Ah fuck, it’s new music time. Somehow nobody got the memo that you’re supposed to stop releasing albums after Thanksgiving so every music journalist can safely ignore the month of December for AOTY purposes, but here we are. Peep that list and be sure to let us know if any bands are upsetting your impending top 10s.

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Ryth – Deceptor Creator (Independent) [Death Metal]

Bahrain’s Ryth sound mighty polished for a new band; I’m pretty impressed with this first album. It’s equal parts melody and ferocity, lightning shreds and knuckle-dragging riffs. The production is clean without sounding horribly overbearing either, and I like the tone for each of their instruments. Very solid debut. 12/1/22 (Spear)

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Among Them in Trenches – Drifter in the Woods (Independent) [Death Metal]

Appalling – Sacrilege (Personal Records) [Blackened Death Metal]

Astral Experience – Esclavos del Tiempo – Clepsidra, Pt.1 (Art Gates Records) [Power Metal]

Barren – I (Independent) [Deathgrind]

Beckoning Void – Termination (Independent) [Grindcore]

Bifrost – Her Den (Independent) [Heavy Metal]

Чёрный Кофе – Слёзы дождя (Moroz Records) [Heavy Metal]

Buat Kopi Jangan Tambah Gula – What’s This Rock (Independent) [Instrumental Multi-Genre Metal]

Byzantine – Black Sea Codex (Metal Blade) [Groove Metal]

Call of Charon – The Sound of Sorrow (Massacre Records) [Metalcore]

Celestial Season – Mysterium II (Roadburn Records) [Doom]

Chepang/Racetraitor – split (Twelve Gauge Records) [Grind/Hardcore]

Choroszcz – Rojenie (Independent) [Black Metal]

Chovu/Overthrust – African Warriors (split- Masters of Kaos Productions) [Black/Death Metal]

Coffin Feeder – Over the Top (Independent) [Deathcore]

Dea Artio – Zurück in die Waldwacht (Independent) [Black Metal]

Death Reich – The Final Plague (Non Serviam Records) [Death Metal]

Defying Plague – Leviathan of Rot (Ad Noctem Records) [Death Metal]

Dystopia A.D. – Doomsday Psalm (Independent) [Melodeath]

Eisregen – Wiedergänger (Massacre Records) [Gothic/Black Metal]

Frankenbok – The Ex Files Volume 1 (Independent) [Groove Metal]

Funeral Mass – Shadow of the Raventhrone (Marquee Records) [Black Metal]

Gavran – Indistinct Beacon (Independent) [Sludge/Doom]

Ghost Gore – Death Transfixion (Independent) [Death Metal]

Habitante – Condena Funebre (Thanatology Productions) [Melodeath/Doom]

Hammers of Misfortune – Overtaker (Metal Blade) [Prog Thrash]

Hell Gun/Hellway Train – Haunted Trip (split- Classic Metal Records) [Heavy Metal]

Heron – Empires of Ash (Sludgelord Records) [Sludge/Post-Metal]

Horrid Sight – Evil Made Flesh (Independent) [Death Thrash]

Imha Tarikat – Hearts Unchained – At War with a Passionless World (Prophecy Productions) [Black Metal]

Indepth – Ancient Architects (Concreto Records) [Tech Death]

Jours Pâles – Tensions (LADLO) [Black Metal]

Krushhammer – Blood, Violence & Blasphemy (Helldprod Records) [Black Thrash]

Lost Baron – Dark Messiah (Polder Records) [Sludgy Death Metal]

The Lumbar Endeavor – Life in the Tornado (Independent) [Sludge]

Lyzzärd – The Abyss (Fighter Records) [Heavy Metal]

Manipulated Slaves – The Bloody Cross (Slumber Records) [Melodeath]

My Season – Silence Decorated (Independent) [Instrumental Gothic Metal]

Napalm Ted – Pestilential Pursuit (Independent) [Deathgrind]

Neopera – Tuba Mirum (Independent) [Symphonic Metal]

Obvurt – Triumph Beyond Adversity (Unique Leader) [Tech Death]

Opus Arise – The Network (Independent) [Symphonic Metal]

Orki – Orki (Independent) [Death Metal]

Revelatör – Noble Rot (Independent) [Crossover Thrash]

Revolting – Born to Be Dead (Xtreem Music) [Melodeath]

Sammas’ Equinox – Maailmantaonta (Independent) [Black Metal]

Servitude – Everyday Poison (Independent) [Melodeath/Thrash]

Shallow Black – Maladroit Matter (Independent) [lolbuttz]

Shining Wizard – Tournament of Death (HPGD Productions) [Grindcore]

Synestia – Maleficium (Independent) [Symphonic Deathcore]

T.O.M.B. – Terror Winds (Dark Essence Records) [Black Metal]

Udånde – Slow Death – A Celebration of Self-Hatred (Vendetta Records) [Black Metal]

Umbra – Mater (Tragedy Productions) [Black/Death/Doom]

Veilburner – VLBRNR (Transcending Obscurity) [Weird Black/Death/Etc]

Vephar – Ascension Through Torture (Independent) [Death Metal]

Vile Wizard – Graves of the Excommunicated (Independent) [Instrumental Black/Death Metal]

Zhmach – Karyta Dzieda Platona (Independent) [Black Metal]

Zombie Feast – Zombie Feast (Independent) [Death Metal]

Did we forget a new release? Is there a way we could improve this list? Let us know in the comments!