49 amazing releases you should check out...[views:4427][posts:16]_____________________________________ [May 16,2010 7:42pm - AUTOPSY_666 ""] See below, thanks Demon Dave! :satancross: |
| _________________________________ [May 16,2010 7:53pm - reimroc ""] I wouldn't know if they were amazing, as with no one else because no one is reading that wall of text. |
| ____________________________________ [May 16,2010 8:19pm - arilliusbm ""] some good stuff in there. |
| ___________________________________ [May 16,2010 8:24pm - demondave ""] [img] |
| _________________________________ [May 16,2010 8:25pm - sxealex ""] i tried to read this and got a splitting headache within 10 seconds |
| ___________________________________ [May 16,2010 8:26pm - demondave ""] 1. Adramelech - Psychostasia [1996] The riffs on this album are seriously fucking otherworldly. Imagine the bizarre, atonal progressions of Demilich combined with the melodic sensibility of early Entombed and Amorphis, a thick, rumbling production, and vocals not unlike Immolation, and you should have a pretty good idea of what this generally sounds like. But even so, you can't really get a grasp of how killer this disc is until you hear it firsthand. If these riffs don't move you, leave the fucking hall. See also: Pure Blood Doom [1999] 2. Afflicted - Prodigal Sun [1993] The Stockholm scene of the early 90s was best known for straightforward, balls-out death metal rooted in the worship of Autopsy, Bolt Thrower and Carcass, but there were also a handful of bands that ventured into more progressive sounds. Afflicted's debut combined the more typical Stockholm sound with an influence from early tech-death acts such as Atrocity and Atheist. It's an unexpected and bizarre sound, but it works really well. 3. The Chasm - Procession to the Infraworld [2000] These guys had their last album released through an Earache sublabel, but didn't get much notice for it. The Spell Of Retribution had a lot of great moments, but was overly long and unfocused compared to their prior releases. Procession is The Chasm's finest hour [more like 45 minutes]. 8 of their most succinct, powerful songs, with an unforgiving old-school production. See also: Conjuration of the Spectral Empire [2003], From the Lost Years... [1996] 4. Abramelin - Abramelin [1995] One of Australia's best-kept secrets. This band played a ruthlessly brutal style of old-school death, which combined the abrasive melodicism of Autopsy and middl-era Carcass with the percussive rhythms of Legion-era Deicide. It's not the most unique sound around, but they wrote REALLY great songs to set themselves apart. See also: Transgression From Acheron EP [1993], Deadspeak [2000] 5. Excommunion - Superion [2001] Holy fuck, you wanna talk about brutal!? This band clearly worships Incantation, but it's a clear case of the pupil besting the master. Superion is about as massive and evil an album as you'll ever hear. 6. DeathevokatioN - The Chalice of Ages [2007] The most recent release on this list. These guys unapologetically play a brand of 'alteschule' death metal firmly rooted in the early 90s European style, despite coming from a part of the country where everyone seems to worship Deeds of Flesh and Suffocation. The Chalice of Ages combines the best aspects of Bolt Thrower-circa-Warmaster with the death-doom stylings of Runemagick and early Katatonia, as well as the thrashier aspects of Dismember. The songwriting on the record is absolutely monumental. 7. Convulse - World Without God [1992] One of the best albums ever to come out of Finland. This is very much in the same style as Demigod's Slumber of Sullen Eyes. Thick, downtuned death metal with more than a hint of doom influence. 8. Rudra - The Aryan Crusade [2001] Despite the uncomfortable implications of the title, this has fuck-all to do with Nazism. "Aryan" is an Indian word, and this band, despite being from Singapore, consists primarily of Hindu members. This brand of 'Vedic Metal' can best be described as old school thrashy DM a-la Unleashed, fused seamlessly with a profuse traditional Indian music influence. If you think Nile takes the whole Eastern sound to cheesy extremes, this might be just what the doctor ordered. See also: Rudra [1998], Kurukshetra [2003] 9. Deteriorot - In Ancient Beliefs [2001] Another band that beats Incantation at their own game. Deteriorot were actually Incantation's contemporaries initially, having formed in 1990. Unfortunately, label difficulties caused them to go into a lengthy hibernation, only to resurface almost a decade later and issue their only full-length [to date]. If you liked Onward to Golgotha, but wanted to hear something more streamlined with that same unholy riffing style, this album comes highly recommended. 10. Appalling Spawn - Freedom, Hope & Fury [1998] These guys got a lot more hype after changing their name to Lykathea Aflame. Frankly, I thought Elvenefris was vastly overrated, and the debut was about 50 times better. No less challenging, but much more cohesive, and without that hokey folk influence. The vocals on this record actually fit the music. Highly recommended for those who like Lykathe, and even those who don't. |
| ___________________________________ [May 16,2010 8:28pm - demondave ""] 11. Disciples of Mockery - Prelude To Apocalypse An Incantation splinter group, formed by 3/4 of the Onward to Golgotha lineup, minus John McEntee. Disciples of Mockery's one album was head and shoulders above everything Incantation ever released. The sound is superficially very similar, but the compositions are much crisper and bear a prominent martial industrial influence. See also: Split w/ Womb 12. God Macabre - The Winterlong Reissuing this album was one of the best things Relapse ever did. Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly a priority release, even though it definitely should've been. One of the finest old-school Swedeath albums ever, despite its brevity. 13. Infester - To the Depths... In Degradation Ugliness and filth. This album can only be described as 'sadistic'. The lyrics bear some unfortunate racist overtones, but the music is just hideous, twisted American death metal with some pretty unexpected twists. One of the most evil albums I've ever heard, despite the rather subdued production. 14. Spasme - Deep Inside A relatively short-lived band, best known for being fronted by one-time Cryptopsy vocalist Martin LaCroix. Guy certainly fits this style a lot better than he did Cryptopsy's. This is still fairly technical death metal, but more rooted in the Danish and Polish schools of DM than the übertechnical Quebec style. Recommended for fans of Iniquity and early Sinister. 15. Misery - A Necessary Evil Not unlike their compatriots and contemporaries Abramelin, Misery did a fine job of bridging the gap between the European and American schools of death metal riffing in the early 90s. Nifty thrashiness to a lot of these songs, too. 16. Carbonized - For the Security Another of the more quirky early Swedish bands, in the same vein as Afflicted and Pan.Thy.Monium. This band actually featured some pretty prominent musicians from the Stockholm Scene [Matti Kärki of Dismember, Christoffer Johnsson of Therion and Lars Rosenberg of Entombed]. For the Security was Carbonized's first and most traditional DM album, though still very much experimental for its time. They gradually moved to a more avantgarde sound on Disharmonization and Screaming Machines. 17. Loudblast - Sublime Dementia A grossly underappreciated French album that featured a deceptively melodic and technical brand of death metal that was clearly inspired by Human-era Death and Atheist. If you enjoy the more technical elements [no pun intended] of Floridian DM, definitely give this one a listen. 18. Mortem - Demon Tales Thrashy South American death that bears an unsurprising resemblance to both early Sepultura and Sarcofago. Of course, this stuff is a lot more 'grown-up', but that same unholy flame that brought INRI and Bestial Devastation to life also burns here. 19. Funebrarum - Beneath the Columns of Abandoned Gods If members of Evoken are involved, you know it's gonna be heavy. And this shit is so scooped and downtuned that it virtually registers on the Richter scale. True old-school Finnish style DM with more than a hint of doom influence. The production and guitar tone does make it a little tough to listen to without at least a midrange boost. But the songwriting is pretty exceptional. 20. Mercyless - Abject Offerings Finally, there's this French album that is pretty heavily influenced by Autopsy. The riffing style is pretty unique and memorable. Song structures are a bit on the abstract side, though, so it might not immediately click. Well worth the effort, though. See also: Coloured Funeral |
| ___________________________________ [May 16,2010 8:28pm - demondave ""] 21. Cosmic Atrophy - Codex Incubo [2008] THE death metal album of 2008. Cosmic Atrophy are a duo out of Houston that does what nobody truly ventured to do - pick up where Demilich left off with their legendary Nespithe album. Codex Incubo is a bit on the short side [just under 34 minutes if you count the outro track] but it does an amazing job of expanding on the ideas Demilich put forth 15 years earlier. Don't worry, though, it's not a clone by any means. These guys are already hard at work on their next album, so there will more than likely be plenty more where that came from. 22. Torchure - The Essence [1993] Like early Morgoth and Bolt Thrower? You'll probably love this. Possibly the only one of the early German death metal bands not to turn assfuckingly gay in the mid-90s. Great atmospheric old-school death with both thrashy and doomy tracks, and a production resembling that of Autopsy's classic Mental Funeral 23. Cartilage - The Fragile Concept of Affection [1992] This is an EP that was only released as part of the extremely rare split with Altar [HOL] but it's right up there with the very best of Finnish death metal. The overall sound is similar to early Amorphis and Demigod, but the songwriting is arguably superior to anything either of those bands had to offer [and that's saying a lot]. 24. Vomiturition - A Leftover [1995] Formed by two members of the aforementioned Cartilage, this band also served as a precursor to Rotten Sound [one of the best grind bands around], featuring drummer Kai Hahto [also in Cartilage], vocalist Keijo Bagge and guitarist Mika Aalto [also in ...and Oceans ]. The sound is a mixture of classic Finnish/Scandinavian death metal, but with a more pronounced Discharge influence, setting the table for what Rotten Sound would become. 25. Serpens Aeon - Dawn of Kouatl [2003] I included The Chasm's Procession to the Infraworld album on the first of these lists. This album pretty much picks up where that one left off, albeit with an even more pronounced thrashy edge, while The Chasm's later records are more epic. Killer Kreator-esque riffs abound on this one. Hopefully a follow-up will come out shortly. They're well overdue for one. 26. Mordicus - Dances From Left [1993] The fourth and final Finnish album [lol alliteration] on this list was just recently reissued by Temple of the Damned records. This one's more overtly melodic and accessible than the other albums on this list. Sounds kinda like a thrashier Eucharist. Very catchy record with tons of great hooks. 27. Disembarkation - Rancorous Observision [2000] Being French-Canadian, it's obvious that these guys are technical as fuck. The band featured Etienne Gallo, who later went on to Augury and Negativa. Augury is by far the better point of reference for Disembarkation's sound, but they were very much an entity in their own right. Heavy doses of Atheist and Cynic influence and tremendous bass playing/presence. 28. Gorement - The Ending Quest [1994] Remember God Macabre? Well, this is a lot like them. Same mix of classic Stockholm Death and doom. But this album is much more well-developed. It was reissued, thankfully, by Necroharmonic, a few years back as part of the Darkness of the Dead anthology. Well worth your money if you're into this type of DM. And yes, Bloodbath did pretty much steal their logo. 29. Antropomorphia - Necromantic Love Songs [1993] A Dutch band that ostensibly got its name from that classic Pestilence song. This EP was their only official release, but it was a damn fine one. The Pestilence influence is obvious, but there are also touches of Bolt Thrower and Covenant-era Morbid Angel. DeathevokatioN covered "Chunks of Meat" on their full-length. 30. Algophobia - Algophobia [1997] Only listened to this one a couple of times, but that's enough to know that it's a hidden gem. Kinetic Italian death metal in the vein of Atheist's Piece of Time and Death's Human with vocals similar to those of Necrodeath or Resurrection. I'll probably update this once I've listened to it more. |
| ___________________________________ [May 16,2010 8:28pm - demondave ""] 31. Sempiternal Deathreign[NED] - The Spooky Gloom [1989] Here's a band every Obituary fan should listen to and realize how foolish they've been to have worshipped that overrated tripe. Sempiternal Deathreign was probably the ORIGINAL death/doom band. This album came out a full two years before Autopsy's Mental Funeral, and one year before Winter's Into Darkness. Basically, it's really raw, ugly doom/death, influenced primarily by the likes of Hellhammer and Black Sabbath, as well as classic Teutonic thrash (Sodom, Kreator). And unlike the aforementioned Obituary, their solos AREN'T the only interesting thing about their music. There are some actually great riffs to be found in here. Songs range anywhere from 1:55 to 10:53, so there's plenty of variety here, as well. 32. Traumatic Voyage [GER] - Traumatic Voyage [1992] This is just plain weird shit. I'm not even sure whether this can be classified as death metal, per-sé. There are a lot of progressive and psychedelic elements, the songs are abnormally long [averaging around 8 minutes], and there are occasional clean vocals as well. The closest thing to this that I can recall having heard prior was Timeghoul's demos, but those aren't exactly well-known, nor is a direct comparison fully accurate. You know what? Just check it out for yourself. There's a good chance you'll hate it, but it was definitely one of the more unique early extreme metal bands [use of past tense is misleading, since they're still around... and their more recent albums have gotten even weirder]. 33. Chemical Breath [BEL] - Fatal Exposure [1992] This one's a bit more mundane, but also has a lot more immediate appeal. Thrashy Belgian death metal, influenced by the likes of Sadus and early Pestilence, with a surprising amount of depth and technical prowess. These guys almost certainly would've been bigger if they'd come from Sweden or the U.S. See also: Values [1994] 34. Ghost [POL] - The Lost of Mercy [1994] One of the earliest Polish death metal bands, and one of the few that doesn't owe its sound directly to Vader in one way or another. I actually came upon this record while looking through the chronological data on the 'brutal death metal' genre on RYM. This was one of the first dozen or so releases under that tag, and the only one I hadn't heard. Turns out, this doesn't really fit the description [as it's commonly used], since it doesn't sound like NYDM at all. Instead, what we have is a solid slab of European death metal that can most directly be compared to Iniquity's classic Serenadium, with thick, abrasive, and often sludgy riffs, and vocals reminiscent of Grave's Jörgen Sandstrom. More surprisingly, this album actually has stellar production - especially for something so obscure. And if you don't get a chuckle out of the very first riff on the record, you suck at metal. 35. Agony [CAN] - Apocalyptic Dawning [1994] Canadian death metal tends to be awesome. This is no exception. It's brutal as shit. Clearly inspired by NYDM in a big way, but also surprisingly melodic. In that sense, it also resembles the aforementioned Serenadium. It's not the most original thing ever, but it's pretty damn solid. 36. Morbius [USA] - Alienchrist [1995] If that title sounds familiar to Arghoslent fans, it should. Drummer Matt Sylvester assumed the title as a pseudonym when he played in said band for several years. There are natural similarities between Morbius and Arghoslent, as well as fellow Virginians Deceased. But the closest parallels can be drawn to early Absu and The Chasm, with whom they share the distinction of being simultaneously raw and epic, with obscure melodies aplenty. See also: The Shades Below [1992], Sojourns Through The Septiac [2005] 37. Scenery [CZE] - The Drowning Shadow Of Mankind [1997] One word: Atheist. This is practically IDENTICAL to what Atheist might have put out between Unquestionable Presence and Elements. A lot of jazziness and unpredictable twists and turns. A few of the songs run a little bit long, and lack the punch that Atheist does, but for anyone wanting to get more from that same sound, you really couldn't do any better. See also: Philosophy Of Ages [2002], Continuity [2006] 38. Cauldron Black Ram [AUS] - Skullduggery [2004] This album sees members of Australian visionaries Portal and Stargazer returning to their roots, playing stripped-down, ugly, primitive death/thrash in the vein of Celtic Frost and Unleashed. Of course, it wouldn't be the same if they didn't let some of the progressive elements from their more well-known bands seep in, so expect some of that, too. Plus... their songs are about pirates, so there's awesomeness all around. 39. Mitochondrion [CAN] - Archaeaeon [2008] This is one of the more intriguing up-and-coming bands in extreme metal. They take the 'war metal' sound native to western Canada, pioneered by Blasphemy and infuse it with a heavy dose of progressive elements. Think of it as Axis of Advance meets Ved Buens Ende, with elements of Lykathea Aflame also included. The down-side is that the production is typical of the war metal sound, with drums and vocals being over-emphasized and guitars frequently buried. 40. Denial [MEX] - Catacombs Of The Grotesque [2009] you remember that level in the original Quake, where the big red dude rises out of that pit of lava, and starts throwing hot rocks at you? That's what this album reminds me of. Insanely brutal Finnish-style death metal, played by Mexicans - including former members of Cenotaph and Shub Niggurath. These guys have a convincingly hellish, morbid sound with a sludgy [but well-defined] guitar tone, and manage to pull it off with virtually no palm muting. If you enjoy Convulse and Demilich, you definitely need to check out this record. |
| ___________________________________ [May 16,2010 8:28pm - demondave ""] 41. R.U. Dead? [GER]- Promotape [1992] Okay, I know the band name is ridiculous, but just trust me on this one. This was a full-length demo and never saw a proper release, but it's one of the most astounding slabs of death metal I've ever heard. The band was formed by Uli Hildenbrand after the dissolution of Poison and continued largely along the same track, with a more refined sound that seamlessly merged Teutonic thrash with Autopsy-style doomy death, while also blazing a trail with sprawling compositions [two of the songs on this record approach 9 minutes] and classy guitar interplay. In a lot of ways, this band laid the blueprint for bands like The Chasm and Dissection. A true classic lost to time. http://www.mediafire.com/?mwbd0jmtgfm 42. Internal Decay [SWE]- A Forgotten Dream [1993] To me this is like a rich man's Phlebotomized. Harmonic Swedish death metal with atmospheric synths featured throughout. Comparisons can be drawn to early Katatonia and Gorement. The second song "Repossessed Throne" is a true stand-out. 43. Abominog [USA]- Chaos Unleashed [1995] It should come as no surprise that this album sounds more than a little like early Deceased. King Fowley was the band's drummer for a time, and intended to put out one of their earlier releases on his label. This is pretty simple, thrashy death without much subtlety involved. But if what you seek is more material in the vein of Luck of the Corpse you can't really do much better than this. 44. Fallen Christ [USA] - Abduction Ritual [1996] Somewhere between the raw, primal barbarity of Blasphemy and the sophisticated dark death metal of Immolation lies this strange album, featuring the drumming of Alex Hernandez who would later join the aforementioned Immolation for three albums. The short songs [most are under 2 minutes] suggest a prevalent grind influence, but I frankly don't hear it. If anything, this record takes the bizarre, angular riffage of Here in After and serves it up in little bite-sized chunks. 45. Natron [ITA]- Bedtime for Mercy [1999] Another entrant from the disgustingly underrated Italian scene, Natron have somehow managed to go almost completely unnoticed on the international stage, despite sporting a pretty unique sound that blends the barbaric, blasting deathgrind of Assück [perhaps a hint of early Kataklysm with Voivod's discordance. The latter's influence is especially prominent on this album, which features a terrific cover of "Nothingface". 46. Astomatous [USA]- The Beauty of Reason [2006] This band features Lev and Nicolas of Krallice but the music here is actually quite good, combining elements of later Gorguts, Anata and even a bit of Godflesh. The songwriting is a bit too noodly at times, but the foundation is solid, and if they ever release a follow-up, it'll be sure to be great. 47. Orgone [USA]- The Goliath [2007] To the untrained ear, this will probably sound like another vapid wank-fest, not unlike Brain Drill, but this is actually a very engaging listen. The guitar pyrotechnics and mathcore rhythms are complemented with significant infusions of sludge and post-rock atmospherics. And the melodies aren't just rigid, mechanical scale runs, but actually feature compelling motifs. The closest direct comparisons would be The End of Nothing, Son of Sulphur and Everything is Fire. 48. Putrevore [SWE/ESP]- Morphed From Deadbreath [2008] This lumbering sludge monster of an album is a collaborative effort between the ubiquitous Rogga Johansson [Deranged, Ribspreader, Demiurg and more other bands than I care to remember] and Dave Rotten [Avulsed, Christ Denied, Repulse, Xtreem]. The obvious point of reference here is Rottrevore, whom I actually think these guys surpass, but there's also quite a bit of Carcass, Impetigo and Convulse in their sound. 49. Vengeful [CAN]- The Omnipresent Curse [2009] One of my favorites among a glut of great death metal releases from 2009, Quebec's Vengeful offers up a refreshingly aggressive brand of technical death metal that actually has balls to rival those of the genre's heyday. They don't fuck around with upper octave noodling, preferring to keep things low and harsh. The first seven songs here are solid, comparable to Spasme and more recent Sinister but the finale "Transcending" is the real treat, clocking in at a tick over 21 minutes and managing to stay compelling throughout. Perhaps the most ambitious death metal song in history, including guest vocals from the legend Luc Lemay. |
| _____________________________________ [May 16,2010 9:03pm - AUTOPSY_666 ""] You rule. |
| ______________________________________ [May 16,2010 9:09pm - the_reverend ""] i saw a lot of repulse records in there. repulse :( |
| ______________________________ [May 16,2010 9:40pm - blue ""] Great list...adramalech, carbonized, appalling spawn, convulse, denial, orgone, natron, torchure, funebrarum, deteriorot. All awesome picks. |
| _________________________________ [May 16,2010 9:46pm - reimroc ""] ok NOW i see |
| _____________________________________ [May 17,2010 4:37pm - AUTOPSY_666 ""] :CD: |
| _________________________________________ [May 17,2010 10:33pm - blessed offal ""] didnt feel like reading the whole thing, but i totally back infester, and i would replace psycostasia with 'the fall' ep. also, id add morpheus descends 'ritual of infinity' |
| _______________________________________ [May 17,2010 10:36pm - ThorgWantEat ""] How can a guitar make pyrotechnics when you listen to it? Does it make the mp3 or cd player set on fire from pyrotechnics? "47. Orgone [USA]- The Goliath [2007] To the untrained ear, this will probably sound like another vapid wank-fest, not unlike Brain Drill, but this is actually a very engaging listen. The guitar pyrotechnics and mathcore rhythms are complemented with significant infusions of sludge and post-rock atmospherics. And the melodies aren't just rigid, mechanical scale runs, but actually feature compelling motifs. The closest direct comparisons would be The End of Nothing, Son of Sulphur and Everything is Fire. " |