Non Opus Dei & Morowe: "Dziwki Dwie"

Impressive and different black metal from Poland, taking jabs at the inadequacies of the established scene

In the case of this split EP by Polish country-mates Non Opus Dei and Morowe there's a little more going on than the old "two bands getting together to release something" schtick. Non Opus Dei have been gracing Europe with several old school black metal albums since the late 90s, their sound representative for the time, if at times venturing further. Morowe, in the same manner, are a product of their times, only they are a much younger band. These guys are definitely not afraid of pushing the boundaries of black metal, and together these two groups represent old and new.

Bonobo: "Migration"

Deeply personal compositions which should appeal to audiophiles and substance-freaks alike

Though Bonobo has already cemented his place among the greatest of chilled out electronica, he drives this placement home fifty times over with his newest opus, Migration. As if the works of Bonobo didn't already suggest it, the title of the newest album also suggest that this composer isn't keeping still when it comes to style and genre. Migration is simplistic yet swelling, not quite as fuzzy as, say, Black Sands, but he definitely keeps to his own general aesthetic, perhaps only more substantial and fine-tuned this time around.

Rape On Mind: "Downwards"

Poland's worst export

Experimentation is the essence of progress, but experimentation with no goal in mind more often than not yields terrible results. While some are content with just fine tuning what has essentially been done before, that is something that Rape On Mind aren't about at all. Inducing a thought of "huh, I wonder where this is going", their Downwards album is definitely aiming to be different.

Swamp Witch: "Gnosis"

The soundtrack to your worst nightmare

Every so often a band will emerge with little to no warning and simply floor you with its sonic output. One such band is Swamp Witch, with their 2011 EP Gnosis, which forcibly injects tainted acid into the veins of the listener and sends them on a journey of murkey, distorted psychedelia.

Defilementory: "The Dismal Ascension"

Restless power erupting in sun-fire torrents

Though three years between releases isn't all that much, it felt like forever when it took so long for Danish technical death metal practitioners Defilementory to release their debut album after the phenomenal Infatuated With Deformity EP from 2011. What originally made them stand out was the prominent bass work, and the fact that they so finely balanced their levels of brutality and technicality in a mix which was both impressive and extremely enjoyable.

Oliver: "Mechanical"

Fans of retro-future synth music, behold!

Though the duo known as Oliver hails from Los Angeles, their sound could easily see them mistaken for a French house group, and indeed they compare favourably to the likes of Justice with a production job as crisp as the air on an exceptionally cold and dry winters day.

Incarceration: "Sacrifice"

The apex predator of death metal

Having garnered much praise through numerous reviews, the Brazilian/German death-thrashers Incarceration are now more or less a household name within certain circles of death. I had the extreme pleasure of witnessing their performance at the last edition of the Danish death metal festival, Kill-Town Death Fest, where they played the smallest stage, Dødsmaskinen. Witnessing their savage performance seemed like a privilege in itself, especially with frontman Daniel sporting his trademark grin throughout the show in front of a packed house.