First up is Cult of Fire, a band from Prague that blends Eastern mysticism with raw black metal to create an epic mix. The band's second full length came out this year, and it certainly caught my attention. Somehow, this music does not come off as cheesy, as some bands such as Dimmu Borgir sometimes do. There are a lot of talented guitar parts here, for fans of more progressive post-black metal, as well as moments where you could close your eyes and imagine that it was Mayhem that was playing.
RUSSIAN CIRCLES is an instrumental metal band from Chicago. They have quite a few albums under their belt, having formed in the year 2004, but regrettably, they flew into my radar just this year with the release of "Memorial." Fans of post-metal, and bands such as Pelican, East of the Wall, and Isis take notice! Honestly, they incorporate so many styles of metal, any fan of the overall genre would be well-advised to give them a chance. Get it on Sergeant House.
Belgium's Oathbreaker released a new album this year, and it is certainly a contender for hardcore album of the year (my lists coming soon). It's as heavy as ever, but somehow has a beautiful, captivating element to it as well. Not to mention the raw chops the musicians have. I am sorry I did not give this record a proper review, but the year is over and I plan to start fresh come January. My favorite track is entitled No Rest For The Weary.
Check it out
Noothgrush/Coffins Split... Is this the dream team of the year or what? Two of the heaviest sludge/doom outfits in history together on a new split! Noothgrush does 3 tracks, Coffins, 2. While Coffins does some crunchier Sabbath-inspired stuff on "The Wretched Path," it is contrasted with Noothgrush's "Thoth," where slow buildups with spoken word eventually culminate into devastating tidal waves of doom riffs. This is an absolute MUST listen!
Check it out
Siezures, from California put out "The Sanity Universal" recently, which is their third release. This is some serious metallic hardcore for fans of the old school 90s, somewhat mathcore sound. Fans of early DEP, your time has come to buy a new hardcore record!!! They have the talent... I believe I was introduced to this band via Old Wounds... Looking forward to getting into more of their music in the future.
Check it out
Enabler hit us with two EPs this year... Shift of Redemption, and what I am focusing on at the moment, the Flies EP. This is one amazing release. One moment you are listening to metal, and in the next moment post-hardcore. I don't know how they pull this off to win me over, but they do. We even get a cover of Sepultura's Arise at the end, which is really well done.
My favorite track is 'Sickened By The Wake.'
Check it out
Weekend Nachos put out an album this year called Still. In my personal opinion, this LP has a little something for everybody, if you love to routinely get your face melted off... I recall getting ready to give this one a full review, but that very day CVLT NATION beat me to it, and I had nothing above it to say. Read it here, and check out the album here. Unfortunately, the cassettes that were sold via Toxicbreed's Funhouse store are sold out, so Bandcamp is the best bet. This one's going to make the year-end list!
Next post will be best of 2013 lists!
***
Noothgrush/Coffins Split... Is this the dream team of the year or what? Two of the heaviest sludge/doom outfits in history together on a new split! Noothgrush does 3 tracks, Coffins, 2. While Coffins does some crunchier Sabbath-inspired stuff on "The Wretched Path," it is contrasted with Noothgrush's "Thoth," where slow buildups with spoken word eventually culminate into devastating tidal waves of doom riffs. This is an absolute MUST listen!
Siezures, from California put out "The Sanity Universal" recently, which is their third release. This is some serious metallic hardcore for fans of the old school 90s, somewhat mathcore sound. Fans of early DEP, your time has come to buy a new hardcore record!!! They have the talent... I believe I was introduced to this band via Old Wounds... Looking forward to getting into more of their music in the future.
Enabler hit us with two EPs this year... Shift of Redemption, and what I am focusing on at the moment, the Flies EP. This is one amazing release. One moment you are listening to metal, and in the next moment post-hardcore. I don't know how they pull this off to win me over, but they do. We even get a cover of Sepultura's Arise at the end, which is really well done.
My favorite track is 'Sickened By The Wake.'
Weekend Nachos put out an album this year called Still. In my personal opinion, this LP has a little something for everybody, if you love to routinely get your face melted off... I recall getting ready to give this one a full review, but that very day CVLT NATION beat me to it, and I had nothing above it to say. Read it here, and check out the album here. Unfortunately, the cassettes that were sold via Toxicbreed's Funhouse store are sold out, so Bandcamp is the best bet. This one's going to make the year-end list!
Next post will be best of 2013 lists!
***
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