This week's new heavy metal releases include an album with "death howls," unique prog, druggy riffs, and more! To the metals…
Also! Today is Bandcamp Friday where artists get 100% of the proceeds for all sales on Bandcamp. So if you can get stuff from there, please do.
Aenimus – Sacrificial EP
Genre: Progressive metal/deathcore Origin: San Francisco, California Label: Nuclear Blast
With a shiny new lineup, Aenimus are making their mighty return with this EP. Melody and technicality are at the forefront of this one as always. Fans of Fallujah, and especially new Fallujah, should get on this.
God Mother – Obeveklig
Genre: Mathcore Origin: Stockholm, Sweden Label: Self-released
There's another technical EP. This time we're swapping melody for chaos. God Mother are abrasive and fucking weird. Their first batch of new material in five years will leave you reeling.
Halestorm – Back From The Dead
Genre: Hard rock Origin: Red Lion, Pennsylvania Label: Atlantic
It's been four years since the Hale siblings have brought the rock. Their fifth album is soaring hard rock, with tons and tons of energy. Lzzy continues her reign as one of the era's finest voices here.
Haunter – Discarnate Ails
Genre: Black/death metal Origin: San Antonio, Texas Label: Profound Lore Records
Now for some nastiness and blast beats. Over three epic songs, Haunter are surely summoning some spooky shit on Discarnate Ails. The chords are dissonant, the vocals are full of reverb, and their picking hands are never not full speed. Good stuff.
Ibaraki – Rashomon
Genre: Black metal/metalcore Origin: Orlando, Florida Label: Nuclear Blast
Like a Chinese Democracy or Fear Inoculum, it feels like there has always been a Matt Heafy extreme metal album in the works. The day is finally here and it's not at all what I expected. It's not as kvlt as I was imagining, but I'm not sure I really want Matt going full forest troll anyway. The guitar work is unmistakably Heafy with oodles of Trivium-esque harmonies and It features guest spots from Nergal, Ihsahn, and Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance). Max gave it a review here.
Ou – One
Genre: Progressive metal Origin: Beijing, China Label: InsideOut
This band is full of surprises. You're getting melodic prog, a little djent, and a vocal delivery that's somewhere between Kate Bush and Four Stroke Baron. One is unlike anything I've ever heard and I keep coming back to try to wrap my head around it.
Puppy – Pure Evil
Genre: Hard rock/stoner Origin: London, England Label: Rude Records
Puppy are a weird band that bring the riffs, but also bring a tongue-in-cheek cockiness that's hard to be mad at. There's a swagger to their songs that has an old school rock vibe with Goblin Cock and Ghost overtones. Pure Evil is a good time.
Terror – Pain Into Power
Genre: Hardcore Origin: Los Angeles, California Label: Pure Noise Records
If you're in the mood for bite-sized hardcore rage, then this is the record for you. The songs are swift kicks to the teeth in sonic form. Corpsegrinder pops up on a track giving it a lil death metal flair, but that's the closest thing to a frill you're getting here. Greg's full review is here.
Tzompantli – Tlazcaltiliztli
Genre: Death metal/doom Origin: Pomona, California Label: 20 Buck Spin
Tzompantli's debut is offering a refreshing take on the death metal subgenre. Riffs and rhythms are aggressive and dark of course, but they also infuse drum circles, shells, Teponaztli drum, and other Indigenous instrumentation in their sound. Fans of Coffins, Disembowelment, and the likes should come for the death doom, but stay for the rest.
The usually rather prolific riff masters in Ufomammut have returned from their longest break between records with Fenice. The psych part of their sound feels like it's pushed to the front this time more than ever. There are weird sounds beneath the doom that are sure to be mind altering in some way.
Also dropping today…
Battle Born – Battle Born (Prosthetic Records) – Power metal
Black Eye – Black Eye (Frontiers) – Rock
Christian Death – Evil Becomes Rule (Season Of Mist) – Gothic rock
Cosmic Putrefaction – Crepuscular Dirge For The Blessed Ones (Profound Lore) – Death metal
The Dark Overlords – Darkpocalypse (Uprising) – Blackened death metal
Demonical – Mass Destroyer (Agonia) – Death metal
Drag Me Out – Demons Away (Lödereih Music) – Metalcore
Elbow Deep – Homeschool Shooter (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Death metal
Fozzy – Boombox (Century Media) – Heavy metal – Full review
