This week's new heavy metal releases include quite a bit a synth oddly, the end of a band's in-studio days, some synthy greatness, and more!
You can also check out select new releases here on vinyl via Gimme Metal. Now, to the metals…
Godsmack – Lighting Up The Sky
Genre: Groove metal/hard rock
Origin: Lawrence, Massechusetts
Label: BMG
Buy now on via Gimme Metal
On their last in-studio hurrah, Sully and the boys are bringing the rocking tunes like you'd expect from team. Chunky grooves and big choruses galore here.
Heidevolk – Wederkeer
Genre: Folk metal
Origin: Arnhem, Netherlands
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Bandcamp
After five long years and three new members, Heidevolk are back bringing the riffs and epic sounds you'd hope for. This also includes lots of violins, cello, and other traditional medieval instruments like the bukkehorns. More bands should used bukkehorns!
Host – IX
Genre: Darkwave
Origin: Halifax, England
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now via Gimme Metal
Remember when Paradise Lost went a little synth-crazy on One Second and Host, and people got mad? Well now that synthwave is cool Nick Holmes and Greg Mackintosh are going all in on beeps and boops. It's pretty sweet too. It makes me wonder what the reception would be if those Paradise Lost albums came out today. Jillian has a review here.
Hypno5e – Sheol
Genre: Avant-garde/progressive metal
Origin: Montpellier, France
Label: Pelagic
Buy now via Gimme Metal
If you're looking for some adventurous and epic heaviness, then Sheol should be in your ears right away. Hypno5e have outdone themselves once again here combining Ne Obliviscaris-esque structures with Ocean heft and atmosphere. There's a lot to digest here, but it's worth every second and rewarding with each re-listen.
Insomnium – Anno 1696
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Joensuu, Finland
Label: Century Media
Buy now via Gimme Metal
With songs about witch trials, child murder, and cannibalism, the latest from Insomnium is far from a romp. It's the perfect soundtrack to being sad in a forest. Joining them are Rotting Christ's Sakis Tolis and Auri's Johanna Kurkela with some guest appearances. Jordan's full rundown is right here.
No Spill Blood – Eye Of Night
Genre: Synth-infused doom/sludge
Origin: Dublin, Ireland
Label: Svart
Buy now via Gimme Metal
No Spill Blood are a guitar-less trio that love fuzz and synths. This is somehow a very fun record despite sounding like someone playing sludge through a self-destructing dial-up router (meant as a compliment). Very excited to head these guys back after way too long.
Omega Infinity – The Anticurrent
Genre: Black metal
Origin: Germany/Australia
Label: Season Of Mist
Buy now via Gimme Metal
Speaking of fun, you'll find none of that on the latest from Omega Infinity. Their debut dropped in the middle of all the 2020 insanity and was wildly underrated. The Anticurrent keeps that win steak going as Xenoyr (Ne Obliviscaris) and instrumentalist Tentakel P. journey further into darkness.
Stöner – Boogie To Baja
Genre: Stoner
Origin: Palm Springs, California
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds
Buy now via Gimme Metal
Brant Bjork (ex-Kyuss), Nick Oliveri (ex-Kyuss), and Ryan Güt (ex-Kyuss member Brant Bjork's solo band) are busy, busy guys. Their third release in as many years is more of the smoky rock n' roll they're best at. There's some punk aggression rolled in, because Nick loves to yell, so it winds up being a rather diverse EP. Hear for yourself here.
Wanderer – Indulgence of the Unreal
Genre: Hardcore/grind
Origin: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Label: Self-released
Buy now on Bandcamp
A couple years ago these guys got on my radar with Liberation From A Brutalist Existence which is a sonic ass-kicking that I still recommend, so I was stoked to hear them back with this chaotic five song collection. They still hit you with the grind, but they're also slow things down with some sludge lurch. I love variety in my ass-kickings.
Also dropping this week…
- Air Raid – Fatal Encounter (High Roller) – Heavy metal
- Alborn – Push (Pavement Entertainment) – Alternative metal
- Anatomy Of Habit – Black Openings (Anatomy Of Habit) – Doom/shoegaze
- Ascension – Under The Veil Of Madness (Marquee/Avalon) – Power metal
- Asylence – Endanger Us All (Self-released) – Blackened melodic death metal
- Big|Brave – Nature Morte (Thrill Jockey) – Experimental
- Bodyfarm – Ultimate Abomination (Edged Circle) – Death metal
- Bræ – Av Vålnader Bortom Allt (Amor Fati Productions) – Atmospheric black metal/ambient
- Burn The Ocean – Modern Ruins (Argonauta Records) – Hard rock
- Coffinborn – Cadaveric Retribution (Self-released) – Death metal
- Crown Of Madness – Elemental Binding (PressX Productions) – Death metal
- Dark Embrace – Dark Heavy Metal (Massacre) – Symphonic/melodic death metal
- Death Pill – Death Pill (New Heavy Sounds) – Hardcore
- Dope – Blood Money Part Zer0 (Self-released) – Nu metal/industrial
- El Supremo – Acid Universe (Argonauta Records) – Stoner/doom
- Enemy Of Reality – Where Truth May Lie (Vinyl Store) – Symphonic metal
- FesterDecay – Reality Rotten To The Core (Everlasting Spew Records) – Goregrind
- (hed)p.e. – 70's Hits From The Pit (Suburban Noize) – Rap metal/rock covers
- Hammerhedd – Nonetheless (Self-released) – Progressive sludge
- Heavensgate – And All I Loved, I Loved Alone (Greyscale Records/1126 Records) – Deathcore
- Hog Meets Frog – humANIMALization (Echotunes) – Experimental/funk metal
- Hurricane On Saturn – φnx (Wormholedeath) – Nu metal
- Icestorm – The Northern Crusades (Self-released) – Melodic death metal/metalcore
- Idolatrous – Sorrow On Midgard (Wormholedeath) – Melodic death metal
- Iron Kobra / Atom Smasher – Split (Dying Victims Productions) – Heavy metal
- Isolant – Drain (Sentient Ruin) – Industrial/experimental
- Kauan – ATM Revised (Artoffact Records) – Folk/doom metal
- Maerzfeld – Alles Anders (Metalville Records) – Industrial
- Mammoth Caravan – Ice Cold Oblivion (MC-001) – Doom/sludge
- Märvel – Double Decade (The Sign Records) – Rock
- Megaton Sword – Might & Power (Dying Victims) – Heavy metal
- Merlock – Onward Strides Colossus (Wandering Reliq) – Doom/psychedelic
- Morphetik – Proclamation Of War (Self-released) – Thrash
- Mortalus – We Are Human (Self-released) – Thrash/heavy metal
- Molitoth – You (Self-released) – Progressive metal
- Naut – Hunt (Season Of Mist) – Post-punk/atmospheric rock
- Necrovation – Storm the Void / Starving Grave (Blood Harvest Records) – Death metal
- Nightwölff – Riding The Night (Witches Brew Records) – Heavy metal/hard rock
- Oerheks – Landschapsanachronismen (Amor Fati Productions) – Atmospheric black metal
- Royal Autumn – Life Is Strangely Accidental (Royal Autumn Records) – Hard rock
- Sarcoptes – Prayers To Oblivion (Transcending Obscurity) – Black metal
- Satanika – Horde Of Disgust (Osmose Productions) – Black metal/thrash
- Siena Root – Revelation (Atomic Fire) – Rock
- Steel Panther – On The Prowl (Self-released) – Comedic glam metal
- They Grieve – To Which I Bore Witness (Silent Pendulum Records) – Drone/gloom
- To The Grave – Director's Cuts (Unique Leader Records)
- Venomous Concept – The Good Ship Lollipop (Decibel Records) – Hardcore punk/extreme metal – Full review
- Westing – Future (RidingEasy Records) – Stoner
- Wretched Fate – Carnal Heresy (Redefining Darkness Records) – Death metal
- Zebeck – Dharma (Wormholedeath) – Fusion metal
- 7 H.Target – Yantra Creating (Willowtip) – Experimental/technical death metal
