There have been a lot more quality releases within the brutal genre in the past year or so. Maybe not as many as other genres but a lot when you consider the relatively small number of brutal bands there are. So, being that it's my favorite region of metal, and that the fanbase has expanded exponentially, I'd like to make a short list of the better releases (and a few soon to be released) to highlight some of the golden moments within a somewhat unappreciated genre.
Also note that; these are in no particular "best to worst" order. Just listed at random for anyone who may have missed a new release or someone who wants to get into the genre by beginning with some of the recent best.
Oh, and... My spelling for some of these releases might not be right so, if you would like to point out where please do.

1. Abominable Putridity - The Anomalies Of Artificial Origin

2. Abnormality - Contaminating The Hive Mind

3. Katalepsy - Autopsychosis

4. Beheaded - Never To Dawn

5. Portal - Vexovoid (I wouldn't necessarily consider this "brutal death metal" but they certainly deliver a fashion of brutality in their own way)

      View entire list ››

This is my list of my favourite albums of 2012. These albums are not necessarily "the best" of the year, just what I've heard listed by how much I've enjoyed them.

1. Wintersun - Time I

2. Enslaved - RIITIIR

3. Sigh - In Somniphobia

4. Accept - Stalingrad

5. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist

      View entire list ››

1. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I

2. Cattle Decapitation - Monolith Of Inhumanity

3. Pig Destroyer - Book Burner

4. Dying Fetus - Reign Supreme

5. Nile - At The Gate Of Sethu

      View entire list ››

Because I reached the word limit on the previous list, and don't want to lose my quite excellent in-depth descriptions. Those without descriptions are from my other list.

1. Sylosis - Monolith

2. Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

3. In The Silence - A Fair Dream Gone Mad

4. Abigail Williams - Becoming

5. Enslaved - RIITIIR

      View entire list ››

1. Cattle Decapitation - Monolith of Inhumanity

2. Coheed And Cambria - The Afterman: Ascension

3. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

4. Gojira - L'Enfant Sauvage

5. Spawn Of Possession - Incurso

      View entire list ››

1. Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion

2. Dead Can Dance - Anastasis

3. The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet

4. Anathema - Weather Systems

5. Ihsahn - Eremita

      View entire list ››

This is a list of almost every album/EP/demo I listened to from 2012. It is primarily composed of the better albums I listened to as I tend to forget about bad albums (and rightfully so).

NOTE: Most of these ratings don't stand anymore.

1. Igorrr - Hallelujah

2. Blut Aus Nord - What Once Was... Liber II

3. Aluk Todolo - Occult Rock

4. Indesinence - Vessels Of Light And Decay

5. Elderwind - Волшебство живой природы

      View entire list ››

My evolving list of 2012

1. The Faceless - Autotheism

2. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

3. Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

4. Bloodshot Dawn - Bloodshot Dawn

5. Katatonia - Dead End Kings

      View entire list ››

Unordered
Last Update: July 12th

1. Ancestors - In Dreams And Time

2. Akphaezya - Anthology IV: The Tragedy Of Nerak

3. Dark Empire - From Refuge To Ruin

4. Dawn Of Demise - Rejoice In Vengeance

5. Miseration - Tragedy Has Spoken

      View entire list ››

So the my main list is here for personal use when looking over stuff I've jammed this year, and here I'll be putting stuff that's really good.

1. 7 Horns 7 Eyes - Throes Of Absolution

2. Aborted - Global Flatline

3. Accept - Stalingrad

4. Allegaeon - Formshifter

5. Barren Earth - The Devil's Resolve

      View entire list ››

Pretty much a ranking of everything I heard this year

I'll add some comments for albums I feel the need to say something about.

A lot of things on this list are subject to change

1. Be'Lakor - Of Breath and Bone

2. Ne Obliviscaris - Portal Of I

3. The Faceless - Autotheism

4. Circus Maximus - Nine

5. Devin Townsend - Epicloud

      View entire list ››

Note; Anything I rate lower than 8 I deem underwhelming. Sure, I might even acknowledge some of them as being rather enjoyble, but considering the "bigger picture of things", I find them unsatisfactory (in varying degrees, depending on their rating).

Partially ordered (the ones with descriptions). The rest are arranged alphabetically.

1. Sybreed - God Is An Automaton

2. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

3. The Faceless - Autotheism

4. Ihsahn - Eremita

5. Saturnus - Saturn In Ascension

      View entire list ››

These are my top 20 albums of 2012, updated evertime an amazing release is heard by me lol.

1. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

2. Cannibal Corpse - Torture

3. Job For A Cowboy - Demonocracy

4. Spawn Of Possession - Incurso

5. Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression

      View entire list ››

Too many 2012 lists around, you complain? You don't have to complain about this, though, it is NOT a 2012 list!

Previously, this list contained long-ass reviews, and distorted orders. But then this made people lose order and no one really reads what I write except about a handful of albums, so I decided to remove the X/10 rating system and use an "A-F" kinda stuff.

1. Rush - Clockwork Angels

2. Overkill - The Electric Age

3. Gorod - A Perfect Absolution

4. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth

5. Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

      View entire list ››

My top 20 favorite albums of 2012 (will be updated as time moves along)

1. Anaal Nathrakh - Vanitas

2. In Mourning - The Weight Of Oceans

3. Cattle Decapitation - Monolith Of Inhumanity

4. Pallbearer - Sorrow And Extinction

5. Be'lakor - Of Breath And Bone

      View entire list ››