06) Rise to the Sky, Two Years of Grief (Tragedy)

Mixing blast beats with distorted guitars and mournful keys is pretty much a recipe for being one of my favorite albums. Rise to the Sky has all of that and adds some melancholy orchestral sections that will leave you questioning if you’re still playing a metal album until they blend seamlessly back into the rest of the album.

Key Tracks: “I Knew That Joy Would Die,” “Two Years of Grief”

05) Oak, Disintegrate (Season of Mist)

This one is definitely more for the fans of funeral doom and drone bands. Disintegrate is definitely a slow burn album, with a single 45 minute track, but the buildup pays off with uptempo angst-filled sections crescendoing and fading between the more somber parts.

Key Tracks: “Disintegrate”

04) Cloak, Black Flame Eternal (Season of Mist)

Despite being relatively new, Cloak’s songs hit the sweet spot of blending the heavy metal influence of classic black metal while also incorporating more modern elements like more complex riffs and solos.

Key Tracks: “Ethereal Fire,” “Heavenless,” “The Holy Dark”

03) Insomnium, Anno 1696 (Century Media)

Insomnium has always been one of my favorite bands, casting gentle growls over melancholic melodies. Anno 1696 held up to my hopes and expectations for them, and the guest vocalists on a couple tracks were a great add to change it up a bit without losing their signature sound.

Key Tracks: “Godforsaken” (ft. Johanna Kurkela), “Song of the Dusk,” “White Christ” (ft. Sakis Tolis)

02) Blackbraid, Blackbraid II (Independent)

Coming out less than a year after Blackbraid I, Blackbraid II similarly combines fast-paced black metal with acoustic folk sections, including pipes and acoustic guitar. The album manages to strike a perfect balance between the more intense and more somber tracks, and I found myself pulling it out frequently to listen to on my walks.

Key Tracks: “A Fine Day to Die,” “Moss Covered Bones on the Altar of the Moon,” “Sadness and the Passage of Time and Memory”