Top Ten Albums of the Week - 3/6/10

Originally posted here: http://www.metal-army.com/?p=1419#more-1419

Here's some rekkids I can't stop spinning.


1. The Wounded Kings – The Shadow Over Atlantis (I Hate Records)

Incredible traditional doom from the British Isles. A delicious melange of vintage riffs and modern know-how, The Shadow Over Atlantis builds upon the foundations laid down by Cathedral, Candlemass, and the like, yet is sprinkled with sly tempo changes and wreathed in the kind of atmosphere Reverend Bizarre could only dream of. Essential.

http://www.myspace.com/thewoundedkings2

2. Burzum – Belus (Byelobog Productions)

Varg Vikernes’ return has yielded one of the most controversial releases of the year – and it’s only March. Whatever you might think of Vikernes, it’s impossible to deny the depressive brilliance of Belus, which recalls his classic black metal albums Filosofem and Hvis Lyset Tar Oss yet shows a marked increase of maturity as well. Addictive.

http://www.burzum.org/

3. Nux Vomica – Asleep in the Ashes (Aborted Society)

One of the best albums you’ve never heard. Portland’s finest transplants have created something truly special here, and I can’t endorse them enough. Epic melodic death metal meets crust punk meets aching doom, grinding black metal, and shimmering post-rock touches. Truly unique and beautifully cathartic.

http://www.myspace.com/nuxvomica2


4. Revenge – Triumph. Genocide. Antichrist. (Osmose Productions)

Borne from the ashes of Conquerer and heavily inspired by Blasphemy and Beherit, Revenge dole out bestial, take-no-prisoners show-no-mercy war metal on this, their debut. If you don’t know these guys, you don’t know shit. With their heavy distortion and blinding, barely-sane tempos, unhinged shrieks and cavernous production, Revenge could be called “black/grind” if they didn’t hate you so fucking much. Death to false metal.

http://www.myspace.com/revengeattackbloodrevenge

5. Neun Welten – Destrunken (Prophecy Productions)

Newest album from one my my favorite neofolk bands, Germany’s Neun Welten. An unspeakably beautiful collection of instrumental classically-inspired, semi-acoustic European dark folk songs for fans of Agalloch, Tenhi, and cold winter nights.

http://www.myspace.com/neunwelten

6. Palace of Worms – The Forgotten (Flenser Recordings)

I’ve been losing my shit over this record ever since it first landed in my mailbox. Haunting, howling, self-loathing black metal with lurching tempos and depressive tendencies, all overlain with the familiar chainsaw buzz, now perverted and infused with shreds of mangled post-rock. SO FUCKING GOOD.

http://www.myspace.com/tattooedinworms

7. Seidr – Blood in the Soil demo (Lundr Records)

Death/doom brilliance from A. Lundr of USBM visionaries Panopticon. Haunting, melodic, almost shamanistic – this is definitely a band to watch.

http://www.myspace.com/seidrdoom

8. Amebix – Arise! (Alternative Tentacles)

The soundtrack to my latest neck tattoos. This is the album that launched a thousand crust punk, black metal, and d-beat bands, and still stands a head and shoulders above them all. Amebix are not gods, but masters of their craft, and the best is yet to come. ARISE! GET OFF YOUR KNEES!

http://www.myspace.com/amebixuk

9. Negura Bunget – Maistret (Prophecy Productions)

The latest offering from these Romanian maestros of the riff. Maistret is a beautifully complex, multi-textured release steeped in archaic atmospheres and ritualism and populated by gorgeously crafted black metal odes to their Transilvanian homeland.

http://www.myspace.com/negurabunget

10. Hot Graves – various demo recordings (Satanik Recordings)

Gainseville, Flo-Rida’s nastiest. An unholy concoction of Hellhammer riffs, ravishing grimness, creeping death, Satanic sneer, crusty d-beats, punk-as-fuck attitude, and no-fi production, Hot Graves are ridin’ dirty and aiming low. You ain’t ready for this.

http://www.myspace.com/hotgraves