This week’s new heavy metal releases include catchy blackened metal, emotion heft, orchestral fun, and more! To the metals…
ALSO! Today, Bandcamp is doing their monthly day of giving 100% of what you pay directly to the labels and artists as Covid-19 Pandemic relief. So if you can get stuff from Bandcamp, please do.
Agrypnie – Metamorphosis
Genre: Progressive/post-black metal
Origin: Groß-Gerau, Germany
Label: AOP Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Starting this week with something evil and rather epic. Metamorphosis includes rather lengthy compositions, soaring guitar melodies, anguished vocals, and some really pretty breaks. Fans of The Ocean, Secrets of the Moon, and maybe even Ne Obliviscaris should give this album a shot.
Diskord – Degenerations
Genre: Technical death metal
Origin: Oslo, Norway
Label: Transcending Obscurity
Buy now on Bandcamp
Here's one for those of you that think I don't cover "real metal" enough. Diskord's first record in nine years is the summer soundtrack you've been waiting for. This is nasty and weird death metal. The production is raw, the songs are heavy, and the rhythms are delightfully awkward.
Feuerschwanz – Die Letzte Schlacht
Genre: Folk metal
Origin: Erlangen, Germany
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Bandcamp
Here is a live album and all one needs to do is check out the video below to learn why I'm highlighting it. This band is covered in pelts, playing bagpipes and a hurdy gurdy, while backed with fire spinning drummers and axe wielding maidens. This is a lot of fun, and makes me want to check them out in person.
Insurgent – Sentient
Genre: Djent/hard rock
Origin: Birmingham, England
Label: Self-released?
Buy now on Bandcamp
We had the privilege of premiering this EP a few days, and it's been stuck in my head since we did. This combines prog grooves with catchy-ass melodies. Greg's write up called the songs "all certifiable bangers," and I have to agree.
Lingua Ignota – Sinner Get Ready
Genre: Experimental
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Label: Sargent House
Buy now on Bandcamp
Now, we must drift into darkness and beauty. This is the heaviest thing of the week without being "heavy" at all. Kristin Hayter's voice is equal parts pretty and haunting as she floats over the soundscapes on this. It's like Tori Amos meets Chelsea Wolfe's less doomy side. Max digs into the album here.
Netherbird – Arete
Genre: Symphonic/melodic black metal
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: Eisenwald
Buy now on Bandcamp
Somewhere between the sounds of Thulcandra and Insomnium you'll find Arete. It's melodic despite sitting utilizing mostly minor chords and evil despite being catchy. This is a career highlight for Netherbird.
Serj Tankian – Cinematique Series: Violent Violins & Illuminate
Genre: Classical/orchestral
Origin: Beirut, Lebanon
Label: Serjical Strike
Get Illuminate here
Get Violent Violins here
Now a couple interesting albums from System of a Down's Serj Tankian. Beyond SOAD Serj is known to dabble outside of rock music and has release instrumental/orchestral stuff before. Well today, he's dropping not one, but two albums in this realm. One is seen as more of a proper classical album (Illuminate) with the other is more modern (Violent Violins).
Two Minutes To Late Night – Songs From The Internet
Genre: All-star heavy metal covers
Origin: Various
Label: Self-released
Buy TODAY ONLY on Bandcamp
Two Minutes To Late Night pivoted their whole thing during this quarantine and have been putting out fun star-studded covers. Today (August Sixth) and today only, they are putting out their latest Bandcamp exclusive EP. This one includes a trio of songs fronted by Mlny from Royal Thunder as they cover “Ace of Spades” by Motörhead, “Bastards” by Kesha, and “Believe” by Cher. Get it before it's gone.
Also dropping today…
- Alirio – All Things Must Pass (Frontiers) – Hard rock
- Alucard – Pitch Black Incursion – Demo MMXXI (Self-released) – Black metal
- Apathy Noir – At the Edge of the World (Self-released) – Doom/death metal
- Ashen – Godless Oath (Bitter Loss Records) – Death metal
- Blood Red Saints – Undisputed (Frontiers) – Rock
- Borracho – Pound of Flesh (Kozmik Artifactz) – Stoner rock
- Canid – Saint Serpentine (Self-released) – Black metal/doom
- Circus Of Rock – Come One, Come All (Frontiers) – Rock
- Cruzh – Tropical Thunder (Frontiers) – Heavy metal
- Decrepisy – Emetic Communion (Chaos Records) – Death metal
- Despise You – West Side Horizons (Tankcrimes Records) – Powerviolence
- Empty Streets – Age Of Regret EP (Cleopatra) – Darkwave
- Esses – Bloodletting for the Lonely (Bat-Cave Productions) – Death rock
- Groza – The Redemptive End (AOP Records) – Black metal
- Krigsgrav – The Sundering (Wise Blood Records) – Black metal/doom
- Lexi Layne – Sinner & Saint (Self-released) – Gothic metal
- Long Shadows Dawn – Isle Of Wrath (Frontiers) – Heavy metal
- Lucifer's Fall – III – From the Deep (Sun and Moon Records) – Doom /heavy metal
- Night Ranger – ATBPO (Frontiers) – Heavy metal
- Nytt Land – Ritual (Napalm Records) – Folk/ambient
- Ov Sulfur – Oblivion (Blood Blast Distribution) – Blackened deathcore
- Pray U Prey – The Omega Kill (Selfmadegod Records) – Death metal/crust
- Riseup – Destructive Machine's Chilling Time 3:27 (Eclipse) – Groove/death metal
- Sacrilegious Crown / Illuminated Manuscripts – Meditations on the Revenant Enigma (Xenoglossy Records) – Black metal/ambient
- Ushangvagush – Mntu (Vigor Deconstruct) – Black metal
- Vassago – Storm of Satan (Nuclear War Now! Productions) – Black/death metal
- Vessel of Iniquity – The Doorway (Sentient Ruin) – Black/death metal
- Vriess – Vriess (Xenokorp Militia Series) – Thrash/death metal
- Wald Krypta – Possessed By Nothingness (Eternal Death) – Black metal
