Visutox

really really nice live ver. MUST WATCH.

Them lyrics are cheese as fuck bro. But the impact this entire performance had is undefeated.
Ballin.
 
OOR is a band that I care very little 2 check out their studio stuff these days because I find a lot of it boring but after their show in Boston that i checked out for shits and giggles, and this...
 
It goes to show that they can pull off one hell of a show and I can commend/respect them for that. 

inb4

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!

It'd be a shame if the lyrics were worth checking out, hope they're not. The sample you posted sounds great! Will make sure to check out the album.
 
@Jigsaw9I'll spin the Shaarimoth album in a few moments! Glad you enjoyed it dude, it's as you said: a really sinister and aggressive sound, almost intimidating. Love it.
That Chaos Invocation song sounds brilliant. Since I don't know the band, I'll make sure to check their previous work(s). The album artwork of this new album you're talking about is fucking phenomenal!

I tried to make a top 10, but I ended up with a massive list. And this is after I trimmed it like hell. I cut like 25-30 albums already. It's been a massive year as far as metal goes with a shitload of great albums.
 
Cultes des Ghoules
Alcest
Tarot
Abigail
Ripper
Vektor
Blood Ceremony
Moonsorrow
Uada
Bròn
Howls of Ebb
Occult Burial
Reptilian
Demon Bell
Nuctemeron
Head of the Demon
Rapid
Ithaqua
Thangorodrim
Demon Bitch
Urfaust
Cradle of Filth
Hail Spirit Noir
Hexenslaught

I listened to that Shaarimoth album earlier, it's amazing. Definitely up to my favourites of January thus far.
Laster's new album is out and it's absolutely delicious. I can't stop listening to it. (https://laster.bandcamp.com/album/ons-vrije-fatum) – I wouldn't know how non-native Dutch people would take this, as the lyrics are made up of... forgotten Dutch vocabulary indented with olden slang. Especially the spoken and whispered words are quite originally poetic. 
 
 

@LestatGlad to see the love for Shaarimoth.
 
 @VisutoxNo probs, hope you'll like it! I managed to listen to Convulsing's album, it's pretty powerful stuff. Lovin' the guitar sound and sinister melodies!
 
And speaking of sinister melodies, I've been revisiting Chaos Invocation's small but potent discography lately... magnificent, ferocious black metal all the way! I've just checked their Facebook page too and it seems like they'll unleash a new album this year not far from now. They write "early 2017", and the album title is "Reaping Season, Bloodshed Beyond". Can't wait!
 
 

Why would anyone in the band use an 8 string guitar when they can barely make sense of 6 strings?
 
god, does this mean Jin is going to attempt writing djent songs? Do we call him Djin now?

Jin can still sing with the flu... he's been doing it for 10 years...

^ Nice one, thanks for the recommendation! And I see it can be snagged for free at Bandcamp too, sweet~
 
I'm currently listening to my first 2017 release that deserves a "daaaamn, that's fine!" from me:
 
 

Can't believe I missed something this huge in 2016. What a debut album this is! Black/death metal done right. 
 
 
 

I've just begun listening to Predatory Light's debut album from last year, and only one track in but HOLY SHIT
 
 
If the rest is as good as this, I might have a belated 2016 favorite on my hands.

It's being a while I don't study so I won't give a proper explanation about each website, sorry, but somethings that might be useful:
 
I studied the grammar through this website: http://www.guidetojapanese.org/learn/
This one seems pretty complete too: http://thejapanesepage.com/
 
JapanesePod101: https://www.japanesepod101.com/
Their Youtube Channel so you can have a sample: https://www.youtube.com/user/japanesepod101
And their page to help memorizing Kanji: http://blogs.japanesepod101.com/blog/category/kanji-mnemonics/
Reviews of their material: http://www.nihongonobaka.com/japanesepod101-com-individual-season-reviews/
 
For Android I use the app Kanji Senpai, it's similar to Anki: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jp.rodriguez.kanjisenpai.android&hl=pt_BR
 
This website it's a little like Erin's Challenge but I didn't use it yet to really compare: http://anime-manga.jp/index_english.html
 
Kana Practice: http://realkana.com/study/
 
JLPT Samples: http://www.jlpt.jp/tw/samples/forlearners.html
 
Japanese Verb Conjugator: http://www.japaneseverbconjugator.com/
 
Some dialogues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1bs_XpoPXI&list=PLPgbV0XokpA2imKtO5WLJtIt87pUS64Ct
 
Dialogues with subtitles in Japanese and English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzzweIQoIOU
 
I'll be adding more stuff I find useful and organize it better later...

I've never been one to listen to Domo Genesis much, but his new album (or, well, his first 'legit' album) is pretty awesome. Very nice production and sound, with some cool grooves mixes in.
 
I mean...
 


 
...damn. <3

Yep! Check this out: http://assets.teamrock.com/image/b202542b-37f8-4001-85ee-e871171d275e?w=800
They're young and they've already accomplished some great stuff, I'm sure you will be able to see them again and very soon, I hope! 
 
I enjoyed Born to Bleed, even though I'm not totally fond of the two acoustic versions. 
 

Oh really? I didn't know that. When they played in the States, they were the opening band-but they haven't played in the States before their Northlane/Volumes tour so that's probably why. Wish I could've seen them then too.
 
They have a new extension to their Vena Album, but that's it. Two new songs and two acoustic versions of Gone and the Story.

Will do for sure! I heard it's really worth paying to see them live, I'm curious as hell.
 
They headlined in Europe the last time they came btw, which is pretty huge tbh. Respect to them, they're going places the right way and the best way. Need a new album from them asap.

Did a research but couldn't find a thread about the band, I'm shocked. Haven't seen them live yet, but I'll certainly do the next time they'll be touring in Europe. Their latest album is bloody amazing and so is their discography. My fav albums are probably Vena and The Revelation + all their mini-albums.

A reason why I love tops is that they're always different and it allows me to discover albums/bands I never heard of. And the potential discoveries on this one are huge! 
 
It feels so good to see someone else giving the due credit to Triangle, as the album deserves. One of the greatest releases in 2016 (clearly the best, for me) and one of the most overlooked ones. Also glad to see Moonsorrow and Spellcaster on your top! 
 
As for Kodama, I couldn't get into it after the first spin (even though it was undeniably good) so I'll be re-listening to it very soon.
 
Great and very well displayed top! 

To be frank at the beginning, this year was a tedious sit-through when it came down to Japanese music. Having heard most of my favourites by the end of March, the later months were a hit-and-miss, deviating between top-tier acts and absolute distastrous music that I could not find it within myself to swallow. It was therefore a heinous task to collect two handfuls of releases that I appreciated enough, resulting in a high spike of listening hours throughout the month of December where I was desperately scouring and ransacking the internet for things that I had perhaps missed. Doing so for international releases was equally as difficult, as I simply returned to the roots of my listening-experiences too late and began exploring beyond the borders of Japan again somewhere in the midst of August. Catching up and gaining a proper impression of everything wondrous released this year did not lie within my capabilities, as there was too little time left. I therefore worked with what I knew and felt comfortable with, rather than outstretching too far out of my comfort zone to perhaps pick up a few ambigious releases here and there. 
 
 
Japanese Picks:
 

「01. "地球" by 摩天楼オペラ」
 

 
Without second thoughts, "地球" may be named 摩天楼オペラ's greatest effort to this very date. There is no smothering the tremendously burgeoning acceleration with which this band grows in power metal's theatric scene — it is therefore as predicted how this group is now making a renowned name for itself outside of visual kei's tight fingers' grip, and continues to conquer the seas beyond Japan, surprising more and more ears around the world.
 
01. PANDORA
02. BURNING SOUL
03. 致命傷
04. YOU&I
05. 君と見る風の行方
06. Good Bye My World
07. 青く透明なこの神秘の海へ
08. FANTASIA
09. SILENT SCREAM
10. ether
11. 讃えよう 母なる地で
12. 地球
13. 嘘のない私で
 
「02. "SOLOIST" by 清春」
 

 
This year, a much larger fondness for soloist 清春 grew immensely through the first magical spin that was given to this warm, seasoned record. It provides every bit of a crackling ambience experienced around a large bonfire set on a secluded piece of beach, yet where flames would normally take over, it is the man's very own voice sending tepid musical streams through one's system.
 
01. ナザリー
02. 夢心地メロディー
03. EDEN
04. DIARY
05. ロラ
06. 瑠璃色
07. FUGITIVE
08. MELLOW
09. MOMENT
10. QUIET LIFE
11. 海岸線
12. メゾピアノ
13. 麗しき日々よ
 
「03. "心・技・体" by ダウト」
 

 
Issued in January, "心・技・体" remained a durable favourite throughout all of 2016. Holding steadfast to their jazz-influences and soft-rock incentive, ダウト waver not and refuse to yield to the overwhelming turmoil inhabiting visual kei's current questionable, and unstable state. Emotive and tight on the heart's strings, especially the latter half of the album exceeds expectations.
 
01. 心技体
02. OH! MATSURI MONSTER
03. ダァァティィ・ロマンチッカァァ
04. 53
05. 恋ができない
06. 綺麗事
07. 華麗なる外道
08. 傷心パラドックス
09. TAXI
10. おねだり
11. 国立競技党
12. SM
 
「04. "アトム 未来派 No.9" by BUCK-TICK」
 

 
The paramount, anointed kings of Japanese music continue their succesful streak of outstanding musicianship without a visible end in sight. Blessed be us, as the legendary BUCK-TICK's presence in our midst would be sorely missed. Fresh and tireless energy pours yet again from "アトム 未来派 No.9", a genuine and heartfelt succession to the veterans' longlasting, exemplary career. 
 
01. cum uh sol nu -フラスコの別種-
02. PINOA ICCHIO -躍るアトム-
03. DEVIL’S WINGS
04. El Dorado
05. 美 NEO Universe
06. BOY septem peccata mortalia
07. 樹海
08. THE SEASIDE STORY
09. FUTURE SONG -未来が通る-
10. 曼珠沙華 manjusaka
11. Cuba Libre
12. 愛の葬列
13. NEW WORLD -beginning-
 
「05. "Baby who wanders" by DECAYS」
 

 
Exiting the catastrophic and bitter era of 2016 with an arrangement of fireworks was definitely not too problematic a task for the ambitious movement that DECAYS brings us. Bringing the two further ends of the Japanese music scene together, Die combines a plethora of talents and conjures up the enthusiastic "Baby who wanders", an all-purpose, all-around jewel in the rough. 
 
01. Aesthetics of the transgression
02. Zero Paradise
03. 愛と哀を遺さず… ＜Baby who wanders Ver.＞
04. Drifting litter
05. Where are you going?
06. Vagabond
07. Imprisonment Leaving
08. シークレットモード
09. HELLO! NEW I
10. Eve
11. Rana
12. D/D
13. 綺麗な指
 
「06. "ULTRA" by SCHAFT」
 

 
It would be criminal not to include this ambigious industrial outfit awoken from slumber after nearly two decades of what appeared to be eternal hibernation. And awarded we are, for "ULTRA" is packing harsh volume and distortion that the unit composed of the legendary 今井寿 and 藤井麻輝 —who are no longer held by the restraints of an assemblage of guest-musicians— have convincingly made their very own cohesive sound. 
 
01. The loud engine
02. Vice
03. drift
04. SAKASHIMA
05. Der Zauberlehrling
06. Anti-Hedonist
07. ReVive
08. swan dive
09. Adam’s rib
10. Leidenschaft
11. 魅
 
「07. "WILLS" by HOLLOWGRAM」
 

 
Ryo and the myth of Midas are two apples from the same tree; everything they touch, turns to pure gold. "WILLS" is a short, yet emotional rollercoaster miraculously withstanding the unquestionable weight that Ryo must be feeling upon his shoulders with the amount of tasks at hand. It floats beautifully and does not stray from its dream-like purpose, not for even a mere second. 
 
01. Lucent room
02. ラブレターレイン
03. indicencia
04. Kalmia
05. Where you go
 
「08. "CORD" by Angelo」
 

 
Already anticipating for Angelo's new work to fly far under the radar, there did not happen to arise any bewilderment whatsoever of how disproportionately this album was received. A pity, as the super-group devised a praise-worthy, foot-to-the-ground hard rock record uncompromised by dilly-dallying or any further nonsense. A sublime effort, and uncontested by many of their successors.
 
01. Umbilical cord
02. Cut
03. リテラシー
04. PROTOCOL
05. 嗤う月
06. Sorrow tomorrow
07. JUDGMENT
08. FIELD OF GOD
09. Daybreakers
10. CONNECT
 
「09. "憧憬、睡蓮と向日葵" by cali≠gari」
 

 
While appreciating cali≠gari not only for their peculiar oddities and quirks at random, but instead taking to their chance encounters with beautiful simplicity, "憧憬、睡蓮と向日葵" hits the hammer right on the nail's head; with melodies aplenty, the mini-album is a positively upbeat joy that doesn't take too many hours to grow in to, but then again can be repeated for many long evenings.
 
01. 薫風、都会、行き行きて
02. ギラギラ
03. 陽だまり炎
04. 蜃気楼とデジャヴ
05. アレガ☆パラダイス
06. 憧憬、睡蓮と向日葵
 
「10. "Grimoire" by forCroiX-フォークロア-」
 

 
Out of thin air, forCroiX-フォークロア- entrusted us with their headmost (and unfortunately, likely determinative) release after a four-year silence. While formed in 2012, the group has lived mostly out of our field of vision (and remains there, for they immediately dove deep yet again) — regrettably so, as their album "Grimoire" bears a courtly sound reminiscent of the magnificent days of a more gothic-redolent age of visual kei. 
 
01. resent
02. Limited Governor
03. Distracture
04. 傀儡destination
05. Rusty
06. Dystopia～断罪の聖堂～
07. Vagrant
08. 月ノ涙
 

International Picks:
 

「01. "Jumalten aika" by Moonsorrow」
 

 
With no contestant over the course of the year, "Jumalten aika" easily takes the highest spot in this list, overpowering with immense soundscapes and epic structures stretching far across tundra and frozen lands, reaching not only to the Scandinavian shores, but far beyond. Moonsorrow capture the essence of life and the spirits that give life, doing so through unbelievable legends and tales woven together into yet another Finnish magnum opus.
 
CD-1
01. Jumalten aika
02. Ruttolehto incl. Päivättömän päivän kansa
03. Suden tunti
04. Mimisbrunn
05. Ihmisen aika (Kumarrus pimeyteen)
CD-2
01. Soulless (Grave Cover)
02. Non Serviam (Rotting Christ Cover)
 
「02. "Triangle" by Schammasch」
 

 
There are no intelligible words for the monstrous enormity that is Schammasch's "Triangle", a superlative journey through the spiritual cosmos and yonder of the mere corporeal body. The avant-garde Swiss ensemble has not merely created a record; the three-way genesis is a bible —with the possibility to change one's view on existence— to those who can decipher its intentions, with an ability to transcend the human mind.
 
CD-1
01. Crepusculum
02. Father's Breath
03. In Dialogue With Death
04. Diluculum
05. Consensus
06. Awakening From The Dream Of Life
CD-2
01. The World Destroyed By Water
02. Satori
03. Metanoia
04. Above The Stars Of God
05. Conclusion
CD-3
01. The Third Ray Of Light
02. Cathartic Confession
03. Jacob's Dream
04. Maelstrom
05. The Empyrean
 
「03. "Dust Bowl Jokies" by Dust Bowl Jokies」
 

 
Coming from Sweden are the sleaze-infested Dust Bowl Jokies, but with their hearts lying not far from West Hollywood's notorious Sunset Strip, home to many an 1980's glam rock outfit. As their moniker implies, the young group seems to take inspiration from the dry desert and its gypsy-like superstition and legends — the record therefore has an impeccible design where it serves like a movie script, rather than a mere album alone.
 
01. Mama Cocha
02. The Moon Hanger Grove
03. Borderland
04. Old Fashioned Country Canvas
05. Pink Flamingos
06. Rawbone
07. Bad Juju
08. Hogs And Heifers
09. Son Of The Sun
10. Lulu
 
「04. "Night Hides The World" by Spellcaster」
 

 
The fairly recently established juniors in Spellcaster bear the legacy of traditional heavy metal acts upon their backs as if this were a weightless matter. Their most novel endeavor comes by the name of "Night Hides The World", a young take on the traditions of old — and to be fair, the production quality is the one single element separating this group from their mighty predecessors thirty years foregoing.
 
01. Aria 
02. Night Hides The World
03. The Lost Ones 
04. Betrayal 
05. I Live Again
06. The Accuser 
07. The Moon Doors
08. Prophecy 
 
「05. "For Crying Out Loud" by Shiraz Lane」
 

 
As an absolute blast from the past, Shiraz Lane have emerged from their Finnish time-machine in long hair, denim shorts and high-top sneakers. With a close absence of modern influences, the group still manages to take hold of an entirely individual style, procuring themselves a place in the hearts of those reminiscent of their youths, and the ones longing back to an era where music, —perhaps— was spoken more truly.
 
01. Wake Up
02. Momma's Boy
03. House Of Cards
04. Begging For Mercy
05. Same Ol’ Blues
06. Mental Slavery
07. Behind The 8-Ball
08. For Crying Out Loud
09. Bleeding
10. M.L.N.W
11. Kill Me (With Your Love)
 
「06. "False Highs, True Lows" by Plebeian Grandstand」
 

 
Positively vile and absurd, Plebeian Grandstand might very well be the next sludge-metal act to arise upon the scaffolding they so deserve. While their previous releases were purely chaotic mixtures of hardcore and violence, "False Highs, True Lows" has mutated through an exposure to raw black metal influences, turning it in to an absolutely distraught and murderous apparition from the very depths of the nine circles of hell.
 
01. Mal Du Siecle
02. Low Empire
03. Tributes And Oblivions
04. Volition
05. Mineral Tears
06. Oculi Lac
07. Tame The Shapes
08. Eros Culture
 
「07. "Post Pop Depression" by Iggy Pop」
 

 
A tribute to the late David Bowie, or a complete musical interpretation of Iggy Pop's longlasting legacy? Perhaps being a little bit of both, "Post Pop Depression" siphons just that what its title refers to; it is moody, oblique and hypnotic, a middle-finger to the very world and yet so relatable on a multitude of levels (perhaps that being exactly why). What a powerful farewell, what a glorious and complete manifesto.
 
01. Break Into Your Heart
02. Gardenia
03. American Valhalla
04. In The Lobby
05. Sunday
06. Vulture 
07. German Days
08. Chocolate Drops
09. Paraguay
 
「08. "Mystical Future" by Wildernessking」
 

 
Black metal from South-Africa — this is a correlation not often predicted, and therefore did Wildernessking meander within the musical scene without too many loud exclamations. However, upon the very first listen to "Mystrical Future", it became clear that these men from below the equator have conjured up something truly unpredictable and magical, something belonging only to themselves.
 
01. White Horses
02. I Will Go To Your Tomb
03. To Transcend
04. With Arms Like Wands
05. If You Leave
 
「09. "The Armor Of Ire" by Eternal Champion」
 

 
Eternal Champion are journeying toward their grasp on might and glory, with a sword in their right hand, and a shield in their left. Thunderous and heroic, the epic "The Armor Of Ire" rampages over a battlefield drenched in blood, while it gets ours pumping and running coarser through our veins. The United States have not yet given up on their challenge declared to their contestants in the ancient Europe. 
 
01. I Am The Hammer
02. The Armor Of Ire
03. The Last King Of Pictdom
04. Blood Ice
05. The Cold Sword
06. Invoker
07. Sing A Last Song Of Valdese
08. Shade Gate
 
「10. "Kodama" by Alcest」
 

 
One does not have to enjoy atmospheric black metal to understand that the talent behind Alcest is unquestionably a musical mastermind. His subtle handling of musical instruments and ethereal phonetic accentuation give life to transcendental French creations truly as beautiful as thousands of individuals claim. If we had some knowledge on the voices of angels, Neige would come close to turning myth into certainty.
 
01. Kodama
02. Eclosion
03. Je suis d'ailleurs
04. Untouched
05. Oiseaux de proie
06. Onyx
07. Notre sang et nos pensées

Ah yeah, I loved the Shokran album too, good stuff!
 
My most played albums from last year are probably Napoleon's "Newborn Mind" and Architect's "All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us". The former is just the most passionate and inspired Metalcore (even though they seem to be rooted more in Hardcore) album I've heard in a long time. The lead guitar is clearly what makes this band, but the new vocalist is also an amazing and very fitting addition. As for Architects, I've heard that quite a few people don't consider it their best work - I definitely do and think that the removal of most of the clean vocals and the cold and aggressive atmosphere work perfectly for them. And those vocals man, holy shit.
 
 
As for non-core related stuff, I recently got into Dødsengel. "Imperator" is definitely one of the most interesting (and longest, two and a half hours) Black Metal albums I've heard in a while. The linked song is pretty straightforward compared to the rest of their stuff, but it's definitely worth to check out the whole album. Pretty mindblowing stuff in my opinion.
 
 

I've been thinking a bit about how this reminds me heavily of Girugamesh...

But, at least with Giru, the sound they were going for was just a super light Giru, whereas this...
These songs really love to oversell themselves, they go for that vast "epic" sort of stadium song feel without anything to back it up, at all. It's empty, shallow and heartless, like it was written by someone else for them, like 90% of modern major pop acts. There's no energy to it, there's no emotion, it's just generic. It's not compelling, it's just slightly nodding whilst I'm doing anything else that's far more interesting.
 
I find it funny that the American label that signed them also produces a lot of similar bands that suffer from similar issues. I'm happy for them if this is their thing, it's not often we see a band of a language other than English make it into the market but at the same time it really sucks because of what they had to give up in order to do so, to be successful you have to tick boxes, the more you appeal to the masses you appeal less to the individual. It's easy to make something that thousands will like but harder to make something that hundreds will love and I suppose at the end of the day you need to ask yourself which matters more.

I'm pretty sure that Ambitions will make 35xxxv seem like a masterpiece. I still will be checking out the album for the sake of it.

I'm pretty sure that Ambitions will make 35xxxv seem like a masterpiece. I still will be checking out the album for the sake of it.