Rolling 2020 Metal Thread

can I just say it really bugs me when metal bands on bandcamp choose grey or black text on a black background just to be goth or whatever?

Squinting is metal af.

All part of the five steps to be a metal band:
1. indecipherable logo
2. incomprehensible vocals
3. incomprehensible lyrics in archaic icelandic and/or latin
4. illegible 'ye olde englishe' font
5. dark grey on black website

I’m not too familiar with his previous material but if you like droney, mid-tempo Scando-Satanic BM that predicates about last things with unflagging intensity, Svartsyn’s Requiem will make a convert out of you. The vocals are top-tier, the guitar work wrings every sliver of meaning out of its limited palette of notes and the rhythm section is magnified by a mercifully anti-trve kvlt approach to production. I’m often skeptical of one-man BM acts but as with Kaatayra, I didn’t even realize what was going on at first. Anyway, Sweden is killing it this year imo:

https://carnalrecords.bandcamp.com/album/requiem

Svartsyn is a two-man acts I think? They're very good yes. For previous material, go to Timeless Reign or the split they did with Arckanum Kaos Svarta Mar.

speaking of Sweden killing it, i'm reposting this:

These folks from Uppsala, who call themselves The End Commune, are into some (literally) edgy shit if their blog is to be believed, but I'd rather judge them on the basis of their debut LP as Slutet, which is among the most distinctive BM releases I've heard all year. Between the (female) vocals, which rival Onielar's, the band's audible preference for improvisational fluidity over simple repetition, the Mesopotamian theme, and the judicious use of lengthy dark ambient segments, there is much to admire here. I would have admittedly shaved off 10-15 minutes of playing time, primarily from the title track, but the end result remains impressive nonetheless:

https://theendcommune.bandcamp.com/album/love-beauty-lp-2020-2

― pomenitul

^ this record is really something. distinctive, much to admire here and impressive -> otm

and

AOTY so far
Sweven - The Eternal Resonance

― ultros ultros-ghali

yes!

Eternal Resonance is gorgeous. It's probably stuck with me more than anything else this year.

Svartsyn is a two-man acts I think? They're very good yes. For previous material, go to _Timeless Reign_ or the split they did with Arckanum _Kaos Svarta Mar_.

New Macabre out tomorrow??!!!

I'm just listening to that new Svartsyn, and like too many BM bands these days, they (he?) really, really want to be Mgla/Kriegsmaschine now. They were never the most unique band around, but for some reason that annoys me.

Also: Slutet are surprisingly clairvoyant, the record has a song called Love Letter To Pfizer

I remember you saying that about last year’s Misþyrming record as well. It’s a fair criticism, to be sure, I just feel like Mgła’s execution isn’t always that hot and the Svartsyn is considerably dronier to my ears anyway, which is imo its most interesting aspect. That said, I haven’t been keeping up with metal for anywhere near as long as you have, so it’s easier for me to ignore/be oblivious to unoriginality.

Slutet do come across as visionaries in comparison, musically as well as epidemiologically.

New Tribulation single! This is the Sweden thread now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKRQ0OFHJrg

hey lurker on this thread - but looking for recommendations of melodic metal stuff that's not grating and corny like power metal generally hits me

i guess high spirits would be the a good example of what i'm looking for, so some AOR tendencies is good too

Sunken’s Liveslede is pretty melodic and shoegazey and accessible black metal, if you’re into that kind of thing. Lowrider’s Refractions is a very attractive record and fulfills all my stoner needs as a non-stoner. Try Mystras if you want to go all medieval or Horn’s Mohngang if you like folksy German stuff.

looking for recommendations of melodic metal stuff that's not grating and corny like power metal generally hits me

i guess high spirits would be the a good example of what i'm looking for

The new Spirit Adrift, Enlightened in Eternity, is exactly this, and one of the best records I've heard all year. I wrote about it here, and it's available on Bandcamp.

It’s okay.

;)

thanks appreciate the recommendations!

i love huge riffs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1y6kcZSJkY

the armed album won't be until next year, their label has just personally informed me

about to listen to the Blood from the Soul alb

the Macabre is a lot of fun, as usual

Even-numbered tracks of the DBR are just insane

hey lurker on this thread - but looking for recommendations of melodic metal stuff that's not grating and corny like power metal generally hits me

i guess high spirits would be the a good example of what i'm looking for, so some AOR tendencies is good too

The new Dark Buddha Rising is more to my liking than either last year’s Waste of Space Orchestra or this year’s Oranssi Pazuzu, prodigious though they may both be.

It's been mentioned on other threads but who here is digging the new AC/DC? I was surprised at how solid it was myself.

Don't think much of the new Beherit but I guess they're only churning out dungeon synth now, so...

Challops, but I don't really see the point of any new AC/DC albums after Back in Black, where they perfected their form. I've tried, but every album since has made me want to go back to that one instead. I have no logical explanation for why I feel this way, since a similar argument could be made for Motorhead with Ace of Spades, but I can't get enough of their stuff.

Mystery ritualistic black metal, presumably from Europe, that bridges the gap between Mayhem, Oranssi Pazuzu and Blut aus Nord, although most of its cues come from the former, starting with the vampiric, Attila-esque vocals:

https://prosternatur.bandcamp.com/album/mortuus-et-sepultus

I always seem to find a couple of flat-out death metal records I like every year.
This year the band that put out one of those records is Of Feather and Bone.

I could have sworn it was talked about in here earlier on but not seeing much when I search this thread but... the Mr. Bungle re-do of The Raging Wrath of the Easter Bunny is a blast.

haven't really wanted to listen to that! a band that left off on California coming back and redoing some early demos just...felt like a letdown idk

it's for sure different from what they are known for, its a fairly straight forward thrash album but I'm liking it a bunch. I get the sense that they had fun making it too

yeah the super low expectations certainly help but it's a very fun record

It's just done really well. And the demo is almost unlistenable with all of the static so this is a rare time i support a re-record.

This year the band that put out one of those records is Of Feather and Bone.

Thanks for the reminder on this one! I really liked their last one, keep meaning to check out the new one.

Yesterday I coincidentally revisited HWWAUOCH's first couple of albums only to discover just now that a new one dropped overnight:

https://hwwauoch.bandcamp.com/album/protest-against-sanity

Tomb Mold have a song on the Cyberpunk 2077 soundtrack. I hope that was a nice check for my homeboys.

A new Converge song too, apparently!

hey thanks again for the recommendations, unperson Spirit Adrift is like exactly what I was looking for

also Huntsmen and Aktor are really cool too, Aktor is interesting almost a weird Devo energy at times

i really like the Of Feather and Bone so far, but between this and Endless Curse, is it a new death metal trend now to record the albums to sound as if you're in a noisey cave? occasionally the riffs become hard to discern in the fracas.

Spelunking good not bad imo.

caverncore 4ever

Like Tomb Mold, I prefer my death metal to be recorded in a mildewed crypt.

I've been listening to some recent DM and really liked Undeath and Necrot. Both nail the production.

Agreed, both rule.

yeah both are ace. the Undeath gets progressively better as it goes.

the Of Feather and Bone is a killer headphones listen.

my biggest complaint is there being too little death metal that goes this hard, as the brutal acts have kinda settled into this congealed soup sound and the riffs often aren't there, but fuck, they're here in droves. the kinda energy Cryptopsy used to bring to the table, but they don't sound like Cryptopsy.....

plus they have a name that isn't Pissgrave.

Like Tomb Mold, I prefer my death metal to be recorded in a mildewed crypt.

― soaring skrrrtpeggios (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, November 19, 2020 10:35 AM bookmarkflaglink

Tomb Mold's production seems uniquely awesome to me in that it feels like you're on another planet wearing a spacesuit and not knowing how you got there or who that green guy is talking to you

i friggin' love Aktor's weird Devo energy.

i actually kinda think it ruined High Spirits for me. (i'm overstating it, but it's not *too* far from true.)

the melodic sensibility and mood of the Fuck the Facts album is fucking fantastic so far

Feminazgul is some hard shit! It’s a girl band!