#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!