Mutant Supremacy - Infinite Suffering (Self-released)
Any band named after an X-Men reference is OK by me. This is classic death metal in the vein of early Morbid Angel. Drums and lead guitars stand out as particularly excellent, as do the unusually dynamic vocals. Eight tracks of unrestrained blazing fury in 30 minutes. A must-have.
Led To Sea - Into The Darkening Sky (Eleven)
Clanking-bicycle production, pizzicato string plucking, and an extremely talented string section are the disparate elements forming this surprisingly cohesive record, which incorporates Eastern European and psychedelic strains of folk music into an off-kilter but pleasant whole. The songs contain few vocal parts, but what singing appears is excellent.
Infernaeon - Genesis To Nemesis (Prosthetic)
The keyboards and neo-classical black metal riffing on this record make me think of Cradle Of Filth, but Infernaeon are a lot tougher than COF, with deep, growling vocals, chugging rhythm guitars, and a thick-sounding rhythm section that keeps the keyboards from making things too wimpy. Original, enjoyable brutality.