My personal top 10
10. Necrophobic – Dawn of the Damned
After delivering one of the most gripping albums in 2018 ‘Mark of the Necrogram‘ the Swedish blackened death metal masters Necrophobic return this year with yet another spectacular release. ‘Dawn of the Damned‘, the eighth studio album, unlocks the visceral talents of the band and conveys a sophisticated sonic paradigm. Necrophobic showcases a firm style with swirling dual guitars, and a vortex of the blast beats accelerating in full destructive motion. ‘Dawn of the Damned‘ is an outstanding album that maintains the flow of its tracks, mainly achieved by the electric performance of these Swedish veterans. And for this reason I couldn’t resist including this release in my top ten. Read my full review here.
9. Undergang – Aldrig i livet
From Copenhagen, Denmark, death metal veterans Undergang returned with my most anticipated album of the year. My list couldn’t have been complete without this killer album. ‘Aldrig i livet‘ doesn’t only infuse doom elements and stomping grooves, but the band also focuses on skull-crushing brutality. Heavily amplified guitars churn out a plethora of riffs. The songs are molded to sound raw. Undergang offer new dimensional and atmospheric textures to the songs, where they emphasize the eerie instrumentation. With ‘Aldrig i livet‘ Undergang are at the top of their game. The grimy and rotten caveman riffs on the album befits the gory themes of decomposition, death and perversion. Read my full review here.
8. Ulcerate – Stare Into Death and Be Still
New Zealand’s dissonant masters Ulcerate have been in constant evolution since their formation. Their gradual expansion from technicality to a form of complex death metal reflected on each studio album. On their latest craft ‘Stare into Death and Be Still‘ Ulcerate manifest new methodical ways of blending atmosphere and harmony into their musical architecture. The new album is one gigantic brutal slab of tech death. on which melody and technicality harmonize beautifully. Read my full review here.
7. Proscription – Conduit
Another massive blackened death metal album that had me all hooked. Those who don’t know the Finnish death metal Proscription, aren’t probably aware of Christbutcher’s former band known as Maveth. Proscription continues from where Maveth left off. ‘Conduit‘ is immense and reinvigorating. Compositions show the mastery of guitar arrangements. One of the dominant factors here is the versatility of the songwriting. This debut is a crossbreed between American, Finnish and Polish death metal, and comes close to the likes of Behemoth and Nile. Yet at the same time the band has an individual sound. Read my full review here.
6. Panzerfaust – The Suns of Perdition – Chapter II: Render unto Eden
I have to be frank here about this band, Panzerfaust are one of the most unique bands from Canada that I discovered this year. Although I’ve come across the band’s name several times in the past but for some reason, I didn’t check them out sooner. With their latest release however I was drawn in by the beautiful painting of the album cover. ‘The Suns of Perdition – Chapter II: Render unto Eden‘ is the second part of a saga that depicts the powerful topics of war, darkness and anti-god. The intensity of the focused lead guitars and the thundering cannon of the drums are the most destructive weapons of this band. Read my full review here.
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