This week's new heavy metal releases include groove masters, grind masters, grunge-ish masters, and more!
To the metals…
Delain – Apocalypse & Chill 
Genre: Symphonic Metal/hard rock
Origin: Zwolle, Netherlands
Label: Napalm
It's been a minute since these poppy power metalers have released an full album. We got an ep and a live album, but Moonbathers was four years ago. The time has enabled them to bring together more influences than ever on Apocalypse & Chill. My one gripe is that the title cements the album very much in the now, but other than that, it's hard to be mad at this album. Jordan has a full review here.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia-NxsV4XqU][/youtube]
God Dethroned – Illuminati
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Origin: Beilen, Netherlands
Label: Metal Blade
For almost thirty years, God Dethroned have been bringing heavy and evil metal to the world. Now on their eleventh album, they're taking on the not-so-secret secret organization that runs everything. Musically, it's what you'd want from these lads. It's dark, grim, and brutal. Illuminati fans (those probably exist) may not get enough triangles for their liking. J. Andrew reviews it here.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj9hcFj66BY][/youtube]
Napalm Death – Logic Ravaged By Brute Force EP 
Genre: Grindcore/Death Metal
Origin: Birmingham, England
Label: Century Media
Their frankly isn't a lot to discuss here. This is a pair of tracks from the grindy death metal masters. One is a Sonic Youth cover, which is both cool and weird, then the other is a new track that fits right in with recent Napalm Death releases. Fans that have been waiting for another full album since 2015 will just have to keep waiting, but here's a little something something until then.
Sepultura – Quadra 
Genre: Groove metal/thrash
Origin: São Paulo, Brazil
Label: Nuclear Blast
On their fifteen album, these legends are taking on the concept of numerology, and specifically the number four. There are four sides to this album that cover all eras of Sepultura. So you've got thrashy numbers, groovy numbers, slower jams (probably not actual slow jams), and the final part inspired by their last album. It's a hell of an album and an awesome idea over all.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2nZ3n8_e3k][/youtube]
The Spirit – Cosmic Terror
Genre: Black/death metal
Origin: Saarbrücken, Germany
Label: AOP Records
This one jumped out to be because this is a younger band taking on an older genre so well. The Spirit have about half a decade under their belts, but they know what they're doing. On Cosmic Terror you're getting some no frills, but fucking solid, black metal with nods to old school death metal. This one is for fans of Thulcandra and the likes. Stream the album here.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Bnh1Xg6AhE][/youtube]
Stone Temple Pilots – Perdida
Genre: Hard rock/grunge
Origin: San Diego, California
Label: Rhino
Stone Temple Pilots's 2018 self-titled album saw mixed reviews, and I think that was just because there were just a lot of high expectations for the band following two incredible and unique vocalists fronting the band. Perdida is singer Jeff Gutt's second outing with STP, and he holds his own here. Fans and critics may be shocked to find entirely acoustic arrangements, but this does sound like an STP record for sure.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPCMjYWNh68][/youtube]
Sylosis – Cycle of Suffering 
Genre: Melodic Death/Thrash Metal
Origin: Reading, England
Label: Nuclear Blast
Let's wrap this week with some solid melo-death. Sylosis took their time since 2015's Dormant Heart, but the wait was worth it. The melodies soar, the fret work is bananas, and mainman Josh Middleton clearly had a lot of rage behind this one.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZDd-MwuvcM][/youtube]
Also dropping today…
- Atavisma/Void Rot – Split (Everlasting Spew) – Death metal/doom
- Cloud Cruiser – I: Capacity (Shuga Records) – Stoner Rock
- Envy – The Fallen Crimson (Temporary Residence Ltd.) – Post-rock/metal
- Giobia – Plasmatic Idol (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Psychedelic
- Giver – Sculpture of Violence (Holy Roar) – Hardcore
- Goblinsmoker – A Throne in Haze, A World Ablaze (Sludgelord Records) – Stoner/sludge
- Godsticks – Inescapable (Kscope) – Progressive
- Karg – Trakat (AOP Records) – Post-black metal
- Kings Never Die – Raise A Glass (Upstate Records) – Hardcore
- Krosis – A Memoir Of Free Will (Unique Leader Records) – Progressive deathcore
- Loathe – I Let It In and It Took Everything (SharpTone Records) – Progressive/ atmospheric hard rock
- Nuclear Winter – Night Shift (Self-released) – Death metal/groove
- Orthodox – Let It Take Its Course (Unbeaten) – Groove metal/rock
- OvO – Miasma (Artoffact) – Doom/experimental rock
- Redundant Protoplasm – Adipose Piquerism: A Collection Of Maniacal Bloodlettings (Horror Pain Gore Death Productions) – Goregrind
- Ritual King – Ritual King (Ripple) – Heavy blues
- Serpent Noir – Death Clan OD (WTC) – Black metal
- Soul Dragger – Soul Dragger (Time to Kill) – Metalcore/melodic death metal
- Svart Crown – Wolves Among The Ashes (Century Media) – Black/death metal
- Thoren – Gwarth II (Dryland Records) – Death Metal
- Typecaste – Between Life (Flatspot) – Metallic hardcore
- Unzucht – Jenseits der Welt (Out Of Line Music) – Dark rock
- Ye Banished Privateers – Hostis Humani Generis (Napalm) – Pirate rock
- VxPxOxAxAxWxAxMxC – Austrian Dukes of Derangement (Xenokorp) – Grind
