Fields of Mildew - IV (2025)

Fields of Mildew is a one-man band, described on his Bandcamp page as "a German minimalist folk project originally inspired by the area around the Teufelsmoor with a conceptual focus on the late 19th/early 20th century rural life. Founded in 2015." IV is its second album. It's one of the best folk album I've heard in recent years, excelling at building a melancholic atmosphere (could also be described as dark folk and could evokes also neofolk), with great guitar playing (mostly acoustic) and vocals. I really enjoy listening to it when I'm not in the mood for roaring guitars and screams.

 

The BC page. 

 

Shock Narcotic - My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not (2025)

When I reviewed Shock Narcotic first album (I Have Seen The Future And It Doesn't Work in 2019) I said the album was excellent but wouldn't gain originality points because it really evoked Napalm Death. Well, that wasn't very inspired and relevant. They did indeed evoke ND, but the Napalm Death that their mid-tempo noisegrind / noisecore is evoking is the experimenting and hard to label one (especially, but not limited to, the albums from second half of the nineties). The same could be said about My Flesh Is Afraid But I Am Not, and it's also an excellent album. And they actually developed more a personal hybrid/mutant style than most bands...

 The BC page. 

 

Emulsified - Apocalypse (2022)

Released three years ago, Apocalyse, from US band Emulsified concentrates nearly every side of modern death metal (except pure slam). It definitely is brutal, but also quite technical, and there are even a few more progressive moments. It's very intense but not at the expense of diversity and the band is mastering everything they do. Maybe they would need something a bit different to distinguish themselves to be among the very best, but they sure know how to craft a strong death metal album, Apocalypse won't stay as the most memorable from these years, but it's a really a good enjoyable album, I recommend it.

 

The BC page. 

 

Stave & Karim Maas - Into Eternity (2025)

I checked this one because I remembered I enjoyed the Pessimist & Karim Maas collaborative release, and I'm glad that I did. Into Eternity, from the collaboration of Stave & Karim Maas is an excellent album of industrial dub/ instrumental illbient, full of good beats and dark & trippy atmosphere. Good stuff.

 

The BC page. 

Tetitanblood - From the Visceral Abyss (2025)

The fourth album from Teitanblood, From the Visceral Abyss definitely has the chaotic energy of war metal, but in a more sophisticated way than a band like Revenge, it's less raw and bestial, and the atmosphere is less pure hatred and contempt but more the burning of a dark mystical flame. In any case it's a great piece of intense and twisted evil and epic metal, recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Uniform - American Standard (2024)

After a few successful collaborative release (with The Body, Boris), Uniform returns with their fifth album, American Standard, and it's also something special. The first track is a more than 20 minutes long one, and probably their more ambient (after its screaming start) and experimental, with its repetitive patterns and synthscapes. Tracks 2 and 3 are aggressive industrial metal, more similar to what they've done before, closer to Godflesh or Author & Punisher territories, the first one, This is Not a Prayer, more on a post-punk/noise side, while the second one, Clemency, has some more heavy doom riffing. The closing track Permanent Embrace surprises with its nearly symphonic black metal parts, but if you give it a chance I think you'll agree it's a great song, and a good finish for another excellent album from Uniform. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Floating - Hesitating lights (2025)

Before listening to Floating I did not know prog/tech death-metal blended with post-punk was a thing, but in the form of their second album Hesitating Lights not only it exists, but it's also one of the best and most interesting album I listened to in at least a couple of years. Those typical post-punk basslines and riffs actually combines very well with a prog/tech and dissonant kind of death metal. A nice surprise that I really recommend!

The BC page.

 

Bütcher - On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing (2024)

On Fowl Of Tyrant Wing, like Bütcher previous album, is a fine piece of old school speed/black/thrash heavy metal. With a first half of the album more focused speed and aggression, and a second half, the last three songs, being longer epic songs channeling a nice Bathory vibe. Suitably released by Osmose Productions. Recommended!

 

The BC page.