Cytotoxin - Nuklearth (2020)

Nuklearth is the fourth album (released by Unique Leader Records) from Cytotoxin and one of the best technical brutal death album I heard recently (will be in my "best of 2020" list for metal). It grabs the listener's attention and keep it throughout, excellent song after excellent song. Maybe not the most spectacular of the technical bands, but one of the very best thanks to their superior songwriting skills. Highly recommended!

The BC page.

 

Blight Worms / Retortion Terror / Gendo Ikari - Formless Utopia Eternal (split 2020)

Formless Utopia Eternal is a grindcore split that's hard to beat, with not two excellent bands, but three! Blight Worms / Retortion Terror / Gendo Ikari. Blight Worms is old school grind, Retortion Terror is very fast grind with Matsubara on guitar, and Gendo Ikari is really heavy and powerful grind. Each band provides five tracks, and it's good from beginning to end. Also, it marks the return of the Grindcore Karaoke Label. If you're into grindcore you've already understood that this one's a mandatory listen...

 

The BC page. 

 

Scott. H. Biram - Fever Dreams (2020)

OK, cover art may not be exactly a success, but Fever Dreams, is as good as any Scott. H. Biram album, which means it's excellent, a unique mix of one man band (with a few additional musicians on some songs in this one) blues, country and garage rock, sometimes really rocking, sometimes quiet, but most of the time more raw than garage blues usually is. Include a few covers like songs by Townes Van Zandt and David Allan Coe. Scott. H. Biram consistently release enjoyable albums and this one's no exception. He's the best at doing what he does.

The BC page.

HedNod (Mick Harris) - Five (2021)

Mick Harris is very active these days with not one but two releases, one with JK Flesh as Monrella, one of the more straightforward techno release both of them ever did, and this one, which I prefer, called Five, as HedNod and into his usual bass music territory, in a vein quite similar to Scorn. Four good tracks of industrial dub, slow, heavy and vibrating with subtle mysteries.

The BC page.

 

Grand Magus - Wolf God (2019)

Yes I should have reviewed Wolf God when it came out in 2019, but at the time I hesitated if it was good, very good or excellent. I mean judged by their own standard because in my opinion Grand Magus is the best heavy metal band of the XXI century. It's an album in the vein of what they did in the last ten years, that is closer to Judas Priest than to Black Sabbath, not trendy, but they are so good at it! And I'd say Woldf God is above Sword Songs and as good as Triumph and Power (the Hunt is maybe still my favourite). Traditional heavy metal of the highest class.

Their Website.

 

Aseitas - False Peace (2020)

False Peace the second album from Aseitas is really an interesting release (Translation Loss records), finely crafted and original. Could be described as progressive death metal with mathcore elements and could remind a more rooted in death metal Imperial Triumphant. Many people picked them in their "best of 2020" list, and maybe I'll do the same, it's indeed an excellent album.

The Bandcamp page

Terminal Bliss - Brute Err/atta! (2021)

With Brute Err/atta!, the first Terminal Bliss album (released by Relapse Records), we already have a first outstanding hardcore album for 2021. A new band, but with experienced musicians (including vocalist and guitarist form Pg.99 and drummer from Darkest Hour and Iron Reagan). It is fast, noisy and angry hardcore, and it's done totally how it should and works deadly well. Simple but great stuff. Hardcore at its best.

 

The BC page.