Oltretomba - L'Ouverture des fosses (2018)

This one's definitely scary enough for the Halloween night. Oltretomba is a funeral doom band from Marseille (France) and on their new album L'Ouverture des fosses (with the really good Caligari records) they excell at crafting horrific and mystical atmospheres, and they're doing it in an unusual way, not exactly avant-garde but different and weird, and in a good way. Really strong and interesting stuff.

The Bandcamp page.

Ancient Lights - Ancient Lights (2018)

Ancient Lights is a doom trio formed by Adam Richardson (11 Paranoias, Ramesses), Ben Carr (5ive, INTRCPTR), and Tim Bertilsson (Switchblade), they released this year, with Ritual Productions, their first, self-titled album. Their doom is of the slow, mostly instrumental, quiet and psychedelic kind, not really heavy (ok, sometimes it is actually! heavy feedback droning guitars), not really groovy, but highly trippy and hypnotic, closer to Bong or Earth than to Blask Sab' or Electic Wizard. It also sound more original than most psychedelic doom album, sometimes sounding a bit like post-rock or shoegaze played with a doom rhythm section. Maybe it's just because their molodies are not just the usual recycling of Sabbath riffs. Anyway it's an excellent album you'll enjoy getting lost into.
Recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

Chiens / Dead Instrument / Whoresnation split (2017)

This is a split between three bands I like, Chiens and Whoresnation from France, and Dead Instrument from Denmark, and I'm not disapointed by the results, each bands proposing tracks of the quality we could hope. Chiens and Whoresnation are more on the old school grind punk side of grind whereas Dead Instrument have a more modern sound and are more relentlessly fast. One thing worth noticing on this split release is that it's not one band then another then the third but the tracks are in mixed order and there's never two tracks of the same band in a row, and I'd say it works well. It's a really good split split with really good bands and I really recommend it. It's released by I Feel Good records, Amertume, Bones Brigade, and Everyday Hate.

The BC page.

Coffin Sore - Vile Gut Hell (2018)

Coffin Sore is a US one man band with machine drum (at least it sound like it is), Vile Gut Hell is its first album released in january 2018 (another good one followed in march).  It is an interesting combination, with a bit of slam but also death-doom parts, the common denominator being the heavy groove. With also an horrific atmosphere with the machine drum adding to the cold and inhuman feel. Good stuff.

The BC page.

Author & Punisher - Beastland (2018)

Beastland, the sixth album from Author & Punisher (the first on Relapse) sounds quite similar to Melk En Honing, with also those melodies shining through the industrial sound. Is that a problem? not really because Tritan Shone is really good at doing this and it results in another great album. But still I expected more change, maybe a subtle addition of some new elements and I feel slightly disappointed it's not really there. But maybe next album will be more surprising, and for the moment I'm happy to have this new excellent album for A & P to enjoy.

The BC page.

Gas Chamber / D.O.C - split7'' (2017)

This excellent split released last year is sadly the last release from Gas Chamber which doesn't exist anymore. They were one of the most original and brilliant hardcore bands and we could say that in a way they did to powerviolence what Refused did to hardcore. These four short songs are another testimony of that (those basslines are awesome!)

Disciples of Christ (who I hope are still active!) is another excellent band, more brutal and grindpunk, they are more traditionnal but they are really good at what they do and their four songs on this split are also really good.

Highly recommended split!

The BC page.

Systemik Viølence - Anarquia​-​Violência (EP 2018)

Anarquia​-​Violência is the EP released this year by the Portugese Systemik Viølence, a band that is taking the d-beat / crust punk scene by storm since 2016, delivering it at its rawest and doing it the way it should, with all the reckless energy and rage needed, using the potential of the style for maximum effects. This EP is thirteen minutes of pure wild raw punk excellency.

The BC page.

Iron Lamb - Blue Haze (2018)

Blue Haze is Iron Lamb third album, another one filled with excellent hard rock sounding half Motörhead half Swedish hard rock (Turbonegro, Glucifer, etc.) with a good balance between all out straight forward rocking and some more melodic songs. I guess you already know by now if it could be your kind of stuff, my advice is, go for it!

The Bandcamp page.