Name-your-price stocking fillers.
I know I know, you can't fill a stocking with a download, but whatever. A primarily metal filled list with a couple of exceptions, once more I hope you find something you like! |
| 1 |  | Bridge Burner
Mantras Of Self Loathing
Dark hardcore EP with a somewhat noticeable death metal influence. While the middle two tracks are fast and aggressive but fairly homogenous, the bookends experiment with slower tempos and a heightened focus on building atmosphere. - https://bridgeburnernz.bandcamp.com/album/mantras-of-self-loathing |
| 2 |  | The Canyon Observer
FVCK
Quite noisy post-metal release from Slovenia that eschews most of the beauty associated with much in the genre in lieu of heightened intensity. A surprisingly heavy listen. - https://kaparecords.bandcamp.com/album/fvck |
| 3 |  | Carnero
Carnero
Italian crust punk that does the job more than amply, the job being pissed off while throwing in some genuinely interesting trackwriting. The drumming in particular is fantastic. - https://carnerohc.bandcamp.com/album/carnero |
| 4 |  | Cold Holding
In Dust Or What Remains
I feel obliged to put this on partly because I've seen them a couple of times, but mainly because their material so far is really quite good. Screamo will mid-ranged vocals and a slightly more 'full' style than much in the genre. - https://coldholding.bandcamp.com/ |
| 5 |  | Elderwind
The Magic of Nature
Stunning atmospheric black metal from Russia. Carries a slightly depressive feeling throughout using melancholic keys although largely stays away from the usual trope of continuing for longer than it needs to. - https://nihilart.bandcamp.com/album/elderwind-the-magic-of-nature |
| 6 |  | Endlesshade
Wolf Will Swallow The Sun
Ukrainian death/doom with female vocals. It should be noted, however, that these vocals are absolutely beastly and offer some of the most powerful growls, particularly in the genre, from this year. Excellent songwriting makes this a brilliant example of well-done death/doom. - https://naturmachtproductions.bandcamp.com/album/wolf-will-swallow-the-sun-rwe009 |
| 7 |  | Galere
Huit clos
Mathy but not spazzy hardcore EP from Strasbourg that is over way too quickly, but for 4 tracks in under 5 minutes, the songs are pretty damn awesome. - https://galere.bandcamp.com/album/huit-clos |
| 8 |  | Grst
Plague Seed
Black metal from Oregon that goes like hellfire. Occasionally a bit overlong, and the ambient track doesn't really add to much to the album, but when it gets going if nothing else it's absolutely punishing. - https://glossolaliarecords.bandcamp.com/album/plague-seed |
| 9 |  | Havukruunu
Havulinnaan
Finnish pagan black metal that manosg's review does way more justice for than I can fit into this paragraph, but it's really quite good if you haven't checked it out already. On the same label as Endlesshade, Naturmacht, who are more or less worth investigating in their entirety. - https://naturmachtproductions.bandcamp.com/album/havulinnaan-np061 |
| 10 |  | JK/47
Trees
This Colorado project has, on previous works, reworked Justin Timberlake's Futuresex with a new, darker patina, produced a cyberpunk album and a weird, almost vapourwave-y output too. Trees is slightly different, being a peculiar mixture of his dark electronic style and doom metal. Occasionally falls flat but largely an intriguing release. - https://jaykay47.bandcamp.com/album/trees |
| 11 |  | LLNN
Loss
Sludgy hardcore from Copenhagen. Apocalyptic would be the best word - I have no idea what tuning these guitars are at, but it's heavy as balls but satisfyingly so. The odd spacey synth work adds an interesting touch to some tracks, but others are just stomach-churning nihilism at a great level. - https://llnn.bandcamp.com/album/loss-album |
| 12 |  | Lluvia
Eternidad Solemne
Atmospheric black metal from Mexico. The vocals take a bit more of a back seat, both in usage and where they sit in the music, though this proves to be somewhat effect, and the instrumentation is really quite fantastic. The rain samples kinda make me need a wee, though. - https://lluvia.bandcamp.com/album/eternidad-solemne |
| 13 |  | Maestus
Voir Dire
Fairly synth-led funeral doom/black metal from Oregon (again). The clean vocals occasionally miss the mark and there is some filler, but everything else works really well despite the length (a whopping 73 minutes). - https://maestus.bandcamp.com/album/voir-dire |
| 14 |  | Piss Vortex
Piss Vortex
Another from Copenhagen, this feels controlled despite the experimental nature of the tracks. A little jazz influence never hurts, and the result is something that feels somewhat less disgusting than the name would suggest, and better for it. - https://pissvortex.bandcamp.com/album/piss-vortex |
| 15 |  | Proud Father
Hearu Shi no Proud Father
91 minutes in length, this large collection of ambience and noise from New Orleans tape recorder Proud/Father can be enjoyed either in one go or in bits and pieces, whatever tickles your fancy. There's a few tracks which don't really do much, but generally this is really quite pleasant. https://proudfather1.bandcamp.com/album/hearu-shi-no-proud-father |
| 16 |  | Roots and Ruins
Epigraph
Personally I feel this lacks... something... but instrumental math/post rock isn't my forte as such, and others on here seem to quite like it so I'll pop it on here anyway. And it's not like I think it's awful. - https://rootsandruins.bandcamp.com/ |
| 17 |  | Rosetta
Quintessential Ephemera
With (to date) 150 ratings on here and a formidable reputation on the backs of their first 3 albums it hardly seems worth divulging in the finer details here, but the post-metal giants' most recent is largely a return to from, and just so happens to also be name-your-price so here we are. - https://theanaesthete.bandcamp.com/album/quintessential-ephemera |
| 18 |  | Schonesende
Schonesende
Atmospheric black metal that requires a bit of patience (as much in the genre does, and at 67 minutes this is no exception) but is ultimately a rewarding enough listen. Not really any new ground broken but it's well done, particularly on closer Exit Smiling. - https://schonesende.bandcamp.com/releases |
| 19 |  | Tod Huetet Uebel
Malícia
This sounds like it would come from Iceland, given the dense, unrelenting, winding nature of this release. Instead, Tod Huetet Uebel hail from Portugal, showing it doesn't necessarily have to be cold to produce this kind of music. Great stuff. - https://todhuetetuebel.bandcamp.com/ |
| 20 |  | Totems
Elixir
To conclude this largely metallic list, some electronic goodness. I'm not entirely sure what this would come under if I'm honest but it's fairly chilled, a little bit glitchy/downtempo in parts and just a really rather good listen all round. - https://cosmic-compositions.bandcamp.com/album/elixir |
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