Nine Circles

Here we are at the end of September. Another three months (or “quarter” as financially successful people refer to it) gone. Some high-quality releases were once again dumped upon the masses by some bands willing to take risks and explore new sounds. While not all of it was exceptional (or even listenable) some will be involved in a tight battle for a shot in the year’s top nine.

Once again, power metal was on full display with Finland’s Speedtrap. Crust made a bit of a comeback with Norrbrand, Undergang and Grime dumping gallons of crusty, sludgy sewage laden metal. Scythian blessed us with an absolute celebration of everything extreme metal while Deiphago infused free jazz style guitar work with one chaotic blackened death metal album. So whatever your fancy, the third quarter probably provided something for you.

If you want to get a better idea of how the year is shaping up you can check out my Q1 or Q2 review. Looking ahead to Q4, there are some absolutely thrilling releases in the works to close out 2015: He Whose Ox is Gored (10.9.2015) Kowloon Walled City (10.9.2015), Panopticon (10.16.2015), Vhöl (10.23.2015) and Horrendous (10.27.2015).

So there’s a lot to look forward to in addition to everyone’s favorite pagan holiday, All Hallow’s Eve. So I hope everyone has their costumes picked out! Without further ado, here is my Top Nine for this third quarter of metal along with some honorable mentions.

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Top Nine Releases: July – September 2015

9. Deiphago – Into the Eye of Satan

8. Tyranny – “Aeons In Tectonic Interment“

7. Undergang – Døden Læger Alle Sår

6. Grime – Circle of Molestors

5. Scythian – Hubris in Excelsis

4. Nightfell – Darkness Evermore 

3. Cruciamentum – Charnel Passages

2. Ahab – The Boats of the Glen Carrig

1. Mgła – Exercises in Futility 

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Nine Honorable Mentions:

• Blasphemic Cruelty – “Crucible of the Infernum“
• Throaat – “Black Speed“
• Meatwound – “Addio“
• Adversarial –  Death, Endless Nothing and the Black Knife of Nihilism
• Kriegszittern – “Demo“
• Urðun – “Horror & Gore (EP)“
• Goat Torment – “Sermons to Death“
• Norrbrand – “Den Nordliga Galenskapen“
• Speedtrap – “Straight Shooter“

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– Manny-O-War