This week’s new heavy metal releases include some hard-hitting death metal, a melodic metal adventure, a cameo from The Boss, and more! To the metals…
Aeon – God Ends Here
Genre: Death metal Origin: Östersund, Sweden Label: Metal Blade
It's been nine years since this death metal powerhouse has brought the bludgeoning, and they came back with another sonic battering. This one rarely lets up. I could see this one at the top of many a death metal fan's end of the year list.
The Agonist – Days Before The World Wept EP
Genre: Melodic death metal Origin: Montreal, Quebec Label: Napalm
Real talk, for as good as Orphans was, this EP is the best thing The Agonist has done in a lot of years. The five tracks cover their most melodic highs, their shreddiest guitar-work, hardest hitting rhythms, and some truly epic tracks. Despite being an EP, it covers more ground that I have ever heard them cover before.
John Carpenter, Cody Carpenter and Daniel Davies – Halloween Kills Original Soundtrack
Genre: Movie score Origin: Carthage, New York Label: Sacred Bones
Look, this isn't metal, but it belongs here. This soundtrack plays like a horror experience in itself. The tracks build tension and have sonic jump scares all on their own. Master of spooky tunes John Carpenter, his son Cody, and godson Daniel put a hell of a record together here. Even without the visuals of the film, it's a blast.
Hate – Rugia
Genre: Blackened death metal Origin: Warsaw, Poland Label: Metal Blade
I love when I get to a band like Hate. Their name tells you exactly what they are a going to sound like, so when the blackened death metal hits, it's oddly comforting. This is some evil epic shit too. If you're a fan of Behemoth, but feel like they've gotten too artsy, then slam Rugia into your ears.
Tom Morello – The Atlas Underground Fire
Genre: Hard rock Origin: Harlem, New York Label: Mom + Pop Records
Tom Morello has a wild list of pals and he has gathered another collection of them to help him on his new solo record. This one has Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder, Phantogram, Bring Me The Horizon, Damian Marley, and lots more. This isn't just guest spots though as Tom's unique guitar playing remains the star.
Vildhjarta – Måsstaden Under Vatten
Genre: Progressive metal/djent Origin: Hudiksvall, Sweden Label: Century Media
Wrapping this week with some chonky grooves. It's been a decade since these guys have dropped a full-album, and they haven't lost the djent in that time. You're getting a lot of it too as this clocks in around eighty minutes. That's a lot of thall. Max has a full review here.
Also dropping today…
Alcatrazz – V (Silver Lining) – Heavy metal
Bodyguerra – Fire & Soul (Fastball Music) – Hard rock
Bound In Fear – Penance (Unique Leader Records) – Deathcore
Cherubs – SLO BLO 4 FRNZ & SXY EP (Relapse) – Alternative
Crystal Coffin – The Starway Eternal (Self-released) Black metal
Ded – School Of Thought (Suretone) – Nu metal
Destinity – In Continuum (Crimson Productions) -Black/death metal
Deviant Process – Nurture (Season Of Mist) – Progressive death metal
Feed The Corpses To The Pigs – This Insidious Horror (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Death/black metal
Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes – Sticky (AWAL) – Punk
The Georgia Thunderbolts – Can We Get A Witness (Mascot) – Southern rock
Gemini Syndrome – 3rd Degree – The Raising (Century Media) – Alternative metal
The Grandmaster – Skywards (Frontiers) – Power metal
Gravesend – From the Gutter / To the Grave (Decibel) – Death metal/grindcore
High Desert Queen – Secrets Of The Black Moon (Ripple) – Stoner
Hippotraktor – Meridian (Pelagic) – Progressive/post-metal
Ice Nine Kills – The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood (Fearless) – Metalcore
Illudium – Ash Of The Womb (Prophecy Productions) – Post-metal
Lair Of The White Worm – EP1 (APF Records/Trepanation Recordings) – Industrial/experimental
Leverage – Above The Beyond (Frontiers) – Power metal
Lords Of Black – Alchemy Of Souls Part II (Frontiers) – Power metal
The Lucid – The Lucid (SpoilerHead) – Hard rock
The Melvins – Five Legged Dog (Ipecac) – Acoustic/sludge
Misanthur – Ephemeris (Season of Mist Underground Activists) – Black metal
Necromantia – To The Depths We Descend… (The Circle Music/Hell's Fire Records/Rabauw Records) – Black metal
Noltem – Illusions in the Wake (Transcending Obscurity Records) – Atmospheric black metal
NŪR – Negative Transfer (Suicide Records) – Sludge/post-metal
Dug Pinnick – Joy Bomb (Rat Pak) – Hard rock
Reaping Asmodeia – Darkened Infinity (Prosthetic)
The Silver – Ward Of Roses (Gilead) – Black metal/experimental
Shi – 死 – Basement Wizard (Self-released) – Doom/stoner
Sol Sistere – Sol Sistere (Cult of Parthenope) – Atmospheric black metal
