CarlG's Best of 2025

#1 Humiliation (Mys)-Echoes of Annexation, these guys are Death Metal machines and do it just as I like it! Many people may not like them because they always sound the same, never change anything but that is great to me! Two years in a row they have made #1 on my list, so let's hope for a new 2026 from them as it will be in a fight with the upcoming new Vomitory!

 

#2 Sloow (Aut)-Sloow, I've said before I am not good at genres but these guys are labeled Death/Doom which doesn't fit for me as I hear pure solid Death Metal. A little short at 11 songs all between 3 to 5 minutes and totaling 30:13 but not a real negative! Many new bands are inserting a song in their albums at 8 to 12 minutes long and that just doesn't work for me so this one is good!

 

#3 Benediction (UK)-Ravage of Empires, These guys have been a favorite band of mine since they popped out of the womb in 1990 and they keep giving us great Death Metal! Also just how I like it with 11 songs at 3 to 5 minutes and totaling 47:25 of great music! Glad they got Dave Ingram back as he's a great vocalist.

 

#4 Unbounded Terror (Esp)-Something Is Rotten In Humanity, another big favorite band of mine for many years, who never change! Just like Benediction above, these guys have 10 songs all at 3 to 5 minutes and totaling 36:41 and great guitar riffs, no bullshit intros or outros, so keep up the good work UT and don't change a thing!

 

#5 Guts (Fin)-Nightmare Fuel, these Fins have a great 2023 release that made #2 on my list and this one is a great follow up. Their 2023 shows 166 plays in my iTunes and this one shows 117 plays so I must be enjoying them! Plus just as I keep saying, 11 songs, all 3 to 5 minutes long at 43:14 so they are perfect!

 

#6 Trigger (Rus)-The Waking Beast, these guys are in a fight with the great Ammonium, Entrenchment and Corpse Worship to be my favorite of the 208 Russian DM bands in my iTunes! Another band that does it just right with 9 songs, all 3 to 5 minutes long and no bullshit intros. This is full length #5 since 2012 so hopefully they'll keep it rolling with more great Death Metal!

 

#7 Zombie Feast (Grc)-They Shall Walk Again, Greece is another very good Death Metal country with many bands that I like. We have here a newer band with only a 2022 good 5 song EP so it is great to get another solid release from these guys! A little short at only 35:11 but nothing but Death Metal music with no bullshit intros or outros! Let's hope for more soon!

 

#8 Gomorrha (Ger)-Straight Into Beyond, despite being active since 1986 as a Thrash band and only releasing 4 demos, I had no knowledge of these guys till they came out with their very good 2020 six song EP, then a real good 2023 full length. Again, another band that does it just how I like it with 9 songs at just under 39 minutes, with no bullshit intros and some really solid Death Metal.

 

#9 Carnal Savagery (Swe)-Crypt of Decay, these guys have become Death Metal machines with 7 full length albums since 2020 and they keep growing on me more with every release. They are down to only 2 members now, with the great Mattias who does vocals for good band Desolation. Again, as whoever reads this will get tired of me saying, 9 songs in the 3+ minute range with no bullshit.

 

#10 Centinex (Swe)-With Guts and Glory, another band that has been a good favorite of mine for many years. I can't remember when I discovered these guys but they go back to the early 90s so they've been kicking butt for a long time. This is very short at only 29 minutes long, but there is no waste of intros or outros so give them a try as they keep on doing it.

 

#11 Disrupted (Swe)-Stinking Death, guess what! Ten songs, all at 3 to 4 minutes long totaling 40+ minutes of great Swedish Death Metal! These guys grabbed me with their first release, a 2014 EP that is really good. They have followed that up with a 2015 & 2020 full length that are both very good listens!

 

#12 New World Depression (Ger)-Abysmal Void, I love me some German Death Metal and these guys are great at giving more of what I need! We have 10 songs and just how I like it at 41:51 in length! Great vocals, great riffs and these guys have been giving it to us pretty consistently over the last 10 years!

 

#13 Angerseed (Hun)-Rapture is Mine... Glory is Ours, Hungary is another real good Death Metal country and this release has 8 good songs at 46 minutes long. The only BIG negative is bonus song #9 that has 5:27 of folk guitar and spoken words that does not fit the album or Death Metal at all.

 

#14 Maceration (Dnk)-Serpent Devourment, damn can the Danes do Death Metal! These guys had a 1992 full length, then other than a 1995 promo/demo they ghosted us for 30 years, till their good full length that made #13 on my best of 2022! Well they haven't let us down as this is a good solid 10 songs at 39:41 and just how I like it!

 

#15 Mass Burial (Esp)-May Darkness Come, Spain has become another big favorite Death Metal country to me and these guys have been a good favorite for over 10 years. We have 11 songs, just as I like it with all 3 to 5 minutes long and other than some short intros nothing but solid straight up Death Metal!

 

#16 Cruenta Venganza (Ger)-Legend, a very underrated band here as this album isn't uploaded anywhere that I could find. Good solid Death Metal from the great Death Metal country of Germany and this is album number 3 from these guys with a 2013 and 2016 that are pretty solid albums. Some label this as "melodic" but I hear Death Metal.

 

#17 Hellgrav (Ger) - Dehumanized, really good new band from the greatest Death Metal country "IMO" Germany! Nothing different, nothing special, just good old straight up Death Metal! No surprise as it is a solid 11 songs at just over 43 minutes with only a short intro to one song.

 

#18 Cancer (UK)-Inverted World, despite having some of their CDs in my physical collection I've only been a mild fan of these guys over the years but I'm really loving this release. This is done to my liking with 10 songs all in the 3 to 5 minute range at near 45 minutes long. Other than song #9 starting off with folk guitar playing this is a really solid release of great Death Metal!

 

#19 Bear Mace (US)-Slaves Of The Wolf, full length #3 from these Chicago boys and this one fits right in with their previous releases. Great vocals, great riffs, no bullshit and more of the same, 8 songs of some great Death Metal.

 

#20 Death Kommander (UK)-Never to Grow Old, these guys are listed as Scots but are really international as they have members from Germany and Switzerland! They have a 2022 release that made #16 on my list so no surprise these guys are here! A little short with 8 songs at 31:23 but no bullshit, just good music!

 

#21 Mind Snare (Ita)-33 Curse At The Nazarene, other than one song this is a re-recording of previously released songs and that is something I like bands to do. The new vocalist replacing the great Gigi Casini is good and I hope we get some more new stuff from these great Italian guys!

 

#22 Graceless (Nth)-Icons Of Ruin, never a big Doom fan but this is a band I've enjoyed over their short lifespan, going on 9 years now. I really loved their 1st release, from 2017 and they seemed to go downhill from there, but this is a solid release so maybe they are making a comeback and hope they keep the great Remco on vocals! Their 1st release in 2017 made #10, then their 2020 made #32 and their 2022 made #40 so they are back on the rise.

 

#23 Moribund Scum (Ger)-First Cold Days in Hell, this is a band that I have whiffed on and not been aware of but looking at their Metal Archives page, it shows them as thrash. Being a heavy thrash fan in the 80s & early 90s I've lost thrash with Death Metal and was not aware of these guys but this album sounds Death Metal to me and very good!

 

#24 Voorhees (Fra)-4, I've been aware of these guys since their first EP and despite them having 3 EPs and now their 3rd full length I've neglected them a bit. This is some really solid Death Metal and not any bullshit. This release sounds like it has very good production to my old ears.

 

#25 Red Dead (Fra)-Paths Across the Graves, some good French Death Metal from a band with only 3 full length releases. This is just how I like it, 11 songs at 39 minutes with good vocals and good solid music. Only negative is 2 of the songs at 1+ minute each are what I guess would be called "interludes" and not interesting at all.

 

#26 Death From Above (Fra)-Reckoning of the Damned, France does some good Death Metal and we have a fairly new band here with their second full length and the guitarist from above band Red Dead! This wasn't released till December 12th so it hasn't gotten the attention it deserves but guess what! We have 9 songs at almost 39 minutes of pure Death Metal, no intros or interludes yahoooo!

 

#27 Anoxia (Aus)-Revel in Sin, for my tastes Aussie doesn't give me many good Death Metal bands but these guys are doing it. Their first full length here, with a previous 2023 EP that is good. Good solid stuff with a small negative of being a little short at 34 minutes long.

 

#28 Drawn And Quartered (US)-Lord of Two Horns, despite having all their releases I've never had these guys as a big favorite but this album has grabbed me more than their past stuff. When things slow down I need to go back to their older releases as they are a good solid band.

 

#29 Massafaction (Ger)-Downfall Of Trinity, pretty good new pure Death Metal and from the great Death Metal country of Germany! One small negative is it's a little short at only 32 minutes but still well worth the listen. Let's hope we get more from these guys in the future as they do it right!

 

#30 Blood Bringer (Ger)-Dead World, more good new German Death Metal! Really solid 10 songs at just over 36 minutes long with some really great riffs and very good vocals. Hope we get more from these guys soon.

 

#31 Heretic Warfare (Ger)-Perpetual Fire, some pretty good new German Death Metal! These guys have been around 11 years with only a previous demo and full length. This is some solid DM with 1 small negative of a 2 minute intro on song #1, but otherwise good stuff that I have to admit I've neglected.

 

#32 Ribspreader (Swe)-As Gods Devour, been a big fan of these guys ever since their 1st release but I've gone downhill on them in recent times. It isn't on them as they are still good but I've just found so much other more enjoyable stuff. This is a good 9 songs but a little short at only 33 minutes, otherwise a good solid release and more Rogga!

 

#33 Shed The Skin (US)-The Carnage Cast Shadows, another band that I've never had as a big favorite but found them good over the years. This one is a good solid release, just as I like it with 11 songs all 3 to 5 minutes totaling 41:01. Good solid vocals, good music and so glad they don't have the keyboards they had on their 2014 & 2016 releases!

 

#34 Disfuneral (Fra)-In Horror, Reborn, these guys have been a recent favorite French band for me, but only a 2017 EP & a full length that came in at #7 on my 2022 list. This came out in April and I neglected it a good bit after a few listens but going back to it I'm really liking it. Guess what, 9 songs with no intros, outros or interludes!

 

#35 Warkunt (Fra)-Cyclonic Abyss, more solid French Death Metal and damn is France on a roll with Voorhees, Red Dead, Disfuneral, Death From Above & Creeping Fear! This is full length #2 from these guys with their previous coming in at #29 on my best of 2018. Just a little short at 32 minutes but some good stuff!

#36 Lik (Swe)-Necro, I've liked this band a good bit over their 10 plus years of existence and now, their 4th full length of good solid Swedish Death Metal. Another with 10 songs at 40:44 with no bullshit! This has 3 reviews at MA showing 65% and I haven't paid as much attention to this one as their previous stuff but it is good!

 

#37 Curse of Khatru (Ger)-Curse of Khatru, another good new German band with 39+ minutes of solid Death Metal and a first release! They do use some occasional backing vocals that I don't care for but otherwise it is a good listen with some really solid riffs.

 

#38 Spirit of Rebellion (Can)-Transcendent Chaos, I've been a good fan of these guys since their first release and see they are labeled "Death/Black" at Metal Archives, which doesn't fit my style. This is some good solid Death Metal clocking in at 38:29 and should be getting more attention from me.

 

#39 War Magic (Swe)-Atomic Rites, more Rogga with a solid 10 songs at 36 minutes long and no bullshit! Rogga has been wearing us out with so many bands and so many releases but this is some good music. To my knowledge Rogga has 7 albums in 2025 with others from bands Rogga Johansson, Ghoulhouse, Those Who Bring The Torture, House by the Cemetary, Dead Sun & Furnace!

 

#40 Inhuman Condition (US)-Mind Trap, a very talented band here with members from many bands but originally from the great Massacre. I've not given this the attention it deserves as it isn't grabbing me like their previous but will give it more in the future. A negative is a song with spoken words in it.

 

#41 Last Retch (Can)-Abject Cruelty, another good band, started in 2021 with 2 full lengths, a demo and an EP! Canada has had a good year for Death Metal! This one is a little short at only 27:39 but 8 good songs!

 

#42 Dig Me No Grave (Rus)-Necrocosmic Ceremony, this one should have gotten more attention from me as I've liked their previous releases but it just hasn't grabbed me as much. It's still a good solid 9 songs of Death Metal with a small negative of 1 song at just over 1 minute that is worthless.

 

#43 Seventh Sight (Swe)-Wings of Perdition, some more solid Swedish Death Metal! It's a little short with 8 songs at only 28 minutes but this was released in November while they had a good 6 song, 22:32 EP release in April. So, combine the two and you have a good 50 minutes of new Death Metal!

 

#44 Lycanthropia (Hun)-Postmortem Civilization, some more good solid stuff from a newer Hungarian band with only 1 previous release and from another good Death Metal country! It's 9 songs at just over 40 minutes with no bullshit and a good intro!

 

#45 Unmerciful (US)-Devouring Darkness, a mild fan of these guys over the years but they do some solid Death Metal! This is 10 songs at 38:13 with no intros, outros or interludes and nothing but good solid Death Metal!

CarlG's Best of 2024

A crazy year as there are a lot of new releases from past bands I loved but just couldn't fit them in or didn't like them! 

1) Humiliation (Mys)-Conflagration, cheating here as this is supposedly Dec 23rd 2023 release, but for some reason these guys albums are always later than the release date. This band is so good that they have climbed my list of best bands ever to #3 behind Vomitory and Bolt Thrower. They put out a new album every year, never change a thing and have 10 songs at just under 44 minutes. They also have a 2021 release that was never let out, then 2 weeks after this one it popped out, so 2 Humiliation albums at once! 

2) Sentient Horror (US)-In Service of the Dead, these guys have only been active 10 years now, with this being just their 4th full length and quite an accomplishment. I've got many favorite US bands Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Massacre, Monstrosity, Jungle Rot, Immolation, Divine Empire, Hate Eternal, Morta Skuld, These Are They, Abysmal Dawn to name a few. Well SH has kicked them all down the ladder & are #2 on my list, with only the great Obituary over them as my favorite US band! 

 

3) Fatal (Cri)-Disgusting Perception, this band has done something to me that not many bands have ever done, which is play it over and over for many days after it was released. Another perfect definition of straight up, pure, 100% Death Metal! Great riffs, great drumming and really great vocals make this a very special release and surprisingly from Costa Rica! Their only other release is a 2023 EP with 3 songs that are on this great release, but surprisingly they sound much different despite having the same vocalist but he doesn't sound the same as on the EP. Very underrated band as I see nobody has them on Youtube as a favorite 2024! 

 

4) Tales Of Blood (Fra)-Breath of Repugnance, this was a very late 2024 release not hitting us until December 17th, but it grabbed me immediately! These French guys have been in action over 30 years but this is only their #2 full length, with their 2019 release being good also. A little short at only 34:17 but solid 9 songs of pure Death Metal! 

5) Cryptic Hatred (Fin)-Internal Torment, a very solid band from the great Death Metal country of Finland! They have a superb 2022 release and it is impossible to say which of the two is better, as they both are great releases. They also have a 2 song split release in 2023 that surprisingly has 175 listens per my iTunes, which is very surprising to me. Keep it up guys, don't fix what ain't broke! 

6) Burial Remains (Nth)-Adversarial, these Dutch guys became a big favorite of mine with their 2020 release which came in at #2 on my best of list. Their 2019 full length came in at #12 so they just keep on rolling with great Dutch Death Metal! They do it right with 9 songs, just over 37 minutes and no bullcrap! 

7) Psycrotted (Ger)-Creations Of Insanity, new German band with only 2 singles out, released in 2022! This one is just how I like it, 10 songs at just over 48 minutes and only 1 short intro on song #7. Nothing different, nothing progressive or special just same ole, same ole great German Death Metal so keep up the great sound guys! 

8) Manus Mortis (Ger)-Shores of Hell, a real solid release from a band that has been active since 2003 but only with a demo and 2 EPs, the last from 2014. More pure straight up German Death Metal. Metal Archives says back in their early years they had a keyboard player so very fortunate that ended with their 2003 demo! We do not need keyboards, flutes, monk chants or violins in Death Metal! Really good 11 songs at 43:12! 

9) Primal Code (US)-Opaque Fixation, a really solid 9 songs at 38 minutes of pure Death Metal with the only negative being a waste of 39 seconds for an intro. I wasn't aware of these guys and their 2023 release of an EP but hoping for more from them down the road! 

10) Morta Skuld (US)-Creation Undone, a band that has been around for 34 years now, damn where has time gone and I have really enjoyed their newer releases. They do it just the way I like, 10 songs at 44:28 with no bullshit and only music! I'm not good at comparing bands but damn I confuse them with These Are They & fellow Wisconsin guys Jungle Rot and surprisingly the drummer is ex-Jungle Rot guy Eric House, so no wonder I hear Jungle Rot! 

11) Undead's Damnation (Esp)-World War Nightmare, Spain is climbing my list of favorite Death Metal countries! What we have here is another new band, first release of any kind with vocalist guitarist Raul Weaver from the great Mass Burial and Nasty Surgeons! This is 11 songs at 42:40 with not a second of bullshit! No dual vocals, no intros, just solid great pure Death Metal, just as I like it. 

12) Hate Force (US)-Systems of Terror, these guys have a really good first release that made #16 on my 2019 list. They do 10 songs as I like it, at 39:16 with only 1 vocalist! I hope they don't change and keep giving us pure straight up Death Metal as they've been a good favorite of mine since their first release! 

13) Just Buried (Rus)-Necro-Macro, another new band with a really great solid release of Death Metal! Russia is on a roll with good 2024s from Separatism, Corpse Worship, Septory, Double Homicide, Monastery Dead, Defect Designer, Incurable & Bluntforce! These guys have the drummer from Corpse Worship, so no wonder they are good. Only 2 small negatives are an intro of strange noises at 1:20 long and only 30 minutes of music, but still very good! Now we need some new Trigger & Entrenchment! 

14) Skeletal Remains (USA)-Fragments of the Ageless, this band has been one of my favorite US bands in the last few years. They have 2 previous releases that have made my lists so no surprise this one has also. They do a real good cover of the great Hate Eternal song Messiah Of Rage! Just how I like it, 10 songs at over 45 minutes of pure Death Metal. 

15) Bonestorm (Col)-Hidden Horizon, really like these guys and a solid release to go along with their good 2020 full length! Only slight negative is it is a bit short at only 36+ minutes with 3+ minutes of wasted intro & outro, BUT...they fix that with a really good cover of the great Bolt Thrower song Killchain! Just looked and I have 71 bands in my iTunes from the good SA country of Columbia and these guys lead in the number of plays! 

16) Uninhibited (Ger)-Reign Of The Unholy, very good, underrated two man band here! They only have a 5 song EP released at the end of 2023. Another just how I like it, 12 songs at just under 44 minutes of straight up, no frills Death Metal! Great vocals, great riffs, no bullshit intros and just how Germany does it, GREAT Death Metal. The "U" bands have been on a roll this year as I have 15 in my list of 2024 releases! 

17) Dying Grotesque (Ukr)-Celestial, a good band that I wasn't aware of, despite them having a 2020 release I didn't know about. I do have their 2021 EP but I've never given it any attention. A really solid release here of 8 songs, just a little short at 36:11 and other than a 40 second intro in front of one song this is very good and unfortunately a late in the year release coming November 29th or it could have been higher! 

18) Suicide (Tur)-Devour The Fallen [full length] & Deliberate Delusion [ep], WOW, 35-year-old band here that are only on their 3rd full length release and I have just become aware of them! This is 2 releases, Devour The Fallen is a 38:46 long full length released in November & Deliberate Delusion is a 4 song 14:07 length EP released in May. Put the 2 together and you get 15 songs at 52:54 of some really solid great Death Metal! 

19) Mercyless (Fra)-Those Who Reign Below, these guys have been around since the early days of Death Metal getting close to 40 years with now 8 full lengths to their credit. I've only been a moderate fan of them and feel this is my favorite release. Other than a short intro I don't care for this is some solid straight up Death Metal with 11 songs at near 43 minutes so if not a Mercyless fan give this one a try! 

20) Necrot (US)-Lifeless Birth, another favorite US band of mine with a good solid release of 7 songs at 40+ minutes long. These guys have done what a lot of bands have done this year. It seems to be a new fad to have a song over 8 to 10 minutes long and usually the last song. There have been at least 10 to 12 bands I like that have done that and I'm not a fan of real long songs as they usually get slow and boring although the one here is good. 

21) Karonte (Esp)-Nacer, Sufrir, Morir, another one I'm cheating on as this is supposedly an October 2023 release, but to my knowledge not available anywhere until early January 2024! As I said above, Spain has climbed my list of great Death Metal countries and this is another good one! These guys have been around now, unbelievably for 30 years. They have 2 full lengths out in 2006 and 2012 that I wasn't aware of and so glad I found this one! 

22) Massive Self Killing (Fra)-Twelve Visions Of Chaos, what we have here is a very underrated album from an underrated band. They have a 2018 release that I completely ignored. The vocalist/guitarist is the bass player from good Death Metal band Voorhees and his vocals are very good and the guitar riffs are very appealing to me. It is as I like it, 9 songs over 42 minutes in length! 

23) Carnal Savagery (Swe)-Into the Abysmal Void & Graveworms, Cadavers, Coffins and Bones, we've got 2 full length releases here, one from January & the other from November! These guys are giving Rogga a challenge in Death Metal. They have a 2020, 2021, two 2022s and now two 2024s so I'm sure we'll get some more good Death Metal from these guys in 2025! 

24) Detest (Dnk)-A World Drowning In Detest, another old Dane band going back to their first demo being released in 1991 but they've only had 3 full lengths in 30 years! This is a little short at only 36:37 but still some really good solid Death Metal! Their 2021 release is a good solid one as well! 

25) Ashes Reborn (Prt)-In Captivity, a good Portuguese band here that had a solid 2018 full length that made my best of year list and is still a good favorite. I really like the good guitar sound on this one and other than some intros I had to chop off the songs this is a really solid release. 

26) Evulsion (Int)-Spiritual Putrefaction, got an international band here from Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and the US with the drummer also in the great Thrash band of Testament! These guys and gal have this debut album and this is a real solid 9 songs at 44:11 with no bullshit intros and nothing but solid Death Metal. 

27) Stabwound (Fra)-As Humanity Dies, these guys have 2 demos from 2008 & 2010 I really liked and it took them a while to get back to us, but they finally did! France is a great Death Metal country and this has some great riffs and good vocals with only negatives are a 2:37 intro of sounds then a 9:23 long boring (to me) song to end it. A lot of bands are doing this 8 to 13 minute songs to end their albums recently, yuck! 

28) Corpse Worship (Rus)-Cemetery Anthems, another good solid Russian band from a country that has been on a Death Metal roll with new Bluntforce, Incurable, Monastery Dead, Double Homicide, Septory, Separatism, Autopsy Night and now we need something new from the great Trigger! This is some good stuff with 7 songs at 37 minutes and a good follow up to their great 2021 & 2022 releases! No demos, no EPs, no splits, just 3 good solid full lengths! 

29) Infiltrator (Ger)-Remnants Of Battle, I'm not much into one man bands but this guy with his 1st release really does some good solid Death Metal. I'm not good at band comparisons as all Death Metal bands sound different to me but this really has some Bolt Thrower vibes to it, so I suggest giving this guy a listen if you like Death Metal as I like it! 

30) Bonebreaker (Chl)-Hell's Bullets, good newer band here with only this album and release date says April 23rd, 2023 but these guys aren't available on Bandcamp. So, with it being found on New Years Eve Dec. 31st 2023 I have to include it as a 2024! My favorite South American Death Metal country of Chile do it right! 

31) Griefgod (Ltu)-Deterioration, another good new band that just formed in 2024! Not many great bands from Lithuania so maybe these guys can get them rolling! This is some good solid Death Metal with it being a little short at only 32 minutes but they do have a good 3 song EP released in 2020 by another name. They were Gilzeh then but are now Griefgod! 

32) Tiger Battalion (Ger)-First Strike, 10 songs at 43:26 of pure, straight up Death Metal and guess what! A one man band that could be twin brothers in sound with the above Infiltrator! I've never been a big fan of 1 man bands, but damn has this guy got some Bolt Thrower in him also! He does a great cover of Bolt Thrower's Cenotaph and I'm really liking this release! This was released in August then in November came a 3 song EP from him as well. 

33) Okult (Cze)-God Of Genocide, these guys are on a roll with 4 full length releases starting in 2019! They are a 5 man band with 2 past members and 1 current member of the good Cze band Dysangelium! More good solid pure straight up Death Metal and their 2022 release made #9 on my best of list so if you haven't, give that one a try too. 

34) Commander (Ger)-Angstridden, another favorite band of mine and really loved their great release that made #14 on my best of 2018s! This is another very good album but has one small negative. The last song is 10+ minutes long and it seems that has become a popular new thing as I said above. New 2024 releases from these bands all have a 10+ minute song, Typhonian, Skelthal, Extrusion, Cardiac Arrest, Apep, Anoxide, Celestial Sanctuary, Blood Incantation, Reckless Manslaughter, Obscurial has a 9:27 long one and Necrot has one just under 9 minutes. 

35) Contagion (US)-Spinal Cord Stew, we now have 4 US bands named Contagion with these guys hailing from my home state of Maryland! This is more of the same, boring (but not to me), straight up, no frills Death Metal with only a negative of it being very short at just 27 minutes long! Hope these guys keep it up and give us more soon! 

36) Open Surgery (Swe)-Absolute Destruction, some more good Swedish Death Metal, although I don't believe these guys carry the great Swede sound, which is not a negative! They've been a big favorite of mine since their premier album in 2014. 

37) Guillotina (Esp)-Primera Sang, good new band from the great Death Metal country of Spain! I found these guys on youtube then got them at Bandcamp as they really impressed me with their sound. Only negative is it's a little short at only 30:40 but very solid Death Metal. Let's hope for more from these guys! 

38) Infern (Fra)-Turn of the Tide, France does some good Death Metal and we have a new band here with a first full length. Other than a couple intros I don't care for this band does some good Death Metal with 10 songs at just under 40 minutes. 

39) Last Resistance (Ger)-Monument Of Warfare, another band I've been a big fan of and this one was a surprise when it popped out in April! As good a fan as I am of them I'm surprised their debut album in 2020 didn't make my end of year list! Their 2nd release came in at #20 so no surprise that I like this one! 

40) Funeral Whore (Nth)-The Crystal Lake Massacres, surprise release here from another past favorite band of mine! A solid release but as I wrote about their 2016 release 8 years ago, they did the same with this one with intros & outros. The songs are very good, great groove and vocals but damn, why all of those terrible intro/outro sounds! 

41) Bluntforce (Rus)-Forged Arrogance, never being a fan of any "core" metal I'm surprised I like these guys as they are labeled Death Metal/Hardcore at Metal Archives. Good thing is no bullshit intros but the negative is we only get 25:17 of music! This is a debut release so hopefully more to come as Russia really does some good Death Metal. 

42) Massive Assault (Nth)-Metal Of Death, another favorite band from the great Death Metal country of my good buddy DDM! We've got full length #4 over 15 years and these guys keep doing it right! It is just as I like it with 9 songs clocking in at just over 40 minutes, with only 1 intro! Keep it up guys and give us more soon! 

43) Monastery Dead (Rus)-Ego Sum Dolor, another good Russian band that has been around for 20 years and have 3 previous full lengths that I've had since released, but had them rated low in my iTunes. So it surprised me that after listening to this one numerous times I'm really enjoying it. Other than 20+ second intros on a couple of the songs it is pretty good solid Death Metal. 

44) Aposento (Esp)-No Safe Haven, another favorite past band of mine from the great Death Metal country of Spain, but not so good to me with this one. They have been active for over 30 years and their 3 previous full lengths are very good so it just might be on me that this one isn't grabbing me like their previous releases. 

45) Fervent Hate (Per)-In Rot We Trust, not many good Death Metal bands from Peru in my collection so these guys are coming in at #1! They've got a good 10 songs at 6 seconds under 40 minutes! Metal Archives has them listed as Death 'n' Roll but I hear nothing but good solid Death Metal. Only negative is some spoken words in a song or two. 

46) Noroth (US)-Sacrificial Solace, some good pure Death Metal from a newer US band with 2020 and 2021 releases that I've completely ignored, despite having them and only listening to a couple songs. The negative here is there are 8 songs but only a total of 22 minutes. They also have a Oct 2024 split release with a 5:14 long song that can be added. 

47) Insurrection (Can)-Obsolescence, some interesting Canadian Death Metal with a Technical edge to it from a band with 4 previous full lengths that I have completely ignored! Great riffs, good vocals and 11 songs at 42:02 make this just how I like it and guess what! Other than the opening intro, no intros or spoken words in the songs! 

48) Dysangelium (Cze)-Jonestown, solid Czech band that I've been a mild to good fan of since 2012 with their 3 previous releases and now #4. They do it good and with my taste of 9 songs 3:37 to 5:06, just under 40 minutes for the whole album. The vocalist is also with a really good new Czech band Okult who have a super great album from 2022. If you like these guys check out Okult! 

49) Deadspeak (Nth)-Plagues of Sulfur Bound, other than a worthless 1:48 first song this is some good solid Dutch Death Metal with the following 7 songs at 38:33! This is a newer band with only a 2021 EP of 5 good songs that I've had since it was released. If you like yourself some good Dutch Death Metal check these guys out but must say with all the great releases we get every year some get neglected. I've only had 5 listens to this but am catching up now! 

50) Handle With Hate (Esp)-Wrath of the Keres, another good solid newer Spain band with only a previous full length release from 2021 that I wasn't aware of until I heard this one. They've got 8 good songs at about 38 minutes with the only negative of song #1 which is nothing but noise and spoken words. Delete that but keep the rest and probably should be higher up!

CarlG's Best of 2023

#1 Vomitory (Swe)-All Heads Are Gonna Roll, this is no surprise to those who know me, that it would be #1 for 2023! Our buddy SourceRa once said "even your most favorite band can't always put out a great album" and to a point he is correct, but Vomitory is the exception to that as even if they did Rap it would be the best album of the year! I like songs 3 to 5 minutes, albums 38 to 45 minutes & no bullshit, so Vomitory = GREAT!

#2 Guts (Fin)-Decay, every year I am surprised with a great new band and 2023 is no exception! This year we get the great new Guts from the country of the Fins that have really been on a roll with great Death Metal! I'm not good at genres but here we have 9 songs at 35:20 of great groove DM! The vocalist is outstanding to me and the music is so good it would be great as an instrumental! Please don't change guys and give us more ASAP!

#3 Deimler (Esp)-Immortalized, I'm so insane for Death Metal that I keep a list of upcoming stuff and these guys were probably my #1 anticipated release of 2023 as YouTube had 3 of their songs long before the album was released. Been a big fan since their 2020 EP was released and enjoy all 3 of their releases very much as they are just how I like it and Spain is another great Death Metal country!

#4 Incremate (Ger)-Unexposed, full-length album #4 from a big favorite band of mine in the last 8 years! I see a lot of reviews where people complain that a band makes an album that sounds the same as their previous albums. So...if you want progression or change in a band don't try these guys as they do more of the same ole same ole in regards to their sound but to me it is GREAT!

#5 Cannibal Corpse (US)-Chaos Horrific, it's been a short two years since their great Violence Unimagined album and this one is another great follow-up! The great CC never let us down as they don't progress, don't change (as the once great Sinister did), and don't add any bullshit! Real good 10 songs at 39:15 with more of the same!

#6 Wilt (Ger)-Into Nothingness, more superb groove-oriented Death Metal with that great Swedish HM-2 guitar sound and awesome vocals! These guys have album #2 here with their premier album landing at #20 on my 2018 list, so they are getting better! The only small negative is 33:37 of great music, so add it to their previous 4-song EP from 2020 in your playlists!

#7 Humiliation (Mys)-Infantry, Great band, great album! A band that gets some negatives as they never change, all their songs & all their albums sound the same but to me that is a great thing! Listed as Dec 2022 release but it wasn't out to us till Feb 2023 & they also have a 2021 release titled Conflict. Over Verge Intrusion. Detest (long for COVID) that is nowhere to be found even in physical cd, except by Discogs but only available in Japan. If anyone finds that one let me know...please!

#8 Obituary (US)-Dying Of Everything, much the same as I said above about the great Humiliation! Obituary has been doing it for years and keep on doing it. What we have is 10 songs at 44:57 and doesn't get much better! The Tardy brothers were great with their first release and have gotten better with every album after that! This one is best!

#9 Rotten Casket (Int)-Zombicron, these guys have been around for 10 years, with 2 EPs until the great Martin van Drunen joined them in 2021, and what a great EP with him as vocalist in 2022! Fortunately, it didn't take long for a great 10-song 45-minute full length. I'm not good at genres or comparing bands as all sound different to me but with MvD we definitely have some Asphyx vibes here!

#10 Atomwinter (Ger)-Sakrileg, another great German band here that has 3 previous full lengths going back to 2012 that I have loved and ranked high with every release! I have this band listed at 5*s, the highest rating in my iTunes and they never fail by continuing to put out pure Death Metal despite going through 3 different vocalists!

#11 One Day In Pain (Swe)-In Pain We Trust, another really solid underrated band from the great Death Metal country of Sweden! These guys are on a roll with 3 albums since September 2020 and hopefully, they keep up the great work and not change a thing as I love their sound!

#12 Bodyfarm (Nth)-Ultimate Abomination, previous vocalist Thomas RIP was a great loss to us Death Metal heads but new guy Ralph does a great job keeping these guys on a roll! We have 10 songs at 43:34 that keep the great Bodyfarm train rolling!

#13 Death Reich (Swe)-Disharmony, another newer Swede band that is slowly climbing my list of recent favorites! Their 2021 & 2022 EPs are both very good with the only negative to this full length is it's only 9 songs at 27:23, with 5 minutes of a useless intro and outro but otherwise a really good album!

#14 Bloodgutter (Dnk)-Death Mountain, some great new Scandinavian Death Metal from a band with experienced guys from other bands! What we have is pure Death Metal with nothing special, nothing different, nothing exciting, just great music to my ears! The bassist Bjorn is also in good new band Temple Of Scorn, see below!

#15 Temple of Scorn (Dnk)-Funeral Altar Epiphanies, the Dane's aren't far behind the Swedes when it comes to great Death Metal and what we have here is another 8 songs at 40 minutes of some slow-ish Death Metal! These guys are new with only a previous EP so hopefully they won't fix what ain't broke and keep giving us great Scandinavian Death Metal!

#16 Murdery (Esp)-Bloodshed, Spain is climbing up my list of best Death Metal countries and we have another good slab of Death Metal here! These guys have a very different or unique sound but I like it! They have a previous from 2019 that I gave only one listen per my iTunes, so went back to it, and guess what! They had backing or 2 styles of vocals on that release and fortunately, they've done away with that!

#17 Past Insane (Ger)-Dying Paradise, what we have here is another new band with only a 2018 Demo. This full length is supposedly a 2022 but again, another that was nowhere to be found until April 2023 so I can't resist adding it! Some more great solid German Death Metal with nothing different and guess what, song #1 is a great intro! 

#18 New World Depression (Ger)-Interment Of Sins, labeled Death Metal/Death-n-Roll at Metal Archives and a band that has been around 20 years with a good 2020 release that came in at #24 on my list. Some good solid Death Metal!

#19 Nocturnal Hollow (Ven)-Wretched Rituals, solid Death Metal from my favorite Venezuelan band who have been around a while with some really good previous releases. Another band that never tries to fix what ain't broken!

#20 Cemetery Urn (Aus)-Suffer The Fallen, I've had some favorite Australian bands in the past Dred, Ignivomous, Abramelin, Daemon Foetal Harvest, Infinitum & Psycroptic to name a few but Cemetery Urn has knocked them all down the totem pole as they are now at the top and most favorite Aussie band. This is a real good solid album of 8 songs and only a little short at 34:20 but no bullshit and straight up pure Death Metal!

#21 Deadnation (Bra)-Following The Path Of Death, some really good Brazilian Death Metal and even though I'm not good at comparing bands or genres these guys seem to have a Swedish sound to them! We have 8 songs at just under 35 minutes of pure, no frills, no bullshit 100% Death Metal from a new band with only 3 previous singles!

#22 Bastard Grave (Swe)-Vortex of Disgust, their previous made #9 on my 2019 list so this one is a little behind but still a great listen. They have a new vocalist and he is good, so hopefully, more to come in the future. It is just as I like it, 8 songs in the 3 to 6-minute range coming in at 39 minutes of more great Swedish Death Metal!

#23 DeadSoulAlliance (Can)-Spiralling To Lunacy, this band has been a mild favorite of mine over the years! Very few negatives here but a short 2 minute song that I unchecked as it wasn't appealing at all, otherwise some good pure Death Metal and these guys don't get enough praise!

#24 Wretched Fate (Swe)-Carnal Heresy, these guys had a good premier album out in 2019 that made #42 and this is a good follow-up! More of what we need, great Swedish DFM with 9 songs at 39 minutes!

#25 Gomorrha (Ger)-Doomed Mankind, very solid Death Metal from a new but old band! These guys formed back in 1987 as a Thrash Metal band, went to sleep for nearly 30 years then hit us with a good EP in 2020 followed by this really good slab of pure no frills Death Metal!

#26 Coffinborn (Hun)-Cadaveric Retribution, my favorite Hungarian band Deprived Of Salvation gave me a disappointing EP this year but fortunately I have these guys and Monastery to keep me hungry for great Hungarian Death Metal! A very good slab of DM from these guys that only have a 2014 EP in their history!

#27 Entrenchment (Rus)-После нас тишина (Silence After Us), another good solid underrated Russian band! Metal Archives has them listed as a similar artist with Bolt Thrower, Just Before Dawn, Asphyx, Memoriam, Bear Mace, Hail Of Bullets, Jungle Rot, Benediction, Envig, Skeletal Remains, and War Master...all favorite bands of mine! So, they gotta be good!

#28 Gravestone (Swe)-Hollow Be Thy Grave, more good Death Metal from the great Death Metal land of Sweden! This one clocks in at 41:49 with 11 solid songs and not 1 second of bullshit intros or outros! The vocals are unique or different but still very good to me!

#29 Ammonium (Rus)-Erased Existence, one of my favorite Russian bands in the last 10 years with two really solid full lengths and a good 2021 EP but this one hasn't grabbed me like those others. Don't get me wrong, it isn't bad it just got kicked down the ladder by other great bands. I still like it and will give it lots of listens in the future.

#30 Ossuary (Col)-Stellar Annihilation, a solid band from South America with 3 previous good releases in the last 7 years! Their 2021 made my best of list but was in at #50 so more good stuff from these guys as #50 on my list isn't a bad thing as this year I could have gone with 98 good albums!

#31 Incantation (US)-Unholy Deification, only been a fair to average fan of these guys over the years, despite having 9 of their CDs in my collection but this one is really grabbing me and may be my favorite ever from them! The only small negative is the last song "10-Circle (Eye of Ascension) VII" is a really slow 5:44 of music not appealing to me. A lot of bands end their albums like this, so nothing unusual or exceptionally bad.

#32 Shrapnel Storm (Fin)-Silo, a mild disappointment as I loved their 2 previous full lengths and they are a big favorite band of mine and another I waited impatiently for. It is still good and I have given it many listens and will continue more but just not as good as their previous.

#33 DeathCollector (UK)-Death's Toll, a good new Brit band with ex Bolt Thrower drummer Andrew Whale. They do it just as I like it, 9 songs from 3 to 6 minutes at 38:10 with no bullshit. Good vocals, good riffs and an album I have slightly neglected due to so much other great stuff.

#34 Grand Cadaver (Swe)-Deities Of Deathlike Sleep, these guys had a great EP a couple years ago, that I loved, then a good full length behind the EP that made #23 on my 2021 best. I like this one but not up there with their previous. Just so much great Death Metal competition!

#35 All Consumed (UK)-Hallowed Violence, been a great fan of these guys as their 2 previous releases made #6 in 2021 & #4 in 2018 on my lists! This one dropped a little but so much good stuff this year that it is no fault of All Consumed!

#36 Monastery (Hun)-From Blood, this is an old band that goes back over 30 years and one that I never got into, even with them having a 2022 full length! This is pretty good solid Death Metal although Metal Archives labels them Death/Nu Metal...WTF?

#37 Doomcreeper (US)-Cryptic Death, thanks to Thorne for turning me back onto these guys, as I was doing my list! I got this in May, show 4 complete listens to it in iTunes but guess what! It was released at the same time the mighty Vomitory was, so it was buried in Vomit! After 2 more listens how the heck did I forget this and it should be higher up this list.

#38 Interemo (Swe)-Buried In Rotten Remains, some good new Swedish Death Metal with a band consisting of two 17 year olds and one 19 year old! Amazing and with great vocals from this 17 year old Milo! The Swedes sure know how to do Death Metal at its finest!

#39 Abominated (Pol)-Traumatic Putrefaction, the Poles are making a comeback with Eteritus, Dammnatorum, Hegony, Blind Salvation, Vephar, Morrath, and the great Uerberos! This to me is the perfect example of straight up Death Metal with the only negative it being just 29:34 long! Hope these guys continue to give us more!

#40 Frozen Soul (US)-Glacial Domination, I like albums with 8 to 10 songs, 3 to 5 minutes each with the total length of 38 to 45 minutes and these guys & gal hit it right on the mark! Good solid vocals, nice groove, and pure Death Metal make it good but I have neglected this due to it coming out the same day as the great Vomitory! What bad luck for any band!

#41 Ascending Olympus (Grc)-Frontlines, another good new solid band of pure Death Metal with this being their first release of any kind. Recently from Greece, we got a new Arcane Dread so now we need Resurgency, Mass Infection, and Drunkard to hit us with new releases! Other than a few songs having intros I don't care for, this is a good 10 songs at 41:18 so give it a try!

#42 Just Before Dawn (Int)-A War Too Far, these guys have gone International on us, adding the great Remko Kreft from Graceless & Grand Supreme Blood Court and they keep putting out great no frills Bolt Thrower style Death Metal! They've got 6 songs here with guest vocalists from Envig, Creeping Flesh and Decaying so Remko only gets 3 songs! They also have a good 6 song EP out earlier in the year that is better than this in my opinion.

#43 Disguised Malignance (Fin)-Entering the Gateways, as Thorne has said, the Fins are on a roll, last year we got good new band Cryptic Hatred and this is another good solid new Death Metal band with a great release! The only slight negative is the length of only 34 minutes but still a great listen!

#44 Seven Doors (UK)-Feast Of The Repulsive Dead, I'm not much into 1 man bands but always give them a chance and have to admit, this guy is good! Take away song #1 the intro and we have 10 more songs at 42 minutes of good solid Death Metal. The riffs are really good as are the vocals so give this guy a listen as this should be higher!

#45 Those Who Bring The Torture (Swe)-Towards Decay, another solid Rogga release but 9 songs at only 29:39 in length! The first 8 songs are typical Rogga, good sound with good vocals but song #9 has a completely different vocal style and you guys that know me will understand. My picky-ness about vocals has me unchecking that song in iTunes but still listening to the others.

#46 Dammnatorum (Pol)-In Umbra Mortis, some more good new solid Death Metal from a band with no previous releases. 10 songs at almost 39 minutes that other bands need to do! They follow the great Polish tradition of really good Death Metal with nothing exceptional, progressive, or symphonic!

#47 Convictors (Ger)-Tartaros, their previous came in at #27 on my 2019 list and they haven't changed, just more competition this time. Another solid band from the great Death Metal country of Germany!

#48 Zombie Riot (Ger)-World Epitaph, crazy one here as these guys have a release that made #1 on my best of 2018 list. My comment at the time was "A great CD, from a great up and coming band! Now let us just hope they do not fuck it up and fix what ain't broken because I love it!" Well guess what, they tried to fix what wasn't broke, added dual/backing vocals on 4 of the 10 songs, and song #10 is a boring 7:48 long.

#49 Morrath (Pol)-Centuries Of Blindness, more solid Polish Death Metal from a new band that evolved from a band named Prowler who only had a 2019 EP and then became Morrath with a 2021 EP and now we get a good full length!

#50 Cronenberg (UK)-Grandiose Throne of Grotesque Flesh, another one-man band with a full length in 2020 that I paid very little attention to. Going back now it seems there has been a change and for the better. This one has some really good riffs and the vocals are pretty good as well.

Past favorite bands that have really let me down with their 2023s, but that could be on me!  

Carnation (Bel) <Please, no clean vocals in Death Metal, Memoriam (UK), Monstrous (Swe), Grisly (Swe), Furnace (Swe), Sadism (Chl), Farsoth (Swe), Berzerker Legion (Int), Ecocide (Hol), Corrosive (Ger) & Pikodeath (Cze)!