THE TOP 10 ALBUMS OF THE MONTH should be self-explanatory, an ordered ranking of ten albums that’d resonated most throughout this month. If you’re new to the site, the tendency is heavy and/or surreal music. Choices are selected based on temporal immersion, personal connection, impressive style, point of view, aesthetics and with consideration for the lasting value of each selection. All choices are ultimately personal and come without consideration for populism, nepotism, cronyism, or any outside factors including perceived “relevance”. Writing about music is a passion I afford as much time as is manageable and I am grateful to have so much to choose from. Thank you.

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I. This month on MystificationZine.com I’ve spent most of my downtime figuring through some preliminary end of the year stuff including the Album of the Year choices/formatting. There are yet November and December releases which are contenders for inclusion, so, still a few big deal things to look forward to. As per usual Nothing But Black Metal November columns will return next month in a slightly different format. Anything that has already been released prior to today (October 31st) can no longer be considered for longform review but there will be numerous “stuff you missed” lists upcoming.

II. As always I’d like to express my gratitude for the bands, labels and PR firms who choose to work with me. Thank you.

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For my own taste this Portuguese troupe are one of few molding measured, long-developed use of “dissonant” techniques into repeatable, somewhat traditional death metal movements. There is an gut-level anxietous verve to this record which I’ve found myself returning to more than a host of albums I’d probably praised more throughout the month. It isn’t the sort of record that knocks the listener aback from the first go and I’d appreciated how it’d lingered in mind beyond the review process.

“After so thoroughly documenting the distortion of the psyche through their own brand of hypnotic chromatic judder Loures, Portugal-based death metal quartet UNDERSAVE now turn toward the mind’s grotesque entanglement with the corporeal on this abstract yet fundamentally sound third full-length album. Pressurized by a heightened technical standard yet given kinetic spark by increased dissonant fuse ‘Merged in Abstract Perdition‘ upholds the band’s high standards while transforming their work unto increasing finesse, retaining their adjacency to the morbid psychosis of pure death metal while nonetheless serving mutation of it. As was the case with each of their past releases every iteration, or, reconfiguration serves much improved expression of their darkly introspective vision.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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Classic melodic black metal is an important point of my own fandom and as such I tend to set the bar high for a complete success rather than a dry nostalgic grab. In the case of Outlaw I don’t know if they’ve created a perfectly glowing full album but there are more than a few fresh highs for their pursuit to be found on ‘Opus Mortis‘. Guarantee you’ll have “Through the Infinite Darkness” stuck in mind if so inclined.

“Proposing a great work of death worship so effuse in its rancid devotion that it’d cast the sky a poisonous, greying viridian hue upon reveal Dresden, Germany-based atmospheric/melodic black metal duo OUTLAW present a fourth and tall-fuming full-length album within ‘Opus Mortis‘. In building upon the idealized foundation of their third LP much of what this latest release accomplishes involves retuning, a glowing refinement of their atmospheric impact which serves and suits their conception well into gloria. Though the full listen is front-loaded with its most vigorous action this doesn’t end up detracting from the engrossing sensation of pouring through the cyclonic, cloud-bound froth of its full effect.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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How wild is it to think in 2025 that revisionist/revivalist ‘old school’ death metal has basically eaten itself away from the riff and now rests its lifeless husk upon capturing “90’s attitude” rather than anything real. A band like Kansas-based crew Thaumaturgy do well to remind folks that there are still places to venture with early 90’s sounds as they put their own abstracted torsion upon ancient atmo-death as well as a freshly refined thrashing side. It is a huge improvement over their previous record.

“A cursed offering of madness flayed and jettisoned into void this sophomore full-length album from Kansas-based atmospheric death metal band THAUMATURGY promises a despairing collapse into death magick and rabid lunacy as they successfully transition from solo act to notable trio. Skinned and melted atop their own pyre these pieces illuminate as they burn, revealing depth within a previously dim-lit cavern as arrangements sophisticate and expression swells within ‘Pestilential Hymns‘. Their grip upon dread only tightens as a unit where collective broad-yet-classicist tastes surprisingly suffer no heinous congestion or ruinous clash herein and that focus makes for a distinct and even more engaging second record.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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Though I’m not sure how serious their attitudes are, can’t really tell with online presence anymore, Heteropsy‘ve definitely impressed with all that they bring to this melodramatic early Swedish death metal inspired album. Between the gut-heavy guitar tones and affected cinematic voicing ‘Embalming‘ reminds me of discovering death metal bands like Afflicted and God Macabre back in the day, groups that could sprawl out a bit and do more than one thing with that old HM-2 choked sound.

“In tunneling their way through the tragically dissected corpse of the possessed and scouring its ends for rot and waste Tokyo, Japan-based death metal quartet HETEROPSY steadily prepare the listener for burial beneath this impressive debut full-length album. A work far more fastidious and profound than their years ‘Embalming‘ offers well-rounded expression of ‘old school’ death metal avenues both melodic and doomed but not without its own dramatic, horrified flair applied. Though their interest in Swedish death metal guitar overtakes the greater impression initially these folks do well to keep the sands of their ouevre shifting between auld pillars and their own variously menacing and melodic voice.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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The return of Suffering Hour doesn’t just sound angrier, more raring to go than they have in a while, but it picks up a hundred riffs and rips through them effortlessly here on this EP. Every song overtakes the prior with even more disso-blackened death-thrashing furor but the real hit here is the combination of the title track and closer “Inexorable Downfall”, that tech-thrashing heat firing off. Was already a big fan of their stuff but the level of vigor applied here is beyond inspired here.

“I believe back in 2021 or so I’d suggested that maybe abstract black/death metal trio SUFFERING HOUR were ready to move onto a variety of other interests, that the band had kinda worked themselves into a corner with the impressive ‘The Cyclic Reckoning‘ but damn, I think I’ll have to rescind that thoughtcrime after sitting with their latest EP, ‘Impelling Rebirth‘ most of today. The opener/title track (“Impelling Rebirth”) still bears the reaching tendrils of dissonance in its general forbode but here we find the band already reaching for more riffs and less of an atmospherically splashed focus and this feels like a proper next-stage evolution, or just a revived hand for these folks. The thrashing stab through the gloriously ripping “Anamnesis” and the death-thrashing fracas of standout “Incessant Dissent” might be two of my favorite digs from the group since ‘Dwell‘ and partly because they’ve done so much with just a couple of minute stretches each… but I think most folks will spurge out hardest over closer “Inexorable Downfall”. Every song only hits bigger than the last here and the whole deal kills on repeat, huge fan of this return.“

>> SHORT REVIEW <<

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Araphel‘s debut was a real surprise for me in terms of getting an solid traditional heavy metal spiritus out of what is still essentially a black metal record, not in the sense that it hadn’t been done before but that ‘The Endchanter‘ is actually great from either perspective. On one hand there is a sort of melodic, Bathory-conscious Hellenic black metal level stoicism applied and this fits their “epic” leaning heavy metal ride like a glove. Probably the easiest record to slap on repeat and hang with for hours this month.

“Iniquitous black winds howl aloud in conveyance of the journey our protagonist, a natural sceptic, takes in recognizing how lost he is in the wretchedness of societal distortions, balking at the dry mediocrity of humanity’s modern designs on this inward-facing debut full-length album from Italian black metal quartet ARAPHEL. In giving himself to the solemnity of nature, turning away from the hubris of society and setting a keen ear toward what is real a profound oath is mused and then sworn within ‘The Endchanter‘ to seek fortitude in observance of the dark void within and secure one’s own path to singularity. To depict these deeper self-effulgent examinations the artist relies upon both poetic and warlike methods, an ancient-sounding tract of songs which speak directly to ‘old school’ black metal and its relevance to traditional and/or ‘epic’ heavy metal.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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Per my own experience a band like Runemagick makes a case for fans/listeners fully exploring not only the discography of a band that compels you but rather seeking the full work of an artist who creates rather than follows. The trip of going from ‘Far Away From the Sun‘ and down the rabbit hole to find this fellowe still resonating from many points of inspiration is infectious, inspirational to me at the very least. Otherwise here we find a stripped-back, ceremonially applied sermon from the runes of fate where death/doom metal is the vessel for wisdom conveyed at the endtimes.

“At the precipice of extinction we are seated and wrapped in Urðr-woven ceremonial garb, left to observe sermon after sermon as to how the past’d informed our present armageddon via Ljungskile, Sweden-based death/doom metal ritualist RUNEMAGICK who return in singularity with this fourteenth full-length album. The droning tension of ‘Cycle of the Dying Sun (Dawn of Ashen Realms)‘ is no less uncanny in reveal despite how familiar it should be to the long-standing fan as the now solo act’s signature is loud and and immediate from the outset. What develops within the album’s potentially hourlong, slow-pulling thread is expectedly surreal, rewarding of the patient extreme doom metal ear most concerned with both presence and rhythmic knack.“

>> FULL STREAM <<

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For a band that’ve been around potentially for just over a year ‘Dismal Thoughts‘ is impressive, a true study of both atmospheric death metal and a blurring into some newer possibilities. Abysmal Descent appear driven throughout this album and not only toward the riff but in creation of experiences which examine the potential of extended ~7 minute death metal songs. There are stirrings of progressive death, brutality, and even doom within suggesting there is even more potential to unlock in the future. Probably my most listened to death metal record this month beyond number two on the list.

“Torn from the horrors of the observed mind in decay and illustrated through the violent thrum of farseeking ancient-toned death metal Brussels, Belgium-based quintet ABYSMAL DESCENT deliver the obsessed, exaggerative notions of spiraling existential despair on this debut full-length album. Built from a foundation of “old school” abstraction and given bizarre feature via moderne atmospheric metal technique ‘Dismal Thoughts‘ achieves its own unnerving, callous presence while draining neither immediacy nor functional riff count from its action. The cold expanse of their work demands some patience as its mazelike, ancient prog-death periphery calls for numerous extended pieces but it is through this vessel that they deliver the essence of a psyche spiraling under duress and a profoundly entertaining result accordingly.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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Taking an even more rugged, cracked take on brutal death metal inspired sounds Vile Apparition return with an unflinching murderous gaze on this second LP. After that Gutless record last year I wasn’t sure their region could get any meaner but ‘Malignity‘ is a true face-kicker, an ‘old school’ styled haul from the crypt beyond expectation. They’ve absolutely nailed it with this record for my own taste.

“Embodying the enmity of a psyche obliterated by perpetual violence Melbourne, Australia-based death metal quartet VILE APPARITION reappear with grave injurious intent for this unconscionably bludgeoned sophomore full-length album. ‘Malignity‘ directly reflects the festering brutality of the mid-to-late ’90s death metal reality through acts which ride the axe-edge of irreversibly cruel pummeling and most key canon where every action is reduced to its most efficient state of high-primal misanthropy. That is to say that these ten songs bring the flair and fundament of auld classics once more but’ve been reskinned to better represent the riff-obsessed throttle in hand and deeper evolved to incorporate escalating skill to suit further heightened synchronicity.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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Despite Evoken being one of my personal favorite bands (it is a long list…) I was not a hundred percent sure they would ever pull back to the extreme resonance of their early 2000’s days after the previous two records appeared on their own melodic death/doom inspired bent. The appeal of their work on ‘Mendacium‘ speaks once again to the sense that they’re not just a conjuror of funeral doom sounds but also their own form of death/doom metal group. Beyond bringing their echoic lustre toward the forefront once more this album also dares to take on deeper atmospheric venture, a sort of “second wind” waiting to be appreciated beyond changing up their approach in more obvious ways. This one is inalienable as top ten Album of the Year material on my end.

“Uncounted hours are lost within torturous depictions of a mind in unwholesome condition as Lyndhurst, New Jersey-based funeral doom/death metal quintet EVOKEN envision a troubled soul yearning for relief constituted by direct contact with “God”… yet the only being conjured is malevolent, prone to twist the knife within, on this seventh full-length album from the band. The spirit of this work is entirely dependent on the echoic mind of its antagonist being confined to four walls as ‘Mendacium‘ forces its narrative within a cavernous yet cinematically charged illustration of dire inner voice. Within the hourlong funereal entrancement of this event all senses are willingly enrobed in the cowl of its possession, particularly if your taste veers toward the thrilling excesses of their station in the early 2000’s, as this album radiates beyond belief with the band’s yet untouchable atmospheric death metal signature.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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