Minions!  As you already know, we did a list of top 50 metal albums in 2019. Now it’s time to pay homage to those bands that released their EPs this year! The list itself is a last second word, but we had to make it anyways! There’s surely some good stuff so it was more than worth it! So, this is our list of top 25 metal Eps in 2019! 

25) Blitzkrieg – Loud and Proud
(Mighty Music)

It’s NWOBHM time! Damn! I’m so glad these guys are still around! I must say that the artwork is killer! And so are the songs. Loud and Proud is a pretty lengthy release that spans a bit over 30 minutes.  If you’re up for some pure, traditional heavy metal, look no further than Blitzkrieg’s Loud and Proud!

24) Oni – Alone 
(Metal Blade Records)

Simply breathtaking! Oni’s Alone is a pretty memorable release, full of stellar tracks! Alone is technical,  djenty & proggy! The right way to go! And those clean vocals come in handy after hours and hours of death growls! Joke aside, Oni’s Alone is a killer release, no matter what parameters are involved!

23) Cancer – Ballcutter
(Peaceville Records)

British death metal at its finest! Holy crap! Cancer managed to maintain that perfection vibe called 80s death metal! If I’m correct, Ballcutter EP comes with one new song titled „All the Curses“, two studio tracks + two demo recordings from their latest album Shadow Gripped.

22) Ghost – Seven Inches of Satanic Panic
(Loma Vista Recordings)

That’s right! Ghost goes full 60s! Too bad this EP includes two songs only!  This artwork has 60s psychedelic vibe, which is of course, strongly felt in the songs. Those of you who would expect a heavy metal vibe will surely end up disappointed!  Ghost’s latest release is one of the most unusual on our list.  I wonder why….

21) Zombie Apocalypse - Life Without Pain is a Fucking Fantasy
(Inner Strenght Records)

KEEP ON ROTTING IN A FREE WORLD!   Zombie Apocalypse’s Life Without Pain is a Fucking Fantasy is the discovery of the year! You may label them as you wish, grindcore, hardcore…whatever. But these guys NAILED it!

20) Behemoth – O Pentagram Ignis
(New Aeon Musick)

BRING IT! Well, O Pentagram Ignis features one studio track of the same name, and three live recordings. And damn, the self-titled track rules! Let’s face it, anything with a Behemoth logo just can’t fail! Polish black/death metal masters are killing it with every release they make!

19) Running Wild – Crossing the Blades
(Steamhammer)

These guys are keeping it heavy since 1979! Gotta give them credit for that! Running Wild’s Crossing the Blades is a typical Running Wild release, worthy of your attention (especially if you’re still hooked on classic, speed/power metal sound).  This time, German heavy metal veterans payed homage to Kiss by covering „Strutter“.

18) Hamferð -  Ódn
(Metal Blade Records)

What a find! Hamferð's "Ódn" is a death/doom metal release you shouldn’t skip! The EP contains 2 live songs. Those riffs are killer, I tell you that!

17) Panopticon – The Crescendo of Dusk

Just beautiful. Panopticon’s The Crescendo of Dusk is a staggering atmospheric black metal release, that you’ll fall in love with in a matter of seconds. The live feel of the songs greatly contribute to the whole melancholic vibe on this EP. There’s even a pretty emotional acoustic track out of the blue! Who would have guessed it? The Crescendo of Dusk is a must listen for the fans of soothing, atmospheric black metal!

16) Cro-Mags – From the Grave
(Arising Empire) 

This year, legendary hardcore veterans Cro-Mags have released 2 Eps: Don’t Give In and From the Grave.   And we’ll give advantage to the latter, simply because it’s longer! Nevertheless, check out both of them! These guys are pounding like they are in their twenties! Such raw energy can rarely be felt in most of the bands from the 80s! And that’s a fact! Hands down for these tracks!

15) Exmortus – Legions of the Undead
(M-Theory Audio) 

Thrash till death! If you’re looking for a thrash/death metal band, look no further! With Exmortus’ Legions of the Undead you get the full package! Thrashing riffs, death growls, blast beats, and killer artwork as well! Simply put it, more than solid release! P.S. The Psycho theme and Mussorgsky’s Night on the Bald Mountain covers are ABSOLUTELY KILLER!

14) Ingested – Call of the Void 
(Unique Leader Records)

SLAM IT, BABY! These guys sound as a 1000 meat grinders.  Call of the Void is a pretty damn enjoyable release for all your slamming death metal/deathcore maniacs! With this release, you get it all: brutal death metal elements, slamming breakdowns, SICK deathgrowls + some breathtaking clean guitars that move the whole thing in a completey different direction from time to time.

13) The Contortionist – Our Bones
(eOne)

Man! I haven’t heard something like this in ages! The Contortinist’s Our Bones EP is what prog dreams are made of! Our Bones is an overall strong release if you ask me! Bands like this will clear your head from the overtime damage done by brutal death metal. I guess!

12) Devilish Impressions – Postmortem Wispering Crows
(Non Serviam Records)

Poland strikes again! Devilish Impression’s Postmortem Wispering Crows is a stellar black metal release! It’s pretty cool to actually hear the band sing in the Polish language!  If I had to describe this EP in two words it would be: grim, aggressive, and melodic! Highly recommended!

11) Prong – Age of Defiance
(Steamhammer)

Sweet! This time, thrash/groove veterans Prong brought us two new studio tracks + 3 live recordings. And damn, these new songs are stellar! We anxiously await the new album! And with a band like Prong, it is a no brainer that new stuff will be killer as this EP suggests!

10) Krallice – Wolf

Go Krallice! Man, this is some heavy stuff! The Band’s vocalist sounds like Steeve Hurdle incarnate (RIP)! Krallice’s Wolf is out-of-the-box black metal release. Within these 15 minutes, the band pulled out some magnificent riffs! This is some top-notch dissonant stuff!  Not to mention that thick, buzzing bass sound and the whole vibe of this little thing. Wolf is probably the finest EP in the category of the so called avant-garde black metal. And you know it!

9) Graveyard – Death Spiral

BRING IT! Graveyard keeps the machine rolling! Deathspiral is a supersonic stab to the neck! This EP is one of the dirtiest on this list! RAW & OLDSCHOOL! The way it should be! Graveyard’s music can be described as POLITICAL DEATH NOISE so go figure! Death Spiral is THE noisiest EP on the list! Pure energy! Pure aggression! With influences ranging from thrash/death/black metal to grindcore! Nicely packed, hits right to your guts!

8) Bölzer – Lese Majesty
(Lightning & Sons)

With every release, this band gets bigger and bigger! Bölzer’s Lese Majesty is a crushing 29-minute EP! The evilness of the riffs and the eerie atmosphere of this release is what hooked us on listening to it over and over again! This lengthy release incorporates sheer black/death metal brutality mixed with more experimental influences which could be heard on Bölzer’s  latest full length studio album – Hero (2016). And for the record, that album cover is beautiful!

7) Alice Cooper – Breadcrumbs
(earMusic)

The godfather of heavy metal keeps on delivering! And of course, Alice Cooper may be attached to the rock ‘n’ roll moniker, but he deserves a spot on this list! Breadcrumbs is an astonishing release that brings back the 70s golden age vibe! This EP is a time machine that merges the past and present in best way possible!

6) Wormed – Metaportal
(Season of Mist)

Now that’s some rabidly insane, brutal and mesmerizingly dissonant death metal! I guess that vocalist’s guts turn inside out every time he performs these over-the-top gutturals!  Wormed’s Metaportal is so brutal it’s not even funny! When it comes to music, these guys bring forth dissonant, interstellar otherworldliness upon our pesky little souls! Without the shadow of a doubt, Wormed’s Metaportal is some of the most brutal stuff we heard this year! 

5) Jinjer – Micro
(Napalm Records)

Goddamn. I almost forgot how good this EP really is! Tatiana Shmailyuk reigns supreme when it comes to vocals, no matter if we are talking about singing or growling! That aside, Jinjer delivered some tracks that weigh thousand tons! And that production makes ‘em sound even heavier!  Micro is state-of-the-art EP.  Damn, the more you listen to it, the better it is! If you’re up for some DJENTALITY, Jinjer will do the trick!  

4) Municipal Waste – The Last Rager
(Nuclear Blast)

THRASH! FULL SPEED AHEAD!  This band keeps delivering high class thrash anthems! The Last Rager is a 10-minute EP perfect for moshing around until you drop dead! And when Municipal Waste is in question, there is no compromise! You better blast this EP on full volume! The artwork of this EP made my day! Gotta love that zombie guy in an NBC suit and slimy nuclear waste (so typical for MxWx).

3) Vader – Thy Messenger
(Nuclear Blast)

YEAH! The veterans of Polish death metal scene just can’t fail! Besides, they are one of the most consistent bands in metal, PERIOD! Vader’s Thy Messenger EP is 13 minutes of pure, merciless, in-your-face supersonic assault! These tracks aim for the head!  Vader yet again brings forth the unstoppable machinery of their riffs. The heavy ones! Baby Yoda approves this!  P.S. that Judas Priest – Steeler cover rules!

2) Sodom – Out of the Frontline Trench
(Steamhammer)

By the gods! This year, Sodom has released 2 EPs: Chosen by the Grace of God and Out of the Frontline Trench. We gave advantage to the latter, simply because it’s longer! The good news is, Frank Blackfire is back in the band AND Tom Angelripper’s voice sounds very, very evil!  When it comes to the songs, Frank Blackfire gave a fresh blood to the arteries of German thrash metal machinery. So on this release, you’ll find 3 brand new songs + re-recorded version of „Agent Orange“ + live version of „Bombenhagel“. NEAT!

1) VARGR – The Abduction
(PRC Music)

BOW DOWN TO THE GODS! Vargr is a Canadian death/doom metal project from the 90s featuring the legendary Big Steeve Hurdle of Gorguts/Negativa (RIP) + members of cult Canadian thrashers Obliveon – Pierre Remillard & Stephane Belanger. And goddamn it, this is definitely one of the most shocking discoveries of this year. The whole project was kept in secret for more than two decades! These three songs show how BIG Big Steeve Hurdle really was. A true musical prodigy!  Expect a lot of dissonance and eerie stuff in general! It is a no brainer why VARGR’s The Abduction is our #1 pick for the EP of the year 2019! Can’t get enough of this!

What is your favorite EP from the list? Did we miss something? Do you agree with the ranking? Let us know in the comment section down below! Agoraphobic News team wishes you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! If you like what we are doing, like our Facebook  page, follow us on Instagram & Twitter and subscribe to our Youtube channel to help us grow!  Big shout out to our patron Season of Mist.  You can also support us by donations via Paypal and by becoming our patron!  Don’t forget to like & share this article!