Doing Some Serious Numbers While Being Eradicated By Loud Music Jan 4 – Jan 10

Tunes. Sweet, sweet tunes. Keep safe

If you missed the 2025 list, here.

If you're new to this metal blog of bones you can also check out the various interview projects I have going on as well as the weekly recommendation posts. And if you'd like to keep abreast of the latest, most pressing developments follow us wherever I may roam (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Bluesky, etc), and listen to my, I guess, active? (no) podcast (YouTube, Spotify, Apple), and to check out our amazing compilation albums. You could also possibly support my unholy work here (Patreon), if you feel like it. Early access to our bigger projects, weekly exclusive recommendations and playlists, and that wonderful feeling that you're encouraging a life-consuming habit. It's probably a bad idea, but to each their own. On to the list.

Krvuspára – "Miasmic Pipes of Earth," from Hyphal Gait (Experimental Black Metal – Sudden Movements). Would not have known this even existed if it wasn't for a year-end post on the Book of Face by a the name of Lukas Hobbs. Thanks Lukas. The kind of weirdo black metal that sounds like someone is having a whole emotional breakdown while also being a genius. Beautiful stuff, truly. 

Planning For Burial – "Twenty-Seventh of February," from It's Closeness, It's Easy (Shoegaze – The Flenser). Another 2025 release, this time from an artist I already know and appreciate, just haven't had the time to check it out. I regret that now. It's beautiful, it sounds perfect, all huge and soaring, and it feels like art being made by an actual human being with the purpose of both cleansing one's internal organs and breaking other people's heads in. Gorgeous. A truly perfect thing.

Stephen O'Malley – "Phase I Organ," from Spheres Collapser (Drone/Experimental – XKatedral). I'm such a huge Kali Malone fan, and such a huge fan of any interaction between her and organs, that this was a no brainer. Yes, I should mention this is a SOMA release, and yes he is a genius of music, a giant among men, and an alien among humans. But the collaborative aspect of this, along with Frederikke Hoffmeier (Puce Mary) just turns this into must listen. It's basically just the one key being hit every 50 minutes, but it's the best key. The best.

Fossilization – "Disentombed and Reassembled By the Ages," from Advent of Wounds (Death Metal – Everlasting Spew Records). I keep forgetting to mention the fact that one of the great contemporary death metal bands on the planet is due to release a new album soon. Why is that? Am I damaged? Did I neglect to take my B12 supplements? Possibly. Fossilization rule supreme in just taking a death metal pick axe to your supple head, and these couple of first singles from the upcoming albums are just further proof. Sublime.

Gyldensterna – "Seucheschif," from Solange Noch Zeit Ist (Black Metal/Post Rock – Independent). At some point this week I wrote on social media that it's always a privilege to listen to wonderful music. When I wrote that two major things were going on in real life. The first was a friend sent his new album, a gesture of kindness that really moved me, this aside from being very excited to listen to the music. The second was listening to this shimmering masterpiece of emotional, soaring music from German project Gyldensterna. I don't always completely understand what it is that I love so much about art, but this release is one answer. 

Voidhämmer- "Coffin Leakage," from Noxious Emissions (Death Metal – Caligari Records). From the sublime to the, well, slime. Death metal that feels like being buried by an enemy as someone random drummer goes through his blast-beat routine in the background + some ripping guitar dives. Caligari Records are really top top tier in locating and propagating the best death metal around. Another dirty triumph.

Dreichmere – "Seasick," from Starless Shores (Progressive Death Metal – Fiadh Productions). I have been happily following the winding, weird, inspiring path of Dreichmere since their brilliant 2020 album, The Fruit of Barren Fields. Otherworldly, magical, explicitly progressive metal. Any new releases from project mastermind Dustin Matthews is a blessing, and with the first sounds coming from his upcoming EP, that continues to be the case. If you love weird magical shit (Fleshvessel and Florid Ekstasis come to mind), check this out.

Scorche – "Everything Will Be Fine If Stars Collapse Inward," from Catalepsy (Shoegaze/Alt Metal – Candlepin Records). Call me nostalgic, call me an asshole, but I find it very hard to resist that mid-to-late-90s fuzzed out sound of bands like Hum or Mineral. But, equally, and seeing that that period had somehow become "vintage," prompting a bunch of bands to attempt those sounds, I fucking hate basically any and all faint copy of the glorious sad. This, however, I love. Don't know why, but I just think it feels heartfelt and pretty. Not all of it is "heavy" but almost all of it is fucking great. If shipping all the way over here wasn't a nightmare I'd probably get that tape. Pretty cover.

Aum – "Fall," from Fall//Marrow (Post-Metal – Independent). Now for another rare thing – sludgy post-metal that doesn't sound like the umpteenth repetition. This is the first demo from a new Leipzig-based project, and it sure sounds like the first demo of a new Leipzig-based project, in the best way possible. Raw, urgent, at times massive, at times minuscule, and all of it real. Hopefully a sign of much more to come.   

BONUS: D.E.R. – O Mantra: Quanto A Carne Pode Suportar?" from Tempo Severo (Grindcore/Black Meal – Nerve Altar. There they go again, Nerve Altar, nerve-altaring all over my face. This time, unexpectedly for such a towering beacon of blast-beat-infested grindcore, a black metal project! I mean, kind of. Punky, aggressive hardcore/black metal that sounds like no one mixed it or mixed it to make it sound like no one mixed it, either way I fucking love it. Suddenly this Brazilian band I have never heard of is my most anticipated album (which apparently came out already so not that anticipated, you know, but still, you get it).

FIVE MORE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

ONE: If I am to correctly understand the mysterious language of ambiguous social media teaser posts, Emptiness is coming with a new album this year. And it might involve riffs. **silently freaking out**

TWO: The new The Ruins of Beverast is good. We can all breathe now.

THREE: Woe released what they're calling a re-cording of their already quite great album Legacies of Frailty and what I'm calling the uncacooning (what?) of what that album was into what it was meant to be. I mean, the music is the same, but it's not the same album. It's nine times better. 

FOUR: Yes, I don't live in the Bay Area, only in the Bay Area of the Mind, but am saddened to hear about the closing of Bottom of the Hill. Great venue, had the privilege of seeing at least one amazing show there (might have seen another back in 2003, but actually don't remember because turns out that was 23 years ago). Good things must always be appreciated while they last.

FIVE: While you were uttering the word "Déhà" the man himself probably recorded another nine albums of brilliant, genre-defining albums. The latest of which is the new release from his castle-hugging side, Ashes as Rain.

ONE LAST THING, PROMISE: Seeing that they've released some of the best stuff of the last few years, it's probably noteworthy to point at the new Transcending Obscurity 2026 sampler. Seems Veilburner is coming again. Can't complain about that.