Galdur: "Age of Legends"

Un-cheesy dungeon music masterpiece

Though at first glance micro-genres like dungeon synth can sound rather restrictive and samey across numerous artists, there are several roads you can take as an artist. Some opt for a folk-inspired approach with many classical, real life instruments, while others emulate the midi-soundtracks of old fantasy RPGs for a more synthetic feel. Others still resort to a more true-to-life orchestral feel. You can count Galdur's 2016 opus Age of Legends among the latter.

The Handsome Family: "Unseen"

In the absence of excellence, Unseen becomes almost ordinary

By 2016 the songwriting duo The Handsome Family have built quite a following on the merit of several albums. Their latest album, Unseen, doesn't seem to be about elaborating on their sound, and this shouldn't come as a surprise or even a prerequisite for a new Handsome Family album. Few do the style that the duo have hunkered down in better than they do, and so they keep it simple by staying within their comfort zone.

Milez Grimez & Raw: "Pearly Gates"

Street knowledge from the afterlife

Milez Grimez hails from Rhode Island, New England and comes from a family of musicians and artists, so music was in his blood from an early age. Milez Grimez started out his career in the hip hop game back in 2000 when he attended an open mic session at a Talib Kweli show. The positive crowd reaction he got made him eager to pursue a career in hip hop. Since then he’s been featured on a wide range of tracks by prominent rappers like Apathy, Kool G Rap & Crooked I. First time i got aware of his rhyme skills was in 2015 alongside Ruste Juxx & Rock Of Heltah Skeltah in the video for Raw Deal off the Boston based producer Bombdrop’s Dark Dayz Album, where he displayed a tight, competent, aggressive and skilled flow and rhyme scheme. His lyrics was thug/horrorcore related, but showing a certain finesse that transcends what we’re used to from the genre, at least in my opinion.

Top 5 Missed Albums from 2016

Well it would seem I've already botched the top lists from 2016. In retrospect there are always releases you forgot about or simply didn't know of before long after the year is over. Here are a few examples which are sure to stick around for a while!

This was supposed to be a Top 5, but I couldn't/didn't want to stop there!

2016 Top 10 - Part III: The EP Top 5

Arguably I haven't listened to that many EPs in 2016 - And the best ones seem to have been classified as demos, which is another Top List entirely! For a relatively short list there is still something for everyone. A little metal, a little funk, a little something-something. The choices for Top 5 EPs of 2016 are as follows:

2016 Top 10 - Part II: The Non-Metal Part

Here is the second Top 10 for 2016 - The non-metal part. Again, there has been several worthy contenders, and some must be left out. After all, there's not much sense in the end of the year list if you're not forced to make some choices. And in 2016, these choices are as follows:

2016 Top 10 - Part I: The Metal Part

2016 has been an incredibly strong year for music. Although we've had to say goodbye to several legends, many new hopes continue to arise and bring the sound and feeling that we crave.

I've had the chance to listen to a relatively high amount of new albums this year, and only few of the albums I was anticipating were disappointing. Of course choosing just ten was incredibly tough with many huge contenders sadly having to be left out.

Charles Bradley: "Changes"

Deepfelt vibrations from the soul of a man

Though Black Sabbath's Ozzy-fronted version of Changes will in all likelihood always remain my favourite rendition of the original Black Sabbath track, Charles Bradley and company have in every way breathed new life into the old classic with their own soulful tropes. Bradley's rough vocalisation - courtesy of his dry voice - is not without power, and definitely not without soul and heaps of personality. But Changes, as his 2016 album is called, is much more than just a Black Sabbath cover song. It is a soul album that aspires to be much more than just that, but he never betrays his roots as a fan and impersonator of James Brown.

Stalker: "Satanic Panic"

Wild speed metal flagellations

It is not often - unless you specifically seek it out - that you hear about new bands from New Zealand. And when you do, it is even rarer for that band to be one of those exciting new names that randomly pops up every so often. Bands like Ranger from Finland and Encyrcle from Denmark both fit the bill, and Stalker from Wellington are most definitely one of those new names to look out for!

Black Mountain: "IV"

The prominent Canadian band continues to experiment, but seem to have written their master thesis

With a few albums behind them, Black Mountain have never shyed away from blurring the already undefinable lines between drugged out indie rock and finicky stoner rock. Their latest effort, the fourth album IV, again shows that the group are constantly experimenting with their sound, while the half-psychedelic ramblings which is the core of their style remains largely the same.

Hammerfall: "Built to Last"

As the regular writer on TONEwood is obviously way too busy listening to tapes, sewing on limited edition patches and doing other trve metal stuff, and not having the golden hair it takes, I was given the opportunity to write a review of the new Hammerfall album Built to Last and – if you’re already a fan of Hammerfall – you are in for an absolute treat!

Messenger: "Threnodies"

Immense sophomore effort from prog's shining star, a piece that is sufficiently on the heavy side to bring forth depth

The very nature of progressive music, or progressive rock for that matter, is always up for discussion. The concept is, in essence, hard to define. The still newly established Prog chart lists groups, musicians and bands from Radiohead, electronic music pioneer Jean Michel Jarre, heavy metal-rock leaders Katatonia and heavy metal warriors Grand Magus over avant-garde musician Brian Eno, progressive metal bands Dream Theater and Periphery, to classic acts like Electric Light Orchestra and Hawkwind. In the meantime, a new heavyweight in modern prog emerges from the shadows...

Void Meditation Cult: "Utter the Tongue of the Dead"

Musical necromancy at its finest

Let the dead be ressurrected and once again walk the Earth so that they may behold the rotten fruit of a 5 year long wait. Half a decade would pass before we would finally hear another release from Ohio's Void Meditation Cult. And the wait has been worth it.

The previous 8 tracks - 4 from Sperm of Antichrist, the band's previous incarnation, and 4 from Void Meditation Cult proper - have barely been enough to keep the black metal withdrawal symptoms at bay. With Utter the Tongue of the Dead, the time has finally come to once again hear their noxious sermons.

Metal Gallows Triple Attack: Abominant, Morrow & Death by Fungi

Abominant (USA) – Napalm Reign (2016, Deathgasm Records)

To call Abominant yet another death metal band would not be doing them justice. This is a band that has been consistently been putting out solid material for the past 13 years. They have a total of 11 full lengths under their belt and while I can’t speak for the quality of all their releases, the work ethic of this band is very commendable indeed. Their 11th full length, titled Napalm Reign, was released earlier this year through Deathgasm Records, and here the band serves the audience a reminder as to why they are a band to pay attention to.

The album kicks off with sounds of an air raid and right out of the gate the band unleashes raw, old school death metal featuring buzzsaw guitars and typical death metal riffs. No Peace transitions into a groove oriented riff fest somewhere along the middle, treating the listeners to some pummeling downtuned savagery. Reborn Through Bloodshed follows a similar path to the opener and it is not until the third track Iron Clad that the true USP of Abominant shines through.

Hobbs' Angel of Death: "Heaven Bled"

Hobbs' Angel of Death makes a return, but not so much a return to form

What year is it!? The Stranger Things series inspired by classic Spielberg and the like is a huge hit, while synthwave artists are spreading their neon glow all over the world, and Hobbs' Angel of Death - Australia's prodigal thrash metal son - has returned with the first album in over 20 years!

Nite Funk: "Nite-Funk"

Night-time funk for your favourites-list

The heavenly match that the world deserves, Nite Funk is the union of singer/keyboardist Nite Jewel and jack-of-all-trades Dâm-Funk. The Nite-Funk EP cleverly and seamlessly combine elements of retro and modern in a mix that could best be described as half funky retro disco and half post-modern vocal pop.

Seventh Xul: "Qliphothic Rites of Death"

Two deadly doctrines were all the potent Greek duo could muster, but what a great one it was!

Though short in playing time, Qliphothic Rites of Death by Seventh Xul is an EP with some history behind it. It is a result of the collaboration between two prominent and productive metal maniacs from Greece: N.e.c.r.o. and Acherontas, known individually from their long involvement in the scene through bands like Burial Hordes, Enshadowed and Acherontas.

Neige et Noirceur: "Les Ténèbres modernes"

The ground trembles with every lumbering step from Neige et Noirceur

Neige et Noirceur is arguably among one of the better known Quebecois black metal bands, and is - of course - shrouded in a degree of mystery. The sole member, Zifond, has previously called himself Spiritus, but by now goes by the name Sion Daus. Since the creation of Neige et Noirceur in 2005, Zifond has conceived an abundance of releases losely tied together under the black metal category.

Power Glove: "Trials of the Blood Dragon OST"

Hits but mostly commercialised misses for undiscerning fans

Mysterious Australian elecro-duo Power Glove have been lurking and looming for some time, poking their cyborg heads out once in a while to drop off a new track, an EP or a soundtrack at regular intervals. Their hugely popular soundtrack for the Ubisoft game Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon in 2013 was many people's first look into the neon-bathed vector lines of retro-futuristic synthwave music, and now they're back, revisiting the franchise that to some degree broke new ground for them.

Forteresse: "Thèmes pour la rébellion"

News from Canada's prime metal export bodes well

It's time to dust off the accent button on your keyboard, the Canadian black metal scene is stirring once again! Athros, Moribond and company return with another dose of black metal from the northern hemisphere, fully five years since their last album.

From their debut in 2006 until the release of the critiqued fourth album Crépuscule d'Octobre in 2011, Forteresse had a long streak of releases coming out at regular intervals. But apart from a single track, Wendigo, on the 2014 split with three other Canadian black metal acts, the Québécois separatists have been laying suspiciously low.