Behemoth - Evangelion (2009)

Behemoth are back with their 9th full-length album, Evangelion. This one is without a doubt a step up from Demigod and The Apostasy. They even debuted at 56 on the Billboard Top 200! Along with Crack the Skye, this is one of the best mainstream metal albums released this year.

1) Daimonos
2) Shemhamforash
3) Ov Fire and the Void
4) Transmigrating Beyond Realms ov Amenti
5) He Who Breeds Pestilence
6) The Seed ov I
7) Alas, Lord is Upon Me
8) Defiling Morality of Black God
9) Lucifer

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Goatwhore - Carving Out The Eyes Of God (2009)

I was pleasantly surprised with Goatwhore's new album. Naturally, I was expecting another A Haunting Curse, but this album has a heavier, thrashier feel to it. As far as lyrics go, it's still the same Goatwhore we've all come to love (or not). Overall, Carving Out The Eyes Of God is an improvement from Goatwhore's last album.

1) Apocalyptic Havoc
2) The All-Destroying
3) Carving Out The Eyes Of God
4) Shadow Of A Rising Knife
5) Provoking The Ritual Of Death
6) In Legions, I Am Wars Of Wrath
7) Reckoning Of The Soul Made Godless
8) This Passing Into The Power Of Demons
9) Razor Flesh Devoured
10) To Mourn And Forever Wander Through Forgotten Doorways

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Glorior Belli - Meet Us At The Southern Sign (2009)

There's so many ways to describe Glorior Belli's new album. Raw, sludgy, evil, brutal, French, etc. Either way, here's one of the best black metal albums released this year.

1) Once in a Blood Red Moon
2) The Forbidden Words
3) Swamp That Shame
4) There is But One Light
5) My True Essence
6) In Every Grief-Stricken Blues
7) Nox Illuminatio Mea
8) The Blazing Darkness (Of Luciferian Skies)
9) Fivefold Thought
10) Fires of the Sitra Ahra
11) Meet Us at the Southern Sign

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Blasphemophager - Nuclear Empire of Apocalypse (2008)

Unsurprisingly, the Italians have given us another amazing extreme metal band. Raw, brutal, blackened death metal. Plus, the production isn't complete crap and isn't too polished. And did I mention the imagery is ridiculous?

1) Intro / Dawn of Chaoscratic Tyrrany
2) Bringers of Extermination
3) Abyss of Lust, Chaos & Death
4) Curse of the Phosgene Fog
5) Devastating Radioactive Torments
6) Holocaust Summoning of Nuclear Storm
7) ...Of Atomic Orgies & Demoniac Elements
8) Demiurge of Thermonuclear Damnation
9) Teratogenesis of Doom
10) The Return of Bestial Vomit
11) Nuclear War Now!
12) Perverse Delight

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Fen - The Malediction Fields (2009)

Fen's basically one of those proggy black metal bands that sound like Enslaved. Nothing really special but I'd put it in my favorite albums this year so far.

1) Exile's Journey
2) A Witness to the Passing of Aeons
3) Colossal Voids
4) As Buried Spirits Stir
5) The Warren
6) Lashed by the Storm
7) Bereft

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Finsterforst - ...zum Tode hin (2009)

You know those folk bands that make albums with five 10-minute songs that are super epic and awesome as hell? Yea? Finsterforst's one of those bands. Imagine Moonsorrow with a little bit more of a black metal edge and more folk instruments...oh yea, and German instead of Finnish.

1) Urquell
2) Das große Erwachen
3) Seines Glückes Schmied
4) Sturmes Ernte
5) Untergang

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Deathspell Omega - Veritas Diaboli Manet In Aeternum: Chaining the Katechon (2008)

1) Chaining the Katechon

Out of all the black metal bands of the 21st century, France's Deathspell Omega is certainly one of the best. This EP contains a twenty minute track that was also featured on the split album with S.V.E.S.T.

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Emancer - Twilight and Randomness (2008)

First of all, a late happy Thanksgiving to anyone who actually reads this. And now about the album:
Emancer's latest album sounds much like Enslaved's most recent albums. However, they still have their own style. Twilight and Randomness is definitely in one of my top albums of this year.

1) Randomness
2) Dice Man
3) The Beast Attacks
4) The Pointing Finger
5) Comfort Fix
6) Twilight
7) Cunning Vital Guardian
8) Moron
9) The Rewarding Schemes
10) Winged Omniscience

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Venom - Black Metal (1982)

Crappy production. Raw energy. Satan. What more could you want from one of the greatest heavy metal albums ever? Now lay down your soul to the gods Rock and Roll!

1) Black Metal
2) To Hell and Back
3) Buried Alive
4) Raise the Dead
5) Teacher's Pet
6) Leave Me In Hell
7) Sacrifice
8) Heaven's on Fire
9) Countess Bathory
10) Don't Burn the Witch
11) At War With Satan (Preview)

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Winterfylleth - Rising Of The Winter Full Moon (2007)

Imagine England before the Roman Empire. Now pair it up with black metal and you have Winterfylleth. Unlike most pagan black metal bands, Winterfylleth creates a Celtic sort of atmosphere rather than a Viking one. The production on this isn't exactly the greatest, but it wasn't recorded with a tape recorder and a coffee can.

1) Mam Tor (The Shivering Mountain)
2) Casting The Runes
3) The Ghost Of Heritage

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Mayhem - Deathcrush (1987)

Here we have one my favorite and one of the greatest black metal recordings ever. Harsh, brutal, and raw, Mayhem helped to define the second wave of black metal with the infamous Deathcrush.

1) Silvester Anfang
2) Deathcrush
3) Chainsaw Gutsfuck
4) Witching Hour
5) Necrolust
6) (Weird) Manheim/Pure Fucking Armageddon

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Setherial - Nord (1996)

Normally, I would praise a Swedish metal band for being insanely heavy death metal. However, Setherial is some of the best black metal I've ever heard. Sure they aren't the most original, but they certainly do an amazing job playing grim, icy, frostbitten, epic black metal.

1) In the Still of a Northern Full Moon
2) Mörkrets Tid
3) Över Det Blodtäckta Nord
4) I Nattens Famn
5) För Dem Mitt Blod
6) I Skuggors Dunkla Sken

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Skeletonwitch - Beyond the Permafrost (2007)

Skeletonwitch have made themselves one of the best heavy metal bands of the 21st century ever since the release of Beyond the Permafrost. Unlike many modern thrash bands, Skeletonwitch creates their own sound by mixing thrash, black metal, and blistering solos, as heard on the blackened shredfest that is the band's sophomore effort. If you haven't heard Skeletonwitch yet, then I suggest you hurry up and give this a spin.

1) Upon Wings of Black
2) Beyond the Permafrost
3) Baptized in Flames
4) Sacrifice for the Slaughtergod
5) Vengeance Will Be Mine
6) Limb From Limb
7) Cast into the Open Sea
8) Fire From the Sky
9) Soul Thrashing Black Sorcery
10) Remains of the Defeated
11) Feast Upon Flesh
12) Within My Blood

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Al-Namrood - Atba'a Al-Namrood (2008)

A black metal band is one of the last thing anyone would expect to come out of Saudi Arabia, one of the holiest places in the world. Al-Namrood describes themselves as "a blend of a fiendish Black Metal and an Archaic Arabian culture." Although the Middle Eastern theme is becoming more and more cliched in metal, the band manages to create a wonderful sound reminiscent to that of the second wave of black metal. The name Al-Namrood ("the non-believer" in English) is the name of the Babylonian king mentioned in the Qur'an who challenged the prophet Ibrahim and claimed to be God.

1) Atba'a Alnamrood
2) Fe Zafrat AlMout
3) Nagoos Alkhatar
4) Youm Tusaar Nar Aljaheem

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Mistur - Skoddefjellet (2005)

You just gotta love the name of this band. So far, Mistur's only release is a demo entitled Skoddefjellet. The music on this demo sounds like a cross between Emperor and Windir. However, this is not really suprising. After all, lead guitarist Stian Bakketeig played in Windir.

1) Sumar
2) Heimferdi
3) Skoddefjellet
4) Natt ved Kyndilstjern

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Vidres a la Sang - Endins (2006)

So I finally got off my ass (not literally of course) and found an underground band for all you people that actually check this site. You like Belphegor and Dissection? Vidres a la Sang plays a type of blackened death metal similar to those bands. Also, this band sings in Spanish. At last, a metal band with Spanish lyrics that isn't even slightly cheesy!

1) Amb Tota Rancúnia
2) Els Límits de la Creació
3) Identitat
4) Negre Destí, Roja Venjança
5) Torna al teu Clos
6) Tots els Paisatges són Iguals

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Bathory - Blood Fire Death (1988)

I've had this album for a while now and I never though much of it. However, I gave Blood Fire Death a listen a few days ago and I wanted to slap myself in the face for not realizing that this is among the best black metal albums ever! For a black metal album, the guitar work is mind blowing. High-speed shredding is one of the last things I'd expect from the album that started the viking metal movement. Hell, Blood Fire Death has more in common with thrash than black metal! If you aren't a fan of black metal, but you do like excellent guitar work that can be found in thrash and death metal, then I would recommend that you check out this album.

1) Oden's Ride Over Nordland
2) A Fine Day To Die
3) The Golden Walls of Heaven
4) Pace 'Till Death
5) Holocaust
6) For All Those Who Died
7) Dies Irae
8) Blood Fire Death
9) Outro

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Melechesh - Sphynx (2003)

The only thing better than blackened death metal is blackened death metal with folk influences. Fortunately, Melechesh fits the description. Hailing from Israel, Melechesh includes elements of Middle Eastern folk music and lyrics about ancient Sumerian history and mythology. And even better: they're not cheesy like other bands that try to use the Middle Eastern gimmick (Nile anyone?).

1) Of Mercury and Mercury
2) Secrets of Sumerian Sphynxology
3) Annunaki's Golden Thrones
4) Apkallu Counsel
5) Tablets of Fate
6) Triangular Tattvic Fate
7) The Arrival Ritual
8) Incendium Between Mirage and Time
9) Purifier of the Stars
10) Caravans to Ur

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Falkenbach - Heralding-The Fireblade (2005)

This past week, I'd been listening to a lot of folk metal. I realized that this blog severely lacks any form of folk metal, so I decided to start posting some folk metal.

Falkenbach is a one-man band from Germany led by Markus Tuemmers aka Vratyas Vakyas. Vakyas' fourth full-length album is everything a blackish folk metal album should be. The songs are epic and harsh yet melodic.

1) Heathen Foray
2) Of Forest Unknown
3) Havamal
4) Roman Land
5) Heralder
6) Læknishendr
7) Walkiesjar
8) Skirnir

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Necros Christos - Triune Impurity Rites (2007)

Only about half the tracks on Triune Impurity Rites are actually songs. These songs have a heavy doom-ish blackened death sound to them. The rest of the tracks are short interludes that are used to create a dark atmosphere and add a melodic touch to the album. These interludes range from acoustic passages, spoken word, and ambient tracks.

1) Nekros Kristos (Temple IX.99)
2) Daemonomantic Fog Lay Upon The Tombs Of Succoth
3) Kischuf (Temple VIII)
4) Christ Was Not Of Goatborn Blood
5) Nam Ignis Est Umbra Locorum Infernorum (Temple VII)
6) Tormented Flesh On The Mount Of Crucifixion
7) Gate I: Das schwarze Wasser der Toten
8) Ora Pro Nobis (Temple VI)
9) Last Rite Of Christ
10) In Love With Ereskigal (Temple V)
11) Va Koram Do Rex Satan
12) Voragem Mortis (Temple IV)
13) Black Mass Desecration
14) Gate II: Offenbarungen der Mayrim
15) Damnation Worship (Temple III)
16) Impure Burials Prevail
17) Necromancing The Ghost (Temple II)
18) Deathless In Spiritual Evil
19) Conquering Tell Al-Mutesallim (Temple I)
20) Triune Impurity Rites - I. Skulldoom Of Sumer (Darkness)
21) Triune Impurity Rites - II. Nazarethical Ram Of Bethlehem
000(Damnation)
22) Triune Impurity Rites - III. Blasphemous Graves Open At The End
000Of Days (Death)
23) Gate III: Im Schatten des Zikkurath

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