Alien Crucifixion - Relics of a Dark Star

Raped by Xenu, Enslaved by Reptoids...no not the latest Gloria Estefan album, just some maniacal grindcore from where else but Roswell, NM. And you know it's pretty good too. Good for those late night X-Files marathons where you just want to mute the sound and revel in some Agent Scully. You might be able to get a little Wizard of Oz/DSoftheM type of thing going on tooo.

Relix

Beast so Far

About a half way through this year and already there are some standout releases that you should certainly be aware of. Some of the tops...and don't forget that new one buy some Canadian death metal band I'm sure no one's ever heard of.

Black Crucifixion - Coronation of King Darkness
These old-school Finns resurfaced in the mid-aughts to unleash more of their Celtic Frost/Darkthrone inspired sludgy blackness...I'm digging this big time because the bass tone reminds me of Magma. Making sure the old-school remains cool.

Cynthesis - ReEvolution
Featuring members of Zero Hour, pretty much the best progressive metal album I've heard since Arch/Matheos jam.

Euphoric Defilement - Ascending to the Worms
Sophisticated brutality, I'm replaying this one waaay more than I should probably. X Factor galore, especially for a band's debut!!

Deeds of Fleisch - Portals To Canaan
Haven't listened to the whole thing yet but sounding damn good, definitely not a step down from the excellent ...Of What's To Come and sure to give the Euphoric Defilement boys a run for their money come awards season.

Humanfly - Awesome Science
Psychedelic Space Jam Time...reminds me of Iceburn in all the right ways

Aosoth - IV: An Arrow in Heart
Like Deathspell minus the meandering (read: boring) parts

Okular - Sexforce
Progressive death metal euphoria from these Norsemen. Second only to Diskord in the Norwegian death metal sweepstakes.

Satan - Life Sentence
Ripping, shredding ballz-out NWOBHM just like olden-times, the boys' still got it!

Head of the Demon - s/t
Featuring members of old Swedish melo-death band A Mind Confused and this sounds nothing like that, not that I'm complaining mind you! HOD is like a Forgotten Woods/Furze clusterfuck gone off the chain. Grimier than you like but sit down and take a bite.

Soror Dolorosa - No More Heroes
Hands down the best goth going...maybe not better than Blind Scenes but when you've perfected a sound I say just go with it. Plus whenever I think that the band's singer is Andy Julia I think that he might be Raul Julia's son which makes me think of his portrayal of Gomez Adams which puts me in an ideal mindset to listen to Soror Dolorosa. Positive feedback loop perfection.

Pat Metheny - Tap: Book of Angels Volume 20
The frizzy-fro'd guitar god gets his freak on to some John Zorn hitz.

The Crescent - Risti
A continuation of Enochian Crescent, which was probably the most unsung Finnish black metal band ever. This album is deserving of way more acclaim than it has been getting (which has been just about zilch so far).

Lumrerians - The High Fronteir
High as an f'n kite indeed! Jungle-lovin prog demons get down and tribal with afrobeats and psychedelic freakouts.

Procession - To Reap Heavens Apart
Powerful Chilean trad doom goodness

Tengger Cavalry - Black Steed and The Expedition
The Mongolian Skyclad...nuff said

Kaviar Kavalier - Music aus Ordinationen
Haven't heard all of this new one from Necrocock, but what I have sounds very promising

Duobetic Homunkulus - Ani já ani
Same with these Czech Stalling-Grind nutzos

Judicator - Sleepy Plessow
Best power metal you'll hear all year guaranteed

Todtgelichter - Apnoe
This is and probably will remain my favorite album of the year...just unbelievaby good - expanding, improving and then totally disregarding their sound from previous albums. Black metal, alt-rock, goth, rhythmic, melodic and emotional Apnoe has got it all!

Voivod - Target Earth
What a glorious return...can proudly stand beside Nothingface and Outer Limits, and I don't think Snake has ever sounded better.

Soilwork - The Living Infinite
Big big surprise this one, Speed and the boys haven't sounded this good since....well, ever.

Tera Melos - X'ed Out
A pure pleasure to listen to. Just a perfect summertime jam especially if you don't mind some twee infiltrating your noise rawk.

Way to End - Various Shades of Black
Twisted Neoclassical shreddy French black metal. Gruesome and beautimous.

Good things on the Whorizon

Countess - Sermons Of The Infidel

Goddamn this is sounding superb, Orlok back up to his old tricks and I for one could not be happier!

Sermons@Bandcamp

Subject - Wild Horses from the Clouds

Giddyup fuckers. Wild horses couldn't drag me away from this melancholy Swano influenced death metal from Hungary...I'm probably most reminded of some of those old Finnish death metal bands that took the long dusty trail ontowards the everflowing rivers of doom. Amorphis, hell even Xysma and Decoryah fans take note.

Wild Horses

Butcher - Astral Karma

Probably the best metal review site is autothrall. The guy is just prodigious and almost always on point, so when he writes up an album with a name like this and a cover like this and a sound that is described as "what might occur if Yngwie Malmsteen had guested on a Voivod record and made Piggy's eyes roll up in consternation" then HOT DAMN! Sign me up and quick...every bit as good as that description would have you believe!

Astral Karma