Plague Thirteen - ERODED

Instagram - Facebook - Bandcamp

Belgium’s Plague Thirteen emerges from the gloom with a sound that perfectly captures a sense of impending collapse. While their roots are firmly planted in the soil of traditional neocrust, they weave in somber melodies and sprawling arrangements that elevate them beyond simple genre tropes. Their latest offering, Eroded, serves as a bleak exploration of decay and the slow wearing away of the human spirit. The record masterfully balances d-beat velocity with suffocating, sludge-heavy passages, creating a landscape that feels both vast and claustrophobic.

FFO:  Rise And Fall, Amenra, Tragedy, Fall of Efrafa

Smearing - Acts Of Service

Instagram - Bandcamp - Spotify 

Seattle's own hardcore heavyweights, Smearing, have carved a niche with their relentless energy and uncompromising sound. Known for their furious live shows and politically charged lyrics, they consistently deliver a sonic assault. Their latest release, "Acts Of Service," is no exception, showcasing a more refined yet equally brutal approach to their signature style. This album dives deep into themes of mutual support and community resilience

FFO: WVRM, Regional Justice Center, Cult Leader

Ben's Best Of 2025

This list from Ben is pretty impressive in size and girth

I found quite a few things that were new to me that I loved (Internal Rot are NASTY)

Thanks Ben. Happy post-Christmas everyone

Un-Merry X-Mas to all who recommended Sleep Token this year

JERM'S AOTY, SOME OTHER COOL ALBUMS, AND SOME NEWS

 So it's been a minute. Don't think I've posted since last year at this time. Been busy with work and grandkids. Yes I'm old. Shut up. I don't really seek out as many new bands as I used to. No more deep diving into the depths of the Bandcamp cesspool. Don't get me wrong, I love that site but my God is there a ton of garbage on there. I also haven't kept up with new releases as much this year. Again, too busy. Eh that's life. Anyway here's my album of the year. Also listing some other favorites but no ranking. News wise, I have a post coming in the next week or so about something else I'll be contributing to that i think most of the readers here will be interested in. Anyway, here goes...

Deadguy- Near-Death Travel Services

This album has no business being this good. It shouldn't be possible for a band to drop an all-time classic album, fuck off for almost 30 years, and then show back up and drop another album that rivals the 1st album. These guys are all in their mid-fifties, yes older than me, and sound more alive, more authentic, more urgent, and more real than most bands half their age. Near-Death Travel Services rips from beginning to end.

The others..

Unsouling- Outward Streams of Devotional Woe

Crossed- Realismo Ausente

Mutagenic Host- The Diseased Machine

Mantar- Post Apocalyptic Depression

Secret Cutter- ///

Havukruunu- Tavastland

Hedonist- Scapulimancy

Hold Me Down -Devour

Psychonaut- World Maker

Tombs- Feral Darkness

1914- Viribus Unitis

Soul Blind- Red Sky Mourning

Fister- Graceless

Tentacult- Synaptic Perfidy

Tentacult- Untamed Revulsion

Rogerz's Best Of 2025

Cockroach's Best Of 2025

ALL HAIL COCKROACH

Adam's Best Of 2025

Hey everyone, how's it going? First of all, I know I missed a ton of releases this year and it's nearly impossible to keep up with everything, so if there's somethat you can't believe I didn't mention, It might just be because I missed it. Feel free to drop your favorites in the comments or in the chat.

I try to never put these lists in any kind of order but there are two releases this year that are clearly in the top-two for me, problem is that I can't pick a #1. But those two releases are Deafheaven's "Lonely People With Power" and Secret Cutter's "///". On one hand, the Deafheaven show I saw in Seattle was really fucking fun and sounded incredible, and this album is a sonic work of art. But to be fair, I've never seen Secret Cutter so what do I know. I will tell you that I love that they just dropped their new album with no warning or fanfare whatsoever, and the fact that it is better than 2018's "Quantum Eraser" is insane.

So, I'm just going to put these two up top in no particular order. After that, everything will be in aphabetical order so nobody's feelings get hurt. Take care everyone.

A feral grindcore assault steeped in blackened chaos:

Grinding hardcore, chainsaw tone and frantic blasts:
Blunt, noisy hardcore, fast and harsh:
Grindcore with fantasy‑tinged grief themes, violent yet strangely catchy:
Vulgar and pessimistic, urban aggression in short bursts:
Bleak and crushing, Midwest riffs dragged through doom:
Sludgy hardcore, weaving crushing grief into misanthropic riffs:
Grindcore violence, sharp and chaotic, raw and heavy without any frills:
Noisy and hostile, grinding forward with bleak riffs and suffocating weight:
Ugly, heavy death metal that leans hard into groove and filth:
West Coast death violence with short blasts of rage:
Sludge‑hardcore, bleak grooves and anxiety‑fueled metallic hardcore:
Chaotic metalcore channeling dissonant riffs and crushing breakdowns:
Blackened crust debut, snarling mix of hardcore, grind, and black metal:

"Non omnis moriar..." Compilation

From the Hypaethral Records Bandcamp: Welcome to our 2025 compilation, where we once again highlight some of our favourite bands from the southern Ontario scene -- spanning cities, genres, and eras. Fulfilling one of our core aims as a label: to document and champion the best that our scene creates.

Sunday Synthwave