My new favorite thing in the blackened thrash spectrum of metal is Georgia’s Beyond Deth and this week sees the release of their second full length, good for me and good for you since, plainly put, this is my favorite album of this ilk thus far in 2020—definitely do yourself a favor and check it out. Ulthar continue to push the boundaries of death metal far beyond its limits on their second outing, Uprising offer up their second effort of straight forward black metal (smack in the middle of digital and physical releases so get in on it now), and Curse the Son are back with what I call working man’s doom metal—dirty, gritty, fuzzy, and worth every bit of effort spent. Folks, right now we need an escape, any escape, and these top four, along with the remainder of the list below, offer just that. Enjoy.

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Beyond Deth – Accept Your Fate (Vargheist) – black / thrash

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Ulthar – Providence (20 Buck Spin) – black / death

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Uprising – II (Tridroid) – black metal

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Curse the Son – Excruciation (Ripple Music) – doom

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Also on tap:

Aidan Baker – Soil (Utility Tapes) – drone

Almyrkvi / The Ruins of Beverast – Split (Ván) – black metal

Angelcrypt – Dawn of the Emperor (Boersma) – melodic death metal

Anonymus – La Bestia (Bam&co Heavy) – thrash 

Baby Birds – An Olive Branch Wrapped In Barbed Wire (Artificial Head) – post-punk 

Barbaric Horde – Axe of Superior Savagery (Godz Ov War Productions) – black / death

Basalt – Silêncio Como Respiração (Ritual Productions) – doom / black / dark

Behold… The Arctopus – Hapeleptic Overtrove (Willowtip / P2) – extreme

BPMD – American Made (Napalm) – rock

Die Ego – Anger Is Yours (Independent) – metal

Divine Weep – The Omega Man (Ossuary) – heavy metal

Elm – The Wait (Bronson Recordings) – noise rock

Flagg – Nothing But Death (Purity Through Fire) – black metal 

Foetal Juice – Gluttony (Gore House Productions) – death metal

Kryptograf – S/T (Apollon) – metal

League of Corruption – Something in the Water (Black Doomba) – groove metal

Leather Synn – Warlord, EP (Non Nobis Productions) – heavy metal

Lord – Chaos Raining (Independent) – metal

LJOSAZABOJSTWA – Głoryja Śmierci (Godz Ov War Productions) – black / death

Lune – Ghost, EP (Independent) – metalcore

Moonlight Haze – Lunaris (Scarlet) – heavy metal

Mordred – Not For You (Independent) – thrash 

Nemesium – Continua (Black Lion) – black / death

Obscene – The Inhabitable Dark (Blood Harvest) – death metal 

Ordo Sanguinis Noctis – Chthonic Blood Mysteries (Eternal Death) – black metal

Orgöne – Mos/Fet (Heavy Psych Sounds) – prog rock

Six Feet Tall – Be Grave With Your Life, EP (Mothership) – noise / post-hardcore

Terrestrial Hospice – Indian Summer Brought Mushroom Clouds (Shadow / Regain) – black metal

The Other – Haunted (Drakkar Entertainment) – horror punk

This Will Destroy You – Vespertine (Dark Operative) – score

Throneum – Oh Death… Oh Death… Determinate, Preach and Lead Us Astray (Godz Ov War Productions) – death metal

Tia Carrera – Tried and True (Small Stone) – heavy psych-strumental

Torizon – Find My Way Out (Independent) – rock

Valdrin – Effigy of Nightmares (Blood Harvest) – black / death

– Josh