Bear

Nice, happy you liked them. A few more Vektor-esque progressive thrash metal bands that I like quite a lot, but for most part we're not talking carbon copies or anything. Black Fast seems to get a lot of inspiration from mid-era Death and black metal, as an example.
 
Vexovoid
https://vexovoid.bandcamp.com/
 
Black Fast
https://blackfast.bandcamp.com/
 
Teleport
https://teleport1.bandcamp.com/
 
Obliterated
https://obliteratedthrash.bandcamp.com/
 
 
 
 
 
Black Fast is probably my favourite out of these, followed by Vexovoid. I recommend all fans of Vektor to check out these bands.

i just watched the first season of Stranger Things and am now waiting in suffer for the next season......it was really good and i actually almost got teary-eyed on some parts. the 80s vibe are so strong i LOVE it...i can't wait to see more of it ugghhhh

This is a really nice release. Progressive thrash in the vein of Vektor, Hexovoid and Black Fast. This release is truly awesome!
 
 
 
https://droidcanada.bandcamp.com/
 
This is also really nice. Progressive thrash/speed metal with obvious inspirations from Vektor, Voivod and Annihilator and more, but it's less aggressive than the mentioned bands. Much more melodic. Parts of the vocals takes some time to get used to, though.

This is a really nice release. Progressive thrash in the vein of Vektor, Hexovoid and Black Fast. This release is truly awesome!
 
 
 
https://droidcanada.bandcamp.com/
 
This is also really nice. Progressive thrash/speed metal with obvious inspirations from Vektor, Voivod and Annihilator and more, but it's less aggressive than the mentioned bands. Much more melodic. Parts of the vocals takes some time to get used to, though.

Superb song and a beautiful album cover. Fantastic!

Code are still active, but they're not a black metal band anymore. Their last album, Mut, is more of a progressive post-rock album. Not bad, but not too interesting either.
 
As far as Emperor goes, I'd say Emperor / Wrath of the Tyrant, As the Shadows Rise, In the Nightside Eclipse and Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk are all good releases. And therefore I'll recommend them in that order.
 
I can't stand IX Equilibrium and Prometheus - The Discipline of Fire & Demise, but considering you prefer a more modern take on black metal the latter two will probably please you a bit more.
 
 

Felt like the time was ready for me to "review" this now.
 
Árstíðir Lífsins - Heljarkviða 
Árstíðir lífsins is a band I already knew and a band I quite like. The band is made up by Marcel Dreckmann (Helrunar), Árni (Carpe Noctem) and Stefán who's played live with Helrunar for a long time now. I'm not sure who compose the music, but I believe it's Árni making most of it. But despite this Árstíðir lífsins are heavily inspired by Helrunar which I feel is the most natural comparrison, but there's also some clear Enslaved influences here too. And the way these two songs are built really reminds me of the newer, more progressive side of Moonsorrow as well, but also the atmospheric pieces with acoustic guitars, ambience and such carries a strong Moonsorrow-vibe. But music-wise we're talking pagan black metal in the vein of Helrunar, but with a heavier influence of both folk and black metal. The balance between bombastic landscapes, beautifully melancholy and grimness is nothing short of superb, and if you're into pagan metal I see no reason why you should not take your time to get to know this release and band.
 
Setentia - Darkness Descent
And now the reason why it took me such long time to post this. Progressive death metal in the vein of fellow countrymen Ulcerate, but it's not too far off to drag in bands like Gorguts, Portal, Deathspell Omega and so on either. It's progressive, it's complex, well-produced, superbly performend and it's really well-written, but at the end of the day it just isn't my cup of tea. It's not awful, but it's not something I enjoy listening to. I also feel like the drummer is way behind the rest of the band. It's like he's on a whole other page. The entire band minus the drummer has evolved and gone all the way to page 291 while the drummer has barely managed to get to page 100. His drumming is really boring and doesn't fit the music at all IMO.
 
Earth and Pillars - Pillars I
Long atmospheric tracks heavily inspired by Wintherr/Wroth's Paysage d'Hiver and Darkspace. It's not nearly as frosty as Paysage d'Hiver nor as dark and spacey as Darkspace, but unlike its foresty and green debut this is something inbetween. It's grey-ish. But despite this it's impossible for me to listen to this without drawing the comparissons that way. It's hypnotic and fairly repetitive, but it's always atmospheric and massive. And it's just great. Superb album! Only thing I could wish for was that it was a bit more on the rawer side. A bit less produced or something.

It is for fun, but I feel like when you participating in something like this or the trade off the other "trader" deserves that you give it a fair chance. I'm always surprised when people review the trade-offs right away, after a listen or maybe two because I always give the mixes at least 10 listens. Music can so easily grow and judging music by your first impression are often very wrong.
 
 
 
Anyway, contender of album of the year is already here:
 
 
This shit sounds like it was recorded and released around 88-92. So old school sounding. I feel like it's a bit less Pestilence-esque this time around, but after some listens it sounds just as good at the debut. I've had a lot of positive things to say about Rude's debut album Soul Recall, and I'll give it a few more words now because it deserves more listeners. One of my most played death metal albums over the past 2-3 years and an instant classic in my eyes. Sounds a lot like a mix of old Pestilence (Consuming Impulse and Testimony of the Ancients), Morbid Angel (Altars of Madness) and Death (Leprosy).  Check both albums out if you like old school death metal from the late 80's/early 90's.

Nao (ex-Kagrra)

I'm sorry it's taking so long @Visutox but I've had some problems with Setentia. It's not bad and much better than I expected, but it's not really my cup of tea either. I think at least. But it has grown a bit, but it's just a bit too much for my taste. But I'll give it a bit more time before I post anything about it.

I'm on it.

I think Gost are my favourite retrowave/synthwave artist at the moment. Surely up there with Carpenter Brut, but Gost might be a bit better IMO. Both albums are beyond brilliant, but it's taken quite some time to really get into them though. Been hard work.

As usual, I find it irrelevant how musicians act, think or speak, and such a thing shall never manage to become an obstacle in my liking of the artist. I even listen to bands composed of murderers and this knowledge has never once altered my enjoyment of the music, and I shall support them all the same.

@Lestat : Damn, that sounds really great. Never heard of them and honestly I feel bad about it, will definitely be digging into their discography one of these days. 
 
Well, then it's very likely that it'll indeed be a tough listen. Hope you won't find it to be that horrible though. 
And yeah, re-exploring those releases will defo be nice. Enjoy it man! 
 
So finally, here's some words on the releases you posted.
 
. Agatus — The Eternalist
Since I'm not very familiar with Bathory (even though I loved the albums I've checked out so far), I've had a hard time getting into this album. But man, once it grabbed me (by the pussy) I became its bitch. It only takes a matter of seconds to get the RC influences though. It's definitely worth the listen, that's for sure. Gotta say I love it and the old school vibes it gives are really incredible. For me, the highlights of the album are Flight Into Forever (the lead guitar is absolutely fucking huge on this one) and Gilgamesh. Nice catch! 
 
. Elvarhøi — Langt fra len og leite
Your timing is perfect since I've been on my folk mood recently. So anything that sounds like it potentially makes me enjoy it. In addition to that, the track is really great. The vocals are so good and that makes the whole thing sound even better. This is also how I like my folk metal to sound like. 
 
. Evoke — Rehellshal Demo
The fact that it's a rehearsal could possibly mean that the original release sounded worse...(?) Anyway. Very cool old school sounding band, I really enjoyed that demo. The thrashy riffs are lit as hell, it's a great release. Only wished it was longer. And when it comes to the production, well, I think they did what they could. 8/10
 
. Ice War — Reverence of Gold
What's funny about this is that the first impression I had was "yeah indeed, I think this kind of vocals won't be my thing" but at the same time I felt that they fit perfectly in the music. So this is really great to be fair. Also checked out "Battle Zone" and I came to the conclusion that I can dig this shit.
 
. Barrow Wight — Kings in Saurons Service
Who said your Tolkien metal has to necessarily include epically lame synths? Fuck that, this album fucking rules. I enjoyed it from start to end and I love the heavy metal sounding side of it. The album length is also perfect imo. This helps avoiding the album sounding repetitive or "too long". 
 
 Love this hahah. thanks for the laugh! 
 
So to conclude this, besides the fact that I originally dug the idea, it allowed me to explore some really great heavy metal stuff that came out last year. I'm especially happy for having discovered Agatus, Evoke and Barrow Wight. Huge bands there!
 
I'd be glad to do more of these in the future, they're fun.

I'll check these out today. Already familiar with both Árstíðir Lífsins and Earth and Pillars, but I haven't spun these releases in a long time so that'll be nice. One is very Helrunar'esque and the other very Paysage d'Hiver and Darkscape-esque, which is a great thing.
 
Very sceptical about Setentia though. I can't stand bands like Ulcerate, Gorguts (post-The Erosion of Sanity), Portal and so on. So I guess this'll be a tough listen. Heh.

Not too fond about that new Nergal project, even though it's enjoyable (i.e. I'd rather get a new Behemoth album, but to each his own). Will definitely keep an eye on it though, and see how it evolves. And despite hugely disliking the music video, I find the last part of it to be quite interesting/intriguing.
 
Will start checking out your list, Bear! From what you've written, there seem to be some interesting stuff there. Will be reviewing them (sort of) in my next post.
 
In the meantime, here are a few of my honorable mentions! I picked up only three releases, since two of them are full-lengths and one is a 44 minutes long EP.
 
Árstíðir Lífsins — Heljarkviða 
 
Tbh I didn't know about this band until very recently, and I'm glad they came across my path. They're a black folk metal band from Iceland, and knowing this, you should get ready to be mind blown.  I don't think there's much to say, really. If you're familiar with the band, you know what to expect. If not, then you'll love this EP. Simple as that.
→ Stream the full EP on Youtube
 
Setentia — Darkness Descent
 
Technical death metal from New Zealand with some enjoyable atmospheric parts here and there, and a cool avant-gardiste touch. I would not blame you to compare this with Ulcerate, even though you'll be wrong to reduce this band's music to such an easy comparison. It's amazing how this dudes manage to put their own signature in their music, to make it sound like it does; incredibly good. Definitely one of my faves of 2016!
→ Stream the album on bancamp
 
Earth and Pillars — Pillars I
 
Discovered this Italian atmospheric/ambient black metal band in 2014 with their fantastic debut album titled "Earth I".  What is funny is that I wasn't even aware that they had planned to deliver some new material, so I was very excited to check this new album out. Did I enjoy did? I surely did, hell yes. It's brilliant, I loved it. And if you do appreciate this genre, you'll surely enjoy this album as much as I did.
→ Stream the album on bandcamp
 
That was it for me!

Here's my honorable mentions of 2016. I decided to to go with 5 releases since one is a one-track demo and two of them are a 15 minutes long demo/EP. They might not be my favourites of the honorable ones, but they're all great and I thought that these might not be something you've heard from  at all.
 
Agatus - The Eternalist
Imagine Rotting Christ and Varathron anno 1993 playing US power/heavy metal inspired by viking-era Bathory. This album sounds like a greek black metal band playing power metal, which is what it is. Unique riffing and fantastic songs.
https://agatus.bandcamp.com/album/the-eternalist
 
Elvarhøi - Langt fra len og leite
 
Folk metal. It's not very unique, but I love this song. The vocals are amazing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6fCXh6a0yA
 
Evoke - Rehellshal Demo
Black/thrash metal hell in the South-American vein. The production is a bit rough considering it's a rehearsal, but the opening track just tells you all you need. That opening riff, man. Holy fucking christ!
https://rushofpower.bandcamp.com/album/rehellshal-demo
 
Ice War - Reverence of Gold
When Iron Dogs split Jo Capitalicide decided to go and do his own thing, and that's resulted in 4 singles and 1 EP since 2015.  Heavy/speed metal with bad, rotten vocals on top.  This is shabby as fuck and certainly not for everyone, but I reckong fans of old Runnign Wild and Death SS might enjoy this. I love it!
 
https://icewar.bandcamp.com/album/reverence-of-gold
 
Barrow Wight - Kings in Saurons Service
Barrow Wight play a mixture of black and heavy metal. Imagine Venom, Bathory,Hellhammer, Motorhead, Oz and Angel Witch planting their semen into old Running Wild and you're about there.
 
https://heavychainsrecords.bandcamp.com/
 
 
Enjoy!

Sion Sono's new film. This looks amazing! Can't wait to see it.

Beer+bus is such a bad combo, but I never learn. Had to jimp off 15 min too early to rake a piss and it's taking the nwxt bus like forever to come and pick me up. Such a, bad idea. Always!

Watched Takashi Miike's Yakuza Apocalypse yesterday. It starts out very promising with a intro that's a pure splatterfest, then it turns into a big fucking mess. But it's a very entertaining mess that's all over the fucking place. It's weird, absurd and crazy. Certainly not for everyone, but I like this film quite a lot. It's just too absurd not to like. And the Killer Priest was fantastic. Such an odd but amazing character. No idea why he spoke English, but he was cool as fuck.
 
 
To sum up this film with one single gif:
 

 
Yep, a martial arts master with a big fucking frog costume fighting gangsters. And this is far from crazy or weird considering what else this film has to offer, I just didn't bother looking for other gifs.

Run the Jewels and Vektor. My man, my  man. Run the Jewels 3 might be Run the Jewels' best yet, or at least on par with their debut and Terminal Redux is a masterpiece that are miles ahead of Vektor's two first albums. Miles ahead!
 
 
You gotta check out Hail Spirit Noir btw. Think that might be something for your liking.

Sion Sono's new film. This looks amazing! Can't wait to see it.

I just got a fun idea. The few of us who is here should spin through eachothers "best of 2016" lists and "review" them in this thread. Just to get the activity going, and to find some new bands and albums from last year. Anyone in?

I trimmed it down even more now. I think these 15 are my top 10 (:P) in 2016.
 
Cultes des Ghoules - Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love
I can not praise this album enough. Evil black metal with an occult atmosphere. Love the Mortuary Drape (87-94) and Necromantia (92-93) vibe it has. The perfect soundtrack to an old black and white film about witchcraft.
 
Alcest - Kodama
Alcest doesn't reinvent the wheel with Kodama, rather it's a step back sound-wise from the shoegaze album that was Shelter. It's not black metal again, but it's darker, it's blacker and much more metallic sounding. Beautiful from begining to end.
 
Tarot - Reflections
Tarot released three fantastic EPs in 2014 and grabbed my entire attention that year. They've manage to mix the occult and mystic feeling of Pagan Altar, the epic side of Uriah Heep and the rocking feeling of Deep Purple and Rainbow. 2016 saw the release of their debut album, and it does not stand back to the EPs. A bit more psychedelic perhaps, but as good. Pure heavy rock!
 
Vektor - Terminal Redux
Vektor has always had something about them, but they've never managed to quite hit the nail on its head. But with Terminal Redux they sure as hell did that and got all of their potential out. This album is a progressive thrash metal masterpiece!
 
Blood Ceremony - Lord of Misrule
Blood Ceremony is a band that doesn't seem to know how to fail. As they've gotten more psychedelic rock-esque and less doomy and metallic with each album, they've also gotten better and better. Their best one yet.
 
Moonsorrow - Jumalten aika
I'm one of those who thought Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa was a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I love the album and tink it's great, but for a band who took such big steps into a unique direction filled with dark, progressive and epic  black metal and  semi-folky pagan metal, it was a a disappointment to see them go back to a less progressive, dark and epic sound closer to their older stuff. But with Jumalten aika they're back to the dark, epic, progressive and black path, and this is how i prefer my Moonsorrow.
 
Occult Burial - Hideous Obscure
This raw and furious thrashing black metal trio capture the essence of the genre, and the feeling of the past. This sounds like a mix of old Bathory, NME, Sodom and Nifelheim. Brilliant album!
 
Thangorodrim - Taur-nu-Fuin
This is not a metal album, but because the dungeon synth genre is so closely related to black metal I will choose it anyway. This album, heavily inspired by old Mortiis, is just glorious, and the atmosphere is that of a black metal album released in 1994. This album is breathtaking!
 
Bròn - Ànrach
Three tracks and 57 minutes of beautiful atmospheric black metal in the vein of Evilfeast. It's not quite as dark as Evilfeast, but this is just as good. Beautiful album that's just perfect for a beautiful winter day.
 
Demon Bitch - Hellfriends
This is easily the heavy metal album of the year. They're not as classy as Borrowed Time, not as epic as Manilla Road or as dark and occult as Mercyful Fate, but they kinda sound like a mix of these bands. This album is a must-have imo!
 
Ithaqua - The Black Mass Sabbath Pulse
This EP sounds like a mix of Rotting Christ and Varathron ano 1993. You can hear that this is greek. Another brilliant release by these guys. Like the demo it's more or less perfect!
 
Cradle of Filth - Dusk... and Her Embrace - The Original Sin
This is an album we've heard talk about for ages, and finally getting to hear this was incredible. It's an album we've dreamt about for so long, but it's always seem to be just a dream. The Original Sin sees a darker, rawer and blacker version of Cradle of Filth's best album, Dusk... and Her Embrace, with less gothic atmosphere. Musically speaking this was a dream come true, and I think this is as good as the "original". Feels like two very different albums, though.
 
Hail Spirit Noir - Mayhem in Blue
I heard the debut on its release day and was totally blown away by Hail Spirit Noir's unique brand of psychedelic rock and progressive black metal. The debut saw an unmature band which was all over the place, but the sheer power of the music dressed in it's warm production won me over. Oi Magoi! was a bit disappointing. A good album, but it saw a more mature and focused band. Musically not all over the place, and the mixing of the genre wasn't as random as on the debut. Fantastic albu,  just not as good. Mayhem in Blue sees the band move a bit away from black metal and sees a more progressive band with folk elements and whatnot. It's not as good as the debut, but it's fantastic anyway!
 
Hexenslaught - Demo 2016
1987 saw the release of three death metal demos that also happens to be masterpieces. Necrovore's "Divus de Mortuus", Incubus' "Incubus" and Morbid Angel's "Thy Kingdom Come". In 1994 these three demos was released on a compilation by Slayer Mag! This demo, both sound-wise and quality-wise, would've been perfect on that compilation. It simply sounds like a brilliant demo from 1987.
 
Howls of Ebb - Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows
A lot of bands are heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and tries to capture that feeling in their music. Some have succeded, and some have not. But the closest thing you'll come to Lovecraftian metal is Howls of Ebb. As unique as it is original, as dark as it is twisted and as impressive as it is crazy. Hear this is you like black/death metal with a twist!
 
 
 
 
 
Also, Satan's Fall need a mention. Both the demo and EP are fantastic. Will come back with that later!

I trimmed it down even more now. I think these 15 are my top 10 (:P) in 2016.
 
Cultes des Ghoules - Coven, or Evil Ways Instead of Love
I can not praise this album enough. Evil black metal with an occult atmosphere. Love the Mortuary Drape (87-94) and Necromantia (92-93) vibe it has. The perfect soundtrack to an old black and white film about witchcraft.
 
Alcest - Kodama
Alcest doesn't reinvent the wheel with Kodama, rather it's a step back sound-wise from the shoegaze album that was Shelter. It's not black metal again, but it's darker, it's blacker and much more metallic sounding. Beautiful from begining to end.
 
Tarot - Reflections
Tarot released three fantastic EPs in 2014 and grabbed my entire attention that year. They've manage to mix the occult and mystic feeling of Pagan Altar, the epic side of Uriah Heep and the rocking feeling of Deep Purple and Rainbow. 2016 saw the release of their debut album, and it does not stand back to the EPs. A bit more psychedelic perhaps, but as good. Pure heavy rock!
 
Vektor - Terminal Redux
Vektor has always had something about them, but they've never managed to quite hit the nail on its head. But with Terminal Redux they sure as hell did that and got all of their potential out. This album is a progressive thrash metal masterpiece!
 
Blood Ceremony - Lord of Misrule
Blood Ceremony is a band that doesn't seem to know how to fail. As they've gotten more psychedelic rock-esque and less doomy and metallic with each album, they've also gotten better and better. Their best one yet.
 
Moonsorrow - Jumalten aika
I'm one of those who thought Varjoina kuljemme kuolleiden maassa was a bit of a disappointment. Don't get me wrong, I love the album and tink it's great, but for a band who took such big steps into a unique direction filled with dark, progressive and epic  black metal and  semi-folky pagan metal, it was a a disappointment to see them go back to a less progressive, dark and epic sound closer to their older stuff. But with Jumalten aika they're back to the dark, epic, progressive and black path, and this is how i prefer my Moonsorrow.
 
Occult Burial - Hideous Obscure
This raw and furious thrashing black metal trio capture the essence of the genre, and the feeling of the past. This sounds like a mix of old Bathory, NME, Sodom and Nifelheim. Brilliant album!
 
Thangorodrim - Taur-nu-Fuin
This is not a metal album, but because the dungeon synth genre is so closely related to black metal I will choose it anyway. This album, heavily inspired by old Mortiis, is just glorious, and the atmosphere is that of a black metal album released in 1994. This album is breathtaking!
 
Bròn - Ànrach
Three tracks and 57 minutes of beautiful atmospheric black metal in the vein of Evilfeast. It's not quite as dark as Evilfeast, but this is just as good. Beautiful album that's just perfect for a beautiful winter day.
 
Demon Bitch - Hellfriends
This is easily the heavy metal album of the year. They're not as classy as Borrowed Time, not as epic as Manilla Road or as dark and occult as Mercyful Fate, but they kinda sound like a mix of these bands. This album is a must-have imo!
 
Ithaqua - The Black Mass Sabbath Pulse
This EP sounds like a mix of Rotting Christ and Varathron ano 1993. You can hear that this is greek. Another brilliant release by these guys. Like the demo it's more or less perfect!
 
Cradle of Filth - Dusk... and Her Embrace - The Original Sin
This is an album we've heard talk about for ages, and finally getting to hear this was incredible. It's an album we've dreamt about for so long, but it's always seem to be just a dream. The Original Sin sees a darker, rawer and blacker version of Cradle of Filth's best album, Dusk... and Her Embrace, with less gothic atmosphere. Musically speaking this was a dream come true, and I think this is as good as the "original". Feels like two very different albums, though.
 
Hail Spirit Noir - Mayhem in Blue
I heard the debut on its release day and was totally blown away by Hail Spirit Noir's unique brand of psychedelic rock and progressive black metal. The debut saw an unmature band which was all over the place, but the sheer power of the music dressed in it's warm production won me over. Oi Magoi! was a bit disappointing. A good album, but it saw a more mature and focused band. Musically not all over the place, and the mixing of the genre wasn't as random as on the debut. Fantastic albu,  just not as good. Mayhem in Blue sees the band move a bit away from black metal and sees a more progressive band with folk elements and whatnot. It's not as good as the debut, but it's fantastic anyway!
 
Hexenslaught - Demo 2016
1987 saw the release of three death metal demos that also happens to be masterpieces. Necrovore's "Divus de Mortuus", Incubus' "Incubus" and Morbid Angel's "Thy Kingdom Come". In 1994 these three demos was released on a compilation by Slayer Mag! This demo, both sound-wise and quality-wise, would've been perfect on that compilation. It simply sounds like a brilliant demo from 1987.
 
Howls of Ebb - Cursus Impasse: The Pendlomic Vows
A lot of bands are heavily inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and tries to capture that feeling in their music. Some have succeded, and some have not. But the closest thing you'll come to Lovecraftian metal is Howls of Ebb. As unique as it is original, as dark as it is twisted and as impressive as it is crazy. Hear this is you like black/death metal with a twist!
 
 
 
 
 
Also, Satan's Fall need a mention. Both the demo and EP are fantastic. Will come back with that later!