Triumvir Foul – Triumvir Foul [US, Death] (2015)

Blood Harvest | 12-11-15

There is no reason to wait until January to do a top 10, all of the ood albums come out before November. Ack! This is why I need to stave off best of the year lists until well after the year. I have been discussing the cabal of evil formulated by a few guys from Ash Borer. M and R both make up a slew of interesting black and death projects ranging from Serum Dreg, Urzeit, and Uškumgallu. Triumvir Foul was the most death related on the spectrum of noise created by the duo and the self titled debut is nothing short of a chaotic masterpiece.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Sunsunmoon – Pagans in Medieval Times [UK, Black / Ambient] (2015)

Self Released | 10-31-15

Doing end of the year planning can be disheartening because I know quality releases do not care about months and schedules. Take Sunsunmoon, a British black metal band which oozes as much charm as it does synth. This demo came out in October and it just surfaced on a larger radar. We are entering into the cusp era where great 2015 releases are going to be buried until next year or even the year after. If bands could just stop releasing things now until January 1st, that would be wonderful.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Turia – Dor [Netherlands, Black] (2015)

Haeresis Noviomagi | 11-15-15

I can say with certainty I have loved everything the Dutch label Haeresis Noviomagi has released. I can say this since it has only been two cassettes. they have been really good cassettes though. the last Haeresis Noviomagi cassette was Lubbert Das, a particularly mind melting black metal which seemed to be dedicated to an old Bosch painting. Turia follows Lubbert Das in continuing the undercurrent of harrowing Dutch black metal which sounds like the last bastion of sanity being razed to the ground.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Awe – Providentia [Greece, Black] (2015)

Pulverised Records | 11-13-15

Look at all this room I have to stretch my legs. Oh goodness. Look at this space I have for intros, interludes, and outros. Holy shit. Whenever I see track lengths which range in the 10, 15, and 20 minute lengths I immediately look to see if it is stoner doom. If it is not then my interest is aroused since things like black and death metal make for engaging compositions given the longer format. I also make sure it is not atmospheric black metal before continuing further. Oh my, but when the track lengths are long and they contain some deeply rooted orthodox Grecian black metal, I must say that my heart skips a beat.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Luminous Vault – Communion [US, Death / Black] (2015)

Graceless Recordings | 11-1-15

I find genres funny sometimes. Not in the sense that they are useless rather they can be a wonderful tool once people find the right way to speak. Luminous Vault is listed under death / black rather than black / death since this US based act shares more in common with slow plodding death than bands who owe more the black metal. This could be needless hair splitting but the fact remains that Luminous Vault is unique in their crypt walking variety of death / black.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Lubbert Das – Deluge [Netherlands, Black] (2015)

Haeresis Noviomagi | 10-30-15

“Meester snyt die keye ras / Myne name Is lubbert Das” is the inscription on a 1494 painting by by Hieronymus Bosch called “The Extraction of the Stone of Madness or The Cure of Folly.” Lubbert Das is a comical fool in Dutch literature and is depicted as a patient having the stone of madness cut away by drilling a hole inside one’s head. The Dutch inscription is the statement of the patient’s name and the want to have his stone removed. Wow, all of this off of just searching what the band’s name meant.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Genevieve – Escapism [US, Black / Death] (2015)

Grimoire Records | 10-23-15

Ugh. This album is totally going to clash with the rest of this site and the grey/black album art aesthetic. Sure. Why not just pick the brightest colors for this release which sort of adds to the chaotic madness which lies at the very heart of this record? Fucking go for it. Genevieve is from Maryland and is supported by Grimoire Records, which if you were not aware, showcases some of the weirder and off kilter metal bands who are trying really hard to keep their shit together at parties but its hard with all the acid they took.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Venefixion – Defixio [France, Death] (2015)

Iron Bonehead | 10-18-15

Oh my goodness. either I am slowly becoming an Iron Bonehead fanboy raving about multiple demos just this year or there is a palatable stream of good material being unearthed by this label. Both may be true. I also maybe a sucker for hilarious blasphemy in artwork and Defixio, the debut from Venefixion has an oddly comedic spin to their artwork. Come towards the skeleton bearing a crucifix.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Horns Of Domination – Demo 2015 [Germany, Black / Death / Doom] (2015)

Self Released | 8-4-15

Horns of Domination is a three piece combo from Germany who seems to have bucked that silly trend of having a bassist in their band. With two guitarists and a drummer, the band has appeared as an unsigned entity now with one self titled demo to their name. I have seen this before. Additionally, with a name like Horns of Domination, I was expecting something I have heard before. It was certainly not this. Sometimes the short format of a demo works in the band’s favor if the music can be so violent that the listener is left with a feeling of horror and surprise.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.

Veiled – Omniscient Veil [US, Black] (2015)

Iron Bonehead | 9-13-15

I am going to take you back to a time when a band called Gnosis of the Witch tore up the universe with their second EP Dauðr Burðr Þrysvar. This was back in the halcyon days of mid 2014. I only bring this up because Veiled is Gnosis up the Witch just…well…shrouded in a different name. I have no idea why this duo decided to jump ship on a name which did not have that many roots in terms of recognition but we can all assume that Veiled is just going to be as terrifying as the previous entity.

Kaptain Carbon

Kaptain Carbon is the custodian of Tape Wyrm, a mod for Reddit’s r/metal, Creator of Vintage Obscura, and a Reckless Scholar for Dungeon Synth.