March. Already. Seems like yesterday we were regaling you with our favorite albums from last year. Then again, five years ago seems like yesterday to me so I’m a horrible judge of time. Be that as it may, 2018 has had a strong start musically and there’s no denying that regardless of taste and seemingly no let up in quality either. Which leads us right into this week with the absolutely riveting Cast of Static and Smoke from Vile Creature and its not only a great doom album but it’s centered around an excellent post-apocalyptic. Next up is Judas Priest with Firepower which, quite frankly, is the best thing they’ve done in a long time — you be the judge but for me, this is the heavy metal I wanted and needed to hear from the almighty Priest. Moving along, Eviternity from Kosmogyr is an unpredictable yet overwhelmingly powerful black metal debut that demands your attention but gives so much in return — not to be missed. Closing out the top slots this week is the debut, Purge, from India’s Killibrium which strikes a wicked balance between old and new school death metal with some killer grooves. As you read through and discover the rest of the list below you’ll understand how hard it was to not include at least 10 or so more up here so dive in and enjoy.

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Vile Creature – Cast of Static and Smoke (Halo of Flies) – doom [full review]

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Judas Priest – Firepower (Epic/Sony) – heavy metal [full review]

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Kosmogyr – Eviternity (Independent) – black metal [full review]

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Killibrium – Purge (Independent) – death metal

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Also on tap:

Actors – It Will Come To You (Artoffact Records) – new wave / post-punk

Aeren – Breakthru (Sliptrick) – melodic rock

Antichrist – Pax Moriendi (Iron Bonehead) – death / doom

Balls Out – Too Big to Handle (M&O Records) – rock

Between the Buried and Me – Automata (Sumerian) – progressive metal

Black Royal – Lightbringer (Suicide Records) – death / sludge

Byyrth – Echoes from the Seven Caves of Blood (Iron Bonehead) – black metal

Chaos Invocation – Reaping Season, Bloodshed Beyond (W.T.C. Productions) – black metal

Conjurer – Mire (Holy Roar) – extreme progressive metal

Crippled Black Phoenix – Horrific Honorifics (Season of Mist) – progressive

Dormanth – IX Sins (Necromance Records) – melodic death metal

Drowse – Cold Air (The Flenser) – experimental

Drudkh – Їм часто сниться капіж: They Often See Dreams About the Spring (Season of Mist) – black metal

Forming the Void / Pyreship – Split (Endhipendit Record Co.) – sludge

Goatkraft – Angel Slaughter (Iron Bonehead) – black metal

Greystone Canyon – While the Wheels Still Turn (Rockshots Records / Hellfire Records) – heavy metal

Horn – Retrograd (Iron Bonehead) – black metal

Isgalder – To the Hall Of the Stars (Hellthrasher Productions) – pagan black metal

Killing Addiction – Omega Factor, Reissue (Xtreem Music) – death metal

Killer Boogie – Acid Cream (Heavy Psych Sounds) – psych / punk

Necrodeath – The Age Of Dead Christ (Scarlet Records) – black / death

Nova Flares – Gut Splinter (Independent) – shoegaze

Ondt Blod – Natur (Fysisk Format) – hardcore [full review]

Parasite – At leve som hvis der ver et håb (Indisciplinarian / Modstand Records) – metallic hardcore / crust

Pestilence – Hadeon (Hammerheart Records) – death metal

Plastic – Here There Is No Gravity (Sweet Low Records) – rock / grunge

Prag 83 – Fragments of Silence (Nordvis) – dark folk

Repulsione – Desecrating (WOOAAARGH) – grindcore

Ritualz – Doom (Artoffact Records) – pop / electronic

Sammal – Suuliekki (Svart Records) – experimental

Second Youth – Dear Road (Demons Run Amok) – hardcore

Starkweather / Concealment – Split (Translation Loss) – metallic hardcore / experimental

SuuM – Buried Into the Grave (Endless Winter / Hellas Records) – doom

The Watchers – Black Abyss (Ripple Music) – rock

Them Moose Rush – Don’t Pick Your Nose (TMR Records ) – prog-rock

Towards Atlantis Lights – Dust of Aeons (Transcending Obscurity) – atmospheric death / doom

Twitching Tongues – Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred (Metal Blade) – hardcore

Whipstriker – Merciless Artillery (Hells Headbangers) – heavy metal

– Josh