I rant, and rant, and rant, and then let you know this is a 6-month reflection on the year,  “yay”.  

Stuntman has one of the best hardcore albums this year.

Bag of Dicks: Stuntman (France) (0:28-3:45)

2 piece from Germany has a full listenable riffy album.  Some people don’t like “listenable”, to them I say. . eh.

Cult Witness: Mantar (Germany) (6:09-10:43)

The Greek have put out a dark version of 70’s rock: vocals are not pretty, but it has a lot of psychedelic and organs and stuff.

Demon for a Day: Hail Spirit Noir (Greece) (11:12-17:08)

I am a huge fan of Black Shape, they don’t get enough marketing, so listen to it jerks.

Always and Only: Black Shape of Nexus (Germany) (17:49-26:14)

Artificial Brain has an excellent grind album.  

Bastard Planet: Artificial Brain (27:26-30:01)

Primordial’s lead singer has a new band Dread Sovereign.  His vocals are very “heavy metal”, I love him.

Cathars to Their Doom: Dread Sovereign (Ireland) (30:44-39:11)

Strange, avante-garde jazz-metal.

King in Yellow: Murmur (Chicago) (39:44-43:13)

Another awesome brutal raspy noise band from Chicago.

Rape: Indian (Chicago) (44:10-51:18)

Portland stoner, but don’t let that make you think this is like every other stoner band.  This one is tight, talented, and the compositions in this album are really fun.

Some Can: Stoneburner (Portland) (51:39-57:12)

Pagan-influenced hardcore, from Finland.

...from the Eastern Shores (Yhdeksän Aallotarta): Gambanteinn (Finland) (57:54-END)

Based on this album, I am going to go back and listen to their other two albums.

Edge Of Darkness: Tombs (Brooklyn) (0:28-5:51)

Blast metal, but breaks down so fun-ly.

Subhumannihilation: NuclearHammer (Toronto) (6:47-13:01)

Burzum is legendary, in a terrible way.  His violent and psychotic crimes put him in prison where he was allowed to record (Norwegian prison system is pretty cool).  I feel guilty liking his black metal and dark ambient.  This new album is noise and ambient, horror-ambient if you will.

Hall of the Fallen: Burzum (Norway) (13:58-18:59)

Detroit boys like guns, or at least like posing with them.  I hate that.  But, they know how to brung forth it.

Energy Blackmail: Boddicker (Detroit) (19:25-21:33)

Chicagoans bring us mafia, terrible weather, Bruce and romantic metal.

Jet Black Passenger: The Atlas Moth (Chicago) (21:55-26:21)

Avant-garde swirled Spanish metal.

Pentecostal Black Punishment: Barbarian Swords (Spain) (27:20-31:48)

Weirdos in Sacramento make industrial.

Flies: Wreck and Reference (Sacramento) (32:17-35:52)

Menace is a good way to put it.

Monuments Of Misery: Hooded Menace (Finland) (36:20-43:22)

This new album by Godflesh is better than their old stuff. For the more manly industrial listener (me).

Decline & Fall: Godflesh (England) (44:02-48:16)

GGU:LL sounds like being swallowed by the sarlacc pit.

Waan: GGU:LL (Netherlands) (49:17-55:14)

The warmth of south American heavy metal.

Towards the Midnight Ocean: Capilla Ardiente (Chile) (55:31-END)

Black Anvil’s sound is more broken down than a blast of cold.  Tons of adrenalin. 

Redemption Through Blood: Black Anvil (NYC) (0:28-6:36)

One of my fave crust bands and albums this year, Young and In the Way.

Weep In My Dust: Young and in the Way (Charlotte) (8:09-11:54)

Whiskey swilled Sourvein, makes your brain take it in slow.

Equinox: Sourvein (NC) (12:22-15:27)

Atmosphere and torture swirled together.

Let Fall Each and Every Sedition Symptom: Trap Them (KY and Seattle) (15:55-22:19)

Old school raw punk power hardcore.

Rain Darkness: Enabler (Milwaukee) (22:46-25:23)

King Buzzo vocals are the winner here, he has a hundred different styles.  A bit of folk, a bit of Soundgarden, a bit of spaghetti western. 

Illegal Mona: King Buzzo (LA) (26:20-28:43)

Black metal drumming in this post-metal band.

Vessel: Abest (Germany) (29:20-35:51)

Reverand Bizarre is Opium Warlords.  Every song is a jaunt into the unknown.

Manisolas from Misandria: Opium Warlords (Finland) (36:18-39:27)

Raw death.

Cleaved Asunder: Diocletian (New Zealand) (39:54-45:09)

Alaska! ‘Nuff said.

Lycanthropy: Lamplighter (Alaska) (45:58-49:33)

Aggressive Aussies in da hiz-house.

Outlive: Caged Grave (Melbourne) (50:03-51:08)

Wandering Midget’s lead singer is lead in Serpent Warning.  It is retro doom.

Thousand Names: Serpent Warning (Finland) (51:41-55:15)

Blut is exceptional in atmospheric black metal.

Némeïnn: Blut Aus Nord (France) (56:27-END)