10) Terminal Sleep, Chapter 2: Elicit Fear (Independent)
Four songs, hits only. Terminal Sleep delivers some of the best metal/hardcore crossover in years. Chunky guitars and hyper-aggressive vocals dominate this 15-minute EP. Not a simple rehash of the metal and hardcore that came before it, Chapter 2: Elicit Fear injects grooves in an unexpected way for such an over-the-top heavy release. As the band creeps ever closer to mainstream heavy music, Chapter 2 is the perfect extension of its predecessor.
Key Track: Tried and True
09) Aeonian Sorrow, Katara (Independent)
Gogo Melone and Taneli Jämsä return with a reignited lineup to bring you ethereal and funeral death-doom, one of the most accessible and well-crafted releases of the year. Though the songs average well above the seven-minute mark, it’s easy to get lost in the movements of this record, and it flies by despite the crawling tempos. From the airy keys to the death growls, Katara is an emotional journey and should put Aeonian Sorrow on the map.
Key Track: Ikuinen Suru
08) Holy Moses, Invisible Queen (Atomic Fire/Fireflash Records)
Put a dozen metalheads in the room and ask them to name the earliest thrash bands, and you’ll get a lot of the obvious answers. Unfairly omitted from this list, however, are German legends Holy Moses, who have almost no presence in North America – an issue only made worse by missing key pieces of their discography on streaming services. Sole original member Sabina Classen, however, has decided to hang up the battle vest and retire Holy Moses for good – but not without one more celebration of proper German thrash. It’s a shame for the band to call it a day now, on the strength of an album that holds its own against 2005 masterpiece Strength Power Will Passion and old favorites like 1989’s The New Machine of Liechtenstein
Key Track: Alternative Reality
07) Lord of Shadows, Echoes of Yore (Meuse Music Records)
Death-doom fans – you might have glossed over this one by mistake, a wrong that you should seek to make right immediately. Take the mysterious lyricist Shadows, pair him with Mike Lamb (Sojourner) to write all the instrumentals, and bring in Aaron Stainthorpe (My Dying Bride), Heike Langhans (ex-Draconian), and Emilio Crespo (Sojourner) to provide vocals, and let the misery wash over you.
Key Track: Faith of The Beloved
