Malichor: "The Serum"

Lovecraftian metal that presents the author's more visceral side

We come to find ourselves once again in the company of Australia's Malichor, brandishing the proud tradition of blackened thrash metal with wild fervour as per usual. From previous experience with the band I have come to expect nothing but the best in ruthlessness and riffing that takes to straight to Lovecraft's most tenebrous nightmares. Inspired by equal measures Re-Animator and From Beyond - Two absolute classics of Lovecraftian horror cinema, both starring Jeffrey Combs - we're being spoiled with a take on the classic mythos, but without the by now standardised Cthulhu/Azathoth shtick.

Journey to Ixtlan: "Journey to Ixtlan"

An organic sound blanket that falls gracefully on the ground, covering everything in its mesa colours

Clay Ruby is undoubtedly most well known for Burial Hex (or one of the countless other groups he has been involved with over the years), and given his involvement in such a staggering amount of groups, bands and projects, most are bound to overlook the massively leviathan album that is Journey to Ixtlan.

Menschheitsdämmerung: "Cleaver of Skies and Tenets"

With an instinct for majestic riffs and compelling material, the Belgian one-man army conquers most rivals

In an attempt to achieve unparalleled atmosphere in the name of depression and deep, dark forests, many modern black metal groups have taken to ridiculous amounts of distortion in what seems to be an almost deliberate attempt to obscure their own inability to write compelling material. Classics like Burzum's Filosofem had clear production with every instrument standing out, the compositions themselves easily holding their own regardless of sound. Xasthur's Telepathic with the Deceased may well be the album that for many people has incited this infatuation with thick shrouds of noise and an abundance of effects on vocals as well as strings, but even this modern classic has its obvious hooks and captivating passages.

Stromptha: "Necronirisme"

Embers burning beneath heaps of snow

There is undoubtedly some interest to be garnered just from being from a place as unusual as Greenland, and true, that was the very reason I sought them out. But Greenland with its vast vistas of nothing but ice, snow and barren rock should be as likely a place for cold hearted metal as any! Even so, the question remains if the compositions and execution stands on its own.

Armagedon: "Thanatology"

Chugs and tremolos at the artist's discretion

Go digging around in Poland's heavy metal history and you'll come up with quite a few gems. Some, like Armagedon from Kwidzyn, have been hanging on since the 80s, during which time they released a few demos before their true debut Invisible Circle in 1993. The original crew broke up in 1994, only to re-emerge in 2006 for another hard hitting bout in the ring.

Stormbringer: "Stealer of Souls"

An 80s metal tour-de-force just a decade too late

Not to be confused with the Deep Purple album of the same name from 1974, Stormbringer brought their Americanised brand of power metal from the state of Illinois in the early 90s. With only two releases - according to Metal Archives - behind them, the band has remained in relative obscurity for years with only a very small coven of cult followers still active today.

Lord Impaler: "Babylon Whore"

Many repeat offenses which would have, ironically, been more enjoyable in a more brief format.

Since 1998 the Greek group known as Lord Impaler have unleashed grueling black metal through several demos, finally culminating with severe force in 2011 in the form of the album Admire the Cosmos Black. 2013 saw them continue in the vein of smaller releases with the Babylon Whore EP; With a mere two songs to show, they make up for the short play time with immediate and unrelenting explosions of blast beats and tremolo riffs going the speed of a circular saw.