This was a pretty amazing year in metal for me.
It’s interesting that 5 of these bands have women singing (Well, 3 singing and 2 screaming 😀 ) which is a huge change from my older listening habits.
Numenorean.
Album of the year. The best Blackgaze album I’ve ever heard. Melds the heavy with the pretty goth bits so well.
Employed To Serve
Almost album of the year. Such aggressive hardcore / metal, Justine’s screamed vocals pack such a huge punch. Also they’re a phenomenal live band the the least likely I’ve seen to play Glastonbury.
Whitechapel
Filthy, brutal deathcore but with enough clean singing to stop the whole album becoming grindingly one note.
Not to say that it isn’t one of the most aggressive albums I’ve heard, but there’s texture to it, it’s more than just blast beats and bellowing.
Brutus
Mixing punk, shoegazing and metal in a way I’ve never heard before. And I guess every review should comment in amazement at how the drummer can play like that, and sing, she’s incredible.
Brutality Will Prevail
Dirty sludgy hardcore from Wales. Huge riffs, bigger breakdowns.
Nice.
Ithaca
Making Employed to Serve seem demure in comparison. 10 songs in 31 minutes is the short, sharp punch to the face you’d hope from something this full on. UK Hardcore is on the up theses days and I love it.
Rammstein
Who would have thought Rammstein still had a good album in them, let alone a great one?
Best thing they’ve done in years.
Cold In Berlin
Melodramatic Goth doom metal at its best.
What more description do you need 😀
Alcest
Alcest finally go full metal. Now it’s still very pretty but the blast beats and screaming have been moved to the fore and, IMO, makes for a better sound. It gives the record an energy that got lost in the more shoegazing albums.
Gold
Mixing alt rock and metal seamlessly. The way you suddenly realise the song has gotten heavier without being jaring. It’s a great album somewhat let down by a weak last 3 songs.
Here’s the Spotify primer.
The ways of exile 