Hexvessel - Dawnbearer (2011)

Psychadelic folk featuring Mat “Kvohst” McNerney, vocalist for Dødheimsgard and Code. Another favourite album for the year. Check it out.

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Giles Corey - Giles Corey (2011)

Solo project of Dan Barrett from Have a Nice Life - raw, honest, deep and personal. Although it doesn't sound much like Have a Nice Life, parts here are somewhat reminiscent of it in its textures, layers and echoes. By far one of the best records I've heard this year, it is every bit as powerful and intense as Have a Nice Life's first album but in a different way. Buy it from the link below, which comes with a 150 page book written by Dan which deals with his struggles with suicide and depression (obviously closely related to the making of the album and its themes) and took almost 4 years to write. Incredible.

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Obnoxious Youth - The Eternal Void (2011)

New LP from this cool Swedish band playing satanic hardcore punk with a metal influence.

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Raspberry Bulbs - RB Tries Again (2011)

New Raspberry Bulbs tape.

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Wolfhetan - Entrückung

Not sure how this album flew under the radar because this is some brilliant folky black metal, similar to early Ulver (think Bergtatt), early Borknagar or Drudkh. Released in 2006, I really can't believe this has been so overlooked.

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Primordial - The Gathering Wilderness

Yeah, I'd think that the majority of you people looking at this blog would have heard this album before, but on the off chance that you haven't, here is Primordial's "The Gathering Wilderness" album from 2005. Epic and powerful, this is Primordial's masterpiece, and Primordial are a band that can do no wrong in my eyes. "The Coffin Ships" is one of the best metal songs I've heard. Their follow up album, "To the Nameless Dead" as well as their latest album from this year are also amazing.

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TwinSisterMoon - Levels and Crossings

More TwinSisterMoon.

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TwinSisterMoon - When Stars Glide Through Solid

TwinSisterMoon is the solo work of Mehdi Ameziane, one half of French ambient/drone group Natural Snow Buildings.

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Loss - Despond (2011)

Loss' first full length release. Here is one band that does the funeral doom thing right, and are definitely one of the best within the style along with Mournful Congregation, Skepticism and of course Worship. Another soundtrack to your suicide brought to you by the Lair of Depravity.

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Nuclear Sex Addict - Seminäål Fuckkwït

Noise punk from Melbourne, Australia inspired by Japanese madness like Confuse, Disclose, etc. This band ruled hard.

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Corpsessed - The Dagger and the Chalice (2011)

I posted a song from these guys a while back, and I've been pretty psyched to hear this EP for a while now. Dark death metal featuring a member of Wormphlegm.

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Sump/Sexdrome - Split (2011)

Sump play stomping black metal punk and Sexdrome play hardcore punk/black metal, which equals a great pairing on bands on this split. You should all be familiar with them anyway. Hell yes.

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Blessed Offal - Blessed Offal (2011)

Crushingly heavy doom-laden death metal in the veins of Autopsy and Incantation. So good.

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Autopsy - Macabre Eternal (2011)

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Brain Killer - Every Actual State is Corrupt (2011)

Great new raw d-beat, will surely be seeing this in my top hardcore/punk releases of the year.

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