3) Immortal Bird, Empress/Abcess
This might be the angriest album on this list, certainly one of the angriest albums of the year in general, and that’s just one of the many reasons why I count Immortal Bird’s newest release as one of my favorite albums of the past year. Scathing vocals, shredding riffs, and a mob riot of a rhythm section, this album has all the pieces moving together like a well-oiled and very dangerous machine. Mixing elements of grind, death, and black metal, Immortal Bird set about lighting the world on fire with one musical Molotov cocktail at a time.
Recommended track: Neoplastic
2) My Dying Bride, Feel The Misery
Did I mention it was a great year for doom metal? Two of the greatest and most pioneering doom metal bands of all-time both returned to the forefront of the genre with absolutely amazing albums in 2015. The first of which is My Dying Bride. This band has never really released a bad album, but Feel The Misery is a force to be reckoned with and there are songs on this album that stand up to anything else you’ll find in their amazing catalog. Highly recommended for anyone who calls themselves a fan.
Recommended track: “And My Father Left Forever”
1) Paradise Lost, The Plague Within
The other all-time great doom act that knocked the metal world flat on their ass this year? Paradise Lost, of course. Another band with a long and storied history, Paradise Lost released what just might be their best album in the last two decades. That’s not to diminish any of their recent work. On the contrary, they’ve been releasing some very essential albums over the last 10+ years. It’s all worth owning, however this album just seems even more inspired, and as a result, even more memorable and powerful. There are few active metal bands left in the world as influential as Paradise Lost, and they have continued here to add to their amazing legacy.
Recommended track: “Beneath Broken Earth”
