I am on an ongoing journey to find the non-redundant 2% of each genre. There is so much good music out there and so much of it is yet unknown to many. In this thread I want to point out some really valuable gems I found over the years.
I try to keep everything metal related, but chances are high that the recommendations point into other directions. There are a lot of good musicians who had just started in the metal area, but developed over time.
Let us start with something more extreme:
Celeste from France
I found them by accident when I was listening through the line-up of the roadburn festival. They have a very aggressive sound and are one of the few modern black metal I really enjoy. Of course they are not purely black metal. You could argue that there are some sludge / post-hardcore influences (which really would fit to the general clientele of the roadburn). But usually a rough classification in terms of the genre should be enough, since there are no defined rules.
If you want to listen to a whole album, just follow this link.
Some organizational remarks
You are welcome to discuss my recommendations and I am happy if you share your associations (concerning similar artists) with me and everyone else. But please refrain from just dropping a lot of slightly related (or even unrelated) yt-links. My idea is to keep a very high word-to-link ratio; if you get what I mean. I'm planning to make a new post maybe once or twice a week. Depending on your interest. Btw. if you think that such a thread is just unnecessary let me know either. :)
Just because It was obvious at the moment: Take a look at Enslaved. They are very interesting. Chances are that you already heard of them. They were starting as a black/viking metal band but in the last 5-10 years they evolved into something more progressive. If you haven’t had the chance to listen to any Album since Ruun, you should do so! The clean vocals are big enrichment if you ask me.
Yeah, Enslaved are great. I really love their last two albums 'Axioma Ethica Odini' and 'RIITIIR'. 'The Roots of the Mountain' is a fantastic song, give it a listen.
Their new album 'In Times' is out now, and I am glad to say it continues their track record of excellence. Most of their music is available on Spotify and YouTube if you want to check it out.
I am planning to go to Bloodstock Open Air this August, and Enslaved are playing. Very excite.
Continuing in the black metal vein, I would like to recommend Moonsorrow. They are a Finnish (they sing in Finnish) pagan/viking black metal band with a truly epic sound that is very evocative of wintry landscapes, death and destruction. Most of their albums have a focus on long songs with varied compositions, and most of their stuff is best enjoyed as a full album rather than individual songs.
First off: I totally agree, that ”In Times“ is thankfully going in the same direction as the previous albums. But your list should contain Isa, Ruun and Vertebrae, too. They all work towards the same direction! Would love to see them live one time.
Thanks a lot for your recommendation – I know their name for some years now, but somehow I never had the chance to listen to them. I am already 6 min in and the songs make a solid impression. I certainly will listen to the whole album.
Speaking of Finland: Please take your time and listen to Hexvessel This is the first non-BM recommendation in this thread, but since Kvohst (Dødheimsgard, Code, Beastmilk) is involved there is a strong connection to the scene. They have a folklike sound which is still a bit heavier than usual. I don’t know how to describe their music, just listen:
Here is another, different song Everyone should listen to their songs for a while, if you asked me. They really grew into one of my favorite bands over time. Very musical.