What a start of the year we’ve had! This years January has probably been the strongest start of a year since I started this blog with loads of great albums coming out and February is just as strong, if not stronger. One band even dropped two great albums on the same day, Cult of Fire with Nirvana and Moksha. While January was a bit short on the black metal front February had that in masses, or what about Faustian Pact, Kvaen, Faidra, YGG, Tombs, Necrowretch, Svart Crown and Cénotaphe (just to name a few even) all dropping albums you need to dig into right now if you haven’t already! Another thing worth noting is that Beneath the Massacre has come back in style with Fearmonger being some of their best material yet, welcome back! Two months in 2020 and we’ve already been offered loads of superb metal, this year is looking very bright.
Album of the month:
On one of the last days of the month it was unleashed, The Funeral Pyre! Oh does it shine bright as this is some of the best black metal I’ve heard in months. Incredible debut album and has everything I’m looking for, a contender for album of the year in my opinion. You can read the review here.
Kvaen – The Funeral Pyre was released February 28th via Black Lion Records.
Bandcamp – https://kvaen.bandcamp.com/album/the-funeral-pyre
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/1RXqAO2dPkKQGip9qU45pg?si=BjEd_IIpQ8WGwXCq5oj3oA
Runners-up:
What a comeback by Beneath the Massacre! Eight years after Incongruous came out they release what I think is their best album yet in Fearmonger. This hits hard!
Beneath the Massacre – Fearmonger was released February 28th via Century Media Records.
Bandcamp – N/A
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/1q7U1NxOyWTzoS3cpqtQpS?si=2e90Jez_Qpu2Xgu3n6zw_A
I generally don’t see Greece as a death metal country but more into black metal. However Plague has shown there is a lot of life (or death) in the scene there too as Portraits of Mind had me on the hook straight from the start. One of the best death metal albums released so far this year! You can read the review here.
Plague – Portraits of Mind was released February 14th via Redefining Darkness Records (NA) and Nuclear Winter Records (EU).
Bandcamp – https://plague-gr.bandcamp.com/album/portraits-of-mind
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/0u934ElljYYWNif8V6ysuz?si=kwVdxSnKStCxpo5LCNbOIA
The Spirit is one of those bands I feel is underrated because I feel both their debut Sounds from the Vortex and follow-up EP Pillars of Doom were very high quality black/death metal in the veins of Dissection, Sacramentum and Thulcandra. However maybe a bit too close in the sound. With Cosmic Terror though they’ve really come a long way and while the influences are still there they’re finding their own sound more this time around.
The Spirit – Cosmic Terror was released February 7th via Art of Propaganda.
Bandcamp – https://thespiritmetal.bandcamp.com/album/cosmic-terror
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/00TpgegQ8rs1WK0hqZDyjd?si=UOuBpr86S5OtHaKaw3LvUg
Their EP Humanity Will Echo Out showed a lot of promise and when I reviewed it back in 2018 I thought this band could be the next big melodic black/death export from Sweden. That seems to be the case still as their debut full-length is another step in the right direction and Night Crowned is on the path towards greatness with their apocalyptic heavy style that leaves no prisoners.
Night Crowned – Impius Viam was released February 28th via Noble Demon.
Bandcamp – https://nightcrowned.bandcamp.com/album/impius-viam
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/0xbLmjAA1qgYnm7phVTPUS?si=msBbLB07SDWiun9Yu9G4bg
More great albums of February:
Faustian Pact – Outojen Tornien Varjoissa
Schizogen – Spawn Of Almighty Essence
Slaughter Messiah – Cursed To The Pyre
Shandrazel – Le Paysage De Mes Pensées
Faidra – Six Voices Inside
Hæresis – To Drown...
Cénotaphe – Monte Veritá
Abated Mass of Flesh – Not Burned
Necrowretch – The Ones from Hell
Horresque – Chasms Pt. I – Avarice and Retribution
Serpent Noir – Death Clan OD
Svart Crown – Wolves Among the Ashes
God Dethroned – Illuminati
Sepultura – Quadra
Sylosis – Cycle of Suffering
Conjureth – Foul Formations
Neptunus – Planetary Annihilation
Skyforest – A New Dawn
Sentient Divide – Haunted by Cruelty
Artach – Chronicles of a Black Winter
Xenobiotic – Mordrake
Cult of Fire – Nirvana
Cult of Fire – Moksha (yes they released two albums!)
Blåådpalt – Sliced to Perfection
Thokkian Vortex – Thy Throne is Mine
Tombs – Monarchy of Shadows
Infirmum – Walls of Sorrow
Regarde Les Hommes Tomber – Ascension
Innards – Back From The Grave, Straight In Your Face
Ossaert – Bedehuis
Izthmi – The Arrows of Our Ways
Akiavel – V
Deprived Of Salvation – Destination : Decay
YGG – The Last Scald
Ars Veneficium – Usurpation of the Seven
Black Royal – Firebride
The Metal Gamer Songs of the Month Spotify playlist:
The Metal Gamer 