1. Asagraum (The Netherlands, EUR):
Album: Dawn of Infinite Fire (Edged Circle Productions)
Released: September 13th, 2019
Genre: Black
Contemporaries: Darkened Nocturn Slaughtercult, Lucifugum, Aegrus, 1349
The all-female coven that is Asagraum seek to invoke the coming of Asmodeus with their nine-track apocalypse-inciter, Dawn of Infinite Fire. Biting, burning, gnashing and churning, the second full length to be issued from Asagraum is well worth your time and attention. Rating: 9.5 / 10
2. Algebra (Lausanne, Switzerland, EUR):
Album: Pulse? (Unspeakable Axe Records)
Released: September 30th, 2019
Genre: Thrash
Contemporaries: Havok, Crisix, Ultra-Violence, Warbringer
Lausanne, Switzerland’s Algebra bring an abundance of old-school, early-90’s thrash vibes to their third studio full length, Pulse? (think Arise-era Sepultura…hell, the closing track on Pulse? is a cover of “Dead Embryonic Cells”!) Released late last month on Unspeakable Axe Records, this album is filled with solid, solid tunes. Rating: 8.75 / 10
3. Goatess (Stockholm, Sweden, EUR):
Album: Blood and Wine (Svart Records)
Released: September 27th, 2019
Genre: Psychedelic Stoner Doom/Sludge
Contemporaries: Sleep, Lord Vicar, Pinewalker
Blood and Wine, the third full length effort brought forth from Stockholm, Sweden’s Goatess, is at times eerily beautiful, at times heavy and sludgy, and is completely stuffed with satiating stoner doom distinctiveness. Rating: 9 / 10
4. Arctos (Edmonton, Alberta, CAN):
Album: Beyond the Grasp of Mortal Hands (Northern Silence Productions)
Released: September 20th, 2019
Genre: Melodic/Atmospheric Black
Contemporaries: Graveworm, Vindland, Krigsgrav
Phantasmal, paganistic, and overtly majestic, Beyond the Grasp of Mortal Hands is the debut full length from Edmonton’s Arctos, and this seven-track incipient release is strong from beginning to end. This is certainly an album not to be missed. Rating: 8.5 / 10
5. Crepuscle (Redwood City, California, USA):
Album: Heavenly Skies (Creator Destructor Records)
Released: October 11th, 2019
Genre: Melodic Death
Contemporaries: Kalmah, Aspherium, Wintersun, Insomnium
Crepuscle’s Heavenly Skies is the sophomore full length release from the Bay Area quintet. Stalwart, symphonically vast, and intrepid in its approach, this eleven-song effort sounds great in the speakers. Rating: 8.5 / 10
6. Phobophilic (Fargo, North Dakota, USA):
Album: Undimensioned Identities (Blood Harvest Records / Rotted Life)
Released: September 13th, 2019
Genre: Classic Death
Contemporaries: Six Feet Under, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Incantation
Little is known about this nascent death metal quartet. With infinitesimal internet presence, Fargo, North Dakota’s Phobophilic are as mysterious as they are intriguing. Their most recent demo, Undimensioned Identities, dropped on cassette last month, and if you dig classic-style death metal, you do not want to sleep on these four fantastic cuts! Rating: 9 / 10
Listen to the embedded music, love on the bands, buy their merch, catch them live at a local show. Doing so will help keep our metal communities strong and rich in diversity and quality. Go forth, and wreak havoc! \m/ \m/