The Best & Worst - Death/Black/Doom Metal in 2015.
2015 has been a pretty good year for extreme metal, but there have also been a handful of minor disappointments and a few downright stinking turds. Here's you're guide to staying away from the crap. I'm just going to go alphabetically through what I've heard this year here with a brief description and rating for each album. |
| 1 |  | Abyssal
Antikatastaseis
Suffocating, intense black/death for fans of Portal, Ulcerate and other such groups, easily the best output from Abyssal thus far. 3.8/5 |
| 2 |  | Acherontas
Ma-IoN 'Formulas Of Reptilian Unification'
Solid black metal album with ritual ambient stuff thrown in - this could've been really great, but it fell a little short. 3.5/5 |
| 3 |  | Ad Nauseam
Nihil Quam Vacuitas Ordinatum Est
This is one of the best metal releases of the year, really bizarre off kilter tech-death that seems to be getting berated for being Gorguts worship but it's a lot more than that. 4.3/5 |
| 4 |  | Akhlys
The Dreaming I
Tremendous black metal wrapped in a ominous cloud of atmospheric darkness, a must hear and the closest I've come to 5'ing a metal album this year. 4.6/5 |
| 5 |  | Alkaloid
The Malkuth Grimoire
A tech-death experiment gone boring. There are some interesting ideas that pop up here and there like the C-Value Enigma track, but otherwise...meh. 2.5/5 |
| 6 |  | All Tomorrows
Sol Agnates
Interesting tech-death that pulls a good chunk of influence from the Meshuggah realm without over-doing it. Worth a listen. 3.4/5 |
| 7 |  | Antigama
The Insolent
My current favorite grind album from 2015 - intense as hell and unrelenting, just like it should be. 4.2/5 |
| 8 |  | Archgoat
The Apocalyptic Triumphator
Boring. We've heard this from Archgoat time and time again, there's nothing new to be heard here. 2/5 |
| 9 |  | Archivist
ARCHIVIST
Fairly good post-black metal that tries to do something a bit different than the rest of the genre for the most part. 3.2/5 |
| 10 |  | Arcturus
Arcturian
It's a step up from Sideshow Symphonies, but there isn't enough experimentation and darkness for this to feel like a proper return to form. The opening track showed a lot of promise and I thought the electronic additions they made on this track would have been great if they were more prominent throughout the album. 3.5/5 |
| 11 |  | Author and Punisher
Melk En Honing
It's as weird as you'd expect it to be - Author & Punisher continue down their experimental drone/doom path with pretty great results. 4/5 |
| 12 |  | Balmog
Svmma Fide
A real sleeper album this year, this Balmog LP is one of the best records no one is talking about unfortunately. 4/5 |
| 13 |  | Barus
Barus
Too inconsistent of an EP for my liking - some tracks sound like Djent-gone-Death, but then the track Challice is incredible - there is potential here, but they need to make something a little more coherent. 3/5 |
| 14 |  | Bell Witch
Four Phantoms
Incredible doom release, one of the best metal records of 2015. 4.2/5 |
| 15 |  | Blaze of Perdition
Near Death Revelations
One of black metal's most consistent acts of the 2000's, they drop another great record this year. 3.8/5 |
| 16 |  | Corpse Garden
Entheogen
Pretty cool tech-death album that isn't overly flashy and focuses more on songwriting than showmanship. This is a sleeper this year, I add to add it to the database here. 3.7/5 |
| 17 |  | Cultes Des Ghoules
The Rise of Lucifer
Super evil - what else would you expect from this Beherit worship group? It's cool, I wish there was more material on this though - the Necromantia cover is killer. 3.8/5 |
| 18 |  | Desolate Shrine
The Heart of the Netherworld
I hope this record isn't forgotten by the end of the year, because it's a great chunk of black metal that should make the cut for one of the top 10 black metal albums of the year. January releases always get screwed. 4/5 |
| 19 |  | Dystopia Na!
Dweller on the Threshold
Intriguing experimental black/doom metal release from band I have never encountered prior to this record. This is a stunning piece of work that needs to get more exposure 4.3/5 |
| 20 |  | Dystrophy
Wretched Host
Awesome noisy tech-death that relies on dissonance more that flashy arpeggios and sweep-picked nonsense from my former home state of New Jersey. 3.7/5 |
| 21 |  | Enslaved
In Times
These guys are so consistent at this point that you shouldn't need a reason for someone to tell you to listen to them - black metal royalty strike again with another solid album. 4/5 |
| 22 |  | Entrails (SWE)
Obliteration
Jesus guys, we get it, you REALLY like Entombed. 2/5 |
| 23 |  | False
Untitled
I didn't like this very much at first, but I re-listened to it recently and it's started to grow on me a lot. 3.7/5 |
| 24 |  | Feared
Synder
Kinda Arch Enemy-ish techy melo-death stuff. It's not bad, but it just doesn't have a lot of life behind it. 2.8/5 |
| 25 |  | A Forest of Stars
Beware the Sword You Cannot See
Alright-ish progressive black-metal. It suffers from being overly ambitious in some parts but it really shines when its true potential is reached in certain moments. 3.2/5 |
| 26 |  | Ghost Bath
Moonlover
Ehhhh, it's okay. Post-black metal that doesn't really do anything to reinvent itself. 2.5/5 |
| 27 |  | Haar
The Wayward Ceremony
Fairly interesting progressive black metal that contains a few brilliant moments, but ultimately drags a bit too much to be truly great. 3.5/5 |
| 28 |  | Haethen
Shaped By Aeolian Winds
Hot damn, this is a solid piece of black metal, and from Philadelphia of all places. 4.3/5 |
| 29 |  | Hate
Crusade: Zero
Probably their second best record, but still not fantastic. 3.5/5 |
| 30 |  | Infernal War
Axiom
God damn, this record has some FAST drumming. Super in your face black metal. 3.8/5 |
| 31 |  | Inquinamentum
Void
Cold, atmospheric black metal that is above average but not mind blowing. 3.2/5 |
| 32 |  | Intensive Square
Anything That Moves
Really chaotic mathy tech-death that is somewhere between Meshuggah and The Dillinger Escape Plan. 3.8/5 |
| 33 |  | Jungle Rot
Order Shall Prevail
Jungle Rot is an Jungle Rot does - more mid-paced Death n' Roll tunes that are still somewhat satisfying but starting to get a little tired. 2.8/5 |
| 34 |  | Keep of Kalessin
Epistemology
What happened to this band? Armada was one of the coolest modern black metal records of its time when it dropped in 2006, but they've since not managed to created something anywhere close to as good. The rating would be a bit higher if it were anyone else, but these guys have the potential to make a truly excellent record and just haven't been able to do it - it's their third disappointment in a row. 2.5/5 |
| 35 |  | Khariot
Esoteric
Jacquibim hit the nail on the head with his soundoff - these guys could rule if they could just up their songwriting game, but this is kind of a mess. 2.5/5 |
| 36 |  | Khors
Night Falls Onto the Fronts of Ours
This is some truly good black metal that just isn't getting its due here - check it out, seriously. 4.2/5 |
| 37 |  | Leviathan
Scar Sighted
Not as good as everyone says, but not something to actively avoid either. Leviathan have never done anything that wow'ed me and they still haven't here. 3/5 |
| 38 |  | Mass Burial
Soul's Necrosis
Cool old-school death metal worship from Spain, has some cool riffs on here. 3.6/5 |
| 39 |  | Melechesh
Enki
An unsurprisingly solid effort from one death metal's finest Egypt obsessed groups. It doesn't hit Emissaries levels of awesome, but it's really good. 3.8/5 |
| 40 |  | Misthyrming
Söngvar elds og óreiðu
This is some seriously dark, cold, menacing black metal - and yeah, it really rules. 4.1/5 |
| 41 |  | Monolord
Vænir
Doom with some super crushing guitar tone - it gets a little samey after a while, but it's undeniably heavy. 3.2/5 |
| 42 |  | Moonlyght
Return To Desolation
This band was at one time a really promising progressive black metal act when they released their debut in 2004 - I remember thinking how fresh the album sounded, but this new output doesn't really match the quirky experimental spark they once had although they definitely try. 3.5/5 |
| 43 |  | Napalm Death
Apex Predator - Easy Meat
More intense than a nearly 30 old group has any business being, these geezer's have still got it - Apex Predator absolutely rages - Smash A Single Digit is one of the best tunes they've ever written. 4/5 |
| 44 |  | Oblivionized
Life Is A Struggle, Give Up
Techy/spastic--grindcore sort of like Car Bomb but not quite as cool. 3.4/4 |
| 45 |  | Obscure Infinity
Perpetual Descending into Nothingness
Awesome riffs aplenty in this thing. OSDM done right. 4/5 |
| 46 |  | Okazaki Fragments
Abandoned
Really unsettling and dissonant grind - cool stuff and way under the radar this year. 3.6/5 |
| 47 |  | Outre
Ghost Chants
Creepy black metal with awesome semi-clean vocal section that are really eerie and grim sounding. Sleeper of the year. 4.2/5 |
| 48 |  | Paradise Lost
The Plague Within
Not that great, this is the most over-hyped metal release this year. 2.8/5 |
| 49 |  | Psycroptic
Psycroptic
This band is completely out of ideas, they've written the exact same record at least 4 times now. 2/5 |
| 50 |  | Pyramids
A Northern Meadow
Experimental black metal done pretty well, it's got a dense and dark atmosphere that feels fairly unique, worth a listen. 4/5 |
| 51 |  | Pyrrhon
Growth Without End
Awesome EP, one of the best of the year, if not the best - this is their best material to date showing Pyrrhon have what it takes to be absolutely nuts, but also hone in on creating solid songs as well. 4.4/5 |
| 52 |  | Satyrasis
...Of the Dead
Technical death/thrash stuff that is pretty unique riff wise, definitely worth a spin or two. 3.7/5 |
| 53 |  | Shape of Despair
Monotony Fields
Sweet jesus this thing is good - probably their best record to date actually. Easily my doom AOTY right now. 4.5/5 |
| 54 |  | Skinless
Only The Ruthless Remain
Skinless is starting to sound tired...not because they've slowed down or anything, but because this is the epitome of a death metal record that just has no fresh ideas. 2.5/5 |
| 55 |  | Sulphur Aeon
Gateway to the Antisphere
A pretty decent slab of death metal, nothing too unique, but it gets the job done. 3.2/5 |
| 56 |  | Tempel
The Moon Lit Our Path
Incredible instrumental blackened post-metal, you should give this a listen. 4.2/5 |
| 57 |  | Vorum
Current Mouth
Raw, intense blackened death metal. Some really cool memorable moments on here. 4/5 |
| 58 |  | I, Valiance
The Reject of Humanity
Here's where I plug in the ones I forgot about or missed on my initial list - non alphabetical from this point on.
Jeez, there may actually be hope for Deathcore after all, this is the first time I've heard something this truly intense and unique from the genre and it's actually worth listening to. It doesn't make the band name any less terrible though. 3.7/5 |
| 59 |  | Downfall of Nur
Umbras de Barbagia
Really good folk infused black metal. I'm not usually a big fan of this style, but they do it rather well and the vocals are killer. 3.8/5 |
| 60 |  | Midnight Odyssey
Shards of Silver Fade
Man, this group makes some LONG albums. This is good, but they (or he?) could've trimmed a LOT off of this and it would've been more effective. Not every idea needs to be crammed into an album, less is more sometimes. 3.5/5 |
| 61 |  | Shining (SWE)
IX: Everyone, Everything, Everywhere, ends.
This is better than it's getting credit for. Not their BEST work, but it's rather good. 3.7/5 |
| 62 |  | Sigh
Graveward
I really wish they would've sent this album graveward. 1.5/5 |
| 63 |  | Dead in the Manger
Cessation
I'm kicking myself for forgetting this one, it's a great blend of grind and black metal. It has a ton of speed but also still has a palpable atmosphere to it as well. I wish the production was a bit better on the drums, but otherwise it's a killer record. 4/5 |
| 64 |  | Negura Bunget
Tău
Easily their weakest output to date. Avoid it. 2/5 |
| 65 |  | Malthusian
Below the Hengiform
These guys are on the cusp of greatness, they're not there yet, but I have a feeling their first full length is going to be tremendous. 3.8/5 |
| 66 |  | Obsequiae
Aria of Vernal Tombs
Superb folky black metal, as mentioned earlier, I'm not usually a fan of this style but damn is this good. 4.2/5 |
| 67 |  | Crypt Sermon
Out of the Garden
Really rad traditional/epic doom - it's so hard to do this style in a way that is interesting or sounds right, but these guys really nail it. 3.8/5 |
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