Bear Mace - Charred Field of Slaughter. Last year Green Lung's 'Woodland Rites' came out of nowhere for me and became an album I listened to everyday for a long stretch....this year Bear Mace's sophomore effort is that out of left field release I can't stop listening to. Hilarious tounge-in-cheek death metal subject matter ('Destroyed by Bears' is the opener) on top of Slayer meets Bolt-Thrower riffage. Super solid.
Judicator also knocked it out of the park with their own sophomore effort, 'Let there be Nothing. Superlative proggy power-metal....they are heavily influenced by Blind Guardian, but I personally like both their albums more than most BG output.