This week's new heavy releases includes a much hyped sequel, a shift from prog to a different flavor of prog, a brief pummeling, and more! To the metals…
Anciients – Beyond The Reach Of The Sun
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Vancouver, British Columbia
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now on Bandcamp
Getting this week started with some dynamic and adventurous prog. The band's first record in eight years is rad combo of the recent works of both Opeth and Mastodon. This is full of heavy jams and memorable guitar licks.
Leprous – Melodies Of Atonement
Genre: Progressive rock/metal
Origin: Notodden, Norway
Label: InsideOut
Buy now on Bandcamp
After a few records of very proggy and very experimental records, it's not quite accurate to say that Leprous are back to the heavy grooves of something like Coal or The Congregation. However, it's also not quite inaccurate. The band has said, "It’s more heavy than proggy, but not in that standard heavy way." Jordan has a full review here.
Nails – Every Bridge Burning
Genre: Hardcore/grind
Origin: Oxnard, California
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon
Another eight year gap on this one. Imposing Will is just shy of eighteen minutes of grinding nastiness. This is unrelenting, but manages to have some oddly catchy guitar frettery. Max has a full review here.
Oceano – Living Chaos
Genre: Deathcore
Origin: Cook County, Illinois
Label: Sumerian
Buy now on Amazon
Now for some heavy grooves infused with beeps and boops. After seven years and lineup shifts Oceano have returned with more deathcore mastery. This is their only material to feature Matt Kohanowski (ex-Shadow of Intent) on drums, who left the band two years ago.
Kobra Paige – Like No Other
Genre: Rock
Origin: Calgary, Alberta
Label: Pasadena Records
Stream here
Kobra and the Lotus' Kobra Paige is setting out on her own with this record. This is a varied album that features some catchy straight ahead rock, modern pop stylings, and even a little twang. Pretty cool hearing another side of this great voice.
Teeth – The Will Of Hate
Genre: Los Angeles, California
Origin: Technical death metal
Label: Translation Loss
Buy now on Bandcamp
Teeth's third record is a dark and technical journey. So many notes and so much pummeling all being delivered while feeling like you're in an endless void. Fans of Ulcerate will likely have fun with this one. Well, as much fun as this will allow you to have.
Wintersun – Time II
Genre: Symphonic melodic death metal
Origin: Helsinki, Finland
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon
Eighteen years after the first, the long-awaited sequel to Time I is finally here. I have to admit that at the time of this writing I haven't heard a second of it. I'm assuming that like much of their work, this will be an epic affair. Worth the hype though? We'll see.
Also dropping this week…
- Amiensus – Reclamation Pt. II (M-Theory) – Progressive black metal
- Avmakt – Satanic Inversion Of…. (Peaceville Records) – Black metal
- Deceased – Children Of The Morgue (Hells Headbangers) – Death metal/thrash
- Demonical – Victorious Death – Live In Latin America (Agonia) – Death metal
- Dionize – Lighthouse (Argonauta Records) – Doom/alternative metal
- Elder – Live At BBC Maida Vale Studios (Stickman) – Progressive/stoner rock
- Ellende – Todbringerin (AOP Records) – Black metal
- Erronaut – The Space Inbetween (London Doom Collective) – Stoner/psychedelic
- Executioner's Mask – Almost There (Seeing Red Records) – Deathrock
- Kungens Män – För samtida djur 2 (Majestic Mountain Records) – Psychedelic rock
- Lee McKinney – To Those Who Know Pain (Self-released) – Shred
- Norna – Norna (Pelagic) – Post-hardcore
- Rat Lord – Blazed In The Northern Sky (Loyal Blood Records) – Powerviolence/grind
- Satan's Satyrs – After Dark (Tee Pee Records) – Hard rock/stoner
- Swervedriver – Doremi Faso Latido (Outer Battery Records) – Alternative rock
- Thrown – Excessive Guilt (Arising Empire) – Metalcore
- Thunderbird Divine – Little Wars (Black Doomba Records) – Hard rock
- To The Grave – Everyone's A Murderer (Unique Leader Records) – Deathcore
- Tusmørke – Dawn Of Oberon (Karisma) – Folk/progressive rock
- Vast Pyre – Vast Pyre (Octopus Rising) – Stoner/doom
- Chelsea Wolfe – Undone (Loma Vista Recordings) – Doomgaze remixes
