DEAD METAL

10th DECEMBER  ( ok, this one isn't actually forthcoming ) Malignant Altar  ( US, death metal ) -  Realms of Exquisite Morbidity ( Dark Descent ) 4th FEBRUARY Corpsegrinder ( US, death metal ) - Corpsegrinder ( Perseverance ) 18th FEBRUARY Immolation ( US, death metal ) - Acts Of God ( Nuclear Blast ) 25th FEBRUARY Blood Incantation ( US, dark ambient ) - Timewave Zero ( Century Media )

A post about Immolation's latest album, Atonement, can be found here . Fans of Atonement should also enjoy Providence, a five track EP from 2011. Another example of the band firing on all cylinders here, a really solid release. It was originally made available for free, by Toyota's now-defunct Scion A/V label. Original pressings (as pictured above) are now hard to find , and certainly aren't free. If you struggle to get one for a reasonable price, (jewel case) reissues are available  here .

All death metal releases... Immolation ( US ) - Unholy Cult ( Listenable/Olympic, 2002 ): Nocturnal Vomit ( Greece ) - Cursed Relics ( Kill Yourself/Imperium/Terror From Hell/Afterlife, 2012 ): Cavurn ( US ) ‎– Rehearsal ( Blood Harvest, 2017 ): Phobophilic ‎( US ) – Undimensioned Identities ( Rotted Life/Blood Harvest, 2019 ): ...and a bonus recommendation: Humanity Delete ( Sweden ) / Carnal Garden ‎( Greece ) – Anthems Of Doom / Lethal Onslaught  ( Iron Blood And Death Corporation )

23rd JANUARY Megadeth ( US, thrash metal ) - Megadeth ( BLKIIBLK ) 13th FEBRUARY Worm  ( US, black/doom metal ) -  Necropalace ( Century Media ) 13th MARCH Monstrosity ( US, death metal ) - Screams From Below The Surface ( Metal Blade ) 10th APRIL Immolation ( US, death metal ) - Descent ( Nuclear Blast )

New York's Immolation is now thirty years old, but this could well be the band's strongest work to date. ...which isn't to undermine the quality of their historic output (many of their past efforts deserve their own posts; perhaps most notably the debut,  Dawn Of Possession , and the last couple of albums). Atonement is a compelling listen from beginning to end, and some of the riffs are nothing short of breathtaking. Courtesy of Nuclear Blast, this is absolutely one of the best death metal releases of 2017. A few choice tracks can be streamed below, and you can buy it  here .

01  Krypts  -  Remnants Of Expansion  ( Dark Descent ,  2016 ) 02  Evoken  -  Atra Mors  ( Profound Lore ,  2012 ) 03  Antichrist  -  Pax Moriendi  ( Iron Bonehead ,  2018 ) 04  Blood Incantation  -  Starspawn  ( Dark Descent ,  2016 ) 05  None  -  Damp Chill Of Life  ( Hypnotic Dirge ,  2019 ) 06  Carcass  -  Surgical Steel  ( Nuclear Blast ,  2013 ) 07  Immolation  -  Atonement  ( Nuclear Blast ,  2017 ) 08  Necrot  -  Blood Offerings  ( Tankcrimes ,  2017 ) 09  Burzum  -  Belus  ( Byelobog ,  2010 ) 10  Spectral Voice  -  Necrotic Doom  ( Dark Descent ,  2015 )

01  Worm  -  Bluenothing  (20 Buck Spin) 02  Immolation  -  Acts Of God  (Nuclear Blast) 03  The Chasm  -  The Scars Of A Lost Reflective Shadow  (Luxinframundis/VIC) 04  Hearse - Traipse Across The Empty Graves  (Sinistrari) 05  Old Sorcery  -  Dragon Citadel Elegies  (Essential Purification/Dungeons Deep) 06  Autopsy  -  Morbidity Triumphant  (Peaceville) 07  Megadeth  -  The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!  (Universal/Tradecraft) 08  Corpsegrinder  -  Corpsegrinder  (Perseverance) 09  Spectrum Mortis – Bit Meseri - The Incantation  (Listenable) 10  Vacuous – Dreams Of Dysphoria  (Me Saco Un Ojo/Dark Descent)

If you don't already know Necrot, then see here  first. The band's drummer, Chad Gailey, kindly took the time to answer a few questions for us. 1. Blood Offerings has received such high praise, and it made so many end-of-year lists... rightly so, but then great music doesn’t always get the audience or acclaim it deserves - so you must be very pleased? We are extremely pleased with the attention the record received this past year and up until now. We are thankful so many people bought and listened to the album and LIKED it. 2. How did you guys get together, and have you been together for long? Luca Indrio and I formed the band in 2011 with Kyle House from Acephalix. Kyle left pretty early on and we didn’t complete the lineup again until 2012 when Sonny Reinhardt joined.  3. Could you tell us about any of your previous bands (assuming you have previous bands)? I was in a band called Bruxers from 2006-2012 before I helped form Necrot. I have also played in Vast...

Eulogy is a Tampa death metal original. Formed in 1989, the band featured Jason Avery of Monstrosity fame on vocals. There is a lot of  Morbid Angel  influence afoot, and perhaps some hints of  Immolation  too, but there are also elements that set these guys apart from the crowd - their use of female vocals on the opening track, for example. This 2016 compilation includes all of their material - 1994's Essence EP (originally released by Cenotaph Records); 1992's Dismal demo (recorded at the legendary Morrisound studio, which helps to explain how good it sounds); and a rehearsal track. Brought to us by Dark Symphonies (CD) and The Crypt (vinyl), it is a worthwhile addition to any old school death metal fan's collection. You can listen to it below, and hunt down a copy  here .

Kingdom of Shadows is the first full-length from this Belfast Band. It's a very solid debut, too - well-written, well-executed, well-produced. Old school-style death metal with hints of  Bolt Thrower ,  Immolation , Morbid Angel... Originally self-released on the band's Forbidden Realms label in 2010, it went on to be reissued by Hostile Media in 2012. Special mention goes to the excellent artwork, which really draws you in. You can listen to the album below and purchase it here .

29th JUNE Athanatheos  - Prophetic Era  ( Lavadome ) This French band formed in 2012, and Prophetic Era is their second full-length (brought to us by a Czech label). Death metal with black metal influences, interesting time signatures and some unusual vocal patterns/vocal performances. For fans of : Absu, Necrophobic, Shed The Skin 7th AUGUST Angel Morgue  -  In The Morgue Of Angels  ( Redefining Darkness ) Crushing death-doom excellence. American band Angel Morgue balances Disma-style heaviness with more accessible parts extremely effectively. The fact that this album is only preceded by a demo makes it all the more impressive. For fans of : Incantation, Immolation, Cruciamentum