This week's new heavy metal releases include shreddy guitars, 420-friendly fuzz, and more!
To the metals…
After The Burial – Evergreen
Genre: Progressive metalcore/deathcore
Origin: Twin Cities, Minnesota
Label: Sumerian
It's been three years since After The Burial last brought their squeal-infused brand of deathcore to the people. They're finally back, and this time with a shiny new bassist in Adrian Oropeza. It comes with pretty trees on the cover and a video with Vikings. What more could you want?
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c64J3kadYrE][/youtube]
Allegaeon – Apoptosis
Genre: Technical melodic death metal
Origin: Denver/Fort Collins, Colorado
Label: Metal Blade
Allegaeon should be massive. They're one of the few bands out to constantly top themselves and adapt so well to change. This album, like After The Burial's, includes a shiny new bassist. Allegaeon's new pal Brandon Michael does not stay in the pocket on this album, and it's the best. The band is full of shreddy dorks and he's a shreddy bass dork.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw7FFhmmrzE][/youtube]
Fractal Universe – Rhizomes Of Insanity
Genre: Progressive/Technical Death Metal
Origin: Nancy, France
Label: Metal Blade
Here come some more shreddy dorks. These guys kind of reminds me of a mix of Gorod, Cynic, and Porcupine Tree. The delivery of the clean vocals is very Steven Wilson, but musically they're very prog death metal. Anyway, lots of melody and lots of notes played.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpOqwgvE7po][/youtube]
Glitter Wizard – Opera Villains
Genre: "Wizard Rock"
Origin: San Francisco/Oakland, California
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Buy via Bandcamp
First off, this technically drops tomorrow. Why? Because they're a fuzzy stoner band and tomorrow is 4/20. That and their self-identified genre of "Wizard Rock" should give you a good guess of what you're in for. You'd guess correctly, and you'd be happy. This album is a lot of fun.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psun7AsQUQw][/youtube]
Pristine – Road Back To Ruin
Genre: Heavy metal/blues
Origin: Oslo/Tromsø, Norway
Label: Nuclear Blast
Here's some fist in the air rock that would pair nicely with Glitter Wizard. This band brings some Deep Purple flavor, some Scorpion Child zest, and brews it together. This band also has a second identity as a children's band called Dinosaus, which is rad.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOgqCsR7SIQ][/youtube]
Jordan Rudess – Wired For Madness
Genre: Progressive
Origin: Great Neck, New York
Label: Mascot
So many dorks this week. I love it. This is a man that needs little introduction; Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater. Here is his latest keyboard-guided progressive rock album. Some of his previous albums have been only keyboard/piano, and while those are lovely, this album features a full band sound. So you're getting a full instru-metal rock journey here.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4QLAgE5Olk][/youtube]
SunnO))) – Life Metal
Genre: Drone/experimental
Origin: Seattle, Washington
Label: Southern Lord
Does this count as a new release? It dropped on Record Store Day, and today is the wider release, but then next week there’s an even wider release? Why do that in 2019, with how fast things can leak? Anyway, the feedback/drone kings have returned with their first of two albums to be released this year. This one has four tracks and clocks in at 68 minutes. So the first taste of new material is a wallop.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4miK2kxrHM][/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Alpha Wolf – Fault EP (SharpTone) – Metalcore
Black Sites – Exile (Hoove Child) – Progressive rock
Chemical City – Rebels A New Plague (Chemical City Rebels) – Stoner pop-punk
Chokehold – With This Thread I Hold On (Good Fight) – Hardcore
Cirith Gorgor – Sovereign (Hammerheart) – Black metal
Dead To A Dying World – Elegy (Profound Lore) – Blackened sludge
Druids – Monument (The Company KC) – Progressive/stoner
False Gods – The Serpent and the Ladder (Self-Released) – Doom/sludge
Grand Magus – Wolf God (Nuclear Blast) – Heavy metal/doom
Haze Mage Chronicles (Grimoire Records) – Stoner metal
Heavy As Texas – Heavy As Texas (Crunchy Western Records) – Southern metal
Hosemen – Saturday Nite Conformity (Self-Released) – Alternative rock
More Pain – More Pain (Three One G) – Noise rock
Mork – Det Svarte Juv (Peaceville) – Black metal
Shotgun Sawyer – Bury The Hatchet (Ripple Music) – Hard rock/fuzz
Tripsitter – The Other Side Of Sadness (Prosthetic) – Hardcore
Uncured – Epidemic (Seek And Strike) – Progressive/groove metal
Vitriol – Chrysalis (Iron Bonehead Productions) – Death/black metal
Walking Corpse – Walking Corpse (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Death metal/industrial
The Wolf Howls When I Scream Your Name – To Be Where There Is Pale Light (Self-Released) – Emo/alternative rock
