Last year I compiled a year-end EP post with which I received help from my colleagues and of which I was quite proud. This year I institute this post by repeating it. There’s so much to be said for EPs. This site has discussed at length the death of editing in the post-vinyl era but it seems that this has largely not extended to EPs, for which artists seem to respect the concise, direct format . Frankly, more bands should utilize it if it would encourage them to leave their less-good material on the cutting room floor.

It’s also worth noting that this time I’ve contributed even less and will still enjoy the exposure of posting it under my name. Finally I understand the life of AMG.

Dreamgrave // Monuments – I was unclear on titling this release as it’s the first of a 3-part release, unofficially sub-titled The Anxious. Anxiety in this context amounts to 24 highly progressive minutes which touch on the style of Presentiment but draw on a wider range of influences generally. Opener, “Drop the Curtain,” is a distinctly chilled track featuring the amazing vocals of Mária Csányi-Molnár while “Monuments” opens with more bounce and swing in its wordless vocals and finger clicks. Beyond its introduction, this middle track probably hits the closest to Presentiment in its dynamism and gothic drama. “The Passing Faith in Others” is gargantuan at over 11 minutes but is similarly strong with djent riffs and great vocal harmonies. The tonal consistency of prior work is arguably missed but there is undeniable quality across diversity here. –El Cuervo

Edguy // Monuments – And now for the second of two releases entitled Monuments. I’m cheating to include this as it’s technically a compilation album with 5 new tracks so it’s only these 5 tracks which I’ll be considering. It’s no secret I’m a Tobias Sammett fanboy but it’s songs like these which validate all my fervor . Edguy excel at conforming to Europower traits without leaving their bollocks at home. True to form, “Ravenblack” comes out swinging with high-octane riffs and a unbelievable hook in the chorus. It’s simply impossible to dislike such music as Sammett’s vocals are endlessly imitable and such energy is exuded. Special mention also has to go to “Landmarks” and “The Mountaineer.” Neither is remotely shocking if you’ve familiarized yourself with recent Edguy material but they’re so well executed. I look forward to the next full-length. –El Cuervo

Thantifaxath // Void Masquerading as Matter – With a band as secretive and obtuse as Thantifaxath, little warning comes before releases. Void Masquerading as Matter dropped earlier this year to little fanfare, but it has proven that the avant-garde black metal trio’s 2014 LP was no fluke. Four lengthy songs re-illuminate the spiraling halls Thantifaxath inhabit, full of intricacies and blind corners. The compositional intensity of Sacred White Noise still stands, and each song unfolds like a dusty tapestry spread across so many panels of oak. “Self-Devouring Womb” paces the corridors with a repetitive lurch, reflecting caught candlelight in leaded glass, while the title track bends a choir into chilling stasis. Void is in itself a haunting, the singing nerves of paranoia when shadows jump from each flicker of the light. Sleepless, trapped, and not wholly alone. –Kronos

Varaha // Varaha – Originally released at the tail-end of 2016 on Bandcamp, but given proper distribution in February of this year, Chicago quartet Varaha married Katatonia-like atonality with Alcestian dreamscapes with their 3-song self-titled EP. Between the shimmery guitar melodies, the airy atmosphere, dreamlike singing and nightmarish shrieking by guitarist Fabio Brienza, “Cubicle” and “Ghost” compose a beautiful picture of what’s in store when the band releases their debut full-length in the near future. Albeit a brief EP at a scant 16 minutes, it does succeed in leaving the listener craving more. –Grymm

Ancst // Furnace – Rare is the band that can combine street-level aggression with sky-scorching immensity, but Ancst isn’t your everyday band. After last year’s excellent Moloch debut, this German quartet has returned with a 22-minute attack that again recalls an angrier and crustier version of country-mates Thränenkind (now King Apathy). Expect a collision of crust and post-black metal propelled by crisp, snappy drumming that alternates between impossibly quick blasting and swift charging beats. Tracks like “Urban Tomb” and especially “In Stone” do well in combining hammering verses with chords that evoke Downfall of Gaia in their depictions of smoldering cityscapes. Meanwhile “Broken Oath” features both resonant tremolos and open melodies that would make Bolt Thrower smile, and through it all the vocalist’s bellowing roars remind one just how firmly this band hold their convictions. Scorching, evocative, melodic, socially-conscious – trust me, this Furnace won’t leave you cold. –Mark Z

Mantar // The Spell – I’ve been championing Germany’s Mantar since they blew me away with their punishing debut, Death by Burning in 2014. And following two top-notch albums, The Spell should keep the momentum of the band’s consistent progress moving upwards and onwards. Short and sweet, the formidable duo make good use of the EP format, consolidating their infectious brand of riff-driven, punky blackened sludge meets aggressive extreme rock. Punching out three rock solid tunes, Mantar doesn’t try and reinvent themselves, instead sticking closely to their now signature formula, with the crunchy grooves and ridiculously catchy hooks of “Age of the Vril” reminiscent of the fun and seething no-frills attitude of “The Stoning and “The Huntsmen” from the debut. The title track is a bludgeoning, riffy beast, featuring some rather spacious melodies and a surprising cleaner vocal turn. The Spell is a solid stopgap release until their anticipated third album eventually drops. –L. Saunders



Mastodon // Cold Dark Place – Mastodon has transitioned from critical darlings into quite the polarizing modern metal juggernaut. Their far safer, streamlined brand of proggy sludge rock has yielded solid but underwhelming results since they blew a creative fuse after the phenomenal Crack the Skye. Despite my criticisms over the band’s recent uneven output, Emperor of Sand marked a more consistent and adventurous turn and was a mostly satisfying if unspectacular album. Hot on the heels of Emperor’s release, Mastodon pumped out this impressive four track EP comprised of three off-cuts from the colorful but inconsistent Once More ‘Round the Sun album, and “Toe to Toes” was leftover from the Emperor sessions. Despite this, Cold Dark Place is an emotive, moody and surprisingly cohesive effort forming a worthy, darker companion piece to Emperor of Sand. “Toe to Toes” would have made a suitable replacement for a couple of weaker Emperor tracks, its upbeat stoner bounce and Southern twang well balanced by the emotive vocals and progressive forays. The interesting “Blue Walsh” works well as a chilled and melancholic prog jam, while the title track is a moving acoustic ballad with real emotional heft, capping a solid and introspective listen. –L. Saunders



Bridgeist // Waste of Kings – Bridegeist is a name I’d seen floating around Wichita, KS as a local headlining act for a good while. When I finally had a chance to check them out when they opened for Manilla Road a couple months back, they practically stole the show. A melodic, sludgy concoction of doomy traditional metal with sparks of thrash, their debut EP Waste of Kings accurately captures the band’s live energy in an unrefined yet very listenable state. Recalling bands as diverse as Khemmis and High on Fire, Bridegeist charges through four crushing tracks centered around lyrics of classic fantasy and leaves me wanting much, much more in the best possible way. For fans of highly catchy and genre-bending doom metal, this pairs quite nicely with this year’s fantastic Mahakala release. These local boys do me proud. –Eldritch Elitist

Dwell // Desolation Psalms – Eternally reliable, Scandinavia never fails to provide a multitude of bands proficient in that age old marriage of blunt brutality and emotional resonance . Denmark’s Dwell are certainly no exception, and Desolation Psalms deftly bonds the inherent classicism of death and black metal with Finland’s propensity for soul-searing doom. Rasped vocals interchange with an occasional deeper register over old-school riffing, while insistently ruinous soloing underpins the great songwriting. Sadly, 2017 would also mark the end of the band’s brief existence, and though denied any further down that path to perdition, Dwell is at least survived by this fine example of death/doom and a compilation of equal merit. Though the elements invested in Dwell‘s alchemy may not be of the utmost original, their evocative results promise to linger ever through those strange aeons where, as legend has it, even death may die. Highly recommended. –Ferrous Beuller

Trespasser // Suffer Alone, Suffer Together – The tail-end of the year isn’t exactly known for its bounty of quality metal offerings, let alone worthwhile debut EP’s, but Tasmania’s Trespasser managed to defy the rules this November by sludge-ing the norm to death with the hellaciously heavy Suffer Alone, Suffer Together. Featuring members of Departe, No Haven and Speech Patterns, this 18-minute monster wields sludgey low-end dirge and transcendental post-metal atmospheres with a frighteningly effective sense of grace and power. Here, contradictions don’t collapse, but rather coalesce into something darkly special. The calm moments are heavy, the chaotic moments feel natural, and the darkness of Trespassers’s world brings light into the listener’s. If there is any one word able to summarize Suffer with some semblance of accuracy or justice, it is ‘brutiful’. –Master ov Muppets

Skyfire // Liberation In Death – Sweden’s sleeping progressive melodic death metal serpent finally lifts its long-suffering head to scream forth after an 8 year hiatus. The result is four new tracks of classic Skyfire, which bleed the band’s signature melancholy ambiance while delivering soul-scorching anguish and a familiar melodic mastery. While nothing on the EP reaches the heights the band has attained in the past, all songs are true to the band’s well-established legacy. The title track and “Realm Of Silence” in particular indicate considerable life in the old beast, and the promise of searing hymns forthcoming. –Swordborn

Forefather // Tales From A Cloud-Born Land – 2017 was the year I became a Forefather fan, and Tales From A Cloud-Born Land exemplifies what I enjoy about this duo’s fascinating blend of black, folk, and power metal influences. I think of them as lying at the four-way intersection between Falconer, Dark Forest, early Ensiferum, and Falkenbach, with a strong preoccupation with Anglo-Saxon lyricism. This year’s bandcamp-exclusive EP is a great jumping-on point for one of best alchemical combinations of black/folk, historical/cultural lyricism, and heavy/power metal melodic sensibilities I’ve yet encountered. “One Blood and One Bone” alone is worth the purchase price. –Swordborn

Dragony // Lords of the Hunt – Marketed as a “Ten Year Anniversary” EP, Lords of the Hunt offers three excellent original songs which mandate a listen to this short-runner for any fan of European power metal. In addition to continuing to build its own brand of familiar-yet-distinct key- and choir-drenched power, Dragony offers a cover track, a pair of very worthwhile re-recordings, a pair of video clips, a karaoke version of the band’s most popular live track, and a demo of “Wings of the Night”. This makes for a whimsical combination of re-visiting the band’s roots and celebrating its progress. A sure fan-pleaser, and a whole lot more accessible and reasonable than anything Edguy did this year… –Swordborn