Zax has written many reviews for Noob Heavy in 2019 and was the very first additional team member. He has a strong variety in his taste.
10. Hath – Of Rot And Ruin (Bandcamp)
This is the best progressive death metal record of the year, and I’m not alone in that assessment, as many other people have sung their praises for this record throughout the year. It’s an astounding mixture of influences ranging from tons of different metal genres that cultivates into one outstanding listen.
9. A Wake In Providence – The Blvck Sun || The Blood Moon (Spotify)
A Wake In Providence make some crushing brutal deathcore with some real substance to it. It has a very blackened, dark, and dingy aesthetic and atmosphere while also packing in insane gutturals and breakdowns. The production is top notch too, It’s really an epic record.
8. Mizmor – Cairne (Bandcamp)
Mizmor are an incredibly crushing blackened doom metal band that employs elements of dark ambient and drone metal. This album is an absolutely crushing listen, an experience rather. There are times when the riffs crash down so damn hard they shake your room, It’s like an avalanche of sound.
7. Equipoise – Demiurgus (Bandcamp)
This debut record is a musical masterpiece. This is some hyper technical death metal with absolutely bonkers song structures and guitar work. There is also some amazing piano playing weaved in there. This album really is like an orgasm for the ears. Very proud of these guys and their success this year!
6. Misery Index – Rituals Of Power (Bandcamp)
Misery Index have made a great name for themselves in death metal over the past years, and rightfully so, they’re a kickass band. This record is full of bangers that have really gotten stuck in my head throughout the year. It’s a straightforward yet incredibly brutal and enthralling listen.
5. Secret Band – LP 2 (Spotify)
This album grew on me a ton throughout the year, and I absolutely love it. Lead vocalist Jon Mess has some very distinctive throaty screams, occasionally on the record he pushes his vocals to the absolute limit and it’s so raw and gratifying. Not to mention his nonsensical absurd lyrics that make the whole listen interesting. The instrumentals also throw down pretty hard with some brutal ass riffs and great drumming.
4. Nailed To Obscurity – Black Frost (Bandcamp)
This is one of the first metal albums I heard this year, it has remained one of my favorites, and has kind of become the soundtrack to my year. It’s some super interesting blackened melodeath. It has great vocals (both sung and screamed vocals) and some great riffs. Lots of icy aesthetics here too, perfect for winter!
3. The Callous Daoboys – Die On Mars (Spotify)
This is one I actually reviewed here on Noob Heavy. This record is off the walls fucking bonkers. They deliver incredibly intense and raw mathcore/metalcore passages, but at the same time, they don’t take themselves to seriously lyrically, which makes this album a blast to listen to!
2. Malevolent Creation – The 13th Beast (Spotify)
For my number 2 pick we have the old school death metal giants Malevolent Creation and their new album The 13th Beast. This is pretty straight forward death metal, but it’s so good. It’s got punishing riffs, intense evil vocals, and cool samples. Simple, but incredibly infectious, and one hell of a good time.
1. Saor – Forgotten Paths (Bandcamp)
This right here is my absolute favorite metal album of 2019. Saor craft a gorgeous blend of post-black metal and Celtic folk that makes for an enthralling and mesmerizing experience. With the vast array of instrumental elements and vocal styles, this album has so many layers to analyze and take in. Truly an amazing record.
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