IN ROTATION: Our most played albums in January 2019

YETI’S IN ROTATION: JANUARY 2019

January has been an exciting month for the Yeti! Having only joined the Blessed Altar team a short month ago, my eyes have already been opened to so much more metal through discussions with the BAZ team and access to the vault! Throughout this past month I’ve been listening to a mix of old favourites as well as some amazing new discoveries. With winter finally hitting hard in my area it’s been nice having a steady new source of underground metal as I hike through the harsh and winter realms.

AGATHOS – Nihil Est (2018)

Independently released in Valencia Spain in May of 2018, this full force black metal storm is exactly what any metalhead needs during this time of year. Unleashing a hail storm of swarming riffage while also showcasing incredible drum and symbol work, every song of this 5 song EP is incredible. Agathos will most definitely be a band to keep an eye on moving into the new year.

PLAGA – Magia gwiezdnej entropii (2013)

I’ve been listening to a lot more black metal as of late, and with the snow getting deeper and the winds blowing grimmer, Poland’s Plaga have been getting alot of attention. Plaga continue the tangent of quick picking riff work but change things up with thick atmospheres and slow sludgy tempos.

SMOULDER – The Sword Woman (2018)

This epic doom gem has has been in my rotation since its’ April 20th drop last year. Toronto, Canada based Smoulder are traditional slow and striking doom metal perfect for any dungeon crawl or castle raid. I’ve had the breakout riff from “The Sword Woman” stuck in my head for months, so now you can enjoy a similar fate!

STRAPPING YOUNG LAD – Alien (2005)

Gearing up towards a new release from Devin Townsend this year, I’ve been having a lot of fun going back and listening some of his early stuff from Strapping Young Lad. Having first discovered this band at a live show in the mid 2000’s during the “Sounds of the Underground” tour, I was completely hooked when Devy took stage and almost ripped the place to the ground. While his new material is a far cry from the old days, there will always be a special place in my heart for SYL.

RIVERS OF NIHIL – Where Owls Know My Name (2018)

I haven’t been able to put this album down since putting together my list of favourite albums of 2018. With Rivers of Nihil stealing top spot after I changed the whole list around in final review, the incredibly powerful and technical instrumentals combined with thoughtful lyrics cut deep and will definitely be staying with me for years to come. Not to mention the irresistibly sexy death metal saxophone that stole my heart.