I’ll start off by saying that I think this has been a very good year for Metal (and other genre) releases! I’ve enjoyed albums across most genres and sub-genres of which I’ve selected ten as my favourite releases. I will do another post of honourable mentions as I have actually created a top 25 list, but to make this feel more definitive I will separate them into two entities.

I won’t be writing anything terribly in-depth to go with the theme of this blog, but I will aim to convey why I enjoyed each release and why it’s worth your precious time in this increasingly busy world!

10. NOT WORTHY OF HUMAN COMPASSION – SCALP

17 minutes of pure unadulterated grinding fury! One thing I generally appreciate about this kind of music is how short the albums are, which doesn’t reduce its impact! I believe this actually increases it and let’s be honest if it was much longer it probably wouldn’t be as good.

Possessing very crunchy HM2 guitars, incessant drumming, a surprisingly clean production with the right amount of fuzz/murk and powerful consistent vocals that don’t vary much (except between highs and lows), which suits this albums energy and flow perfectly.

Also, I’m a huge fan of a crushingly slow Sludge/Doom song capping off a punishingly fast album and BOTTOMLESS is a wonderful example of this.

Best songs: SHACKLEROT, BOTTOMLESS, CROWSFOOT

Album cover: incredible! 5/5

Re-listenability: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

9. Biographyte – Cytotoxin

If number 10 was a sledgehammer wrapped in barbed wire then Biographyte is shiny and chrome! This is both very heavy and also beautifully technical with some outstanding guitar work that is given time to shine. The vocals here don’t vary much but they are exceptional low vocals of a high calibre, they punch through appropriately and there is the occasional pig squeal that pairs well with a faster section.

The amount of guitar sweeping here is off of the scales! This reminds me of similar bands where this sounds fake or showy but here it feels natural and integral to the sound of this album. Honestly this would be much higher on this list but the competition this year is wild!

Best songs: Hope Terminator, Condemnesia, Eventless Horizon

Album cover: one of their better covers 4/5

Re-listenability: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

8. Ossuary – Scorching Tomb

Ossuary rips! My kind of modern Death Metal that has a Metallic Hardcore influence, similar to a band like Xibalba or Creeping Death. The riffing here is mostly quite fast with some very nice galloping sections and the occasional chugging slowdown, there’s a lot of varied guitar parts going on here which is very appealing and engaging.

The sound overall is beefy and kind of cavernous with some fuzz but is quite cleanly produced overall so you can hear everything going on. The vocals are almost always low with the occasional high and an in-between lower vocal that would suit a Metallic Hardcore band, and you can quite often hear the lyrics which is nice for Death Metal!

Best songs: Stalagmite Impalement, Feel the Blade, Sentenced to Rot

Album cover: very cool! 5/5

Re-listenability: IT RIPS 5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

7. Bludgeoned Beyond Repair – Scasm

This is extremely dumb music and I mean that as a compliment! From the song names to the frenzied variation in the simply bonkers vocal techniques, which remind me of Snuffed on Sight occasionally but mostly they are changing it up quite a bit.

There is some real groove to be had here alongside hammering breakdown sections and a blasting ping snare that isn’t too aggressively high in the mix. As well as a pretty murky and oppressive production which helps you wallow through this short and uncompromising album!

Best songs: Neanderthal Dance Anthem, Gorilla Technique, Trailer Hitch Dechromer

Album cover: not too disgusting which is a bonus (for Slam that is) 4.5/5

Re-listenability: 4.5/5

Overall rating 4.5/5

6. Morbid Ataraxia – Putridity

I can’t quite put my finger on why I’ve enjoyed this BDM album more than others this year, but I think a part of it is that Morbid Ataraxia is a near constant wall of noise with a strange gurgling sample that bookends a lot of the songs! Almost constant blast beats and frenzied grinding scratchy guitars that occasionally rise above the mix with a squealing high pitched pinch help paint this bludgeoning album.

It’s kind of hard to talk about really as it is “samey” and does blur into being a continuous song of oppressive noise but I found it captivating nevertheless! Also, the continually superb guttural low vocals really lend extra power to this slab of BDM meat majesty.

Best songs: it’s kind of one long song but I really like Immersed In The Spell Of Death

Album cover: pretty sick! 5/5

Re-listenability: you have to be locked in for this one 3.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

5. 3 – Bodybox

Bodybox might be somewhat of a “light” Slam band and perhaps even considered as “vanilla” by some in the context of the genre, but I found myself returning to this album multiple times since its release. I initially had this down as a 4/5 upon its release and it has really grown on me, I think it’s catchy and groovy!

Extremely heavy bullish chugging, a very meaty production and exceptionally wicked low and almost unique guttural vocals smash their away across this album accompanied by a pinging snare that doesn’t annoy you. Don’t get me wrong this is insanely dumb music, but if you want to be audibly curb stomped then this doesn’t get much better.

Best songs: Skante, Skimping Fuckin’ Idiots, Scratch Offs and Hookers

Album cover: pretty good! 4/5

Re-listenability: 5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5

4. private music – Deftones

What can you say about this that hasn’t been said this year? This album is a triumph and I have listened to it quite a lot this year as it made its way onto my Spotify Wrapped. Chino sounds incredible with his iconic heartfelt and sorrowful vocal style with the occasional signature scream. This is mostly a fairly laidback affair if we’re comparing this to some of their older work, it mostly stays quite soft but I think it is better for it!

The song compositions are very varied which makes for an engaging listening experience and there is some nice sampling/electronic sounds chucked in occasionally. The production is very crisp and clear so you can hear everything, which is great considering there is a lot of variation in instrumentation to listen to.

Best songs: infinite source, locked club, i think about you all of the time

Album cover: one of my faves this year! 5/5

Re-listenability: 5/5

Overall score: 4.5/5

3. Dissonance Theory – Coroner

A wonderfully progressive and technical album that borders on Avante-garde music, yet they do not skimp on the thrashing sections when they arise which pack an old school Thrash punch. Yet some songs are also reminiscent of bands like Gojira in the groovier parts of Sacrificial Lamb or even Mastodon perhaps.

For me a big success of this album is that the vocals are strong and interesting, they remind me a lot of Celtic Frost and are on the heavier end of Thrash vocals, but they really lend themselves to every aspect of this virtuosic album. Some epic soloing and lots of musical variation and technical instrumentation construct a 30 year comeback album that finds itself in the upper echelons of Thrash and Metal as a whole.

Best songs: Sacrificial Lamb, The Law, Consequence

Album cover: very cool! 4.5/5

Re-listenability 5/5

Overall score: 4.75/5

2. Mendacium – Evoken

This is my favourite Metal album of the year without a doubt. An epic tome that could be the soundtrack to the oblivion of life itself! The mostly bellowing low vocals are accompanied by some kind of almost sexy vampiric rasping vocalisations that alongside the often Gothic instrumentation remind me of Type O Negative, and there are also some high Black Metal style vocals which suit the sound well. Add in some slow but pounding Doom sections which often have a nice short solo or pinching/arpeggio guitars puncturing through the wave of sludge.

There is is a lot of synth/piano/organ/choir singing that accompany throughout this album in the background, with guitar parts that sound like they were recorded on a Sitar or something similar which add to the mysterious soundscape crafted by Evoken. This is pretty desolate and bleak music which is emphasised by an album cover that reeks of desperation.

Best songs: the whole thing! I especially love Matins though.

Album cover: 4.5/5

Re-listenability: you really need to set aside time for this 3/5

Overall score: 5/5

1. Dead Channel Sky – Clipping.

My favourite of the year! I’m a huge fan of Clipping. and for me they are currently on a triple 5/5 album run which is pretty incredible. I do think it’s not my favourite of the three, but it has a lot of what I like from them nonetheless. Heavy beats and effortlessly fast bar spitting with lots of samples and interesting sounds thump through this pulsating cyberpunk descent into a Cronenbergian hell of man and machine.

What can I say except:

Long live the new flesh!

Best songs: Dominator, Run It, Scams

Album cover: nice! 4.5/5

Overall score: 5/5