Xenosis - Hermetic Transmutaiton (2026)

With this fifth album, Hermtic Transmutation, released with Transcending Obscurity, a label that keeps growing and excelling, the US death-metal band Xenosis are making a big impression. Very technical and progressive while keeping brutality on a high level. What the songs may lack in clear direction they more than compensate with the awesome musicianship and the many very inspired moments. Highly recomended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Combat Astronomy - Method and Trap (2024)

Combat Astronomy is a one man band, releasing music since 1999 (I wish I had discovered it earlier!). Method and Trap isn't its latest album, but it's my favourite among its recent stuff. What about the music, Expect high quality instrumental noise/post/math rock, always based on the drums and bass rhythm, but with something different in each release. In Method and Trap I'd say it's the synth soundscapes building an atmosphere in the songs. Subtle and very nicely done. Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

The Scalar Process - Agnomysticism (2026)

The Scalar Process is a young French band and after an already excellent first album they confirm their quality with a second one (released by Transcending Obscurity) called Agnomysticism, which also is a fine piece in progressive and technical death metal. Recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Buñuel - Mansuetude (2024)

Buñuel, the other band with Eugene S. Robinson, seems to be more than a one shot, since there is now (well, I'm a bit late here, it's been released two years ago, sorry) a second album called Mansuetude (I also recommend the first one Killers Like Us). No big surprise we're into noise rock territory, and as expected we get great screamed/spoken vocals. But maybe more diverse than Oxbow, sometimes heavier, sometimes more melodic, sometimes groovier, more rocking, sometimes a post-punk feel, a touch of math rock. Maybe progressive noise rock would fit. In any case great songwriting, a formidable singer backed by really talented musicians. Awesome!

 

 The BC page. 

 

Uulliata Digir - Uulliata Digir (2025)

First and self-titled album from Polish band Uulliata Digir. And what a strong debut it is! Could be described as death/black progressive death metal, with sax and male/female vocals sometimes screamed, sometimes more melodic, great and special in any case. The use of the sax is also especially good. And their music has a dissonant and weird feel that make them definitely closer to Imperial Triumphant or Oranssi Pazuzu than to Opeth. But they managed to craft a distinctive style from the start. If I had made an AOTY list last year, it should have been included. Highly recommended!

 

The BC page. 

 

Rwake - The Return of Magik (2025)

The Return of Magik is the Fifth Rwake album, and we could also say it's a magical return, since Fourteen years after their previous album Rawke are back with their best one, a masterpiece in southern progressive doom (with some aggressive sludge vocals). I love the atmosphere they manage to create with these songs. Their music, somewhere between Crowbar, Mastodon and Neurosis combines nicely heaviness, epicness and melodic subtleties (including the use of acoustic and pedal steel guitars). Warmly 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.

 

Botanist - VII - Beast of Arpocalyx (2024)

I think the use of a lot of clean vocals on the previous Botanist album was a convincing success, but if you regretted it you'll be pleased to read that it nearly disappeared on the latest one VII - Beast of Arpocalyx, only aggressive screamed vocals remaining (except for a few clean backing vocals). This and maybe a bit more blast beats make the overall mood of Beast of Arpocalyx darker and more aggro, even if the hammered dulcimer parts are still mostly melodic (if you don't know Botanist yet, it's a one-man band with a drummer, and it's only drumming and hammered dulcimer and vocals, no guitars). The album has been released last year, but was recorded back in 2016, so it's literary a return but a rawer past of Botanist (and probably not indicating which direction he'll be taking next). Probably also explains why two albums in 2024. Anyway what doesn't change with Botanist be it 2016 or 2024 is the high musicianship level and songwriting skill, and obviously uniqueness, so it's another worthy additions to its awesome discography. 

 

The BC page. 

 

Imperial Triumphant - Goldstar (2025)

Goldstar from Imperial Triumphant is another progressive and slightly fusion jazz flavoured black metal retro-futuristic tribute to New York grandeur and decadence. Their song keeps on surprising you, but what was expected is getting another awesome album from Imperial Triumphant, and, as always, they don't disappoint. No need to say it's a highly recommended listen!

 

The BC page. 

 

 

Kesem - Wander (2024)

On one hand I regret the near punk energy of their more rocking first album (the awesome Post-Terra), ont he other hand I like when bands are not replicating the same album and bring something with a different mood. And that's what Kesem did with Wander, an album more on the quiet side of progressive rock, evoking at times King Crimson, sometimes Porcupine Tree, but keeping some heavy psych rock moments as well. In any case it's another excellent piece of progressive/psychedelic rock. Recommended stuff!

The Bc page.

Oranssi Pazuzu - Muuntautuja (2024)

Each album from Oranssi Pazuzu is different and special, and Muuntautuja is no exception. This time the prog/psych elements is less obvious and the band goes in a more dissonant industrial avant-garde black metal direction, with also some ambient/trip-hop elements. Like always with Oranssi Pazuzu it defies easy description, but imagining a music somewhere between Blut Aus Nord and Massive Attack could give you an idea of the kind of atmospheres they built in Muuntautuja. Another sucessful experiment and really interesting album from Oranssi Pazuzu.

The BC page.

Blood Incantation - Absolute Elsewhere (2024)

Chances are, a death metal album named Absolute Elsewhere won't be a basic death metal album. And a Blood Incantation album has zero chance to be a basic album. Their previous (and excellent) two tracks release was a good indication of what to expect : the progressive/technical and with a Morbid Angel feel death metal of their first two albums, but with also elements from their synth/ambient in a Tangerine Dream/Popol Vuh vein album, to push their death metal further into strange territories, able to go from Morbid Angel to Pink Floyd in the same song. And as usual with Blood Incantation, it sounds at the same time very natural and very special. Certainly one of the most memorable album this year and highly recommended! 

The BC page.

 

Mammoth Volume - Raised Up By Witches (2024)

Raised Up By Witches is the second Mammoth Volume album since their return and it's another epic piece of finely crafted progressive heavy rock. Once again they deliver a unique mix somewhere between doom metal and stoner rock, with a strong progressive component. They can remind Mastodon as much as QOTSA (or for those stuck in the previous century we could say they sit between Black Sabbath and Yes). Very nice!

The Bandcamp page.

 

My Morning Jacket - My Morning Jacket (2021)

I've been liking My Morning Jacket for close to a quarter of a century, and their latest, self-titled, one is probably my favourite. So I think we can say they really earned their review on Blasting Days... In the meantime their music evolved from indie rock/americana to indie/soul/progressive/psych rock (now evoking band like Pink Floyd or Yes at times, and the quality remained and even improved. Highly recommended!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Dark Brown - American Instrument (2024)

Well, there's really a lot to say about this album American Instrument. The instrument there is the drum set, the drum set having been invented in America and the album is a kind of tribute to drumming by drummer Bryan Lee Brown, playing here as Dark Brown. But don't be mistaken, it's a treat for drummers, but shouldn't be reduced to an album for drummers. It's an excellent psychedelic rock album, with a minimalistic feel, bordering drone or krautrock repetitive patterns at times. Recorded over 13 years in 9 studios it features some famous other drummers (John Stanier, Jon Theodore, Brad Wilk, Dave Catching), but there's also Eric MacFadden on guitar, and
you sure will also notice the legendary surf guitar pioneer Dick Dale. Highly recommended!

The BC page.

 

 

Botanist - Paleobotany (2024)

Paleobotany is the twelfth album from Botanist, in which the post-black metal one-man band playing hammered dulcimer instead of guitars and singing about plants move further away from black metal, with a totally convincing result. On Paleobotany the focus was on creating memorable songs, and it sounds like there have been a lot of work dedicated to the clean singing parts, which is now the most important part of the singing. And the work paid off, those clean vocals are great. The extreme metal vocals are still present, rare but more impacting thanks to the contrast. The blast beats are also still there, and the drumming as good as usual. Maybe my favourite Botanist album so far, I really recommend it!

The Bandcamp page.

 

Ulcerate - Cutting The Throat of God (2024)

Cutting The Throat of God is the seventh album from Ulcerate and with it they push their tech/dissonant but atmospheric death metal further in a melodic and progressive direction. And since the album is so good that's totally fine for me, no question asked, I just enjoy it. Again, and again... 

The BC page.

 

Four Stroke Baron - Data Diamond (2024)

Been thinking for a long time about reviewing their previous album Classics (which I recommend, as a nice "guilty pleasure"), but now they're releasing a new one, Data Diamond. So I'm reviewing their new stuff (even if maybe I prefer Classics).  Four Stroke Baron is an American duo with a daring approach to songwriting, often walking the fine line between genius and bad taste. Their music could be described as a kind of mix of Deftones and Depeche Mode, with maybe a bit of Faith No More for some added craziness. I don't like every moment of the album, but I keep going back to it (like with their previous one before). Will you dare to try it ? 

 

The Bandcamp page. 

 

 

Alkaloid - Numen (2023)

Numen, released last September, is the third album from Alkaloid, five years after the previous one. I feel they focused a bit more on the melodic and progressive side this time, but they stay firmly within the tech death scope, and still at it's very top. Awesome album once again, totally recommended.

The Bandcamp page.

 

 

Zopp - Dominion (2023)

Dominion has been released last year, but if you and/or your dad listened to prog rock classics like Yes or King Crimson, you will definitely feel at home listening to it. But it's not just 70' prog worship with vintage synth and a bit of sax, there are also more modern influences, and it also often reminds me of Porcupine Tree. It's the second album from Zopp (which is Ryan W Stevenson doing nearly everything, plus Andrea Moneta playing the drums and a few guest doing some vocals, sax, flute, etc.) and its main evolution from the first one is that it's not only instrumental any more. Recommended for anyone into prog rock, but also as a good way to discover it.

The Bandcamp page.