machine head - burn my eyes

really don't need to introduce this classic. i love the first two albums and so i am real happy about this vinyl re-issue. although i think those run out grooves re-issues are way too pricey. well, still bought it so who am i to complain? holy trinity with my og tape and cd copies.

pallbearer - forgotten days

wasn't completely into pallbearer's last album "heartless" and therefore hoped for a return to form. well, "forgotten days" is better than "heartless" but not as good as their first two records. but those are hard to top. so i really like "forgotten days", the cover art looks shite, though.

chasm of aeons 4-way split

i'm not too much into split releases but this one caught my attention. blood harvest records from sweden put together these four death metal bands all doing this lately so trendy outer space theme. cryptic shift takes the cake here in my opinion. replicant, astral tomb and inoculation are no fuck-ups either. slick yellow/green merge edition out of 100 copies.

cryptic shift - visitations from enceladus

i was eyeing this release for quite a while but missed out on the first colour vinyl pressing. so i sat and waited for a re-press and blood harvest records didn't disappoint. i gave this record quite a few spins by now but still find the opening opus "moonbelt immolator" way too lengthy and without real flow. the three songs on side b are way better. still a cool album by britons from cryptic shift. 350 copies on clear red and nice tape edition in white shell.

atræ bilis - divinihility

technical death metal from canada. this e.p. is so good that i have the strong feeling that their new collaboration with 20 buck spin will be very fruitful. the presentation of the indian label transcending obscurity is top notch!

funeral leech - death meditation

death/doom metal has become one of my favourite metal subgenres in 2020. so many great bands that i discovered. stuff like krypts, spectral voice or mortiferum were in heavy rotation. funeral leech from the states is another behemoth with those slow, low-end guitar riffs, roaring bass and chunky drums. love this record! second press out of 300 copies released through carbonized records in 2020.

the ocean collective - phanerozoic II

the ocean (collective) really got me with "precambrian" from 2008. i just recently discovered that album after years of stupidly sleeping on them. so that album sets the bar for me and by now they couldn't surpass that bar. "phanerozoic II" is great through and one of my favourite post-"precambrian" records. love the presentation with the die-cut sleeve and the bone/brown galaxy vinyl limited to 650 copies.

ulthar - providence

the second album of this blackened death metal entity from the u.s.a. their prominent lovecarftian lyrical theme is part of the brilliant experience that is ulthar. i think i liked "cosmovore" a bit better but still "providence" is a rager! nice deep purple and milky clear merge vinyl released by 20 buck spin records.

chamber - cost of sacrifice

my favourite album of 2020, hands down. chamber really hits that late nineties to early 00's slightly chaotic hardcore nail right on the head. just perfect, nothing less. this beautiful cloudy blood vinyl pressing is limited to 450 copies and released by pure noise records in 2020.

contrarian - their worm never dies

boy, what a great album from this u.s. american proggy death metal band. i stumbled upon them while checking the willowtip roster and was intrigued by the cover artwork. musically this total progressive era death worship, very well executed. they had george kollias of nile fame on drums and vocals for this record! released in 2019 through willowtip records.

slugdge - born of slime

slugdge is really something else. an outstanding progressive death metal band which reminds me fondly of gojira at times. but they are really more than just a gojira rip off. take a listen for yourself! the rediculous song titles are always top notch, haha. this is their first record from 2013 now finally pressed to vinyl. day of sludgement is upon us! red/yellow merge vinyl limited to 170 copies on willowtip records.