This week's new heavy metal releases include nasty death metal, timely political hardcore, a prog metal reunion, and more! To the metals…
Exist – Egoiista 
Genre: Technical/progressive metal
Origin: Baltimore, Maryland
Label: Prosthetic
Starting this week with some technicality. Exist are like if you mashed the death metal shredding of Death and the atmospheric finesse of Cynic into one convenient musical morsel. There's a lot to love about this album if you're into the late 80's/early 90's tech death scene.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKMf3jgJGdQ][/youtube]
Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony- S&M2
Genre: Thrash/hard rock
Origin: Los Angeles/San Francisco, California
Label: Blackened
In late 2019 Metallica were asked to open the new arena in San Francisco. Because they're Metallica, and they can, they went big by doing a twentieth anniversary of their S&M symphony shows. In the twenty years since the first S&M there has been three albums which the band picked at least one track from each for this. Then there are a couple takes on classical pieces and a lot of shiny new versions of songs they did the first time.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0SU8vxBpc8][/youtube]
Necrot – Mortal
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Oakland, California
Label: Tankcrimes
On the flip-side of Metallica's symphonic bombast, you're also getting some Bay Area grime with Necrot. This is nasty death metal. They avoided the sophomore slump here, and may have even put out one of the year's best straight up death metal records. Kevin has a full review here.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3iaYQmJrs4][/youtube]
Pain of Salvation – Panther
Genre: Progressive
Origin: Eskilstuna, Sweden
Label: Century Media
Faithful readers know that I love a good weird album, and Panther is one of those records. Pain of Salvation are no stranger to doing wild shit, and they are dabbling with lots of electronic beats and digital elements here. You're still getting some heavy guitars and head bang moments, but it's more about getting lost in a digital space. Jordan gushes about the new record here.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmhJTkc9v8o][/youtube]
John Petrucci – Terminal Velocity
Genre: Progressive instrumental
Origin: Kings Park, New York
Label: Sound Mind
John Petrucci has been a busy guy since his last solo album fifteen years ago with six Dream Theater albums and the constant tours that come with those. It's no surprise that it took so long to get around to another outing of his own. The surprise of this album, of course, is his reunion with Mike Portnoy. There is just a certain magic the pair bring when together. Then Dave LaRue (Steve Morse, Dixie Dregs, etc) is on bass, and he is no slouch himself.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjahLtBeElE][/youtube]
Pig Destroyer – The Octagonal Stairway EP
Genre: Grindcore
Origin: Alexandria, Virginia
Label: Relapse
This EP is six tracks that range from the usual Pig Destroyer madness to harsh noise and lots of places in between. You're getting some singles from the Adult Swim Singles series ("Cameraman") and the Decibel Flexi Series ("The Cavalry"), so that's pretty neat for you collector fans. Igor Cavalera even pops up, so there's a lot going on.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCCQruCU3bU][/youtube]
Ulver – Flowers Of Evil 
Genre: Alternative
Origin: Oslo, Norway
Label: House Of Mythology
I love the path that Ulver have gone on, and I love even more that a large number of their fans have been along for the ride. Flowers Of Evil is an album that's pretty in line with Depeche Mode or even Portugal. The Man, yet they still get love from the metal scene. If Coachella ever actually happens again, they'd be wise to get Ulver. They'd do very well on their stages now.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt1qbDvMoik][/youtube]
Venomous Concept – Politics Versus The Erection
Genre: Hardcore
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Label: Season Of Mist
It's been a while since the lads from this Napalm Death, Lock Up, Corrupt Moral Altar Voltron brought the hardcore. They're on a pretty regular four year cycle…just like the presidential election! Coincidence? Probably not. Not surprisingly, this is an angry political affair.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCWjA5Hnmz0][/youtube]
Also dropping today…
- The Atomic Bitchwax – Scorpio (Tee Pee) – Hard rock/stoner
- Brain Corrosion/Ripped To Shreds –Exhumed From Eastern Tombs (Horror Pain Gore Death) – Death metal/grindcore
- Cavern – Powdered (Self-released) – Atmospheric post-rock
- Crafting The Conspiracy – Cosmic Key III Dream Sequence (Innerstrength Records) – Deathcore/melodic death metal
- Cultus Profano – Accursed Possession (Debemur Morti Productions) – Black metal
- The Devil's Trade – The Call Of The Iron Peak (Season Of Mist) – Doom/folk
- Entropy – Force Convergence (Self-released) – Thrash/heavy metal
- From Ashes To New – Panic (Better Noise Music) – Nu metal/rap rock
- Gorgatron – Pathogenic Automation (Blood Blast Distribution) – Death metal/grind
- Hinayana – Death Of The Cosmic (Napalm Records) – Melodic death metal/doom
- Inner Turmoil – Raised Through Aggression (Upstate Records) – Hardcore
- Manticora – To Live To Kill To Live (ViciSolum Records) – Progressive power metal
- Narcissistic Necrosis – The Art of Deformity (Self-released) – Deathgrind
- Narrow Head – 12th House Rock (Run For Cover) – Hard rock
- Nest – Pretense (Self-released) – Hardcore/groove metal
- Nuclear Warfare – Lobotomy (MDD) – Thrash
- Ominous Scriptures – The Fall Of The Celestial Throne (Willowtip) – Brutal death metal
- Powerman 5000 – The Noble Rot (Cleopatra) – Nu Metal/industrial
- Psychosomatic – The Invisible Prison (Nefarious Industries) – Death metal/thrash
- Radiant Knife – The Body (Self-released) – Experimental/sludge
- Redemption – Alive In Color DVD/CD (AFM) – Progressive metal
- Reptoid – Worship False Gods (Learning Curve Records) – Industrial noise
- Seether – Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum (Fantasy) – Post-grunge
- Shattered Sun – Bled For You (Hammer Forged) – Metalcore
- Sheenjek – Unclever (Seventh Rule Recordings) – Noise rock
- Silentium – Motiva (Out Of Line Music) – Gothic/dark metal
- Spook The Horses – Empty Body (Pelagic Records) – Post-metal
- Svederna – Härd (Carnal Records) – Black metal
- Turtle Skull – Monoliths (Art as Catharsis) – Stoner/doom
