This week’s new heavy metal releases include a rare successful return to form, evil dance songs, cosmic/underworld death metal (you decide), and more! To the metals…
Blackwater Drowning – Obscure Sorrows
Genre: Metalcore/melodic death metal
Origin: Salisbury, North Carolina
Label: Blood Blast Distribution
Buy now from Blackwater Drowning
Starting this week off with some epic, catchy darkness. This is the perfect mix of modern metal, 2010’s melodic death metal, and classic metalcore. They added some orchestral bedding to their mix this time and it really lifts their sound. A hell of a sophomore record.
Carpenter Brut – Leather Temple
Genre: Synthwave/metal
Origin: Poitiers, France
Label: No Quarter Prod / Virgin Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Franck Hueso’s third in the Leather trilogy will get you and your pals squeaking on the dance floor. Squeaking because of the leather? You get it. Anyway, this sounds like the soundtrack to a post-apocalyptic nightmare film in the best way.
Cryptic Shift – Overspace & Supertime
Genre: Technical death metal/thrash
Origin: Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Label: Metal Blade Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
I can’t decide if this one sounds like you’re being dragged though hell or dragged though space. Maybe both. Either way this is a technical metal lesson in that way that’s not just being impressed by the number of notes there are. This is somewhere between Voivod and Blood Incantation. Big recommendation.
Doomsday Astronaut – Origins
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Sibiu, Romania
Label: A for Aleph records
Stream/etc here
You like sick shredding? Why wouldn’t you? Don’t be stupid. Doomsday Astronaut have you covered if you’re not stupid. Grooves are hefty, the playing is techy, and the songwriting is stellar. Waqas Ahmed’s once solo thing really flourishes as a full band here.
Necrofier – Transcend Into Oblivion
Genre: Melodic black metal
Origin: Houston, Texas
Label: Metal Blade Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Sometimes you just need a well-executed black metal record sans frills and that’s what you’re getting here. This supergroup of dudes from Oceans of Slumber, Nevermore, and that are all also in Terror Corpse, aren’t fucking around here. Just look at the video below. Black and white everything, smoke, and candles. Doesn’t get more grim than that.
Nothing – A Short History Of Decay
Genre: Shoegaze/hard rock
Origin: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Label: Run For Cover Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
It’s been six years since a proper Nothing record (since 2022’s Don’t Look For Light In Tunnels was it’s own odd thing) and the echo-core masters have returned to wash you away once more. Fuzz? Check. Reverb? Check. Breakbeats? Check, wait what?Whirring synths? Sometimes, yes. I guess, what I’m saying is there’s a lot going on here, so buckle up and go for a ride.
Unverkalt – Héréditaire
Genre: Blackened post-metal
Origin: Germany/Greece
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Bandcamp
These slow, heavy Greeks have been at it for almost a decade, but this record really solidifies their sound. You’re getting some blackened metal, some post-metal heft, and some experimental vocals that I’ve only really heard before on a Julie Christmas-fronted record. It’s a combo unlike anything I’ve heard before and I’m excited about it.
A Wilhelm Scream – Cheap Heat
Genre: Melodic hardcore/punk
Origin: New Bedford, Massachusetts
Label: Creator-Destructor Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Melodic hardcore/thrashy punks/skate punk madmen (?) have returned with their first record in four years and it’s a bite-sized delight. The record features their new-ish guitarist Ben Murray melting faces with the rest of the band. Lyrical they’re political, while also self-reflective. You know, classic Scream.
Rob Zombie – The Great Satan
Genre: Shock rock/heavy metal
Origin: Haverhill, Massachusetts
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon
The Great Satan really feels like Rob set oiut to recreate the magic of his early solo work, and honestly I think he did it. Perhaps it was bringing Riggs and Blasko back into the mix (who were both on Hellbilly 1 and Sinister Urge with him). Also, the deep cuts on this one really sing, so enjoy “Heathen Days,” then go beyond the other singles for the good stuff.
Also dropping this week…
- Black Reuss – Death (Golden Robot Records) – Dark rock
- Black Swan – Paralyzed (Frontiers) – Hard rock
- Cemetery Reign – Confined To Time (Carbonized Records) – Death metal
- CrusHuman – Imperial (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Death metal
- deathcrash – Somersaults (Untitled) – Post-rock/slowcore
- Deeper Graves – Pull Me Toward The Dark (Disorder Recordings) – Ambient/shoegaze
- Ennui – Qroba (Meuse Music Records) – Funeral doom
- Farson – Ein Stumpfes Instrument (Revolvermann Records/Total Dissonance Worship) – Post-black metal
- Fayenne – The Calling From The Depth (Self-released) – Black metal
- Final Gasp – New Day Symptoms (Relapse) – Gothix metal/death rock
- From Sheep To Wolves – Ephemeris (Self-released) – Alternative metal
- The Gloom In The Corner – Royal Discordance (SharpTone Records) – Metalcore
- Paul Gilbert – Wroc (Music Theories Records) – Shred
- Grave Heist – Fate Of The World (MBC) – Hardcore/thrash
- Hela – A Reign To Conquer (Ardua Music) – Stoner/doom
- Internal Decay – Fires Of The Forgotten (Hammerheart Records) – Death metal
- It’sAlie – Wild Games (Frontiers Music Srl) – Hard rock
- Joel Hoekstra’s 13 – From The Fade (Frontiers Music Srl) – Heavy metal
- Kikker – Kikker (Pavement Entertainment) – Rock
- Manuel – Parasite (Wormholedeath) – Progressive metal
- Matador – The House Always Wins (Church Road Records) – Psychedelic post-metal
- Mek Na Ver – Noctivaga (Masked Dead Records/Sulphur Music) – Black meta
- Mývalyir – The Past Tales (Self-released) – Melodic death metal
- The Neal Morse Band – L.I.F.T. (InsideOutMusic) – Progressive rock
- Necrosexual – Road To Rubble (Black Metal Archives) – Thrash/crossover
- Neverstar – White Hot (Major League Productions) – Hard rock/heavy metal
- Nibiru – H Y P Ó S T A S I S (Argonauta Records) – Psychedelic sludge/drone
- Øvi – Hedera Helix (Self-released) – Black metal
- Owls Over Oaks – O.O.O. (Argonauta Records) – Drone/doom
- Phoenix Lake – Seraphina: The Fall From Eden (Self-released) – Melodic hard rock
- Pil & Bue – You Have Chosen Darkness (Self-released) – Rock
- Prison Of Mirrors – De Sepulchris Occultis et Igne Profanationis (ATMF) – Atmospheric death metal/doom
- Powerwolf – Wildlive (Live at Olympiahalle) (Napalm Records) – Power/heavy metal
- Ruoska – Kade (Self-released) – Industrial
- Slagmaur – Hulders Ritual (Prophecy Productions) – Black metal
- Templar – Conquering Swords (Jawbreaker) – Heavy metal
- Unburier – As Time Awaits (Self-released) – Death metal
- Varials – Where The Light Leaves (Fearless Records) – Nu metalcore
- Weedpecker – V (Heavy Psych Records) – Psychedelic/stoner metal
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