1) Tribulation, Down Below (Century Media)

Tribulation’s third album, The Children of the Night, seemingly came out of nowhere to kick my ass a few years back. When black metal combines with pretty much any other genre and is pulled off well, it’s a welcome surprise, and they nailed it. So how did they follow that up? By making an even more diverse and arguably better record. Vocalist Johannes Andersson’s croaking vocals are instantly off-putting, but once you can look past that, they crafted some of the catchiest riffs I’ve heard this year. They’re also a live spectacle, looking like an undead version of an ‘80s glam metal band, scratching an itch for rock, metal, black metal and death metal fans alike.

 

Key track: “Nightbound”