BATUSHKA - Litourgiya [2015 Blindspot]

Batushka – Litourgiya (2015, Witching Hour Productions)

When December 2015 ended we were all listing our favorite albums of the year, revisiting the best moments of it and trying to be original and true to ourselves and our precedent reviews. However, the flow of releases kept coming and the debut album of Polish black metal band Batushka, Litourgiya, was one of the sadly overlooked albums of the end of the year.

THE CLEARING PATH – Abyss Constellation [EP] [2015 Blindspot]

The Clearing Path – Abyss Constellation EP (2015, Avantgarde Music)

A two songs EP of Italian progressive black metal gets us to think that black metal isn’t limited to the primitive boundaries of its second wave even with all the malignant sides it implies.

AL-NAMROOD – Diaji Al Joor [2015 Blindspot]

Al-Namrood – Diaji Al Joor (2015, Shaytan Productions)

Saudi Arabia and Black metal, two things that are not really suited to be together one would guess. But the link between those two worlds was made by Al-Namrood, formed in 2008 in Saudi Arabia and their music would be at first compared to Melechesh because of their geographical location. But, the comparison stops here for me. Al-Namrood contains more sonorities and grooves from their origins than the pretentious overrated Melechesch.

THE SHIVA HYPOTHESIS – Demo

The Shiva Hypothesis – Demo (2015, self-released)

Shiva is the Hindu god of destruction and the Shiva Hypothesis is an hypothesis that explains an apparent mass extinction caused by impact events. So the band The Shiva Hypothesis from the Netherlands is a contemporary Black metal outfit that is inspired, as the drummer BN told me, by Behemoth, Emperor, Immortal, Death, Ved Buens Ende, Mayhem, and Gorgoroth .

BARONESS – Purple [2015 Blindspot]

Baroness – Purple (2015, Abraxan Hymns)

Following the footsteps of Mastodon, also from Georgia, Baroness have made a name for themselves as stoner, experimental, and even psychedelic rock outfit. As of today, with line-up changes with their bus crash in 2012 and the recovery of staying members, Baroness seems to be stronger and tougher than before.

SADISM – Alliance [2015 Blindspot]

Sadism – Alliance (2015, Toxic / Mechanix Records)

Coming out of Santiago, Chile the Death metallers of Sadism are carrying the South American tradition of powerful Metal bands. They have been at the forefront of the scene since the late 1980’s.

SENESCENCE – Endoomed [EP] [2015 Blindspot]

Senescence – Endoomed (2015, self-released)

This German Industrial Doom metal duo has released an interesting 3-songs EP that shifts at 22 minutes.

HERSCHER – Herscher

Herscher – Herscher (2015, self-release)

With the tsunami of doom metal outfits releasing more and more albums, the Black Sabbath inspired genre has made so many followers in the likes of Electric Wizard and Windhand.

HORNWOOD FELL – Yheri [2015 Blindspot]

Hornwood Fell – Yheri (2015, Avantgarde Music)

Coming out of Italy, the Basili brothers of Hornwood Fell are exploring the boundaries of contemporary Black metal with a penchant for a Ved Buens Endesque sonority.

HÄLLAS – Hällas EP

Hällas – Hällas EP (2015, The Sign Records)

Walking the same paths as Kadavar and Uncle Acid, Hällas from Sweden is making music that the vinyl geeks of today would wet their pants to.

CATTLE DECAPITATION – The Anthropocene Extinction [2015 Blindspot]

Cattle Decapitation – The Anthropocene Extinction (2015, Metal Blade)

With their seventh album, the vegan deathgrind act Cattle Decapitation comes back after a much praised album that was Monolith of Inhumanity. Based in San Diego, California, the obvious heirs of Cannibal Corpse and Exhumed are pushing the extreme level of the genre a bit more.

MATUBES - The Return of Black Metal [EP] [2015 Blindspot]

Matubes – The Return of Black Metal (2015, Distributor of Pain)

Sometimes, an 11 minutes EP is not enough to paint a full portrait of an artist. In the case of the Bulgarian Black metal band, Matubes, it might be enough to convince any fan of the genre to look forward to a full length album.

BATTLE PATH – Ambedo [2015 Blindspot]

Battle Path – Ambedo (2015, Inherent Records)

From Tennessee, the Doom metal meets Black metal five piece Battle Path is a superbly well fitted band to play with Indian or Bell Witch. Walking alongside the two aforementioned genres that through recent years have been blended more and more together, their doom metal could be at time Funeral doom and their black metal a bit crusty on the side. It makes for a mix of many complementary genres.

VERRÄTER / SXUPERION [Split] [2015 Blindspot]

Verräter / Sxuperion (2015, Bloody Mountain Records & Sordid Curse Prod.)

On this split album featuring three songs from the American Black metal band Verräter and the five Vibration songs by American Death metal one man band Sxuperion there’s something that fits between both acts and a dark link.

DRAMA / PERDITION WINDS [Split] [2015 Blindspot]

Drama / Perdition Winds [Split] (2015, Satanath Records)

THY WORSHIPER – Ozimina [2015 Blindspot]

Thy Worshiper – Ozimina (2015, Arachnophobia Records)

ANTICOSM – Anticosm

Anticosm – Anticosm (2015, Born of Chaos Records)

In the vein of the Thrash metal revival of the five last years, Anticosm is a New Jersey band that likes to mix genres and use the template of Black/Thrash metal. With melodic riffings and fast songs like the opener ‘’Kill or Be Killed’’ they set a pace for fans of Destruction, Sodom, and many other early German Thrash metal manifestations.

ABYTHIC – A Full Negation of Existence [EP]

Abythic – A Full Negation of Existence [EP] (2015, Metal Inquisition Records)

Coming from Germany, Old School Death metal band, Abythic, has released an interesting EP containing four songs of pure growls à la Bolt Thrower, Asphyx, and Grave. With a melodic guitar riffing accompanying their simple but yet effective pounding sound of a perfect blend between American Death metal and European melodic oriented acts, Abythic represents a little bit of everything every Death metal fan is looking for.

HEERVADER / ANCESTOR'S BLOOD [Split]

Heervader / Ancestor’s Blood [Split] (2015, Heidens Hart Records)

Originally announced many years ago as a 7" EP split, this was upgraded to a full length album split, featuring over 20 minutes of unique music for both bands. It was expanded for two reasons: the first for not wanting to split up the three Heervader tracks, as they were originally written and recorded as three songs part of a whole. The second reason was the high quality recordings that were made of Ancestors Blood's last ever live appearance at the 2014 Veneration Of The Dead festival in the Netherlands. Three songs were picked from this magical ritual, as they are way too good to be left on the shelves.

BONE GNAWER – Canale Di Carneficina [EP]

Bone Gnawer – Canale Di Carneficina [EP](2015, Metal Inquisition Records)

This EP of crushing Death metal from Bone Gnawer comes in a time when Rogga Johansson just left the band to form other projects like Echelon’s strong first offering. Here we are in the Incantation, Cannibal Corpse, and Suffocation Death metal territories with Bone Gnawer.