Best of 2022, so far

Didn’t realise that I haven’t posted here at all this year.

The past 6 months have gone by really fast or I guess I have had my hands full. This year so far music wise has been the same story, too much new music and too little time.

On the Horns Up podcast, Animesh and I picked out favourite albums from the year so far. Some of them should be no surprise to our regular listeners.

Here are my picks :-

Those that almost made it (in Alphabetic order)

• Astronoid – Radiant Bloom
• Cobra Spell – Anthems of the Night
• Dusk – The Imaginary Dead
• Girish and the Chronicles – Hail to the Heroes
• Meshuggah – Immutable
• Skull Fist – Paid in Full
• SepticFlesh – Modern Primitive
• Vorga – Striving Towards Oblivion

My favourites of the year so far

1. Ghost – Impera
2. Undeath – It’s time…to rise from the Grave
3. Nite – Voices Of The Kronian Moon
4. Kardashev – Liminal Rite
5. Temple of Void – Summoning the Slayer

Here is a Spotify playlist with all our picks for those who want to check them out.

Stay tuned for Horns Up every week for a new episode.

New post on here coming sooner than you expect it.

Bandcamp Recommendations – 3rd December 2021 #BandcampFriday

Last #BandcampFriday for this year, a slightly longer list this time around.

The Danish quintet take forward their sound from JORD. One of the highlights of the year for me.

The grindcore veterans are back with a ferocious new album. It features the dual vocals of Kevin Sharp & Tomas Lindberg.

Well written brutal death metal that keeps the listener engaged throughout the 35 minutes play time. Great way to end the year for Transcending Obscurity.

Moar grindcore! This time from the Japanese grandmaster. 6 tracks of rent less aural assault.

Stunning release from the progressive masters. An album to listen to from start to end. I’ve had it on repeat for the past week.

More treasure from the Nasum vault. This is from first US tour, live at the legendary punk venue.

Gloomy 4 tracks of post metal from the Australian quartet. Perfect for this time of the year.

A sublime mix of melodic death metal and and folk metal from the UK couple.

Bandcamp Recommendations – 7th May 2021 #BandcampFriday

Hope everyone is doing safe and healthy. Things are pretty bad here in India. A few Indian bands have stepped out and are contributing to Covid-19 relief efforts. Do pick up their music and merch. This is not to last #BandcampFriday for this year so let’s get straight to it.

My good friend Abhi Meer has his entire discography for sale on Bandcamp. 100% of the proceeds will go to the Hemkunt Foundation and Feeding From Far.

New band from Hong Kong based hardcore lifer Riz Farooqi. Straight up no bull shit hardcore punk. Love the dual vocals.

Bangalore Doom act is back with new music in 5 years and it sounds good. Stay tuned for the album.

Death metal act Godless will contribute 20% of all their merch sales from this month to NGOs fighting the pandemic in India – https://godlessindia.bandcamp.com/

Moar hardcore punk! D beat driven side project of Allfather members made wish live gigs were back. Hey ho!

Shape shifting act Peter Cat Recording Co. have put up their back catalogue on sale for a week with 100% of the proceeds to Hemkunt Foundation – http://www.pcrc.in/donate

Canadian grindcore stalwarts have released a previously unreleased track from Desire will Rot. Get the track or album if you haven’t already.

New dark metal act from members of American death metal act Vex featuring members of Obsequiae, Panopticon, and Horrendous.

Happy shopping everyone!

Fistful of Metal 25

2nd Anniversary of Fistful of Metal on Boxout.fm Guest on this episode, Satyajit Gargori from Dead Exaltation. We talk about their debut album Despondent, play music from their influences and what’s on his current playlist.

Tracklist

Dead Exaltation – The Psychology

Cryptopsy – Slit Your Guts

Cattle Decapitation – Time’s Cruel Curtain

Dearth – Writhing In Cellophane Cages

Defeated Sanity – Propelled into Sacrilege

SHINDA SAIBO NO KATAMARI – Ostriched Existence 

Cannibal Corpse – Inhumane Harvest

Dead Exaltation – Despondent 

Humanity’s Last Breath – Glutton

Bandcamp Recommendations – 5th March 2021 #BandcampFriday

First Friday of a new month and it’s Bandcamp Fridays. My picks from February are here

23 tracks covered by Australian heavy metal act Lord in their own style. From Iron Maiden, Judas Priest to even Kylie Minogue and Savage Garden.

Discover the doom metal scene in Russia with over 50 tracks. Looking forward to Part 2.

20 tracks of post-rock from Australia and New Zealand put together by a killer Australian label.

American black metal juggernauts are back with a much darker release.

A viscous mix of extreme metal and avantgarde unlike another I have heard before.

A mix of heavy rock tracks with ballads that showcase versatility of vocalist Sherry Khattak.

Fistful of Metal 24

This episode was dedicated to the memory of Alexi Laiho (Bodom after Midnight, Ex-Children of Bodom)

The set features tracks from my best of 2020 list and also albums I am looking forward to in 2021

Tracklist

Children Of Bodom  – Needled 24/7

Elephant Tree – Sails

Chepang – Pahilo Bhet

Andho Manis

The Ocean – Holocene

Defeated Sanity – Conceived Through Savagery

Spirit Adrift – Stronger Than Your Pain

Colosso – Despised

Omination – Last Trisagion

Sea Sleeper – Salt

Hellfrost And Fire – Legion of Hellfrost And Fire

Vahrzaw – Waiting with the Wolves

Bandcamp Recommendations – 5th February 2021 #BandcampFriday

New month and it’s a another #BandcampFriday. Here are some of my recommendations.

Debut release from the Pune death metal act tells the story of a psycopath warden who runs a prison holding innocent people picked up from the streets. BRUTAL stuff!

Another debut album, this time from Finland. No bullshit death metal courtesy the ever reliable Transcending Obscurity.

Potent mix of death and post metal from this American act engulfs the lister with each riff that can leave one claustrophobic.

New death metal act featuring members of Chaos Inception and Malignancy. Sci-fi themed EP Lair Of Xenolich is a short listen and does not disappoint.

New single from the Indian veteran featuring the killer rhythm section of Mohini Dey & Gino Banks

Raw live recording of the seminal grindcore act from 2004. Must have for all Nasum fans.

This is slowly becoming one of my favourite labels. Most of their releases are PWYW today. Not sure what to buy? Check out this sampler they just released today.

Fistful of Metal 23

Year ender episode of Fistful of Metal. Lots of new music.

First aired on Boxout.fm on 17th December 2020

Track list

Demonstealer – This Crumbling earth

Fuming Mouth – Master of Extremity

Found Hanging – Obliterated Intestinal Pulp

Evisorax – Ascension Catalyst

Evisorax – Harsh Reality

Deeds of Flesh –  Ethereal Ancestors

Engulfed – Summoning The Black Death

Respire – Tempest

Killer be Killed – Deconstructing Self-Destruction

Palm Reader – Hold/Release

Aviations – Nineties Nine Ties

Soilwork – Death Diviner

Picks of 2020

This past year, more specifically the last 9 months have been easily the toughest for me. During the initial months of isolation, Music became my main solace along with exercise. I think I have listened to more music this year compared to past couple years. Hence it was not an easy task putting together this list.

Non metal picks (in no particular order)

 Impulsive Voices is another impressive release from the guitar prodigy from Down Under. This album is darker and is a huge step in all aspects. Just listen to the track Pan which features a saxophone is a stand out track on Impulsive Voices. 

Rock the Highway is a great throwback to the 80’s rock sound. There are a couple of progressive tracks on the album like Identity Crisis. Wonder if their future material will be like that.

The Earth below is the solo project from Deepak Raghu from Shepherd. Nothing Works Vol. 2- Hymns For Useless Gods was my soundtrack during times of melancholy. Big step ahead in terms of production. 

Bayaan is a Pop rock from Pakistan. Suno is a very catchy album that reminds me of the Pakistani Pop rock releases from the mid 2000’s 

Karakoram are another good rock band from Pakistan featuring Zain Peerzada from Takatak on guitars. Ibtida is a promising release and their upcoming album will be one to looks out for in 2021.

Metal picks

#10 On Solitude, Cloudkicker turned heavy again and was totally what I needed this year. Thank you Ben Sharp for this album.

#9 ‘When I Die, Will I Get Better?’ is a seemless meld of hardcore and black metal. The album took me on a journey through the album. I especially enjoyed the lyrics and topics it covers, things we face both in real life and online. 

#8 The World that was is a potent mix of Death and doom metal. Temple of Void keep getting better with each album like a fine wine or whiskey.

#7 Stare Into Death And Be Still is Extreme metal with a menacing atmosphere. A phenomenal release. I don’t think any other album has captured better the sound of the shitshow that this year has been. 

#6 Mortal has a mix of all my favourite elements of death metal, Low growls and crunchy guitar riffs. Alseep Forever is a track that I will be listening to for years to come. One of the best death metal albums I’ve heard this year.

#5 Habits is one of the albums I have listened to the most this year. It’s meditative riffs and doomy vocals left me in a trance.

#4 The first time I heard Chatta, I was blown away by what I heard. Each time I listen to this album, I find a new element. This album has pushed the levels of grindcore. This album is Chatta!

#3 Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic is a Post metal masterpiece. This album made me trip/transcend to another level.

#2 The Sanguinary Impetus is a strange mix of Technical and brutal death metal. On their previous album, they did a split of sorts with Disposal of the Dead and Dharmata. This album is a marriage of both albums and pummels you into submission. An All A’s album. 

#1 Yes for the 2nd year in a row, my pick is Spirit Adrift. Enlightened In Eternity was my pick me up album for this year.  An album that gave me hope that there is a light at the end of this. 

Fistful of Metal 22

This episode of Fistful of Metal was dedicated to the memory of Nitin Rajan

First aired on boxout.fm on 19th November 2020.

Track list

Primitiv – Squishy and Spongy

Benediction – Stormcrow

Humanity is Cancer – The Punishment Due

Bleeding Out – Mechanized Decomposition

Revolting – Defleshed

System of a Down – Genocidal Humanoidz

Ektomorf – Reborn

Psycroptic – A Fragile Existence

Inferi – Aeons Torn

Pulcha Morte – Ex Rosa Ceremonia

Liminal Shroud – Sentinel

Katla – Villuljos