Demon Head: "Thunder on the Fields"

Bluesy Heavy Rock Thunder from Denmark

With exceptional and prominent bands praciticing the style like Horisont, Kadavar, Witchcraft, Graveyard and many, many more, the sort of proggy sound of 70's-tinged hard rock is back in full vigour. Add to this roster the Danes in Demon Head, and you've got yourself a fully fledged 'scene' with a lot going on.

Excision: "The Drowning Tear"

A gem of death metal with few side steps

A band like Excision from Netherlands never really got an international break and is as such one of those well-hidden gems of the metal underground. Even a split with Paul Speckmann's Master from 1996 and the Dreamality full length album from the same year couldn't give them a true breakthrough, but there's some definite quality in their quirky darkness.

Muka: "Sveta Stoka"

While playing the imitation game, Muka found their own sound in tightly-knit chaos

Listening to Muka's 2017 EP Sveta Stoka at full volume allows one to fully appreciate their dissonant, intricate layering. Each track is a roaring flurry of bone-crunching processions, echoing efforts by bands such as Deathspell Omega, but never resorting to straight up imitation.

Redrum: "Power Corrupts"

Unpolished gem of old school thrash from when the genre was on its way out of style

Redrum from Sacramento, CA, should by connoisseurs be considered a classic underground American thrash band. They only ever released a handful of demos of varying quality, but the main attraction here is their one full length album Power Corrupts, which was re-released in 2007 by Evil Legends with new artwork (and thank god for that, 'cause the old artwork was terrible and speaks of a limited budget).

Astra: "The Black Chord"

Hyperbole aside, The Black Chord still stands as one of modern times' best prog rock albums, even 5 years on

Though arguably the decade of progressive rock was the 1970's, it's impressive to find that there are still being produced absolutely timeless and phenomenal prog rock albums 40 years on. San Diego's Astra is clearly Floydian in concept and execution, but there is so much more to their sound than a mere Pink Floyd clone.

Sangus: "Vengeful Brutality"

No holds barred, no corners cut, just survival of the fittest

Holding high the tatteret banners of thrash-encrusted black metal are Sangus of Rhode Island, USA. Vengeful Brutality seems a fitting title for the kind of furious black metal ablaze with the naked flames of crust punk that we find under their moniker. But the intensity of the raw abrasions comes at the cost of the atmosphere often found inherent in black metal, gambling with the wholesomeness of the debut, often making it a cacophonous mess of blasting drums and hostile guitars.

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.