an overview of music albums from 2012 imo worth hearing (includes albums from 2011 or earlier, that got scene-released in 2012) - i'll focus mostly on metal, feel free to add your own personal favorites or simply those worth mentioning, preferably including the genre as well


** metal **


black:

Alcest_-_Les_Voyages_De_Lame-FR-2012-CRUELTY (post black/blackgaze)
Asmund-Volya-RU-2012-GRAVEWISH
Dies_Ater-Hunger_for_Life-2012-GRAVEWISH
Enslaved-RIITIIR-2012-BERC (prog/post black) also recommended by SBfreak
Grand_Alchemist-Disgusting_Hedonism (2012) (symphonic/avant-garde black)
Khonsu-Anomlia-2012-MTD (black/industrial) misspelled: 'Anomalia'
Rage_Nucleaire-Unrelenting_Fucking_Hatred-2012-FiH (psychotic black )
Vesperian_Sorrow-Stormwinds_Of_Ages (2012) (symphonic black)

death:

Aeternam-Moongod-2012-UTP (oriental symphonic/melodic death)
Gorod-Transcendence-EP-2011-GRAVEWISH (technical death)
Mandragora-Carnal_Cage-2012-RTB (melodic death)
Marionette-Nerve-2011-GRAVEWISH (melodic death)
Unearthly-Flagellum_Dei-2011-GRAVEWISH (behemoth death )
Wintersun-Time_I-2012-GRAVEWISH (symphonic melodic death)
Words_Of_Farewell-Immersion-2012-FiH (melodic death)

gothic/doom:

Ancestors-In_Dreams_And_Time-2012-C4 (doom/stoner) thx to SBfreak for this one
Barren_Earth-The_Devils_Resolve-2012-r35 (death/doom)
Evenoire-Vitriol-2012-RTB (gothic/folk)
Grand_Magus-The_Hunt-2012-GRAVEWISH (doom/heavy)
Horisont-Second_Assault-2012-FNT (proto-doom/psychedelic rock)
Illuminata-A_World_So_Cold-2011-GRAVEWISH (symphonic gothic)
Moonspell-Alpha_Noir-Omega_White-2CD-2012-r35 (gothic)
Okera-A_Beautiful_Dystopia (2012) (death/doom)
Orchid-Capricorn-2011-BERC (sabbath doom )

other:

IDVision-Destination_Cybermind-2012-GRAVEWISH (industrial black/death)
Neurotech-Antagonist-2011-GRW (cyber metal)
Niflheim-Personae-2011-GRAVEWISH (avantgarde folk)
Sybreed-God_Is_An_Automaton-2012-FiH (cyber/djent)
Thy_Catafalque_-_Rengeteg-HU-READNFO-2011-CRUELTY (avantgarde)
Viikate-Petajaverajat-FI-2012-r35 (folk metal/rock)

power/heavy:

3_Inches_Of_Blood-Long_Live_Heavy_Metal-2012-FNT (heavy)
Accept-Stalingrad-2012-BriBerY (heavy) also recommended by Snitlev
Amberian_Dawn_-_Circus_Black-2012-MCA_int (symphonic power)
Burning_Point-The_Ignitor-2012-PMS (melodic power)
Dragonforce-The_Power_Within-2012-BriBerY (power)
Onmyouza_-_Kishi-Bojin_(Jap._Ed.)-JP-2011-MCA_int (heavy)
Reinxeed-Welcome_to_the_Theater-2012-GRAVEWISH (symphonic melodic power)
Thy_Majestie_-_Shihuangdi-Digipak-2012-MCA_int (symphonic power)

progressive:

Affector_-_Harmagedon-2012-CMG
BaK-Painter (2012_EP)
Ethereal_Architect-Monolith-2012-AMRC
Eumeria-Rebel_Mind-2011-GRAVEWISH
Eyefear_-_The_Inception_of_Darkness-Digipak-2012-MCA_int (progressive power)
Status_Minor_-_Ouroboros-2012-MCA_int
Threshold_-_March_of_Progress-2012-CMG

thrash:

Absu-Abzu-2011-GRAVEWISH (black/thrash)
Arakain_-_Homo_Sapiens-CZ-2011-mCZ (heavy/thrash)
Mekong_Delta_-_Intersections-2012-CMG (progressive thrash)
Vektor-Outer_Isolation-2011-GRW (progressive thrash)


** non-metal **


blues:

Joe_Bonamassa--Driving_Towards_the_Daylight-2012-OMA

dance/electronic:

Saint_Etienne-Words_and_Music-2012-SNOOK

darkwave/ambient:

Aura_Noctis-Itineris_I-2011-AMOK

folk/medieval:

The_Moon_And_The_Nightspirit-Mohalepte (2011)

hard rock:

Axxis-reDISCOver(ed)-2012-GRAVEWISH (covers album)
Jaded_Heart-Common_Destiny-2012-GRAVEWISH (melodic rock/metal)
M.ILL.ION-Sane_and_Insanity-2011-GRAVEWISH
Medina_Azahara-Marcando_El_Viento-2CD-ES-2012-EiTheLMP3 (compilation) (latin melodic/hard rock) mislabeled: 'El_Tiempo', last 2 songs on CD2 have errors, no nuke, no proper? meh

metalcore/deathcore/djent:

7_Horns_7_Eyes-Throes_Of_Absolution-2012-KzT
A_Life_Once_Lost-Ecstatic_Trance-(Repack)-2012-FNT
Becoming_The_Archetype-I_Am-2012-KzT

post rock:

Arctic_Plateau_-_The_Enemy_Inside-2012-CRUELTY

progressive rock:

Arena-The_Seventh_Degree_of_Separation-2011-GRAVEWISH
RPWL-Beyond_Man_and_Time-2012-GRAVEWISH

psychedelic rock:

Hidria_Spacefolk-Astronautica-2012-r35 (instrumental psychedelic/space rock)
Kingston_Wall-King_Size_Box-8CD-2012-KALEVALA (compilation)
Ulver-Childhoods_End-2012-BERC (covers album)

soul/R&B:

Kendra_Morris-Banshee-2012-C4
Melanie_Fiona-The_MF_Life-2012-CR & Melanie_Fiona-The_MF_Life-(Retail_Bonus_Tracks)-2012-C4


related threads:

http://www.sb-innovation.de/showthre...threadid=23943
http://www.sb-innovation.de/showthre...threadid=27990

a more concise list/selection can be found here:

http://www.sb-innovation.de/showthre...041#post306219

note: haven't done any ratings here, but it can be said that any of these may fit between 6 (above average) & 10 (excellent)
also, releases without a group tag (at the end of a release name) aren't scene releases, example: BaK-Painter (2012_EP)