I really like this album, but I think I like the new Limbonic Art more.

A few more I've just gotten around to:

Warpath's The Ambience of War. A great little 5 track EP, with none of brutal death's failings (over reliance on pinch harmonics, pig squeals) and all of its energy. Love it.

Origin's Unparalleled Universe is solid, if not groundbreaking.

And Noumena released Myrrys back in April, but I have only recently heard it. Very moody. Quite different than what you would expect from a melodic death band.

Mork are a black metal duo from Norway recently signed to Peaceville with approval from the Darkthrone fellas. Relatively clear production with a fantastic mix and straight forward old school riffs.
It is not a stretch to imagine why NC and Fenriz like this project so much, these guys could have fit right in the mid 90s bm scene, but the production and space really let the music breathe in a refreshing way. Nothing mind blowing or amazing, but solid.

https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Mork/3540372524


edit: Accidentally posted this in the wrong thread, but it comes out in 8 days anyway...

^Yeah Mork sounds great... forgot about them, going to check out their previous stuff again too. Sounds like something Fenriz would like!

I haven't been keeping up with new releases the past couple months, but my BFF texted me this album and it's totes amazeballs!
https://hammerheart.bandcamp.com/album/death-supremacy

Good stuff! Naglfar worship through and through, but I'm okay with that considering we haven't heard from those guys in ages.

Nanu nanu

Can’t stop listening to that track. It’s amazing. I went back and dug through the earlier stuff which was good but if the new track is any indication it should really put them on the map.

At the risk of embarrassment I am going to assume you're talking about the Mork track?
If so, I could not agree more. Their older stuff is good, but nothing as memorable as that one. Only hearing about it a week or so ago I have probably listened to it over 15 times by now. Can't wait to hear the rest of the album. High hopes!

Anyone listened to the Acephalix album yet? It just came out yesterday, but goddamn is it good. 20buckspin has been killing it.

Oh yeah you got it man. If the rest of the album lives up to that track it’lll be a monster of a record. Also count me in on new Acephalix!

Don't know if anyone has already posted about this, but Vulture released their debut, and it's fucking killer speed metal. Great riffs, great solos, wicked vocals with the classic speed metal shrieks. Can't stop listening.

A couple of brutal death albums that are yet to be mentioned.

Dissociative Healing - Dissociative Healing



Human Abasement - Annihilation of the Human Plague



Both sound pretty good, if nothing groundbreaking in their field. Slight favour to the former for having an interesting snare sound.

Dissociative Healing
Human Abasement

Dissociative Healing doesn't sound too bad! I'm not necessarily a big fan of the brutal death gutturals, but the music itself reminds me a bit of Once Was Not.

I hate Once Was Not, so I think Dissociative Healing is way better, haha.

I've been taking a break from BDM lately but Gutslit - Amputheater seems pretty promising:
https://gutslitindia.bandcamp.com/album ... eath-grind
....
That Vulture record is awesome as well.

Big thanx to whoever it was (to lazy to scroll back) that mentioned that a new Vulture Industries had been released, had no idea and love them.

As far as recommendations; someone asked for a prog metal album and I think that Voyager - Ghost Mail problably is my favorite relese this year, althogh I'm not very well versed in that genre. But it is a hell of a record regardless.

Some other good releases are
Vattnet (formerly known as Vattnet Viskar) - Vattnet - pretty big change in sound, now more of a prog metal, rock band.
Lör - In Forgotten Sleep - Prog/Folk/Power mix
Low Flying Hawks – Genkaku - Doom/Stoner/Sludge with a big sound

Then there are new releases from Satyricon, Belphegor, Archspire and Paradise Lost that all are worthwhile, and more.

Hi,

An album that surprised me a lot, to me the best Symphonic Metal album this year, Solveig by Seven Spires...

I would like this one more if it wasn't done in such a weird way. The entire first half is just a rerecording of the previous EP and it's super obvious. The only track really worth listening to is Cabaret of Dreams until the halfway point, when suddenly they amazingly get better at writing songs and morph into Kamelot.

You have right, i didn't know the EP, the really good part is just when the ep is over, the album didn't need the incorporation of the ep. I really enjoy it.

After quite a few years off, Eagleheart is back with a killer album. The only thing is this vocalist sounds exactly like someone else and I just can't quite put my finger on who it is.

Wow, so the Lich King album from earlier this year actually kicks ass. I've always avoided these guys cause of the silliness surrounding the band. But The Omniclasm actually kicks ass for the most part.

My favorites so far:

Argus - From Fields of Fire
Bathsheba - Servus
Excommunion - Thronosis
Vinnum Sabbathi - Gravity Works
Zeal & Ardor - Devil is Fine
Antichrist - Sinful Birth

Nothing is gonna beat Bathsheba anymore this year. Argus came pretty close though. Two must-haves for any doom fan out there.

Picked up the new Craven Idol, The Shackles of Mammon. It kicks serious ass. Blacker and heavier than their last album, tons of crazy riffs and a great vocal performance. Highly recommended!

Zeal & Ardor is from early 2016. This year's version is a reissue by his new label.

Here is an interesting EP that I really enjoyed

Knarkaren - ​.​.​put uninspired title here​.​.​
https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Kn ... 3540425377
https://knarkaren.bandcamp.com/releases

Really entertaining take on DSBM. Has moments where it ventures into atmospheric rock territory like Forgotten Woods, it gets wonderfully poppy and depressive like Lifelover and darkly moody like Apati. Creative guitars (clean and harsh), I would love to hear more from this project.

Celeste - Infidèle(s)
The new record from French sluge/post hardcore titans Celeste is out. Great album if you're into that sort of thing.

Cannabis Corpse - Left Hand Pass

If you just can't wait for the new Cannibal Corpse album this one is up there with Cannabis' best. I'd have to say it's one of my favorite DM albums of the year. A good collection of chunky CC-like riffs.

This year has basically just been a long list of bands I used to love when I got into metal releasing new albums after years and years:

Excalion
Vulvagun
Pagan Altar
Nocturnal Rites
The Chasm (though I haven't heard this yet)

And Pharaoh is putting one out next year. All I need now is another Seasons of the Wolf - that may be the last thing.

I wasn't impressed with Nocturnal Rites, though, it felt like a fairly pedestrian album, just... average. It had very little of that keen sense for massive hooks I remember. I wouldn't call it worthwhile.

I only spun it once but really liked it. Just a no bullshit album full of lethally mean, heavy power metal in their signature style. Very pro and everything seemed to be in its place. And they tried some new things and modernized their sound in a tasteful way. Easily their best since New Age Messiah, if not Shadowland itself for me.

Palantír - Lost Between Dimensions
https://palantirsweden.bandcamp.com/alb ... dimensions

^I'm more intrigued by the art and the band camp colour scheme than by the sound of the music... But I'll still check it out since they name dropped falconer.

Finally checked out Adveniens by Hideous Divinity. This album fucking rules! So loud and ridiculously punishing and in your face. This is my Krigshu of 2017.

In the absence of a great release by Forgotten Tomb this year, Waiting For My End comes in for the save with a masterclass of depressive black metal. This one will end up in my top 5 for sure.

With The Dead released a new one called "Love from With The Dead" - what a slab of doom. Lee Dorrian on vocals, Tim Bagshaw (ex-Electric Wizard) on guitars, and it crushes. The guitar tone is MASSIVE and they do a good job of making things interesting. It's a tad overlong, but for your fix of really heavy stoner/doom, you could do much, much worse IMO.

Anyone heard the debut of these folks? More blackened death darkness. I guess we're going back to the days where death metal and black metal were just tags journalists gave to bands...
Anyway, sounds legit to me, strong production values for a debut as well.

https://caligarirecords.bandcamp.com/al ... ual-miasma

Primal Attack - Heartless Oppressor
I find 95% of thrash to be the same old monotonous gallop that I've heard thousands of times before and a poor attempt at variations of the main riff of Trapped Under Ice. So it has to stand out to impress me. This album does. Much heavier than regular thrash because of a slight groove influence. Very catchy tunes.

The new Drowning the Light is, as usual, extremely worthwhile. Azgorh continues to incorporate many dungeon synth elements into the music and it works magnificently. One of the most talented and genuine black metal acts whose body of work speaks for itself.

Hybrid Nightmares – Almagest



Apparently this is progressive black metal.
I'm thinking that this is what it would sound like if late era Coroner would play black/death metal.

I'm going to check this as soon as I get the time. Everything about it looks & sounds good so far.
.....
The new Black Dahlia is unsurprisingly exceptional. Cradle of Filth surprised me with their newfound vigour, lots of tempo changes & ambitious songwriting, vocal theatrics, welcome thrash breaks etc., give it a shot.

Other releases that caught my ear:
Arallu - Six: Middle Eastern black/death comparable to Melechesh, Narjahanam etc.
Dawn Ray'd - The Unlawful Assembly: Black metal with a rebellious/anarchist/rabble rousing theme to it.
Evil Invaders - Feed Me Violence: Chaotic, frenzied speed metal assault

I second Evil Invaders, it's a fun record. I found some good ones in the last few days:

DVNE - Asheran -> Mastodon-styled progressive metal with really good sense of songwriting and more punch than the band itself has had, lately. Better than Emperor of Sand - which was a good record still.
Grave Pleasures - Motherblood -> The band that is not Beastmilk, but is really close. High octane, super-energetic post-punk. Striking lyrics, too.
Haemorrhage - We Are The Gore -> No gimmicks, well-written, well-produced goregrind. These folks don't disappoint.

I'm nearly a year late to the party that is Horn - Turm Am Hang but I will never ignore all the rage of something that sounds "folky" again. This is the most glorious thing ever.