October fell upon us with many an enticement, and we’ve got the gems for you right here: flawless trad prog from a veteran underground group, progressive death metal of the soaringly epic variety, an indie-tinged prog rock yarn with a delicate concept, death metal that brings out your inner chimp who just discovered the monolith, and pelagic post metal with biblical oration. And don’t miss our non-Subway picks for our favourite albums beyond the scope of the blog, from the masters of neo-prog to uncompromising mathcore to probably the biggest name in post-rock. So, as the Jack-o’-Lanterns begin to rot, the frost sets in (or the flowers start to bloom, in the case of our antipodal readers), and you start planning your Christmas lists, you should stick on our playlist, peruse our picks, and enjoy some damn good tunes.
DGM – Endless
Recommended for fans of: Evergrey, Symphony X, Vision Divine
Picked by: Francesco
In Rome, they don’t say “Wow, DGM’s newest album Endless is really great!”, they say “Bhe spigne tanto!” They don’t say, “Have you listened to DGM’s newest album Endless yet?” They say rather, “Aò! Eddaje!” They wouldn’t say, “Wow, those guys in DGM really play their asses off on the new album Endless!” Instead, they might say “Ancora je l’ammollano!” And they probably wouldn’t say, “On the new album Endless, DGM with technical prowess and expert arrangements once again demonstrate why this outfit is among some of the best names in today’s Italian metal scene.” They would be more likely to say, “Mica pizza e fichi, ah!”
Don’t be a pariolino – if you’re into melodic progressive/power metal and actual instrumental wizardry, this album will check all the boxes.
You might also like: New Horizons, Icefish, Inner Vitriol, Labyrinth
Related links: Official website | Spotify | original review
Iotunn – Kinship
Recommended for fans of: Opeth, Amorphis, In Mourning, Ne Obliviscaris, Insomnium
Picked by: Andy
Epic is a term that’s thrown around all too often, but Iotunn truly are epic. Jon Aldará is a titan of progressive metal vocals, on the same level as Einar Solberg (Leprous) and Mikael himself. Kinship is full of booming, earwormy choruses, spacey atmosphere, cosmic song structures, and tons of ripping solos. The Danish/Faroese giants (the band name is old Norse for “giant,” and, yes, pun intended) write remarkably fun music, and it’s a perfect soundtrack to close out the year.
You might also like: Barren Earth, Hamferð, Sunless Dawn, In Vain, Descend, Wilderun
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review
Carnosus – Wormtales
Recommended for fans of: Archspire, Revocation, Infant Annihilator, Psycroptic, The Black Dahlia Murder
Picked by: Zach
If I could just write “caveman like” and be done with this, I would. Unfortunately, I need to use all 10% of my brain to write how Wormtales makes me feel. Carnosus continues the amazing trend of “dumb music, smart musicians” that I’ve seen crop up in tech-death over the years. Everything about this album is stupid in a brootal sort of way. The drums are thundering, and blisteringly fast when need be, perfectly complimenting the chugging guitar rhythms and low-end fuckery. But the cherry on top is Jonatan Karasiak’s disgusting noises, all coming together to create something that rivals Replicant for the Subway’s prestigious Cave Species of the Year award.
You might also like: Hath, Slugdge, Afterbirth, Wormhole, Xoth
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review
The Circle of Wonders – IV: Timber
Recommended for fans of: The Dear Hunter, Seventh Wonder, Coheed and Cambria, Dream Theater
Picked by: Ian
Reader, I ask you this: do you like big, soaring melodies? How about heartfelt, melodramatic concept albums that build upon said big melodies with bigger, more theatrical reprises? Is your first reaction upon hearing an album lasts for 86 minutes something along the lines of, “Well, if they’ve got enough ideas to fill it out, why not”? Do you have positive opinions towards any of the following: folksy acoustic guitar and mandolin, intricately layered a cappella vocal passages, and/or indie-prog singing lightly seasoned with angst? If you answered “yes” to all of those questions, well, you’re probably just me, and my therapist says I should stop talking to myself so much. But if you resonate with the majority of what I described, definitely check out IV: Timber, a cheesy yet powerful tale of love’s uphill battle against heartache and despair with some of the best damn choruses I’ve heard all year.
You might also like: Adjy, Whale Bones, Good NightOwl
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review
Schammasch – The Maldoror Chants: Old Ocean
Recommended for fans of: Behemoth, Solstafir, Enslaved, Cult of Luna, Tool
Picked by: Sam
Returning to and expanding upon their 2017 EP, Schammasch once again grace us with their intense, hypnotic songwriting. Like the previous Maldoror Chant, the emphasis on Old Ocean lies on atmosphere and percussion, and goddamn do they succeed at it. B.A.W goes completely ham behind the kit, making full use of every surface and tension of his instrument as his percussive talents dance around the sonic space like you’re getting a brain massage. The atmosphere is dense and layered with hypnotic chords, both melodic and rhythmical, an incredibly warm bass tone, and pelagic ambience. Furthermore, through Cult of Luna-esque crescendo structures the band reaches some of their highest peaks yet, and thanks to its consistently compelling atmosphere, Old Ocean is a thoroughly engrossing experience.
You might also like: Sermon, Antipope, Dark Fortress, Ultha
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | original review
Non-Subway Picks
Frost* – Life in the Wires [neo-progressive rock] Frost* return with a hefty eighty-five minute double record of synth-soaked, conceptual progressive rock with solos and grooves aplenty. Recalling the style of Milliontown and Falling Satellites, Godfrey, Mitchell, Blundell and King’s powers are undiminished, proving they’re still the most energetic and innovative prog rock group around. A beautiful soundtrack to evaporate to. [pick by: Christopher]
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – “NO TITLE AS OF 13 FEBRUARY 2024 28,340 DEAD” [post-rock] Rarely can an artist accomplish both compelling musicianship and a powerful, concise political statement at the same time; NO TITLE does both effortlessly. In true post-rock style, GY!BE leaves the dark implications of the album and song titles to passively sink in as distorted atmospheres float by—sometimes beautiful and hopeful, but just as often dissonant and despairing. [pick by: Doug]
Better Lovers – Highly Irresponsible [Mathcore, Alternative Metal] Better Lovers’ Highly Irresponsible is the welcome full-length return of Every Time I Die’s songwriting sensibilities combined with Greg Puciato’s ferocious Dillinger-esque form, effortlessly delivering many of the lovable facets of each group and even finding itself breaching catchy territory on occasion. [pick by: Dave]
