This week's new heavy metal releases include a story of a bear, the comeback of someone who never really left, lots of catchiness, and more! To the metals…
Avatarium – Between You, God The Devil And The Dead
Genre: Doom
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: AFM
Buy now on Amazon
Starting your week off with riffs and spooky jams. This is once again a massive record combining Sabbath-esque slowness, with some organ, and the epic pipes of Jennie-Ann Smith. Some versions of this one include bonus live tracks and album commentary, so if you dig the base-model, there's a lot more of this one for you.
Bumblefoot – Bumblefoot…Returns!
Genre: Shred/hard rock
Origin: Brooklyn, New York
Label: Self-released
Buy now on Bandcamp
It's weird to think of Bumblefoot as returning since he's been rather busy in a lot of corners since his last solo record. His last solo outing was in 2008, but since then he was a part of Art of Anarchy, Sons of Apollo, Whom Gods Destroy, and was one of the million names on Chinese Democracy. Anyway, he's back with so many notes, weird guitar tricks, and guests like Brian May, Steve Vai, and more fellow shredders.
Fleshbore – Painted Paradise
Genre: Technical/melodic death metal
Origin: Indianapolis, Indiana
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Buy now on Bandcamp
Link Bumblefoot, Painted Paradise has oodles and oodles of notes, but these are angrier notes. Perhaps just as shreddy though. Fleshbore are a modern tech death gem and their sophomore release is a delight. It even features some bass solos which is a refreshing switch-up.
Harakiri For The Sky – Scorched Earth
Genre: Post-black metal
Origin: Vienna/Salzburg, Austria
Label: AOP Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
It's been four years since HftS dropped a proper record of new material and it really feels like a dam of emotion broke open with this one. It's heavy, but there's a weight that hasn't been felt in a while. You're getting some guest spots like Tim from Austere, Serena from Svalbard, and a Radiohead cover with Groza as well. Max has a full review here.
Nemophila – Apple of My Eye
Genre: Metalcore/nu metal
Origin: Tokyo, Japan
Label: Masterworks
Buy now from Nemophila
Nemophila's fourth record almost slipped by me, but I'm glad I caught it. This is another genre-mashing album with massive choruses, catching guitar licks, hefty grooves, and more. This one will be stuck in your head for weeks and continue to impress with each re-listen.
Oni – Genesis
Genre: Progressive metalcore
Origin: Ontario, Canada
Label: Ironshore group
Buy now from Oni
This EP has been slowly trickling out since last year, but with the release of "Erase," it is now complete. The five tracks showcase Jake Oni's masterful catchy metal tendencies. Weirdly this only has one guest (Lil Aaron) unlike some previous outings. So if the cameo voices ever felt like they got in the way, this is the Oni release for you.
Sunrot – Passages
Genre: Sludge/doom
Origin: Northern New Jersey
Label: Prosthetic records
Buy now on Bandcamp
As of this writing, there isn't anything to hear for this one (even for me as a press person) which is kind of exciting. Their last record was dark and heavy as hell and I can only hope for the same on this EP. The Bandcamp info lists cello and some additional names like Dylan Walker (The Body). So there's a lot of possibility in this one.
Wardruna – Birna
Genre: Folk/ambient
Origin: Bergen, Norway
Label: By Norse
Buy now on Amazon
Concluding this week with another folk journey into the darkness of nature with Wardruna. Einar Selvik and crew are telling a tale of a "she-bear" who battles with the modern world. This one will be as beautiful as it will be heart breaking.
Also dropping this week…
- Axestasy – Withering Tides (Dying Victims) – Power metal/thrash
- Belle Morte – Pearl Hunting (Wormholedeath) – Symphonic/gothic metal
- Beneath A Steel Sky – Cleave (Ripcord Records) – Post-metal
- Blacktoothed – Headway (Arising Empire) – Hard rock
- Marko Bojkovic – Powercore (Self-released) – Hard rock/metalcore
- Bonfire – Higher Ground (Frontiers) – Heavy metal/hard rock
- Century – Sign Of The Storm (Dying Victims) – Heavy metal
- Corroding Soul – Corroding Soul (Self-released) – Atmospheric black metal
- Deadspawn – Bile Of The Gods (Self-released) – Blackened death metal
- Dose – Trouble (LDB Records/Future Sight Records) – Hardcore
- The Ferrymen – Iron Will (Frontiers) – Power metal
- The Great Old Ones – Kadath (Season Of Mist) – Post-black metal
- Haven – Causes (Argonauta Records) – Post/alternative metal
- Irae – Promiscuous Fire (Signal Rex) – Black metal
- Knogjärn – BLY (Indie Recordings) – Hard rock
- Labyrinth – In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye (Frontiers) – Progressive/power metal
- The Machinist – Contempt For Life (Invima Records) – Industrial/black metal
- Misanthropik Torment – Make Assassinations Great Again (SelfMade) – Death/black metal
- Mogwai – The Bad Fire (Temporary Residence Ltd./Rock Action) – Post-rock
- Negative Thirteen – Recover What You Can (Self-released) – Sludge/post-rock
- Nekomata – Euphoria (Rockshots Records) – Power metal
- Putred – Megalit al Putrefacției (Memento Mori) – Death metal
- Dax Riggs – 7 Songs For Spiders (Self-released) – Blues rock
- Riverside – Live ID. (InsideOut) – Progressive rock
- Sabhankra – Nocturnal Elegies (Khufu Records) – Black metal/melodic thrash
- Sleepbomb – The Sleeping Dead (Koolarrow Records/Consouling Sounds) – Sludge/doom
- The Slime – Crab Walk To Oblivion (Self-released) – Hardcore/thrash
- Sunmancer – Everything Falls Apart (Self-released) – Metalcore
- Tormentor Tyrant – Excessive Escalation Of Cruelty (Everlasting Spew Records) – Death metal
- Trishula – Becoming The Enemy (Pride & Joy Music) – Melodic had rock
- Veenlijk – Galgenberg (Void Wanderer Productions) – Black metal
- Voidfallen – The Rituals Of Resilience (Noble Demon) – Melodic death metal
- Vukovi – My God Has Got A Gun (SharpTone) – Alternative metal
- Wardruna – Live At The Acropolis (Sony/By Norse Music) – Folk/ambient
- Wildness – Avenger (Frontiers) – Hard rock
