Hideous Divinity - Simulacrum (2019)

Their previous album of Hideous Divinity (from Italy) Adveniens was hard to beat, but the new one Simulacrum, their fourth one, is a very convincing following, another masterpiece in brutal and technical death metal. The monstrous epicness and the relentless intensity could remind Nile (a Nile without the Egyptian melodies). This is impressive, breath-taking but also catchy, not easy to do, but they really master their thing and found a good balance. Highly recommended stuff! One of the best death metal album of the year.

Bror Gunnar Jansson - They Found My Body In A Bag (2019)

On They Found My Body In A Bag, Bror Gunnar Jansson is no more a one-man band but a trio, but it still really sound like a one man band actually. We could say it's blues/rock/garage somewhere between RL Burnside and The Black Keys but with also elements reminding Tom Waits and Earth that make it sounding different from the others garage blues-rock stuff, some rock/blues/boogie songs but also some more psychedelic drone/rock instrumentals. It's a good try and an enjoyable album.

The Bandcamp page.

Best Grindcore In 2019

Here we go, here's my list of favourite grind releases in 2019. Follow the link to read the review (and there you'll find a Bandcamp link nearly every time). I give it in alphabetical order. It happens that nearly half of the list is composed of releases from Nerve Altar, what a year they had! To me they're now the best place to go for quality grind. Keep going!

Beasters - Alienated By Solidarity

Bifid Corpse - Consuming Death

Birdflesh - Extreme Graveyard Tornado

Blame God - Power and Control

Die Choking - IV

Fluoride - Disentanglement

Gall/ Tooth Decay - Collaboration EP

Intensive Care / Incinerated - Split EP

Jardim de flores - Défloraison

No One Knows What The Dead Think - ST

Shock Narcotic - I've Seen The Future And It Doesn't Work

Skullshitter/ Bleeding Out - Split

 

Takafumi Matsubara - Strange Beautiful and Fast

Shit and Shine - Doing Drugs Selling Drugs (2019)

Doing Drugs Selling Drugs is heavy, repetitive, and dirty and I love it. This Shit and Shine album sounds very sick and filthy,  sludge noise sounding a bit like a crossbreed of Ramsses, Black Flag and Brainbombs, but worse. Highly addictive shit.

The Bandcamp page.

Orphx / JK Flesh - Light Bringer (2019)

Light Bringer is live collaboration between industrial techno duo Orphx (Christine Sealey & Rich Oddie) and JK Flesh (Justin Broadrick when he's doing techno music), released by Hospital Productions (the label of Dominick Fernow the man doing Prurient and Vatican Shadow), sounds good isn't it? Just click all the right boxes... And it does live up to the high expectations and delivers some excellent industrial techno/rythmic noise, often instrumental and sometimes with Broadrick holding the mic. Each of the eight tracks (recorded during one show in 2016 and another one in 2017) are really good, no fillers, just excellent industrial tech thrown at your face from masters of the genre. Heavily recommended.

The BC page.

Takafumi Matsubara - Strange Beautiful And Fast (2019)

Strange Beautiful And Fast is the solo album of Takafumi Matsubara (Gridlink, Mortalized, Retortion Terror). Solo but done with the help of many renowned musicians from the grind/noise scene (too many too list here! Check it on the Bandcamp page, it's impressive). The result is a very enjoyable album, often super fast and technical, but also with some melodic elements and more diversity than is usual in a "normal" grind album and it's working really well here. This one will easily find its place in my soon to come "best grindcore of 2019" list.

The BC page.

Unfathomable Ruination - Enraged & Unbound (2019)

Enraged & Unbound is the third album from UK's Unfathomable Ruination. This is very well crafted and enjoyable technical and brutal death metal. I can't compare yet with previous albums because I'm discovering them with this one, but at least on this one they found a good balance between brutality, speed, groove and melody, and brutality and technicality are not done at the expense of songwriting. Enraged & Unbound stand easily above any average death metal album, they don't push the limits of the genre, but they play it expertly.

The BC page

The Young Gods - Data Mirage Tangram (2019)

The Young Gods is an electro rock band from Switzerland, formed more than 30 years ago, but their twelfth album Data Mirage Tangram brightly shows they're as relevant as always. Some songs have a generous groove ("Tear up the red sky"), some heavy guitars part, but most of the time they're in a quiet mood, it's more about textures and subtle atmosphere, they excel at creating a unique dreamlike atmosphere of their own.
Highly recommended.

The Bandcamp page.

Beasters - Alienated by Solidarity (2019)

With their brutally chaotic technical grindcore Beasters are one of those bands that are bringing something different to grindcore. Their third album Alienated by Solidarity (this time released by Nerve Altar) is maybe even better than their previous one. I highly recommend it, really intense and crazy stuff.

The BC page.

Dead Neanderthals - Ghosts (2019)

On this new album called Ghosts (again with Utech Records) Dead Neanderthals teamed with Scott Hedrick, guitarist in the metal band Skeletonwitch (but don't expect riffs). The two long tracks composing the album are both exclelent. Bone Hill is repetitive drumming and we could say drones from the sax and guitar (the sax sounding a bit like ghosts moaning, or at least I can imagine that) slowly accelerating and going crescendo until the final climax. A captivating track. Death Bell starts more quiet but also has a more intense ending with the sax howling. Another really good tracks also a bit different from what they did before. Possibly their best release since Womb of God (but everything they did is worth checking).
Recommended.

The Bandcamp page.

Unaussprechlichen Kulten - Teufelsbücher (2019)

Teufelsbücher is the fifth album from Chilean death metallers Unaussprechlichen Kulten, and it's another great one, still building a strong epic and occult atmosphere through old school death metal, but this time with some more dissonance and a kind of black metal feel. And since it works fine, why not? A good try resulting in another very good album.

The Bandcamp page.

Scorn - Café Mor (2019)

Nearly ten years after the last Scorn album Mick Harris is back with Café Mor (again with Ohm Resistance) and he does not disappoint. Still best dealer of dark industrial dub/bass music (could say dubstep, but he started doing it long before the name dubstep existed, and I never heard a dubstep release as good as a Scorn one anyway). Café Mor sounds like a continuation of his previous releases, but with subtle variations, keeping it interesting. Recommended.

The BC page.

 

P.O.O.R - Glutton for Punishment (2019)

This second album from P.O.O.R (a band with members of Fatalist, Dirty Dead, Decrypt, Stump, Burning at the Stake, Handsome Prick)  should have been released in 2015, but because of a computer crash it's only released now, seven year after their really good debut album Extinction of Trust. It's a good thing that Glutton for Punishment finally is released because it's a very enjoyable slice of old school grind/death, with a lot of groove. Definitely confirming the good impression made by the first album.

The BC page.

Sempiternal Dusk - Cenotaph of Defectuous Creation (2019)

This second album from Portland's Sempiternal Dusk called Cenotaph of Defectuous Creation, again on Dark Descent Records, delivers some quality old school death metal/doom, that could remind both Bolt Thrower and Incantation. Slow and mid-tempo nicely crafted death/doom.

The BC page.

Babe Roots - ST (2017)

We're slowing down and get smooth with this one. Babe Roots self titled album is some excellent dub techno with invited vocalists, closer to digital dub than to techno, with also a trip-hop feel. If you'd like a dub album lighter (not on the dark/industrial side of dub) than the new Scorn or Zonal this one's really a good pick.

https://controltower.fr/fr/linear-movement/1396-babe-roots.html

Jardim de Flores - Défloraison (2019)

Jardim de Flores is a new Corean grind trio led by drummer Hoonee Jo (Mortalized, Takafumi Matsubara, Banran), they just released a 7'' called Défloraison (some tracks also have French names but it's not sung in french) with Nerve Altar. It's an awesome super fast and relentless grind assault. Anyone into grind should love it (and soon be waiting for an album). I do.

The BC page.

Refused - War Music (2019)

While the first Refused album since they reunited left me cold, I really enjoy this one. This time with War Music they tried something very different : a very basic hardcore album, simple but with their superb melodic feel and excellent songwriting and the capacity of Lyxzén to be as good screaming or singing. Also the album is like a strong shot of energy, reminding a bit the first Rage Against The Machine album in that regard (but Dennis Lyxzén lyrics are more subtle and more interesting).
Obviously not their more ambitious album, but a very well crafted in its simplicity and enjoyable one.

https://www.officialrefused.com/

Altarage - The Approaching Roar (2019)

The Approaching Roar is the third album from Spanish band Altarage. They say they play "Chaotic Death Metal / Blasting Doom" and that's not a bad description. Maybe it's a bit less chaotic and a bit more doom (although it's definitely more death metal than doom, but of a super heavy kind that likes slow crushing in between blast beats parts) than their previous albums. Anyhow, it evokes a huge crawling lovecraftian horror, it's super massive heavy and menacing sounding. Really good stuff.

The Bandcamp page.

Theologian - People Are Weak They Deserve Pain (2019)

New album from Theologian, People Are Weak They Deserve Pain, have shorter tracks (five in less than half an hour) but the music isn't "lighter". Excellent industrial/ dark ambient  noise. Better in my opinion than Reconcile, the previous one, and as good as Forced Utopia which I really liked.

The Bandcamp page.

Redbait - Cages (EP 2019)

Cages is another really good EP from Redbait, furious hardcore metal with some finely crafted more melodic parts (some acoustic and lead guitars). Reminds a bit hardcore metal from the nineties, but with very good "new school" screaming vocals done by two female singers.

The BC page.

L'Orange & Jeremiah Jae - Complicate Your Life With Violence (2019)

Complicate Your Life With Violence, this second collaboration of producer L'Orange and MC Jeremiah Jae, is a masterpiece of hip-hop done the old school way (samples, boom bap beats and even cuts) and with a vocalist that really adds to the story, yes a story, this album is not just an addition of good tracks it also really succeeds in immersing you in a thick atmosphere of vintage detective noir movies & old war movies, with a fine selection of samples from old movies and old blues, boogie and soul tunes. Their first collaboration was good, this time they did even better I think. Two guys at the top of their game for an addictive and very special album. I love this album and recommend it highly.

The Bandcamp page.

Meth leppard / Blight Worms - split (2019)

Really good old school grindcore split (roughly six minutes for each sides) released by Psychocontrol Records with two Australian bands. I follow Meth Leppard since their demo in 2015 and this time again they don't disappoint. Blight Worms is another new grind band that I'm discovering with this release and they are good as well. It's this kind of split that are keeping this grind tradition much alive and exciting. Good stuff.

The BC page.

Fleshpress - Hulluuden Muuri (2017)

Fleshpress is a weird beast, and what you'll hear on their seventh album Hulluuden Muuri, released two years ago, is a dirty hybrid of psychedelic doom, noise and black metal/ old school death metal. The singing in Finnish (for the first time) adds to the weirdness. But just forget classifying their unique sound and enjoy their bleak trip. Strong stuff.

The Bandcamp page.

Zonal - Wrecked (2019)

Zonal is formed by Kevin Martin (The Bug, King Midas Sound) and Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, JK Flesh) who teamed already in Techno Animal, and they are joined by Camae Ayewa (alias Moor Mother) on the first half of the album, the rest being instrumentals. As expected the result in this first album called Wrecked (released by Relapse), is industrial hip-hop/illbient/dark trip-hop, in a more quiet style than Techno Animal was. Both half of the album (the first half with Camae Ayewa vocals and the second instrumental one) are very good. Maybe the first half being more interesting and memorable. It's not the best album they made (either together or not) but still it's excellent and if you like what they did before you'll enjoy this one as well.

The Bandcamp page.

Christian Scott - Ancestral Recall (2019)

Christian Scott is a young trumpeter and composer that is, since a few years now, one of the most important young jazz musicians, always exploring new territories and following its own distinctive path. Ancestrall Recall his new album is another strong step. The use of traditional African percussions links the album to the past but Christian Scott is as innovative as usual so the album is as much a link to the future. Saul Williams, featured on several tracks excellently doing spoken words is, along with other vocalist,  helping to make each track a memorable one, while the album as a whole has really its own identity as well. If you listen to only one jazz album this year it could be this one (some others are really good as well of course, but I mean if I'm forced to pick one it could be this one...). Highly recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

Die Choking - IV (2019)

Four years after their previous release (the new one is called IV the previous one as you can guess was III) Die Choking (with an ex Total Fucking Destruction and an ex Cop Problem) is back with another solid piece of modern hardcore/grind. Fast, tight, intense. Good stuff.

The BC page.

Deiphago - I, The Devil (2019)

Even more than with the previous one there's so much going on and it's so intense in this new Deiphago album, I, The Devil, that it took me some time to appreciate it. But I now understand it's another masterpiece. Their "war metal" style black/death hybrid is not only more brutal and intense than what others are doing, but they also have a more daring and complex songwriting. We could call it "technical war metal" but actually it has more a kind of "free war metal" feel. They are this time again in their own dimension, and it's inspired, inspiring and brilliant.

The Bandcamp page.

Ten Thousand Miles of Arteries - Survival Bloom (2019)

Survival Bloom is the second album from Ten Thousand Miles of Arteries (Noah Lane Coleman), also on ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX. First one was excellent, this second one is confirming how good this guy is for making power electronics / industrial music. This new album is a bit more minimalistic, and with good results.  I also like the fine use of scrap metal noise. Highly recommended.

The BC page.

Tomb Mold - Planetary Clairvoyance (2019)

Tomb Mold are back with this third album called Planetary Clairvoyance, as any good old school death metal band they have the nice riffs and the groove, but that also have some good songwriting twist bringing something more interesting in every song. Like in their previous album they get a bit less raw and develops a slightly "progressive" element to their songs, and more melodic lead guitar parts, while staying in the old school DM territory. Not my favourite album from them I'd say to be honest (time will tell if that change later), but still really good stuff, easily above your average DM band.

The BC page.

Endless Swarm - Imprisoned in Skin (2018)

Imprisoned In Skin is the fourth album from the Scottish band Endless Swarm. I'll be as straight to the point as their music is : this is excellent powerviolence/fastcore/grind. If you're into this kind of stuff you will like it, because it's good.

The BC page.

Lightning Bolt - Sonic Citadel (2019)

Sonic Citadel, the seventh album (again with Thrill Jockey Records) from the drum/bass guitars duo Lightning Bolt is roughly in the same vein as the previous one Fantasy Empire, and that's fine because it's also very good. Their noise rock with a kind of free rock feel is as intense as usual, with the spectacular drumming,  the loud bass guitars and  screams, but also some good melodies and adventurous and inspired songwriting. Another very strong and enjoyable album.

The Bandcamp page.

No One Knows What The Dead Think - ST (2019)

With No One Knows What The Dead Think (the name of the band and the self titled first album) two third of Discordance Axis (Rob Marton, guitars and Jon Chang, vocals, joined by Kyosuke Nakano who is doing a really good job with the drums) are making an impressive come back. Sounding like a slightly more polished version of Discordance Axis this is modern grind/hardcore at its best, fast, technical, but also catchy and memorable grind songs (10 songs in 20 minutes). In a few months when everyone on the internet will be making "best of the year lists", this album (released by the really good Willotip records) will be in the list of everyone into grind (but not only), probably often in first place, and it will be deserved.

The BC page.

DREAD - In Dub (2017)

This album called In Dub is actually the second "dub" release from Lustmord, but it's been released (in 2017) under the name of DREAD, maybe because it's goes further into dub territory than the first one (also good, but more industrial and closer to the usual Lustmord sound, a bit like Lusmord with some dub beats). I don't listen to a lot of dark ambient because I often find the lack of a rhythmic backbone frustrating, and Lustmord usual work is no exception for me, but with the addition of beats, and I really like the dub beats so it's even cooler, then it is solved and the result is great. In Dub has the slow motion dark feel that you would expect from Lustmord but it's also really a dub album, not just dub beats over industrial/dark ambient music, there's some (dark) melodic themes, a bit of vocals, a bit of guitars, and the omnipresent bass heavy sound. Whether you like Lustmord doesn't matters, what we have here is a great dark dub album.

The Bandcamp page.

Skullshitter / Bleeding Out - Split (2019)

This split album between Skullshitter (from NY) and Bleeding Out (from Toronto, this is their first release, but it's composed of experienced musicians, ex-Endless Blockade, Column of Heaven, Abyss, Fuck the Facts) is a feverish dream for death/grind freaks. No wonder it's released by the mighty Nerve Altar Records. Both bands are on the old-school Repulsion school of death/grind, with Skullshitter more on the Repulsion/Autopsy old school death-metal side (and is maybe more wild and unpredictable) while Bleeding out is punkier and would remind more Repulsion and Extreme Noise Terror, and also focus more on the groove I'd say. Anyway, both are awesome at what they do and this is a must-have split album. I love it. This is worthy of Skullshitter excellent previous releases and Bleeding Out are making a perfect start.

The BC page.

Mike Patton & Jean-Luc Vannier - Corpse Flower (2019)

I place Corpse Flower, a collaboration with French composer Jean-Luc Vannier (who worked with Serge Gainsbourg and other well known French singers), among the albums of Mike Patton that matters most. The songs are exquisitely written and arranged and offers the best musical environment for Mike Patton to show once again how good a singer he is. One of the very best for sure and maybe the most interesting to follow. When "pop rock"(with many elements including traditionnal French music, violins, swing/jazz, rock, etc.) is as sophisticated and classy, as nicely done, with such freshness and inventivity (and the slight subtly weird and disturbing touch we are accustomed to with Patton!), then everyone can love it (grind and noise freaks like me included). Corpse flower is one of those instant classic that sounds better at each listen (and since I discovered it it became a daily listen for me). This is not "just" "album of the year" material, but another timeless classic in Mike Patton discography. Can't be recommended too much, try it you won't regret.


The Bandcamp page.

Shock Narcotic - I've Seen the Future and It Doesn't Work (2019)

Shock Narcotic is a new grindcore band based in Detroit with Jeff Tuttle (ex-Dillinger Escape Plan, Old Gods), Shawn Knight (Child Bite), Don Slater (Battlecross) et Zach Gibson (The Black Dahlia Murder), I've Seen the Future and It Doesn't Work is their first album (released by Housecore records). I don't know very well the other bands of the members but I assume they don't sound like Shock Narcotic a lot since Shock Narcotic sounds a lot like Napalm Death. But don't think it is just "traditional grind" because it also often reminds Napalm Death when they're in an experimenting mood (including what they did in the nineties, which is ok for me). The album is very well crafted, enjoyable and interesting grind. Napalm Death worshiping, OK, but done very well and in a smart way. They won't win any originality contest but it's still one of the best grindcore album of the year anyway.

The BC page.

Cloud Rat - Pollinator & Do Not Let Me Off the Cliff EP (2019)

 Cloud Rat is releasing a new album called Pollinator, coming with a bonus EP called Do Not Let Me Off the Cliff. This time their experiment with more melodic or post-punk parts are concentrated on the bonus EP which is not hardcore at all whereas the album, Pollinator, is Cloud Rat at their most aggressive. Problem is this way the album is more "monochrome" more predictable, so I prefer their previous ones. Still once again their super fierce hardcore is extremely well crafted and it well could be the best hardcore album this year.
 What about the EP? It is more diverse than the album, going from neofolk to new-wave and dark ambient, with melodic singing only, but also it is more inequal in quality, some parts are very good and interesting, while some others are less memorable.
I'd like them to keep on creating non hardcore music, I'm curious to hear where it could lead them since there are promising elements in Do Not Let Me Off the Cliff,  but also I'd' like that next time they inject more experiment and diversity in their hardcore songs.

The BC page.

rDEVICE - Rebirth (2019)

Rebirth is four tracks of good quality techno from rDEVICE (Riccardo Di Vizio), released on Blattodea Records (Italian label releasing industrial techno and power electronics music).
What we have here is powerful hardcore beats over industrial noises, with also maybe an acid flavour. Well crafted hardcore/industrial techno with a distinct personality. Good stuff.

The BC page.

Screamer - Highway of Heroes (2019)

Sometimes a bit of traditional heavy metal is like refreshing. Here's some from Screamer (from Sweden), and a new album (their fourth) called Highway of heroes. Their main influence sounds to be old Judas Priest, and they're good at playing this kind of metal. Of course this is often a bit cheesy, and sometimes bordering bad taste as much as genius at the same time, but hey let's face it, heavy metal always have been a kind of "guilty pleasure" anyway, isn't it? Just enjoy it... hold your virtual sword, ride into the wind, no thinking no regret! Have fun.

The Bandcamp page.

Visceral Disgorge - Slithering Evisceration (2019)

Need your fresh dose of brutal death metal? Then I have a treat for you! The new Visceral Disgorge, called Slithering Evisceration, eight years after their first one has everything you will like. It's clear those eight years were not wasted because the new one beats the old. Dense and straight to the point at the same time thanks to the good songwriting, technical enough (the drumming especially), some slam but not too much, good riffing and a good brutal groove. They do the job expertly. Good stuff!

The Bandcamp page.

No Balls / Blank Veins - split (2016)

This is an awesome split with two bands influenced by the Brainbombs kind of noise rock, trumpet (for No Balls) and sax (for Blank Veins) included. No Balls even features half members of Brainbombs.
The No Balls tracks are more repetitive (not in a bad way) and are more brutally industrial, whereas the Blank Veins tracks have more diversity, sometimes a bit melodic, sometimes more chaotic and noisy.
Both side of the split are really excellent.

Endorphins Lost - Seclusions (2019)

Last time I wrote about Endorphins Lost was when I reviewed their split with the excellent OSK, now they're back with an album, called Seclusions, and it's really good. They play some fastcore/grind, with a bit of sludge sometimes. It really sounds pissed off and has enough variety to keep your attention (too often in hardcore/grind the songs sounds a bit like blurred each into the others but they avoid that).
Good stuff.

The BC page.