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1.
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Forteresse - Thèmes Pour La Rébellion
What can I say? This album is pure perfection. From the energetic leads up to the truly revolutionary atmosphere. This is one of the best Black Metal Albums, I have heard for quite a while. |
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2.
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Mare Cognitum - Luminiferous Aether
An incredibly interesting album, with some great songwriting. Extremely diverse and eneretic as it is, this album is probably one of my new favorites aswell and I will definetely keep an eye on this project. |
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3.
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Schammasch - Triangle
An ambitious triple album full of dark and intriguing songwriting and spiritual concepts. Call me in! |
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4.
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Inquisition - Bloodshed Across The Empyrean Altar Beyond The Celestial Zenith
This album left a huge impression on me as one of Inquisitions most convincing albums so far. From the vocals, to the diversity. Almost everything feels like a huge step up since is predecessor. |
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5.
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Anaal Nathrakh - The Whole Of The Law
There was hardly any album in 2016 which I was more looking forward to and Anaal Nathrakh did not disappoint me. Relentless and insane as always, the only thing that changed might be the stronger incorporation of Industrial elements into their sound. |
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6.
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Numenorean - Home
Numenorean was an absolute newcomer for me, but they definetely deserve a place in my Top List of the year. Playing a mixture of Depressive Black Metal and Post Black Metal, this release reminds a lot of last years Moonlover by Ghost Bath. |
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7.
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Harakiri For The Sky - III: Trauma
Anoher album I went absolutely nuts about even weeks before it was released. Not necessarily their best album as a whole, it still contains some of their best songs so far and is still top notch shit. |
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8.
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Ashbringer - Yūgen
A band I had never heard of before, which is a shame since their debut album is equally impressive, as this one. They play a really atmospheric sounding kind of Black Metal with lot's of acoustic passages and epic yet still melancholic riffs. |
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9.
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Insomnium - Winter's Gate
I was quite sceptical about this one, when I first heard about the concept and the fact that it was going to be a single 40-minute song. However, Insomnium made all of my worries disappear. What we have here is definetely an emotional journey. |
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10.
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A.M.S.G. - Hostis Universi Generis
This is one of my more recent discoveries and one that has left a huge impact aswell. A.M.S.G., play a really occult sounding kind of dark and eerie Black Metal, which can not only convince its listeners by the use of really intelligent riffing, but also by the incorporation of a lot of untypical features for Black Metal, such as the usage of a saxophone. |
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11.
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Uada - Devoid Of Light
Probably one of the most highly acclaimed and recognised Black Metal Albums of the year, Uada has left a huge impact on the scene this year. It kind of reminds me of Mgla at some points, but the songwriting is definetely different and unique in itself. |
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12.
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Throane - Derrière-Nous, La Lumière
I had never heard of this band before until I stumbled across one of their songs on Facebook and man, they really impressed me. I just love the combination of dark ambience and Black Metal this band manages to create. Definetely not a feel-good album though (but let's be honest, who wants that in Black Metal?) |
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13.
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ColdWorld - Autumn
I was really excited, when I first heard that there would be a new album by this band. Melancholie² was one of the first Black Metal albums I ever listened to and has therefore still a special place in my heart. Autumn did not leave me as speechless as I hoped it would be, but the sound it chose is definetely a logical progression. |
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14.
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Départe - Failure, Subside
Put together some disharmonic Black Metal like Deathspell Omega and mix it with the avantgarde approach of a band such as Ulcerate and a bit of Post Black Metal. Departe is the result and damn, it sounds awesome. |
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15.
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Death Fetishist - Clandestine Sacrament
Another newcomer from the US. Death Fetishist plays some really eerie kind of Psychedelic Black Metal, kind of reminescent of Blut Aus Nord and similar bands. Basically everything on this album is well executed and the atmosphere speaks for itself. |
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16.
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Mesarthim - .- -... ... . -. -.-. .
Mesarthim strikes yet again. After their last album, which found a lot of recognition last year, they brought out their second full-length earlier this year. This time the music seems less keyboard-driven but instead reminds of projects such as Woods Of Desolation and Germ. The cosmic concept is to be heard everywhere and the music is just dreamlike. A beautiful album. |
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17.
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Dark Funeral - Where Shadows Forever Reign
Although one of the most famous Black Metal bands out there, Dark Funeral never really stood out for me (apart from a few great songs). This changed drastically with this album, which is mostly because of the more melodic and epic approach they took (or maybe it's just me). |
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18.
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Heimdalls Wacht - Geisterseher
Heimdalls Wacht has always produced some quality Black Metal and this album is no different. It lacks the huge anthems, that some of their privious efforts had, but it still shines between some of the more popular Pagan Black Metal bands. |
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19.
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Oathbreaker - Rheia
I absolutely love their album Eros/Anteros and so my hopes where quite high for this one. Were they too high? - Maybe. But Rheia still offers quite a lot. The clean vocals are much more present on this one and this is sometimes a good thing, but sometimes the songs loose themselves a little too much in atmospheric meandering for my taste. |
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20.
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Urfaust - Empty Space Meditation
Urfaust has gained quite a bit of popularity in the underground and this album underlines why. |
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21.
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Ketzer - Starless |
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22.
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Drudkh - Зраджені сонцем (Betrayed By The Sun |
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23.
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Nordjevel - Nordjevel |
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24.
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Baptism - V: The Devil's Fire |
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25.
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Darkthrone - Arctic Thunder |
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26.
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Alcest - Kodama |
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27.
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Winterfylleth - The Dark Hereafter |
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28.
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Germ - Escape |
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29.
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Imperium Dekadenz - Dis Manibvs |
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30.
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Rotting Christ - Rituals |
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31.
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Thränenkind - King Apathy |
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32.
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Aborted - Retrogore |
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33.
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Sun Worship - Pale Dawn |
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34.
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Waldgeflüster - Ruinen |
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35.
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Moonsorrow - Jumalten Aika |
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36.
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Desaster - The Oath Of An Iron Ritual |
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37.
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Soulburn - Earthless Pagan Spirit |
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38.
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Chthe'ilist - Le Dernier Crépuscule |
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39.
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Ragnarok - Psychopathology |
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40.
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Auroch - Mute Books |
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41.
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Gojira - Magma |
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42.
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Fleshgod Apocalypse - King |
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43.
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Neurosis - Fires Within Fires |
