Through Zero – Elder
My introduction to Elder’s brand of heavy psych was 2017’s landmark album “Reflections of a Floating World”, and they’ve been gradually introducing more spacey keyboard-driven jams ever since. On this release, they’ve really honed that sound into something special, with every track feeling Iike a distinct astral journey.
An Undying Love for a Burning World – Neurosis
The surprise return of Neurosis is metal’s story of the year. Their hiatus seemed to be a tragic ending, given the unfortunate circumstances, but they sound as good as ever on this triumphant comeback album. Sometimes the obvious choice happens to be the best choice, and that’s certainly the case with Aaron Turner’s addition to the lineup.
Sealed Into None – Exxûl
Phil Tougas is the new MVP of metal. Everything graced by his melodic shred turns to gold, and Exxûl caters to my own tastes more than anything else in the Tougas-verse. The pairing of doomy riffs with insane power metal vocal range à la Arch, Kiske, or Tate is such a rare treat.
Fourth Dominion 