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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Predecesser - Placing Blame (2013)

Artist: Predecesser
Album: Placing Blame
Genre: Progressive Metal/Metalcore

Track Listing:
1. Placing blame
2. Albatross
3. Entitlement

Download: Bancamp
Support: Bancamp(NYP)

These guys from Canada are awesome. The thing that catches my eye here is the vocals, this dude has some vox. Crazy lows that punish over top of killer progressive riffage, this is a solid 3 track EP. I'm not normally a metalcore kind of guy but, with vocals this is so enjoyable. Its free on bandcamp, so if you got it. then throw it haha.

Hail The Artilect - Remastered EP (2013)

Artist: Hail The Artilect
Album: Remastered EP
Genre: Deathcore/Metal

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Artificial Intellect (A.I)
3. Building Universes
4. Machines Like Us (Feat. Taylor Gorman)
5. Reconstructed Brain
6. The 7th Kingdom

Download: Bandcamp
Support: Bandcamp(NYP)

These guys hail from Portland Oregon, and are sick as all hell. My buddy found em, looked at me, and said dude. I instantly jumped on the laptop and listened to em, was not disappointed. The main reason I joined Duckcore was so I could pursue promoting/supporting my local scene, and by far Hail The Artilect is the best from my local area. Great vocals that in some parts remind me of Trevor from TBDM. The drummer is filling in for my buddies old band, which is awesome, and the guitar is dope as hell, kinda Egyptian at times, all in all super solid. This EP is free but if you got it throw it there way, and they only have 897 likes on Facebook. So if you like em go give them a like, and spread the word, Enjoy.


Monday, December 30, 2013

Sentinels – Idylls (2013)


Sentinels
Album:  Idylls
Genre:  Progressive Deathcore

Track Listing:
1. Alias
2. Continuity (Feat. Carmen Gumina)
3. Trial_Error
4. High Costs, Low Lives (Feat. Steve Cipparulo & Mike Dermek)
5. Resilience
6. D.R.E.A.M.S.

Download (320kbps)
Support:  Bandcamp ($5)
Preview:  “D.R.E.A.M.S.”

Fuck this hits hard.  Up your alley if you’re a fan of bands like Delta.

Refraction – Fossils (2013)


Refraction
Album:  Fossils
Genre:  Progressive Metalcore/Deathcore

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Ruin
3. Auroras
4. Hunter
5. Fearless
6. Fossils
7. Hands Bound
8. Like Kings
9. Flourish

Download (320kbps):  Bandcamp / Zippy
Support:  Bandcamp (NYP)
Preview:  “Hunter”

Some more meaty, bouncy jams from Australia, this time in the form of a band that sounds a bit like Erra, Volumes, Emissary, or Entities.  (Oh yeah, and Brian Hood mixed and mastered this album…so you know it’s heavy and crisp-sounding!)

I Exalt – Vessel (2013)


I Exalt
Album:  Vessel
Genre:  Progressive Deathcore/Mathcore

Track Listing:
1. Astral Desertion (Feat. Sean From Make Them Suffer)
2. Manipulator
3. Desolate Hollows
3. Purge (Feat. Nick From Molotov Solution)
5. Harvested
6. Separate Entity

Download (320kbps)
Support:  Bandcamp ($5)

Australian bounce that all you heavy junkies will get a kick out of.  Sean absolutely kills his part in that preview song too.

Paul Ozz Music – Land Of Secrets (2013)


Paul Ozz Music
Album:  Land Of Secrets
Genre:  Instrumental Technical/Progressive Death Metal

Track Listing:
1. Unbinding Of Ahnu
2. The Figure Under The Sun
3. Void Eater
4. Plague Of Jackals
5. The Maxim Of Hassahn
6. Terra, The Grave
7. The Tearing Of Atlantis
8. Skygate
9. To Gaze Into A Burning Sky
10. Land Of Secrets

Download (320kbps)
Support:  Bandcamp ($9.50)

If you liked Christian Muenzner’s solo album or Paul Wardingham’s joint from 2011, you’ll also quite enjoy this.  Lots of Jeff Loomis and Steve Vai influences in there if I’m hearing correctly as well.

Lorna Shore – Maleficium (2013)


Lorna Shore
Album:  Maleficium
Genre:  Deathcore

Track Listing:
1. Godmaker
2. Cre(H)ate
3. Maleficium
4. Born In Blood
5. Accumulatory Genophage

Download (320kbps)
Support:  iTunes ($4.95)
Preview:  “Godmaker”

I know I'm pretty late to the party posting this (I've been really lazy as far as new blog posts go), but this is the best straight-up deathcore album since Thy Art Is Murder’s “Hate”, and I don’t think it’s even close.

Agony Face – CLX Stormy Quibblings (2013)


Agony Face
Album:  CLX Stormy Quibblings
Genre:  Technical/Prog Death Metal

Track Listing:
1. XVI – The Sublimation
2. XVII – Into the Keyhole
3. XIV – Ice, Smoke, And Horses
4. XV – What Chimera
5. CLX – Quibblings
6. XI – Sophisticated Telescopes
7. XVII – Golden Waterfalls Part IX
8. XVIII – Golden Waterfalls Part VI
9. XII – To (t)rust the T(rust)

Download (320kbps)
Support:  Bandcamp ($4.95)

Shreddy tech death with a prog twist your thing?  These guys mix Between The Buried And Me-ish prog passages and Obscura-ish technicality like it ain’t no big deal.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Terra Mourn - You Made Me Realize (2013)

Artist: Terra Mourn
Album: You Made Me Realize
Genre: Progressive/Djent/Metal

1. Tons Of Scorching Sand
2. Farther Reaches
3. Slave
4. Blind Preacher
5. Accident

Support/Download: Bandcamp($2)
Preview: "Slave"

This album gave me goose bumps, no joke. Terra Mourn adds a whole new feel to the progressive genre, and in some parts theres things going on ive never heard before. The mix of slow brutal breakdowns, with clean vocals over top is a trick they pull off fantastically well. Last night when I found these guys, I looked over at my buddy in utter awe, just like wtf haha. This would be on my top 10 of 2013 for sure without a doubt. Its only two bucks, which is an amazing price for such a uniquely amazing album. Go throw them a like on Facebook and pick this up and enjoy.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

RECREANT - Demo (2013)

Artist: Recreant
Album: Demo
Genre: Deathcore/Metal/Death Metal

Track Listing:
1. Death Valley
2. Beginning Of The End
3. The Fear Itself

Download/Support: Bandcamp(NYP)

This is an awesome demo from these guys from France. Its all self recorded, and it sounds killer, which nowadays self recording is sounding better and better, and is way cheaper. This has killer guitar riffs, and solid drums and vocals. If your into some solid deathcore, then pick this up. Its free on bandcamp, if ya got it and wanna share then by all means do. 

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Blind Ambitions - Sentience (2013)

Sentience cover art

Blind Ambitions
Album: Sentience
Genre: Melodic Hardcore/Metalcore
Facebook

Track Listing:
1. Misoneist
2. Sentience
3. Smoke

Bandcamp (NYP)

UK always has the best melodic hardcore and this band is no exception to that rule. This is a great listen for anyone that likes any other melodic hardcore band.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Spherian - Spherian (2012)

Artist: Spherian
Album: Spherian
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal/Groove/Ambient Metal

Track Listing:
1. Bounce Through Atherium
2. Rise Of The Earth
3. Fall Of The Sky
4. Zero
5. Black Suns Zenith

Download/Support: Bandcamp(NYP)

Yes this is last years but its awesome. This guy is from Australia and for an instrumental its a completely different feel. Crazy space like progression, killer guitar, and killer ambiance, its a complete package. Its free on bandcamp so either download it for free, or throw something his way, and enjoy.

Neberu - Impulsions (2013)

Impulsions cover art

Neberu
Album: Impulsions
Genre: Progressive Metalcore
Facebook

Track Listing:
1. Blacklight
2. Whitelight
3. Autoconstant
4. Decompressed
5. Alleviate
6. Extrinsic Lucidity
7. Impulsions

Bandcamp ($7)
Amazon ($6.93)
Physical Copies/Shirts (Support)

Its finally here! I've been waiting for this for a while and I'm sure some of you guys have too. Some A-fucking-plus progressive metalcore out of Germany, signed to my favorite label (Famined Records.) FFO: Erra, etc. This is some seriously catchy stuff.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Coastal Break - A Letter Behind (2013)

Artist: Coastal Break
Album: A Letter Behind
Genre: Ambient/Djent/Metal

Track Listing:
1. A Letter Behind

Download: Bancamp(NYP)

Ok so before anyone jumps me for posting one song hear me out. This is a one song EP, with a whole lot of love and meaning behind it. The way the ambient vibes mix with the guitar is truly awesome. The whole sixteen minutes takes you on an unexpected emotional journey, you can definitely tell there's meaning behind the music. Solid drums, solid everything haha. Its free on bancamp but if you got it through it there way, and they only have 93 likes on Facebook, so if you like em, go through them a like and enjoy.

Shattered Skies - Reanimation (2011)

Artist: Shattered Skies
Album : Reanimation
Genre: Djent/Progressive Metal/Groove

Track Listing:
1. Beneath The Waves
2. Delusions
3. Attrition
4. Chasing After Time
5. Take The Beaten Path
6. This Is What We Built

Download: BandCamp(NYP)

I cant believe this has never been posted. It kinda reminds me of TesseracT with the groovy feels and amazing vocals. Through the EP the guitar is more than amazing. Its technical mix of head banging grooves, Djent pulsing riffs, and beautiful solos that can change the whole feel of every song. Although the vocals are clean, hes amazing. Every not is clear, perfect, and full of emotion. This EP is free but if you got it throw it there way, its a must have and I really hope you guys enjoy it.

FFO: Tesseract, Skyharbour,

Wrathmore - Ghosts Of Dagobah (2013)


Wrathmore
Ghosts Of Dagobah
Genre: Progressive Metalcore
Facebook

Track Listing:
1. Ghosts Of Dagobah
2. The Despised
3. Purple Nightmare

Download
Preview: "Purple Nightmare"

First post in approximately 8000 years. Some progressive metalcore straight out of the UK. Go like their facebook or you'll be mauled by a tiger.. But probably not. Anyway's enjoy the tunes, I really dig their sound.  

The Beast Remade - Worship The Beast EP (2013)


The Beast Remade
Album: Worship The Beast EP
Genre: Death Metal/Deathcore
Facebook

Track Listing:
1. Intro
2. Lord Belial
3. Nuestra Malevolencia
4. Gallows
5. Cucarantula
6. Cthulhu
7. Outro

Download Zippy / Bandcamp
Support: Bandcamp (NYP)



Came here for the wicked death metal, stayed for the female vocalist. Fans of The Black Dahlia Murder and Decades of Despair will enjoy this.

Causemos - Infinite Event EP (2013)



Causemos
Album: Infinite Event EP
Genre: Progressive/Melodic Death Metal
Facebook

Track Listing:
1. Introgression
2. Unrealized Reality 1|2
3. Promethean Eyes
4. Digression
5. Invariable
6. Herald
7. Transgression

Download Bandcamp
Support: Bandcamp (NYP) / Order
Preview: "Invariable"

A most excellent find. "Cosmic space metal" as self described, Causemos brings us some proggy, groovy, really catchy music, with a sci-fi/space focus. FFO: In Mourning, Lascaille's Shroud.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Nisroch - Demo (2012)

Demo cover art

Nisroch
Album: Demo
Genre: Sludge
Facebook

Track Listing:
1. Cataract
2. Malediction
3. Searing Limbs

Bandcamp

Evil, sludgy, crusty, black, heaviness. You need it. For fans of Satan and anything related to him.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Josh's Top Full Lengths Of 2013 (with Honorable Mentions)

Find my honorable mentions for EP of the year posted HERE, and my top EP’s of the year posted HERE.  While this year hasn’t been quite as good as 2012, 2013 has been a pretty good year for metal…ESPECIALLY death metal.  That being said, expect a healthy dose of death.  I tried to make this list a healthy blend of both my opinion/favoritism and a *SOMEWHAT* unbiased/subjective take on what I thought the best metal albums were.  As I said last year, I tend to place a HEAVY emphasis on progression/innovation within a genre, technicality, lyrical content and especially replay value.  With that, let’s get to the honorable mentions first.  In no particular order:


In VainAenigma
Genre:  Melodic/Progressive Death Metal


WormedExodromos
Genre:  Technical/Brutal Death Metal
Preview:  “Nucleon”


Akeldama - Everything Beautiful
Genre:  Progressive Metal/Djent
Preview:  "A New Beginning"



Syn:Drom - Iconoclasm
Genre:  Death Metal/Tech Death
Preview:  “Black Dawn”


Rings Of SaturnDingir
Genre:  Technical Deathcore


The OceanPelagial
Genre:  Post/Progressive Metal


Scale The SummitThe Migration
Genre:  Progressive Metal/Instrumental
Preview:  “Odyssey”


The BurialIn The Taking Of Flesh
Genre:  Blackened Metalcore?/Thrash
Preview:  “Itching Ears”

For some reason, this album gets NO love whatsoever, but it’s got pretty much all I look for in metal.


InfernaeonThe Cancer Within
Genre:  Blackened Death Metal/Technical Death Metal
Preview:  “Ash”

Blackened death as it should be.  Sounds kind of like if Aeon added a lot more black metal influence to their sound.


Humanity’s Last BreathHumanity’s Last Breath
Genre:  Progressive Deathcore
Preview:  “Human Swarm”

Vildhjarta, eat your heart out.  By FAR the hardest-hitting album of the year.


SpheronEcstasy Of God
Genre:  Technical Death Metal

Trevor from TBDM approves.


AenimusTranscend Reality
Genre:  Progressive/Technical Deathcore

Riffs for miles.


Of Glaciers Heart Museum
Genre:  Melodic/Progressive Metalcore

One of the feelsiest metalcore albums of the year.


DysmorphicNotion Of Causality
Genre:  Technical Death Metal


Fit For An AutopsyHellbound
Genre:  Deathcore

If I was more of a fan of straight-up deathcore, this would be up near the top of the whole list.


Scorned DeityAdventum
Genre:  Blackened/Melodic Death Metal

One of the most theatrical, epic releases of 2013.  I REALLY struggled with not having this in my top 25…


ImmolationKingdom Of Conspiracy
Genre:  Death Metal


CarcassSurgical Steel
Genre:  Melodic Death Metal


SekerTranscendence
Genre:  Technical/Progressive Death Metal


Fans of “Planetary Duality”-era The Faceless or a more death metal-ish Abiotic will SHIT THEIR PANTS.  These guys are set to blow up.

And here we go…the top 25!!


25. The Bridal ProcessionDescent Into Arcologies
Genre:  Technical/Blackened/Symphonic Deathcore/Death Metal


24. Shade EmpireOmega Arcane
Genre:  Symphonic Death Metal
Preview:  “Ruins”


23. The Safety FireMouth Of Swords
Genre:  Progressive Metal
Preview:  “Old Souls”


22. Aether RealmOne Chosen By The Gods
Genre:  Extreme/Folk Metal
Preview:  “Hourglass”
Band bio = “WE ARE NOT FROM FINLAND”


21. CoronadoOrigin
Genre:  Progressive/Atmospheric Deathcore
Preview:  “Continuum”


20. RevocationRevocation
Genre:  Technical Thrash Metal
Preview:  “Archfiend”


19. UnhumanUnhuman
Genre:  Technical/Experimental Death Metal

Some of the most unique, creative, and off-the-wall death metal I have EVER heard.  Unreal.


18. Misery SignalsAbsent Light
Genre:  Progressive Metalcore

The preview track is one of my favorite Track 1’s of all time.


17. ArsisUnwelcome
Genre:  Technical/Melodic Death Metal
Preview:  “Scornstar”

Something doesn’t feel right about having Arsis, who are one of my favorite bands of all time, at number 17, especially considering how incredible this album was….


16. Rivers Of NihilThe Conscious Seed Of Light
Genre:  Death Metal
Preview:  “Rain Eater”

Rivers Of Nihil is going to take over the death metal world – pretty much universally-praised album from everybody here.


15. Shores Of ElysiumEntity In The Void
Genre:  Technical Deathcore
Preview:  “Mind Sculpt”

Some people compare Shores of Elysium to Within The Ruins, but I think that’s doing them a disservice – SOE is MUCH better in pretty much every aspect, minus production.  This band pretty much dominated in the riff department in 2013.


14. Shadow Of The ColossusEnd Game
Genre:  Progressive Death Metal
Preview:  “Insurgence”

HOW IS THIS OUTSIDE OF THE TOP 10, SERIOUSLY.  Unfortunately SOTC didn’t achieve quite the same resonance with “End Game” as they did with their self-titled, but this is still a phenomenal album.


13. Dissonance In DesignSentient
Genre:  Progressive/Melodic Death Metal
Preview:  “Absolution”

Imagine a mixture of Fallujah and Vale Of Pnath…not too shabby, huh?  Not only does this band does a wonderful job weaving a great story (the concept of the album is metal-as-hell by itself), but they also find a way to create a nuanced, immersive atmosphere that perfectly complements each chapter of the album's story.  Oh, and THE RIFFS.


12. TesseracTAltered State
Genre:  Progressive/Atmospheric Metal

This album is so high almost entirely because of the chorus in the preview song…literally the most beautiful lyrics I have ever heard/seen.


11. GorgutsColored Sands
Genre:  Blackened/Avant-Garde Death Metal

Well this had to be on here, didn’t it?  No AOTY list is complete without it.


10. PersefoneSpiritual Migration
Genre:  Progressive/Melodic Death Metal

One of those albums that absolutely hits you in the fucking face and screams “HEY, WE HAVE INSANE TALENT AND WE KNOW HOW TO USE IT.”


9. Protest The HeroVolition
Genre:  Progressive/Technical Metal

My favorite album of theirs’.  Out-of-this-world technicality.


8. The Black Dahlia MurderEverblack
Genre:  Melodic Death Metal

Until Ne Obliviscaris comes out with 10 years worth of incredible albums, TBDM is my favorite band, period.  Definitely not their best work to date, but it’s still Dahlia.


7. UlcerateVermis
Genre:  Blackened/Avant-Garde Death Metal

What you wouldn’t have expected is that this album was actually better than Gorguts’ release from this year.  Deep, dense, dark, twisted, and evil-as-all-fuck.


6. ExtolExtol
Genre:  Progressive Death Metal

This album will change the prog death metal scene.  Count on it.


5. ErraAugment
Genre:  Progressive Metalcore
Preview:  “Rebirth”

This album was somehow number 5 on my album of the year list, despite being probably my most disappointing release of 2013…I had such high expectations after “Impulse”, and this album didn’t QUITE live up to them.  Regardless, a phenomenal achievement by a band that’s poised to explode as the kings of American metalcore.


4. Caligula’s HorseThe Tide, The Thief, And The River’s End
Genre:  Progressive Metal/Alternative Rock

You are seriously fucking up if you don’t give this a chance.  Soaring, beautiful vocals, outrageous technicality and composition, and influences from approximately 3 jillion different genres.  If you take a chance on one album this year, PLEASE let it be this one.


3. Fleshgod ApocalypseLabyrinth
Genre:  Symphonic Death Metal
Preview:  “Warpledge”

God mode.  The production is kinda meh (should’ve been mastered a little quieter to get rid of the “wall-of-noise” effects), but whatever.  The album is insane enough to make up for it.


2. Ovid’s WitheringScryers Of The Ibis
Genre:  Symphonic/Progressive Deathcore

Fuckin Ovdi, am I right?  FLAWLESS album.  Do I even need to justify this one any further?


1. Shaded EnmityForsaken & Forgotten
Genre:  Progressive/Melodic/Blackened Death Metal

I’ll say now what I said when I first heard these guys:  Shaded Enmity do for death metal some of what Ne Obliviscaris do for black metal.  Unparalleled passion, emotion, and composition.  A more than deserving #1 album of the year, and NOBODY ELSE IS GIVING THIS ALBUM ITS DUES.  FIX IT!