Average Rating: 3.55 Rating Variance: 0.40 Objectivity Score: 72% (Fairly Balanced)
Sort by: Rating | Release Date | Rating Date | Name5.0 classicBe'lakor Stone's ReachQuo Vadis Defiant IndoctrinationQuo Vadis Defiant Imagination4.5 superbArchspire Relentless MutationArkona (RUS) KhramIt's been a while since I've listened to Arkona, but their last album surprised me in a good way. To me it sounds like melodic black metal which the female vocals make the overall sound hauntingly beautiful. It is far too long and after the 40th minute it starts to sound tedious and repetitive, which is a shame as it had the making of a very good album. Will still listen to the first half of the album though. Later edit: It started to grow on me with every listen. I still consider the second part of the album weaker than the first, but overall it is quite the album.Arkona (RUS) Goi, Rode, Goi!I can't believe I haven't gave this a full listen until now. Mesmerizing performance by the vocalist accompanied by solid riffs. This one sets the bar up high as far as pagan/folk metal is concerned.Batushka LitourgiyaBehemoth Evangelica HereticaCarach Angren Where the Corpses Sink ForeverChapel of Disease ...And as We Have Seen the StormListened to the album expecting a pure death album and got something...extra. The vocals might be death(ish) but the music definitely has a heavy metal influence and since the band is German, we could guess a couple of bands that could have influenced them. Anyway the album gives away a certain good, optimistic feeling that is quite unique for a death metal effort. I would be very interested in hearing them live. After listening this album for more than a month, I'm still coming back to it...it's hauntingly beautiful, so I had to up the rating as it's near perfection for me.Dark Tranquillity Where Death Is Most AliveDisturbed Ten Thousand FistsEnsiferum EnsiferumFalls of Rauros The Light That Dwells in Rotten WoodGreat blend of black metal voice with uplifting folk and post rock music. Very interesting sound that I reckon sets them apart (in a good way) from the other bands in the atmospheric black metal genre.Garden of Shadows Oracle MoonUnbelievable melodic death metal. Strong and melodic at the same time without clean vocals. Hard to believe they disbanded after this one, and only ever recorded 2 albums. This is a gem.Iwrestledabearonce It's All HappeningLorna Shore ...And I Return to NothingnessLunar Shadow Far from LightI've listened black atmospheric metal for a while, wanted a change of pace and found this gem of an album. I'm not a big fan of heavy metal, but this is something different. Lunar Shadow uses heavy metal as a base and fuses a bit of power, a bit of melodic and some extreme metal (here and there) to make one fascinating album. Now considering the fact that this is a debut album and the guys are very young...makes this album stand out even more in my eyes. If these guys continue to evolve...wow...fun times ahead!Mgla Exercises in FutilityRotting Christ Their Greatest SpellsEverything you need from Rotting Christ. Gets you going through work, or life in general. After 1 hour of listening (the whole mix is 2.5 hours) I had to raise the rating. The mix to rule all mixes.Slugdge Esoteric MalacologySoen LykaiaThe Ocean Phanerozoic I: PalaeozoicPermian: The Great Dying might just be the best piece of music you'll ever hear...Thy Catafalque RengetegThy Catafalque AlföldUnto Others Mana4.0 excellentAmanda Woodward La Decadence de la DecadenceAmon Amarth Wrath of the NorsemenArchitects All Our Gods Have Abandoned UsArkona (RUS) Vo Slavu Velikim!Arkona (RUS) SlovoAtlantean Kodex The Course of EmpireBehemoth SatanicaBelphegor Pestapokalypse VIBleeding Utopia Where the Light Comes to DieBucovina Sub SteleCaladan Brood Echoes Of BattleCloudkicker UnendingCradle of Filth Existence Is FutileDaitro/Sed Non Satiata SplitDark Tranquillity FictionDemolition Hammer Epidemic of ViolenceDvne AsheranIt says doom/stoner metal on the label, but I can hear some heavy/thrash and even some melo death influences in the songs. All of these though make one hell of a good debut album.Dying Fetus Destroy the OppositionElder (USA-MA) Reflections of a Floating WorldEnsiferum IronEntheos (CAN) Le ZahirDefinitely not my cup of tea but still I gave it an excellent score as the album still somehow appealed to me.Awesome slow start, that somehow seemed like the silence before the storm, or as 'silence calls the storm' as Quo Vadis use to sing, and then the carnage begins. The music is quite enthralling and the guys are seriously talented and inspired, but it's just the voice that kills me. I would have appreciated the voice more if he could have changed his tone from time to time, but it's just a constant agonising tone. There was a slight change in tone during L'Orpheline that lasted for a couple of seconds, but it was enough to confirm that they can use this kind of diversity in their music (my opinion). I certainly would have appreciated more of it. The end though...what a finish! Most bands usually choose a cover, or a slow instrumental song, or something different from the other songs on their album. Not Entheos. No, they provided an aggressive, but yet melodic song that makes you earn for more. I am pretty sure Entheos and the psychedelic genre fans will definitely not be disappointed with this effort from the Canadian band as it did quite an impression on me even though I'm a novice in the psychedelic music world.Epica Consign to OblivionEths SomaGivre Le Pressoir MystiqueGod Dethroned Bloody BlasphemyGroza Unified In VoidMgla like? Yes, so what? Awesome black metal with a touch of melodicity.Gygax High FantasyHaggard Eppur si muoveHIM Razorblade RomanceIllyria The Carpathian SummitIn Chasms Deep As the Wicked Burn BelowExcellent blend of black metal and core done in a unique way.In Chasms Deep Symphony Of HorrorJeff Rosenstock WORRY.King Woman Celestial BluesKreator Gods of ViolenceLacuna Coil In a ReverieLunar Shadow The Smokeless FiresInitially disappointed with the album as a follow up to 'Far from Light' but man did it grew on me. It took me a while to get used to the new vocal but now I can say that it is an absolute gem in heavy metal territory. It won't be regarded so now, but down the years I think this will be regarded as a game changer.Mastodon Emperor of SandMastodon Once More 'Round the SunMors Principium Est The UnbornNe Obliviscaris Portal of IPoison the Well The Opposite of DecemberRolo Tomassi GrievancesRotting Christ TheogoniaHalf of the album is pure delight, while the other is up to standard but nothing special. Still most bands would kill to have such a feat.Rotting Christ AealoSepticflesh CommunionShokran ExodusSodom In War and PiecesSoilwork The Living InfiniteSystem of a Down HypnotizeTelepathy TempestI don't think they bring anything new to the post rock genre, but still they manage to sound incredibly good. Very interested to hear their follow-up. The Ocean HeliocentricInitially rated this album lower, but it grew on me. This one is good as background music while doing work, but you really need to take some free time with some noise cancelling headphones and dig into it...then you will start to appreciate it. Firmament, The Origin of Species and The Origin of God are mind blowing songs.The Ocean PrecambrianA fascinating blend of post rock with hardcore vocals and some other minor influences. The song 'Rhyacian' is something...something special...Thy Catafalque NaivTrees of Eternity Hour of the NightingaleTyr HelUada Devoid of LightVery good melodic black metal. Mgla-ish with an American accent. Originally rated at 3.5, but had to increase it the albums gets better with every listen.Ulcerate Stare Into Death and Be StillUlcerate Everything Is FireVader Tibi et IgniVarathron Patriarchs of EvilWondrous effort! Atmospheric, melodic, aggressive! Who wouldn't like to put on an album like this after 30 years of playing?Warfect Spectre of DevastationXoth Interdimensional InvocationsCrossover between thrash, black and heavy done right.3.5 greatAeternam Al QassamAmorphis Queen of TimeAnomalie VisionsInteresting blend of black metal and atmospheric/post rock. 1 or 2 songs feel rather bland, but most of the album is quite good.Baton Rouge Fragments D'eux MemesPure awesomeness groovy record...aside from the last 10 minutes where they decided to just record noise to fill the album.Captain Cleanoff Symphonies of SlacknessCattle Decapitation Monolith of InhumanityCavalera Conspiracy InfliktedCavalera Conspiracy PsychosisChapel of Disease Echoes of LightChthe'ilist Le Dernier CrépusculeDeath Angel The Evil DivideDegial Predator ReignPure blackened death metal with no hint of other influences (not to me at least). Obviously the guys are talented, but would have loved some sort of experimentation from the classic formula. They just don't bring anything new to the table to give this a higher rating.Elvenking Reader of the Runes – DivinationElvenking The Winter WakeEnter Shikari Take to the SkiesEquilibrium ErdentempelFirelink The Inveterate FireFrosthelm PyrrhicFvneral Fvkk Carnal ConfessionsGorod Leading VisionHideous Divinity AdveniensHideous Divinity Cobra VerdeHorrendous IdolI Am The Trireme NomenclatureAn interesting release from a young band. The album is labelled under the blackened death metal tag but I can definitely feel a post metal vibe and hear a melo death influence with a hint of gothic in between. The vocals are black(ish) with some clean/hardcore attempts every now and then. The sound isn't too bad considering this is the band's second album release. I'm certainly liking the rhythm, but the lyrics and vocals are not up to par with the music. Overall though a solid release, which is definitely worth multiple listenings. Joliette Luz DevoraKarnivool Sound AwakeKreator Violent RevolutionLacuna Coil Black AnimaLost Soul Immerse in InfinityMalokarpatan NordkarpatenlandInteresting fusion of black with thrash metal with a bit of folk thrown in the mix. It has a very classic sound reminiscing of the old heavy metal bands. I'm very picky about black and thrash band, but this one ticks a lot of boxes for me.Mgla Age of ExcuseMisery Index The Killing GodsMors Principium Est ...And Death Said LiveNecrophobic Dawn of the DamnedNecrot MortalOh, Sleeper Children of FirePaara RiittiPalehorse/Palerider Burial SongsI can't keep up with the metal sub-genres, but I can recognise some form of post-rock in this album blended with I don't know what. Sounds good though and that's the important thing. Starts strong and fades slowly as minutes go by unfortunately, but I have the feeling that this will grow on me.Phlebotomized Deformation of HumanityA great metal gem. I need to listen to their old records now...Rimfrost Expedition: DarknessRotting Christ Sleep of the AngelsRotting Christ The HereticsSepultura QuadraSermon Birth Of The MarvellousSeventh Wonder Mercy FallsSingularity (USA-AZ) Place of ChainsSlice the Cake Odyssey to the WestSoen LotusSoen used a much heavier sound in their latest album which is a welcoming addition. Overall it's a good album, but it doesn't break any ground.Soulfly RitualSoulfly Dark AgesSumerlands SumerlandsMany compared this band with Eternal Champion and Lunar Shadow. They definitely have better riffs and much better cohesion between music and vocals than Eternal Champion, but Lunar do things even better. Nonetheless, a good nostalgic musical experience.The Haunted Made Me Do ItThe Ocean AnthropocentricThe Ocean PelagialTribulation The Children of the NightTribulation The HorrorUnto Others StrengthVananidr Road NorthFound this album while searching for Fredrik's (Amon Amarth's former drummer) latest efforts. Pleasantly surprised by this - black metal infused with a good amount melodicity (death-ish at times) and a surprisingly good album production. While not a big fan of black metal, this has definitely peaked my interest.White Ward Futility Report3.0 goodAeternam MoongodArkona (RUS) Ot Serdtsa K NebuAvatar SchlachtAzarath Blasphemers' MaledictionsBatushka HospodiBatushka RaskolBlack Crown Initiate Selves We Cannot ForgiveBlood Incantation Hidden History of the Human RaceCarach Angren This Is No FairytaleCradle of Filth Cryptoriana – The Seductiveness of DecayBetter than previous efforts overall, but honestly I can only pick 2 really good songs: Heartbreak and Seance and You Will Know the Lion by His Claw. Really pumped though about their next release, if they can keep their band members for the years to come.rDevilDriver The Fury of Our Maker's HandElectric Wizard DopethroneEmigrate Silent So LongEnsiferum Victory SongsEnsiferum From AfarEntheos (CAN) OtotemanI've listened to their 2017 (Le Zahir) effort before listening to this one and it's good that I did it this way. It was good to hear how they evolved, but this is nowhere near their latest album. If on Le Zahir I can hear some awesome riffs, here well I can only hear those agonising vocals. But this is black metal vocals in the end so I guess the genre fans will appreciate...I cannot. I'll stick by their 2017 album and look forward for their next one. If they continue to evolve at this great rate...we're in for a treat.Eternal Champion The Armor of IreGood, but could have been much better. The review here on sputnikmusic nails it when it specifies that the riffs basically die when the vocals begin. Sing A Last Song Of Valdese is probably a good example of the potential they have.Hideous Divinity Obeisance RisingInsomnium Above the Weeping WorldJinjer King of EverythingKarnivool ThemataLahmia Into The AbyssA good melo-death album with lots of room for improvement. Considering this is also the debut album for Lahmia, it certainly promises good things for the future of the band.Misery Index Heirs to ThieveryMors Principium Est Liberation = TerminationOceans Ate Alaska HikariRolo Tomassi HystericsSamael EternalI have to agree with a previous comment, that this is a great record to listen while working or driving. It won't distract you, but it won't bore you as well. The only song I really like is The Cross, where the guitar sound takes main stage for once and actually shines (that attempt of doing a solo was really good, just too short). It would have been interesting to hear similar guitar sound a bit more often throughout the record.Samael AboveA nice blend of industrial and black metal done in Samael style.Samael Lux MundiShade of Hatred Reflection on RuinSilver Talon Becoming A DemonSoen TellurianThe Great Old Ones CosmicismThe Ocean FluxionTurilli / Lione Rhapsody Zero Gravity (Rebirth and Evolution)Tyr Eric The RedTyr By the Light of the Northern StarVisions Of Atlantis TrinityWilderun Veil of ImaginationWind Rose Wardens of the West Wind2.5 average1914 The Blind Leading the BlindArch/Matheos Winter EtherealBatushka PanihidaCavalera Conspiracy Blunt Force TraumaMax is a master of fast aggressive type of metal, but when he adds a bit of melodicity to his tunes...magic happens. Songs like Blunt Force Trauma and Killing Inside are the only ones that are standing out for me, all the others are just Cavalera-esque general tunes...not bad, but just not good for repeated listening.Cavalera Conspiracy PandemoniumChapel of Disease The Mysterious Ways of Repetitive ArtDawn of Solace WavesDisillusion Back to Times of SplendorI honestly don't understand where the hype was and still is for this album. It's not dreadful, but nowhere near perfection. Ensiferum Two PathsFen WinterThere have been a boom in atmospheric black metal as of late but that doesn't mean that everything that appears in this genre in good. Fen's last effort is good and every song gives you hope that is going to be great, but every single one fails to achieve greatness. The fact that it ticks at almost 2 hours doesn't help as well. Couldn't listen all the way to the end...My Dying Bride Turn Loose the SwansOnce Human EvolutionRolo Tomassi CosmologyRorcal HeliogabalusSamael Solar SoulSavage Master Myth, Magic and SteelThe Drowning The Radiant DarkThe Ruins of Beverast ExuviaUada Cult of a Dying SunWind Rose Stonehymn2.0 poorLeviathan Scar SightedPurulent Necrosis Cadaverized HumanitySamael Reign Of LightA weaker record than their previous release, Eternal, as the band delved deeper into the electronic/industrial sound. It's even frustrating to listen to it as a background music while doing anything.The Armed Only LoveThe Ruins of Beverast Rain Upon the Impure
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