This week's new heavy metal releases include a live show from an abandoned tour, South American death metal, and more! To the metals…
ALSO! Today, Bandcamp is doing one of their days 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.
An Autumn For Crippled Children – Closure
Genre: Post-black metal/shoegaze
Origin: Friesland, Netherlands
Label: Prosthetic
Buy now on Bandcamp
Getting this week going with some epic blackgaze on An Autumn For Crippled Children's tenth record. There's a weird juxtaposition throughout this record of minor chord misery and soaring guitar runs. It's like you're getting hope served up with sadness at the same time.
Crypta – Shades Of Sorrow
Genre: Death metal
Origin: São Paulo, Brazil
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Bandcamp
Next up some South American death metal rage. If you appriciate classic death metal, but want it with modern production's heft, then you should be all over this. Fans of the first record or Luana Dametto and Fernanda Lira's previous outfit (Nervosa) will have a lot to enjoy here. Jeff's review is right here.
Humanity's Last Breath – Ashen
Genre: Deathcore
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: Unique Leader Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
Speaking of modern production's heft, this is modern deathcore heaviness to a T. Despite this sounding like the apocalypse in sonic form, the grooves hit with a hell of a swagger and will surely get your head bobbing. Then, you know, you're getting grand beds of choirs, symphonic elements, and more beneath the core.
Mammoth WVH – Mammoth II
Genre: Hard rock
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: BMG
Buy now on Amazon
I really appreciate Mammoth WVH. Wolfgang is taking sing along hard rock, and giving it a subtle prog twist. It's catchy and incredibly interesting. If you're an Alter Bridge or Dear Hunter fan, these guys will probably do it for you.
Devin Townsend – Devolution #3: Empath Live In America
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Vancouver, British Colombia
Label: InsideOut
Buy now on Amazon
In 2020 while on a hell of a prog tour, the world shut down and Dev and his pals had to head home. Before that happened they recorded some shows and put together this live record. If you picked up his Order Of Magnitude live record, you'll be please to find there's very little crossover song-wise. This one has "Hyperdrive!," "March of the Poozers," "Supercrush!," and others that sound especially cool with Ché Aimee Dorval on vocals. Also, today is my birthday and I'll accept this as a gift from Devin himself. Thanks Dev.
Skindred – Smile
Genre: Groove/nu metal
Origin: Newport, Wales
Label: Earache
Buy now on Amazon
Lots of grooves this weekend. Sorry? You're welcome? Anyway, the band's first record in five years shows they haven't forgotten what they're about in that time. This has the not-so secret reggae influence throughout, catchy choruses, and…grooves. GROOVE WITH ME DAMMIT!
Also dropping this week…
- Ancient Torment/Haxen – The Howling Gale (Eternal Death) – Black metal
- Balrogath – We Bring Calamity (Self-released) – Power/death metal
- Besta – Terra Em Desapego (Lifeforce Records) – Grindcore/death metal
- Big Red Fire Truck – Trouble in Paradise (Self-released) – Hard rock
- The Crawling – All Of This For Nothing (Grindscene Records) – Death metal/doom
- Djinn and Miskatonic – Paleo (Self-released) – Doom
- Drune – Drown (Self-released) – Doom/drone
- Dun Ringill – 150 – Where The Old Gods Play Act 1 (The Sign Records) – Doom/folk
- Dynma Lotva – Зямля Пад Чорнымі Крыламі: Кроў (The Land under the Black Wings: Blood) (Prophecy Productions) – Post-metal/blackened doom
- Eminentia Tenebris – Rise of a New Kingdom (Self-released) – Atmospheric black metal
- Exiled Hope – The Summoning (Self-released) – Power metal
- Hallucinate – Bowels Of The Earth (Caligari Records) – Death metal
- Kent Hilli – Nothing Left To Lose (Frontiers) – Rock
- Icon Of Sin – Legends (Frontiers Music Srl) – Heavy metal
- Körgull The Exterminator – Built To Kill (Xtreem Music) – Black metal/thrash
- Ministry – Hopium For The Masses (Self-released) – Industrial
- Rabbit – Bardo (Self-released) – Grindcore
- Edward Reekers – The Liberty Project (Music Theories) – Progressive rock
- Repentance – The Process Of Human Demise (Noble Demon) – Heavy metal
- The Shredderz – The Shredderz (Self-released) – Thrash/heavy metal
- Spitpool – Inhumane Descent (Shattered Earth Records LLC) – Deathcore
- Teenage Wrist – Still Love (Epitaph) – Rock/shoegaze
- Temple of Dread – Beyond Acheron (Testimony Records) – Death metal
- Thumos – Musica Universalis (Self-released) Progressive doom/post-metal
- Tumulation – Haunted Funeral Creations (Hammerheart Records) – Death metal/doom
When you're done with these new releases, check out these metal documentaries and live videos streaming from our sponsor Thunderflix.
Total Thrash – The Teutonic Story
Dive into the groundbreaking documentary chronicling the rise of the German thrash metal scene from the '80s to present day. Featuring interviews with iconic bands like Kreator, Sodom, Destruction, and Tankard, witness rare archival footage and epic live shows that shaped the genre's history. Don't miss this metal extravaganza and discover the influential and respected world of German thrash metal. Stream it now on Thunderflix and headbang your way through the heart of metal history.
Thrash with Traitor!
Formed in 2004, this German metal band's aggressive sound and energetic live shows will blow you away. Stream their intense performance at Wacken 2018, and don't miss Teutonic Slaughter Live now streaming on Thunderflix!