The masterful performance from the international black metal outfit comprising members from Chaos Moon and Bekëth Nexëhmü. Having delivered one of the strongest symphonic black metal albums, Slit Throat Requiem reminds me of timeless albums from black metal bands such as Setherial’s debut Nord, and Emperor’s first full length album In the Night Side Eclipse. And for this reason this mighty album reserved an early ranking in my top albums. Spiritually and musically inspired by the gods of the second wave of black metal like Emperor and Satyricon, Gardsghastr’s debut album is highly recommend to the fans of the 90’s era Nordic black metal. The album comes in seven full tracks of blistering black metal fury fronted by demonic rasps and atmospheric synth.
Highly Recommended!! Read my full review here.

Denver four piece death metal band Blood Incantation have gained momentum with their brand of death metal music. After the fantastic debut album Starspawn, which was released back in 2016, they showed an exclusive level of expertise and prowess in the technical skills. Hidden History of the Human Race marks as the second evolution from the band who obtained its own sound. From the captivating palate of the old school death metal and the technicality both skewed into the song structure. Blood Incantation quickly rose to the top list of the U.S. death metal bands in no time. Hidden History of the Human Race is a trippy death metal record and professionally played. The album is well balanced between the technical and progressive elements. So if you are a fan of early Death, Morbid Angel, Dimilich and Gorguts, then this album is a must!!! Read my full review here.

Who would think that the former vocalist of Morbid Angel David Vincent would join forces with guitarist “Blasphemer” Rune Eriksen (ex-Mayhem, Aura Noir) and drummer Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy)? Vltimas‘ Something Wicked Marches In had an immediate impact on me from the pounding drums, stylish models of death metal riffs backed by monstrous vocals of David Vincent. And the result was devastating, brutal and stuffed with chunk of killer death metal riffs. On this debut David Vincent proved that he’s still one of the best death metal vocalist. This is definitely one of the best modern death metal albums that surfaced earlier this year, and I’m very excited to see what this super group will offer on their future albums. This is a must for fans of Morbid Angel “David Vincent” era. Read the full review here.

Hvísl Stjarnanna contains many dark melodies which illustrates a refined and musical aspects which can only be crafted by the Icelandic musicians. The sophomore offering from one of the renowned bands of Icelandic black metal, Sinmara, is a dexterous album wrapped in six songs and refined by highly talented musicians. The moment I listened to this album my heart fell in love with the dark atmosphere. Hvísl Stjarnanna is profusely dissonant and way better than the debut. The album is built into many layers of dense atmosphere and thrilling elements, which are often intensified by the rhythm guitars and the hypnotic passages. This is definitely a stellar release from the Icelandic band, if you haven’t listened to this album yet then you are missing a lot! Read the full review here.

Deathspell Omega became the paradigm of the third wave of black metal bands by their post millennium and revolutionary fused methods. The seventh full length album from the masters of dissonance and technical black metal was one of the most anticipated albums of 2019. The Furnaces of Phalingenesia contains many outstanding tracks like Ad Arma! Ad Arma! Imitatio Dei, 1523, Sacrificial Theopathy, Work of Slaves, etc… Musically this is not a major shift from the previous album, the latest offering is a unique amalgamation of intricate riffs, dissonance and technicality. The Furnaces of Phalingenesia is a complex record, yet the band maintains a solid consistency and provides a plethora of dissonant riffs. Since the release of the album in spring and The Furnaces of Phalingenesia has become regular on my playlist. Read the full review here.

Krypts are one of the major bands who became an unrivaled example of old school cavernous death and doom metal. And their third output feels more mysterious and emphasized further on instrumentation, Krypts open the portals to the mysterious dimensions of darkness. The album begins with a crushing tone where the guitars create a mysterious atmosphere, Cadaver Circulation has a better sound quality than the previous albums. The songs on the album have a sinister and sepulchral mood, altogether the album is brutal soaked in the cavernous style of death/doom metal. And while the haunting atmosphere is sprawled over the six tracks the drums are absolutely pulverizing. With this album Krypts continues to impress the fans of death/doom, Cadaver Circulation remains beyond the ordinary albums. Read the full review here.

Nile took almost three years to create their ultimate sonic palette. Vile Nilotic Rites is a grandiose death metal record. The album powerfully relies on brutality and the technicality of the modern death metal. Nile once again honors the gods of the ancient Egypt, Karl Sanders and co. presents a shattering performance. The modern take on death metal on the latest album will captivate the listener, from the pompous inception of sinister guitar riffs to the phenomenal drumming skills. Moreover Nile has solidified their sound focusing on the roots which made them widely renowned. This is a mind blowing offering and a glorious return from the band who has weaves such a thrilling album filled with rich contents. Vile Nilotic Rites is a surreal achievement from the band with this album Nile has opened new doorways without losing their brand of death metal. Read the full review here.

There is no doubt that Mgła has become one of the influential bands in the modern age of black metal. Although Age of Excuse isn’t quite similar to Exercises in Futility, the latest album has set its own paradigm. The album is quite menacing balanced between the tremolo and dissonance, there is a superb technical take on drums and even the guitars in creating a cold atmosphere. Mgła are capable of reinventing themselves as there are plenty of melodic hooks and gorgeous guitar work. The third installment from the Polish black metal outfit is quite raw and organic in the same time and despite of the many outstanding black metal albums that came out this year. Age of Excuse was the most shining jewel among them all, the moment I listened to this album I knew that this record will surely be on my top list of 2019 black metal albums. This is a refined and a memorable album from one of the best black metal acts. Age of Excuse is filled with musical embellishments as every musical note here is scaled to find harmony and balance. Read the full review here.

Memoriam is a separate entity born from the ashes of the mighty Bolt Thrower. For three years in a row the British war machine outfit proved that they still have so much to offer to their fans. On Requiem for Mankind the band has shaped their tonality towards the aggressiveness, the album is heavily influenced by Benediction and Bolt Thrower. The horrific cover art is once again designed by Dan Seagrave which provides an atrocious warfare theme. Therefore I didn’t have to think twice to add this pulverizing record on the top of my death metal list. With such high anticipation I expected the band to deliver a strong record, after all the premiered tracks were totally mind blowing. The monumental work here is achieved by gigantic riffs, while Karl Willets sounds like the heydays in Bolt Thrower. This factor has even made a huge impact on the overall sound. Requiem for Mankind is a by all means a perfect record and there is simply no question about the quality. The album includes many hits such as Shell Shock, Never the Victim, Austerity Kills, In The Midst of Desolation, Refuse to Be Led, and many more. The latest material offers many crushing grooves, and fabulous drumming by Andrew Whale. Read the full review here.

It took many years for the most notorious black metal act to return with convincing material. And after many years of anticipation Mayhem has finally unleashed their most sonic abomination to date. Daemon has many compelling elements fused into the songwriting first is that the band has successfully returned to form. The cold and morbid atmosphere on the newest album is very close to their legendary album “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”. Daemon is a paragon of the modern age of orthodox black metal and it’s valid to say that Mayhem has finally found the inspiration and unique idiosyncratic musical style. The main focus here is was to create a dark and insidious atmosphere, while the tracks on the album are mainly mid-paced. The band was able to release a fresh material. And that’s due to the solid line-up and the impeccable performance that makes this album such a masterpiece. The more I listen to Daemon the more I discover its eeriness, the excellent transformation from tremolo to dissonance, superb drumming performance and the creepy vocals here makes the album so irresistible. Mayhem‘s latest sonic craft is a magnum opus of orthodox black metal.  Read the full review here.