This week's new heavy metal releases include the return of two of the biggest names in rock, a couple proggy off-shoots, and more! To the metals…
Avenged Sevenfold – Life Is But A Dream
Genre: Hard rock/heavy metal
Origin: Huntington Beach, California
Label: Warner
But now on Amazon
A7X are back after seven years with a surprisingly weird one. Songs like "We Love You" dip a toe into both industrial and thrash while the other single "Nobody" is a showcase of tension building. They've come a long way since their metalcore or even their Metallica worship days. Fans of shredding guitar work will still be happy though.
Bongzilla – Dab City
Genre: Stoner
Origin: Madison, Wisconsin
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
But now on Bandcamp
Listen, a band called Bongzilla with an album called Dab City WILL have a certain sound. It's going to be a stoner record. And this fits that bill and does so very well. This is wall to wall fuzzy riffs that will surely make you fail a drug test. Hear the whole dang thing here.
Dieth – To Hell And Back
Genre: Death metal/thrash
Origin: USA/Poland/Brazil
Label: Napalm
But now on Bandcamp
Next up we have the latest from the surprisingly prolific David Ellefson. The first full-record from Dieth is a thrashy, death metal groove-fest. While Ellefson is the marquee name, sonically the stars are guitarist and vocalist Guilherme Miranda and drummer Michał Łysejko. They turn out to be quote the trio. Jeff's review is here.
Foo Fighters – But Here We Are
Genre: Alternative/hard rock
Origin: Seattle, Washington
Label: Roswell/RCA
But now on Amazon
This record obviously hits different than any other Foo Fighters album. However, what one would expect to be a somber affair following the passing of drummer Taylor Hawkins still includes some traditional FF anthems. It also includes some surprises and new directions along the way.
Necrofier – Burning Shadows In The Southern Night
Genre: Black metal
Origin: Houston, Texas
Label: Season Of Mist Underground Activists
But now on Bandcamp
Nercofier sounds like their name, and I mean that as a compliment. Tremolo picking, blast beats, old school production, sinister auras, and all that good grim shit.
Nightmare Scenario – In The Event Of Emergency
Genre: Progressive rock
Origin: North Carolina
Label: Self-released
But now on Bandcamp
Dan Briggs of BtBaM fame cannot slow down. He has a few side-bands, but Nightmare Scenario is HIS thing and it's always a wild experience. As of this writing I have only heard "Falling Through Darkness," but I know the rest is going to be both impressive technically and a bit off-putting.
OK Goodnight – The Fox and the Bird
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Label: Self-released
But now right here
This band is rad. Chops throughout, and understandably so as they are Berklee College of Music alumni. This sounds like Haken mixed with Kate Bush. Just the right balance of prog shredding and experimenting.
Omnium Gatherum – Slasher
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Kotka, Finland
Label: Century Media
But now on Bandcamp
Melodic death metal greats are next up with a four track EP of great melodic death metal. There are three new tracks and a cover of Michael Sembello's "Maniac." This of course makes me want a metal remake of Flashdance. Maybe, "Flashmosh?" We can workshop this idea.
Pupil Slicer – Blossom
Genre: Math metal
Origin: London, England
Label: Prosthetic
But now on Bandcamp
One of metal's rising stars has returned with a new shape. There is more melody and tonal shifts than their chaotic debut, which could be divisive. The result is a more dynamic listening experience and what I see as a "growth" for the band. Still plenty of chaos, mind you. Just a lil' more refined.
Einar Solberg – 16
Genre: Progressive rock
Origin: Oslo, Norway
Label: InsideOutMusic
But now on Amazon
Taking us home with a different side of a prog metal front man. Leprous' vocalist and key-tickler is going out on his own with a guest-filled and sonically assorted debut solo record. This includes a lot of beautiful piano work, symphonic prog, but there's some hip hop on a track (with the help of Ben Levin from Bent Knee) and plenty experimentalism throughout. Fans of the last couple Leprous albums will dig this and find plenty to be surprised by.
Also dropping this week…
- Atlases – Between The Day & I (Lifeforce) – Post-metal
- American Nightmare – Dedicated To The Next World (Heartworm Press) – Hardcore
- Anubis Gate – Interference (No Dust Records) – Progressive/power metal
- Body Stuff – Body Stuff 4 (The Chain) – Industrial
- Buckcherry – Vol. 10 (Round Hill) – Rock
- Buggin – Concrete Cowboys (Flatspot Records) – Hardcore
- Cosmic Burial – Far Away From Home (Purity Through Fire) – Atmospheric black metal
- Don't Sleep – See Change (End Hits) – Hardcore/punk
- Gloryhammer – Return To The Kingdom Of Fife (Napalm) – Power metal
- Graveworm – Killing Innocence (AFM) – Melodic death/gothic metal
- Halflighted – Obloquy (Wormholedeath Records) – Death metal/sludge
- Hemplifier – The Stoner Side of the Doom (Electric Valley Records) – Stoner/doom
- Hollywood Vampires – Live In Rio (earMusic) – Rock
- Koningsor – Death Process (Silent Pendulum Records) – Melodic math metal
- The Kryptik – A Journey To The Darkest Kingdom (Purity Through Fire) – Black metal
- Kvad – So Old (Purity Through Fire) – Atmospheric black metal
- Laniidae – Episodes I-V (Self-released) – Metalcore
- The Mansters – Lessons In Giving Up (Loyal Blood Records) – Punk/hardcore
- Priors – Daffodil (Mothland) – Noise rock/post-punk
- Rancid – Tomorrow Never Comes (Hellcat) – Punk
- Red Cain – Nae'bliss (Self-released) – Progressive/groove metal
- Risin Sabotage – Macabre (Interstellar Smoke Records) – Psychedelic rock
- Rival Sons – Darkfighter (Low Country Sound/Atlantic) – Rock
- Saint Karloff – Paleolithic War Crimes (Majestic Mountain Records) – Hard rock
- Spy – Satisfaction (Triple B Records) – Punk/hardcore
- Suffocate Faster – This Is The Way Vol. 1 (Smartpunk Records) – Hardcore
- Thantifaxath – Hive Mind Narcosis (Dark Descent Records) – Avant-garde black metal
- Tigercub – The Perfume Of Decay (Loosegroove) – Hard rock
- To Descend – Mindless Birth (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Death metal
- Uncured – My Design (Pavement Entertainment) – Progressive death/groove metal
- World I Hate – Years Of Lead (War Records) – Hardcore
- Wytch Hazel – IV (Bad Omen Records) – Progressive rock/heavy metal
When you're done with these new releases, check out these metal documentaries and live videos streaming on Thunderflix?
Powerwolf – The Monumntal Mass – A Cinematic Metal Event
Get ready for the ultimate metal experience as Powerwolf's "The Monumental Mass – A Cinematic Metal Event" arrives on Thunderflix June 2nd! Unmatched audio, breathtaking visuals, and epic performances await.
Don't miss this awe-inspiring spectacle featuring battles, nuns, monks, and burning angels, with stunning sets and flawless staging. Experience explosive pyrotechnics and fan favorites like "Demons Are A Girl’s Best Friend" and "Beast Of Gévaudan."
