One of the year's most ambitious and harrowing metal releases.
avant-garde metal
Krallice - Crystalline Exhaustion
ReviewsCommentKrallice's most ambitious record since Years Past Matter.
Portal - Avow
ReviewsCommentSomehow the accompanying dark ambience of Hagbulbia leaves a stronger impression than Avow.
Imperial Triumphant - Alphaville
ReviewsCommentWith Alphaville, Imperial Triumphant upholds its blend of extreme metal and jazz without sounding like a novelty.
Sorry for not recognizing tracks 8 and 9 as bonus covers. They aren't labeled on some platforms, but I should've expected the unexpected from this band. Normally I don't take bonus tracks into account, but at least these two (despite arguably being the album's weakest) didn't detract very much from the experience. "City Swine" is still kind of a dud for me, and while I enjoy "The Greater Good," in my opinion it doesn't make for the best closer either. But again, sorry for the oversight.
Zeal & Ardor - Stranger Fruit
ReviewsCommentZeal & Ardor's unique blend of black metal and slave spirituals comes together in an exciting and blasphemous display on Stranger Fruit.
Portal - Ion
ReviewsCommentHorrifying! Portal's Ion is one of the most dystopian and sound-rich technical death metal records of the decade.
Igorrr - Savage Sinusoid
ReviewsCommentDespite faltering in its third act, Savage Sinusoid is so far Igorrr's most palatable blend of breakcore, metal, and baroque sounds.
Brain Tentacles -"The Sadist"
New TracksCommentJudging from this track, Brain Tentacles are about to put out the most insane avant-garde jazz-metal album you'll hear in all of 2016. The trio's self-titled debut will be released September 30 via Relapse.