Austere are revered in the black metal underground; with an emotional take on the genre and a long hiatus, the Australian duo came back with a bang this year. New music and live shows hopefully means it's for a while. In any case, Corrosion of Hearts might have come fourteen years after their last full-length with Austere keeping the dark atmopshere and progressing their sound in a way that feels like it was no time at all. 

Norway has been at the forefront of the black metal scene for longer than most black metal fans have been alive, and Dødheimsgard have been a presence for almost thirty years themselves. Reinvention is a touchstone of the Dødheimsgard sound and Black Medium Current is a stunning showcase of just how magically bonkers the band are. 

Sky Void of Stars is the sound of a band at their pinnacle with vocals possessing a range that cuts to the core with even the slightest inflection and guitars that soar with melanchioly in all the right places. Sweden's Katatonia are rightfully thought of as masters of their chosen genre and the kind of doom they create is weighted with the kind of emotion that is known to all humanity. 

Lamp Of Murmuur burst onto the scene only a few short years ago and yet the project has fast become one of the most talked about names within black metal. Touring Europe, playing festivals and having vinyl sell out in the blink of an eye does give the impression that there is a lot of hype around the band and it is not at all unjustified. Live the Lamp Of Murmuur experience is frenetic and on record the band are just as passionate. Saturnian Bloodstorm signals a change in style and it is magnificent. 

If you are looking for euphoria, you can do worse that seeking out VNV Nation and their futurepop beats. The electronic project has been on the scene for well over thirty years and still shows no signs of slowing down with huge tours and a regular album cycle. Electric Sun is a fantastic collection of songs that pulse with slick energy from the opening moments to the closing quietude. Close your eyes and dance.