Corrupted - Paso Inferior (1997)

And if you're looking for more extreme doom/stoner a la Boris or Sunn O))) then I recommend this ugly, filthy piece of drone metal. The first half is filled with the most evil, sludgey atmosphere you can imagine as well as some hateful growls to go along with it. Were there melodies, this would certainly qualify as funeral doom. The second half, on the other hand, is an eerie dark ambient piece with chilling wind samples, ethereal vocals, and slow, brooding synths. It's certainly one of the finest examples of drone I've heard, and is yet another excellent achievement by the oft-ignored Japanese metal scene.
9/10

 

Elder - Dead Roots Stirring (2011)

If you're a psychedelic/stoner fan, then this is a must-listen. Their hazy atmospherics and Sabbath/Hendrix-esque, chugging riffs are a winning combination for them and call to mind such weedian bands as Astra, Ancestors, and Kyuss. It's nothing especially innovative, but it's sure to please fans of the genre. Overall, it's one of the best stoner albums I've listened to recently.
9/10

 

Blut aus Nord - Ultima Thulee (1995)

On first listen, one would hardly believe that this masterpiece of atmospheric/Viking black metal was made by the same band that made such albums as "The Work Which Transforms God" and the "777" trilogy. Indeed, there's no trace on "Ultima Thulee" of the industrial coldness the band would later incorporate and make their signature sound. Instead, this is something more in the vein of early Bathory with a bleak guitar tone, agonizing screams, haunting synth melodies, epic riffs, and tales of Viking heroism. Perhaps some of the most poignant moments on the album are the medieval Gregorian chanting of "My Prayer Beyond Ginnungagap" and the incredibly adventurous "The Last Journey of Ringhorn." Though I've only listened once, it is quite apparent that this is an underrated classic belonging in the same class as Bathory's "Blood Fire Death," Coldworld's "Melancholie" and Paysage d'Hiver's "Winterkalte." Black metal fans: this one's unmissable.
9.5/10

 

Moss - Horrible Nights (2013)

Extreme doom metal outfit Moss have returned with their third album and even with the lack of harsh vocals, it still proves to be as evil and foreboding as "Sub Templum." Besides the acoustic instrumental "Dreams from the Depths," this album punishes the listener with unrelenting, droning riffs and a suffocatingly hazy atmosphere. This is really what doom metal should be all about: dark, heavy, and evil music. The issue though is that the album suffers from a lack of variety, but this is to be expected when we're dealing with this genre of music. After all, the band are going for a very specific mood and concept in their music so I think it behooves the listener to judge the album not only for its musical appeal, but also its artistic value. It may not be the most appealing music to those unfamiliar with this style, but its artistic value is quite high. Moss have not only continued the extreme doom tradition with this album, but they've also expanded their sound into new areas. For that, they deserve a great deal of respect and admiration.
8.5/10

 

The Dear Hunter - Migrant (2013)

The Dear Hunter's latest release is quite a surprising change of style for this highly accomplished band. There are no prog-rock epics on this album, but there is a whole lot of beauty and drama in what may be one of the most beautiful pop albums I've ever heard. The songs are sincere and, at times, even heartbreaking while their composition is elegant and well thought out. Influences range from classical to jazz to traditional pop as well as including modern bands like Radiohead and Arcade Fire. "Migrant" is a gorgeous, introspective album that shows a side of Casey Crescenzo he had hinted at in previous albums, but only fully develops on this one. Though the term "art pop" may sound self-contradictory, I think it's the perfect term to describe this catchy masterpiece of an album. Whether you're a fan of this band or not, you should make a point of checking this album out. While it's not TDH's best work, I'd say it's still an essential piece of their catalog and one of this year's best so far.

9.5/10

 

Killswitch Engage - Disarm the Descent (2013)

One of the foremost names in metalcore have returned with old singer Jesse Leach in tow with what may be their most solid offering yet since 2004's "The End of Heartache." Whereas the last two albums disappointed me with excessive amounts of poppiness, the band have made somewhat of a return to the aggression of the first two albums with heavy, complex riffs. Of course, the songs are still plenty catchy and fans of the Howard Jones period should have few qualms with this album. If there's anything that does drag down "Disarm the Descent" it's the sameness that permeates throughout making it hard to identify which songs are standouts ("In Due Time" might be an exception to that.) That said, it's still one of the best metalcore albums I've heard in a while and is a more than worthy addition to the band's discography.
8.5/10

Spock's Beard - Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep (2013)

Having enjoyed their fifth album "Snow," I decided to check out Spock's Beard's latest release and I was not disappointed. It's a melodic, catchy, groovy album that's not overly quirky like some prog albums tend to be, but instead focuses mostly on the riffs a la Deep Purple (with some Yes thrown in). Despite some songs feeling a little dragged out, this is an epic, adventurous album written by a band who clearly know what they're doing and are doing it well even this late in their career. "Brief Nocturnes" is certainly worth your time if you're a prog-rock fan.
9/10

Caladan Brood - Echoes of Battle (2013)

Here's a little something for all you Summoning fans. It's sprawling, epic, and beautiful but (and here's the kicker) it's has nothing to do with Lord of the Rings! Instead, the band chose to base their debut album around Steven Erikson's "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series which I had never heard of before I found out Caladan Brood. About the music though, the orchestration is absolutely masterful and delightfully Romantic. You can easily imagine yourself being swept away to some epic landscape far away fighting in glorious battles. Indeed, the atmospherics on this album are some of the best I've heard in black metal and even beat Summoning at their own game in some regards. The harsh vocals also sound like those of Summoning and evoke both a sense of desperation and resolve. In all, this is an incredible feat of musicianship that will not only satiate Summoning fans until the latter's next release, but also stands in its own right as a black metal masterpiece. I thought Paysage d'Hiver had black metal AOTY locked up, but now it looks like he has competition.
9.5/10

 

Birds and Buildings - Bantam to Behemoth (2008)

If a skeptic needed to be convinced that modern prog rock can compete with the classics, then this album would be exhibit A. "Bantam to Behemoth" is a veritable behemoth of an album with some of the most complex and creative musicianship the prog world has to offer and almost every classic prog style being represented from symphonic to fusion to even zeuhl. As the vocals are sparse, this is an instrument-driven album and it is the instrumentation here that earns the band the right to be considered in a class unto their own. The wild percussion, intricate guitars, beautiful piano and saxophone, as well as the absolutely masterful use of the mellotron all make for a stunningly good masterpiece of an album. Along with Steven Wilson's solo albums, I can think of no other modern prog record that captures the musical essence of records such as King Crimson's "Lizard" or Genesis' "Selling England By the Pound" such as "Bantam to Behemoth" does. It's has a distinctly nostalgic quality about it, yet it sounds so fresh -- as though we're still in that incredibly prolific period of the 70's where musical innovations seemingly arose every day. The band's ability to make past sounds fresh and relevant is their greatest strength, and I sincerely hope many more people will discover and appreciate this album as I did.
10/10

 

Yellow Swans - Going Places (2010)

I'm hardly familiar with the "noise ambient" genre, but if there are other albums like this out there then I want to hear more of it. In contrast to the sharp, ear-destroying aggressiveness of artists like Merzbow, Yellow Swans use noise in a much more subtle fashion preferring to immerse the listener into a dreamlike, but chaotic state rather than shock you into submission. The noise samples are seemingly random yet there is a clear sense of progression in each track as marked not only by volume/intensity, but also by subtle changes in the underlying musical structure. It's a bizarre, yet beautiful kind of ambient music that shows the incredible diversity of the genre and has made me want to explore the noise world more.
9/10

 

Troum/Yen Pox - Mnemonic Induction (2002)

I'm extremely glad to have stumbled upon this little-known gem of an album because it's some of the best dark ambient I've heard rivaling the likes of Lustmord and Robert Rich. It's unfathomably dark and deep with otherworldly bass rumbling and an unfolding electronic soundscape on top of it. Many might call this album "evil" or "scary," but to me it's quite beautiful in a dark sense. In fact, it's incredibly relaxing music that makes you think of the vastness of space or the bottom of the ocean. That's really what all ambient albums should do -- inspire your imagination -- and this album does it brilliantly.
9.5/10

 

Ensemble Pearl - Ensemble Pearl (2013)

This album features members of legendary drone/doom bands Sunn O))) and Boris (as well as some other talented musicians), but the result sounds like neither band. If anything, this album sounds very close to the Old Western cinematic soundscapes of the highly influential drone band Earth. It's an incredibly slow, brooding, and meandering album that evokes an aura of mystery and contemplation. It's the kind of album one would listen to while exploring a cave or looking up at the stars. As with Earth's albums, it's also the kind of album that requires extreme patience and concentration in order to notice the subtle dynamics of the music. That said I don't plan on listening to this album very often as it requires a certain mood and presence to do so, but I certainly appreciate it as a brilliant piece of art.
8.5/10

 

Sigur Ros - Brennisteinn EP (2013)

One of the most innovative bands on the planet just innovated some more. Right off the bat, you can tell this is going to be a whole new chapter for the world's biggest post-rock band with the title track's churning, industrial soundscapes, pounding drums, and glitchy beats. The song ends with beautiful ambient droning and marks one of the the darkest pieces Sigur Ros have recorded to date. However, the next piece "Hryggjarsula" is just as dark if not darker. This one isn't too far off from the post-apocalyptic landscapes featured in Godspeed You! Black Emperor's epic creations, and is even somewhat reminiscent of the work of dark ambient composer Lustmord. It's simply one of the most haunting things I've heard from this band. The final track "Ofibrta" sounds a lot like Hammock and could have been featured on "Valtari." All in all, I'm super excited with the direction the band is taking on Kveikur. I'm very much looking forward to reviewing it.
9.5/10

 

The Black Angels - Indigo Meadow (2013)

Modern psych heavyweights The Black Angels are back with their fourth album, "Indigo Meadow" and it is a very good collection of freakout tunes. As on their previous albums, influences from The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, and The Velvet Underground are quite apparent and the band incorporate these influences brilliantly as they continue to make some of my favorite psych-pop. If there's one problem though, it's that the length of the album can make it a bit hard to digest all at once, but for the most part "Indigo Meadow" is about as good as the rest of the band's discography.
8.5/10

 

Gong - Flying Teapot (1973)

Gong is a name that kept coming up so I finally decided to give them a shot with this album and ended up being quite impressed. It's wacky avant-garde prog rock with touches of jazz and a heavy dose of psychedelia. Some of the highlights of this album are the sensually enunciated female vocals in the last song and the mystical, Tangerine Dream-esque soundscapes of the title track. Like King Crimson, Gong are masters of improvisation and really seem to represent the free-spirited nature of 70's prog. While some parts could have been better, this is still an enjoyable listen that I would recommend.
8.5/10