Written by Kep, Kirk, Westin, Rae-Aila, and Ellis Well would you look at that: not only is 2024 well underway, but a whole damn month is done already. And with one month down, that means it’s time for our Noob Heavy release roundups to get rolling again, too. January wasn’t a slouch, either; that motherfucker was packed with great music, and we’re here to highlight a bunch of our favorites for you. Quick links to our full reviews of January releases: Rough Justice – Faith in VainNeck Deep – Neck Deep Resin Tomb – Cerebral Purgatory Underneath – From the Gut of Gaia Lotus Thief / Forlesen – Lot ..read more

Written by Kirk Lotus Thief / Forlesen — Lotus Thief – Forlesen > Black/doom/post-/drone  > California, US > I, Voidhanger Records  > Releasing January 26 What do you know about black metal? While the history of black metal has been muddied by the racist and xenophobic tendencies of some of its forebears, nothing can compare with its inherently raw, amalgamous nature. Easily the most intense and extreme sub-genre of heavy metal, as an art form, it cannot, at its core, bear any singular meaning or ideal. These are and always have been inferred by the observer, often t ..read more

Written by Espi Kvlt As we wrap up another year, I am here to bring you another list of black metal albums I loved (plus, as usual, one extra, because for some reason my actual AOTY never ends up being a black metal album; oh well). I have once again managed to narrow it down to 15 through some difficulty, so here’s to the kvltest bands that also didn’t do anything horrible this year (knock on wood none of them do next year, either). 15 Weald & Woe – For the Good of the Realm After a three-year hiatus from The Fate of Kings and Men, Weald & Woe came back this year in a huge way. That ..read more

Written by Kep Welcome in, folks. This is my list of 2023’s best albums. I’ve got five honorable mentions and then 24 ordered entries. Why 24? Because I started to attempt a top 10 and it quickly swelled to an unmanageable number, which I then pared down as far as I could. I’m on vacation and there’s no time to waste, so let’s get going! The Honorable Mentions (in alphabetical order): Acausal Intrusion – Panpsychism Convocation – No Dawn for the Caliginous Night Drache – Devenir le rien Fardeaux – The Den Has Become an Abyss Fires in the Distance  ..read more

Written by Kirk At the end of every year, we get flooded with lists of favorite albums. But what about those beloved songs that didn’t make it onto a full-length record? What about the tracks that got left on the cutting room floor or were left to stand on their own? That’s right, I’m talking about the singles. They deserve love, too, and I’m going to tell you my favorite single of 2023. Before I start going through my list, let me explain something: I don’t rank my releases. There are two categories—LOVED and HONORABLE MENTION—and I think they’re pretty self-explanatory. Also, I list the ..read more

Written by Espi Kvlt Dawn Ray’d – To Know the Light > RABM > UK > Releasing March 24 > Prosthetic Records Anyone even slightly familiar with my taste in black metal knows that I place Dawn Ray’d a tier above most other bands. Not just black metal, but specifically RABM. Dawn Ray’d have shown time and time again their commitment to writing black metal songs about anarchism, anti-fascism, and the terror that occurs in our world as a result of the State and violent hatred. Naturally, I leaped on this album when I saw it show up in my inbox, and I listened to i ..read more

I’m B, and I am a philosophy professor who is interested in horror and metal aesthetics (my Twitter is here). Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about immersive experiences, and what it takes to evoke them.  There were so many truly excellent albums this year that I had to find a way to cut through the complexity, and sort through the albums that did something unique for me. So I decided to focus on: albums that blur the boundaries between genres in interesting ways; and more importantly, albums that led me into a world that they had created. So my descriptions are brief accounts of where e ..read more

Written by Kep Six months of 2022 are down for the count and lots of great metal has already hit our ears. Below are my top 10 album of the first half of the year, plus 6 honorable mentions and a couple releases I recommend highly that don’t quite fit within confines of this list. Let’s dive in! First up, the honorable mentions (in no particular order): Left to right, top to bottom: Messa – Close Helpless – Caged in Gold Undeath – It’s Time…to Rise from the Grave Swampborn – Beyond Ratio Immolation – Acts of God Origin – Chaosmos And now, two albums that deserve a massive shout for being am ..read more

As is my tradition, I’m marking the midpoint of the year with a top 10 list. The second half of the year is already looked stacked, so expect a good deal of change between now and my AOTY list in December, but for now these are my picks for best of 2023! First up, seven albums I loved that haven’t quite made the top 10 cut: (Left to right, top to bottom) Deathgrave – It’s Only Midnight, some of the best deathgrind I’ve heard in years Fires in the Distance – Air Not Meant for Us, progressive and mournful melodic death/doom Nightmarer – Deformity Adrift, bonecrushing dissonant death metal Never ..read more

Written by Kirk Dratna – Fomóraigh > Black/folk metal > Ireland > Releasing May 26 > Fiadh Productions Confession time, Noob Heavy readers: I have no idea which wave of black metal we’re in. I’m pretty sure it’s the fourth wave. Or maybe it’s the fifth wave? Not that it matters, what’s important is that the music is raw, powerful, and pushes boundaries. And if you’re not out there seeking music that challenges you, can you even call yourself a music fan? Dratna is all of these things. What started off as a pretty standard black metal project—more passion than polish—has ..read more