colin040, yeah their 90s output is wicked.

Winter of Apokalypse - Solitary Winter Night

underrated American band.

Hunting Time is their best album to me; just full of to-the-point heavy metal with lots of energy. No Smoke Without Fire sounds a bit more restrained but its strength lies in its consistency and therefor I consider its their second best album. I never got to appreciate Loudness that much Disillusion sounds ok. Do you know Sniper? Their debut should be right up your alley.

NP: Anthem - Blinded Pain

One of Anthem's best tracks. Yukio Morikawa never had a better vocal performance and the riffs sound classy as hell.

King Diamond - The Pupper Master

Still spellbound by the new LP-player. Need to get better speakers next. Oh, and KD rules.

The Beatles - With the Beatles

I've been revisiting one of my favorite bands quite a lot lately, and I haven't been disappointed at all.

(2006) Negură Bunget - Om yesterday on my way back to home and (2002) Negură Bunget - 'N Crugu Bradului today on my way to.

and .

Man, the second one is STILL my favourite by them.

Xanthrochroid - Of Erthe and Axen Act I

Not quite my cup of tea, but at least somebody can do the whole cinematic schtick in a way that is inspired and doesn't sound tacky *coughCarachAngrencough*. If judged as a soundtrack and not a metal album, I can definitely see the appeal.

Dokken - Back for the Attack

Some cool melodic songs here. Two penny street rock, but there's a right time for everything.

Mary's Blood - Bloody Birth Day

This song always playing on 4th October

Cradle Of Filth - Saffron's Curse

This is fucking awesome actually. Megaheavy, chugging riffs, dynamic songwriting, a lot of gothy atmosphere - it just keeps going. I'm sorry I missed this kind of stuff all these years. It fucking rips.

^
Good album and probably their best alongisde the debut! it took me too quite few years before checking out, prejudices are hard to die

Forgotten Tomb - Songs to Leave (full)

I've always ignored a bit this album, but i've realized that it's almost as good as the two following it. This band was so strong!

Probably my favourite CoF song. Back in 2000, I heard their covers of Black Metal and Hallowed be thy Name and loved them, but couldn't get into any originals. Then I blind purchased Midian the day it came out, and when I heard Saffron's Curse, I was hooked. I ended up going back and loving the old stuff, obviously, but Midian holds a special place for me.

Good choice - as I've mentioned Midian is my personal favourite. It has some of the band's most dramatic, accomplished and emotionally compelling songs. Took me years to like them though as the vocals put me off.

Samael - Passage

This rules, their best album I think.

They seem to have a tendency to go on a bit long and go too over the top, but a lot of the best metal is like that - sometimes stuff isn't as compelling if it's dialed back or subdued. It reminds me of Dragonforce's better material and Bal Sagoth, extremely extravagant stuff but very good songwriting. I was prejudiced after hearing some of their weaker album songs years ago, and because of the association with the atrocious Dimmu Borgir for years. But I've been sampling CoF's stuff and surprisingly digging it... Cruelty and the Beast is a really rich, textured, epic work of metal and Midian is just a straight ahead face-ripper of an experience.

Atrium Carceri - Black Needle

Because sometimes dark ambient comes off as way heavier than any metal I can put on.

Armagedda - Afsked

Atmospheric, muddy black metal metal from hell. Ond Spiritualism is a kick ass album. Thanks for the rec, Ardbeg Wizard.

Bifrost-Fest der trolle
Just a fun song, the melodies are catchy as hell.

Wolves In The Throne Room- Angrboda

It's my first time hearing the new record. I've really enjoyed the first two tracks so far.

Blackholicus - Rome Symphony (closer to their debut Variations in Death Minor)

I'll be honest I kinda checked out on the entire middle section of this song. It's a doozy. This is a cool band though, who just happened to pass my desk after they have already disbanded. Luckily their FB is still super active so I ordered both CDs direct. They do a Slough Feggish/Iron Maiden-y kinda thing. Lots of medieval vibes. Light on the minstrel sections (though there are a few). I haven't heard anything from the second album yet, reviews seem to indicate that one is more fleshed out. The debut is a tight 28 minutes, and they throw a few looks...oh hello. I just hit the beautiful lilting outro. A delicately plucked classical guitar piece, which sounds like it's been buried under time and dust.

Dawn Of Anguish - Prologue In Black

(2010) Negură Bunget - Vîrstele pămîntului on my way back from work.
Their last good album.

While Heaven Wept - Vast Oceans Lachrymose

So good. Their best and probably one of the best epic doom albums in existence.

"The Furthest Shore" is a gargantuan beast of a song, easily one of the best non-Sabbath non-Candlemass doom metal songs ever written.

Nice! I'm glad you dig 'em. I guess I should get their albums too. Too bad they're done.

Toxic Holocaust - City Of A Million Graves

TH is my fave among the thrash bands that came out in this millenium.

Gutted- "Chopped Up at the Altar".

Solid as hell Jungle Rot-esque USDM, complete with addictive, chunky grooves.

(2001) Thorns - Thorns and Thorns songs from (1999) Thorns vs. Emperor - Emperor / Thorns on my way to work.

This is SO unique.
P.S: Next one, please?

Sinistro - Semente

Pleasant surprise. I checked them out because they are opening for Paradise Lost next week, and this is a well-crafted post-metal record. Some massive doomy bits, some very nice touches of electronica, great female vocals, sung in Portugese, which gives it a unique flair... songwriting could be a bit tighter to make the songs' climaxes stronger, but as an atmospheric record, this works.

Slayer - Bloodline

One of the passable songs from the godawful GHUA. I'm listening to the entire Slayer back catalog to prepare for my first live experience with Slayer. Re-listening to GHUA has not changed my opinion on how this album sucks. Probably Slayer's worst.

Cannabis Corpse - Left Hand Pass

Every once in a while this band puts out a release (Tube of the Resinated) that's better than their influence. That's the case with this one. Cannibal Corpse mimicry at its best. An enjoyable slab of chunky DM.

Labyrinth - A New Dream

This album got the short end of the stick for me this year as I was often preoccupied with life when it came out... a stunning work though, easily Top 10 for the year. Masterful, silky melodies and powerful work from the entire band.

Deiphago - Hail Mary Inanna

Cult re-recording of material unearthed from 1993. Deiphago is predictably chaotic with hardly any structure and that's how they intended it to be.

(2017) Blut Aus Nord - Deus Salutis Meae on my way back from work.
Not impressed.

Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger

Who would have thought this is basically early tool without the contemplative parts and more dirt. I am in love.

Wytch Hazel - Prelude

Generation Kill - Red, White and Blood

This track sounds a lot like hardcore because of Rob Dukes' vocals but the guitars manage to keep it within the thrash territory. Too bad the rest of the album was too inconsistent.

(2000) Enslaved - Mardraum: Beyond the Within on my way to work.

Kreator- When The Sand Burns Red

Great opener to a great thrash album.

Heavy Killers Kollection

Usual Ace of Spades and Paranoids here, but also not-so-well-known stuff like Thor and Tokyo Blade.

Abhorrence - Hellish Annihilation

Brazilian death metal in the style of Krisiun. I'm always a sucker for this style.

(2001) Enslaved - Monumension on my way from work.
Weird, weird, weird.