The end of 2019 is upon us and we are ready to begin a new decade, another taste of the roaring '20s. What should we expect in the coming years? If we can draw any inference from the past decade it is that death metal is alive and well and seemingly getting stronger with each passing year. I look forward to what treasures the future holds for our metalhead tribe.
In regards to the treasures of this past year, I have to say it was a bit of a sleeper from my perspective. I remember thinking 3 - 5 months into the year that 2019 was kind of slow and not much was grabbing me. So much so, that I was spending a fair bit of my listening time looking into the past back to my '80s metal roots and enjoying old favorites from my power, speed and thrash metal days. However, as I was looking to the past I was continuing to search out and collect a lot of the new stuff that was coming out (378 2019 releases added to my collection) and I began to realize that 2019 was actually another very good year for the music that I love so much.
When I began working to put this list together, I had more than 100 releases in my outline and as I always try to do I amputated it down to my favorite 30 LPs and another 10 - 15 EP's. To do this I had to leave a lot of good meat on the cutting room floor. With no disrespect intended established bands such as Orphalis, Hideous Divinity, Desecravity, Malevolent Creation, Unfathomable Ruination and Misery Index were left out of the mix. I also had to leave out many lesser-known bands who created some excellent metal this year such as Ancestral, Oath Div. 666, Horrific Demise, Horror Chamber, Implodead, Apocryphus, and Charred just to name a few.
I could go on name dropping bands that I left off of my list for quite a while but I would rather get on to the bands that made the list and gave me the most pleasure from my listening experience in 2019. For your consideration:
Band: Sentient Horror
Genre: Death Metal
Country: United States (Stockholm, New Jersey)
Purchase: https://sentienthorror.bandcamp.com/album/morbid-realms
Preview: TDC Link
In regards to the treasures of this past year, I have to say it was a bit of a sleeper from my perspective. I remember thinking 3 - 5 months into the year that 2019 was kind of slow and not much was grabbing me. So much so, that I was spending a fair bit of my listening time looking into the past back to my '80s metal roots and enjoying old favorites from my power, speed and thrash metal days. However, as I was looking to the past I was continuing to search out and collect a lot of the new stuff that was coming out (378 2019 releases added to my collection) and I began to realize that 2019 was actually another very good year for the music that I love so much.
When I began working to put this list together, I had more than 100 releases in my outline and as I always try to do I amputated it down to my favorite 30 LPs and another 10 - 15 EP's. To do this I had to leave a lot of good meat on the cutting room floor. With no disrespect intended established bands such as Orphalis, Hideous Divinity, Desecravity, Malevolent Creation, Unfathomable Ruination and Misery Index were left out of the mix. I also had to leave out many lesser-known bands who created some excellent metal this year such as Ancestral, Oath Div. 666, Horrific Demise, Horror Chamber, Implodead, Apocryphus, and Charred just to name a few.
I could go on name dropping bands that I left off of my list for quite a while but I would rather get on to the bands that made the list and gave me the most pleasure from my listening experience in 2019. For your consideration:
Sentient Horror - Morbid Realms
Band: Sentient Horror
Genre: Death Metal
Country: United States (Stockholm, New Jersey)
Purchase: https://sentienthorror.bandcamp.com/album/morbid-realms
Preview: TDC Link
Demorphed - Creation of a War Machine
Band: Demorphed
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany (Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg)
Preview: TDC Link
Embrional - Evil Dead
Band: Embrional
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Poland (Gliwice, Silesia)
Purchase: https://embrional.com/?v=7516fd43adaa / Bandcamp
Preview: https://youtu.be/ZwJBC7oI4P8 / -[*]-
Preview: https://youtu.be/ZwJBC7oI4P8 / -[*]-
Amoklauf - Paths of Shattered Thoughts
Band: Amoklauf
Genre: Technical Brutal Death Metal
Country: Argentina (Buenos Aires)
Purchase: https://amoklauf.bandcamp.com/
Band: Nocturnal Hollow
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Venezuela (Punto Fijo, Falcón)
Purchase: https://nocturnalhollow.bandcamp.com/
Preview: https://youtu.be/GQABLeaXHvE
Konkhra - Alpha and the Omega
Band: Konkhra
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Denmark (Køge, Sjælland / Copenhagen, Hovedstaden)
Corpseflesh - Rearranged with a 12 Gauge
Band: Corpseflesh
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Country: Australia (Mandurah, Western Australia)
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/qFK3iFXEUXA
Wretched Fate - Fleshletting
Band: Wretched Fate
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Sweden (Orsa, Dalarna)
Purchase: https://wretchedfate.com/music.html / Bandcamp
Preview: TDC Link
Angmaer - Victoria Aut Mors
Band: Angmaer
Genre: Black Metal / Thrash Metal
Country: United Kingdom (Wolverhampton, England)
Purchase: https://angmaer.bandcamp.com/
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/4sndVGi7Eps
Convictors - Atrocious Perdition
Band: Convictors
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany (Wehr, Baden-Württemberg)
Purchase: https://www.convictors.de/ / Bandcamp
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/CELDWNlJaL8Mors Verum - Deranged
Band: Mors Verum
Genre: Death Metal
Country: International (Canada, India, United States)
Purchase: https://morsverum.bandcamp.com/
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/KfduhUJpJJ8
Ares Kingdom - By the Light of Their Destruction
Band: Ares Kingdom
Genre: Thrash Metal / Death Metal
Country: United States (Kansas City, Missouri)
Preview: https://youtu.be/GlcSDuZ8M-o
Sinners Bleed - Absolution
Band: Sinners Bleed
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Country: Germany (Berlin)
Preview: -[*]-
Murdery - The Art of Killing
Band: Murdery
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Spain (N/A)
Purchase: https://murdery.bandcamp.com/
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/6GTueJwjNWA
Sadistic Ritual - Visionaire of Death
Band: Sadistic Ritual
Genre: Thrash Metal
Country: United States (Atlanta, Georgia)
Purchase: https://sadisticritualatl.bandcamp.com/
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/7Mc554jekQk
Disowning - Human Cattle
Band: Disowning
Genre: Death Metal
Country: International (Canada, France)
Purchase: https://xenokorp.bandcamp.com/album/human-cattle
Preview: https://youtu.be/aNdO2RW2d-A
Genre: Death Metal
Country: International (Canada, France)
Purchase: https://xenokorp.bandcamp.com/album/human-cattle
Preview: https://youtu.be/aNdO2RW2d-A
Hour Of Penance - Misotheism
Band: Hour Of Penance
Genre: Technical Brutal Death Metal
Country: Italy (Rome, Lazio)
Bodyfarm - Dreadlord
Band: Bodyfarm
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Netherlands (Amersfoort, Utrecht)
Preview: Link / https://youtu.be/3I2Xxw5i--Q
Evoked - Ravenous Compulsion
Band: Evoked
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Preview: Link / https://youtu.be/qggeV_E3aOc
Dorylus - Without Sin
Band: Dorylus
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Metal
Country: United Kingdom (Stevenage, Hertfordshire, England)
Purchase: https://dorylusband.bigcartel.com/
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/qsmN9hgu1e8
Prostitute Disfigurement - Prostitute Disfigurement
Band: Prostitute Disfigurement
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Country: Netherlands (Veldhoven, North Brabant)
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/XraZlJ68e4Q
Nihility - Thus Spoke the Antichrist
Band: Nihility
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Portugal (Porto, Porto)
Purchase: https://nihilityblacklion.bandcamp.com/
Preview: TDC Link
Hatred Inherit - Hatred Inherit
Band: Hatred Inherit
Genre: Death Metal
Country: Germany (Bottrop, North Rhine-Westphalia)
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/jPpnEEZsXbs
Splattered - Carnivortex
Band: Splattered
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Country: United States (Fremont / Pleasanton, California)
Purchase: https://splattered.bandcamp.com/
Preview: TDC Link
Crusadist - The Unholy Grail
Band: Crusadist
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Metal
Country: United States (Chicago, Illinois)
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/jfZiRbypZw8
Continuum - Designed Obsolescence
Band: Continuum
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Country: United States (Santa Cruz, California)
Preview: TDC Link
Devil Within - Dark Supremacy
Band: Devil Within
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Country: Japan (Tokyo)
Preview: TDC Link
Devilcross - Human Crops
Band: Devilcross
Genre: Death Metal / Thrash Metal
Country: Argentina (Pehuajó)
Purchase: Amazon Music
Band: Parental Advisory
Genre: Death Metal / Grindcore
Country: Austria (Vienna)
Purchase: https://parental-advisory.bandcamp.com/
Band: Breeding Ignorance
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Country: Belarus (Barysaw, Minsk Region)
Preview: TDC Link / https://youtu.be/6d14186CJOU
My Favorite EP's from 2019:
Corrupted Saint - Burning In A Rotting World
Psyclosarin - Archive of Chaos
Burial Ruthless - Human's Death Pathology
Grave Superior - Maniacal Viral Infestation
Carnal Ruin - Gnosis of the Dead -[*]-
Skelethal - Antropomorphia (demo) -[*]-
Blood Eagle - To Ride in Blood & Bathe in Greed II -[*]-
Tribe Of Pazuzu - Heretical Uprising -[*]-
As has been the case over the past several years I could keep going on and on knowing that I have left so many quality releases off of the record but I will stop now. I hope you find something here that you may have overlooked and grow to enjoy it as much as I do. We are blessed with so much metal to indulge in but please remember to support the bands that you love, so they can keep creating their art and keep the Underground strong for decades to come \m/\m/
