Thankfully our underground has continued to thrive, evolve and grow during 2022 and it's also been heartening to see gigs, tours and festivals all getting back to a degree of normality.
The standard of music this year has been hard to fault with many first rate releases coming from across the globe meaning I had a lot of difficult decisions to make regarding which to include in this article. For the first time I've tied the number one spot on this listing between two exceptional releases which I simply couldn't split in terms of how much I enjoyed them.
The underground in Kolkata has continued to release music of the very highest standard with three releases included on this list and I know Kolkata's importance to the worldwide underground will continue for many years.
I hope you enjoy listening to these releases which you may have missed during the year and keep checking back to The Lair of Filth in the coming weeks as my Top 25 Album Listing will be published soon.
As always, my eternal thanks are with you, the reader, for taking the time to read this post along with others during the year - every view, like, comment and share mean a lot to me, so thanks again for your support, Trevor.
24. Ritualization - Hema Ignis Necros - Iron Bonehead Productions.
First new music from Ritualization since their album 'Sacraments to the Sons of the Abyss' which was also released by Iron Bonehead Productions in 2017.
23. Biological Warfare - 盜殺.復讐.虐殺 / 新寄生生物たちの時代 (Butchery .Revenge.Carnage / Neo-Parasitic Age) - Cyclopean Eye Productions.
"Biological Warfare from Korea who belong to the infamous 4444 Reich circle (featuring Reek of the Unzen Gas Fumes, Thy Sepulchural Moon, Grizzly Fetish among others) play a sickening mixture of Black/Noisegrind and agonizing Power Electronics."
The compilation cd features songs from demos: 盜殺.復讐.虐殺 / 新寄生生物たちの時代 (Butchery .Revenge.Carnage / Neo-Parasitic Age)
22. NunSlaughter / Slaughtbbath / Sacrilegious Rite / Morbid Sacrifice - Cursed Recordings.
A total of twenty tracks featuring four of the underground's greatest bands.
21. Abraxxum - The Steel Jaws of Choronzom - Cyclopean Eye Productions.
"Conjuring forth from the mind of Diocletian's Noise Monarch - Atrociter, a new project has been summoned from the void named Abraxxum. Abraxxum plays Occult Power Electronics and Ritual Darkness with all Sonic Alchemy and Analogue Abuse harmed by Modular Synthesis and Live Instrumentation only!"
20. Grave Upheaval / The Funeral Orchestra - Inexistentia - Parasitic Records.
Split release between Australia's Grave Upheaval and The Funeral Orchestra from Sweden.
19. Abythic - Eden of the Doomed - Iron Bonehead Productions.
Follow up to last year's album, 'Dominion of the Wicked.'
18. Serpent Spawn - Crypt of Torment - Iron Bonehead Productions.
Debut release from Germany's Serpent Spawn, a band we'll hopefully hear a lot more from in the near future.
17. Deathless Void - Demo MMXXI / Deathless Void - Iron Bonehead Productions.
Debut release from Holland's Deathless Void.
16. Varathron / Ungod - Apocalyptic Mysticism - Iron Bonehead Productions.
First original material from Varathron since their 2019 split, 'Duality of the Unholy Existence' which they shared with Rotting Christ along with Ungod's first new material since 2020.
15. Sacrilegia - Sold Under Sin - Invictus Productions.
Much anticipated follow up to Sacrilegia's stunning debut album, 'The Triclavian Advent' which was released in 2019.
14. Necrodeity - Left Emanations - Death Oracle.
Essentially the first Kolkata recording and the second time Necrodeity feature on this list. This lethal Kolkata band was brought to a much wider audience when this demo finally received an official release this year by Death Oracle.
"'Left Emanations' Demo (recorded way back in December MMXIII and was eventually lost for years up until recently it has been retrieved from the dungeon abyss) and 'Death Over Kalikshetra'
60+ minutes of live barbarism at various ritual altars circa 2014-2015) are the bona fide evidences of Necrodeity's all-consuming audioactive dissolution, now only published as special cassette tape editions by Death Oracle on a special occasion to mark the completion of a glorious decade devoted to sheer adversarial ideals and a total musical transgression that are now synonymous with Kolkata Black Metal."
13. Vomit Angel - Bucolic Nightmare - Silver Key Records + AlphaGoat Records.
Demo issued on cassette in a limited number of 120 copies. At the time of writing the tape was available directly from the band by following this link. Hopefully we'll see further formats released as the music on this demo certainly deserves it.
12. Nunslaughter / Blood - Nunslaughter / Blood - Hells Headbangers Records + Vic Records.
Blood's first new material since their 2017 album, 'Inferno' which also features material from one of six releases from Nunslaughter in 2022.
11. Malthusian / Suffering Hour - Time's Withering Shadow - Invictus Productions.
The highly anticipated return of Malthusian with their first new material since their 2018 debut album, 'Across Deaths' which I placed at number 7 in my Top 25 album listing for that year. Suffering Hour's tracks are the first since their second full length 'The Cyclic Reckoning' which was released last year.
10. Vadhakarmadhikarin - Vikramana Mahamedha Sandhya - Nuclear War Now! Productions.
Further greatness from Kolkata, "After slowly tuning their ancient oscillators and strategized vibratory attacks of their debut compilation entitled ‘Anvastra Svara Sattaragra’ released initially as a tape by Canadian War Metal label – War Vellum (and later as a DLP by GoatowaRex in 2022), Vadhakarmadhikarin bludgeons the degenerate and unworthy with exceptional sonic turbulence. Their new EP titled ‘Vikramana Mahamedha Sandhya’ hurls Eight radioactive spears from the closed-door chamber of ‘Kolkata Inner Order’ as an ultimate experiment to test the human endurance, both physical, psychological and spiritual.
To sustain the Kolkata Black Metal domination, Vadhakarmadhikarin incarnates itself as a triad, with Kharga transmitting Brahma, Tvashtra transmitting Vishnaw and Aharsha transmitting Maheshwarah energies and are multi-versed in all sonic tactics, ciphers and methods of sonic-warfare assuming different roles for different intentions."
Another sterling release from Archgoat, a rare band where their consistency matches their productivity.
The follow up to Crucifier's 2018 album, 'Thy Sulfur Throne on High.'
Two of Poland's most promising groups from recent years combine perfectly on this lethal split.
6. Hanghedief - Overduyvelsche Boosheit - Iron Bonehead Productions.
Belgium hasn't fallen short in recent years when it comes to releasing music of the highest standard and the country further cements its rightful place in the underground with this superb debut release from Hanghedief. Featuring Pz. Kpfw on drums who should need no introduction as he's one of the most productive members of the underground, featuring in a number of bands including Possession, Dikasterion and Terrifiant. Hanghedief's line-up is completed by the musical genius that is POX, another legend within the Belgian underground.
5. Weregoat - The Devil's Lust - Iron Bonehead Productions.
Second of two EP releases from Weregoat, released simultaneously by Iron Bonehead Productions in August.
4. Weregoat / Eggs of Gomorrh - Orgiastic Rape of Resurrected Remains - Iron Bonehead Productions.
The first of two EP releases featuring Weregoat this year which were released on the same day, marking their first original material since 2017's 'Pestilential Rites of Infernal Fornication' which I placed at number 2 in my Top 25 album listing for that year. Weregoat's music on this release is perfectly complemented by that from Eggs of Gomorrh who were also very productive this year as they released their second full length album, 'Wombspreader.'
3. Death Worship - Reaping Majesty - Nuclear War Now! Productions.
One of year's highly anticipated releases which certainly lives up to its expectations. "Death Worship continues on the path of militant evil with the Reaping Majesty 6 song EP. 2 new tracks and 4 older songs redone to display the unrelenting power of the Death Worship live line up."
2. Brahmastrika / Necrodeity - Praeternatural Commotions from Kolkata Maha Samshana - Iron Bonehead Productions.
Brahmastrika's first new material since last year's Abhabaniyastral Samsarimplication EP which featured at number 3 in my Top 25 EP listing last year - as with all Kolkata bands Brahmastrika continues to go from strength to strength. This split also helped bring Necrodeity's music to a wider audience than ever before, this is Necrodeity's first new material in over 9 years and hopefully we'll hear a lot more from this Kolkata group very soon. Further articles regarding Kolkata bands can be accessed here.
A fantastic split release which features the first new Tchornobog material since their 2017 self-titled debut album coupled with the first new Abyssal material since their 2019 album, 'A Beacon in the Husk' which was placed at number one in my Top 25 album listing for that year.
With each track lasting around twenty four minutes each is as ambitious and epic in scope as the other. As stated below regarding Qrixkuor's release there are a few modern masters when it comes to writing longer tracks and we're fortunate to witness another two such groups on this release in the form of Abyssal and Tchornobog.
1. Qrixkuor - Zoetrope - Invictus Productions / Dark Descent Records.
'Zoetrope' is the follow up to 2021's debut full length Poison Palinopsia from Qrixkuor which was placed at number 1 in my Top 25 album listing last year. This is the third time Qrixkuor have been placed at number 1 as another previous release, the Three Devils Dance EP was placed at number one on my Top 25 EP listing for 2016.
'Zoetrope' is a one track EP which last over 24 minutes and shows us yet again that Qrixkuor are as ambitious as they are talented and are easily one of a few modern masters of writing tracks with longer duration.
1 comment:
nice one trevor - JK
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