PopMatters' Best Metal Albums of 2018

From tragedy to triumph, YOB’s incredible 8th full-length recording was conceived amidst dire circumstances that nearly left frontman Mike Scheidt dead. Suffering from an extremely painful and potentially fatal intestinal disease, Scheidt miraculously recovered and reinvigorated the Oregon trio with a new sense of purpose for Our Raw Heart, an album informed by the will to survive. More exposed than ever both physically and emotionally, YOB bleed out seven riveting tracks of enormous volume and pensive, transcendental beauty across 75 minutes of ultimate doom. A brilliant musical progression in the YOB continuum, Our Raw Heart is the band at their most aggressive, impassioned and eclectic. The riffs are massive, the vocals captivating and the songwriting sublime. Existing in its own organic universe, Our Raw Heart is truly the band’s finest work to date and the apex achievement of what heavy music can accomplish. Our Raw Heart was co-produced by the band and longtime collaborator Billy Barnett at Gung Ho Studio in Eugene, Ore., with mastering handled by Heba Kadry (The Mars Volta, Diamanda Galas, Slowdive).

Love is what makes us human. It guides our decisions, shapes our worldview, and defines our experiences. Its absence equates to tragedy while its presence gives our lives meaning. “Love has been well worn theme throughout a lot of rock music, but most commonly in terms of love-lost, overly romanticized versions of new love, or as a veil for sexual conquest,” says SUMAC guitarist and vocalist Aaron Turner (Old Man Gloom, Mamiffer, ISIS). “It is rarely addressed in its more spiritual and vulnerable aspects.” Those less-traversed territories of humankind’s connective bond became the central theme SUMAC’s third full-length album, Love In Shadow, though their explorations of that motif are a far cry from traditional manifestations of love in the realm of art. Across four protracted songs, Turner and his cohorts—Nick Yacyshyn (Baptists, Erosion) on drums and Brian Cook (Russian Circles) on bass—interlace and mangle sounds from their instruments in a sonic homage to both the innate warmth of human magnetism and the cold realities of corrupted love—jealousy, obsession, perversion, addiction. Listeners who followed the Northwest trio down the tangled briar of mathematical riffs and hypnotic battery on The Deal or through the unfettered eruptions and methodical dissonance of What One Becomes are aware that SUMAC eschews the conventional balladry typically associated with odes to our spiritual connectedness. Saccharine sweetness or fatalistic tales of unrequited affection are nowhere to be found on Love In Shadow. Over the album’s hour-plus length, the band employs minimal tools to achieve a maximum overview of visceral passions. Yet while popular music puts an emphasis on conveying moods through well-tread tropes, cultural signifiers, and deeply ingrained associations between tempo, texture, melody and their respective emotional resonance, SUMAC approach their music with the tactile immediacy of abstract expressionists. The beauty is not in the content, but in the form. Love In Shadow comes crashing out of the gate with "The Task." SUMAC wastes no time churning out the meticulous bombardment of knotty riffage and dexterous drumming that drew cerebral metalheads to their early records, but at the moment when most bands would wrap up their song, the band pushes forward and the razor sharp delivery and dense polyrhythmic weave of instrumentation begins to crumble. Turner’s signature bellow escalates into a primal howl. Everything falls apart, and suddenly we’re left alone with a warped melody played on a broken guitar. The band locks back into a lurching, megalith groove, and then retreats into a tense, minimalist palm-muted rhythmic pattern while a fragmented stream-of-conscious guitar line slithers across the open space. The entire song, and indeed the entire record, grapples with a duality of intricately composed arrangements juxtaposed against unbridled improvisations. The freeform abstractions of Love In Shadow were hinted at on early songs like “Hollow King” and “Image of Control”, but SUMAC’s recent collaborations with esteemed Japanese artist Keiji Haino pushed the band completely into the realm of spontaneous composition. “Incorporating a lot of free and open space within the borders of our songs has been an ongoing goal for us,” Turner says. “While all of this material was written before our recording session with Haino, that experience further bolstered our confidence to travel further into territories free of preconceived structure and melody. Immediacy, intuition, and risk have become an increasingly important aspect of our music making.” Whether it’s the protracted guitar solos underpinned by a malleable rhythm section on “Attis’ Blade”, the woozy drones of bending guitar strings and feedback on “Arcing Silver”, or the intermissions of distorted amplifier groans and Eastern guitar trills on “Ecstasy of Unbecoming”, these adventurous sojourns add a new dimension to SUMAC’s ongoing explorations of dynamics. The polarized approaches of calculated composition and untethered expression now reside with fluctuations between space and density, complexity and brute force, and shrill noise and rumbling thunder in the trio’s arsenal of contrasts. Kurt Ballou recorded the album live with the goal of minimal overdubs or fixes over five days at Robert Lang Studios in Shoreline, WA. The result is an album that sounds more alive and human than the common computer grid-built mechanically perfect metal record. “Since many of the surface level aspects of our being are often used as divisive tools to separate and alienate us from one another, the intent with Love In Shadow is to reveal that all humans desire and need to be loved and accepted for who they are, for just being,” Turner says in closing. “The album also serves to highlight what some of the repercussions are for love that is scorned, suppressed or socially discouraged—we lash out against one another, our love turns to fear, we disparage ourselves, we try to fulfill the need for love through unhealthy means—and on a more destructive level, those in positions of power are compelled to annihilate and oppress others.” Love can be beautiful. Love can be ugly. But at its core, it’s alive, unpredictable, and volatile. On Love In Shadow, SUMAC captures that passion in the most primal and unfettered manner possible.

With just six songs spread across 80 minutes, Aussie funeral-doom wizards Mournful Congregation have perfected their majestic sprawl on *The Incubus of Karma*. Slow-motion chord explosions teem with crystalline melodies and lurch toward despondent climaxes on towering epics “Whispering Spiritscapes” and “Scripture of Exaltation & Punishment,” while instrumentals “The Indwelling Ascent” and the acoustically driven title track—both bejeweled with weeping twin guitar harmonies—seem to exalt in some unseen bereavement. This is truly gorgeous and compelling stuff.

More than 6 years have passed since the release of ‘The Book Of Kings’, the regal 4th full length album from Australia’s stone pillar of funereal dirge, Mournful Congregation. Since that time the band made several trips to the U.S. and Europe, and released a mini-album ‘Concrescence Of The Sophia’, increasing their reputation as the pinnacle of Extreme / Funeral Doom and one of the most influential bands in the entire genre. Throughout these intervening years Mournful Congregation set to the task of meticulously crafting a new masterpiece, now presented in the form of the crown jewel titled ‘The Incubus Of Karma’. Everything that has made Mournful Congregation the unchallenged masters of this style since ‘The Monad Of Creation’, is here. The agonizing weight of Extreme Doom riffs, bitterly sombre dissonance, a painterly attention to detail and arrangement and the vocals summoned from the deepest hole. And as with each album before, the band expands upon their unique progressive tendencies, weaving beautifully constructed solos and lengthy virtuoso interludes into a bleak yet intricate tapestry of stately grandeur. An incredible 25 years into their existence, Mournful Congregation persist in refining and perfecting their immortal art on ‘The Incubus Of Karma’. Reaching innovative new heights, within the bounds they have created for themselves, the bounds in which a multitude of newer bands now draw from like a wellspring, Mournful Congregation cast a giant shadow, steadfastly towering over the landscape like a monolithic obelisk. | |--------------------------------------------------------| WANNA PAY CDs, LPs and all MERCH AT LOWER PRICE? BUY all the stuff from this artist ON OUR SHOP! |--------------------------------------------------------| | www.osmoseproductions.com/liste/index.cfm?what=artiste&lng=2&tete=mournful+congregation&exact_value=1&srt=2 | |--------------------------------------------------------| You could also check for merch, vinyls... from your favorite extreme metal bands!! |--------------------------------------------------------| |

Delve into the the mephitic melodies of Molluscas malodorous minions once more with Esoteric Malacology, the latest gastropodean gospel from Slugdge. Journey through the annuls of Slishic history; through the death and rebirth of the supreme cosmic overlord, and unlock mental gateways to even more horrendous and nonsensical realities than ever before

Sleep’s *The Sciences* begins with a three-minute warm-up of the same name. As though revving a long-dormant engine of feedback and distortion, it’s a fitting start to the legendary doom trio’s first album in almost two decades (released on 4/20, no less). Unlike their hour-plus stoner meditation, *Dopesmoker*, *The Sciences* is divided into six colossal tracks, anchored by the comforting familiarity of sludgy riffs and rumbling percussion. Throughout, you’ll find some of their greatest guitar solos (“Marijuanaut’s Theme”) and lyrics (“Giza Butler,” an homage to Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler), while stunning, reflective closer “The Botanist” is among the best songs in their genre-defining career.

ANTI-GOTH 376 ℗+©2018 Chaos Echœs & Nuclear War Now! Productions Available on LP & CD

PROG Magazine: "Melted On The Inch is such an extraordinary piece of work." Metal Hammer Magazine: "Boss Keloid have composed a work of jaw-dropping technicality and provocative emotional depth.” Terrorizer Magazine: "Huge, complex behemoth with a surprising uplifting feel.” Louder Than War: “A masterclass in heavy, progressive metal.” 10/10 “Masterful execution.” Rock Hard 10/10 “A masterclass in heavy, progressive metal.” Louder Than War 10/10 “A template-free cosmos of styles.” Musik Review 9/10 “Genuinely progressive territory.” Ghost Cult 9/10 “One of the essential releases of 2018.” Ave Noctum 9/10 “Truly masterful.” Mind Noise Network 9/10 “Incredible mastery.” Rockabulary 9/10 “This is absolutely unique.” Leon TK 9/10 “A journey worth embarking on.” It Djents 9/10 “A diverse musical force.” Musipedia 9/10 “A beautiful sonic outing.” Noizze 9/10 “Most incredible thing you’ll hear this year.” Rock Sins 9/10 “Creative brilliance.” Distorted Sound 9/10 “A brilliantly colourful and expressive trip.” Zero Tolerance 9/10 “An outstanding album.” Heavy Metal HQ 9/10 “Simply unbelievable.” GBHBL 9/10 “Immaculately crafted piece of music.” Pure Grain Audio 9/10 “Rich and surprise filled music.” Metal Perver 9/10 “Prog-sludge behemoths.” UK Scum Scene 9/10 “Extremely powerful.” Zware Metalen 9/10 “Powerful, varied and very addictive.” PDs Prog 8/10 “An enthralling exercise in uber-heavy psych.” Metal Hammer 8/10 “A huge, complex behemoth.” Terrorizer 8/10 “Pushing creative limits.” Angry Metal Guy 8/10 “Far reaching and ambitious.” Alt Dialogue 8/10 “Multi-dimensional progressive force.” RTMB Music

D.C. grindcore titans Pig Destroyer—like Agoraphobic Nosebleed, the enigmatic troupe with whom they’ve shared multiple members over the years—have always excelled at finding beauty in brutality. *Head Cage*, their multilayered, ambitious sixth album, keeps in that vein—J.R. Hayes’ dark lyrics, set against aggressive, off-kilter riffs and thunderous blast beats, use poetry as a weapon. This LP is also a more of a collaborative effort than usual: ANb bassist John Jarvis makes his recorded debut with the band (resulting in the first bass to feature on a Pig Destroyer album), and significantly thickens the overall sound. Additionally, ANb vocalists Richard Johnson and Kat Katz show up (on the pummeling hardcore anthem “Army of Cops” and the short, nasty blast “Terminal Itch,” respectively), while Jason Hodges (Suppression, Brown Piss, Bermuda Triangles) joins in on the thrashy, self-explanatory “The Adventures of Jason and Jr.”

After six long, harsh years of absence, the mighty PIG DESTROYER have reassembled to eradicate eardrums and split skulls with their highly anticipated sixth full-length opus, entitled Head Cage (named after a grisly medieval torture device). A visceral vortex of animalistic rage and extreme sonic brilliance, Head Cage is a true work of extreme metal art, that with the addition of a bass player, is hands down their most dynamic and heaviest recording to date. Across twelve tracks, PIG DESTROYER weave together harrowing tales of philosophical dualities, touching on mortality and depression, fear and violence, and the darkest complexities of the human condition, all told through the distorted lens of delightfully transgressive vocalist/lyricist JR Hayes. Musically, the band continues to push the boundaries of metal, grindcore, noise and punk, ramping up the intensity and leaving you bludgeoned in a state of utter shock, all in less than 33 minutes. Head Cage was recorded by guitarist Scott Hull at Visceral Sound Studios, mixed and mastered by Will Putney (Exhumed, Every Time I Die, Body Count) and features striking artwork by Mark McCoy (Full of Hell, Nothing) along with guest vocal appearances by Agoraphobic Nosebleed's Richard Johnson and Kat Katz plus Full Of Hell's Dylan Walker. PLAY AT MAXIMUM VOLUME!

HORRENDOUS explode out of the underground with their incredible new album 'Idol'. Drawing inspiration from both personal and national crises, 'Idol's' music is a methodical and unapologetic take on dynamic, progressive death metal. The highly anticipated new album sees HORRENDOUS at the highest echelon of their musical creativity to date. Thematically, the ambitious new album is an exploration of defeat, of the gods we build in our minds to escape the responsibility of action and change as we relinquish our agency. The music in 'Idol' mimics this act of deity building, with sprawling compositions that are imposing in scope and mirror the great turmoil of our times. Tracks such as "Soothsayer", "Golgothan Tongues" and the monumental "Obolus" position the band in a league of their own, as one of the death metal's leading new entities.

New York's nebulous avant-garde metal outfit Imperial Triumphant redefine sonic darkness on their ambitious new album, "Vile Luxury". A turbulent, frenetic take on experimental noise and progressive black metal, Imperial Triumphant embody the most austere side of the New York underground. Chaos, menagerie, and the perils of the city clash with its reputation for majesty and extravagance. The band aim to portray the juxtaposition between high society and urban decay. 'Vile Luxury' combines the various musical elements that follow well within the tradition of music in New York, a monolith of the Western world, of constant experimentation and appropriation of all things that enter it, never leaving the same as it came.

On their fourth album, Swedish goth metallurgists Tribulation explore the underworld with their most thrilling and cohesive package yet. Picking up where 2015\'s *The Children of the Night* left off, songs like \"The Lament,\" \"Nightbound,\" and \"Lady Death\" combine soaring guitars, vintage horror-movie ambience, and frontman Johannes Andersson\'s ghostly death-metal growl with postmortem themes to create something truly awe-inspiring. Meanwhile, \"The World\" and epic closer \"Here Be Dragons\" deliver rich cinematic triumph via strings, darkly elegant guitars, and chilling glockenspiel melodies.

"ION" is the fifth full-length from Australian death metal enigma PORTAL.

Since they hit the scene in 2003, Athens, Ohio\'s Skeletonwitch have always been more than just a thrash band—whether they were snapping necks with their breakout 2007 album, *Beyond the Permafrost*, or branching out on 2013’s melodic *Serpents Unleashed*. Their sixth LP (and first without vocalist Adam Clemans after he joined the band), *Devouring Radiant Light* showcases a seasoned, adventurous version of Skeletonwitch—one that’s more interested in exploring gloomy, dark corners than crushing beer cans and kicking up circle pits. The record still shreds while embracing genre agnosticism: On songs like the magisterial title track or the icy closer, “Sacred Seal,” shards of gothic doom, death metal, and proggy bombast jab at the band\'s more familiar thrash template.

This is album is dedicated to the sacred ego, that wellspring of individuality and unique complexity. Sing the song of the Inner Voice. Recite the hymns to the Celestial Will. Rebuke all desire to succumb to corrosive idolatry—be it the militancy of extremity, the beneficence of untempered ideology, or the divinity of cherished relationships. Rebuke the impulse to capitulation, to hide beneath of hard shell of callous disregard and secede from the world. We surrender our power only to those worthy of wielding it. And we will not hesitate to strip authority from and war against all those that prove unworthy.