This week's new heavy metal releases include cool nerdy metal, prog wonderfulness, death metal of several sorts, and more! To the metals…
Also! Bandcamp is doing their first of four Bandcamp Fridays this year where artists get 100% of the proceeds for all sales. So if you can get stuff from Bandcamp, please do.
Abysmal Dawn – Nightmare Frontier EP
Genre: Death Metal Origin: Los Angeles, California Label: Season Of Mist
In 2020, Abysmal Dawn dropped the rather solid Phylogenesis, and they're already back with this four-track follow-up. It includes a new track, a re-recording from their early days, and a couple covers of Swedish bands (In Flames and Candlemass). Jeffrey's full review is here.
Korn – Requiem
Genre: Alternative Metal Origin: Bakersfield, California Label: Loma Vista
Nu metal OG's Korn have had a lot of shake-ups over the last year or so, but before all that they put this record together. Before stepping away on his hiatus Fieldy slapped down his bass, so Korn low-end fanboys need not worry there. The record itself is a worthy volume in the modern Korn catalog. Enough old school grooves for the long-timers, but enough new flair to not be rehashes.
Mass Worship – Portal Tombs
Genre: Death Metal Origin: Stockholm, Sweden Label: Century Media
There's a fair amount of diverse death metal this week, and maybe the most atypical of the lot is the new Mass Worship. Portal Tombs is one of the most abrasive atmospheric death metal records that I've ever heard. There's also a doom vibe, or just that spooky little something about the production adds a sense of dread. This coupled with the unrelenting aggression makes this one hit even harder.
Persefone – Metanoia
Genre: Progressive Death Metal Origin: Andorra Label: Napalm
One of modern prog metal's finest is finally back with a record of new material for the first time in half a decade. metanoia seems poised to be the quintessential Persefone album in that fans are getting long muti-part songs, a follow up to a suite of songs started on Spiritual Migration, and all the epic prog that we've been waiting so long for. Read Jordan's interview and hear the album in full here.
Rolo Tomassi – Where Myth Becomes Memory
Genre: Progressive Metal/Mathcore Origin: Stocksbridge, England Label: MNRK
Like 2018's Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It, Where Myth Becomes Memory showcases this band's ability to swerve between a multitude of influences in a single track in a way that's pleasantly jarring. Post-rock ambience, hardcore flurries, quasi-blackened metal, a straight up ballad, and more are all present on this incredible sixth album. Max has a review here.
Two Minutes To Late Night – Covers Vol X
Genre: Covers Origin: Various Label: Self-released
Two Minutes To Late Night pivoted their whole thing during this quarantine and have been putting out fun star-studded covers. Today (February 4, 2022) and today only, they are putting out their latest Bandcamp exclusive EP. This one includes covers of Metallica's "Blackened," King Diamond's "Halloween," Funkadelic's "Hit It and Quit It," and more. 100% of the money goes to the artists behind these covers. Get it before it's gone!
Venom Prison – Erebos
Genre: Death Metal Origin: South Wales Label: Century Media
Some more death metal, because why not? This time with some thrash influences, slower spacy moments, and the occasional beeps and boops. They're still one of the angriest bands out there, but they're being very adventurous this time. Max's full review is here.
Vorga – Striving Toward Oblivion
Genre: Black Metal Origin: Karlsruhe, Germany Label: Transcending Obscurity
Concluding this week with some epic, cosmic black metal. Like every Transcending Obscurity album on their label, this one subverts expectations. This is pretty straight ahead black metal but there's an epic vibe to this one that heightens the experience and gives it a sci-fi edge, without the use of spaceship noises or whatever. It's nerdy without being cheesy.
Also dropping this week…
Abhoria – Abhoria (Prosthetic) – Black metal
Bevar Sea – The Timeless Zone (Metal Assault Records) – Heavy metal/stoner
Beyond The Styx – Sentence (WTF Records) – Hardcore/thrash
Circa Survive – A Dream About Death (Rise Records) – Post-hardcore/progressive
Cold Night For Alligators – The Hindsight Notes (Arising Empire) – Alternative metal
Cryptivore – Celestial Extinction (Bitter Loss Records) – Death metal/grindcore
