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 yielded several broadly acclaimed metal releases but very few that’d resonated with me for more than a minute. As such several of the selections here check out as oddballs, unique records that might call for a certain mood or generate their own entirely. Don’t miss out on new records from Runemagick, Krallice, Uncle Acid, Epitaphe, Witchburner and Discouraged among others.

II. Consider following Mystification over on YouTube.

III. 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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From the early 90’s through today Sigh‘s discography retains exceptional depth as a progressive metal force developed unto entirely unique, theatric results. For this umpteenth album they’ve pulled from both familiar and unfamiliar places for their slick but scatterbrained brand of exuberance. They recently rolled through town, put on a great show, and that’d helped retain my own engagement with the record throughout the month.

“A descent into hellfire beyond death, a realm-spanning conflagration, and a fate which none shall evade burns in mind as Tokyo, Japan-based avant-garde metal trio SIGH meditate upon impermanence and karma while illustrating multi-stage process of putrefaction on this naturally eclectic thirteenth full-length album. Though it will likely be enough to suggest that ‘Goh-ka‘ delivers upon the nearly four decade developed signature of the band… that’d been what their previous album ‘ready manifested in deep introspection. Here their sights are set upon the journey of the soul beside the morbid horrors of decomposition, a vision which calls for a slightly more extreme-pushing, evocative work.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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Rooted in enduring admiration for early-to-mid 90’s black metal rust and wrath Krolok‘s third album once again balances simpler, carefully stated rhythms with more adventurous crusades but this time around they’ve molded their work around a theme. Their adventure through castle ruins and associated histories makes for a very different experience which is yet of the same era, opting out of the cavernous brilliance of their first two records and toward castle-worthy dungeon synth embedded work. Even if you’re just a passing Malokarpatan (+ related) fan I’d suggest digging through this band’s discography, all of it is worthy.

“Hailing the spirits of fallen legendry and invoking their names amidst the ruins of ancient castles Bratislava, Slovakia-based black metal quartet KROLOK uncloak in reveal of this third and most high-flown full-length album. Retaining their ancient black metal-minded haunt but shifting in both subject and expression ‘Hričov – Súľov – Lietava‘ finds the band all the more theatrically engaged in theme without losing grip of the dark high fantasy voice of the early-to-mid 90’s. This makes for an experience riddled with nostalgic sounds and a bit of different register for the group but all ultimately lands within their realm of classicist authorship.“

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Without a doubt Critical Defiance hit it out the park with their debut LP but their style underwent a number of changes with each album beyond that point, becoming more feral and even punkish depending on the release. With ‘Rivers of Blood‘ they’ve brought in structure and theme to tell more of a story here while keeping it brief and bloody on the rush through. Even if they’re probably not going to make ‘Misconception’ part two at this point everything these guys release has its own brutal energy to it, enough of a scrape through to prompt many repeat listens..

“By bullet and blade the infamy of their terror-gang spreads across every alleyway and red room within reach as the territory commanded by Villa Alemana, Chile-borne thrash metal quintet CRITICAL DEFIANCE expands on this cyclonic fourth full-length album. Spurting like a garden hose then pooling in the middle ‘Rivers of Blood‘ might make its point quickly on this ~half hour gusher but not without style as their attack becomes more extreme, more elegantly strung and atmospherically gilded herein. As a finer point of evolution in their greater authorship this is as focused and tightly wound as these folks’ve been since their debut.“

>> FULL REVIEW <<

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“After demolishing all with their second LP, ‘Haematophoryktos‘, last year German subterranean black/death metal duo HADOPELAGYAL return with a similarly shot 12″ EP release in ‘Zalmathic Necroichorion‘. Chaotic in movement, steeped in suffocating atmospheric clime and coughed forth via animalistic utterances their work remains an obscured cacophony from the depths of these four pieces. The militaristic trampling of “Dakryopneumatic Canticles” best exemplifies the drowned, horrifying bestial source of the band but every piece here offers similarly possessed performances, once again showing a broad range of freakouts and hammered-down percussive action within their expanse. If you’ve enjoyed their work, particularly their most recent longplayer this is a vital addition.”

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Known for improvised bestial summoning from a doomed headspace Death. Void. Terror. escape purely experimental cavern-craft with this surprising psychedelic metal album, their third to date. This time around their no-less atmospheric and doomed creation leaps away from black and death metal constructs with tribal ebullience, conjuring a communally cast spell which nearly escapes sub-genre distinction on the pass through. Call it an evolutionary leap or just a more distinct side project either way the end result was a great surprise from the generally great collective behind it.

“Entranced by the obsidian pillar looming above and awakened through compulsive ritualized feats Zürich, Switzerland-based experimental black/doom metal duo DEATH. VOID. TERROR. indirectly embody Luciferian primal light’s gifting of sentience within this transformative third full-length album. A truly immersive conjuration set well outside the proverbial box ‘To The Great Monolith III: Rifts‘ demonstrates its own idiosyncratic metaphysical summoning, a variously warm and/or funereal tone applied to vocally driven pieces which illustrate a rogue population in worship. The experience resultant offers a form of sublimely ritualistic atmospheric psychedelic metal wherein vague natural mysticism guides their chants, dirges and narration in an unknown tongue.“

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Recorded back in 2018 but no less relevant to the eternal mind that is extreme metal this three song EP from Toronto-based duo Nuclearhammer make sense as a tangent beyond the psychosis that was ‘Serpentine Hermetic Lucifer‘ year before. Foggy rendering, odd-timed embattlement and mind-bending vocal treatments make for a short but intoxicating feature. If you’re not familiar with the band but enjoy stuff like Tetragrammacide and Nyogthaeblisz expect cavernous and raw black/death throttle delivered through a hollow chasm.

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Rooted in ‘old school’ death metal, auld crust and thrashing sounds Tombstalker‘ve long been a notable prospect but this second LP was the one to make it legit. ‘Chaos Monolith‘ not only sounds great as a rotten, violent death metal record but it delivers distinction beyond their general sub-genre combine. Otherwise the total package is here with great cover art, strong production values and a smart amount of variety in their running order.

“Fighting for total command of corruption’s spoils while embracing technology powerful enough to generate the psychic derangement of humanity abounding the cruel overseers of civilization depicted within Lexington, Kentucky-based death metal quartet TOMBSTALKER‘s sophomore full-length album are as fantastically villainous as the bane(s) of the 41st millennium yet as real as the reactionary forces pulling all strings today. The smoking wretch of subversion that ‘Chaos Monolith‘ illustrates stays true to the crusted-up and thrashing ‘old school’ death metal these folks’ve long bandied about but this time around they’ve refined all into freshly stun-locking underground idyll. Whether you’re a longtime fan who’d lost touch a decade ago or a newcomer this record offers some of the band’s best work to date, sure to pierce the ear of auld death metal obsessives in particular.“

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Immersion, flow and experimentation within a surging vacuum all help to distinguish ‘Jacht der Mysteriën‘ within Fluisteraars‘ impressive six album discography. Though it is more free-form in shape and about one fourth of the listening experience is quiet ambiance I’d still found myself soaking up what these folks’d accomplished within this record. From early Drudkh-esque rhythms to heady synths this one was a pure pleasure listen anytime I’d picked it up throughout the month.

“Trading Gelderland folk legends, eyeing will-o’-the-wisps and soaking in the glacier carved marshlands in surround Bennekom, Netherlands-based atmospheric black metal duo FLUISTERAARS strive in pursuit of the unknown on this heady, slow-soaring sixth full-length album. Cut from three extended pieces and performed as off-the-cuff as possible ‘Jacht der Mysteriën‘ reflects a philosophy achieved deep within nature, a stoic wanderer’s curiosity in approach of instinct, expression and psychedelia-folded patternation. This leaves the whole of it flowing as if wind over hilly grasslands, gushing and breaking in long and occasionally irregular movements thickened by the atmosphere provided by the late evening.“

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If you are always hunting for solid 70’s ’til 80’s traditional doom metal which errs toward the latter Early Moods‘ three album discography should impress and with this third album in hand I’d suggest they are one of the better groups doing it today. ‘Ready for the Grave‘ isn’t a perfect album, there is a ballad in the midst, but overall any fan of Trouble and Candlemass will greatly appreciate the spirit accessed within. This was easily among my most listened-to albums of the month thanks to a few particularly memorable cuts and a solid mid-80’s doom standard upheld.

“As darkness descends in tunneling surround and the agony of mortality begins to wrestle uncontrollably beneath the skin Los Angeles, California-based doom metal act EARLY MOODS signal zeal for both collapse and defiance on this sharpened third full-length album. A full-bodied maturation rather than a total reconstruction ‘Ready For the Grave‘ finds the band leveraging experience and pro-level production in polishing its seven songs unto an uninterrupted golden standard. Still very much an act rooted in the 70’s cum 80’s heavy/doom metal headspace the great boon achieved within the quintet’s third act is a blend of adept classicist songcraft and varietal, smartly adorned treatment worthy of the old gods.“

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Snet‘s second full-length has more of a spine, an elaborately woven structure beneath their riff machine which thrives within its many tangents. The band not only improves upon the general groaty ‘old school’ death metal sound/style they’d kicked off with but packs in more riffs, juices their production values and mystifies with its winding and belching movement. In the space of just a few years their efforts’ve developed beyond a good idea and a cool sound toward this great death metal album, marking ‘V bažinách vědomí‘ as one of my favorites from this year.

“Glowing alight with emerald slime, breathing deep of the swamp air and plugging ears abuzz with the chittering of vermin Prague, Czechia-based death metal quintet SNĚŤ plumb surreal and the grotesque landscape on their crooked walk through altered states of mind per this sublime sophomore full-length album. Hammer-weighted but slurring in its depiction of nightmarish consciousness ‘V bažinách vědomí‘ barrels with no less confidence than the band’s debut yet achieves a far fuller-fleshed mutation. Granting the unprepared ear with a spike of roaring immerse, an uptick in riffs and overall sharper tempered production values offers a best possible scenario for a nowadays ‘old school’ death metal band reaching for caustic idyll in escalation.“

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