Rickter scale of doom.

NACHTMYSTIUM Instinct: Decay (Battle Kommand)--Strongest release yet from the USBM horde. Fronted by Azentrius (also Twilight), this takes us into new territory, employing spiteful doses of scornful psychedetics (tastefully) amongst the Necro-ritual of rawness. Untamed, cold and hateful; this is a truly decrepit yet commanding piece of unstoppable, elite Black Metal.

BORIS Pink (Southern Lord)--Titan Japanese masters of the drone, the rock, and psych atmospheres, they explode with their most wrestled-over gigantic release yet. Pink has it all, from cyber drone to punk and back to doom spheres, and then the ultra catchy melodic scenester appreciato sessions of shred. If you've been a worthy follower since Absolutego, then you're in for a tasty treat. Watch out for their collaboration with SunnO))) later this year.

diSEMBOWELMENT Discography, 3xLP boxset (3XM)--Finally available on vinyl (simple black box limited to 500), Australia's legendary and mystical purveyor of punishing doom is here. Deeply plunging into the depths of woe, flatline depression grips me and weakens my soul. Such results don't come frequently, and with such devastation that rewards my gloom, diSEMBOWELMENT keeps me suppressed and dominated with their not-so-cheery ambience and uneasy atmospheres of impending obliteration and compressed percussions of blight. No joy, Just doom.

ELYSIUM/MONARCH split (Shifty, plus nine other labels)--Quite a contrast here, Elysium (France) fries the nervous system by way of ultra meth grind, and I mean ultra. I love it: four tracks, 5:55 minutes, including an eight-second song. Then we have the slowest of the slow with Monarch (RIP) doing one long track. Can't miss with a song title of "Amplifire Death March." Plus, someone could die between drum beat pauses and the Hell-O Kittie-type cover art of a burning church.