- Posted By: Dark Emperor
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Top Black Metal Albums of 2018
Black Metal bands unleashed some of the most unholy and ravaging albums in 2018. Here are the ones we think stand out from the rest.
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Black Metal bands unleashed some of the most unholy and ravaging albums in 2018. Here are the ones we think stand out from the rest.
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The year 2018 was a great one for Metal. Tons of killer releases from established bands as well as newcomers that are taking the scene by surprise.
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Atmospheric Black Metal and Post-Black Metal had a great 2018 with some killer albums from some unexpected ends of the world.
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USBM with a heavy atmospheric component makes up for a very interesting release. |
2018 was a great year for releases that pushed boundaries and are shaping the future of metal.
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Lush release filled with interesting ideas from the two bands. |
As one of our shorter lists, we still received over 40 promos in the genre this year, but nothing really stood out, except for these releases. The genre seems to be sinking into a repetitive phase that we hope 2019 fixes.
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In 2018 we got a great deal of old-school Death Metal albums that provided little to nothing to the annals of music. Luckily, there are always bands pushing the boundaries and innovating in the genre. Here is our list of the favorite albums we reviewed in 2018.
In 2018 we received a considerable amount of albums that are kind of hard, but not quite 'Metal'. Here is our list of the top five we reviewed.
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Opening 2019 we have Soilwork returning with the brilliant "Verkligheten". In this interview we talk with the band's mastermind Björn Strid about the ideas and process behind the album. We also discussed the band's future touring plans among other items.
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As the first review of 2019, we are quite glad that it is Soilwork’s latest opus “Verkligheten”. Featuring a more melodic and catchy edge, this release continues the band’s musical progression into more engaging and innovative territories. Picking up where they left us with “The Ride Majestic”, the band delivers heaps of superbly catchy chorus sections, expertly crafted vocal melodies and lush instrumental arrangements that will have you hitting the repeat button more than a few hundred times on this release. Immediately after setting the mood with the mysterious album title track, the band hits the gas with a furious combination of blistering drumming and a harsh vocals. This opener is definitely quite heavy and very fitting as the song transforms back and forth between harsh and brutal to more melodic thanks to Björn Strid soaring clean vocals. After catching the listener by surprise with the intensity of the previous song, the band keeps things hectic with the hard rocking riffing of “Bleeder Despoiler”. This track provides an interesting combination of some Heavy Metal-esque influences mixed together with the band’s brand of Melodic Extreme Metal they have refined over the years. |
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Going completely ‘off the reservation’, today we have Svoid and their very strange and yet interestingly addictive EP “Spiral Dance”. Not showing any of their Black Metal influences, this release is a very weird experimental EP that explores the band’s more theatrical side with a few Post-Punk sprinkles thrown into the mix. Certainly this release is a very true to form album from Sun & Moon Records. The weirdness begins with the bizarre indie-anthem “Stand in Awe”, an interesting track that has some Post-Punk elements, but in general feels more like an NPR kind of song. Considering this release a complete outside the box release, we can certainly enjoy catchy tracks like the epic “The Very Hours” and its melancholic vibe. It even has a quasi-Depeche Mode vibe that caught our attention and we found ourselves playing this song quite a few times. |
Zeal & Ardor - Baroness - Deafheaven
March 8th, 2019 - Houston, Texas
Ensiferum - Septicflesh - Arsis
January 28th, 2019 - Atlanta, Georgia
November 2nd & 3rd, 2018 - Brooklyn, NY
Eye of Solitude - Marche Funebre - Catapult the Dead
March 13th, 2018 - Oakland, California
Enslaved - Wolves in the Throne Room - Myrkur - Khemis
March 9th, 2018 - San Francisco, California
November 6th, 2017 - Atlanta, Georgia
October 29th, 2017 - Rotterdam, Netherlands
October 28th, 2017 - Rotterdam, Netherlands
Brujeria + Powerflo + Pinnata Protest
October 23rd, 2017 - San Francisco, CA
Orphaned Land + Pain + Voodoo KungFu
September 20th, 2017 - Oakland, California
August 16-19th, 2017 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany
August 10th, 2017 - Jaroměř, Czech Republic
August 11th, 2017 - Jaroměř, Czech Republic
August 12th, 2017 - Jaroměř, Czech Republic
July 28-29th, 2017 - Germany
Feb 2-6, 2017 - USA
Feb 2-6, 2017 - USA
Feb 2-6, 2017 - USA
Feb 2-6, 2017 - USA
Children of Bodom + Abbath + Exmortus + Oni
12/05/2016 - The Regency, CA
Sonata Arctica + Leaves' Eyes + Omnium Gatherum
12/02/2016 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA
Epica + Arkona + Fleshgod Apocalypse + The Agonist
11/18/2016 - Social Hall - San Francisco, CA
Fallujah + Between The Buried And Me + Devin Townsend Project
10/05/2016 - Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA