Looking for something new to listen to? Get acquainted with these tracks from some lesser-known bands that came out in April thanks to our monthly Underground Roundup! As a quick update for monthly readers, we've combined all the Underground Roundup playlists into one mega playlist that will be updated monthly. Check that out below!
You can also check out all editions of the Underground Roundup here.
Artificial Brain – "Celestial Cyst"
Artificial Brain will release their new self-titled record for June 3. The record is the band's final effort with vocalist Will Smith and featured guest appearances from Mike Browning (Nocturnus A.D.) and Luc Lemay (Gorguts), as well as long time collaborators Paulo Paguntalan (Miasmatic Necrosis) and Colin Marston (Krallice). Get wrecked by "Celestial Cyst" below and pre-order Artificial Brain here.
Behold! The Monolith – "Crown/The Immeasurable Void"
Behold! The Monolith is set to release their "darkest and most menacing record yet" later this year, and are opening the door to that darkness with the new single "Crown/The Immeasurable Void." All I can say that their assertion of the new stuff being menacing is dead on so far. Behold! The Monolith will release their new album From The Fathomless Deep on July 15, and pre-orders will soon be available here.
Cities Of Mars – "A Dawn of No Light (Chthon)"
Swedish doom unit Cities Of Mars is now streaming their riff-packed new "A Dawn Of No Light (Chthon)." Equal parts progressive rock and stoner jam goodness, Cities Of Mars is a band to keep an ear out for! Especially if you're a fan of stuff like Baroness or older The Sword albums – those vibes are incredibly present throughout Cities Of Mars' music. Cities Of Mars's self-titled album is available here.
Darkane – "Inhuman Spirits"
Darkane is back for the first time since 2013 with a brand new, perfectly melodic death metal single "Inhuman Spirits." The single is from the album of the same name due out June 24, and is now streaming alongside a Mathias Blom-directed music video. Inhuman Spirits is the first new Darkane record The Sinister Supremacy and features the same lineup. Pre-orders are available here.
Deathwhite – "No Thought Or Memory"
Deathwhite's new single "No Thought Or Memory" is gloomy in more ways than way. Outside its video and overall sound, the song explores "the opioid epidemic ravaging the United States and the perils of addiction." The single is off the aptly-named new Deathwhite record Grey Everlasting due out on June 10. Pre-orders are available here.
Fallujah – "Radiant Ascension"
Fallujah is back with "Radiant Ascension" off their new album called Empyrean due out September 9. If you've been missing Fallujah's more technical and atmospheric days, then you're really going to love this new single. Fallujah has also announced vocalist Kyle Schaefer (Archaeologist) and bassist Evan Brewer (ex-Entheos, ex-The Faceless) have joined the band. Pre-orders for Empyrean are available here.
Charlie Griffiths – "Arctic Cemetery"
Haken guitarist Charlie Griffiths will release his debut solo album Tiktaalika on June 17. Griffiths is now streaming his first single "Arctic Cemetery" featuring Between The Buried And Me vocalist Tommy Rogers. Sure, the song is progressive as hell, but it's also super heavy with a ton of great melodies. Pre-order Tiktaalika here.
IATT – "Prima Materia"
Philadelphia black metal unit IATT is all set to release their new record Magnum Opus on May 27 and you can check out the band's dynamic, symphonic new single "Prima Materia" below featuring Zach Strouse (Burial In The Sky, Rivers Of Nihil) on saxophone. Pre-orders for Magnum Opus are available here and here on Bandcamp.
Molder – "Engrossed In Decay"
If you're looking for some old-school death metal in the vein of bands like Obituary, look no further than the putrid sounds of Molder. The band is now streaming their new single "Engrossed In Decay" off their new album Engrossed In Decay due out July 15. Pre-orders are available here. Just try not to vomit during or shortly after listening, alright?
Mizmor & Thou – "Prefect"
Mizmor and Thou teamed up for a surprise new album called Myopia that dropped without warning on April 22. The album takes all the blackened misery you'd expect from Mizmor, and all the punky sludge you'd expect from Thou, and wraps it up into one loud-as-hell package that wails incessantly from the void. Myopia is available here.
Municipal Waste – "Grave Dive"
Municipal Waste is now streaming their new single "Grave Dive" off their first record in five years, Electrified Brain. If you were expecting anything less than an absolute punk-tinged thrash ripper, then you're about to be disappointed. Plus the artwork for Electrified Brain was done by James Bousema, and might be some of the best artwork of the year. Pre-orders are available here.
Ohhms – "Mephisto Waltz"
Ohhms new single "The Mephisto Waltz" is practically begging to be blasted at the loudest possible volume. From its gritty production to full-bore riffs going non-stop, to the earworm chorus you're absolutely going to be singing for the rest of the day, there is nothing not to love about this song. Ohhms will release a new album in 2023 via Church Road Records.
Origin – "Ecophagy"
Origin is now streaming their insanely fast new single "Ecophagy," whose runtime never slows down even a little bit. It's just fast the entire time and now my hands hurt from listening to it. Thanks, guys. "Ecophagy" is from the forthcoming Origin record Chaosmos due out June 3. Pre-orders for Chaosmos are available here.
Predatory Light – "To Plead Like Angels"
Predatory Light is here to blacken your entire day up with their new single "To Plead Like Angels." The song has an almost adventurous quality to it, as if you're slowly riding toward the inevitable throughout its runtime. And given the name of the band's new record, that might just be the case. Death And The Twilight Hours is out May 20. Pre-orders are available here.
Primitive Man – "Cage Intimacy"
Primitive Man will release their new EP Insurmountable on May 13 and is now streaming the obliterating 11-minute single "Cage Intimacy." Insurmountable features three new songs alongside a cover of The Smashing Pumpkins track "Quiet," which I'm sure will be as devastating as anything else we've ever heard from the band. In the meantime, check out "Cage Intimacy" below and pre-order Insurmountable here.
Pyrithe – "Ekphrastik I"
Pittsburgh experimental sludge trio Pyrtihe's single "Ekphrastik I" sounds like old school heavy metal and Deafheaven got into a fight, and I'm here for it. Pyrithe also elaborated on their interesting writing process for Monuments To Impermanence, saying "We say 'yes, and…' a lot in the practice space, which can take us to some conventionally unexpected places." Monuments To Impermanence is available here.
Saor – "Origins"
Saor, the one man metal project headed up by Andy Marshall, is now streaming "Origins" off the coming record of the same title. Marshall's unique take on Scottish music infused with heavy metal, and exploring Scottish heritage and history, isn't one to be missed. Saor will release Origins on June 24, and pre-orders are available here.
Soreption – "Död Jord"
Soreption is back for the first time in four years with a new single "Död Jord," and yes – it's all the crushing technical death metal you've missed from the band and then some. Better yet, the single comes alongside the announcement of the new Soreption album Jord due out June 10 The record features guest spots from Abiotic, Inferi, Psycroptic, and Archspire members, and pre-orders are available here.
The Spirit – "Laniakea"
The Spirit recently released Of Clarity And Galactic Structures, and you need to hear the closer "Laniakea." While cosmic black metal has become more prevalent over the years, Of Clarity And Galactic Structures should be viewed as one of the genre's frontrunners. Equal parts brutally heavy and stargazing-ly beautiful, this is one not to be missed. Of Clarity And Galactic Structures is available here
Spirit Adrift – "Sorcerer's Fate"
Spirit Adrift recently announced their new record 20 Centuries Gone for August 19 featuring two original songs, as well as covers of classic bands like Type O Negative, Pantera, and Metallica. And while the covers are plenty cool, this new "Sorcerer's Fate" song whips a very substantial amount of ass. Just try not to bang your head as it plays and see how far you get. Stream it here.
Telekinetic Yeti – "Ancient Nug"
Telekinetic Yeti, arguably one of the best-named bands in metal, will release their Tee Pee Records debut Primordial on July 8. The debut single from the album "Ancient Nug" is riff central, and is especially heavy considering Telekinetic Yeti is only a duo. Though with a band name and song title like these, what else did you expect? Primordial pre-orders are available here.
Temple Of Void – "Deathtouch"
Temple Of Void has finally emerged with their Relapse Records debut Summoning The Slayer, due out July 3. Check out the first single from the record "Deathtouch" below, whose entire runtime is dedicated to only the grooviest and doomiest versions of death metal possible. Seriously, this thing sounds like it's straight out of the grave. Pre-orders are available here.
Veil Of Maya – "Synthwave Vegan"
Veil Of Maya has been incorporating more clean vocals into their sound ever since vocalist Lukas Magyar joined in 2014. The shift in sound has been working very well for the band, and they've managed to write some seriously catchy stuff. Though this new song "Synthwave Vegan" has none of that. "Synthwave Vegan" is under three minutes of nothing but total chaos and it rules.
White Ward – "Leviathan"
White Ward kicked off the announcement of their brand new album False Light with a massive new single "Leviathan." Clocking in at a gargantuan 13 minutes, "Leviathan" covers everything from furious black metal riffing to beautiful compositions laced with brass and gentle percussion. Pre-orders are available here in the US and here in the EU. False Light is also available here on Bandcamp.
Witchpit – "Fire & Ice"
Check out Witchpit's very High On Fire-esque new single "Fire & Ice." I mean seriously, you can practically smell the cigarette smoke and whiskey on this thing, and it rules. "Fire & Ice" is off the new Witchpit record The Weight Of Death, which was recorded by Phillip Cope (Kylesa, Oakskin) at the Jam Room, and given art by Nino Andaresta. Grab The Weight Of Death here.
