This Toilet Tuesday (12/24/24)
The Unholy Bowl
Hath Been Stuff’t With Coal
On This Chrimbus Eve
There Is No Reprieve
From Much AI Slop
And Too Loud Bass Drop
But Fear Not, Dumpling
This Feature Doth Sing
Druparia – The River Above (Independent) [Tech Melodeath]
I wasn’t particularly in touch with tech this year, but Druparia’s debut LP quickly caught my attention with its tight counterpoint riffing and cheese-free melodicism. Preview track “The River Above” melds influences from Arsis to Atræ Bilis (particularly the rapid chugs and pick-scrapes in the song’s latter half), but eschews their misanthropy in favor of a brighter sound. The rhythmic variety and solid production go a long way towards keeping the composition engaging; if the rest of the album maintains this level of quality, a lot of Top 10s are going to be feeling a deep regret this week. -Roldy
A Karmic Gray – Past Songs I Felt Pressured to Write But Now Regret From Days of Pleasing People, Christ Is King (Independent) [Sludge / Death]
Algol – The Black Sands of Madness (Independent) [Blackened Death]
Anfitrite – Clitemnestra (Independent) [Symphonic Metal]
Antonio Giorgio – Once and Future Kingdom – An Epic Tribute to Kamelot (AUSR) [Power]
Arkhé – Sacrifice (Independent) [Black]
Asphalt/Defiant Body – Split (Independent) [Sludge / Doom]
Azgaal – A Mort La Tyrannie (Independent) [Black]
Black Jade – White Hand Down (Independent) [Symphonic Black]
Blackwater – Aporia (Independent) [Blackened Deathgrind]
Blazemth – Gehenna (Negra Nit Distro) [Black]
Brain Mold – Infinitum Lumen (Independent) [War Metal]
Children of Nothing – Inferno (Independent) [Death/Doom]
Chimera Cult – Feral Well (Independent) [Metalcore / Groove Metal]
Cranialgrind – Cadena alimenticia (Independent) [Deathgrind]
Detection – First Blood (Independent) [Thrash]
Dominum – The Dead Don’t Die (Napalm Records) [Symphonic Power / Heavy Metal]
Draakanaon – The True Satanist 2 (Independent) [Raw/Lo-Fi Black]
Eddysss – Dead Zone (Independent) [Prog Metal / Instrumental]
Empty Mirror – Deus Profanus (Independent) [Symphonic Doom / Gothic Metal]
Excruciations – Purification Through Torture (Vile Tapes Records) [Brutal Death]
Eye of Aquila – Atavisms (Independent) [Heavy Metal / Stoner Rock]
Goatroach – Hail Santa! (Independent) [Sludge / Doom]
Hairesis – The Chant of the Restless Ghouls (Independent) [Black / Ambient]
Imprecation of Love – Insomnia... (Endless Thoughts of Eternal Love) (Independent) [Raw/Lo-Fi Black / Ambient]
In-Conquered – The Golgotha Chronicles (Vision of God Records) [Blackened Death]
Machtklang – S/T (Independent) [Black]
Nicolas Waldo – World on Fire (Silverstream Records) [Instrumental Shred]
Octavius – Plunge into the Ethereal Chaos (Independent) [Symphonic Black]
Old Nick – The Kloven Hoof of Krampus (Grime Stone Records) [Raw/Lo-Fi Black / Dungeon Synth]
Ruin Dweller – Ancient Ruin (Independent) [Death]
Shovelhead A.D. – Timeless Old (Independent) [Thrash]
Silentio Mortis – God Is Dead (Independent) [Symphonic Death/Doom]
Soulfeaster – Home’s Cold Embrace (Independent) [Death]
Whisper – Gravemind (Independent) [Prog Death]
