Invocation Spells - Descendent the Black Throne (2015)

   When it's about thrash/black metal, Invocation Spells should be definitely among the first names that comes to mind. Not because they would be an old or classic name for the genre. But because simply they're among the few top bands who are able to catch the feeling of the style in the rawest, dirtiest and most vile way.
   The band of course didn't figure out the whole thing by themselves, their music relies on the traditional basics of South American extreme metal, and when it comes to thrash/black, there are simply no better basics for that. What Invocation Spells did the best is mastering their influences and focusing on the core essence of the style. This of course also means a strongly vintage/old school approach, with the inevitable touch of '80s-like sound and spirit. But since lots of bands (mainly from Sweden) have shown up since the late '00s to restore the feeling of the '80s by a very familiar sounding, but in truth never existed direct transition from pioneer bands like Celtic Frost and Venom to black metal, this counts as an alternative (probably a better alternative) for the same endeavours. But while Northern and other European bands involving speed and heavy metal influences, mainly inspired by the British heavy metal scene (and meanwhile others, mainly in Eastern Europe desire to play black metal, but they're simply not enough skilled for that, therefore they ending up as thrash/black), in South America the rawest, more aggressive form persevered and rules still. In total Invocation Spells is strongly recommended for thrash/black fans. 

Blasfemia - Ancient Occult Wisdom (2015)

   "Ancient Occult Wisdom" is the second full-length album by Blasfemia, a one man band formed in 2010.  The productiveness of señor Mr. Nicolás Fariña (the man behind the project) is quite spectacular according his past presence of various other bands as drummer, and more importantly, because Blasfemia's music is far from  being unifacial.
   The album offers quite decent thrashing black metal that recalls the spirit of the '80s in the well known dirty, ancient South American way. This approach is definitely more related to the traditional local scene, therefore it might sound pretty nostalgic. This means, musically thrash metal influences are dominant, and the atmosphere has very reduced role by being subordinated to dirty, echoing sound. This sound (on the side of the main concept of course) therefore also follows the already vintage basics on the line of Sarcófago, Pentacrostic or old Sepultura. From the thrash metal side, except the quite evident influence of Slayer, German thrash metal bands like Sodom, Kreator and Necronomicon could be mentioned as possible inspirational factors. "Ancient Occult Wisdom" is a quite diverse album by themes despite being thrash/black, even some old heavy metal (in this raw and aggressive context melodic death) are involved, extending the '80s touch. For the fans of old school sound it's definitely a potential favorite. 

Sadistic Murder - Butcher of Rostov (2015)

   By seeing a reference album title and a stylized drawing of serial killer Andrei Chikatilo on a cover of a band called Sadistic Murder, there are no doubts that it's not going to be some new waved stuff.
   And indeed, Sadistic Murder was the same way self-dedicated to traditional death metal than to gory concept. Which is at least partly based on real life events, and partly on classic random brutality/gore lyrics, cause even though the album seems like dedicated to Chikatilo, not all songs are about his reign of terror. However, the reality factor gives a more serious background for the whole thing. The music is also partly old school death metal rooted, and partly brutal death influenced. The sound, the strict insensible song compositions and the main impression are responsible for the latest, but the music isn't too technical and intense for ordinary brutal death. The band kept trying to play slightly melodic riffs and to combine them with short, catchy solo themes, and this counts as old school endeavours. This catchy but brutal approach might remind to old Cannibal Corpse. The concept is clear, the album is smoothly unified and enjoyable, new wave of old school death metal at its best so to say. Strongly recommended for the fans of the genre. 

Evil Bitch - Sin and Pleasure (2015)

   Evil Bitch's "Sin and Pleasure" demo which was their second one, originally came out in 2014, but in the following year it had a CD release. And this version also includes a live song attached to the end of the album.
   The female duo basically sounds like an early '80s nostalgia band mainly inspired by Motörhead, but the influence of the that time slowly awakening darker perspective of metal also could be sensed in their music. Their simple, basic themes referring to the core essence of the genre, and some riffs quite reminding to bands like Hellhammer and Venom. Even though demos nowadays could sound pretty good, Evil Bitch seemed to prefer the old school way, even by sticking with poor sound quality. And this had two advantages for them. First, this way the amateur '80s garage band feeling could be reached effortlessly, while most bands trying to recreate vintage sound in studios and many times they're still able to fail. And second: poor sound quality could also cover their mistakes both on guitar and in the vocal performance. Like in case of a raw, amateur sound, not many would bother if the band also playing as amateurs. In total, their music reminds to Oral, a short lived, also Motörhead influenced female band from the UK. But while Oral (probably not surprisingly after their name) focused on pleasure-based '80s rock'n'roll dirtiness, Evil Bitch is all-round dirty in a bit darker way. Their music is mainly recommended for those who are enjoying the feeling of live music experience in already intoxicated state in small rock pubs where hygiene is an unknown word, the toilets are in ruins, the floor is covered with the mix of beer, dirt and piss, and the air grew heavy from cigarette smoke.

Marilyn Manson - The Pale Emperor (2015)

   Officially the 2003 released "The Golden Age of Grotesque" was Marilyn Manson's last commercially successful album and the band have been at their peak of success being played as frequently as never before (though it was pretty much a forgettable album). Over a decade long silence came after that basically wasn't silent, since 3 albums came out meanwhile, only they've been completely inostensible. And unexpectedly Marilyn Manson have returned with "The Pale Emperor", a record, that brought back exactly that kind of music what used to make people liking their music so much. However, a few things have been changed meanwhile in general.
   Even though the music was able to bring back what so many have been waiting for, and the album also included the same spirit, that insulted every good hypochristian American back then, Mr. Manson didn't become a common scapegoat like how he used to be back then (which also meant no free commercial). The world has changed meanwhile. Rough social criticism didn't reach people's unjustified oversensitivity in the mid '10s like 15 years ago, such as Mr. Manson's androgynous appearance. First the emo subculture, later the rainbow cult turned the whole thing as a trend, therefore the shock rock factor didn't work like before, and this definitely had effect on the sales. However "The Pale Emperor" was able to reach the quality that was long lost after "Holy Wood" by including plenty of catchy songs that are both reflecting some actual and plenty of good old features. The band's darker, more ominous tone with raw social criticism wasn't new, but long time missing, and its return proved to be the best step that the band have made in the past 15 years. It worked well even being combined with the softer and more chilling tone, that have been completely usual during the forgettable period. This way the music became catchy, easy to go into and a bit more diverse too, though diversity in Mr. Manson's music was never a sensible factor during exact albums. Probably the endeavours of creating unified sound have been responsible for the homogeneity of each Marilyn Manson album. For most old fans "The Pale Emperor" finally wasn't disappointing and could have been nostalgic too, cause it recalled the feeling why they've become Marilyn Manson fans back then.

Relentless - Night Terrors (2015)

    As it was previously mentioned, Relentless was formed as a strongly doom influenced heavy metal band. Their music had such old school touch that was long lost from the main metal scene, and their second album, "Night Terrors" gave a slightly different perspective for the same ancient, and therefore very familiar concept.
   Even though the doom metal influence still could be sensed, it was restricted to the lyrical concept and vocal style, while from the music it was nearly gone. Only for one song ("Ancient Realm") it have returned similarly like on the debut, bust still without doom metal riffs. Basically intense heavy metal themes are dominant during the whole album, slow tempo isn't usual anymore, but still the ominous, vintage doom feeling is there, thanks to Miss Carlee Jackson's impressive vocal performance. Even if vocals alone are basically not used to be enough to determine the style of the music, they're definitely enough to give another tone for it. "Night Terrors" also have excellent themes, that doesn't make ordinary heavy metal to seem retired like most who are tryings to bring back the style (not if there would be many bands trying), but it's quite refreshing to hear something vintage and great the same time in nowadays metal scene. "Night Terrors" might be pretty enjoyable for both the fans of  '80s heavy and doom metal. 

Holocaustum - In the Fields They Bled (2015)

   By their returning album, Holocaustum continued the musically diverse path of their debut with some great improvements. 
   The role of the atmospheric sound decreased, and cleaner, heavier sound took its place. This turned out to be an advantageous step, cause therefore the catchy, melodic themes gained more focus. The album's musical wealthiness is pretty impressive, it's way more diverse than an ordinary death metal album, but at the other hand the themes are enough unified and the song structures having enough evident continuity, to not switch on progressive field. If not basically heavy/power metal with growling vocal style would cover the term melodic death metal, Holocaustum's music could serve as a more accurate definition. It's melodic and didn't lose the death metal musical features, unlike most bands sorted to the melodic death subgenre. The guitar themes also having even more blackened touch than before, which are responsible for the remaining atmospheric impression. Combined with the intense drumming style, many of their compositions could fit into black metal too. This also made the band kinda exceptional, since similar theme selection isn't usual at American bands in general, and they definitely did it better than most Americans who claimed to play black metal. In total "In the Fields They Bleed" is an excellent, quite diverse and enjoyable album, could be a potential favorite for the fans of death, black/death and melodic death metal.