This week’s new heavy metal releases include a lot of deathcore, shredding guitar wit saxophone accompaniment, Star Wars metal, and more! To the metals…
Aethereus – Leiden
Genre: Progressive/technical death metal
Origin: Tacoma, Washington
Label: The Artisan Era
Buy now on Bandcamp
Getting this week started with some tech-death. As one might expect from an Artisan Era band, this is an album of complex musicianship combined with moments of earworm melodies. This one also dips into prog territory as many of the songs are lengthy. Austin has a full rundown as part of Tech-Death Tuesday here.
Deadscape – Of The Deepest Shade
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Sofia, Bulgaria
Label: Self-released
Stream on Spotify
Next we have some solid melodic death metal. The sound of this is like a combination of Amon Amarth, Soilwork, The Agonist, and a dab of Katatonia. The multiple voices on this one really create a compelling and dynamic experience as well. Their vibe is constantly shifting between driving, soaring, catchy, and a little sad.
Ecryptus – Kyr'am Beskar’gam EP
Genre: "Galactic Death metal"
Origin: Atlanta, Georgia
Label: SBDC
Over the years there have been several Star Wars influenced bands. You've had Galactic Empire and WAY back in the day Anchorhead, and others. Now rather that playing metal versions of the the Star Wars score you're getting bands playing straight ahead metal tracks about the universe. Over this EP's four track Ecryptus created death metal about lightsaber death, dying in a sarlacc pit, and more.
Enterprise Earth – The Chosen
Genre: Deathcore
Origin: Spokane, Washington
Label: eOne
I frankly know little of Enterprise Earth. The samples I've found of this record showcase a band that is one of the more frantic and one of the more melodic bands in their genre. Some choruses border on post-hardcore, but when they shift back to deathcore guitar chugging it gets real chunky.
Fit For An Autopsy – Oh What The Future Holds
Genre: Deathcore
Origin: Jersey City, New Jersey
Label: Nuclear Blast
Since deathcore is the underlying theme of this week, here we have the latest from Fit For An Autopsy. Like the chaps above, this has really grand melodic moments and lots of chunk, but the truly evil sounding moments separate the two bands. They pair well together though.
Lee McKinney – In The Light Of Knowledge
Genre: Progressive/shred
Origin: Palatine, Illinois
Label: Sumerian
Born of Osiris' guitarist is dropping one of the cooler shred albums I've heard in a long time. There is plenty of guitar frettery here, but Lee implements some weird techniques that I have never heard before. When you're not impressed by the sheer skill, you'll be wondering what the hell is happening. It's also a rather beautiful record.
Mizmor – Wit’s End
Genre: Doom/drone
Origin: Portland, Oregon
Label: Gilead
Buy now via Bandcamp
Wit's End is a two-track EP that will haunt your brain. The title track is a doom epic that's just shy of fifteen minutes and the second is a spooky ambient soundscape that is sure to be conjuring something.
Party Cannon – Volumes Of Vomit
Genre: Brutal death metal
Origin: Dunfermline, Scotland
Label: Gore House
Party Cannon are great at standing out. Every time they pop up on a flyer there will be a sea of pointy borderline illegible metal logos, and then in colorful balloon letters, "PARTY CANNON." On Volumes Of Vomit, they bring the slamming death metal party. Lyrically, this is goofy, but fuck it hits hard.
Shadow Of Intent – Elegy
Genre: Symphonic death metal/deathcore
Origin: West Hartford, Connecticut
Label: Blood Blast
We have reached the end of my unintentional deathcore trifecta, and this one is the most epic of the bunch. While the others I mentioned are no strangers to grand moments, Shadow Of Intent keep the symphonies going throughout. They also implement some more traditional death metal in their sound, so this isn't just violins and breakdowns. These guys have grown up a lot since their early days as a Halo worship band. Max has a full review here.
Underoath – Voyeurist
Genre: Metalcore
Origin: Tampa, Florida
Label: Fearless Records
Wrapping this week with the second album form Underoath since their reunion. Like lots of albums, this saw delays due to supply shortages, covid stuff, you know the drill. Fans, of empowered, synthy metalcore with have a lot to enjoy here.
Also dropping this week…
- Arise From Worms – Arise From Worms EP (Goremaster) – Death metal
- Autumn's Child – Zenith (Pride & Joy) – Helodic hard rock
- Big Scenic Nowhere – The Long Morrow (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Desert rock
- Breaths – Though Life Has Turned Out Nothing Like I Imagined, It Is Far Better Than I Could Have Dreamt (Trepnation) – Black metal/shoegaze
- Buffalo Revisited – Volcanic Rock Live (Ripple) – Heavy metal
- Crawl Below – Its Ministers On Earth (Lawnmowerjetpack Records) – Folk/post-black metal
- Dance With The Dead – Driven To Madness (Self-released) – Electronic metal
- Descent – Order Of Chaos (Redefining Darkness) – Death metal
- Desolate Grave – Det Sista Steget (Grind To Death) – Doom
- Devil In Me – On The Grind (Dead Serious) – Hardcore
- Electromancy – Technopagan (Metal Assault) – Technical black metal
- Eliminator – Ancient Light (Dissonance) – Heavy metal
- Eradication Of The Unworthy Infants – Change Is Good (Wormholedeath) – Death metal/grindcore
- Ereb Altor – Vargtimman (Hammerheart) – Folk/black metal
- Furis Ignis – Decapitate The Aging World (Iron Bonehead) – Black metal
- Goreskincoffin – Release My Suffering (Funeral Goat Records) – Blackened death metal
- Ghost In The Machine – Journey To The Otherwise (Sliptrick) – Rocktronica
- Gurschasch – Hypnotic Disasters EP (Self-released) – Experimental/groove metal
- Horndal – Be Evil (Prosthetic Records) – Sludge/hardcore
- Ilium – Quantum Evolution Event EP (Self-released) – Power/symphonic metal
- In Loving Memory – The Withering (Funere) – Melodic death metal/doom
- Inferno Sunn – Injustice Plagues American Lives (Self-released) – Thrash
- King Bastard – It Came From The Void (Self-released) – Psychedelic/doom
- Lament in Winter's Night/Obsidian Grave –Yearning for Darker Days split (Atrocity Altar) – Black metal
- Magnum – The Monster Roars (SPV/Steamhammer) – Hard rock
- Tony Martin – Thorns (Dark Star) – Heavy metal
- Maule – Maule (Gates Of Hell) – Heavy metal
- Nullification – Kingdoms To Hovel (Personal) – Death metal
- Oceans – Hell Is Where The Heart Is Part I: Love EP (Nuclear Blast) – Post-metal/metalcore
- Oshiego – Jaljalut (Seven Kings) – Thrash/death metal
- Out Of This World – Out Of This World (Atomic Fire) – Hard rock
- Pridelands – Light Bends (SharpTone) – Post-hardcore
- Slowbleed – A Blazing Sun, The Fiery Dawn (Creator-Destructor) – Hardcore
- Space Coke – Lunacy (Forbidden Place) – Psychedelic/stoner
- Spartan – Of Kings And Gods (Pest) – Melodic death metal
- Toundra – Hex (InsideOut) – Post-metal/atmospheric rock
- Tristan Harders' Twilight Theatre – Drifting Into Insanity (Pride & Joy) – Power metal
- Turkey Vulture – Twist the Knife (Self-released) – Doom/Americana
- Various Artists – Dominance And Submission: A Tribute To Blue Oyster Cult (Ripple) – BOC covers
- Verbum – Exhortation To The Impure (Iron Bonehead) – Black metal/doom
- Voodoma – Hellbound (Pride & Joy) – Gothic metal
- Vulture Lord/Black Altar – Deathiah Manifesto Split (Odium) – Black metal/thrash
- Weaponry – Everwinding Slaughter (Xtreem) – Black metal/thrash
- Wiegedood – There's Always Blood At The End Of The Road (Century Media) – Black metal
- Wolfbastard – Hammer The Bastards (Clobber) – Black metal/crust
- Worm Shepherd – Chalice Ov Rebirth (Unique Leader) – Blackened deathcore – Full review
- Wrong War – Once Upon A Weapon (Atomic Action/Council) – Hardcore
- XCIII – Void (My Kingdom) – Avant-garde/progressive metal