Abramelin - Deadspeak

The 2nd album from Australia's brilliant Abramelin here, featuring some of their best produced, face punching death metal. Thick, angry and chunky, this bristles with unbridled rage and blasts through you like an out of control freight train. This is the original pressing on Shock/Thrust Records, but their discography was re-issued by Century Media if you're looking for a more affordable physical option.

Alcest - Kodama

Alcest have certainly changed style through the ages of their existence, blowing through their earlier more atmospheric black metal oriented material before settling for a post-metal/shoegaze sound which they've clung to ever since. Everything about this is about as far from metal as you can get in reality, but being a fan of the likes of My Bloody Valentine, I still embrace their dreamy, solipsistic sound.

Abyssal - Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius

This is the equally out of print re-issue (limited to 1,000 copies) of Abyssal's 2nd album on Profound Lore. The original press was self released by the band on CD-r only. For the uninitiated, this is a project from the UK which combines gnarly death, black and doom into a maelstrom of an album which recalls the likes of Portal & Antediluvian amongst other noise makers which share a similar outlook. Completely devastating - check this band out.

Angmar - Metamorphosis

This is the debut album from French black metal crew Angmar, in it's hand numbered & limited to 100 copies digipak version. Whilst the band has had moderate success over the years, many will best know them from their split release with Alcest (which I featured here recently). This is good stuff to throw on when the mood occurs, and yet another one for the 'Tolkien inspired band name' file!

Artillery - Through the Years (Box Set)

Another one of these great Metal Mind box sets here, this time from Danish thrash metal kings Artillery. Featuring the band's first 4 albums, this also has the great 32 page booklet with photos and bio, as well as a good stack of bonus tracks. Similarly to the previous sets, this is limited to 2000 copies, and out of all of them, I'd say this is possibly the hardest to get hold of these days.

Autopsy - After The Cutting (Box Set)

This is the 2016 4 disc book set of Autopsy's 'After The Cutting',  a limited release containing an expansive 72-page book penned by US-based writer/artist Dennis Dread that recounts the band's career.  The band's EP 'Skull Grinder' is included as part of the package, plus another 3 discs of classics, demos and previously unheard rarities. The booklet is top quality, featuring stories and new pictures - all in all this is top quality package, perfect for the hardcore fan.

Anaal Nathrakh - The Whole of the Law

The latest album from now long running brit blackened blasters, Anaal Nathrakh. Always surprises me when I consider that this is their ninth full length album, it only seems like yesterday to me that they were rolling out their sickly demos and their insanely good debut album 'The Codex Necro'. Never bending, but perhaps adding more melody over the years, they are still as strong as ever. Digibook release on Metal Blade Records.

Abigor - Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom)

Austrian black metallers Abigor here, with their incredible 2nd full length studio album, 'Nachthymnen (From the Twilight Kingdom)'. Abigor have got to be one of the most consistently excellent second wave black metal bands to appear from outside Scandinavian scene, yet as great as they are, never seem to be heralded or regularly held in the esteem they deserve by fans (or at least that I've seen). Seriously top quality stuff right here.

Alcest / Angmar - Aux funérailles du monde... / Tristesse hivernale

A nice black metal treat here, featuring split material from two French bands, with Alcest (a band who have a crazy following these days) and Angmar, a lesser known (but still great) crew from Caen. This was originally slated for a release of 3,000 copies, but due to copyright issues (supposedly) it was reduced to 500 hand numbered copies. It also comes with a sticker of each band logo. Pretty hard to find these days, and highly sought after due to the popularity of Alcest - coupled with the fact it has some pretty damn sweet material on it, makes for a winning combo for collectors.

Arthemesia - Devs Iratvs

With all the ridiculousness going on with Wintersun's crowdfunding campaign of late (50 Euros per person for the basic package they are offering, which is essentially a stack of digital music featuring only one new album - currently adding up to a total of €318,572 - insanity and pretty heart rending for the likes of myself considering there is absolutely NO physical option), here we have Arthemesia's debut album, a band which had not only Wintersun mainman Jari Mäenpää in its ranks (running alongside his time in Ensiferum too), but also other Wintersun members during the band's time. This release is actually pretty damn good, even if I do say so myself. Melodic black metal, without quite as much cheese as his band is known for these days. Original release on Native North Records.

Abattoir - The Only Safe Place

Abattoir's 2nd album here 'The Only Safe Place' (their excellent debut was featured many years ago on this site, so have a search if of interest). Great, pumping speed/power metal is the order of the day, featuring blistering solos, bags of melody and great singalong choruses - well, it was '86 afterall! Century Media's pressing on CD from 1999 (it was originally only available on cassette and vinyl).

Anal Cunt - Everyone Should Be Killed / I Like It When You Die / It Just Gets Worse

A selection of albums from the incredibly sensitive and loving grind blasters, Anal Cunt. Yes, of course you've heard of them before (with a name like theirs, it's bound to draw attention). Let's face it, attention is what mainman Seth Putnam loved (his song titles, lyrics and overall lifestyle were pretty much as offensive as it got). GG Allin, eat your heart out. Anyhow, these three albums cover various periods of their earlier works, all released on Earache Records and currently out of print. I must admit, the dark humour has had me chuckling in the past - pretty much due to the shock value and/or childishness of a lot of it, certainly more so than the actual enjoyment of the music on offer (it was - at its most basic - as close to pure white noise, feedback and distortion as it gets at times). But, who can deny their unbending insistence of upsetting as many folks as they possibly could in their time as a band.

Antaeus - Condemnation

The most recent album from purveyors of fizzing blackness, hatred and evil themselves, Antaeus. Coming 10 years since their highly lauded previous album 'Blood Libels', this sees them back and kicking out more of the same diesel smoked, choking darkness, albeit in a slightly less rabid way as their previous material. That's not to say their sound has been diluted in their decade away, it just feels like it has been honed into something altogether more sinister than their previous efforts. Digipak press on Norma Evangelium Diaboli.

Agretator - Delusions / Distorted Logic

A couple of re-issues here from Swedish death metal crew Agretator, a band who's split lead to the formation of Darkane. Originally released on the tiny (and highly collectable) label Crypta Records, their debut has the best of the material here in my opinion, but there are still some gems to be found on the EP & demo comp of 'Distorted Logic'. Both here reissued by Dark Symphonies, a label that has renewed interested in some truly excellent underground gems.

Acrimony - The Acid Elephant EP

In addition to the band's two full length albums which I featured a few years ago on this very website (have a search if it's of interest), came this EP which was released shortly after the bands debut 'Hymns to the Stone', also on Godhead Recordings. Yet more smokey, hazy stoner here, with a darker edge in places. Have a taster below, well worth a blasts next time you light a doobie and kick back in the name of Sabbath.

Antropomorphia - Necromantic Love Songs (Compilation)

Another little gem dug up from the deepest dankest depths of the underground here, with the re-issued 1993 EP from dutch death metallers Antropomorphia (along with their '92 demo 'Bowel Mutilation' as bonus tracks). This comp was originally released on vinyl in 2011 by serial re-issuers The Crypt, and then finally transferred into the silvery circle of plastic joy you see here by Metal Blade in 2016. A nice slice of early death metal, with an unwholesome early Death-esque vibe to some of the riffage, as well as a nice growly Broken Hope styled edge to their faster blasting moments.

Ancient - Svartalvheim

Another album which has been featured previously on this blog (if you have a search, the 2nd edition on Listenable is also here for your perusal). This version however, is the very first pressing on Listenable with the fire-breathing artwork and different layout, disc & backsleeve. Ancient aren't mentioned much in terms of the very best of Norwegian BM, with this album being released in 94, they kinda missed the first real big fleet of albums from the 2nd wave. Still, this is an enjoyable enough album as it is, probably their strongest material overall.

Azrael - There Shall Be No Answer...

Another slice of obscure rarity here, with Swiss death metal band Azrael and their only full length album 'There Shall Be No Answer'. This is a great (mostly) undiscovered gem, featuring a wholeheartedly old school approach to death metal, mixing in the US and European styles to great effect. Not original by any means, but far from triggered drums and overproduced plastic DM as you can wish for. Good stuff, gets quite a bit of play from yours truly.

Autopsy - Fiend For Blood EP

Autopsy need no introduction, but this is one of their great early EPs. The tracks on this have featured on re-issued versions of 'Acts of the Unspeakable', but here it is in it's original Peaceville slimcase glory.

Atrocity - Hallucinations

The debut album from well known Germans Atrocity here, and one of the only albums which I actually give a shit about of theirs (their sophomore album 'Todessehnsucht' is equally killer tech death - and also featured on this very blog a while ago). After these two albums, they went swiftly downhill in my opinion. This is the original press on Nuclear Blast - mixed and produced by none other than Mr early 90s DM himself, Scott Burns. Deffo one to check out.