Best Metal Albums August 2024

[@benh1467]

Anciients was killer, too.

[@loonyman83]

The Opeth was strong in that one. Nice return for those guys.

[@mokuscsik]

Oh yeah indeed. Been spinning it for a week nonstop.

[@fearfactory8427]

Boring

[@rattlhed1]

If I had to say they missed an album on their list this would be the one. It’s incredible!!

[@NicolasAristizabal-rb3ju]

I’m not a big prog guy, but I loved that record

[@privityband]

Checking out Eye Eater now, great pick!

[@muzz798]

DT was the highlight but the month ended with a bang. My picks 1. Dark Tranquillity - Endtime Signals (melodic death metal) 2. Mushroomhead - Call the Devil (groove metal) 3. Robse - Harlekin und Kreiger (melodic death metal) 4. Deliver the Galaxy - Bury Your Gods (melodic death metal) 5. Wintersun - Time II (epic melodic death metal)

[@rattlhed1]

@@muzz798 I’m still digesting Wintersun but so far it’s growing on me with each listen!

[@DashieNegan41]

New Mushroomhead was mid

[@muzz798]

Got it’s hooks in me

[@muzz798]

It’s certainly surprise of the year. It passes my test of being interesting. Songs are growers

[@andrewgumpp7056]

What a a killer rec. Amiensus. Great video.

[@forgemastermetal]

Don’t forget to check out Part 1

[@blueandwhiteeighttwo]

Fleshgod, Zeal & Ardor and Dark Tranquility for me this month

[@barsknos]

Happy to see you finally put Amiensus on here =D I knew since you guys like An Abstract Illusion, Borknagar and Enslaved this would hit the sweet spot! For August, some albums on my list not on yours are Anciients, Modern Rites, Other World and Dawn Treader.

[@forgemastermetal]

Great additions!

[@joshuacoe8235]

My best of August picks, Mourners Lament : A Grey Farewell. Beyond Xoth : Trans-Neptunian Horrors. Ezkaton : Synaethesis Monologue. Fleshgod Apocolypse : Opera. Föhn : Condescending. Wintersun : Time II. Dim Enfilade : Wherefore Disgust To Fairness Turn? Other World : Tenebrous.

[@jimmybenson3378]

Thanks for the review gents! What a crazy week of music to have a release 😂 - Jamee/Amiensus

[@forgemastermetal]

Amazing year for you fellas 💚 cheers.

[@deamonpainter1443]

So happy to see Amiensus on this list, these guys are so underrated!

[@matthewsolomon8269]

This month was insanely good. The new Nile is incredible, and Nails and Amiensus are both top tier as well. For albums not covered here: Spectral Wound - Songs of Blood and Mire Dawn Treader - Bloom and Decay Concrete Winds - Concrete Winds Vile Rites - Senescence

[@cheeseontoast9251]

Yes for spectral wound!

[@forgemastermetal]

Awesome additions!

[@javierel22]

Spectral Wound's album was awesome!

[@dhatribalz7772]

Great reco my friends !

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks so much!

[@withlovefalseortrue9839]

YAYYYYY I'm so excited to add all of these to my listening list! You guys are awesome!

[@forgemastermetal]

Much love! Thanks for showing up.

[@andrewkuykendall4166]

Loved Nails, Eye Eater, Amiensus and Ellende. Aug was surprisingly good for new releases… A few more I would shout out are Vile Rites- Senescence Feind- Ambulante Hirnampuatation Saintpeeler- Saintpeeler Evilyn- Mondestrunken

[@umidead]

Best month of year so far.

[@forgemastermetal]

Throw your picks in the mix!

[@cbn6635]

To me, the new Nile release is quite frankly a level above all other august releases; a true return to form and probably their best album since 'Annihilation of the Wicked'. 🤘👌

[@forgemastermetal]

For sure!!

[@Xy0ud0ntkn0wmeX]

My favorite of August was "Bloom & Decay" from Dawn Treader. Amazing atmospheric black/post black metal. Great for fans of Downfall of Gaia and Harakiri for the Sky.

[@matthewsolomon8269]

The Dawn Treader album is PHENOMENAL!!

[@forgemastermetal]

Awesome!!

[@thehighground_]

Really enjoyed the new Spectral Wound album Vomitrot - Emetic Imprecations Concrete Winds - ST Gutvoid - Breathing Obelisk And the Nails album on constant repeat

[@cowmark67]

Gotta check out Nile, Eye Eater, and Amiensus. Being swamped with work and various other things I haven't heard everything I wanted to this month but what I did hear was all bangers. Here are my favorites of the month. 1. Weltenbrandt - Transzendenz Schatten Romantik (post-black metal/melodic black metal) 2. Dawn Treader - Bloom & Decay (blackgaze/post-black metal/melodic black metal/hardcore punk) 3. My Fictions - Touch of Glass (post-hardcore/metalcore) 4. Zeal & Ardor - GREIF (avant-garde metal: alternative metal/alternative rock/soul/gospel/dream pop/black metal) 5. Oxygen Destroyer - Guardian of the Universe (death-thrash/blackened thrash) 6. Sonagi - Everything Is Longing EP (screamo/post-hardcore) Not metal but my two most listened to, and probably favorite, albums of the month are analysis paralysis by easycore veterans Four Year Strong and Imaginal Disk by pop duo Magdalena Bay.

[@forgemastermetal]

We appreciate the eclectic list, Forgemate! Thanks for sharing.

[@javierel22]

Loved the Oxygen Destroyer one. Kaiju metal FTW

[@billcowan5539]

The New Anciients album is Awesome too👍

[@taomahNEGEV]

Amiensus did it again with Reclamation: Part 2.

[@kauffeemug]

That Eye Eater album is underrated as fuck, I haven’t seen anyone talk about it, but it’s a banger! Great list guys as always! Albums I enjoyed were… Kingcrow - Hopium Oxygen Destroyer - Guardian of the Universe Modern Rites - Endless Vile Rites - Senescence Concrete Winds - S/T Phenocryst - Cremation Pyre Teeth - The Will of Hate Dawn Treader - Bloom & Decay Pneuma Hagion - From Beyond Weltenbrandt - Transzendenz Schatten Romantik Erronaut - The Space Inbetween

[@forgemastermetal]

Great additions here, thanks!

[@jcubed824]

Another banger list. Of these, I will need to check out Amiensus and Fleshgod Apocalypse (opera and symphonic death … 🤘). Side note: I need that Cthulhu shirt

[@forgemastermetal]

Hahaha I saw the shirt and had to grab it. It's about two sizes too big but who cares?

[@villings]

what a lovely collection of amazing music awesome

[@forgemastermetal]

It's what we do!

[@XfiverX]

Love the new Nile!!!

[@forgemastermetal]

So good.

[@SamBrockmann]

Eye Eater sounds amazing. Nails is solid as always. Heard good things about Zeal and Ardor.

[@forgemastermetal]

Hope you dig Eye Eater. It's super over looked.

[@SamBrockmann]

@@forgemastermetal , I saw that. "Name your price" on Bandcamp. Well, damn.

[@alexchavarria2582]

As always great list and suggestions Thanks

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks bud

[@jamesk9087]

Eye Eater is SO good. What a friggin debut.

[@forgemastermetal]

Amazing debut.

[@le_bodo]

Great list, thank you! Anciients deserves to be on that list as well, Opeth-inspired in a way, proper storytelling in a prog-death kind of way that's not pompous or OTT. Keep up the great work!

[@Land_Far_Away]

You guys are always on time! Thanks for delivering these lists. Gotta combine a new playlist for this month.

[@forgemastermetal]

Glad you like them!

[@loonyman83]

You had no idea about Amiensus Reclamation Part 1? I personally mentioned in comments that you replied to 2 times. Lol, While I like part 2 it can't hold a candle to the totality of part 1. I truly wished they would've taken the three best songs on part 2 and put them in part 1 and created a hands down no doubt AOTY. I had Reclamation Part 1 on constent rotation for months. Definitely my surprise band of the year. Hands down.

[@forgemastermetal]

Were two people bud. I loved part 1 and 2. I put the band back on Ben’s radar once part 2 dropped.

[@loonyman83]

@@forgemastermetal lol, I was just giving you guys some slight ribbing. Sorry if it came off any other way. Love the channel and the work you do.

[@forgemastermetal]

My ribs are sufficiently sore 😂 lol

[@barsknos]

Amiensus was put onto my radar from a mix of a comment here and a Metal Philosophy best albums of the week video, so maybe that was you! I am still spending time with part 2, I think it may grow although I have part 1 as the clear favourite too for now.

[@loonyman83]

@@barsknos yeah part 1 for me was a breath of fresh air that came out of nowhere. I enjoy part 2, but it just doesn't reach the same heights. Part 1 is nearly a 10 out 10 album while part 2 is a solid 8 out of 10.

[@billcowan5539]

I am really loving the New FleshGod Apocalypse album, they have been one of my favorite bands for years 👍🤘🤘

[@dmphax]

Going to see Dark Tranquillity in October, super hyped. I haven’t stopped listening to Endtime Signals, it’s phenomenal!

[@forgemastermetal]

It's gonna be awesome!

[@dmphax]

@@forgemastermetal you guys going to see them as well? I missed them when they toured with Amorphis in 2018 by a week. Finally I can fulfil the dream lol.

[@javierel22]

Great vid as always! Fleshgod did the best August album imo, I would also recommend the following: Worship - Acid Mass Monument of Misanthropy - Vile Postmortem Irrumatio Oxygen Destroyer - Guardian of the Universe Kodama - Telos Buryfication - Gallows Rise Spectral Wound - Songs of Blood and Mire Demiser - Slave to the Scythe Also I think it's worth saying that Ellende's album is a re-recording of Todbringer (2016) and not really a new record Keep it metal!

[@forgemastermetal]

Good to know!!

[@Bourbon_de_Gironde]

Interesting metallic month... thank you to aliment my addiction! \m/ (I just purchase, in FLAC, the first Eye Eater and the first Fulci... but there's so much more!)

[@forgemastermetal]

Dat FLAC life.

[@rattlhed1]

Fleshgod, Nile, Nails all excellent albums. I’ll have to check out others on your list. August was a great month.

[@forgemastermetal]

On paper we weren't super excited but it turned out to be a stellar month, for sure.

[@niwdoog]

Wintersun-Time II and Anciients-Beyond the Reach of the Sun. Both were late August releases and are great. Thx for the Zeal and Ardor reminder, I forgot all about that one.

[@forgemastermetal]

I didn’t like Time II. Way too much orchestration, the mix is really bad, so bad you can barely hear the riffing which is why I love Wintersun in the first place.

[@Hellenicheavymetal]

@@forgemastermetal theres so many layers on the album so things are going to get drowned out. and it depends on the song. There's certain parts where the guitar is very noticeable and the main focus such as the killer solo in Storm for example.

[@AlienatedQc]

ANCIIENTS - Beyond the Reach of the Sun Season of Mist From the first acoustic guitar notes, playing a folky melody, building up to a short silence, followed by a simple and catchy heavy metal sounding riff, accompanied by his clean vocals, you feel like you’ve entered a special place, beyond this plane of existence, looking at vast cosmic entities. After a few minutes of progressively more complex riffs and drum work, the guitars get sludgy and distinctively heavier, with a darker atmosphere, culminating in his powerful death-growls. It then dramatically shifts to a softer and slower drum beat, filled with soft cymbal work, that accompanies a slow and bluesy electric guitar solo-ish, while switching back to his cleans, but this time, with an extra softness to them. The Opeth influences are on full display here. But, Opeth is one of many influences appearing on Beyond the Reach of the Sun, soon after the softer section begins, a psychedelic synth appears out of nowhere, changing the mood from relaxing to more mysterious. And, as abruptly as it slowed down, it picks up at full speed once again, on the kick drum and with a death metal tremolo picking, even with a furious blastbeat exploding near the end, all accompanied by his impressive death-growls. The song ends on a droning fadeout transitioning smoothly to the next. This was the first song of an hour (1h15, if you listen to the bonus tracks) long journey, telling the story of a society that’s enslaved by forces from another dimension, that is at its core a story about perseverance. The easiest way to describe their sound is, if Opeth and Mastodon fused together. But even that description is a bit limited to describe the scope of their music. Metal archives list their genre simply as, extreme progressive metal, which is extremely vague but I feel the only way you can accurately describe their sound. Kenneth Paul Cook provides both clean and harsh vocals this time, with his growls being as deep and guttural as ever and his cleans being at times sludgy and nasal but also can be soaring and epic as well as soft and showing vulnerability. Mike Hannay is still on the drums and they sound better than ever, they can sound huge, fast and complex as well as soft and slow, helping to change the vibes, working in tandem with everything else. The guitars go to everything from death metal to folk rock passing by doom, sludge and psychedelic. But at its core it’s progressive so that means a lot of complexity, technicality and of course a lot of face melting solos. Their bandcamp description is; “Somewhere between sheer, apocalyptic heaviness and precise riffing, lays otherworldly ANCIIENTS-a Vancouver-based rock juggernaut forging crushing heavy metal.” Every song has memorable moments, it’s pure musical and lyrical magic. The theme of perseverance having so much meaning for me, being severely disabled and particularly in the last 11 months of witnessing the horrors of genocide. These lyrics, from the point of view of the tyrant, seem to fit with the Israeli regime so much: “Despise a world once owned Foresee fire A tyrant I’ve become Empathy escapes me Wrath I have come to claim my throne Waster of worlds Reclaim what’s been bestowed Appearing without warning Incursion if your home Bringing death upon you” Beautiful lyrics that are vague enough that everybody will have a different interpretation, is my personal favorite kind of lyricism. It’s rare an album leaves you speechless, even after your first listen. Beyond the Reach of the Sun was an album like that but its beauty is that after every new listen, you will only discover more and more things you didn’t hear before, a notable solo, an almost oriental sounding acoustic guitar picking, a different vocal melody, a crushing, doomy riff, an almost voivod sounding intro, an instrumental part probably inspired by Rush and each new discovery will make you fall in love even deeper with their musical world. Add this beautiful artwork from Adam Burke (Nightjar Illustrations) and you have an absolute highlight of the month and the year. This year is proving to be massive for progressive metal, showing how diverse it is and I’m here every step of the way, enjoying every moment. 9.8/10 Dark Tranquillity - Endtime Signals Century Media Records This album is not recommended for diabetic people, with its number of syrupy melodies, but sometimes, I’m in the mood for exactly that! It’s not all pure sugar though, they balance everything with heavy riffs here and there, fast drumming and Mikael’s perfect raspy growls. It doesn’t compare to the 2000s era or even 2016 Atoma, but there are enough bangers to make it enjoyable and not boring. Plus, the solos are particularly well done. It’s also well-paced with heavier songs spread all throughout the 51 minutes runtime, making a more dynamic experience. After 33 years of releases, Dark Tranquillity are still untouchable, on the top of the melodic death metal mountain. 8/10 Spectral Wound - Songs of Blood and Mire Profound Lore Records If you crave cold and evil, straight black metal but still with a “Dissection like” melodic sensibility, then Montréal’s Spectral Wound is what you desperately need! First of all, what really stands out is the production, especially the vocals! They stand out in the mix, with Sam’s piercing shrieks always in the forefront, but they also have lots of reverb, which makes them sound like an otherworldly banshee screaming from another dimension. And what can I say about the music, it’s perfect black metal. Sometimes fast and cold riffs accompanied with faster blastbeats, sometimes a bit slower and melodic but always sounding evil. The production is organic, every instrument shines, the guitar solos and riffs sound clear but with that black metal lo-fi quality, even though it’s certainly not lo-fi! The drums sound huge. When Jordan, aka Illusory, goes full speed on the double kick pedal, you feel the rumble in your guts! It’s a wonderful feeling and overall, it’s a wonderful black metal album. 8.3/10 Demiser - Slave To The Scythe Blacklight Media Just from the first fews seconds of the first song, I knew I would love this album. A drum solo is what starts this unadulterated fun ride of an album. They do not take themselves seriously and it transpires with a lot of fun/funny moments, like the intro of Carbureted Speed, which is just the sound of a guy trying to start what I imagine is a motor bike. After a few tries you just hear “FUCK” then it starts, with the drums blasting full speed. But being sometimes funny and not taking things too seriously doesn’t mean it’s not serious music. This is some seriously proficient blackened thrash, with virtuoso musicianship and songwriting. They can sound melodic, technical and even, evil and cold. All with occasional soft and harmonic moments and ending with the 8min, behemoth of a song, In Nomine Baphomet, jammed packed with evil sounding riffs, fast drums and ending with a crazy technical but melodic solo. 8/10

[@AlienatedQc]

Amiensus - Reclamation Pt. II M-Theory Audio I would describe the music of the American black metal band Amiensus as if Enslaved was from the pacific northwest. The complex progressive black metal is drenched in ethereal and often peaceful atmospheres. But the music is jam packed with plenty of other influences, from death metal riffs and growls, folky guitars, Viking metal rhythms, beautiful and grandiose, ICS Vortex levels of clean vocals, always accompanied by superb melodies and even djenty riffs and rhythms. It all makes for a really dynamic listen making the already short (for progressive) runtime of 39 minutes fly by so quick. I definitely need to check out Pt.I now, even if it turns out it’s not as good, it will be worth it! For fans of highly creative and technical but still atmospheric and melodic prog and black metal. 8.3/10 Fleshgod Apocalypse - Opera Nuclear Blast I remember, when I was still a young metalhead, back in 2011, watching for the first time the music video for the song The Violation by the relatively unknown Italian death metal band Fleshgod Apocalypse and being completely blown away! The sheer chaotic brutality, mixed with the beauty and elegance of classical music, hits the bullseye of everything I love in music. 13 years later, the band is stronger than ever and Opera is a statement, that you can be brutal, fast and technical but in the most elegant way, that complex extreme music is thoughtful in its memorable melodies, its beautiful arrangements and layering of instruments. The addition of full-time opera singer, Veronica Bordacchini, really aids to make memorable and varied vocal performances, which elevates the whole thing even more! 8.5/10 Vile Rites - Senescence Carbonized Records I predict Vile Rites will be a force nobody will be able to ignore within the US death and prog metal scene and the broader metal world. They label themselves as psychedelic death metal and I feel like, though it suits them very well, it only describes one aspect of their sound. If I had to compare them to other bands, I would say old Opeth but with the modern approach of Job For A Cowboy (Moon Healer immediately comes to mind), throw in a touch of Gojira and Ulcerate and voilà! I love the pace of this album, you have three bangers for the first half, the short songs (and by short, I mean 6 minutes), an atmospheric pause, the sound of rain and thunder with a few guitar and synth notes and end with the 2 longest, for a perfect runtime of 40min10sec. What struck me the most is how well they balance the many sides of their sound. They have a big psychedelic side, you’ll hear theremin-like synth waves sounds that gives a strong atmosphere on all the album but they also focus on pure technicality and musicianship, with complex riffs and all kinds of time signature changes. Senescence is also jampacked with just headbanging riffs, that satisfies my caveman brain. And don’t forget the solos, which are creative, full of technical prowess, super melodic and even emotional at times. I’m sure this is going to be on many aoty lists! Remember the name Vile Rites! Oh, and did I mention it’s their first album? Also, the crazy cover artwork by Justyna Koziczak evokes feelings of grandeur and emptiness with that psychedelic heart shaped octopus creature. 9/10 Wintersun - Time II Nuclear Blast I will not start the review by saying “it was about time”, I don’t remember how many times I’ve read that in the past week. The only thing I’ll say about the “controversy” is that Jari made many fundraising campaigns to, according to him, be able to make his vision of what the album could be, happen. Ultimately, I don’t care, I was always a fan, but I never had the means or interest really, to participate in the fundraising efforts. But I was curious to see if the album lived up to the insane expectations surrounding it. The answer? For me, I never had huge expectations but, I love every Wintersun album and if I try to be objective, it’s musically probably the best thing Jari ever released. He shreds like crazy on guitars, with mind-blowing neoclassical solos. The drums sound huge and the bass, even if it’s not the main focus, is always present, providing a nice heaviness. The orchestration is sublime, it’s epic and emotive at times and I love the Japanese sounding traditional folk instrumentation. My only complaint, but it’s kind of a big one, Jari’s voice is too low in the mix! He has such a great voice, his cleans can be powerful and epic at times and other times, emotive and showing a lot of vulnerability. And what to say about his harsh vocals, his screamed growls are as good as ever but again, too damn low! So, was it worth the 12 years wait since Time I? I’d say no, not really. If it came out two years after, it would’ve been a decent follow up, but today, the vocal thing is too big of a flaw, you had 12 years Jari! Come on! That said, I will continue to listen to everything Jari does, he truly is a gifted musician and composer. 8.1/10 Deceased - Children of the Morgue Hells Headbangers Records I was completely unaware of this old school Virginia metal band and honestly, I feel a bit ashamed of that. They started in 1985 and it’s their 11th full length, so I really have no excuses! All of that aside, I was not expecting this fun of a ride! I should have had a clue with the artwork, which is unsettling but, in a fun, old school spooky way. This album is a masterclass of melodic, fast and aggressive death/thrash, with a cool horror punk vibe, definitely don’t pass on this one. 8/10 Carnophage - Matter of a Darker Nature Transcending Obscurity Records Coming out of the empty and desolate desert of Ankara, Türkiye, Carnophage are part of the TRDM (Turkish Death Metal) movement and do their work on the more brutal and technical side of death metal. Immediately you’ll think of bands like Nile or Cryptopsy, especially the former, for its mesmerizing atmospheres and crazy speed and technicality. The brutality also reminds me of Suffocation but sometimes, peeking out of this sheer pummeling brutality and dizzying solos, is a hint of melody, which makes the 33 minutes go down even faster. Maybe not as good as the new Nile album, but still solid and always cool to see metal has no borders. 7.8/10

[@DashieNegan41]

Best this month Nile Anciients Fulci Vile Rites forgot to put that one in for their amazing debut album Nails Dark Tranquility Fleshgod Hammerfall King Gizzard Extinction A.D only thrash metal hardcore I enjoyed in August because I'm too lazy to find a decent good thrash metal album Monument of Misanthropy Kurokuma

[@Hellenicheavymetal]

Wintersun & Ellende were my favs. Nile, In Aphelion, Anciients were good too. Seems like everyone really liked the new DT. I thought it was, fine.

[@forgemastermetal]

Just fine, eh? Can't love em all!

[@Hellenicheavymetal]

@@forgemastermetal true. Last I really liked was Atoma.

[@dariuszmisior6269]

Love Fulcis album. Need to check on In Aphelion. Really tried with the Ellende, I just cant listen to music in this language ^^

[@thehowardjones]

fulci 😌

[@forgemastermetal]

So good

[@mortecai222]

added to the list, thanks gents!

[@forgemastermetal]

It's our pleasure!

[@enferex]

Yes! The DT album is good, that's an excellent tour pairing with Fires in the Distance. Additionally, I was curious to your thoughts on the new Z&A, I liked it; however, sonically different from their prior releases, it's an interesting release from an excellent band. I need to check out the Nails and Nile releases.

[@forgemastermetal]

You gonna see DT when they come around?

[@enferex]

@@forgemastermetal I doubt I'll get to their show, I do see they are playing about 4-5 hours away, but on my list for September is Leprous tomorrow and Shawn James next week.

[@johnooley6454]

Deliver the galaxy had a solid release for August as well.

[@ozgursuner5414]

Fulci 🤘

[@doubleXnickel]

a mostly core-y Aug for me: To The Grave - everbody's a murderer Oceano - living chaos Within The Ruins - phenomena ii Teeth - the will of hate Makhaira - the gallows [EP] I'll need to check out eye eater but greif was zeal & ardor's worst, most disjointed album

[@forgemastermetal]

Nice additions!

[@robertenleed-q3r]

Fulci kick ass like no fucking others. That simple. They have been around...and their music is THE music.

[@karkir-joharkarntkristkark9507]

And here are a couple of Norwegian Black metal august releases Koldbrann - Ingen skånsel Svartelder - Trenches

[@TheShadowGladiator]

How did The Archaic Epidemic’s Infinite Exile not make the list??

[@forgemastermetal]

Plenty of reasons. Mainly because we don't have the time to listen to all the hundreds of albums that come out per year 🤣

[@RWalters81]

I was disappointed in the new DT. Maybe it's a grower. Loved the new Fleshgod. Still need to check out Leprous and Wintersun.

[@dmphax]

@@RWalters81 definitely a grower for me. I was a huge fan of Moment & have listened to them since around Haven release, the new album I wasn't blown away on my 1st listen (except Neuronal Fire & A Bleaker Sun were hits right off the bat for me). Some of the other stuff I wasn't sold on, especially False Reflection (likewise, I wasn't huge into In Truth Divided off Moment for a long while), but now I can't stop listening to Endtime. Had it on repeat at work all day today and the hooks are insane, blows Moment out of the water imo!

[@Ardroth]

Pumped to see Fleshgod Apocalypse made the list! One of their very best imo, and probably my AOTM. I'd add SVARTELDER "trenches" to the list. Very organic sounding BM with savage drumming and vocals. Really a unique experience

[@matthewsolomon8269]

Svartelder is excellent, definitely deserve more attention

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks for your addition! Sounds awesome.

[@D0ndoom]

Endless by Modern Rites is really good!!

[@forgemastermetal]

Thanks for throwing them in the mix!

[@Dismal-future]

NAILS Anciients

[@deingeschlecht8003]

Mahlzeit. Aop Records bringen wirklich in den letzten 3 Jahren konstant richtige gute bands/Alben raus. Karg,Ellende,For the Sky und und und ..... wie früher napalm records in den 90er. Da kommt bestimmt noch mehr auf uns zu.

[@Count_Deangeli]

Kind a disappointing Zeal & Ardor to me but hopefully it grows on me

[@forgemastermetal]

It might take a few spins for sure.

[@geezerbutler1969]

Guys, I'm giving up on you Absolutely no chance to some THRASH or TRADITIONAL heavy metal? NEVER EVER???? Black and death, oh, so boring............ Well, good luck for you, unsubscribing now

[@forgemastermetal]

👋 bye Felicia

[@geezerbutler1969]

@@forgemastermetal 😄 The fun will ALWAYS go on!!!!!!!!!!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘