heard, also I never claimed CC to be purveyors of absolute originality you and every metalhead worth their salt knows how they sound- quit being an ass. The newest Cannibal was just an enjoyable album for the first six songs, and then quickly spun off the radar but it was far more of an interesting listen that sitting through the tedium of Inherent Opprobrium.

Ironic that you'd say that, because when I talked to the bassist/vocalist at Rites of Darkness, I was telling him that I thought bands like Impetuous Ritual and Mitochondrion were a bit too chaotic and nebulous for their own good. He agreed and said that with Ignivomous they try to give the listener something to hold on to; aka hooks.

Oh they're not disjointed and jumpy like those bands, they riffs they write have a very easy to recognise melodic and musical bent, it's just that the music itself is so full on and brutal that all of that accessible stuff gets hidden if you're not looking out for it IMO. I wouldn't say that they're very hooky even then, but they are definitely pleasant in a conventional manner. For something to be considered hooky I would imagine that this side of the riffs would have to be right up front.

While I don't consider Impetuous Ritual or Mitochondrion too chaotic or Ignivomous's music hooky or catchy, it is certainly more memorable than the more... Well, nebulous and texture-like atmosphere of the former two. I think the second album more so. It seems a bit less chaotic than Death Transmutation and more thought out and mature (if you allow the expression) and I don't mean it as a bad thing, just different. The cleaner and clearer production certainly helps in that regard. While Ignivomous often gets compared to Incantation and even called a clone (I think?), I don't really hear it that much. Oh, certainly there's an influence - a lot of it - but on Death Transmutation, the chaoticity was much more permeable than the rather deliberate atmosphere of Incantation and on Contragenesis, they've gotten that bit further than Incantation. Or maybe it's just me and hearing too much.

I think the riffing style is practically identical to Incantation, but the songwriting is totally removed, on DT it was certainly more inline though.

In Mourning has me hooked so far

Adramelch---lights from oblivion (Italy)

epic/progressive/power metal.

If you enjoy progressive rock/metal you will surely enjoy this

Best for me so far is clearly the new Napalm Death. Fukpig is second and Cattle Decap is the first of theirs I've liked. There are a few demos that I've found really interesting by Wyrdforge, Zloslut, Arch Daeva, Grave Reaper, The Rain In Endless Fall and Wylve. I'd recommend keeping an eye on those bands.

MGLA-Hearts Towards None
It's something different from their other releases,very refreshing.

yeah that fukpig is nice.

I love what fukpig is on paper, but I just can't get into them.

They don't...he obviously downloaded the wrong album.

No keys, dude. Sorry, perhaps your hearing is bad. All guitars.

I was a fan of the previous Fukpig albums, but 3 didn't do much for me. Pretty disappointing.
What I've enjoyed most this year (no real order):

Inverloch - "Dusk | Subside"
Timeghoul - "1992-1994 Discography" (technically not new, but this definitely deserves a spot either way)
Shroud of the Heretic - "Boiled to Death"
Hesper Payne - "The Strange Tale of Samuel Gonzalez" (the second track is based on a story I wrote so I may be biased)
Anhedonist - "Netherwards"
Emptiness - "Error"

I've been meaning to check out the new Fukpig since I greatly enjoyed the debut. It does seem a bit lacking from what I've heard though (Fascist Moron was really mediocre).

Listening to the new Carach Angren, my favorite thing about this band in general is what they're doing with what I'm assuming is a heavy King Diamond influence. Letting narrative-style vocals help drive the songs can potentially lead to interesting twists. I don't necessarily wish more bands did it because it'd be easy thing to fuck up.

I'll give my thoughts on this particular album later. I've actually heard a shitload of awesome symphonic black/extreme/whatever metal this year surprisingly. The last album I got in the mail was from a band called Winterburst that plays in that genre. Despite their name sounding like a flavor of Powerade, they're pretty damn good.

That SOTH ep is really perfect... I've listened it already more than 100 times!
I agreee with Hesper Payne, their best work so far imo, very nice listen. It was the first 2012 album I really enjoyed.

There should be a new ColdWorld album soon. http://www.myspace.com/thestarsaredeadn ... /545610517

OH FUCK YES

I think 2012 is going to be the best year for metal in a very long time. I'm digging the new Black Moth, kind of like doom/grunge with female vocal. Mares of Thrace's newest is a huge improvement on the debut. Also Occultation kicks ass, who new a more doomy Negative Plane with female vox would be such a good idea?

edit - What do you guys think of the new Ahab? I think its decent, nowhere near the debut and slightly worse than the sophomore. Still worth a listen, though.

So I gave Aldebaran a listen. Definitely exists in that massive pocket of "Why does this even exist", can't seperate it from Profetus or any of these fucking generic funeral doom albums. God damn, what drives these bands?

New Whourkr seems odd, sounds like they've written some very straight forward songs and then chopped the shit out of them, whereas before to me it felt like they started with random notes and riffs and blended them all together randomly.

Edit: Occultation does nothing for me. I have decided I really don't like this whole "occult rock" thing at all. Occultation takes the already annoyingly directionless sound of Negative Plane, and mellows it out even further. I guess it is is weird and unusual, but the the total lack of direction of momentum is a deal breaker. Uncle Acid and the Deadbeats remains the only band that fits in this whole movement that I like. I guess Graveyard are pretty ok too, but other than that, I'm giving up on it.

Edit 2: I think the Ahab is actually really quite solid, nowhere near as good as the debut, because they really have decided they like playing mellow more than heavy, even though heavy is their best mode, but I really disliked Divinity of Oceans. I like that it isn't as psychedelic and meandering as the crappy second album, so I don't fall asleep during it.

The new Diablo Swing Orchestra is so awesome, it isn't even funny. I can't stop listening to it. Sorta one of those love it or hate it things, but I'm firmly in the former category.

I love it too. It's their strongest record so far. Every song is a winner.

Mutilation Rites debut full length empyrean is a killer album. i cant get enough of its black metal goodness

The new Ahab bored me a good amount. It's hard to explain why, but I think Divinity of Oceans is a damn masterpiece for what it is, and Call of the Wretched Sea smokes too, but The Giant just kinda... exists.

listened to a new album, "Gateways" from an obscure black/death metal band from iceland called Azioc. really cool stuff, strong paracletus influences, with a strong death metal feel. definitely worth a listen if you can find it

I totally cant But your description sounds good. have they any pages/previews or something?

there have been a few put up on youtube the last couple of days i think.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXqhpOfdAZA

weregoat---unholy exaltation of fullmoon perversity. actually from late 2011

great filthy, raw black/death featuring drummer of ritual necromancy

portland is really developing quite a nice little scene right now

Wow, that sounds really good, Does someone know if this is on sale yet? Or ever will be?

Naglfar's Teras is exactly the kind of black metal I love.