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.