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10. Dead Witches - The Final Exorcism I've been following Mark Greening ever since he left Electric Wizard and enjoyed his previous band Ramesses immensly. With Dead Witches he opted for a more classic approach to doom metal although with female vocals this time. With the second album The Final Exorcism they tick all the boxes for me when it comes to doom metal. Fuzzy and heavy guitars and groovy riffs? Check. Lush and loose drumming? Check. Distorted vocals and occult lyrics? Check. Dead Witches hardly reinvented the (doom) wheel here, but they do what they do so perfectly that you don't mind. If you were disappointed with Electric Wizard's recent output you might want to check out Dead Witches instead. 9. Mayhem -Daemon After years of more experimental musical pathways the original bad boys from Norway return to their roots and go for a simple and straight forward approach. And for the most part it actually works out pretty well. The production and songs sound like they could have come straight out of '94. Also love the subtle use of keyboards on some tracks and there are some juicy riffs which sound somewhat Thorns inspired at times. Another unexpected comeback from a band that was somewhat forgotten these last few years. 8. Mork - Det Svarte Juv This man doesn't seem to slow down and with his latest album he lands another touchdown. I love the mid paced approach and the way this band sounds like they were frozen in '93 and just came out of cryogenic stasis and continued like nothing has changed. This is traditional Norwegian black metal at it's finest and purest form. If Mork can keep up this level of quality then we have a lot to look forward to. 7. Blut Aus Nord - Hallucinogen This one caught me really off guard since Vindsal pretty much abanonded his old school roots a long time ago, except for the occasional Memoria Vetusta album. But on this album we are treated to some truely superb songs with tons of infectious riffs and melodies. If you close your eyes you'd almost swear you are hearing the first two albums only with a much more refined sound. If this is the future for Blut Aus Nord then i look forward to hearing more! 6. Strigoi - Abandon all Faith Another suprise release, this time by Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost fame. I never really warmed up to Vallenfyre but with Strigoi Mackintosch manages to hit the spot exactly. A fine mixture of death, black, doom and crust elements which come together like a perfect storm. Also props for Waltteri Väyrynen for putting down some deadly drums on this release. This album contains something for everyone, wether it be fast tracks like Noctural Vermin or the doomy and epic Carved into the Skin. A most pleasant experience from beginning to end. 5. Abigail Williams - Walk Beyond the Dark The road of Abigail Williams has been a long and rocky one. From being labelled deathcore in the beginning to Dimmu Borgir clones later on. Luckily with the last few releases Abigail Wiliams has finally carved a path for themselves in the USBM scene. The latest release Walk Beyond the Dark is the culmination of all that hard work. Ken Sorceron brings us a perfectly balanced album with the harsher black metal elements merging perfectly with the softer and more relaxed passages that were missing on previous releases. In essence this is all you can wish from a black metal band in my opinion. There is diversity and plenty of elements for everyone to enjoy. 4. Kampfar - Ofidians Manifest Kampfar came back in a big way with their latest album. They have been on steady rise ever since Mare and with this album they hit their peak once again. Like on previous releases Dolk manages to infuse the black metal sound with just enough folk elements to give it a unique and grand sound unlike any other black metal band i know. I think i prefer Profan slightly over this release, but still this a very valiant effort by Kampfar after quite a long period of uncertainty and they have proven their worth once again. Black metal wouldn't be the same without this band. 3. Abbath - Outstrider For a man who has to endure so much shit on a professional and personal level you have to commend Abbath for delivering such an incredible sophomore album. Expectations were pretty low after the mediocre debut album but he's proven the doubters wrong with Outsider. Taking a more old school first wave black metal approach Abbath creates some of his most memorable tunes. If you had doubts about the man his musical capabilites then Outstrider will prove you wrong. Tracks like Harvest Pyre like Calm In Ire of Hurricane grab you by the throat and won't let you go. I'll have some more of this, please! 2. Borknagar - True North Just when you thought they couldn't top their previous album Winter Thrice these boys prove you wrong again. Where i almost wrote them off a few years ago i can now only stand in awe of their latest accomplishment. ICS Vortex effortlessly takes over Vindsal's position as the lead singer and manages to sound just as grandiose. Once again we are treated to some epic anthems like only Borknagar can create. Especially the track Voices has grown on me and shows the huge diversity of this band. Without a doubt the crowning achievement of their career so far. Words can't do this album enough justice. You just have to experience it yourself. 1. Sarke - Gastwerso It's truely astonishing to see the growth of Sarke in the last few years. Where as the first few releases were somewhat straight forward black 'n roll release they somehow went through some kind of growth spurth with their last three releases. Gone is the basic black 'n roll sound and instead we are introduced to some of the most unique and diverse sounds within black metal, if you can even call it that. No two tracks sound the same and it's been a long time since Nocturno Culto's vocals sounded so good. If this the way that Sarke is going to continue then i can't wait to see what's next. For me this has been the release of the year without a doubt.

Asagraum - Dawn of Infinite Fire I guess one of the few Dutch female fronted black metal bands around? I thought their debut album was okay and this follow up is a definitive improvement on all fronts. Songs don´t drag as much as on the debut album and this album is paced somewhat more evenly which make for a more pleasant listening experience. There a few stand out songs but also quite some fillers in my opinion. It´s nothing you haven´t heard before in black metal except it´s done by a bunch of women. They are heading in the right direction but do they deserve the heap of praise they get from the underground? I have my doubt so far. Beastcraft - Into The Burning Pit of Hell Listening to this album reminds me how much Trondr Nefas is missed in the Norwegian black metal scene. Of course Urgehal was his main band but Beastcraft (cheesey name aside) is every bit as good as Urgehal. I love their dirty DIY production on this debut album. Most songs are fast and furious and the Trondr´s raspy vocals sound like a demon screeching from the bottoms of hell. Songs rarely run longer then 3 minutes so they never overstay their welcome and pack lot´s of beefy riffs. This is everything you would expect from black metal and more. Listen to the track Unholy Blood Ritual and tell me it doesn´t kick serious ass.